Tetrad effects in REE abundance patterns of chondrules from CM meteorites: Implications for aqueous alteration on the CM parent asteroid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Mutsuo; Nakamura, Noboru; Kimura, Makoto

2009-09-01

Lanthanide tetrad effect in bulk chondrules from two moderately altered CM chondrites, Murchison and Yamato-793321 (Y-793321), are reported for the first time. Twenty-three chondrules were petrographically characterized and analyzed for 10 rare earth elements (REE) and other trace and major elements (Ba, Sr, Rb, K, Ca, Mg and Fe) using the precise isotope dilution technique. The results indicate systematic depletion (several times) of alkali and alkaline earths compared to CV and CO chondrules. Most of the porphyritic olivine (8 PO) and olivine-pyroxene (4 POP), porphyritic and radial pyroxene (2 PP, 1 RP), and granular olivine (1 GO) chondrules show a light-REE (L-REE) depleted, heavy-REE (H-REE) smoothly fractionated pattern composed of four (upward convex) segments possessing a relatively large negative Eu anomaly (CI-normalized La/Sm, Lu/Er and Eu/Eu* ratios = 0.3-1: Eu*, normal value). On the other hand, all barred-olivine (5 BO) chondrules, a few PO and POP indicate almost a flat L-REE pattern. In addition, regardless of their textural types, nearly half of the chondrules have a variable degree of Ce and Yb anomalies, and/or L/H-REE discontinuity, which is similar to CV and CO chondrules. The observed L- and H-convex REE patterns accompanied with the negative Eu anomaly is the first known case for chondrules as well as meteoritic materials, but have been previously reported for geological samples such as sedimentary rocks, late stage igneous and metamorphic rocks, and are explained as the lanthanide tetrad effect, which plausibly results from fluid-rock interaction. We suggest that the marked REE fractionations occurred by the selective incorporation of L-, H-REEs and Eu into alteration products in the matrix during alteration processes on the CM parent body, but that the gas/solid REE fractionation characteristics established in the nebula have basically remained unchanged. We suggest that the tetrad effects observed here represent a new index of physico-chemical conditions of fluid-rock interactions prevalent on the CM parent body.

The nature and history of the Qilian Block in the context of the development of the Greater Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Hui; Niu, Yaoling; Nowell, Geoff; Zhao, Zhidan; Yu, Xuehui; Mo, Xuanxue

2013-04-01

The Greater Tibetan Plateau is a geological amalgamation formed by several continental collision events from northeast in the Early Palaeozoic towards southwest in the Cenozoic. Compared to the youngest India-Asia collision event (~ 55 Ma), the earlier events to the north are not well understood, especially the earliest Qilian-Qaidam system at the northern margin. Understanding the petrogenesis of the Paleozoic granitoids in the Qilian Block (QB) helps understand the nature and history of the block, while also offering new perspectives on its sutures to the north (the North Qilian Orogenic Belt) and to the South (the North Qaidam Ultra-High Pressure Metamorphic Belt). Granitoids in the QB were sampled from several intrusions in two areas: Huangyuan (HY) and Gangcha (GC). All the samples are calc-alkaline varying from mafic-diorite to granite. Most of the HY samples are peraluminous containing Al-rich phases. The GC samples can be divided into two groups (fine-grained group with amphibole and coarse-grained without amphibole). Most HY samples are enriched in LREEs with flat HREE patterns (Group A). A garnet-bearing HY sample has elevated HREEs. Another three adakitic samples are depleted in HREEs with negative ?Hf(t) (-12~-11), indicating a deep crustal origin. The coarse-grained GC samples have similar REE patterns to HY group A while fine-grained samples have flat REE patterns with a stronger negative Eu anomaly. Zircons in all these samples are of magmatic origin but age data scatter along the Concordia and do not give "well-constrained" crystallization ages within a single sample. We adopt the histogram and identify the crystallization age with a peak at ~450 Ma. The ages of inherited zircons range from ~ 500 Ma to ~ 2600 Ma. The more peraluminous samples tend to have older inherited zircons, pointing to the greater old crust contribution. The older Proterozoic and Archean ages recorded in inherited zircons reveal the complex histories of the QB, which is likely a micro-continent or fragment of an ancient continent probably drifted from the Yangtze Craton. The initial whole-rock Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopes of these samples vary significantly, e.g., ?Hf(t) (-15~+3), ?Nd(t)(-14.6~+2.6), radiogenic Pbi(206Pb/204Pbi: 18.20~20.63) and ISr (0.7051~0.7606). ?Hf(t) is negatively correlate with A/CNK indicating more peraluminous samples have more crustal contributions. Taken all the data together, we conclude that these granitoids are genetically associated with continental collision with varying amount of mantle input and contributions of heterogeneous basement rocks of the QB. Furthermore, the significantly correlated ?Hf(t) - ?Nd(t) variation is consistent with these granitoids being formed as the result of melting-induced mixing process. The crustal melting is most likely accomplished through heating by mantle derived basaltic melts, which in this context may be associated with seafloor subduction. Varying extents of melting of the crustal rocks with varying age/isotopic composition will give the observed compositional variability of the granitoids and the ?Hf(t) - ?Nd(t) correlation also reflects the mantle melt contributions as well as the different crustal lithologies of varying histories. As discussed above, the QB has the affinity of the Yangtze Craton and underwent ~450 Ma magmatism in a subduction/collision environment.

Age and P-T Conditions of the Gridino eclogite in the Belomorian Province, Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Huanglu; Zhang, Lifei; Guo, Jinghui

2017-04-01

The Russian Belomorian eclogite was once regarded as Archean in age and the oldest eclogite in the world. However, its Archean age is disputed. The Gridino ecogite, the abundant eclogite in Belomorian province, is located in the southwest of the Paleoproterozoic Lapland-Kola collisional orogeny, and occurs as boudins and metamorphosed dykes within the tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) gneisses. Zircons from these eclogites have magmatic cores and metamorphic rims. Metamorphic rims, which contain typical metamorphic mineral inclusions of omphacite and garnet, and are characterized by low Th/U ratios (< 0.035) and flat HREE patterns, yield a U-Pb age of ca. 1.90 Ga. The δ18O values of 6.23 to 6.80 ‰ of zircon rims are acquired during the eclogite-facies metamorphism. On the contrary, zircon cores display higher Th/U ratios 0.18-0.45, negative Eu anomalies and strong enrichment in HREE and have Neoarchean U-Pb ages of ca. 2.70 Ga. δ18O values of 5.64 to 6.07 ‰ suggest the possibility of crystallization from slightly evolved mantle-derived magmas. A three-stage metamorphic evolution has been recognized in the Gridino eclogite based on phase equilibria modeling: prograde epidote amphibolite facies, peak eclogite facies and retrogressed high-pressure granulite facies. The peak metamorphic P-T conditions (790-815 °C, 21-22 kbar) give an apparent geothermal gradient of 11-12 °C/km for Lapland-Kola collisional orogeny during Paleoproterozoic. The Gridino eclogite is not Archean, but the known oldest Paleoproterozoic eclogite, which may respond to the assembly of Columbia supercontinent.

Geochemistry of Archean Mafic Amphibolites from the Amsaga Area, West African Craton, Mauritania: What Is the Message?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El Atrassi, F.; Debaille, V.; Mattielli, N. D. C.; Berger, J.

2014-12-01

While Archean terrains are mainly composed of a TTG (Tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite) suite, more mafic lithologies such as amphibolites are also a typical component of those ancient terrains. Although mafic rocks represent only ~10% of the Archean cratons, they may provide key evidence of the role and nature of basaltic magmatism in the formation of the Archean crust as well as the evolution of the Archean mantle. This study focuses on the Archean crust from the West African Craton in Mauritania (Amsaga area). The Amsaga Archean Crust mainly consists of TTG and thrust-imbricated slices of mafic volcanic rocks, which have been affected by polymetamorphic events from the amphibolite to granulite facies. Our main objectives aim to the identification of the mafic lithology origin and a better understanding of their role in the continental crust emplacement. Our petrological observations show that these amphibolites have fine to medium granoblastic and nematoblastic textures. The amphibolites are dominated by amphibolite-facies mineral assemblages (mainly amphibole and plagioclase), but garnet and clinopyroxene occur in a few samples. Two groups are distinct in their geochemical characteristics (major and trace elements), although both have tholeiitic basalt composition. The first group show LREE-enriched patterns and negative Nb-Ta anomalies. The second group is characterized by near-flat LREE patterns and flat HREE patterns. This second group clearly shows no Nb-Ta anomalies. The first group could be related to arc-like basalts, as it is many similarities with some Archean amphibolites probably formed in a supra-subduction zone, for instance the volcanic rocks from the southern edge of the Isua Supracrustal Belt. On the contrary, the second group has a MORB-like signature which is more unusual during the Archean. Different scenarios will be discussed regards to the Archean geodynamics.

Heavy rare earth elements affect early life stages in Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula sea urchins

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oral, Rahime

Background: Heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) have been scarcely studied for their toxicity, in spite of their applications in several technologies. Thus HREEs require timely investigations for their adverse health effects. Methods: Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula embryos and sperm were exposed to trichloride salts of five HREEs (Dy, Ho, Er, Yb and Lu) and to Ce(III) as a light REE (LREE) reference to evaluate: 1) developmental defects (% DD) in HREE-exposed larvae or in the offspring of HREE-exposed sperm; 2) mitotic anomalies; 3) fertilization success; and 4) reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, and nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA)more » levels. Nominal HREE concentrations were confirmed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Results: HREEs induced concentration-related DD increases in P. lividus and A. lixula larvae, ranging from no significant DD increase at 10{sup −7} M HREEs up to ≅100% DD at 10{sup −5} M HREE. Larvae exposed to 10{sup −5} M Ce(III) resulted in less severe DD rates compared to HREEs. Decreased mitotic activity and increased aberration rates were found in HREE-exposed P. lividus embryos. Significant increases in ROS formation and NO levels were found both in HREE-exposed and in Ce(III) embryos, whereas only Ce(III), but not HREEs resulted in significant increase in MDA levels. Sperm exposure to HREEs (10{sup −5}–10{sup −4} M) resulted in a concentration-related decrease in fertilization success along with increase in offspring damage. These effects were significantly enhanced for Dy(III), Ho(III), Er(III) and Yb(III), compared to Lu(III) and to Ce(III). Conclusion: HREE-associated toxicity affected embryogenesis, fertilization, cytogenetic and redox endpoints showing different toxicities of tested HREEs. - Highlights: • Different toxicities were exerted by five tested HREEs on sea urchin early life stages. • Sea urchin embryos and sperm were sensitive to HREE levels ranging from 1 to 100 μM, according to different exposures. • The findings support investigations on comparative toxicity studies of HREEs in other test systems.« less

Heavy rare earth elements affect early life stages in Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula sea urchins.

PubMed

Oral, Rahime; Pagano, Giovanni; Siciliano, Antonietta; Gravina, Maria; Palumbo, Anna; Castellano, Immacolata; Migliaccio, Oriana; Thomas, Philippe J; Guida, Marco; Tommasi, Franca; Trifuoggi, Marco

2017-04-01

Heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) have been scarcely studied for their toxicity, in spite of their applications in several technologies. Thus HREEs require timely investigations for their adverse health effects. Paracentrotus lividus and Arbacia lixula embryos and sperm were exposed to trichloride salts of five HREEs (Dy, Ho, Er, Yb and Lu) and to Ce(III) as a light REE (LREE) reference to evaluate: 1) developmental defects (% DD) in HREE-exposed larvae or in the offspring of HREE-exposed sperm; 2) mitotic anomalies; 3) fertilization success; and 4) reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, and nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels. Nominal HREE concentrations were confirmed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). HREEs induced concentration-related DD increases in P. lividus and A. lixula larvae, ranging from no significant DD increase at 10 -7 M HREEs up to ≅100% DD at 10 -5 M HREE. Larvae exposed to 10 -5 M Ce(III) resulted in less severe DD rates compared to HREEs. Decreased mitotic activity and increased aberration rates were found in HREE-exposed P. lividus embryos. Significant increases in ROS formation and NO levels were found both in HREE-exposed and in Ce(III) embryos, whereas only Ce(III), but not HREEs resulted in significant increase in MDA levels. Sperm exposure to HREEs (10 -5 -10 -4 M) resulted in a concentration-related decrease in fertilization success along with increase in offspring damage. These effects were significantly enhanced for Dy(III), Ho(III), Er(III) and Yb(III), compared to Lu(III) and to Ce(III). HREE-associated toxicity affected embryogenesis, fertilization, cytogenetic and redox endpoints showing different toxicities of tested HREEs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

REE concentration processes in ion adsorption deposits: Evidence from Madagascar and China.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Martin; Estrade, Guillaume; Marquis, Eva; Goodenough, Kathryn; Nasun, Peter; Cheng, Xu; Kynicky, Jindrich

2017-04-01

Lateritic clay deposits, where the rare earth elements (REE) occur adsorbed to clay mineral surfaces, are the world's dominant supply of heavy REE (Gd-Lu). These deposits are currently only mined in China where there is a reported heavy REE enrichment, but other deposits are currently under exploration in Brazil, the Philippines and Madagascar. Concentration of REE within IADs has been proposed to be a dominantly supergene process, where easily degradable REE-minerals (e.g. REE-fluorcarbonates) break down and release REE that are then adsorbed to clay minerals resulting in HREE enrichment. Here we present data from the Ambohimirahavavy Complex, Madagascar, and compare them to data from mineralised profiles in China, with the aim of further constraining the formation and REE enrichment processes in ion adsorption deposits. Bulk rock total REE contents from Madagascar vary from 400-5000ppm, with the HREE varying from 10 to 20% of the TREE. Ammonium Sulphate leaches (designed to remove clay-adsorbed REE) of laterite show leachable TREE from 130-500ppm, with no preferential HREE adsorption. Within the sequential extraction procedure the reducible fraction (hydroxylammonium chloride leach) showed the highest REE, but this is largely attributable to Ce4+ in oxide layers. Analysis of laterite profiles show that the REE distribution is heterogeneous, with control from both bedrock heterogeneity, and the hydrological variation between pedolith and saprolith. Similar patterns are seen in Chinese profiles from Jiangxi province. X-ray diffraction shows the clay fraction in all sites is dominated by kaolinite and halloysite. These data are consistent with experimental data which show that kaolinite is only HREE selective in high ionic strength solutions (Coppin et al., 2002), and suggest that HREE enrichment in lateritic deposits may be a function of exceptional bed rock conditions. Petrographic investigation of the Zhaibei granite, immediately underlying HREE enriched weathering profiles in Jiangxi province has identified the presence of HREE-enriched secondary phases associated with carbonate-rich areas (Xu et al., In press). Neodymium isotope data from primary granitic minerals (ɛNd(t)=-11.5±0.5) contrasts dramatically with data from HREE-enriched minerals (ɛNd(t)=0.9±0.8) indicating that pre-weathering metasomatism from fluids derived from outside the granite system may be critical in the HREE enrichment process of mineralised laterites. This may be important in determining the viability of ion adsorption deposits as HREE resources. Coppin et al. (2002) Sorption of lanthanides on smectite and kaolinite. Chem. Geol. 182, 57-68 Xu et al., (In press) Origin of heavy rare earth mineralization in South China. Nature Comms.

Heavy Rare Earth Elements Affect Sphaerechinus granularis Sea Urchin Early Life Stages by Multiple Toxicity Endpoints.

PubMed

Gravina, Maria; Pagano, Giovanni; Oral, Rahime; Guida, Marco; Toscanesi, Maria; Siciliano, Antonietta; Di Nunzio, Aldo; Burić, Petra; Lyons, Daniel M; Thomas, Philippe J; Trifuoggi, Marco

2018-05-01

Heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) were tested for adverse effects to early life stages of the sea urchin Sphaerechinus granularis. Embryos were exposed to analytically measured HREE concentrations ranging from 10 -7 to 10 -5  M. No significant developmental defect (DD) increases were observed in embryos exposed to 10 -7  M HREEs, whereas 10 -5  M HREEs resulted in significant DD increase up to 96% for HoCl 3 versus 14% in controls. Embryos exposed to 10 -6  M HREEs showed the highest DD frequency in embryos exposed to 10 -6  M DyCl 3 and HoCl 3 . Cytogenetic analysis of HREE-exposed embryos revealed a significant decrease in mitotic activity, with increased mitotic aberrations. When S. granularis sperm were exposed to HREEs, the offspring of sperm exposed to 10 -5  M GdCl 3 and LuCl 3 showed significant DD increases. The results warrant investigations on HREEs in other test systems, and on REE-containing complex mixtures.

Rare Earth Element Concentrations and Fractionation Patterns Along Groundwater Flow Paths in Two Different Aquifer Types (i.e., Sand vs. Carbonate)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johannesson, K. H.; Tang, J.

2003-12-01

Groundwater samples were collected in two different types of aquifer (i.e., Carrizo Sand Aquifer, Texas and Upper Floridan carbonate Aquifer, west-central Florida) to study the concentrations, fractionation, and speciation of rare earth elements (REE) along groundwater flow paths in each aquifer. Major solutes and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were also measured in these groundwaters. The Carrizo Sand aquifer was sampled in October 2002 and June 2003, whereas, to date, we have only sampled the Floridan once (i.e., June 2003). The data reveal no significant seasonal differences in major solute and REE concentrations for the Carrizo. In Carrizo sand aquifer, groundwaters from relatively shallow wells (i.e., less than 167 m) in the recharge zone are chiefly Ca-Na-HCO3-Cl type waters. With flow down-gradient the groundwaters shift composition to the Na-HCO3 waters. pH and alkalinity initially decrease with flow away from the recharge zone before increasing again down-gradient. DOC is generally low (0.65 mg/L) along the flow path. REE concentrations are highest in groundwaters from the recharge zone (Nd 40.5 pmol/kg), and decrease substantially with flow down-gradient reaching relatively low and stable values (Nd 4.1-8.6 pmol/kg) roughly 10 km from the recharge zone. Generally, Carrizo groundwaters exhibit HREE-enriched shale-normalized patterns. The HREE enrichments are especially strong for waters from the recharge zone [(Yb/Nd)SN =1.7-5.6], whereas down-gradient (deep) groundwaters have flatter patterns [(Yb/Nd)SN =0.7-2.5]. All groundwaters have slightly positive Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* 0.09-0.14) and negative Ce anomalies (Ce/Ce* -0.85 - -0.07). In the Upper Floridan Aquifer, Ca, Mg, SO4, and Cl concentrations generally increase along groundwater flow path, whereas pH and alkalinity generally decrease. DOC is higher (0.64 - 2.29 mg/L) than in the Carrizo and initially increases along the flow path and then decreases down-gradient. LREE (Nd) concentrations generally increase along groundwater flow path, however, MREE (Gd) exhibit little change and HREE (Yb) concentrations tend to decreases along the flow path. Floridan groundwaters have HREE enriched shale-normalized patterns, although (Yb/Nd)SN values decrease along groundwater flow path. Thus, REE patterns of Floridan groundwaters tend to flatten with flow down-gradient. All groundwaters show positive Eu anomalies (0.06 - 0.17) and negative Ce anomalies (-0.12 - -0.63).

Trace element mobility in dolomitic argillites of the Mesoproterozoic Belt-Purcell Supergroup, Western North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Álvarez, Ignacio; Kerrich, Robert

2011-04-01

The Belt-Purcell Supergroup comprises dolomite-rich stratigraphic units in a dominantly siliciclastic succession, where sedimentation spans 1400-1470 Ma. Dolomitic units are variable mixtures of co-sedimented argillite and primary carbonate post-depositionally converted to secondary dolomite. Based on rare earth element (REE) relationships three distinct REE patterns are identified in the dolomite-rich units: Type 1 (T1d; d = dolomitic sample) with REE patterns parallel to post-Archean Upper Continental Crust (PA-UCC), albeit at lower absolute abundances due to dilution by carbonate content; Type 2 (T2d) with Heavy REE (HREE) enrichment but Light REE (LREE) depletion relative to T1d; and Type 3 (T3d) with enrichment in LREE and HREE relative to T1d, but erratic Middle REE (MREE) patterns. There is a progressive increase of ΣREE from T1d through T2d to T3d, whereas for ΣLREE/ΣHREE T2d < T1d < T3d. T1d-T2d and T3d represent three different "snapshots" of a continuous process. In terms of timing, dolomitization of calcite primary sediment in all samples likely took place broadly during burial diagenesis, as inferred for most Proterozoic dolomites. T1d is easily explained by provenance: however, T2d and T3d cannot be related to provenance, weathering or sedimentary sorting processes to explain higher concentrations of HREE referenced to PA-UCC and consequently developed in the sediment from a T1d precursor. The same three REE signatures have been described in previous studies in counterpart siliciclastic counterparts throughout the Belt-Purcell Supergroup at three different locations. Mobility of normally stable REE is accompanied by mobility of normally isochemical high field strength elements (HFSE) in T2d and T3d to give REE/REE, HFSE/HFSE, REE/HFSE and Y/HREE fractionations. No specific REE-HFSE signatures are apparent in the carbonate-rich units as compared to their non-dolomitic siliciclastic counterparts. This unusual mobility of REE and HFSE reflected in T2d and T3d is attributed to alkaline oxidizing post-depositional brines. Salinity was derived from seawater-sediment reactions, dissolution of evaporite minerals, and the smectite-illite transformation, whereas alkaline oxidizing conditions were promoted by groundwater interaction with mafic units in the basin, CO 2 introduced into the system during episodic rifting with mantle degassing, and interaction of syn-sedimentary mafic intrusions with carbonate units at early stages of BPS deposition. Intermittent brine activity, inducing T2d and T3d patterns, spanned >1 Ga as recorded by secondary monazite grains with age distributions that correspond to large scale tectono-thermal events in Laurentia. Post-depositional processes and redistribution of carbonate can have an impact on transitional stratigraphic contacts between dolomitic and siliciclastic units which may have been incorrectly described as primary due to sedimentary environment changes.

Isotope U-Pb age on single zircon and REE distribution in rocks and zircon from paleoproterozoic Kandalaksha-Kolvitsa complex Baltic shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steshenko, Ekaterina; Bayanova, Tamara; Drogobuzhskaya, Svetlana; Lyalina, Ludmila; Serov, Pavel; Chashchin, Viktor; Elizarov, Dmitriy

2017-04-01

Kandalaksha-Kolvitsa paleoproterozoic complex located in the N-E part of Baltic shield and consists of three zones. Marginal zone (mesocratic metanorite) lies at the base of the massif. Main zone is composed of leucocratic metagabbro. The upper zone is alteration of mataanorthosite and leucocratic metagabbro. All rocks were subjected to granulate and anorthositic metamorphism. Age of magmatic crystallization of the massif was determined for the first time, using the U-Pb isotope method for single zircon grains. Three fractions of single zircons from anorthosite of the Kandalaksha massif gave precise U-Pb age of 2435.5 ± 4.8 Ma. For the first time REE concentration (WR) was determined using a quadrupole mass spectrometer (Agilent 7500 ce ICP-MS) in the main varieties of rocks of the Kandalaksha-Kolvitsa paleoproterozoic complex. Anorthosite and leucocratic metagabbros (main zone) are characterized by a flat spectrum distribution of HREE, which were normalized by [1]. The REE pattern is characterized by significant positive anomalies of Eu ((Eu / Eu *)n = 3.72-3.91) in anorthosite and leucogabbros and 7.26 - in ortoamfibolitah. General content of individual elements that are common for this type of rocks: Cen = 5.82-8.54, Ybn = 1.54-1.58, which indicates that the process of crystallization of the rock occurred with predominant accumulation of plagioclase. According to geochemical and Nd-Sr isotopic data (ISr=0.702 - 0.706, ɛNd(T) = +1 - (-3)) Kandalaksha Kolvitsa complex, appear to have a general plume source with Paleoproterozoic layered intrusions of the Baltic Shield [2] Distribution of REE (ELAN-9000 ICP-MS) in zircon have a typical magmatic species: a positive Ce, negative Eu anomaly and HREE flat spectrum. Titanium content in zircons were measured for the calculation of their crystallization temperature with 8350C. These data are evidence of magmatic origin of zircon [3]. The scientific researches are supported by RFBR (projects № 15-35-20501, № 16-05-00305, 16-05-00367, 16-05-00427) and theme of state assignment № 0231-2015-0005. References: 1. Boynton W.V. Cosmochemistry of the rare earth elements: meteorite studies // Ed. Henderson P. Rare earth element geochemistry. Amsterdam: Elsevier. 1984. P. 63-114. 2. Watson E. B., Wark D.A., Thomas J.B. Crystallization thermometers for zircon and rutile // Contrib. Miner. Petrol. 2006. V. 151. P. 413-433. 3. Hoskin P.W.O. and Schaltegger U. The Composition of zirconand igneous and metamorphic petrogenesis // Reviews in mineralogy & geochemistry. 2003. V. 53. P. 27-62.

Geochemistry of pillow lavas and sheeted dikes from Nain and Ashin ophiolites (Central Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saccani, Emilio; Pirnia Naeini, Tahmineh; Torabi, Ghodrat

2017-04-01

An extensive, worldwide database on the geochemistry of basalts from well-known tectonic settings is available. Knowing the chemistry of basalts on one hand, and the tectonic setting of their origin on the other hand, resulted in the development of tectonic discrimination diagrams. Recently developed discrimination diagrams allow us to determine the tectonic setting of volcanics with almost neglectable probability of misclassification (<1%). One major application of these diagrams lies in discriminating the tectonic setting of formation of ophiolites, particularly in poorly-known areas. A good example is the Inner ophiolite belt of Iran, located in Central Iran. The geodynamic significance of the inner ophiolites is still poorly known. From the Inner ophiolites, either no volcanic section is reported, or, the data are highly limited and poorly-reliable due the high degree of alteration of the studied samples. We have been able to overcome this problem by spotting relatively well-preserved outcrops of pillow lavas and sheeted dikes from two ophiolite mélanges of Central Iran, Nain and Ashin ophiolites. The two mélanges are located in the west of Central-East Iranian microplate. In total, 28 samples have been collected from the pillow lavas and sheeted dikes outcrops. The studied volcanic rocks consist mainly of basalts and minor ferrobasalts and basaltic andesites, all showing a clear subalkaline nature (e.g., Nb/Y = 0.03-0.21). Two samples from the Nain ophiolite are characterized by N-MORB normalized incompatible element patterns showing marked Th positive anomalies and Ta, Nb, Ti negative anomalies. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns show LREE/HREE (light REE/heavy REE) enrichment, with LaN/YbN=3.2-4.3. These rocks are chemically similar to the calc-alkaline basalts (CAB), as also highlighted by many discrimination diagrams. These rocks are interpreted to have generated in a cordilleran-type volcanic arc setting. All other samples from both the Nain and Ashin ophiolites display a wide range of chemical composition. However, the relatively less fractionated basalts are characterized by low TiO2 (0.60-1 wt%), P2O5 (0.03-0.08 wt%), Zr (23-75 ppm) and Y (9-27) contents. Cr (38-619 ppm) and Ni (22-220 ppm) contents show a wide range of variation. N-MORB normalized incompatible element patterns show rather flat trends and a general depletion (from 0.4 to 0.8 times N-MORB composition) coupled with a slight Th enrichment (1-3 times N-MORB). Chondrite-normalized REE patterns are generally flat and are characterized by either a slight depletion or a slight enrichment in LREE compared to HREE (LaN/YbN=0.7-1.2). These overall chemical features resemble those of island arc tholeiites from many ophiolitic complexes. The depletion in incompatible elements compared to N-MORB suggest that these rocks were derived from partial melting of a depleted mantle source. Th enrichment with respect to Nb (ThN/NbN = 2.6-12.4) suggests that mantle sources underwent enrichment in subduction-derived chemical components prior melting. Our data suggest that the Nain and Ashin ophiolites were formed in a subduction-related tectonic setting during the Late Cretaceous. The chemistry of the studied rocks is compatible with transition zone either from forearc to arc or from arc to backarc.

Geochemistry and tectonic setting of the Paleoproterozoic metavolcanic rocks from the Chirano Gold District, Sefwi belt, Ghana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Senyah, Gloria A.; Dampare, Samuel B.; Asiedu, Daniel K.

2016-10-01

Major and trace elements, including rare earth elements (REEs) data are presented for metavolcanic rocks of the Paleoproterozoic Birimian Sefwi belt to determine the geochemical characteristics as well as the possible tectonic setting of emplacement of these rocks. In order to accomplish the aim of the study, the petrographical characteristics of the rocks were examined coupled with analysis of the rocks for their whole-rock major and trace elements contents by ICP-AES and ICP-MS methods respectively. The rocks have been classified as basalt/basaltic andesites and dolerites based on their textural and mineralogical compositions. It is observed that the rocks have suffered various degrees of alteration evident in the overprinting of primary minerals such as pyroxenes and plagioclase by chlorite, epidote, sericite and others. Generally, the rocks are moderately deformed and may have experienced at least greenschist metamorphism. The basalt/basaltic andesites are derivative magmas [Mg# (20-51), Cr (10-220 ppm) and Ni (5-137 ppm)], and show flat REE to fractionated REE patterns with (La/Sm)N = 1.36-3.90, (La/Yb)N = 1.17-5.32 and strong negative to non-existent Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.51-1.03). N-MORB-normalised multi-element diagrams show that the rocks have geochemical patterns characterised by enrichment in LILE relative to HFSE and in LREE relative to HREE. The basalt/basaltic andesites exhibit characteristics of subduction zone-related magmas, such as pronounced negative Nb-Ta anomalies, slightly negative Hf and variable negative Ti anomalies. The dolerites do not vary much from the basalts and basaltic andesites. The MgO and Fe2O3 values of the dolerite range from 2.97 to 6.93 and 5.98 to 14.35 wt.% respectively, corresponding to Mg#s of 38-62. LREEs enrichment over HREEs with (La/Sm)N ranging from 0.61 to 4.61 and (Gd/Yb)N ranging from 0.99 to 2.91 is also typical of these rocks. The dolerites also exhibit quite invariable Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.81-1.00) and display a pronounced Nb-Ta trough and a minor negative Ti anomaly, suggesting arc characteristics. The metavolcanic rocks from the study area generally exhibit subduction-related setting characteristics with evidence of a sub-lithospheric contamination.

Separating Multiple Episodes of Partial Melting in Polyorogenic Crust: AN Example from the Haiyangsuo Complex, Northern Sulu Belt, Eastern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, P.; Wang, L.; Brown, M.; Wang, S.

2017-12-01

Determining the timing, mechanism and source of partial melts in polyorogenic crust is challenging. In the Sulu belt, the tectonic affinity of the Haiyangsuo (HYS) complex is controversial due to its polyphase metamorphic history. Here we use detailed field mapping, petrology, microstructural analysis and zircon geochronology to study thin stromatic leucosomes in host granite gneiss, and crosscutting leucogranite dykes to decipher the melting history. Zircon grains from both granite gneiss and thin leucosomes exhibit core-mantle-rim structures. Zircon cores yield protolith ages of 2.86-2.81 Ga, whereas the mantles and rims yield younger metamorphic/melt crystallization ages of ca. 1.82-1.80 Ga. The mantles are characterized by gray luminescence, flat HREE distribution patterns and relatively low Th/U ratios, indicating crystallization during granulite-facies metamorphism. Whereas rims show bright luminescence, steep HREE distribution patterns and higher Th/U ratios, suggesting they crystallized from melt. The mantles and rims have ɛHf (t) of -18.2 to -11.0. Using 176Lu/177Hf = 0.001, these data project back to the array of ɛHf (t) values for the zircon cores. This demonstrates that the thin leucosomes were derived from the gneiss without any mass input from a mantle source. These features are consistent with an origin of the HYS as part of the eastern margin of the NCC prior to juxtaposition with the Sulu belt. Zircons from the leucogranite dykes also show core-mantle-rim structure. Inherited cores yield concordant 206Pb/238U ages of 776-701 Ma consistent with the dominant age range for protoliths of the UHP metamorphic rocks in the Sulu belt. Zircon mantle and rim domains, which both contain multiphase solid inclusions (Kfs + Pl + Qz and Hem + Pl + Qz in mantles and Kfs + Pl + Qz + Bt in rims), yield melt crystallization ages of 226-217 and 169-156 Ma, respectively. High Sr, low Y and Yb contents, high Sr/Y ratios, and the range of ɛNd (t) values (-18.2- -15.0) and initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7106 - 0.7146) for the leucogranites are consistent with melting of thickened lower continental crust of the Sulu belt. We interpret the dykes to have been emplaced during post-collisional collapse of the orogenic root of this belt in the Middle-Upper Jurassic.

Proterozoic Eastern Sayan ophiolites (Central Asian Orogenic Belt) record subduction initiation in vicinity of continental block

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belyaev, Vasilii; Gornova, Marina; Medvedev, Alexander; Dril, Sergey; Karimov, Anas

2017-04-01

Geochemical study of cumulate and volcanic rocks from ˜ 1020 Ma Eastern Sayan ophiolites1 (Siberia, Russia) is used to provide a correlation between two ophiolitic belts and link them to subduction initiation setting. Studied areas include Ospin and Ilchir massifs to the East and Dunzhugur to the West of Early Precambrian Gargan block. Ophiolitic cumulates represent peridotite-pyroxenite-gabbro-norite suite with crystallization orders of Cr-Sp - Ol - Cpx - Opx - Plag, and Cr-Sp - Ol - Opx - Amph - (Cpx) - Plag. Clinopyroxene is augite-diopside with Mg# 85-95, low Al2O3 (1-2.5%) and TiO2 (0.05-0.2%). Amph is Mg-hornblende to edenite (Mg# 84-86, 5-8% Al2O3, 0.3-0.6% TiO2). Cr-Sp has Cr# 65-83 and 0.05-0.3% TiO2 in cumulates with high Opx proportion, while in Cpx-dominating pyroxenites chemistry of Cr-Sp is variable (Cr# 40-75, 0.05-0.5% TiO2). Due to alteration, Ol and Opx chemistry is available only for some samples (Ol: Mg# 88, 0.2-0.3% NiO; Opx: Mg# 89, 1.6% Al2O3). Whole-rock MgO ranges 9 to 38%. Amph-free pyroxenites and gabbro-norites show flat to slightly depleted REE pattern with negative HFSE anomalies. Amph-pyroxenites have fractionated trace-element pattern with LREE enrichment, Nb-Ti minima at slightly higher HFSE abundances. In-situ LA-ICP-MS analysis of Cpx in Amph-free pyroxenites and gabbro-norites revealed moderately depleted to flat REE and Nb-Zr-Hf-Ti depletion, with low trace element abundances (La/SmPM = 0.14-0.9, Zr 0.6-2.3, Nd = 0.2-1.1, Yb = 0.2-0.7 ppm). Melts calculated to be in equilibrium with Cpx using distribution coefficients2 are REE-flat to slightly LREE-enriched (La/SmPM = 1-4) at low HREE abundances (0.5-1.5 ppm Yb). Overall, crystallization orders, mineral and whole-rock chemistry suggest origin of ophiolitic cumulates from low-Ca boninites or primitive andesites (higher Opx or Amph proportion) to high-Ca boninites or primitive island arc tholeiites (Cpx-dominating, Amph-free associations with subordinate Opx). Ophiolitic volcanics and dikes are low-Ca and intermediate-Ca boninites, andesite-basalts, andesites, dacites of calc-alkaline (CA) affinity with rare evolved island-arc tholeiitic (IAT) andesite-basalts. They resemble appropriate rocks of intraoceanic island arcs, forearcs, and ophiolites. Boninites and CA-andesites are LREE-enriched (La/SmPM 1.2-3.8) at low HREE (0.5-1.6 ppm Yb) contents while evolved IAT show flat REE (La/SmPM = 1.1) and higher abundances (2.4-2.8 ppm Yb), and both have negative Nb anomalies. Nd-isotopic data expressed as epsilon Nd(1020Ma) values are -2.3 to +4.1 in cumulates, -2.8 to +0.4 in boninites and andesites, and +2.3 to +2.7 in IAT (compared to epsilon Nd(1020Ma) +7.8 in depleted mantle). The ophiolites obducted on the Gargan continental block, which contains Archean gneisses with epsilon Nd(1020) = -20 to -281. Subduction and recycling of sediments derived from these gneisses could explain enriched Nd isotopic characteristics of the studied ophiolitic rocks. The boninite-andesite-IAT association is usually found in subduction initiation settings recorded by modern forearc regions and forearc ophiolites. The difference of the Eastern Sayan ophiolites is their supposed formation close to ancient continental block which supplied recycled material into newly formed subduction zone. 1. Sklyarov et al (2016) Russ Geol Geophys 57, 127-140 2. Sobolev et al (1996) Petrology 3, 326-336.

Origin of unusual HREE-Mo-rich carbonatites in the Qinling orogen, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Wenlei; Xu, Cheng; Smith, Martin P.; Kynicky, Jindrich; Huang, Kangjun; Wei, Chunwan; Zhou, Li; Shu, Qihai

2016-11-01

Carbonatites, usually occurring within intra-continental rift-related settings, have strong light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment; they rarely contain economic heavy REE (HREE). Here, we report the identification of Late Triassic HREE-Mo-rich carbonatites in the northernmost Qinling orogen. The rocks contain abundant primary HREE minerals and molybdenite. Calcite-hosted fluid inclusions, inferred to represent a magmatic-derived aqueous fluid phase, contain significant concentrations of Mo (~17 ppm), reinforcing the inference that these carbonatitic magmas had high Mo concentrations. By contrast, Late Triassic carbonatites in southernmost Qinling have economic LREE concentrations, but are depleted in HREE and Mo. Both of these carbonatite types have low δ26Mg values (-1.89 to -1.07‰), similar to sedimentary carbonates, suggesting a recycled sediment contribution for REE enrichment in their mantle sources. We propose that the carbonatites in the Qinling orogen were formed, at least in part, by the melting of a subducted carbonate-bearing slab, and that 10 Ma younger carbonatite magmas in the northernmost Qinling metasomatized the thickened eclogitic lower crust to produce high levels of HREE and Mo.

Origin of unusual HREE-Mo-rich carbonatites in the Qinling orogen, China.

PubMed

Song, Wenlei; Xu, Cheng; Smith, Martin P; Kynicky, Jindrich; Huang, Kangjun; Wei, Chunwan; Zhou, Li; Shu, Qihai

2016-11-18

Carbonatites, usually occurring within intra-continental rift-related settings, have strong light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment; they rarely contain economic heavy REE (HREE). Here, we report the identification of Late Triassic HREE-Mo-rich carbonatites in the northernmost Qinling orogen. The rocks contain abundant primary HREE minerals and molybdenite. Calcite-hosted fluid inclusions, inferred to represent a magmatic-derived aqueous fluid phase, contain significant concentrations of Mo (~17 ppm), reinforcing the inference that these carbonatitic magmas had high Mo concentrations. By contrast, Late Triassic carbonatites in southernmost Qinling have economic LREE concentrations, but are depleted in HREE and Mo. Both of these carbonatite types have low δ 26 Mg values (-1.89 to -1.07‰), similar to sedimentary carbonates, suggesting a recycled sediment contribution for REE enrichment in their mantle sources. We propose that the carbonatites in the Qinling orogen were formed, at least in part, by the melting of a subducted carbonate-bearing slab, and that 10 Ma younger carbonatite magmas in the northernmost Qinling metasomatized the thickened eclogitic lower crust to produce high levels of HREE and Mo.

The origin of secondary heavy rare earth element enrichment in carbonatites: Constraints from the evolution of the Huanglongpu district, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, M.; Kynicky, J.; Xu, Cheng; Song, Wenlei; Spratt, J.; Jeffries, T.; Brtnicky, M.; Kopriva, A.; Cangelosi, D.

2018-05-01

The silico‑carbonatite dykes of the Huanglongpu area, Lesser Qinling, China, are unusual in that they are quartz-bearing, Mo-mineralised and enriched in the heavy rare earth elements (HREE) relative to typical carbonatites. The textures of REE minerals indicate crystallisation of monazite-(Ce), bastnäsite-(Ce), parisite-(Ce) and aeschynite-(Ce) as magmatic phases. Burbankite was also potentially an early crystallising phase. Monazite-(Ce) was subsequently altered to produce a second generation of apatite, which was in turn replaced and overgrown by britholite-(Ce), accompanied by the formation of allanite-(Ce). Bastnäsite and parisite where replaced by synchysite-(Ce) and röntgenite-(Ce). Aeschynite-(Ce) was altered to uranopyrochlore and then pyrochlore with uraninite inclusions. The mineralogical evolution reflects the evolution from magmatic carbonatite, to more silica-rich conditions during early hydrothermal processes, to fully hydrothermal conditions accompanied by the formation of sulphate minerals. Each alteration stage resulted in the preferential leaching of the LREE and enrichment in the HREE. Mass balance considerations indicate hydrothermal fluids must have contributed HREE to the mineralisation. The evolution of the fluorcarbonate mineral assemblage requires an increase in aCa2+ and aCO32- in the metasomatic fluid (where a is activity), and breakdown of HREE-enriched calcite may have been the HREE source. Leaching in the presence of strong, LREE-selective ligands (Cl-) may account for the depletion in late stage minerals in the LREE, but cannot account for subsequent preferential HREE addition. Fluid inclusion data indicate the presence of sulphate-rich brines during alteration, and hence sulphate complexation may have been important for preferential HREE transport. Alongside HREE-enriched magmatic sources, and enrichment during magmatic processes, late stage alteration with non-LREE-selective ligands may be critical in forming HREE-enriched carbonatites.

Origin of heavy REE mineralisation in carbonatites: Constraints form the Huanglongpu Mo-HREE deposit, Qinling, China.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Martin; Cheng, Xu; Kynicky, Jindrich; Cangelosi, Delia; Wenlei, Song

2017-04-01

The carbonatite dykes of the Huanglongpu area, Lesser Qinling, China, are unusual in that they are quartz-bearing, Mo-mineralised and enriched in the heavy rare earth elements (HREE) relative to typical carbonatites. Carbonatite monazite (208.9±4.6 Ma to 213.6±4.0; Song et al., 2016) gives a comparable U-Pb radiometric age to molybdenite (220Ma; Stein et al., 1997), confirming interpretations that Mo is derived from the carbonatite, and not a subsequent overprint from regional porphyry-style mineralisation ( 141Ma). The sulphides in the carbonatites have mantle-like 34S ( 1‰) and low δ26Mg values (-1.89 to -1.07‰), similar to sedimentary carbonates, suggesting a recycled sediment contribution in their mantle sources that may be responsible for the Mo and HREE enrichment (Song et al., 2016). The textures of REE minerals indicate crystallisation of monazite-(Ce), bastnäsite-(Ce), parisite-(Ce) and aeschynite-(Ce) as magmatic phases. Monazite-(Ce) was subsequently altered to produce apatite, which was in turn replaced by britholite-(Ce), accompanied by the formation of allanite-(Ce). The REE-fluorcarbonates where replaced by synchysite-(Ce) and röntgenite-(Ce). Aeschynite-(Ce) was altered initially to uranopyrochlore and then pyrochlore with uraninite inclusions. The mineralogical evolution reflects the evolution from magmatic carbonatite, through to more silica-rich conditions during the magmatic-hydrothermal transition, to fully hydrothermal conditions accompanied by the formation of sulphate minerals. Each alteration stage resulted in the preferential leaching of the LREE and enrichment in the HREE. Mass balance considerations indicate that the HREE enrichment could not be a passive process, and that hydrothermal fluids must have contributed HREE to the system. The evolution of the fluorcarbonate mineral assemblage requires an increase in aCa2+ and aCO32- in the metasomatic fluid, and so breakdown of HREE-enriched calcite may have been the HREE source. Solubility products are lower for LREE minerals compared to HREE minerals, so leaching in the presence of strong, LREE-selective ligands (Cl-, CO32-) may account for the depletion in late stage minerals in the LREE, but cannot account for subsequent preferential HREE addition. Fluid inclusion data indicate the presence of sulphate-rich brines during late stage alteration, and hence sulphate complexation may have been important for preferential HREE transport, as sulphate has been shown to be non-LREE selective during the formation of complex ions. The combination of mantle source with a recycled oceanic sediment component, and REE enrichment during magmatic processes, and late stage alteration with non-LREE selective ligands such as sulphate may be critical in forming HREE-enriched carbonatites. Song et al., (2016) Origin of unusual HREE-Mo-rich carbonatites in the Qinling orogen, China. Scientific Reports, 6:37377 | DOI: 10.1038/srep37377. Stein et al. (1997) Highly precise and accurate Re-Os ages for molybdenite from the East Qinling-Dabie molybdenum belt, Shaanxi province, China. Econ. Geol. 92, 827-835 (1997)

Origin of unusual HREE-Mo-rich carbonatites in the Qinling orogen, China

PubMed Central

Song, Wenlei; Xu, Cheng; Smith, Martin P.; Kynicky, Jindrich; Huang, Kangjun; Wei, Chunwan; Zhou, Li; Shu, Qihai

2016-01-01

Carbonatites, usually occurring within intra-continental rift-related settings, have strong light rare earth element (LREE) enrichment; they rarely contain economic heavy REE (HREE). Here, we report the identification of Late Triassic HREE-Mo-rich carbonatites in the northernmost Qinling orogen. The rocks contain abundant primary HREE minerals and molybdenite. Calcite-hosted fluid inclusions, inferred to represent a magmatic-derived aqueous fluid phase, contain significant concentrations of Mo (~17 ppm), reinforcing the inference that these carbonatitic magmas had high Mo concentrations. By contrast, Late Triassic carbonatites in southernmost Qinling have economic LREE concentrations, but are depleted in HREE and Mo. Both of these carbonatite types have low δ26Mg values (−1.89 to −1.07‰), similar to sedimentary carbonates, suggesting a recycled sediment contribution for REE enrichment in their mantle sources. We propose that the carbonatites in the Qinling orogen were formed, at least in part, by the melting of a subducted carbonate-bearing slab, and that 10 Ma younger carbonatite magmas in the northernmost Qinling metasomatized the thickened eclogitic lower crust to produce high levels of HREE and Mo. PMID:27857170

Targeting heavy rare earth elements in carbonatite complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broom-Fendley, S.; Wall, F.; Gunn, A. G.; Dowman, E.

2012-04-01

The world's main sources of the rare earth elements (REE) are concentrated in carbonatite complexes. These have the advantages of high grade and tonnage, combined with low thorium contents, yet they are generally enriched in light rare earths (LREE). The heavy rare earths (HREE, which include Eu-Lu and Y) are more highly sought after because of their role in new and green technologies. HREE are predominantly extracted from ion-adsorption clays in China. These are small, low grade deposits, which are often illegally mined by artisans. Increased government control, environmental legislation and local demand for REE in China have led to high prices and global concerns about the security of supply of the HREE. Alternative sources of the HREE are poorly documented. We present a review of such targets, including: (1) 'abnormal' carbonatites; (2) areas around LREE-rich complexes such as breccia, fenite and latter stage veins; and (3) weathered carbonatites. At Lofdal, Namibia, carbonatite dykes contain xenotime-(Y) together with LREE minerals. The original chemistry of the carbonatite magma, coupled with late-stage magma and fluid evolution, seem to be controlling factors [1, 2]. The Khibina carbonatite, Kola Peninsula, Russia, is an example of where early LREE carbonatites become increasing HREE-enriched as magmas evolve to carbo-hydrothermal fluids [3]. Around carbonatite complexes in Malawi HREE enrichment can be found in breccia and in fenite. Breccia around Songwe shows areas with high Y/La ratios within the matrix caused by narrow zones of xenotime enrichment. Fenite around Kangankunde and Chilwa Island has higher HREE:LREE ratios than the carbonatite [4]. At weathered complexes, such as at Mount Weld in Western Australia, changes in both HREE concentration and LREE:HREE ratios are observed. In currently unworked sections of the deposit, the HREE mineral churchite (YPO4.H2O) has formed concentrations due to groundwater flow [5]. These areas of enrichment are reviewed in terms of their grade, tonnage, rock type and the potential environmental impacts associated with their exploitation. [1] Wall et al. (2008), Can Mineral, 46, 861. [2] Do Cabo et al. (2011), Minmag, 75 (3), 770. [3] Zaitsev et al. (1998), Minmag, 62 (2), 225. [4] Dowman et al. (2011), abstract, Fermor conference, London. [5] Lottermoser (1990), Lithos, 24, 151

Trace element studies of silicate-rich inclusions in the Guin (UNGR) and Kodaikanal (IIE) iron meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurat, Gero; Zinner, Ernst; Varela, Maria Eugenia

2007-08-01

A devitrified glass inclusion from the Guin (UNGR) iron consists of cryptocrystalline feldspars, pyroxenes, and silica and is rich in SiO2, Al2O3, and Na2O. It contains a rutile grain and is in contact with a large Cl apatite. The latter is very rich in rare earth elements (REEs) (˜80 × CI), which display a flat abundance pattern, except for Eu and Yb, which are underabundant. The devitrified glass is very poor in REEs (<0.1 × CI), except for Eu and Yb, which have positive abundance anomalies. Devitrified glass and Cl apatite are out of chemical equilibrium and their complementary REE patterns indicate a genesis via condensation under reducing conditions. Inclusion 1 in the Kodaikanal (IIE) iron consists of glass only, whereas inclusion 2 consists of clinopyroxene, which is partly overgrown by low-Ca pyroxene, and apatite embedded in devitrified glass. All minerals are euhedral or have skeletal habits indicating crystallization from the liquid precursor of the glass. Pyroxenes and the apatite are rich in trace elements, indicating crystallization from a liquid that had 10-50 × CI abundances of REEs and refractory lithophile elements (RLEs). The co-existing glass is poor in REEs (˜0.1-1 × CI) and, consequently, a liquid of such chemical composition cannot have crystallized the phenocrysts. Glasses have variable chemical compositions but are rich in SiO2, Al2O3, Na2O, and K2O as well as in HFSEs, Be, B, and Rb. The REE abundance patterns are mostly flat, except for the glass-only inclusion, which has heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) > light rare earth elements (LREEs) and deficits in Eu and Yb—an ultrarefractory pattern. The genetic models suggested so far cannot explain what is observed and, consequently, we offer a new model for silicate inclusion formation in IIE and related irons. Nebular processes and a relationship with E meteorites (Guin) or Ca-Al-rich inclusions (CAIs) (Kodaikanal) are indicated. A sequence of condensation (CaS, TiN or refractory pyroxene-rich liquids) and vapor-solid elemental exchange can be identified that took place beginning under reducing and ending at oxidizing conditions (phosphate, rutile formation, alkali and Fe2+ metasomatism, metasomatic loss of REEs from glass).

Multistage metasomatism in lithospheric mantle beneath V. Grib pipe (Arkhangelsk diamondiferous province, Russia): evidence from REE patterns in garnet xenocrysts.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shchukina, Elena; Alexei, Agashev; Nikolai, Pokhilenko

2015-04-01

150 garnet xenocrysts from V. Grib kimberlite pipe were analyzed for major and trace elements compositions. 70 % of garnet belong to lherzolite field; 14 % - megacrysts and pyroxenites; 11 % - eclogites; 4 % - harzburgite; 1 % (1- wehrlite defined by Sobolev (1973). Harzburgite garnets: sinusoidal REE patterns Smn/Ern > 5 (5.2 - 19.8). low Y (0.5 - 3.9 ppm), Zr (1.1 - 44.6 ppm), Ti (54 - 1322 ppm). Wehrlite garnetd: close to sinusoidal REE patterns, Smn/Ern - 1.8. Megacrysts and pyroxenites garnets: normal REE patterns Smn/Ern < 1 (0.2 - 0.6), high TiO2 (0.9 - 1.3 wt %). Lherzolite garnets 70 % show four groups of REE patterns similar to peridotite xenoliths (Shchukina et al., 2013, 2015). 1-st contains MREE at С1 level, Sm/Ern - 0.03, La/Ybn - 0.002. increasing La -Yb range, low Y, Zr, Ti indicating residual nature. 2-nd: MREE at 2 - 13 chondrite units, Smn/Ern (0.16 - 0.98), La/Ybn - 0.001 - 0.040 and flat pattern from MREE to HREE. 3-rd -MREE at 5 - 14 chondrite units, Sm/Ern > 1 (1.05 - 4.81) La/Ybn - 0.010-0.051 increasing an hump at MREE decreasing to HREE. 4-th: sinusoidal REE, Sm/Ern 4.2 - 27.2. and harzburgite Y, Zr, Ti . Average Cr2O3 content increases from 2-nd to the 3-rd group (3.3 to 5.7 wt%) and 4th (7.9 wt %). Average Y/Zr decreases from 2-nd (0.6) to 3rd (0.2) and 4th group (0.08). REE and Y, Zr, Ti indicate the metasomatic origin of garnets of 2, 3. 4 groups. Modeling of TREfor equilibrated melts and fractional crystallization 2nd group close to Turyino field basalts and 3-rd - to Izmozero field picrites of Arkhangelsk diamondiferous province (ADP). Basing on geochemical data of garnet xenocrysts and garnets and clinopyroxenes in peridotites (Shchukina et al., 2013, 2015) we suppose at least 3 stage of high-temperature metasomatic enrichment. 1st stage - is enrichment of residual garnets (found only in peridotite garnets) in LREE by the influence of carbonatite melt close to the Mela field carbonatites of ADP. REE patterns in clinopyroxenes from these peridotite samples and the geochemical modeling results show that clinopyroxenes are also in equilibrium with carbonatite melt. Formation of garnet with the sinusoidal REE pattern could also occurs during carbonatite stage of mantle metasomatism. The 2- nd stage - is formation of garnets of group 3 from the melt of composition close to Izhmozero field picrites. Garnets of group 3 are of lherzolite paragenesis on the content of CaO and Cr2O3, but their REE patterns are close to sinusoidal patterns. The final stage of mantle metasomatism is the formation of garnets of group 2 exposed to the melt of composition close to Turyino field basalts. Garnets of group 2 have low Cr2O3 that indicate the significant amounts of basaltic component in the resulting melt composition or direct crystallization from the melt in case of most low-chromium garnets and megacrysts garnets. Modeling results show that the formation of the garnets of group 2 in peridotites associated with crystallization of the clinopyroxenes. At this stage of mantle metasomatism garnets have typical major and trace element lherzolite composition.

SHRIMP U–Pb and REE data pertaining to the origins of xenotime in Belt Supergroup rocks: evidence for ages of deposition, hydrothermal alteration, and metamorphism

USGS Publications Warehouse

Aleinikoff, John N.; Lund, Karen; Fanning, C. Mark

2015-01-01

The Belt–Purcell Supergroup, northern Idaho, western Montana, and southern British Columbia, is a thick succession of Mesoproterozoic sedimentary rocks with an age range of about 1470–1400 Ma. Stratigraphic layers within several sedimentary units were sampled to apply the new technique of U–Pb dating of xenotime that sometimes forms as rims on detrital zircon during burial diagenesis; xenotime also can form epitaxial overgrowths on zircon during hydrothermal and metamorphic events. Belt Supergroup units sampled are the Prichard and Revett Formations in the lower Belt, and the McNamara and Garnet Range Formations and Pilcher Quartzite in the upper Belt. Additionally, all samples that yielded xenotime were also processed for detrital zircon to provide maximum age constraints for the time of deposition and information about provenances; the sample of Prichard Formation yielded monazite that was also analyzed. Ten xenotime overgrowths from the Prichard Formation yielded a U–Pb age of 1458 ± 4 Ma. However, because scanning electron microscope – backscattered electrons (SEM–BSE) imagery suggests complications due to possible analysis of multiple age zones, we prefer a slightly older age of 1462 ± 6 Ma derived from the three oldest samples, within error of a previous U–Pb zircon age on the syn-sedimentary Plains sill. We interpret the Prichard xenotime as diagenetic in origin. Monazite from the Prichard Formation, originally thought to be detrital, yielded Cretaceous metamorphic ages. Xenotime from the McNamara and Garnet Range Formations and Pilcher Quartzite formed at about 1160– 1050 Ma, several hundred million years after deposition, and probably also experienced Early Cretaceous growth. These xenotime overgrowths are interpreted as metamorphic–diagenetic in origin (i.e., derived during greenschist facies metamorphism elsewhere in the basin, but deposited in sub-greenschist facies rocks). Several xenotime grains are older detrital grains of igneous derivation. A previous study on the Revett Formation at the Spar Lake Ag–Cu deposit provides data for xenotime overgrowths in several ore zones formed by hydrothermal processes; herein, those results are compared with data from newly analyzed diagenetic, metamorphic, and magmatic xenotime overgrowths. The origin of a xenotime overgrowth is reflected in its rareearth element (REE) pattern. Detrital (i.e., igneous) xenotime has a large negative Eu anomaly and is heavy rare-earth element (HREE)-enriched (similar to REE in igneous zircon). Diagenetic xenotime has a small negative Eu anomaly and flat HREE (Tb to Lu). Hydrothermal xenotime is depleted in light rare-earth element (LREE), has a small negative Eu anomaly, and decreasing HREE. Metamorphic xenotime is very LREE-depleted, has a very small negative Eu anomaly, and is strongly depleted in HREE (from Gd to Lu). Because these characteristics seem to be process related, they may be useful for interpretation of xenotime of unknown origin. The occurrence of 1.16–1.05 Ga metamorphic xenotime, in the apparent absence of pervasive deformation structures, suggests that the heating may be related to poorly understood regional heating due to broad regional underplating of mafic magma. These results may be additional evidence (together with published ages from metamorphic titanite, zircon, monazite, and garnet) for an enigmatic, Grenville-age metamorphic event that is more widely recognized in the southwestern and eastern United States

Microanalyzing Metasomatism: Correlative Microanalysis of Trace Elements and Oxygen Isotopes in the Franciscan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goltz, A. E.; Hoover, W. F.; Page, F. Z.; Moreira, H.; Storey, C.; Kitajima, K.; Valley, J. W.

2017-12-01

Mélange fluids play a vital role in metamorphic processes; however, because of the complexity of the mélange, the fluid signals are hard to isolate. Microanalysis of Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) in garnet has the potential to be a powerful tool in understanding the nature of these fluids. When coupled to oxygen isotope analysis, HREE signals may be attributed to an internal or external fluid source. This study pairs microanalysis of HREE and oxygen isotopes in garnet to reveal the origin of HREE enrichment events in two rocks (02WC1 and 02WC4) from the Ward Creek area of the Franciscan Complex. 02WC1 is an intergrown epidote-blueschist and eclogite, with the assemblage omph + ep + glc + gt + sph ± rt ± ab. Its whole-rock major element composition is similar to altered oceanic crust. Two generations of epidote are evident: the first Mn-rich, the other Mn-poor. Garnets have prograde zoning profiles with high spessartine contents ( 40%) in their cores, are unzoned in oxygen isotopes from core (9.6±0.4‰, 2SD, VSMOW) to rim (9.8±0.4‰), and have HREE peaks in their mantles. 02WC4 is also banded with zones of differing epidote content and overall assemblage ep + gt + hbl + omph + sph ± phg ± chl. The whole rock composition of 02WC4 is unusual; it is broadly basaltic but is also SiO2 poor (41.95%) and Cr and Ni rich (675 and 182 ppm, respectively). Epidote shows two generations with higher (cores) and lower (rims) Mn content. Garnet cores are high in spessartine ( 50%), and some garnet mantles have pronounced Mn and Fe plateaux. Garnets are zoned in oxygen isotopes from core (10.2±0.6‰) to rim (6.9±0.4‰). There is one HREE peak in the mantle, coincident with high values of δ18O and one in the rims corresponding to lower values of δ18O. The HREE peaks that occur in high δ18O areas throughout 02WC1 and 02WC4 are likely internally derived within the sample. Mn annuli in garnets and dissolution textures in epidote cores implicate epidote dehydration as the cause of HREE transfer in this case. On the other hand, HREE peaks in lower δ18O regimes are probably externally derived. In addition to δ18O and HREE zoning in the rims of garnets, the enrichment of Cr and Ni and depletion of SiO2 suggest a late-stage mantle metasomatic event in the rock. Correlated HREE and δ18O analysis in garnet provides a powerful new technique to unravel complicated fluid histories in rocks.

Metasomatic Enrichment of Oceanic Lithospheric Mantle Documented by Petit-Spot Xenoliths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilet, S.; Abe, N.; Rochat, L.; Hirano, N.; Machida, S.; Kaczmarek, M. A.; Muntener, O.

2015-12-01

Oceanic lithosphere is generally interpreted as mantle residue after MORB extraction. It has been proposed, however, that metasomatism could take place at the interface between the low-velocity zone and the cooling and thickening oceanic lithosphere or by the percolation of low-degree melts produced in periphery of Mid Ocean Ridges. This later process is observed in slow spreading ridges and ophiolites where shallow oceanic lithospheric mantle could be metasomatized/refertilized during incomplete MORB melt extraction. Nevertheless, direct evidence for metasomatic refertilization of the deep part of the oceanic lithospheric mantle is still missing. Xenoliths and xenocrysts sampled by petit-spot volcanoes interpreted as low-degree melts extracted from the base of the lithosphere in response to plate flexure, provide important new information about the nature and the processes associated with the evolution of oceanic lithospheric mantle. Here, we report, first, the presence of a garnet xenocryst in petit-spot lavas from Japan characterized by low-Cr, low-Ti content and mostly flat MREE-HREE pattern. This garnet is interpreted as formed during subsolidus cooling of pyroxenitic or gabbroic cumulates formed at ~1 GPa during the incomplete melt extraction at the periphery of the Pacific mid-ocean ridge. It is the first time that such processes are documented in fast spreading context. Second, we report petit-spot mantle xenoliths with cpx trace element "signatures" characterized by high U, Th, relative depletion in Nb, Pb, Ti and high but variable LREE/HREE ratio suggesting equilibration depth closed to the Gt/Sp transition zone. Such "signatures" are unknown from oceanic settings and show unexpected similarity to melt-metasomatized gt-peridotites sampled by kimberlites. This similarity suggests that metasomatic processes are not restricted to continental setting, but could correspond to a global mechanism at the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary. As plate flexure represents a global mechanism in subduction zone, a portion of oceanic lithospheric mantle is likely to be metasomatized; recycling of these enriched domains into the convecting mantle is fundamental to understand the generation of small scale mantle isotopic and volatile heterogeneities sampled by OIBs and MORBs.

Residual levels of rare earth elements in freshwater and marine fish and their health risk assessment from Shandong, China.

PubMed

Yang, Luping; Wang, Xining; Nie, Hongqian; Shao, Lijun; Wang, Guoling; Liu, Yongjun

2016-06-15

The total concentrations of rare earth elements (ΣREE) were quantified in 251 samples from 10 common species of freshwater and marine fish in seventeen cities of Shandong, China. ΣREE obtained from the freshwater fish ranged from 34.0 to 37.9ngg(-1) (wet weight) and marine fish from 12.7 to 37.6ngg(-1). The ratio of LREE to HREE was 13.7:1 and 10:1 for freshwater and marine fish, respectively. This suggests that freshwater fish exhibit greater REE concentrations than marine fish and the biological effects of LREE are higher than HREE. Results revealed a similar REE distribution pattern between those fish and coastal sediments, abiding the "abundance law". The health risk assessment demonstrated the EDIs of REEs in fish were significantly lower than the ADI, indicating that the consumption of these fish presents little risk to human health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rare earth element scavenging in seawater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrne, Robert H.; Kim, Ki-Hyun

1990-10-01

Examinations of rare earth element (REE) adsorption in seawater, using a variety of surface-types, indicated that, for most surfaces, light rare earth elements (LREEs) are preferentially adsorbed compared to the heavy rare earths (HREEs). Exceptions to this behavior were observed only for silica phases (glass surfaces, acid-cleaned diatomaceous earth, and synthetic SiO 2). The affinity of the rare earths for surfaces can be strongly affected by thin organic coatings. Glass surfaces which acquired an organic coating through immersion in Tampa Bay exhibited adsorptive behavior typical of organic-rich, rather than glass, surfaces. Models of rare earth distributions between seawater and carboxylate-rich surfaces indicate that scavenging processes which involve such surfaces should exhibit a strong dependence on pH and carbonate complexation. Scavenging models involving carboxylate surfaces produce relative REE abundance patterns in good general agreement with observed shale-normalized REE abundances in seawater. Scavenging by carboxylate-rich surfaces should produce HREE enrichments in seawater relative to the LREEs and may produce enrichments of lanthanum relative to its immediate trivalent neighbors. Due to the origin of distribution coefficients as a difference between REE solution complexation (which increases strongly with atomic number) and surface complexation (which apparently also increases with atomic number) the relative solution abundance patterns of the REEs produced by scavenging reactions can be quite complex.

Carboniferous high-pressure metamorphism of Ordovician protoliths in the Argentera Massif (Italy), Southern European Variscan belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rubatto, Daniela; Ferrando, Simona; Compagnoni, Roberto; Lombardo, Bruno

2010-04-01

The age of high-pressure metamorphism is crucial to identify a suitable tectonic model for the vast Variscan orogeny. Banded H P granulites from the Gesso-Stura Terrain in the Argentera Massif, Italy, have been recently described (Ferrando et al., 2008) relicts of high-pressure metamorphism in the western part of the Variscan orogen. Bulk rock chemistry of representative lithologies reveals intermediate silica contents and calc-alkaline affinity of the various cumulate layers. Enrichment in incompatible elements denotes a significant crustal component in line with intrusion during Ordovician rifting. Magmatic zircon cores from a Pl-rich layer yield scattered ages indicating a minimum protolith age of 486 ± 7 Ma. Carboniferous zircons (340.7 ± 4.2 and 336.3 ± 4.1 Ma) are found in a Pl-rich and a Pl-poor layer, respectively. Their zoning, chemical composition (low Th/U, flat HREE pattern and Ti-in-zircon temperature) and deformation indicate that they formed during the high-pressure event before decompression and mylonitisation. The proposed age for high-pressure metamorphism in the Argentera Massif proves that subduction preceded anatexis by less than 20 Ma. The new data allow a first-order comparison with the Bohemian Massif, which is located at the eastern termination of the Variscan orogen. Similarities in evolution at either end of the orogen support a Himalayan-type tectonic model for the entire European Variscides.

Trace element and Sm Nd systematics of volcanic and intrusive rocks from the 3 Ga Lumby Lake Greenstone belt, Superior Province: evidence for Archean plume arc interaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hollings, Pete; Wyman, Derek

1999-02-01

The metavolcanic Lumby Lake belt comprises mafic tholeiites intercalated with thin felsic pyroclastic units. Al-undepleted komatiites are present towards the top of the stratigraphy. Identification of Al-depleted pyroclastic komatiites associated with chemical and siliciclastic sedimentary rocks indicates the upper portion of the 3 Ga Lumby Lake stratigraphy is directly comparable to a stratigraphic sequence developed on a paleoregolith in the nearby Steep Rock greenstone belt. The lower portion of the Lumby Lake sequence therefore represents a rarely preserved association of komatiite-tholeiite and calc alkaline volcanism developed prior to rifting episodes identified in ˜3 Ga terranes of the northern Superior Province. Al-undepleted komatiites are characterised by elevated MgO (18-24 wt.%) and Ni (600-1500 ppm) contents, in conjunction with variable LREE depletion (La/Sm n=0.5-0.8). Intercalated spinifex textured komatiitic basalts possess lower MgO (10-11 wt.%) and Ni (150-180 ppm) and flat to weakly enriched LREE (La/Sm n=0.9-1.1). Pyroclastic Al-depleted komatiites (Al 2O 3/TiO 2=4-5) are strongly LREE enriched (La/Yb n=6.7-10.5) with variable HFSE anomalies. Compositionally uniform tholeiites with variably depleted to enriched LREE (La/Sm n=0.8-1.2) and minor HFSE anomalies dominate the stratigraphy of the belt. A distinct subset of tholeiites, occurring towards the centre of the belt, is characterised by low Al 2O 3/TiO 2 ratios, LREE enrichment and the absence of HFSE anomalies. Minor intermediate (SiO 2=53-64 wt.%) volcanic rocks with pronounced REE fractionation (La/Yb n=0.8-1.1), high Al 2O 3/TiO 2 and Zr/Y ratios also occur throughout the belt. Two distinct subtypes of felsic pyroclastic rocks are recognised intercalated sporadically throughout the stratigraphy. Both types display pronounced LREE enrichment (La/Sm n=3.9-6.1) but Type 1 has strongly fractionated HREE patterns (Gd/Yb n=1.5-4.6) whereas, Type 2 HREE patterns are generally flat (Gd/Yb n=1.7-1.9). Intrusive counterparts to both subtypes have been identified within the Marmion Lake batholith to the south of the greenstone belt. The felsic subtypes may be derived from similar parental magmas by variable degrees of hornblende involvement during fractionation processes. Sm/Nd isotope systematics from a range of rock compositions have yielded ɛNd values of +2 to +5, typical of the range for Archean volcanic and intrusive rocks. Komatiite-tholeiite associations within Archean terranes are interpreted as the result of plume related magmatism likely in a geodynamic setting comparable to Phanerozoic oceanic plateaux. In contrast intermediate and felsic rocks are typical of calc alkaline suites generally attributed to Archean subduction related environments. The coeval eruption of the two magma suites in the Lumby Lake belt is best interpreted as the result of the sporadic subduction of plume-modified oceanic spreading centres over 10s of m.y. and the eventual impingement of a mantle plume upon an active subduction zone. This process can also account for the young age of basement material relative to overlying rift sequences in 3 Ga terranes of the Superior Province.

Origin of heavy rare earth mineralization in South China

PubMed Central

Xu, Cheng; Kynický, Jindřich; Smith, Martin P.; Kopriva, Antonin; Brtnický, Martin; Urubek, Tomas; Yang, Yueheng; Zhao, Zheng; He, Chen; Song, Wenlei

2017-01-01

Heavy rare earth elements (HREE) are dominantly mined from the weathering crusts of granites in South China. Although weathering processes occur globally, no economic HREE resources of this type have yet been found outside China. Here, we report the occurrence of unidentified REE minerals in the granites from South Chinese deposits. They contain high levels of both HREE and light REE, but are strongly depleted in Ce, implying high oxidation state. These REE minerals show higher initial Nd isotope than primary REE-rich minerals (ɛNd(t)=0.9±0.8 versus −11.5±0.5). The mineralized weathering crusts inherited REE signature of the granites, but show more Ce depletion and more overall concentration of the REE. We propose, therefore, that highly oxidized, REE-rich fluids, derived from external, isotopically depleted sources, metasomatized the granites, which resulted in Ce depletion as Ce4+ and enrichment of the remaining REE, especially the HREE, contributing to formation of a globally important REE resource. PMID:28220784

Origin of the Permian-Triassic komatiites, northwestern Vietnam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanski, Eero; Walker, Richard J.; Huhma, Hannu; Polyakov, Gleb V.; Balykin, Pavel A.; Tran Trong Hoa; Ngo Thi Phuong

Rare examples of Phanerozoic komatiites are found in the Song Da zone, NW Vietnam. These komatiites were erupted through continental crust and may belong to the SE extension of the Permo-Triassic Emeishan volcanic province located in SW China. They provide a good opportunity to study the source characteristics of starting plume magmas in a continental flood basalt province. Erupted on late-Permian carbonate rocks, the komatiitic rocks are interbedded with low-Ti olivine basalts. Basaltic komatiites display pyroxene spinifex textures, while more magnesian rocks (MgO up to 32 wt.%) are porphyritic, containing a single, cognate population of euhedral to elongated olivine phenocrysts with Fo up to 93.0%. This suggests a highly magnesian parental magma with 22-23 wt.% MgO. In terms of major and minor elements, the komatiites are similar to the ca. 89 Ma old Gorgona Island komatiites of Colombia. The Song Da komatiites are also strongly light-rare-earth-element- (LREE) depleted (CeN/YbN 0.30-0.62) and have unfractionated heavy rare earth element (HREE) patterns. The komatiites have high Os concentrations (up to 7.0 ppb), low but variable Re/Os ratios, and define an isochron with an age of 270+/-21 Ma, and an initial 188Os/187Os ratio of 0.12506+/- 0.00041 (γOs=+0.02+/-0.40). The Os isotopic systematics of the komatiites show no effects of crustal contamination. In contrast, their initial ɛNd values range from +3 to +8, reflecting varying but generally small degrees of contamination with Proterozoic sialic basement material. Associated low-Ti basalts have low initial ɛNd values (-0.8 to -7.5), high initial γOs values (>=15), flat or LREE-enriched REE patterns, and Nb-Ta depletion. These characteristics are also attributed to variable extents of crustal contamination.

Petrology, thermobarometry and geochronology of Yelapa Complex: Implications in the tectonic history of the basement of Puerto Vallarta Batholith, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutiérrez Aguilar, F.; Schaaf, P. E. G.; Hernandez-Trevino, T.; Solis-Pichardo, G.; Vite-Sánchez, O.

2017-12-01

The Yelapa Complex (YC) is localizated in the north, central and western of Cabo Corrientes in Jalisco, México. Is constituted by metasedimentary, metaigneous and migmatites which are intruded by deformed plutons. The YC are part of the Puerto Vallarta Batholith a body of 9000 km2 exposed at the mid-western part of the Mexican Pacific margin. The para-gneis of YC in the region of Chimo, present a mineral assemblage of Sil + Bt + Pl ± Grt ± Fsp ± Ilm. The orto-gneis in the región of Cabo Corrientes are constituted by Pl + Amp ± Qz ± Ap ± Zrn. Phase equilibria modelling of two paragneis yield peak conditions of 7-8 kbar and 650-700ºC. The patterns of REE of the studied rocks suggest: 1) Enrichment of LREE and flat patterns in HREE with respect to chondrite and; 2) Negative Eu anomaly in all samples analyzed suggesting plagioclase fractionation. On the other hand, the study of individual zircons using LA-ICP-MS from 3 para-gneis and 1 orto-gneis yield following information: 1) A máximum depositional age of 223 Ma, which also show abundant zircón populations with ages between 241-273 Ma for para-gneis and 2) The protolith age crystallization of 127 Ma for orto-gneis. The results along with new Sr-Nd isotopic data from whole rock and Rb-Sr in micas, suggest a tectonic evolution for the Yelapa Complex as a transition from a passive continental margin regime ( 223-273 Ma) to a continental arc setting ( 127). Thus, regional metamorphism and multiple magmatic episodes were associated to the convergence of the Farallon and North America plates during the Middle Jurassic to the Late Cretaceous.

Age and duration of eclogite-facies metamorphism, North Qaidam HP/UHP terrane, Western China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mattinson, C.G.; Wooden, J.L.; Liou, J.G.; Bird, D.K.; Wu, C.L.

2006-01-01

Amphibolite-facies para-and orthogneisses near Dulan, at the southeast end of the North Qaidam terrane, enclose minor eclogite and peridotite which record ultra-high pressure (UHP) metamorphism associated with the Early Paleozoic continental collision of the Qilian and Qaidam microplates. Field relations and coesite inclusions in zircons from paragneiss suggest that felsic, mafic, and ultramafic rocks all experienced UHP metamorphism and a common amphibolite-facies retrogression. SHRIMP-RG U-Pb and REE analyses of zircons from four eclogites yield weighted mean ages of 449 to 422 Ma, and REE patterns (flat HREE, no Eu anomaly) and inclusions of garnet, omphacite, and rutile indicate these ages record eclogite-facies metamorphism. The coherent field relations of these samples, and the similar range of individual ages in each sample suggests that the ???25 m.y. age range reflects the duration of eclogite-facies conditions in the studied samples. Analyses from zircon cores in one sample yield scattered 433 to 474 Ma ages, reflecting partial overlap on rims, and constrain the minimum age of eclogite protolith crystallization. Inclusions of Th + REE-rich epidote, and zircon REE patterns are consistent with prograde metamorphic growth. In the Lu??liang Shan, approximately 350 km northwest in the North Qaidam terrane, ages interpreted to record eclogite-facies metamorphism of eclogite and garnet peridotite are as old as 495 Ma and as young as 414 Ma, which suggests that processes responsible for extended high-pressure residence are not restricted to the Dulan region. Evidence of prolonged eclogite-facies metamorphism in HP/UHP localities in the Northeast Greenland eclogite province, the Western Gneiss Region of Norway, and the western Alps suggests that long eclogite-facies residence may be globally significant in continental subduction/collision zones.

Provenance and metamorphic PT conditions of Cryogenian-Ediacaran metasediments from the Kid metamorphic complex, Sinai, NE Arabian-Nubian Shield: Insights from detrital zircon geochemistry and mineral chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Bialy, Mohammed Z.; Ali, Kamal A.; Abu El-Enen, Mahrous M.; Ahmed, Ahmed H.

2015-12-01

The Malhaq and Um Zariq formations occupy the northern part of the Neoproterozoic Kid metamorphic complex of SE Sinai, NE Arabian-Nubian Shield. This study presents new mineral chemistry data and LA-ICP-MS analyses of the trace element concentrations on zircons separated from metapelites from these formations. The detrital zircons of Um Zariq Formation are more enriched in ΣREE, whereas Malhaq Formation zircons are markedly HREE-enriched with strongly fractionated HREE patterns. The quite differences in the overall slope and size of the Eu and Ce anomalies between REE patterns of the two zircon suites provide a robust indication of different sources. The Ti-in-zircon thermometer has revealed that the zircons separated from Malhaq Formation were crystallized within the 916-1018 °C range, while those from Um Zariq Formation exhibit higher range of crystallization temperatures (1084-1154 °C). The detrital zircons of Malhaq Formation were derived mainly from mafic source rocks (basalt and dolerite), whereas Um Zariq Formation zircons have varied and more evolved parent rocks. Most of the investigated zircons from both formations are concluded to be unaltered magmatic that were lately crystallized from a high LREE/HREE melt. All the studied detrital zircon grains show typical trace elements features of crustal-derived zircons. All of the Um Zariq Formation and most of Malhaq Formation detrital zircons are geochemically discriminated as continental zircons. Both formation metapelites record similar, overlapping peak metamorphic temperatures (537-602 °C and 550-579 °C, respectively), and pressures (3.83-4.93 kbar and 3.69-4.07 kbar, respectively). The geothermal gradient, at the peak metamorphic conditions, was quite high (37-41 °C/km) corresponding to metamorphism at burial depth of 14-16 km. The peak regional metamorphism of Um Zariq and Malhaq formations is concluded to be generated during extensional regime and thinning of the lithosphere in an island arc setting with heat flow from the underlying arc granitoids.

Experimental constraints on the monazite-fluorapatite-allanite and xenotime-(Y,HREE)-rich fluorapatite-(Y,HREE)-rich epidote phase relations as a function of pressure, temperature, and Ca vs. Na activity in the fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budzyń, Bartosz; Harlov, Daniel E.; Majka, Jarosław; Kozub, Gabriela A.

2014-05-01

Stability relations of monazite-fluorapatite-allanite and xenotime-(Y,HREE)-rich fluorapatite-(Y,HREE)-rich epidote are strongly dependent on pressure, temperature and fluid composition. The increased Ca bulk content expands stability field of allanite relative to monazite towards higher temperatures (Spear, 2010, Chem Geol 279, 55-62). It was also reported from amphibolite facies Alpine metapelites, that both temperature and bulk CaO/Na2O ratio control relative stabilities of allanite, monazite and xenotime (Janots et al., 2008, J Metam Geol 26, 5, 509-526). This study experimentally defines influence of pressure, temperature, high activity of Ca vs. Na in the fluid, and high vs. moderate bulk CaO/Na2O ratio on the relative stabilities of monazite-fluorapatite-allanite/REE-rich epidote and xenotime-(Y,HREE)-rich fluorapatite-(Y,HREE)-rich epidote. This work expands previous experimental study on monazite (Budzyń et al., 2011, Am Min 96, 1547-1567) to wide pressure-temperature range of 2-10 kbar and 450-750°C, utilizing most reactive fluids used in previous experiments. Experiments were performed using cold-seal autoclaves on a hydrothermal line (2-4 kbar runs) and piston-cylinder apparatus (6-10 kbar runs) over 4-16 days. Four sets of experiments, two for monazite and two for xenotime, were performed with 2M Ca(OH)2 and Na2Si2O5 + H2O fluids. The starting materials included inclusion-free crystals of monazite (pegmatite, Burnet County, TX, USA) or xenotime (pegmatite, Northwest Frontier Province, Pakistan) mixed with (1) labradorite (Ab37An60Kfs3) + K-feldspar + biotite + muscovite ± garnet + SiO2 + CaF2 + 2M Ca(OH)2 or (2) albite (Ab100) + K-feldspar + biotite + muscovite ± garnet + SiO2 + CaF2 + Na2Si2O5 + H2O. 20-35 mg of solids and 5 mg of fluid were loaded into 3x15 mm Au capsules and arc welded shut. The monazite alteration is observed in all runs. Newly formed REE-rich fluorapatite and/or britholite are stable in all experimental P-T range in the presence of both fluids. Alteration of monazite and subsequent formation of REE-rich epidote or allanite, REE-rich fluorapatite and britholite was promoted by high activity of Ca in the fluid, with high bulk CaO/Na2O ratio of ca. 11.5 in the system. In contrast, neither REE-rich epidote nor allanite does form in the presence of Na2Si2O5 + H2O fluid, with bulk CaO/Na2O ratio of ca. 1.0. Results indicating that stability field of allanite relative to monazite expands towards higher temperatures along with increased Ca bulk content are consistent with recent thermodynamic modeling of phase equilibria (Spear, 2010). Experiments also support natural observations from the amphibolite-facies Alpine metapelites regarding the influence of CaO/Na2O ratio in bulk content on the relative stabilities of monazite and REE-rich epidote (Janots et al., 2008). Alteration of xenotime is observed in all runs. (Y,HREE)-rich britholite or (Y,HREE)-rich fluorapatite always formed. In contrast to monazite experiments, (Y,HREE)-rich epidote formed only at 650°C and 8-10 kbar, in the presence of 2M Ca(OH)2. Results are partially consistent with natural observations showing that stability of (Y,HREE)-rich epidote is promoted by high Ca bulk content with high CaO/Na2O ratio (Janots et al., 2008). However, experimental results indicate that the relative stabilities of xenotime and (Y,HREE)-rich epidote are strongly controlled by pressure. Acknowledgements. The project was funded by the National Science Center of Poland, grant no. 2011/01/D/ST10/04588.

Bacterial dissolution of fluorapatite as a possible source of elevated dissolved phosphate in the environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Mu-hua; Ngwenya, Bryne T.; Wang, Lin; Li, Wenchao; Olive, Valerie; Ellam, Robert M.

2011-10-01

In order to understand the contribution of geogenic phosphorus to lake eutrophication, we have investigated the rate and extent of fluorapatite dissolution in the presence of two common soil bacteria ( Pantoea agglomerans and Bacillus megaterium) at T = 25 °C for 26 days. The release of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and rare earth elements (REE) under biotic and abiotic conditions was compared to investigate the effect of microorganism on apatite dissolution. The release of Ca and P was enhanced under the influence of bacteria. Apatite dissolution rates obtained from solution Ca concentration in the biotic reactors increased above error compared with abiotic controls. Chemical analysis of biomass showed that bacteria scavenged Ca, P, and REE during their growth, which lowered their fluid concentrations, leading to apparent lower release rates. The temporal evolution of pH in the reactors reflected the balance of apatite weathering, solution reactions, bacterial metabolism, and potentially secondary precipitation, which was implied in the variety of REE patterns in the biotic and abiotic reactors. Light rare earth elements (LREE) were preferentially adsorbed to cell surfaces, whereas heavy rare earth elements (HREE) were retained in the fluid phase. Decoupling of LREE and HREE could possibly be due to preferential release of HREE from apatite or selective secondary precipitation of LREE enriched phosphates, especially in the presence of bacteria. When corrected for intracellular concentrations, both biotic reactors showed high P and REE release compared with the abiotic control. We speculate that lack of this correction explains the conflicting findings about the role of bacteria in mineral weathering rates. The observation that bacteria enhance the release rates of P and REE from apatite could account for some of the phosphorus burden and metal pollution in aquatic environments.

Trace element determination of zircons from adakites and granitoids: implications for petrogenetic processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, T. W.; Chu, M. F.; Chung, S. L.; Iizuka, Y.

2017-12-01

Zircon has long been proposed as a time capsule of crustal formation. Concerning of its high capacity of lithophile elements, the dramatic change of crustal chemical composition in late Archean, i.e. from TTG suites to granitoids, may be recorded in zircon remnants. In this study, major- and trace element contents of zircons from adakites, a modern analogue of TTG suites, in southern Tibet were determined by EPMA and LA-ICPMS, respectively, and compared with those in Gangdese granitoids and Sumatra high/low ΣREE granitoids in order to examine the hypothesis. The REE patterns of zircons in this study show little inter-sample discrepancy though there is significant difference in whole-rock HREE contents between adakites and granitoids. Since none of geochemical feature, including REE contents, of zircons correlates with SiO2 content or ASI of corresponding host rocks, fractional crystallization shows insignificant impact on the compositional variation in zircons. In addition to the influence of lattice strain and charge balance requirements, zircons in these rock samples are proposed to crystallize from the magma mush, so they record the composition with least composition difference, not that of the bulk melt. More specifically, the pre-/co-existing mineral phases, e.g. apatite, play a critical role in preferentially taking the LREE and MREE from melt, and eliminating the HREE depletion in residual melt and thus zircons of Gangdese adakites. With the aim of objectively identifying geochemical discriminants of zircons from adakites and granitoids, statistical analysis was used and then 8 parameters were selected, i.e. Ti, V, Yb, Hf, Sc/Yb, U/Yb, Eu/Eu*, ΣHREE. Despite the zircon populations of adakites- and granitoids-origins overlapping in any bivariate plot, the linear combination of discriminants provides a potential way to distinguish zircons from these two groups.

Provenance, tectonic setting and source-area weathering of the lower Cambrian sediments of the Parahio valley in the Spiti basin, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pandey, Shivani; Parcha, Suraj K.

2017-03-01

The geochemical study of siliciclastic rocks from the Lower Cambrian of Parahio Valley has been studied to describe the provenance, chemical weathering and tectonic setting. The K2O/Al2O3 ratio and positive correlation of Co ( r=0.85), Ni ( r=0.86), Zn ( r=0.82), Rb ( r=0.98) with K2O reflects that the presence of clay minerals control the abundances of these elements and suggests a warm and humid climate for this region. The chondrite normalized REE pattern of the samples is equivalent to upper continental crust, which reflects enriched LREE and flat HREE with negative Eu anomaly. The tectonic setting discriminant diagram log[K2O/Na2O] vs. SiO2; [SiO2/Al2O3] vs. log[K2O/Na2O]; [SiO2/20] - [K2O+Na2O] - [TiO2+Fe2O3+MgO] indicates transitional tectonic setting from an active continental margin to a passive margin. The discriminant function plot indicates quartzose sedimentary provenance, and to some extent, the felsic igneous provenance, derived from weathered granite, gneissic terrain and/or from pre-existing sedimentary terrain. The CIA value indicates low to moderate degree of chemical weathering and the average ICV values suggests immature sediments deposited in tectonically active settings. The A-CN-K diagram indicates that these sediments were generated from source rocks of the upper continental crust.

Nd-Sr isotopic and geochemical systematics in Cambrian boninites and tholeiites from Victoria, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, D. R.; Crawford, A. J.; McCulloch, M. T.

1984-11-01

Rocks with boninitic affinities have been recognised in a number of “ophiolites”, including the Cambrian Heathcote and Mt Wellington Greenstone Belts of Victoria. Boninites and high-Mg andesites from the Heathcote Greenstone Belt show a restricted range of initial ɛ Nd values of between +3.3 to +5.8. Extremely refractory boninites from the Mt Wellington Greenstone Belt have ɛ Nd ranging from +1.3 to -9. Ti/Zr is positively correlated with Sm/Nd with the Heathcote lavas generally possessing greater depletion of Ti and enrichment of Zr relative to the middle and heavy REE with increasing LREE/HREE. These data are consistent with the generation of boninites by partial melting of refractory peridotite following invasion by LREE- and Zr-enriched, low ɛ Nd fluids. Tholeiites overlying the boninites in both greenstone belts have flat REE patterns and ɛ Nd˜+5, lower than that anticipated for lavas derived from depleted MORB source reservoirs in the Cambrian, suggesting that their source was also contaminated by a LREE-enriched, low ɛ Nd component similar to that involved in the generation of the Howqua boninites. The added components have characteristics compatible with their derivation from subducted altered oceanic crust and/or from wet subducted sediments. The identification of boninites and other low-Ti lavas in the Victorian greenstone belts is strong evidence for island arc development in southeastern Australia during the Lower Cambrian and provides further support for a subduction-related origin for many ophiolites.

Minor elements, HREE and d18O distribution in UHP garnets from the Dora-Maira massif (western Alps)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunet, F.; Chazot, G.; Vielzeuf, D.; Chopin, C.

2003-04-01

The spatial distribution of minor elements, HREE and δ18O in garnet can be used as a probe of the availability and mobility of those elements and isotopes at the time of crystal growth, provided that the initial record was not significantly modified by intracrystalline diffusion and that growth took place under nearly constant pressure and temperature conditions. Garnets from three different Dora-Maira rock-types have been studied, (1) nearly pure pyrope (GT1) from the magnesian coesite-bearing quartzites, (2) almandine/pyrope dominant garnets (GT2) from jadeite-quartzite veins which crosscut the Mg-quartzite body, (3) almandine/grossular dominant garnets (GT3) from the country-rock gneiss, sampled in the vicinity of the quartzites. In GT1, minor elements are mainly Fe, Na and P. Na and P are incorporated according to a Na^+ + P5+ = Me2+ + Si4+ substitution with P_2O_5 contents up to 2000 to 2500 ppm. HREE concentrations obtained by LA-ICP-MS, vary by 2 orders of magnitude from core to rim. The δ18O ratio (Cameca 1270, Nancy), around 5 ppm (SMOW), is constant within error throughout the analysed crystals. In GT2, the situation is different since HREE concentrations appear remarkably constant within a given crystal and from one crystal to the other. In contrast with GT1, Na in GT2 is partly charge-balanced by yttrium incorporation. The δ18O ratio in GT2 of around 7 ppm is close to that encountered in GT3 (gneiss) between 7 and 8 ppm. In GT3, phosphorus content is close to detection limit (P_2O_5 below 300 ppm). HREE concentrations are highly variable from one crystal to the other and unfortunately, the size of garnet crystals does not allow profiling. Although δ18O ratio in garnet is imposed by the bulk-rock isotopic composition, HREE distribution is dominated by element availability through the fluid composition and/or absence/presence of accessory phases. The decrease in HREE and P concentration from GT1 cores to rims suggest that these elements are preferentially incorporated into garnet. Garnet growth leads to progressive depletion of these elements in the matrix. There is no significant influx of HREE during UHP garnet growth. The homogeneity of the δ18O ratio within garnet crystals is also an indication of UHP growth in a close metamorphic system. Jadeite-quartzite veins have geochemical characteristics close to that of the country-rock gneiss from which they could originate. They would then represent an evidence of Mg-quartzite and country gneiss interaction at UHP.

Crustal development of the North China Craton constrained by geochemical and isotopic data on Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic granitoids, Inner Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hui-Chun Chen, Nancy; Zhao, Guochun; Cawood, Peter A.

2017-04-01

The North China Craton is the oldest continental fragment in China. It contains magmatic rocks as old as 3.8 Ga, but is dominated by crustal components that formed in the Neoarchean at ca. 2.7 and 2.5 Ga, and also includes Paleoproterozoic rocks dated at 1.9-1.8 Ga. The craton has been incorporated into Precambrian supercontinents, although it's exact position within, as well as the overall configuration of, these supercontinents is poorly understood. New geochemical and geochronological data on granitoids from the northern margin of the craton at Siziwangqi in central Inner Mongolia further constrain craton evolution with respect to Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic supercontinent cycles. The granitoids comprise a tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) association with crystallization ages of 2.52-2.49 Ga and inherited zircon crystals as old 2.7 Ga, and alkali feldspar granites with ages of 2.47 and 1.87 Ga. Geochemically, the rocks are metaluminous to peraluminous and belong to the calc-alkaline (TTG) and subalkaline to alkaline (alkali feldspar granite) series. The TTG granitoids are characterized by light LREE enrichment, a weak positive Eu anomaly, and flat heavy HREE profiles. The alkali granite is also enriched in the LREE but has a strong positive chondrite-normalized Eu anomaly and displays weak HREE enrichment. Our compositional and geochronological data, integrated with regional data, indicate that in the Neoarchean the North China Craton constituted part of an accretionary convergent plate margin that lay on the edge of a an older continental mass (possibly within the Kenor supercraton). The Paleoproterozoic alkali feldspar granite was associated with collisional assembly of the craton into the Nuna (Columbia) supercontinent.

Environmental tracers for elucidating the weathering process in a phosphogypsum disposal site: Implications for restoration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-López, Rafael; Nieto, José M.; de la Rosa, Jesús D.; Bolívar, Juan P.

2015-10-01

This study provides geochemical data with the aim of identifying and tracing the weathering of phosphogypsum wastes stack-piled directly on salt-marshes of the Tinto River (Estuary of Huelva, SW Spain). With that purpose, different types of highly-polluted acid solutions were collected in the stack. Connection between these solutions and the estuarine environment was studied by geochemical tracers, such as rare earth elements (REE) and their North American Shale Composite (NASC)-normalized patterns and Cl/Br ratios. Phosphogypsum-related wastewaters include process water stored on the surface, pore-water contained in the phosphogypsum profile and edge outflow water emerging from inside the stack. Edge outflow waters are produced by waterlogging at the contact between phosphogypsum and the nearly impermeable marsh surface and discharge directly into the estuary. Process water shows geochemical characteristics typical of phosphate fertilizers, i.e. REE patterns with an evident enrichment of heavy-REE (HREE) with respect to middle-REE (MREE) and light-REE (LREE). By contrast, REE patterns of deeper pore-water and edge outflows are identical to those of Tinto River estuary waters, with a clear enrichment of MREE relative to LREE and HREE denoting influence of acid mine drainage. Cl/Br ratios of these solutions are very close to that of seawater, which also supports its estuarine origin. These findings clearly show that process water is not chemically connected with edge outflows through pore-waters, as was previously believed. Phosphogypsum weathering likely occurs by an upward flow of seawater from the marsh because of overpressure and permeability differences. Several recommendations are put forward in this study to route restoration actions, such as developing treatment systems to improve the quality of the edge outflow waters before discharging to the receiving environment.

