Ozone Measurements with Meteors: A Revisit

Understanding the role of ozone in the Mesosphere/Lower Thermosphere (MLT) region is essential for understanding the atmospheric processes in the upper atmosphere. Earlier studies have shown that it is possible to use overdense meteor trails to measure ozone concentration in the meteor region. Here we revisit this topic by comparing a compilation of radar observations to satellite measurements. We observe a modest agreement between the values derived from these two methods, which confirm the usefulness of the meteor trail technique for measuring ozone content at certain heights in the MLT region. Future simultaneous measurements will help quantifying the performance of this technique.Comment: MNRAS in pres

Burst of the 1969 Leonids and 1982 Lyrids

Radar observations of the last bursts of the Leonids in 1969 and Lyrids in 1982, carried out at the Springhill Meteor Observatory, Canada, both of very short duration, with the rates exceeding a quarter-maximum rate within 50-55 minutes, are used for a study of the mass distribution of meteoroids. In both cases the mass distribution exponents of the meteoroids in the dense clouds largely differ from the values obtained for the older populations of the streams. The highest mass exponent s approximately 2.2-2.4 is found around the peak of the activity, confirming high contribution of smaller meteoroids, and thus also a recent origin of the dense clouds. Consequences of these findings are discussed

Regenerating Cultural Identity through Industrial Heritage Tourism: Visitor Attitudes, Entertainment and the Search for Authenticity at Mills, Mines and Museums of Maritime Canada

This essay analyses visitor attitudes to industrial heritage at a variety of former industrial sites, ranging from former coal mines, shipbuilding yards and steam-powered mills to a reconstructed waterfront. In addition, a comprehensive industrial museum provided a venue for further critique of the means by which the industrial past contributes to a regeneration of cultural identity in Maritime Canada. The range of former industrial sites reflects the multiple narratives of deindustrialisation affecting the Canadian provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island for much of the twentieth century while visitor responses to a detailed survey indicate that a focus on industrial heritage is a highly-valued component of respondents' understanding of the region's cultural identity. The essay notes, however, that this representation of cultural identity is highly problematic and replete with contradictions, most notably between respondents' desires for authenticity and the necessarily sanitised landscapes required for cultural tourism. Similarly, designers and managers of industrial heritage may be motivated to construct heritage landscapes which prioritise entertainment and spectacle and down play significant environmental, social and political elements of the former industry. From these examples in Maritime Canada, it is clear that visitors encounter significant complexity in their experience of the industrial past. This complexity provides both opportunity and challenge in the use of the industrial past as a means of cultural regeneration in the region

Aptian angiosperm pollen from the Ticó Flora Patagonia, Argentina

Six angiosperm pollen types studied with SEM are recorded in the Cretaceous (early Aptian) Tico´ flora on the basis of material recovered from two localities: Anfiteatro de Tico´ and Bajo Tigre. Clavatipollenites dominates, with four types described. The other two types, based on single specimens, were referred to Retimonocolpites and to the Anacostia type. Comparisons are made with similar species found in other Cretaceous paleofloristic regions and with other Aptian pollen assemblages from Patagonia. The chloranthaceous affinity of Clavatipollenites agrees with known paleobotanical, sedimentological, and paleoclimatical data obtained for the same fossiliferous horizons of the Anfiteatro de Tico´ Formation studied here. During the early Aptian, a warm and humid paleoclimatic belt extended to latitudes greater than 60S in SW Gondwana. This belt is known to have persisted until the late Aptian in southern Patagonia. The angiosperm pollen variety is further underscored by fossil leaves found in two of the horizons studied here, suggesting that angiosperms may have existed during the Barremian in SW Gondwana (Patagonian Province).Fil: Archangelsky, Sergio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Archangelsky, Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; Argentin

Evolución paleoambiental de la formación Río Mayer, Cretácico inferior, Cuenca Austral, provincia de Santa Cruz, Argentina

