Absolute dating by uranium series disequilibrium of bones from the cave of La Chaise-de-Vouthon (Charente), France

Animal bones, associated with Palaeolithic artefacts and skeletal remains of early hominids from the cave of La Chaise-de-Vouthon, have been dated using a new approach to uranium series dating of bone. Speleothem (cave calcite) interstratified with bone-bearing sediments in the two chambers of Grotte Bourgeois-Delaunay and Grotte Suard have previously been dated by the ²³⁰Th/²³⁴ U method. This provides a chronological control for the bone ages, for which the method is still at an experimental stage. A good agreement is shown in most cases between the calcite and the bone ages, showing the cave to have been a stable environment for the deposition of bone and the acquisition of uranium.     

Spatial analysis of high-resolution urban thermal patterns in Vojvodina,Serbia

Main objective of this study was to establish a relationship between land cover and land surface temperature (LST) in urban and rural areas. The research was conducted using Landsat, WorldView-2 (WV-2) and Digital Mapping Camera. Normalised difference vegetation index and normalised difference built-up index were used for establishing the relation between built-up area, vegetation cover and LST for spatial resolution of 30 m. Impervious surface and vegetation area generated from Digital Mapping Camera from Intergraph and WV-2 were used to establish the relation between built-up area, vegetation cover and LST for spatial resolutions of 0.1, 0.5 and 30 m. Linear regression models were used to determine the relationship between LST and indicators. Main contribution of this research is to establish the use of combining remote sensing sensors with different spectral and spatial resolution for two typical settlements in Vojvodina. Correlation coefficients between LST and LST indicators ranged from 0.602 to 0.768.     

On the origin of saline fluids in the KTB (continental deep drilling project of Germany)

Highly saline fluids were encountered during the German Continental Deep Drilling Project (KTB) from depths ranging between 2 and 3 km to about 9 km. The most reliable data were obtained from samples extracted during a long-term pumping test in the 4000-m deep KTB pilot hole. Some 460 m³ CaNaCl brines with about 68 g l⁻¹ total dissolved solids (TDS) and some 270 m³ associated gases, mainly N₂ and CH₄ were pumped to the surface from the main fracture system situated near the bottom of the pilot hole. Geochemical and isotopic data support the hydraulic tests which suggest the presence of an open and large fluid reservoir at depth. The pumped fluids from this main fracture system were released from a deep reservoir situated at more than 5500 m depth which is hydraulically connected with the 9101 m deep KTB main hole, drilled some 250 m to the northeast of the pilot hole.While Ca and Sr contents of the extracted brines may be the result of water-rock interaction, Cl is most likely of external origin. The Cl is hypothesized to derive from geotectonic processes rather than to descending infiltration of paleo-seawater (evaporitic brines). The sampled fluids have probably migrated from a deeper reservoir to their present position since the Cretaceous-Tertiary period due to tectonic activity. However, several isotopic studies have identified an admixture of descending paleowaters down to more than 4000 m depth. The high ³⁶ClCl ratio of the fluids sampled during the long-term pumping test point to a host rock highly enriched in UTh, unlike the sampled KTB country rocks. The fluid reservoir is believed to be in contact with the Falkenberg granite massif situated about 2 km to the E of the KTB holes capable of supplying sufficient neutron flux for considerable subsurface production of 36C1. The NaCl(K, SO₄) precursor fluids of the CaNaCI brines were produced in the course of extensive tectonic processes since the Late Caledonian within the Bohemian Massif.     

Wolverine in northern England at about 83,000 yr B.P.: Faunal evidence for climatic change during isotope stage 5

Cave sediments from Stump Cross Cave in northern England contain Pleistocene mammal remains. Uranium-series dating of calcium carbonate deposits closely associated with the fossiliferous horizons has established an absolute age of 83,000 ± 6000 yr B.P. for a faunal assemblage largely comprised of wolverines (Gulo gulo). This date lies firmly within the younger portion of oxygen-isotope stage 5. The occurrence of wolverines in the vicinity of Stump Cross Cave at ca. 83,000 yr B.P. indicates a significant climatic deterioration from ca. 120,000 yr B.P., when an Ipswichian interglacial fauna with hippopotamus was present in this part of northern England.     

Inspiring the next generation of scientists with their observations of quasars,black holes,Jupiter, and SETI with the Goldstone Apple Valley Radio Telescope,GAVRT

This paper describes a radio astronomy programfor schools, the Goldstone-AppleValley Radio Telescope,GAVRT. The GAVRT program is designed to bring the inspiration and enthusiasm to a younger generation of teachers and children who learn about science by doing real science, just as Iosif Shklovsky brought to an older generation.