Joys of Community Ensemble Playing: The Case of the Happy Roll Elastic Ensemble in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsieh, Yuan-Mei; Kao, Kai-Chi

2012-01-01

The Happy Roll Elastic Ensemble (HREE) is a community music ensemble supported by Tainan Culture Centre in Taiwan. With enjoyment and friendship as its primary goals, it aims to facilitate the joys of ensemble playing and the spirit of social networking. This article highlights the key aspects of HREE's development in its first two years…

Zircon U-Pb chronology, geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions of the Volcanic Rocks in the Elashan area, NW China: petrogenesis and tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, H.; Wei, J.; Shi, W.; Li, P.; Chen, M.; Zhao, X.

2017-12-01

Elashan area is located in the intersection of the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt (EKOB) and the West Qinling Orogenic (WQOB). We present petrology, zircon U-Pb ages, whole-rock geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions from the andesite and felsic volcanic rocks (rhyolite and rhyolitic tuffs) in Elashan group volcanic rock. The LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb age data indicate that the volcanic rocks are emplaced at 250 247 Ma. The volcanic rocks have high -K and aluminum - peraluminous characteristics, A/CNK = 1.07 1.82, δ ranges from 1.56 2.95, the main body is calc-alkaline rock. They are enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and light rare earth elements (LREEs) and depleted in some high field strength elements (HFSEs, e.g., Nb, Ta, P and Ti), while having a flat heavy REE (HREEs) pattern. The ∑REE values of 178.68 to 298.11 ppm, average 230.50 ppm. The LREE/HREE values of 4.39 to 11.78 ppm, average 6.77 ppm. REE fractionation is obvious, REE distribution curve was right smooth, and have slightly negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu*=0.44-0.80, average 0.60), which as similar to the island arc volcanic rocks. The volcanic rocks have initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.71028-0.71232, ɛNd(t) values of -6.7 to -7.6, with T2DM-Nd ranging from 1561 to 1640 Ma. Pb isotopic composition (206 Pb / 204 Pb)t = 18.055 18.330, (207 Pb / 204 Pb)t = 15.586 15.618, (208 Pb / 204 Pb)t = 37.677 38.332. Geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes indicates that Elashan group volcanic magma derived mainly from the lower crust. Elashan group volcanic rocks is the productive East Kunlun block and West Qinling block collision, which makes the thicken crust caused partial melting in the study area. The source rocks is probably from metamorphic sandstone of Bayankala. But with Y-Nb and Rb-(Y+Nb), R1-R2 and Rb/10-Hf-Ta*3 diagrams showing that intermediate-acid rocks mainly formed in volcanic arc-collision environment, probably the collision event is short , therefore rocks retain the original island arc properties. The formation age of intermediate -acidic volcanic rock can represent the time in which the end of transgressive and the beginning of intercontinental evolution in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau.

St Paul fracture zone intratransform ridge basalts (Equatorial Atlantic): Insight within the mantle source diversity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemond, C.; Brunelli, D.; Maia, M.; Prigent, S.; Sichel, S. E.

2017-12-01

The St Paul Transform System offsets by 630 km the Equatorial Mid Atlantic Ridge at 1° N. It consists of four Major faults separating three intra transform ridge axes. Volcanic glassy samples were collected inside two intratransform ridge (ITR) segments during the COLMEIA cruise (Maia et al ; 2016) and samples from the third ITR available from a previous cruise ST PAUL (Hékinian et al. 2000). Major, trace elements and Hf, Pb, Sr and Nd isotopes were determined on selected hand picked glass chips. Few glassy samples recovered and analysed from abyssal hill samples open a time window of about 4.5 million years in the chemistry of the northern ITR. Results show that all samples are basaltic in composition but trace elements display contrasting images for the three ITR. The northern ITR samples are all light REE and highly incompatible enriched and are E-MORB; the central ITR samples display rather flat REE pattern with a level on enrichment of the HREE higher than the other two ITR and are T-MORB. Southern ITR samples are more heterogeneous N-MORB to T-MORB with a lower level of HREE. Isotopes reveal that the ITRs sample distinct mantle sources. In various isotope plans, the northern ITR samples plot together with published results from the MAR directly north of the St Paul F.Z. Therefore they exhibit some flavor of the Sierra Leone hotspot interacting with the MAR at 1.7°N. Central and southern ITR samples have very distinct composition from the northern ITR but resemble each other. However, for identical 206Pb/204Pb ratios, central ITR has slightly but significantly higher 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb, also higher 143Nd/144Nd for a given 87Sr/86Sr. Southern ITR is in chemical continuity of the MAR southward. So that central ITR samples display a rather specific composition. Off axis samples corresponding to the activity of the northern ITR up to 4.6 m.y. show that the hotspot contribution was even bigger on the spreading axis than today and might be fading with time as the MAR gets away from the Hotspot. It remains to explain how the flow of enriched material derived from the Sierra Leone hotspot passed through the large transform fault that limits the St Paul zone to the north. It is also of interest to explain the peculiar compositions of the central ITR samples that reflect neither the northern adjacent MAR composition nor the southern one.

Geochemistry and microprobe investigations of Abu Tartur REE-bearing phosphorite, Western Desert, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awadalla, Gamal S.

2010-07-01

Phosphorites in Egypt occur in the Eastern Desert, the Nile Valley and the Western Desert at Abu Tartur area and present in Duwi Formation as a part of the Middle Eastern to North African phosphogenic province of Late Cretaceous to Paleogene age (Campanian-Maastrichtian). The Maghrabi-Liffiya phosphorite sector is considered as the most important phosphorite deposits in the Abu Tartur area due to its large reserve thickness and high-grade of lower phosphorite bed beside high content of REE. Back scattered electron (BSE) images show framboidal pyrite filling the pores of the phosphatic grains, suggesting diagenetic reducing conditions during phosphorites formation. Electron Probe Micro Analyzer (EPMA) chemical mapping was conducted to examine the variation and distributions of selected elements (P, F, La, Fe, Yb, Si, Ce, W, Eu, S, Ca, Y and Er) within the shark teeth, coprolites and bone fragments. In the teeth W, S, Fe are concentrated along the axis of the teeth, the bone fragments show high concentration of W, Yb, Er and Eu, whereas coprolites are nearly homogenous in composition contains S, Er with some Si as micro-inclusions. Fluorapatite is considered as main phosphate mineral whereas pyrite occurs as pore-filling within the phosphatic grains and cement materials. Maghrabi-Liffiya samples show a wide range in the P 2O 5 content, between 19.8 wt.% and 29.8 wt.% with an average of 24.6 wt.% and shows low U content ranging from 15 ppm to 34 ppm with an average of 22 ppm. The total REE content in nine samples representing the Maghrabi-Liffiya ranges from 519 to 1139 ppm with an average of about 879 ppm. The calculation of LREE (La-Gd) show indeed a marked enrichment relative to the HREE (Tb-Lu) where LREE/HREE ratio attains 8.4 indicating a strong fractionation between the LREE and HREE. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the studied phosphorite samples show a negative Eu anomaly.

Timing of anatexis and melt crystallization in the Socorro-Guaxupé Nappe, SE Brazil: Insights from trace element composition of zircon, monazite and garnet coupled to Usbnd Pb geochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rocha, B. C.; Moraes, R.; Möller, A.; Cioffi, C. R.; Jercinovic, M. J.

2017-04-01

The timing of partial melting and melt crystallization in granulite facies rocks of the Socorro-Guaxupé Nappe (SGN), Brazil is constrained using a combination of imaging techniques, LA-ICP-MS and EPMA dating, trace element geochemistry and thermobarometry. (Orthopyroxene)-garnet-bearing migmatite that records extensive biotite dehydration melting shows evidence for a clockwise P-T-t path. UHT peak conditions were attained at 1030 ± 110 °C, 11.7 ± 1.4 kbar, with post-peak cooling to 865 ± 38 °C, 8.9 ± 0.8 kbar. Cryogenian igneous inheritance of ca. 720-640 Ma is identified in oscillatory zoned zircon cores (n = 167) with steep HREE patterns. Resorbed, Y-rich monazite cores preserve a prograde growth stage at 631 ± 4 Ma prior to the partial melting event, providing an upper age limit for the granulite facies metamorphism in the SGN. REE-rich, Th-depleted monazite related to apatite records the initial stages of decompression at 628 ± 4 Ma. Multiple monazite growth episodes record melt crystallization events at 624 ± 3 Ma, 612 ± 5 Ma and 608 ± 6 Ma. Stubby, equant "soccer ball" zircon provide evidence for melt crystallization at 613 ± 2 Ma and 607 ± 4 Ma. The excess scatter in zircon and monazite age populations between 629 ± 4 and 601 ± 3 Ma is interpreted as discontinuous and episodic growth within this age range, characterizing a prolonged metamorphic event in the SGN lasting ca. 30 m.y. The development of Y + HREE-rich monazite rims at ca. 600 Ma documents retrograde garnet breakdown, extensive biotite growth and the final stages of melt crystallization. Th-rich, Y + HREE-poor monazite rims at ca. 590 Ma record monazite recrystallization.

Mineralogy and geochemistry of the Lower Cretaceous siliciclastic rocks of the Morita Formation, Sierra San José section, Sonora, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madhavaraju, J.; Pacheco-Olivas, S. A.; González-León, Carlos M.; Espinoza-Maldonado, Inocente G.; Sanchez-Medrano, P. A.; Villanueva-Amadoz, U.; Monreal, Rogelio; Pi-Puig, T.; Ramírez-Montoya, Erik; Grijalva-Noriega, Francisco J.

2017-07-01

Clay mineralogy and geochemical studies were carried out on sandstone and shale samples collected from the Sierra San José section of the Morita Formation to infer the paleoclimate and paleoweathering conditions that prevailed in the source region during the deposition of these sediments. The clay mineral assemblages (fraction < 2 μm) of the Sierra San José section are composed of chlorite and illite. The abundance of illite and chlorite in the studied samples suggest that the physical weathering conditions were dominant over chemical weathering. Additionally, the illite and chlorite assemblages reflect arid or semi-arid climatic conditions in the source regions. K2O/Al2O3 ratio of shales vary between 0.15 and 0.26, which lie in the range of values for clay minerals, particularly illite composition. Likewise, sandstones vary between 0.06 and 0.13, suggesting that the clay minerals are mostly kaolinte and illite types. On the chondrite-normalized diagrams, sandstone and shale samples show enriched light rare earth elements (LREE), flat heavy rare earth elements (HREE) patterns and negative Eu anomalies. The CIA and PIA values and A-CN-K plot of shales indicate low to moderate degree of weathering in the source regions. However, the sandstones have moderate to high values of CIA and PIA suggesting a moderate to intense weathering in the source regions. The SiO2/Al2O3 ratios, bivariate and ternary plots, discriminant function diagram and elemental ratios indicate the felsic source rocks for sandstone and shale of the Morita Formation.

Multiple Basinal Fluid Events in the Lower Belt Supergroup, Montana: Constraints From CHIME Ages and REE Patterns of Monazites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez-Alvarez, I.; Kusiak, M. A.

2004-05-01

Chemical dates (CHIME) on 105 spots and REE patterns of monazites were obtained from coarse sandstones and siltstones in the Mesoproterozoic siliciclastic Appekunny and Grinnell formations, lower Belt Supergroup, Montana, by EMPA. At least three post-depositional events induced by basinal fluids can be recognized: (a) red coloration accompanied by a major K-addition; (b) a green overprint of red siltstones; and (c) dolomitization. Fluid advection in the unmineralized lower Belt is pervasive and may have been alkaline and oxidizing. These three events progressively modified the primary geochemical characteristics of the siliciclastic rocks. Calculated ages show similar ranges in the fine and coarse-grained facies. For siltstones there are two age clusters: (1) at 1,801 ± 21 to 1,968 ± 26 Ma, as well as (2) at 854 ± 7 to 962 ± 13 Ma. Coarse sandstones show similar age clusters (3) at 1,831 ± 14 to 1,982 ± 12 Ma, and (4) at 803 ± 6 to 944 ± 9 Ma. A wide range of dates plots between the clusters for both facies. Clusters (1) and (3) are interpreted as the result of detrital monazites from a source area ~1.8 to 1.9 Ga old. Mineralogical variations and trace element systematic reveal basinal brines, which mobilized MREE and HREE, locally generating secondary monazites, influencing large domains of the lower Belt. The lower Belt Supergroup is estimated to have been deposited between 1.47 Ga and 1.45 Ga; consequently, the second age cluster for sandstones and siltstones is viewed as constraining the timeframe of a major basinal fluid event at ~0.80 to 0.96 Ga. That event is clearly distinct from the hydrothermal system associated with the Sullivan sedex base metal deposit at the base of the Belt. Ages between the clusters are interpreted either as secondary, formed during additional basinal fluid events or as reset of detrital monazites. Accordingly, the Belt basin was intermittently an open system to fluids from ~1.47 to ~0.80 Ga. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns for both facies display three unusual features: (A) on a linear scale for both facies for clusters (1) and (3) monazites reveal a straight line from La to Sm. For clusters (2) and (4) the profiles between La and Sm are concave or convex; concave profiles are produced mainly because of the Ce values. All reset monazites have convex or concave La-Sm profiles; (B) LREE/HREE and La/Y ratios average values for both facies in clusters (1) and (3) exhibit distinctively lower values than in clusters (2) and (4); (C) on log scale, charts show an unusually heterogeneous MREE and HREE profile for all monazites.

Thondhjemite of the Talkeetna Mountains: An unusually large low-K pluton in Alaska's Peninsular terrane

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ford, A.B.; Arth, J.G.; Csejtey, B.

1993-04-01

An unusually large, elongate Jurassic pluton of trondhjemite, about 120- by 10--15 km in dimensions, intruded Jurassic plutonic and metamorphic rocks of the Peninsular terrane in the central Talkeetna Mountains of south-central Alaska. Muscovite and biotite yield minimum ages of 150--145 Ma. The N40[degree]E-trending body is concordant with regional structures. It is the youngest member of a subduction-related Jurassic plutonic suite in the Peninsular terrane that, along with Wrangellia, was accreted to the North American continent in the middle Cretaceous. Rocks, commonly sheared, are medium to coarse grained and leucocratic (CI = 3--9). Biotite is the chief mafic mineral. Minormore » muscovite and garnet are common and green hornblende rare. Samples (n = 27) from the body's entire length have an average Mg[number sign] of 45 and an SiO[sub 2] continuum of 67--74% (avg. 70.7%). High Al[sub 2]O[sub 3] (14.4--17.9%, avg. 16.5%) is typical of continental trondhjemite. Averages for Zr (109 ppm) and Nb (3.5 ppm) and the ratios K/Rb (491) and Zr/Nb (34) are typical of orogenic igneous rocks of subduction origin. Four samples analyzed have low ([sup 87]Sr/[sup 86]Sr)[sub i] (avg. 0.7036). Very low Rb/Sr (avg. 0.027) is similar to Idaho batholith trondhjemites. REE patterns with low to moderate LREE and HREE with flat patterns and low contents suggest residual garnet or hornblende during partial melting or fractionation. The pluton appears homogeneous in outcrop. However, some geographic variations in chemistry, as in SiO[sub 2] contents and especially in Eu/Eu[sup *], suggest existence of perhaps three regionally separate plumbing systems, or chambers in which different processes such as plagioclase accumulation or hornblende fractionation were active.« less

Relationship between concentration of rare earth elements in soil and their distribution in plants growing near a frequented road.

PubMed

Mleczek, Patrycja; Borowiak, Klaudia; Budka, Anna; Niedzielski, Przemysław

2018-06-05

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of elements whose concentration in numerous environmental matrices continues to increase; therefore, the use of biological methods for their removal from soil would seem to be a safe and reasonable approach. The aim of this study was to estimate the phytoextraction efficiency and distribution of light and heavy (LREEs and HREEs) rare earth elements by three herbaceous plant species: Artemisia vulgaris L., Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg. and Trifolium repens L., growing at a distance of 1, 10, and 25 m from the edge of a frequented road in Poland. The concentration of REEs in soil and plants was highly correlated (r > 0.9300), which indicates the high potential of the studied plant species to phytoextraction of these elements. The largest proportion of REEs was from the group of LREEs, whereas HREEs comprised only an inconsiderable portion of the REEs group. The dominant elements in the group of LREEs were Nd and Ce, while Er was dominant in the HREEs group. Differences in the amounts of these elements influenced the total concentration of LREEs, HREEs, and finally REEs and their quantities which decreased with distance from the road. According to the Friedman rank sum test, significant differences in REEs concentration, mainly between A. vulgaris L., and T. repens L. were observed for plants growing at all three distances from the road. The same relation between A. vulgaris L. and T. officinale was observed. The efficiency of LREEs and REEs phytoextraction in the whole biomass of plants growing at all distances from the road was A. vulgaris L. > T. officinale L. > T. repens L. For HREEs, the same relationship was recorded only for plants growing at the distance 1 m from the road. Bioconcentration factor (BCF) values for LREEs and HREEs were respectively higher and lower than 1 for all studied plant species regardless of the distance from the road. The studied herbaceous plant species were able to effectively phytoextract LREEs only (BCF > 1); therefore, these plants, which are commonly present near roads, could be a useful tool for removing this group of REEs from contaminated soil.

Geochemistry and geochronology of the ∼0.82 Ga high-Mg gabbroic dykes from the Quanji Massif, southeast Tarim Block, NW China: Implications for the Rodinia supercontinent assembly

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liao, Fanxi; Wang, Qinyan; Chen, Nengsong; Santosh, M.; Xu, Yixian; Mustafa, Hassan Abdelsalam

2018-05-01

The role of the Tarim Block in the reconstruction of the Neoproterozoic supercontinent Rodinia remains contentious. Here we report a suite of high-Mg gabbroic dykes from the Yingfeng area in northwestern Quanji Massif, which is considered as a fragment of the Tarim Block in NW China. Magmatic zircons from these dykes yield to have a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 822.2 ± 5.3 Ma, recording the timing of their emplacement. The gabbros have high MgO (9.91-13.09 wt%), Mg numbers (69.89-75.73) and CaO (8.41-13.55 wt%), medium FeOt (8.50-9.67 wt%) and TiO2 (0.67-0.93 wt%), variable Al2O3 (13.04-16.07 wt%), and high Cr (346.14-675.25 ppm), but relatively low Ni (138.72-212.94 ppm), suggestive of derivation from a primary magma. The rocks display chondrite-normalized LREE patterns with weak fractionation but flat HREE patterns relative to those of the N-MORB. Their primitive mantle normalized trace elemental patterns show positive Rb, Ba and U but negative Th, Nb, Ti and Zr anomalies, carrying characteristics of both mid-ocean ridge basalts and arc basalts. The εHf(t) values of the zircons from these rocks vary from +4.7 to +13.5 with depleted mantle model ages (TDM) of 1.23-0.85 Ga, and the youngest value nearly approaching that for the coeval depleted mantle, suggesting significant addition of juvenile materials. Our data suggest that the strongly depleted basaltic magma was probably sourced from a depleted mantle source that had undergone metasomatism by subduction-related components in a back-arc setting. Accordingly we postulate that a subduction-related tectonic regime possibly prevailed at ∼0.8 Ga along the southeastern margin of the Tarim Block. Combining with available information from the northern Tarim Block, we propose an opposite verging double-sided subduction model for coeval subduction of the oceanic crust beneath both the southern and northern margins of the Tarim Block during early Neoproterozoic.

Geochemical constraints on provenance of the mid-Pleistocene red earth sediments in subtropical China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Hanlie; Wang, Chaowen; Zeng, Kefeng; Gu, Yansheng; Wu, Yuanbao; Yin, Ke; Li, Zhaohui

2013-05-01

The source of mid-Pleistocene red earth sediments in the middle to lower reaches of the Yangtze (Changjiang) River was investigated based on their geochemical characteristics. The Xuancheng and Jiujiang red earth sediments have similar major and trace element distribution patterns. Compared to the loess and paleosol deposits of the Chinese Loess Plateau, the upper continental crust (UCC), and the post-Archean Australian average shale (PAAS), the sediments display notable depletion of CaO, MgO, Na2O, and accumulation of TiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3(t). The trace element distribution patterns of the red earth sediments are also different from those of loess and the PAAS, but are similar to those of the loess deposits, except for lower values of mobile trace elements Sr, Ba, and Ni, and higher values of Zr and Y. The red earth samples have uniform La/Th ratios of ~ 2.8, compatible with those of the UCC, loess, and paleosol. They also have similar chondrite-normalized REE patterns, characterized by enriched LREE and relatively flat HREE profiles, and consistent negative Eu anomalies, similar to those of the UCC, the loess and paleosol, and the Yangtze deposits. These results suggest that the red earth sediments have been subject to considerable mixing prior to deposition and strong subsequent chemical weathering. The sediments have very uniform 143Nd/144Nd and 147Sm/144Nd ratios, this points to well-mixed and multi-recycled sediments. The 143Nd/144Nd and 87Sr/86Sr values of the red earth sediments match well with those of the deposits in the middle to lower reaches of the Yangtze River, but are different from those of the loess and paleosols. This suggests that the red earth sediments are derived from the drainage basins of the middle to lower Yangtze River and might have experienced more intense chemical weathering relative to the Yangtze deposits, as reflected by their higher Rb/Sr ratios, intense depletion of mobile elements and accumulation of immobile elements, as well as their well-developed net-like structure.

Quantitative Analysis of Trace Element Impurity Levels in Some Gem-Quality Diamonds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNeill, J. C.; Klein-Bendavid, O.; Pearson, D. G.; Nowell, G. M.; Ottley, C. J.; Chinn, I.; Malarkey, J.

2009-05-01

Perhaps the most important information required to understand the origin of diamonds is the nature of the fluid that they crystallise from. Constraining the identity of the diamond-forming fluid for high purity gem diamonds is hampered by analytical challenges because of the very low analyte levels involved. Here we use a new ultra- low blank 'off-line' laser ablation method coupled to sector-field ICPMS for the quantitative analysis of fluid-poor gem diamonds. Ten diamonds comprised of both E- and P-type parageneses, from the Premier Mine, South Africa, were analysed for trace element abundances. We assume that the elemental signatures arise from low densities of sub-microscopic fluid inclusions that are analogous to the much higher densities of fluid inclusions commonly found within fluid-rich diamonds exhibiting fibrous growth. Repeatability of multiple (>20) blanks yielded consistently low values so that using the current procedure our limits of quantitation (10-ã blank) are <1pg for most trace elements, except for Sr, Zr, Ba, from 2-9pg and Pb ~30pg. Trace element patterns of the Premier diamond suite show enrichment of LREE over HREE. Abundances broadly decrease with increasing elemental compatibility. As a suite the chondrite normalised diamond patterns show negative Sr, Zr, Ti and Y anomalies and positive U, and Pb anomalies. All sample abundances are very depleted relative to chondrites (0.1 to 0.001X ch). HREE range from 0.1 to 1ppb as do Y, Nb, Cs. Other lighter elements vary from 2-30ppb. Pb reaches several ppb and Ti ranges from ppb values up to 2ppm. No significant difference were observed between the trace element systematics of the eclogitic and peridotitic diamonds. Overall, these initial data have inter-element fractionation patterns similar to those evident from fluid-rich fibrous diamonds and can be sued to infer that both types of diamond-forming fluids share a common origin.

Petrology and Geochemistry of Tethyan Mélange and Flysch Units Adjacent to the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone (YZSZ), Southern Tibet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupuis, C.; Hebert, R.; Wang, C.; Li, Y.; Li, Z.

2004-05-01

Located north of the Himalayas, the E-W trending YZSZ is mainly composed of remnants of the Neo-Tethys ocean-floor and marks the suture between Indian and Eurasian plates. This project aims to define geological units immediately South of the YZSZ ophiolites : the serpentinized ophiolitic mélange, the Jurassic-Cretaceous wildflysch and the Triassic flysch. The ophiolitic mélange is characterized by ultramafic rocks, which can be divided into 3 groups. Cpx-harzburgites contain brownish aluminous spinels with Mg# of 0.7-0.75 and Cr# of 0.15-0.27. They resemble fertile abyssal peridotites with generally smooth LREE-depleted and fairly flat MREE-HREE profiles. Transitional harzburgites contain reddish spinels with Mg# of 0.57-0.66 and Cr# of 0.35-0.46. They resemble depleted abyssal or supra-subduction zone peridotites in that MREE-HREE profiles have positive slopes indicative of high degrees of partial melting. LREE profiles vary from depleted to slightly enriched, consistent with some trapped or interacting melt or aqueous fluids. Harzburgites and dunites contain dark reddish spinels with Mg# of 0.47-0.68 and Cr# of 0.40-0.63. They have U-shaped profiles characteristics of interaction between LREE-enriched melt and REE-depleted mantle residues. Spinel compositions and fractional melting modelling indicate that Cpx-harburgites may be the residues from 5-15% melting, transitional harzburgites from 15-23% melting, and harzburgites and dunites from 22-29% melting. The South Sandwich arc-basin system is considered a modern analog of initial geodynamic setting. Mafic rocks (gabbros, diabases and basalts) are ubiquitous and can be geochemically subdivided according to their source unit. LREE-depleted profiles with average (La/Yb)N of 0.5 and slight negative Nb-Ta and Ti anomalies indicate that rocks from the ophiolitic mélange formed in a back-arc basin, such as back-arc-basin mafic rocks of the Izu-Bonin Arc. REE patterns of rocks from the wildflysch are LREE-enriched with average (La/Yb)N of 5.3. These rocks are of intraplate affinity and are geochemically similar to volcanic rocks of the South Tethyan suture zone of Pakistan, which are interpreted to represent an early expression of the Réunion hotspot. Rocks from the flysch show the most LREE-enriched profiles with average (La/Yb)N of 6.9 and slight negative Nb-Ta and Ti anomalies, which suggest continental lithospheric assimilation. Similarly to volcanic rocks of the Deccan Traps, these rocks are thus interpreted to derive from an enriched mantle source of intraplate type (Réunion hotspot?), with additional contamination from the Indian continental crust (ICC). The geochemical signature of greywackes, red and black shales from the wildflysch and flysch units are all concordant with a continental passive margin setting. Despite fairly important chemical weathering, the signature was not affected by significant sedimentary recycling nor heavy-mineral accumulation. REE patterns show a LREE enrichment typical of shales and indicate an old upper CC provenance for the turbidites. Multi-element patterns indicate both mafic and felsic contributions to the source. The mafic contribution (slight positive Ti anomalies) could originate from mafic blocks of enriched intraplate geochemical affinity found in the sedimentary units, whereas the felsic contribution (slight LREE enrichment and negative NB-Ta anomalies) probably derives from remnants of evolved migmatitic batholith of the ICC.

Grain refinement in heavy rare earth element-free sintered Nd–Fe–B magnets by addition of a small amount of molybdenum

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Jin Woo; Lee, Won Suk; Byun, Jong Min

2015-05-07

We employed a modified refractory-metal-addition method to achieve higher coercivity and remanence in heavy rare earth element (HREE)-free Nd–Fe–B sintered magnets. This process involved inducing the formation of a homogeneous secondary phase at the grain boundaries during sintering, making it possible to control the intergrain diffusion by adding small amounts of Mo, a refractory metal. To control the microstructure of the secondary phase effectively, a metal organic compound of the refractory metal was coated on the surfaces of the particles of an HREE-free Nd–Fe–B powder. The average grain size after this process was 5.60 μm, which was approximately 1.8 μm smaller thanmore » that of the HREE-free sintered Nd–Fe–B magnets (7.4 μm). The coercivity of the magnets prepared through this process could be increased from 11.88 kOe to 13.91 kOe without decreasing their remanence.« less

Grosnaja ABCs: Magnesium isotope compositions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goswami, J. N.; Srinivasan, G.; Ulyanov, A. A.

1993-01-01

Three CAI's from the Grosnaja CV3 chondrite were analyzed for their magnesium isotopic compositions by the ion microprobe. The selected CAI's represent three distinct types: GR4(compact Type A), GR7(Type B) and GR2(Type C). Petrographic studies indicate that all three Grosnaja inclusions were subjected to secondary alterations. The Type A CAI GR4 is primarily composed of melilite with spinel and pyroxene occurring as minor phases. The rim of the inclusion does not exhibit distinct layered structure and secondary alteration products (garnet, Fe-rich olivine and Na-rich plagioclase) are present in some localized areas near the rim region. The average major element compositions of different mineral phases in GR4 are given. Preliminary REE data suggest a depletion of HREE relative to LREE by about a factor of 3 without any clear indication of interelement fractionation. The CAI GR7 has textural and minerological characteristics similar to Type B inclusions. The REE data show a pattern that is similar to Group 6 with enrichment in Eu and Yb. In addition, a depletion of HREE compared to LREE is also evident in this object. Melilite composition shows a broad range of akermanite content (Ak(sub 15-55)). Detailed petrographic study is in progress. GR2 is a anorthite-rich Type C inclusion with large plagioclase laths intergrown with Ti-rich pyroxene. The average plagioclase composition is close to pure anorthite (An99).

Chemical and oxygen isotopic properties of ordinary chondrites (H5, L6) from Oman: Signs of isotopic equilibrium during thermal metamorphism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Arshad; Nasir, Sobhi J.; Jabeen, Iffat; Al Rawas, Ahmed; Banerjee, Neil R.; Osinski, Gordon R.

2017-10-01

Mean bulk chemical data of recently found H5 and L6 ordinary chondrites from the deserts of Oman generally reflect isochemical features which are consistent with the progressive thermal metamorphism of a common, unequilibrated starting material. Relative differences in abundances range from 0.5-10% in REE (Eu = 14%), 6-13% in siderophile elements (Co = 48%), and >10% in lithophile elements (exceptions are Ba, Sr, Zr, Hf, U = >30%) between H5 and L6 groups. These differences may have accounted for variable temperature conditions during metamorphism on their parent bodies. The CI/Mg-normalized mean abundances of refractory lithophile elements (Al, Ca, Sm, Yb, Lu, V) show no resolvable differences between H5 and L6 suggesting that both groups have experienced the same fractionation. The REE diagram shows subtle enrichment in LREE with a flat HREE pattern. Furthermore, overall mean REE abundances are 0.6 × CI with enriched La abundance ( 0.9 × CI) in both groups. Precise oxygen isotope compositions demonstrate the attainment of isotopic equilibrium by progressive thermal metamorphism following a mass-dependent isotope fractionation trend. Both groups show a slope-1/2 line on a three-isotope plot with subtle negative deviation in Δ17O associated with δ18O enrichment relative to δ17O. These deviations are interpreted as the result of liberation of water from phyllosilicates and evaporation of a fraction of the water during thermal metamorphism. The resultant isotope fractionations caused by the water loss are analogous to those occurring between silicate melt and gas phase during CAI and chondrule formation in chondrites and are controlled by cooling rates and exchange efficiency.

Unraveling the volcanic and post-volcanic history at Upsal Hogback, Fallon, Nevada, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, E.; Cousens, B.

2013-12-01

Upsal Hogback is a < 25 ka phreatomagmatic volcanic center situated near Fallon, Nevada. The volcano neighbors two other young volcanic complexes: the Holocene Soda Lakes maars and Rattlesnake Hill, a ~ 1 Ma volcanic neck (Shevenell et al., 2005). These volcanoes lie on the transition between the Sierra Nevada and the Basin and Range province, as well as on the edge of the Walker Lane. Upsal Hogback includes two to four vents, fewer than mapped by Morrison (1964), and can be divided into north (one vent) and south (three potential vents) complexes. The vents all produced phreatomagmatic eruptions resulting in tuff rings composed primarily of coarse, indurated lapilli tuffs with abundant volcanic bombs. Ash tuffs are infrequent, as are structures such as crossbedding. The bombs and lapilli include olivine and plagioclase phenocrysts. The basalts are alkaline and have intraplate-type normalized incompatible element patterns. Both complexes are enriched in LREE compared to HREE, though the north complex overall has lower concentrations of the REE. The flat HREE pattern is indicative of spinel peridotite mantle source. Epsilon Nd values for the north complex are +2.50+/-0.02 and for the south complex are +2.83+/-0.02. The magmas appear to have an enriched asthenospheric mantle source. Bomb samples show that eruptions from the two complexes are geochemically distinguishable both in major and trace elements, suggesting that the two complexes tapped different magma types during eruptions that likely occurred at slightly different times. The proximity of Upsal Hogback to Fallon makes constraining its age important to characterize the hazard to the city. It lies above the Wono ash bed, dated at 25,000 years (Fultz et al., 1983), and tufa deposited over the edifice is dated at 11,100 +/- 100 and 8,600 +/- 200 years (Benson et al., 1992; Broecker and Kaufman, 1965). 40Ar/39Ar total gas age by Shevenell et al. (2005) dated the volcano at 0.60 +/- 0.09 Ma, but with no plateau or isochron, and is thus unreliable. The ash bed and tufa ages show that the eruptions would have occurred during the late history of glacial Lake Lahontan. The evidence for primarily subaerial or shallow subaqueous eruptions, including abundant bomb sags and armored lapilli, demonstrate that most of the volcanism occurred during a low stand in lake level history. Some upper tuff units have been heavily altered to palagonite, which establishes that there was substantial water present during some of the later eruptions. The upper edifice has been significantly modified by slumping of the lapilli tuffs during or after of the eruptions, as indicated by the wildly varying strikes and dips found in adjacent lapilli tuff blocks. Lake Lahontan has substantially altered the morphology of the volcano through wave action and shoreline erosion, as well as tufa deposition, since the eruption and emplacement of the tuffs. The edifice has gone through significant changes during its post-eruptive history that mask many of its original features; it was possible that it was a tuff cone that has been modified into a tuff ring.

Geochemical and Geochronologic Investigations of Zircon-hosted Melt Inclusions in Rhyolites from the Mesoproterozoic Pea Ridge IOA-REE Deposit, St. Francois Mountains, Missouri

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watts, K. E.; Mercer, C. N.; Vazquez, J. A.

2015-12-01

Silicic volcanic and plutonic rocks of an eroded Mesoproterozoic caldera complex were intruded and replaced by iron ore, and cross-cut by REE-enriched breccia pipes (~12% total REO) to form the Pea Ridge iron-oxide-apatite-REE (IOA-REE) deposit. Igneous activity, iron ore formation, and REE mineralization overlapped in space and time, however the source of REEs and other metals (Fe, Cu, Au) integral to these economically important deposits remains unclear. Melt inclusions (MI) hosted in refractory zircon phenocrysts are used to constrain magmatic components and processes in the formation of the Pea Ridge deposit. Homogenized (1.4 kbar, 1000°C, 1 hr) MI in zircons from rhyolites ~600 ft (PR-91) and ~1200 ft (PR-12) laterally from the ore body were analyzed for major elements by EPMA and volatiles and trace elements (H2O, S, F, Cl, REEs, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, U, Th) by SHRIMP-RG. Metals (including Cu, Au) will be measured in an upcoming SHRIMP-RG session. U-Pb ages, Ti and REE were determined by SHRIMP-RG for a subset of zircon spots adjacent to MI (1458 ± 18 Ma (PR-12); 1480 ± 45 Ma (PR-91)). MI glasses range from fresh and homogeneous dacite-rhyolite (65-75 wt% SiO2) to heterogeneous, patchy mixtures of K-spar and quartz (PR-12, 91), and more rarely mica, albite and/or anorthoclase (PR-91). MI are commonly attached to monazite and xenotime, particularly along re-entrants and zircon rims (PR-91). Fresh dacite-rhyolite glasses (PR-12) have moderate H2O (~2-2.5 wt%), Rb/Sr ratios (~8) and U (~5-7 ppm), and negative (chondrite-normalized) Eu anomalies (Eu ~0.4-0.7 ppm) (typical of rhyolites), whereas HREEs (Tb, Ho, Tm) are elevated (~2-3 ppm). Patchy K-spar and quartz inclusions (PR-12, 91) have flat LREE patterns, and positive anomalies in Tb, Ho, and Tm. One K-spar inclusion (PR-91) has a ~5-50 fold increase in HREEs (Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm) and U (35 ppm) relative to other MI. U-Pb and REE analyses of its zircon host are not unusual (1484 ± 21 Ma); its irregular shape surrounded by a CL-bright zone (Ti-in-zircon = 713°C) is a commonly observed texture and suggests resorption. Silicic magmatism at Pea Ridge was complex, with zircons trapping both pristine melt and poly-phase mixtures that span a range of REE contents. Most MI have lower REE contents than would be expected for significant magmatic REE contribution to the Pea Ridge IOA-REE deposit.

Sharp transition from ripple patterns to a flat surface for ion beam erosion of Si with simultaneous co-deposition of iron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, K.; Brötzmann, M.; Hofsäss, H.

2012-09-01

We investigate pattern formation on Si by sputter erosion under simultaneous co-deposition of Fe atoms, both at off-normal incidence, as function of the Fe surface coverage. The patterns obtained for 5 keV Xe ion irradiation at 30° incidence angle are analyzed with atomic force microscopy. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy of the local steady state Fe content of the Fe-Si surface layer allows a quantitative correlation between pattern type and Fe coverage. With increasing Fe coverage the patterns change, starting from a flat surface at low coverage (< 2×1015 Fe/cm2) over dot patterns (2-8×1015 Fe/cm2), ripples patterns (8-17×1015 Fe/cm2), pill bug structures (1.8×1016 Fe/cm2) and a rather flat surface with randomly distributed weak pits at high Fe coverage (>1.8×1016 Fe/cm2). Our results confirm the observations by Macko et al. for 2 keV Kr ion irradiation of Si with Fe co-deposition. In particular, we also find a sharp transition from pronounced ripple patterns with large amplitude (rms roughness ˜ 18 nm) to a rather flat surface (rms roughness ˜ 0.5 nm). Within this transition regime, we also observe the formation of pill bug structures, i.e. individual small hillocks with a rippled structure on an otherwise rather flat surface. The transition occurs within a very narrow regime of the steady state Fe surface coverage between 1.7 and 1.8×1016 Fe/cm2, where the composition of the mixed Fe-Si surface layer of about 10 nm thickness reaches the stoichiometry of FeSi2. Phase separation towards amorphous iron silicide is assumed as the major contribution for the pattern formation at lower Fe coverage and the sharp transition from ripple patterns to a flat surface.

Evaluation of photomask flatness compensation for extreme ultraviolet lithography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballman, Katherine; Lee, Christopher; Zimmerman, John; Dunn, Thomas; Bean, Alexander

2016-10-01

As the semiconductor industry continues to strive towards high volume manufacturing for EUV, flatness specifications for photomasks have decreased to below 10nm for 2018 production, however the current champion masks being produced report P-V flatness values of roughly 50nm. Write compensation presents the promising opportunity to mitigate pattern placement errors through the use of geometrically adjusted target patterns which counteract the reticle's flatness induced distortions and address the differences in chucking mechanisms between e-beam write and electrostatic clamping during scan. Compensation relies on high accuracy flatness data which provides the critical topographical components of the reticle to the write tool. Any errors included in the flatness data file are translated to the pattern during the write process, which has now driven flatness measurement tools to target a 6σ reproducibility <1nm. Using data collected from a 2011 Sematech study on the Alpha Demo Tool, the proposed methodology for write compensation is validated against printed wafer results. Topographic features which lack compensation capability must then be held to stringent specifications in order to limit their contributions to the final image placement error (IPE) at wafer. By understanding the capabilities and limitations of write compensation, it is then possible to shift flatness requirements towards the "non-correctable" portion of the reticle's profile, potentially relieving polishers from having to adhere to the current single digit flatness specifications.

Modelling of Folding Patterns in Flat Membranes and Cylinders by Origami

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nojima, Taketoshi

This paper describes folding methods of thin flat sheets as well as cylindrical shells by modelling folding patterns through Japanese traditional Origami technique. New folding patterns have been devised in thin flat squared or circular membrane by modifying so called Miura-Ori in Japan (one node with 4 folding lines). Some folding patterns in cylindrical shells have newly been developed including spiral configurations. Devised foldable cylindrical shells were made by using polymer sheets, and it has been assured that they can be folded quite well. The devised models will make it possible to construct foldable/deployable space structures as well as to manufacture foldable industrial products and living goods, e. g., bottles for soft drinks.

Magnesium and Titanium Isotopic Compositions of an Unusual Hibonite-Perovskite Refractory Inclusion from Allende: It Is Fun

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, M.-C.; Keller, L. P.; McKeegan, K. D.

2016-01-01

Introduction: Hibonite-rich refractory inclusions are among the first solids that formed in the solar nebula, and thus provide constraints on the earliest environment in the Solar System. An unusual hibonite-perovskite inclusion from Allende, SHAL, consists of a large (approximately 500 by 200 microns) single hibonite crystal and coexisting blocky perovskite (approximately 200 microns in size). The hibonite is characterized by chemical and oxygen isotopic compositions similar to those in the FUN (Fractionated and Unknown Nuclear anomalies) inclusion HAL. However, the rare earth element (REE) patterns measured at different spots of SHAL hibonite are highly variable, ranging from Group II-like (light REEs enriched relative to heavy REEs) to Group III-like (relatively flat with slight Eu depletions), but overall contrast largely with that of HAL, especially in the Ce and Yb abundances. This implies that SHAL hibonite formed and underwent distillation processes under more reducing conditions. Interestingly, the accompanying perovskite has uniform, unfractionated oxygen isotopic compositions (averaging delta (sup 17) O equals delta (sup 18) O equals -7 per mille) and REE abundances that are completely different from those of SHAL hibonite. This has been interpreted that perovskite and hibonite may not be co-genetic. Here we performed Al-Mg and Ti isotopic measurements of SHAL hibonite and perovskite to determine if the FUN characteristics are observed in these two isotope systems, and to further constrain the origin and evolution of SHAL. Results: Isotopic measurements of Al-Mg and Ti in SHAL were performed on the UCLA CAMECA ims-1290 ion microprobe by following the analytical protocols described in [1]. The Al-Mg and Ti data obtained in both terrestrial standards and SHAL hibonite and perovskite are shown below. Both SHAL hibonite and perovskite, despite very high (sup 27) Al to (sup 24) Mg ratios, are devoid of (sup 26) Mg excesses that can be attributed to the decay of (sup 26) Al. Delta (sup 25) Mg (mass-dependent fractionation) in hibonite is approximately -5 per mille per atomic mass unit relative to Madagascar hibonite, but is not well constrained for perovskite due to very large uncertainties owing to extremely low Mg contents. Similar to Mg isotopes, SHAL hibonite and perovskite show essentially the same Ti isotopic compositions, with anomalies in (sup 50) Ti of approximately 14 per mille, but the former shows greater Ti isotope fractionation than the latter (2.5 per mille per atomic mass unit versus 0 per mille). Discussion and Conclusions: The Al-Mg and Ti isotopic compositions of SHAL hibonite are consistent with those of HAL, suggesting that SHAL hibonite is a FUN inclusion and likely formed prior to homogenization of (sup 26) Al and Ti isotope variations in the solar nebula. However, the formation mechanisms for SHAL and HAL differ, given the differences in the REE patterns and degrees of oxygen mass-dependent fractionation. The Group-II to Group-III like REE patterns, the Yb depletions, and negative delta (sup 25) Mg observed in SHAL hibonite are all consistent with condensation of the hibonite precursor in a reducing environment.. The lack of large Ce depletions in SHAL hibonite implies that distillation processes that fractionated hibonite's oxygen isotopes must have taken place under a reducing condition, but the extent to which SHAL hibonite was distilled appears to be less than HAL because of the smaller degree of oxygen mass-dependent fractionation. The perovskite shares essentially the same Ti and Mg isotopic compositions as hibonite and probably formed in the same reservoir.. The ultrarefractory REE pattern seen in perovskite likely resulted from gas-solid fractionation which depleted HREEs in this reservoir. This process also explains why SHAL hibonite is generally depleted in HREEs relative to LREEs.

A Detailed Geochemical Study of Island Arc Crust: The Talkeetna Arc Section, South-central Alaska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greene, A. R.; Debari, S. M.; Kelemen, P. B.; Clift, P. D.; Blusztajn, J.

2002-12-01

The Talkeetna arc section in south-central Alaska is recognized as the exposed upper mantle and crust of an accreted, Late Triassic to Middle Jurassic island arc. Detailed geochemical studies of layered gabbronorite from the middle and lower crust of this arc and a diverse suite of volcanic and plutonic rocks from the middle and upper crust provide crucial data for understanding arc magma evolution. We also present new data on parental magma compositions for the arc. The deepest level of the arc section consists of residual mantle and ultramafic cumulates adjacent to garnet gabbro and basal gabbronorite interlayered with pyroxenite. The middle crust is primarily layered gabbronorite, ranging from anorthosite to pyroxenite in composition, and is the most widespread plutonic lithology. The upper mid crust is a heterogenous assemblage of dioritic to tonalitic rocks mixed with gabbro and intruded by abundant mafic dikes and chilled pillows. The upper crust of the arc is comprised of volcanic rocks of the Talkeetna Formation ranging from basalt to rhyolite. Most of these volcanic rocks have evolved compositions (<5% MgO, Mg# <60) and overlap the composition of intermediate to felsic plutonic rocks (<3.5% MgO, Mg# <45). However, several chilled mafic rocks and one basalt have primitive characteristics (>8% MgO, Mg# >60). Ion microprobe analyses of clinopyroxene in mid-crustal layered gabbronorites have parallel REE patterns with positive-sloping LREE segments (La/Sm(N)=0.05-0.17; mean 0.11) and flat HREE segments (5-25xchondrite; mean 10xchondrite). Liquids in REE equilibrium with the clinopyroxene in these gabbronorite cumulates were calculated in order to constrain parental magmas. These calculated liquids(La/Sm(N)=0.77-1.83; mean 1.26) all fall within the range of dike and volcanic rock(La/Sm(N)=0.78-2.12; mean 1.23) compositions. However, three lavas out of the 44 we have analyzed show strong HREE depletion, which is not observed in any of the liquid compositions calculated from clinopyroxene in the gabbronorite samples. Three lavas have Mg# 50-63 (49-57 % SiO2) and two of these are in REE equilibrium with calculated liquids of cumulate gabbronorites. Five chilled samples (three dikes and two mafic inclusions) have Mg# 54-64 (48-52 % SiO2) and lie just below the calculated liquid REE patterns. The most primitive mafic dike (SiO2 =48.1; MgO =8.1 ; Mg# =62.0; Ni =73) represents a well-constrained potential parental magma to the gabbroic cumulates in the mid-crust of the arc, although, like the three primitive basalts, it is not in Fe/Mg equilibrium with the gabbros.The Mg# is too high. Presumably, this parent has lost Ni and MgO to fractionation of ultramafic cumulates at deeper levels of the arc. The average dike REE pattern is nearly identical to the calculated primary magma composition of DeBari and Sleep(1991) for the Talkeetna arc, as are the REE patterns for the chilled pillows. Least-squares mass-balance calculations of mid-crustal gabbronorites indicate pl + cpx + opx + mgt + amph represent the bulk of removed solids. Fractionation of these phases using the most primitive mafic dike described above as the parental composition can produce many of the more evolved volcanic rocks. Fe-Ti oxide accounts for 0.05-12.3 wt% (mean 5.92 wt%) of the sampled cumulates and amphibole represents 0.97-40.1 wt% (mean 16.4 wt%). Fractionation of the observed phases in the cumulate gabbronorite is reflected by TiO2 depletion in the volcanic and intermediate to felsic plutonic rocks of the middle and upper crust.

Morphologies of femtosecond laser ablation of ITO thin films using gaussian or quasi-flat top beams for OLED repair

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hoon-Young; Choi, Won-Suk; Ji, Suk-Young; Shin, Young-Gwan; Jeon, Jin-Woo; Ahn, Sanghoon; Cho, Sung-Hak

2018-02-01

This study compares the ablation morphologies obtained with a femtosecond laser of both Gaussian and quasi-flat top beam profiles when applied to indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films for the purpose of OLED repair. A femtosecond laser system with a wavelength of 1030 nm and pulse duration of 190 fs is used to pattern an ITO thin film. The laser fluence is optimized for patterning at 1.38 J/cm2. The patterned ITO thin film is then evaluated through both optical microscope and atomic force microscope. Ablations with a square quasi-flat top beam are demonstrated using slits with varying x- y axes. With the Gaussian beam, the pattern width of the ablated area is shown to range from 9.17 to 9.99 μm when the number of irradiation pulse increases from one to six. In contrast, when slit control is used to obtain a quasi-flat top beam, the ablated pattern width remains constant at 10 μm, despite the increase in the number of pulse. The improved surface roughness is correlated with the quasi-flat top beam through measured Ra values. Furthermore, when using the Gaussian beam, the minimum resolution of the controllable ablation depth on the ITO thin film is found to be 60 nm. In contrast, when the quasi-flat top beam is used, the minimum ablation depth decreases to 40 nm.

Geochemical investigation of Archaean Bimodal and Dwalile metamorphic suites, Ancient Gneiss Complex, Swaziland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hunter, D.R.; Barker, F.; Millard, H.T.

1984-01-01

The bimodal suite (BMS) comprises leucotonalitic and trondhjemitic gneisses interlayered with amphibolites. Based on geochemical parameters three main groups of siliceous gneiss are recognized: (i) SiO2 14%, and fractionated light rare-earth element (REE) and flat heavy REE patterns; (ii) SiO2 and Al2O3 contents similar to (i) but with strongly fractionated REE patterns with steep heavy REE slopes; (iii) SiO2 > 73%, Al2O3 < 14%, Zr ??? 500 ppm and high contents of total REE having fractionated light REE and flat heavy REE patterns with large negative Eu anomalies. The interlayered amphibolites have major element abundances similar to those of basaltic komatiites, Mg-tholeiites and Fe-rich tholeiites. The former have gently sloping REE patterns, whereas the Mg-tholeiites have non-uniform REE patterns ranging from flat (??? 10 times chondrite) to strongly light REE-enriched. The Fe-rich amphibolites have flat REE patterns at 20-30 times chondrite. The Dwalile metamorphic suite, which is preserved in the keels of synforms within the BMS, includes peridotitic komatiites that have depleted light REE patterns similar to those of compositionally similar volcanics in the Onverwacht Group, Barberton, basaltic komatiites and tholeiites. The basaltic komatiites have REE patterns parallel to those of the BMS basaltic komatiites but with lower total REE contents. The Dwalile tholeiites have flat REE patterns. The basic and ultrabasic liquids were derived by partial melting of a mantle source which may have been heterogeneous or the heterogeneity may have resulted from sequential melting of the mantle source. The Fe-rich amphibolites were derived either from liquids generated at shallow levels or from liquids generated at depth which subsequently underwent extensive fractionation. ?? 1984.

The role of garnet in (Y+REE) mobility during fluid-initiated, localized, solid state dehydration of an amphibole-bearing migmatised granitic gneiss to charnockite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harlov, D. E.; Anczkiewicz, R.; Johansson, L.

2013-12-01

On either side of 1 m wide granitic pegmatoid dyke, Söndrum stone quarry, Halmstad, SW Sweden, extends a 2.5-3 m wide Opx-bearing dehydration zone (DZ) (650-700 °C; 800 MPa; Opx-Cpx-Bt-Amph-Gt-allanite), which overprints the gneissic banding of the surrounding migmatised granitic gneiss (MGG) (Amph-Bt-Gt-allanite) (Harlov et al., 2006, J Petrol 47, 3). Whole-rock chemistry indicates that dehydration of the MGG was predominantly isochemical. Exceptions include (Y+HREE), Ba, Sr, and F, which are markedly depleted throughout the DZ while LREE-bearing allanite remains unaltered. Systematic trends in the Gt, Bt, Amph, and FAp mineral chemistry across the DZ include depletion in Fe, (Y+HREE), Na, K, F, and Cl, and enrichment in Mg, Mn, Ca, and Ti. Fluid inclusion data suggest that the solid state dehydration event was due to advective transport of a CO2-rich fluid with a minor Cl and F component originating from a tectonic fracture represented today by the pegmatoid dyke. LA-ICPMS analysis of (Y+REE) in Gt (NIST 612 Glass standard; for operating conditions cf. Anczkiewicz et al. 2012 Chem Geol 318-319, 16) across the traverse indicates at least two distinct populations of Gt from the DZ variably depleted in (Y+HREE) and LREE (Fig. 1) by an order of magnitude compared to Gt in the MGG (Fig. 2). Depletion most likely is the result of (Y+HREE) and LREE partitioning from the Gt into the dehydrating fluid to complex with F and Cl. Variable depletion suggests preferred inter-granular pathways for fluid flow through the DZ during the dehydration event allowing some Gt grains greater exposure to the fluid than other Gt grains.

Sharp transition from ripple patterns to a flat surface for ion beam erosion of Si with simultaneous co-deposition of iron

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, K.; Broetzmann, M.; Hofsaess, H.

We investigate pattern formation on Si by sputter erosion under simultaneous co-deposition of Fe atoms, both at off-normal incidence, as function of the Fe surface coverage. The patterns obtained for 5 keV Xe ion irradiation at 30 Degree-Sign incidence angle are analyzed with atomic force microscopy. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy of the local steady state Fe content of the Fe-Si surface layer allows a quantitative correlation between pattern type and Fe coverage. With increasing Fe coverage the patterns change, starting from a flat surface at low coverage (< 2 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} Fe/cm{sup 2}) over dot patterns (2-8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15}more » Fe/cm{sup 2}), ripples patterns (8-17 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 15} Fe/cm{sup 2}), pill bug structures (1.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 16} Fe/cm{sup 2}) and a rather flat surface with randomly distributed weak pits at high Fe coverage (>1.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 16} Fe/cm{sup 2}). Our results confirm the observations by Macko et al. for 2 keV Kr ion irradiation of Si with Fe co-deposition. In particular, we also find a sharp transition from pronounced ripple patterns with large amplitude (rms roughness {approx} 18 nm) to a rather flat surface (rms roughness {approx} 0.5 nm). Within this transition regime, we also observe the formation of pill bug structures, i.e. individual small hillocks with a rippled structure on an otherwise rather flat surface. The transition occurs within a very narrow regime of the steady state Fe surface coverage between 1.7 and 1.8 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 16} Fe/cm{sup 2}, where the composition of the mixed Fe-Si surface layer of about 10 nm thickness reaches the stoichiometry of FeSi{sub 2}. Phase separation towards amorphous iron silicide is assumed as the major contribution for the pattern formation at lower Fe coverage and the sharp transition from ripple patterns to a flat surface.« less

Quantitative analysis and temperature-induced variations of moiré pattern in fiber-coupled imaging sensors.

PubMed

Karbasi, Salman; Arianpour, Ashkan; Motamedi, Nojan; Mellette, William M; Ford, Joseph E

2015-06-10

Imaging fiber bundles can map the curved image surface formed by some high-performance lenses onto flat focal plane detectors. The relative alignment between the focal plane array pixels and the quasi-periodic fiber-bundle cores can impose an undesirable space variant moiré pattern, but this effect may be greatly reduced by flat-field calibration, provided that the local responsivity is known. Here we demonstrate a stable metric for spatial analysis of the moiré pattern strength, and use it to quantify the effect of relative sensor and fiber-bundle pitch, and that of the Bayer color filter. We measure the thermal dependence of the moiré pattern, and the achievable improvement by flat-field calibration at different operating temperatures. We show that a flat-field calibration image at a desired operating temperature can be generated using linear interpolation between white images at several fixed temperatures, comparing the final image quality with an experimentally acquired image at the same temperature.

Printed Antenna Array with Flat-Top Radiation Pattern

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milijić, Marija R.; Nešić, Aleksandar D.; Milovanović, Bratislav D.; Nešić, Dušan A.

2018-04-01

A printed antenna array consisting of 10 wideband symmetrical pentagonal dipoles is presented. The feed network of impedance transformers is employed to provide appropriate amplitude and phase distribution necessary to obtain flat top beam pattern. The measured results demonstrate excellent radiation characteristics including 38° flat gain region with maximum ripple of 3.5 dB at the centre frequency. Furthermore, the proposed antenna that is placed in corner reflector with angle of 60° has good gain (17 dBi) and side lobe suppression (18.9 dB). Although it is designed at the centre frequency fc=12 GHz, it was shown to be capable of shaping a good flat top radiation pattern within a fractional bandwidth at least 6 % of centre frequency. Also, proposed antenna features cheap, simple and easy fabrication that makes it suitable for mass production.

Characterization and evolution of dissolved organic matter in acidic forest soil and its impact on the mobility of major and trace elements (case of the Strengbach watershed)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gangloff, Sophie; Stille, Peter; Pierret, Marie-Claire; Weber, Tiphaine; Chabaux, François

2014-04-01

Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) plays an important role in the behavior of major and trace elements in the soil and influences their transfer from soil to soil solution. The first objective of this study is to characterize different organic functional groups for the Water Extractable Organic Carbon (WEOC) fractions of a forest soil as well as their evolution with depth. The second objective is to clarify the influence of these organic functional groups on the migration of the trace elements in WEOC fractions compared to those in the soil solution obtained by lysimeter plates. All experiments have been performed on an acidic forest soil profile (five depths in the first meter) of the experimental spruce parcel in the Stengbach catchment. The Infra-red spectra of the freeze-dried WEOC fractions show a modification of the molecular structure with depth, i.e. a decrease of the polar compounds such as polysaccharides and an increase of the less polar hydro-carbon functional groups with a maximum value of the aromaticity at 30 cm depth. A Hierarchical Ascending Classification (HAC) of the evolution of Water Extractable Chemical Elements (WECE) with the evolution of the organic functional groups in the organic matter (OM) enriched soil compartments permits recognition of relationships between trace element behavior and the organic functional group variations. More specifically, Pb is preferentially bound to the carboxylic acid function of DOC mainly present in the upper soil compartment and rare earth elements (REE) show similar behavior to Fe, V and Cr with a good affinity to carboxy-phenolic and phenolic groups of DOC. The experimental results show that heavy REE compared to light REE are preferentially bound to the aromatic functional group. This different behavior fractionates the REE pattern of soil solutions at 30 cm depth due to the here observed aromaticity enrichment of DOC. These different affinities for the organic functional groups of the DOC explain some aspects of the behavior of trace elements in soil solutions and in the soil profile but, also the competition between trace elements in complexation with DOC. The results of this study are important for the understanding of the mobility and the migration of pollutants (as heavy metals or radionuclides) as well as nutrients in natural ecosystems. WE PrN/YbN is constant between 3 and 16 cm depth whereas SS PrN/YbN slightly decreases from 0.80 at 5 cm depth to 0.74 at 10 cm depth. This results from Pr (LREE) enrichment in the soil solution of the upper soil compartment caused by vegetation controlled LREE recycling and/or atmospheric depositions (see above). WE PrN/YbN and SS PrN/YbN show similar depth dependent distributions including the enrichment at 30 cm depth. It results from Yb depletion at this depth and enrichment in the deeper soil compartment compared to Pr. Similar to Marsac et al. (2012, 2013) one might suggest that there is competition between Fe3+, Al3+ and REE for the binding with DOC. They have a high affinity with the same organic functional groups which is confirmed by the classification scheme (Fig. 8). The studies of Marsac et al. suggest that at acidic pH and low metal/DOC ratios, Fe3+and Al3+ compete more with HREE than LREE; moreover, at high metal/DOC ratios and acidic pH, Al3+ competes with LREE. The Fig. 13 showing the variations of WECEN for Al and Fe in function of WECEN LREE and HREE confirms Marsac et al.’s observations. The slope of the extrapolation line resulting from WECEN Al and HREE values remains rather unchanged for the OM depleted and enriched soil compartments; thus, the change in the metal/DOC ratio in the soil does not change the extraction behavior of Al and HREE. However, the WECEN Fe strongly increase compared to the corresponding HREE values in the OM enriched compartment pointing to the competition between Fe and HREE. Alternatively, one observes that the WECEN Fe and LREE values in the OM enriched compartment plot on the extrapolation line derived from OM depleted soil samples. Thus, in this case, the change in the metal/DOC ratio does not affect the extraction behavior of Fe and LREE. However, the WECEN values for Al and corresponding LREE of samples from the OM enriched soil compartment plot below the extrapolation line and point to the competition between Al and LREE. These results are also in agreement with the REE distribution pattern of the soil solutions from the same site which are at greater depth LREE depleted (Stille et al., 2009).

Geochemical distinctions between igneous carbonate, calcite cements, and limestone xenoliths (Polino carbonatite, Italy): spatially resolved LAICPMS analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosatelli, G.; Wall, F.; Stoppa, F.; Brilli, M.

2010-11-01

Petrography-controlled laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LAICPMS) analyses of carbonate in fresh shallow level sub-volcanic Polino monticellite calcio-carbonatite tuffisite have been performed to assess the geochemical differences between fresh igneous, epigenetic carbonates and sedimentary accidental fragments. Igneous calcite has consistently high LREE/HREE ratios (La/Yb N , 15-130) due to high LREE (ΣLREE, 425-1,269 ppm). Secondary calcite cements are characterized by progressively lower and more variable trace element contents, with lower LREE/HREE ratios. A distinguishing geochemical feature is progressively increasing negative Ce anomalies observed through coarse secondary calcite that can be related to the surface environment processes. The limestone accidental fragments in the tuffisite have trace element contents almost two orders of magnitude lower than igneous carbonate and low LREE (ΣLREE < 9.5 ppm) with low LREE/HREE fractionation (La/Yb N ratios < 18). The stable isotope composition of different carbonate types is consistent with their formation in different environments. The tuffisitization processes during diatreme formation under high CO2-OH fugacity conditions may account for the differences noted in the igneous carbonates.

Genesis of iron-apatite ores in Posht-e-Badam Block (Central Iran) using REE geochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mokhtari, Mir Ali Asghar; Zadeh, Ghader Hossein; Emami, Mohamad Hashem

2013-06-01

Rare earth elements in apatites of different ore types show characteristic patterns which are related to different modes of formation of the ores. Most of the apatite-bearing iron ores are associated with alkaline magmas with LREE/HREE fractionation varying from moderate to steep. Iron-apatite deposits in Posht-e-Badam Block (Central Iran) have a high concentration of REE (more than 1000 ppm up to 2.5%), and show a strong LREE/HREE ratio with a pronounced negative Eu anomaly. This REE pattern is typical of magmatic apatite and quiet distinct from sedimentary apatites (phosphorites) which have a low REE contents and Ce negative anomalies. On the other hand, they are comparable to the REE patterns of apatites in Kiruna-type iron ores in different parts of the world. The REE patterns of apatites, iron-apatite ores and iron ores are similar and only have different REE contents. This similarity indicates a genetic relation for these rocks. Most of the iron-apatite deposits in Central Iran have similar REE patterns too, which in turn show a genetic relation for all of these deposits. This similarity indicates a similar origin and processes in their genesis. There are some small intrusions around some of the iron-apatite deposits that are petrographically identified as syenite and gabbro. These intrusions also have REE patterns similar to that of iron-apatite ores. This demonstrates a genetic relation between these intrusions and iron-apatite ores. The REE patterns of apatites in different deposits of Posht-e-Badam Block iron-apatite ores show an affinity to alkaline to sub-alkaline magmas and rifting environment. The alkaline host rocks of Central Iran iron-apatite ores are clearly related to an extensional setting where rifting was important (SSE-NNW fault lines). A probable source for this large scale ore forming processes is relatively low partial melting of mantle rocks. The ores have originated by magmatic differentiation as a late phase in the volcanic cycle forming sub-surface injections or surface flows. These ores have formed during magmatism as immiscible liquids (silicate and Fe-P-rich magmatic liquids) which separated from strongly differentiated magmas aided by a large volatile and alkali element content. Separation of an iron oxide melt and the ensuing hydrothermal processes dominated by alkali metasomatism were both involved to different degrees in the formation of Posht-e-Badam Block iron-apatite deposits. We proposed that the separation of an iron oxide melt and the ensuing hydrothermal processes dominated by alkali metasomatism were both involved to different degrees in the formation of Posht-e-Badam Block iron-apatite deposits.

Tumoral Versus Flat Intraepithelial Neoplasia of Pancreatobiliary Tract, Gallbladder, and Ampulla of Vater.

PubMed

Jang, Kee-Taek; Ahn, Sangjeong

2016-05-01

-The identification of a precursor lesion is important to understanding the histopathologic and genetic alterations in carcinogenesis. There are a plethora of terminologies that describe precursor lesions of the pancreatobiliary tract, ampulla of Vater, and gallbladder. The current terminologies for precursor lesions may make it difficult to understand the tumor biology. Here, we propose the concept of tumoral and flat intraepithelial neoplasia to improve our understanding of precursor lesions of many epithelial organs, including the pancreatobiliary tract, ampulla of Vater, and gallbladder. -To understand the dichotomous pattern of tumoral and flat intraepithelial neoplasia in carcinogenesis of pancreatobiliary tract, ampulla of Vater, and gallbladder. -Review of relevant literatures indexed in PubMed. -Tumoral intraepithelial neoplasia presents as an intraluminal or intraductal, mass-forming, polypoid lesion or a macroscopic, visible, cystic lesion without intracystic papillae. Microscopically, tumoral intraepithelial neoplasia shows various proportions of papillary and tubular architecture, often with a mixed pattern, such as papillary, tubular, and papillary-tubular. The malignant potential depends on the degree of dysplasia and the cell phenotype of the epithelium. Flat intraepithelial neoplasia presents as a flat or superficial, spreading, mucosal lesion that is frequently accompanied by an invasive carcinoma. Tumoral and flat intraepithelial neoplasias are not homogeneous entities and may exhibit histopathologic spectrum changes and different genetic profiles. Although intraepithelial neoplasia showed a dichotomous pattern in the tumoral versus flat types, they can coexist. Tumoral and flat intraepithelial neoplasia can be interpreted as part of a spectrum of changes in the carcinogenesis pathway of each organ.

Ridge Minimization of Ablated Morphologies on ITO Thin Films Using Squared Quasi-Flat Top Beam

PubMed Central

Jeon, Jin-Woo; Choi, Wonsuk; Shin, Young-Gwan; Ji, Suk-Young

2018-01-01

In this study, we explore the improvements in pattern quality that was obtained with a femtosecond laser with quasi-flat top beam profiles at the ablated edge of indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films for the patterning of optoelectronic devices. To ablate the ITO thin films, a femtosecond laser is used that has a wavelength and pulse duration of 1030 nm and 190 fs, respectively. The squared quasi-flat top beam is obtained from a circular Gaussian beam using slits with varying x-y axes. Then, the patterned ITO thin films are measured using both scanning electron and atomic force microscopes. In the case of the Gaussian beam, the ridge height and width are approximately 39 nm and 1.1 μm, respectively, whereas, when the quasi-flat top beam is used, the ridge height and width are approximately 7 nm and 0.25 μm, respectively. PMID:29601515

Mantle sources and origin of the Middle Paleoproterozoic Jatulian Large Igneous Province of the Fennoscandian shield: evidence from isotope geochemical data on the Kuetsjarvi volcanics, Kola Craton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogina, Maria; Zlobin, Valeriy; Chistyakov, Alexeii; Evgenii, Sharkov

2014-05-01

Paleoproterozoic is one of the most important stages in the Earth's evolution as marking a cardinal change in a style of tectonomagmatic processes at 2.2-2.0 Ga, which corresponds to the formation of the Jatulian Large Igneous Province at the Fennoscandian Shield. The fragment of this province is represented by the volcanics of the Kuetsjarvi Group in the Kola Craton. These rocks differ in the extremely wide rock diversity and prominent role of alkaline rocks, the extremely rare rocks in the Precambrian. The rocks of the group are subdivided into the alkaline and tholeiitic basaltic series. The tholeiites are highly fractionated (mg# 38) high-Ti rocks enriched in HFSE. The alkaline series show wider mg# variations (32-52), which is inconsistent with a single fractionation sequence of these series. All rocks have high HFSE, at extremely wide LILE variations. Tholeiites show moderate LREE fractionation pattern at practically flat HREE: La/YbN = 3.6-4.5; La/SmN = 2.2-2.4, Gd/YbN = 1.5-1.7 and slight Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 0.80-0.85). The alkaline rocks display much more fractionated LREE and fractionated HREE (La/YbN = 43.9-5.8; La/SmN = 2.2-2.4, Gd/YbN = 2.04-3.92) patterns at Eu anomaly varying from 0.53 to 1. The spidergrams of both series reveal negative Nb and Sr anomalies at sign-variable Ti anomaly. The alkaline rocks are enriched relative to tholeiites in U, Th, and Nb. Examination of behavior of incompatible trace elements offers an opportunity to compare the conditions of generation of parental mantle magmas of the studied series. In particular, the tholeiitic basalts have higher Zr/Nb ratios than the alkaline rocks, which in combination with their lower La/Yb ratios indicates their formation under the higher melting degree of mantle source as compared to the alkaline rocks. Simultaneous increase in Ce/Y ratio in the alkaline rocks may indicate their formation at greater depths. Tholeiitic basalts have lower Nb/U ratio, which testifies some crustal contamination of the melts. In addition, they have low Ti/Y (323-449) ratios and high Lu/Hf (0.11-0.16), which is typical of the rocks formed by melting of spinel peridotites. The alkaline basalts were derived from a deeper garnet-bearing mantle source (Ti/Y = 640-1140, Lu/Hf = 0.03-0.05). Isotope-geochemical study showed that these rocks have very similar Nd isotope composition ((eNd (2200) = +1.5 in the alkaline basalt and +1.9 in the tholeiites). It was found that the studied alkaline rocks are similar in composition to the OIB-type Tristan da Kunha basalts, while tholeiites are closer to the high-Ti rocks of the Parana plateau, which experienced significant lithospheric contribution. Obtained data confirm the within-plate setting at the Jatulian stage of the Fennoscandian Shield. The Kutesjarvi Group consists of two rock types: OIB-type alkaline and E-MORB-type tholeiitic, which is typical of most Phanerozoic large igneous provinces. However, unlike the latters, the rocks of this area were too much tectonized and eroded to compile a systematic sequence. But, the Kuetsjarvi Group may be considered as the fragment of the oldest large igneous province.

Landscape ecological security response to land use change in the tidal flat reclamation zone, China.

PubMed

Zhang, Runsen; Pu, Lijie; Li, Jianguo; Zhang, Jing; Xu, Yan

2016-01-01

As coastal development becomes a national strategy in Eastern China, land use and landscape patterns have been affected by reclamation projects. In this study, taking Rudong County, China as a typical area, we analyzed land use change and its landscape ecological security responses in the tidal flat reclamation zone. The results show that land use change in the tidal flat reclamation zone is characterized by the replacement of natural tidal flat with agricultural and construction land, which has also led to a big change in landscape patterns. We built a landscape ecological security evaluation system, which consists of landscape interference degree and landscape fragile degree, and then calculated the landscape ecological security change in the tidal flat reclamation zone from 1990 to 2008 to depict the life cycle in tidal flat reclamation. Landscape ecological security exhibited a W-shaped periodicity, including the juvenile stage, growth stage, and maturation stage. Life-cycle analysis demonstrates that 37 years is required for the land use system to transform from a natural ecosystem to an artificial ecosystem in the tidal flat reclamation zone.

Effects of organic ligands on fractionation of rare earth elements (REEs) in hydroponic plants: an application to the determination of binding capacities by humic acid for modeling.

PubMed

Ding, ShiMing; Liang, Tao; Zhang, ChaoSheng; Yan, JunCai; Zhang, ZiLi

2006-12-01

Previous studies have revealed the fractionation processes of rare earth elements (REEs) in hydroponic plants, with a heavy REE (HREE, the elements from Gd to Lu) enrichment in leaves. In this study, effects on the HREE enrichment in soybean leaves with additions of carboxylic acids (acetate, malate, citrate, NTA, EDTA and DTPA) and two soil humic acids (HAs) were investigated. REE speciation in carboxylic acid and HA solutions was simulated using Visual MINTEQ and Model V, respectively. The results showed that the effects caused by carboxylic acids were strongly dependent on the differences between their binding strengths for light REEs (LREEs, the elements from La to Eu) and those for HREEs. A good correlation existed between these effects and the changes of free REE ions in solutions. This relationship was also observed for the HA treatments, provided that the intrinsic equilibrium constants of REEs for cation-proton exchange with HA (i.e., pK(MHA)) in Model V were estimated using a free-energy relationship with the stability constants for REE complexation with lactic acid. It is suggested that this set of pK(MHA) values is more suitable for use in Model V for the simulation of REE complexation with HA.

Rare earth elements in sedimentary phosphate deposits: Solution to the global REE crisis?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Emsbo, Poul; McLaughlin, Patrick I.; Breit, George N.; du Bray, Edward A.; Koenig, Alan E.

2015-01-01

The critical role of rare earth elements (REEs), particularly heavy REEs (HREEs), in high-tech industries has created a surge in demand that is quickly outstripping known global supply and has triggered a worldwide scramble to discover new sources. The chemical analysis of 23 sedimentary phosphate deposits (phosphorites) in the United States demonstrates that they are significantly enriched in REEs. Leaching experiments using dilute H2SO4 and HCl, extracted nearly 100% of their total REE content and show that the extraction of REEs from phosphorites is not subject to the many technological and environmental challenges that vex the exploitation of many identified REE deposits. Our data suggest that phosphate rock currently mined in the United States has the potential to produce a significant proportion of the world's REE demand as a byproduct. Importantly, the size and concentration of HREEs in some unmined phosphorites dwarf the world's richest REE deposits. Secular variation in phosphate REE contents identifies geologic time periods favorable for the formation of currently unrecognized high-REE phosphates. The extraordinary endowment, combined with the ease of REE extraction, indicates that such phosphorites might be considered as a primary source of REEs with the potential to resolve the global REE (particularly for HREE) supply shortage.

The role of trace element partitioning between garnet, zircon and orthopyroxene on the interpretation of zircon U-Pb ages: an example from high-grade basement in Calabria (Southern Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornelli, A.; Langone, A.; Micheletti, F.; Pascazio, A.; Piccarreta, G.

2014-03-01

The recognition of the coeval growth of zircon, orthopyroxene and garnet domains formed during the same metamorphic cycle has been attempted with detailed microanalyses coupled with textural analyses. A coronitic garnet-bearing granulite from the lower crust of Calabria has been considered. U-Pb zircon data and zircon, garnet and orthopyroxene chemistries, at different textural sites, on a thin section of the considered granulite have been used to test possible equilibrium and better constrain the geological significance of the U-Pb ages related to zircon separates from other rocks of the same structural level. The garnet is very rich in REE and is characterised by a decrease in HREE from core to outer core and an increase in the margin. Zircons show core-overgrowth structures showing different chemistries, likely reflecting episodic metamorphic new growth. Zircon grains in matrix, corona around garnet and within the inner rim of garnet, are decidedly poorer in HREE up to Ho than garnet interior. Orthopyroxene in matrix and corona is homogeneously poor in REE. Thus, the outer core of garnet and the analysed zircon grains grew or equilibrated in a REE depleted system due to the former growth of garnet core. Zircon ages ranging from 357 to 333 Ma have been determined in the matrix, whereas ages 327-320 Ma and around 300 Ma have been determined, respectively, on cores and overgrowths of zircons from matrix, corona and inner rim of garnet. The calculated DREEzrn/grt and DREEopx/grt are largely different from the equilibrium values of literature due to strong depletion up to Ho in zircon and orthopyroxene with respect to garnet. On the other hand, the literature data show large variability. In the case study, (1) the D zrn/grt values define positive and linear trends from Gd to Lu as many examples from literature do and the values from Er to Lu approach the experimental results at about 900 °C in the combination zircon dated from 339 to 305 Ma with garnet outer core, and (2) D opx/grt values define positive trends reaching values considered as suggestive of equilibrium from Er to Lu only with respect to the outer core of garnet. The presence of a zircon core dated 320 Ma in the inner rim of garnet suggests that it, as well as those dated at 325-320 Ma in the other textural sites and, probably, those dated at 339-336 Ma showing depletion of HREE, grew after the garnet core, which sequestered a lot of HREE and earlier than the HREE rich margin of garnet. The quite uniform REE contents in orthopyroxene from matrix and corona and the low and uniform contents of HREE in the zircon overgrowths dated at about 300 Ma allow to think that homogenisation occurred during or after the corona formation around this age. The domains dated around 325-320 Ma would approximate the stages of decompression, whereas the metamorphic peak probably occurred earlier than 339 Ma.

Experimental constraints on the relative stabilities of the two systems monazite-(Ce) - allanite-(Ce) - fluorapatite and xenotime-(Y) - (Y,HREE)-rich epidote - (Y,HREE)-rich fluorapatite, in high Ca and Na-Ca environments under P-T conditions of 200-1000 MPa and 450-750 °C

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budzyń, Bartosz; Harlov, Daniel E.; Kozub-Budzyń, Gabriela A.; Majka, Jarosław

2017-04-01

The relative stabilities of phases within the two systems monazite-(Ce) - fluorapatite - allanite-(Ce) and xenotime-(Y) - (Y,HREE)-rich fluorapatite - (Y,HREE)-rich epidote have been tested experimentally as a function of pressure and temperature in systems roughly replicating granitic to pelitic composition with high and moderate bulk CaO/Na2O ratios over a wide range of P-T conditions from 200 to 1000 MPa and 450 to 750 °C via four sets of experiments. These included (1) monazite-(Ce), labradorite, sanidine, biotite, muscovite, SiO2, CaF2, and 2 M Ca(OH)2; (2) monazite-(Ce), albite, sanidine, biotite, muscovite, SiO2, CaF2, Na2Si2O5, and H2O; (3) xenotime-(Y), labradorite, sanidine, biotite, muscovite, garnet, SiO2, CaF2, and 2 M Ca(OH)2; and (4) xenotime-(Y), albite, sanidine, biotite, muscovite, garnet, SiO2, CaF2, Na2Si2O5, and H2O. Monazite-(Ce) breakdown was documented in experimental sets (1) and (2). In experimental set (1), the Ca high activity (estimated bulk CaO/Na2O ratio of 13.3) promoted the formation of REE-rich epidote, allanite-(Ce), REE-rich fluorapatite, and fluorcalciobritholite at the expense of monazite-(Ce). In contrast, a bulk CaO/Na2O ratio of 1.0 in runs in set (2) prevented the formation of REE-rich epidote and allanite-(Ce). The reacted monazite-(Ce) was partially replaced by REE-rich fluorapatite-fluorcalciobritholite in all runs, REE-rich steacyite in experiments at 450 °C, 200-1000 MPa, and 550 °C, 200-600 MPa, and minor cheralite in runs at 650-750 °C, 200-1000 MPa. The experimental results support previous natural observations and thermodynamic modeling of phase equilibria, which demonstrate that an increased CaO bulk content expands the stability field of allanite-(Ce) relative to monazite-(Ce) at higher temperatures indicating that the relative stabilities of monazite-(Ce) and allanite-(Ce) depend on the bulk CaO/Na2O ratio. The experiments also provide new insights into the re-equilibration of monazite-(Ce) via fluid-aided coupled dissolution-reprecipitation, which affects the Th-U-Pb system in runs at 450 °C, 200-1000 MPa, and 550 °C, 200-600 MPa. A lack of compositional alteration in the Th, U, and Pb in monazite-(Ce) at 550 °C, 800-1000 MPa, and in experiments at 650-750 °C, 200-1000 MPa indicates the limited influence of fluid-mediated alteration on volume diffusion under high P-T conditions. Experimental sets (3) and (4) resulted in xenotime-(Y) breakdown and partial replacement by (Y,REE)-rich fluorapatite to Y-rich fluorcalciobritholite. Additionally, (Y,HREE)-rich epidote formed at the expense of xenotime-(Y) in three runs with 2 M Ca(OH)2 fluid, at 550 °C, 800 MPa; 650 °C, 800 MPa; and 650 °C, 1000 MPa similar to the experiments involving monazite-(Ce). These results confirm that replacement of xenotime-(Y) by (Y,HREE)-rich epidote is induced by a high Ca bulk content with a high CaO/Na2O ratio. These experiments demonstrate also that the relative stabilities of xenotime-(Y) and (Y,HREE)-rich epidote are strongly controlled by pressure.

Surface patterning of GaAs under irradiation with very heavy polyatomic Au ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bischoff, L.; Böttger, R.; Heinig, K.-H.; Facsko, S.; Pilz, W.

2014-08-01

Self-organization of surface patterns on GaAs under irradiation with heavy polyatomic Au ions has been observed. The patterns depend on the ion mass, and the substrate temperature as well as the incidence angle of the ions. At room temperature, under normal incidence the surface remains flat, whereas above 200 °C nanodroplets of Ga appear after irradiation with monatomic, biatomic as well as triatomic Au ions of kinetic energies in the range of 10-30 keV per atom. In the intermediate temperature range of 100-200 °C meander- and dot-like patterns form, which are not related to Ga excess. Under oblique ion incidence up to 45° from the surface normal, at room temperature the surface remains flat for mon- and polyatomic Au ions. For bi- and triatomic ions in the range of 60° ≤ α ≤ 70° ripple patterns have been found, which become shingle-like for α ≥ 80°, whereas the surface remains flat for monatomic ions.

On the properties of organic heterostructures prepared with nano-patterned metallic electrode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breazu, C.; Socol, M.; Preda, N.; Matei, E.; Rasoga, O.; Girtan, M.; Mallet, R.; Stanculescu, F.; Stanculescu, A.

2018-06-01

This paper presents a comparative study between the properties of the heterostructures realized with single/multi layer organic (zinc phthalocyanine or/and fullerene) prepared on Si substrate between flat or patterned aluminum (Al) layer metallic electrode and multi layer ZnO/Au/ZnO transparent conductor electrode (TCE). The UV-Nanoimprint Lithography was used for the realization of a 2D array of nanostructures (holes/pillars) characterized by a periodicity of 1.1 μm and cylindrical shape: diameter = 400 nm and depth/height = 300 nm. The effect of the electrode patterning on the properties of the organic heterostructures was analyzed. For the samples with patterned Al electrode was remarked a slight red shift of the peaks in the reflection spectra determined by an increased interaction between the organic molecules in the delimited region of the patterned holes. The shape of the emission spectra at excitation with UV light showed a narrow intense peak around 500 nm associated with the intense resonance phenomena between the energy of the incident light and the surface plasmons in the patterned Al layer. The TCE followed the morphology of the organic film on which it was deposited. The significant differences between the morphology of the top layer in the heterostructures realized on flat and patterned Al are correlated with the total thickness of the successively deposited layers and with the particularities of the molecular arrangement, leading to the preservation or deleting of patterning. An injection contact behavior was evidence for most heterostructures built on flat and patterned Al. The slight increase in current at an applied bias <1 V in the heterostructure Si/Al/ZnPc/TCE is attributed to the larger interfacial area between the patterned Al electrode and ZnPc layer compared to the interface area between flat Al and ZnPc. A buffer layer of 1,4,5,8-naphthalen-tetracarboxylic dianhydride (NTCDA), sandwiched between the flat metallic electrode and organic film in the heterostructure Si/Al/C60/ZnPc/TCE has determined an increase in the current at low applied voltages.

Sedimentary Facies Mapping Based on Tidal Channel Network and Topographic Features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryu, J. H.; Lee, Y. K.; Kim, K.; Kim, B.

2015-12-01

Tidal flats on the west coast of Korea suffer intensive changes in their surface sedimentary facies as a result of the influence of natural and artificial changes. Spatial relationships between surface sedimentary facies distribution and benthic environments were estimated for the open-type Ganghwa tidal flat and semi closed-type Hwangdo tidal flat, Korea. In this study, we standardized the surface sedimentary facies and tidal channel index of the channel density, distance, thickness and order. To extract tidal channel information, we used remotely sensed data, such as those from the Korea Multi-Purpose Satellite (KOMPSAT)-2, KOMPSAT-3, and aerial photographs. Surface sedimentary facies maps were generated based on field data using an interpolation method.The tidal channels in each sediment facies had relatively constant meandering patterns, but the density and complexity were distinguishable. The second fractal dimension was 1.7-1.8 in the mud flat, about 1.4 in the mixed flat, and about 1.3 in the sand flat. The channel density was 0.03-0.06 m/m2 in the mud flat and less than 0.02 m/m2 in the mixed and sand flat areas of the two test areas. Low values of the tidal channel index, which indicated a simple pattern of tidal channel distribution, were identified at areas having low elevation and coarse-grained sediments. By contrast, high values of the tidal channel index, which indicated a dendritic pattern of tidal channel distribution, were identified at areas having high elevation and fine-grained sediments. Surface sediment classification based on remotely sensed data must circumspectly consider an effective critical grain size, water content, local topography, and intertidal structures.

1.5% root-mean-square flat-intensity laser beam formed using a binary-amplitude spatial light modulator.

PubMed

Liang, Jinyang; Kohn, Rudolph N; Becker, Michael F; Heinzen, Daniel J

2009-04-01

We demonstrate a digital micromirror device (DMD)-based optical system that converts a spatially noisy quasi-Gaussian to an eighth-order super-Lorentzian flat-top beam. We use an error-diffusion algorithm to design the binary pattern for the Texas Instruments DLP device. Following the DMD, a telescope with a pinhole low-pass filters the beam and scales it to the desired sized image. Experimental measurements show a 1% root-mean-square (RMS) flatness over a diameter of 0.28 mm in the center of the flat-top beam and better than 1.5% RMS flatness over its entire 1.43 mm diameter. The power conversion efficiency is 37%. We develop an alignment technique to ensure that the DMD pattern is correctly positioned on the incident beam. An interferometric measurement of the DMD surface flatness shows that phase uniformity is maintained in the output beam. Our approach is highly flexible and is able to produce not only flat-top beams with different parameters, but also any slowly varying target beam shape. It can be used to generate the homogeneous optical lattice required for Bose-Einstein condensate cold atom experiments.

FICE in Predicting Colorectal Flat Lesion Histology.

PubMed

Akarsu, Cevher; Sahbaz, Nuri A; Dural, Ahmet C; Kones, Osman; Binboga, Sinan; Kabuli, Hamit A; Gumusoglu, Alpen Y; Alis, Halil

2017-01-01

Colonoscopy is the gold standard for detection of polyps and is preventive against colorectal cancers. Flat adenomas are small, superficial lesions and have a high rate of going undetected during conventional white-light endoscopy. This article adds to the scant body of literature in English regarding in vivo detection and diagnosis of flat adenomas using Fujinon intelligent color enhancement (FICE) system. In this study, we investigated the diagnosis of flat lesions via the FICE endoscopy system and in vivo histologic diagnostic estimations of flat lesions. This prospective study was conducted in patients who underwent colonoscopy that found flat adenomas. Lesions were classified morphologically with regard to the Paris Classification and sent for histopathologic examination after in vivo histologic diagnostic estimations were made according to Kudo's pit pattern classification. The positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of in vivo endoscopic diagnostic estimations of flat lesions with the FICE system were analyzed. A total of 217 flat lesions were identified in 137 patients. Of the lesions, 85.7% were Paris type 0-IIa, and 59.4% were Kudo pit pattern type III. When the FICE diagnostic estimations of flat lesions and final pathology results were considered, PPV was 68.5%, NPV value was 89.6%, sensitivity was 94.7%, specificity was 50.9%, and accuracy was 74.2%. Biologic importance of flat lesions is obscure, as they are usually missed during colonoscopy. The use of novel endoscopic techniques may improve their detection and diagnosis rates.

Dirac electrons in Moiré superlattice: From two to three dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Chen; Michaud-Rioux, Vincent; Kong, Xianghua; Guo, Hong

2017-11-01

Moiré patterns in van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures bring novel physical effects to the materials. We report theoretical investigations of the Moiré pattern formed by graphene (Gr) on hexagonal boron nitride (h BN). For both the two-dimensional (2D) flat-sheet and the freestanding three-dimensional (3D) wavelike film geometries, the behaviors of Dirac electrons are strongly modulated by the local high-symmetry stacking configurations of the Moiré pattern. In the 2D flat sheet, the secondary Dirac cone (SDC) dispersion emerges due to the stacking-selected localization of SDC wave functions, while the original Dirac cone (ODC) gap is suppressed due to an overall effect of ODC wave functions. In the freestanding 3D wavelike Moiré structure, we predict that a specific local stacking in the Moiré superlattice is promoted at the expense of other local stackings, leading to an electronic structure more similar to that of the perfectly matching flat Gr/h BN than that of the flat-sheet 2D Moiré pattern. To capture the overall picture of the Moiré superlattice, supercells containing 12 322 atoms are simulated by first principles.

Improved conversion efficiency of amorphous Si solar cells using a mesoporous ZnO pattern

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

To provide a front transparent electrode for use in highly efficient hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) thin-film solar cells, porous flat layer and micro-patterns of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticle (NP) layers were prepared through ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography (UV-NIL) and deposited on Al-doped ZnO (AZO) layers. Through this, it was found that a porous micro-pattern of ZnO NPs dispersed in resin can optimize the light-trapping pattern, with the efficiency of solar cells based on patterned or flat mesoporous ZnO layers increased by 27% and 12%, respectively. PMID:25276101

The formation and trace elements of garnet in the skarn zone from the Xinqiao Cu-S-Fe-Au deposit, Tongling ore district, Anhui Province, Eastern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Xin; Zhou, Tao-fa; White, Noel C.; Zhang, Le-jun; Fan, Yu; Wang, Fang-yue; Chen, Xue-feng

2018-03-01

Xinqiao is a large copper-gold deposit and consists of two major mineralization types: stratabound and skarn. The skarn occurs along the contact between a quartz diorite intrusion and Carboniferous-Triassic limestone. Xinqiao has a strongly developed skarn zone, including endoskarn and exoskarn; the exoskarn is divided into proximal and distal exoskarn. We present systematic major, trace and rare earth element (REE) concentrations for garnets from the skarn zone, discuss the factors controlling the incorporation of trace elements into the garnets, and constrain the formation and evolution of the garnet from skarn zone in Xinqiao deposit. Grossular (Adr20-44Grs56-80) mostly occurs in endoskarn and has typical HREE-enriched and LREE-depleted patterns, with small Eu anomalies and low ∑REE. Garnets from the exoskarn show complex textures and chemical compositions. The composition of garnets range from Al-rich andradite (Adr63-81Grs19-47) to andradite (Adr67-98Grs2-33). Garnet in endoskarn has typical HREE-enriched and LREE-depleted patterns. Al-rich andradite in proximal skarn has small Eu anomalies and moderate ∑REE. Andradite from distal exoskarn shows strong positive Eu anomalies and has variable ∑REE. The U, Y, Fe and Al relationship with ∑REE shows that two mechanisms controlled incorporation of REE into the garnets: crystal chemistry (substitution and interstitial solid solution) mainly controlled in the endoskarn garnet (grossular) and the proximal exoskarn (Al-rich andradite), and fluid and rock chemistry (surface adsorption and occlusion) controlled REEs in the distal exoskarn. Furthermore, Al has a negative relationship with ∑REE indicating that REE3+ did not follow a coupled, YAG-type substitution into the garnets. Variations in textures and trace and rare earth elements of garnets suggest that the garnets in the endoskarn formed by slow crystal growth at low W/R ratios and near-neutral pH in a closed system during periods of diffusive metasomatism. The garnets in the exoskarn formed rapidly from externally derived fluids during advective metasomatism, and adsorption had a major control on the REE patterns in distal exoskarn. With the end of water-rock reaction, the contents of REE decreased in the hydrothermal fluid, and the system became nearly closed.

Space-time patterns in ignimbrite compositions revealed by GIS and R based statistical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brandmeier, Melanie; Wörner, Gerhard

2017-04-01

GIS-based multivariate statistical and geospatial analysis of a compilation of 890 geochemical and ca. 1,200 geochronological data for 194 mapped ignimbrites from Central Andes documents the compositional and temporal pattern of large volume ignimbrites (so-called "ignimbrite flare-ups") during Neogene times. Rapid advances in computational sciences during the past decade lead to a growing pool of algorithms for multivariate statistics on big datasets with many predictor variables. This study uses the potential of R and ArcGIS and applies cluster (CA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) on log-ratio transformed spatial data. CA on major and trace element data allows to group ignimbrites according to their geochemical characteristics into rhyolitic and a dacitic "end-members" and differentiates characteristic trace element signatures with respect to Eu anomaly, depletion of MREEs and variable enrichment in LREE. To highlight these distinct compositional signatures, we applied LDA to selected ignimbrites for which comprehensive data sets were available. The most important predictors for discriminating ignimbrites are La (LREE), Yb (HREE), Eu, Al2O3, K2O, P2O5, MgO, FeOt and TiO2. However, other REEs such as Gd, Pr, Tm, Sm and Er also contribute to the discrimination functions. Significant compositional differences were found between the older (>14 Ma) large-volume plateau-forming ignimbrites in northernmost Chile and southern Peru and the younger (< 10 Ma) Altiplano-Puna-Volcanic-Complex ignimbrites that are of similar volumes. Older ignimbrites are less depleted in HREEs and less radiogenic in Sr isotopes, indicating smaller crustal contributions during evolution in thinner and thermally less evolved crust. These compositional variations indicate a relation to crustal thickening with a "transition" from plagioclase to amphibole and garnet residual mineralogy between 13 to 9 Ma. We correlate compositional and volumetric variations to the N-S passage of the Juan-Fernandéz ridge and crustal shortening and thickening during the past 26 Ma. The value of GIS and multivariate statistics in comparison to traditional geochemical parameters are highlighted working with large datasets with many predictors in a spatial and temporal context. Algorithms implemented in R allow taking advantage of an n-dimensional space and, thus, of subtle compositional differences contained in the data, while space-time patterns can be analyzed easily in GIS.

