X-ray digital-imaging petrography: Technique development for lunar mare soils     

S. J. Higgins  L. A. Taylor  J. G. Chambers  A. Patchen  D. S. McKay 《Meteoritics & planetary science》1996,31(3):356-361

Abstract Remote sensing studies are the primary means of solar system exploration. In particular, spectral reflectance measurements involve determinations of the nature and compositions of other worlds through analysis of absorption features characteristic of the surface chemistry and mineralogy. These studies are particularly applicable to “airless” solar system bodies (e.g., the Moon), because atmospheres, such as on Earth, tend to interfere with the reflectance spectrum. The precision of the spectral measurements is greatly increased by calibration with actual lunar soils. In the past, these calibrations were done using particle-counting data collected for the study of soil formation processes, soil classification, and provenance determination. These particle counting data, while valuable in those areas of study, neither identify the true volume percentages of soil particles, nor give the true modal values for the various phases (i.e., minerals and glasses) which make up the soil grains. These data are paramount for accurate spectral reflectance calibrations. Therefore, in this paper, a new technique is presented that involves x-ray digital-imaging of lunar soils using an energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) on an electron microprobe. In contrast to particle counting with an optical microscope, the digital-imaging method allows precise volume percentages of soil grains to be determined, including absolute modal abundances of the various phases locked within the particles as well as their chemistry. In order to validate this method for characterization of lunar soils, the technique was applied to four Apollo 17 soils that were previously described by Heiken and McKay (1974) via particle counts with an optical microscope, and similar results were obtained. In addition to verifying the x-ray digital-imaging technique, the obtained data were applied in order to better understand the lunar-soil formational process, specifically the variation of particle types with maturity.  相似文献   

Reversibility of bacterial sulfate redaction and its relevance to isotope fractionation     

Philip A. Trudinger  Lynette A. Chambers 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》1973,37(7):1775-1778

Using H₂³⁵S, anaerobic oxidation of sulfide to sulfate by D. desulfuricans was demonstrated. This was probably the result of a reversal of the sulfate reduction pathway.  相似文献   

How Well Do Restored Intertidal Oyster Reefs Support Key Biogeochemical Properties in a Coastal Lagoon?     

Lisa G. Chambers  Stephanie A. Gaspar  Christian J. Pilato  Havalend E. Steinmuller  Kevin J. McCarthy  Paul E. Sacks  Linda J. Walters 《Estuaries and Coasts》2018,41(3):784-799

The restoration of dead/degraded oyster reefs is increasingly pursued worldwide to reestablish harvestable populations or renew ecosystem services. Evidence suggests that oysters can improve water quality, but less is known about the role of associated benthic sediments in promoting biogeochemical processes, such as nutrient cycling and burial. There is also limited understanding of if, or how long postrestoration, a site functions like a natural reef. This study investigated key biogeochemical properties (e.g., physiochemical properties, nutrient pools, microbial community size and activity) in the sediments of dead reefs; 1-, 4-, and 7-year-old restored reefs; and natural reference reefs of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, in Mosquito Lagoon (FL, USA). Results indicated that most of the measured biogeochemical properties (dissolved organic carbon (C), NH₄ ⁺, total C, total nitrogen (N), and the activity of major extracellular enzymes involved in C, N, and phosphorus (P) cycling) increased significantly by 1-year postrestoration, relative to dead reefs, and then remained fairly constant as the reefs continued to age. Few differences were observed in biogeochemical properties between restored reefs of any age (1 to 7 years) and natural reference reefs. Variability among reefs of the same treatment category was often correlated with differences in the number of live oysters, reef thickness, and/or the availability of C and N in the sediments. Overall, this study demonstrates the role of live intertidal oyster reefs as biogeochemical hot spots for nutrient cycling and burial and the rapidity (within 1 year) with which biogeochemical properties can be reestablished following successful restoration.  相似文献   

Precipitation changes due to the introduction of eddy-resolved sea surface temperatures into simulations of the “Pasha Bulker” Australian east coast low of June 2007     

