Step-wise extinctions at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary and their climatic implications

A comparative study of planktonic foraminifera and radiolarian assemblages from the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary section of the Beloc Formation in the southern Peninsula of Haiti, and the lowermost Danian sequence of the Micara Formation in southern Cuba reveals a remarkable pattern of step-wise extinctions. This pattern is consistent in both places despite the widely different lithologies of the two formations. Because of a step-wise extinction and the delayed disappearance of taxa known to be more representative of cooler water realms, it is inferred that a cooling trend which characterized the close of the Maastrichtian and the onset of the Tertiary had the major adverse effect on the existing biota. Although repetitive lithologic and faunal fluctuations throughout the Maastrichtian sediments found at Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) site 146/149 in the Caribbean Sea indicate variations reminiscent of known climatically induced cycles in the Cenozoic, rapid biotic succession appears to have taken place during a crisis period of a duration greater than 2 mission years. Widespread and abundant volcanic activities recorded in the Caribbean area during the crisis period gives further credence to earlier contention that intense volcanism may have played a major role in exhacerbating pre-existing climatic conditions during that time

Identifikasi Potensi Antioksidan Dalam Minuman Coklat Dari Kakao Lindak (Theobroma Cacao L.) Dengan Berbagai Cara Preparasi: Metode Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (Frap)

Cocoa has been proved to be a source of antioxidant. This study aimed to determine the effect of chocolate drinks preparation to the ability of antioxidants to reduce Ferric Tripyridyl triazine complex (Fe III TPTZ) to Ferro form. This research used a single factor, Chocolate Drinks Preparation Methods consisted of four treatments (P), dissolving the cocoa powder in room temperature water (P1), dissolving cocoa powder in boiled water (P2), dissolving cocoa powders in room temperature water then heated until boiling (P3), and dissolving cocoa powders in room temperature water then heated until boiling using microwave oven (P4). Each treatment was repeated two times. The experiment units were randomized using Randomized Block Design with ability of antioxidants to reduce Ferric Tripyridyl Triazine (Fe III TPTZ) complex to Ferro form as parameter. The effect was analyzed using analysis ANOVA at α = 5% then continued with Duncan Multiple Range Test α = 5% to determine the level of treatment that gives significant difference. The results showed that preparation methods had significant effect on total phenolic contents in chocolate drinks but showed no significant effect on total flavonoid contents ((+)-catechin nor (-)-epicatechin) and the ability of antioxidants to reduce Ferric Tripyridyl triazine complex (Fe III TPTZ) to Ferro form. Total phenolic content of samples was 16,1 – 28,6 mg GAE/ g chocolate powder. Total flavanoid content was 18,8 – 27,4 mg CE/g chocolate powder and 36,0 – 47,3 mg ECE/g chocolate powder. Cacao\u27s antioxidant capacity to reduce Fe3+ to Fe2+ was 136,2 – 168,5 mM Fe(II)/L

Productividad cianobacteriana, variaciones del carbono orgánico y facies de la Formación Indidura (Cenomaniano-Turoniano), noreste de México