Alteration geochemistry of the volcanic-hosted Dedeninyurdu, Yergen and Fındıklıyar Cu-Fe mineralization, Northern part of Gökçedoǧan Village, Çorum-Kargi Region, Turkey: Implications for the rare earth elements geochemical characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozturk, Sercan; Gumus, Lokman; Abdelnasser, Amr; Yalçin, Cihan; Kumral, Mustafa; Hanilçi, Nurullah

2016-04-01

This study deals with the rare earth element (REE) geochemical behavior the alteration zonesassociated with the volcanic-hosted Cu-Femineralization at the northern part of Gökçedoǧan village, Çorum-Kargi region (N Turkey) which are Dedeninyurdu, Yergen and Fındıklıyar mineralization. The study areacomprises Bekirli Formation, Saraycık Formation, Beşpınar Formation, and Ilgaz Formation. Saraycık Formation consists ofUpper Cretaceous KargıOphiolites, pelagic limestone, siltstone, chert and spilitic volcanic rocks. Fe-Cu mineralization occurred in the spiliticvolcanic rocks of Saraycık Formation representing the host rockand is related with the silicification and sericitizationalteration zones. Dedeninyurdu and Yergen mineralization zone directed nearly N75-80oEis following structural a line but Fındıklıyar mineralization zone has nearly NW direction. The ore mineralogy in these zonesinclude pyrite, chalcopyrite, covellite, hematite with malachite, goethite and a limonite as a result of oxidation. The geochemical characteristics of REE of the least altered spiliticbasalt show flat light and heavy REE with slight positive Eu- and Sr-anomalies according to their chondrite-, N-type MORB, and primitive mantle-normalized REE patterns. While the REE geochemical features of the altered rocks collected from the different alteration zones show that there are negative Eu and Sr anomalies as a result of leaching during the alteration processes.There are positive and negative correlations between K2O index with LREE and HREE, respectively. This is due to the additions of K and La during the alteration processes referring to the pervasive sericitization alteration is the responsible for the Cu-Fe mineralization at the study area. Keywords: Cu-Fe mineralization, Spilitic volcanic rocks, alteration, Rare earth elements (REE) geochemistry.

Garnet clinopyroxenite layers from the mantle sequences of the Northern Apennine ophiolites (Italy): Evidence for recycling of crustal material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montanini, A.; Tribuzio, R.; Thirlwall, M.

2012-10-01

This study aims to define the origin of garnet clinopyroxenite layers from the mantle sequences of the External Ligurian ophiolites. These mantle sequences retain a subcontinental origin and were exposed at a Jurassic ocean-continent transition. The garnet clinopyroxenites are mafic rocks with Mg# values of 66-71. Their chondrite-normalised REE patterns are characterised by severe LREE depletion (CeN/SmN=0.1-0.2) and nearly flat (Type-A pyroxenites) to moderately enriched HREE (Type-B pyroxenites). In addition, Type-A pyroxenites display a small positive Eu anomaly. The whole-rock REE variations are paralleled by the garnet REE compositions. We attribute the major and trace element characteristics of the garnet clinopyroxenites to recycling of gabbroic protoliths that underwent partial melting under eclogite facies conditions. The garnet clinopyroxenites may represent variably evolved garnet+clinopyroxene cumulates formed by eclogite-derived melts. In an alternative hypothesis, Type-A and -B pyroxenites are residual rocks after eclogite melting and cumulates derived from the eclogite melts, respectively. The high pressure fractionation event that gave rise to the garnet clinopyroxenites is considered of Triassic age on the basis of Sm-Nd and Lu-Hf isotope correlations. The Nd-Hf isotopic compositions of the garnet clinopyroxenites in the Triassic (ɛNd=+4.7 to +7.6, ɛHf=+4.4 to +12.8) lie below the mantle array, in agreement with recycled ancient MOR-type material. The oxygen isotopic composition of garnet and clinopyroxene from the garnet clinopyroxenites (δ18O=+4.9‰ to +5.2‰) may be reconciled with subduction-related recycling of the lowermost oceanic crust, or delamination and foundering of underplated gabbros from the continental lithosphere. The potential involvement of the garnet clinopyroxenites in the melting processes that gave rise to the MOR-type oceanic crust in the Jurassic would account for the moderate Nd isotope variability and the garnet geochemical signature of the ophiolitic basalts.

The effect of process parameters on Twin Wire Arc spray pattern shape

DOE PAGES

Hall, Aaron Christopher; McCloskey, James Francis; Horner, Allison Lynne

2015-04-20

A design of experiments approach was used to describe process parameter—spray pattern relationships in the Twin Wire Arc process using zinc feed stock in a TAFA 8835 (Praxair, Concord, NH, USA) spray torch. Specifically, the effects of arc current, primary atomizing gas pressure, and secondary atomizing gas pressure on spray pattern size, spray pattern flatness, spray pattern eccentricity, and coating deposition rate were investigated. Process relationships were investigated with the intent of maximizing or minimizing each coating property. It was determined that spray pattern area was most affected by primary gas pressure and secondary gas pressure. Pattern eccentricity was mostmore » affected by secondary gas pressure. Pattern flatness was most affected by primary gas pressure. Lastly, coating deposition rate was most affected by arc current.« less

The effect of process parameters on Twin Wire Arc spray pattern shape

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hall, Aaron Christopher; McCloskey, James Francis; Horner, Allison Lynne

A design of experiments approach was used to describe process parameter—spray pattern relationships in the Twin Wire Arc process using zinc feed stock in a TAFA 8835 (Praxair, Concord, NH, USA) spray torch. Specifically, the effects of arc current, primary atomizing gas pressure, and secondary atomizing gas pressure on spray pattern size, spray pattern flatness, spray pattern eccentricity, and coating deposition rate were investigated. Process relationships were investigated with the intent of maximizing or minimizing each coating property. It was determined that spray pattern area was most affected by primary gas pressure and secondary gas pressure. Pattern eccentricity was mostmore » affected by secondary gas pressure. Pattern flatness was most affected by primary gas pressure. Lastly, coating deposition rate was most affected by arc current.« less

Addressing Rare-Earth Element Criticality: An Example from the Aviation Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ku, Anthony Y.; Dosch, Christopher; Grossman, Theodore R.; Herzog, Joseph L.; Maricocchi, Antonio F.; Polli, Drew; Lipkin, Don M.

2014-11-01

Rare-earth (RE) elements are enablers for a wide range of technologies, including high-strength permanent magnets, energy-efficient lighting, high-temperature thermal barrier coatings, and catalysts. While direct material substitution is difficult in many of these applications because of the specific electronic, optical, or electrochemical properties imparted by the individual rare-earth elements, we describe an example from the aviation industry where supply chain optimization may be an option. Ceramic matrix composite engine components require environmental barrier coatings (EBCs) to protect them from extreme temperatures and adverse reactions with water vapor in the hot gas path. EBC systems based on rare-earth silicates offer a unique combination of environmental resistance, thermal expansion matching, thermal conductivity, and thermal stability across the service temperature window. Several pure rare-earth silicates and solid solutions have been demonstrated in EBC applications. However, all rely on heavy rare-earth elements (HREEs) for phase stability. This article considers the possibility of using separation tailings containing a mixture of HREEs as a source material in lieu of using the high-purity HREE oxides. This option arises because the desired properties of RE-silicate EBCs derive from the average cation size rather than the electronic properties of the individual rare-earth cations. Because separation tailings have not incurred the costs associated with the final stages of separation, they offer an economical alternative to high-purity oxides for this emerging application.

Occurrence of high-Al N-MORB along the Easternmost Southwest Indian Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyzen, C. M.; Humler, E.; Ludden, J. N.

2017-12-01

One of the deepest and slowest part of the mid-ocean-ridge system lies within the easternmost part of the Southwest Indian Ridge between 61°E and 69° E. In this region, a distinctive sea-floor terrain characterized by high-relief segments separated by long, deep tectonized sections shows a predominance of tectonic over magmatic extensional processes, suggesting an unstable and weak, but locally focalized magma supply. Other features of this section include the absence of long-lived transforms, thick lithosphere, high upper mantle seismic wave velocities and thin oceanic crust (4-5 km). When compared to other ridge segments, most MORB erupted along this section distinguish themselves by their higher Na2O, Sr and Al2O3 compositions, very low CaO/Al2O3 ratios relative to TiO2 and depleted heavy rare-earth element (REE) distributions. Another peculiar feature is their subparallel LREE enriched patterns. The high-Al-MgO magma type erupted periodically around the ridge system is also found in this region at 61.93°E. These lavas are characterized by high Al2O3 (> 17 wt. %), MgO (> 8.8 wt. %) and FeO contents, low SiO2 (< 49 wt. %) and Na2O and very low TiO2 (< 1 wt. %), and a LREE depleted pattern compared to the main population. At slightly lower MgO, sporadically, two other dredges located at 63.36-63.66°E share some of these distinct compositional characteristics. As a whole, these lavas are the most depleted in highly incompatible elements, but are also characterized by an offset toward lower MREE/HREE ratios relative to the main population. These peculiar basalts are not parental to the more common lower MgO compositions and cannot be related to them by fractional crystallization alone. Instead, their major element features, and the occasional presence of positive Eu and Sr anomalies might indicate assimilation of plagioclase cumulates, while their offset in MREE/HREE might require a multistage melting evolution with an earlier event in the garnet stability field.

The amphiboles of the REE-rich A-type peralkaline Strange Lake pluton - fingerprints of magma evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegel, Karin; Williams-Jones, Anthony E.; van Hinsberg, Vincent J.

2017-09-01

Major and trace element compositions of amphibole in igneous environments commonly reflect evolving magma compositions. In this study, we use the amphibole-group minerals from the Strange Lake, REE-enriched peralkaline granitic pluton to gain insights into the evolution of the magma. This 1240 Ma old pluton consists of two main intrusive facies, an early hypersolvus granite, which occurs as separate northern and southern intrusions, and a more evolved transsolvus granite. In the hypersolvus granite the amphibole is a late interstitial phase, whereas in the transsolvus granite, it is present as phenocrysts. The amphibole compositions vary from calcic-sodic (ferro-ferri-katophorite) in the southern hypersolvus granite to sodic (arfvedsonite, ferro-ferri-leakeite) in the other, more evolved granitic units. High Na, Si, Li, and low Al and Ca concentrations in the amphibole phenocrysts of the transsolvus granite indicate formation from a more evolved magma compared to the hypersolvus granite, despite the fact that these crystals formed early. We interpret the increasing Fe3+/Fe2+ ratios in the amphibole of the hypersolvus granite to reflect crystal chemical effects (Na/Ca-ratio) and increasingly oxidizing conditions in the magma, whereas in the phenocrysts of the transsolvus granite, the increasing ratio was the product of increasing proportions of F- and OH- in the melt. The amphiboles of all the granite units have elevated Nb, Zr, Hf and REE concentrations compared to the bulk rock, suggesting that these elements are compatible in amphibole. By contrast the much lower Ti concentration was due to saturation of the magma in sodium-titanosilicates. The amphibole REE concentrations vary greatly among the granite units. Amphibole of the southern and northern hypersolvus granite contains 0.16 and 0.07 wt.% ∑ REE + Y, on average, respectively, and in the transsolvus granite, the average ∑ REE content is only 0.01 wt.%, despite the more evolved nature of its host transsolvus granite. We intrepret this compositional difference to be due to the fact that the latter represents phenocrysts, which crystallized early, whereas the hypersolvus arfvedsonite is a late interstitial phase. Chondrite-normalized REE profiles emphasise the wide range in LREE-, and the narrow range in HREE-concentrations of the amphiboles. The variations in the LREE-profiles reflect the variable crystallization of primary LREE-bearing phases, including monazite-(Ce), pyrochlore group minerals and gagarinite-(Ce), prior to or contemporaneous with the amphibole, as well as the exsolution of a LREE-rich fluoride melt. The LREE are incompatible in the amphibole structure (apparent D < 0.01) and are preferably accommodated by the octahedral C-site, whereas the HREE occupy the B-site. The chondrite-normalized HREE profiles are steep and display an increasing relative enrichment that culminates in compatible behavior for Yb and Lu (apparent D > 1). Owing to their small ionic radius and their compatibility with the amphibole structure, HREE concentrations were more controlled by partitioning (crystal chemical effects) than by the concentrations in the corresponding magma. Large proportions of the bulk HREE content (up to 70%) reside in the amphibole, and their later release through hydrothermal replacement helps to explain the extreme and unusual HREE enrichment of the Strange Lake pluton.

Geochemical associations between fluorite mineralization and A-type shoshonitic magmatism in the Keban-Elazig area, East Anatolia, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akgul, Bunyamin

2015-11-01

Keban fluorite mineralizations are closely related Coniacian-Campanian subvolcanics intruded into Permian-Triassic Keban metamorphites; this event caused pyrometasomatic, porphyry, and vein-type Pb-Zn-Ag, Cu, W, and Pb-Zn-Ag-Mo-F mineralizations. These rocks are syenitic and syenomonzonitic in composition and have high Al2O3, alkali (Na2O + K2O), FeO*/MgO, Zr, Nb, Ta, Ga, Rb, Y, and rare earth element (REE) contents. They are A-type, metaluminous, and all fall in the shoshonitic series field in K2O vs SiO2 and Th/Yb vs Ta/Yb diagrams. The trace element contents and discriminations indicate that the Keban syenitoids were derived from lithospheric mantle metasomatized by oceanic-crust/sediment fluids. The metal and halogen contents of the Keban mineralizations apparently originated from metasomatized mantle and were transported to the crust by syenitoid magmas. Clear resemblances in chondrite-normalized REE patterns, LREE-HREE partionation, and high LILE contents of the magmatics and fluorites indicate a close kinship between the syenitoids and fluorite mineralizations. The HFSE contents of the fluorites are lower than those of the magmatics, as HFSEs are not soluble in aqueous fluids. The fluorites are products of early-phase alkali magmatism (LREE > HREE). The high contents of Rb, Sr, and Ba of fluorites are inherited from the magma, which also has very high contents of these elements. In Sc-∑REE, (La/Yb)n-(Eu/Eu*)n and (Tb/La)n-(Tb/Ca)n diagrams, Keban fluorites fall into distinct areas from Akcakisla-Akdagmadeni and Celikhan-Adiyaman fluorites.

Patterns and drivers of daily bed-level dynamics on two tidal flats with contrasting wave exposure.

PubMed

Hu, Zhan; Yao, Peng; van der Wal, Daphne; Bouma, Tjeerd J

2017-08-02

Short-term bed-level dynamics has been identified as one of the main factors affecting biota establishment or retreat on tidal flats. However, due to a lack of proper instruments and intensive labour involved, the pattern and drivers of daily bed-level dynamics are largely unexplored in a spatiotemporal context. In this study, 12 newly-developed automatic bed-level sensors were deployed for nearly 15 months on two tidal flats with contrasting wave exposure, proving an unique dataset of daily bed-level changes and hydrodynamic forcing. By analysing the data, we show that (1) a general steepening trend exists on both tidal flats, even with contrasting wave exposure and different bed sediment grain size; (2) daily morphodynamics level increases towards the sea; (3) tidal forcing sets the general morphological evolution pattern at both sites; (4) wave forcing induces short-term bed-level fluctuations at the wave-exposed site, but similar effect is not seen at the sheltered site with smaller waves; (5) storms provoke aggravated erosion, but the impact is conditioned by tidal levels. This study provides insights in the pattern and drivers of daily intertidal bed-level dynamics, thereby setting a template for future high-resolution field monitoring programmes and inviting in-depth morphodynamic modelling for improved understanding and predictive capability.

Rare earth and trace elements of fossil vertebrate bioapatite as palaeoenvironmental and sedimentological proxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Žigaitė, Živilė; Fadel, Alexandre; Pérez-Huerta, Alberto; Jeffries, Teresa

2015-04-01

Rare earth (REE) and trace element compositions of fossil vertebrate dental microremains have been studied in Silurian and Devonian vertebrate dental scales and spines in-situ, using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Samples were selected from the well-known Silurian bone beds of Vesiku and Ohesaare in Saaremaa island of Estonia, and a number of Lower Devonian localities from Spitsbergen (Svalbard), Andrée Land group. Biomineral preservation was assessed using spot semi-quantitative elemental chemistry (SEM-EDS) and electron back-scatter difractometry (EBSD) for cristallinity imaging. The obtained PAAS shale-normalised REE concentrations were evaluated using basic geochemical calculations and quantifications. The REE patterns from the Lower Devonian vertebrate apatite from Andrée Land, Spitsbergen (Wood Bay and Grey Hœk formations) did not show any recognisable taxon-specific behavior, but had rather well expressed differences of REE compositions related to biomineral structure and sedimentary settings, suggesting REE instead to reflect burial environments and sedimentological history. The Eu anomaly recorded in two of the studied localities but not in the other indicate different taphonomic conditions and palaeoenvironment, while La/Sm, La/Yb ratios sugeest considerable influence of terrestrial freshwater during the early diagenesis. The La/Yb and La/Sm plots also agree with the average REE concentrations, reflecting domination of the adsoption over substitution as principal REE uptake mechanism in the fossils which had significantly lower overall REE concentrations, and vice versa. Vesiku (Homerian, Wenlock) microremains yielded very uniform REE patterns with slightly lower overall REE concentrations in enameloid than in dentine, with strong enrichment in middle REE and depletion in heavy REE. Negative Europium (Eu) anomaly was pronounced in all the profiles, but Cerium (Ce) anomalies were not detected suggesting possible suboxic to anoxic conditions of the bottom and pore waters during the formation of Vesiku bone bed. In Ohesaare (Pridoli), the REE compositions were nearly identical across all the morphotypes and histologies of acanthodian microremains showing flat REE patterns with slight depletion in HREE. There were no visible enrichment in MREE, indicating relatively good preservation of original bioapatite and likely absence of any pronounced fractionated REE incorporation during later stages of diagenesis. The shale normalised (La/Yb)SN and (La/Sm)SN REE ratio compilations showed addsorption as dominating REE uptake mechanism across all the studied microfossils. The absence of well-defined Ce anomaly suggest oxic palaeoseawater conditions, which agrees with existing interpretations of Ohesaare sequence as high-energy shoal and regressive open ocean sedimentary environment.

Ligand extraction of rare earth elements from aquifer sediments: Implications for rare earth element complexation with organic matter in natural waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Jianwu; Johannesson, Karen H.

2010-12-01

The ability of organic matter as well as carbonate ions to extract rare earth elements (REEs) from sandy sediments of a Coastal Plain aquifer was investigated for unpurified organic matter from different sources (i.e., Mississippi River natural organic matter, Aldrich humic acid, Nordic aquatic fulvic acid, Suwannee River fulvic acid, and Suwannee River natural organic matter) and for extraction solutions containing weak (i.e., CH 3COO -) or strong (i.e., CO32-) ligands. The experimental results indicate that, in the absence of strong REE complexing ligands in solution, the amount of REEs released from the sand is small and the fractionation pattern of the released REEs appears to be controlled by the surface stability constants for REE sorption with Fe(III) oxides/oxyhydroxides. In the presence of strong solution complexing ligands, however, the amount and the fractionation pattern of the released REEs reflect the strength and variation of the stability constants of the dominant aqueous REE species across the REE series. The varying amount of REEs extracted by the different organic matter employed in the experiments indicates that organic matter from different sources has different complexing capacity for REEs. However, the fractionation pattern of REEs extracted by the various organic matter used in our experiments is remarkable consistent, being independent of the source and the concentration of organic matter used, as well as solution pH. Because natural aquifer sand and unpurified organic matter were used in our experiments, our experimental conditions are more broadly similar to natural systems than many previous laboratory experiments of REE-humic complexation that employed purified humic substances. Our results suggest that the REE loading effect on REE-humic complexation is negligible in natural waters as more abundant metal cations (e.g., Fe, Al) out-compete REEs for strong binding sites on organic matter. More specifically, our results indicate that REE complexation with organic matter in natural waters is dominated by REE binding to weak sites on dissolved organic matter, which subsequently leads to a middle REE (MREE: Sm-Ho)-enriched fractionation pattern. The experiments also indicate that carbonate ions may effectively compete with fulvic acid in binding with dissolved REEs, but cannot out compete humic acids for REEs. Therefore, in natural waters where low molecular weight (LMW) dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the predominant form of DOC (e.g., lower Mississippi River water), REEs occur as "truly" dissolved species by complexing with carbonate ions as well as FA, resulting in heavy REE (HREE: Er-Lu)-enriched shale-normalized fractionation patterns. Whereas, in natural terrestrial waters where REE speciation is dominated by organic complexes with high molecular weight DOC (e.g., "colloidal" HA), only MREE-enriched fractionation patterns will be observed because the more abundant, weak sites preferentially complex MREEs relative to HREEs and light REEs (LREEs: La-Nd).

Unraveling the Switch from Subduction to Exhumation within a Collisional Orogen: Split-stream U-Pb and Trace-element Results from the Western Gneiss Region, Norway (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gordon, S. M.; Whitney, D. L.; Teyssier, C. P.; Fossen, H.; Desormeau, J. W.; Jessen, B.

2013-12-01

During continental collision, crustal material may be subducted to great depths and subsequently exhumed. Ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) terranes preserve a record of the subduction of crustal material during suturing of colliding continents and the exhumation of this material during extension and, in some cases, collapse of the orogen. The UHP rocks of the Western Gneiss Region (WGR), Norway, resulted from the collision of Baltica with Laurentia during the final stages of the Caledonian orogeny. The WGR represents one of the two largest UHP terranes on Earth and consists of a UHP eclogite-bearing domain south of the Møre-Trøndelag strike-slip fault and a HP mafic granulite-bearing domain north of the fault. At least some of the HP granulite is overprinted eclogite. To evaluate the metamorphic and structural relationship of mafic rocks and associated migmatite in both regions, we obtained LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dates and trace-element analyses for zircon from a variety of textural types of leucosome associated with mafic layers and lenses. Five leucosomes within highly deformed migmatite in the HP granulite complex on the Roan Peninsula reveal U-Pb lower-intercept ages from ca. 405 to 409 Ma and upper-intercept Proterozoic dates. These zircons have distinct trace-elements patterns: all of the zircons that yield Proterozoic dates have overall much higher REE concentrations, a more significant negative Eu anomaly (-0.3 to -0.7) and steeper HREE patterns (Lu/Dy = 5-12). In comparison, the Caledonian zircons reveal flatter Eu anomalies (-0.3 to 0.2) and less steep HREE patterns (Lu/Dy = 2-7), although the individual patterns do not seem to correlate with age. The Caledonian zircon patterns suggest crystallization at high-pressures and are distinct from the inherited Proterozoic grains. Similar results were obtained from zircon rims extracted from layer-parallel to crosscutting leucosomes from the UHP domain. Trace elements in zircon in these samples record the transition from high-pressure (garnet-present, plagioclase-absent) crystallization to lower-pressure (plagioclase-present) crystallization with garnet-present × plagioclase-absent REE patterns. Moreover, dates from the layer-parallel leucosomes are as old as 410-406 Ma. The new U-Pb dates suggest a similar melt crystallization history that was coeval with previously determined ages of (U)HP metamorphism of WGR eclogite. The More-Trondelag fault acted as a transform fault and accommodated coeval extension that exhumed both the (U)HP and granulite domains. Results are consistent with the presence of partially molten crust in a large part of the WGR at HP or UHP conditions during the latest stages of the Caledonian orogeny. The decreased viscosity and increased buoyancy and strain weakening induced by partial melting may have triggered or at least contributed to the switch from subduction to exhumation in the WGR, marking the end of collisional orogeny.

Lithium and Beryllium By-product Recovery from the Round Top Mountain, Texas, Peraluminous Rhyolite Heavy Rare Earth Deposit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pingitore, N. E., Jr.; Clague, J. W.; Gorski, D.

2016-12-01

The technology metals Li and Be combine low mass and unique properties. Li batteries are critical in applications at scales from micro-electronics to automotive and grid storage. Low mass Be structural components are essential in aerospace/defense applications and in non-sparking BeCu alloy oilfield tools. Most Li is sourced from desert salarsin the "Lithium Triangle" of Argentina—Bolivia—Chile. In contrast, Materion Corp mines >80% of global Be at Spor Mountain, UT. The massive peraluminous rhyolite heavy rare earth deposit at Round Top Mountain, TX is also enriched in Li, 500 ppm, and Be, 50 ppm. 2016 prices of 7000/tonne Li2CO3 (19% Li) and 1000/kg Be metal suggest favorable economics to extract Li and Be as by-products of HREE mining. Li and some Be are hosted in annite biotite that comprises up to 5% of the rhyolite. Texas Mineral Resources Corp proposes to heap leach crushed rhyolite with dilute H2SO4to release the yttrofluorite-hosted HREEs. At bench scale the annite biotite dissolves, but not quartz and feldspars (>90% of the rock). A series of 40 high-yield laboratory tests at various acid strength, particle size, and exposure time released up to 350 ppm (70%) of the Li and 14 ppm (30%) of the Be. For a 20,000 tonne/day operation, these recoveries correspond to daily production of >3 tonnes Li and 250 kg Be. Higher Li and Be recoveries also increased yields of gangue elements, Fe & Al, into solution. This complicates subsequent separation of Li, Be, and HREEs from the pregnant leach solution. Recovery of target HREEs did not increase beyond 200 ppm Li and 8 ppm Be recovery. Greater Li and Be recoveries increased acid consumption. Thus the "sweet spot" economics for heap leach is likely under conditions of acid strength, grain size, and exposure time that do not maximize by-product Li and Be recoveries. Evolving market prices for the full target element suite and additional costs to recover and purify the Li and Be must also be considered.

Experimental evaluation of a flat wake theory for predicting rotor inflow-wake velocities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, John C.

1992-01-01

The theory for predicting helicopter inflow-wake velocities called flat wake theory was correlated with several sets of experimental data. The theory was developed by V. E. Baskin of the USSR, and a computer code known as DOWN was developed at Princeton University to implement the theory. The theory treats the wake geometry as rigid without interaction between induced velocities and wake structure. The wake structure is assumed to be a flat sheet of vorticity composed of trailing elements whose strength depends on the azimuthal and radial distributions of circulation on a rotor blade. The code predicts the three orthogonal components of flow velocity in the field surrounding the rotor. The predictions can be utilized in rotor performance and helicopter real-time flight-path simulation. The predictive capability of the coded version of flat wake theory provides vertical inflow patterns similar to experimental patterns.

Petrology of the Rainy Lake area, Minnesota, USA-implications for petrotectonic setting of the archean southern Wabigoon subprovince of the Canadian Shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, Warren C.

1990-08-01

The Rainy Lake area in northern Minnesota and southwestern, Ontario is a Late Archean (2.7 Ga) granite-greenstone belt within the Wabigoon subprovince of the Canadian Shield. In Minnesota the rocks include mafic and felsic volcanic rocks, volcaniclastic, chemical sedimentary rocks, and graywacke that are intrucded by coeval gabbro, tonalite, and granodiorite. New data presented here focus on the geochemistry and petrology of the Minnesota part of the Rainy Lake area. Igneous rocks in the area are bimodal. The mafic rocks are made up of three distinct suites: (1) low-TiO2 tholeiite and gabbro that have slightly evolved Mg-numbers (63 49) and relatively flat rare-earth element (REE) patterns that range from 20 8 x chondrites (Ce/YbN=0.8 1.5); (2) high-TiO2 tholeiite with evolved Mg-numbers (46 29) and high total REE abundances that range from 70 40 x chondrites (Ce/YbN=1.8 3.3), and (3) calc-alkaline basaltic andesite and geochemically similar monzodiorite and lamprophyre with primitive Mg-numbers (79 63), enriched light rare-earth elements (LREE) and depleted heavy rare-earth elements (HREE). These three suites are not related by partial melting of a similar source or by fractional crystallization of a common parental magma; they resulted from melting of heterogeneous Archean mantle. The felsic rocks are made up of two distinct suites: (1)low-Al2O3 tholeiitic rhyolite, and (2) high-Al2O3 calc-alkaline dacite and rhyolite and consanguineous tonalite. The tholeiitic felsic rocks are high in Y, Zr, Nb, and total REE that are unfractionated and have pronounced negative Eu anomalies. The calcalkaline felsic rocks are depleted in Y, Zr, and Nb, and the REE that are highly fractionated with high LREE and depleted HREE, and display moderate negative Eu anomalies. Both suites of felsic rocks were generated by partial melting of crustal material. The most reasonable modern analog for the paleotectonic setting is an immature island arc. The bimodal volcanic rocks are intercalated with sedimentary rocks and have been intruded by pre- and syntectonic granitoid rocks. However, the geochemistry of the mafic rocks does not correlate fully with that of mafic rocks in modern are evvironments. The low-TiO2 tholeiite is similar to both N-type mid-ocean-ridge basalt (MORB) and low-K tholeiite from immature marginal basins. The calc-alkaline basaltic andesite is like that of low-K calc-alkaline mafic volcanic rocks from oceanic volcanic arcs; however, the high-TiO2 tholeiite is most similar to modern E-type MORB, which occurs in oceanic rifts. The conundrum may be explained by: (1) rifting of a pre-existing immature arc system to produce the bimodal volcanic rocks and high-TiO2 tholeiite; (2) variable enrichment of a previously depleted Archean mantle, to produce both the low- and high-TiO2 tholeiite and the calc-alkaline basaltic andesite, and/or (3) enrichment of the parental rocks of the high-TiO2 tholeiite by crustal contamination.

Petrology of the Rainy Lake area, Minnesota, USA-implications for petrotectonic setting of the archean southern Wabigoon subprovince of the Canadian Shield

USGS Publications Warehouse

Day, W.C.

1990-01-01

The Rainy Lake area in northern Minnesota and southwestern, Ontario is a Late Archean (2.7 Ga) granite-greenstone belt within the Wabigoon subprovince of the Canadian Shield. In Minnesota the rocks include mafic and felsic volcanic rocks, volcaniclastic, chemical sedimentary rocks, and graywacke that are intrucded by coeval gabbro, tonalite, and granodiorite. New data presented here focus on the geochemistry and petrology of the Minnesota part of the Rainy Lake area. Igneous rocks in the area are bimodal. The mafic rocks are made up of three distinct suites: (1) low-TiO2 tholeiite and gabbro that have slightly evolved Mg-numbers (63-49) and relatively flat rare-earth element (REE) patterns that range from 20-8 x chondrites (Ce/YbN=0.8-1.5); (2) high-TiO2 tholeiite with evolved Mg-numbers (46-29) and high total REE abundances that range from 70-40 x chondrites (Ce/YbN=1.8-3.3), and (3) calc-alkaline basaltic andesite and geochemically similar monzodiorite and lamprophyre with primitive Mg-numbers (79-63), enriched light rare-earth elements (LREE) and depleted heavy rare-earth elements (HREE). These three suites are not related by partial melting of a similar source or by fractional crystallization of a common parental magma; they resulted from melting of heterogeneous Archean mantle. The felsic rocks are made up of two distinct suites: (1)low-Al2O3 tholeiitic rhyolite, and (2) high-Al2O3 calc-alkaline dacite and rhyolite and consanguineous tonalite. The tholeiitic felsic rocks are high in Y, Zr, Nb, and total REE that are unfractionated and have pronounced negative Eu anomalies. The calcalkaline felsic rocks are depleted in Y, Zr, and Nb, and the REE that are highly fractionated with high LREE and depleted HREE, and display moderate negative Eu anomalies. Both suites of felsic rocks were generated by partial melting of crustal material. The most reasonable modern analog for the paleotectonic setting is an immature island arc. The bimodal volcanic rocks are intercalated with sedimentary rocks and have been intruded by pre- and syntectonic granitoid rocks. However, the geochemistry of the mafic rocks does not correlate fully with that of mafic rocks in modern are evvironments. The low-TiO2 tholeiite is similar to both N-type mid-ocean-ridge basalt (MORB) and low-K tholeiite from immature marginal basins. The calc-alkaline basaltic andesite is like that of low-K calc-alkaline mafic volcanic rocks from oceanic volcanic arcs; however, the high-TiO2 tholeiite is most similar to modern E-type MORB, which occurs in oceanic rifts. The conundrum may be explained by: (1) rifting of a pre-existing immature arc system to produce the bimodal volcanic rocks and high-TiO2 tholeiite; (2) variable enrichment of a previously depleted Archean mantle, to produce both the low- and high-TiO2 tholeiite and the calc-alkaline basaltic andesite, and/or (3) enrichment of the parental rocks of the high-TiO2 tholeiite by crustal contamination. ?? 1990 Springer-Verlag.

Underwater refraction-polarization patterns of skylight perceived by aquatic animals through Snell's window of the flat water surface.

PubMed

Horváth, G; Varjú, D

1995-06-01

The grass shrimp (Palaemonetes vulgaris) orients itself by means of the polarization pattern of the sky visible through Snell's window of the water surface. The celestial polarization pattern viewed from water is distorted and modified because of refraction and repolarization of skylight at the air-water interface. This work provides a quantitative account of the repolarization of skylight transmitted through a flat water surface. The degree and direction of linear polarization, the transmissivity and the shape of the refraction-polarization oval are calculated at the air-water interface as functions of the polarization characteristics and the incident angle of partially linearly polarized incoming light. Two-dimensional patterns of linear polarization ellipses and of the degree and direction of polarization of skylight are presented for different zenith distances of the sun. The corresponding underwater refraction-polarization patterns are computed. Transmissivity patterns of a flat water surface are calculated for unpolarized light of an overcast sky and for partially polarized light of clear skies as a function of the zenith distance of the sun. The role of these refraction-polarization patterns in orientation and polarization vision of the grass shrimp (P. vulgaris) and rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss) is reviewed. The effects of cloud cover, surface waves and water turbidity on the refraction-polarization patterns are briefly discussed.

Peer-to-peer lending and bias in crowd decision-making

PubMed Central

Uparna, Jayaram; Karampourniotis, Panagiotis; Horvat, Emoke-Agnes; Szymanski, Boleslaw; Korniss, Gyorgy; Bakdash, Jonathan Z.; Uzzi, Brian

2018-01-01

Peer-to-peer lending is hypothesized to help equalize economic opportunities for the world’s poor. We empirically investigate the “flat-world” hypothesis, the idea that globalization eventually leads to economic equality, using crowdfinancing data for over 660,000 loans in 220 nations and territories made between 2005 and 2013. Contrary to the flat-world hypothesis, we find that peer-to-peer lending networks are moving away from flatness. Furthermore, decreasing flatness is strongly associated with multiple variables: relatively stable patterns in the difference in the per capita GDP between borrowing and lending nations, ongoing migration flows from borrowing to lending nations worldwide, and the existence of a tie as a historic colonial. Our regression analysis also indicates a spatial preference in lending for geographically proximal borrowers. To estimate the robustness for these patterns for future changes, we construct a network of borrower and lending nations based on the observed data. Then, to perturb the network, we stochastically simulate policy and event shocks (e.g., erecting walls) or regulatory shocks (e.g., Brexit). The simulations project a drift towards rather than away from flatness. However, levels of flatness persist only for randomly distributed shocks. By contrast, loss of the top borrowing nations produces more flatness, not less, indicating how the welfare of the overall system is tied to a few distinctive and critical country–pair relationships. PMID:29590131

Peer-to-peer lending and bias in crowd decision-making.

PubMed

Singh, Pramesh; Uparna, Jayaram; Karampourniotis, Panagiotis; Horvat, Emoke-Agnes; Szymanski, Boleslaw; Korniss, Gyorgy; Bakdash, Jonathan Z; Uzzi, Brian

2018-01-01

Peer-to-peer lending is hypothesized to help equalize economic opportunities for the world's poor. We empirically investigate the "flat-world" hypothesis, the idea that globalization eventually leads to economic equality, using crowdfinancing data for over 660,000 loans in 220 nations and territories made between 2005 and 2013. Contrary to the flat-world hypothesis, we find that peer-to-peer lending networks are moving away from flatness. Furthermore, decreasing flatness is strongly associated with multiple variables: relatively stable patterns in the difference in the per capita GDP between borrowing and lending nations, ongoing migration flows from borrowing to lending nations worldwide, and the existence of a tie as a historic colonial. Our regression analysis also indicates a spatial preference in lending for geographically proximal borrowers. To estimate the robustness for these patterns for future changes, we construct a network of borrower and lending nations based on the observed data. Then, to perturb the network, we stochastically simulate policy and event shocks (e.g., erecting walls) or regulatory shocks (e.g., Brexit). The simulations project a drift towards rather than away from flatness. However, levels of flatness persist only for randomly distributed shocks. By contrast, loss of the top borrowing nations produces more flatness, not less, indicating how the welfare of the overall system is tied to a few distinctive and critical country-pair relationships.

A Flexible High-Performance Photoimaging Device Based on Bioinspired Hierarchical Multiple-Patterned Plasmonic Nanostructures.

PubMed

Lee, Yoon Ho; Lee, Tae Kyung; Kim, Hongki; Song, Inho; Lee, Jiwon; Kang, Saewon; Ko, Hyunhyub; Kwak, Sang Kyu; Oh, Joon Hak

2018-03-01

In insect eyes, ommatidia with hierarchical structured cornea play a critical role in amplifying and transferring visual signals to the brain through optic nerves, enabling the perception of various visual signals. Here, inspired by the structure and functions of insect ommatidia, a flexible photoimaging device is reported that can simultaneously detect and record incoming photonic signals by vertically stacking an organic photodiode and resistive memory device. A single-layered, hierarchical multiple-patterned back reflector that can exhibit various plasmonic effects is incorporated into the organic photodiode. The multiple-patterned flexible organic photodiodes exhibit greatly enhanced photoresponsivity due to the increased light absorption in comparison with the flat systems. Moreover, the flexible photoimaging device shows a well-resolved spatiotemporal mapping of optical signals with excellent operational and mechanical stabilities at low driving voltages below half of the flat systems. Theoretical calculation and scanning near-field optical microscopy analyses clearly reveal that multiple-patterned electrodes have much stronger surface plasmon coupling than flat and single-patterned systems. The developed methodology provides a versatile and effective route for realizing high-performance optoelectronic and photonic systems. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Neural Responses to Electrical Stimulation on Patterned Silk Films

PubMed Central

Hronik-Tupaj, Marie; Raja, Waseem Khan; Tang-Schomer, Min; Omenetto, Fiorenzo G.; Kaplan, David L.

2013-01-01

Peripheral nerve injury is a critical issue for trauma patients. Following injury, incomplete axon regeneration or misguided axon innervation into tissue will result in loss of sensory and motor functions. The objective of this study was to examine axon outgrowth and axon alignment in response to surface patterning and electrical stimulation. To accomplish our objective, metal electrodes with dimensions of 1.5 mm × 4 cm, were sputter coated onto micropatterned silk protein films, with surface grooves 3.5 μm wide × 500 nm deep. P19 neurons were seeded on the patterned electronic silk films and stimulated at 120 mV, 1 kHz, for 45 minutes each day for 7 days. Responses were compared to neurons on flat electronic silk films, patterned silk films without stimulation, and flat silk films without stimulation. Significant alignment was found on the patterned film groups compared to the flat film groups. Axon outgrowth was greater (p < 0.05) on electronic films on day 5 and day 7 compared to the unstimulated groups. In conclusion, electrical stimulation, at 120 mV, 1 kHz, for 45 minutes daily, in addition to surface patterning, of 3.5 μm wide × 500 nm deep grooves, offered control of nerve axon outgrowth and alignment. PMID:23401351

Temporal and spatial variability in the flow and dispersal of suspended-sediment on a fringing reef flat, Molokai, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Presto, M.K.; Ogston, A.S.; Storlazzi, C.D.; Field, M.E.

2006-01-01

A multi-year study was conducted on a shallow fringing reef flat on Molokai, Hawaii to determine the temporal and spatial dispersal patterns of terrigenous suspended sediment. During this study, trade-wind conditions existed for the majority of the year on the reef flat. The trade-wind conditions produced strong currents and resuspended moderate amounts of sediment on the reef flat on a daily basis during the year of study, resulting in an overwhelming contribution to the total sediment flux. The magnitude and direction of the trade winds relative to the orientation of the coastline, the shallow-relief and broad morphology, and tidal elevation, provided the primary control of the physical processes that resuspended and transported sediment on the reef flat over the period of record. Spatial data indicate that much of the terrigenous sediment resuspended on the reef flat is transported predominantly alongshore and is confined to the inner- to mid-reef flat. Evidence for the limited across-shore mixing and transport is provided by the dominantly alongshore wind-driven currents during trade-wind conditions and the well-defined across-shore gradient in percentage calcium carbonate of the suspended sediment. Regions of slightly offshore suspended-sediment transport along the reef flat can be attributed to the circulation pattern set up by the interaction between the trade winds, coastal morphology, and anthropogenic coastal structures (i.e., fish ponds and wharf). The regions in which sediment were seen to move offshore provide the strongest link between the sediment dynamics on reef flat and fore reef, and qualitatively appears to be correlated with low coral coverage on the fore reef. ?? 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of simulated highway underpass crossing structures by flat-tailed horned lizards (Phrynosoma mcallii).

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-05-01

The flat-tailed horned lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii) occupies a restricted range in the Lower Sonoran Desert of : southwest Arizona, southeast California, and adjacent land in Mexico. Because they exhibit behavior patterns : that include basking and re...

Attenuated phase-shift mask (PSM) blanks for flat panel display

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kageyama, Kagehiro; Mochizuki, Satoru; Yamakawa, Hiroyuki; Uchida, Shigeru

2015-10-01

The fine pattern exposure techniques are required for Flat Panel display applications as smart phone, tablet PC recently. The attenuated phase shift masks (PSM) are being used for ArF and KrF photomask lithography technique for high end pattern Semiconductor applications. We developed CrOx based large size PSM blanks that has good uniformity on optical characteristics for FPD applications. We report the basic optical characteristics and uniformity, stability data of large sized CrOx PSM blanks.

Imprints of an "Arc" Signature onto Subduction Zone Eclogites from Central Guatemala

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simons, K. K.; Sorensen, S. S.; Harlow, G. E.; Brueckner, H. K.; Goldstein, S. L.; Hemming, N. G.; Langmuir, C. H.

2007-12-01

High-pressure, low-temperature (HP-LT) rocks associated with the Motagua fault zone in central Guatemala occur as tectonic blocks in serpentinite mélange. Dismembered jadeitite and albitite veins within the melange are crystallization products of subduction fluids at <400° C and 0.4-1.4 GPa. Lawsonite eclogites represent the deepest, coldest rocks, with peak metamorphic conditions of approx. 2.6 GPa and 480°C. They contain a subduction fluid overprint acquired during retrogression to blue- and green-schist-facies conditions, seen mostly as hydrous phases (e.g. phengite, glaucophane) in veins and overgrowths. The low temperatures recorded in these rocks indicate they have only seen an aqueous fluid, not a melt, and therefore, could provide a window into the acquisition of an arc signature at a cold margin. Trace-element patterns for both eclogite and jadeitite resemble arc lavas, with large enrichments in the most fluid mobile elements (e.g. Cs, Tl, Ba, Pb), moderate enrichments in U, Th, Be and LREE and generally little to no enrichment in HFSE and HREE, although enriched Nb in jadeitite indicates some HFSE mobility. Trace-element patterns also have similarities to average subducting sediment (GLOSS), with enrichments in Th, Be, Ba and Li that suggest a sediment contribution. Nd versus Sr isotopes lie to the right of the mantle array, indicating a hydrous fluid contribution from altered ocean crust or sediment. Overall, Guatemalan eclogites resemble counterparts from the Franciscan Complex (CA) and the Dominican Republic. Guatemalan and Franciscan eclogites are interpreted to have had a MORB protolith despite the arc trace element signature because of: 1) similarities in major elements to MORB; 2) HREE and HFSE abundances similar to MORB; and 3) high 143Nd/144Nd that overlap MORB values. The modifications that transformed these eclogites from a MORB trace element pattern to an arc one can be attributed to an aqueous subduction fluid at moderate depths (<75km). This transformation may be due to the increased solubilities of some minerals (e.g., jadeite, albite, clays, sulfates) at high pressure, high water/rock ratios from dehydration reactions, and an abundance of alkali-aluminosilicate components in subduction fluids. Together these may act to dissolve and transport trace elements (including elements considered insoluble like Nb) out of the slab and into the mantle wedge. The Guatemala data thus indicate that the arc geochemical fingerprint may be achieved at cold margins without the need for melting.

Nephrogenic adenoma of the urinary tract: A 6-year single center experience.

PubMed

Turcan, Didem; Acikalin, Mustafa Fuat; Yilmaz, Evrim; Canaz, Funda; Arik, Deniz

2017-07-01

Nephrogenic adenoma is an uncommon benign lesion that occurs at several sites in urinary tract, from the renal pelvis to urethra, with the highest frequency in urinary bladder. Nephrogenic adenoma displays a broad spectrum of architectural and cytological features. Hence, recognition of its characteristic histopathological features is needed to distinguish this lesion from its mimickers. A retrospective series of 21 cases of nephrogenic adenoma in 18 patients, which were diagnosed in our department between 2010 and 2016, were analyzed. All histological slides were reviewed by two pathologists and the diagnosis of each case was confirmed. Immunohistochemistry was performed for PAX-8 in all cases. CK7, PAX-2, PSA, p53, p63, GATA-3 and α-methylacyl-CoA racemase (AMACR) were applied in problematic cases. The most common location of the lesion was urinary bladder (14 patients) followed by renal pelvis (2 patients), ureter (1 patient) and urethra (1 patient). A history of urothelial carcinoma and repeated TUR procedures were observed in 12 patients. There were 2 pediatric patients aged 3 years. Both of them had undergone previous urosurgery because of megaureter in one and bladder exstrophy in the other. Other clinical antecedents included bladder diverticulum (1 patient), cystitis (1 patient) and nephrolithiasis (1 patient). Recurrence of lesion was seen in two patients (once in one case and twice in the other one). The median time to disease recurrence in these patients was 11 months (range, 2-20 months). Histologically, the lesions exhibited various morphological findings, with mixed (15 cases, 71.4%), pure tubular (3 cases, 14.3%), pure papillary (2 cases, 9.5%) and pure flat (1 case, 4.8%) growth patterns. Of the 15 cases with mixed patterns, 8 cases were tubulocystic and flat, 3 cases were tubular and flat, 2 cases were tubular, papillary and flat, 1 case was tubulocystic, papillary and flat, and 1 case was tubular and papillary. Flat pattern was observed in 15 cases (71.4%). It was seen in association with other patterns in 14 cases (mixed morphology) and purely in 1 case. Our findings suggested that the flat pattern is a frequent finding in nephrogenic adenomas. Notably one case in this series showed superficial extension into bladder muscularis propria. Histologically nephrogenic adenoma may simulate a variety of malignancies. Awareness of characteristic morphologic features of nephrogenic adenoma is needed to diagnose this lesion correctly. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Fractionations of rare earth elements in plants and their conceptive model.

PubMed

Ding, ShiMing; Liang, Tao; Yan, JunCai; Zhang, ZiLi; Huang, ZeChun; Xie, YaNing

2007-02-01

Fractionations of rare earth elements (REEs) and their mechanisms in soybean were studied through application of exogenous mixed REEs under hydroponic conditions. Significant enrichment of middle REEs (MREEs) and heavy REEs (HREEs) was observed in plant roots and leaves respectively, with slight fractionation between light REEs (LREEs) and HREEs in stems. Moreover, the tetrad effect was observed in these organs. Investigations into REE speciation in roots and in the xylem sap using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and nanometer-sized TiO2 adsorption techniques, associated with other controlled experiments, demonstrated that REE fractionations should be dominated by fixation mechanism in roots caused by cell wall absorption and phosphate precipitation, and by the combined effects of fixation mechanism and transport mechanism in aboveground parts caused by solution complexation by intrinsic organic ligands. A conceptive model was established for REE fractionations in plants based on the above studies.

Programming curvature using origami tessellations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dudte, Levi H.; Vouga, Etienne; Tachi, Tomohiro; Mahadevan, L.

2016-05-01

Origami describes rules for creating folded structures from patterns on a flat sheet, but does not prescribe how patterns can be designed to fit target shapes. Here, starting from the simplest periodic origami pattern that yields one-degree-of-freedom collapsible structures--we show that scale-independent elementary geometric constructions and constrained optimization algorithms can be used to determine spatially modulated patterns that yield approximations to given surfaces of constant or varying curvature. Paper models confirm the feasibility of our calculations. We also assess the difficulty of realizing these geometric structures by quantifying the energetic barrier that separates the metastable flat and folded states. Moreover, we characterize the trade-off between the accuracy to which the pattern conforms to the target surface, and the effort associated with creating finer folds. Our approach enables the tailoring of origami patterns to drape complex surfaces independent of absolute scale, as well as the quantification of the energetic and material cost of doing so.

The Role of Interface Shape on the Impact Characteristics and Cranial Fracture Patterns Using the Immature Porcine Head Model,.

PubMed

Vaughan, Patrick E; Vogelsberg, Caitlin C M; Vollner, Jennifer M; Fenton, Todd W; Haut, Roger C

2016-09-01

The forensic literature suggests that when adolescents fall onto edged and pointed surfaces, depressed fractures can occur at low energy levels. This study documents impact biomechanics and fracture characteristics of infant porcine skulls dropped onto flat, curved, edged, and focal surfaces. Results showed that the energy needed for fracture initiation was nearly four times higher against a flat surface than against the other surfaces. While characteristic measures of fracture such as number and length of fractures did not vary with impact surface shape, the fracture patterns did depend on impact surface shape. While experimental impacts against the flat surface produced linear fractures initiating at sutural boundaries peripheral to the point of impact (POI), more focal impacts produced depressed fractures initiating at the POI. The study supported case-based forensic literature suggesting cranial fracture patterns depend on impact surface shape and that fracture initiation energy is lower for more focal impacts. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

Associations of anthropometry since birth with sagittal posture at age 7 in a prospective birth cohort: the Generation XXI Study

PubMed Central

Lucas, Raquel; Simpkin, Andrew J; Heron, Jon; Alegrete, Nuno; Tilling, Kate; Howe, Laura D; Barros, Henrique

2017-01-01

Objectives Adult sagittal posture is established during childhood and adolescence. A flattened or hypercurved spine is associated with poorer musculoskeletal health in adulthood. Although anthropometry from birth onwards is expected to be a key influence on sagittal posture design, this has never been assessed during childhood. Our aim was to estimate the association between body size throughout childhood with sagittal postural patterns at age 7. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting and participants A subsample of 1029 girls and 1101 boys taking part in the 7-year-old follow-up of the birth cohort Generation XXI (Porto, Portugal) was included. We assessed the associations between anthropometric measurements (weight, height and body mass index) at birth, 4 and 7 years of age and postural patterns at age 7. Postural patterns were defined using latent profile analysis, a probabilistic model-based technique which allows for simultaneously including anthropometrics as predictors of latent profiles by means of logistic regression. Results Postural patterns identified were sway, flat and "neutral to hyperlordotic"in girls, and "sway to neutral", flat and hyperlordotic in boys; with flat and hyperlordotic postures representing a straightened and a rounded spine, respectively. In both girls and boys, higher weight was associated with lower odds of a flat pattern compared with a sway/"sway to neutral"pattern, with stronger associations at older ages: for example, ORs were 0.68 (95% CI 0.53 to 0.88) per SD increase in birth weight and 0.36 (95% CI 0.19 to 0.68) per SD increase in weight at age 7 in girls, with similar findings in boys. Boys with higher ponderal index at birth were more frequently assigned to the hyperlordotic pattern (OR=1.44 per SD; p=0.043). Conclusions Our findings support a prospective sculpting role of body size and therefore of load on musculoskeletal spinopelvic structures, with stronger associations as children get older. PMID:28751482

Magnetic intermittency of solar wind turbulence in the dissipation range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pei, Zhongtian; He, Jiansen; Tu, Chuanyi; Marsch, Eckart; Wang, Linghua

2016-04-01

The feature, nature, and fate of intermittency in the dissipation range are an interesting topic in the solar wind turbulence. We calculate the distribution of flatness for the magnetic field fluctuations as a functionof angle and scale. The flatness distribution shows a "butterfly" pattern, with two wings located at angles parallel/anti-parallel to local mean magnetic field direction and main body located at angles perpendicular to local B0. This "butterfly" pattern illustrates that the flatness profile in (anti-) parallel direction approaches to the maximum value at larger scale and drops faster than that in perpendicular direction. The contours for probability distribution functions at different scales illustrate a "vase" pattern, more clear in parallel direction, which confirms the scale-variation of flatness and indicates the intermittency generation and dissipation. The angular distribution of structure function in the dissipation range shows an anisotropic pattern. The quasi-mono-fractal scaling of structure function in the dissipation range is also illustrated and investigated with the mathematical model for inhomogeneous cascading (extended p-model). Different from the inertial range, the extended p-model for the dissipation range results in approximate uniform fragmentation measure. However, more complete mathematicaland physical model involving both non-uniform cascading and dissipation is needed. The nature of intermittency may be strong structures or large amplitude fluctuations, which may be tested with magnetic helicity. In one case study, we find the heating effect in terms of entropy for large amplitude fluctuations seems to be more obvious than strong structures.

Development of Physical Techniques for the Non-Destructive Evaluation of Polymers

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-30

retreival is possible in an interferometer employing microwaves, a simple Fizeau arrangement was constructed, in which partially aluminised expanded ... polystyrene flats formed BMW the surfaces of the cavity within which interference took place. Figure 21 shows the interference pattern recorded when the flats

Tectonic evolution of the Mexico flat slab and patterns of intraslab seismicity.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moresi, L. N.; Sandiford, D.

2017-12-01

The Cocos plate slab is horizontal for about 250 km beneath the Guerrero region of southern Mexico. Analogous morphologies can spontaneously develop in subduction models, through the presence of a low-viscosity mantle wedge. The Mw 7.1 Puebla earthquake appears to have ruptured the inboard corner of the Mexican flat slab; likely in close proximity to the mantle wedge corner. In addition to the historical seismic record, the Puebla earthquake provides a valuable constraint through which to assess geodynamic models for flat slab evolution. Slab deformation predicted by the "weak wedge" model is consistent with past seismicity in the both the upper plate and slab. Below the flat section, the slab is anomalously warm relative to its depth; the lack of seismicity in the deeper part of the slab fits the global pattern of temperature-controlled slab seismicity. This has implications for understanding the deeper structure of the slab, including the seismic hazard from source regions downdip of the Puebla rupture (epicenters closer to Mexico City). While historical seismicity provides a deformation pattern consistent with the weak wedge model , the Puebla earthquake is somewhat anomalous. The earthquake source mechanism is consistent with stress orientations in our models, however it maps to a region of relatively low deviatoric stress.

Differentiation of specific ripple patterns helps to identify epileptogenic areas for surgical procedures.

PubMed

Kerber, Karolin; Dümpelmann, Matthias; Schelter, Björn; Le Van, Pierre; Korinthenberg, Rudolf; Schulze-Bonhage, Andreas; Jacobs, Julia

2014-07-01

High frequency oscillations (HFOs) at 80-500 Hz are promising markers of epileptic areas. Several retrospective studies reported that surgical removal of areas generating HFOs was associated with a good seizure outcome. Recent reports suggested that ripple (80-200 Hz) HFO patterns co-existed with different background EEG activities. We hypothesized that the coexisting background EEG pattern may distinguish physiological from epileptic ripples. Rates of HFOs were analyzed in intracranial EEG recordings of 22 patients. Additionally, ripple patterns were classified for each channel depending either as coexisting with a flat or oscillatory background activity. A multi-variate analysis was performed to determine whether removal of areas showing the above EEG markers correlated with seizure outcome. Removal of areas generating high rates of 'fast ripples (>200 Hz)' and 'ripples on a flat background activity' showed a significant correlation with a seizure-free outcome. In contrast, removal of high rates of 'ripples' or 'ripple patterns in a continuously oscillating background' was not significantly associated with seizure outcome. Ripples occurring in an oscillatory background activity may be suggestive of physiological activity, while those on a flat background reflect epileptic activity. Consideration of coexisting background patterns may improve the delineation of the epileptogenic areas using ripple oscillations. Copyright © 2013 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

MICROWAVE RESONANCES IN DNA

EPA Science Inventory

This report describes spectroscopic studies of DNA which were undertaken to better understand a physical basis for microwave absorption by this molecule. hree types of studies are described. ) The low frequency scattered light spectrum of DNA was studied by two methods. irst, Ram...

The effect of a scanning flat fold mirror on a cosmic microwave background B-mode experiment.

PubMed

Grainger, William F; North, Chris E; Ade, Peter A R

2011-06-01

We investigate the possibility of using a flat-fold beam steering mirror for a cosmic microwave background B-mode experiment. An aluminium flat-fold mirror is found to add ∼0.075% polarization, which varies in a scan synchronous way. Time-domain simulations of a realistic scanning pattern are performed, and the effect on the power-spectrum illustrated, and a possible method of correction applied. © 2011 American Institute of Physics

Flat epithelial atypia of the breast.

PubMed

Lerwill, Melinda F

2008-04-01

Flat epithelial atypia is a presumably neoplastic alteration of terminal duct-lobular units that is characterized by the replacement of the native luminal epithelium by ductal cells demonstrating low-grade cytologic atypia. The atypical cells maintain a "flat" pattern of growth without evidence of architectural atypicality. Morphologic, immunohistochemical, and molecular investigations support that flat epithelial atypia represents an early step in the evolution of low-grade ductal carcinomas. It is frequently seen in association with atypical ductal hyperplasia, low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ, invasive tubular carcinoma, and lobular neoplasia. The risk for subsequent breast carcinoma remains to be defined, but flat epithelial atypia likely represents a nonobligate precursor with an extended time course to progression. Certain benign alterations may superficially mimic its appearance; careful attention to cytologic and architectural characteristics can help one distinguish these unrelated entities from flat epithelial atypia.

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of lava flows around Linga, Chhindwara area in the Eastern Deccan Volcanic Province (EDVP), India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ganguly, Sohini; Ray, Jyotisankar; Koeberl, Christian; Saha, Abhishek; Thöni, Martin; Balaram, V.

2014-09-01

Based on systematic three-tier arrangement of vesicles, entablature and columnar joints, three distinct quartz normative tholeiitic lava flows (I, II and III) were recognized in the area around Linga, in the Eastern Deccan Volcanic Province (EDVP). Each of the flows exhibits intraflow chemical variations marked by high Mg#-low Ti, and low Mg#-high Ti contents. The MgO (4.27-7.74 wt.%), Mg# (23.45-41.89) and Zr (161.5-246.3 ppm) of Linga flows suggest an evolved chemistry marked by fractional crystallization and crustal contamination processes. Positive Rb and Th anomalies, negative Nb anomalies, relative enrichment of LILE-LREE with respect to Nb, Nb/Th:3.71-6.77 indicate crustal contamination of magma by continental materials through magma-crust interaction during melt migration and contributions from sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). Negative K, Sr and Ti anomalies corroborate an intracontinental, rift-controlled tectonic setting for the genesis and evolution of Linga basalts. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns reflect low HREE abundances and prominent LREE/HREE, MREE/HREE fractionation thereby pointing towards partial melting of garnet peridotite mantle source. Nb, Zr, Y variations suggest 10-15% partial melting of mantle source for the derivation of parent tholeiitic melt that suffered crystal fractionation of phenocrystal phases and subsequent liquid immiscibility. Critical evaluation of Srinitial and Ndinitial (65 Ma) isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Srinitial between 0.705656 and 0.706980 and 143Nd/144Ndinitial between 0.512523 and 0.512598) suggests that these basalts were derived from an enriched mantle (∼EM I-EM II) source. The εSr (21.84-41.27) and εNd (-0.28 to 1.10) isotopic signatures defined by higher εSr and lower εNd fingerprint a plume-related source. Positive and negative values of εNd indicate an isotopically heterogeneous mantle source marked by mixing of depleted (DM) and enriched mantle (EM I-EM II) components at the source region and together with 87Sr/86Srinitial ranging from 0.705656 to 0.706980 suggest two stage contamination of parent magma which is much similar to that of Poladpur, Toranmal, Mhow, Chikaldara flows. Ba/Y versus 87Sr/86Sr and Nb/Y versus Rb/Y variations show an Ambenali-Poladpur contamination trend for the Linga basalts thereby suggesting the role of upper continental granitic crust as the contaminant of these flows through magma-crust interaction during melt migration. The lava flows of Linga are geochemically correlatable with the Poladpur flows of southwestern and Toranmal flows of northern Deccan and show genetic coherence with the basalts of Jabalpur, Seoni, Chakhla-Delakhari of eastern Deccan.

Design of a High Viscosity Couette Flow Facility for Patterned Surface Drag Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Tyler; Lang, Amy

2009-11-01

Direct drag measurements can be difficult to obtain with low viscosity fluids such as air or water. In this facility, mineral oil is used as the working fluid to increase the shear stress across the surface of experimental models. A mounted conveyor creates a flow within a plexiglass tank. The experimental model of a flat or patterned surface is suspended above a moving belt. Within the gap between the model and moving belt a Couette flow with a linear velocity profile is created. PIV measurements are used to determine the exact velocities and the Reynolds numbers for each experiment. The model is suspended by bars that connect to the pillow block housing of each bearing. Drag is measured by a force gauge connected to linear roller bearings that slide along steel rods. The patterned surfaces, initially consisting of 2-D cavities, are embedded in a plexiglass plate so as to keep the total surface area constant for each experiment. First, the drag across a flat plate is measured and compared to theoretical values for laminar Couette flow. The drag for patterned surfaces is then measured and compared to a flat plate.

SEM corrosion-casts study of the microcirculation of the flat bones in the rat.

PubMed

Pannarale, L; Morini, S; D'Ubaldo, E; Gaudio, E; Marinozzi, G

1997-04-01

Little is known about the organization of microcirculation in flat bones in comparison with long bones. This study, therefore, helps us to determine the design of this vascular system in flat bones in relation to their structure and function. The organization of microvasculature in parietal, scapula, and ileum bones of 15 young sexually mature rats, aged 6-7 weeks, was studied by light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) from vascular corrosion cast (vcc), a resin-cast obtained material. Our observations show that the pattern of the microcirculation in flat bones is different in the thick and thin parts of such bones. Where the bone is thinner than 0.4 mm, only periosteal and dural network exist. Larger vessels which do not form a real network connect the two tables of the bones in these regions. In thicker areas, the organization of the microvasculature is similar to that in long bones, with distinct periosteal, cortical and bone marrow networks. Moreover, in different bones, outer networks show slightly different characteristics according to the different adjacent structures (dura mater, muscles etc.). Different types of vessels were recognized by comparing their different diameter, course and endothelial imprints. The microvascular patterns of the flat bones are strongly influenced by the bone thickness. The different microvascular systems can interact both with the bone modelling and remodeling and with the variable metabolic needs, modifying the microvascular pattern and the blood flow. This is even more important in view of the reciprocal influence of the different networks within the same bone.

Geochemical characteristics of dissolved rare earth elements in acid mine drainage from abandoned high-As coal mining area, southwestern China.

PubMed

Li, Xuexian; Wu, Pan

2017-09-01

Acid mine drainage (AMD) represents a major source of water pollution in the small watershed of Xingren coalfield in southwestern Guizhou Province. A detailed geochemical study was performed to investigate the origin, distribution, and migration of REEs by determining the concentrations of REEs and major solutes in AMD samples, concentrations of REEs in coal, bedrocks, and sediment samples, and modeling REEs aqueous species. The results highlighted that all water samples collected in the mining area are identified as low pH, high concentrations of Fe, Al, SO 4 2- and distinctive As and REEs. The spatial distributions of REEs showed a peak in where it is nearby the location of discharging of AMD, and then decrease significantly with distance away from the mining areas. Lots of labile REEs have an origin of coal and bedrocks, whereas the acid produced by the oxidation of pyrite is a prerequisite to cause the dissolution of coal and bedrocks, and then promoting REEs release in AMD. The North American Shale Composite (NASC)-normalized REE patterns of coal and bedrocks are enriched in light REEs (LREEs) and middle REEs (MREEs) relative to heavy REEs (HREEs). Contrary to these solid samples, AMD samples showed slightly enrichment of MREEs compared with LREEs and HREEs. This behavior implied that REEs probably fractionate during acid leaching, dissolution of bedrocks, and subsequent transport, so that the MREEs is primarily enriched in AMD samples. Calculation of REEs inorganic species for AMD demonstrated that sulfate complexes (Ln(SO 4 ) + and Ln(SO 4 ) 2 - ) predominate in these species, accounting for most of proportions for the total REEs species. The high concentrations of dissolved SO 4 2- and low pH play a decisive role in controlling the presence of REEs in AMD, as these conditions are necessary for formation of stable REEs-sulfate complexes in current study. The migration and transportation of REEs in AMD are more likely constrained by adsorption and co-precipitation of Fe-Al hydroxides/hydroxysulfate. In addition, the MREEs is preferentially captured by poorly crystalline Fe-Al hydroxides/hydroxysulfate, which favors that sediments also preserve NASC-normalized patterns with MREEs enrichment in the stream.

Correlation of 150-mm silicon wafer site flatness with stepper performance for deep submicron applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huff, Howard R.; Vigil, Joseph C.; Kuyel, Birol; Chan, David Y.; Nguyen, Long P.

1992-06-01

An experimental study was conducted to correlate wafer site flatness SFQD with stepper performance for half-micron lines and spaces. CD measurements were taken on wafers patterned on both GCA pre-production XLS i-line and SVGL Micrascan-90 DUV steppers as well as focus measurements on the Micrascan-90. Wafer site flatness SFQD less than 0.3 micrometers was observed to be a sufficiently small variable in CD non-uniformities for these initial half-micron stepper applications.

G-structures and domain walls in heterotic theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukas, Andre; Matti, Cyril

2011-01-01

We consider heterotic string solutions based on a warped product of a four-dimensional domain wall and a six-dimensional internal manifold, preserving two supercharges. The constraints on the internal manifolds with SU(3) structure are derived. They are found to be generalized half-flat manifolds with a particular pattern of torsion classes and they include half-flat manifolds and Strominger's complex non-Kahler manifolds as special cases. We also verify that previous heterotic compactifications on half-flat mirror manifolds are based on this class of solutions.

Identification of flat dysplastic aberrant crypt foci in the colon of azoxymethane-treated A/J mice.

PubMed

Paulsen, Jan Erik; Knutsen, Helle; Ølstørn, Hege Benedikte; Løberg, Else Marit; Alexander, Jan

2006-02-01

The role of aberrant crypt foci (ACF) as preneoplastic lesions in colon carcinogenesis is not clear. In Min/+ mice and their wild-type littermates treated with azoxymethane (AOM), we previously identified a subgroup of flat ACF that seem more immediate precursors of tumors than the classical elevated ACF. In the present study, we identified a similar subgroup of flat ACF in AOM-treated A/J mice and compared them with nascent tumors and classical elevated ACF. At week 1 and 2 after birth, A/J mice were injected subcutaneously with AOM (10 mg/kg bw/injection). At weeks 7-14, we examined the luminal surface of unsectioned colon preparations stained with methylene blue in the inverse light microscope. The lesions were also examined by histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Surface examination revealed flat ACF, classical elevated ACF and nascent tumors. Since flat ACF were not observed as elevated structures, their bright blue appearance and compressed pit pattern of crypt openings seen with transillumination were used as criteria for their identification. Flat ACF and nascent tumors displayed a uniform picture of severe dysplasia, compressed pit pattern, overexpression of cytoplasmic/nuclear beta-catenin and nuclear overexpression of cyclin D1. Apparently, flat ACF and tumors represented the same type of dysplastic lesions at different stages of crypt multiplication. In contrast, classical elevated ACF did not seem to be as clearly related to tumorigenesis. They infrequently (1/20) possessed severe dysplasia, overexpression of cytoplasmic/nuclear beta-catenin, or nuclear overexpression of cyclin D1, and they did not have compressed crypt openings. Furthermore, flat ACF grew significantly faster than classical elevated ACF. In conclusion, our data indicate a development from flat ACF to adenoma characterized by aberrant activation of the Wnt signaling pathway and fast crypt multiplication. Classical elevated ACF do not seem to be as closely related to tumorigenesis. Copyright 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Wulonggou metaluminous A2-type granites in the Eastern Kunlun Orogenic Belt, NW China: Rejuvenation of subduction-related felsic crust and implications for post-collision extension

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Wei; Sun, Feng-Yue; Li, Liang; Yan, Jia-Ming; Zhang, Yu-Ting; Wang, Ying-Chao; Shen, Ting-Shuo; Yang, Yi-Jun

2018-07-01

The Wulonggou Pluton is located in Wulonggou area, eastern segment of the Eastern Kunlun Orogenic Belt, NW China, and consists of mainly alkali-feldspar granites covering an area of about 150 km2. Petrogenesis of these granitoids has been investigated through an integrated study of petrography, zircon Usbnd Pb ages, whole-rock geochemistry, and Hfsbnd Nd isotopic compositions. Usbnd Pb dating of magmatic zircons indicated these granites crystallized during 426-424 Ma in the middle Silurian. The granites display high SiO2 (75.26-77.55 wt%), K2O + Na2O (7.98-9.03 wt%), extremely low MgO (0.04-0.19 wt%), CaO (0.28-0.61 wt%), and TiO2 (0.05-0.09 wt%) contents showing metaluminous, calcic-alkali and ferroan features; enrichment in Rb and some HFSEs (Zr, U, Nb, Ta, and Y), depletion in Sr, Ba, P, and Ti, mostly right-inclined REE curve, flat HREE patterns, high 10,000 ∗ Ga/Al and intensively negative Eu anomalies, exhibiting an A2-type granite affinity with Y/Nb > 1.2 mostly. The primitive magma of these large quantities of granites was generated under a high temperature, low pressure, reduced and anhydrous environment indicating intense upwelling of asthenosphere. Combining with the positive uniform zircon εHf(t) values of -0.2 to +3.8 and decoupled εNd(t) values of -4.9 to -2.1 at t = 424 Ma, it can be concluded that subduction-related juvenile materials, probably calc-alkaline granitoids, are the source of these A-type granites. Geochemical studies of Wulonggou granites, spatial and temporal distributions of regional magmatism, metamorphism, and sedimentary records throughout the Eastern Kunlun Orogen Belt jointly indicate that the whole orogenic belt was in a typical post-collision extension setting and experienced an isostatic uplift during the middle Silurian triggered by delamination after the convergence of the northeastern margin of Gondwana.

Zircon and cassiterite U-Pb ages, petrogeochemistry and metallogenesis of Sn deposits in the Sibao area, northern Guangxi: constraints on the neoproterozoic granitic magmatism and related Sn mineralization in the western Jiangnan Orogen, South China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Lei; Wang, Zongqi; Yan, Zhen; Gong, Jianghua; Ma, Shouxian

2018-01-01

A number of Sn deposits associated with Neoproterozoic granites are located in the western Jiangnan Orogen of northern Guangxi. The distribution of Sn mineralization is controlled by faults occurring within and around the Neoproterozoic granites. The hydrothermal alteration and mineralization of these Sn deposits exhibit zoning from the granite to the wall rock. The laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb ages of the cassiterite and zircon from ore-bearing granite in the Menggongshan Sn deposit are 829 ± 19 Ma and 822 ± 4 Ma, respectively, indicating that the Sn mineralization and granites formed in the Neoproterozoic and can considered to be products of coeval magmatic and hydrothermal activities. The ore-bearing granite and Neoproterozoic granites in northern Guangxi are high-K, calc-alkaline, peraluminous, S-type granites that are depleted in Nb, Ti, Sr and Ba and highly enriched in Rb, U and Pb. All the granites show steep fractionated light rare earth element (LREE) and flat heavy rare earth element (HREE) patterns, with strongly negative Eu anomalies. The ɛHf(t) values of the ore-bearing granite vary from - 9.0 to - 1.7, with an average value of - 4.1. Additionally, the ore-bearing granite exhibits low oxygen fugacity values. The magmatic source experienced partial melting during their evolution, and the source was dominated by recycled heterogeneous continental crustal materials. Our evidence confirms that the Neoproterozoic granites in northern Guangxi formed in a collisional tectonic setting. The collision between the Cathaysia and Yangtze blocks or between the Sibao arc (Jiangnan arc) and the Yangtze Block caused asthenospheric upwelling, leading to partial melting and recycling of the crust, forming the peraluminous S-type granites in the Neoproterozoic. The Sn mineralization has a close genetic relationship with the Neoproterozoic granite. The highly differentiated, peraluminous, B-enriched, crustally derived Neoproterozoic granites provided the heat source and ore-forming material for the Sn mineralization. Furthermore, the low oxygen fugacity of these Neoproterozoic granites also favoured the Sn mineralization.

Provenance of the Neogene Surma Group from the Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt, southeast Bengal Basin, Bangladesh: Constraints from whole-rock geochemistry and detrital zircon U-Pb ages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, M. Julleh Jalalur; Xiao, Wenjiao; McCann, Tom; Songjian, Ao

2017-10-01

Miocene Surma Group from the Chittagong Tripura Fold Belt (CTFB), southeast Bengal Basin has been analyzed to evaluate their provenance, tectonic settings and paleoweathering conditions. The sandstones show moderate to high contents of SiO2 (65-80%; 75% on average), and Al2O3 (9.94% on average), with Fe2O3 (total Fe as Fe2O3) + MgO contents of 5.1%, TiO2 (0.57% on average). Compared to the upper continental crust (UCC), the sandstones are depleted in CaO (1.49%) and enriched in Al2O3, Fe2O3 and Na2O. The Neogene shales of the Surma Group are in fair concurrence when compared to the NASC (North American Shale Composite), UCC (the upper continental crust) with the exception of the low content of CaO but when compared with the PAAS (Post-Archaean Australian Shale), the Neogene shales are a little more depleted in Al2O3 content. Sandstones and shales have Eu/Eu∗ ∼0.61 and ∼0.65, (La/Lu)N ∼9.06 and ∼8.70, La/Sc- ∼3.90 and ∼2.86, Th/Sc ∼1.19 and ∼1.41, La/Co- ∼3.69 and ∼2.42, Th/Co ∼1.08 and ∼1.20 and Cr/Th ∼7.90 and ∼5.88 ratios as well as Chondrite-normalized REE patterns with flat HREE, LREE enrichment, and negative Eu anomalies indicate the derivation from predominantly felsic sources subjected to low to moderate chemical weathering [Chemical index of alteration (CIA) values of sandstones- 31.11-74.46, av. 60.08); shales- 43.96-73.07, av. 61.80]. Integrated geochemical and zircon U-Pb studies reveal that main sediment input might have been from the Himalaya with mixing influence from the east of the Indo-Burman Ranges in an active margin setting at the convergence of the Indian and Burmese plates.

Deformation of the Songshugou ophiolite in the Qinling orogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Shengsi; Dong, Yunpeng

2017-04-01

The Qinling orogen, middle part of the China Central Orogenic Belt, is well documented that was constructed by multiple convergences and subsequent collisions between the North China and South China Blocks mainly based on geochemistry and geochronology of ophiolites, magmatic rocks as well as sedimentary reconstruction. However, this model is lack of constraints from deformation of subduction/collision. The Songshugou ophiolite outcropped to the north of the Shangdan suture zone represents fragments of oceanic crust and upper mantle. Previous works have revealed that the ophiolite was formed at an ocean ridge and then emplaced in the northern Qinling belt. Hence, deformation of the ophiolite would provide constraints for the rifting and subduction processes. The ophiolite consists chiefly of metamorphosed mafic and ultramafic rocks. The ultramafic rocks contain coarse dunite, dunitic mylonite and harzburgite, with minor diopsidite veins. The mafic rocks are mainly amphibolite, garnet amphibolite and amphibole schist, which are considered to be eclogite facies and retrograde metamorphosed oceanic crust. Amphibole grains in the mafic rocks exhibit a strong shape-preferred orientation parallel to the foliation, which is also parallel to the lithologic contacts between mafic and ultramafic rocks. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analyses show strong olivine crystallographic preferred orientations (CPO) in dunite including A-, B-, and C-types formed by (010)[100], (010)[001] and (100)[001] dislocation slip systems, respectively. A-type CPO suggests high temperature plastic deformation in the upper mantle. In comparison, B-type may be restricted to regions with significantly high water content and high differential stress, and C-type may also be formed in wet condition with lower differential stress. Additionally, the dunite evolved into amphibolite facies metamorphism with mineral assemblages of olivine + talc + anthophyllite. Assuming a pressure of 1.5 GPa, which corresponds to equilibration in the spinel stability field, application of the olivine-spinel thermometer (Ballhaus et al., 1991) suggests temperature of 622 ± 22 °C. Amphibole schists display well-developed amphibole CPO with [100], [010] and [001] axes concentrate parallel to Z-, Y- and X-directions, respectively. The strong CPO of amphiboles could be interpreted as anisotropic growth and passive rigid-body rotation under various different stresses rather than results of dislocation creep. The Hbl + Pl thermometer (Holland and Blundy, 1994) constrains the equilibrium temperature to be 640 ± 34 °C for the amphibolite facies metamorphism. Zircons in light-color from the amphibolite with Th/U<0.1 and depletion of HREE yield a U-Pb age of 504 ± 10 Ma, representing the metamorphic age of eclogite. In comparison, the zircons in dark-color from amphibolite showing flat HREE patterns and negative abnormal of Eu give a U-Pb age of 489 ± 5.2 Ma, constraining the time of retrograde metamorphism of eclogite. Together with field investigation and regional geology, our new data propose that the A-type olivine CPO was formed in oceanic upper mantle with the spreading of Shangdan ocean before ca. 514 Ma. At ca. 504 Ma, the deep subduction of oceanic lithosphere endured eclogite facies metamorphism and induced B-type olivine CPO. Up to ca. 489 Ma, obduction of the fragments of metamorphosed oceanic lithosphere resulted in the C-type olivine CPO in dunite and amphibole CPO in the retrograded metamorphic eclogite.

Zircon Messengers Reveal the Age and History of Great Basin Crust, Kern Mountains, Nevada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gottlieb, E. S.; Miller, E. L.; Wooden, J. L.

2011-12-01

Results of SHRIMP-RG analyses of complexly zoned zircons from muscovite-bearing granitic rocks exposed in the Kerns Mountains of East-Central Nevada constrain the timing, duration, and loci of zircon growth within the interior of the U.S. Cordillera during Late Cretaceous through Eocene time. The Kern Mountains are an exhumed block of greenschist to amphibolite facies metamorphosed miogeoclinal rocks that were pervasively intruded by the Late Cretaceous Tungstonia granite pluton and the Eocene Skinner Canyon and Uvada plutons (Best et al., 1974). Euhedral zircons separated from a coarse-grained (2-3 cm) muscovite-bearing phase of the Tungstonia pluton exhibit complex cathodeluminescence (CL) zonation. Sub-angular to sub-rounded cores with highly variable CL are overgrown by oscillatory-zoned zircon which in turn is rimmed by dark CL zircon (U>5000 ppm). A weighted mean Pb/U age of 70.2±0.9 Ma (n=20, MSWD=2.5) obtained from the oscillatory-zoned zircon coincides with the end of Cretaceous peak metamorphism at shallow crustal levels. Pb/U ages from core zones (n=18) predominantly are 0.9-1.4 Ga (n=11; 7 of which <15% discordant) or 2.4-2.7 Ga (n=5; 1 of which <15% discordant), consistent with ages of detrital zircons within the Late Proterozoic McCoy Creek Group exposed in adjacent ranges. A previously undated muscovite-bearing dike in Skinner Canyon yielded a texturally complex population of subhedral zircon grains. CL imaging of these grains reveals fragmental, ghost-like cores surrounded by irregularly shaped overgrowth zones with diffuse boundaries which are rimmed by oscillatory-zoned zircon. Both oscillatory zoned and gradational rim areas (n=32) yielded Late Cretaceous to Eocene ages. Twelve spots define the age of intrusion at 41.7±0.3 Ma (MSWD=1.8), consistent with the local onset of Eocene magmatism. An older period of zircon growth from ~75-45 Ma, coincident with the proposed duration of the Laramide shallow slab, is defined by zircon with flat to shallow HREE patterns and systematically increasing Yb content through time (n=16). Zircon defining a slightly older growth period (85-90 Ma, n=4) is geochemically distinct (>>Yb content, steep HREE slope). Within the cores, Pb/U ages cluster around 1.55-1.68 Ga (n=9) and 2.28-2.48 Ga (n=8) with concordia upper intercepts at 1.68 and 2.45 Ga respectively. The younger age is consistent with widespread magmatism in the SW U.S. (Whitmeyer and Karlstrom, 2007) and the older with intrusion of the nearby Chimney Rock orthogneiss in the East Humboldt Range (W.R. Premo, unpub.). These data imply the Tungstonia was partially derived from a shallow (detrital) source, while the dike assimilated deeper (basement) sources. Trace element geochemistry and CL-inferred textures of the ~75-45 Ma span of zircon growth in the dike reveal a prolonged period of near-zircon solidus conditions in the lower crust, curtailed by assimilation into Eocene intrusions. Coupling age and geochemistry of the xenocrystic areas of complexly zoned zircons provides a powerful tool for understanding the timing and conditions of the crustal evolution processes.

PRELIMINARY RESULTS OF A PESTICIDE LEACHING STUDY AT PLAINS, GA

EPA Science Inventory

A comprehensive field data base is being developed for testing various chemical transport models of pesticide leaching. hree Federal agencies (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Geological Survey) and the University of Georgia's Agricul...

ALLYLISOPROPYLACETAMIDE INDUCES RAT HEPATIC ORNITHINE DECARBOXYLASE

EPA Science Inventory

In rat liver, allylisopropylacetamide (AIA) treatment strongly induced (25-fold) the activity of rat hepatic ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). y either the oral or the subcutaneous routes, AIA produced a long-lasting induction (30 to 4O hours) of hepatic ODC activity. hree analogs o...

200 million years of komatiite evolution in the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christoph, Robin; Arndt, Nick; Byerly, Gary; Puchtel, Igor; Blichert-Toft, Janne; Wilson, Allan

2010-05-01

Komatiites with complex and contrasting chemical compositions erupted throughout the 200 m.y. history of the Barberton greenstone belt in South Africa. The oldest well-preserved examples, from the ca. 3.5 Ga Komati Formation, display a range of volcanic structures, from thin differentiated spinifex-textured flows to much thicker flows or sills composed mainly of massive olivine cumulate. Pyroxene spinifex layers that cap the latter units indicate crystallization from komatiitic basaltic liquids. Although some rare, unusually coarse, vesicular, completely serpentinized units may have contained a small fraction of water, most of the flows are essentially anhydrous. Two geochemical types are present in the Komati Fm; Al-depleted komatiites with moderately enriched LREE and depleted HREE, and Al-undepleted komatiites with near-chondritic REE ratios. Komatiites from the 3.2 Ga Mendon and Weltevreden Fm display two patterns -Al-undepleted with near-chondritic REE ratios and Al-enriched with extremely low REE concentrations and marked depletion of LREE. In many units, both geochemical types are present. The Al- and HREE-depletion of Komati Fm magmas indicates that residual garnet was retained in the mantle source and their high MgO contents require that melting was at great depth. Up to 30% batch melting at 300 km depth is indicated; the high percentage of batch melting is possible because melt is neutrally buoyant at these depths. The Al-undepleted to enrichedmagmas formed by up to 50% cumulative fractional melting that terminated at shallower depth. The. presence of both types inseveral units points to complex dynamics in the mantle plumes that yielded these magmas. Epsilon Nd in all Barbertonkomatiites ranges from 0 to +2; epsilon Hf from +2 to +7; gamma Os from 0 to +3.7. The combination of fractionated REE, positive epsilon Nd and Hf, and near-chondritic Os in certain komatiites is attributed to differentiation of the komatiite sourcevery early in Earth history followed by fractionation during komatiite formation.

Characterisation and origin of hydrothermal waters at São Miguel (Azores) inferred by chemical and isotopic composition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woitischek, Julia; Dietzel, Martin; Inguaggiato, Claudio; Böttcher, Michael E.; Leis, Albrecht; Cruz, J. Virgílio; Gehre, Matthias

2017-10-01

This study focuses on the characterisation and origin of hydrothermal waters discharging from three main active volcanoes (Furnas, Fogo and Sete Cidades) at São Miguel, where 33 water with temperatures ranging between 13 and 97 °C, and 5 precipitate samples were collected. The developed conceptual model for this active hydrothermal system reveals that all waters can be classified by Na-HCO3, Na-Cl and Na-SO4 types and are of meteoric origin. This is confirmed by the stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope data that are positioned close to the local meteoric water line (- 4.1‰ ≤ δ18OH2O ≤ 5.2‰; - 17.6‰ ≤ δDH2O ≤ 20.4‰), except for the Na-Cl type water at Ferraria (Sete Cidades area), which is characterized by admixing of seawater. The stable isotope composition of São Miguel hydrothermal solutions (δ34SSO4 range from 21.3 to - 3.7; δ18OSO4 range between 0.5 and 10.5‰; δ13CTDIC = - 4.5 ± 3.2‰) indicate that waters are individually evolved by several processes: evaporation, uptake of volcanogenic sulphur and carbon dioxide, leaching of local volcanic rocks (driven by high CO2 contents and/or elevated temperature), and biological activity. Latter hydrochemical superimposition is displayed by stromatolitic structures in the precipitates at the given site. Dissolved REE data show similar pattern as local volcanic rocks. In particular the distinct Eu anomaly hints to preferential leaching of locally occurring trachyte. The strongly acidic Na-SO4 waters sampled in boiling pools at Fogo and Furnas Lake indicate high leaching levels and LREE depletion versus HREE compared with the volcanic local rock compositions. Depletion in LREE is most likely caused by its preferential removal compared to HREE by the co-precipitation with alunite.

The petrogenesis of late Neoproterozoic mafic dyke-like intrusion in south Sinai, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azer, M. K.; Abu El-Ela, F. F.; Ren, M.

2012-08-01

New field, petrographical and geochemical studies are presented here for the late Neoproterozoic Rimm intrusion (˜15 km long) exposed in the southern Sinai Peninsula, Egypt in the northernmost Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS). Field relations indicate that the Rimm intrusion is younger than the surrounding metamorphic rocks and calc-alkaline syn-tectonic granodiorite and it was not affected by regional metamorphism. The anorogenic peralkaline granite of Gebel Serbal crosscuts the Rimm intrusion. The Rimm intrusion is made up of several consanguineous rock types with gradational contacts. It is composed chiefly of pyroxene-hornblende gabbro, hornblende gabbro and minor quartz diorite. The chemical composition of the mafic minerals indicated that the studied rocks derived from calc-alkaline mafic magma. Geochemically, the studied rocks are characterized by enrichment in LILE relative to HFSE and LREE relative to HREE [(Ce/Yb)N = 4.50-6.36]. Quartz diorite display slightly concave HREE pattern and slightly negative Eu-anomaly [(Eu/Eu*)n = 0.91] which may be the result of fractionation of amphibole and plagioclase from the source melt, respectively. The Rimm intrusion evolved from mafic mantle magma into different type rocks by fractional crystallization with minor crustal contamination. The initial magma corresponds to pyroxene-hornblende gabbro and the crystallization of hornblende was caused by slight H2O increase in magma after crystallization of near-liquidus clinopyroxene and Ca-rich plagioclase. Amphiboles geobarometer indicate that the gabbroic rocks of the Rimm intrusion crystallized at pressures between 4.8 and 6.4 Kb, while quartz diorite crystallized at 1.3-2.1 Kb. Crystallization temperatures range between 800 and 926 °C for the gabbros and between 667 and 784 °C for the quartz diorite. The Rimm intrusion represents a post-orogenic phase formed during the crustal thinning and extension of the Arabian-Nubian Shield.

Constraining the Protolith of Large, Macroscopically Layered Kyanite-bearing Eclogite Xenoliths from the Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rebelo, C. C.; Gurney, J. J.; Richardson, S. H.; Shaw-Kahle, B.

2015-12-01

We describe the geochemistry of a suite of ten layered, kyanite-bearing eclogites from the Roberts Victor kimberlite, Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa. All samples are characterized by clear zonation corresponding to the presence or absence of kyanite and the state of preservation of clinopyroxene. The sampled zones are defined as KF (free of kyanite, with well-preserved garnet and clinopyroxene), KZ (preserved clinopyroxene is absent; garnet occurs with kyanite); and TZ (partially preserved clinopyroxene and more altered garnet; kyanite may or may not be present). We report on results of petrographic observations, mineral chemistry, and trace element and oxygen isotope analyses for the different zones. Results from adjacent zones are presented as geochemical transects perpendicular to the layering for each xenolith. We use the results to infer the geochemical evolution of likely protoliths for the various samples. Mineral chemistry of garnets across the different zones shows decreasing FeO*, Cr2O3, MgO and MnO and increasing in CaO from KF into KZ. Clinopyroxene shows increasing in Al2O3 and Na2O from KF into KZ. Clinopyroxenes approach a more jadeitic composition towards the KZ and are more diopsidic in KF. Trace element analyses were conducted with laser ablation ICP-MS on hand-picked mineral separates. Garnets show subchondritic LREE depletion and superchondritic HREE enrichment in both KF and KZ. Positive europium anomalies in garnet are present in all zones, with relatively larger anomalies in garnet grains from KZ. Preserved clinopyroxenes show complementary REE patterns to garnet grains, with superchondritic LREEs and subchondritic HREEs. For the suite of xenoliths, results from mass spectrometry on oxygen extracted by laser fluorination on mineral separates show that δ18O values are above the accepted mantle value and fall within the range of hydrothermally altered oceanic crustal material. At this stage of the research, the bulk protolith is interpreted to be of crustal origin.

Analytical fingerprint for tantalum ores from African deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melcher, F.; Graupner, T.; Sitnikova, M.; Oberthür, T.; Henjes-Kunst, F.; Gäbler, E.; Rantitsch, G.

2009-04-01

Illegal mining of gold, diamonds, copper, cobalt and, in the last decade, "coltan" has fuelled ongoing armed conflicts and civil war in a number of African countries. Following the United Nations initiative to fingerprint the origin of conflict materials and to develop a traceability system, our working group is investigating "coltan" (i.e. columbite-tantalite) mineralization especially in Africa, also within the wider framework of establishing certified trading chains (CTC). Special attention is directed towards samples from the main Ta-Nb-Sn provinces in Africa: DR Congo, Rwanda, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Egypt and Namibia. The following factors are taken into consideration in a methodological approach capable of distinguishing the origin of tantalum ores and concentrates with the utmost probability: (1) Quality and composition of coltan concentrates vary considerably. (2) Mineralogical and chemical compositions of Ta-Nb ores are extremely complex due to the wide range of the columbite-tantalite solid solution series and its ability to incorporate many additional elements. (3) Coltan concentrates may contain a number of other tantalum-bearing minerals besides columbite-tantalite. In our approach, coltan concentrates are analyzed in a step-by-step mode. State-of-the-art analytical tools employed are automated scanning electron microscopy (Mineral Liberation Analysis; MLA), electron microprobe analysis (major and trace elements), laser ablation-ICP-MS (trace elements, isotopes), and TIMS (U-Pb dating). Mineral assemblages in the ore concentrates, major and trace element concentration patterns, and zoning characteristics in the different pegmatites from Africa distinctly differ from each other. Chondrite-normalized REE distribution patterns vary significantly between columbite, tantalite, and microlite, and also relative to major element compositions of columbites. Some locations are characterized by low REE concentrations, others are highly enriched. Samples with Kibaran age either show flat patterns for most tantalites, rising values from the LREE to the HREE, or trough-like patterns. Eu anomalies are strongly negative in columbite-tantalite from the Alto Ligonha Province in Mozambique, from the Namaqualand Province (Namibia, South Africa), and from Zimbabwe. Four main age populations of coltan deposits in Africa were revealed: (1) Archean (>2.5 Ga), (2) Paleoproterozoic (2.1-1.9 Ga), (3) early Neoproterozoic ("Kibaran", 1.0-0.9 Ga), and (4) late Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic (Pan-African; ca. 0.6-0.4 Ga). Currently, we focus on the resolution of the fingerprinting system from region via ore province down to deposit scale, establishing a large and high-quality analytical data base, and developing fast-screening and low-cost methods. Analytical flow-charts and identification schemes for coltan ores will be presented at the Conference. The analytical results obtained so far indicate that a certification scheme including fingerprinting of sources of coltan ores is feasible. The methodology developed is capable to assist in the establishment of a control instrument in an envisaged certification of the production and trade chain of coltan.

REY-Th-U Solute Dynamics in the Critical Zone: Combined Influence of Chemical Weathering, Atmospheric Deposit Leaching, and Vegetation Cycling (Mule Hole Watershed, South India)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Braun, Jean-Jacques; Riotte, Jean; Battacharya, Shrema; Violette, Aurélie; Prunier, Jonathan; Bouvier, Vincent; Candaudap, Frédéric; Maréchal, Jean-Christophe; Ruiz, Laurent; Panda, Smruthi Rekha; Subramanian, S.

