Cumbria and the northern Pennines

Carboniferous rocks within the Cumbria and northern Pennines region are bound by the Maryport–Stublick–Ninety Fathom Fault System, which forms the northern boundary of the Lake District and Alston blocks (Fig. 12.1). In the Pennines, the succession occupies the Alston and Askrigg blocks and the intervening Stainmore Trough, a broadly east-west trending graben. Carboniferous strata also flank the Lake District High, occurring at outcrop in north Cumbria, Furness and Cartmel (south Cumbria) and the Vale of Eden, and in the subsurface in west Cumbria. The Askrigg Block succession is separated from that of the Craven Basin (Chapter 11), to the south, by the Craven Fault System

Discriminating faunal assemblages and their palaeoecology based on museum collections : the Carboniferous Hurlet and Index limestones of western Scotland

Historical collections of Scottish Carboniferous macrofossils stored at the British Geological Survey (BGS), Edinburgh include the sole remaining sources of palaeontological data from numerous localities. Exploratory numerical analyses of such collections from the Hurlet and Index limestones of Ayrshire compare favourably with published qualitative assessments of faunal assemblages and palaeoenvironments; demonstrating that old collections can still be used in modern palaeoecological investigations. Macrofaunas from these formations comprise mainly brachiopods and molluscs and were collected from 67 localities that yielded 20 and 94 samples from the Hurlet and Index limestones respectively. Limitations of the presence/absence data were partly overcome by consolidation and restriction of aspects of the data set. Seriation indicates the lithological and environmental gradients of taxa. Cluster analysis reveals groups of samples linked to lithofacies. Principal Components Analysis (PCA) of diversity data derived from the data set in terms of numbers of genera in higher taxa highlights differences in gross taxonomic composition in terms of trophic structure, lithology and environment. Supplementary material: lists of localities taxa and sample lithologies used in this study are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP1840

A biostratigraphical framework for geological correlation of the Middle Devonian strata in the Moray-Ness Basin Project area

This report presents an up dated biostratigraphical framework for correlation of the Middle Devonian strata exposed in onshore areas on the western margin of the Orcadian Basin. It focuses on the fossil fish faunas from Caithness and Orkney. The research has involved taxonomical and stratigraphical revision of key fossil fish specimens and whole assemblages held in museums and in private collections , together with targeted new field collecting in Caithness and on Orkney. This has enabled a robust pattern of distribution to be established for indicator species, based on faunas identified from large collections of individual species, so that presence/absence data are of significance in determining a more fully representative stratigraphical range for each species than was available hitherto. This approach has enabled detailed biostratigraphical correlations to be made within the Middle Devonian of the Reay area and on adjacent ground. It also provides new constraints on the regional biostratigraphical correlation between the flagstone sequences in Caithness and on Orkney. The importance of fossil fish assemblages that have been examined in collections from the Middle Devonian on the southern margin of the Moray Firth are currently being re-evaluated in terms of their ability to constrain new and existing regional and local stratigraphical correlations. The eventual aim of this work is to provide a consistent means of correlating all of the onshore Middle Devonian strata in the Moray-Ness Project area

The effect of trapping superparamagnetic beads on domain wall motion

Domain walls may act as localized field sources to trap and move superparamagnetic beads for manipulating biological cells and DNA. The interaction between beads of various diameters and a wall is investigated using a combination of micromagnetic and analytical models. Domain walls can transport beads under applied magnetic fields but the mutual attraction between the bead and wall causes drag forces affecting the bead to couple into the wall motion. Therefore, the interaction with the bead causes a fundamental change in the domain wall dynamics, reducing the wall mobility by five orders of magnitude. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3428775

Palaeoecology of the Chaetetes-Band : a marine biostrome in the Carboniferous, basal Namurian (basal Serpukhovian) Great Limestone of northern England

