Low Spreading Rates Research Articles

Pronounced modification of the wetting and spreading behavior of molten Ag-Cu alloy on TC4 substrate in response to high magnetic fields

This study investigated the wetting of TC4 substrate by molten Ag-Cu alloy under various high magnetic fields (HMFs) during the heating process. By examining changes in melt morphology, variations in contact angle, and characterizing the interface microstructure, we elucidated the underlying mechanism through which HMFs affected wetting behavior. The findings suggest that higher magnetic flux density resulted in smaller contact angles and more extensive spreading at the same temperature, culminating in a greater final spreading diameter. However, there was no significant difference in the final contact angle under various HMFs. Moreover, higher magnetic flux density resulted in a longer precursor zone and thicker reaction layer. The composition of precursor zones and reaction layers remained consistent with and without an HMF. The spreading process was divided into two stages regardless of the presence or absence of an HMF. In the absence of an HMF, the sluggish formation and spreading of precursor zone led to a lower spreading rate in the first spreading stage. Subsequently, as temperature rose, interface reactions drove rapid melt spreading, accelerating the spreading rate during the second spreading stage. In the presence of HMFs, the strong thermo-electromagnetic convection within melt and at liquid/solid interface notably promoted interface reactions and rapid formation of precursor zones, leading to a substantially heightened spreading rate in the first spreading stage. The slowing reaction rate and the limited volume of the melt collectively resulted in a slower spreading rate in the second spreading stage. This study provides new insights into modifying reactive wetting, with potential applications in advanced brazing techniques.

Teleseismic Indication of Magmatic and Tectonic Activities at Slow- and Ultraslow-Spreading Ridges

Magmatic and tectonic processes in the formation of oceanic lithosphere at slow–ultraslow-spreading mid-ocean ridges (MORs) are more complicated relative to faster-spreading ridges, as their melt flux is overall low, with highly spatial and temporal variations. Here, we use the teleseismic catalog of magnitudes over 4 between 1995 and 2020 from the International Seismological Center to investigate the characteristics of magmatic and tectonic activities at the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge and Arctic Gakkel Ridge and the slow-spreading North Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Carlsberg Ridge (total length of 14,300 km). Using the single-link cluster analysis technique, we identify 78 seismic swarms (≥8 events), 877 sequences (2–7 events), and 3543 single events. Seismic swarms often occur near the volcanic center of second-order segments, presumably relating to relatively robust magmatism. By comparing the patterns of seismicity between ultraslow- and slow-spreading ridges, and between melt-rich and melt-poor regions of the Southwest Indian Ridge with distinct seafloor morphologies, we demonstrate that a lower spreading rate and a lower melt supply correspond to a higher seismicity rate and a higher potential of large volcano-induced seismic swarms, probably due to a thicker and colder lithosphere with a higher degree of along-axis melt focusing there.

Spatio-temporal instabilities in viscoelastic channel flows: The centre mode

We study in this work the spatio-temporal characteristics of the centre-mode linear instability in viscoelastic channel flows of Oldroyd-B and FENE-P fluids. The linear complex Ginzburg–Landau equation derived using an amplitude expansion method is adopted to determine whether the flow is convectively unstable or absolutely unstable. Comparison of the obtained results with those from the conventional saddle-point searching method shows a favourable agreement. This demonstrates the good predictability of the linear complex Ginzburg–Landau equation which is more suitable for a parametric study in a large space than the conventional method. We found that the centre-mode instability in the viscoelastic channel flow is of a convective nature, i.e., the trailing edge of the wavepacket travels downstream. This could be attributed to the relatively high phase speed, low spreading rate and low growth rate of the instability, collectively preventing a disturbance from travelling upstream. Our results show that stronger polymer elasticity (a greater elastic number or larger polymer concentration) marginally affects the trailing-edge velocity of the centre mode. Decreasing the maximum polymer extensibility in the FENE-P model reduces the spreading rate of the wavepacket and makes the centre-mode disturbance more convective. Theoretical derivations at asymptotically high Reynolds numbers confirm the convective nature of the instabilities from numerical observations. Our results may be conducive to a better understanding of the spatio-temporal instability in viscoelastic experiments.

Wettability Scope of MoS2-Ionic Liquid Interfaces and Their Modification toward Novel Superhydrophobic Boundaries.