2017-12-01

The source and proportion of REY, Th, and U exported by groundwater and by the ephemeral stream along with the elemental proportions passing through vegetation have been assessed in the subhumid tropical forested CZO of Mule Hole, Southern India. The study relies on a pluriannual hydrogeochemical monitoring combined with a hydrological model. The significant difference between the soil input (SI) and output (SO) solute fluxes (mmol/km2/yr) of LREE (SI-SO = 13,250-1,500), HREE (1,930-235), Th (64-12), and U (63-25) indicates a strong uptake by roots carried by canopy and forest floor processes. The contribution of atmospheric dust leaching can reach about 60% of LREE and 80% of HREE. At the watershed scale, the U solute flux exported by groundwater (180 mmol/km2/yr) mainly originates from the breakdown of primary U-bearing accessory minerals and dominates by a factor of 25 the stream flux. The precipitation of authigenic U-bearing phases and adsorption onto Fe-oxides and oxyhydroxides play a significant role for limiting the U mobility. In the groundwater, the plagioclase chemical weathering is efficiently traced by the positive Eu-anomaly. The very low (REY) to nil (Th) contents are explained by the precipitation of authigenic phases. In the stream flow, dominated by the overland flow (87% of the yearly stream flow), the solute exports (in mmol/km2/yr) of REY (1,080 for LREE and 160 for HREE) and of Th (14) dominate those by groundwater. Their mobility is enhanced by chelation with organic ligands produced by forest floor and canopy processes.

Unusual polarization patterns in flat epitaxial ferroelectric nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naumov, Ivan; Bratkovsky, Alexandr

2009-03-01

We investigate the effects of a lattice misfit strain on a ground state and polarization patterns in flat perovskite nanoparticles (nanoislands of BaTiO3 and PbZr0.5Ti0.5O3) with the use of an ab-initio derived effective Hamiltonian. We show that the strain strongly controls the balance between the depolarizing field and the polarization anizotropy in determining the equilibrium polarization patterns. Compressive strain favors 180 ^0 stripe/tweed domains while a tensile strain leads to in-plane vortex formation, with the unusual intermediate phase (s) where both ordering motifs coexist [1]. The results may allow to explain contradictions in recent experimental data for ferroelectric nanoparticles. [1] Ivan Naumov and Alexander M. Bratkovsky, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 107601 (2008).

Exciton Polaritons in a Two-Dimensional Lieb Lattice with Spin-Orbit Coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whittaker, C. E.; Cancellieri, E.; Walker, P. M.; Gulevich, D. R.; Schomerus, H.; Vaitiekus, D.; Royall, B.; Whittaker, D. M.; Clarke, E.; Iorsh, I. V.; Shelykh, I. A.; Skolnick, M. S.; Krizhanovskii, D. N.

2018-03-01

We study exciton polaritons in a two-dimensional Lieb lattice of micropillars. The energy spectrum of the system features two flat bands formed from S and Px ,y photonic orbitals, into which we trigger bosonic condensation under high power excitation. The symmetry of the orbital wave functions combined with photonic spin-orbit coupling gives rise to emission patterns with pseudospin texture in the flat band condensates. Our Letter shows the potential of polariton lattices for emulating flat band Hamiltonians with spin-orbit coupling, orbital degrees of freedom, and interactions.

Exciton Polaritons in a Two-Dimensional Lieb Lattice with Spin-Orbit Coupling.

PubMed

Whittaker, C E; Cancellieri, E; Walker, P M; Gulevich, D R; Schomerus, H; Vaitiekus, D; Royall, B; Whittaker, D M; Clarke, E; Iorsh, I V; Shelykh, I A; Skolnick, M S; Krizhanovskii, D N

2018-03-02

We study exciton polaritons in a two-dimensional Lieb lattice of micropillars. The energy spectrum of the system features two flat bands formed from S and P_{x,y} photonic orbitals, into which we trigger bosonic condensation under high power excitation. The symmetry of the orbital wave functions combined with photonic spin-orbit coupling gives rise to emission patterns with pseudospin texture in the flat band condensates. Our Letter shows the potential of polariton lattices for emulating flat band Hamiltonians with spin-orbit coupling, orbital degrees of freedom, and interactions.

Insights into the Early to Late Oligocene Izu-Bonin Mariana Arc Magmatic History from Volcanic Minerals and Glass within Volcaniclastic Sediments of IODP Site U1438 and DSDP Site 296

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samajpati, E.; Hickey-Vargas, R.

2017-12-01

The Kyushu-Palau Ridge (KPR) is a remnant of the early Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) island arc, separated by arc rifting and seafloor spreading. We examine and compare volcanic materials from two sites where the transition from IBM arc building to rifting is well sampled: DSDP Site 296 on the northern KPR crest, and recent IODP Site U1438 in the adjacent Amami-Sankaku basin to the west. The purpose of the study is to understand the origin and depositional regime of volcaniclastic sediments during the arc rifting stage. Site 1438 sedimentary Unit II and the upper part of Unit III (300 and 453 mbsf) correlate in time with sedimentary Units 1G and 2 of DSDP Site 296 (160 and 300 mbsf). The upper part of Site U1438 Unit III and Site 296 Unit 2 consist of early to late Oligocene coarse volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks. These are overlain by late Oligocene nannofossil chalks with volcanic sand and ash-rich layers at Site 296 Unit 1G, and tuffaceous silt, sand, siltstone and sandstone at Site 1438 Unit II. The chemical composition of volcanic glass shards, pyroxenes with melt inclusions and amphiboles separated from volcaniclastic sediments were analyzed by EPMA and LA-ICPMS. Glasses are found at Site 296 only, range from medium-K basalt to rhyolite and have trace element patterns typical of arc volcanics. Clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene are found as detrital grains in sediments from both sites. Mg-numbers range from 58 to 94. Interestingly, the alumina content of pyroxene grain populations from both sites increase and then decrease with decreasing Mg-number. This probably reflects control of Al contents in magma and pyroxene by suppressed plagioclase saturation, which apparently was a consistent feature of KPR volcanoes. Melt-inclusions within the pyroxenes are typically small (30-50 microns) and have similar chemical compositions within one grain. The melt inclusions range from basalt to rhyolite with moderate alkali content. Amphibole is more prevalent in late Oligocene sequences and is mainly magnesiohornblende, with some more alkali-rich grains. Mantle normalized trace element patterns of the amphiboles show depletion in LREE and HFSE (Nb, Zr and Hf) and flat MREE and HREE. Downcore mineralogical and geochemical changes at these sites will be interpreted in the context of arc evolution.

Mineralogy, geochemistry, and radiocarbon ages of deep sea sediments from the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armstrong-Altrin, John S.; Machain-Castillo, María Luisa

2016-11-01

The mineralogy, geochemistry, and radiocarbon ages of two sediment cores (GMX1 and GMX2) collected from the deep sea area of the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico (∼876-1752 m water depth) were studied to infer the sedimentation rate, provenance, heavy metal contamination, and depositional environment. The sediments are dominated by silt and clay fractions. The mineralogy determined by X-Ray diffractometry for the sediment cores reveals that montmorillonite and muscovite are the dominant clay minerals. The sections between 100 and 210 cm of the sediment cores GMX1 and GMX2, respectively, are characterized by the G. menardii group and G. Inflata planktonic foraminiferal species, which represent the Holocene and Pleistocene, respectively. The radiocarbon-age measurements of mixed planktonic foraminifera varied from ∼268 to 45,738 cal. years B.P and ∼104 to 25,705 cal. years B.P, for the sediment cores GMX1 and GMX2, respectively. The variation in age between the two sediment cores is due to a change in sediment accumulation rate, which was lowest at the location GMX1 (0.006 cm/yr) and highest at the location GMX2 (0.017 cm/yr). The chemical index of alteration (CIA), chemical index of weathering (CIW), and index of chemical maturity (ICV) values indicated a moderate intensity of weathering in the source area. The total rare earth element concentrations (∑REE) in the cores GMX1 and GMX2 vary from ∼94 to 171 and ∼78 to 151, respectively. The North American Shale Composite (NASC) normalized REE patterns showed flat low REE (LREE), heavy REE (HREE) depletion with low negative to positive Eu anomalies, which suggested that the sediments were likely derived from intermediate source rocks. The enrichment factor of heavy metals indicated that the Cd and Zn concentrations in the sediment cores were impacted by an anthropogenic source. The redox-proxy trace element ratios such as V/Cr, Ni/Co, Cu/Zn, (Cu + Mo)/Zn, and Ce/Ce* indicated that the sediments were deposited under an oxic depositional environment. The similarity in major element concentrations, REE content, and the NASC normalised REE patterns between the cores GMX1 and GMX2 revealed that the provenance of sediments remained relatively uniform or constant during deposition for ∼4.5 Ma. The major and trace element based multidimensional discrimination diagrams showed a rift setting for the core sediments, which is consistent with the geology of the Gulf of Mexico.

Prey Distribution, Physical Habitat Features, and Guild Traits Interact to Produce Contrasting Shorebird Assemblages among Foraging Patches

PubMed Central

VanDusen, Beth M.; Fegley, Stephen R.; Peterson, Charles H.

2012-01-01

Worldwide declines in shorebird populations, driven largely by habitat loss and degradation, motivate environmental managers to preserve and restore the critical coastal habitats on which these birds depend. Effective habitat management requires an understanding of the factors that determine habitat use and value to shorebirds, extending from individuals to the entire community. While investigating the factors that influenced shorebird foraging distributions among neighboring intertidal sand flats, we built upon species-level understandings of individual-based, small-scale foraging decisions to develop more comprehensive guild- and community-level insights. We found that densities and community composition of foraging shorebirds varied substantially among elevations within some tidal flats and among five flats despite their proximity (all located within a 400-m stretch of natural, unmodified inlet shoreline). Non-dimensional multivariate analyses revealed that the changing composition of the shorebird community among flats and tidal elevations correlated significantly (ρs = 0.56) with the spatial structure of the benthic invertebrate prey community. Sediment grain-sizes affected shorebird community spatial patterns indirectly by influencing benthic macroinvertebrate community compositions. Furthermore, combining sediment and macroinvertebrate information produced a 27% increase in correlation (ρs = 0.71) with shorebird assemblage patterns over the correlation of the bird community with the macroinvertebrate community alone. Beyond its indirect effects acting through prey distributions, granulometry of the flats influenced shorebird foraging directly by modifying prey availability. Our study highlights the importance of habitat heterogeneity, showing that no single patch type was ideal for the entire shorebird community. Generally, shorebird density and diversity were greatest at lower elevations on flats when they became exposed; these areas are at risk from human intervention by inlet sand mining, construction of groins and jetties that divert sediments from flats, and installation of seawalls on inlet shorelines that induce erosion of flats. PMID:23285153

Chemistry of amphiboles and clinopyroxenes from Euganean (NE Italy) cumulitic enclaves: implications for the genesis of melts in an extensional setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartoli, O.; Meli, S.; Sassi, R.; Magaraci, D.

2009-04-01

The magmatism of the Euganean Volcanic District (Veneto Volcanic Province, VVP) developed in the last phases of the Alpine orogenesis; the geochemical and geophysical data are consistent with an extensional geodynamic context (Milani et al., 1999). Cumulitic gabbroic enclaves occur within the Euganean trachytes, and Bartoli et al. (2008) pointed to their cogenetic origin with the Euganean host lavas. Sr isotopic data suggest that these cumulates derived from uncontaminated mantle-derived liquids. We analysed both cumulus and intercumulus amphiboles and clinopyroxenes by electron microprobe and LA-ICP-MS. The cumulus-intercumulus Cpx are diopsides and augites. The Mg#Cpx varies in a wide range (Mg#cumulus-Cpx= 0.74-0.84 and Mg#intercumulus-Cpx= 0.67-0.68). They show a MREE enrichment relative to LREE and HREE (LaN/SmN= 0.46-0.68 and TbN/YbN= 2.18-4.77). No significant Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 0.78-1.23) was observed. On a chondrite-normalized spiderdiagram Cpx exhibits significant Pb and Co negative anomalies, and less evident negative anomalies for Sr and Zr. La, Sm and HREE increase, whereas Ba, Ti, Li and V decrease from core to rim. These Cpx exhibit high Cr contents (701-2958 ppm). Moreover, they display trace element differences when compared to Cpx from MORB gabbros. We analyzed also amphiboles: pargasites, edenites and kaersutites. In the cumulus Amph Mg# varies in the range 0.60-0.69, whereas in the intercumulus assemblage from 0.57 to 0.63. The high K2O and TiO2 contents are distinct from that of amphiboles in MORB gabbros. LREE are enriched relative to HREE (LaN/YbN = 5.07-7.56). Moreover, TbN/YbN = 2.50-4.02 indicates a HREE depletion relative to MREE. REE patterns lack a significant Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 1.06-1.19). From core to rim Th and U decrease in cumulus crystals, but they increase in the intercumulus Amph. Ba (258-282 ppm) is enriched relative to other LILE and Nb-Ta are enriched relative to LREE. Cr varies in the range 423-594 ppm. The similar REE and HFSE content of intercumulus and cumulus Amph may suggest the existence of some post-cumulus processes. We calculated the chemistry of the liquids which should have been in equilibrium with cumulus phases, employing a set of Ds•l. In the liquid in equilibrium with Cpx LREE and MREE are enriched up to 40 and 11 times respectively relative to HREE, which are at about N-MORB concentrations (LaN/YbN = 42.5 and SmN/YbN = 11). Some LILE (i.e., Rb and Ba), Th and U are enriched relative to HFSE and REE. The theoretical composition of the liquid in equilibrium with Amph differs from Cpx-liquid in the marked enrichment of U and Th over LILE and HFSE. A LREE and MREE enrichment is observed (LaN/YbN = 35.4 and SmN/YbN = 3.6). The discrepancies of calculated liquid compositions cannot be ascribed only to the uncertainty in the choice of Ds•l. This may indicate trace element modifications in response to post-cumulus processes involving the amphiboles. The concentrations of HFSE in the calculated liquids (Zr/Hf = 60.2-72.7, Zr/Nb = 1.7-6.5 and Th/Hf = 3.8-6.9) and the incompatible element ratios, (e.g., La/Nb = 0.5-0.7, Pb/Ce = 0.01-0.05, La/Y = 2.3-2.8 and Ce/Nd = 1.9-2.8), are not comparable to those of N-MORB but to those of HIMU-OIB suggesting that typical MORB-type mantle couldn't be the source of these liquids. Nb and Ta are variable, possibly due to an heterogeneity in the lithospheric mantle. The existence of some peculiar trace element signatures of the recalculated liquids (LILE enrichment, high LREE/HREE ratio and abrupt enrichment in U and Th) has been attributed to slab-derived melts/fluids with an abundant sedimentary component. Our estimates are in agreement with the geodynamic scenario proposed by Macera et al. (2007), who explained the occurrence of both HIMU-OIB-type magmatism and subduction-related metasomatism in the VVP mantle lithosphere. According to their model, a mantle plume with HIMU-OIB geochemical signature rose from the deep mantle twice with subsequent partial melting episodes of the plume material: the first time during Paleocene, before the subducted European lithospheric slab (from which the LILE-, U- and Th-enriched fluids/melts derived) intercepted the mantle plume, and the second time during middle Eocene, after slab detachment and opening of a plate window. The liquids we have modeled can derive from partial melting of a subcontinental mantle source percolated by HIMU-OIB- and subduction-related fluids/melts with an abundant sedimentary component. Similarly, our recalculated liquids display some trace element signatures close to those shown by the liquids computed by Tiepolo & Tribuzio (2005) for cumulates of the Adamello batholith during alpine orogeny.

Spatial reflection patterns of iridescent wings of male pierid butterflies: curved scales reflect at a wider angle than flat scales.

PubMed

Pirih, Primož; Wilts, Bodo D; Stavenga, Doekele G

2011-10-01

The males of many pierid butterflies have iridescent wings, which presumably function in intraspecific communication. The iridescence is due to nanostructured ridges of the cover scales. We have studied the iridescence in the males of a few members of Coliadinae, Gonepteryx aspasia, G. cleopatra, G. rhamni, and Colias croceus, and in two members of the Colotis group, Hebomoia glaucippe and Colotis regina. Imaging scatterometry demonstrated that the pigmentary colouration is diffuse whereas the structural colouration creates a directional, line-shaped far-field radiation pattern. Angle-dependent reflectance measurements demonstrated that the directional iridescence distinctly varies among closely related species. The species-dependent scale curvature determines the spatial properties of the wing iridescence. Narrow beam illumination of flat scales results in a narrow far-field iridescence pattern, but curved scales produce broadened patterns. The restricted spatial visibility of iridescence presumably plays a role in intraspecific signalling.

Land claim and loss of tidal flats in the Yangtze Estuary.

PubMed

Chen, Ying; Dong, Jinwei; Xiao, Xiangming; Zhang, Min; Tian, Bo; Zhou, Yunxuan; Li, Bo; Ma, Zhijun

2016-04-01

Tidal flats play a critical role in supporting biodiversity and in providing ecosystem services but are rapidly disappearing because of human activities. The Yangtze Estuary is one of the world's largest alluvial estuaries and is adjacent to the most developed economic zone in China. Using the Yangtze Estuary as a study region, we developed an automatic algorithm to estimate tidal flat areas based on the Land Surface Water Index and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. The total area of tidal flats in the Yangtze Estuary has decreased by 36% over the past three decades, including a 38% reduction in saltmarshes and a 31% reduction in barren mudflats. Meanwhile, land claim has accumulated to 1077 km(2), a value that exceeds the area of the remaining tidal flats. We divided the Yangtze Estuary into Shanghai and Jiangsu areas, which differ in riverine sediment supply and tidal flat management patterns. Although land claim has accelerated in both areas, the decline in tidal flat area has been much greater in Jiangsu than in Shanghai because of abundant supplies of sediment and artificial siltation in the latter area. The results highlight the need for better coastal planning and management based on tidal flat dynamics.

Land claim and loss of tidal flats in the Yangtze Estuary

PubMed Central

Chen, Ying; Dong, Jinwei; Xiao, Xiangming; Zhang, Min; Tian, Bo; Zhou, Yunxuan; Li, Bo; Ma, Zhijun

2016-01-01

Tidal flats play a critical role in supporting biodiversity and in providing ecosystem services but are rapidly disappearing because of human activities. The Yangtze Estuary is one of the world’s largest alluvial estuaries and is adjacent to the most developed economic zone in China. Using the Yangtze Estuary as a study region, we developed an automatic algorithm to estimate tidal flat areas based on the Land Surface Water Index and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. The total area of tidal flats in the Yangtze Estuary has decreased by 36% over the past three decades, including a 38% reduction in saltmarshes and a 31% reduction in barren mudflats. Meanwhile, land claim has accumulated to 1077 km2, a value that exceeds the area of the remaining tidal flats. We divided the Yangtze Estuary into Shanghai and Jiangsu areas, which differ in riverine sediment supply and tidal flat management patterns. Although land claim has accelerated in both areas, the decline in tidal flat area has been much greater in Jiangsu than in Shanghai because of abundant supplies of sediment and artificial siltation in the latter area. The results highlight the need for better coastal planning and management based on tidal flat dynamics. PMID:27035525

Land claim and loss of tidal flats in the Yangtze Estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ying; Dong, Jinwei; Xiao, Xiangming; Zhang, Min; Tian, Bo; Zhou, Yunxuan; Li, Bo; Ma, Zhijun

2016-04-01

Tidal flats play a critical role in supporting biodiversity and in providing ecosystem services but are rapidly disappearing because of human activities. The Yangtze Estuary is one of the world’s largest alluvial estuaries and is adjacent to the most developed economic zone in China. Using the Yangtze Estuary as a study region, we developed an automatic algorithm to estimate tidal flat areas based on the Land Surface Water Index and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index. The total area of tidal flats in the Yangtze Estuary has decreased by 36% over the past three decades, including a 38% reduction in saltmarshes and a 31% reduction in barren mudflats. Meanwhile, land claim has accumulated to 1077 km2, a value that exceeds the area of the remaining tidal flats. We divided the Yangtze Estuary into Shanghai and Jiangsu areas, which differ in riverine sediment supply and tidal flat management patterns. Although land claim has accelerated in both areas, the decline in tidal flat area has been much greater in Jiangsu than in Shanghai because of abundant supplies of sediment and artificial siltation in the latter area. The results highlight the need for better coastal planning and management based on tidal flat dynamics.

Solvent-vapor-assisted dewetting of prepatterned thin polymer films: control of morphology, order, and pattern miniaturization.

PubMed

Bhandaru, Nandini; Goohpattader, Partho Sarathi; Faruqui, Danish; Mukherjee, Rabibrata; Sharma, Ashutosh

2015-03-17

Ultrathin (<100 nm) unstable polymer films exposed to a solvent vapor dewet by the growth of surface instability, the wavelength (λ) of which depends on the film thickness (h(f)). While the dewetting of a flat polymer thin film results in random structures, we show that the dewetting of a prepatterned film results in myriad ordered mesoscale morphologies under specific conditions. Such a film undergoes rupture over the thinnest parts when the initial local thickness of these zones (h(rm)) is lower than a limiting thickness h(lim) ≈ 10 nm. Additionally, the width of the pattern grooves (l(s)) must be wider than λ(s) corresponding to a flat film having a thickness of h(rm) for pattern-directed dewetting to take place over surface-tension-induced flattening. We first present an experimentally obtained morphology phase diagram that captures the conditions where a transition from surface-tension-induced flattening to pattern-directed-rupture takes place. Subsequently, we show the versatility of this technique in achieving a variety of aligned mesopatterns starting from a prepatterned film with simple grating geometry. The morphology of the evolving patterns depends on several parameters such as the initial film thickness (h(f)), prepattern amplitude (h(st)), duration of solvent vapor exposure (SVE), and wettability of the stamp used for patterning. Periodic rupture of the film at regular intervals imposes directionality on the evolving patterns, resulting in isolated long threads/cylindrical ridges of polymers, which subsequently disintegrate into an aligned array of droplets due to Rayleigh-Plateau instability under specific conditions. Other patterns such as a double periodic array of droplets and an array of holes are also possible to obtain. The evolution can be interrupted at any intermediate stage by terminating the solvent vapor annealing, allowing the creation of pattern morphology on demand. The created patterns are significantly miniaturized in size as compared to features obtained from dewetting a flat film with the same hf.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Zhaoqing; Wang, Taiping

Intertidal flats in estuaries are coastal wetlands that provide critical marine habitats to support wide ranges of marine species. Over the last century many estuarine systems have experienced significant loss of intertidal flats due to anthropogenic impacts. This paper presents a modeling study conducted to investigate the responses of estuarine hydrodynamics to the loss of intertidal flats caused by anthropogenic actions in Whidbey Basin of Puget Sound on the northwest coast of North America. Changes in salinity intrusion limits in the estuaries, salinity stratification, and circulation in intertidal flats and estuaries were evaluated by comparing model results under the existingmore » baseline condition and the no-flat condition. Model results showed that loss of intertidal flats results in an increase in salinity intrusion, stronger mixing, and a phase shift in salinity and velocity fields in the bay front areas. Model results also indicated that loss of intertidal flats enhances two-layer circulation, especially the bottom water intrusion. Loss of intertidal flats increases the mean salinity but reduces the salinity range in the subtidal flats over a tidal cycle because of increased mixing. Salinity intrusion limits extend upstream in all three major rivers discharging into Whidbey Basin when no intertidal flats are present. Changes in salinity intrusion and estuarine circulation patterns due to loss of intertidal flats affect the nearshore habitat and water quality in estuaries and potentially increase risk of coastal hazards, such as storm surge and coastal flooding. Furthermore, model results suggested the importance of including intertidal flats and the wetting-and-drying process in hydrodynamic simulations when intertidal flats are present in the model domain.« less

The influence of groundwater depth on coastal dune development at sand flats close to inlets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, Filipe Galiforni; Wijnberg, Kathelijne M.; de Groot, Alma V.; Hulscher, Suzanne J. M. H.

2018-05-01

A cellular automata model is used to analyze the effects of groundwater levels and sediment supply on aeolian dune development occurring on sand flats close to inlets. The model considers, in a schematized and probabilistic way, aeolian transport processes, groundwater influence, vegetation development, and combined effects of waves and tides that can both erode and accrete the sand flat. Next to three idealized cases, a sand flat adjoining the barrier island of Texel, the Netherlands, was chosen as a case study. Elevation data from 18 annual LIDAR surveys was used to characterize sand flat and dune development. Additionally, a field survey was carried out to map the spatial variation in capillary fringe depth across the sand flat. Results show that for high groundwater situations, sediment supply became limited inducing formation of Coppice-like dunes, even though aeolian losses were regularly replenished by marine import during sand flat flooding. Long dune rows developed for high sediment supply scenarios which occurred for deep groundwater levels. Furthermore, a threshold depth appears to exist at which the groundwater level starts to affect dune development on the inlet sand flat. The threshold can vary spatially depending on external conditions such as topography. On sand flats close to inlets, groundwater is capable of introducing spatial variability in dune growth, which is consistent with dune development patterns found on the Texel sand flat.

REMOVAL OF ORGANIC CONTAMINANTS FROM GROUNDWATER.

EPA Science Inventory

More are than lOO million Americans depend on groundwater as a source of drinking water. hree quarters of U.S. cities get their water supplies totally or in part from groundwater and one-third of the largest cities rely on groundwater for at least part of their potable water supp...

Chladni Patterns on Drumheads: A "Physics of Music" Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worland, Randy

2011-01-01

In our "Physics of Music" class for non-science majors, we have developed a laboratory exercise in which students experiment with Chladni sand patterns on drumheads. Chladni patterns provide a kinesthetic, visual, and entertaining way to illustrate standing waves on flat surfaces and are very helpful when making the transition from one-dimensional…

Analysis of Alaskan burn severity patterns using remotely sensed data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duffy, P.A.; Epting, J.; Graham, J.M.; Rupp, T.S.; McGuire, A.D.

2007-01-01

Wildland fire is the dominant large-scale disturbance mechanism in the Alaskan boreal forest, and it strongly influences forest structure and function. In this research, patterns of burn severity in the Alaskan boreal forest are characterised using 24 fires. First, the relationship between burn severity and area burned is quantified using a linear regression. Second, the spatial correlation of burn severity as a function of topography is modelled using a variogram analysis. Finally, the relationship between vegetation type and spatial patterns of burn severity is quantified using linear models where variograms account for spatial correlation. These results show that: 1) average burn severity increases with the natural logarithm of the area of the wildfire, 2) burn severity is more variable in topographically complex landscapes than in flat landscapes, and 3) there is a significant relationship between burn severity and vegetation type in flat landscapes but not in topographically complex landscapes. These results strengthen the argument that differential flammability of vegetation exists in some boreal landscapes of Alaska. Additionally, these results suggest that through feedbacks between vegetation and burn severity, the distribution of forest vegetation through time is likely more stable in flat terrain than it is in areas with more complex topography. ?? IAWF 2007.

Responses of estuarine circulation and salinity to the loss of intertidal flats – A modeling study

DOE PAGES

Yang, Zhaoqing; Wang, Taiping

2015-08-25

Intertidal flats in estuaries are coastal wetlands that provide critical marine habitats to support wide ranges of marine species. Over the last century many estuarine systems have experienced significant loss of intertidal flats due to anthropogenic impacts. This paper presents a modeling study conducted to investigate the responses of estuarine hydrodynamics to the loss of intertidal flats caused by anthropogenic actions in Whidbey Basin of Puget Sound on the northwest coast of North America. Changes in salinity intrusion limits in the estuaries, salinity stratification, and circulation in intertidal flats and estuaries were evaluated by comparing model results under the existingmore » baseline condition and the no-flat condition. Model results showed that loss of intertidal flats results in an increase in salinity intrusion, stronger mixing, and a phase shift in salinity and velocity fields in the bay front areas. Model results also indicated that loss of intertidal flats enhances two-layer circulation, especially the bottom water intrusion. Loss of intertidal flats increases the mean salinity but reduces the salinity range in the subtidal flats over a tidal cycle because of increased mixing. Salinity intrusion limits extend upstream in all three major rivers discharging into Whidbey Basin when no intertidal flats are present. Changes in salinity intrusion and estuarine circulation patterns due to loss of intertidal flats affect the nearshore habitat and water quality in estuaries and potentially increase risk of coastal hazards, such as storm surge and coastal flooding. Furthermore, model results suggested the importance of including intertidal flats and the wetting-and-drying process in hydrodynamic simulations when intertidal flats are present in the model domain.« less

Trace element abundances of high-MgO glasses from Kilauea, Mauna Loa and Haleakala volcanoes, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wagner, T.P.; Clague, D.A.; Hauri, E.H.; Grove, T.L.

1998-01-01

We performed an ion-microprobe study of eleven high-MgO (6.7-14.8 wt%) tholeiite glasses from the Hawaiian volcanoes Kilauea, Mauna Loa and Haleakala. We determined the rare earth (RE), high field strength, and other selected trace element abundances of these glasses, and used the data to establish their relationship to typical Hawaiian shield tholeiite and to infer characteristics of their source. The glasses have trace element abundance characteristics generally similar to those of typical shield tholeiites, e.g. L(light)REE/H(heavy)REE(C1) > 1. The Kilauea and Mauna Loa glasses, however, display trace and major element characteristics that cross geochemical discriminants observed between Kilauea and Mauna Loa shield lavas. The glasses contain a blend of these discriminating chemical characteristics, and are not exactly like the typical shield lavas from either volcano. The production of these hybrid magmas likely requires a complexly zoned source, rather than two unique sources. When corrected for olivine fractionation, the glass data show correlations between CaO concentration and incompatible trace element abundances, indicating that CaO may behave incompatibly during melting of the tholeiite source. Furthermore, the tholeiite source must contain residual garnet and clinopyroxene to account for the variation in trace element abundances of the Kilauea glasses. Inversion modeling indicates that the Kilauea source is flat relative to C1 chondrites, and has a higher bulk distribution coefficient for the HREE than the LREE.

Early Neoarchaean A-type granitic magmatism by crustal reworking in Singhbhum craton: Evidence from Pala Lahara area, Orissa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topno, Abhishek; Dey, Sukanta; Liu, Yongsheng; Zong, Keqing

2018-04-01

Several volumetrically minor ˜ 2.8 Ga anorogenic granites and rhyolites occur along the marginal part of the Singhbhum craton whose origin and role in crustal evolution are poorly constrained. This contribution presents petrographic, geochemical, zircon U-Pb and trace element, and mineral chemical data on such granites exposed in the Pala Lahara area to understand their petrogenesis and tectonic setting. The Pala Lahara granites are calc-alkaline, high-silica rocks and define a zircon U-Pb age of 2.79 Ga. These granites are ferroan, weakly metaluminous, depleted in Al, Ca and Mg and rich in LILE and HFSE. They are classified as A2-type granites with high Y/Nb ratios. Geochemical characteristics (high SiO2 and K2O, very low MgO, Mg#, Cr, Ni and V, negative Eu anomaly, flat HREE and low Sr/Y) and comparison with melts reported by published experimental studies suggest an origin through high-temperature, shallow crustal melting of tonalitic/granodioritic source similar to the ˜ 3.3 Ga Singhbhum Granite. Intrusion of the Pala Lahara granites was coeval with prominent mafic magmatism in the Singhbhum craton (e.g., the Dhanjori mafic volcanic rocks and NNE-SSW trending mafic dyke swarm). It is suggested that the ˜ 2.8 Ga A-type granites in the Singhbhum craton mark a significant crustal reworking event attendant to mantle-derived mafic magmatism in an extensional tectonic setting.

Two-Piece Screens for Decontaminating Granular Material

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Backes, Douglas; Poulter, Clay; Godfrey, Max; Dutton, Melinda; Tolman, Dennis

2009-01-01

Two-piece screens have been designed specifically for use in filtering a granular material to remove contaminant particles that are significantly wider or longer than are the desired granules. In the original application for which the twopiece screens were conceived, the granular material is ammonium perchlorate and the contaminant particles tend to be wires and other relatively long, rigid strands. The basic design of the twopiece screens can be adapted to other granular materials and contaminants by modifying critical dimensions to accommodate different grain and contaminant- particle sizes. A two-piece screen of this type consists mainly of (1) a top flat plate perforated with circular holes arranged in a hexagonal pattern and (2) a bottom plate that is also perforated with circular holes (but not in a pure hexagonal pattern) and is folded into an accordion structure. Fabrication of the bottom plate begins with drilling circular holes into a flat plate in a hexagonal pattern that is interrupted, at regular intervals, by parallel gaps. The plate is then folded into the accordion structure along the gaps. Because the folds are along the gaps, there are no holes at the peaks and valleys of the accordion screen. The top flat plate and the bottom accordion plate are secured within a metal frame. The resulting two-piece screen is placed at the bottom opening of a feed hopper containing the granular material to be filtered. Tests have shown that such long, rigid contaminant strands as wires readily can pass through a filter consisting of the flat screen alone and that the addition of the accordion screen below the flat screen greatly increases the effectiveness of removal of wires and other contaminant strands. Part of the reason for increased effectiveness is in the presentation of the contaminant to the filter surface. Testing has shown that wire type contamination will readily align itself parallel to the material direction flow. Since this direction of flow is nearly always perpendicular to the filter surface holes, the contamination is automatically aligned to pass through. The two-filter configuration reduces the likelihood that a given contaminant strand will be aligned with the flow of material by eliminating the perpendicular presentation angle. Thus, for wires of a certain diameter, a two-piece screen is 20 percent more effective than is the corresponding flat perforated plate alone, even if the holes in the flat plate are narrower. An accordion screen alone is similarly effective in catching contaminants, but lumps of agglomerated granules of the desired material often collect in the valleys and clog the screen. The addition of a flat screen above the accordion screen prevents clogging of the accordion screen. Flat wire screens have often been used to remove contaminants from granular materials, and are about as effective as are the corresponding perforated flat plates used alone.

Fire history and fire management implications in the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, interior Alaska

Treesearch

S. A. Drury; P. J. Grissom

2008-01-01

We conducted this investigation in response to criticisms that the current Alaska Interagency Fire Management Plans are allowing too much of the landscape in interior Alaska to burn annually. To address this issue, we analyzed fire history patterns within the Yukon Flats National Wildlife Refuge, interior Alaska. We dated 40 fires on 27 landscape points within the...

Lubricant distribution and its effect on slider air bearing performance over bit patterned media disk of disk drives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Lin

2011-04-01

The distribution dynamics of a thin lubricant film on a bit-patterned media disk and its effect on the performance of the ultralow flying air bearing slider of disk drives are studied by direct numerical simulations. Our analysis shows that the physics governing lubricant distribution dynamics changes when deep enough sub-100-nm nanostructures are patterned on the disk surface. Air shearing under the slider that dominates lubricant flow on a flat disk may become negligible on a bit-patterned media disk. Surface tension and disjoining pressure become dominant factors instead. Our results show that disks with nanoscale patterns/roughness may no longer be treated as flat, and the air bearing load may strongly depend not only on the geometric detail of disk patterns but also on how lubricants are distributed on the patterns when slider-disk clearance is reduced to sub-10-nm. Air bearing load and consequently the slider's flying attitude are affected by disk pattern geometry, average lubricant thickness, and material properties of lubricant such as the surface tension coefficient and Hamaker constant. The significantly expanded parameter space, upon which ultralow flying slider's dynamics depends, has to be seriously considered in evaluating the head/disk interface tribology performance of next generation patterned media magnetic recording systems.

Cell behavior on surface modified polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

PubMed

Stanton, Morgan M; Rankenberg, Johanna M; Park, Byung-Wook; McGimpsey, W Grant; Malcuit, Christopher; Lambert, Christopher R

2014-07-01

Designing complex tissue culture systems requires cell alignment and directed extracellular matrix (ECM) and gene expression. Here, a micro-rough, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface, that also integrates a micro-pattern of 50 µm wide lines of fibronectin (FN) separated by 60 µm wide lines of bovine serum albumin (BSA), is developed. Human fibroblasts cultured on the rough, patterned substrate have aligned growth and a significant change in morphology when compared to cells on a flat, patterned surface. The rough PDMS topography significantly decreases cell area and induces the upregulation of several ECM related genes by two-fold when compared to cells cultured on flat PDMS. This study describes a simple surface engineering procedure for creating surface architecture for scaffolds to design and control the cell-surface interface. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Topological properties of flat electroencephalography's state space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ken, Tan Lit; Ahmad, Tahir bin; Mohd, Mohd Sham bin; Ngien, Su Kong; Suwa, Tohru; Meng, Ong Sie

2016-02-01

Neuroinverse problem are often associated with complex neuronal activity. It involves locating problematic cell which is highly challenging. While epileptic foci localization is possible with the aid of EEG signals, it relies greatly on the ability to extract hidden information or pattern within EEG signals. Flat EEG being an enhancement of EEG is a way of viewing electroencephalograph on the real plane. In the perspective of dynamical systems, Flat EEG is equivalent to epileptic seizure hence, making it a great platform to study epileptic seizure. Throughout the years, various mathematical tools have been applied on Flat EEG to extract hidden information that is hardly noticeable by traditional visual inspection. While these tools have given worthy results, the journey towards understanding seizure process completely is yet to be succeeded. Since the underlying structure of Flat EEG is dynamic and is deemed to contain wealthy information regarding brainstorm, it would certainly be appealing to explore in depth its structures. To better understand the complex seizure process, this paper studies the event of epileptic seizure via Flat EEG in a more general framework by means of topology, particularly, on the state space where the event of Flat EEG lies.

Upper mantle seismic anisotropy beneath Northern Peru from shear wave splitting analysis.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franca, G. S.; Condori, C.; Tavera, H.; Eakin, C. M.; Beck, S. L.

2017-12-01

Beneath much of Peru lies the largest region of flat-slab subduction in the world today. The origins and dynamics of the Peruvian flat-slab however remain elusive, particularly in the north away from the Nazca Ridge. Studies of seismic anisotropy can potentially provide us with insight into the dynamics of recent and past deformational processes in the upper mantle. In this study, we conduct shear wave splitting to investigate seismic anisotropy across the northern extent of the Peruvian flat-slab for the first time. For the analysis, we used arrivals of SKS, SKKS and PKS phases from teleseismic events (88° > Δ < 150°) recorded at 30 broadband seismic stations from the Peruvian permanent and portable seismic networks, and international networks (CTBTO and RSBR-Brazil). The preliminary results reveal a complex anisotropy pattern with variations along strike. In the northernmost region, the average delay times range between 1.0 s and 1.2 s, with fast directions predominantly ENE-WSW oriented in a direction approximately perpendicular to the trench, parallel with subduction of the Nazca plate. Meanwhile towards the central region of Peru, the predominant fast direction changes to SE-NW oblique with the trench, but consistent with the pattern seen previously over the southern extent of the flat-slab by Eakin et al. (2013, 2015). These characteristics suggest a fundamental difference between the anisotropic structures, and therefore underlying mantle processes, beneath the northern and central portions of the Peruvian flat-slab.

High contents of rare earth elements (REEs) in stream waters of a Cu-Pb-Zn mining area.

PubMed

Protano, G; Riccobono, F

2002-01-01

Stream waters draining an old mining area present very high rare earth element (REE) contents, reaching 928 microg/l as the maximum total value (sigmaREE). The middle rare earth elements (MREEs) are usually enriched with respect to both the light (LREEs) and heavy (HREEs) elements of this group, producing a characteristic "roof-shaped" pattern of the shale Post-Archean Australian Shales-normalized concentrations. At the Fenice Capanne Mine (FCM), the most important base metal mine of the study area, the REE source coincides with the mine tailings, mostly the oldest ones composed of iron-rich materials. The geochemical history of the REEs released into Noni stream from wastes in the FCM area is strictly determined by the pH, which controls the REE speciation and in-stream processes. The formation of Al-rich and mainly Fe-rich flocs effectively scavenges the REEs, which are readily and drastically removed from the solution when the pH approaches neutrality. Leaching experiments performed on flocs and waste materials demonstrate that Fe-oxides/oxyhydroxides play a key role in the release of lanthanide elements into stream waters. The origin of the "roof-shaped" REE distribution pattern as well as the peculiar geochemical behavior of some lanthanide elements in the aqueous system are discussed.

Sedimentary provenance of Maastrichtian oil shales, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fathy, Douaa; Wagreich, Michael; Mohamed, Ramadan S.; Zaki, Rafat

2017-04-01

Maastrichtian oil shales are distributed within the Central Eastern Desert in Egypt. In this study elemental geochemical data have been applied to investigate the probable provenance of the sedimentary detrital material of the Maastrichtian oil shale beds within the Duwi and the Dakhla formations. The Maastrichtian oil shales are characterized by the enrichment in Ca, P, Mo, Ni, Zn, U, Cr and Sr versus post-Archean Australian shales (PAAS). The chondrite-normalized patterns of the Maastrichtian oil shale samples are showing LREE enrichment, HREE depletion, slightly negative Eu anomaly, no obvious Ce anomaly and typical shale-like PAAS-normalized patterns. The total REE well correlated with Si, Al, Fe, K and Ti, suggesting that the REE of the Maastrichtian oil shales are derived from terrigenous source. Chemical weathering indices such as Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), Chemical Proxy of Alteration (CPA) and Plagioclase Index of Alteration (PIA) indicate moderate to strong chemical weathering. We suggest that the Maastrichtian oil shale is mainly derived from first cycle rocks especially intermediate rocks without any significant inputs from recycled or mature sources. The proposed data illustrated the impact of the parent material composition on evolution of oil shale chemistry. Furthermore, the paleo-tectonic setting of the detrital source rocks for the Maastrichtian oil shale is probably related to Proterozoic continental island arcs

A microsatellite linkage map of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) reveals conserved synteny with the hree-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: The striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and its relatives (genus Morone) are of great importance to fisheries and aquaculture in North America. As part of a collaborative effort to employ molecular genetic technologies in striped bass breeding programs, nearly 500 microsatellite markers were...

[Analysis of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and plasma mass spectrometry of the Guidong granite body and its implications to granite evolution].

PubMed

Li, Hong-Wei; Chen, Guo-Neng; Peng, Zhuo-Lun

2013-07-01

The Guidong composite granite body (CGB) located in the north Guangdong Province consists of numerous rock bodies formed respectively in the early and late Jurassic and early Cretaceous. Analysis of the granites of different period with X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and plasma mass spectrometry indicates: (1) From the top of a granite body downwards, the felsic components of rock decrease, while the mafic and sigmaREE, LREE/HREE, (La/Yb)N, as well as delta Eu value increase, suggesting the material differentiation in the in-situ melting of crustal rocks and crystallisation of magma; (2) From old to young of the different period granite-massifs in the Guidong CGB, the felsic compositions totally decrease, and the mafic components, sigmaEE, LREE/HREE, (La/Yb)N, and delta Eu value increase as well, implying multiple crustal melting (remelting) events in the Mesozoic in this area; and (3) Primitive mantle-normalized spider diagram for trace elements of Guidong CGB suggests high maturity of the crust involved in the in-situ melting.

Ancient xenocrystic zircon in young volcanic rocks of the southern Lesser Antilles island arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rojas-Agramonte, Yamirka; Williams, Ian S.; Arculus, Richard; Kröner, Alfred; García-Casco, Antonio; Lázaro, Concepción; Buhre, Stephan; Wong, Jean; Geng, Helen; Echeverría, Carlos Morales; Jeffries, Teresa; Xie, Hangqian; Mertz-Kraus, Regina

2017-10-01

The Lesser Antilles arc is one of the best global examples in which to examine the effects of the involvement of subducted sediment and crustal assimilation in the generation of arc crust. Most of the zircon recovered in our study of igneous and volcaniclastic rocks from Grenada and Carriacou (part of the Grenadines chain) is younger than 2 Ma. Within some late Paleogene to Neogene ( 34-0.2 Ma) lavas and volcaniclastic sediments however, there are Paleozoic to Paleoarchean ( 250-3469 Ma) xenocrysts, and Late Jurassic to Precambrian zircon ( 158-2667 Ma) are found in beach and river sands. The trace element characteristics of zircon clearly differentiate between different types of magmas generated in the southern Lesser Antilles through time. The zircon population from the younger arc (Miocene, 22-19 Ma, to Present) has minor negative Eu anomalies, well-defined positive Ce anomalies, and a marked enrichment in heavy rare earth elements (HREE), consistent with crystallization from very oxidized magmas in which Eu2 + was in low abundance. In contrast, zircon from the older arc (Eocene to mid-Oligocene, 30-28 Ma) has two different REE patterns: 1) slight enrichment in the light (L)REE, small to absent Ce anomalies, and negative Eu anomalies and 2) enriched High (H)REE, positive Ce anomalies and negative Eu anomalies (a similar pattern is observed in the xenocrystic zircon population). The combination of positive Ce and negative Eu anomalies in the zircon population of the older arc indicates crystallization from magmas that were variably, but considerably less oxidized than those of the younger arc. All the igneous zircon has positive εHf(t), reflecting derivation from a predominantly juvenile mantle source. However, the εHf(t) values vary significantly within samples, reflecting considerable Hf isotopic heterogeneity in the source. The presence of xenocrystic zircon in the southern Lesser Antilles is evidence for the assimilation of intra-arc crustal sediments and/or the recycling and incorporation of sediments into the magma sources in the mantle wedge. Most likely however, primitive magmas stalling and fractionating during their ascent through the Antilles crust entrained ancient zircon. This is evidence by the geochemistry of the study samples, which is inconsistent with any involvement of partially melted subducted sediment. Paleogeographic reconstructions show that the old zircon could derive from distant regions such as the Eastern Andean Cordillera of Colombia, the Merida Andes, and the northern Venezuela coastal ranges, transported for example by the Proto-Maracaibo River precursor of the Orinoco River.

U-Pb zircon geochronology and Zr-in-rutile thermometry of eclogites from the Dulan area, North Qaidam ultra-high pressure (UHP) terrane, western China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernández Uribe, D.; Stubbs, K.; Lehman, M. R.; Gilmore, V.; Kylander-Clark, A. R.; Mattinson, C. G.

2016-12-01

The Dulan area, in the North Qaidam terrane, exposes UHP eclogites and gneisses that experienced a 20 Myr UHP event at P-T conditions of 30 kbar and 700 °C. Two eclogites were analyzed using Zr-in-rutile thermometry and zircon U-Pb + trace element analysis to constrain the metamorphic evolution of the area. A kyanite-phengite eclogite presents a mineral assemblage of grt + omp + ph + ky + rt + zo + qz. Rutile analyses show a Zr concentration of 173-250 ppm with a mean of 207 ± 19 ppm. The calculated temperatures yielded 685-716 °C with an average of 700 ± 7°C. Zircon U-Pb analyses gave an upper intercept age of 880 ± 89 Ma. These analyses from cathodoluminiscence (CL)-dark core zircons show a negative Eu anomaly and a steep HREE slope suggesting a magmatic origin for the protolith. Analyses from CL-bright rims gave a weighted mean age of 427 ± 2 Ma. These zircons show an eclogite facies trace elements pattern suggesting that the age represent the HP-UHP event. Titanium concentration in zircons gave a weighted mean of 4.41 ± 0.25 ppm. This Ti concentration yielded a calculated temperature of 674 °C A phengite eclogite shows a mineral assemblage of grt + omp + ph + rt + zo + qz. Rutile in matrix analyses show a Zr concentration of 123-161 ppm with a mean of 139 ± 9 ppm. Calculated temperatures for these rutiles ranges from 659-680 °C with a mean temperature of 668 ± 5 °C. U-Pb analyses from CL-dark zircon cores gave a weighted mean age of 844 ± 7 Ma. These zircons show a negative Eu anomaly and a steep HREE slope suggesting a magmatic origin for the protolith. Analyses from CL-grey rims gave a weighted mean age of 433 ± 4 Ma. These zircons show an eclogite facies trace elements pattern, representing the timing of the HP-UHP event. Titanium concentration in zircons gave a weighted mean of 3.13 ± 0.34 ppm. This concentration yielded calculated temperature 647 °C. The obtained ages are in the same range as the ones obtained for the northern and southern Dulan area suggesting that all the area belongs to the same tectonic unit and experienced the same continental collision metamorphism.

Performance Simulation of a Flat-Plate Thermoelectric Module Consisting of Square Truncated Pyramid Elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oki, Sae; Suzuki, Ryosuke O.

2017-05-01

The performance of a flat-plate thermoelectric (TE) module consisting of square truncated pyramid elements is simulated using commercial software and original TE programs. Assuming that the temperatures of both the hot and cold surfaces are constant, the performance can be varied by changing the element shape and element alignment pattern. When the angle between the edge and the base is 85° and the small square surfaces of all n-type element faces are connected to the low-temperature surface, the efficiency becomes the largest among all the 17 examined shapes and patterns. By changing the shape to match the temperature distribution, the performance of the TE module is maximized.

An analysis of fracture trace patterns in areas of flat-lying sedimentary rocks for the detection of buried geologic structure. [Kansas and Texas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Podwysocki, M. H.

1974-01-01

Two study areas in a cratonic platform underlain by flat-lying sedimentary rocks were analyzed to determine if a quantitative relationship exists between fracture trace patterns and their frequency distributions and subsurface structural closures which might contain petroleum. Fracture trace lengths and frequency (number of fracture traces per unit area) were analyzed by trend surface analysis and length frequency distributions also were compared to a standard Gaussian distribution. Composite rose diagrams of fracture traces were analyzed using a multivariate analysis method which grouped or clustered the rose diagrams and their respective areas on the basis of the behavior of the rays of the rose diagram. Analysis indicates that the lengths of fracture traces are log-normally distributed according to the mapping technique used. Fracture trace frequency appeared higher on the flanks of active structures and lower around passive reef structures. Fracture trace log-mean lengths were shorter over several types of structures, perhaps due to increased fracturing and subsequent erosion. Analysis of rose diagrams using a multivariate technique indicated lithology as the primary control for the lower grouping levels. Groupings at higher levels indicated that areas overlying active structures may be isolated from their neighbors by this technique while passive structures showed no differences which could be isolated.

Petrogenesis of fertile mantle peridotites from the Monte del Estado massif (southwest Puerto Rico): a preserved section of Proto-Caribbean oceanic lithospheric mantle?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marchesi, Claudio; Jolly, Wayne T.; Lewis, John F.; Garrido, Carlos J.; Proenza, Joaquín. A.; Lidiak, Edward G.

2010-05-01

The Monte del Estado massif is the largest and northernmost serpentinized peridotite belt in southwest Puerto Rico. It is mainly composed of spinel lherzolite and minor harzburgite with variable clinopyroxene modal abundances. Mineral and whole rock major and trace element compositions of peridotites coincide with those of fertile abyssal peridotites from mid ocean ridges. Peridotites lost 2-14 wt% of relative MgO and variable amounts of CaO by serpentinization and seafloor weathering. HREE contents in whole rock indicate that the Monte del Estado peridotites are residues after low to moderate degrees (2-15%) of fractional partial melting in the spinel stability field. However, very low LREE/HREE and MREE/HREE in clinopyroxene cannot be explained by melting models of a spinel lherzolite source and support that the Monte del Estado peridotites experienced initial low fractional melting degrees (~ 4%) in the garnet stability field. The relative enrichment of LREE in whole rock is not due to secondary processes but probably reflects the capture of percolating melt fractions along grain boundaries or as microinclusions in minerals, or the presence of exotic micro-phases in the mineral assemblage. We propose that the Monte del Estado peridotite belt represents a section of ancient Proto-Caribbean (Atlantic) lithospheric mantle originated by seafloor spreading between North and South America in the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous. This portion of oceanic lithospheric mantle was subsequently trapped in the forearc region of the Greater Antilles paleo-island arc generated by the northward subduction of the Caribbean plate beneath the Proto-Caribbean ocean. Finally, the Monte del Estado peridotites belt was emplaced in the Early Cretaceous probably as result of the change in subduction polarity of the Greater Antilles paleo-island arc without having been significantly modified by subduction processes.

Petrology and geochemistry of mafic magmatic rocks from the Sarve-Abad ophiolites (Kurdistan region, Iran): Evidence for interaction between MORB-type asthenosphere and OIB-type components in the southern Neo-Tethys Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saccani, Emilio; Allahyari, Khalil; Rahimzadeh, Bahman

2014-05-01

The Sarve-Abad (Sawlava) ophiolites crop out in the Main Zagros Thrust Zone and represent remnants of the Mesozoic southern Neo-Tethys Ocean that was located between the Arabian shield and Sanandaj-Sirjan continental block. They consist of several incomplete ophiolitic sequences including gabbroic bodies, a dyke complex, and pillow lava sequences. These rocks generally range from sub-alkaline to transitional character. Mineral chemistry and whole-rock geochemistry indicate that they have compositions akin to enriched-type mid-ocean ridge basalts (E-MORB) and plume-type MORB (P-MORB). Nonetheless, the different depletion degrees in heavy rare earth elements (HREE), which can be observed in both E-MORB like and P-MORB like rocks enable two main basic chemical types of rocks to be distinguished as Type-I and Type-II. Type-I rocks are strongly depleted in HREE (YbN < ~ 6), whereas Type-II rocks are moderately depleted in HREE (YbN > 9.0). Petrogenetic modeling shows that Type-I rocks originated from 7 to 16% polybaric partial melting of a MORB-type mantle source, which was significantly enriched by plume-type components. These rocks resulted from the mixing of variable fractions of melts generated in garnet-facies and the spinel-facies mantle. In contrast, Type-II rocks originated from 5 to 8% partial melting in the spinel-facies of a MORB-type source, which was moderately enriched by plume-type components. A possible tectono-magmatic model for the generation of the southern Neo-Tethys oceanic crust implies that the continental rift and subsequent oceanic spreading were associated with uprising of MORB-type asthenospheric mantle featuring plume-type component influences decreasing from deep to shallow mantle levels. These deep plume-type components were most likely inherited from Carboniferous mantle plume activity that was associated with the opening of Paleo-Tethys in the same area.

Geology, geochemistry and geochronology of the Songwe Hill carbonatite, Malawi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Broom-Fendley, Sam; Brady, Aoife E.; Horstwood, Matthew S. A.; Woolley, Alan R.; Mtegha, James; Wall, Frances; Dawes, Will; Gunn, Gus

2017-10-01

Songwe Hill, Malawi, is one of the least studied carbonatites but has now become particularly important as it hosts a relatively large rare earth deposit. The results of new mapping, petrography, geochemistry and geochronology indicate that the 0.8 km diameter Songwe Hill is distinct from the other Chilwa Alkaline Province carbonatites in that it intruded the side of the much larger (4 × 6 km) and slightly older (134.6 ± 4.4 Ma) Mauze nepheline syenite and then evolved through three different carbonatite compositions (C1-C3). Early C1 carbonatite is scarce and is composed of medium-coarse-grained calcite carbonatite containing zircons with a U-Pb age of 132.9 ± 6.7 Ma. It is similar to magmatic carbonatite in other carbonatite complexes at Chilwa Island and Tundulu in the Chilwa Alkaline Province and others worldwide. The fine-grained calcite carbonatite (C2) is the most abundant stage at Songwe Hill, followed by a more REE- and Sr-rich ferroan calcite carbonatite (C3). Both stages C2 and C3 display evidence of extensive (carbo)-hydrothermal overprinting that has produced apatite enriched in HREE (<2000 ppm Y) and, in C3, synchysite-(Ce). The final stages comprise HREE-rich apatite fluorite veins and Mn-Fe-rich veins. Widespread brecciation and incorporation of fenite into carbonatite, brittle fracturing, rounded clasts and a fenite carapace at the top of the hill indicate a shallow level of emplacement into the crust. This shallow intrusion level acted as a reservoir for multiple stages of carbonatite-derived fluid and HREE-enriched apatite mineralisation as well as LREE-enriched synchysite-(Ce). The close proximity and similar age of the large Mauze nepheline syenite suggests it may have acted as a heat source driving a hydrothermal system that has differentiated Songwe Hill from other Chilwa carbonatites.

Mineralogical controls on mobility of rare earth elements in acid mine drainage environments.

PubMed

Soyol-Erdene, T O; Valente, T; Grande, J A; de la Torre, M L

2018-08-01

Rare earth elements (REE) were analyzed in river waters, acid mine waters, and extracts of secondary precipitates collected in the Iberian Pyrite Belt. The obtained concentrations of the REE in river water and mine waters (acid mine drainage - AMD) were in the range of 0.57 μg/L (Lu) and 2579 μg/L (Ce), which is higher than previously reported in surface waters from the Iberian Pyrite Belt, but are comparable with previous findings from AMD worldwide. Total REE concentrations in river waters were ranged between 297 μg/L (Cobica River) and 7032 μg/L (Trimpancho River) with an average of 2468 μg/L. NASC (North American Shale Composite) normalized REE patterns for river and acid mine waters show clear convex curvatures in middle-REE (MREE) with respect to light- and heavy-REE. During the dissolution experiments of AMD-precipitates, heavy-REE and middle-REE generate the most enriched patterns in the solution. A small number of precipitates did not display MREE enrichment (an index Gd n /Lu n  < 1.0) in NASC normalized pattern and produced relatively lower REE concentrations in extracts. Additionally, very few samples, which mainly contained aluminum sulfates, e.g., pickeringite and alunogen, displayed light-REE enrichment relative to heavy-REE (HREE). In general, the highest retention of REE occurs in samples enriched in magnesium (epsomite or hexahydrite) and aluminum sulfates, mainly pickeringite. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developments in Laser-Ablation Split-Stream Petrochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kylander-Clark, Andrew R.

2017-04-01

One of the biggest challenges in assessing the timing and rates of petrogenesis and deformation is having the ability to match the age of a dated mineral to the conditions at which that mineral grew. This is especially challenging for high-temperature chonometers that can grow and remain stable over a wide range of pressures and temperatures. The development of the laser-ablation split-stream method has afforded the ability to rapidly aquire chemical and chronologic data that are directly linked; as such, timing and rates of processes are better constrained than before. Several examples are given within: 1) Zircon and monazite from a single, coesite-bearing sample from the Western Gneiss Region in western Norway record the entire 30+ Myr history of metamorphism during Caledonian orogenesis, from intial burial, through ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) conditions, and back to crustal levels. Early monazite ( 425 Ma) contains low concentrations of Sr and HREE, consistent with plagioclase and garnet stability during prograde metamorphism. 420-400 Ma ages from monazite (high Sr, increased Eu/Eu*, low HREE) and zircon (increased Eu/Eu*, low HREE) indicate the timing of HP conditions, and monazite with low Sr and high HREE indicates the breakdown of omphacite and garnet at 390 Ma. 2) Titanite is becoming more widely used as chronometer, primarly because laser ablation has made analysis more feasible. Nevertheless, dates produced from titanite can be difficult to interpret because titanite may alter more easily than zircon and monazite. LASS analyses of titanite, combined with X-ray maps and backscattered electron images provide insight into processes involved in growth, recrystallization and dissolution/reprecipitation, and allow us to better interpret ages and the geologic process that they represent. This study presents recrystallized titanite from metamorphic terranes as well as ocillatory-zoned titanite from igneous rocks, and suggests some possible processes that explain the TE/age trends. 3) Detrital zircons have long been used to investigate the location and geology of landforms in the past. By adding chemical information to the age data, a clearer history can be produced. Recent LASS data from Mesozoic sedimentary rocks indicate changes in chemistry of the Sierra Nevada-Peninsular Ranges batholith, as well and the exposure and erosion of distinct units (e.g., ophiolites) over discrete time periods. 4) Isotopic data retrieved in combination with age data across an orogeny or batholith can aid in the understanding of the areal and temporal evolution of both deformation and source rocks over time. This can be done with a number of petrochronometers: Hf in zircon, Nd in titanite and monazite, This study presents examples that show how significant advances can be made in understanding lithosphere evolution using this quick and efficient analytical technique.

Quantitative evaluation method of the threshold adjustment and the flat field correction performances of hybrid photon counting pixel detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medjoubi, K.; Dawiec, A.

2017-12-01

A simple method is proposed in this work for quantitative evaluation of the quality of the threshold adjustment and the flat-field correction of Hybrid Photon Counting pixel (HPC) detectors. This approach is based on the Photon Transfer Curve (PTC) corresponding to the measurement of the standard deviation of the signal in flat field images. Fixed pattern noise (FPN), easily identifiable in the curve, is linked to the residual threshold dispersion, sensor inhomogeneity and the remnant errors in flat fielding techniques. The analytical expression of the signal to noise ratio curve is developed for HPC and successfully used as a fit function applied to experimental data obtained with the XPAD detector. The quantitative evaluation of the FPN, described by the photon response non-uniformity (PRNU), is measured for different configurations (threshold adjustment method and flat fielding technique) and is demonstrated to be used in order to evaluate the best setting for having the best image quality from a commercial or a R&D detector.

Colloidal domain lithography for regularly arranged artificial magnetic out-of-plane monodomains in Au/Co/Au layers.

PubMed

Kuświk, Piotr; Ehresmann, Arno; Tekielak, Maria; Szymański, Bogdan; Sveklo, Iosif; Mazalski, Piotr; Engel, Dieter; Kisielewski, Jan; Lengemann, Daniel; Urbaniak, Maciej; Schmidt, Christoph; Maziewski, Andrzej; Stobiecki, Feliks

2011-03-04

Regularly arranged magnetic out-of-plane patterns in continuous and flat films are promising for applications in data storage technology (bit patterned media) or transport of individual magnetic particles. Whereas topographic magnetic structures are fabricated by standard lithographical techniques, the fabrication of regularly arranged artificial domains in topographically flat films is difficult, since the free energy minimization determines the existence, shape, and regularity of domains. Here we show that keV He(+) ion bombardment of Au/Co/Au layer systems through a colloidal mask of hexagonally arranged spherical polystyrene beads enables magnetic patterning of regularly arranged cylindrical magnetic monodomains with out-of-plane magnetization embedded in a ferromagnetic matrix with easy-plane anisotropy. This colloidal domain lithography creates artificial domains via periodic lateral anisotropy variations induced by periodic defect density modulations. Magnetization reversal of the layer system observed by magnetic force microscopy shows individual disc switching indicating monodomain states.

Near-field flat focusing mirrors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Yu-Chieh; Staliunas, Kestutis

2018-03-01

This article reviews recent progress towards the design of near-field flat focusing mirrors, focusing/imaging light patterns in reflection. An important feature of such flat focusing mirrors is their transverse invariance, as they do not possess any optical axis. We start with a review of the physical background to the different focusing mechanisms of near- and far-field focusing. These near-field focusing devices like flat lenses and the reviewed near-field focusing mirrors can implement planar focusing devices without any optical axis. In contrast, various types of far-field planar focusing devices, such as high-contrast gratings and metasurfaces, unavoidably break the transverse invariance due to their radially symmetrical structures. The particular realizations of near-field flat focusing mirrors including Bragg-like dielectric mirrors and dielectric subwavelength gratings are the main subjects of the review. The first flat focusing mirror was demonstrated with a chirped mirror and was shown to manage an angular dispersion for beam focusing, similar to the management of chromatic dispersion for pulse compression. Furthermore, the reviewed optimized chirped mirror demonstrated a long near-field focal length, hardly achieved by a flat lens or a planar hyperlens. Two more different configurations of dielectric subwavelength gratings that focus a light beam at normal or oblique incidence are also reviewed. We also summarize and compare focusing performance, limitations, and future perspectives between the reviewed flat focusing mirrors and other planar focusing devices including a flat lens with a negative-index material, a planar hyperlens, a high-contrast grating, and a metasurface.

Dome flat-field system for 1.3-m Araki Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshikawa, Tomohiro; Ikeda, Yuji; Fujishiro, Naofumi; Ichizawa, Shunsuke; Arai, Akira; Isogai, Mizuki; Yonehara, Atsunori; Kawakita, Hideyo

2012-09-01

We report the system/optics design and performance of the dome flat-field system for the Araki Telescope, a 1.3- m optical/near-infrared telescope at Koyama Astronomical Observatory in Japan. A variety of instruments are attached to the telescope. The optical imager, which is intended to search for exoplanets, requires an illumination flatness within 1% on the focal plane over the 17-arcmin FOV. Illumination flatness at both the pupil plane and the focal plane of the telescope is essential for calibration of the transmittance of the optical system. We devised an optical design for the flat-field system that satisfies illumination flatness at both the focal and pupil planes using the non-sequential ray tracing software LightTools. We considered far-field illumination pattern of the lamps, scattering surface reflectance distribution of the screen, telescope structure, primary/secondary mirrors, and mirror baffles. We achieved a flat illumination distribution of 0.9% at the focal plane. The systems performance was tested by comparison with a cloud-flat frame, which was derived by imaging cloud cover illuminated by city lights. The calibration data for the dome flat-field system agree well with the cloud-flat frame within 1% for the g' and i' bands of the imager, but the r0 band data does not meet the requirement (less than or equal to 2). Moreover, various instruments require a focal plane illuminance ranging over three orders of magnitude. We used six high-power (60W) halogen lamps; the output power is remotely controlled by a thyristor-driven dimmer and a bypass circuit to an autotransformer.

On-Line Flatness Measurement in the Steelmaking Industry

PubMed Central

Molleda, Julio; Usamentiaga, Rubén; Garcίa, Daniel F.

2013-01-01

Shape is a key characteristic to determine the quality of outgoing flat-rolled products in the steel industry. It is greatly influenced by flatness, a feature to describe how the surface of a rolled product approaches a plane. Flatness is of the utmost importance in steelmaking, since it is used by most downstream processes and customers for the acceptance or rejection of rolled products. Flatness sensors compute flatness measurements based on comparing the length of several longitudinal fibers of the surface of the product under inspection. Two main different approaches are commonly used. On the one hand, most mechanical sensors measure the tensile stress across the width of the rolled product, while manufacturing and estimating the fiber lengths from this stress. On the other hand, optical sensors measure the length of the fibers by means of light patterns projected onto the product surface. In this paper, we review the techniques and the main sensors used in the steelmaking industry to measure and quantify flatness defects in steel plates, sheets and strips. Most of these techniques and sensors can be used in other industries involving rolling mills or continuous production lines, such as aluminum, copper and paper, to name a few. Encompassed in the special issue, State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2013, this paper also reviews the most important flatness sensors designed and developed for the steelmaking industry in Spain. PMID:23939583

ACS/WFC Sky Flats from Frontier Fields Imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mack, J.; Lucas, R. A.; Grogin, N. A.; Bohlin, R. C.; Koekemoer, A. M.

2018-04-01

Parallel imaging data from the HST Frontier Fields campaign (Lotz et al. 2017) have been used to compute sky flats for the ACS/WFC detector in order to verify the accuracy of the current set of flat field reference files. By masking sources and then co-adding many deep frames, the F606W and F814W filters have enough combined background signal that from Poisson statistics are <1% per pixel. In these two filters, the sky flats show spatial residuals 1% or less. These residuals are similar in shape to the WFC flat field 'donut' pattern, in which the detector quantum efficiency tracks the thickness of the two WFC chips. Observations of blue and red calibration standards measured at various positions on the detector (Bohlin et al. 2017) confirm the fidelity of the F814W flat, with aperture photometry consistent to 1% across the FOV, regardless of spectral type. At bluer wavelengths, the total sky background is substantially lower, and the F435W sky flat shows a combination of both flat errors and detector artifacts. Aperture photometry of the red standard star shows a maximum deviation of 1.4% across the array in this filter. Larger residuals up to 2.5% are found for the blue standard, suggesting that the spatial sensitivity in F435W depends on spectral type.

On-line flatness measurement in the steelmaking industry.

PubMed

Molleda, Julio; Usamentiaga, Rubén; García, Daniel F

2013-08-09

Shape is a key characteristic to determine the quality of outgoing flat-rolled products in the steel industry. It is greatly influenced by flatness, a feature to describe how the surface of a rolled product approaches a plane. Flatness is of the utmost importance in steelmaking, since it is used by most downstream processes and customers for the acceptance or rejection of rolled products. Flatness sensors compute flatness measurements based on comparing the length of several longitudinal fibers of the surface of the product under inspection. Two main different approaches are commonly used. On the one hand, most mechanical sensors measure the tensile stress across the width of the rolled product, while manufacturing and estimating the fiber lengths from this stress. On the other hand, optical sensors measure the length of the fibers by means of light patterns projected onto the product surface. In this paper, we review the techniques and the main sensors used in the steelmaking industry to measure and quantify flatness defects in steel plates, sheets and strips. Most of these techniques and sensors can be used in other industries involving rolling mills or continuous production lines, such as aluminum, copper and paper, to name a few. Encompassed in the special issue, State-of-the-Art Sensors Technology in Spain 2013, this paper also reviews the most important flatness sensors designed and developed for the steelmaking industry in Spain.

N-MORB crust beneath Fuerteventura in the easternmost part of the Canary Islands: evidence from gabbroic xenoliths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neumann, Else-Ragnhild; Vannucci, Riccardo; Tiepolo, Massimo

2005-09-01

Gabbro xenoliths reported in this paper were collected in northern Fuerteventura, the Canary Island located closest to the coast of Africa. The xenoliths are very fresh and consist of Ti-Al-poor clinopyroxene + plagioclase (An87-67) + olivine (Fo72-86) ± orthopyroxene. Clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene are constantly and markedly depleted in light rare earth elements (LREE) relative to heavy REE (HREE), as expected for cumulus minerals formed from highly refractory N-MORB-type melts. In contrast, whole-rock Primordial Mantle-normalized trace element patterns range from mildly S-shaped (mildly depleted in Pr-Sm relative to both the strongly incompatible elements Rb-La and the HREE) to enriched. Estimates show that the trace element compositions of the rocks and their minerals are compatible with formation as N-MORB gabbro cumulates, which have been infiltrated at various extents (≤1% to >5%) by enriched alkali basaltic melts. The enriched material is mainly concentrated along grain boundaries and cracks through mineral grains, suggesting that the infiltration is relatively recent, and is thus associated with the Canary Islands magmatism. Our data contradict the hypothesis that a mantle plume was present in this area during the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. No evidence of continental material that might reflect attenuated continental crust in the area has been found. Gabbro xenoliths with REE and trace element compositions similar to those exhibited by the Fuerteventura gabbros are also found among gabbro xenoliths from the islands of La Palma (western Canary Islands) and Lanzarote. The compositions of the most depleted samples from these islands are closely similar, implying that there was no significant change in chemistry during the early stages of formation of the Atlantic oceanic crust in this area. Strongly depleted gabbros similar to those collected in Fuerteventura have also been retrieved in the MARK area along the central Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The presence of N-MORB oceanic crust beneath Fuerteventura implies that the continent-ocean transition in the Canary Islands area must be relatively sharp, in contrast to the situation both further north along the coast of Morocco, and along the Iberian peninsula.

Aegirine-melt element partitioning and implications for the formation of nepheline syenite REE deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beard, Charles; van Hinsberg, Vincent; Stix, John; Wilke, Max

2017-04-01

Sodic clinopyroxene is a key fractionating phase in alkaline magmatic systems but its impact on metal enrichment processes, and the formation of REE + HFSE mineralizations in particular, is not fully understood. Sodic pyroxenes appear to more readily incorporate REE than their calcic equivalents1. Despite this, melts in evolved alkaline systems can attain high REE contents, even up to economic levels (e.g. the Nechalacho layered suite in Canada2). To constrain the control of pyroxene on REE + HFSE behaviour in alkaline magmas, a series of internally heated pressure vessel experiments was performed to determine pyroxene-melt element partitioning systematics. Synthetic trachy-andesite to phonolite compositions were run water saturated at 650-825°C with fO2 buffered by ca. 1 bar of H2 (QFM + 1) or by Hm-Mt (QFM +5). Fluorine was added to selected experiments (0.3 to 2.5 wt %) to ascertain its effect on element partitioning. Run products were analysed by EMP for major elements and LA-ICP-MS for trace elements. Mineral and glass compositions bracket the compositions of natural alkaline systems, allowing for direct application of our experimental results to nature. Our results indicate that REE partitioning systematics vary strongly with pyroxene composition: Diopside-rich pyroxenes (Aeg5-25) prefer the MREE, medium aegirine pyroxenes (Aeg25-50) preferentially incorporate the LREE, whereas high aegirine pyroxenes (Aeg55-95) strongly prefer HREE. REE partitioning coefficients are 0.3-40, typically 2-6, with minima for high aegirine pyroxenes. Melt composition (e.g. (Na+K)/Al) also impacts partitioning although to a lesser extent, except for the F-content, which shows no impact at all. The composition of fractionating pyroxene has a major impact on the REE pattern of the residual melt, and thus on the ability of a system to develop economic concentrations of the REE. Element partitioning systematics suggest that late-crystallising aegirine-rich cumulates would be HREE-rich, in accord with the composition of mineralised intrusions, such as Nechalacho2. 1 - Marks, M., Halama, R., Wenzel, T. & Markl, G., 2004. Chem. Geol. 211, 185-215. 2 - Möller, V. & Williams-Jones, A. E., 2016. J. Petrology 57, 229-276.

Aqueous Rare Earth Element Patterns and Concentration in Thermal Brines Associated With Oil and Gas Production

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nye, Charles; Quillinan, Scott Austin; Neupane, Ghanashyam

This study is part of a joint effort by the University of Wyoming (UW) School of Energy Resources (SER), the UW Engineering Department, Idaho National Laboratories (INL), and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to describe rare earth element concentrations in oil and gas produced waters and in coal-fired power station ash ponds. In this work we present rare earth element (REE) and trace metal behavior in produced water from four Wyoming oil and gas fields and surface ash pond water from two coal-fired power stations. The concentration of REEs in oil and gas produced waters is largely unknown. Formore » example, of the 150,000 entries in the USGS National Produced Waters Geochemical Database less than 5 include data for REEs. Part of the reason for this scarcity is the analytical challenge of measuring REEs in high salinity, hydrocarbon-bearing waters. The industry standard for water analysis struggles to detect REEs in natural waters under ideal conditions. The detection of REEs in oil and gas field samples becomes all but impossible with the background noise and interferences caused by high concentrations of non-REE ions and residual hydrocarbons. The INL team members have overcome many of these challenges (e.g. McLing, 2014), and continue to develop their methods. Using the methods of the INL team members we measured REEs in high salinity oil and gas produced waters. Our results show that REEs exist as a dissolved species in all waters measured for this project, typically within the parts per trillion range. The samples may be grouped into two broad categories analytically, and these categories match their genesis: Wyoming oil and gas brines contain elevated levels of Europium, and Wyoming industrial pond waters show elevation in heavy REEs (HREEs). While broadly true, important variations exist within both groups. In the same field Europium can vary by more than an order of magnitude, and likewise HREEs in industrial ponds at the same site can vary by more than an order of magnitude. Future work will investigate the reasons for these variations.« less

Plant Functional Traits Are More Consistent Than Plant Species on Periglacial Patterned Ground in the Rocky Mountains of Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apple, M. E.; Ricketts, M. K.; Gallagher, J. H. R.

2017-12-01

Periglacial patterned ground exists as stripes and hexagons near glaciers and snowfields, some of which are former glaciers. The patterns are accentuated by profound differences in plant cover between the sloping surfaces, generally perceived as green, and the flat treads, generally perceived as brown but which are not devoid of plant life. On four sites in the Rocky Mountains of Montana we detected strong similarities in plant functional traits on the sloping surfaces of striped and hexagonal periglacial patterned ground. On Mt. Keokirk in the Pioneer Mountains, Kinnickinnick, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, dominates narrow green stripes. On Goat Flat in the Pintler Mountains, Mountain Avens, Dryas octopetala, dominates the side walls of hexagonally patterned ground and narrow green stripes. At Glacier National Park, D. octopetala and the Arctic Willow, Salix arctica, co-dominate the green risers of widely-spaced striped periglacial patterned system at Siyeh Pass, while D. octopetala, S. arctica, and the Mountain Heather, Phyllodoce glanduliflora, co-dominate the green risers of the widely-spaced stripes of Piegan Pass. All four of these dictotyledonous angiosperm species are adventitiously-rooted dwarf shrubs with simple leaves. Of these, P. glanduliflora, A. uva-ursi and D. octopetala are evergreen. D. octopetala is symbiotic with N-fixing Frankia sp. All are mycorrhizal, although D. octopetala and S. arctica are ectomycorrhizal and P. glanduliflora and A. uva-ursi have ericaceous mycorrhizae. In contrast, dwarf shrubs are scarce on flat treads and within hexagons, which are chiefly inhabited by herbaceous, taprooted or rhizomatous, VAM angiosperms. As the green stripes and hexagon walls have greater plant cover, they likely have greater organic material due to leaf buildup and root turnover, anchor themselves and the soil with adventitious roots, their clonality suggests long lives, and N-fixing influences N dynamics of the periglacial patterned ground.

Capturing the Flatness of a peer-to-peer lending network through random and selected perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karampourniotis, Panagiotis D.; Singh, Pramesh; Uparna, Jayaram; Horvat, Emoke-Agnes; Szymanski, Boleslaw K.; Korniss, Gyorgy; Bakdash, Jonathan Z.; Uzzi, Brian

Null models are established tools that have been used in network analysis to uncover various structural patterns. They quantify the deviance of an observed network measure to that given by the null model. We construct a null model for weighted, directed networks to identify biased links (carrying significantly different weights than expected according to the null model) and thus quantify the flatness of the system. Using this model, we study the flatness of Kiva, a large international crownfinancing network of borrowers and lenders, aggregated to the country level. The dataset spans the years from 2006 to 2013. Our longitudinal analysis shows that flatness of the system is reducing over time, meaning the proportion of biased inter-country links is growing. We extend our analysis by testing the robustness of the flatness of the network in perturbations on the links' weights or the nodes themselves. Examples of such perturbations are event shocks (e.g. erecting walls) or regulatory shocks (e.g. Brexit). We find that flatness is unaffected by random shocks, but changes after shocks target links with a large weight or bias. The methods we use to capture the flatness are based on analytics, simulations, and numerical computations using Shannon's maximum entropy. Supported by ARL NS-CTA.

Climatic and hydrological control on trace element variations in a speleothem from the Chauvet Cave, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourdin, C.; Genty, D.; Douville, E.

2009-04-01

An ICPMS quantitative analysis of Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr, U, Mn, Y and 14 Rare Earth Elements (REE) has been performed on a speleothem from the Chauvet cave (south-east of France). The Chau-stm-6 stalagmite that grew from 33 ky to 11.5 ky before present had been previously dated by U-Th series method and the published d13C and d18O profile is used as a paleoclimatic benchmark. Chau-stm-6 recorded that major element Ca ratios (Mg, Ba, Sr), U and REY (REE + Y) responded to early deglaciation (15 ky). Their concentrations show relative variations of 40% to 75%. Ba and Sr profiles are significantly correlated (r = 0.85) and show a two-step increase during early deglaciation. Mg and U are weakly correlated and display a decreasing trend from 15 ky to 11.5 ky. REY concentrations decrease during early deglaciation (15 ky to 14.5 ky). The clear onset of Younger Dryas as recorded by both d13C and d18O profiles is not well marked by any of these trace elements though the averaged Sr concentration is slightly lower in the more recent part of the profile. Sr and Ba increase is best explained by the tenfold rise of the growth rate rather than changes in water residence time in the karst which would also increase Mg. The incongruent dissolution of dolomite upstream is invalidated by the absence of reported dolomite in the Chauvet karst system. No correlation was found between REY and Mn (an element strongly bound with colloidal and particular phases in water), suggesting that REY were mainly dissolved (and likely to be complexed) in groundwater. Due to the poorly developed soil above the cave, REY are thought to come mainly from the dissolution of the limestone bedrock. Bedrock samples display a rather flat pattern, only slightly depleted in LREE (light REE) and with a weak cerium (Ce) anomaly (0.6 to 1). In comparison Chau-stm-6 patterns show a marked depletion in LREE and a more pronounced Ce anomaly (0.3 to 0.75). This shale-normalized pattern is construed as coming from REY fractionation during mobilization or transport of the elements in seepage water rather than from the mixing of several REY sources. Preferential removal of LREE may come from their stronger affinity with particles and from a weaker carbonate complexation. The different climatic and environmental conditions don't seem to have affected REY fractionation - LREE/HREE (light REE on heavy REE) remained quite constant, although the ratio peaks or fall sharply at the climatic transitions. This could be the result of brief periods of intense leaching of colloids or particles. A weak anticorrelation was found between the Y/REE ratio and Ce anomaly. Moreover glacial conditions correspond to a high Y/REE-low Ce pattern whereas milder climate correspond to the opposite situation. The probable higher concentration of particles during the warmer period could explain both the better transport of REE relative to Y that has a slower particle-reactivity and larger scavenging of all REE that smoothes Ce anomaly. pH and Eh could also control the selective removal of Ce. Again no significant difference between Bolling-Allerod and Younger Dryas samples could be observed on REY patterns. This study is one of the first steps towards the use of REY as paleohydrologic and paleoclimatic proxies in continental environments.

Accessory and rock forming minerals monitoring the evolution of zoned mafic ultramafic complexes in the Central Ural Mountains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krause, J.; Brügmann, G. E.; Pushkarev, E. V.

2007-04-01

This study describes major and trace element compositions of accessory and rock forming minerals from three Uralian-Alaskan-type complexes in the Ural Mountains (Kytlym, Svetley Bor, Nizhnii Tagil) for the purpose of constraining the origin, evolution and composition of their parental melts. The mafic-ultramafic complexes in the Urals are aligned along a narrow, 900 km long belt. They consist of a central dunite body grading outward into clinopyroxenite and gabbro lithologies. Several of these dunite bodies have chromitites with platinum group element mineralization. High Fo contents in olivine (Fo 92-93) and high Cr/(Cr + Al) in spinel (0.67-0.84) suggest a MgO-rich (> 15 wt.%) and Al 2O 3-poor ultramafic parental magma. During its early stages the magma crystallized dominantly olivine, spinel and clinopyroxene forming cumulates of dunite, wehrlite and clinopyroxenite. This stage is monitored by a common decrease in the MgO content in olivine (Fo 93-86) and the Cr/(Cr + Al) value of coexisting accessory chromite (0.81-0.70). Subsequently, at subsolidus conditions, the chromite equilibrated with the surrounding silicates producing Fe-rich spinel while Al-rich spinel exsolved chromian picotite and chromian titanomagnetite. This generated the wide compositional ranges typical for spinel from Uralian-Alaskan-type complexes world wide. Laser ablation analyses (LA-ICPMS) reveal that clinopyroxene from dunites and clinopyroxenite from all three complexes have similar REE patterns with an enrichment of LREE (0.5-5.2 prim. mantle) and other highly incompatible elements (U, Th, Ba, Rb) relative to the HREE (0.25-2.0 prim. mantle). This large concentration range implies the extensive crystallization of olivine and clinopyroxene together with spinel from a continuously replenished, tapped and crystallizing magma chamber. Final crystallization of the melt in the pore spaces of the cooling cumulate pile explains the large variation in REE concentrations on the scale of a thin section, the REE-rich rims on zoned clinopyroxene phenocrysts (e.g. La Rim/La Core ˜ 2), and the formation of interstitial clinopyroxene with similar REE enrichment. Trace element patterns of the parental melt inferred from clinopyroxene analyses show negative anomalies for Ti, Zr, Hf, and a positive anomaly for Sr. These imply a subduction related geotectonic setting for the Uralian zoned mafic-ultramafic complexes. Ankaramites share many petrological and geochemical features with these complexes and could represent the parental melts of this class of mafic-ultramafic intrusions. Diopside from chromitites and cross cutting diopside veins in dunite has similar trace element patterns with LREE/HREE ratios (e.g. La/Lu = 5-60) much higher than those in diopside from all other lithologies. We suggest that the chromitites formed at high temperatures (800-900 °C) during the waning stages of solidification as a result of the interaction of an incompatible element-rich melt or fluid with the dunite cumulates.

The effect of the water-to-rock ratio on REE distribution in hydrothermal fluids: An experimental study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beermann, Oliver; Garbe-Schönberg, Dieter; Holzheid, Astrid

2013-04-01

High-temperature submarine MOR hydrothermalism creates high elemental fluxes into, and out of, oceanic lithosphere significantly affecting ocean chemistry. The Turtle Pits hydrothermal system discovered at 5° S on the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) in water depths of ~3000 m (~300 bar) emanates 'ultrahot' fluids > 400 ° C [1] with high concentrations of dissolved gases (e.g., H2), transition metals, and rare earth elements (REE). The normalised REE patterns of these 'ultrahot' fluids are uncommon as they exhibit depletions of LREE and no Eu-anomaly ('special' REE-signature in [2]), which is in contrast to the "typical" LREE enrichment and pronounced positive Eu-anomaly known from many MOR vent fluids observed world-wide [e.g., 3]. Although hydrothermal fluid REE-signatures may play a key role in understanding processes during water-rock interaction, only few experimental data have been published on REE distribution in seawater-like fluids reacted with rocks from the ocean crust [e.g., 4, 5]. Besides temperature, the seawater-to-rock ratio (w/r ratio) strongly affects water-rock reaction processes and, thus, has significant control on the fluid chemistry [e.g., 6, 7]. To understand how vent fluid REE-signatures are generated during water-rock interaction processes we designed a series of experiments reacting different fluid types with mineral assemblages from fresh, unaltered gabbro at 425 ° C and 400 bar using cold seal pressure vessels (CSPV). Mixtures of 125-500 μm-sized hand-picked plagioclase and clinopyroxene grains separated from unaltered gabbro reacted in gold capsules with 3.2 wt.% NaCl(aq) fluid (similar to seawater salinity), or with natural seawater. The w/r (mass) ratio ranged from 1 to 100 and the run durations were varied from 3 to 30 d in the NaCl(aq) experiments, and was 3 d in the seawater experiments. The reacted fluids were extracted after quenching and analysed by ICP-OES and ICP-MS. Only in the seawater experiments, the gabbro reacted considerably with the liquid resulting in a strong REE enrichment relative to the original seawater. Increasing w/r ratios gave rise to decreasing pH of the quench fluid and enforced the enrichment of HREE in the fluid with relative depletion of LREE and no Eu-anomaly. The 'special' REE-signatures observed in Turtle Pits vent fluids at 5° S MAR could be reproduced in our experiments at a w/r ratio of 5 (pH = ~6), whereas at a w/r ratio of 1 (pH = ~7) the fluid exhibited the "typical" REE pattern with a positive Eu-anomaly. Fluids from experiments with w/r ratios ×10 (pH ~6 to ~2) showed higher HREE enrichment than observed in natural MOR vent fluids so far. Concluding, elevated REE concentrations in hydrothermal fluids exhibiting the 'special' REE pattern with relative enrichment of HREE and no Eu anomaly are indicative for leaching processes under high w/r ratios (~5-10) that might be more common in slow-spreading oceanic crust with focused hydrothermal fluid-flow along e.g., detachment faults [8]. References: [1] Koschinsky A., Garbe-Schönberg D., Sander S., Schmidt K., Gennerich H.-H., and Strauss H. (2008) Geology 36, 615-618. [2] Schmidt K., Garbe-Schönberg D., Bau M., and Koschinsky A. (2010) GCA 74, 4058-4077. [3] Douville E., Bienvenu P., Charlou J. L., Donval J. P., Fouquet Y., Appriou P., and Gamo T. (1999). GCA 63, 627-643. [4] You C.-F., Castillo P. R., Gieskes J. M., Chan L. H., and Spivak A. J. (1996) EPSL 140, 41-52. [5] Allen D. E. and Seyfried [Jr.] W. E.(2005) GCA 69, 675-683. [6] Seyfried [Jr.] W. E. and Bischoff J. L. (1977) EPSL 34, 71-77. [7] Hajash A. and Chandler G. W. (1981) Contrib Mineral Petrol 78, 240-254. [8] McCaig A.M. and Harris M. (2012) Geology 40, 367-370.

Flat ion milling: a powerful tool for preparation of cross-sections of lead-silver alloys.

PubMed

Brodusch, Nicolas; Boisvert, Sophie; Gauvin, Raynald

2013-06-01

While conventional mechanical and chemical polishing results in stress, deformation and polishing particles embedded on the surface, flat milling with Ar+ ions erodes the material with no mechanical artefacts. This flat milling process is presented as an alternative method to prepare a Pb-Ag alloy cross-section for scanning electron microscopy. The resulting surface is free of scratches with very little to no stress induced, so that electron diffraction and channelling contrast are possible. The results have shown that energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) mapping, electron channelling contrast imaging and electron backscatter diffraction can be conducted with only one sample preparation step. Electron diffraction patterns acquired at 5 keV possessed very good pattern quality, highlighting an excellent surface condition. An orientation map was acquired at 20 keV with an indexing rate of 90.1%. An EDS map was performed at 5 keV, and Pb-Ag precipitates of sizes lower than 100 nm were observed. However, the drawback of the method is the generation of a noticeable surface topography resulting from the interaction of the ion beam with a polycrystalline and biphasic sample.

Transmission type flat-panel X-ray source using ZnO nanowire field emitters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chen, Daokun; Song, Xiaomeng; Zhang, Zhipeng

2015-12-14

A transmission type flat-panel X-ray source in diode structure was fabricated. Large-scale patterned ZnO nanowires grown on a glass substrate by thermal oxidation were utilized as field emitters, and tungsten thin film coated on silica glass was used as the transmission anode. Uniform distribution of X-ray generation was achieved, which benefited from the uniform electron emission from ZnO nanowires. Self-ballasting effect induced by the intrinsic resistance of ZnO nanowire and decreasing of screening effect caused by patterned emitters account for the uniform emission. Characteristic X-ray peaks of W-L lines and bremsstrahlung X-rays have been observed under anode voltages at amore » range of 18–20 kV, the latter of which were the dominant X-ray signals. High-resolution X-ray images with spatial resolution less than 25 μm were obtained by the flat-panel X-ray source. The high resolution was attributed to the small divergence angle of the emitted X-rays from the transmission X-ray source.« less

Petrography and geochemistry of clastic sedimentary rocks as evidences for provenance of the Lower Cambrian Lalun Formation, Posht-e-badam block, Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Etemad-Saeed, N.; Hosseini-Barzi, M.; Armstrong-Altrin, John S.

2011-09-01

Petrography and geochemistry (major, trace and rare earth elements) of clastic rocks from the Lower Cambrian Lalun Formation, in the Posht-e-badam block, Central Iran, have been investigated to understand their provenance. Petrographical analysis suggests that the Lalun conglomerates are dominantly with chert clasts derived from a proximal source, probably chert bearing Precambrian Formations. Similarly, purple sandstones are classified as litharenite (chertarenite) and white sandstones as quartzarenite types. The detrital modes of purple and white sandstones indicate that they were derived from recycled orogen (uplifted shoulders of rift) and stable cratonic source. Most major and trace element contents of purple sandstones are generally similar to upper continental crust (UCC) values. However, white sandstones are depleted in major and trace elements (except SiO 2, Zr and Co) relative to UCC, which is mainly due to the presence of quartz and absence of other Al-bearing minerals. Shale samples have considerably lower content in most of the major and trace elements concentration than purple sandstones, which is possibly due to intense weathering and recycling. Modal composition (e.g., quartz, feldspar, lithic fragments) and geochemical indices (Th/Sc, La/Sc, Co/Th, Cr/Th, Cr/V and V/Ni ratios) of sandstones, and shales (La/Sc and La/Cr ratios) indicate that they were derived from felsic source rocks and deposited in a passive continental margin. The chondrite-normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns of the studied samples are characterized by LREE enrichment, negative Eu anomaly and flat HREE similar to an old upper continental crust composed chiefly of felsic components in the source area. The study of paleoweathering conditions based on modal composition, chemical index of alteration (CIA), plagioclase index of alteration (PIA) and A-CN-K (Al 2O 3 - CaO + Na 2O - K 2O) relationships indicate that probably chemical weathering in the source area and recycling processes have been more important in shale and white sandstones relative to purple sandstones. The results of this study suggest that the main source for the Lalun Formation was likely located in uplifted shoulders of a rifted basin (probably a pull-apart basin) in its post-rift stage (Pan-African basement of the Posht-e-badam block).

U-Pb SHRIMP geochronology and trace-element geochemistry of coesite-bearing zircons, North-East Greenland Caledonides

USGS Publications Warehouse

McClelland, W.C.; Power, S.E.; Gilotti, J.A.; Mazdab, F.K.; Wopenka, B.

2006-01-01

Obtaining reliable estimates for the timing of eclogite-facies metamorphism is critical to establishing models for the formation and exhumation of high-pressure and ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic terranes in collisional orogens. The presence of pressure-dependent phases, such as coesite, included in metamorphic zircon is generally regarded as evidence that zircon growth occurred at UHP conditions and, ifdated, should provide the necessary timing information. We report U-Pb sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) ages and trace-element SHRIMP data from coesite-bearing zircon suites formed during UHP metamorphism in the North- East Greenland Caledonides. Kyanite eclogite and quartzofeldspathic host gneiss samples from an island in J??kelbugt (78??00'N, 18??04'W) contained subspherical zircons with well-defined domains in cathodoluminescence (CL) images. The presence of coesite is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy in six zircons from four samples. Additional components of the eclogite-facies inclusion suite include kyanite, omphacite, garnet, and rutile. The trace-element signatures in core domains reflect modification of igneous protolith zircon. Rim signatures show flat heavy rare earth element (HREE) patterns that are characteristic of eclogite-facies zircon. The kyanite eclogites generally lack a Eu anomaly, whereas a negative Eu anomaly persists in all domains of the host gneiss. The 207Pb- corrected 206Pb/238U ages range from 330 to 390 Ma for the host gneiss and 330-370 Ma for the kyanite eclogite. Weighted mean 206Pb/238U ages for coesite-bearing domains vary from 364 ?? 8 Ma for the host gneiss to 350 ?? 4 Ma for kyanite eclogite. The combined U-Pb and REE data interpreted in conjunction with observed CL domains and inclusion suites suggest that (1) Caledonian metamorphic zircon formed by both new zircon growth and recrystallization, (2) UHP metamorphism occurred near the end of the Caledonian collision, and (3) the 30-50m.y. span of ages records long residence times at eclogite-facies conditions for the UHProcks of North-East Greenland. This spread in observed ages is interpreted to be characteristic of metamorphic rocks that have experienced relatively long (longer than 10 m.y.) residence times at UHP conditions. ?? 2006 Geological Society of America.

Ion-plasma gun for ion-milling machine

DOEpatents

Kaminsky, Manfred S.; Campana, Jr., Thomas J.