La Formación Río Mayer es parte del relleno inicial de la Cuenca Austral, la cual se ubica en el sector más austral de la Patagonia. El área de estudio se encuentra entre los lagos San Martín y Argentino (Provincia de Santa Cruz), donde se relevaron diez perfiles sedimentológicos de detalle en los que se describieron 18 facies sedimentarias. Estas facies responden a diferentes procesos sedimentarios, principalmente autigénicos, hemipelágicos y episódicos. A partir de la distribución de las facies y del origen del material fósil se reconocieron tres paleoambientes sedimentarios: marino de plataforma externa, marino de plataforma externa con influencia deltaica y prodelta. El análisis de la distribución espacial y temporal de las facies condujo a la elaboración de un esquema de evolución paleoambiental para el Cretácico Inferior de la Cuenca Austral en la zona estudiada. La depositación de la Formación Río Mayer, por encima de la Formación Springhill, en el área de la Seccional Río Guanaco, comenzó durante el Berriasiano. En el Valanginiano la transgresión generó los depósitos incluidos en la Formación Springhill en la región de Lago San Martín, mientras que en el intervalo Hauteriviano-Barremiano toda el área de estudio presentaba características de plataforma externa distal. Durante el lapso temporal Aptiano-Albiano, se produjo la instalación de un sistema deltaico (Formación Piedra Clavada / Kachaike) en el norte del área de estudio entre los lagos San Martín y Viedma. Para este intervalo temporal la Formación Río Mayer en las regiones de Lago San Martín y Estancia La Vega, representa un ambiente de prodelta. Paralelamente, en la región sur del área de estudio se produjo la sedimentación de los niveles incluidos en un ambiente de plataforma externa influenciada por flujos turbidíticos distales de frente deltaico. Finalmente durante el Albiano superior-Cenomaniano inferior se desarrolló una transgresión marina, que marca el comienzo de la etapa de antepaís de la Cuenca Austral. En la región de los lagos San Martín y Viedma, la transgresión está evidenciada por los depósitos litorales de la Formación Mata Amarilla, mientras que en la región de Río Guanaco es representada por los depósitos de la Formación Cerro Toro.The marine deposits of the Río Mayer Formation are part of the initial filling of the Austral Basin, which is developed in the southernmost part of South America, including the south of Chile and Argentina (southwestern Patagonia, Santa Cruz and Tierra del Fuego Provinces, Figs. 1, 2). The study area is located between the San Martín and Argentino lakes in the Santa Cruz Province (Fig. 3). The Río Mayer Formation (Fig. 2) was studied in three main localities, where detailed sedimentary logging was undertaken (Figs. 4, 5), taking into account the lithology, the primary sedimentary structures, the palaeontological content, rock bodies geometry, their orientation and the hierarchy as well as the contacts with underlying and overlying units. Eighteen sedimentary facies were defined (Figs. 6, 7; Table 1), which were grouped into three facies association representing different sedimentary palaeoenvironments, like marine outer platform (AF 1), marine outer platform influenced by a deltaic system (AF 2) and prodelta (AF 3) (Fig. 8, Tables 1, 2). The facies of the outer platform palaeoenvironment corresponds to the rocks traditionally assigned to the Río Mayer Formation, according to the available bibliography, and deposited by hemipelagic and authigenic processes interrupted by episodic sedimentation. The deposits of the outer platform influenced by a deltaic system palaeoenvironment are similar to the above mentioned but presents continental fossils that indicate a deltaic source. Finally, AF 3 of a prodelta palaeoenvironment is dominated by sandy/heterolithics levels associated with turbidity currents and hyperpycnal flows originated in a delta front. The best and most complete exposures of the unit were observed in the Río Guanaco locality, where palaeoenvironmental interpretations were performed, allowing the division of the 350 m-thick unit in three sections (Fig. 9). The lower section is composed mainly by black shales with both tabular and concretional marls levels (AF 1). Trace fossils are not recorded in this section, but ammonites, belemnites and bivalves are frequent. It has been interpreted as accumulated in a distal platform, under anoxic conditions. The middle section is characterized by bioturbated black marls and shales, with wellpreserved Zoophycos ichnofacies (Richiano et al., in press), occurring in a distal platform depositional environment. Body fossils are frequent, especially belemnites. The upper section is composed of massive black mudstones with intercalations of very fine- to fine-grained sandstones and less frequent conglomerates. In this section both debris flows and distal low-density turbidity current deposits were identified. Zoophycos ichnofacies and Ophiomorpha rudis ichnosubfacies were recognized in association with molds of petrified wood containing Teredolites isp. (Richiano et al., in press). The presence of turbulent currents and large trace fossils suggest a more oxygenated conditions. At Lago San Martín and Estancia La Vega localities the most significant characteristic is the presence of prodeltaic deposits in the transition between Río Mayer Formation and Piedra Clavada formations (Fig. 9). To sum up, after the Upper Jurassic rifting stage of the Austral Basin, the Springhill Formation represents the initial infill of the extensional structures. After that, during the Berriasian (Fig. 10a), the levels of the lower section of the Río Mayer Formation started to accumulate in the Río Guanaco area. During the Valanginian (Fig. 10b), an acceleration in the transgression generated the accumulation of the Springhill Formation in the Lago San Martín area while in the Río Guanaco region the middle section of the Río Mayer Formation developed. Between the Hauterivian and the Barremian all the study area was under distal platform conditions (Fig. 10c). A major change in the sedimentary systems of the Austral Basin during the Lower Cretaceous is the development of the deltaic Piedra Clavada Formation (Fig. 10d). This event generated two different palaeoenvironments in the Río Mayer Formation. Prodeltaic deposits are present to the north, while sediments of distal platform conditions with highly frequent sandy levels prevail southwards. Finally a new transgression indicates the beginning of the Cerro Toro and Mata Amarilla formations in the middle Albian- lower Cenomanian (Fig. 10e).Fil: Richiano, Sebastián Miguel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Varela, Augusto Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Cereceda, Abril. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; ArgentinaFil: Poire, Daniel Gustavo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Investigaciones Geológicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Argentin