Las rocas de edad Cenomaniano-Turoniano normalmente asignadas a la Formación de Indidura en México nororiental (Estado de Coahuila) contienen facies distintivas que son indicativas de una variabilidad espacial importante a través de la plataforma de carbonatos. Se han seleccionado tres secciones estratigráficas para probar si estas diferencias existen. La sección de Las Delicias (estratotipo) esta caracterizada por capas naranja claro de biocalciruditas (10-30 centímetros de espesor). Las estructuras internas primarias están ausentes. Los aloquímicos consisten esencialmente en asociaciones ricas en fósiles de equinodermos, pelecípodos, así como amonitas y foraminíferos planctónicos. El contenido de carbonato total (CaCO3) varía entre 48% y 94%, y el contenido de carbono total orgánico (TOC) entre 0,7% y 1,5%.La sección del Cañón La Casita, está al sureste de Las Delicias. Esta consiste en capas café claro amarillento de biocalcilutitas y lutitas laminadas verde oliva a grises con espesores de 3 a 30 cm. No se observa ninguna estructura interna deposicional; en las secciones delgadas se observa claramente abundante bioturbación. Los aloquímicos esencialmente son fragmentos esparcidos de foraminíferos planctónicos y radiolarios concentrados en madrigueras. El carbonato total (CaCo3) varía entre el 0,8% y 59,3%, mientras que el TOC varia entre el 0,17% y 5,8%. En contraste con estas sucesiones pobremente laminadas, en la Sierra de Parras, al sur de La Delicias y al oeste de la Casita, la sucesión se presenta como intercalaciones rítmicas de lutitas laminadas grisverdosas y negroparduzcas con espesores de 8 a 200 cm y biocalcilutitas margosas de 5 a 100 cm de espesor. Ambas facies exhiben estructuras internas similares organizadas en forma de laminillas duales paralelas “varvas” de < 3 mm de espesor, que contienen escasos foraminíferos planctónicos esparcidos en las laminillas oscuras. No se hay restos de epifauna, salvo esporádicos pelecípodos (Inocerámidos). El contenido de carbonato total (CaCO3) varía entre 43% y 78,3%, mientras que el contenido de TOC es relativamente alto con valores entre 7,3% y 24,3%, consistentemente superiores a 20%. La observación, de las laminillas presentes en las facies del área de Parras, muestra que sus diferencias composicionales están asociadas a la variabilidad en la abundancia de esferas microscópicas o “micro-oolitos.” Estas estructuras son interpretadas como de un posible origen cianobacteriano y se entienden como ciclos que representan eventos de florecimientos de cianobacterias, las cuales permanecieron dominantes a lo largo de la sucesión. Aún más, las lutitas laminadas y biocalcilutitas negras y ricas en TOC de la región de Parras documentan unas condiciones paleoceanográficas únicas, las cuales estaban caracterizadas por aguas oceánicas relativamente pobres en oxígeno.La distribución de la epifauna y las variaciones de carbón/carbonato en la región de Parras, sugieren que en los fondos de acumulación hubo fuertes eventos rítmicos de disoxia/anoxia. Esto contrasta claramente con los sedimentos de las áreas de Las Delicias y de La Casita, en las que se documentan condiciones del fondo diferentes, donde la epifauna bentónica y la fauna planctónica y nectónica pudieron proliferar. Asumiendo que estas facies son coetáneas, los análisis de microfacies y de TOC de estas rocas demuestran aún más las diferencias entre estas áreas

Paleomagnetic Results from the Cretaceous Dumisseau Formation of Haiti

Paleomagnetic studies of basalts and sediments from the Dumisseau Formation show that: 1) The basalt magnetizations are characterized by very low coercivlty components. The sediments have generally higher but more variable stabilities against alternating field (AF) treatment compared to the basalts. The 200 oe AF mean directions for the Dumlsseau basalt and sediment sites tend to fall near the present geomagnetic dipole field direction corresponding to the Latitude of Haiti. It is suggested that these rocks carry predominantly secondary magnetization of recent origin and there is little evidence for the preservation of remanent magnetization which may correspond to the time of formation of the rock units in the Late Cretaceous. 2) The remanent magnetic properties of the basalts, particularly those from the upper part of the formation in the Dumisseau area, are very similar to those reported for basalts recovered in the Caribbean DSDP Leg 15, Sites 146, 150, 151, 152 and 153, suggesting also similarities in their petrotectonic origin

V838 Monocerotis: the central star and its environment a decade after outburst

Aims. V838 Monocerotis erupted in 2002, brightened in a series of outbursts, and eventually developed a spectacular light echo. A very red star emerged a few months after the outburst. The whole event has been interpreted as the result of a merger. Methods. We obtained near-IR and mid-IR interferometric observations of V838 Mon with the AMBER and MIDI recombiners located at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) array. The MIDI two-beam observations were obtained with the 8m Unit Telescopes between October 2011 and February 2012. The AMBER three-beam observations were obtained with the compact array (B$\leq$m) in April 2013 and the long array (B$\leq$140m) in May 2014, using the 1.8m Auxiliary Telescopes. Results. A significant new result is the detection of a compact structure around V838 Mon, as seen from MIDI data. The extension of the structure increases from a FWHM of 25 mas at 8 {\mu}m to 70 mas at 13 {\mu}m. At the adopted distance of D = 6.1 $\pm$ 0.6 kpc, the dust is distributed from about 150 to 400 AU around V838 Mon. The MIDI visibilities reveal a flattened structure whose aspect ratio increases with wavelength. The major axis is roughly oriented around a position angle of -10 degrees, which aligns with previous polarimetric studies reported in the literature. This flattening can be interpreted as a relic of the 2002 eruption or by the influence of the currently embedded B3V companion. The AMBER data provide a new diameter for the pseudo-photosphere, which shows that its diameter has decreased by about 40% in 10yrs, reaching a radius R$_*$ = 750 $\pm$ 200 R$_{\odot}$ (3.5 $\pm$ 1.0 AU). Conclusions. After the 2002 eruption, interpreted as the merging of two stars, it seems that the resulting source is relaxing to a normal state. The nearby environment exhibits an equatorial over-density of dust up to several hundreds of AU.Comment: Astronomy and Astrophysics (2014) Will be set by the publishe