1976-01-01

An ion gun includes an elongated electrode with a hollow end portion closed by a perforated end plate. The end plate is positioned parallel to a perforated flat electrode of opposite electrical polarity. An insulated sleeve encompasses the elongated electrode and extends outwardly from the perforated end towards the flat electrode. The sleeve length is separated into two portions of different materials. The first is formed of a high-temperature material that extends over the hollow portion of the elongated electrode where the arc is initiated by a point source electrode. The second sleeve portion extending over the remainder of the elongated electrode is of a resilient material for enhanced seal-forming ability and retention of plasma gas. Perforations are arranged in the flat electrode in a mutually opposing triangular pattern to project a plasma beam having a generally flat current profile towards a target requiring precision milling.

Mantle melting and melt refertilization beneath the Southwest Indian Ridge: Mineral composition of abyssal peridotites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ling; Zhu, Jihao; Chu, Fengyou; Dong, Yan-hui; Liu, Jiqiang; Li, Zhenggang; Zhu, Zhimin; Tang, Limei

2017-04-01

As one of the slowest spreading ridges of the global ocean ridge system, the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) is characterized by discontinued magmatism. The 53°E segment between the Gallieni fracture zone (FZ) (52°20'E) and the Gazelle FZ (53°30'E) is a typical amagmatic segment (crustal thickness <2km) (Zhou and Dick, 2013) that opens a window to the mantle thus provides a chance to detect the mantle composition directly. We examine the mineral compositions of 17 peridotite samples from the 53°E amagmatic segment. The results show that the peridotites can be divided into two groups. The Group 1 peridotites are characterized by clinopyroxenes having LREE depleted patterns that is typical for the abyssal peridotite, thus are thought to be the residue of the mantle melting. The Group 2 peridotites show the lowest HREE content within the SWIR peridotites but are anomaly enriched in LREE, with flat or U-type REE patterns, thus cannot be the pure residue of mantle melting. Mineral compositions of the Group 2 peridotites are more depleted than that of peridotites sampled near the Bouvet hot spot (Johnson et al., 1990), implying that the depleted mantle beneath the 53°E segment may be the residue of ancient melting event. This hypothesis is supported by the the low Ol/Opx ratios, coarse grain sizes (>1cm) Opx, and Mg-rich mineral compositions akin to harzburgite xenoliths that sample old continental lithospheric mantle (Kelemen et al., 1998). Melt refertilization model shows that Group 2 peridotites were affected by an enriched low-degree partial melt from the garnet stability field. These results indicate that depleted mantle which experiences ancient melting event are more sensitive to melt refertilization, thus may reduce the melt flux, leading to extremely thin crust at 53°E segment. This research was granted by the National Basic Research Programme of China (973 programme) (grant No. 2013CB429705) and the Fundamental Research Funds of Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration (JG1603, SZ1507). References: Johnson K T M, Dick H J B, Shimizu N. Melting in the oceanic upper mantle: An ion microprobe study of diopsides in abyssal peridotites[J]. Journal of Geophysical Research, 1990, 95(B3):2661-2678. Kelemen P B, Hart S R, Bernstein S. Silica enrichment in the continental upper mantle via melt/rock reaction[J]. Earth & Planetary Science Letters, 1998, 164(1-2):387-406. Zhou H, Dick H J. Thin crust as evidence for depleted mantle supporting the Marion Rise.[J]. Nature, 2013, 494(7436):195-200.

Lithium and boron in late-orogenic granites - Isotopic fingerprints for the source of crustal melts?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Romer, Rolf L.; Meixner, Anette; Förster, Hans-Jürgen

2014-04-01

Geochemically diverse late- and post-Variscan granites of the Erzgebirge-Vogtland, the Saxon Granulite Massif, and Thuringia (Germany) formed by anatectic melting of Palaeozoic sedimentary successions and associated mafic to felsic volcanic rocks. The compositional diversity of the least evolved of these granites is largely inherited from the protoliths. We present Li and B-isotopic data of these granites and compare them with the isotopic composition of their protoliths, to investigate whether (i) there exist systematic differences in the Li and B-isotopic composition among different granite types and (ii) Li and B-isotopic compositions provide information on the granite sources complementary to information from the isotopic composition of Sr, Nd, and Pb and the trace-element signatures. Low-F biotite and two-mica granite types have flat upper continental crust (UCC)-normalized trace-element pattern with variable enrichments in Li, Rb, Cs, Sn, and W and depletions in Sr, Ba, and Eu. These signatures are least pronounced for the Niederbobritzsch biotite granite, which has the largest contribution of mafic material, and most pronounced for the two-mica granites. The granites show a relatively narrow range of δ7Li values (-3.0 to -0.5) and a broad range of δ11B values (-13.4 to +20.1). The δ11B values are lower in rocks with distinctly higher contents of Li, Rb, Cs, and Sn. The high δ11B of the Niederbobritzsch granite may be explained by the melting of former altered oceanic crust in its source. Relative to UCC, intermediate-F to high-F low-P granites show strong depletions in Sr, Ba, Eu as well as Zr and Hf, strong enrichments in Li, Rb, and Cs as well as Nb, Sn, Ta, and W, and REE pattern with stronger enrichments for HREE than for LREE. These granites show narrow ranges of δ7Li (-2.0 to +1.6) and δ11B values (-14.7 to -9.1), reflecting the smaller variability of the Li and B-isotopic composition in their source lithologies. The anomalously high δ7Li value (14.7) of one granite sample (Burgberg), which is similar to δ7Li values of its wall rocks (up to 14.5), may indicate late-magmatic fluid-rock interaction with external, wall rock-derived fluids. Because of the small compositional range of most source lithologies, the Li and B-isotopic variation in the granites is also small indicating that the isotopic composition of Li and B does not represent a particularly sensitive source tracer, with the exception of source lithologies characterized by extreme δ7Li or δ11B values.

Zircon geochronology and ca. 400 Ma exhumation of Norwegian ultrahigh-pressure rocks: An ion microprobe and chemical abrasion study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Root, D.B.; Hacker, B.R.; Mattinson, J.M.; Wooden, J.L.

2004-01-01

Understanding the formation and exhumation of the remarkable ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) rocks of the Western Gneiss Region, Norway, hinges on precise determination of the time of eclogite recrystallization. We conducted detailed thermal ionization mass spectrometry, chemical abrasion analysis and sensitive high-resolution ion-microprobe analysis of zircons from four ultrahigh- and high-pressure (HP) rocks. Ion-microprobe analyses from the Flatraket eclogite yielded a broad range of apparently concordant Caledonian ages, suggesting long-term growth. In contrast, higher precision thermal ionization mass spectrometry analysis of zircon subject to combined thermal annealing and multi-step chemical abrasion yielded moderate Pb loss from the first (lowest temperature) abrasion step, possible minor Pb loss or minor growth at 400 Ma from the second step and a 407-404 Ma cluster of slightly discordant 206Pb/238U ages, most likely free from Pb loss, from the remaining abrasion steps. We interpret the latter to reflect zircon crystallization at ???405-400 Ma with minor discordance from inherited cores. Zircon crystallization occurred at eclogite-facies, possibly post-peak conditions, based on compositions of garnet inclusions in zircon as well as nearly flat HREE profiles and lack of Eu anomalies in zircon fractions subjected to chemical abrasion. These ages are significantly younger than the 425 Ma age often cited for western Norway eclogite recrystallization, implying faster rates of exhumation (>2.5-8.5 km/Myr), and coeval formation of eclogites across the UHP portion of the Western Gneiss Region. ?? 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

The effect of butterfly-scale inspired patterning on leading-edge vortex growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilroy, Jacob; Lang, Amy; Wahidi, Redha

2014-11-01

Leading edge vortices (LEVs) are important for generating thrust and lift in flapping flight, and the surface patterning (scales) on butterfly wings is hypothesized to play a role in the vortex formation of the LEV. To simplify this complex flow problem, we designed an experiment to focus on the alteration of 2-D vortex development with a variation in surface patterning. Specifically we are interested in the secondary vorticity generated by the LEV interacting at the patterned surface and how this can affect the growth rate of the circulation in the LEV. For this experiment we used rapid-prototyped longitudinal and transverse square grooves attached to a flat plate and compared the vortex formation as the plate moved vertically. The plate is impulsively started in quiescent water and flow fields at Re = 1500, 3000, and 6000 are examined using Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV). The vortex formation time is 0.6 and is based on the flat plate travel length and chord length. Support for this research came from NSF REU Grant 1358991 and CBET 1335848.

The effect of butterfly-scale inspired patterning on leading-edge vortex growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilroy, Jacob; Lang, Amy

2015-11-01

Leading edge vortices (LEVs) are important for generating thrust and lift in flapping flight, and the surface patterning (scales) on butterfly wings is hypothesized to play a role in the vortex formation of the LEV. To simplify this complex flow problem, an experiment was designed to focus on the alteration of 2-D vortex development with a variation in surface patterning. Specifically, the secondary vorticity generated by the LEV interacting at the patterned surface was studied and the subsequent affect on the growth rate of the circulation in the LEV. For this experiment we used butterfly inspired grooves attached to a flat plate and compared the vortex formation to a smooth plate case as the plate moved vertically. The plate is impulsively started in quiescent water and flow fields at Re = 1500, 3000, and 6000 are examined using Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV). The vortex formation time is 3.0 and is based on the flat plate travel length and chord length. We would like to thank the National Science Foundation REU Site Award 1358991 for funding this research.

Technical Note: Modification of the standard gain correction algorithm to compensate for the number of used reference flat frames in detector performance studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Konstantinidis, Anastasios C.; Olivo, Alessandro; Speller, Robert D.

2011-12-15

Purpose: The x-ray performance evaluation of digital x-ray detectors is based on the calculation of the modulation transfer function (MTF), the noise power spectrum (NPS), and the resultant detective quantum efficiency (DQE). The flat images used for the extraction of the NPS should not contain any fixed pattern noise (FPN) to avoid contamination from nonstochastic processes. The ''gold standard'' method used for the reduction of the FPN (i.e., the different gain between pixels) in linear x-ray detectors is based on normalization with an average reference flat-field. However, the noise in the corrected image depends on the number of flat framesmore » used for the average flat image. The aim of this study is to modify the standard gain correction algorithm to make it independent on the used reference flat frames. Methods: Many publications suggest the use of 10-16 reference flat frames, while other studies use higher numbers (e.g., 48 frames) to reduce the propagated noise from the average flat image. This study quantifies experimentally the effect of the number of used reference flat frames on the NPS and DQE values and appropriately modifies the gain correction algorithm to compensate for this effect. Results: It is shown that using the suggested gain correction algorithm a minimum number of reference flat frames (i.e., down to one frame) can be used to eliminate the FPN from the raw flat image. This saves computer memory and time during the x-ray performance evaluation. Conclusions: The authors show that the method presented in the study (a) leads to the maximum DQE value that one would have by using the conventional method and very large number of frames and (b) has been compared to an independent gain correction method based on the subtraction of flat-field images, leading to identical DQE values. They believe this provides robust validation of the proposed method.« less

Geochemical characteristics of rare earth elements in the surface sediments from the Spratly Islands of China.

PubMed

Li, Jingxi; Sun, Chengjun; Zheng, Li; Yin, Xiaofei; Chen, Junhui; Jiang, Fenghua

2017-01-30

The geochemistry of rare earth elements (REE) in surface sediment from Cuarteron reef (N1), Johnson reef (N2), Hugh reef (N3), Gaven reef (N4), Fiery cross reef (N5), and Subi reef (N6) were firstly studied. The total REE abundance (∑REE) varied from 2.244μg·g -1 to 21.661μg·g -1 , with an average of 4.667μg·g -1 . The LREE/HREE was from 2.747 to 9.869, with an average of 3.687, which indicated that the light REE was evidently enriched. Fractionation was observed between LREE and HREE. Gd with a negative anomaly was also detected in all of the stations. The negative anomalies of δEu from 0.11 to 0.25, with an average of 0.22, and the positive anomalies of δCe from 1.38 to 3.86, with an average of 1.63. The REE individual correlation values with Ca, Mn, Mg, Sr were r Ca =-0.05, r Mn =0.26, r Mg =-0.14, and r Sr =0.08. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geochemistry and mineralogy of the Dotson Zone HREE deposit in the Bokan Mountain peralkaline igneous complex, southeastern Alaska, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Taylor, Cliff D.; Lowers, Heather; Adams, David; Robinson, R. James

2017-01-01

The Bokan Mountain igneous complex (BMIC) is a typical example of a peralkaline intrusive system that has evolved to the point of developing late stage HFSE- and REE-rich silicic pegmatites and dikes. The Dotson Zone comprises a series of felsic dikes that extend from the southeast margin of the composite pluton and may represent an important resource of critical HREEs. Petrographically, the primary igneous mineral assemblage is altered by late-igneous and hydrothermal fluids resulting in redistribution and enrichment of REEs. An area of flexure in the southeastern end of the Dotson Zone was the primary locus of enrichment as shown by the pervasive alteration and consistently high REE+Y values. We favor a model in which the dikes were emplaced concurrently with the marginal intrusions, and then altered during emplacement of the inner, main intrusion in a relatively rapid series of overlapping intrusive and late magmatic fluid-high temperature hydrothermal events as the complex cooled. A much later sodic intrusive event focused on the BMIC may have resulted in additional silica-Na-Zr-rich alteration in proximity to the pluton.

Light-Output Enhancement of GaN-Based Light-Emitting Diodes with Three-Dimensional Backside Reflectors Patterned by Microscale Cone Array

PubMed Central

Hu, Jinyong; Wang, Hong

2014-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) backside reflector, compared with flat reflectors, can improve the probability of finding the escape cone for reflecting lights and thus enhance the light-extraction efficiency (LEE) for GaN-based light-emitting diode (LED) chips. A triangle-lattice of microscale SiO2 cone array followed by a 16-pair Ti3O5/SiO2 distributed Bragg reflector (16-DBR) was proposed to be attached on the backside of sapphire substrate, and the light-output enhancement was demonstrated by numerical simulation and experiments. The LED chips with flat reflectors or 3D reflectors were simulated using Monte Carlo ray tracing method. It is shown that the LEE increases as the reflectivity of backside reflector increases, and the light-output can be significantly improved by 3D reflectors compared to flat counterparts. It can also be observed that the LEE decreases as the refractive index of the cone material increases. The 3D 16-DBR patterned by microscale SiO2 cone array benefits large enhancement of LEE. This microscale pattern was prepared by standard photolithography and wet-etching technique. Measurement results show that the 3D 16-DBR can provide 12.1% enhancement of wall-plug efficiency, which is consistent with the simulated value of 11.73% for the enhancement of LEE. PMID:25133262

[Development of X-ray Reflection Grating Technology for the Constellation-X Mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schattenburg, Mark L.

2005-01-01

This Grant supports MIT technology development of x-ray reflection gratings for the Constellation-X Reflection Grating Spectrometer (RGS). Since the start of the Grant MIT has extended its previously-developed patterning and super-smooth, blazed grating fabrication technology to ten-times smaller grating periods and ten-times larger blaze angles to demonstrate feasibility and performance in the off-plane grating geometry. In the past year we have focused our efforts on extending our Nanoruler grating fabrication tool to enable it to perform variable-period scanning-beam interference lithography (VP-SBIL). This new capability required extensive optical and mechanical improvements to the system. The design phase of this work is largely completed and key components are now on order and assembly has begun. Over the next several months the new VP-SBIL Nanoruler system will be completed and testing begun. We have also demonstrated a new technique for patterning gratings using the Nanoruler called Doppler mode, which will be important for patterning the radial groove gratings for the RGS using the new VP-SBIL system. Flat and thin grating substrates will be critical for the RGS. In the last year we demonstrated a new technique for flattening thin substrates using magneto-rheologic fluid polishing (MRF) and achieved 2 arcsecond flatness with a 0.5 mm-thick substrate-a world's record. This meets the Con X requirement for grating substrate flatness.

Moving zone Marangoni drying of wet objects using naturally evaporated solvent vapor

DOEpatents

Britten, Jerald A.

1997-01-01

A surface tension gradient driven flow (a Marangoni flow) is used to remove the thin film of water remaining on the surface of an object following rinsing. The process passively introduces by natural evaporation and diffusion of minute amounts of alcohol (or other suitable material) vapor in the immediate vicinity of a continuously refreshed meniscus of deionized water or another aqueous-based, nonsurfactant rinsing agent. Used in conjunction with cleaning, developing or wet etching application, rinsing coupled with Marangoni drying provides a single-step process for 1) cleaning, developing or etching, 2) rinsing, and 3) drying objects such as flat substrates or coatings on flat substrates without necessarily using heat, forced air flow, contact wiping, centrifugation or large amounts of flammable solvents. This process is useful in one-step cleaning and drying of large flat optical substrates, one-step developing/rinsing and drying or etching/rinsing/drying of large flat patterned substrates and flat panel displays during lithographic processing, and room-temperature rinsing/drying of other large parts, sheets or continuous rolls of material.

Moving zone Marangoni drying of wet objects using naturally evaporated solvent vapor

DOEpatents

Britten, J.A.

1997-08-26

A surface tension gradient driven flow (a Marangoni flow) is used to remove the thin film of water remaining on the surface of an object following rinsing. The process passively introduces by natural evaporation and diffusion of minute amounts of alcohol (or other suitable material) vapor in the immediate vicinity of a continuously refreshed meniscus of deionized water or another aqueous-based, nonsurfactant rinsing agent. Used in conjunction with cleaning, developing or wet etching application, rinsing coupled with Marangoni drying provides a single-step process for (1) cleaning, developing or etching, (2) rinsing, and (3) drying objects such as flat substrates or coatings on flat substrates without necessarily using heat, forced air flow, contact wiping, centrifugation or large amounts of flammable solvents. This process is useful in one-step cleaning and drying of large flat optical substrates, one-step developing/rinsing and drying or etching/rinsing/drying of large flat patterned substrates and flat panel displays during lithographic processing, and room-temperature rinsing/drying of other large parts, sheets or continuous rolls of material. 5 figs.

Open-loop correction for an eddy current dominated beam-switching magnet.

PubMed

Koseki, K; Nakayama, H; Tawada, M

2014-04-01

A beam-switching magnet and the pulsed power supply it requires have been developed for the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex. To switch bunched proton beams, the dipole magnetic field must reach its maximum value within 40 ms. In addition, the field flatness should be less than 5 × 10(-4) to guide each bunched beam to the designed orbit. From a magnetic field measurement by using a long search coil, it was found that an eddy current in the thick endplates and laminated core disturbs the rise of the magnetic field. The eddy current also deteriorates the field flatness over the required flat-top period. The measured field flatness was 5 × 10(-3). By using a double-exponential equation to approximate the measured magnetic field, a compensation pattern for the eddy current was calculated. The integrated magnetic field was measured while using the newly developed open-loop compensation system. A field flatness of less than 5 × 10(-4), which is an acceptable value, was achieved.

Open-loop correction for an eddy current dominated beam-switching magnet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Koseki, K., E-mail: kunio.koseki@kek.jp; Nakayama, H.; Tawada, M.

2014-04-15

A beam-switching magnet and the pulsed power supply it requires have been developed for the Japan Proton Accelerator Research Complex. To switch bunched proton beams, the dipole magnetic field must reach its maximum value within 40 ms. In addition, the field flatness should be less than 5 × 10{sup −4} to guide each bunched beam to the designed orbit. From a magnetic field measurement by using a long search coil, it was found that an eddy current in the thick endplates and laminated core disturbs the rise of the magnetic field. The eddy current also deteriorates the field flatness over the requiredmore » flat-top period. The measured field flatness was 5 × 10{sup −3}. By using a double-exponential equation to approximate the measured magnetic field, a compensation pattern for the eddy current was calculated. The integrated magnetic field was measured while using the newly developed open-loop compensation system. A field flatness of less than 5 × 10{sup −4}, which is an acceptable value, was achieved.« less

Petrologic models of 15388, a unique Apollo 15 mare basalt

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hughes, S. S.; Dasch, E. J.; Nyquist, L. E.

1993-01-01

Mare basalt 15388, a feldspathic microgabbro from the Apennine Front, is chemically and petrographically distinct from Apollo 15 picritic, olivine-normative (ON), and quartz-normative basalts. The evolved chemistry, coarse texture, lack of olivine, and occurrence of cristobalite in 15388 argue for derivation by a late-stage magmatic process that is significantly removed from parental magma. It either crystallized from a magma evolved from the more mafic Apollo 15 basalts, or it crystallized from a currently unrepresented magma. Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic systematics yield isochron ages of 3.391 plus or minus 0.036 and 3.42 plus or minus 0.07 Ga, respectively, and epsilon(sub Nd) = 8.6 plus or minus 2.4, which is relatively high for Apollo 15 mare basalts. In contrast to chemical patterns of average Apollo 15 ON basalts and Apollo 15 picritic basalt, 15388 has a strongly positive LREE slope, high Ti, shallower HREE slope and a slightly positive Eu anomaly. These features argue against 15388 evolution by simple olivine fractionation of a parental ON or picritic basalt magma, although olivine is a dominant liquidus phase in both potential parents.

Colorectal laterally spreading tumors show characteristic expression of cell polarity factors, including atypical protein kinase C λ/ι, E-cadherin, β-catenin and basement membrane component.

PubMed

Ichikawa, Yasushi; Nagashima, Yoji; Morioka, Kaori; Akimoto, Kazunori; Kojima, Yasuyuki; Ishikawa, Takashi; Goto, Ayumu; Kobayashi, Noritoshi; Watanabe, Kazuteru; Ota, Mitsuyoshi; Fujii, Shoichi; Kawamata, Mayumi; Takagawa, Ryo; Kunizaki, Chikara; Takahashi, Hirokazu; Nakajima, Atsushi; Maeda, Shin; Shimada, Hiroshi; Inayama, Yoshiaki; Ohno, Shigeo; Endo, Itaru

2014-09-01

Colorectal flat-type tumors include laterally spreading tumors (LSTs) and flat depressed-type tumors. The former of which shows a predominant lateral spreading growth rather than an invasive growth. The present study examined the morphological characteristics of LSTs, in comparison with polypoid- or flat depressed-type tumors, along with the expression of atypical protein kinase C (aPKC) λ/ι, a pivotal cell polarity regulator, and the hallmarks of cell polarity, as well as with type IV collagen, β-catenin and E-cadherin. In total, 37 flat-type (24 LSTs and 13 flat depressed-type tumors) and 20 polypoid-type colorectal tumors were examined. The LSTs were classified as 15 LST adenoma (LST-A) and nine LST cancer in adenoma (LST-CA). An immunohistochemical examination was performed on aPKC λ/ι, type IV collagen, β-catenin and E-cadherin. The LST-A and -CA showed a superficial replacing growth pattern, with expression of β-catenin and E-cadherin in the basolateral membrane and type IV collagen along the basement membrane. In addition, 86.6% of LST-A and 55.6% of LST-CA showed aPKC λ/ι expression of 1+ (weak to normal intensity staining in the cytoplasm compared with the normal epithelium). Furthermore, ~45% of the polypoid-type adenomas showed 2+ (moderate intensity staining in the cytoplasm and/or nucleus) and 66.7% of the polypoid-type cancer in adenoma were 3+ (strong intensity staining in the cytoplasm and nucleus). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between the expression of aPKC λ/ι and β-catenin (r=0.842; P<0.001), or type IV collagen (r=0.823; P<0.001). The LSTs showed a unique growth pattern, different from the expanding growth pattern presented by a polypoid tumor and invasive cancer. The growth characteristics of LST appear to be caused by adequate coexpression of β-catenin, type IV collagen and aPKC λ/ι.

Wave actions and topography determine the small-scale spatial distribution of newly settled Asari clams Ruditapes philippinarum on a tidal flat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nambu, Ryogen; Saito, Hajime; Tanaka, Yoshio; Higano, Junya; Kuwahara, Hisami

2012-03-01

There are many studies on spatial distributions of Asari clam Ruditapes philippinarum adults on tidal flats but few have dealt with spatial distributions of newly settled Asari clam (<0.3 mm shell length, indicative of settlement patterns) in relation to physical/topographical conditions on tidal flats. We examined small-scale spatial distributions of newly settled individuals on the Matsunase tidal flat, central Japan, during the low spring tides on two days 29th-30th June 2007, together with the shear stress from waves and currents on the flat. The characteristics of spatial distribution of newly settled Asari clam markedly varied depending on both of hydrodynamic and topographical conditions on the tidal flat. Using generalized linear models (GLMs), factors responsible for affecting newly settled Asari clam density and its spatial distribution were distinguished between sampling days, with "crest" sites always having a negative influence each on the density and the distribution on both sampling days. The continuously recorded data for the wave-current flows at the "crest" site on the tidal flat showed that newly settled Asari clam, as well as bottom sediment particles, at the "crest" site to be easily displaced. Small-scale spatial distributions of newly settled Asari clam changed with more advanced benthic stages in relation to the wave shear stress.

Using a flat-panel detector in high resolution cone beam CT for dental imaging.

PubMed

Baba, R; Ueda, K; Okabe, M

2004-09-01

Cone beam CT (CBCT) requires a two-dimensional X-ray detector. In the several CBCT systems developed for dental imaging, detection has been by the combination of an X-ray image intensifier and charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. In this paper, we propose a new CBCT system in which the detector is of the flat-panel type and evaluate its performance in dental imaging. We developed a prototype CBCT that has a flat-panel-type detector. The detector consists of a CsI scintillator screen and a photosensor array. First, the flat panel detector and image intensifier detector were compared in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of projected images. We then used these data and a theoretical formula to evaluate noise in reconstructed images. Second, reconstructed images of a bar pattern phantom were obtained as a way of evaluating the spatial resolution. Then, reconstructed images of a skull phantom were obtained. The SNR of the developed system was 1.6 times as high as that of a system with an image intensifier detector of equal detector pitch. The system was capable of resolving a 0.35 mm pattern and its field of view almost completely encompassed that of an image intensifier detector which is used in dentomaxillofacial imaging. The fine spatial resolution of the detector led to images in which the structural details of a skull phantom were clearly visible. The system's isotropically fine resolution will lead to improved precision in dental diagnosis and surgery. The next stage of our research will be the development of a flat panel detector system with a high frame acquisition rate.

Rare earth elements in fine-grained sediments of major rivers from the high-standing island of Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chuan-Shun; Shi, Xue-Fa; Kao, Shuh-Ji; Liu, Yan-Guang; Lyu, Hua-Hua; Zou, Jian-Jun; Liu, Sheng-Fa; Qiao, Shu-Qing

2013-06-01

Thirty-eight sediment samples from 15 primary rivers on Taiwan were retrieved to characterize the rare earth element (REE) signature of fluvial fine sediment sources. Compared to the three large rivers on the Chinese mainland, distinct differences were observed in the REE contents, upper continental crust normalized patterns and fractionation factors of the sediment samples. The average REE concentrations of the Taiwanese river sediments are higher than those of the Changjiang and Huanghe, but lower than the Zhujiang. Light rare earth elements (LREEs) are enriched relative to heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) with ratios from 7.48 to 13.03. We found that the variations in (La/Lu)UCC-(Gd/Lu)UCC and (La/Yb)UCC-(Gd/Yb)UCC are good proxies for tracing the source sediments of Taiwanese and Chinese rivers due to their distinguishable values. Our analyses indicate that the REE compositions of Taiwanese river sediments were primarily determined by the properties of the bedrock, and the intensity of chemical weathering in the drainage areas. The relatively high relief and heavy rainfall also have caused the REEs in the fluvial sediments from Taiwan to be transported to the estuaries down rivers from the mountains, and in turn delivered nearly coincidently to the adjacent seas by currents and waves. Our studies suggest that the REE patterns of the river sediments from Taiwan are distinguishable from those from the other sources of sediments transported into the adjacent seas, and therefore are useful proxies for tracing the provenances and dispersal patterns of sediments, as well as paleoenvironmental changes in the marginal seas.

Wheat gliadin: digital imaging and database construction using a 4-band reference system of agarose isoelectric focusing patterns.

PubMed

Black, J A; Waggamon, K A

1992-01-01

An isoelectric focusing method using thin-layer agarose gel has been developed for wheat gliadin. Using flat-bed units with a third electrode, up to 72 samples per gel may be analyzed. Advantages over traditional acid polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis methodology include: faster run times, nontoxic media, and greater sample capacity. The method is suitable for fingerprinting or purity testing of wheat varieties. Using digital images captured by a flat-bed scanner, a 4-band reference system using isoelectric points was devised. Software enables separated bands to be assigned pI values based upon reference tracks. Precision of assigned isoelectric points is shown to be on the order of 0.02 pH units. Captured images may be stored in a computer database and compared to unknown patterns to enable an identification. Parameters for a match with a stored pattern may be adjusted for pI interval required for a match, and number of best matches.

Testing of DRAINMOD for Forested Watersheds with Non-Pattern Drainage

Treesearch

Devendra M. Amatya; Ge Sun; R. Wayne Skaggs; Carl C. Trettin

2003-01-01

Models like DRAINMOD and its forestry version, DRAINLOB, have been specifically developed as a field scale model for evaluating hydrologic effects of crops (trees), soil, and water management practices for lands with pattern drainage (i.e. with parallel ditches) on relatively flat, high water table soils. These models conduct a water balance between the ditches to...

Imaging the Peruvian flat slab with Rayliegh wave tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knezevic Antonijevic, Sanja

In subduction zones the oceanic plates descend at a broad range of dip angles. A "flat slab" is an oceanic plate that starts to subduct steeply, but bends at 100 km depth and continues almost horizontally for several hundred kilometers. This unusual slab geometry has been linked to various geologic features, including the cessation of arc volcanism, basement core uplifts removed far from subducting margins, and the formation of high plateaus. Despite the prevalence of flat slabs worldwide since the Proterozoic, questions on how flat slabs form, persist, and re-steepen remains a topic of ongoing research. Even less clear is how this phenomenon relates to unusual features observed at the surface. To better understand the causes and consequences of slab flattening I focus on the Peruvian flat slab. This is not only the biggest flat slab region today, but due to the oblique angle at which the Nazca Plate subducts under the South American Plate, it also provides unique opportunity to get insights into the temporal evolution of the flat slab. Using ambient noise and earthquake-generated Rayleigh waves recorded at several contemporary dense seismic networks, I was able to perform unprecedentedly high resolution imaging of the subduction zone in southern Peru. Surprisingly, instead of imaging a vast flat slab region as expected, I found that the flat slab tears and re-steepens north of the subducting Nazca Ridge. The change in slab geometry is associated with variations in the slab's internal strain along strike, as inferred from slab-related anisotropy. Based on newly-discovered features I discuss the critical role of the subducting ridges in the formation and longevity of flat slabs. The slab tear created a new mantle pathway between the torn slab and the flat slab remnant to the east, and is possibly linked to the profound low velocity anomaly located under the eastern corner of the flat slab. Finally, I re-evaluate the connection between slab flattening and volcanic patterns at the surface. These findings have important implications for all present-day and paleo-flat slab regions, such as the one proposed for the western United States during the Laramide orogeny 80-55 Ma.

Geophysical interpretation of U, Th, and rare earth element mineralization of the Bokan Mountain peralkaline granite complex, Prince of Wales Island, southeast Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCafferty, Anne E.; Stoeser, Douglas B.; Van Gosen, Bradley S.

2014-01-01

A prospectivity map for rare earth element (REE) mineralization at the Bokan Mountain peralkaline granite complex, Prince of Wales Island, southeastern Alaska, was calculated from high-resolution airborne gamma-ray data. The map displays areas with similar radioelement concentrations as those over the Dotson REE-vein-dike system, which is characterized by moderately high %K, eU, and eTh (%K, percent potassium; eU, equivalent parts per million uranium; and eTh, equivalent parts per million thorium). Gamma-ray concentrations of rocks that share a similar range as those over the Dotson zone are inferred to locate high concentrations of REE-bearing minerals. An approximately 1300-m-long prospective tract corresponds to shallowly exposed locations of the Dotson zone. Prospective areas of REE mineralization also occur in continuous swaths along the outer edge of the pluton, over known but undeveloped REE occurrences, and within discrete regions in the older Paleozoic country rocks. Detailed mineralogical examinations of samples from the Dotson zone provide a means to understand the possible causes of the airborne Th and U anomalies and their relation to REE minerals. Thorium is sited primarily in thorite. Uranium also occurs in thorite and in a complex suite of ±Ti±Nb±Y oxide minerals, which include fergusonite, polycrase, and aeschynite. These oxides, along with Y-silicates, are the chief heavy REE (HREE)-bearing minerals. Hence, the eU anomalies, in particular, may indicate other occurrences of similar HREE-enrichment. Uranium and Th chemistry along the Dotson zone showed elevated U and total REEs east of the Camp Creek fault, which suggested the potential for increased HREEs based on their association with U-oxide minerals. A uranium prospectivity map, based on signatures present over the Ross-Adams mine area, was characterized by extremely high radioelement values. Known uranium deposits were identified in the U-prospectivity map, but the largest tract occurs over a radioelement-rich granite phase within the pluton that is likely not related to mineralization. Neither mineralization type displays a well-defined airborne magnetic signature.

Quaternary Basanitic Rocks within the Eastern Anatolian Volcanism (Turkey): Petrological and Geochemical Constrains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Özdemir, Yavuz; Mercan, Çaǧrı; Oyan, Vural; Atakul-Özdemir, Ayşe

2017-04-01

The Eastern Anatolian Cenozoic continental intraplate volcanism was initiated in Middle Miocene as a result of the convergence between the Arabian and Anatolian plates. The origin of Eastern Anatolian volcanism has been the focus of many petrological studies that have aimed to resolve the relative contributions of asthenospheric mantle and/or lithospheric mantle with/without subduction component in the genesis of magmas that compositionally have many affinities to ocean island basalts (OIB) and volcanic arcs. Volcanism in the region characterized by mainly stratovolcanoes, basaltic lava plateaus and are dominantly spread at the northern parts of Bitlis Pötürge Massif (BPM). Our study focuses on a small scale Quaternary basaltic system that firstly observed within the BPM. The volcanic rocks of our study located 50 km to the south of Lake Van and are basanitic in composition. They exposed along K-G striking tensional fissures and crosscut the Upper unit of the Bitlis Massif. Initial products of the volcanism are scoria fall deposits. Thick basanitic lava flows overly the pyroclastics and formed columnar structures. The basanites are generally fine-grained with phenocrysts of olivine+clinopyroxene. The groundmass is typically of clinopyroxene, olivine and Ti magnetite and Cr spinel with interstitial nepheline. The olivine phenocrysts are typically euhedral to subhedral with Forsterite contents of Fo73-83. Clinopyroxenes are highly calcic and show modest variations in Wo47-52-En34-42-Fs10-15 and are weakly zoned with mg# 89-87 at cores to 86-84 at rims. Nephelines occur as minor minerals within the networks of other groundmass minerals. Ti rich and Fe-Cr spinels occur as inclusions in olivine and clinopyroxenes as well as within the groundmass. LILE and LREE enrichments over HFSE and HREE suggest similarities with magmas generated from enriched mantle sources. EC-AFC modeling of trace element and isotope compositions indicates that assimilation of crustal lithologies have minor effect on the evolutionary stages of basanitic rocks. Based on LREE/HREE, MREE/HREE ratios and partial melting models, we suggest that basanitic rocks of Çatak are produced from a lower degree melting of a garnet bearing mantle source.

Three-beam interferogram analysis method for surface flatness testing of glass plates and wedges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunderland, Zofia; Patorski, Krzysztof

2015-09-01

When testing transparent plates with high quality flat surfaces and a small angle between them the three-beam interference phenomenon is observed. Since the reference beam and the object beams reflected from both the front and back surface of a sample are detected, the recorded intensity distribution may be regarded as a sum of three fringe patterns. Images of that type cannot be succesfully analyzed with standard interferogram analysis methods. They contain, however, useful information on the tested plate surface flatness and its optical thickness variations. Several methods were elaborated to decode the plate parameters. Our technique represents a competitive solution which allows for retrieval of phase components of the three-beam interferogram. It requires recording two images: a three-beam interferogram and the two-beam one with the reference beam blocked. Mutually subtracting these images leads to the intensity distribution which, under some assumptions, provides access to the two component fringe sets which encode surfaces flatness. At various stages of processing we take advantage of nonlinear operations as well as single-frame interferogram analysis methods. Two-dimensional continuous wavelet transform (2D CWT) is used to separate a particular fringe family from the overall interferogram intensity distribution as well as to estimate the phase distribution from a pattern. We distinguish two processing paths depending on the relative density of fringe sets which is connected with geometry of a sample and optical setup. The proposed method is tested on simulated data.

Analysis of Ground-Water Levels and Associated Trends in Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, 1951-2003

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J.M. Fenelon

2005-10-05

Almost 4,000 water-level measurements in 216 wells in the Yucca Flat area from 1951 to 2003 were quality assured and analyzed. An interpretative database was developed that describes water-level conditions for each water level measured in Yucca Flat. Multiple attributes were assigned to each water-level measurement in the database to describe the hydrologic conditions at the time of measurement. General quality, temporal variability, regional significance, and hydrologic conditions are attributed for each water-level measurement. The database also includes narratives that discuss the water-level history of each well. Water levels in 34 wells were analyzed for variability and for statistically significantmore » trends. An attempt was made to identify the cause of many of the water-level fluctuations or trends. Potential causes include equilibration following well construction or development, pumping in the monitoring well, withdrawals from a nearby supply well, recharge from precipitation, earthquakes, underground nuclear tests, land subsidence, barometric pressure, and Earth tides. Some of the naturally occurring fluctuations in water levels may result from variations in recharge. The magnitude of the overall water-level change for these fluctuations generally is less than 2 feet. Long-term steady-state hydrographs for most of the wells open to carbonate rock have a very similar pattern. Carbonate-rock wells without the characteristic pattern are directly west of the Yucca and Topgallant faults in the southwestern part of Yucca Flat. Long-term steady-state hydrographs from wells open to volcanic tuffs or the Eleana confining unit have a distinctly different pattern from the general water-level pattern of the carbonate-rock aquifers. Anthropogenic water-level fluctuations were caused primarily by water withdrawals and nuclear testing. Nuclear tests affected water levels in many wells. Trends in these wells are attributed to test-cavity infilling or the effects of depressurization following nuclear testing. The magnitude of the overall water-level change for wells with anthropogenic trends can be large, ranging from several feet to hundreds of feet. Vertical water-level differences at 27 sites in Yucca Flat with multiple open intervals were compared. Large vertical differences were noted in volcanic rocks and in boreholes where water levels were affected by nuclear tests. Small vertical differences were noted within the carbonate-rock and valley-fill aquifers. Vertical hydraulic gradients generally are downward in volcanic rocks and from pre-Tertiary clastic rocks toward volcanic- or carbonate-rock units.« less

Analysis of ground-water levels and associated trends in Yucca Flat, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, 1951-2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fenelon, Joseph M.

2005-01-01

Almost 4,000 water-level measurements in 216 wells in the Yucca Flat area from 1951 to 2003 were quality assured and analyzed. An interpretative database was developed that describes water-level conditions for each water level measured in Yucca Flat. Multiple attributes were assigned to each water-level measurement in the database to describe the hydrologic conditions at the time of measurement. General quality, temporal variability, regional significance, and hydrologic conditions are attributed for each water-level measurement. The database also includes narratives that discuss the water-level history of each well. Water levels in 34 wells were analyzed for variability and for statistically significant trends. An attempt was made to identify the cause of many of the water-level fluctuations or trends. Potential causes include equilibration following well construction or development, pumping in the monitoring well, withdrawals from a nearby supply well, recharge from precipitation, earthquakes, underground nuclear tests, land subsidence, barometric pressure, and Earth tides. Some of the naturally occurring fluctuations in water levels may result from variations in recharge. The magnitude of the overall water-level change for these fluctuations generally is less than 2 feet. Long-term steady-state hydrographs for most of the wells open to carbonate rock have a very similar pattern. Carbonate-rock wells without the characteristic pattern are directly west of the Yucca and Topgallant faults in the southwestern part of Yucca Flat. Long-term steady-state hydrographs from wells open to volcanic tuffs or the Eleana confining unit have a distinctly different pattern from the general water-level pattern of the carbonate-rock aquifers. Anthropogenic water-level fluctuations were caused primarily by water withdrawals and nuclear testing. Nuclear tests affected water levels in many wells. Trends in these wells are attributed to test-cavity infilling or the effects of depressurization following nuclear testing. The magnitude of the overall water-level change for wells with anthropogenic trends can be large, ranging from several feet to hundreds of feet. Vertical water-level differences at 27 sites in Yucca Flat with multiple open intervals were compared. Large vertical differences were noted in volcanic rocks and in boreholes where water levels were affected by nuclear tests. Small vertical differences were noted within the carbonate-rock and valley-fill aquifers. Vertical hydraulic gradients generally are downward in volcanic rocks and from pre-Tertiary clastic rocks toward volcanic- or carbonate-rock units.

Effect of wafer geometry on lithography chucking processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Kevin T.; Sinha, Jaydeep K.

2015-03-01

Wafer flatness during exposure in lithography tools is critical and is becoming more important as feature sizes in devices shrink. While chucks are used to support and flatten the wafer during exposure, it is essential that wafer geometry be controlled as well. Thickness variations of the wafer and high-frequency wafer shape components can lead to poor flatness of the chucked wafer and ultimately patterning problems, such as defocus errors. The objective of this work is to understand how process-induced wafer geometry, resulting from deposited films with non-uniform stress, can lead to high-frequency wafer shape variations that prevent complete chucking in lithography scanners. In this paper, we discuss both the acceptable limits of wafer shape that permit complete chucking to be achieved, and how non-uniform residual stresses in films, either due to patterning or process non-uniformity, can induce high spatial frequency wafer shape components that prevent chucking. This paper describes mechanics models that relate non-uniform film stress to wafer shape and presents results for two example cases. The models and results can be used as a basis for establishing control strategies for managing process-induced wafer geometry in order to avoid wafer flatness-induced errors in lithography processes.

Effect of pin tool design on the material flow of dissimilar AA7075-AA6061 friction stir welds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hasan, Mohammed M.; Ishak, M.; Rejab, M. R. M.

2017-10-01

Tool design is the most influential aspect in the friction stir welding (FSW) technology. Influence of pin tool geometry on material flow pattern are studied in this work during the FSW of dissimilar AA7075 and AA6061 aluminium alloys. Three truncated pin tool profiles (threaded, threaded with single flat, and unthreaded with single flat) were used to prepare the weldments. The workpieces were joined using a custom-made clamping system under 1100 rpm of spindle speed, 300 mm/min of traverse rate and 3° of tilt angle. The metallographic analysis showed that defect-free welds can be produced using the three pin tools with significant changes in the mixing stir zone structure. The results declared that the introducing of the flat on the cone of the probe deviates the pattern of the onion rings without changing the chemical composition of the created layers. This in turn improves the hardness distribution and tensile strength of the welded joint. It was also noted that both heat affected zone (HAZ) and thermal-mechanical affected zone (TMAZ) are similar in composition to their corresponding base materials (BM).

Optimal time following fluorescein instillation to evaluate rigid gas permeable contact lens fit.

PubMed

Wolffsohn, James S; Tharoo, Ali; Lakhlani, Nikita

2015-04-01

To examine the optimum time at which fluorescein patterns of gas permeable lenses (GPs) should be evaluated. Aligned, 0.2mm steep and 0.2mm flat GPs were fitted to 17 patients (aged 20.6 ± 1.1 years, 10 male). Fluorescein was applied to their upper temporal bulbar conjunctiva with a moistened fluorescein strip. Digital slit lamp images (CSO, Italy) at 10× magnification of the fluorescein pattern viewed with blue light through a yellow filter were captured every 15s. Fluorescein intensity in central, mid peripheral and edge regions of the superior, inferior, temporal and nasal quadrants of the lens were graded subjectively using a +2 to -2 scale and using ImageJ software on the simultaneously captured images. Subjectively graded and objectively image analysed fluorescein intensity changed with time (p < 0.001), lens region (centre, mid-periphery and edge: p < 0.05) and there was interaction between lens region with lens fit (p < 0.001). For edge band width, there was a significant effect of time (F = 118.503, p < 0.001) and lens fit (F = 5.1249, p = 0.012). The expected alignment, flat and steep fitting patterns could be seen from approximately after 30 to 180 s subjectively and 15 to 105 s in captured images. Although the stability of fluorescein intensity can start to decline in as little as 45 s post fluorescein instillation, the diagnostic pattern of alignment, steep or flat fit is seen in each meridian by subjective observation from about 30s to 3 min indicating this is the most appropriate time window to evaluate GP lenses in clinical practice. Copyright © 2014 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Spatial trends in tidal flat shape and associated environmental parameters in South San Francisco Bay

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bearman, J.A.; Friedrichs, Carl T.; Jaffe, B.E.; Foxgrover, A.C.

2010-01-01

Spatial trends in the shape of profiles of South San Francisco Bay (SSFB) tidal flats are examined using bathymetric and lidar data collected in 2004 and 2005. Eigenfunction analysis reveals a dominant mode of morphologic variability related to the degree of convexity or concavity in the cross-shore profileindicative of (i) depositional, tidally dominant or (ii) erosional, wave impacted conditions. Two contrasting areas of characteristic shapenorth or south of a constriction in estuary width located near the Dumbarton Bridgeare recognized. This pattern of increasing or decreasing convexity in the inner or outer estuary is correlated to spatial variability in external and internal environmental parameters, and observational results are found to be largely consistent with theoretical expectations. Tidal flat convexity in SSFB is observed to increase (in decreasing order of significance) in response to increased deposition, increased tidal range, decreased fetch length, decreased sediment grain size, and decreased tidal flat width. ?? 2010 Coastal Education and Research Foundation.

Surface-based atlases of cerebellar cortex in the human, macaque, and mouse.

PubMed

Van Essen, David C

2002-12-01

This study describes surface reconstructions and associated flat maps that represent the highly convoluted shape of cerebellar cortex in three species: human, macaque, and mouse. The reconstructions were based on high-resolution structural MRI data obtained from other laboratories. The surface areas determined for the fiducial reconstructions are about 600 cm(2) for the human, 60 cm(2) for the macaque, and 0.8 cm(2) for the mouse. As expected from the ribbon-like pattern of cerebellar folding, the cerebellar flat maps are elongated along the axis parallel to the midline. However, the degree of elongation varies markedly across species. The macaque flat map is many times longer than its mean width, whereas the mouse flat map is only slightly elongated and the human map is intermediate in its aspect ratio. These cerebellar atlases, along with associated software for visualization and for mapping experimental data onto the atlas, are freely available to the neuroscience community (see http:/brainmap.wustl.edu).

Surface-based atlases of cerebellar cortex in the human, macaque, and mouse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Essen, David C.

2002-01-01

This study describes surface reconstructions and associated flat maps that represent the highly convoluted shape of cerebellar cortex in three species: human, macaque, and mouse. The reconstructions were based on high-resolution structural MRI data obtained from other laboratories. The surface areas determined for the fiducial reconstructions are about 600 cm(2) for the human, 60 cm(2) for the macaque, and 0.8 cm(2) for the mouse. As expected from the ribbon-like pattern of cerebellar folding, the cerebellar flat maps are elongated along the axis parallel to the midline. However, the degree of elongation varies markedly across species. The macaque flat map is many times longer than its mean width, whereas the mouse flat map is only slightly elongated and the human map is intermediate in its aspect ratio. These cerebellar atlases, along with associated software for visualization and for mapping experimental data onto the atlas, are freely available to the neuroscience community (see http:/brainmap.wustl.edu).

Testing the limits of long-distance learning: Learning beyond a three-segment window

PubMed Central

Finley, Sara

2012-01-01

Traditional flat-structured bigram and trigram models of phonotactics are useful because they capture a large number of facts about phonological processes. Additionally, these models predict that local interactions should be easier to learn than long-distance ones since long-distance dependencies are difficult to capture with these models. Long-distance phonotactic patterns have been observed by linguists in many languages, who have proposed different kinds of models, including feature-based bigram and trigram models, as well as precedence models. Contrary to flat-structured bigram and trigram models, these alternatives capture unbounded dependencies because at an abstract level of representation, the relevant elements are locally dependent, even if they are not adjacent at the observable level. Using an artificial grammar learning paradigm, we provide additional support for these alternative models of phonotactics. Participants in two experiments were exposed to a long-distance consonant harmony pattern in which the first consonant of a five-syllable word was [s] or [∫] ('sh') and triggered a suffix that was either [−su] or [−∫u] depending on the sibilant quality of this first consonant. Participants learned this pattern, despite the large distance between the trigger and the target, suggesting that when participants learn long-distance phonological patterns, that pattern is learned without specific reference to distance. PMID:22303815

Solid perception mechanism by a shading pattern: spatial frequency components in a corrugated wave pattern.

PubMed

Nameda, N

1988-01-01

Illumination allows solid object perception to be obtained and depicted by a shading pattern produced by lighting. The shading cue, as one of solid perception cues (Gibson 1979), was investigated in regard to a white corrugated wave shape, using computer graphic device: Tospix-2. The reason the corrugated wave was chosen, is that an alternately bright and dark pattern, produced by shading, can be conveniently analyzed into contained spatial frequencies. This paper reports spatial frequency properties contained in the shading pattern. The shading patterns, input into the computer graphic device, are analyzed by Fourier Transformation by the same device. After the filtration by various spatial frequency low and high pass filters, Inverse Fourier Transformation is carried out for the residual components. The result of the analysis indicates that the third through higher harmonics components are important in regard to presenting a solid reality feeling in solid perception. Sakata (1983) also reported that an edged pattern, superimposed onto a lower sinusoidal pattern, was important in solid perception. The third through higher harmonics components express the changing position of luminance on the pattern, and a slanted plane relating to the light direction. Detection of a solid shape, constructed with flat planes, is assumed to be on the bottom of the perfect curved solid perception mechanism. Apparent evidence for this assumption, in difficult visual conditions, is that a flat paneled solid is seen before the curved solid. This mechanism is explained by two spatial frequency neural network systems, assumed as having correspondence with higher spatial frequency detection and lower spatial frequency detection.

Comparison of the sensitivity of landscape-fire-succession models to variation in terrain, fuel pattern, climate and weather.

Treesearch

Geoffrey J. Cary; Robert E. Keane; Robert H. Gardner; Sandra Lavorel; Mike D. Flannigan; Ian D. Davies; Chao Li; James M. Lenihan; T. Scott Rupp; Florent Mouillot

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the sensitivity of nlodelled area burned to environmental factors across a range of independently-developed landscape-fire-succession models. The sensitivity of area burned to variation in four factors, namely terrain (flat, undulating and mountainous), fuel pattern (finely and coarsely clumped), climate (observed, warmer &...

Comparison of the sensitivity of landscape-fire-succession models to variation in terrain, fuel pattern, climate and weather

Treesearch

Geoffrey J. Cary; Robert E. Keane; Robert H. Gardner; Sandra Lavorel; Michael D. Flannigan; Ian D. Davies; Chao Li; James M. Lenihan; T. Scott Rupp; Florent Mouillot

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the sensitivity of modelled area burned to environmental factors across a range of independently-developed landscape-fire-succession models. The sensitivity of area burned to variation in four factors, namely terrain (flat, undulating and mountainous), fuel pattern (finely and coarsely clumped), climate (observed, warmer &...

Erosion patterns in a sediment layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daerr, Adrian; Lee, Peter; Lanuza, José; Clément, Éric

2003-06-01

We report here on a laboratory-scale experiment which reproduces a rich variety of natural patterns with few control parameters. In particular, we focus on intriguing rhomboid structures often found on sandy shores and flats. We show that the standard views based on water surface waves do not explain the phenomenon, and we evidence a different mechanism based on mud avalanche instability.

Replication of patterned thin-film structures for use in plasmonics and metamaterials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Norris, David J; Han, Sang Eon; Bhan, Aditya

The present invention provides templating methods for replicating patterned metal films from a template substrate such as for use in plasmonic devices and metamaterials. Advantageously, the template substrate is reusable and can provide plural copies of the structure of the template substrate. Because high-quality substrates that are inherently smooth and flat are available, patterned metal films in accordance with the present invention can advantageously provide surfaces that replicate the surface characteristics of the template substrate both in the patterned regions and in the unpatterned regions.

Marked spatial gradient in the topographic evolution of the Andes spanning the Chilean flat-slab transition: evidence from stable isotope paleoaltimetry and zircon double dating

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoke, G. D.; McPhillips, D. F.; Giambiagi, L.; Garzione, C. N.; Mahoney, J. B.; Strecker, M. R.

2015-12-01

The major changes in the subduction angle of the Nazca plate are often hypothesized to have important consequences for the tectonic evolution of the Andes. Temporal and spatial patterns of topographic growth and exhumation are indicators that should help elucidate any linkages to subduction angle. Here, we combine observations from stable isotope paleoaltimetry with detrital zircon double dating between 30 and 35°S to demonstrate a consistent increase in surface and rock uplift in the Andes south of 32°S. The stable isotope data are from Miocene pedogenic carbonates collected from seven different basin sequences spanning different tectonic and topographic positions in the range. Paleoelevations between 1 km and 1.9 km are calculated using modern local isotope-elevation gradients along with carbonate-formation temperatures determined from clumped isotope studies in modern soils. Present day, low elevation foreland localities were at their present elevations during the Miocene, while three of the intermontane basins experienced up to 2 km of surface uplift between the end of deposition during the late Miocene and present. Detrital zircon (U-Th-Sm)/He and U-Pb double dating in three modern drainage basins (Tunuyán, Arroyo Grande and Río de los Patos) reveals clear Miocene exhumation signals south of the flat slab with no recent exhumation apparent at 32°S. The exhumation pattern is consistent with paleoaltimetry results. Interestingly, the maximum inferred surface uplift is greatest where the crust is thinnest, and the timing of the observed changes in elevation and exhumation has not been linked to any documented episodes of large-magnitude crustal shortening in the eastern half of the range. The spatial pattern of surface uplift and exhumation seems to mimic the Pampean flat slab's geometry, however, it could be equally well explained by eastward migration of a crustal root via ductile deformation in the lower crust and is not related to flat-slab subduction.

Diatom-sedimentation feedback generates a self-organized geomorphic landscape on intertidal mudflats (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van de Koppel, J.; Weerman, E.; Herman, P.

2010-12-01

During spring, intertidal flats can exhibit strikingly regular spatial patterns of diatom-covered hummocks alternating with almost bare, water-filled hollows. We hypothesize that 1) the formation of this geomorphic landscape is caused by a strong interaction between benthic diatoms and sediment dynamics, inducing spatial self-organization, and 2) that self-organization affects ecosystem functioning by increasing the net average sedimentation on the tidal flat. We present a combined empirical and mathematical study to test the first hypothesis. We determined how the sediment erosion threshold varied with diatom cover and elevation. Our results were incorporated into a mathematical model to investigate whether the proposed mechanism could explain the formation of the observed patterns. Our mathematical model confirmed that the interaction between sedimentation, diatom growth and water redistribution could induce the formation of regular patterns on the intertidal mudflat. The model predicts that areas exhibiting spatially-self-organized patterns have increased sediment accretion and diatom biomass compared with areas lacking spatial patterns. We tested this prediction by following the sediment elevation during the season on both patterned and unpatterned parts of the mudflat. The results of our study confirmed our model prediction, as more sediment was found to accumulate in patterned parts of the mudflat, revealing how self-organization affected the functioning of mudflat ecosystems. Our study on intertidal mudflats provides a simple but clear-cut example of how the interaction between biological and geomorphological processes, through the process of self-organization, induces a self-organized geomorphic landscape.

Crystallization process of zircon and fergusonite during hydrothermal alteration in Nechalacho REE deposit, Thor Lake, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoshino, M.; Watanabe, Y.; Murakami, H.; Kon, Y.; Tsunematsu, M.

2012-04-01

The core samples of two drill holes, which penetrate sub-horizontal mineralized horizons at Nechalacho REE deposit in the Proterozoic Thor Lake syenite, Canada, were studied in order to clarify magmatic and hydrothermal processes that enriched HFSE (e.g. Zr, Nb, Y and REE). Zircon is the most common REE minerals in Nechalacho REE deposit. The zircon is divided into five types as follows: Type-1 zircon occurs as single grain in phlogopite and the chondrite-normalized REE pattern is characterized by a steeply-rising slope from the LREE to the HREE with a positive Ce-anomaly and negative Eu-anomaly. This chemical characteristic is similar to that of igneous zircon. Type-2 zircon consists of HREE-rich magmatic porous core and LREE-Nb-F-rich hydrothermal rim. This type zircon is mostly included in phlogopite and fluorite, and occasionally in microcline. Type-3 zircon is characterized by euhedral to anhedral crystal, occurring in a complex intergrowth with REE fluorocarbonates. Type-3 zircons have high contents of REE, Nb and fluorine. Type-4 zircon consists of porous-core and -rim zones, but their chemical compositions are similar to each other. This type zircon is a subhedral crystal rimmed by fergusonite. Type-5 zircon is characterized by smaller, porous and subhedral to anhedral crystals. The interstices between small zircons are filled by fergusonite. Type-4 and -5 zircons show low REE and Nb contents. Occurrences of these five types of zircon are different according to the depth and degree of the alteration by hydrothermal solutions rich in F- and CO3 of the two drill holes, which permit a model for evolution of the zircon crystallization in Nechalacho REE deposit as follows: (1) type-1 (single magmatic zircon) is formed in miaskitic syenite. (2) LREE-Nb-F-rich hydrothermal zircon formed around HREE-rich magmatic zircon (type-2 zircon); (3) type-3 zircon crystallized thorough F and CO3-rich hydrothermal alteration of type-2 zircon which formed the complex intergrowth with REE fluorocarbonates; (4) the CO3-rich hydrothermal fluid corroded type-3, forming Nb-REE-poor zircons (type-3). Niobium and REE was no longer stable in the zircon structure and crystallized as fergusonite around the REE-Nb-leached zircon (type-4); (5) type-5 zircons are formed from more CO3-rich hydrothermal alteration of type-3 zircon. Therefore, type-4 and -5 zircons are often included in ankerite. Type 3-5 zircons at Nechalacho REE deposit were formed by leaching and/or dissolution of type-2 zircon in the presence of F- and/or CO3-rich hydrothermal fluid. The above mineral association indicates that three hydrothermal stages were present and related to HFSE enrichment in the Nechalacho REE deposit: (1) F-rich hydrothermal stage caused the crystallization of REE-Nb-rich zircon (type-2 rim and type-3), with abundant formation of phlogophite and fluorite, (2) F-CO3-rich hydrothermal stage led to the replacement of a part of REE-Nb-F-rich zircon by REE fluorocarbonate and (3) hydrothermal stage rich in CO3 resulted in crystallization of REE-Nb-F-poor zircon and fergusonite, with ankerite. Increases of HFSE contents, REE-Nb-F-poor zircon (type-4 and -5) and fergusonite contents during progress of hydrothermal alteration show that REE and Nb in hydrothermal fluid in the Nechalacho REE deposit were finally concentrated into fergusonite by way of zircon.

Upper mantle anisotropy beneath Peru from SKS splitting: Constraints on flat slab dynamics and interaction with the Nazca Ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eakin, Caroline M.; Long, Maureen D.; Wagner, Lara S.; Beck, Susan L.; Tavera, Hernando

2015-02-01

The Peruvian flat slab is by far the largest region of flat subduction in the world today, but aspects of its structure and dynamics remain poorly understood. In particular, questions remain over whether the relatively narrow Nazca Ridge subducting beneath southern Peru provides dynamic support for the flat slab or it is just a passive feature. We investigate the dynamics and interaction of the Nazca Ridge and the flat slab system by studying upper mantle seismic anisotropy across southern Peru. We analyze shear wave splitting of SKS, sSKS, and PKS phases at 49 stations distributed across the area, primarily from the PerU Lithosphere and Slab Experiment (PULSE). We observe distinct spatial variations in anisotropic structure along strike, most notably a sharp transition from coherent splitting in the north to pervasive null (non-split) arrivals in the south, with the transition coinciding with the northern limit of the Nazca Ridge. For both anisotropic domains there is evidence for complex and multi-layered anisotropy. To the north of the ridge our *KS splitting measurements likely reflect trench-normal mantle flow beneath the flat slab. This signal is then modified by shallower anisotropic layers, most likely in the supra-slab mantle, but also potentially from within the slab. To the south the sub-slab mantle is similarly anisotropic, with a trench-oblique fast direction, but widespread nulls appear to reflect dramatic heterogeneity in anisotropic structure above the flat slab. Overall the regional anisotropic structure, and thus the pattern of deformation, appears to be closely tied to the location of the Nazca Ridge, which further suggests that the ridge plays a key role in the mantle dynamics of the Peruvian flat slab system.

Monazite behaviours during high-temperature metamorphism: a case study from Dinggye region, Tibetan Himalaya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jia-Min; Wu, Fu-Yuan; Rubatto, Daniela; Liu, Shi-Ran; Zhang, Jin-Jiang

2017-04-01

Monazite is a key accessory mineral for metamorphic geochronology, but its growth mechanisms during melt-bearing high-temperature metamorphism is not well understood. Therefore, the petrology, pressure-temperature and timing of metamorphism have been investigated in pelitic and psammitic granulites from the Greater Himalayan Crystalline Complex (GHC) in Dinggye, southern Tibet. These rocks underwent an isothermal decompression process from pressure conditions of >10 kbar to <5 kbar with constant temperatures of 750-830°C, and recorded three metamorphic stages of kyanite-grade (M1), sillimanite-grade (M2) and cordierite-spinel grade (M3). Monazite and zircon crystals were analyzed for ages by microbeam techniques either in mounts or thin sections. Ages were linked to specific conditions of mineral growth by comprehensive studies on zoning patterns, trace element signatures, index mineral inclusions (melt inclusions, sillimanite and K-feldspar) in dated domains and textural correlations with coexisting minerals. The results show that inherited domains (500-400 Ma) are common in monazite even at granulite-facies conditions. Few monazites formed at the M1-stage ( 30-29 Ma) and recorded heterogeneous Th, Y, and HREE compositions, which formed by recrystallization related to muscovite dehydration melting reaction. These monazite grains were protected from dissolution or lateral overprinting mainly by the armour effect of matrix crystals (biotite and quartz). Most monazite grains formed at the M3-stage (21-19 Ma) through either dissolution-reprecipitation or recrystallization that was related to biotite dehydration melting reaction. These monazite grains record HREE and Y signatures in local equilibrium with different reactions involving either garnet breakdown or peritectic garnet growth. Another peak of monazite growth occurs during melt crystallization ( 15 Ma), and these monazites are unzoned and have homogeneous compositions. Our results documented the widespread recrystallization to account for monazite growth during high-temperature metamorphism and related melting reactions that trigger monazite recrystallization. In a regional sense, our P-T-t data along with published data indicate that the pre-M1 eclogite-facies metamorphism occurred at 39-30 Ma in the Dinggye Himalaya. Our results are in favour of a steady exhumation of the GHC rocks since Oligocene that was contributed by partial melting. Key words: U-Th-Pb geochronology, Monazite, Recrystallization, Pelitic granulite, Himalaya

Rare earth elements in coastal sediments of the northern Galician shelf: Influence of geological features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prego, Ricardo; Caetano, Miguel; Bernárdez, Patricia; Brito, Pedro; Ospina-Alvarez, Natalia; Vale, Carlos

2012-03-01

The Northern coast of Galicia, NW Iberian Peninsula, exhibits a variety of geological features: Ortegal allochthonous complex, Ollo-de-Sapo autochthonous domain and massifs of Bares, Barqueiro and San-Ciprian. In order to examine the influence of terrestrial lithologies on coastal sediments, 103 samples were collected in the Rias of Ortigueira, Barqueiro and Viveiro, their neighbouring shelf and the estuaries of Mera, Sor and Landro rivers. Aluminium, Fe, Sc, particulate inorganic and organic carbon and rare earth elements (REE) were determined in the <2 mm fraction. In addition, calcite, muscovite, quartz and riebeckite minerals were identified and quantified in 33 selected samples. The distributions of riebeckite and Fe reflect the influence of Ortegal complex on the coastal areas around the Cape Ortegal. The highest concentrations of ΣREE were found in fine sediments from confined inner parts of the Rias (up to 233 mg kg-1), while most of the sands contained 11-70 mg kg-1. ΣREE normalised to European Shale (ES) highlights the relative abundance of lanthanides (ΣREEN>6) near Cape Ortegal and the innermost ria zones. The ratio between light and heavy REE (L/H) showed lower values (4-11) around Cape Ortegal and the shelf while higher ratios (15-23) were detected in west of the Cape Estaca-de-Bares and in the inner Viveiro Ria due to elevated contributions of La and Ce. The L/H values normalised to ES reflects the importance of HREE in the adjacent area to Ortegal Complex (LN/HN<0.8) and the LREE (LN/HN>1.4) in the inner estuaries and west Cape Estaca-de-Bares. The highest REE individual ES normalised were measured in fine-grained sediments of the Mera and Sor estuaries. Sediments from the eastern shelf of Cape Ortegal presented enhanced ratios only for HREE. These results indicate that distribution of REE in the northern Galician region is highly depending on the neighbouring lithological pattern, contrasting with the situation found in the western Galician shelf and the Bay of Biscay. Lanthanides can, thus, provide a useful tool to follow the sediment pathway in the land-sea boundary zones, denoting continental geochemical imprint or fluvial outputs accordingly to the existing hydrological and geological conditions.

Determining the physical and chemical processes behind four caldera-forming eruptions in rapid succession in the San Juan caldera cluster, Colorado, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Curry, A. C.; Caricchi, L.; Lipman, P. W.

2017-12-01

A primary goal of volcanology is to understand the frequency and magnitude of large, explosive volcanic eruptions to mitigate their impact on society. Recent studies show that the average magma flux and the time between magma injections into a given magmatic-volcanic system fundamentally control the frequency and magnitude of volcanic eruptions, yet these parameters are unknown for many volcanic regions on Earth. We focus on major and trace element chemistry of individual phases and whole-rock samples, initial zircon ID-TIMS analyses, and zircon SIMS oxygen isotope analyses of four caldera-forming ignimbrites from the San Juan caldera cluster in the Southern Rocky Mountain volcanic field, Colorado, to determine the physical and chemical processes leading to large eruptions. We collected outflow samples along stratigraphy of the three caldera-forming ignimbrites of the San Luis caldera complex: the Rat Creek Tuff ( 150 km3), Cebolla Creek Tuff ( 250 km3), and Nelson Mountain Tuff (>500 km3); and we collected samples of both outflow and intracaldera facies of the Snowshoe Mountain Tuff (>500 km3), which formed the Creede caldera. Single-crystal sanidine 40Ar/39Ar ages show that these large eruptions occurred in rapid succession between 26.91 ± 0.02 Ma (Rat Creek Tuff) and 26.87 ± 0.02 Ma (Snowshoe Mountain Tuff), providing an opportunity to investigate the temporal evolution of magmatic systems feeding large, explosive volcanic eruptions. Major and trace element analyses show that the first and last eruption of the San Luis caldera complex (Rat Creek Tuff and Nelson Mountain Tuff) are rhyolitic to dacitic ignimbrites, whereas the Cebolla Creek Tuff and Snowshoe Mountain Tuff are crystal-rich, dacitic ignimbrites. Trace elements show enrichment in light rare-earth elements (LREEs) over heavy rare-earth elements (HREEs), and whereas the trace element patterns are similar for each caldera cycle, trace element values for each ignimbrite show variability in HREE concentrations. This variability indicates that these large eruptions sampled a magmatic system with some degree of internal heterogeneity. These results have implications for the chemical and physical processes, such as magmatic flux and injection periodicity, leading to the formation of large magmatic systems prior to large, explosive eruptions.

Trace and rare-earth element characteristics of acidic tuffs from southern Peru and northern Bolivia and a fission-track age for the sillar of Arequipa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vatin-Perignon, N.; Poupeau, G.; Oliver, R. A.; La Venu, A.; Labrin, F.; Keller, F.; Bellot-Gurlet, L.

1996-03-01

Trace-element and REE data of glass and pumices of acidic tuffs and related fall deposits erupted in southern Peru and northern Bolivia between 20 and 0.36 Ma display typical characteristics of subduction related continental arc magmatism of the CVZ with strong LILE/HFSE enrichment and non enrichment of HREE and Y. Geochemical variations of these tuffs are linked to subduction processes and controlled by changes in tectonic regimes which occured with each Quechua tectonic pulse and affected the astenospheric wedge and both the dowgoing and the overriding lithospheres. During Neogene — Pleistocene times, tuffs erupted in northern Bolivia are typically enriched in Zr, Hf, Th, Ba, LREEs and other incompatible elements and incompatible /Yb ratios are much higher relative to those erupted from southern Peru, at a given SiO 2 content (65-67 wt. for dacites, 72-73 wt.% for rhyolites). {Zr}/{Hf} ratios increase eastward from 27 to 30 and {Ce}/{Yb N} ratios from 11 to 19 reflecting the variation of degree of wedge contribution. Fractionation of the LREE over the HREE and fractionation of incompatible elements may be due to their heterogeneous distribution in the magma source. More highly fractionated REE patterns of Bolivian tuffs than Peruvian tuffs are attributed to variable amounts of contamination of magmas by lower crust. After the Quechua compressional event at 7 Ma, {Sr}/{Y} ratios of tuffs of the same age, erupted at 150-250 km or 250-400 km from the Peru-Chile trench, increase from southern Peru to northern Bolivia. These differences may be attributed to the subduction of a swarm oceanic lithosphere under the Bolivian Alti-plano, leading to partial melting of the sudbucted lithosphere. New FT dating of obsidian fragments of the sillar of Arequipa at 2.42 ± 0.11 Ma. This tuff dates the last Quechua compressional upper Pliocene phase ( 2.5 Ma) and confirms that the sillar is not contemporaneous with the Toba 76 tuff or the Perez ignimbrite of northern Bolivia. Geochemical characteristics of tuffs erupted before and after this last compressional phase remained the same and provide evidence that the upper Miocene ( 7 Ma) compressional deformations played the most important role on the variability of the geochemical characteristics of the southern Peruvian and northern Bolivian tuffs.

Nature of parent rocks, mineralization styles and ore genesis of regolith-hosted REE deposits in South China: An integrated genetic model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yan Hei Martin; Zhao, Wen Winston; Zhou, Mei-Fu

2017-10-01

Regolith-hosted rare earth element (REE) deposits, also called ion-adsorption or weathered crust elution-deposited REE deposits are distributed over Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Hunan, Guangxi and Yunnan provinces in South China. In general, these deposits can be categorized into the HREE-dominated type, for example the famous Zudong deposit in southern Jiangxi province and the LREE-dominated type, such as the Heling and Dingnan deposits in southern Jiangxi province. Most of these deposits form from weathering of biotite and muscovite granites, syenites, monzogranites, granodiorites, granite porphyries, and rhyolitic tuffs. The parent rocks are generally peraluminous, siliceous, alkaline and contain a variety of REE-bearing minerals. Mostly, REE patterns of regolith are inherited from the parent rocks, and therefore, characteristics of the parent rocks impose a significant control on the ore formation. Data compilation shows that autometasomatism during the latest stage of granite crystallization is likely essential in forming the HREE-enriched granites, whereas LREE-enriched granites could form through magmatic differentiation. These deposits are normally two- to three-fold, but could be up to ten-fold enrichment in REE compared to the parent granites, where the maximum enrichment usually occurs from the lower B to the upper C horizon. Ce shows different behavior with the other REEs. Strongly positive Ce anomalies commonly occur at the upper part of weathering profiles, likely due to oxidation of Ce3+ to Ce4+ and removal of Ce from soil solutions through precipitation of cerianite. Vertical pH and redox gradients in weathering crusts facilitate dissolution of REE-bearing minerals at shallow level and fixation of REE at depth through either adsorption on clay minerals or precipitation of secondary minerals. At the same time, mass removal of major elements plays an important role in concentrating REE in regolith. Combination of mass removal and eluviation-illuviation dynamics is the main mechanism for REE accumulation in weathering crusts. Favorable exogenetic factors facilitate the accumulation of REE in regolith and preservation of the ore bodies. These include quasi-equilibrium between denudation and exhumation at regional scales, local geomorphology dominated by low-lying gentle slopes, adequate rainfall, and favorable groundwater conditions. Continuous operation of such a dynamic weathering system is essential in the formation of regolith-hosted REE deposits.

Colloidal diffusion over a quasicrystalline-patterned substrate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Yun; Lai, Pik-Yin; Ackerson, Bruce; Tong, Penger

We report a systematic study of colloidal diffusion over a quasicrystalline-patterned substrate. The sample substrate is made of a flat thin layer of photoresist and contains identical cylindrical holes of diameter dh, which are arranged on a quasicrystal lattice. A monolayer of silica spheres of diameter comparable to dh diffuse over the rugged quasicrystalline-patterned substrate and experience a gravitational potential U (x , y) . With optical microscopy and the particle tracking method, we measure U (x , y) and particle's diffusion trajectories, which are found to undergo two distinct states: a trapped state when the particles are inside the holes and a free diffusion state when they are over the flat portion of the substrate. The dynamic properties of the diffusing particle, such as its mean dwell time, mean square displacement, and long-time diffusion coefficient DL are obtained from the particle trajectories. The measured DL is found to be in good agreement with the prediction of two theoretical models proposed for diffusion over a quasicrystal lattice. The experiment demonstrates the applications of this newly constructed colloidal potential landscape. This work was supported by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong SAR.

Nonprincipal plane scattering of flat plates and pattern control of horn antennas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balanis, Constantine A.; Polka, Lesley A.; Liu, Kefeng

1989-01-01

Using the geometrical theory of diffraction, the traditional method of high frequency scattering analysis, the prediction of the radar cross section of a perfectly conducting, flat, rectangular plate is limited to principal planes. Part A of this report predicts the radar cross section in nonprincipal planes using the method of equivalent currents. This technique is based on an asymptotic end-point reduction of the surface radiation integrals for an infinite wedge and enables nonprincipal plane prediction. The predicted radar cross sections for both horizontal and vertical polarizations are compared to moment method results and experimental data from Arizona State University's anechoic chamber. In part B, a variational calculus approach to the pattern control of the horn antenna is outlined. The approach starts with the optimization of the aperture field distribution so that the control of the radiation pattern in a range of directions can be realized. A control functional is thus formulated. Next, a spectral analysis method is introduced to solve for the eigenfunctions from the extremal condition of the formulated functional. Solutions to the optimized aperture field distribution are then obtained.

Largely flat latitudinal life history clines in the dung fly Sepsis fulgens across Europe (Diptera: Sepsidae).

PubMed

Roy, Jeannine; Blanckenhorn, Wolf U; Rohner, Patrick T

2018-05-17

Clinal variation in body size and related life history traits is common and has stimulated the postulation of several eco-geographical rules. Whereas some clinal patterns are clearly adaptive, the causes of others remain obscure. We investigated intra-specific body size, development time and female fecundity (egg size and number) clines across 13 European populations of the dung fly Sepsis fulgens spanning 20° latitude from southern Italy to Estonia in a genetic common garden approach. Despite very short generation times (ca. 2 weeks at 24 °C), we found a converse Bergmann cline (smaller size at higher latitudes). As development time did not change with latitude (flat cline), integral growth rate thus likely declines towards the pole. At the same time, early fecundity, but not egg size, increased with latitude. Rather than being mediated by seasonal time constraints, the body size reduction in the northernmost flies from Estonia could suggest that these are marginal, edge populations, as when omitting them the body size cline became flat as well. Most of the other sepsid species investigated to date also show flat body size clines, a pattern that strikingly differs from Drosophila. We conclude that S. fulgens life history traits appear to be shaped by similar environmental pressures and selective mechanisms across Europe, be they adaptive or not. This reiterates the suggestion that body size clines can result as a secondary consequence of selection pressures shaping an entire life history syndrome, rendering them inconsistent and unpredictable in general.

Mantle flow through a tear in the Nazca slab inferred from shear wave splitting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynner, Colton; Anderson, Megan L.; Portner, Daniel E.; Beck, Susan L.; Gilbert, Hersh

2017-07-01

A tear in the subducting Nazca slab is located between the end of the Pampean flat slab and normally subducting oceanic lithosphere. Tomographic studies suggest mantle material flows through this opening. The best way to probe this hypothesis is through observations of seismic anisotropy, such as shear wave splitting. We examine patterns of shear wave splitting using data from two seismic deployments in Argentina that lay updip of the slab tear. We observe a simple pattern of plate-motion-parallel fast splitting directions, indicative of plate-motion-parallel mantle flow, beneath the majority of the stations. Our observed splitting contrasts previous observations to the north and south of the flat slab region. Since plate-motion-parallel splitting occurs only coincidentally with the slab tear, we propose mantle material flows through the opening resulting in Nazca plate-motion-parallel flow in both the subslab mantle and mantle wedge.

Origin of the anomalies in light and middle REE in sediments of an estuary affected by phosphogypsum wastes (south-western Spain).

PubMed

Borrego, J; López-González, N; Carro, B; Lozano-Soria, O

2004-12-01

Sc, Y, Th, Cu and rare earth elements (REE) concentrations have been analyzed in 14 samples of surface sediments and in two gravity cores by means of ICP-MS. Mean concentrations of Sc, Y and Th in surface sediments are 6.23, 4.76 and 16.30 ppm, respectively, lower than those present in the Upper Continental Crust (UCC). Cu concentration in these sediments is very high, 1466 ppm, and is caused by inputs from the Odiel and Tinto rivers, affected by acid mine drainage. SigmaREE mean concentration is 106.8 ppm, lower than that observed in other rivers and estuaries. In the cores, Sc, Y and Th concentrations show a significant increase in the intermediate levels, between 10 and 40 cm depth. The same pattern exists with Cu, where concentrations of 4440 ppm can be reached. Vertical evolution patterns for Sc, Y, Cu and heavy REE (HREE) are similar, and contrary to those shown by Th, light REE (LREE) and middle REE (MREE). Plots of North American Shale Composite (NASC)-normalized REE data of surface sediments show a slight depletion in REE concentrations. Most samples present with middle REE enrichment relative to light REE and heavy REE. Conversely, samples of the intermediate levels of the cores show significant enrichment of REE relative to NASC and high values in the (La/Gd)NASC and (La/Yb)NASC ratios. These anomalies in the fractionation patterns caused by enrichments in LREE and MREE concentrations is related to the presence of high concentrations of Th. They were generated by effluents from fertilizer factories between 1968 and 1998 which used phosphorite as source material.

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton

PubMed Central

Ellis, Nicholas A.; Miller, Craig T.

2016-01-01

The posterior pharyngeal segments of the vertebrate head give rise to the branchial skeleton, the primary site of food processing in fish. The morphology of the fish branchial skeleton is matched to a species' diet. Threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus) have emerged as a model system to study the genetic and developmental basis of evolved differences in a variety of traits. Marine populations of sticklebacks have repeatedly colonized countless new freshwater lakes and creeks. Adaptation to the new diet in these freshwater environments likely underlies a series of craniofacial changes that have evolved repeatedly in independently derived freshwater populations. These include three major patterning changes to the branchial skeleton: reductions in the number and length of gill raker bones, increases in pharyngeal tooth number, and increased branchial bone lengths. Here we describe a detailed protocol to dissect and flat-mount the internal branchial skeleton in threespine stickleback fish. Dissection of the entire three-dimensional branchial skeleton and mounting it flat into a largely two-dimensional prep allows for the easy visualization and quantification of branchial skeleton morphology. This dissection method is inexpensive, fast, relatively easy, and applicable to a wide variety of fish species. In sticklebacks, this efficient method allows the quantification of skeletal morphology in genetic crosses to map genomic regions controlling craniofacial patterning. PMID:27213248

Dissection and Flat-mounting of the Threespine Stickleback Branchial Skeleton.

PubMed

Ellis, Nicholas A; Miller, Craig T

2016-05-07

The posterior pharyngeal segments of the vertebrate head give rise to the branchial skeleton, the primary site of food processing in fish. The morphology of the fish branchial skeleton is matched to a species' diet. Threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus) have emerged as a model system to study the genetic and developmental basis of evolved differences in a variety of traits. Marine populations of sticklebacks have repeatedly colonized countless new freshwater lakes and creeks. Adaptation to the new diet in these freshwater environments likely underlies a series of craniofacial changes that have evolved repeatedly in independently derived freshwater populations. These include three major patterning changes to the branchial skeleton: reductions in the number and length of gill raker bones, increases in pharyngeal tooth number, and increased branchial bone lengths. Here we describe a detailed protocol to dissect and flat-mount the internal branchial skeleton in threespine stickleback fish. Dissection of the entire three-dimensional branchial skeleton and mounting it flat into a largely two-dimensional prep allows for the easy visualization and quantification of branchial skeleton morphology. This dissection method is inexpensive, fast, relatively easy, and applicable to a wide variety of fish species. In sticklebacks, this efficient method allows the quantification of skeletal morphology in genetic crosses to map genomic regions controlling craniofacial patterning.

Testing the limits of long-distance learning: learning beyond a three-segment window.

PubMed

Finley, Sara

2012-01-01

Traditional flat-structured bigram and trigram models of phonotactics are useful because they capture a large number of facts about phonological processes. Additionally, these models predict that local interactions should be easier to learn than long-distance ones because long-distance dependencies are difficult to capture with these models. Long-distance phonotactic patterns have been observed by linguists in many languages, who have proposed different kinds of models, including feature-based bigram and trigram models, as well as precedence models. Contrary to flat-structured bigram and trigram models, these alternatives capture unbounded dependencies because at an abstract level of representation, the relevant elements are locally dependent, even if they are not adjacent at the observable level. Using an artificial grammar learning paradigm, we provide additional support for these alternative models of phonotactics. Participants in two experiments were exposed to a long-distance consonant-harmony pattern in which the first consonant of a five-syllable word was [s] or [∫] ("sh") and triggered a suffix that was either [-su] or [-∫u] depending on the sibilant quality of this first consonant. Participants learned this pattern, despite the large distance between the trigger and the target, suggesting that when participants learn long-distance phonological patterns, that pattern is learned without specific reference to distance. Copyright © 2012 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Mineral resource of the month: rare earth elements

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2011-01-01

The article provides information on rare earth elements, which are group of 17 natural metallic elements. The rare earth elements are scandium, yttrium and lanthanides and classified into light rare earth elements (LREE) and heavy rate earth elements (HREE). The principal ores of the rare earth elements are identified. An overview of China's production of 97 percent of the rare earths in the world is provided. Commercial applications of rare earths are described.

Fabrication of scrolled magnetic thin film patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Min, Seonggi; Lim, Jin-Hee; Gaffney, John; Kinttle, Kristofer; Wiley, John B.; Malkinski, Leszek

2012-04-01

Magnetic film scrolls have been fabricated via a deterministic release of rectangular patterns of bimetallic Ti (20 nm)/Ni (20 , 30 or 40 nm) films from a sacrificial Cu underlayer. The diameter of the scrolls varied from 2.64 μm to 4.28 μm with increasing thickness of the Ni layer from 20 to 40 nm. This behavior was found to be consistent with the model of bilayered film with interfacial strain between the Ti and Ni layers of about Δɛ = 0.01. Changing the geometry of the patterns from flat patterns to scrolls led to changes in their magnetic properties.

Control of bacterial adhesion and growth on honeycomb-like patterned surfaces.

PubMed

Yang, Meng; Ding, Yonghui; Ge, Xiang; Leng, Yang

2015-11-01

It is a great challenge to construct a persistent bacteria-resistant surface even though it has been demonstrated that several surface features might be used to control bacterial behavior, including surface topography. In this study, we develop micro-scale honeycomb-like patterns of different sizes (0.5-10 μm) as well as a flat area as the control on a single platform to evaluate the bacterial adhesion and growth. Bacteria strains, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus with two distinct shapes (rod and sphere) are cultured on the platforms, with the patterned surface-up and surface-down in the culture medium. The results demonstrate that the 1 μm patterns remarkably reduce bacterial adhesion and growth while suppressing bacterial colonization when compared to the flat surface. The selective adhesion of the bacterial cells on the patterns reveals that the bacterial adhesion is cooperatively mediated by maximizing the cell-substrate contact area and minimizing the cell deformation, from a thermodynamic point of view. Moreover, study of bacterial behaviors on the surface-up vs. surface-down samples shows that gravity does not apparently affect the spatial distribution of the adherent cells although it indeed facilitates bacterial adhesion. Furthermore, the experimental results suggest that two major factors, i.e. the availability of energetically favorable adhesion sites and the physical confinements, contribute to the anti-bacterial nature of the honeycomb-like patterns. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Swelling-Induced Folding in Confined Nanoscale Responsive Polymer Gels

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-16

transformations leading to micrometer scale lenticular surface structures due to strong shear forces at the filmsubstrate interface. The growth of the...observed here. To further understand the origin of the observed lenticular folding patterns, we considered how the con- ditions for buckling patterns in...periodic- ity of 900 nm) exhibited organized lenticular structures popping up from nanoimprinted film similar to that ob- served in a uniform flat

Micromachined silicon electrostatic chuck

DOEpatents

Anderson, R.A.; Seager, C.H.

1996-12-10

An electrostatic chuck is faced with a patterned silicon plate, created by micromachining a silicon wafer, which is attached to a metallic base plate. Direct electrical contact between the chuck face (patterned silicon plate`s surface) and the silicon wafer it is intended to hold is prevented by a pattern of flat-topped silicon dioxide islands that protrude less than 5 micrometers from the otherwise flat surface of the chuck face. The islands may be formed in any shape. Islands may be about 10 micrometers in diameter or width and spaced about 100 micrometers apart. One or more concentric rings formed around the periphery of the area between the chuck face and wafer contain a low-pressure helium thermal-contact gas used to assist heat removal during plasma etching of a silicon wafer held by the chuck. The islands are tall enough and close enough together to prevent silicon-to-silicon electrical contact in the space between the islands, and the islands occupy only a small fraction of the total area of the chuck face, typically 0.5 to 5 percent. The pattern of the islands, together with at least one hole bored through the silicon veneer into the base plate, will provide sufficient gas-flow space to allow the distribution of the helium thermal-contact gas. 6 figs.

Petrology of ultramafic and mafic xenoliths from Ruddon's Point, Fife, Scotland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matusiak-Malek, Magdalena; Sobczak, Paweł; Upton, Brian; Puziewicz, Jacek; Ntaflos, Theodoros

2017-04-01

The studied xenolith suite comprise of anhydrous spinel lherzolites, wehrlite, ol- clinopyroxenite, clinopyroxenite and websterite. Peridotites have porphyroclastic texture and consist of forsterite-rich olivine (Fo87-90), Al-rich pyroxenes (0.25-0.31 apfu in Cpx and 0.15-0.19 apfu in Opx) and Cr-poor spinel (Cr-number=0.15-0.20, Mg-number=0.70). Wehrlite has cumulative texture with cumulus olivine (Fo83-84) and intercumulus clinopyroxene (Mg-number=0.83-0.86, Al=0.23-0.29 apfu). Clinopyroxenites and websterites have adcumulative textures, and often contain pseudomorphs after mica (?). Olivine in clinopyroxenites and ol-clinopyroxenites is low magnesian- Fo78-82, clinopyroxenes have Mg-number from 0.75 to 0.85 with Al ranging from 0.17 to 0.30 apfu. Clinopyroxene-orthopyroxene equilibrium in most of peridotites was achieved in temperatures from 960 to 1010°C, in websterite it was 970-990°C (Brey and Köhler, 1991). Clinopyroxene forming peridotites is characterized by flat HREE and is slightly depleted to slightly enriched in LREE ((La/Lu)N=0.4-2.5). The only significant anomalies in clinopyroxene's multi-trace element patterns occur at Th-U (positive) and Nb-Ta (negative) contents. Orthopyroxene in peridotites contains elevated amounts of Th, U, Zr, Hf and Ti. Clinopyroxene in clinopyroxenites has concave downward REE pattern ((La/Lu)N=2.3-2.4 in clinopyroxenites and ((La/Lu)N=4.8 and 8.7 in ol-clinopyroxenite and websterite, respectively) and has slight negative Ti anomaly in olivine clinopyroxenite and websterite. The lherzolite xenoliths represent upper mantle rocks. Composition of clinopyroxene suggests the peridotites to suffer from 1 to 7% of melt extraction, composition of orthopyroxene points to higher degrees of depletion (10-15%; Upton et al., 2011). Peridotites have been metasomatised by subduction-related hydrous fluids enriching pyroxenes in Th and U. Clinopyroxene in wehrlite is texturally later than olivine, but strictly follows the general trace element characteristic of peridotites, thus may represent precipitate from the metasomatic melt. Subduction-related metasomatism seems to be widespread in Scottish lithosphere south from Moine Thrust Zone, but with numerous local variations (Bonadiman et al., 2008; Hughes et al., 2015; Upton et al., 2011). The ol- clinopyroxenites and clinopyroxenites are considered to have originated by crystal settling from an alkaline silicate melt. Their formation is possibly related with Carboniferous, rifting-controlled volcanism. This study was possible thanks to project NCN UMO-2014/15/B/ST10/00095 from the Polish National Centre for Science. Bonadiman et al. (2008). Geological Society, London, Special Publication 293, 303-333 Brey, Köhler (1991). Journal of Petrology 31, 1353-1378 Hughes et al. (2015). Mineralogical Magazine, 74, 877-908 Upton et al. (2011). Journal of the Geological Society 168, 873-886

Petrogenesis of Franciscan Complex and Coast Range Ophiolite Serpentinites in northern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eldam, R.; Barnes, J.; Lee, C.; Errico, J. C.; Loewy, S. L.; Cisneros, M.

2012-12-01

Franciscan Complex serpentinites have been interpreted as eroded pieces of the overriding Coast Range Ophiolite (CRO), off-scraped pieces of the subducting oceanic plate, and as sedimentary serpentinites (e.g., Wakabayashi, 2004); however, most of these interpretations are based on tectonic models and field relationships. Here we present bulk rock major and trace element geochemistry, pyroxene and spinel geochemistry, and stable isotope data (O, H, Cl) for serpentinite samples with the goal of determining protolith origin and subsequent serpentinizing fluid sources of several metasomatized Franciscan and CRO ultramafic rocks in order to decipher the tectonic setting of serpentinization. We focused on serpentinite bodies found in the Franciscan Complex (west of Cuesta Ridge; south of San Francisco; Tiburon Peninsula; Healdsburg) (n = 12). Three samples from Cuesta Ridge (CRO) were also analyzed for comparison. All samples are >~95% serpentinized and consist of lizardite +/- chrysotile. Relict grains are rarely preserved. Franciscan serpentinites (Tiburon Peninsula, west of Cuesta Ridge) show positive-sloped REE patterns. This depletion in LREE is typical of abyssal peridotites. Relict clinopyroxenes from Tiburon Peninsula have high HREE concentrations, also supporting an abyssal origin. 2 of the 3 samples from the Cuesta Ridge show flat REE patterns; whereas, one is U-shaped. This enrichment in LREE is similar to forearc peridotites. Spinels from Cuesta Ridge have Cr# > 0.60 also implying a forearc setting; whereas, Franciscan localities have typically have lower Cr# (0.21 to 0.51). All samples show remarkable positive Ce and Y anomalies. We speculate that these anomalies may be due to interaction with ferromanganese nodules and crusts (also high in Ce and Y) on the seafloor prior to subduction. Cuesta Ridge samples have δ18O values between +6.0 to +6.6‰. Franciscan serpentinites (except those south of San Francisco) have δ18O values of +5.4 to +7.9‰. These δ18O values are similar to typical oceanic serpentinites and likely represent low-T seawater hydration on the seafloor. δD values of all samples are extremely low (-107 to -90‰) and likely result from post-serpentinization, post-emplacement interaction with meteoric water at low temperature. Samples south of San Francisco lie on the San Andreas fault and have high δ18O values (+7.2 to +9.5‰) and low δD values (-107 to -104‰) likely due to low-T interaction with meteoric water at high fluid-rock ratios. Most of the serpentinites (12 of the 15) have δ37Cl values between +0.2 and +0.9‰, typical values for serpentinites formed by interaction with seawater. Based on bulk rock geochemistry and pyroxene and spinel compositions, serpentinites located within the Franciscan Complex have geochemical characteristics of abyssal peridotites; whereas, those from Cuesta Ridge are more chemically heterogeneous with most having affinity to forearc peridotites. All stable isotope geochemistry indicates seafloor serpentinization by seawater. Wakabayashi, J., 2004, International Geology Review, 46, 1103-1118.

Seasonal sedimentary processes of the macrotidal flat in Gomso Bay, west coast of Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, H.; Kang, J.; Choi, J.

2012-12-01

The tidal flats on the west coast of Korea have broad zones with gentle slopes and a macrotidal setting with 4 to 10 meters of tidal ranges. They are directly influenced by monsoons and heavily affected by waves in winter and tidal currents in summer. As a result, most western tidal flats show the seasonal changes of sedimentary features comprising sedimentation and/or erosion of sediments. Gomso bay in the mid-west of Korea is a funnel-shaped embayment with a wide entrance to the west. Tides are semidiurnal and macrotidal, with a mean tidal range of 433.8 cm. Digital elevation model (DEM) showed that the landward inner bay had mainly high elevations and the seaward outer bay had relatively low elevations. In particular, there are considerable gradients in the outer bay from area of high-water line to area of low-water line. The sedimentary analysis and monitoring short-term sedimentation rates were investigated to understand seasonal sedimentary processes of tidal flats in Gomso bay. The surface sediments in the bay were classified into five sedimentary facies in spring 2011. Generally, sandy sediments were dominated in the outer bay, whereas sandy mud sediments were distributed on the inner bay. The middle bay mainly consisted of muddy sand sediments. The percentages of sand decreased from outer to inner bay. The short-term sedimentation rates were obtained from three lines by burying a plate at sub-bottom depth and periodically measuring the changing sediment depth from February 2011 to February 2012. In the tidal flat at inner bay (KB- Line), the annual sedimentation rates were ranged -8.87 to 74.69 mm/year with the net deposition rate of 40.90 mm/year. The deposition occurred on KB-Line in spring, autumn and winter. The erosion was dominated on the tidal flats at middle (KH-Line) and outer bay (KM-Line) during autumn and winter with an annual erosion rate of -29.86 mm/year and -9.92 mm/year, respectively. The seasonal variations of sedimentation on these tidal flats showed that the deposition occurred with an inflow of muddy sediments in summer, whereas the erosion was dominated in autumn and winter. In August 2011, the distribution patterns of rare earth elements (REEs) relative to the upper continental crust (UCC) showed the enrichment of light REEs (LREEs: La-Nd), together with an apparent depletion of Eu in the KH- and KM-Lines. This pattern was more pronounced in the middle bay sediments (KH-Line) due to influence of muddy sediment transport from Jujin Stream during the rainy period (July and August). On the other hand, the outer bay sediments in the KM-Line were reflected more inflow of second sediment source, the Geum River. The major control factors for seasonal variations of sediments on the tidal flat could be heavy rainfall and tidal currents during summer and strong waves during winter. The net sedimentation showed that the deposition occurred in the inner tidal flat and erosion occurred in the middle and outer tidal flat of the bay.

