Along-Strike Differences in the Southern Alps of New Zealand: Consequences of Inherited Variation in Rheology

Long- and short-term strain variations along the Australian-Pacific plate boundary through the South Island of New Zealand, including a 300% increase in orogen width, coexistence of oblique thrusting on orthogonal structures, and variability in the locus of orogenic gold deposits, coincide with rheologically relevant geological variation. Our model investigates the consequences of thin, strong lower crust in the north and thick, weak lower crust in the south. Solution of the full 3-D mechanical equations reproduces the larger wavelength strain patterns of the orogen. A 3-D perturbation-based analytical solution leads to the identification of the sensitivity of displacement type to minor stress changes. Transition from boundary-normal thrusting to boundary-parallel thrusting occurs at the transition from strong to weak lower crust and is related to an increase in either tau(yz) (shear stress in the yz plane) or the ratio of the coordinate normal stresses, (sigma(yy)/sigma(xx)), where x and y are in the horizontal and z is vertical. Both mechanisms are compatible with the geologically dependent rheological variation employed in our model. Citation: Upton, P., P. O. Koons, D. Craw, C. M. Henderson, and R. Enlow (2009), Along-strike differences in the Southern Alps of New Zealand: Consequences of inherited variation in rheology, Tectonics, 28, TC2007, doi:10.1029/2008TC002353.

Provenance analysis using Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material: A case study in the Southern Alps of New Zealand

Detrital provenance analyses in orogenic settings, in which sediments are collected at the outlet of a catchment, have become an important tool to estimate how erosion varies in space and time. Here we present how Raman Spectroscopy on Carbonaceous Material (RSCM) can be used for provenance analysis. RSCM provides an estimate of the peak temperature (RSCM-T) experienced during metamorphism. We show that we can infer modern erosion patterns in a catchment by combining new measurements on detrital sands with previously acquired bedrock data. We focus on the Whataroa catchment in the Southern Alps of New Zealand and exploit the metamorphic gradient that runs parallel to the main drainage direction. To account for potential sampling biases, we also quantify abrasion properties using flume experiments and measure the total organic carbon content in the bedrock that produced the collected sands. Finally, we integrate these parameters into a mass-conservative model. Our results first demonstrate that RSCM-T can be used for detrital studies. Second, we find that spatial variations in tracer concentration and erosion have a first-order control on the RSCM-T distributions, even though our flume experiments reveal that weak lithologies produce substantially more fine particles than do more durable lithologies. This result implies that sand specimens are good proxies for mapping spatial variations in erosion when the bedrock concentration of the target mineral is quantified. The modeling suggests that highest present-day erosion rates (in Whataroa catchment) are not situated at the range front but around 10 km into the mountain belt.

The HARPS search for southern extra-solar planets XXXVII. Five new long-period giant planets and a system update

We describe radial-velocity time series obtained by HARPS on the 3.60 m telescope in La Silla (ESO, Chile) over ten years and report the discovery of five new giant exoplanets in distant orbits; these new planets orbit the stars HD 564, HD 30669, HD 108341, and BD -114672. Their periods range from 492 to 1684 days, semi-major axes range from 1.2 to 2.69 AU, and eccentricities range from 0 to 0.85. Their minimum mass ranges from 0.33 to 3.5 MJup. We also refine the parameters of two planets announced previously around HD 113538, based on a longer series of measurements. The planets have a period of 663 ± 8 and 1818 ± 25 days, orbital eccentricities of 0.14 ± 0.08 and 0.20 ± 0.04, and minimum masses of 0.36 ± 0.04 and 0.93 ± 0.06 MJup. Finally, we report the discovery of a new hot-Jupiter planet around an active star, HD 103720; the planet has a period of 4.5557 ± 0.0001 days and a minimum mass of 0.62 ± 0.025 MJup. We discuss the fundamental parameters of these systems and limitations due to stellar activity in quiet stars with typical 2 m s-1 radial velocity precision.

Effects of Study Area Size on Geographic Characterizations of Health Events: Prostate Cancer Incidence in Southern New England, USA, 1994-1998.