Preliminary investigation on temperature, chemistry and isotopes of mine water pumped in Bytom geological basin (USCB,Southern Poland) as a potential geothermal energy source

Mine water from both operating and abandoned mines can be used for individual space heating projects, district heating/cooling systems or for preheating air for mine ventilation. Examples of such applications are already known from Canada, US, Netherlands, UK, and Spain. The Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB) in Poland, where 34 of 65 hard coal mines have been abandoned since 1989, represents a potentially large opportunity for mine water heating schemes. This paper describes the mines from Bytom (northern USCB) as a potential location for ground source heat extraction projects. Hydrogeological and hydrogeochemical studies of pumped waters have been carried out in order to better understand the potential of the Bytom heat resource. The monitoring program is still ongoing, but initial results compare favorably with existing mine water geothermal source systems where water temperatures are comparable or lower than those found at Bytom. Initial hydrochemical and isotope data demonstrate stability in water composition at most of the monitoring points. These data elucidate the hydrogeological cycle during active dewatering and provide a baseline for understanding the geothermal behavior of the system, which is crucial for optimizing heat extraction. Preliminary results also reveal very stable mine water temperatures in the pumped, and hydrologically connected, Szombierki system and suggest remarkable stability in the characteristics of the main hydrothermal reservoirs

Meteors and meteor spectra analysis

Studies on meteor spectroscopy are reported. The following topics are discussed: photometric spectra of 17 meteors; the chemistry of cometary meteoroids; and current trends in meteor spectroscopy

Cultural tourism in fragile institutional contexts: project for cultural routes in Tierra del Fuego