Roll plane analysis of on-aircraft antennas

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burnside, W. D.; Marhefka, R. J.; Byu, C. L.

1974-01-01

Roll plane radiation patterns of on-aircraft antennas are analyzed using high frequency solutions. Aircraft-antenna pattern performance in which the aircraft is modelled in its most basic form is presented. The fuselage is assumed to be a perfectly conducting elliptic cylinder with the antennas mounted near the top or bottom. The wings are simulated by arbitrarily many sided flat plates and the engines by circular cylinders. The patterns in each case are verified by measured results taken on simple models as well as scale models of actual aircraft.

The rare earth element geochemistry on surface sediments, shallow cores and lithological units of Lake Acıgöl basin, Denizli, Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budakoglu, Murat; Abdelnasser, Amr; Karaman, Muhittin; Kumral, Mustafa

2015-11-01

The sediments in Lake Acıgöl, located in SW Anatolia, Turkey, were formed under tectono-sedimentary events. REE geochemical investigations of the Lake Acıgöl sediments, from surface and shallow core sediments at different depths (0-10 cm, 10-20 cm and 20-30 cm) are presented to clarify the characteristics of REE and the nature of source rocks in the lake sediments' and to deduce their paleoenvironmental proxies. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns of these sediments are shown as light enrichment in LREE and flat HREE with a negative Eu anomaly that is close to the continental collision basin (CCB) in its profile; this is not comparable with PAAS and UCC. Inorganic detrital materials control the REE characteristics of the Lake Acıgöl sediments and these sediments were accumulated in oxic and dysoxic depositional conditions and/or at passive margins derived from oceanic island arc rocks. They were affected by low chemical weathering, either at the original source or during transport, before deposition under arid or subtropical humid climatic conditions. In addition, we used GIS techniques (such as Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) and Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR)) to investigate the spatial interpolation and spatial correlation of the REEs from the lake surface sediments in Lake Acıgöl and its surrounding lithological units. GIS techniques showed that the lithological units (e.g., Hayrettin Formation) north of Lake Acıgöl have high REE contents; however, Eu/Eu∗ values were higher in some lake surface sediments than in lithological units, and that refers to a negative Eu-anomaly. Therefore, Lake Acıgöl sediments are derived from the weathered products, mainly from local, highly basic bedrock around the lake from the Archean crust. The chronology of Lake Acıgöl sediment was conducted using the Constant Rate of Supply (CRS) model. Using the CRS methods for the calculation of sedimentation rate, we obtained a 0.012 g/cm2/year value which is an average value for the first 20 cm depth of this lake. The core activity profiles of 210Pb and 137Cs were measured to estimate the age of the sediments; we observed activities of 8.08 ± 5.5 Bq/kg for 210Pb and 0.86 ± 0.6 Bq/kg for 137Cs.

Direct observation for atomically flat and ordered vertical {111} side-surfaces on three-dimensionally figured Si(110) substrate using scanning tunneling microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Haoyu; Hattori, Azusa N.; Ohata, Akinori; Takemoto, Shohei; Hattori, Ken; Daimon, Hiroshi; Tanaka, Hidekazu

2017-11-01

A three-dimensional Si{111} vertical side-surface structure on a Si(110) wafer was fabricated by reactive ion etching (RIE) followed by wet-etching and flash-annealing treatments. The side-surface was studied with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) in atomic scale for the first time, in addition to atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). AFM and SEM showed flat and smooth vertical side-surfaces without scallops, and STM proved the realization of an atomically-flat 7 × 7-reconstructed structure, under optimized RIE and wet-etching conditions. STM also showed that a step-bunching occurred on the produced {111} side-surface corresponding to a reversely taped side-surface with a tilt angle of a few degrees, but did not show disordered structures. Characteristic LEED patterns from both side- and top-reconstructed surfaces were also demonstrated.

Comparison of hand laid-up tape and filament wound composite cylinders and panels with and without impact damage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jegley, Dawn C.; Lopez, Osvaldo F.

1991-01-01

Experimentally determined axial compressive failure loads, strains and failure modes of composite flat panels and cylinders are presented. A comparison of two types of filament wound flat graphite-epoxy panels indicates that the winding pattern can influence structural response. A comparison of hand laid-up tape and filament wound composite cylinders indicates that fabrication method may not significantly influence the failure mode or average failure strain of thick-walled (radius-to-thickness ratio less than 15) graphite-epoxy cylinders. The interaction of manufacturing-induced features (fiber cross-overs) and low-speed impact damage for graphite-epoxy specimens is also presented. Filament would flat panels with many fiber cross-overs exhibited lower failure strains than filament wound panels without fiber cross-overs for all impact speeds examined. Graphite-thermoplastic cylinders exhibited a significantly different failure mode from the graphite-epoxy cylinders.

A Trend Analysis: Rising Threshold for China to Use Force in Territorial Disputes in South and East China Seas

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

China and others over HREE management by referring to the Chinese strategic culture , the economic and energy interdependence may overcome those fears...2002, military modernization has become as important as economic growth in Chinese thinking.12 It is assumed that PRC leaders may resort to assertive...influence. Regarding China, it has been widely asserted that the Chinese have a “nonviolent” strategic culture inherited from tradition, preferring

Phytoextraction of rare earth elements in herbaceous plant species growing close to roads.

PubMed

Mikołajczak, Patrycja; Borowiak, Klaudia; Niedzielski, Przemysław

2017-06-01

The aim of study was to determine the phytoextraction of rare earth elements (REEs) to roots, stems and leaves of five herbaceous plant species (Achillea millefolium L., Artemisia vulgaris L., Papaver rhoeas L., Taraxacum officinale AND Tripleurospermum inodorum), growing in four areas located in close proximity to a road with varied traffic intensity. Additionally, the relationship between road traffic intensity, REE concentration in soil and the content of these elements in plant organs was estimated. A. vulgaris and P. rhoeas were able to effectively transport REEs in their leaves, independently of area collection. The highest content of REEs was observed in P. rhoeas leaves and T. inodorum roots. Generally, HREEs were accumulated in P. rhoeas roots and leaves and also in the stems of T. inodorum and T. officinale, whereas LREEs were accumulated in T. inodorum roots and T. officinale stems. It is worth underlining that there was a clear relationship between road traffic intensity and REE, HREE and LREE concentration in soil. No positive correlation was found between the concentration of these elements in soil and their content in plants, with the exception of T. officinale. An effective transport of REEs from the root system to leaves was observed, what points to the possible ability of some of the tested plant species to remove REEs from soils near roads.

Geochemistry of the rare earth elements in ferromanganese nodules from DOMES Site A, northern equatorial Pacific

USGS Publications Warehouse

Calvert, S.E.; Piper, D.Z.; Baedecker, P.A.

1987-01-01

The distribution of rare earth elements (REE) in ferromanganese nodules from DOMES Site A has been determined by instrumental neutron activation methods. The concentrations of the REE vary markedly. Low concentrations characterize samples from a depression (the valley), in which Quaternary sediments are thin or absent; high concentrations are found in samples from the surrounding abyssal hills (the highlands) where the Quaternary sediment section is relatively thick. Moreover, the valley nodules are strongly depleted in the light trivalent REE (LREE) and Ce compared with nodules from the highlands, some of the former showing negative Ce anomalies. The REE abundances in the nodules are strongly influenced by the REE abundances in coexisting bottom water. Some controls on the REE chemistry of bottom waters include: a) the more effective removal of the LREE relative to the HREE from seawater because of the greater degree of complexation of the latter elements with seawater ligands, b) the very efficient oxidative scavenging of Ce on particle surfaces in seawater, and c) the strong depletion of both Ce and the LREE in, or a larger benthic flux of the HREE into, the Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) which flows through the valley. The distinctive REE chemistry of valley nodules is a function of their growth from geochemically evolved AABW. In contrast, the REE chemistry of highland nodules indicates growth from a local, less evolved seawater source. ?? 1987.

Programmable Liquid Crystal Elastomers Prepared by Thiol-Ene Photopolymerization (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-08-17

defect forms a 2D wrinkling pattern that leads to an areal contraction (Figure 4c,d). Both of these films return to a largely flat state on cooling...photopolymerization. ■ MATERIALS AND METHODS RM82 (1,4-bis-[4-(6-acryloyloxyhexyloxy)benzoyloxy]-2-methylben- zene) was purchased from Synthon Chemicals. 1,2...noted. Liquid crystal cells were prepared using methods described elsewhere.10 Briefly for cells patterned using rubbed surfaces, Elvamide was

Spiral groove seal. [for hydraulic rotating shaft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ludwig, L. P. (Inventor)

1973-01-01

Mating flat surfaces inhibit leakage of a fluid around a stationary shaft. A spiral groove pattern produces a pumping action toward the fluid when the shaft rotates which prevents leakage while a generated hydraulic lifting force separates the mating surfaces to minimize wear.

15. SAME ROOMVIEW SOUTH TOWARDS THREE BOATS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. FLATBOTTOM ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

15. SAME ROOM-VIEW SOUTH TOWARDS THREE BOATS UNDER CONSTRUCTION. FLAT-BOTTOM SECTION IN FOREGROUND ON SAW HORSES (NOTE FRAME PATTERNS ON BOTTOM PLANKS), BACKGROUND BOATS BEING FRAMED AND PLANKED. - Lowell's Boat Shop, 459 Main Street, Amesbury, Essex County, MA

Chladni Patterns on Drumheads: A ``Physics of Music'' Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worland, Randy

2011-01-01

In our "Physics of Music" class for non-science majors, we have developed a laboratory exercise in which students experiment with Chladni sand patterns on drumheads. Chladni patterns provide a kinesthetic, visual, and entertaining way to illustrate standing waves on flat surfaces and are very helpful when making the transition from one-dimensional systems, such as string and wind instruments, to the two-dimensional membranes and plates of the percussion family. Although the sand patterns attributed to Ernst Florens Friedrich Chladni (1756-1827) are often demonstrated for this purpose using metal plates,2-4 the use of drumheads offers several pedagogical and practical advantages in the lab.

Adolescent runners: the effect of training shoes on running kinematics.

PubMed

Mullen, Scott; Toby, E Bruce

2013-06-01

The modern running shoe typically features a large cushioned heel intended to dissipate the energy at heel strike to the knees and hips. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect that shoes have upon the running biomechanics among competitive adolescent runners. We wish to answer the question of whether running style is altered in these athletes because of footwear. Twelve competitive adolescent athletes were recruited from local track teams. Each ran on a treadmill in large heel trainers, track flats, and barefoot. Four different speeds were used to test each athlete. The biomechanics were assessed with a motion capture system. Stride length, heel height during posterior swing phase, and foot/ground contact were recorded. Shoe type markedly altered the running biomechanics. The foot/ground contact point showed differences in terms of footwear (P<0.0001) and speed (P=0.000215). When wearing trainers, the athletes landed on their heels 69.79% of the time at all speeds (P<0.001). The heel was the first point of contact <35% of the time in the flat condition and <30% in the barefoot condition. Running biomechanics are significantly altered by shoe type in competitive adolescents. Heavily heeled cushioned trainers promote a heel strike pattern, whereas track flats and barefoot promote a forefoot or midfoot strike pattern. Training in heavily cushioned trainers by the competitive runner has not been clearly shown to be detrimental to performance, but it does change the gait pattern. It is not known whether the altered biomechanics of the heavily heeled cushioned trainer may be detrimental to the adolescent runner who is still developing a running style.

Mesoscopic model for filament orientation in growing actin networks: the role of obstacle geometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weichsel, Julian; Schwarz, Ulrich S.

2013-03-01

Propulsion by growing actin networks is a universal mechanism used in many different biological systems, ranging from the sheet-like lamellipodium of crawling animal cells to the actin comet tails induced by certain bacteria and viruses in order to move within their host cells. Although the core molecular machinery for actin network growth is well preserved in all of these cases, the geometry of the propelled obstacle varies considerably. During recent years, filament orientation distribution has emerged as an important observable characterizing the structure and dynamical state of the growing network. Here we derive several continuum equations for the orientation distribution of filaments growing behind stiff obstacles of various shapes and validate the predicted steady state orientation patterns by stochastic computer simulations based on discrete filaments. We use an ordinary differential equation approach to demonstrate that for flat obstacles of finite size, two fundamentally different orientation patterns peaked at either ±35° or +70°/0°/ - 70° exhibit mutually exclusive stability, in agreement with earlier results for flat obstacles of very large lateral extension. We calculate and validate phase diagrams as a function of model parameters and show how this approach can be extended to obstacles with piecewise straight contours. For curved obstacles, we arrive at a partial differential equation in the continuum limit, which again is in good agreement with the computer simulations. In all cases, we can identify the same two fundamentally different orientation patterns, but only within an appropriate reference frame, which is adjusted to the local orientation of the obstacle contour. Our results suggest that two fundamentally different network architectures compete with each other in growing actin networks, irrespective of obstacle geometry, and clarify how simulated and electron tomography data have to be analyzed for non-flat obstacle geometries.

Rare Earth Elements of Orzeskie Beds of South-West Part Upper Silesian Coal Basin (Poland) / Pierwiastki Ziem Rzadkich Z Pokładów Węgla Warstw Orzeskich Południowo-Zachodniej Części Gzw (Polska)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamczyk, Zdzisław; Białecka, Barbara; Moszko, Joanna Całusz; Komorek, Joanna; Lewandowska, Małgorzata

2015-03-01

The subject of the research concerned the coal samples from 360/1, 361 and 362/1 seams of the Orzesze beds in the "Pniówek" coal mine. The obtained samples were characterized by low ash content - 2.22- 6.27% of the mass. The chemical composition of the ash indicates the presence of aluminosilicate minerals in the analyzed coal samples - most likely clay minerals, the presence of which has been confirmed in microscopic tests of the petrographic composition of channel samples of coal. The content of rare earth elements (REE sum) in the ash of the tested coal seams ranged from 364 to 1429 ppm. Variation of the REE content has been observed within a single seam. The fraction of REE indicates a relation with a mineral substance. No relation of the REE fraction and the presence of red beds has been found based on the tested samples. The content of REE found in ash, normalized to chondrites, is characterized by LREE enrichment in relation to HREE. The Eu anomaly is most likely related to tuff and tonstein levels occurring in Orzesze beds, which accompany the coal seams in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin (i.a., south of the studied area). The research has indicated that LREE in the tested samples are more related to the mineral substance, while HREE have a stronger affinity with organic substances. Przedmiotem badań były próbki węgla z pokładów 360/1, 361 i 362/1 warstw orzeskich KWK Pniówek. Próbki te charakteryzują się niewielką zawartością popiołu 2,22-6,27% mas. Skład chemiczny popiołów wskazuje na obecność w analizowanych próbkach węgla minerałów z grupy glinokrzemianów najprawdopodobniej minerałów ilastych, których obecność była stwierdzona w badaniach mikroskopowych składu petrograficznego próbek bruzdowych węgla. Zawartości pierwiastków ziem rzadkich (suma REE) w popiołach badanych pokładów węgla wahają się od 364 do 1429 ppm. Obserwuje się zróżnicowanie zawartości REE w obrębie jednego pokładu. Udział REE wykazuje związek z substancją mineralną. Nie stwierdzono związku udziału REE, w badanych próbkach, z obecnością utworów pstrych w stropie karbonu. Zawartości REE oznaczone w popiołach, znormalizowane do chondrytów, charakteryzują się wzbogaceniem LREE wobec HREE. Anomalia Eu związana jest prawdopodobnie z występującymi w warstwach orzeskich (m.in. na północ od obszaru badań) Górnośląskiego Zagłębia Węglowego poziomami tufów i tonsteinów, które towarzyszą pokładom węgla. Badania wykazały, że LREE w badanych próbkach związane są raczej z substancją mineralną, natomiast HREE posiadają silniejsze powinowactwo z substancją organiczną.

Early Proterozoic crustal evolution: Geochemical and NdPb isotopic evidence from metasedimentary rocks, southwestern North America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLennan, S. M.; Hemming, S. R.; Taylor, S. R.; Eriksson, K. A.

1995-03-01

Early Proterozoic (1.8-1.7 Ga) metasedimentary rocks in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, USA, can be divided into turbidite successions (commonly volcanogenic) associated with mafic/felsic metavolcanic successions (e.g., Irving Fm.) and stable shelf quartzite-pelite successions of shallow marine origin (e.g., Hondo Gp.). Metapelites from the turbidite successions reported here have low K2O/Na2O, low Th/U (<3.0), low to moderate Th/Sc (0.1-0.6), and slight negative Eu-anomalies, although regionally, negative Eu-anomalies in such rocks are common. At the time of sedimentation (ca. 1.7-1.8 Ga), ɛNd values were in the range +3 to +7, indistinguishable from associated metavolcanic and plutonic rocks. Similarly, lead isotopic data scatter about a 1.7 Ga reference isochron. Low κ (232Th/238U) values for the Irving Formation are consistent with derivation from crustal sources similar to the southern Colorado/northern New Mexico lead isotope crustal province. These data are further consistent with a volcanic arc related origin. In contrast, stable shelf metapelites have high K2O/Na2O, variable but commonly high Th/U (2.0-7.0), moderate to high Th/Sc (0.5-1.4), and substantial negative Eu-anomalies. Although compositions are rather variable, they are typical of post-Archean shales. Neodymium isotopes are surprisingly radiogenic with ɛNd(1.7 Ga) in the range -0.2 to +4. Lead isotopic data for the least radiogenic samples also are consistent with a dominantly juvenile source and on a 207Pb/204Pb vs. 206Pb/204Pb diagram, data scatter slightly above the 1.7 Ga reference isochron, suggesting minor components of significantly older material. Lead isotopic systematics suggest that a major component of the provenance was derived from the immediately associated metavolcanic-plutonic terranes, consistent with suggestions of a first-cycle origin, but with an Archean component. Isotopic data restrict the Archean component to about 10%, on average, and no more than 25% in any sample. This older crustal component may be derived either by direct erosion of Archean rocks, such as the Wyoming Province, or indirectly through assimilation into Early Proterozoic igneous rocks. Although the stable shelf sedimentary rocks are derived from a provenance with similar ages as the volcanogenic turbidites, the geochemical characteristics of the provenance are significantly different. Accordingly, these data are consistent with especially rapid and widespread crustal growth and evolution in southwestern North America during the period 1.9-1.7 Ga. Several samples from the Hondo Group and Uncompahgre Formation have REE patterns that are rotated to LREE depletion and perhaps HREE enrichment. The change in REEs correlate with Mo, U, and V abundances and Pb isotopic characteristics suggesting sedimentary processes similar to those operating in black shales affected these REE patterns. REE patterns and Th/U ratios of Early Proterozoic volcanogenic turbidites examined in this and other studies differ on average from turbidites found in Archean greenstone belts. Negative Eu-anomalies are common, HREE-depletion is seen but comparatively rare, and Th/U ratios are commonly below 3.0. Accordingly, these data are consistent with models suggesting that the upper crust had a different composition in the Archean.

The Effect of Boundary Support and Reflector Dimensions on Inflatable Parabolic Antenna Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coleman, Michael J.; Baginski, Frank; Romanofsky, Robert R.

2011-01-01

For parabolic antennas with sufficient surface accuracy, more power can be radiated with a larger aperture size. This paper explores the performance of antennas of various size and reflector depth. The particular focus is on a large inflatable elastic antenna reflector that is supported about its perimeter by a set of elastic tendons and is subjected to a constant hydrostatic pressure. The surface accuracy of the antenna is measured by an RMS calculation, while the reflector phase error component of the efficiency is determined by computing the power density at boresight. In the analysis, the calculation of antenna efficiency is not based on the Ruze Equation. Hence, no assumption regarding the distribution of the reflector surface distortions is presumed. The reflector surface is modeled as an isotropic elastic membrane using a linear stress-strain constitutive relation. Three types of antenna reflector construction are considered: one molded to an ideal parabolic form and two different flat panel design patterns. The flat panel surfaces are constructed by seaming together panels in a manner that the desired parabolic shape is approximately attained after pressurization. Numerical solutions of the model problem are calculated under a variety of conditions in order to estimate the accuracy and efficiency of these antenna systems. In the case of the flat panel constructions, several different cutting patterns are analyzed in order to determine an optimal cutting strategy.

Cellular behavior controlled by bio-inspired and geometry-tunable nanohairs.

PubMed

Heo, Chaejeong; Jeong, Chanho; Im, Hyeon Seong; Kim, Jong Uk; Woo, Juhyun; Lee, Ji Yeon; Park, Byeonghak; Suh, Minah; Kim, Tae-Il

2017-11-23

A cicada wing has a biocidal feature of rupturing the membrane of cells, while the cactus spine can transmit a water drop to the stem of the plant. Both of these properties have evolved from their respective unique structures. Here, we endeavor to develop geometry-controllable nanohairs that mimic the cicada's wing-like vertical hairs and the cactus spine-like stooped hairs, and to quantitatively characterize the cell migration behavior of the hairy structures. It was found that the neuroblastoma cells are highly sensitive to the variation of surfaces: flat, vertical, and stooped nanohairs (100 nm diameter and 900 nm height). The cells on the vertical hairs showed significantly decreased proliferation. It was found that the behavior of cells cultured on stooped nanohairs is strongly influenced by the direction of the stooped pattern of hairs when we quantitatively measured the migration of cells on flat, vertical, and stooped structures. However, the cells on the flat structures showed random movement and the cells on the vertical nanohairs restricted the nanohair movement. Cells on the stooped structure showed higher forward migration preference compared to that of the other structures. Furthermore, we found that these cellular behaviors on the different patterns of nanohairs were affected by intracellular actin flament change. Consistent with these results, the vertical and stooped structures can facilitate the control of cell viability and guide directional migration for biomedical applications such as organogenesis.

Methods of and apparatus for recording images occurring just prior to a rapid, random event

DOEpatents

Kelley, Edward F.

1994-01-01

An apparatus and a method are disclosed for recording images of events in a medium wherein the images that are recorded are of conditions existing just prior to and during the occurrence of an event that triggers recording of these images. The apparatus and method use an optical delay path that employs a spherical focusing mirror facing a circular array of flat return mirrors around a central flat mirror. The image is reflected in a symmetric pattern which balances astigmatism which is created by the spherical mirror. Delays on the order of hundreds of nanoseconds are possible.

Low-speed longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of a flat-plate planform model of an advanced fighter configuration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcgrath, Brian E.; Neuhart, Dan H.; Gatlin, Gregory M.; Oneil, Pat

1994-01-01

A flat-plate wind tunnel model of an advanced fighter configuration was tested in the NASA LaRC Subsonic Basic Research Tunnel and the 16- by 24-inch Water Tunnel. The test objectives were to obtain and evaluate the low-speed longitudinal aerodynamic characteristics of a candidate configuration for the integration of several new innovative wing designs. The flat plate test allowed for the initial evaluation of the candidate planform and was designated as the baseline planform for the innovative wing design study. Low-speed longitudinal aerodynamic data were obtained over a range of freestream dynamic pressures from 7.5 psf to 30 psf (M = 0.07 to M = 0.14) and angles-of-attack from 0 to 40 deg. The aerodynamic data are presented in coefficient form for the lift, induced drag, and pitching moment. Flow-visualization results obtained were photographs of the flow pattern over the flat plate model in the water tunnel for angles-of-attack from 10 to 40 deg. The force and moment coefficients and the flow-visualization photographs showed the linear and nonlinear aerodynamic characteristics due to attached flow and vortical flow over the flat plate model. Comparison between experiment and linear theory showed good agreement for the lift and induced drag; however, the agreement was poor for the pitching moment.

Sediment resuspension and transport patterns on a fringing reef flat, Molokai, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ogston, A.S.; Storlazzi, C.D.; Field, M.E.; Presto, M.K.

2004-01-01

Corals are known to flourish in various turbid environments around the world. The quantitative distinction between clear and turbid water in coral habitats is not well defined nor are the amount of sediment in suspension and rates of sedimentation used to evaluate the condition of reef environments well established. This study of sediment resuspension, transport, and resulting deposition on a fringing reef flat off Molokai, Hawaii, uses a year of time-series data from a small, instrumented tripod. It shows the importance of trade winds and ocean wave heights in controlling the movement of sediment. Sediment is typically resuspended daily and the dominant controls on the magnitude of events (10-25 mg/l) are the trade-wind-generated waves and currents and tidal elevation on the reef flat. The net flux of sediment on this reef is primarily along the reef flat in the direction of the prevailing trade winds (to the west), with a secondary direction of slightly offshore, towards a zone of low coral abundance. These results have application to reef studies and reef management in other areas in several ways. First, the observed resuspension and turbidity results from fine-grained terrigenous sediment that appears to be trapped and recycled on the reef flat. Thus corals are subjected to light attenuation by the same particles repeatedly, however small the amount. Secondly, the measurements show high temporal variability (from daily to seasonal scales) of sediment resuspension, indicating that single measurements are inadequate to accurately describe conditions on a reef flat. ?? Springer-Verlag 2004.

Low order physical models of vertical axis wind turbines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, Anna; Dabiri, John; Koseff, Jeffrey

2016-11-01

In order to examine the ability of low-order physical models of vertical axis wind turbines to accurately reproduce key flow characteristics, experiments were conducted on rotating turbine models, rotating solid cylinders, and stationary porous flat plates (of both uniform and non-uniform porosities). From examination of the patterns of mean flow, the wake turbulence spectra, and several quantitative metrics, it was concluded that the rotating cylinders represent a reasonably accurate analog for the rotating turbines. In contrast, from examination of the patterns of mean flow, it was found that the porous flat plates represent only a limited analog for rotating turbines (for the parameters examined). These findings have implications for both laboratory experiments and numerical simulations, which have previously used analogous low order models in order to reduce experimental/computational costs. NSF GRF and SGF to A.C; ONR N000141211047 and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Grant GBMF2645 to J.D.; and the Bob and Norma Street Environmental Fluid Mechanics Laboratory at Stanford University.

Petrogenesis of Neoarchean metavolcanic rocks in Changyukou, Northwestern Hebei: Implications for the transition stage from a compressional to an extensional regime for the North China Craton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liou, Peng; Shan, Houxiang; Liu, Fu; Guo, Jinghui

2017-03-01

The 2.5 Ga metavolcanic rocks in Changyukou, Northwestern Hebei, can be classified into three groups based on major and trace elements: high-Mg basalts, tholeiitic basalts, and the calc-alkaline series (basaltic andesites-andesites and dacites-rhyolites). Both high-Mg basalts and tholeiitic basalts have negative anomalies of Nb, Zr, Ti and Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) as well as enrichments of Sr, K, Pb, Ba and Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE) and show typical subduction zone affinities. The petrogenesis of high-Mg basalts can be ascribed to high-degree partial melting of an enriched mantle source in the spinel stability field that was previously enriched in Large Ion Lithophile Elements (LILE) and LREE by slab-derived hydrous fluids/melts/supercritical fluids, as well as the subsequent magma mixing processes of different sources at different source depths, with little or no influence of polybaric fractional crystallization. The flat HREE of tholeiitic basalts indicates they may also originate from the spinel stability field, but from obviously shallower depths than the source of high-Mg basalts. They may form at a later stage of the subduction process when rapid slab rollback leads to extension and seafloor spreading in the upper plate. We obtain the compositions of the Archean lower crust of the North China Craton based on the Archean Wutai-Jining section by compiling the average tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) components, average mafic granulite components, and average sedimentary rock components. The modeling results show that the generation of high-Al basalts, basaltic andesites and andesites can be attributed to assimilation by high-Mg basalts (primary basalts) of relatively high-Al2O3 thickened lower crust and the subsequent crystallization of prevailing mafic mineral phases, while Al2O3-rich plagioclase crystallization is suppressed under high-pressure and nearly water-saturated conditions. Dacites and rhyolites may be the result of further fractional crystallization of basaltic andesites (high-Al basalts) and andesites. Mixing of magmas at various stages along the fractionation course of basaltic andesites (high-Al basalts) toward rhyolites promotes the trend of the calc-alkaline series. To reconcile the 2.55 to 2.5 Ga TTGs derived from overthickened crust, the 2.51 to 2.50 Ga calc-alkaline volcanic rocks derived from thickened crust, tholeiitic basalts representing low pressure and an extensional tectonic setting, 2493 Ma leucosyenogranites derived from overthickened crust, 2437 Ma biotite-monzogranites derived from slightly thinner crust than leucosyenogranites but still thickened, as well as the clockwise hybrid ITD and IBC P-T paths of the HP granulites and widespread extension and rifting setting within the NCC from 2300 Ma, we propose a model of an evolving subduction process. Among them, the composition of the 2.5 Ga Changyukou volcanic rocks and potassic granites as well as the clockwise hybrid ITD and IBC P-T paths of the HP granulites may reveal that the tectonic setting in Northwest Hebei was in a transition stage from a subduction-related compressional regime to an extensional regime related to plate rollback.

Highly Anisotropic Adhesive Film Made from Upside-Down, Flat, and Uniform Vertically Aligned CNTs.

PubMed

Hong, Sanghyun; Lundstrom, Troy; Ghosh, Ranajay; Abdi, Hamed; Hao, Ji; Jeoung, Sun Kyoung; Su, Paul; Suhr, Jonghwan; Vaziri, Ashkan; Jalili, Nader; Jung, Yung Joon

2016-12-14

We have created a multifunctional dry adhesive film with transferred vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VA-CNTs). This unique VA-CNT film was fabricated by a multistep transfer process, converting the flat and uniform bottom of VA-CNTs grown on atomically flat silicon wafer substrates into the top surface of an adhesive layer. Unlike as-grown VA-CNTs, which have a nonuniform surface, randomly entangled CNT arrays, and a weak interface between the CNTs and substrates, this transferred VA-CNT film shows an extremely high coefficient of static friction (COF) of up to 60 and a shear adhesion force 30 times higher (12 N/cm 2 ) than that of the as-grown VA-CNTs under a very small preloading of 0.2 N/cm 2 . Moreover, a near-zero normal adhesion force was observed with 20 mN/cm 2 preloading and a maximum 100-μm displacement in a piezo scanner, demonstrating ideal properties for an artificial gecko foot. Using this unique structural feature and anisotropic adhesion properties, we also demonstrate effective removal and assembly of nanoparticles into organized micrometer-scale circular and line patterns by a single brushing of this flat and uniform VA-CNT film.

End User Acceptance - Requirements or Specifications, Certification, Testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeevarajan, Judith

2013-01-01

NASA follows top level safety requirement of two-failure tolerance (t hree levels of controls or design for minimum risk) to all catastroph ic hazards in the design of safe li-ion batteries for space use. ? R igorous development testing at appropriate levels to credible offnominal conditions and review of test data. ? Implement robust design con trols based on test results and test again to confirm safety at the a ppropriate levels. ? Stringent testing of all (100%) flight batteries (from button cells to large batteries).

Irradiance tailoring by fractional Fourier transform of a radial Gaussian beam array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Pu; Wang, Xiaolin; Ma, Yanxing; Ma, Haotong; Liu, Zejin

2011-03-01

The fractional Fourier transform (FRFT) is applied to a radial Gaussian beam array. Analytical formula is derived for the irradiance distribution of coherent and incoherent radial Gaussian beam array in FRFT domain using Collins integral formula. It is revealed that the irradiance pattern can be tailored to be controllable dark-hollow, flat-topped and Gaussian beam pattern by changing of the fractional order of FRFT and the coherent state of the laser array.

Irradiance tailoring by fractional Fourier transform of a radial Gaussian beam array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Pu; Wang, Xiaolin; Ma, Yanxing; Ma, Haotong; Liu, Zejin

2010-07-01

The fractional Fourier transform (FRFT) is applied to a radial Gaussian beam array. Analytical formula is derived for the irradiance distribution of coherent and incoherent radial Gaussian beam array in FRFT domain using Collins integral formula. It is revealed that the irradiance pattern can be tailored to be controllable dark-hollow, flat-topped and Gaussian beam pattern by changing of the fractional order of FRFT and the coherent state of the laser array.

Ion beam lithography system

DOEpatents

Leung, Ka-Ngo

2005-08-02

A maskless plasma-formed ion beam lithography tool provides for patterning of sub-50 nm features on large area flat or curved substrate surfaces. The system is very compact and does not require an accelerator column and electrostatic beam scanning components. The patterns are formed by switching beamlets on or off from a two electrode blanking system with the substrate being scanned mechanically in one dimension. This arrangement can provide a maskless nano-beam lithography tool for economic and high throughput processing.

Patterns of Expression in the Matrix Proteins Responsible for Nucleation and Growth of Aragonite Crystals in Flat Pearls of Pinctada fucata

PubMed Central

Xiang, Liang; Su, Jingtan; Zheng, Guilan; Liang, Jian; Zhang, Guiyou; Wang, Hongzhong; Xie, Liping; Zhang, Rongqing

2013-01-01

The initial growth of the nacreous layer is crucial for comprehending the formation of nacreous aragonite. A flat pearl method in the presence of the inner-shell film was conducted to evaluate the role of matrix proteins in the initial stages of nacre biomineralization in vivo. We examined the crystals deposited on a substrate and the expression patterns of the matrix proteins in the mantle facing the substrate. In this study, the aragonite crystals nucleated on the surface at 5 days in the inner-shell film system. In the film-free system, the calcite crystals nucleated at 5 days, a new organic film covered the calcite, and the aragonite nucleated at 10 days. This meant that the nacre lamellae appeared in the inner-shell film system 5 days earlier than that in the film-free system, timing that was consistent with the maximum level of matrix proteins during the first 20 days. In addition, matrix proteins (Nacrein, MSI60, N19, N16 and Pif80) had similar expression patterns in controlling the sequential morphologies of the nacre growth in the inner-film system, while these proteins in the film-free system also had similar patterns of expression. These results suggest that matrix proteins regulate aragonite nucleation and growth with the inner-shell film in vivo. PMID:23776687

Micromachined silicon electrostatic chuck

DOEpatents

Anderson, Robert A.; Seager, Carleton H.

1996-01-01

An electrostatic chuck is faced with a patterned silicon plate 11, created y micromachining a silicon wafer, which is attached to a metallic base plate 13. Direct electrical contact between the chuck face 15 (patterned silicon plate's surface) and the silicon wafer 17 it is intended to hold is prevented by a pattern of flat-topped silicon dioxide islands 19 that protrude less than 5 micrometers from the otherwise flat surface of the chuck face 15. The islands 19 may be formed in any shape. Islands may be about 10 micrometers in diameter or width and spaced about 100 micrometers apart. One or more concentric rings formed around the periphery of the area between the chuck face 15 and wafer 17 contain a low-pressure helium thermal-contact gas used to assist heat removal during plasma etching of a silicon wafer held by the chuck. The islands 19 are tall enough and close enough together to prevent silicon-to-silicon electrical contact in the space between the islands, and the islands occupy only a small fraction of the total area of the chuck face 15, typically 0.5 to 5 percent. The pattern of the islands 19, together with at least one hole 12 bored through the silicon veneer into the base plate, will provide sufficient gas-flow space to allow the distribution of the helium thermal-contact gas.

Contrasting sedimentation patterns in two semi-enclosed mesotidal bays along the west and south coasts of Korea controlled by their orientation to the regional monsoon climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Seok Hwi; Chun, Seung Soo; Chang, Tae Soo; Jang, Dae Geon

2017-08-01

Sedimentation patterns of tidal flats along the Korean west coast have long been known to be largely controlled by the monsoon climate. On the other hand, much less is known about the effect of the monsoon on sedimentation in coastal embayments with mouths of different geographic orientations. Good examples are Hampyeong and Yeoja bays along the west and south coasts, respectively. Both have narrow entrances, but their mouths open toward the northwest and the south, respectively. With mean tidal ranges of 3.46 and 3.2 m, respectively, the two bays experience similar tidal regimes and are hence excellent candidates to compare the effect of different exposure to the same regional monsoon climate on their respective sediment distribution patterns. The winter monsoon, in particular, is characterized by strong northwesterly winds that directly impact the west coast, but blow offshore along the south coast. For the purpose of this study, surficial sediment samples were collected from intertidal and subtidal flats of the two bays, both in summer and winter. Grain-size analyses were carried out by sieving (sand fraction) and Sedigraph (mud fraction). In the case of Yeoja Bay, the sediments consist mostly of mud (mean grain sizes of 5.4 to 8.8 phi). Seasonal changes are very subtle, the sediments being slightly coarser in summer when silt-dominated sediments are supplied by two streams to the northern parts of the bay in response to heavy rainfall. With the exception of the deeper tidal channels, Yeoja Bay is characterized by a thick mud blanket the year round, which is modulated by processes associated with the summer monsoon that predominantly blows from the east. Textural parameters suggest severely restricted sediment mixing on the subtidal and intertidal flats, the overall low energy situation preventing sands from reaching the tidal flats. The sediments of Hampyeong Bay, by contrast, are characterized by a distinct shoreward fining trend. Mean grain sizes average around -2.2 phi at the mouth and 8.2 phi near the shore of the inner bay. The textural relationships suggest progressive mixing between two hydraulic populations, the overall higher energy situation allowing sands to be transported onto the tidal flats in winter. In addition, a clear seasonal signal indicating deposition in summer and erosion in winter is observed, the latter probably being controlled by waves generated by strong northwesterly winds of the winter monsoon. The contrasting energy regimes controlling sediment distribution in the two bays are particularly well reflected in ternary diagrams of sand/silt/clay ratios and bivariate plots of textural parameters. The results clearly demonstrate that tidal sedimentation along the west coast of Korea is controlled by the more energetic winter monsoon, whereas along the south coast it is modulated by the less energetic summer monsoon. As a consequence, distinct seasonal changes are particularly pronounced along the west coast, whereas these are more subtle along the south coast. The orientation of bay mouths relative to the direction of wind associated with the summer and winter monsoon is thus identified as the main reason for the completely different sedimentation patterns observed on the subtidal and intertidal flats of the two bays.

REE Distribution in Cultivated and No Cultivated Soils in Two Viticultural Areas of Central Chile: Mineralogical, Pedological and Anthropic Influences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castillo, P.; Townley, B.; Aburto, F.

2017-12-01

Within the scope of a Corfo-Innova Project (I+D Wines of Chile-University of Chile) we have recognized remarkable REE patterns in soils of two vineyards located in traditional vinicultural areas: Casablanca and Santa Cruz. Both vineyards have granitic parent rock, with similar petrographic features and REE patterns. We studied REE distribution on twelve cultivated soil profiles at each vineyard, where a full mineralogical, geochemical and pedogenic sampling and characterization was performed. To establish the effect of management no cultivated soil profiles were included from each vineyard location. REE in soil samples were measured by ICP-MS using two digestion methods: lithium metaborate/tetraborate fusion to obtain REE contents in total soil and MMI® partial extraction technique for REE contents on bioavailable phases.Soils display similar signatures of REEs respect to the rock source at both vineyards, but showing relative enrichments in soils of Casablanca and depletion in soils of Santa Cruz. Bioavailable phase data indicates a relative depletion of LREEs compared to HREEs and different anomalies for Ce (positive vs negative) in different areas of the same vineyard. Similar patterns of soils and parent rock suggest that REEs are adequate tracers of lithological source. Enrichments and/or depletions of REE patterns in soils respect to the rock source and Ce anomalies, evidence differential pedogenetic processes occurring at each sampled site. Results of bioavailable phase are coherent with the immobilization and fractionation of LREEs by stable minerals within soils as clays and Fe oxides. Mineralogical results in soil thin sections of Casablanca evidence the occurrence of Ti phases as sphene, ilmenite and rutile, which probably control the relative REE enrichment, since these minerals are considered more stable under pedogenic conditions.Finally, cultivated soils show a depleted but analogous pattern of REE regarding to no cultivated soil, indicating the REEs loss due to agricultural land use. Our preliminary hypothesis is the existence of organometallic complexes that retain REEs in natural soils, which are degraded with vinicultural management. However other factors as differential weathering rates of minerals, clays mineralogy and fractionation of REE by plants must be considered.

Measuring the Flatness of Focal Plane for Very Large Mosaic CCD Camera

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hao, Jiangang; Estrada, Juan; Cease, Herman

2010-06-08

Large mosaic multiCCD camera is the key instrument for modern digital sky survey. DECam is an extremely red sensitive 520 Megapixel camera designed for the incoming Dark Energy Survey (DES). It is consist of sixty two 4k x 2k and twelve 2k x 2k 250-micron thick fully-depleted CCDs, with a focal plane of 44 cm in diameter and a field of view of 2.2 square degree. It will be attached to the Blanco 4-meter telescope at CTIO. The DES will cover 5000 square-degrees of the southern galactic cap in 5 color bands (g, r, i, z, Y) in 5 yearsmore » starting from 2011. To achieve the science goal of constraining the Dark Energy evolution, stringent requirements are laid down for the design of DECam. Among them, the flatness of the focal plane needs to be controlled within a 60-micron envelope in order to achieve the specified PSF variation limit. It is very challenging to measure the flatness of the focal plane to such precision when it is placed in a high vacuum dewar at 173 K. We developed two image based techniques to measure the flatness of the focal plane. By imaging a regular grid of dots on the focal plane, the CCD offset along the optical axis is converted to the variation the grid spacings at different positions on the focal plane. After extracting the patterns and comparing the change in spacings, we can measure the flatness to high precision. In method 1, the regular dots are kept in high sub micron precision and cover the whole focal plane. In method 2, no high precision for the grid is required. Instead, we use a precise XY stage moves the pattern across the whole focal plane and comparing the variations of the spacing when it is imaged by different CCDs. Simulation and real measurements show that the two methods work very well for our purpose, and are in good agreement with the direct optical measurements.« less

Geologic map of the Yucca Mountain region, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Potter, Christopher J.; Dickerson, Robert P.; Sweetkind, Donald S.; Drake II, Ronald M.; Taylor, Emily M.; Fridrich, Christopher J.; San Juan, Carma A.; Day, Warren C.

2002-01-01

Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nev., has been identified as a potential site for underground storage of high-level radioactive waste. This geologic map compilation, including all of Yucca Mountain and Crater Flat, most of the Calico Hills, western Jackass Flats, Little Skull Mountain, the Striped Hills, the Skeleton Hills, and the northeastern Amargosa Desert, portrays the geologic framework for a saturated-zone hydrologic flow model of the Yucca Mountain site. Key geologic features shown on the geologic map and accompanying cross sections include: (1) exposures of Proterozoic through Devonian strata inferred to have been deformed by regional thrust faulting and folding, in the Skeleton Hills, Striped Hills, and Amargosa Desert near Big Dune; (2) folded and thrust-faulted Devonian and Mississippian strata, unconformably overlain by Miocene tuffs and lavas and cut by complex Neogene fault patterns, in the Calico Hills; (3) the Claim Canyon caldera, a segment of which is exposed north of Yucca Mountain and Crater Flat; (4) thick densely welded to nonwelded ash-flow sheets of the Miocene southwest Nevada volcanic field exposed in normal-fault-bounded blocks at Yucca Mountain; (5) upper Tertiary and Quaternary basaltic cinder cones and lava flows in Crater Flat and at southernmost Yucca Mountain; and (6) broad basins covered by Quaternary and upper Tertiary surficial deposits in Jackass Flats, Crater Flat, and the northeastern Amargosa Desert, beneath which Neogene normal and strike-slip faults are inferred to be present on the basis of geophysical data and geologic map patterns. A regional thrust belt of late Paleozoic or Mesozoic age affected all pre-Tertiary rocks in the region; main thrust faults, not exposed in the map area, are interpreted to underlie the map area in an arcuate pattern, striking north, northeast, and east. The predominant vergence of thrust faults exposed elsewhere in the region, including the Belted Range and Specter Range thrusts, was to the east, southeast, and south. The vertical to overturned strata of the Striped Hills are hypothesized to result from successive stacking of three south-vergent thrust ramps, the lowest of which is the Specter Range thrust. The CP thrust is interpreted as a north-vergent backthrust that may have been roughly contemporaneous with the Belted Range and Specter Range thrusts. The southwest Nevada volcanic field consists predominantly of a series of silicic tuffs and lava flows ranging in age from 15 to 8 Ma. The map area is in the southwestern quadrant of the southwest Nevada volcanic field, just south of the Timber Mountain caldera complex. The Claim Canyon caldera, exposed in the northern part of the map area, contains thick deposits of the 12.7-Ma Tiva Canyon Tuff, along with widespread megabreccia deposits of similar age, and subordinate thick exposures of other 12.8- to 12.7-Ma Paintbrush Group rocks. An irregular, blocky fault array, which affects parts of the caldera and much of the nearby area, includes several large-displacement, steeply dipping faults that strike radially to the caldera and bound south-dipping blocks of volcanic rock. South and southeast of the Claim Canyon caldera, in the area that includes Yucca Mountain, the Neogene fault pattern is dominated by closely spaced, north-northwest- to north-northeast-striking normal faults that lie within a north-trending graben. This 20- to 25-km-wide graben includes Crater Flat, Yucca Mountain, and Fortymile Wash, and is bounded on the east by the 'gravity fault' and on the west by the Bare Mountain fault. Both of these faults separate Proterozoic and Paleozoic sedimentary rocks in their footwalls from Miocene volcanic rocks in their hanging walls. Stratigraphic and structural relations at Yucca Mountain demonstrate that block-bounding faults were active before and during eruption of the 12.8- to 12.7-Ma Paintbrush Group, and significant motion on these faults continued unt

Rare earth elements in apatite: Uptake from H{sub 2}O-bearing phosphate-fluoride melts and the role of volatile components

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fleet, M.E.; Pan, Yuanming

The partitioning of rare earth elements (REEs) between fluorapatite (FAp) and H{sub 2}O- bearing phosphate-fluoride melts has been studied at about 700 and 800{degrees}C and 0.10-0.15 GPa. REE uptake patterns, i.e., plots of D(REE:FAp/melt), are convex upwards and peak near Nd for single-REE substituted FAp at minor (0.03-0.25 wt% REE{sub 2}O{sub 3}) abundances, and binary (LREE + HREE)-substituted FAp, and hexa-REE-substituted FAp at minor to major (0.25-7.8 wt% REE{sub 2}O{sub 3}) abundances. Partition coefficients for minor abundances of REE and depolymerized phosphate melts are about 5, 8, and 1 for La, Nd, and Lu, respectively and broadly comparable to thosemore » for early fluorapatite in the fractionation of melts of basaltic composition. The Ca2 site exerts marked control on the selectivity of apatite for REE because it preferentially incorporates LREE and its effective size varies with substitution of the A-site volatile anion component (F, Cl, OH). Using simple crystal-chemical arguments, melt(or fluid)-normalized REE patterns are predicted to peak near Nd for fluorapatite and be more LREE-enriched for chlorapatite. These predictions are consistent with data from natural rocks and laboratory experiments. The wide variation in D(REE:apatite/melt) in nature (from <1 for whitlockite-bearing lunar rocks to about 100 for evolved alkalic rocks) is attributed largely to the influence of the volatile components. 49 refs., 8 figs., 3 tabs.« less

Improved acoustic levitation apparatus

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berge, L. H.; Johnson, J. L.; Oran, W. A.; Reiss, D. A.

1980-01-01

Concave driver and reflector enhance and shape levitation forces in acoustic resonance system. Single-mode standing-wave pattern is focused by ring element situated between driver and reflector. Concave surfaces increase levitating forces up to factor of 6 as opposed to conventional flat surfaces, making it possible to suspend heavier objects.

Retroreflector for Photonic Doppler Velocimetry

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

devices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 3.24 SOI device after DRIE and hinge deposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 3.25 MEMS micromirror etch hole layout...61 3.26 Amplitude transmittance functions for MEMS micromirrors . . . . 62 3.27 Diffraction pattern of a square flat...weight of micromirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 tA amplitude transmittance function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Rspec specular

Symmetric waterbomb origami.

PubMed

Chen, Yan; Feng, Huijuan; Ma, Jiayao; Peng, Rui; You, Zhong

2016-06-01

The traditional waterbomb origami, produced from a pattern consisting of a series of vertices where six creases meet, is one of the most widely used origami patterns. From a rigid origami viewpoint, it generally has multiple degrees of freedom, but when the pattern is folded symmetrically, the mobility reduces to one. This paper presents a thorough kinematic investigation on symmetric folding of the waterbomb pattern. It has been found that the pattern can have two folding paths under certain circumstance. Moreover, the pattern can be used to fold thick panels. Not only do the additional constraints imposed to fold the thick panels lead to single degree of freedom folding, but the folding process is also kinematically equivalent to the origami of zero-thickness sheets. The findings pave the way for the pattern being readily used to fold deployable structures ranging from flat roofs to large solar panels.

Patterns of Children’s Adrenocortical Reactivity to Interparental Conflict and Associations with Child Adjustment: A Growth Mixture Modeling Approach

PubMed Central

Koss, Kalsea J.; George, Melissa R. W.; Davies, Patrick T.; Cicchetti, Dante; Cummings, E. Mark; Sturge-Apple, Melissa L.

2013-01-01

Examining children’s physiological functioning is an important direction for understanding the links between interparental conflict and child adjustment. Utilizing growth mixture modeling, the present study examined children’s cortisol reactivity patterns in response to a marital dispute. Analyses revealed three different patterns of cortisol responses, consistent with both a sensitization and an attenuation hypothesis. Child-rearing disagreements and perceived threat were associated with children exhibiting a rising cortisol pattern whereas destructive conflict was related to children displaying a flat pattern. Physiologically rising patterns were also linked with emotional insecurity and internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Results supported a sensitization pattern of responses as maladaptive for children in response to marital conflict with evidence also linking an attenuation pattern with risk. The present study supports children’s adrenocortical functioning as one mechanism through which interparental conflict is related to children’s coping responses and psychological adjustment. PMID:22545835

Fourier Transformation Theory for Averaged Functions, with Application to Very Long Baseline Radio Interferometry.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-02-01

primary parameters affecting the SNR. For an earth-based interferometer, the physical aperture may usually be constructed adequately large to keep the...bandwidth Av cent--.c. on vo0 by an interferometer with frequency characteristic F(v) and primary power pattern G(s-s ) (defined as the product of the...infinitely narrow beam for the primary power pattern, G(g- 0 ) = (;-S )] we have where we have assumed a flat frequency response and included as a

Characterization of magnetic force microscopy probe tip remagnetization for measurements in external in-plane magnetic fields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weis, Tanja; Engel, Dieter; Ehresmann, Arno

2008-12-15

A quantitative analysis of magnetic force microscopy (MFM) images taken in external in-plane magnetic fields is difficult because of the influence of the magnetic field on the magnetization state of the magnetic probe tip. We prepared calibration samples by ion bombardment induced magnetic patterning with a topographically flat magnetic pattern magnetically stable in a certain external magnetic field range for a quantitative characterization of the MFM probe tip magnetization in point-dipole approximation.

Vapor-Generator Wand Helps To Reveal Airflow Patterns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robelen, David B.

1993-01-01

In vapor-generator wand, liquid propylene glycol flows into electrically heated stainless-steel tube. Liquid boils in heated tube, and emerging vapor forms dense, smoke-like fog used to make airflow patterns visible. Built in variety of sizes, suitable for uses ranging from tabletop demonstrations to research in wind tunnels. For best viewing, plume illuminated by bright, focused incandescent spotlight at right angle to viewing direction. Viewing further enhanced by coating walls of test chamber with flat, dark color to minimize reflections and increase contrast.

Ichnological evidence of Megalosaurid Dinosaurs Crossing Middle Jurassic Tidal Flats

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razzolini, Novella L.; Oms, Oriol; Castanera, Diego; Vila, Bernat; Santos, Vanda Faria Dos; Galobart, Àngel

2016-08-01

A new dinosaur tracksite in the Vale de Meios quarry (Serra de Aire Formation, Bathonian, Portugal)preserves more than 700 theropod tracks. They are organized in at least 80 unidirectional trackways arranged in a bimodal orientation pattern (W/NW and E/SE). Quantitative and qualitative comparisons reveal that the large tridactyl, elongated and asymmetric tracks resemble the typical Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Megalosauripus ichnogenus in all morphometric parameters. Few of the numerous tracks are preserved as elite tracks while the rest are preserved as different gradients of modified true tracks according to water content, erosive factors, radial fractures and internal overtrack formations. Taphonomical determinations are consistent with paleoenvironmental observations that indicate an inter-tidal flat located at the margin of a coastal barrier. The Megalosauripus tracks represent the oldest occurrence of this ichnotaxon and are attributed to large megalosaurid dinosaurs. Their occurrence in Vale de Meios tidal flat represents the unique paleoethological evidence of megalosaurids moving towards the lagoon, most likley during the low tide periods with feeding purposes.

Ichnological evidence of Megalosaurid Dinosaurs Crossing Middle Jurassic Tidal Flats.

PubMed

Razzolini, Novella L; Oms, Oriol; Castanera, Diego; Vila, Bernat; Santos, Vanda Faria Dos; Galobart, Àngel

2016-08-19

A new dinosaur tracksite in the Vale de Meios quarry (Serra de Aire Formation, Bathonian, Portugal)preserves more than 700 theropod tracks. They are organized in at least 80 unidirectional trackways arranged in a bimodal orientation pattern (W/NW and E/SE). Quantitative and qualitative comparisons reveal that the large tridactyl, elongated and asymmetric tracks resemble the typical Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Megalosauripus ichnogenus in all morphometric parameters. Few of the numerous tracks are preserved as elite tracks while the rest are preserved as different gradients of modified true tracks according to water content, erosive factors, radial fractures and internal overtrack formations. Taphonomical determinations are consistent with paleoenvironmental observations that indicate an inter-tidal flat located at the margin of a coastal barrier. The Megalosauripus tracks represent the oldest occurrence of this ichnotaxon and are attributed to large megalosaurid dinosaurs. Their occurrence in Vale de Meios tidal flat represents the unique paleoethological evidence of megalosaurids moving towards the lagoon, most likley during the low tide periods with feeding purposes.

Radioecology of natural systems in Colordao. Fourteenth annual progress report, May 1, 1975--July 31, 1976. [Pu diffusion in terrestrial ecosystems at Rocky Flats Plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whicker, F.W.

1976-08-01

This report summarizes project activities during the period May 1, 1975 through July 31, 1976. The major study on the distribution and levels of Pu in major components of the terrestrial ecosystem at Rocky Flats was completed. Supportive studies on the ecology and pathology of small mammals and their role in Pu transport were essentially completed as well. Detailed studies on mule deer food habits, population dynamics, and movements at Rocky Flats are progressing. These studies are designed to measure the potential of mule deer in transporting Pu to uncontrolled areas. Alpha autoradiographic studies designed to measure Pu particle sizemore » and distribution and spatial patterns in soil were initiated. Field and greenhouse transport pathways from soil to vegetation are in progress and some early results reported. The status of studies on seasonal kinetics of Cs in a montane lake and stable lead geochemistry in an alpine lake watershed are also reported.« less

/sup 239/Pu contamination in snakes inhabiting the Rocky Flats Plant site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Geiger, R.A.; Winsor, T.F.

1975-01-01

For approximately four years studies have been under way at the Rocky Flats plant to determine contamination patterns and concentrations of Pu in the biota. Contamination of the Rocky Flats environs has resulted from at least three incidents, a September 1957 fire, a May 1969 fire, and leaking barrels containing plutonium-laden cutting oil. The latter incident was considered by far the major source of the plutonium contamination. Results are reported from a study conducted to determine whether snake tissues of the area contained detectable amounts of /sup 239/Pu and, if so, at what concentrations. Eastern yellow-bellied racers (Coluber constrictor flaviventris,more » bullsnakes (Pituophis melanoleucus sayi, and prairie rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis viridis, were collected for /sup 239/Pu bioassay of lung, liver, and bone tissues. Snakes were captured using drift fences terminating in funnel traps and by opportunistic sampling. Results led to the conclusion that snakes are not an important organism in the redistribution of /sup 239/Pu. (CH)« less

Studies on interface curvature during vertical Bridgman growth of InP in a flat-bottom container

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudolph, P.; Matsumoto, F.; Fukuda, T.

1996-01-01

A simplified numerical simulation of the dynamic behaviour of the solid-liquid interface curvature during modified vertical Bridgman growth of 2 inch InP single crystals, in a flat-bottom container, with a seed of the same diameter is presented. The results agree with striation patterns observed by transmission X-ray topography. A nearly flat interface with slightly constant concavity has been ascertained in the front half of the grown ingots. It can be assumed that such a steady interface morphology is one of the basic requirements for the observed twin-free and reduced dislocation growth in this region. In an attempt to optimize the shape of the melting point isotherm in the last-to-freeze part of the crystals, the axial temperature gradient, the seed length, the growth velocity, the melt temperature and the conditions of heat transfer (different ambient atmospheres and plugs) as well as the temperature profile in the top region above the encapsulant have been varied in the model.

A rapid learning and dynamic stepwise updating algorithm for flat neural networks and the application to time-series prediction.

PubMed

Chen, C P; Wan, J Z

1999-01-01

A fast learning algorithm is proposed to find an optimal weights of the flat neural networks (especially, the functional-link network). Although the flat networks are used for nonlinear function approximation, they can be formulated as linear systems. Thus, the weights of the networks can be solved easily using a linear least-square method. This formulation makes it easier to update the weights instantly for both a new added pattern and a new added enhancement node. A dynamic stepwise updating algorithm is proposed to update the weights of the system on-the-fly. The model is tested on several time-series data including an infrared laser data set, a chaotic time-series, a monthly flour price data set, and a nonlinear system identification problem. The simulation results are compared to existing models in which more complex architectures and more costly training are needed. The results indicate that the proposed model is very attractive to real-time processes.

High-Speed Laser Image Analysis of Plume Angles for Pressurised Metered Dose Inhalers: The Effect of Nozzle Geometry.

PubMed

Chen, Yang; Young, Paul M; Murphy, Seamus; Fletcher, David F; Long, Edward; Lewis, David; Church, Tanya; Traini, Daniela

2017-04-01

The aim of this study is to investigate aerosol plume geometries of pressurised metered dose inhalers (pMDIs) using a high-speed laser image system with different actuator nozzle materials and designs. Actuators made from aluminium, PET and PTFE were manufactured with four different nozzle designs: cone, flat, curved cone and curved flat. Plume angles and spans generated using the designed actuator nozzles with four solution-based pMDI formulations were imaged using Oxford Lasers EnVision system and analysed using EnVision Patternate software. Reduced plume angles for all actuator materials and nozzle designs were observed with pMDI formulations containing drug with high co-solvent concentration (ethanol) due to the reduced vapour pressure. Significantly higher plume angles were observed with the PTFE flat nozzle across all formulations, which could be a result of the nozzle geometry and material's hydrophobicity. The plume geometry of pMDI aerosols can be influenced by the vapour pressure of the formulation, nozzle geometries and actuator material physiochemical properties.

Carboniferous-Permian tectonic transition envisaged in two magmatic episodes at the Kuruer Cu-Au deposit, Western Tianshan (NW China)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Jie; Li, Nuo; Qi, Nan; Guo, Jian-Ping; Chen, Yan-Jing

2018-03-01

The Western Tianshan in NW China is one of the most important gold provinces in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The recently discovered Kuruer Cu-Au deposit has been interpreted to represent a transition from high-sulfidation epithermal to porphyry mineralization system. In this study, we present new LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages for the many magmatic rock types at Kuruer, including the Dahalajunshan Formation andesitic tuff (333.2 ± 1.6 Ma), diorite porphyry (269.7 ± 2.0 Ma), slightly-altered (264.4 ± 2.6 Ma) and intensively-altered (270.5 ± 2.5 Ma) albite porphyry. These ages reveal two distinct magmatic episodes: The Early Carboniferous Dahalajunshan Formation (wall rocks) andesitic tuff samples contain narrow ranges of SiO2 (60.29-61.28 wt.%), TiO2 (0.96-0.98 wt.%), Al2O3 (16.55-16.57 wt.%) and Fe2O3T (5.36-5.57 wt.%). The tuff is characterized by LREE enrichment and HFSE depletion, as well as LREE/HREE enrichment ((La/Yb)N = 8.31-8.76) and negative Eu anomalies (δEu = 0.64-0.76). Zircon εHf (t) values are 5.4-8.2, and two-stage Hf model ages (TDM2) are 821-1016 Ma, indicating partial melting of a moderately depleted mantle wedge with Precambrian continental crustal input. The ore-forming Middle Permian diorite porphyry and (quartz) albite porphyry have variable major oxide compositions (e.g., SiO2 = 53.09-53.12 wt.% for the diorite porphyry, 70.84-78.03 wt.% for the albite porphyry, and 74.07-75.03 wt.% for the quartz albite porphyry) but similar chondrite-normalized REE and primitive mantle-normalized multi-element patterns. These porphyries display LREE enrichment and HFSE depletion, as well as elevated LREE/HREE enrichment and negative Eu anomalies. The positive zircon εHf(t) values (11.7-15.9 for the diorite porphyry, 8.9-14.9 for the albite porphyry) and young two-stage Hf model ages (TDM2) (282-542 Ma for the diorite porphyry, 337-717 Ma for the albite porphyry) indicate a major juvenile continental crustal involvement. We propose that the Carboniferous and Middle Permian magmatism was formed in a continental arc and post-collisional settings, respectively, with the latter episode responsible for the Cu-Au mineralization.

Crystal structure of tveitite-(Y): Fractionation of rare-earth elements between positions and the variety of defects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yakubovich, O. V.; Massa, W.; Pekov, I. V.

2007-02-15

The crystal structure of the mineral tveitite-(Y) (Y{sub 0.883}Na{sub 0.106}) (Ca{sub 0.841}LREE{sub 0.159})(Ca{sub 0.716}Na{sub 0.204}HREE{sub 0.080})(Ca{sub 0.0=} 9{sub 2}Na{sub 0.074})F{sub 6.952} from amazonite pegmatites of Rov-Gora Mountain (Keivy, Kola Peninsula) is determined using X-ray diffraction (Stoe IPDS diffractometer, {lambda}MoK{sub {alpha}}, graphite monochromator, 2{theta}{sub max} = 63.5{sup o}, R = 0.051 for 1542 reflections). The main crystal data are as follows: a = 17.020(2) A, c = 9.679(2) A, V = 2428.2(4) A{sup 3}, space group R3-bar, Z = 18, and {rho}{sub calcd} = 4.00 g/cm{sup 3}. The idealized structural formula of the mineral is represented as (Y,Na){sub 6}(Ca,LREE){sub 6}(Ca,Na,HREE){sub 6}(Ca,Na)F{submore » 42} (Z = 3). The defect structure of the mineral manifests itself in a mixed occupation of all four independent cation positions and in a randomly disordered distribution of fluorine atoms over the majority of anion positions. It is shown that the crystal structure of tveitite-(Y) fulfills the function of an 'Eratosthenes sieve' for yttrium cations and two groups of lanthanide cations, so that these cations are distributed over three different positions.« less

Large-scale removal of lithosphere underneath the North China Craton in the Early Cretaceous: Geochemical constraints from volcanic lavas in the Bohai Bay Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jing; Liu, Zheng; Zhang, Shuai; Li, Xiaoguang; Qi, Jiafu

2017-11-01

Cratons are generally considered as the most stable tectonic units on the Earth. Rare magmatism, seismic activity, and intracrustal ductile deformation occur in them. However, several cratons experienced entirely different fates, including the North China Craton (NCC), and were subsequently destroyed. Geodynamic mechanisms and timing of the cratonic destruction are strongly debated. In this paper, we investigate a suite of Mesozoic intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks which are collected from boreholes in the Liaohe Depression of the Bohai Bay Basin the eastern NCC. These volcanic rocks have Precambrian basement-like Sr-Nd isotopic characteristics, consistent with derivation from the lower continental crust underneath the NCC. The Late Jurassic ( 165 Ma) intermediate volcanic rocks don't exhibit markedly negative Eu anomalies, which require a source beyond the plagioclase stability field. And the low heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) contents of these samples indicate that their source has garnet as residue. The Early Cretaceous ( 122 Ma) felsic volcanic rocks are depleted in HREEs but with remarkable Eu anomalies, suggesting that their source have both garnet and plagioclase. The crust thicknesses, estimated from the geochemistry of the intermediate and felsic rocks, are ≥ 50 km at 165 Ma and 30-50 km at 122 Ma, respectively. The crustal thinning is attributed to lithospheric delamination beneath the NCC. Our results combined with previous studies imply that the large-scale lithospheric removal occurred in the Early Cretaceous, between 140 and 120 Ma.

Numerical studies of the KP line-solitons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chakravarty, S.; McDowell, T.; Osborne, M.

2017-03-01

The Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (KP) equation admits a class of solitary wave solutions localized along distinct rays in the xy-plane, called the line-solitons, which describe the interaction of shallow water waves on a flat surface. These wave interactions have been observed on long, flat beaches, as well as have been recreated in laboratory experiments. In this paper, the line-solitons are investigated via direct numerical simulations of the KP equation, and the interactions of the evolved solitary wave patterns are studied. The objective is to obtain greater insight into solitary wave interactions in shallow water and to determine the extent the KP equation is a good model in describing these nonlinear interactions.

A useful approximation for the flat surface impulse response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Gary S.

1989-01-01

The flat surface impulse response (FSIR) is a very useful quantity in computing the mean return power for near-nadir-oriented short-pulse radar altimeters. However, for very small antenna beamwidths and relatively large pointing angles, previous analytical descriptions become very difficult to compute accurately. An asymptotic approximation is developed to overcome these computational problems. Since accuracy is of key importance, a condition is developed under which this solution is within 2 percent of the exact answer. The asymptotic solution is shown to be in functional agreement with a conventional clutter power result and gives a 1.25-dB correction to this formula to account properly for the antenna-pattern variation over the illuminated area.

Radioecology of natural systems. Fifteenth annual progress report, August 1, 1976--July 31, 1977. [Plutonium transport in terrestrial ecosystems at Rocky Flats Plant with emphasis on biological effects on mule deer and coyotes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Whicker, F.W.

1977-08-01

This report summarizes project activities during the period August 1, 1976 through July 31, 1977. Four major areas of effort are reported, namely plutonium behavior in a terrestrial ecosystem at Rocky Flats, mule deer and coyote studies at Rocky Flats, ecological consequences of transuranics in the terrestrial environment, and lead geochemistry of an alpine lake ecosystem. Much of the first area of effort involved the synthesis of data and preparation of manuscripts, although some new data are reported on plutonium levels in small mammals, plant uptake of plutonium from contaminated soil, and plutonium deposition rates on macroplot 1. The mulemore » deer studies generated a substantial body of new information which will permit quantitative assessment of plutonium dispersion by deer that utilize contaminated areas. These studies involve population dynamics, movement and use patterns, food habits, ingestion rates of contaminated soil and vegetation and plutonium burdens of deer tissues. A related study of coyote food habits in summer at Rocky Flats is reported. A manuscript dealing with the question of ecological effects of transuranics was prepared. This manuscript incorporates data from Rocky Flats on characteristics of natural populations which occupy ecologically similar areas having differing levels of plutonium contamination. The lead geochemistry studies continued to generate new data but the data are not yet reported.« less

Karyometry detects subvisual differences in chromatin organization state between cribriform and flat high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.

PubMed

Montironi, Rodolfo; Thompson, Deborah; Scarpelli, Marina; Mazzucchelli, Roberta; Peketi, Prasanthi; Hamilton, Peter W; Bostwick, David G; Bartels, Peter H

2004-08-01

This digital texture analysis-based study evaluates the chromatin organization state in flat and cribriform high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN), in the adjacent normal looking secretory epithelium and in the co-occurring adenocarcinoma. Digital texture analysis (karyometry) was carried out on hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections from 24 radical prostatectomy specimens with high-grade PIN (12 with flat and 12 with cribriform architectural pattern, respectively) and cancer. Quantification was also conducted on the normal looking secretory epithelium. Discriminant analysis and the nonsupervised learning algorithm P-index were used to identify suitable subsets of features useful for the discrimination and classification of pathological groups and to explore multivariate data structure in the pathological subgroups. The average nuclear abnormality increases monotonically from the histologically normal appearing secretory epithelium to high-grade PIN and to adenocarcinoma. The nuclei from the so-called perimeter compartment of the flat high-grade PIN lesions show a higher nuclear abnormality compared to the nuclei of the cribriform high-grade PINs. Discriminant analysis shows that flat and cribriform high-grade PINs fall into two populations. Processing by the nonsupervised learning algorithm P-index revealed the existence of three well-defined, distinct subpopulations of nuclei of different chromatin phenotype. In the flat high-grade PIN lesions the proportions of nuclei in the three subpopulations are 16.5% (low abnormality), 25.0% (mid abnormality) and 58.5% (high abnormality), respectively. In the cribriform high-grade PIN lesions, 100% of the nuclei are in the mid-abnormality subpopulation. These differences are also discernible in the co-occurring adenocarcinoma and the histologically normal appearing secretory epithelium. To conclude, karyometry and statistical analysis detect the existence of distinct cell subpopulations of different chromatin packaging and phenotype, with the nuclei from the flat high-grade PIN lesions, adjacent normal looking epithelium and co-occurring adenocarcinoma expressing a greater nuclear abnormality than in the specimens with cribriform high-grade PIN.

Changes in dialysis treatment modalities during institution of flat rate reimbursement and quality assurance programs.

PubMed

Kleophas, Werner; Karaboyas, Angelo; Li, Yun; Bommer, Juergen; Reichel, Helmut; Walter, Andreas; Icks, Andrea; Rump, Lars C; Pisoni, Ronald L; Robinson, Bruce M; Port, Friedrich K

2013-09-01

Dialysis procedure rates in Germany were changed in 2002 from per-session to weekly flat rate payments, and quality assurance was introduced in 2009 with defined treatment targets for spKt/V, dialysis frequency, treatment time, and hemoglobin. In order to understand trends in treatment parameters before and after the introduction of these changes, we analyzed data from 407 to 618 prevalent patients each year (hemodialysis over 90 days) in 14-21 centers in cross-sections of the Dialysis Outcomes and Practice Patterns Study (phases 1-4, 1998-2011). Descriptive statistics were used to report differences over time in the four quality assurance parameters along with erythropoietin-stimulating agent (ESA) and intravenous iron doses. Time trends were analyzed using linear mixed models adjusted for patient demographics and comorbidities. The proportion of patients with short treatment times (less than 4 h) and low spKt/V (below 1.2) improved throughout the study and was lowest after implementation of quality assurance. Hemoglobin levels have increased since 1998 and remained consistent since 2005, with only 8-10% of patients below 10 g/dl. About 90% of patients were prescribed ESAs, with the dose declining since peaking in 2006. Intravenous iron use was highest in 2011. Hence, trends to improve quality metrics for hemodialysis have been established in Germany even after introduction of flat rate reimbursement. Thus, analysis of facility practice patterns is needed to maintain quality of care in a cost-containment environment.

Migmatization and low-pressure overprinting metamorphism as record of two pre-Cretaceous tectonic episodes in the Santander Massif of the Andean basement in northern Colombia (NW South America)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zuluaga, C. A.; Amaya, S.; Urueña, C.; Bernet, M.

2017-03-01

The core of the Santander Massif in the northern Andes of Colombia is dominated by migmatitic gneisses with a < 1.71 Ga protolith and was affected by continuous interactions of oceanic plates to the west and the northwestern corner of the South American continental plate. The exposed metamorphic core of the massif offers a unique opportunity to understand the tectonic evolution of northwestern South America. We present new metamorphic petrology and geochemistry data from the Bucaramanga Gneiss in the Santander Massif to document part of this tectonic evolution from late Proterozoic to Jurassic times. Metapelitic migmatite gneiss, quartz-feldspathic gneiss, and amphibolite from the Bucaramanga Gneiss recorded metamorphic peak conditions in the range of 660-850 °C at pressures of > 7.5 kbar. Lithologies are overprinted by low-pressure metamorphism, related to extensive Jurassic intrusions and linked with growth of cordierite and equilibration of low-pressure mineral assemblages, recorded metamorphic conditions are < 750 °C and < 6.5 kbar. Observed leucosomes display significant compositional variations and can be grouped in three groups: i) Group One leucosomes with high total REE content, high LREE/HREE, and negative Eu anomaly, ii) Group Two leucosomes with low total REE, low LREE/HREE, and positive Eu anomalies, and iii) Group Three leucosomes with relatively low LREE/HREE and strong positive Eu anomaly. Geochemical data support the interpretation that Group Two leucosomes crystallized from melts originated in a partial melting event affecting mostly pelitic and quartz-feldspathic lithologies with fluid-present melting reactions. The evaluation of mesosomes (amphibolite, pelitic and quartz-feldspathic rocks) as potential protoliths or restites indicates that at least two pelitic samples of the analyzed lithologies have characteristics consistent with the occurrence of fluid-present melting reactions involving quartz and feldspar. The leucosomes produced by crystallization of modified partial melts contrast with several other leucosomes that were injected; however, in some cases the melts crystallized as injected leucosomes show consistent geochemistry with partial melting of lithologies geochemically similar to the ones observed in the unit. The migmatization and the low pressure metamorphic overprint are related here to two main tectonic events: an early Paleozoic tectonic pulse produced by subduction of the oceanic crust of the Iapetus Ocean beneath northwestern Gondwana, and an Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic tectonic pulse produced by subduction of oceanic crust of the proto-Pacific ocean beneath western Pangaea.

Pyroxene Pallasites: A New Pallasite Grouplet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boesenberg, J. S.; Prinz, M.; Weisberg, M. K.; Davis, A. M.; Clayton, R. N.; Mayeda, T. K.; Wasson, J. T.

1995-09-01

A new pallasite grouplet, the pyroxene pallasites, consisting of the meteorites Vermillion and Y8451, has been identified by petrologic, trace element, and oxygen isotopic data. Vermillion is a new 27 kg find from central Kansas with a texture that differs from main group (MG) and Eagle Station (ES) pallasites and consists of about (vol. %) 86 FeNi metal and 14 silicates. The silicates are interspersed with metal along bands up to 1.5 cm wide within the metal host. These bands contain micron to cm-sized silicates, including rounded to subrounded olivine (up to 1.5 cm), as well as orthopyroxene, chromite, and merrillite. Y8451, previously described in [1], is texturally similar to MG pallasites and consists of FeNi metal, rounded to subangular olivine (up to 1 cm), pyroxene, chromite, and merrillite. Modally, Vermillion silicates consist of (vol. %) about 93 olivine, 5 opx, 1.5 chromite, 0.5 merrillite, while Y8451 silicates consist of about 94 olivine, 4.8 opx, 1.1 cpx, and 0.1 merrillite. Vermillion olivine (Fo(sub)(87.0-88.9)) is comparable to MG pallasite olivine [2], while that of Y8451 (Fo(sub)(88.8-89.8)) is slightly more magnesian than MG [1]. Vermillion pyroxene (En(sub)(86-88.5) Wo(sub)(0.5-2.5)) typically occurs along the rims of smaller olivine grains, although larger pyroxene inclusions (up to 1 mm) of the same composition are sometimes found within olivine grains. Y8451 has two types of opx, a lower-Ca opx (En(sub)(89.1) Wo(sub)(0.6)) with 0.3 wt% CaO, and a higher-Ca opx (En(sub)(87.6-88.1) Wo(sub)(1.9-2.3)) with 1 wt% CaO; the lower-Ca opx coexists with cpx (En(sub)(51.5-51.8) Wo(sub)(43.7-44.1)). The higher-Ca opx has a smoothly fractionated REE pattern increasing from 0.3 x CI for La to 2.5 x CI for Lu, with no Eu anomaly, and does not appear to be in equilibrium with cpx, which has a fairly flat REE pattern at about 5 x CI (Fig. 1). The lower-Ca opx, however, is in equilibrium with cpx. Merrillites in Y8451 and Vermillion have relatively flat LREE (2 x CI) patterns, with HREE increasing to near 100 x CI in Lu, and do not appear to be in equilibrium with the higher-Ca opx or cpx. FeNi metal in Vermillion has a fine octahedrite texture and contains 65 micrograms/g Cr, 4.9 mg/g Co, 75 mg/g Ni, 130 micrograms/g Cu, 44 micrograms/g Ga, 13 micrograms/g As, 0.7 micrograms/g W, 1.9 micrograms/g Ir, and 1.4 micrograms/g Au. The metal is ungrouped and differs from MG or ES pallasite metal. Y8451 metal has not yet been analyzed. Oxygen isotopic compositions of olivine are similar in Vermillion (delta^(18)O=2.24, delta^(17)O=0.40, Delta^(17)O=-0.76) and Y8451 (delta^(18)O=2.26, delta^(17)O=0.41, Delta^(17)O=-0.77) and plot (Fig. 2) below the MG pallasite mass fractionation line (Delta^(17)O=-0.32). Pyroxene pallasites are clearly resolved from MG pallasites, as well as the acapulcoite-lodranite, and IAB-IIICD-winonaite groups. Conclusions: (1) Pyroxene pallasites constitute a new pallasite subgroup. (2) Application of the two-pyroxene thermometer [2] to Y8451 indicates an equilibration temperature of about 1000 degrees C. (3) The disequilibrium between silicates and phosphates is consistent with formation of merrillite by subsolidus reaction between metal and silicate where merrillite inherits the REE patterns of the olivine and orthopyroxene that probably formed as cumulates from a chondritic melt [3]. (4) The higher-Ca opx may be a xenocryst because of its disequilibrium pattern with the coexisting silicates. (5) The presence of pyroxene coexisting with olivine in pyroxene pallasites, in contrast to olivine alone in MG pallasites, may indicate a lower temperature of crystal accumulation for the pyroxene pallasites, assuming they both started from a similar chondritic melt. (6) The presence of three pallasite groups or grouplets may be indicative of three parent bodies, with only the MG pallasites related to the HED group. (7) Whatever the cause of the unusual metal-silicate relations in pallasites, this situation must have occurred in three different settings. References: [1] Yanai K. and Kojima H. (1995) Proc. NIPR Symp. Antarc. Meteorites, 8, 1-10. [2] Lindsley D. H. and Andersen D. J. (1983) Proc. LPSC 13th, in JGR, 88, A887-A906. [3] Davis A. M. and Olsen E. J. (1991) Nature, 353, 637-640.

Ankle and hip postural strategies defined by joint torques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Runge, C. F.; Shupert, C. L.; Horak, F. B.; Zajac, F. E.; Peterson, B. W. (Principal Investigator)

1999-01-01

Previous studies have identified two discrete strategies for the control of posture in the sagittal plane based on EMG activations, body kinematics, and ground reaction forces. The ankle strategy was characterized by body sway resembling a single-segment-inverted pendulum and was elicited on flat support surfaces. In contrast, the hip strategy was characterized by body sway resembling a double-segment inverted pendulum divided at the hip and was elicited on short or compliant support surfaces. However, biomechanical optimization models have suggested that hip strategy should be observed in response to fast translations on a flat surface also, provided the feet are constrained to remain in contact with the floor and the knee is constrained to remain straight. The purpose of this study was to examine the experimental evidence for hip strategy in postural responses to backward translations of a flat support surface and to determine whether analyses of joint torques would provide evidence for two separate postural strategies. Normal subjects standing on a flat support surface were translated backward with a range of velocities from fast (55 cm/s) to slow (5 cm/s). EMG activations and joint kinematics showed pattern changes consistent with previous experimental descriptions of mixed hip and ankle strategy with increasing platform velocity. Joint torque analyses revealed the addition of a hip flexor torque to the ankle plantarflexor torque during fast translations. This finding indicates the addition of hip strategy to ankle strategy to produce a continuum of postural responses. Hip torque without accompanying ankle torque (pure hip strategy) was not observed. Although postural control strategies have previously been defined by how the body moves, we conclude that joint torques, which indicate how body movements are produced, are useful in defining postural control strategies. These results also illustrate how the biomechanics of the body can transform discrete control patterns into a continuum of postural corrections.

Effects of holding time during cooling and of type of package on plasma membrane integrity, motility and in vitro oocyte penetration ability of frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa.

PubMed

Eriksson, B M; Vazquez, J M; Martinez, E A; Roca, J; Lucas, X; Rodriguez-Martinez, H

2001-05-01

The effect of a prolonged holding time (HT) during cooling on plasma membrane integrity (PMI), motility and in vitro oocyte penetration ability of boar spermatozoa frozen-thawed in different types of package was investigated. Boar semen was frozen in a split-sample design using 3 different HTs (3, 10 and 20 h) during cooling and three different types of freezing package: Maxi-straws, Medium-straws and FlatPacks. Assessment of PMI (SYBR-14 and propidium iodide, fluorescence microscopy) and sperm motility (visually and with CASA) was done during cooling (at 32 degrees C, 15 degrees C, 5 degrees C) and post-thaw (PT). The in vitro oocyte penetration ability of the spermatozoa was tested only PT, using a homologous in vitro penetration assay (hIVP). During cooling the HTs used had no significant (p<0.05) effect on either PMI or percentage of motile spermatozoa Post-thaw PMI was significantly higher (p<0.05) for 10 h and 20 h HT compared with 3 h, and the percentage of motile spermatozoa decreased significantly with 20 h HT as opposed to 3 h and 10 h. Regarding the freezing packages, the FlatPacks and Maxi-straws yielded significantly more PMI than did the Medium-straws (p<0.05). Post-thaw motility was significantly higher for FlatPacks than for straws, in terms of both percentage motile spermatozoa, and sperm velocity and lateral head displacement (LHD). The hIVP did not show any significant differences among the HTs, although FlatPacks yielded a significantly higher penetration rate and more spermatozoa per penetrated oocyte (p<0.05) than did the straws. Changes in motility patterns, toward a more circular motility during cooling and PT, could be noticed where individual spermatozoa showed a capacitation-like motility pattern. The changes were more obvious with 10-h and 20-h HTs than with 3-h HT.

Coral communities of the remote atoll reefs in the Nansha Islands, southern South China Sea.

PubMed

Zhao, M X; Yu, K F; Shi, Q; Chen, T R; Zhang, H L; Chen, T G

2013-09-01

During the months of May and June in the year 2007, a survey was conducted regarding coral reef communities in the remote atolls (Zhubi Reef and Meiji Reef) of Nansha Islands, southern South China Sea. The goals of the survey were to: (1) for the first time, compile a scleractinian coral check-list; (2) estimate the total richness, coral cover, and growth forms of the community; and (3) describe preliminary patterns of community structure according to geomorphological units. Findings of this survey revealed a total of 120 species of scleractinia belonging to 40 genera, while the average coral cover was 21 %, ranging from less than 10 % to higher than 50 %. Branching and massive corals were also found to be the most important growth forms of the whole coral community, while Acropora, Montipora, and Porites were the three dominant genera in the overall region, with their contributions to total coral cover measuring 21, 22, and 23 %, respectively. Overall, coral communities of the Nansha Islands were in a relative healthy condition with high species diversity and coral cover. Spatial pattern of coral communities existed among various geomorphological units. Mean coral cover was highest in the patch reef within the lagoon, followed by the fore reef slope, reef flat, and lagoon slope. The greatest contributors to total coral cover were branching Acropora (45 %) in the lagoon slope, branching Montipora (44 %) in the reef flat, and massive Porites (51 %) in the patch reef. Coral cover in the fore reef revealed a greater range of genera than in other habitats. The leeward fore reef slope had higher coral cover (> 50 %) when compared with the windward slope (< 10 %). The coral communities of the inner reef flat were characterized by higher coral cover (27 %) and dominant branching Montipora corals, while lower coral cover (4 %) was dominated by Psammocora with massive growth forms on the outer reef flat. Destructive fishing and coral bleaching were two major threats to coral communities in the study area.

Crustaceans from a tropical estuarine sand-mud flat, Pacific, Costa Rica, (1984-1988) revisited.

PubMed

Vargas-Zamora, José A; Sibaja-Cordero, Jeffrey A; Vargas-Castillo, Rita

2012-12-01

The availability of data sets for time periods of more than a year is scarce for tropical environments. Advances in hardware and software speed-up the re-analysis of old data sets and facilitates the description of population oscillations. Using recent taxonomic literature and software we have updated and re-analized the information on crustacean diversity and population fluctuations from a set of cores collected at a mud-sand flat in the mid upper Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific coast of Costa Rica (1984-1988). A total of 112 morphological species of macroinvertebrates was found, of which 29 were crustaceans. Taxonomic problems, maily with the peracarids, prevented the identification of a group of species. The abundance patterns of the crab Pinnixa valerii, the ostracod Cyprideis pacifica, and the cumacean Coricuma nicoyensis were analized with the Generalized Additive Models of the free software R. The models evidenced a variety of population oscillations during the sampling period. These oscillations probably included perturbations induced by external factors, like the strong red tide events of 1985. In additon, early on 1984 the populations might have been at an altered state due to the inpact of El Niño 1982-83. Thus, the oscillations observed during the study period departed from the expected seasonality (dry vs rainy) pattern and are thus considered atypical for this tropical estuarine tidal-flat. Crustacean diversity and population peaks were within the range of examples found in worldwide literature. However, abundances of the cumacean C. nicoyensis, an endemic species, are the highest reported for a tropical estuary. Comparative data from tropical tidal flat crustaceans continues to be scarce. Crustaceans (total vs groups) had population changes in response to the deployment of predator exclusion cages during the dry and rainy seasons of 1985. Temporal and spatial patchiness characterized the abundances of P. valeri, C. pacifica and C. nicoyenis.

Airborne antenna radiation pattern code user's manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burnside, Walter D.; Kim, Jacob J.; Grandchamp, Brett; Rojas, Roberto G.; Law, Philip

1985-01-01

The use of a newly developed computer code to analyze the radiation patterns of antennas mounted on a ellipsoid and in the presence of a set of finite flat plates is described. It is shown how the code allows the user to simulate a wide variety of complex electromagnetic radiation problems using the ellipsoid/plates model. The code has the capacity of calculating radiation patterns around an arbitrary conical cut specified by the user. The organization of the code, definition of input and output data, and numerous practical examples are also presented. The analysis is based on the Uniform Geometrical Theory of Diffraction (UTD), and most of the computed patterns are compared with experimental results to show the accuracy of this solution.

Pattern formation and geometry of the manifold

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haji, Amir Hossein; Mahzoon, Mojtaba; Javadpour, Sirus

2011-03-01

The objective of the present work is to investigate how pattern formation in the Cahn-Hilliard system can be influenced by geometry of the manifold. This is in contrast to control methods in which the physical field is modified and the pattern formation of the original system changes in response to control inputs. The idea begins with the cylindrical manifold symmetry leading to circumferential rolls while the torus manifold can be used to produce and control helical rolls. The next step is to search for a weaker restriction on the geometry of the manifold in order to reduce its dimension. In particular a short amplitude sinusoidal modulation on a flat surface is studied. At the final step a sequential pattern formation is presented.

Background Study on Employment and Labour Market in Estonia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eamets, Raul; Philips, Kaia; Annus, Tiina

During the years 1989-1997 in Estonia, employment has decreased; unemployment and inactivity have increased. Females have tended to move to inactivity while males have become unemployed. The wage patterns are very flat relative to those in market economies. Estonia has opted for very low levels of unemployment benefits, pensions, and a low minimum…

Weathering behavior of REE-Y in a granitic soil profile (Case of Strengbach watershed)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gangloff, Sophie; Stille, Peter; Chabaux, François

2017-04-01

Rare earth elements and yttrium (REE-Y) can be used as tracers of bedrock weathering and soil formation. One of the aims of this study is to better understand the different phenomena which impact the REE-Y mobilization and modify the REE-Y pattern along a soil profile. Our study has been performed on a granitic soil profile and soil solutions corresponding, sampled in a forest parcel covered with spruces from the Strengbach catchment. The behavior of the REE-Y pattern are compared with previously published results. The samples were collected from 2009 to 2013 and ultra-filtered to determine the spatial and temporal influence as well as that of the colloidal and dissolved fractions on the evolution of the REE-Y patterns. The EFTi of the soil indicates that during alteration process, phosphate minerals and zircon might be dissolved and induce the formation of secondary mineral phase like xenotime in the deeper soil horizons. The ultra-filtered soil solutions from humic horizon show that the REE-Y are principally enriched in the colloidal fraction controlling the REE-Y dynamic while in the deeper soil solutions colloidal and dissolved fractions influence the REE-Y. The mobility of REE-Y is controlled by the dissolution of the zircon and phosphate minerals, the precipitation of the REE-Y(PO4) and the evolution of OC with depth. The comparative study of the soil profile, soil water extracts and soil solutions show that (Eu*/Eu)DS anomaly reflects weathering of plagioclase in the micropores and the migration of the released Eu to the macropores, the (Ce*/Ce) anomaly, is stabilized by the electron shuttling of the humic acid (aromaticity) and provides information on the redox conditions only in the deeper soil horizons depleted in humic acid and finally the HREE enrichment in the deeper soil solutions results from the partial dissolution of secondary minerals in the upper soil horizons (above 30 cm depth).

Growth patterns for shape-shifting elastic bilayers.

PubMed

van Rees, Wim M; Vouga, Etienne; Mahadevan, L

2017-10-31

Inspired by the differential-growth-driven morphogenesis of leaves, flowers, and other tissues, there is increasing interest in artificial analogs of these shape-shifting thin sheets made of active materials that respond to environmental stimuli such as heat, light, and humidity. But how can we determine the growth patterns to achieve a given shape from another shape? We solve this geometric inverse problem of determining the growth factors and directions (the metric tensors) for a given isotropic elastic bilayer to grow into a target shape by posing and solving an elastic energy minimization problem. A mathematical equivalence between bilayers and curved monolayers simplifies the inverse problem considerably by providing algebraic expressions for the growth metric tensors in terms of those of the final shape. This approach also allows us to prove that we can grow any target surface from any reference surface using orthotropically growing bilayers. We demonstrate this by numerically simulating the growth of a flat sheet into a face, a cylindrical sheet into a flower, and a flat sheet into a complex canyon-like structure.

Technical trends of large-size photomasks for flat panel displays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yoshida, Koichiro

2017-06-01

Currently, flat panel displays (FPDs) are one of the main parts for information technology devices and sets. From 1990's to 2000's, liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and plasma displays had been mainstream FPDs. In the middle of 2000's, demand of plasma displays declined and organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) newly came into FPD market. And today, major technology of FPDs are LCDs and OLEDs. Especially for mobile devices, the penetration of OLEDs is remarkable. In FPDs panel production, photolithography is the key technology as same as LSI. Photomasks for FPDs are used not only as original master of circuit pattern, but also as a tool to form other functional structures of FPDs. Photomasks for FPDs are called as "Large Size Photomasks(LSPMs)", since the remarkable feature is " Size" which reaches over 1- meter square and over 100kg. In this report, we discuss three LSPMs technical topics with FPDs technical transition and trend. The first topics is upsizing of LSPMs, the second is the challenge for higher resolution patterning, and the last is "Multi-Tone Mask" for "Half -Tone Exposure".

Colloids with high-definition surface structures

PubMed Central

Chen, Hsien-Yeh; Rouillard, Jean-Marie; Gulari, Erdogan; Lahann, Joerg

2007-01-01

Compared with the well equipped arsenal of surface modification methods for flat surfaces, techniques that are applicable to curved, colloidal surfaces are still in their infancy. This technological gap exists because spin-coating techniques used in traditional photolithographic processes are not applicable to the curved surfaces of spherical objects. By replacing spin-coated photoresist with a vapor-deposited, photodefinable polymer coating, we have now fabricated microstructured colloids with a wide range of surface patterns, including asymmetric and chiral surface structures, that so far were typically reserved for flat substrates. This high-throughput method can yield surface-structured colloidal particles at a rate of ≈107 to 108 particles per operator per day. Equipped with spatially defined binding pockets, microstructured colloids can engage in programmable interactions, which can lead to directed self-assembly. The ability to create a wide range of colloids with both simple and complex surface patterns may contribute to the genesis of previously unknown colloidal structures and may have important technological implications in a range of different applications, including photonic and phononic materials or chemical sensors. PMID:17592149

Interferometric surface mapping with variable sensitivity.

PubMed

Jaerisch, W; Makosch, G

1978-03-01

In the photolithographic process, presently employed for the production of integrated circuits, sets of correlated masks are used for exposing the photoresist on silicon wafers. Various sets of masks which are printed in different printing tools must be aligned correctly with respect to the structures produced on the wafer in previous process steps. Even when perfect alignment is considered, displacements and distortions of the printed wafer patterns occur. They are caused by imperfections of the printing tools or/and wafer deformations resulting from high temperature processes. Since the electrical properties of the final integrated circuits and therefore the manufacturing yield depend to a great extent on the precision at which such patterns are superimposed, simple and fast overlay measurements and flatness measurements as well are very important in IC-manufacturing. A simple optical interference method for flatness measurements will be described which can be used under manufacturing conditions. This method permits testing of surface height variations by nearly grazing light incidence by absence of a physical reference plane. It can be applied to polished surfaces and rough surfaces as well.