In the past two decades, much interest has been given to properties and applications of 2D materials, mainly molybdenum disulfide (MoS2). Understanding how liquids (particularly green liquids) interact with and wet the surfaces of the 2D materials has become essential to engineering synthesis methods and their applications. We used molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to model the wetting behavior and interfacial structure of imidazolium-based ([BMIM][BF4] and [BMIM][NTf2]) ionic liquid (IL) nanodroplets on various (1T-, 2H-, 3R-, and P-) MoS2 crystal surfaces. The extent of the hydrophobicity, structure of the crystal surface, and anion types lead to a significantly different spreading mechanism and wetting behavior at room temperature. [BMIM][BF4] IL spreads well on any MoS2 surface, showing high and low spreading rates on 3R-MoS2 and P-MoS2, respectively. The slow spreading rate and wetting behavior on P-MoS2 are influenced by the morphology and unique atom organization in terms of cavities and kinks. The equilibrated configuration for hydrophobic [BMIM][NTf2] IL displayed an abnormal no-spreading structure on any MoS2 surface. Conclusively, the newly developed P-MoS2 structure found to possess a surface with stronger hydrophobicity than that of other crystal structures of MoS2. We elucidate and present detailed aspects of surface modification of P-MoS2 with a selected fluorooctylsilane coating to reach a superhydrophobic surface. In addition to assessing the fluorooctylsilane features by quantum chemical calculations in favor of film stability, the coating quality and suitability were vastly confirmed by the simulation of IL wetting behavior and the calculated contact angle (CA) of more than 150°. Therefore, the results of this work shed light on composite materials to generate a novel 2D superhydrophobic surface via a qualified fluorooctylsilane coating on the P-MoS2 substrate.

Models for COVID-19 Daily Confirmed Cases in Different Countries

In this paper, daily confirmed cases of COVID-19 in different countries are modelled using different mathematical regression models. The curve fitting is used as a prediction tool for modeling both past and upcoming coronavirus waves. According to virus spreading and average annual temperatures, countries under study are classified into three main categories. First category, the first wave of the coronavirus takes about two-year seasons (about 180 days) to complete a viral cycle. Second category, the first wave of the coronavirus takes about one-year season (about 90 days) to complete the first viral cycle with higher virus spreading rate. These countries take stopping periods with low virus spreading rate. Third category, countries that take the highest virus spreading rate and the viral cycle complete without stopping periods. Finally, predictions of different upcoming scenarios are made and compared with actual current smoothed daily confirmed cases in these countries.

WINTERC-G: mapping the upper mantle thermochemical heterogeneity from coupled geophysical–petrological inversion of seismic waveforms, heat flow, surface elevation and gravity satellite data

SUMMARYWe present a new global thermochemical model of the lithosphere and underlying upper mantle constrained by state of the art seismic waveform inversion, satellite gravity (geoid and gravity anomalies and gradiometric measurements from ESA's GOCE mission), surface elevation and heat flow data: WINTERC-G. The model is based upon an integrated geophysical–petrological approach where seismic velocities and density in the mantle are computed within a thermodynamically self-consistent framework, allowing for a direct parametrization in terms of the temperature and composition variables. The complementary sensitivities of the data sets allow us to constrain the geometry of the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary, to separate thermal and compositional anomalies in the mantle, and to obtain a proxy for dynamic surface topography. At long spatial wavelengths, our model is generally consistent with previous seismic (or seismically derived) global models and earlier integrated studies incorporating surface wave data at lower lateral resolution. At finer scales, the temperature, composition and density distributions in WINTERC-G offer a new state of the art image at a high resolution globally (225 km average interknot spacing). Our model shows that the deepest lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary is associated with cratons and, also, some tectonically active areas (Andes, Persian Gulf). Among cratons we identify considerable differences in temperature and composition. The North American and Siberian Cratons are thick (>260 km) and compositionally refractory, whereas the Sino-Korean, Aldan and Tanzanian Cratons have a thinner, fertile lithosphere, similar to younger continental lithosphere elsewhere. WINTERC-G shows progressive thickening of oceanic lithosphere with age, but with significant regional differences: the lithospheric mantle beneath the Atlantic and Indian Oceans is, on average, colder, more fertile and denser than that beneath the Pacific Ocean. Our results suggest that the composition, temperature and density of the oceanic mantle lithosphere are related to the spreading rate for the rates up to 50–60 mm yr–1: the lower spreading rate, the higher the mantle fertility and density, and the lower the temperature. At greater spreading rates, the relationship disappears. The 1-D radial average of WINTERC-G displays a mantle geothermal gradient of 0.55–0.6 K km–1 and a potential temperature of 1300–1320 °C for depths >200 km. At the top of the mantle transition zone the amplitude of the maximum lateral temperature variations (cratons versus hotspots) is about 120 K. The isostatic residual topography values, a proxy for dynamic topography, are large (>1 km) mostly in active subduction settings. The residual isostatic bathymetry from WINTERC-G is remarkably similar to the pattern independently determined based on oceanic crustal data compilations. The amplitude of the continental residual topography is relatively large and positive (>600 m) in the East European Craton, Greenland, and the Andes and Himalayas. By contrast, central Asia, most of Antarctica, southern South America and, to a lesser extent, central Africa are characterized by negative residual topography values (>–400 m). Our results show that a substantial part of the topography signal previously identified as residual (or dynamic) is accounted for, isostatically, by lithospheric density variations.