Christopher R. S. Chambers  Gary B. Brassington  Ian Simmonds  Kevin Walsh 《Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics》2014,123(1-2):1-15

Stratocumulus is often present offshore of Peru and northern Chile and exists at the top of a cool, moist and well-mixed marine boundary layer (MBL) under a marked temperature inversion maintained by large-scale subsidence. The subtropical MBL and stratocumulus has been the focus of many recent studies, but mid-latitude systems can exert a strong influence. However, this connection is not well established due to debatable model results and few in situ measurements south of 20°S. During a 2-week field campaign in August 2011 at Robinson Crusoe Island (~700 km offshore at 33.6°S), radiosondes were launched to observe the response of the MBL to mid-latitude synoptic forcing. During the observation period a broad, slow-moving cutoff low (COL) passed over the region. Other observations include COSMIC GPS, infrared satellite imagery, TRMM radar reflectivity, and operational radiosondes from the Chilean weather service. A numerical simulation is included to diagnose the synoptic features. The inversion prior to the COL was maintained and lifted above 5 km as the COL passed over the island. Soon after the COL center passed the island, the MBL top did not descend or reform near the surface and then deepen, but rather an inversion reformed at ~2.7 km. Using a variety of datasets, the height of the reformation of the inversion is related to the cloud top height of the scattered shallow cumulus convection under the COL, which coincides with the level of maximum convergence of the vertical velocity.  相似文献   

Characterization and assessment of the devastating natural hazards across the Canadian Prairie Provinces from 2009 to 2011     

Julian Brimelow  Ronald Stewart  John Hanesiak  Bohdan Kochtubajda  Kit Szeto  Barrie Bonsal 《Natural Hazards》2014,73(2):761-785

From 2009 to 2011, the Canadian Prairies were subjected to exceptionally variable precipitation regimes, ranging between record drought and unprecedented flooding. Adjacent regions concurrently experienced droughts and floods, and individual areas transitioned rapidly from pluvial to drought conditions and vice versa. Such events had major impacts; for example, damages from floods in the Assiniboine River Basin (ARB) have exceeded $1 billion, and forest fires ravaged the town of Slave Lake, Alberta. This study first characterizes, and then assesses, these devastating natural hazards in terms of their physical processes (across multiple spatial and temporal scales) related to both the spatially contrasting precipitation states and rapid temporal transitions between these states. Subtle differences in large-scale atmospheric flow had marked impacts on precipitation. Primary factors controlling the distribution and amount of precipitation included the location and persistence of key surface and upper-air features, as well as their interaction. Additionally, multiple events—rather than individual extremes—were responsible for the flooding over the Saskatchewan River Basin and the ARB. Very heavy rainfall events (≥25 mm d^?1) accounted for up to 55 % of warm season rain at some locations, and the frequency of heavy rainfall events was critical for determining whether a region experienced drought or pluvial conditions. This study has increased our knowledge of the characteristics, impacts and mechanisms of rapidly transitioning disparate precipitation states on the Canadian Prairies and will aid in better understanding both past and projected future hydro-climatic extremes in the region.  相似文献   

Effect of Sea Level Variability on the Estimation of Mean Sea Surface Gradients     

Don P. Chambers 《Marine Geodesy》2013,36(4):273-288

It is demonstrated that an along-track mean sea surface (MSS) model estimated with TOPEX altimeter data, including the large 1997-1998 El Niño event, is slightly less accurate than a MSS model calculated from less data where El Niño signals are small. The manner in which true sea level variability corrupts the estimation of MSS gradients is discussed. A model is proposed to reduce the error, based on scaling climate indices such as the Southern Oscillation Index, while accounting for phase shifts using a Hilbert transform. After modeling and removing the seasonal and interannual sea level variations, parameters to a plane MSS model are estimated using TOPEX altimeter data from January 1993 to June 2000. Results indicate an overall improvement over the earlier model based on four years of data, and no apparent degradation due to aliasing of sea level variability.  相似文献