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NACSN, note 67--Application for revision of Articles 36 and 37, Lithodemic units of the North American stratigraphic code

Currently the North American Stratigraphic Code, (NACSN 2005, Article 37) sets restrictions on the use of the term “complex” for lithodemic units. With exceptions for “volcanic complex” and “structural complex,” a complex must consist of more than one genetic class of rock (i.e., sedimentary, igneous or metamorphic). Thus, the use of the term “complex” to describe masses of intrusive rocks is not
Authors
Robert M. Easton, Lucy E. Edwards, Randall C. Orndorff, Manuel Duguet, Ismael Ferrusquia-Villafranca

Synthesis on Quaternary aeolian research in the unglaciated eastern United States

Late-middle and late Pleistocene, and Holocene, inland aeolian sand and loess blanket >90,000 km2 of the unglaciated eastern United States of America (USA). Deposits are most extensive in the Lower Mississippi Valley (LMV) and Atlantic Coastal Plain (ACP), areas presently lacking significant aeolian activity. They provide evidence of paleoclimate intervals when wind erosion and deposition were dom
Authors
Helaine W. Markewich, Ronald J. Litwin, Douglas A. Wysocki, Milan J. Pavich

Modelling the enigmatic Late Pliocene Glacial Event - Marine Isotope Stage M2

The Pliocene Epoch (5.2 to 2.58 Ma) has often been targeted to investigate the nature of warm climates. However, climate records for the Pliocene exhibit significant variability and show intervals that apparently experienced a cooler than modern climate. Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) M2 (~ 3.3 Ma) is a globally recognisable cooling event that disturbs an otherwise relatively (compared to present-day)
Authors
Aisling M. Dolan, Alan M. Haywood, Stephen J. Hunter, Julia C. Tindall, Harry J. Dowsett, Daniel J. Hill, Steven J. Pickering

Comparison of three preservation techniques for slowing dissolution of calcareous nannofossils in organic rich sediments

In an attempt to halt or reduce dissolution of calcareous nannofossils in organic and/or pyrite-rich sediments, three different methods of short-term storage preservation were tested for efficacy: vacuum packing, argon gas replacement, and buffered water. Abundance counts of calcareous nannofossil assemblages over a six month period showed that none of the three preservation methods were consisten
Authors
Ellen Seefelt, Jean Self-Trail, Arthur P. Schultz

Testing a small UAS for mapping artisanal diamond mining sites in Africa

Remote sensing technology is advancing at an unprecedented rate. At the forefront of the new technological developments are unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). The advent of small, lightweight, low-cost, and user-friendly UAS is greatly expanding the potential applications of remote sensing technology and improving the set of tools available to researchers seeking to map and monitor terrain from abov
Authors
Katherine C. Malpeli, Peter G. Chirico

Biological indicators of changes in water quality and habitats of the coastal and estuarine areas of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem; Chapter 11

This chapter summarizes the application of various biological indicators to studying the anthropogenic and natural changes in water quality and habitats that have occurred in the coastal and estuarine areas of the Greater Everglades ecosystem.
Authors
Anna Wachnicka, G. Lynn Wingard

Geotechnical aspects in the epicentral region of the 2011, Mw5.8 Mineral, Virginia earthquake

A reconnaissance team documented the geotechnical and geological aspects in the epicentral region of the Mw (moment magnitude) 5.8 Mineral, Virginia (USA), earthquake of 23 August 2011. Tectonically and seismically induced ground deformations, evidence of liquefaction, rock slides, river bank slumps, ground subsidence, performance of earthen dams, damage to public infrastructure and lifelines, and
Authors
Russell A. Green, Samuel Lasley, Mark W. Carter, Jeffrey W. Munsey, Brett W. Maurer, Martitia P. Tuttle

Evidence for large compositional ranges in coeval melts erupted from Kīlauea's summit reservoir

Petrologic observations on Kīlauea's lavas include abundant microprobe analyses of glasses, which show the range of melts available in Kīlauea's summit reservoir over time. During the past two centuries, compositions of melts erupted within the caldera have been limited to MgO = 6.3–7.5 wt%. Extracaldera lavas of the 1959, 1971, and 1974 eruptions contain melts with up to 10.2, 8.9, and 9.2 wt% Mg
Authors
Rosalind T. Helz, David A. Clague, Larry G. Mastin, Timothy R. Rose

High influx of carbon in walls of agglutinated foraminifers during the Permian-Triassic transition in global oceans

The Permian–Triassic mass extinction is postulated to be related to the rapid volcanism that produced the Siberian flood basalt (Traps). Unrelated volcanic eruptions producing several episodes of ash falls synchronous with the Siberian Traps are found in South China and Australia. Such regional eruptions could have caused wildfires, burning of coal deposits, and the dispersion of coal fly ash. The
Authors
Galina P. Nestell, Merlynd K. Nestell, Brooks B. Ellwood, Bruce R. Wardlaw, Asish R. Basu, Nilotpal Ghosh, Luu Thi Phuong Lan, Harry D. Rowe, Andrew G. Hunt, Jonathan H. Tomkin, Kenneth T. Ratcliffe

Taxonomic revision of deep-sea Ostracoda from the Arctic Ocean

Taxonomic revision of deep-sea Ostracoda from the Arctic Ocean was conducted to reduce taxonomic uncertainty that will improve our understanding of species ecology, biogeography and relationship to faunas from other deep-sea regions. Fifteen genera and 40 species were examined and (re-)illustrated with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy images, covering most of known deep-sea species in
Authors
Moriaki Yasuhara, Anna Stepanova, Hisayo Okahashi, Thomas M. Cronin, Elisabeth M. Brouwers

An early to mid-Pleistocene deep Arctic Ocean ostracode fauna with North Atlantic affinities

An early to middle Pleistocene ostracode fauna was discovered in sediment core P1-93-AR-23 (P23, 76.95°N, 155.07°W) from 951 meter water depth from the Northwind Ridge, western Arctic Ocean. Piston core P23 yielded more than 30,000 specimens and a total of about 30 species. Several early to mid-Pleistocene species in the genera Krithe,Echinocythereis, Pterygocythereis, and Arcacythere are now exti
Authors
Lauren H. DeNinno, Thomas M. Cronin, J. Rodriquez-Lazaro, Alec R. Brenner