ABSTRACT : BACKGROUND : We consider how representations of geographic variation in prostate cancer incidence across Southern New England, USA may be affected by selection of study area and/or properties of the statistical analysis. METHOD : A spatial scan statistic was used to monitor geographic variation among 35,167 incident prostate cancer cases diagnosed in Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island from 1994 to 1998, in relation to the 1990 populations of men 20+ years of age living in that region. Results from the combined-states analysis were compared to those from single-states. Impact of scanning procedures set to examine up to 50% or no more than10% of at-risk populations also was evaluated. RESULTS : With scanning set to 50%, 5 locations in the combined-states analysis were identified with markedly distinct incidence rates. Fewer than expected cases were estimated for nearly all Connecticut, Rhode Island and West Central Massachusetts, whereas census tracts on and around Cape Cod, and areas of Southwestern Connecticut and adjacent to greater Boston were estimated to have yielded more than expected incidence. Results of single-state analyses exhibited several discrepancies from the combined-states analysis. More conservative scanning found many more locations with varying incidence, but discrepancies between the combined- and single-state analysis were fewer. CONCLUSION : It is important to acknowledge the conditional nature of spatial analyses and carefully consider whether a true cluster of events is identified or artifact stemming from selection of study area size and/or scanning properties.

New data on the Pleistocene of Trani (Adriatic Coast, Southern Italy)

Along the Apulian Adriatic coast, in a cliff south of Trani, a succession of three units (superimposed on one another) of marine and/or paralic environments has been recognised. The lowest unit I is characterised by calcareous/siliciclastic sands (css), micritic limestones (ml), stromatolitic and characean boundstones (scb), characean calcarenites (cc). The sedimentary environment merges from shallow marine, with low energy and temporary episodes of subaerial exposure, to lagoonal with a few exchanges with the sea. The lagoonal stromatolites (scb subunit) grew during a long period of relative stability of a high sea level in tropical climate. The unit I is truncated at the top by an erosion surface on which the unit II overlies; this consists of a basal pebble lag (bpl), silicicla - stic sands (ss), calcareous sands (cs), characean boundstones (cb), brown paleosol (bp). The sedimentary environment varies from beach to lagoon with salinity variations. Although there are indications of seismic events within the subunits cs, unit II deposition took place in a context of relative stability. The unit II is referable to a sea level highstand. Unit III, trangressive on the preceding, consists of white calcareous sands (wcs), calcareous sands and calcarenites (csc), phytoclastic calcirudite and phytohermal travertine (pcpt), mixed deposits (csl, m, k, c), sands (s) and red/brown paleosols (rbp). The sedimentation of this unit was affected by synsedimentary tectonic, attested by seismites found at several heights. Also the unit III is referable to a sea level highstand. The scientific literature has so far generally attributed to the Tyrrhenian (auct.) the deposits of Trani cliff. As part of this work some datings were performed on 10 samples, using the amino acid racemization method (AAR) applied to ostracod carapaces. Four of these samples have been rejected because they have shown in laboratory recent contamination. The numerical ages indicate that the deposits of the Trani cliff are older than MIS 5. The upper part of the unit I has been dated to 355±85 ka BP, thus allowing to assign the lowest stromatolitic subunit (scb) at the MIS 11 peak and the top of the unit I at the MIS 11-MIS 10 interval. The base of the unit II has been dated to 333±118 ka BP, thus attributing the erosion surface that bounds the units I and II to the MIS 10 lowstand and the lower part of the unit II to MIS 9.3. The upper part of the unit II has been dated to 234±35 ka BP, while three other numerical ages come from unit III: 303±35, 267±51, 247±61 ka BP. At present, the numerical ages cannot distinguish the sedimentation ages of units II and III, which are both related to the MIS 9.3- MIS 7.1 time range. However, the position of the units, superimposed one another, and their respective age, allows us to recognise a subsidence phase between MIS 11 and MIS 7, followed by an uplift phase between the MIS 7 and the present day, which led the deposits in their current position. This tectonic pattern is not in full agreement with what is described in the literature for the Apulian foreland.

New interatheriines (Interatheriidae, notoungulata) from the Paleogene of central Chile and southern Argentina / Ralph B. Hitz -- [et al.].

n.s. no.42(2000)

A new Devonian trilobite from southern Illinois / by Sharat Kumar Roy --

v.6:no.4(1933)

Deposit of "Letters on the Eastern States" by William A. Mercein in the Southern District of New York,

Document certifying Mercein as proprietor legally deposited a copy of Tudor’s book. Docketed on the verso, "For value received, I transfer the within to William Tudor, Esq. William A. Mercein July 31, 1820"