Optimal Planting Distance in a Simple Model of Habitat Restoration With an Allee Effect

Ecological restoration is emerging as an important strategy to improve the recovery of degraded lands and to combat habitat and biodiversity loss worldwide. One central unresolved question revolves around the optimal spatial design for outplanted propagules that maximizes restoration success. Essentially, two contrasting paradigms exist: the first aims to plant propagules in dispersed arrangements to minimize competitive interactions. In contrast, ecological theory and recent field experiments emphasize the importance of positive species interactions, suggesting instead clumped planting configurations. However, planting too many propagules too closely is likely to waste restoration resources as larger clumps have less edges and have relatively lower spread rates. Thus, given the constraint of limited restoration efforts, there should be an optimal planting distance that both is able to harness positive species interactions but at the same time maximizes spread in the treated area. To explore these ideas, here we propose a simple mathematical model that tests the influence of positive species interactions on the optimal design of restoration efforts. We model the growth and spatial spread of a population starting from different initial conditions that represent either clumped or dispersed configurations of planted habitat patches in bare substrate. We measure the spatio-temporal development of the population, its relative and absolute growth rates as well as the time-discounted population size and its dependence on the presence of an Allee effect. Finally, we assess whether clumped or dispersed configurations perform better in our models and qualitatively compare the simulation outcomes with a recent wetland restoration experiment in a coastal wetland. Our study shows that intermediate clumping is likely to maximize plant spread under medium and high stress conditions (high occurrence of positive interactions) while dispersed designs maximize growth under low stress conditions where competitive interactions dominate. These results highlight the value of mathematical modeling for optimizing the efficiency of restoration efforts and call for integration of this theory into practice.

Models for COVID-19 Daily Confirmed Cases in Different Countries

In this paper daily confirmed cases of COVID -19 in different countries are modelled using different mathematical regression models. The mathematical curve fitting is used as a prediction tool to model both pervious and next upcoming Coronavirus waves. The used models cover virus spreading from 1/3/2020 to 10/4/2021. According to virus spreading, countries under study in this paper are categorized into three main categories. First category in which Coronavirus first wave takes about two year seasons (about 180 days) to make a complete virus cycle. Second category is countries with higher transmission rates with one year season (about 90 days) to make the first complete virus cycle. These countries take offline periods with low spreading rates. The third category is countries with the highest transmission rates and make complete virus cycles without offline periods. All categories are modelled with different mathematical fitting models. Finally, predictions of different upcoming scenarios for these countries are made.Funding Statement: The research is partially supported by P.R.I.N. 2019 and the RUDN University Program 5-100".Declaration of Interests: The authors have no competing interests.

Lithogeochemistry of the Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts near the Fossil Ridge of the Southwest Sub-Basin, South China Sea

Mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) in the South China Sea (SCS) record deep crust-mantle processes during seafloor spreading. We conducted a petrological and geochemical study on the MORBs obtained from the southwest sub-basin of the SCS at site U1433 and U1434 of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 349. Results show that MORBs at IODP site U1433 and U1434 are unaffected by seawater alteration, and all U1433 and the bulk of U1434 rocks belong to the sub-alkaline low-potassium tholeiitic basalt series. Samples collected from site U1433 and U1434 are enriched mid-ocean ridge basalts (E-MORBs), and the U1434 basalts are more enriched in incompatible elements than the U1433 samples. The SCS MORBs have mainly undergone the fractional crystallization of olivine, accompanied by the relatively weak fractional crystallization of plagioclase and clinopyroxene during magma evolution. The magma of both sites might be mainly produced by the high-degree partial melting of spinel peridotite at low pressures. The degree of partial melting at site U1434 was lower than at U1433, ascribed to the relatively lower spreading rate. The magmatic source of the southwest sub-basin basalts may be contaminated by lower continental crust and contributed by recycled oceanic crust component during the opening of the SCS.