Growth patterns for shape-shifting elastic bilayers

PubMed Central

van Rees, Wim M.; Vouga, Etienne; Mahadevan, L.

2017-01-01

Inspired by the differential-growth-driven morphogenesis of leaves, flowers, and other tissues, there is increasing interest in artificial analogs of these shape-shifting thin sheets made of active materials that respond to environmental stimuli such as heat, light, and humidity. But how can we determine the growth patterns to achieve a given shape from another shape? We solve this geometric inverse problem of determining the growth factors and directions (the metric tensors) for a given isotropic elastic bilayer to grow into a target shape by posing and solving an elastic energy minimization problem. A mathematical equivalence between bilayers and curved monolayers simplifies the inverse problem considerably by providing algebraic expressions for the growth metric tensors in terms of those of the final shape. This approach also allows us to prove that we can grow any target surface from any reference surface using orthotropically growing bilayers. We demonstrate this by numerically simulating the growth of a flat sheet into a face, a cylindrical sheet into a flower, and a flat sheet into a complex canyon-like structure. PMID:29078336

How Escherichia coli lands and forms cell clusters on a surface: a new role of surface topography

PubMed Central

Gu, Huan; Chen, Aaron; Song, Xinran; Brasch, Megan E.; Henderson, James H.; Ren, Dacheng

2016-01-01

Bacterial response to surface topography during biofilm formation was studied using 5 μm tall line patterns of poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS). Escherichia coli cells attached on top of protruding line patterns were found to align more perpendicularly to the orientation of line patterns when the pattern narrowed. Consistently, cell cluster formation per unit area on 5 μm wide line patterns was reduced by 14-fold compared to flat PDMS. Contrasting the reduced colony formation, cells attached on narrow patterns were longer and had higher transcriptional activities, suggesting that such unfavorable topography may present a stress to attached cells. Results of mutant studies indicate that flagellar motility is involved in the observed preference in cell orientation on narrow patterns, which was corroborated by the changes in cell rotation pattern before settling on different surface topographies. These findings led to a set of new design principles for creating antifouling topographies, which was validated using 10 μm tall hexagonal patterns. PMID:27412365

Spatiotemporal patterns in reaction-diffusion system and in a vibrated granular bed

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Swinney, H.L.; Lee, K.J.; McCormick, W.D.

Experiments on a quasi-two-dimensional reaction-diffusion system reveal transitions from a uniform state to stationary hexagonal, striped, and rhombic spatial patterns. For other reactor conditions lamellae and self-replicating spot patterns are observed. These patterns form in continuously fed thin gel reactors that can be maintained indefinitely in well-defined nonequilibrium states. Reaction-diffusion models with two chemical species yield patterns similar to those observed in the experiments. Pattern formation is also being examined in vertically oscillated thin granular layers (typically 3-30 particle diameters deep). For small acceleration amplitudes, a granular layer is flat, but above a well-defined critical acceleration amplitude, spatial patterns spontaneouslymore » form. Disordered time-dependent granular patterns are observed as well as regular patterns of squares, stripes, and hexagons. A one-dimensional model consisting of a completely inelastic ball colliding with a sinusoidally oscillating platform provides a semi-quantitative description of most of the observed bifurcations between the different spatiotemporal regimes.« less

Slot-grating flat lens for telecom wavelengths.

PubMed

Pugh, Jonathan R; Stokes, Jamie L; Lopez-Garcia, Martin; Gan, Choon-How; Nash, Geoff R; Rarity, John G; Cryan, Martin J

2014-07-01

We present a stand-alone beam-focusing flat lens for use in the telecommunications wavelength range. Light incident on the back surface of the lens propagates through a subwavelength aperture and is heavily diffracted on exit and partially couples into a surface plasmon polariton and a surface wave propagating along the surface of the lens. Interference between the diffracted wave and re-emission from a grating patterned on the surface produces a highly collimated beam. We show for the first time a geometry at which a lens of this type can be used at telecommunication wavelengths (λ=1.55 μm) and identify the light coupling and re-emission mechanisms involved. Measured beam profile results at varying incident wavelengths show excellent agreement with Lumerical FDTD simulation results.

Not a flat world: the future of cross-border reproductive care.

PubMed

Franklin, Sarah

2011-12-01

Cross-border reproductive care (CBRC) raises new issues for both medicine and social science, as well as analytical and methodological challenges. On the one hand, this phenomenon extends well-established practices, such as family formation, in new ways, for example through new technologies. Similarly, CBRC could be described as a form of globalization. Yet this sector also departs from established patterns of reproductivity, for example by combining reproductive services and substances transnationally. In this way, CBRC also changes the understanding of globalization, revealing that it is not necessarily producing a newly 'flat' world, but instead reproducing a traditionally stratified one. These aspects of CBRC must be kept in mind in the struggle to define best practice. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Magma Differentiation Processes That Develop an "Enriched" Signature in the Izu Bonin Rear Arc: Evidence from Drilling at IODP Site U1437

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heywood, L. J.; DeBari, S. M.; Schindlbeck, J. C.; Escobar-Burciaga, R. D.

2015-12-01

The Izu Bonin rear arc represents a unique laboratory to study the development of continental crust precursors at an intraoceanic subduction zone., Volcanic output in the Izu Bonin rear arc is compositionally distinct from the Izu Bonin main volcanic front, with med- to high-K and LREE-enrichment similar to the average composition of the continental crust. Drilling at IODP Expedition 350 Site U1437 in the Izu Bonin rear arc obtained volcaniclastic material that was deposited from at least 13.5 Ma to present. IODP Expedition 350 represents the first drilling mission in the Izu Bonin rear arc region. This study presents fresh glass and mineral compositions (obtained via EMP and LA-ICP-MS) from unaltered tephra layers in mud/mudstone (Lithostratigraphic Unit I) and lapillistone (Lithostratigraphic Unit II) <4.5 Ma to examine the geochemical signature of Izu Bonin rear arc magmas. Unit II samples are coarse-grained tephras that are mainly rhyolitic in composition (72.1-77.5 wt. % SiO2, 3.2-3.9 wt. % K2O and average Mg# 24) and LREE-enriched. These rear-arc rhyolites have an average La/Sm of 2.6 with flat HREEs, average Th/La of 0.15, and Zr/Y of 4.86. Rear-arc rhyolite trace element signature is distinct from felsic eruptive products from the Izu Bonin main volcanic front, which have lower La/Sm and Th/La as well as significantly lower incompatible element concentrations. Rear arc rhyolites have similar trace element ratios to rhyolites from the adjacent but younger backarc knolls and actively-extending rift regions, but the latter is typified by lower K2O, as well as a smaller degree of enrichment in incompatible elements. Given these unique characteristics, we explore models for felsic magma formation and intracrustal differentiation in the Izu Bonin rear arc.

Petrogenesis of Western Cascades Silicic Volcanics Near Sweet Home, Oregon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, G. W.; White, C. M.

2002-12-01

Silicic lavas in the Menagerie Wilderness east of Sweet Home, Oregon are Oligocene to Miocene in age and range in composition from dacite (low K) to trachydacite (high K) and rhyolite (medium K). Three distinct silicic centers have been distinguished through a combination of field observation, chemistry and petrography. Phenocryst assemblages in rocks of the centers are plagioclase-hornblende-magnetite (Rooster Rock rhyolite), plagioclase-quartz-magnetite (Soda Fork rhyolite) and quartz-plagioclase-biotite-hornblende-magnetite (Moose Mt. rhyolite). The silicic volcanics in the study area are similar in terms of mineral content and overall chemical composition. Despite this, chemical evidence suggests that the three centers are petrologically unrelated. REE variations and least squares modeling of major element compositions are consistent with fractionation of plagioclase and hornblende. The rhyolites have moderate Eu anomalies and have flat MREE and HREE signatures. Least squares models and bivariate plots of major and trace elements also suggest fractionation of the aforementioned phases for both the andesite to dacite, and dacite to rhyolite steps. Comparisons with similar silicic centers show the Menagerie rocks share affinities with High Cascades rocks thought to have been derived through fractional crystallization (Crater Lake and South Sister). Plots of ratios of incompatible trace elements were utilized to determine if assimilation played some role alongside fractional crystallization in differentiation. Plots of Ba/La vs. Ba, Rb/Zr vs. Rb and Rb/Th vs. Rb show systematic positive increases in the ratios between a plausible parent magma (icelandite) and the rhyolites. These increases are not easily explained by fractional crystallization but can be modeled by assimilation of silicic crust. Overall, it seems likely that the three centers evolved independently through similar petrogenetic processes from an andesitic parent. The most plausible petrogenetic scenario involves some combination of fractional crystallization and assimilation of partial melts of silicic crust.

SSME seal test program: Test results for hole-pattern damper seals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Childs, D. W.

1985-01-01

The results consisting of direct and transverse force coefficients are presented for thirteen, hole-pattern, damper-seal configurations. The designation damper seal refers to a seal which uses a deliberately roughened stator nd smooth rotor, to increase the net damping force developed by a seal. The designation hole-pattern refers to a stator roughness pattern which is developed by a pattern of round holes while are milled into the stator. All seals tested use the same smooth rotor and have the same constant minimum clearance. The seal tests examined the following major design options: (1) hole-area density, i.e., the proportion of stator surface area consumed by holes; and (2) hole depth, particularly the ratio of hole depth to minimum clearance. In addition, limited data were taken to examine the influence of in-line versus staggered hole patterns and flat-bottomed versus spherical-bottomed holes.

Morphological Diversity in Crystal Growth of l-Ascorbic Acid Dissolved in Methanol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, Miho; Izui, Machiko; Yamazaki, Yoshihiro; Matsushita, Mitsugu

2003-06-01

Morphological diagram with respect to crystal growth of l-ascorbic acid (C6H8O6; so-called vitamin C) from methanol solution on a flat glass dish is presented. Varying humidity and initial concentration of l-ascorbic acid in methanol solution, the following three distinct kinds of growing patterns have been observed: homogeneous disk, concentric ring and dendrite. In addition, in higher concentration clearly faceted small single crystals grow in any humidity less than 90%. Crossovers from one pattern to another were observed, too.

Disrupted day-night pattern of cardiovascular death in obstructive sleep apnea.

PubMed

Martins, Emerson Ferreira; Martinez, Denis; da Silva, Fernando A Boeira Sabino; Sezerá, Lauren; da Rosa de Camargo, Rodrigo; Fiori, Cintia Zappe; Fuchs, Flávio Danni; Moraes, Ruy Silveira

2017-10-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients who suffer sudden cardiac death die predominantly during the night. We aimed to investigate whether all cardiovascular-related deaths display the same night-time peak as sudden cardiac death. Data from a large cohort of adults who underwent full-night polysomnography between 1985 and 2015 in a university-affiliated sleep clinic were analyzed. Time and cause of death of these patients and of persons from the general population were identified in death certificates from the State Health Secretariat. The day-night pattern of cardiovascular death was compared among groups of non-OSA, OSA (apnea-hypopnea index, AHI ≥5), CPAP users, and persons from the general population. Among 619 certificates, 160 cardiovascular-related deaths were identified. The time of death of the 142 persons with OSA was uniformly distributed over 24 h, with neither an identifiable peak nor a circadian pattern (Rayleigh test; P = 0.8); the same flat distribution was seen in those with purported CPAP use (n = 49). Non-OSA individuals presented a morning peak and a night nadir of deaths, clearer when analyzed in eight-hour intervals. The same pattern was observed in 92 836 certificates from the State general population, with cardiovascular deaths showing the expected morning peak, night nadir, and a significant circadian pattern (Rayleigh test; P < 0.001). In OSA patients, the distribution of cardiovascular-related deaths throughout the 24-h period is virtually flat, in contrast with the described nighttime peak of sudden cardiac death. OSA-related phenomena during nighttime might be blunting the mechanisms, arrhythmic or not, behind the morning peak of cardiovascular-related deaths. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Micropatterned coculture of vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells on layered electrospun fibrous mats toward blood vessel engineering.

PubMed

Li, Huinan; Liu, Yaowen; Lu, Jinfu; Wei, Jiaojun; Li, Xiaohong

2015-06-01

A major challenge in vascular engineering is the establishment of proper microenvironment to guide the spatial organization, growth, and extracellular matrix (ECM) productions of cells found in blood vessels. In the current study, micropatterned fibrous mats with distinct ridges and grooves of different width were created to load smooth muscle cells (SMCs), which were assembled by stacking on vascular endothelial cell (EC)-loaded flat fibrous mats to mimic the in vivo-like organized structure of blood vessels. SMCs were mainly distributed in the ridges, and aligned fibers in the patterned regions led to the formation of elongated cell bodies, intense actin filaments, and expressions of collagen I and α-smooth muscle actin in a parallel direction with fibers. ECs spread over the flat fibrous mats and expressed collagen IV and laminin with a cobblestone-like feature. A z-stack scanning of fluorescently stained fibrous mats indicated that SMCs effectively infiltrated into fibrous scaffolds at the depth of around 200 μm. Compared with SMCs cultured alone, the coculture with ECs enhanced the proliferation, infiltration, and cytoskeleton elongation of SMCs on patterned fibrous mats. Although the coculture of SMCs made no significant difference in the EC growth, the coculture system on patterned fibrous scaffolds promoted ECM productions of both ECs and SMCs. Thus, this patterned fibrous configuration not only offers a promising technology in the design of tissue engineering scaffolds to construct blood vessels with durable mechanical properties, but also provides a platform for patterned coculture to investigate cell-matrix and cell-cell interactions in highly organized tissues. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Controls on subglacial patterns and depositional environments in western Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knight, J.

2009-12-01

In western Ireland, Late Devensian ice flow dynamics and resultant patterns of landforms and sediments reflect the interplay between internal (glaciological) forcing and external forcing by rapid climate changes centred on the adjacent Atlantic Ocean. This interplay can be best demonstrated where ice from climatically-sensitive mountain source regions flowed into surrounding lowlands, such as the Connemara region of west County Galway, western Ireland. Here, a semi-independent ice cap was present over the Twelve Bens mountains, and interacted with ice from the much larger regional ice sheet from central Ireland. Landform and sediment patterns in the flat lowland region (c. 100 km2 below 30 m asl) to the south of the Twelve Bens reflect elements of this ice interaction. In detail, landform and sediment distributions here are highly complex with marked spatial differences in patterns of sediment availability. Across much of the region, sculpted bedrock forms (whaleback and bedrock drumlin ridges, roches mountonnées, striae) reflect subglacial abrasion across the underlying igneous and metamorphic bedrock that forms a relatively flat and lake-dominated landscape. Glacigenic sediments are found only at or around ice-retreat margins, and within isolated bedrock valleys. Here, diamicton drumlins are relatively uncommon but yet must represent depositional conditions that are not reflected elsewhere in this ice sheet sector where subglacial sediments are generally absent. This paper explores the interrelationship between local and regional ice flows through their impact on spatial patterns of glacial landforms and sediments. The paper presents field data on the characteristics of bedrock forms (erosional) and diamicton drumlins (depositional). Subglacial sediments are described from drumlin outcrops at key sites around Connemara, which helps in the understanding of the evolution of the subglacial environment in response to ice interactions from different source regions.

The provenance of Archean clastic metasediments in the Narryer Gneiss Complex, western Australia: Trace element geochemistry, Nd isotopes, and U-Pb ages for detrital zircons

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maas, R.; McCulloch, M.T.

1991-07-01

Clastic metasedimentary rocks of mid-Archean age from the Mt. Narryer and Jack Hills metasedimentary belts have REE patterns resembling those of mid- to late-Archean pelitic-quartzitic cratonic sequences elsewhere, and post-Archean continental rocks in general. Detrital zircons in the metasediments range in age from ca. 3,000 to 3,700 Ma. This indicates a provenance from mature cratonic sources controlled by K-rich granitic rocks. Additional minor sediment sources were identified as older, mainly chemical sedimentary sequences, ultramafic rocks, and felsic rocks characterized by low HREE contents, perhaps of tonalitic affinity. Differences between sedimentary REE patterns and those in the surrounding 3.73-3.0 Ga orthogneissmore » terrain, and between detrital zircon ages and the age distribution in the gneisses, suggest that the present association of the metasedimentary belts with the orthogneiss terrain is of tectonic origin. The occurrence of detrital zircons with U-Pb ages > 4 Ga in certain quartzites and conglomerates of the Jack Hills and Mt. Narryer metasedimentary sequences indicates a further, most likely granitic, source. {epsilon}{sub Nd}(T{sub Dep}) values in Jack Hills metasediments vary widely (+5 to {minus}12) but have a smaller range in the Mt. Narryer belt ({minus}5 to {minus}9). The lowest {epsilon}{sub Nd} values of both sequences are interpreted to reflect the presence of detritus derived from 4.1-4.2 Ga old LREE-enriched continental crust in proportions considerably larger ({ge} 10%) than estimated previously from the abundance of pre-4 Ga detrital zircons ({approx}3%). This would imply the former existence of significant volumes of pre-4 Ga continental crust in the provenance of the Mt. Narryer and Jack Hills metasediments.« less

Age and morphodynamics of a sandy beach fronted by a macrotidal mud flat along the west coast of Korea: a lateral headland bypass model for beach-dune formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Tae Soo; Hong, Seok Hwi; Chun, Seung Soo; Choi, Jeong-Heon

2017-08-01

The Dasari beach-dune system fronted by an intertidal mud flat is a typical example of numerous small beaches found both in embayments and along the open macrotidal west coast of Korea. The beach is frequently exposed to energetic wave action at high tide in winter. Although this coastal dune-sandy beach-intertidal mud flat system has previously been described, its origin and morphodynamic behavior has to date not been firmly established. To clarify these issues, elevation profiles and surficial sediment samples were collected seasonally along five monitoring transects across the tidal flat. In addition, box-cores as well as vibro- and drill-cores were acquired along the middle transect. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and 14C- AMS (accelerator mass spectrometry) dating methods were applied to determine the age of the tidal flat, the beach and the dune deposits. The results show that Dasari beach is topographically composed of two distinct morphological and sedimentological sectors, comprising a high-tide sandy beach that merges seaward into an extensive low-tide tidal flat composed of mud. The transition between the two sectors is marked by a sharp break in slope and change in internal sedimentary structures. At the boundary, the subtle shoreward fining trend in mean grain size on the intertidal flat switches to a pronounced shoreward coarsening trend. Near the transition, mixing between the beach sand and the mud is observed. Another striking feature is a seasonal rotation of the beach system centered on the middle sector, with the northern sector eroding in winter and accreting in summer, and the southern sector accreting in winter and eroding in summer. The spatial grain-size pattern reveals that the beach is fed from the neighboring beach in the north by lateral headland bypassing, rather than onshore transport across the tidal flat, the intermittent lateral supply of sand explaining the seasonal rotation of the beach. Stratigraphically, the beach-dune deposits are underlain by muddy tidal flat deposits, which results in a clear upward coarsening grain-size trend and thus intimates transgressive deposition associated with sea-level rise over the past 7-8 ka. However, a time gap of 4-5 thousand years between the tidal flat and the beach-dune deposits indicates that there is no genetic link between the two depositional systems. As the modern beach-dune system is remote from the former landward limit of the tidal flat, a continuous retreat model must be rejected. Instead, a lateral headland bypassing model, in which sand supplied alongshore progressively encroached the tidal flat, is more plausible. In the light of this interpretation, many of the barrier beach-lagoon models proposed for the macrotidal west coast of Korea need to be reconsidered.

The anatomical relationships between the avian eye, orbit and sclerotic ring: implications for inferring activity patterns in extinct birds

PubMed Central

Hall, Margaret I

2008-01-01

Activity pattern, or the time of day when an animal is awake and active, is highly associated with that animal's ecology. There are two principal activity patterns: diurnal, or awake during the day in a photopic, or high light level, environment; and nocturnal, awake at night in scotopic, or low light level, conditions. Nocturnal and diurnal birds exhibit characteristic eye shapes associated with their activity pattern, with nocturnal bird eyes optimized for visual sensitivity with large corneal diameters relative to their eye axial lengths, and diurnal birds optimized for visual acuity, with larger axial lengths of the eye relative to their corneal diameters. The current study had three aims: (1) to quantify the nature of the relationship between the avian eye and its associated bony anatomy, the orbit and the sclerotic ring; (2) to investigate how activity pattern is reflected in that bony anatomy; and (3) to identify how much bony anatomy is required to interpret activity pattern reliably for a bird that does not have the soft tissue available for study, specifically, for a fossil. Knowledge of extinct avian activity patterns would be useful in making palaeoecological interpretations. Here eye, orbit and sclerotic ring morphologies of 140 nocturnal and diurnal bird species are analysed in a phylogenetic context. Although there is a close relationship between the avian eye and orbit, activity pattern can only be reliably interpreted for bony-only specimens, such as a fossil, that include both measurements of the sclerotic ring and orbit depth. Any missing data render the fossil analysis inaccurate, including fossil specimens that are flat and therefore do not have an orbit depth available. For example, activity pattern cannot be determined with confidence for Archaeopteryx lithographica, which has a complete sclerotic ring but no orbit depth measurement. Many of the bird fossils currently available that retain a good sclerotic ring tend to be flat specimens, while three-dimensionally preserved bird fossils tend not to have a well-preserved sclerotic ring or a well-defined optic foramen, necessary for delimiting the orbit depth. PMID:18510506

Ti-rich komatiites from northern Norway

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, Sarah-Jane; Often, Morten

1990-06-01

Komatiites of the Karasjok Greenstone Belt, northern Norway, show two unusual features: they have certain compositional differences compared with other komatiites, and they are largely volcaniclastic in origin. Their geological setting suggests that the komatiites were crupted into shallow water, thus permitting phreatomagmatic eruption, in a small ocean basin that opened in the Baltic Shield. The major oxides (except for TiO2), the trace elements Y, Sc, V, heavy rare earth elements (HREE), Cr, Co, Ni and the platinum group elements (PGE) cover similar ranges to those observed in other komatiites, but TiO2, Sm, Zr and Hf (Ti-associated elements, TAE) are enriched compared with abundances commonly reported for komatiites. Thus, the Karasjok komatiites have interelement ratios 2 to 3 times greater than chondritic between the TAE and the HREE, PGE, Sc, V, Y, Al (HRE-associated elements, HAE). The light rare earth elements (LREE), Ta and Th are enriched in some samples relative to Ti, Sm, Zr, and Hf, but are depleted in others. One group of rocks that is similar to the Karasjok komatiites both in terms of geological setting and geochemistry is the Baffin Bay picrites. The reason for the high concentrations of TAE in the Karasjok komatiites could be that they formed at lower degrees of partial melting than most komatiites. The greater-than-chondritic TAE/HAE ratios indicate that garnet was a residual phase during their formation, requiring that the melt formed at a pressure greater than 40 kb. A model involving decompression melting of a mantle plume rising in a rifting environment, can explain the main features of the Karasjok komatiites.

A tale of phenocrysts: trace element contents of boninites and forearc basalts from IODP Expedition 352

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapman, T.; Clarke, G. L.; Reagan, M. K.; Sakuyama, T.; Godard, M.; Shervais, J. W.; Prytulak, J.; Shimizu, K.; Nelson, W. R.; Heaton, D. E.; Whattam, S. A.; Li, H.; Pearce, J. A.

2016-12-01

The Izu-Bonin Mariana (IBM) forearc represents an ideal location to study the dynamics of subduction initiation and to reveal the volcanic sequences appropriate to assess ophiolite origins. The volcanic stratigraphy recovered on Expedition 352 illustrates an abrupt shift from forearc basalt (FAB) to boninite magmatism, with limited transitional rock types, as observed from submersible and previous drill work in the Izu-Bonin and Mariana sections. The transition represents a change from decompression melting to fluxed melting of the mantle wedge. The volcanic stratigraphy has several distinct boninite chemical evolution trends (basaltic boninite, low- and high-silica boninite). Mineral assemblages and phenocryst trace element compositions vary throughout the volcanic sequence providing an opportunity to explore more completely boninite and FAB transitions and petrogenesis. FABs are characterised by early plagioclase crystallization and HREE enriched clinopyroxene with high Ti contents. Basaltic boninite and some low-silica boninite lavas have overlapping REE concentrations consistent with early plagioclase growth preceded by clinopyroxene. In contrast, textures and HREE depleted concentrations of clinopyroxene in high-silica boninite imply late plagioclase growth relative to olivine and orthopyroxene. Variations in mineral compositions and paragenesis in boninites reflect changes in magma compositions and a progressive depletion of mantle sources over time. This is illustrated via key incompatible and compatible trace element ratios and concentrations (e.g. Zr/Ti & V or Cr). The transition from FAB to low-Si boninite was subtle in terms of mineral modes, but was more evident in terms of the phase and lava compositions.

Fluorbritholite-(Y) and yttrialite-(Y) from silexites of the Keivy alkali granites, Kola Peninsula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyalina, L. M.; Zozulya, D. R.; Savchenko, Ye. E.; Tarasov, M. P.; Selivanova, E. A.; Tarasova, E.

2014-12-01

Investigation of the morphology, anatomy, and chemical composition of fluorbritholite-(Y) and yttrialite-(Y) from silexites of the Keivy alkali granites in Kola Peninsula has shown that these minerals are the main REE concentrators in this area and that their content reaches 10-15 vol %. Britholite and yttrialite are associated with zircon, aeschynite-(Y), chevkinite-(Ce), fergusonite-(Y), thorite, monazite-(Ce), xenotime-(Y) and bastnaesite-(Ce). Three morphological types of fluorbritholite-(Y) have been identified: (I) subhedral crystals and grains, (II) anhedral grains intergrown with yttrialite-(Y), and (III) poikilitic crystals and skeletal aggregates. These morphological types of fluorbritholite-(Y) are characterized by successive (I to III type) decreases in P content down to the pure silicate fluorbritholite-(Y). Crystals of the first type are heterogenous: the P content decreases and the HREE content increases from core to rim. The total REE content increases insignificantly from types I to II and drastically decreases in fluorbritholite-(Y) of type III. The successive prevalence of HREE over LREE indicates the hydrothermal conditions of mineral crystallization. The chemical composition of yttrialite-(Y) is distinguished by the relatively high Th content and depletion in Al. The compositional trend (from core to rim) in heterogeneous grains of yttrialite-(Y) testifies that their heterogeneity was caused by metasomatic alteration of the mineral. The interrelation of fluorbritholite-(Y) and yttrialite-(Y) indicate that fluorbritholite-(Y) of types II and III were formed later than yttrialite-(Y). Evidence for fluorbritholite-(Y) and yttrialite-(Y) formation suggests the significant role of hydrothermal processes in the genesis of silexites.

Satellite-based observations of unexpected coastal changes due to the Saemangeum Dyke construction, Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Yoon-Kyung; Ryu, Joo-Hyung; Choi, Jong-Kuk; Lee, Seok; Woo, Han-Jun

2015-08-15

Spatial and temporal changes around an area of conventional coastal engineering can be easily observed from field surveys because of the clear cause-and-effect observable in the before and after stages of the project. However, it is more difficult to determine environmental changes in the vicinity of tidal flats and coastal areas that are a considerable distance from the project. To identify any unexpected environmental impacts of the construction of Saemangeum Dyke in the area, we examined morphological changes identified by satellite-based observations through a field survey on Gomso Bay tidal flats (15km from Saemangeum Dyke), and changes in the suspended sediment distribution identified by satellite-based observations through a hydrodynamic analysis in the Saemangeum and Gomso coastal area. We argue that hydrodynamic changes due to conventional coastal engineering can affect the sedimentation pattern in the vicinity of tidal flats. We suggest that the environmental impact assessment conducted before a conventional coastal engineering project should include a larger area than is currently considered. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Stress concentration in periodically rough Hertzian contact: Hertz to soft-flat-punch transition

PubMed Central

Raphaël, E.; Léger, L.; Restagno, F.; Poulard, C.

2016-01-01

We report on the elastic contact between a spherical lens and a patterned substrate, composed of a hexagonal lattice of cylindrical pillars. The stress field and the size of the contact area are obtained by means of numerical methods: a superposition method of discrete pressure elements and an iterative bisection-like method. For small indentations, a transition from a Hertzian to a soft-flat-punch behaviour is observed when the surface fraction of the substrate that is covered by the pillars is increased. In particular, we present a master curve defined by two dimensionless parameters, which allows one to predict the stress at the centre of the contact region in terms of the surface fraction occupied by pillars. The transition between the limiting contact regimes, Hertzian and soft-flat-punch, is well described by a rational function. Additionally, a simple model to describe the Boussinesq–Cerruti-like contact between the lens and a single elastic pillar, which takes into account the pillar geometry and the elastic properties of the two bodies, is presented. PMID:27713659

Coastal Erosion in a Coral Reef Island, Taiping Island, South China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, S.; Ma, G.; Liang, M.; Chu, J.

2011-12-01

Reef flats surrounding islands are known to dissipate much offshore wave energy, and thereby protect beaches from erosion. Taiping Island, the largest coral reef islands of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, has been observed the shorelines erosion on the southwest coast over past decades. It is recognized that wave and current processes across coral reefs affect reef-island development and morphology. A number of studies suggest effects of climate changes, sea-level rise and storm-intensity increase, determine the magnitude of wave energy on the reef platform and will likely intensify the erosion. The topographical change in the local region, the southwest reef flat was dredged a channel for navigation, may be a significant factor in influencing current characteristics. Numerical modeling is used to describe both hydrodynamics and sediment dynamics because there are no field measurements available around the reef flat. Field observations off the island conducted in August 2004 and November 2005 provides offshore wave characteristics of the predominant wind seasons. Numerical simulations perform the spatial and temporal variation of waves and current patterns and coastal erosion potential on the reef platform.

Growth of the flat bones of the membranous neurocranium: a computational model.

PubMed

Garzón-Alvarado, Diego A; González, Andres; Gutiérrez, Maria Lucia

2013-12-01

This article assumes two stages in the formation of the bones in the calvaria, the first one takes into account the formation of the primary centers of ossification. This step counts on the differentiation from mesenchymal cells into osteoblasts. A molecular mechanism is used based on a system of reaction-diffusion between two antagonistic molecules, which are BMP2 and Noggin. To this effect we used equations whose behavior allows finding Turing patterns that determine the location of the primary centers. In the second step of the model we used a molecule that is expressed by osteoblasts, called Dxl5 and that is expressed from the osteoblasts of each flat bone. This molecule allows bone growth through its borders through cell differentiation adjacent to each bone of the skull. The model has been implemented numerically using the finite element method. The results allow us to observe a good approximation of the formation of flat bones of the membranous skull as well as the formation of fontanelles and sutures. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Rosalind Franklin's X-ray photo of DNA as an undergraduate optical diffraction experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, J.; Braun, G.; Tierney, D.; Wessels, L.; Schmitzer, H.; Rossa, B.; Wagner, H. P.; Dultz, W.

2018-02-01

Rosalind Franklin's X-ray diffraction patterns of DNA molecules rendered the important clue that DNA has the structure of a double helix. The most famous X-ray photograph, Photo 51, is still printed in most Biology textbooks. We suggest two optical experiments for undergraduates that make this historic achievement comprehensible for students by using macromodels of DNA and visible light to recreate a diffraction pattern similar to Photo 51. In these macromodels, we replace the double helix both mathematically and experimentally with its two-dimensional (flat) projection and explain why this is permissible. Basic optical concepts are used to infer certain well-known characteristics of DNA from the diffraction pattern.

Use of thermal inertia determined by HCMM to predict nocturnal cold prone areas in Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, L. H., Jr. (Principal Investigator); Chen, E.; Martsolf, J. D.; Jones, P. H.

1981-01-01

The HCMM transparency scenes for the available winter of 1978-1979 were evaluated; scenes were identified on processed magnetic tapes; other remote sensing information was identified; and a soil heat flux model with variable-depth thermal profile was developed. The Image 100 system was used to compare HCMM and GOES transparent images of surface thermal patterns. Excellent correspondence of patterns was found, with HCMM giving the greater resolution. One image shows details of thermal patterns in Florida that are attributable to difference in near surface water contents. The wide range of surface temperatures attributable to surface thermal inertia that exist in the relatively flat Florida topography is demonstrated.

An Analysis of Air Photo and Radar Imagery of Barro Colorado Island, Panama

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-07-01

changes (flats, hills, mountains , etc.), they cannot provide the shape information that can be obtained from stereo imagery. Referring to figure 14, one...field patterns. These are shown in figure 20. Figure 21 shows a portion of a 1979 Landsat MSS color composite scene of this alea . It has a continuous red

In-Situ Subsurface Coating of Corroded Steel Sheet Pile Structures: Final Report on Project F08-AR06

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

scraped the sheet pile wall with an excavator. After scraping the out-pans with a flat edge bucket, the contractor welded a blade on the bucket...unusual striations were parallel grooves running at 30 – 45 degrees from the vertical. Some patterns cross each other symmetrically. The stria- tions

Nonlinear dynamics of Aeolian sand ripples.

PubMed

Prigozhin, L

1999-07-01

We study the initial instability of flat sand surface and further nonlinear dynamics of wind ripples. The proposed continuous model of ripple formation allowed us to simulate the development of a typical asymmetric ripple shape and the evolution of a sand ripple pattern. We suggest that this evolution occurs via ripple merger preceded by several soliton-like interaction of ripples.

Enhancing Mobility: Integrating New Services into Your Library's Mobile Platform to Increase Traffic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felts, John W., Jr.

2014-01-01

Kimbel Library launched its mobile environment and ran it in full production for several months yet usage patterns were quite low and flat. The library only saw a substantial increase in usage when new, value-added services were integrated into this platform. Upon implementing and integrating discovery services, chat and SMS capabilities, and…

Excitations of interface pinned domain walls in constrained geometries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, S. M. S. B.; Oliveira, L. L.; Rebouças, G. O. G.; Dantas, Ana L.; Carriço, A. S.

2018-05-01

We report a theoretical investigation of the equilibrium pattern and the spectra of head-to-head and Neel domain walls of flat Fe and Py stripes, exchange coupled with a vicinal antiferromagnetic substrate. We show that the domain wall excitation spectrum is tunable by the strength of the interface field. Furthermore, strong interface coupling favors localized wall excitations.

77 FR 21527 - Certain Cut-to-Length Carbon-Quality Steel Plate Products From the Republic of Korea: Final...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-10

... in coils) and without patterns in relief), of iron or non-alloy quality steel; and (2) flat-rolled... rectangular or non-rectangular cross section where such non-rectangular cross-section is achieved subsequent... characteristics that are painted, varnished, or coated with plastic or other non-metallic substances are included...

General Shop Competencies in Vocational Agriculture for 9th and 10th Grade Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novotny, Ronald; And Others

The document presents unit plans which offer list of experiences and competencies to be learned for general shop occupations in vocational agriculture. The units include: (1) arc welding, (2) oxy-acetylene welding, (3) flat concrete, (4) concrete block, (5) lumber patterns and wood building materials, (6) metal fasteners, (7) wood adhesives, (8)…

Ultrasmooth Patterned Metals for Plasmonics and Metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagpal, Prashant; Lindquist, Nathan C.; Oh, Sang-Hyun; Norris, David J.

2009-07-01

Surface plasmons are electromagnetic waves that can exist at metal interfaces because of coupling between light and free electrons. Restricted to travel along the interface, these waves can be channeled, concentrated, or otherwise manipulated by surface patterning. However, because surface roughness and other inhomogeneities have so far limited surface-plasmon propagation in real plasmonic devices, simple high-throughput methods are needed to fabricate high-quality patterned metals. We combined template stripping with precisely patterned silicon substrates to obtain ultrasmooth pure metal films with grooves, bumps, pyramids, ridges, and holes. Measured surface-plasmon-propagation lengths on the resulting surfaces approach theoretical values for perfectly flat films. With the use of our method, we demonstrated structures that exhibit Raman scattering enhancements above 107 for sensing applications and multilayer films for optical metamaterials.

Effect of soiling in CPV systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vivar, M.; Herrero, R.; Anton, I.

2010-07-15

The effect of soiling in flat PV modules has been already studied, causing a reduction of the electrical output of 4% on average. For CPV's, as far as soiling produces light scattering at the optical collector surface, the scattered rays should be definitively lost because they cannot be focused onto the receivers again. While the theoretical study becomes difficult because soiling is variable at different sites, it becomes easier to begin the monitoring of the real field performance of concentrators and then raise the following question: how much does the soiling affect to PV concentrators in comparison with flat panels?'more » The answers allow to predict the PV concentrator electrical performance and to establish a pattern of cleaning frequency. Some experiments have been conducted at the IES-UPM and CSES-ANU sites, consisting in linear reflective concentration systems, a point focus refractive concentrator and a flat module. All the systems have been measured when soiled and then after cleaning, achieving different increases of I{sub SC}. In general, results show that CPV systems are more sensitive to soiling than flat panels, accumulating losses in I{sub SC} of about 14% on average in three different tests conducted at IES-UPM and CSES-ANU test sites in Madrid (Spain) and Canberra (Australia). Some concentrators can reach losses up to 26% when the system is soiled for 4 months of exposure. (author)« less

Connecting the surface to the deep: Flat-slab subduction dynamics and the evolution of western Amazonia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eakin, C. M.

2017-12-01

Plate tectonics is primarily driven by the subduction of cold dense oceanic slabs. It has yet to be fully understood however how variations in slab morphology and buoyancy influence the surrounding mantle dynamics, and what difference if any is seen at the surface. An excellent natural laboratory to answer such questions is found along the Andean margin where the world's largest flat slab is presently subducting beneath much of Peru. Following the deployment of broadband seismic arrays across the region, mantle flow both beneath and above the flat-slab is investigated using targeted shear-wave splitting techniques that detect seismic anisotropy and the pattern of mantle deformation. The along strike change in slab dip angle and buoyancy content is found to exert a strong control over the surrounding mantle flow field. Modeling of the induced mantle flow, and the dynamic topography at the surface that results, predicts a wave of dynamic subsidence that propagates away from the trench as the flat slab develops. This is found to correlate well with the record of widespread sediment deposition across western Amazonia during the Miocene. A combination of uplift, flexure and dynamic topography during slab flattening is proposed to explain the overall landscape evolution of the region and the subsequent configuration of the transcontinental Amazon drainage system we see today.

Comparative genomics reveals adaptation by Alteromonas sp. SN2 to marine tidal-flat conditions: cold tolerance and aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism.

PubMed

Math, Renukaradhya K; Jin, Hyun Mi; Kim, Jeong Myeong; Hahn, Yoonsoo; Park, Woojun; Madsen, Eugene L; Jeon, Che Ok

2012-01-01

Alteromonas species are globally distributed copiotrophic bacteria in marine habitats. Among these, sea-tidal flats are distinctive: undergoing seasonal temperature and oxygen-tension changes, plus periodic exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons. Strain SN2 of the genus Alteromonas was isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated sea-tidal flat sediment and has been shown to metabolize aromatic hydrocarbons there. Strain SN2's genomic features were analyzed bioinformatically and compared to those of Alteromonas macleodii ecotypes: AltDE and ATCC 27126. Strain SN2's genome differs from that of the other two strains in: size, average nucleotide identity value, tRNA genes, noncoding RNAs, dioxygenase gene content, signal transduction genes, and the degree to which genes collected during the Global Ocean Sampling project are represented. Patterns in genetic characteristics (e.g., GC content, GC skew, Karlin signature, CRISPR gene homology) indicate that strain SN2's genome architecture has been altered via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Experiments proved that strain SN2 was far more cold tolerant, especially at 5°C, than the other two strains. Consistent with the HGT hypothesis, a total of 15 genomic islands in strain SN2 likely confer ecological fitness traits (especially membrane transport, aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism, and fatty acid biosynthesis) specific to the adaptation of strain SN2 to its seasonally cold sea-tidal flat habitat.

Comparative Genomics Reveals Adaptation by Alteromonas sp. SN2 to Marine Tidal-Flat Conditions: Cold Tolerance and Aromatic Hydrocarbon Metabolism

PubMed Central

Math, Renukaradhya K.; Jin, Hyun Mi; Kim, Jeong Myeong; Hahn, Yoonsoo; Park, Woojun; Madsen, Eugene L.; Jeon, Che Ok

2012-01-01

Alteromonas species are globally distributed copiotrophic bacteria in marine habitats. Among these, sea-tidal flats are distinctive: undergoing seasonal temperature and oxygen-tension changes, plus periodic exposure to petroleum hydrocarbons. Strain SN2 of the genus Alteromonas was isolated from hydrocarbon-contaminated sea-tidal flat sediment and has been shown to metabolize aromatic hydrocarbons there. Strain SN2's genomic features were analyzed bioinformatically and compared to those of Alteromonas macleodii ecotypes: AltDE and ATCC 27126. Strain SN2's genome differs from that of the other two strains in: size, average nucleotide identity value, tRNA genes, noncoding RNAs, dioxygenase gene content, signal transduction genes, and the degree to which genes collected during the Global Ocean Sampling project are represented. Patterns in genetic characteristics (e.g., GC content, GC skew, Karlin signature, CRISPR gene homology) indicate that strain SN2's genome architecture has been altered via horizontal gene transfer (HGT). Experiments proved that strain SN2 was far more cold tolerant, especially at 5°C, than the other two strains. Consistent with the HGT hypothesis, a total of 15 genomic islands in strain SN2 likely confer ecological fitness traits (especially membrane transport, aromatic hydrocarbon metabolism, and fatty acid biosynthesis) specific to the adaptation of strain SN2 to its seasonally cold sea-tidal flat habitat. PMID:22563400

Ternary eutectic dendrites: Pattern formation and scaling properties

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rátkai, László; Szállás, Attila; Pusztai, Tamás

2015-04-21

Extending previous work [Pusztai et al., Phys. Rev. E 87, 032401 (2013)], we have studied the formation of eutectic dendrites in a model ternary system within the framework of the phase-field theory. We have mapped out the domain in which two-phase dendritic structures grow. With increasing pulling velocity, the following sequence of growth morphologies is observed: flat front lamellae → eutectic colonies → eutectic dendrites → dendrites with target pattern → partitionless dendrites → partitionless flat front. We confirm that the two-phase and one-phase dendrites have similar forms and display a similar scaling of the dendrite tip radius with themore » interface free energy. It is also found that the possible eutectic patterns include the target pattern, and single- and multiarm spirals, of which the thermal fluctuations choose. The most probable number of spiral arms increases with increasing tip radius and with decreasing kinetic anisotropy. Our numerical simulations confirm that in agreement with the assumptions of a recent analysis of two-phase dendrites [Akamatsu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 112, 105502 (2014)], the Jackson-Hunt scaling of the eutectic wavelength with pulling velocity is obeyed in the parameter domain explored, and that the natural eutectic wavelength is proportional to the tip radius of the two-phase dendrites. Finally, we find that it is very difficult/virtually impossible to form spiraling two-phase dendrites without anisotropy, an observation that seems to contradict the expectations of Akamatsu et al. Yet, it cannot be excluded that in isotropic systems, two-phase dendrites are rare events difficult to observe in simulations.« less

Patterned Polymer Coatings Increase the Efficiency of Dew Harvesting.

PubMed

Al-Khayat, Omar; Hong, Jun Ki; Beck, David M; Minett, Andrew I; Neto, Chiara

2017-04-19

Micropatterned polymer surfaces, possessing both topographical and chemical characteristics, were prepared on three-dimensional copper tubes and used to capture atmospheric water. The micropatterns mimic the structure on the back of a desert beetle that condenses water from the air in a very dry environment. The patterned coatings were prepared by the dewetting of thin films of poly-4-vinylpyridine (P4VP) on top of polystyrene films (PS) films, upon solvent annealing, and consist of raised hydrophilic bumps on a hydrophobic background. The size and density distribution of the hydrophilic bumps could be tuned widely by adjusting the initial thickness of the P4VP films: the diameter of the produced bumps and their height could be varied by almost 2 orders of magnitude (1-80 μm and 40-9000 nm, respectively), and their distribution density could be varied by 5 orders of magnitude. Under low subcooling conditions (3 °C), the highest rate of water condensation was measured on the largest (80 μm diameter) hydrophilic bumps and was found to be 57% higher than that on flat hydrophobic films. These subcooling conditions are achieved spontaneously in dew formation, by passive radiative cooling of a surface exposed to the night sky. In effect, the pattern would result in a larger number of dewy nights than a flat hydrophobic surface and therefore increases water capture efficiency. Our approach is suited to fabrication on a large scale, to enable the use of the patterned coatings for water collection with no external input of energy.

Autoregulation of cerebral blood flow in orthostatic hypotension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Novak, V.; Novak, P.; Spies, J. M.; Low, P. A.

1998-01-01

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We sought to evaluate cerebral autoregulation in patients with orthostatic hypotension (OH). METHODS: We studied 21 patients (aged 52 to 78 years) with neurogenic OH during 80 degrees head-up tilt. Blood flow velocities (BFV) from the middle cerebral artery were continuously monitored with transcranial Doppler sonography, as were heart rate, blood pressure (BP), cardiac output, stroke volume, CO2, total peripheral resistance, and cerebrovascular resistance. RESULTS: All OH patients had lower BP (P<.0001), BFV_diastolic (P<.05), CVR (P<.007), and TPR (P<.02) during head-up tilt than control subjects. In control subjects, no correlations between BFV and BP were found during head-up tilt, suggesting normal autoregulation. OH patients could be separated into those with normal or expanded autoregulation (OH_NA; n=16) and those with autoregulatory failure (OH_AF; n=5). The OH_NA group showed either no correlation between BFV and BP (n=8) or had a positive BFV/BP correlation (R2>.75) but with a flat slope. An expansion of the "autoregulated" range was seen in some patients. The OH_AF group was characterized by a profound fall in BFV in response to a small reduction in BP (mean deltaBP <40 mm Hg; R2>.75). CONCLUSIONS: The most common patterns of cerebral response to OH are autoregulatory failure with a flat flow-pressure relationship or intact autoregulation with an expanded autoregulated range. The least common pattern is autoregulatory failure with a steep flow-pressure relationship. Patients with patterns 1 and 2 have an enhanced capacity to cope with OH, while those with pattern 3 have reduced capacity.

Effect of freezing and thawing rates on the post-thaw viability of boar spermatozoa frozen in FlatPacks and Maxi-straws.

PubMed

Eriksson, B M; Rodriguez-Martinez, H

2000-11-01

The effects of different freezing and thawing rates on the post-thaw motility and membrane integrity of boar spermatozoa, processed as split samples in Maxi-straws or flat PET-plastic packages (FlatPack) were studied. A programmable freezing device was used to obtain freezing rates of either 20, 50 or 80 degrees C/min. Thawing of the samples was performed in a bath of circulating water; for 40s at 50 degrees C or 27s at 70 degrees C for Maxi-straws and 23s at 35 degrees C, 13s at 50 degrees C or 8s at 70 degrees C for the FlatPacks. Sperm motility was assessed both visually and with a computer assisted semen analysis (CASA) apparatus, while plasma membrane integrity was assessed using the fluorescent probes Calcein AM and ethidium homodimer-1. Temperature changes during freezing and thawing were monitored in both forms of packaging. Values for motile spermatozoa, sperm velocity and lateral head displacement variables were significantly (p<0.05) higher for samples frozen in FlatPacks than in Maxi-straws, with superior results at higher thawing rates. Freezing at 50 degrees C/min yielded better motility than 20 or 80 degrees C/min, although the effect was rather small. Neither freezing rate nor thawing rate had any effect on membrane integrity (p>0.05). A significant boar effect was seen for several parameters. The most striking difference in temperature courses between containers was a 4-5-fold lowering of the thawing rate, between -20 and 0 degrees C, in the center of the Maxi-straw, compared with the FlatPack. This is apparently due to the insulating effect of the thawed water in the periphery of the Maxi-straw. The improvement in sperm motility seen when using the FlatPack appears to be related to the rapid thawing throughout the sample, which decreases the risk of cell damage due to recrystallization during thawing. Since sperm motility patterns have been reported to be correlated with fertility both in vitro and in vivo it is speculated that the use of the FlatPack might improve the results when using frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa for artificial insemination.

[Influence of different designs of marginal preparation on stress distribution in the mandibular premolar restored with endocrown].

PubMed

Guo, Jing; Wang, Xiao-Yu; Li, Xue-Sheng; Sun, Hai-Yang; Liu, Lin; Li, Hong-Bo

2016-02-01

To evaluate the effect of different designs of marginal preparation on stress distribution in the mandibular premolar restored with endocrown using three-dimensional finite element method. Four models with different designs of marginal preparation, including the flat margin, 90° shoulder, 135° shoulder and chamfer shoulder, were established to imitate mandibular first premolar restored with endocrown. A load of 100 N was applied to the intersection of the long axis and the occlusal surface, either parallel or with an angle of 45° to the long axis of the tooth. The maximum values of Von Mises stress and the stress distribution around the cervical region of the abutment and the endocrown with different designs of marginal preparation were analyzed. The load parallel to the long axis of the tooth caused obvious stress concentration in the lingual portions of both the cervical region of the tooth tissue and the restoration. The stress distribution characteristics on the cervical region of the models with a flat margin and a 90° shoulder were more uniform than those in the models with a 135° shoulder and chamfer shoulder. Loading at 45° to the long axis caused stress concentration mainly on the buccal portion of the cervical region, and the model with a flat margin showed the most favorable stress distribution patterns with a greater maximum Von Mises stress under this circumstance than that with a parallel loading. Irrespective of the loading direction, the stress value was the lowest in the flat margin model, where the stress value in the cervical region of the endocrown was greater than that in the counterpart of the tooth tissue. The stress level on the enamel was higher than that on the dentin nearby in the flat margin model. From the stress distribution point of view, endocrowns with flat margin followed by a 90° shoulder are recommended.

Modern Estuarine Sedimentation in Suisun Bay, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, J. L.; Orzech, K.; Anima, R. J.; Jaffe, B.

2002-12-01

Suisun Bay is the northeasternmost part of San Francisco Bay (California), the largest estuary on the Pacific Coast of the United States. Suisun Bay's geographic and morphologic position are unique in that it occupies the head of the estuary and is subject to the maximum freshwater inflow and sediment input of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers, whose drainage basin covers 40% of the land area of California. Suisun Bay consists of two smaller subembayments, Grizzly and Honker Bays. Gravity cores obtained in 1990-1991 and 1999 were analyzed to delineate depositional environments and sedimentation patterns in Suisun Bay. Major depositional environments include: tidal channel (subtidal), tidal channel banks (subtidal), tidal flat (intertidal to subtidal), and bay mouth (subtidal). The tidal channel environment includes both large and small channels in Suisun Bay as well as the tidal sloughs Suisun and Montezuma Sloughs. The coarsest sediment, usually sand or muddy sand, characterize this environment and water depths range from 2 to 11 m. Thin (1-2 mm) and discontinuous silt and clay laminae are common. Suisun and Montezuma Sloughs are the exception to this pattern in that they consist of massive, intensely bioturbated muds. Tidal channel banks (both "cut" and "accretionary" channel margins), particularly accretionary banks, are characterized by low-to-moderate bioturbation and sandy mud to muddy sand lithology. Typically alternating sand and mud beds (1-6 cm thick) are present; both types of beds consist of 1mm to 1cm thick subhorizontal to inclined laminae. Laminae composed of organic detritus are also present. Where this environment is transitional with the tidal flat environment water depths range from 2-8 m. Tidal flat environments include the "sand" shoals present on bathymetry charts, and are typically a bioturbated muddy sand to sandy mud. Sand and mud beds, 1-3 cm thick, are often characterized by very fine 1-2 mm thick silt and mud laminae. Water depths range from 2 to 4.5 m where these laminated tidal flat sediments occur. Bay mouth environments occur only in the distal portions of Grizzly and Honker Bays, subembayments of Suisun Bay proper. This environment is transitional with both tidal channel bank and tidal flat environments and shares characteristics with each. Massive to interbedded mud is the most common lithology, although sandy mud to muddy sand also occurs. Centimeters thick sand and mud beds typically alternate vertically. Bioturbation is low to moderate. Water depths over this environment range from 2 to 3 m. Depositional environments present in Suisun Bay are the result of a full range of tidal and fluvial processes as shown by the lithologies and alternating sediment stratigraphic patterns observed in cores. Very thin beds and intense bioturbation evidence intervals of very slow to negligible sedimentation. Rapid deposition and/or resuspension are evidenced by thick sediment intervals and by laminae that are continuous and apparently unbioturbated. Very fine scale sedimentation that may represent individual ebb and flood events as well as longer term seasonal sedimentation patterns are also present. An additional observation is that almost a quarter of the gravity cores reveal that modern estuarine deposits overlie an erosional surface that separate them from an organic-rich mud. This organic-rich mud, in one core to date, has been radiocarbon dated at roughly 4500 yrs. B.P. (J.Chin and K. Orzech, 2002, unpublished data). The organic-rich mud is interpreted as a tidal marsh deposit that pre-dates the present tidal marshes occurring in Suisun Bay.

Sediment transport and deposition on a river-dominated tidal flat: An idealized model study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sherwood, Christopher R.; Chen, Shih-Nan; Geyer, W. Rockwell; Ralston, David K.

2010-01-01

A 3-D hydrodynamic model is used to investigate how different size classes of river-derived sediment are transported, exported and trapped on an idealized, river-dominated tidal flat. The model is composed of a river channel flanked by sloping tidal flats, a configuration motivated by the intertidal region of the Skagit River mouth in Washington State, United States. It is forced by mixed tides and a pulse of freshwater and sediment with various settling velocities. In this system, the river not only influences stratification but also contributes a significant cross-shore transport. As a result, the bottom stress is strongly ebb-dominated in the channel because of the seaward advance of strong river flow as the tidal flats drain during ebbs. Sediment deposition patterns and mass budgets are sensitive to settling velocity. The lateral sediment spreading scales with an advective distance (settling time multiplied by lateral flow speed), thereby confining the fast settling sediment classes in the channel. Residual sediment transport is landward on the flats, because of settling lag, but is strongly seaward in the channel. The seaward transport mainly occurs during big ebbs and is controlled by a length scale ratio Ld/XWL, where Ld is a cross-shore advective distance (settling time multiplied by river outlet velocity), and XWL is the immersed cross-shore length of the intertidal zone. Sediment trapping requires Ld/XWL < 1, leading to more trapping for the faster settling classes. Sensitivity studies show that including stratification and reducing tidal range both favor sediment trapping, whereas varying channel geometries and asymmetry of tides has relatively small impacts. Implications of the modeling results on the south Skagit intertidal region are discussed.

SU-E-T-439: Fundamental Verification of Respiratory-Gated Spot Scanning Proton Beam Therapy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamano, H; Yamakawa, T; Hayashi, N

Purpose: The spot-scanning proton beam irradiation with respiratory gating technique provides quite well dose distribution and requires both dosimetric and geometric verification prior to clinical implementation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of gating irradiation as a fundamental verification. Methods: We evaluated field width, flatness, symmetry, and penumbra in the gated and non-gated proton beams. The respiration motion was distinguished into 3 patterns: 10, 20, and 30 mm. We compared these contents between the gated and non-gated beams. A 200 MeV proton beam from PROBEAT-III unit (Hitachi Co.Ltd) was used in this study. Respiratory gating irradiationmore » was performed by Quasar phantom (MODUS medical devices) with a combination of dedicated respiratory gating system (ANZAI Medical Corporation). For radiochromic film dosimetry, the calibration curve was created with Gafchromic EBT3 film (Ashland) on FilmQA Pro 2014 (Ashland) as film analysis software. Results: The film was calibrated at the middle of spread out Bragg peak in passive proton beam. The field width, flatness and penumbra in non-gated proton irradiation with respiratory motion were larger than those of reference beam without respiratory motion: the maximum errors of the field width, flatness and penumbra in respiratory motion of 30 mm were 1.75% and 40.3% and 39.7%, respectively. The errors of flatness and penumbra in gating beam (motion: 30 mm, gating rate: 25%) were 0.0% and 2.91%, respectively. The results of symmetry in all proton beams with gating technique were within 0.6%. Conclusion: The field width, flatness, symmetry and penumbra were improved with the gating technique in proton beam. The spot scanning proton beam with gating technique is feasible for the motioned target.« less

Multi-scale modeling of Puget Sound using an unstructured-grid coastal ocean model: from tide flats to estuaries and coastal waters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yang, Zhaoqing; Khangaonkar, Tarang

2010-11-19

Water circulation in Puget Sound, a large complex estuary system in the Pacific Northwest coastal ocean of the United States, is governed by multiple spatially and temporally varying forcings from tides, atmosphere (wind, heating/cooling, precipitation/evaporation, pressure), and river inflows. In addition, the hydrodynamic response is affected strongly by geomorphic features, such as fjord-like bathymetry and complex shoreline features, resulting in many distinguishing characteristics in its main and sub-basins. To better understand the details of circulation features in Puget Sound and to assist with proposed nearshore restoration actions for improving water quality and the ecological health of Puget Sound, a high-resolutionmore » (around 50 m in estuaries and tide flats) hydrodynamic model for the entire Puget Sound was needed. Here, a threedimensional circulation model of Puget Sound using an unstructured-grid finite volume coastal ocean model is presented. The model was constructed with sufficient resolution in the nearshore region to address the complex coastline, multi-tidal channels, and tide flats. Model open boundaries were extended to the entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the northern end of the Strait of Georgia to account for the influences of ocean water intrusion from the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Fraser River plume from the Strait of Georgia, respectively. Comparisons of model results, observed data, and associated error statistics for tidal elevation, velocity, temperature, and salinity indicate that the model is capable of simulating the general circulation patterns on the scale of a large estuarine system as well as detailed hydrodynamics in the nearshore tide flats. Tidal characteristics, temperature/salinity stratification, mean circulation, and river plumes in estuaries with tide flats are discussed.« less

Secondary succession following logging in the Sitka sprucewestern hemlock forests of southeast Alaska: Implications for wildlife management.

Treesearch

Paul B. Alaback

1984-01-01

Preliminary information on general landscape patterns in southeast Alaska suggests that two major, compositionally distinct vegetation zones can be defined for the closed-forest type: western hemlock-Sitka spruce/Alaska huckleberry/bunchberry on the uplands, and Sitka spruce/devils club-salmonberry on alluvial flats and terraces.Recent clearcuts (0 to 30...

Compositional variation in minerals of the chevkinite group

USGS Publications Warehouse

Macdonald, R.; Belkin, H.E.

2002-01-01

The composition of chevkinite and perrierite, the most common members of the chevkinite group, is closely expressed by the formula A4BC2D2Si4O22, where A = (La,Ce,Ca,Sr,Th), B = Fe2+, C = (Fe2+,Fe3+,Ti,Al,Zr,Nb) and D = Ti. The A site is dominated by a strong negative correlation between (Ca+Sr) and the REE. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns are very variable, e.g. in LREE/HREE and Eu/Eu*. The C site is dominated by Ti, Al and Fe2+, in very variable proportions. Most chevkinites and perrierites are close to stoichiometric, with cation sums between 12.9 and 13.5, compared to the theoretical 13. There is no single, generally applicable charge balancing substitution scheme in the group; however, the general relationship (Ca+Sr)A + TiC + REEA + M3C+2+ defines a linear array with r2 = 0.91. Chevkinite and perrierite are shown to be compositionally distinct on the basis of CaO, FeO* Al2O3 and Ce2O3 abundances. Chevkinite forms mainly in chemically evolved parageneses, such as syenites, rhyolites and fenites associated with carbonatite complexes. Perrierite is more commonly recorded from igneous rocks of mafic to intermediate composition. The compositional characteristics and possible structural formulae of other members of the chevkinite group are reviewed briefly.

Hydrothermal barite mineralization at Chenarvardeh deposit, Markazi Province, Iran: Evidences from REE geochemistry and fluid inclusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ehya, Farhad; Mazraei, Shaghayegh Moalaye

2017-10-01

Barite mineralization occurs at Chenarvardeh deposit as layers and lenses in Upper Eocene volcanic and pyroclastic rocks. The host rocks are intensely saussuritized in most places. Barite is accompanied by calcite, Mn-oxides, galena and malachite as subordinate minerals. The amount of Sr in barites is low and varies between 0.11 and 0.30 wt%. The concentration of Rb, Zr, Y, Ta and Hf is also low (<5 ppm) in barite samples. The amount of total REEs (∑REE) is low in barites, ranging from 7.51 to 30.50 ppm. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns reveal LREE enrichment with respect to HREE, and positive Ce anomalies. Fluid inclusions are common in barite samples, being dominantly from liquid-rich two phase (L + V) type. Salinity values in fluid inclusions range from 9.41 to 18.69 wt% NaCl equivalent with most frequent salinities falling in the range of 10-15 wt% NaCl equivalent. Homogenization temperatures (Th) range between 160 and 220 °C, being the 180-200 °C range as the most common Th interval. A combination of factors, including geologic setting, host rock, mineral assemblages, REE geochemistry and fluid inclusion data are consistent with a submarine volcanic hydrothermal model for barite formation at the Chenarvardeh deposit. Mineral-forming fluids originated from solutions related to submarine hydrothermal activities deposited barite on seafloor as they encountered sulfate-bearing seawater.

Isotopic and trace element geochemistry of the Seligdar magnesiocarbonatites (South Yakutia, Russia): Insights regarding the mantle evolution beneath the Aldan-Stanovoy shield

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doroshkevich, Anna G.; Prokopyev, Ilya R.; Izokh, Andrey E.; Klemd, Reiner; Ponomarchuk, Anton V.; Nikolaeva, Irina V.; Vladykin, Nikolay V.

2018-04-01

The Paleoproterozoic Seligdar magnesiocarbonatite intrusion of the Aldan-Stanovoy shield in Russia underwent extensive postmagmatic hydrothermal alteration and metamorphic events. This study comprises new isotopic (Sr, Nd, C and O) data, whole-rock major and trace element compositions and trace element characteristics of the major minerals to gain a better understanding of the source and the formation process of the carbonatites. The Seligdar carbonatites have high concentrations of P2O5 (up to 18 wt%) and low concentrations of Na, K, Sr and Ba. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns of these carbonatites display significant enrichments of LREE relative to HREE with an average La/Ybcn ratio of 95. Hydrothermal and metamorphic overprints changed the trace element characteristics of the carbonatites and their minerals. These alteration processes were responsible for Sr loss and the shifting of the Sr isotopic compositions towards more radiogenic values. The altered carbonatites are further characterized by distinct 18O- and 13C-enrichments compared to the primary igneous carbonatites. The alteration most likely resulted from both the percolation of crustal-derived hydrothermal fluids and subsequent metamorphic processes accompanied by interaction with limestone-derived CO2. The narrow range of negative εNd(T) values indicates that the Seligdar carbonatites are dominated by a homogenous enriched mantle source component that was separated from the depleted mantle during the Archean.

From lattice Hamiltonians to tunable band structures by lithographic design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadjine, Athmane; Allan, Guy; Delerue, Christophe

2016-08-01

Recently, new materials exhibiting exotic band structures characterized by Dirac cones, nontrivial flat bands, and band crossing points have been proposed on the basis of effective two-dimensional lattice Hamiltonians. Here, we show using atomistic tight-binding calculations that these theoretical predictions could be experimentally realized in the conduction band of superlattices nanolithographed in III-V and II-VI semiconductor ultrathin films. The lithographed patterns consist of periodic lattices of etched cylindrical holes that form potential barriers for the electrons in the quantum well. In the case of honeycomb lattices, the conduction minibands of the resulting artificial graphene host several Dirac cones and nontrivial flat bands. Similar features, but organized in different ways, in energy or in k -space are found in kagome, distorted honeycomb, and Lieb superlattices. Dirac cones extending over tens of meV could be obtained in superlattices with reasonable sizes of the lithographic patterns, for instance in InAs/AlSb heterostructures. Bilayer artificial graphene could be also realized by lithography of a double quantum-well heterostructure. These new materials should be interesting for the experimental exploration of Dirac-based quantum systems, for both fundamental and applied physics.

Geochemistry of komatiites and basalts from the Rio das Velhas and Pitangui greenstone belts, São Francisco Craton, Brazil: Implications for the origin, evolution, and tectonic setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, Sanjeet K.; Oliveira, Elson P.; Silva, Paola M.; Moreno, Juan A.; Amaral, Wagner S.

2017-07-01

The Neoarchean Rio das Velhas and Pitangui greenstone belts are situated in the southern São Francisco Craton, Minas Gerais, Brazil. These greenstone belts were formed between ca. 2.79-2.73 Ga, and consist mostly of mafic to ultramafic volcanics and clastic sediments, with minor chemical sediments and felsic volcanics that were metamorphosed under greenschist facies. Komatiites are found only in the Rio das Velhas greenstone belt, which is composed of high-MgO volcanic rocks that have been identified as komatiites and high-Mg basalts, based on their distinctive geochemical characteristics. The Rio das Velhas komatiites are composed of tremolite + actinolite + serpentine + albite with a relict spinifex-texture. The Rio das Velhas komatiites have a high magnesium content ((MgO)adj ≥ 28 wt.%), an Al-undepleted Munro-type [(Al2O3/TiO2)adj and (CaO/Al2O3)adj] ratio ranging from 27 to 47 and 0.48 to 0.89, relatively low abundances of incompatible elements, a depletion of light rare earth elements (LREE), a pattern of non-fractionated heavy rare- earth elements (HREE), and a low (Gd/Yb)PM ratio (≤ 1.0). Negative Ce anomalies suggest that alteration occurred during greenschist facies metamorphism for the komatiites and high-Mg basalts. The low [(Gd/Yb)PM < 1.0] and [(CaO/Al2O3)adj < 0.9)], high [(Al2O3/TiO2)adj > 18] and high HREE, Y, and Zr content suggest that the Rio das Velhas komatiites were derived from the shallow upper mantle without garnet involvement in the residue. The chemical compositions [(Al2O3/TiO2)adj, (FeO)adj, (MgO)adj, (CaO/Al2O3)adj, Na, Th, Ta, Ni, Cr, Zr, Y, Hf, and REE] indicate that the formation of the komatiites, high-Mg basalts and basalts occurred at different depths and temperatures in a heterogeneous mantle. The komatiites and high-Mg basalts melted at liquidus temperatures of 1450-1550 °C. The Pitangui basalts are enriched in the highly incompatible LILE (large-ion lithophile elements) relative to the moderately incompatible HFS (high field strength) elements. The Zr/Th ratio ranging from 76 to 213 and the relationship between the Nb/Th and Th/Yb ratios indicate that there is no crustal contamination in the Pitangui greenstone basalts. New multi-dimensional discrimination diagrams and conventional normalized multi-element diagrams indicate an island arc (IA) setting for the komatiites and high-Mg basalts from the Rio das Velhas and a mid ocean-ridge (MOR) to IA setting for the basalts from the Pitangui greenstone belts.

Rare earth and trace element signatures for assessing an impact of rock mining and processing on the environment: Wiśniówka case study, south-central Poland.

PubMed

Migaszewski, Zdzisław M; Gałuszka, Agnieszka; Dołęgowska, Sabina

2016-12-01

A detailed hydrogeochemical study was performed in the Wiśniówka mining area (south-central Poland). This covered three acid pit bodies, historic tailings acid ponds, acid pools, and additionally two neighboring rivers. All these acid mine drainage (AMD) waters are characterized by the pH in the range of 1.7 (pools) to 3.5 (tailings ponds). The most interesting is the Podwiśniówka acid pit lake that shows a very low pH (2.2-2.5) and very high concentrations of SO 4 2- (2720-5460 mg/L), Fe (545-1140 mg/L), Al (86.2 mg/L), As (9603-24,883 μg/L), Co (1317-3458 μg/L), Cr (753-2047 μg/L), Cu (6307-18,879 μg/L), Ni (1168-3127 μg/L), and rare earth element (REE) (589-1341 μg/L). In addition, seeps that drain the Podwiśniówka mine tailings and partly aggregate piles form strong acid pools in the mining area. Along with these pools, in which As and REE contents reach 369,726 and 6288 μg/L, respectively, these waters are among the most distinctive As- and REE-rich AMD surface waters across the world. It is noteworthy that the Podwiśniówka acid pit lake and Wiśniówka Duża acid pit sump exhibit different element signatures and REE concentration patterns normalized to North American Composite Shale (NASC): the Podwiśniówka acid pit lake always shows a characteristic roof-shaped medium REE (MREE) profile with distinct enrichments in Gd, Eu, and Tb whereas the other one displays a step-shaped heavy REE (HREE) profile with positive Tb and Gd anomalies. The REE undergo fractionation during weathering and the subsequent leaching of dissolved and suspended fractions from rocks to acid water bodies where these and other elements are further fractionated by geochemical processes. This study shows that the individual REE have greater affinities for Mn, HREE for Fe and SO 4 2- , and only La and Ce for Al. This specific water geochemistry has enabled us to (i) pinpoint the location of AMD "hot spots" originated from quartzite mining and processing operations conducted by current and previous mining companies, (ii) predict the directions and effects of future strip mining for quartzites in the Wiśniówka Duża and Podwiśniówka open pits, and (iii) evaluate the potential impact of mining and processing effluents on the quality of rivers.

SCIL nanoimprint solutions: high-volume soft NIL for wafer scale sub-10nm resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Voorkamp, R.; Verschuuren, M. A.; van Brakel, R.

2016-10-01

Nano-patterning materials and surfaces can add unique functionalities and properties which cannot be obtained in bulk or micro-structured materials. Examples range from hetro-epitaxy of semiconductor nano-wires to guiding cell expression and growth on medical implants. [1] Due to the cost and throughput requirements conventional nano-patterning techniques such as deep UV lithography (cost and flat substrate demands) and electron-beam lithography (cost, throughput) are not an option. Self-assembly techniques are being considered for IC manufacturing, but require nano-sized guiding patterns, which have to be fabricated in any case.[2] Additionally, the self-assembly process is highly sensitive to the environment and layer thickness, which is difficult to control on non-flat surfaces such as PV silicon wafers or III/V substrates. Laser interference lithography can achieve wafer scale periodic patterns, but is limited by the throughput due to intensity of the laser at the pinhole and only regular patterns are possible where the pattern fill fraction cannot be chosen freely due to the interference condition.[3] Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a promising technology for the cost effective fabrication of sub-micron and nano-patterns on large areas. The challenges for NIL are related to the technique being a contact method where a stamp which holds the patterns is required to be brought into intimate contact with the surface of the product. In NIL a strong distinction is made between the type of stamp used, either rigid or soft. Rigid stamps are made from patterned silicon, silica or plastic foils and are capable of sub-10nm resolution and wafer scale patterning. All these materials behave similar at the micro- to nm scale and require high pressures (5 - 50 Bar) to enable conformal contact to be made on wafer scales. Real world conditions such as substrate bow and particle contaminants complicate the use of rigid stamps for wafer scale areas, reducing stamp lifetime and yield. Soft stamps, usually based on silicone rubber, behave fundamentally different compared to rigid stamps on the macro-, micro- and nanometer level. The main limitation of traditional silicones is that they are too soft to support sub-micron features against surface tension based stamp deformation and collapse [4] and handling a soft stamp to achieve accurate feature placement on wafer scales to allow overlay alignment with sub-100nm overlay accuracy.

Spontaneous wettability patterning via creasing instability

PubMed Central

Chen, Dayong; McKinley, Gareth H.; Cohen, Robert E.

2016-01-01

Surfaces with patterned wettability contrast are important in industrial applications such as heat transfer, water collection, and particle separation. Traditional methods of fabricating such surfaces rely on microfabrication technologies, which are only applicable to certain substrates and are difficult to scale up and implement on curved surfaces. By taking advantage of a mechanical instability on a polyurethane elastomer film, we show that wettability patterns on both flat and curved surfaces can be generated spontaneously via a simple dip coating process. Variations in dipping time, sample prestress, and chemical treatment enable independent control of domain size (from about 100 to 500 μm), morphology, and wettability contrast, respectively. We characterize the wettability contrast using local surface energy measurements via the sessile droplet technique and tensiometry. PMID:27382170

Cohesive zone modelling of wafer bonding and fracture: effect of patterning and toughness variations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubair, D. V.; Spearing, S. M.

2006-03-01

Direct wafer bonding has increasingly become popular in the manufacture of microelectromechanical systems and semiconductor microelectronics components. The success of the bonding process is controlled by variables such as wafer flatness and surface preparation. In order to understand the effects of these variables, spontaneous planar crack propagation simulations were performed using the spectral scheme in conjunction with a cohesive zone model. The fracture-toughness on the bond interface is varied to simulate the effect of surface roughness (nanotopography) and patterning. Our analysis indicated that the energetics of crack propagation is sensitive to the local surface property variations. The patterned wafers are tougher (well bonded) than the unpatterned ones of the same average fracture-toughness.

Dispersal, mating events and fine-scale genetic structure in the lesser flat-headed bats.

PubMed

Hua, Panyu; Zhang, Libiao; Guo, Tingting; Flanders, Jon; Zhang, Shuyi

2013-01-01

Population genetic structure has important consequences in evolutionary processes and conservation genetics in animals. Fine-scale population genetic structure depends on the pattern of landscape, the permanent movement of individuals, and the dispersal of their genes during temporary mating events. The lesser flat-headed bat (Tylonycteris pachypus) is a nonmigratory Asian bat species that roosts in small groups within the internodes of bamboo stems and the habitats are fragmented. Our previous parentage analyses revealed considerable extra-group mating in this species. To assess the spatial limits and sex-biased nature of gene flow in the same population, we used 20 microsatellite loci and mtDNA sequencing of the ND2 gene to quantify genetic structure among 54 groups of adult flat-headed bats, at nine localities in South China. AMOVA and F(ST) estimates revealed significant genetic differentiation among localities. Alternatively, the pairwise F(ST) values among roosting groups appeared to be related to the incidence of associated extra-group breeding, suggesting the impact of mating events on fine-scale genetic structure. Global spatial autocorrelation analyses showed positive genetic correlation for up to 3 km, indicating the role of fragmented habitat and the specialized social organization as a barrier in the movement of individuals among bamboo forests. The male-biased dispersal pattern resulted in weaker spatial genetic structure between localities among males than among females, and fine-scale analyses supported that relatedness levels within internodes were higher among females than among males. Finally, only females were more related to their same sex roost mates than to individuals from neighbouring roosts, suggestive of natal philopatry in females.

Measurement of dynamic patterns of an elastic membrane at bi-modal vibration using high speed electronic speckle pattern interferometry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Preciado, Jorge Sanchez; Lopez, Carlos Perez; Santoyo, Fernando Mendoza

2014-05-27

Implementing a hybrid arrangement of Laser Doppler Vibrometry (LDV) and high speed Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI) we were able to measure the dynamic patterns of a flat rectangular elastic membrane clamped at its edges stimulated with the sum of two resonance frequencies. ESPI is a versatile technique to analyze in real-time the deformation of a membrane since its low computational cost and easy implementation of the optical setup. Elastic membranes present nonlinear behaviors when stimulated with low amplitude signals. The elastic membrane under test, with several non rational related vibrating modals below the 200 Hz, was stimulated with twomore » consecutives resonant frequencies. The ESPI patterns, acquired at high speed rates, shown a similar behavior for the dual frequency stimulation as in the case of patterns formed with the entrainment frequency. We think this may be related to the effects observed in the application of dual frequency stimulation in ultrasound.« less

Photolithography-Based Patterning of Liquid Metal Interconnects for Monolithically Integrated Stretchable Circuits.

PubMed

Park, Chan Woo; Moon, Yu Gyeong; Seong, Hyejeong; Jung, Soon Won; Oh, Ji-Young; Na, Bock Soon; Park, Nae-Man; Lee, Sang Seok; Im, Sung Gap; Koo, Jae Bon

2016-06-22

We demonstrate a new patterning technique for gallium-based liquid metals on flat substrates, which can provide both high pattern resolution (∼20 μm) and alignment precision as required for highly integrated circuits. In a very similar manner as in the patterning of solid metal films by photolithography and lift-off processes, the liquid metal layer painted over the whole substrate area can be selectively removed by dissolving the underlying photoresist layer, leaving behind robust liquid patterns as defined by the photolithography. This quick and simple method makes it possible to integrate fine-scale interconnects with preformed devices precisely, which is indispensable for realizing monolithically integrated stretchable circuits. As a way for constructing stretchable integrated circuits, we propose a hybrid configuration composed of rigid device regions and liquid interconnects, which is constructed on a rigid substrate first but highly stretchable after being transferred onto an elastomeric substrate. This new method can be useful in various applications requiring both high-resolution and precisely aligned patterning of gallium-based liquid metals.

Estimating the Submarine Groundwater Discharge Flux of Rare Earth Elements to the Indian River Lagoon, Fl, USA, Using the 1-D Vertical - Flow Equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chevis, D. A.; Johannesson, K. H.; Burdige, D.; Cable, J. E.; Martin, J. B.

2013-12-01

Understanding the sources and sinks of trace elements like the rare earth elements (REE) in the oceans has important implications for quantifying their global geochemical cycles, their application as paleoceanographic tracers, and in discerning the geochemical reactions that mobilize, sequester, and fractionate REEs in the environment. This understanding is critical for neodymium (Nd) because radiogenic Nd isotopes are commonly used in paleoceanographic studies over glacial-interglacial to million year time scales. The submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) flux of each REE for the Indian River Lagoon, Fl, USA, was calculated using a modified form of the 1-dimensional vertical-flow equation that accounts for diffusion, advection, and non-local mass transfer processes. The SGD REE flux is comprised of two sources: a near shore, heavy REE (HREE) enriched advective source chiefly composed of terrestrial SGD, and a light REE (LREE) and middle REE (MREE) enriched source that originates from reductive dissolution of Fe (III) oxides/hydroxides in the subterranean estuary. This SGD flux mixture of REE sources is subsequently transported by groundwater seepage and bioirrigation to the overlying lagoon water column. The total SGD flux of REEs reveals that the subterranean estuary of the Indian River Lagoon is a source for LREE and MREEs, and a sink for the HREEs, to the local coastal ocean. The calculated SGD flux of Nd presented in this study is estimated at 7.69×1.02 mmol/day, which is roughly equivalent to the effective local river flux to the Indian River Lagoon. Although our re-evaluated SGD flux of Nd to the Indian River Lagoon is lower than estimates in our previous work, it nonetheless represents a substantial input to the coastal ocean.

A Novel Synthesis Routine for Woodwardite and Its Affinity towards Light (La, Ce, Nd) and Heavy (Gd and Y) Rare Earth Elements.

PubMed

Consani, Sirio; Balić-Žunić, Tonci; Cardinale, Anna Maria; Sgroi, Walter; Giuli, Gabriele; Carbone, Cristina

2018-01-14

A synthetic Cu-Al-SO₄ layered double hydroxide (LDH), analogue to the mineral woodwardite [Cu 1-x Al x (SO₄) x/2 (OH)₂·nH₂O], with x < 0.5 and n ≤ 3x/2, was synthesised by adding a solution of Cu and Al sulphates to a solution with NaOH. The pH values were kept constant at 8.0 and 10.0 by a continuous addition of NaOH. The material obtained had poor crystallinity, turbostratic structure, and consisted of nanoscopic crystallites. The analyses performed in order to characterise the obtained materials (X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), and Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy) showed that the Cu-Al-SO₄ LDH is very similar to woodwardite, although it has a smaller layer spacing, presumably due to a lesser water content than in natural samples. The synthesis was performed by adding light rare earth elements (LREEs) (La, Ce, and Nd) and heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) (Gd and Y) in order to test the affinity of the Cu-Al-SO₄ LDH to the incorporation of REEs. The concentration of rare earth elements (REEs) in the solid fraction was in the range of 3.5-8 wt %. The results showed a good affinity for HREE and Nd, especially for materials synthesised at pH 10.0, whereas the affinities for Ce and La were much lower or non-existent. The thermal decomposition of the REE-doped materials generates a mixture of Cu, Al, and REE oxides, making them interesting as precursors in REE oxide synthesis.

A Novel Synthesis Routine for Woodwardite and Its Affinity towards Light (La, Ce, Nd) and Heavy (Gd and Y) Rare Earth Elements

PubMed Central

Consani, Sirio; Balić-Žunić, Tonci; Cardinale, Anna Maria; Sgroi, Walter; Giuli, Gabriele; Carbone, Cristina

2018-01-01

A synthetic Cu-Al-SO4 layered double hydroxide (LDH), analogue to the mineral woodwardite [Cu1−xAlx(SO4)x/2(OH)2·nH2O], with x < 0.5 and n ≤ 3x/2, was synthesised by adding a solution of Cu and Al sulphates to a solution with NaOH. The pH values were kept constant at 8.0 and 10.0 by a continuous addition of NaOH. The material obtained had poor crystallinity, turbostratic structure, and consisted of nanoscopic crystallites. The analyses performed in order to characterise the obtained materials (X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry (TG), and Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR) spectroscopy) showed that the Cu-Al-SO4 LDH is very similar to woodwardite, although it has a smaller layer spacing, presumably due to a lesser water content than in natural samples. The synthesis was performed by adding light rare earth elements (LREEs) (La, Ce, and Nd) and heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) (Gd and Y) in order to test the affinity of the Cu-Al-SO4 LDH to the incorporation of REEs. The concentration of rare earth elements (REEs) in the solid fraction was in the range of 3.5–8 wt %. The results showed a good affinity for HREE and Nd, especially for materials synthesised at pH 10.0, whereas the affinities for Ce and La were much lower or non-existent. The thermal decomposition of the REE-doped materials generates a mixture of Cu, Al, and REE oxides, making them interesting as precursors in REE oxide synthesis. PMID:29342887

Geodynamic evolution of the Sabzevar zone, northern central Iranian micro-continent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Omrani, Hadi; Moazzen, Mohssen; Oberhänsli, Roland

2018-02-01

The Northern Central Iranian Micro-continent (CIM) represents Neotethys-related oceanic crust remnants, emplaced due to convergence between CIM and Eurasia plates during Eocene. Mafic and ultramafic units are exposed along the northern part of the CIM in the Sabzevar area. The geology and field relation of Sabzevar ophiolite indicate northward subduction of the Sabzevar basin. The average whole rock chemistry of mafic (gabbros) and ultramafic samples (lherzolite, harzburgite and dunite) is characterized by a range of MgO of 11.16-31.88, CaO 5.22-11.53 and Al2O3 2.77-14.57, respectively. Low LREE/HREE ratio of ultramafic samples is accompanied by enrichment of large ion lithophile elements (LILE) such as Sr, Pb and K. Mafic samples show two distinct groups with low and high LREE/HREE ratios. The spider diagram of mafic samples indicates enrichment in Sr, Pb and K and depletion in REE. Petrological and geochemical evidence and field relations show that the mafic rocks formed in a supra-subduction zone setting. Petrological studies reveal the role of fractional crystallization and assimilation effect by released fluids during subduction related generation of the Sabzevar mafic rocks. We suggest that the studied mafic rocks likely represent the basement of an initial island arc, which was generated in a supra-subduction zone setting within the Neotethys branch of the Sabzevar Ocean at the north of CIM. Copper, gold and chromite mineralizations are studied in relation to island arc setting and supra-subduction environment. Similarities in lithology, ophiolite age and mineralization between Sabzevar ophiolite and Bardaskan-Torbat Heydariyeh ophiolites testify for their separation due to rotation (or faulting) of the Central Iranian Micro-continent.

Geology and market-dependent significance of rare earth element resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simandl, G. J.

2014-12-01

China started to produce rare earth elements (REEs) in the 1980s, and since the mid-1990s, it has become the dominant producer. Rare earth element export quotas first introduced by the Chinese government in the early 2000s were severely reduced in 2010 and 2011. This led to strong government-created disparity between prices within China and the rest of the world. Industrialized countries identified several REEs as strategic metals. Because of rapid price increases of REE outside of China, we have witnessed a world-scale REE exploration rush. The REE resources are concentrated in carbonatite-related deposits, peralkaline igneous rocks, pegmatites, monazite ± apatite veins, ion adsorption clays, placers, and some deep ocean sediments. REE could also be derived as a by-product of phosphate fertilizer production, U processing, mining of Ti-Zr-bearing placers, and exploitation of Olympic Dam subtype iron oxide copper gold (IOCG) deposits. Currently, REEs are produced mostly from carbonatite-related deposits, but ion adsorption clay deposits are an important source of heavy REE (HREE). Small quantities of REE are derived from placer deposits and one peralkaline intrusion-related deposit. The ideal REE development targets would be located in a politically stable jurisdiction with a pro-mining disposition such as Canada and Australia. REE grade, HREE/light REE (LREE) ratio of the mineralization, tonnage, mineralogy, and permissive metallurgy are some of the key technical factors that could be used to screen potential development projects. As REEs are considered strategic metals from economic, national security, and environmental points of view, technical and economic parameters alone are unlikely to be used in REE project development decision-making. Recycling of REE is in its infancy and unless legislated, in the short term, it is not expected to contribute significantly to the supply of REE.

Elemental Analysis of Zircon by High Mass Resolution USGS-Stanford SHRIMP-RG: Measuring and Evaluating Ti-in-zircon Temperatures and Compositional Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wooden, J. L.; Mazdab, F. K.; Claiborne, L. L.; Miller, C. F.; Barth, A. P.

2006-12-01

High mass resolution of SHRIMP-RG permits measurement of a large set of trace elements for zircon, including 48Ti, Sc, and Nb (requiring better than 9,000 MR) and Be, B, F, P, 49Ti, V, Y, all the REE, Hf, Th, and U (Mazdab and Wooden 2006). A 15-20 micron spot allows analysis of numerous discrete CL zones from single zircons with minimal contributions from unknown material below the exposed surface. Data from suites of zircons from more than 20 individual granitoid samples suggest several general observations: (1) Temperatures calculated by Ti-in-zircon (Watson et al 2006) are entirely compatible with petrologic constraints; uncertainty in a(TiO2) introduces uncertainty in calculated T, but for reasonable values between 0.5 and 0.8 T's consistently fall between 650 and 900 C, mostly in the lower half of the range; (2) T can vary by 150-200 C within suites of zircons from individual samples and even in single zircons, where zonation may be normal (high to low, core to rim), reverse (low to high) or fluctuating; (3) Hf concentrations increase with decreasing T because of Zr/Hf fractionation between zircon and melt (Claiborne et al in press); (4) Many elements and element ratios show a co-variation with T and Hf concentration e.g., Th/U and MREE/HREE decrease with increasing Hf and decreasing T. Hf concentrations can continue to increase after a minimum T is reached, indicating continuing zircon growth from remaining (near eutectic?) melt. Yb/Gd (steepness of the HREE pattern) is an excellent monitor of fractionation, particularly at lower T (below 750 C) where the ratio increases rapidly. This trend may result from co-fractionation of accessory minerals and/or be driven by the thermodynamics of crystal growth, and/or may involve other factors and processes as yet poorly understood. Magmatic zircons commonly have a negative Eu anomaly of about 0.5 or lower which may change little or become more pronounced with falling T; anomalies probably reflect feldspar fractionation rather than magmatic oxidation conditions. Zircons typically have positive Ce anomalies that rise as T falls and Hf increases. This reflects either fractionation of minerals that incorporate Ce+3 but little Ce+4, or oxidation. U and Th concentrations are typically highest in low-T zones but often show very irregular patterns with T and Hf. Molar ratios of total 3+ ions over P are mostly 1-5, suggesting charge compensation other than the xenotime substitution (Mazdab and Wooden 2006). Random analyses of zircons for T and composition are of limited use given wide variation within single zircons. Process interpretations should be based on trends observed in multiple zircons from individual samples, as many samples have characteristics distinct from general trends. Hydrothermal zircon (Hoskin 2005) is not unusual as a rim zone and may reflect a fine intergrowth of other minerals (apatite, titanite, oxides) or unusual late stage growth conditions. Ti temperatures from these zones are often unreliable, and all analyses for Ti and trace elements should include screens (i.e. F, Al, Ca, Fe) for Ti-bearing minerals and other accessories. While trace element concentrations of zircons may not be diagnostic of rock types in general, careful analyses as described above provide invaluable information about magmatic and metamorphic processes.

Geological and geochemical implications of the genesis of the Qolqoleh orogenic gold mineralisation, Kurdistan Province (Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taghipour, Batoul; Ahmadnejad, Farhad

2015-03-01

The Qolqoleh gold deposit is located in the northwestern part of the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SSZ), within the NE-SW trending Qolqoleh shear zone. Oligocene granitoids, Cretaceous meta-limestones, schists and metavolcanics are the main lithological units. Chondrite-normalised REE patterns of the ore-hosting metavolcanics indicate REE enrichment relative to hanging wall (chlorite-sericite schist) and footwall (meta-limestone) rocks. The pattern also reflects an enrichment in LREE relative to HREE. It seems that the LREE enrichment is related to the circulation of SO42- and CO2-bearing fluids and regional metamorphism in the Qolqoleh shear zone. Both positive and negative Eu anomalies are observed in shear-zone metavolcanics. These anomalies are related to the degree of plagioclase alteration during gold mineralisation and hydrothermal alteration. In progressing from a metavolcanic protomylonite to an ultramylonite, significant changes occurred in the major/trace element and REE concentration. Utilising an Al-Fe-Ti isocon for the ore-hosting metavolcanics shows that Sc, Y, K, U, P, and M-HREE (except Eu) are relatively unchanged; S, As, Ag, Au, Ca, LOI, Rb and LREE are enriched, and Sr, Ba, Eu, Cr, Co and Ni decrease with an increasing degree of deformation. Based on geochemical features and comparison with other well-known shear zones in the world, the study area is best classified as an Isovolume-Gain (IVG) type shear zone and orogenic type gold mineralisation. Based on the number of phases observed at room temperature and their microthermometric behaviour, three fluid inclusion types have been recognised in quartz-sulphide and quartz-calcite veins: Type I monophase aqueous inclusions, Type II two-phase liquid-vapour (L-V) inclusions which are subdivided into two groups based on the homogenisation temperature (Th): a) L-V inclusions with Th from 205 to 255°C and melting temperature of last ice (Tm) from -3 to -9°C. b) L-V inclusions with higher Th from 335 to 385°C and Tm from -11 to -16°C. Type III three-phase carbonic-liquid inclusions (liquid water-liquid CO2-vapour CO2) with Th of 345-385°C. The mean values of the density of ore-forming fluids, pressure and depth of mineralisation have been calculated to be 0.79-0.96 gr/cm3, 2 kbar and 7 km, respectively. The δ18Owater and δD values of the gold-bearing quartz-sulphide veins vary from 7.2‰ to 8‰ and -40.24‰ to -35.28‰, respectively, which are indicative of an isotopically heavy crustal fluid and likely little involvement of meteoric fluid. The δ18Owater values of the quartz-calcite veins have a range of -5.31‰ to -3.35‰, and the δD values of -95.65‰ to -75.31‰, which are clearly lower than those of early-stage quartz-sulphide-gold veins, and are close to the meteoric water line. Based on comparisons of the D-O isotopic systematics, the Qolqoleh ore-mineralising fluids originated from metamorphic devolatilisation of Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary piles. Devolatilisation of these units occurred either synchronously with, or postdates, the development of penetrative (ductile) structures such as shear zones and during overprinting brittle deformation

The effect of butterfly scales on flight efficiency and leading edge vortex formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Amy; Wilroy, Jacob; Wahidi, Redha; Slegers, Nathan; Heilman, Micahel; Cranford, Jacob

2016-11-01

It is hypothesized that the scales on a butterfly wing lead to increased flight efficiency. Recent testing of live butterflies tracked their motion over 246 flights for 11 different specimens. Results show a 37.8 percent mean decrease in flight efficiency and a flapping amplitude reduction of 6.7 percent once the scales were removed. This change could be largely a result of how the leading edge vortex (LEV) interacts with the wing. To simplify this complex flow problem, an experiment was designed to focus on the alteration of 2-D vortex development with a variation in surface patterning. Specifically, the secondary vorticity generated by the LEV interacting at the patterned surface was studied, as well as the subsequent effect on the LEV's growth rate and peak circulation. For this experiment butterfly inspired grooves were created using additive manufacturing and were attached to a flat plate with a chordwise orientation, thus increasing plate surface area. The vortex generated by the grooved plate was then compared to a smooth case as the plate translated vertically through a tow tank at Re = 1500, 3000, and 6000. Using DPIV, the vortex formation was documented and a maximum vortex formation time of 4.22 was found based on the flat plate travel distance and chord length. Results indicate that the patterned surface slows down the growth of the vortex which corroborates the flight test results. Funding from NSF CBET Fluid Dynamcis is gratefully acknowledged.

Does high diurnal variability in a reef flat from Ofu, American Samoa confer resistance to ocean acidification?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koweek, D.; Samuel, L.; Mucciarone, D. A.; Woodson, C. B.; Monismith, S. G.; Dunbar, R. B.

2012-12-01

Forecasts for coral reefs under various ocean acidification scenarios are becoming increasingly complex due to significant inter-site variability in biogeochemistry, ecology, and physical oceanography. The reef flats of Ofu, American Samoa are a potential end-member of this vulnerability spectrum due to extremely high diurnal variability in their biogeochemistry. Here we present coupled biogeochemical and physical oceanographic measurements from a shallow reef flat on Ofu in November 2011. We observed diurnal temperature ranges of up to 7°C, along with diurnal pH and dissolved oxygen ranges of 0.6 units, and 160 percent of saturation, respectively. Carbon system measurements were less extreme. Alkalinity varied between 2240-2360 μmol/kg and total dissolved inorganic carbon (TDIC) ranged between 1850-2100 μmol/kg during the diurnal cycle. These observations suggest diurnal ranges of ~240ppm CO2 and 1.5 units of ΩAr. The larger diurnal range in TDIC relative to alkalinity suggests a reef environment dominated by photosynthesis. From these observations, we explore the balance between the dominant biogeochemical processes of production and calcification on the reef flat in more detail, along with its implication for conferring resistance to ocean acidification. We use calcification rate estimates to provide insight to patterns of day and night growth and/or dissolution on the reef. Finally, we present evidence of tidal modulation of the biogeochemical signals and discuss the role of localized physical circulation in helping to determine a reef's vulnerability to ocean acidification.