The following paper presents a project of Cultural Routes designed for the Chilean Tierra del Fuego, linked to promoting tourism and boosting the economy, through the development of a specific high standard tourism offer, linked to its natural and cultural heritage, with the purpose of capturing the potential income generation for Chile. The project had as main goal to enhance the competitiveness of the tourism sector of special interests in Tierra del Fuego, a key sector of Southern Patagonia, through the dissemination and transfer of technologies and knowledge, acquired in over 10 years of research and projects, onto the territory and local agents. These Cultural Routes build an innovative offer, capable of structuring the diverse touristic resources and strengthening the basis for the development of a new stage of national and international tourism market, located on the southern extreme of Chile and America.Peer Reviewe

Quistes de dinoflagelados y polen asociado del Cretácico Inferior (Formación Springhill) de la cuenca austral, plataforma continental Argentina

Well preservedand moderately diverse, early Cretaceous dinofl agellate cyst assemblages were recovered from the Springhill Formation at wells MLD3 and MLD4, of southeastern Argentina. The relative dating of the sequences is based on the fi rst andlast occurrences of age-diagnostic dinofl agellate cysts taxa. These bioevents are, in ascending order: last occurrence of Kleithriasphaeridium fasciatum, fi rst occurrence of Prolixosphaeridium parvispinum, last occurrence of Phoberocysta neocomica, fi rst occurrence of Herendeenia postprojecta, fi rst occurrence of Odontochitina operculata, last occurrence of Cassiculosphaeridia magna and last occurrence of Kaiwaradinium scrutillinum and support a late Barremian age for both stratigraphical sequences. The last occurrence of K. fasciatum and the fi rst occurrence of P. parvispinum recordedat the lower part of the marine interval in the MLD3 well and the upper part of the MLD4 well, constrain the age of the beginning of the transgressive episode around the early/late Barremian transition, not younger than the early late Barremian. In these intervals, the upper part of the Australian Muderongia testudinaria Zone Helby can be indirectly recognized. The top of the Muderongia australis Zone was recognized at the uppermost marine part of the MLD3 well, assigned to the late Barremian. First occurrences of primitive angiosperm pollen grains like cf. Clavatipollenites, Spinizonocolpites sp., Arecipites sp., Asteropollis, Foveomonocolpites and Tricolpites were recorded too in both wells.Assembleias de cistos de dinoflagelados, bem preservados e moderadamente diversificados, foram descobertos nos poços MLD3 e MLD4 da Formação Springhill, no sudeste argentino. A datação relativa é baseada nas primeiras e últimas ocorrências da idade-diagnóstica dos táxons de cistos de dinoflagelados. Estes bioeventos são, em ordem ascendente, última ocorrência de Kleithriasphaeridium fasciatum, primeira ocorrência de Prolixosphaeridium parvispinum, última ocorrência de Phoberocysta neocomica, primeira ocorrência de Herendeenia postprojecta, primeira ocorrência de Odontochitina operculata, última ocorrência de Cassiculosphaeridia magna e última ocorrência de Kaiwaradinium scrutillinum e apoiam a idade Barremiano superior para ambas as sequências estratigráficas. A última ocorrência de K. fasciatum e a primeira ocorrência de P. parvispinum registram intervalo marinho, na parte inferior do poço MLD3 e na parte superior do poço MLD4, restringindo a idade do início do episódio transgressivo por volta da transição Barremiano inferior/superior e não é mais jovem que esta. Nesses intervalos, pode ser indiretamente reconhecida a parte superior da Zona australiana Muderongia testudinaria proposta por Helby na Austrália. O topo da Zona Muderongia australis foi reconhecida como marinha na parte superior do poço MLD3, atribuído ao Barremiano superior. A primeira ocorrência de grãos de pólen primitivos de angiospermas como cf. Clavatipollenites, Spinizonocolpites sp., Arecipites sp., Asteropollis, Foveomonocolpites e Tricolpites também foi registrada em ambos os poços.Fil: Guler, Maria Veronica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Instituto Geológico del Sur; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur; ArgentinaFil: Berbach, Lorena. Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales Carlos Darwin, Punta Alta; ArgentinaFil: Archangelsky, Ana . Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; ArgentinaFil: Archangelsky, Sergio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales; Argentin