The Chaetetes-Band commonly occurs near the base of the basal Namurian (basal Serpukhovian) Great Limestone in northern England and classically comprises compact ‘bands’ of the sclerosponge Chaetetes depressus and the colonial coral Diphyphyllum lateseptatum. Samples have been collected from seven sections in the Alston area and the macrofossils and conodont elements from each limestone facies of the Chaetetes-Band (as it exists at those localities) have been identified. Based largely on the palaeoecological interpretations of Carboniferous macrofossils by Wilson (1989) and conodonts as synthesised by Dean (1987) a fuller understanding has been gained of the environmental setting and community structure of each fossil assemblage from each limestone facies of the Chaetetes-Band. Work on the amalgamated assemblages (palaeocommunities) suggests the following: ‘Planar-bedded’ limestone has a dominant macrofauna of crinoids and brachiopods, and a dominant conodont fauna of genera Lochriea and Gnathodus with Synclydagnathus. The environmental setting appears to have been one of firmer substrates and clearer, current affected waters on the marine shelf. ‘Bioclastic’ limestone has a dominant macrofauna of crinoids with productoid brachiopods and corals, and a dominant conodont fauna of genera Gnathodus and Lochriea with Synclydagnathus and Vogelgnathus. The environmental setting appears to have been one of relatively firm to sporadically relatively soft substrates and clearer, calm to current-affected waters on the marine shelf. It was probably shallower than the ‘Planar-bedded’ limestone environment. ‘Wavy-bedded’ limestone has a dominant macrofauna of Diphyphyllum with Chaetetes and the brachiopod Eomarginifera, and a conodont fauna comprised solely of genus Cavusgnathus. The environmental setting appears to have been one of relatively soft substrates beneath generally clearer, possibly wave-agitated waters on the marine shelf. ‘Chaetetes-band’ limestone has a dominant macrofauna of Chaetetes with brachiopods, crinoids and corals, and a dominant conodont fauna of genera Gnathodus with Cavusgnathus and Synclydagnathus. A biohermal palaeoenvironment is suggested with firm substrates and clearer, apparently calm to current affected, perhaps sub-tidal and sporadically wave-agitated, waters on the marine shelf. ‘Chaetetes-bioclastic transitional’ limestone has a dominant macrofauna of Chaetetes with crinoids and productoid brachiopods, and a dominant conodont fauna of genera Gnathodus with Synclydagnathus and Lochriea. An environmental setting transitional to those of the ‘Chaetetesband’ and ‘Bioclastic’ limestones is suggested. ‘Coral-band’ limestone has a dominant macrofauna of Diphyphyllum with other corals, Chaetetes, and brachiopods, and a dominant conodont fauna of genera Kladognathus with Gnathodus and Vogelgnathus. A biohermal, lower reef slope or shelf setting is suggested, with relatively firm or soft substrates beneath clear, shallow, low energy marine waters. ‘Coral-band and bioclastic’ limestone has a dominant macrofauna of Diphyphyllum and crinoids, and a dominant conodont fauna of genera Gnathodus and Lochriea with Cavusgnathus, Synclydagnathus and Vogelgnathus. An environmental setting transitional to those of the ‘Coralband’ and ‘Bioclastic’ limestones is suggested. ‘Planar-wavy transitional’ limestone has a dominant macrofauna of crinoids with productoid brachiopods, and a dominant conodont fauna of genera Gnathodus with Synclydagnathus, Lochriea and Vogelgnathus. An environmental setting transitional to those of the ‘Planarbedded’ and ‘Wavy-bedded’ limestones is suggested. ‘Planar-bedded limestone/sandstone’ has a dominant macrofauna of crinoids with productoid brachiopods, the rhynchonellid brachiopod Pleuropugnoides and burrow traces, and a dominant conodont fauna of genera Gnathodus with Synclydagnathus and Cavusgnathus. The environmental setting appears to have been varied, including firm to soft substrates and clear to muddy, low to high-energy waters, off to near shore on the marine shelf. A minor biohermal presence is also suggested. ‘Sandstone’ has a flora of plant debris and roots and may represent an environment of a possibly emergent, prograding, lobate delta

Leeds: a geological background for planning and development : 1:10000 sheets SE23NW, NE, SE and SE33NW, NE, SW, SE: parts of 1:50000 geological sheets 69 (Bradford), 70 (Leeds), 77 (Huddersfield) and 78 (Wakefield)

This study, carried out between 1989 and 1991, was commissioned by the Department of the Environment and funded jointly by the Department and the British Geological Survey. Its principal aim was to produce a synthesis of geological information relevant to the land-use planning for development and redevelopment for a large part of the Leeds district. This report is aimed at those involved in planning and development. Much of the information is provided on a series of thematic maps, each of which concentrates on a specific aspect of the geology relevant to landuse. These are suitable for use in forward planning for development and conservation, and as a background to desk studies, prepared in advance of specific development proposals. However, they must not be used in place of results of adequate site investigations when development is being considered. In addition to the information contained in the report, sources of other more detailed data are indicated