Effect of surface nano/micro-structuring on the early formation of microbial anodes with Geobacter sulfurreducens: Experimental and theoretical approaches.

PubMed

Champigneux, Pierre; Renault-Sentenac, Cyril; Bourrier, David; Rossi, Carole; Delia, Marie-Line; Bergel, Alain

2018-06-01

Smooth and nano-rough flat gold electrodes were manufactured with controlled Ra of 0.8 and 4.5nm, respectively. Further nano-rough surfaces (Ra 4.5nm) were patterned with arrays of micro-pillars 500μm high. All these electrodes were implemented in pure cultures of Geobacter sulfurreducens, under a constant potential of 0.1V/SCE and with a single addition of acetate 10mM to check the early formation of microbial anodes. The flat smooth electrodes produced an average current density of 0.9A·m -2 . The flat nano-rough electrodes reached 2.5A·m -2 on average, but with a large experimental deviation of ±2.0A·m -2 . This large deviation was due to the erratic colonization of the surface but, when settled on the surface, the cells displayed current density that was directly correlated to the biofilm coverage ratio. The micro-pillars considerably improved the experimental reproducibility by offering the cells a quieter environment, facilitating biofilm development. Current densities of up to 8.5A·m -2 (per projected surface area) were thus reached, in spite of rate limitation due to the mass transport of the buffering species, as demonstrated by numerical modelling. Nano-roughness combined with micro-structuring increased current density by a factor close to 10 with respect to the smooth flat surface. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Demonstration of UV LED versatility when paired with molded UV transmitting glass optics to produce unique irradiance patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasenak, Brian

2017-02-01

Ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV LED) adoption is accelerating; they are being used in new applications such as UV curing, germicidal irradiation, nondestructive testing, and forensic analysis. In many of these applications, it is critically important to produce a uniform light distribution and consistent surface irradiance. Flat panes of fused quartz, silica, or glass are commonly used to cover and protect UV LED arrays. However, they don't offer the advantages of an optical lens design. An investigation was conducted to determine the effect of a secondary glass optic on the uniformity of the light distribution and irradiance. Glass optics capable of transmitting UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C wavelengths can improve light distribution, uniformity, and intensity. In this work, two simulation studies were created to illustrate distinct irradiance patterns desirable for potential real world applications. The first study investigates the use of a multi-UV LED array and optic to create a uniform irradiance pattern on the flat two dimensional (2D) target surface. The uniformity was improved by designing both the LED array and molded optic to produce a homogenous pattern. The second study investigated the use of an LED light source and molded optic to improve the light uniformity on the inside of a canister. The case study illustrates the requirements for careful selection of LED based on light distribution and subsequent design of optics. The optic utilizes total internal reflection to create optimized light distribution. The combination of the LED and molded optic showed significant improvement in uniformity on the inner surface of the canister. The simulations illustrate how the application of optics can significantly improve UV light distribution which can be critical in applications such as UV curing and sterilization.

The effect of butterfly-scale inspired patterning on leading-edge vortex growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilroy, Jacob Aaron

Leading edge vortices (LEVs) are important for generating thrust and lift in flapping flight, and the surface patterning (scales) on butterfly wings is hypothesized to play a role in the vortex formation of the LEV. To simplify this complex flow problem, an experiment was designed to focus on the alteration of 2-D vortex development with a variation in surface patterning. Specifically, the secondary vorticity generated by the LEV interacting at the patterned surface was studied, as well as the subsequent effect on the LEV's growth rate and peak circulation. For this experiment, rapid-prototyped grooves based on the scale geometry of the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) were created using additive manufacturing and were attached to a flat plate with a chordwise orientation, thus increasing plate surface area. The vortex generated by the grooved plate was then compared to a smooth plate case in an experiment where the plate translated vertically through a 2 x 3 x 5 cubic foot tow tank. The plate was impulsively started in quiescent water and flow fields at Rec = 1416, 2833, and 5667 are examined using Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV). The maximum vortex formation number is 2.8 and is based on the flat plate travel length and chord length. Flow fields from each case show the generation of a secondary vortex whose interaction with the shear layer and LEV caused different behaviors depending upon the surface type. The vortex development process varied for each Reynolds number and it was found that for the lowest Reynolds number case a significant difference does not exist between surface types, however, for the other two cases the grooves affected the secondary vortex's behavior and the LEV's ability to grow at a rate similar to the smooth plate case.

Interaction of rippled shock wave with flat fast-slow interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Zhigang; Liang, Yu; Liu, Lili; Ding, Juchun; Luo, Xisheng; Zou, Liyong

2018-04-01

The evolution of a flat air/sulfur-hexafluoride interface subjected to a rippled shock wave is investigated. Experimentally, the rippled shock wave is produced by diffracting a planar shock wave around solid cylinder(s), and the effects of the cylinder number and the spacing between cylinders on the interface evolution are considered. The flat interface is created by a soap film technique. The postshock flow and the evolution of the shocked interface are captured by a schlieren technique combined with a high-speed video camera. Numerical simulations are performed to provide more details of flows. The wave patterns of a planar shock wave diffracting around one cylinder or two cylinders are studied. The shock stability problem is analytically discussed, and the effects of the spacing between cylinders on shock stability are highlighted. The relationship between the amplitudes of the rippled shock wave and the shocked interface is determined in the single cylinder case. Subsequently, the interface morphologies and growth rates under different cases are obtained. The results show that the shock-shock interactions caused by multiple cylinders have significant influence on the interface evolution. Finally, a modified impulsive theory is proposed to predict the perturbation growth when multiple solid cylinders are present.

Characteristics of unstable resonators in flashlamp-pumped organic-compound lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alekseyev, V. A.; Trinchuk, B. F.; Shulenin, A. V.

1985-01-01

A symmetrical confocal resonator formed by two blind convex mirrors was investigated. The space energy characteristics of radiation from a laser with an unstable resonator were investigated as a function of the specific pumping energy per cubic centimeter of active medium and the magnification of the resonator. Oscillograms of laser pulses were recorded in different cross sections of the laser beam, as were the lasing field patterns at various distances from the exit mirror of the resonator. The maximum spectral wavelengths of flat and unstable resonators were tabulated. It was found that the proper choice of parameters of an unstable resonator reduces laser beam divergence significantly and provides greater axial brightness of radiation than that provided by a flat resonator, even with a highly nonhomogeneous active medium, making it possible to extend the capabilities of flashlamp pumped organic compound lasers.

A flat microbial fuel cell for decentralized wastewater valorization: process performance and optimization potential.

PubMed

Peixoto, Luciana; Rodrigues, Alexandrina L; Martins, Gilberto; Nicolau, Ana; Brito, António G; Silva, M Manuela; Parpot, Pier; Nogueira, Regina

2013-01-01

A very compact flat microbial fuel cell (MFC), with 64 cm2 each for the anode surface and the cathode surface and 1 cm3 each for the anode and cathode chambers, was tested for wastewater treatment with simultaneous electricity production with the ultimate goal of implementing an autonomous service in decentralized wastewater treatment systems. The MFC was operated with municipal wastewater in sequencing batch reactor mode with re-circulation. Current densities up to 407 W/m3 and a carbon removal of 83% were obtained. Interruption in the operation slightly decreased power density, while the re-circulation ratio did not influence power generation. The anode biofilm presented high conductivity, activity and diversity. The denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis band-pattern of the DNA showed the presence of several ribotypes with different species of Shewanellaceae and Geobacteraceae families.

Nested granites in question: Contrasted emplacement kinematics of independent magmas in the Zaër pluton, Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouchez, Jean Luc; Diot, Herve

1990-10-01

The concentrically zoned Zaër pluton (Variscan Meseta of Morocco), previously modeled as the nesting of two magmas forming a ballooning pluton, is here subjected to a study of its internal magmatic and solid-state structures. The magmatic flow patterns, derived mainly from anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility measurements, together with structural observations down to thin-section scale, indicate that these two magmas have undergone totally independent kinematics of emplacement. This supports recent isotope geochemistry and geochronology data indicating independent origin of the magmas and diachronism of emplacement, respectively. Thus, we propose that a magma diapir, probably emplaced within a crustal fracture zone, cooled down to brittle conditions, before a likely flat-lying fracture was opened within the fracture zone and was filled with a new and compositionally different pulse of magma.

Low-Loss Optical Metamaterials Based on Mie Resonances in Semiconductor Nanoparticle Composites

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-13

Brillouin zone where two transverse bands with linear dispersion intersect a flat longitudinal band, resulting in triple degeneracy. The fields in the...transmission pattern through Fourier plane imaging. This was accomplished by focusing a laser beam within the structure using a high numerical...conditions, a high frequency magnetic response could be created in metamaterials formed from composites of quantum dots utilizing excitonic resonances

Solid State Research

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-05-15

2 Bioaerosol fluorescence sensor concept. 2 1-3 Bioaerosol fluorescence sensor detection geometry: (a) signal collection (side view... wavelength light, (b) Strength of output signal along vertical line trace indicated by arrow in (a). 37 5-2 Brick wall pattern revealed by chemical...etchant. 38 5-3 (a) Flat-field illumination of improved laser-annealed CCD at -90°C with 410-nm wavelength light, (b) Strength of output signal along

Some simulation estimates of mean annual increment of Douglas-fir: results, limitations, and implications for management.

Treesearch

Robert O. Curtis

1994-01-01

Patterns of development of mean annual increment in relation to age predicted by the widely used DFSIM, SPS, TASS, and ORGANON simulators were examined. Although predictions differ considerably among simulators for portions of the range of sites, ages, and treatments, comparisons indicated that (1) culmination is relatively late, (2) the curve is relatively flat in the...

Stretchable Ag electrodes with mechanically tunable optical transmittance on wavy-patterned PDMS substrates

PubMed Central

Ko, Eun-Hye; Kim, Hyo-Joong; Lee, Sang-Mok; Kim, Tae-Woong; Kim, Han-Ki

2017-01-01

We report on semi-transparent stretchable Ag films coated on a wavy-patterned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate for use as stretchable electrodes for stretchable and transparent electronics. To improve the mechanical stretchability of the Ag films, we optimized the wavy-pattern of the PDMS substrate as a function of UV-ozone treatment time and pre-strain of the PDMS substrate. In addition, we investigated the effect of the Ag thickness on the mechanical stretchability of the Ag electrode formed on the wavy-patterned PDMS substrate. The semi-transparent Ag films formed on the wavy-patterned PDMS substrate showed better stretchability (strain 20%) than the Ag films formed on a flat PDMS substrate because the wavy pattern effectively relieved strain. In addition, the optical transmittance of the Ag electrode on the wavy-patterned PDMS substrate was tunable based on the degree of stretching for the PDMS substrate. In particular, it was found that the wavy-patterned PDMS with a smooth buckling was beneficial for a precise patterning of Ag interconnectors. Furthermore, we demonstrated the feasibility of semi-transparent Ag films on wavy-patterned PDMS as stretchable electrodes for the stretchable electronics based on bending tests, hysteresis tests, and dynamic fatigue tests. PMID:28436426

Geochemistry and fluid characteristics of the Dalli porphyry Cu-Au deposit, Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarasvandi, Alireza; Rezaei, Mohsen; Raith, Johann; Lentz, David; Azimzadeh, Amir-Mortaza; Pourkaseb, Hooshang

2015-11-01

The Miocene Dalli porphyry Cu-Au deposit in the central part of Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic arc is the first reported Au-rich porphyry Cu deposit in the Zagros orogenic belt. The Cu-Au mineralization is mainly hosted in diorite and quartz diorite intrusions, presenting as numerous veinlets in the altered wall rocks, with potassic, phyllic, and propylitic alteration developed. Based on the mineral assemblages and crosscutting relations of veinlets, hydrothermal mineralization-alteration occurred in at least three stages, characterized by veinlets of (1) Qtz + Kfs + Mag ± Ccp, (2) Qtz + Py + Ccp ± Bn ± Cv ± Cc and, (3) Qtz + Chl + Bt. The ore-bearing intrusions exhibit typical geochemical characteristics of subduction zone magmas, including LREE fractionated pattern, strong enrichment in LILE (Cs, Rb, Ba, Pb, and U), and depletion of HFSE, with marked negative Ti and Nb anomalies. The adakite-like ore-hosting porphyry intrusions are characterized by a systematic gradual decreasing and increasing of Y and Eu/Eu∗ with increasing SiO2 content, respectively. Moreover, they exhibit a significant increasing trend of Sr/Y with decreasing of Y, which indicates progressive hornblende fractionation and suppression of plagioclase fractionation during the evolution toward high water content of parental magma. A relatively flat HREE pattern with low Dyn/Ybn and Nb/Ta values may represent that amphibole played a more important role than garnet in the generation of the adakitic melts in the thickened lower crust. Based on the phase assemblages confirmed by detailed laser Raman spectroscopy analyses and proportion of solid, liquid, and gaseous components, five types of fluid inclusions were recognized, which are categorized as; (1) liquid-rich two phase (liquidH2O + vaporH2O) (IIA), (2) vapor-rich two phase (vaporH2O/CO2 + liquidH2O) (IIB), (3) high saline simple fluids (IIIA; liquidH2O + vaporH2O + Hl), (4) high saline opaque mineral-bearing fluids (IIIB; liquidH2O + vaporH2O + Hl + Hem + Ccp + Py) and (5) multi-phase type (IIIAB; liquidH2O + vaporH2O + Hl + Anh + Hem + Mag + Ccp). In early stage veins, the homogenization temperature of multiphase inclusions as high as 620 °C, with corresponding salinities of up to 75 wt.% NaCl equivalent represent the initial ore-forming fluids. From early to late stage veins, the gradual decrease of homogenization temperature of saline inclusions (IIIAB, IIIA, and IIIB) from 620 to 340 °C (corresponding salinities of 75-35 wt.% NaCl equivalent) may reflect fluid boiling and mixing of the early magmatic fluids with circulating groundwater. The common association of hematite and anhydrite daughter phases with the most primitive inclusions (IIIAB) in early-stage veins and the lack of CO2-bearing inclusions in the middle to late stage veins reveal CO2 content and oxygen fugacity of the fluids was significantly decreased from early to main stage of sulfide mineralization (second generation of veins). It seems that magnetite crystallization and CO2-escape have a decisive role in oversaturation of S2- and subsequent rapid and large-scale precipitation of sulfides in second generation of veins at the Dalli deposit.

Wall accumulation of bacteria with different motility patterns.

PubMed

Sartori, Paolo; Chiarello, Enrico; Jayaswal, Gaurav; Pierno, Matteo; Mistura, Giampaolo; Brun, Paola; Tiribocchi, Adriano; Orlandini, Enzo

2018-02-01

We systematically investigate the role of different swimming patterns on the concentration distribution of bacterial suspensions confined between two flat walls, by considering wild-type motility Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which perform Run and Tumble and Run and Reverse patterns, respectively. The experiments count motile bacteria at different distances from the bottom wall. In agreement with previous studies, an accumulation of motile bacteria close to the walls is observed. Different wall separations, ranging from 100 to 250μm, are tested. The concentration profiles result to be independent on the motility pattern and on the walls' separation. These results are confirmed by numerical simulations, based on a collection of self-propelled dumbbells-like particles interacting only through steric interactions. The good agreement with the simulations suggests that the behavior of the investigated bacterial suspensions is determined mainly by steric collisions and self-propulsion, as well as hydrodynamic interactions.

Wall accumulation of bacteria with different motility patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sartori, Paolo; Chiarello, Enrico; Jayaswal, Gaurav; Pierno, Matteo; Mistura, Giampaolo; Brun, Paola; Tiribocchi, Adriano; Orlandini, Enzo

2018-02-01

We systematically investigate the role of different swimming patterns on the concentration distribution of bacterial suspensions confined between two flat walls, by considering wild-type motility Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which perform Run and Tumble and Run and Reverse patterns, respectively. The experiments count motile bacteria at different distances from the bottom wall. In agreement with previous studies, an accumulation of motile bacteria close to the walls is observed. Different wall separations, ranging from 100 to 250 μ m , are tested. The concentration profiles result to be independent on the motility pattern and on the walls' separation. These results are confirmed by numerical simulations, based on a collection of self-propelled dumbbells-like particles interacting only through steric interactions. The good agreement with the simulations suggests that the behavior of the investigated bacterial suspensions is determined mainly by steric collisions and self-propulsion, as well as hydrodynamic interactions.

Morphological transitions in nanoscale patterns produced by concurrent ion sputtering and impurity co-deposition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bradley, R. Mark

2016-04-07

We modify the theory of nanoscale patterns produced by ion bombardment with concurrent impurity deposition to take into account the effect that the near-surface impurities have on the collision cascades. As the impurity concentration is increased, the resulting theory successively yields a flat surface, a rippled surface with its wavevector along the projected direction of ion incidence, and a rippled surface with its wavevector rotated by 90°. Exactly the same morphological transitions were observed in recent experiments in which silicon was bombarded with an argon ion beam and gold was co-deposited [Moon et al., e-print arXiv:1601.02534].

Investigation of light scattering as a technique for detecting discrete soot particles in a luminous flame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The practicability of using a classical light-scattering technique, involving comparison of angular scattering intensity patterns with theoretically determined Mie and Rayleight patterns, to detect discrete soot particles (diameter less than 50 nm) in premixed propane/air and propane/oxygen-helium flames is considered. The experimental apparatus employed in this investigation included a laser light source, a flat-flame burner, specially coated optics, a cooled photomultiplier detector, and a lock-in voltmeter readout. Although large, agglomerated soot particles were detected and sized, it was not possible to detect small, discrete particles. The limiting factor appears to be background scattering by the system's optics.

Outstanding Universal Values of the Korean Archipelago Getbol: Its potential for World Heritage Nomination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woo, K. S.; Chun, S. S.; Moon, K. O.

2017-12-01

The `Korean Archipelago Getbol (KAG; Getbol means tidal flat deposits in Korean)' has developed due to the decreasing accommodation space during the Holocene sea-level rise on the broad epicontinental shelf of the southeastern part of the Yellow Sea. Sedimentation and evolution show a variety of quite distinctive tidal flat patterns with intertidal and subtidal drainage systems depending upon the location and orientation of rocky shores. The following KAG`s Outstanding Universal Values are suggested to support the WH: 1) It is the unique coastal sedimentary environment formed by special geological and oceanographic setting in the world. It is the only place in the world where tide-controlled sedimentation processes have produced special tidal flats surrounding numerous rocky islands on a broad epicontinental shelf near convergent tectonic boundary. Macrotidal currents combined with waves and typhoons in this semi-closed oceanographic setting have provided unique geological and oceanographic conditions for their formation. 2) It diplays the most dynamic and complicated, but stable coastal depositional system in the world. Even though the property has been constantly influenced by strong microtidal currents combined with East Asian Monsoon climate (winter erosion and summer deposition) with occasional typhoons during summer, Getbol has maintained its stable depositional system and tidal flat sediments have been accumulated for the past 9,000 years. Sufficient supply of suspended load through Geumgang River provides sustainable depositional system within the property. Complicated island-topography also produced the most complicated and divese depositional systems as well as the deepest tidal channels in the world. (3) The KAG shows the thickest tidal flat sediments protected by numerous islands. Aggradation of tidal sediments has caught up with the rapid Holocene sealevel rise and produced the thickest tidal flat sediments in the world. As a results, numerous former islands of relatively elevated areas have been vanished and hidden. In addition, the KAG shows a complete story of geological, ecological and conservational integrity (the wholeness and intactness). Thus, we strongly believe that the KAG has great potential to be inscribed on a World Heritage List for the criterion (viii).

Remote sensing of intertidal morphological change in Morecambe Bay, U.K., between 1991 and 2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mason, D. C.; Scott, T. R.; Dance, S. L.

2010-04-01

Tidal Flats are important examples of extensive areas of natural environment that remain relatively unaffected by man. Monitoring of tidal flats is required for a variety of purposes. Remote sensing has become an established technique for the measurement of topography over tidal flats. A further requirement is to measure topographic changes in order to measure sediment budgets. To date there have been few attempts to make quantitative estimates of morphological change over tidal flat areas. This paper illustrates the use of remote sensing to measure quantitative and qualitative changes in the tidal flats of Morecambe Bay during the relatively long period 1991-2007. An understanding of the patterns of sediment transport within the Bay is of considerable interest for coastal management and defence purposes. Tidal asymmetry is considered to be the dominant cause of morphological change in the Bay, with the higher currents associated with the flood tide being the main agency moulding the channel system. Quantitative changes were measured by comparing a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the intertidal zone formed using the waterline technique applied to satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images from 1991-1994, to a second DEM constructed from airborne laser altimetry data acquired in 2005. Qualitative changes were studied using additional SAR images acquired since 2003. A significant movement of sediment from below Mean Sea Level (MSL) to above MSL was detected by comparing the two Digital Elevation Models, though the proportion of this change that could be ascribed to seasonal effects was not clear. Between 1991 and 2004 there was a migration of the Ulverston channel of the river Leven north-east by about 5 km, followed by the development of a straighter channel to the west, leaving the previous channel decoupled from the river. This is thought to be due to independent tidal and fluvial forcing mechanisms acting on the channel. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of remote sensing for measurement of long-term morphological change in tidal flat areas. An alternative use of waterlines as partial bathymetry for assimilation into a morphodynamic model of the coastal zone is also discussed.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Altunbas, Cem, E-mail: caltunbas@gmail.com; Lai, Chao-Jen; Zhong, Yuncheng

Purpose: In using flat panel detectors (FPD) for cone beam computed tomography (CBCT), pixel gain variations may lead to structured nonuniformities in projections and ring artifacts in CBCT images. Such gain variations can be caused by change in detector entrance exposure levels or beam hardening, and they are not accounted by conventional flat field correction methods. In this work, the authors presented a method to identify isolated pixel clusters that exhibit gain variations and proposed a pixel gain correction (PGC) method to suppress both beam hardening and exposure level dependent gain variations. Methods: To modulate both beam spectrum and entrancemore » exposure, flood field FPD projections were acquired using beam filters with varying thicknesses. “Ideal” pixel values were estimated by performing polynomial fits in both raw and flat field corrected projections. Residuals were calculated by taking the difference between measured and ideal pixel values to identify clustered image and FPD artifacts in flat field corrected and raw images, respectively. To correct clustered image artifacts, the ratio of ideal to measured pixel values in filtered images were utilized as pixel-specific gain correction factors, referred as PGC method, and they were tabulated as a function of pixel value in a look-up table. Results: 0.035% of detector pixels lead to clustered image artifacts in flat field corrected projections, where 80% of these pixels were traced back and linked to artifacts in the FPD. The performance of PGC method was tested in variety of imaging conditions and phantoms. The PGC method reduced clustered image artifacts and fixed pattern noise in projections, and ring artifacts in CBCT images. Conclusions: Clustered projection image artifacts that lead to ring artifacts in CBCT can be better identified with our artifact detection approach. When compared to the conventional flat field correction method, the proposed PGC method enables characterization of nonlinear pixel gain variations as a function of change in x-ray spectrum and intensity. Hence, it can better suppress image artifacts due to beam hardening as well as artifacts that arise from detector entrance exposure variation.« less

Synchronous scan-projection lithography on overall circumference of fine pipes with a diameter of 2 mm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horiuchi, Toshiyuki; Furuhata, Takahiro; Muro, Hideyuki

2016-06-01

The scan-projection exposure of small-diameter pipe surfaces was investigated using a newly developed prototype exposure system. It is necessary to secure a very large depth of focus for printing thick resist patterns on round pipe surfaces with a roughness larger than that of semiconductor wafers. For this reason, a camera lens with a low numerical aperture of 0.089 was used as a projection lens, and the momentary exposure area was limited by a narrow slit with a width of 800 µm. Thus, patterns on a flat reticle were replicated on a pipe surface by linearly moving the reticle and rotating the pipe synchronously. By using a reticle with inclined line-and-space patterns, helical patterns with a width of 30 µm were successfully replicated on stainless-steel pipes with an outer diameter of 2 mm and coated with a 10-µm-thick negative resist. The patterns replicated at the start and stop edges were smoothly stitched seamlessly.

Effect of printing parameters on gravure patterning with conductive silver ink

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Seunghwan; Sung, Hyung Jin

2015-04-01

Conductive line patterns were printed on a poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate using a gravure printing method with conductive silver ink. A plate-to-roll gravure print was prepared for this experiment. Gravure plates with fine lines 5-25 μm in width and 0-90° in tilted angles were fabricated using photolithography techniques. The printability, defined as the ratio of the real printed area to the ideal printed area, was measured and analyzed with respect to the process parameters and the line pattern designs. The effect of the process parameters on the fine line patterning was discussed, including the wiping condition, the printing pressure and the printing speed. The printability of the high adhesive substrate was examined by preparing a nanostructured PDMS substrate featuring a forest of 200 nm nanopillars using an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template. The patterns printed onto the nanostructured PDMS were compared with those printed on a flat PDMS substrate.

The improvement of GaN-based light-emitting diodes using nanopatterned sapphire substrate with small pattern spacing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yonghui; Wei, Tongbo; Wang, Junxi; Lan, Ding; Chen, Yu; Hu, Qiang; Lu, Hongxi; Li, Jinmin

2014-02-01

Self-assembly SiO2 nanosphere monolayer template is utilized to fabricate nanopatterned sapphire substrates (NPSSs) with 0-nm, 50-nm, and 120-nm spacing, receptively. The GaN growth on top of NPSS with 0-nm spacing has the best crystal quality because of laterally epitaxial overgrowth. However, GaN growth from pattern top is more difficult to get smooth surface than from pattern bottom. The rougher surface may result in a higher work voltage. The stimulation results of finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) display that too large or too small spacing lead to the reduced light extracted efficiency (LEE) of LEDs. Under a driving current 350 mA, the external quantum efficiencies (EQE) of GaN-based LEDs grown on NPSSs with 0-nm, 50-nm, and 120-nm spacing increase by 43.3%, 50.6%, and 39.1%, respectively, compared to that on flat sapphire substrate (FSS). The optimized pattern spacing is 50 nm for the NPSS with 600-nm pattern period.

Modeling of thermomechanical changes of extreme-ultraviolet mask and their dependence on absorber variation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ban, Chung-Hyun; Park, Eun-Sang; Park, Jae-Hun; Oh, Hye-Keun

2018-06-01

Thermal and structural deformation of extreme-ultraviolet lithography (EUVL) masks during the exposure process may become important issues as these masks are subject to rigorous image placement and flatness requirements. The reflective masks used for EUVL absorb energy during exposure, and the temperature of the masks rises as a result. This can cause thermomechanical deformation that can reduce the pattern quality. The use of very thick low-thermal-expansion substrate materials (LTEMs) may reduce energy absorption, but they do not completely eliminate mask deformation. Therefore, it is necessary to predict and optimize the effects of energy transferred from the extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) light source and the resultant patterns of structured EUV masks with complex multilayers. Our study shows that heat accumulates in the masks as exposure progresses. It has been found that a higher absorber ratio (pattern density) applied to the patterning of EUV masks exacerbates the problem, especially in masks with more complex patterns.

In situ U-Th-Pb ages of the Miaoya carbonatite complex in the South Qinling orogenic belt, central China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ying, Yuancan; Chen, Wei; Lu, Jue; Jiang, Shao-Yong; Yang, Yueheng

2017-10-01

The Miaoya carbonatite complex in the South Qinling orogenic belt hosts one of the largest rare earth element (REE)-Nb deposits in China that is composed of carbonatite and syenite. The emplacement age of the complex and the geochronological relationship between the carbonatite and syenite have long been debated. In this study, in situ U-Th-Pb ages have been obtained for the constituent minerals zircon, monazite and columbite from carbonatite and syenite of the Miaoya complex, together with their chemical and isotopic compositions. In situ trace element compositions for zircon from carbonatite and syenite are highly variable. The zircon displays slightly heavy REE (HREE)-enriched chondrite-normalized patterns with no Eu anomaly and various light REE (LREE) contents. In situ Th-Pb dating for zircon from the Miaoya complex by laser ablation ICP-MS yields ages of 442.6 ± 4.0 Ma (n = 53) for syenite and 426.5 ± 8.0 Ma (n = 23) for carbonatite. Monazite from carbonatite and syenite shows similar chondrite-normalized REE patterns and yields a consistent Th-Pb age of 240 Ma. Based on petrographic and chemical composition, columbite from the carbonatite can be identified into two groups. The columbite dispersed within carbonatite is characterized by slightly LREE-enriched chondrite-normalized REE patterns, whereas columbite associated with apatite is characterized by LREE-depleted trends. Columbite has been further determined to have a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 232.8 ± 4.5 Ma (n = 9) using LA-ICP-MS. Detailed geochronological and chemical investigations suggest that there were two major episodes of magmatic/metasomatic activities in the formational history of the Miaoya carbonatite complex. The early alkaline magmatism emplaced in the Silurian was related to the opening of the Mianlue Ocean, whereas the late metasomatism or hydrothermal overprint occurred during the Triassic South Qinling orogeny. The latter serves as the major ore formation period for both REE (e.g., monazite) and Nb (e.g., columbite).

Xenotime-(Y) formation from zircon dissolution-precipitation and HREE fractionation: an example from a metamorphosed phosphatic sandstone, Espinhaço fold belt (Brazil)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Franz, Gerhard; Morteani, Giulio; Rhede, Dieter

2015-10-01

We present an example where xenotime-(Y) together with metamorphic zircon replaces detrital zircon in a phosphatic sandstone from the Mesoproterozoic Espinhaço fold belt, Brazil, in a dissolution-precipitation reaction: {{zircon}}1 ( {{relict}} ) + {{P-}}{{bearing fluid}} = {{zircon}}2 ( {{metamorphic}} ) + {{xenotime}}. During the Brasiliano orogeny at 634 ± 19 Ma, the rocks experienced amphibolite facies metamorphism at ≥0.6 GPa/ 550 ± 37 °C (Southern Espinhaço) and ≥0.6 GPa/ 570 ± 35 °C (Northern Espinhaço), constrained by Zr-in-rutile and Ti-in-quartz thermometry and the presence of kyanite + muscovite + quartz. Many of the rocks show unusual rare earth element (REE) patterns with a hump at Gd-Tb-Dy and depletion in light REE. Detrital zircons (with relict ages between 1.5 and 3.3 Ga) show varying degrees of replacement as indicated by the presence of xenotime and associated porosity, from almost pristine to complete alteration. Textural evidence indicates local mobility of Zr and REE at the scale of the thin section. Xenotime-(Y) occurs together with other phosphates, mainly augelite, lazulite, and minerals of the svanbergite-crandallite-goyacite-florencite group. Xenotime-(Y) is very heterogeneous and reaches unusually high contents of up to 14 wt% Gd2O3, 13 wt% Dy2O3, and 3 wt% Tb2O3, corresponding to ≤0.36 REE atoms per formula unit due to the exchange Y = REE. The heavy REE patterns of xenotime-(Y) therefore show variable enrichment in individual elements, which explains the characteristic hump at Gd-Tb-Dy in the REE patterns of the whole rock. Although the rocks reached amphibolite facies conditions, textures indicate that formation of xenotime likely occurred during the early stages of diagenesis—metamorphism. Comparison with REE concentrations in xenotime-(Y) from the literature shows that selective REE incorporation into xenotime-(Y) is controlled by interaction with P-bearing hydrous fluids.

Lamprophyres from the Harohalli dyke swarm in the Halaguru and Mysore areas, Southern India: Implications for backarc basin magmatism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lanjewar, Shubhangi; Randive, Kirtikumar

2018-05-01

The Bangalore and Harohalli dyke swarms occur in the eastern part of the Dharwar craton. The older Bangalore dyke swarm is made up of dolerites, trending east-west, and the younger contains alkaline dykes that trend approximately north-south. The lamprophyres of the Harohalli dyke swarm occur in the Halaguru and Mysore industrial areas where they are exposed as fresh porphyritic - panidiomorphic dykes, containing crustal xenoliths, and showing chilled contacts with the country rock charnokites. They are chiefly composed of amphiboles which form well-developed phenocrysts. Clinopyroxenes are present in some of the dykes. Compositional zoning is observed in clinopyroxenes and amphiboles; their zoning patterns indicate that the magma experienced cryptic variations and that fractional crystallization was a dominant process in the evolution of the Harohalli Lamprophyres (HRL). The HRL are calc-alkaline with shoshonitic affinity and exhibit a K2O/Na2O ratio of ∼1. They show primitive (MORB-like) trace-element characters. LILE and LREE both show marginally enriched patterns; whereas HFSE and HREE show strongly depleted patterns. In the regional geologic sense, HRL dykes are characterised by two major influences; namely, (i) primary source region characteristics, which are geochemically more primitive, roughly falling within fields of primitive - MORB and enriched- MORB and (ii) the continental lithosphere. The data points for the HRL distinctly show their proximity to N-MORB and scatter towards the continental crust. Moreover, features like xenolith assimilation might influence the trace-element characteristics of the HRL dykes. Such magmas with mixed characters can be formed in a backarc basin environment. Geochemical proxies such as Ba/Nb vs Nb/Yb, Ba/Th vs Th/Nb, and the water content of magmas; which have been effectively used for discriminating backarc basin magmas worldwide, also indicate that the HRL magmas were generated in a backarc environment with inputs from a shallow subduction component and interaction with carbonatite melt. This paper therefore presents a new provenance for the generation of calc-alkaline lamprophyres, which were so far known to occur in orogenic belts.

Fuel cell current collector

DOEpatents

Katz, Murray; Bonk, Stanley P.; Maricle, Donald L.; Abrams, Martin

1991-01-01

A fuel cell has a current collector plate (22) located between an electrode (20) and a separate plate (25). The collector plate has a plurality of arches (26, 28) deformed from a single flat plate in a checkerboard pattern. The arches are of sufficient height (30) to provide sufficient reactant flow area. Each arch is formed with sufficient stiffness to accept compressive load and sufficient resiliently to distribute the load and maintain electrical contact.

Use of metallic glasses for fabrication of structures with submicron dimensions

DOEpatents

Wiley, John D.; Perepezko, John H.

1986-01-01

Patterned structures of submicron dimension formed of supported or unsupported amorphous metals having submicron feature sizes characterized by etching behavior sufficient to allow delineation of sharp edges and smooth flat flanks, resistance to time-dependent dimensional changes caused by creep, flow, in-diffusion of unwanted impurities, out-diffusion of constituent atoms, void formation, grain growth or phase separation and resistance to phase transformations or compound formation.

Flight-path estimation in passive low-altitude flight by visual cues

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grunwald, Arthur J.; Kohn, S.

1993-01-01

A series of experiments was conducted, in which subjects had to estimate the flight path while passively being flown in straight or in curved motion over several types of nominally flat, textured terrain. Three computer-generated terrain types were investigated: (1) a random 'pole' field, (2) a flat field consisting of random rectangular patches, and (3) a field of random parallelepipeds. Experimental parameters were the velocity-to-height (V/h) ratio, the viewing distance, and the terrain type. Furthermore, the effect of obscuring parts of the visual field was investigated. Assumptions were made about the basic visual-field information by analyzing the pattern of line-of-sight (LOS) rate vectors in the visual field. The experimental results support these assumptions and show that, for both a straight as well as a curved flight path, the estimation accuracy and estimation times improve with the V/h ratio. Error scores for the curved flight path are found to be about 3 deg in visual angle higher than for the straight flight path, and the sensitivity to the V/h ratio is found to be considerably larger. For the straight motion, the flight path could be estimated successfully from local areas in the far field. Curved flight-path estimates have to rely on the entire LOS rate pattern.

Effects of various cavity designs on the performance of a CO2 TEA laser with an unstable resonator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zhao, Yanzeng; Post, Madison J.; Lawrence, T. R.

1992-01-01

Unstable resonator modeling has been carried out for an injection-seeded CO2 transversely excited atmosphere (TEA) laser in the NOAA/ERL/Wave Propagation Laboratory (WPL) Doppler lidar to examine the effects of various cavity designs on the quality of the output beam. The results show the effects of an injection pinhole, electrode spacing, mirror tilt, and radial reflectivity function of the output coupler. The electrode spacing in this laser has negligible effect. The injection pinhole, however, produces complicated structures in the output patterns. If the pinhole is removed, the output pattern is much smoother, and the frequency jitter is smaller. Misalignment sensitivity is very closely related to the radial reflectivity function. The superparabolic function provides the highest coupling efficiency, largest beam size, and good collimation, but produces a slightly higher misalignment sensitivity compared with a parabolic function. The Gaussian function provides the lowest misalignment sensitivity, but it produces the smallest beam size and the largest beam divergence. Also, the coupling coefficient is 50 percent lower than the optimum value. Methods for using a flat diffraction grating in unstable resonators are also investigated. The best way is to use a flat grating/positive lens combination to replace the back concave mirror.

The Chicxulub impact at the K-Pg boundary - search for traces of the projectile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deutsch, A.

2012-04-01

One of the most interesting problems in the context of the end-Cretaceous Chicxulub impact is the question after the whererabouts of the main mass of the projectile. The nature of this >10 km-sized Chicxulub projectile was constrained by an anomaly in the chromium isotope 54 in the K-Pg deposit at Stevens Klint, Denmark, to a carbonaceous chondrite of type CM2 [1]. About 1.5 % of the estimated mass of the projectile has been detected world-wide in the K-Pg boundary layer; mainly in the form of platinum group elements (PGE) as well as other siderophile elements (Ni, Co ... ). A contamination by or even a major contribution of other "projectile" elements to the K-Pg event bed was rarely proposed. The few examples in the literature (cf. compilation in [2, 3]) used rare earth elements (REE) distribution patterns that are slightly inconsistent with REE patterns typical for the upper continental crust (UCC). Ejecta consisting of UCC target rocks is expected to form the overwhelming mass of the ejecta. In most K-Pg layers, however, the ejecta is diluted or even totally masked by a component of more local origin and with features of high-energy deposition mechanisms. Numerical models [4] indicate a deposition of >500km3 projectile material, corresponding to >2 x 10exp9 tons of mainly silica, iron, and magnesium in the K-Pg event bed. Detecting the "meteoritic" origin of these major elements, however, in a matrix of siliceous detritus, is practically impossible. Recent LA-ICP-MS analyses show that siliceous impact spherules - hydrated glass or altered to chlorite - in the Chicxulub event bed at various locations (e.g., Shell Creek, La Lajilla, La Popa) have REE patterns that are flat and un-fractionated, corresponding quite well to a typical CI-pattern. The REE abundances are chondritic to sub-chondritic. Mixing calculations indicate that the maximum REE contribution of UCC material to the REE budget of these spherules is on the order of 2 %, but usually much less. These flat REE patterns cannot originate from any known alteration process; they truly reflect a "meteoritic" component in the spherules. Accepting this fact, a certain amount of the siliceous host material (i.e., the spherules) must consist also of projectile material. Depending on the sampling site, the spherules with the flat REE distribution patterns amount to between 10 and ~70 vol% of the Chicxulub event bed. The widespread occurrence of this projectile matter in the K-Pg event bed reconciles observations with impact models [4]. Ref. [1] Trinquier A. et al. (2006) EPSL 241, 780-788. [2] Smit J. (1999) Ann. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci. 27, 75-113. [3] Schulte P. et al. (2010) Science 327, 1214-1218. [4] Artemieva N. and Morgan J. (2009) Icarus 201, 768-780.

Modeling the VARTM Composite Manufacturing Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Song, Xiao-Lan; Loos, Alfred C.; Grimsley, Brian W.; Cano, Roberto J.; Hubert, Pascal

2004-01-01

A comprehensive simulation model of the Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Modeling (VARTM) composite manufacturing process has been developed. For isothermal resin infiltration, the model incorporates submodels which describe cure of the resin and changes in resin viscosity due to cure, resin flow through the reinforcement preform and distribution medium and compaction of the preform during the infiltration. The accuracy of the model was validated by measuring the flow patterns during resin infiltration of flat preforms. The modeling software was used to evaluate the effects of the distribution medium on resin infiltration of a flat preform. Different distribution medium configurations were examined using the model and the results were compared with data collected during resin infiltration of a carbon fabric preform. The results of the simulations show that the approach used to model the distribution medium can significantly effect the predicted resin infiltration times. Resin infiltration into the preform can be accurately predicted only when the distribution medium is modeled correctly.

A Rotatable Quality Control Phantom for Evaluating the Performance of Flat Panel Detectors in Imaging Moving Objects.

PubMed

Haga, Yoshihiro; Chida, Koichi; Inaba, Yohei; Kaga, Yuji; Meguro, Taiichiro; Zuguchi, Masayuki

2016-02-01

As the use of diagnostic X-ray equipment with flat panel detectors (FPDs) has increased, so has the importance of proper management of FPD systems. To ensure quality control (QC) of FPD system, an easy method for evaluating FPD imaging performance for both stationary and moving objects is required. Until now, simple rotatable QC phantoms have not been available for the easy evaluation of the performance (spatial resolution and dynamic range) of FPD in imaging moving objects. We developed a QC phantom for this purpose. It consists of three thicknesses of copper and a rotatable test pattern of piano wires of various diameters. Initial tests confirmed its stable performance. Our moving phantom is very useful for QC of FPD images of moving objects because it enables visual evaluation of image performance (spatial resolution and dynamic range) easily.

Bistatic radar cross section of a perfectly conducting rhombus-shaped flat plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fenn, Alan J.

1990-05-01

The bistatic radar cross section of a perfectly conducting flat plate that has a rhombus shape (equilateral parallelogram) is investigated. The Ohio State University electromagnetic surface patch code (ESP version 4) is used to compute the theoretical bistatic radar cross section of a 35- x 27-in rhombus plate at 1.3 GHz over the bistatic angles 15 deg to 142 deg. The ESP-4 computer code is a method of moments FORTRAN-77 program which can analyze general configurations of plates and wires. This code has been installed and modified at Lincoln Laboratory on a SUN 3 computer network. Details of the code modifications are described. Comparisons of the method of moments simulations and measurements of the rhombus plate are made. It is shown that the ESP-4 computer code provides a high degree of accuracy in the calculation of copolarized and cross-polarized bistatic radar cross section patterns.

Measurement of the noise power spectrum in digital x-ray detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aufrichtig, Richard; Su, Yu; Cheng, Yu; Granfors, Paul R.

2001-06-01

The noise power spectrum, NPS, is a key imaging property of a detector and one of the principle quantities needed to compute the detective quantum efficiency. NPS is measured by computing the Fourier transform of flat field images. Different measurement methods are investigated and evaluated with images obtained from an amorphous silicon flat panel x-ray imaging detector. First, the influence of fixed pattern structures is minimized by appropriate background corrections. For a given data set the effect of using different types of windowing functions is studied. Also different window sizes and amounts of overlap between windows are evaluated and compared to theoretical predictions. Results indicate that measurement error is minimized when applying overlapping Hanning windows on the raw data. Finally it is shown that radial averaging is a useful method of reducing the two-dimensional noise power spectrum to one dimension.

The bifurcations of nearly flat origami

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santangelo, Christian

Self-folding origami structures provide one means of fabricating complex, three-dimensional structures from a flat, two-dimensional sheet. Self-folding origami structures have been fabricated on scales ranging from macroscopic to microscopic and can have quite complicated structures with hundreds of folds arranged in complex patterns. I will describe our efforts to understand the mechanics and energetics of self-folding origami structures. Though the dimension of the configuration space of an origami structure scales with the size of the boundary and not with the number of vertices in the interior of the structure, a typical origami structure is also floppy in the sense that there are many possible ways to assign fold angles consistently. I will discuss our theoretical progress in understanding the geometry of the configuration space of origami. For random origami, the number of possible bifurcations grows surprisingly quickly even when the dimension of the configuration space is small. EFRI ODISSEI-1240441, DMR-0846582.

Photoresponsive Polymer Surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anastasiadis, Spiros H.; Lygeraki, M. I.; Lakiotaki, K.; Varda, M.; Athanassiou, A.; Farsari, M.; Fotakis, C.

2007-03-01

Photochromic spiropyran molecules are utilized as additives for the development of polymer surfaces whose wetting characteristics can reversibly respond to irradiation with laser beams of properly chosen photon energy. The hydrophilicity is enhanced upon UV laser irradiation since the embedded non-polar spiropyran molecules convert to their polar merocyanine isomers, which is reversed upon green laser irradiation. Micropatterning of the photochromic-polymer films using soft lithography or photo-polymerization techniques affects their wettability towards a more hydrophobic or more hydrophilic behavior depending on the dimensions of the patterned features and on the hydrophilicity-hydrophobicity of the flat surface. The light-induced wettability variations of the structured surfaces are enhanced by up to a factor of three as compared to those on the flat surfaces. This enhancement is attributed to the photoinduced reversible volume changes to the imprinted gratings, which additionally contribute to the wettability changes due to the light-induced photochromic interconversions.

Chemistry of the Apollo 11 highland component

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laul, J. C.; Papike, J. J.; Simon, S. B.; Shearer, C. K.

1983-01-01

Thirty-eight Apollo 11 lunar highland fragments from coarse fines 10085 have been subjected to petrologic and chemical study. Six major chemical groups are identified: (a) high-K KREEP; (b) anorthosite with a 10X chondrite positive Eu anomaly and anorthosite with 30X positive Eu anomaly; (c) ANT; (d) LKFM; (e) anorthositic gabbro with no Eu anomaly, with a positive Eu anomaly, and with a negative Eu anomaly; and (f) dominant Highland component, 2X-10X chondrite with a positive 10X-14X Eu anomaly. Newly recognized groups are presented based on the REE patterns: (a) ANT group with 5X La and a 22X positive Eu anomaly; (b) 10X flat with 14X positive Eu anomaly; and (c) 2-3X flat with a 10X positive Eu anomaly. The highland suite is very low in K and REE, and is overall quite similar to the Apollo 16 suite.

Epidemiologic surveillance. Annual report for EG&G Rocky Flats

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1994-12-31

Epidemiologic surveillance at U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) facilities consists of regular and systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data on absences resulting from illness and injury in the work force. Its purpose is to provide an early warning system for health problems occurring among employees at participating sites. Data are collected by coordinators at each site and submitted to the Epidemiologic Surveillance Data Center, located at the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, where quality control procedures and analyses are carried out. Rates of absences and rates of diagnoses associated with absences are analyzed by occupation and othermore » relevant variables. They may be compared with the disease experience of different groups within the DOE work force and with populations that do not work for DOE to identify disease patterns or clusters that may be associated with work activities. This report presents the 1994 morbidity data for the Rocky Flats plant.« less

Characterization of nonpolar a-plane GaN epi-layers grown on high-density patterned r-plane sapphire substrates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jinno, Daiki; Otsuki, Shunya; Sugimori, Shogo; Daicho, Hisayoshi; Iwaya, Motoaki; Takeuchi, Tetsuya; Kamiyama, Satoshi; Akasaki, Isamu

2018-02-01

To reduce the number of threading dislocations (TDs) in nonpolar a-plane GaN (a-GaN) epi-layers grown on flat r-plane sapphire substrates (r-FSS), we investigated the effects on the crystalline quality of the a-GaN epi-layers of high-density patterned r-plane sapphire substrates (r-HPSS), the patterns of which were placed at intervals of several hundred nanometers. Two types of r-HPSS, the patterns of which had diameters and heights on the order of several hundred nanometers (r-NHPSS) or several micrometers (r-MHPSS), were prepared with conventional r-FSS. The effect of these r-HPSS on the a-GaN epi-layers was demonstrated by evaluating the surface morphology and the crystalline quality of the epi-layers. The surfaces of the a-GaN epi-layer grown on r-FSS and r-NHPSS were pit-free and mirror-like, whereas the surface of the a-GaN epi-layer grown on r-MHPSS was very rough due to the large, irregular GaN islands that grew on the patterns, mainly at the initial growth stage. The crystalline quality of the a-GaN epi-layer grown on r-NHPSS was better than that of the a-GaN epi-layer grown on r-FSS. We confirmed that there were fewer TDs in the a-GaN epi-layer grown on r-NHPSS than there were in the a-GaN epi-layer grown on r-FSS. The TDs propagating to the surface in a-GaN epi-layer grown on r-NHPSS were mainly generated on the flat sapphire regions between the patterns. Interestingly, it was also found that the TDs that propagated to the surface concentrated with a periodic pitch along the c-axis direction. The TD densities of a-GaN epi-layers grown on r-FSS and r-NHPSS were estimated to be approximately 5.0 × 1010 and 1.5 × 109 cm-2, respectively. This knowledge will contribute to the further development of a-GaN epi-layers for high-performance devices.

Genetic algorithm optimization of a film cooling array on a modern turbine inlet vane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Jamie J.

In response to the need for more advanced gas turbine cooling design methods that factor in the 3-D flowfield and heat transfer characteristics, this study involves the computational optimization of a pressure side film cooling array on a modern turbine inlet vane. Latin hypersquare sampling, genetic algorithm reproduction, and Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as an evaluation step are used to assess a total of 1,800 film cooling designs over 13 generations. The process was efficient due to the Leo CFD code's ability to estimate cooling mass flux at surface grid cells using a transpiration boundary condition, eliminating the need for remeshing between designs. The optimization resulted in a unique cooling design relative to the baseline with new injection angles, compound angles, cooling row patterns, hole sizes, a redistribution of cooling holes away from the over-cooled midspan to hot areas near the shroud, and a lower maximum surface temperature. To experimentally confirm relative design trends between the optimized and baseline designs, flat plate infrared thermography assessments were carried out at design flow conditions. Use of flat plate experiments to model vane pressure side cooling was justified through a conjugate heat transfer CFD comparison of the 3-D vane and flat plate which showed similar cooling performance trends at multiple span locations. The optimized flat plate model exhibited lower minimum surface temperatures at multiple span locations compared to the baseline. Overall, this work shows promise of optimizing film cooling to reduce design cycle time and save cooling mass flow in a gas turbine.

An improved cosmic crystallography method to detect holonomies in flat spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fujii, H.; Yoshii, Y.

2011-05-01

A new, improved version of a cosmic crystallography method for constraining cosmic topology is introduced. Like the circles-in-the-sky method using CMB data, we work in a thin, shell-like region containing plenty of objects. Two pairs of objects (quadruplet) linked by a holonomy show a specific distribution pattern, and three filters of separation, vectorial condition, and lifetime of objects extract these quadruplets. Each object Pi is assigned an integer si, which is the number of candidate quadruplets including Pi as their members. Then an additional device of si-histogram is used to extract topological ghosts, which tend to have high values of si. In this paper we consider flat spaces with Euclidean geometry, and the filters are designed to constrain their holonomies. As the second filter, we prepared five types that are specialized for constraining specific holonomies: one for translation, one for half-turn corkscrew motion and glide reflection, and three for nth turn corkscrew motion for n = 4,3, and 6. Every multiconnected space has holonomies that are detected by at least one of these five filters.Our method is applied to the catalogs of toy quasars in flat Λ-CDM universes whose typical sizes correspond to z ~ 5. With these simulations our method is found to work quite well. These are the situations in which type-II pair crystallography methods are insensitive because of the tiny number of ghosts. Moreover, in the flat cases, our method should be more sensitive than the type-I pair (or, in general, n-tuplet) methods because of its multifilter construction and its independence from n.

Processing ultrasonic inspection data from multiple scan patterns for turbine rotor weld build-up evaluations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guan, Xuefei; Zhou, S. Kevin; Rasselkorde, El Mahjoub

The study presents a data processing methodology for weld build-up using multiple scan patterns. To achieve an overall high probability of detection for flaws with different orientations, an inspection procedure with three different scan patterns is proposed. The three scan patterns are radial-tangential longitude wave pattern, axial-radial longitude wave pattern, and tangential shear wave pattern. Scientific fusion of the inspection data is implemented using volume reconstruction techniques. The idea is to perform spatial domain forward data mapping for all sampling points. A conservative scheme is employed to handle the case that multiple sampling points are mapped to one grid location.more » The scheme assigns the maximum value for the grid location to retain the largest equivalent reflector size for the location. The methodology is demonstrated and validated using a realistic ring of weld build-up. Tungsten balls and bars are embedded to the weld build-up during manufacturing process to represent natural flaws. Flat bottomed holes and side drilled holes are installed as artificial flaws. Automatic flaw identification and extraction are demonstrated. Results indicate the inspection procedure with multiple scan patterns can identify all the artificial and natural flaws.« less

Surface modification of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) induced proliferation and neural-like cells differentiation of umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

PubMed

Kim, Sun-Jung; Lee, Jae Kyoo; Kim, Jin Won; Jung, Ji-Won; Seo, Kwangwon; Park, Sang-Bum; Roh, Kyung-Hwan; Lee, Sae-Rom; Hong, Yun Hwa; Kim, Sang Jeong; Lee, Yong-Soon; Kim, Sung June; Kang, Kyung-Sun

2008-08-01

Stem cell-based therapy has recently emerged for use in novel therapeutics for incurable diseases. For successful recovery from neurologic diseases, the most pivotal factor is differentiation and directed neuronal cell growth. In this study, we fabricated three different widths of a micro-pattern on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS; 1, 2, and 4 microm). Surface modification of the PDMS was investigated for its capacity to manage proliferation and differentiation of neural-like cells from umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCB-MSCs). Among the micro-patterned PDMS fabrications, the 1 microm-patterned PDMS significantly increased cell proliferation and most of the cells differentiated into neuronal cells. In addition, the 1 microm-patterned PDMS induced an increase in cytosolic calcium, while the differentiated cells on the flat and 4 microm-patterned PDMS had no response. PDMS with a 1 microm pattern was also aligned to direct orientation within 10 degrees angles. Taken together, micro-patterned PDMS supported UCB-MSC proliferation and induced neural like-cell differentiation. Our data suggest that micro-patterned PDMS might be a guiding method for stem cell therapy that would improve its therapeutic action in neurological diseases.

Processing ultrasonic inspection data from multiple scan patterns for turbine rotor weld build-up evaluations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guan, Xuefei; Rasselkorde, El Mahjoub; Abbasi, Waheed; Zhou, S. Kevin

2015-03-01

The study presents a data processing methodology for weld build-up using multiple scan patterns. To achieve an overall high probability of detection for flaws with different orientations, an inspection procedure with three different scan patterns is proposed. The three scan patterns are radial-tangential longitude wave pattern, axial-radial longitude wave pattern, and tangential shear wave pattern. Scientific fusion of the inspection data is implemented using volume reconstruction techniques. The idea is to perform spatial domain forward data mapping for all sampling points. A conservative scheme is employed to handle the case that multiple sampling points are mapped to one grid location. The scheme assigns the maximum value for the grid location to retain the largest equivalent reflector size for the location. The methodology is demonstrated and validated using a realistic ring of weld build-up. Tungsten balls and bars are embedded to the weld build-up during manufacturing process to represent natural flaws. Flat bottomed holes and side drilled holes are installed as artificial flaws. Automatic flaw identification and extraction are demonstrated. Results indicate the inspection procedure with multiple scan patterns can identify all the artificial and natural flaws.

The effect of range and ammunition type on fracture patterns in porcine postcranial flat bones.

PubMed

Fragkouli, Kleio; Al Hakeem, Eyad; Bulut, Ozgur; Simmons, Tal

2018-01-01

Pig half-carcasses were shot in scapulae, ribs and mandibles with either 0.243 hunting rifle using high velocity expanding ammunition (N = 30) or AK47 using full metal jacketed (FMJ) ammunition (N = 12) from a range of either 5 or 20 m. Fracture patterns related to distance of fire and ammunition type were compared on de-fleshed, macerated, and reconstructed bones. For expanding ammunition, location of fracture on ribs affected the resulting pattern. Scapulae shot from 5 m presented a comminuted pattern different from those shot from 20 m. Mandibles shot from 20 m showed a characteristic radiating pattern at entrance with the opposite ramus un-fractured; those shot from 5 m exhibited fractures to both rami. Using decision tree analysis provided accuracies of 93.8% for scapulae and 87.5% for mandibles. For FMJ, no distance dependent fracture differences were apparent in any bone. Decision tree analysis facilitated the interpretation of fracture patterns caused by projectile trauma. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Continental shelves as potential resource of rare earth elements.

PubMed

Pourret, Olivier; Tuduri, Johann

2017-07-19

The results of this study allow the reassessment of the rare earth elements (REE) external cycle. Indeed, the river input to the oceans has relatively flat REE patterns without cerium (Ce) anomalies, whereas oceanic REE patterns exhibit strong negative Ce anomalies and heavy REE enrichment. Indeed, the processes at the origin of seawater REE patterns are commonly thought to occur within the ocean masses themselves. However, the results from the present study illustrate that seawater-like REE patterns already occur in the truly dissolved pool of river input. This leads us to favor a partial or complete removal of the colloidal REE pool during estuarine mixing by coagulation, as previously shown for dissolved humic acids and iron. In this latter case, REE fractionation occurs because colloidal and truly dissolved pools have different REE patterns. Thus, the REE patterns of seawater could be the combination of both intra-oceanic and riverine processes. In this study, we show that the Atlantic continental shelves could be considered potential REE traps, suggesting further that shelf sediments could potentially become a resource for REE, similar to metalliferous deep sea sediments.

Petrology, geochemistry and zircon U-Pb geochronology of a layered igneous complex from Akarui Point in the Lützow-Holm Complex, East Antarctica: Implications for Antarctica-Sri Lanka correlation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazami, Sou; Tsunogae, Toshiaki; Santosh, M.; Tsutsumi, Yukiyasu; Takamura, Yusuke

2016-11-01

The Lützow-Holm Complex (LHC) of East Antarctica forms part of a complex subduction-collision orogen related to the amalgamation of the Neoproterozoic supercontinent Gondwana. Here we report new petrological, geochemical, and geochronological data from a metamorphosed and disrupted layered igneous complex from Akarui Point in the LHC which provide new insights into the evolution of the complex. The complex is composed of mafic orthogneiss (edenite/pargasite + plagioclase ± clinopyroxene ± orthopyroxene ± spinel ± sapphirine ± K-feldspar), meta-ultramafic rock (pargasite + olivine + spinel + orthopyroxene), and felsic orthogneiss (plagioclase + quartz + pargasite + biotite ± garnet). The rocks show obvious compositional layering reflecting the chemical variation possibly through magmatic differentiation. The metamorphic conditions of the rocks were estimated using hornblende-plagioclase geothermometry which yielded temperatures of 720-840 °C. The geochemical data of the orthogneisses indicate fractional crystallization possibly related to differentiation within a magma chamber. Most of the mafic-ultramafic samples show enrichment of LILE, negative Nb, Ta, P and Ti anomalies, and constant HFSE contents in primitive-mantle normalized trace element plots suggesting volcanic arc affinity probably related to subduction. The enrichment of LREE and flat HREE patterns in chondrite-normalized REE plot, with the Nb-Zr-Y, Y-La-Nb, and Th/Yb-Nb/Yb plots also suggest volcanic arc affinity. The felsic orthogneiss plotted on Nb/Zr-Zr diagram (low Nb/Zr ratio) and spider diagrams (enrichment of LILE, negative Nb, Ta, P and Ti anomalies) also show magmatic arc origin. The morphology, internal structure, and high Th/U ratio of zircon grains in felsic orthogneiss are consistent with magmatic origin for most of these grains. Zircon U-Pb analyses suggest Early Neoproterozoic (847.4 ± 8.0 Ma) magmatism and protolith formation. Some older grains (1026-882 Ma) are regarded as xenocrysts from basement entrained in the magma through limited crustal reworking. The younger ages (807-667 Ma) might represent subsequent thermal events. The results of this study suggest that the ca. 850 Ma layered igneous complex in Akarui Point was derived from a magma chamber constructed through arc-related magmatism which included components from ca. 1.0 Ga felsic continental crustal basement. The geochemical characteristics and the timing of protolith emplacement from this complex are broadly identical to those of similar orthogneisses from Kasumi Rock and Tama Point in the LHC and the Kadugannawa Complex in Sri Lanka, which record Early Neoproterozoic (ca. 1.0 Ga) arc magmatism. Although the magmatic event in Akarui Point is slightly younger, the thermal event probably continued from ca. 1.0 Ga to ca. 850 Ma or even to ca. 670 Ma. We therefore correlate the Akarui Point igneous complex with those in the LHC and Kadugannawa Complex formed under similar Early Neoproterozoic arc magmatic events during the convergent margin processes prior to the assembly of the Gondwana supercontinent.

Preliminary Geochemical Data for the Diabase Dykes from the Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan Suture Belt, Central Anatolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balcı, Uǧur; Sayıt, Kaan

2017-04-01

The Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan Suture Belt preserves oceanic and continental fragments originated from the closure of the northern branch of Neotethys. In the Bogazkale area (Central Anatolia), the pieces of the Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere exist in a chaotic manner, forming an ophiolitic mélange. Within the mélange, diabase dykes occur, which are found to cut various types of oceanic lithospheric rocks, including pillow basalts, gabbros and serpentinized ultramafics. We here present the preliminary geochemical results obtained from the diabase dykes and put some constraints on their petrogenesis. The investigated diabase dykes are chiefly composed of plagioclase and a mafic phase, which is clinopyroxene and/or hornblende. A detailed examination reveals two petrographic types on the basis of predominating mafic mineral phase, namely clinopyroxene-dominated Type 1, and hornblende-dominated Type 2. Ophitic to sub-ophitic textures, where lath-shaped plagioclase crystals are enclosed by clinopyroxene, can be observed in almost all Type 1 dykes. In Type 2 samples, altered mafic phases can be seen enclosed within plagioclase crystals, forming poikilitic texture. Polysynthetic twinning is common in plagioclase. Hornblende occasionally displays simple twinning. Both types appear to have been variably affected by low-grade hydrothermal alteration as reflected by the presence of secondary mineral phases, such as chlorite, epidote, prehnite, and actinolite. The whole-rock geochemistry appear to be consistent with the petrographical grouping, revealing distinct immobile trace element systematics for the two types. Both types have basaltic composition with sub-alkaline characteristics (Nb/Y=0.2-0.3 for Type 1; Nb/Y=0.02-0.08 for Type 2). The relatively low MgO contents of the dykes suggest that they do not represent primary magmas, but evolved through fractionation of mafic phases. In the N-MORB normalized diagrams, Type 2 diabases exhibit marked negative Nb anomalies, with HFSE abundances around or slightly more enriched than N-MORB. Type 1 diabases, on the other hand, do not possess any negative Nb anomalies and display enrichment in highly incompatible elements. In the chondrite-normalized diagrams, Type 1 diabases display slight LREE enrichment relative to HREE, whereas Type 2 diabases show flat to slightly LREE-depleted patterns. The N-MORB-like Nb contents of Type 2 dykes suggest that they have been derived from depleted asthenopheric mantle source. The marked enrichment of Th and La over Nb indicates that their source has been metasomatized by slab-derived fluids/melts. However, the enrichment in highly incompatible elements in Type 1 dykes implies their derivation from a relatively enriched source region and/or small degrees of partial melting. Trace element systematics suggest that Type 2 diabases may have formed in an oceanic back-arc basin environment, whereas Type 1 diabases have been generated in a mid-ocean ridge or alternatively in an oceanic back-arc basin.

Changes in ecosystem service values in Zhoushan Island using remote sensing time series data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiaoping; Qin, Yanpei; Lv, Ying; Zhen, Guangwei; Gong, Fang; Li, Chaokui

2017-10-01

The largest inhabited island, Zhoushan Island, is the center of economy, culture, shipping, and fishing in the Zhoushan Archipelago New Area. Its coastal wetland and tidal flats offer significant ecological services including floodwater storage, wildlife habitat, and buffers against tidal surges. Yet, large-scale land reclamation and new land development may dramatically change ecosystem services. In this research, we assess changes in ecosystem service values in Zhoushan Island during 1990-2000-2011. Three LANDSAT TM and/or ETM data sets were used to determine the spatial pattern of land use, and previously published value coefficients were used to calculate the ecosystem service values delivered by each land category. The results show that total value of ecosystem services in Zhoushan Island declined by 11% from 2920.07 billion Yuan to 2609.77 billion Yuan per year between 1990 and 2011. This decrease is largely attributable to the 51% loss of tidal flats. The combined ecosystem service values of woodland, paddy land and tidal flats were over 90% of the total values. The result indicates that future land-use policy should pay attention to the conservation of these ecosystems over uncontrolled reclamation and coastal industrial development, and that further coastal reclamation should be on rigorous environmental impact analyses.

Cell density-dependent differential proliferation of neural stem cells on omnidirectional nanopore-arrayed surface.

PubMed

Cha, Kyoung Je; Kong, Sun-Young; Lee, Ji Soo; Kim, Hyung Woo; Shin, Jae-Yeon; La, Moonwoo; Han, Byung Woo; Kim, Dong Sung; Kim, Hyun-Jung

2017-10-12

Recently, the importance of surface nanotopography in the determination of stem cell fate and behavior has been revealed. In the current study, we generated polystyrene cell-culture dishes with an omnidirectional nanopore arrayed surface (ONAS) (diameter: 200 nm, depth: 500 nm, center-to-center distance: 500 nm) and investigated the effects of nanotopography on rat neural stem cells (NSCs). NSCs cultured on ONAS proliferated better than those on the flat surface when cell density was low and showed less spontaneous differentiation during proliferation in the presence of mitogens. Interestingly, NSCs cultured on ONAS at clonal density demonstrated a propensity to generate neurospheres, whereas those on the flat surface migrated out, proliferated as individuals, and spread out to attach to the surface. However, the differential patterns of proliferation were cell density-dependent since the distinct phenomena were lost when cell density was increased. ONAS modulated cytoskeletal reorganization and inhibited formation of focal adhesion, which is generally observed in NSCs grown on flat surfaces. ONAS appeared to reinforce NSC-NSC interaction, restricted individual cell migration and prohibited NSC attachment to the nanopore surface. These data demonstrate that ONAS maintains NSCs as undifferentiated while retaining multipotency and is a better topography for culturing low density NSCs.

Modeling photovoltaic performance in periodic patterned colloidal quantum dot solar cells.

PubMed

Fu, Yulan; Dinku, Abay G; Hara, Yukihiro; Miller, Christopher W; Vrouwenvelder, Kristina T; Lopez, Rene

2015-07-27

Colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solar cells have attracted tremendous attention mostly due to their wide absorption spectrum window and potentially low processability cost. The ultimate efficiency of CQD solar cells is highly limited by their high trap state density. Here we show that the overall device power conversion efficiency could be improved by employing photonic structures that enhance both charge generation and collection efficiencies. By employing a two-dimensional numerical model, we have calculated the characteristics of patterned CQD solar cells based of a simple grating structure. Our calculation predicts a power conversion efficiency as high as 11.2%, with a short circuit current density of 35.2 mA/cm2, a value nearly 1.5 times larger than the conventional flat design, showing the great potential value of patterned quantum dot solar cells.

Direct periodic patterning of GaN-based light-emitting diodes by three-beam interference laser ablation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Jeomoh; Ji, Mi-Hee; Detchprohm, Theeradetch

2014-04-07

We report on the direct patterning of two-dimensional periodic structures in GaN-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) through laser interference ablation for the fast and reliable fabrication of periodic micro- and nano-structures aimed at enhancing light output. Holes arranged in a two-dimensional hexagonal lattice array having an opening size of 500 nm, depth of 50 nm, and a periodicity of 1 μm were directly formed by three-beam laser interference without photolithography or electron-beam lithography processes. The laser-patterned LEDs exhibit an enhancement in light output power of 20% compared to conventional LEDs having a flat top surface without degradation of electrical and optical properties of themore » top p-GaN layer and the active region, respectively.« less

Identifying Provenance of Archaean Basal Conglomerates: An Evidence from Sigegudda and Bababudan Conglomerate Quartzites, India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitra, A.; Dey, S.

2017-12-01

Geochemical characteristics of clastic sedimentary rocks deposited and later preserved in ancient supracrustal sequences of Archaean terrain are competent representation of their source rocks in provenance. These rocks usually sample a wide geographic area and bear signature of subsequently destroyed and dismembered terrains. In this study the quartz pebble conglomerate-quartz sandstone association of Sigegudda and Bababudan belt of western Dharwar craton (WDC), Southern India have been studied to understand the nature of their provenance. Both Sigegudda and Bababudan belt represent younger (2.8-2.6 Ga) greenstone sequences of WDC. They start with a prominent band of conglomerate-quartzite lying over Palaeo to Meso Archaean Peninsular Gneiss (3.35-3.29 Ga) with older Sargur greentone (3.35-3.28 Ga) enclaves along an unconformity. Here, we present a comprehensive provenance (mainly source rock characterization) study of major and trace element composition of low to moderately metamorphosed basal siliciclastics of the younger greenstone sequences of WDC. Chemically they are enriched in Th, U, HFSE (Hf, Nb, Zr) and depleted in Sc, Co, Cr and Eu content with elevated La/Sc and Th/Sc values depicting a differentiated felsic source. This is further supported by fractionated LREE (10.64 - 14.66), significant negative Eu anomaly (0.67 - 0.55) and nearly flat HREE indicating granitoid rocks as source. In La-Th-Cr/100 and La-Th-Sc triangular diagram, quartz arenite field overlap with the Peninsular Gneiss and plotted far away from the mafic-ultramafics of Sargur. The chemical index of alteration (CIA) values of arenites of Sigegudda (71) and Bababudan (75), Peninsular Gneisses (avg-50) and Sargur group (avg-30) implies their derivation from the underlying gneisses associated with a prolonged weathering. The presence of a thick conglomerate-quartz sandstone association with differently sized quartz in their framework and matrix, depicts the development of a stable craton in WDC during the Mesoarchaean. The geochemical results of conglomerate - quartzites along with their supported petrography strongly recommend the Peninsular gneiss as their provenance with prolonged erosion and sediment recycling.

Experimental and theoretical study of skylight polarization transmitted through Snell's window of a flat water surface.

PubMed

Sabbah, Shai; Barta, András; Gál, József; Horváth, Gábor; Shashar, Nadav

2006-08-01

The celestial polarization pattern may be scrambled by refraction at the air-water interface. This polarization pattern was examined in shallow waters with a submersible polarimeter, and it was calculated by using land measurements ('semiempirical predictions') and models of the skylight polarization. Semiempirically predicted and measured e-vector orientations were significantly similar. Conversely, predicted percent polarization was correlated but lower than measurements. Percent polarization depended on wavelength, where at high sun altitudes maximal percent polarization generally appeared in the UV and red spectral regions. The wavelength dependency of polarization may lead to differential spectral sensitivity in polarization-sensitive animals according to time and type of activity.

Perturbing Hele-Shaw flow with a small gap gradient

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhao, H.; Casademunt, J.; Yeung, C.

1992-02-15

A controlled perturbation is introduced into the Saffman-Taylor flow problem by adding a gradient to the gap of a Hele-Shaw cell. The stability of the single-finger steady state was found to be strongly affected by such a perturbation. Compared with patterns in a standard Hele-Shaw cell, the single Saffman-Taylor finger was stabilized or destabilized according to the sign of the gap gradient. While a linear stability analysis shows that this perturbation should have a negligible effect on the early-stage pattern formation, the experimental data indicate that the characteristic length for the initial breakup of a flat interface has been changedmore » by the perturbation.« less

Flood regime as a driver of the distribution of mangrove and salt marsh species in a subtropical estuary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spier, Daphne; Gerum, Humberto L. N.; Noernberg, Maurício A.; Lana, Paulo C.

2016-09-01

Tidal patterns of the subtropical Paranaguá Estuarine Complex, in southern Brazil, are strongly affected by episodic cold fronts and by the coastal geometry and bottom topography, resulting in high temporal variability and marked gradients in flood regime. We delimit tolerance ranges of submersion and exposure for representative plant and animal species from local mangroves and salt marshes, through a quantitative analysis of flooding patterns in three estuarine sectors. Our results are consistent with flood regime being the leading factor on how species are distributed over the intertidal flats of the PEC. Subleading factors might be related to salinity, sediment composition and nutrient flow.

The provenance of Archean clastic metasediments in the Narryer Gneiss Complex, Western Australia: Trace element geochemistry, Nd isotopes, and U-Pb ages for detrital zircons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maas, Roland; McCulloch, Malcolm T.

1991-07-01

Clastic metasedimentary rocks of mid-Archean age from the Mt. Narryer and Jack Hills metasedimentary belts have REE patterns resembling those of mid- to late-Archean pelitic-quartzitic cratonic sequences elsewhere, and post-Archean continental rocks in general. Detrital zircons in the metasediments range in age from ca. 3000 to 3700 Ma. This indicates a provenance from mature cratonic sources controlled by K-rich granitic rocks. Additional minor sediment sources were identified as older, mainly chemical sedimentary sequences, ultramafic rocks, and felsic rocks characterized by low HREE contents, perhaps of tonalitic affinity. The association of the near-shore/fluviatile clastic association studied here with extensive turbiditic and chemical sedimentary sequences indicates these sources formed part of a (rifted ?) cratonic margin ca. 3 Ga ago. Differences between sedimentary REE patterns and those in the surrounding 3.73-3.0 Ga orthogneiss terrain, and between detrital zircon ages and the age distribution in the gneisses, suggest that the present association of the metasedimentary belts with the orthogneiss terrain is of tectonic origin. The occurrence of detrital zircons with U-Pb ages > 4 Ga in certain quartzites and conglomerates of the Jack Hills and Mt. Narryer metasedimentary sequences indicates a further, most likely granitic, source. ɛNd( TDep) values in Jack Hills metasediments vary widely (+5 to -12) but have a smaller range in the Mt. Narryer belt (-5 to -9). The lowest ɛNd values of both sequences are interpreted to reflect the presence of detritus derived from 4.1-4.2 Ga old LREE-enriched continental crust in proportions considerably larger (≥ 10%) than estimated previously from the abundance of pre-4 Ga detrital zircons (≈3%). This would imply the former existence of significant volumes of pre-4 Ga continental crust in the provenance of the Mt. Narryer and Jack Hills metasediments.

Geochemistry of rare earth elements in minesoils from São Domingos mining district (Iberian Pyrite Belt)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delgado, Joaquin; Perez-Lopez, Rafael; Nieto, Jose Miguel; Ayora, Carles

2010-05-01

The São Domingos mine is one of the most emblematic mining districts in the lower part of the Guadiana River Basin (SW of Iberian Peninsula). It is located in Portugal (about 5 km from the Spanish border), in the northern sector of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), one of the largest metallogenetic provinces of massive sulphides in the world. Although mining activity has ceased at present, the large-scale exploitation of this deposit between the second half of the XIX century and the first half of the XX century, has favoured the production of enormous waste dumps, where oxidation of pyrite and associated sulphides is resulting in the production of acid mine drainage (AMD). Mining wastes, minesoils, and acid mine drainage have been analyzed for their major ions and rare earth elements (REE) with the aim of understanding the REE mobility during sulphide weathering so that lanthanoid series can be used both as a proxy for the extent of water-rock interaction and as a tool for identifying impacts of AMD on natural ecosystems. Chemical speciation of REE in extracts from minesoils indicates that REE sulphate complexes (mainly LnSO4+) are the primary aqueous form (60-90%), and free ionic species (Ln3+, 10-40%) are the next most abundant form of soil water-soluble fraction and controls the REE speciation model. The REE from this fraction have NASC-normalized patterns with middle-REE (MREE) enriched signature compared to the light-REE (LREE) and heavy-REE (HREE), showing convex MREE-signatures and convexity index values of +1.29 +/- 1.13. These results are consistent with the typical REE fractionation patterns reported for AMD. Poorly crystalline iron oxyhydroxysulphates act as a source of labile MREE by dissolution and/or desorption processes and could explain the MREE-enriched signatures in solution.

Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic intraplate magmatism in Central Asia and its relation with mantle diapirism: Evidence from the South Khangai volcanic region, Mongolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarmolyuk, Vladimir V.; Kudryashova, Ekaterina A.; Kozlovsky, Alexander M.; Lebedev, Vladimir A.; Savatenkov, Valery M.

2015-11-01

The South Khangai volcanic region (SKVR) comprises fields of Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic volcanic rocks scattered over southern and central Mongolia. Evolution of the region from the Late Jurassic to the Late Cenozoic includes 13 successive igneous episodes that are more or less evenly distributed in time. Major patterns in the distribution of different-aged volcanic complexes were controlled by a systematic temporal migration of volcanic centers over the region. The total length of their trajectory exceeds 1600 km. Principle characteristics of local magmatism are determined. The composition of igneous rocks varies from basanites to rhyolites (predominantly, high-K rocks), with geochemistry close to that of OIB. The rock composition, however, underwent transformations in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic. Rejuvenation of mafic rocks is accompanied by decrease in the contents of HREE and increase of Nb and Ta. According to isotope data, the SKVR magmatic melts were derived from three isotope sources that differed in the Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic compositions and successively alternated in time. In the Early Cretaceous, the predominant source composition was controlled by interaction of the EMII- and PREMA-type mantle materials. The PREMA-type mantle material dominated quantitatively in the Late Cretaceous and initial Early Cenozoic. From the latest Early Cenozoic to Late Cenozoic, the magma source also contained the EMI-type material along with the PREMA-type. The structural fabric, rock composition, major evolutionary pattern, and inner structure of SKVR generally comply with the criteria used to distinguish the mantle plume-related regions. Analogous features can be seen in other regions of recent volcanism in Central Asia (South Baikal, Udokan, Vitim, and Tok Stanovik). The structural autonomy of these regions suggests that distribution of the Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic volcanism in Central Asia was controlled by a group of relatively small hot finger-type mantle plumes associated with the common hot mantle field of Central Asia.

A three-dimensional model for lubricant depletion under sliding condition on bit patterned media of hard disk drives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Lin

2018-05-01

In this paper, we model the depletion dynamics of the molecularly thin layer of lubricants on a bit patterned media disk of hard disk drives under a sliding air bearing head. The dominant physics and consequently, the lubricant depletion dynamics on a patterned disk are shown to be significantly different from the well-studied cases of a smooth disk. Our results indicate that the surface tension effect, which is negligible on a flat disk, apparently suppresses depletion by enforcing a bottleneck effect around the disk pattern peak regions to thwart the migration of lubricants. When the disjoining pressure is relatively small, it assists the depletion. But, when the disjoining pressure becomes dominant, the disjoining pressure resists depletion. Disk pattern orientation plays a critical role in the depletion process. The effect of disk pattern orientation on depletion originates from its complex interaction with other intermingled factors of external air shearing stress distribution and lubricant particle trajectory. Patterning a disk surface with nanostructures of high density, large height/pitch ratio, and particular orientation is demonstrated to be one efficient way to alleviate the formation of lubricant depletion tracks.

Effects of Pre-exhaustion on the Patterns of Muscular Activity in the Flat Bench Press.

PubMed

Gołaś, Artur; Maszczyk, Adam; Pietraszewski, Przemyslaw; Stastny, Petr; Tufano, James J; Zając, Adam

2017-07-01

Gołaś, A, Maszczyk, A, Pietraszewski, P, Stastny, P, Tufano, JJ, and Zając, A. Effects of pre-exhaustion on the patterns of muscular activity in the flat bench press. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 1919-1924, 2017-Pre-exhaustion (PE) has been applied in resistance training (RT) to manipulate the order of performing 2 resistance exercises, a single-joint exercise to momentary exhaustion, followed by a multi-joint movement that includes the same muscle group. This method ensures greater recruitment of muscles or muscle groups in the multi-joint exercise to further increase muscle strength and overcome strength plateaus. The purpose of the present study was to investigate muscle activity by electromyography during high-intensity (95% of 1 repetition maximum [RM]) bench press (BP), before and after PE of the pectoralis major (PM), anterior deltoid (AD), and triceps brachii (TB) muscles to determine the effects of PE of the prime movers. Eight healthy athletes, experienced in RT, participated in the study. There were 4 sessions in the experiment. Session 1 was aimed at determination of 1RM during a flat BP. Sessions 2, 3, and 4 consisted of performing a BP after PE of the muscles studied by the incline dumbbell fly, front deltoid raise, and lying triceps extension exercise. Peak concentric TB activation after TB PE (mean ± SD, 147.76 ± 18.6%) was significantly greater by analysis of variance (η = 0.82, F = 5.45, p = 0.004) compared with peak TB activation (114.77 ± 19.4%) before TB PE. The statistical analysis for PM and AD did not show any significant differences. Coaches should not expect the usefulness of PE protocol to elicit higher PM or AD activity or fatigue, but they can use it to increase TB activity before high-intensity BP exercise.

On Mellitella stokesii and Amphipholis geminata (Echinodermata), from an intertidal flat in the upper Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Pacific, Costa Rica.

PubMed

Vargas, José A; Solano, Sylvia

2011-03-01

Information on changes over time in the biodiversity and ecology of tropical systems is of increasing importance against the background of local, regional, and global dynamics. This study aimed to contribute with long-term data on the abundance fluctuations of two species of echinoderms from a tropical tidal flat. From February 1984 to December 1986, March 1985 to April 1987, and July 1994 to September 1996 (total: 76 dates), core samples (17.7 cm2, 15 cm deep) were collected at low tide at a mud-sand flat in the mid upper Gulf of Nicoya estuary, Costa Rica, as part of a survey of the benthic community. Among more than 100 taxa, the burrowing brittle star, Amphipholis geminata, and the sand dollar, Mellitella stokesii, consistently appeared in the samples over the study period. A total of 63 M. stokesii and 149 A. geminata were collected. The 43 sand dollars found during 1984-1985, give an approximate density of 35 ind./m2, which is within the range reported for this species. M. stokesii was almost absent from 1994 to 1996, while A. geminata had its peak of abundance at the end of 1995. Low abundances of the sand dollar during the rainy seasons (May-November) and slight increments in dry seasons (December-April) cores, also agrees with a report from the region. A. geminata also presented an irregular pattern of abundance, with slight increases at the end of the rainy seasons or during the dry seasons, when higher salinities are more suitable for echinoderms. The patchy spatial distribution of both species makes difficult the detection of patterns with a corer. Nevertheless, this information is unique due to its extensive time coverage and provides a baseline for future surveys designed specifically for the study of tropical intertidal estuarine echinoderms.

The polarization patterns of skylight reflected off wave water surface.

PubMed

Zhou, Guanhua; Xu, Wujian; Niu, Chunyue; Zhao, Huijie

2013-12-30

In this paper we propose a model to understand the polarization patterns of skylight when reflected off the surface of waves. The semi-empirical Rayleigh model is used to analyze the polarization of scattered skylight; the Harrison and Coombes model is used to analyze light radiance distribution; and the Cox-Munk model and Mueller matrix are used to analyze reflections from wave surface. First, we calculate the polarization patterns and intensity distribution of light reflected off wave surface. Then we investigate their relationship with incident radiation, solar zenith angle, wind speed and wind direction. Our results show that the polarization patterns of reflected skylight from waves and flat water are different, while skylight reflected on both kinds of water is generally highly polarized at the Brewster angle and the polarization direction is approximately parallel to the water's surface. The backward-reflecting Brewster zone has a relatively low reflectance and a high DOP in all observing directions. This can be used to optimally diminish the reflected skylight and avoid sunglint in ocean optics measurements.

Pattern Driven Stress Localization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croll, Andrew; Crosby, Alfred

2010-03-01

The self-assembly of patterns from isotropic initial states is a major driver of modern soft-matter research. This avenue of study is directed by the desire to understand the complex physics of the varied structures found in Nature, and by technological interest in functional materials that may be derived through biomimicry. In this work we show how a simple striped phase can respond with significant complexity to an appropriately chosen perturbation. In particular, we show how a buckled elastic plate transitions into a state of stress localization using a simple, self-assembled variation in surface topography. The collection of topographic boundaries act in concert to change the state from isotropic sinusoidal wrinkles, to sharp folds or creases separated by relatively flat regions. By varying the size of the imposed topographic pattern or the wavelength of the wrinkles, we construct a state diagram of the system. The localized state has implications for both biological systems, and for the control of non-linear pattern formation.

Seeing a straight line on a curved surface: decoupling of patterns from surfaces by single IT neurons

PubMed Central

Ratan Murty, N. Apurva

2016-01-01

We have no difficulty seeing a straight line drawn on a paper even when the paper is bent, but this inference is in fact nontrivial. Doing so requires either matching local features or representing the pattern after factoring out the surface shape. Here we show that single neurons in the monkey inferior temporal (IT) cortex show invariant responses to patterns across rigid and nonrigid changes of surfaces. We recorded neuronal responses to stimuli in which the pattern and the surrounding surface were varied independently. In a subset of neurons, we found pattern-surface interactions that produced similar responses to stimuli across congruent pattern and surface transformations. These interactions produced systematic shifts in curvature tuning of patterns when overlaid on convex and flat surfaces. Our results show that surfaces are factored out of patterns by single neurons, thereby enabling complex perceptual inferences. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We have no difficulty seeing a straight line on a curved piece of paper, but in fact, doing so requires decoupling the shape of the surface from the pattern itself. Here we report a novel form of invariance in the visual cortex: single neurons in monkey inferior temporal cortex respond similarly to congruent transformations of patterns and surfaces, in effect decoupling patterns from the surface on which they are overlaid. PMID:27733595

Plant Functional Traits on Green Risers and Brown Treads of Periglacial Patterned Ground at Glacier National Park, Montana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Apple, M. E.; Ricketts, M. K.

2016-12-01

On the stair-stepped solifluction terraces of the periglacial patterned ground at Glacier National Park, Montana, the clearly visible striped pattern of green alternating with brown is formed by contrasts in the percent cover of plants with different functional traits. The sloping green risers dominated by the mat-forming dwarf shrubs, Dryas octopetela (Mountain Dryad) and Salix arctica (Arctic Willow) alternate with the relatively flat, sparsely covered brown rocky treads which are inhabitated by herbaceous, and often taprooted plants. Eleven species were restricted to the brown treads, including the rare arctic-alpine species Papaver pygmaeum (Pygmy Poppy), Aqiulegia jonesii (Jones' Columbine), Draba macounii, and Erigeron lanatus. Of these, the first three arise from taproots or branched rootcrowns. They are restricted to the brown rocky treads while E. lanatus arises from a caudex and grows on the treads and risers. The relative abundance of rare plants was significantly higher on the brown treads and no rare species were restricted to the green risers. The community weighted trait means were significantly higher for Raunkiaer cryptophytes and hemicryptophytes, graminoid, herbaceous and rosetted forms, and stolons, Underground traits varied significantly as well, since taproots, caudices, and other substantial roots had higher incidences on the brown treads than on the green risers. The brown, rocky treads are relatively flat with low percent plant cover and likely a water-stressed environment, hence the substantial investment in underground structures. In contrast, the sloped green risers are essentially covered by the mat-forming dwarf shrubs, D. octopetela and S. arctica, which augment their woody roots with the anchorage of adventitious roots and which provide shade and water retention for other plants, including seedlings of Abies lasiocarpa (Subalpine fir) and Pinus albicaulus (Whitebark Pine). Water from summer thunderstorms and seasonal melting supplies the periglacial patterned ground, which is by definition close to Glacier National Park's vanishing snowfields and glaciers, so their loss will likely influence water availability for these alpine plants.

Biaxially mechanical tuning of 2-D reversible and irreversible surface topologies through simultaneous and sequential wrinkling.

PubMed

Yin, Jie; Yagüe, Jose Luis; Boyce, Mary C; Gleason, Karen K

2014-02-26

Controlled buckling is a facile means of structuring surfaces. The resulting ordered wrinkling topologies provide surface properties and features desired for multifunctional applications. Here, we study the biaxially dynamic tuning of two-dimensional wrinkled micropatterns under cyclic mechanical stretching/releasing/restretching simultaneously or sequentially. A biaxially prestretched PDMS substrate is coated with a stiff polymer deposited by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). Applying a mechanical release/restretch cycle in two directions loaded simultaneously or sequentially to the wrinkled system results in a variety of dynamic and tunable wrinkled geometries, the evolution of which is investigated using in situ optical profilometry, numerical simulations, and theoretical modeling. Results show that restretching ordered herringbone micropatterns, created through sequential release of biaxial prestrain, leads to reversible and repeatable surface topography. The initial flat surface and the same wrinkled herringbone pattern are obtained alternatively after cyclic release/restretch processes, owing to the highly ordered structure leaving no avenue for trapping irregular topological regions during cycling as further evidenced by the uniformity of strains distributions and negligible residual strain. Conversely, restretching disordered labyrinth micropatterns created through simultaneous release shows an irreversible surface topology whether after sequential or simultaneous restretching due to creation of irregular surface topologies with regions of highly concentrated strain upon formation of the labyrinth which then lead to residual strains and trapped topologies upon cycling; furthermore, these trapped topologies depend upon the subsequent strain histories as well as the cycle. The disordered labyrinth pattern varies after each cyclic release/restretch process, presenting residual shallow patterns instead of achieving a flat state. The ability to dynamically tune the highly ordered herringbone patterning through mechanical stretching or other actuation makes these wrinkles excellent candidates for tunable multifunctional surfaces properties such as reflectivity, friction, anisotropic liquid flow or boundary layer control.

Non-uniform Erosion and Surface Evolution of Plasma-Facing Materials for Electric Propulsion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthes, Christopher Stanley Rutter

A study regarding the surface evolution of plasma-facing materials is presented. Experimental efforts were performed in the UCLA Pi Facility, designed to explore the physics of plasma-surface interactions. The influence of micro-architectured surfaces on the effects of plasma sputtering is compared with the response of planar samples. Ballistic deposition of sputtered atoms as a result of geometric re-trapping is observed. This provides a self-healing mechanism of micro-architectured surfaces during plasma exposure. This result is quantified using a QCM to demonstrate the evolution of surface features and the corresponding influence on the instantaneous sputtering yield. The sputtering yield of textured molybdenum samples exposed to 300 eV Ar plasma is found to be roughly 1 of the 2 corresponding value of flat samples, and increases with ion fluence. Mo samples exhibited a sputtering yield initially as low as 0.22+/-8%, converging to 0.4+/-8% at high fluence. Although the yield is dependent on the initial surface structure, it is shown to be transient, reaching a steady-state value that is independent of initial surface conditions. A continuum model of surface evolution resulting from sputtering, deposition and surface diffusion is also derived to resemble the damped Kuramoto-Sivashinsky (KS) equation of non-linear dynamics. Linear stability analysis of the evolution equation provides an estimate of the selected wavelength, and its dependence on the ion energy and angle of incidence. The analytical results are confirmed by numerical simulations of the equation with a Fast Fourier Transform method. It is shown that for an initially flat surface, small perturbations lead to the evolution of a selected surface pattern that has nano- scale wavelength. When the surface is initially patterned by other means, the final resulting pattern is a competition between the "templated" pattern and the "self-organized" structure. Potential future routes of research are also discussed, corresponding to a design analysis of the current experimental study.

Visible Spectroscopic Observation Of Asteroid 162173 (1999ju3) With The Gemini-s Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugita, Seiji; Kuroda, D.; Kameda, S.; Hasegawa, S.; Kamata, S.; Abe, M.; Ishiguro, M.; Takato, N.; Yoshikawa, M.

2012-10-01

Asteroid 162173 (1999JU3; hereafter JU3) is the target of the Hayabusa-2 mission. Its visible reflectance spectra have been observed a few times [1,2], and obtained spectra exhibit a wide variety of spectral patterns ranging from a spectra with absorption in the UV region (May 1999) to a flat spectrum with a faint broad absorption centered around 0.6 microns (September 2007) and that with UV absorption and strong broad absorption centered around 0.7 micron (July 2007). The apparent large spectral variation may be due to variegation on the asteroid surface. Such variegation would make a large influence on remote sensing strategy for Hayabusa-2 before its sampling operations. In order to better constraint the spectral properties of JU3, we conducted visible spectroscopic observations at the GEMINI-South observatory 8.1-m telescope with the GMOS instrument. We could obtain three different sets of data in June and July 2012. Although the JU3 rotation phases of two of the observation are close to each other, the other is about 120 degrees away from the two. Our preliminary analyses indicate that these three spectra are slightly reddish but generally flat across the observed wavelength range (0.47 - 0.89 microns). The observed flat spectra are most similar to the spectrum obtained in September 2007, which probably has the highest signal-to-noise ratio among the previous three spectra. This result suggests that material with a flat spectrum probably covers a dominant proportion of the JU3 surface and that the other two types of previously obtained spectra may not cover a very large fraction of the JU3 surface. [1] Binzel, R. P. et al. (2001) Icarus, 151, 139-149; [2] Vilas, F. (2008) AJ, 135, 1101-1105.

Accessing and distributing EMBL data using CORBA (common object request broker architecture).

PubMed

Wang, L; Rodriguez-Tomé, P; Redaschi, N; McNeil, P; Robinson, A; Lijnzaad, P

2000-01-01

The EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database is a comprehensive database of DNA and RNA sequences and related information traditionally made available in flat-file format. Queries through tools such as SRS (Sequence Retrieval System) also return data in flat-file format. Flat files have a number of shortcomings, however, and the resources therefore currently lack a flexible environment to meet individual researchers' needs. The Object Management Group's common object request broker architecture (CORBA) is an industry standard that provides platform-independent programming interfaces and models for portable distributed object-oriented computing applications. Its independence from programming languages, computing platforms and network protocols makes it attractive for developing new applications for querying and distributing biological data. A CORBA infrastructure developed by EMBL-EBI provides an efficient means of accessing and distributing EMBL data. The EMBL object model is defined such that it provides a basis for specifying interfaces in interface definition language (IDL) and thus for developing the CORBA servers. The mapping from the object model to the relational schema in the underlying Oracle database uses the facilities provided by PersistenceTM, an object/relational tool. The techniques of developing loaders and 'live object caching' with persistent objects achieve a smart live object cache where objects are created on demand. The objects are managed by an evictor pattern mechanism. The CORBA interfaces to the EMBL database address some of the problems of traditional flat-file formats and provide an efficient means for accessing and distributing EMBL data. CORBA also provides a flexible environment for users to develop their applications by building clients to our CORBA servers, which can be integrated into existing systems.