Investigating the magnetic ground state of the skyrmion host material Cu2OSeO3 using long-wavelength neutron diffraction

We present long-wavelength neutron diffraction data measured on both single crystal and polycrystalline samples of the skyrmion host material Cu2OSeO3. We observe magnetic satellites around the (01⎯⎯1) diffraction peak not accessible to other techniques, and distinguish helical from conical spin textures in reciprocal space. Our measurements show that not only the field-polarised phase but also the helical ground state are made up of ferrimagnetic clusters instead of individual spins. These clusters are distorted Cu tetrahedra, where the spin on one Cu ion is anti-aligned with the spin on the three other Cu ions

Effects of coastal urbanization on salt-marsh faunal assemblages in the northern Gulf of Mexico

Author Posting. © American Fisheries Society, 2014. This article is posted here by permission of American Fisheries Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Marine and Coastal Fisheries: Dynamics, Management, and Ecosystem Science 6 (2014): 89-107, doi:10.1080/19425120.2014.893467.Coastal landscapes in the northern Gulf of Mexico, specifically the Mississippi coast, have undergone rapid urbanization that may impact the suitability of salt-marsh ecosystems for maintaining and regulating estuarine faunal communities. We used a landscape ecology approach to quantify the composition and configuration of salt-marsh habitats and developed surfaces at multiple spatial scales surrounding three small, first-order salt-marsh tidal creeks arrayed along a gradient of urbanization in two river-dominated estuaries. From May 3 to June 4, 2010, nekton and macroinfauna were collected weekly at all six sites. Due to the greater abundance of grass shrimp Palaemonetes spp., brown shrimp Farfantepenaeus aztecus, blue crab Callinectes sapidus, Gulf Menhaden Brevoortia patronus, and Spot Leiostomus xanthurus, tidal creeks in intact natural (IN) salt-marsh landscapes supported a nekton assemblage that was significantly different from those in partially urbanized (PU) or completely urbanized (CU) salt-marsh landscapes. However, PU landscapes still supported an abundant nekton assemblage. In addition, the results illustrated a linkage between life history traits and landscape characteristics. Resident and transient nekton species that have specific habitat requirements are more likely to be impacted in urbanized landscapes than more mobile species that are able to exploit multiple habitats. Patterns were less clear for macroinfaunal assemblages, although they were comparatively less abundant in CU salt-marsh landscapes than in either IN or PU landscapes. The low abundance or absence of several macroinfaunal taxa in CU landscapes may be viewed as an additional indicator of poor habitat quality for nekton. The observed patterns also suggested that benthic sediments in the CU salt-marsh landscapes were altered in comparison with IN or PU landscapes. The amount of developed shoreline and various metrics related to salt marsh fragmentation were important drivers of observed patterns in nekton and macroinfaunal assemblages

Measurements of long-range near-side angular correlations in sNN=5\sqrt{s_{\text{NN}}}=5TeV proton-lead collisions in the forward region

Two-particle angular correlations are studied in proton-lead collisions at a nucleon-nucleon centre-of-mass energy of $\sqrt{s_{\text{NN}}}=5$TeV, collected with the LHCb detector at the LHC. The analysis is based on data recorded in two beam configurations, in which either the direction of the proton or that of the lead ion is analysed. The correlations are measured in the laboratory system as a function of relative pseudorapidity, $\Delta\eta$, and relative azimuthal angle, $\Delta\phi$, for events in different classes of event activity and for different bins of particle transverse momentum. In high-activity events a long-range correlation on the near side, $\Delta\phi \approx 0$, is observed in the pseudorapidity range $2.0<\eta<4.9$. This measurement of long-range correlations on the near side in proton-lead collisions extends previous observations into the forward region up to $\eta=4.9$. The correlation increases with growing event activity and is found to be more pronounced in the direction of the lead beam. However, the correlation in the direction of the lead and proton beams are found to be compatible when comparing events with similar absolute activity in the direction analysed.Comment: All figures and tables, along with any supplementary material and additional information, are available at https://lhcbproject.web.cern.ch/lhcbproject/Publications/LHCbProjectPublic/LHCb-PAPER-2015-040.htm