A Recent Volcanic Eruption Discovered on the Central Mariana Back-Arc Spreading Center

Submarine volcanic eruptions are difficult to detect because they are hidden from view at the bottom of the ocean and far from land-based sensors. However, most of Earth’s volcanic activity is in the oceans along tectonic plate boundaries, and modern tools of oceanography now allow us to find and study recent eruptions in the deep sea. The first known historical eruption on the Mariana back-arc spreading center was discovered in December 2015 during exploration of the southern back-arc for new hydrothermal vent sites. A water-column survey along the axis of the back-arc showed hydrothermal plumes over the site characterized by low particle concentrations and relatively high reduced chemical anomalies. A dive with the autonomous underwater vehicle Sentry collected high-resolution (1 m) multibeam sonar bathymetry over the site, followed by a near-bottom photographic survey of a smaller area. The photo survey revealed the presence of a pristine, dark, glassy lava flow on the seafloor with no sediment cover. Venting of milky hydrothermal fluid indicated that the lava flow was still warm and therefore very young. A comparison of multibeam sonar bathymetry collected by R/V Falkor in December 2015, to the most recent previous survey of the area by R/V Melville in February 2013, revealed large depth changes in the same area, effectively bracketing the timing of the eruption within a window of less than 3 years. The bathymetric comparison shows the eruption produced a string of lava flows with maximum thicknesses of 40–138 m along a distance of 7.3 km (from latitude 15∘22.3′ to 15∘26.3′N) between depths of 4050–4450 m bsl (meters below sea level), making this the deepest known historical submarine volcanic eruption on Earth. The cross-axis width of the lava flows is 200–800 m. The Sentry bathymetry shows that the new lava flows are constructed of steep-sided hummocky pillow mounds and are surrounded by older flows with similar morphology. In April and December 2016, two dives were made on the new lava flows by remotely operated vehicles Deep Discoverer and SuBastian. The pillow lavas have many small glassy buds on the steep flanks of the mounds, locally thick accumulations of hydrothermal sediment near the tops of mounds, and small cones of radiating pillows at their summits. The 2015–2016 observations show a rapidly declining hydrothermal system on the lava flows, suggesting that the eruption had occurred only months before its discovery in December 2015. The morphology of the pillow lavas is similar to other historical eruption sites, so the greater depth and ambient pressure of this site had no apparent effect on the processes of lava extrusion and emplacement. This study reveals that some segments of the Mariana back-arc have active magmatic systems despite the relatively low spreading rate, and that other eruptions are possible in the near future.

High temperature wettability between CMAS and YSZ coating with tailored surface microstructures

In the present work, the wetting behavior of molten calcium-magnesium-aluminum-silicate (CMAS) on femtosecond laser ablated YSZ coatings is comparatively studied. The results suggest that femtosecond laser ablated coating possesses smaller initial contact angle compared with as-sprayed or polished YSZ coatings, but lower spreading rate and larger equilibrium contact angle. This difference can be attributed to: 1) restricted CMAS spreading by the ablated squares through pinning the solid-liquid-vapor triple-phase contact line; 2) retarded CMAS penetration by microrod-shaped structure inside the ablated squares. This study provides an effective method to improve the CMAS resistance of YSZ coating by femtosecond laser.

Effects of rewiring strategies on information spreading in complex dynamic networks

Recent advances in networks and communication services have attracted much interest to understand information spreading in social networks. Consequently, numerous studies have been devoted to provide effective and accurate models for mimicking information spreading. However, knowledge on how to spread information faster and more widely remains a contentious issue. Yet, most existing works are based on static networks which limit the reality of dynamism of entities that participate in information spreading. Using the SIR epidemic model, this study explores and compares effects of two rewiring models (Fermi–Dirac and Linear functions) on information spreading in scale free and small world networks. Our results show that for all the rewiring strategies, the spreading influence replenishes with time but stabilizes in a steady state at later time-steps. This means that information spreading takes-off during the initial spreading steps, after which the spreading prevalence settles toward its equilibrium, with majority of the population having recovered and thus, no longer affecting the spreading. Meanwhile, rewiring strategy based on Fermi-Dirac distribution function in one way or another impedes the spreading process, however, the structure of the networks mimic the spreading, even with a low spreading rate. The worst case can be when the spreading rate is extremely small. The results emphasize that despite a big role of such networks in mimicking the spreading, the role of the parameters cannot be simply ignored. Apparently, the probability of giant degree neighbors being informed grows much faster with the rewiring strategy of linear function compared to that of Fermi-Dirac distribution function. Clearly, rewiring model based on linear function generates the fastest spreading across the networks. Therefore, if we are interested in speeding up the spreading process in stochastic modeling, linear function may play a pivotal role.

Controls on melting at spreading ridges from correlated abyssal peridotite – mid-ocean ridge basalt compositions

Variations in the volume and major element composition of basalt erupted along the global mid-ocean ridge system have been attributed to differences in mantle potential temperature, mantle composition, or plate spreading rate and lithosphere thickness. Abyssal peridotites, the residues of mantle melting beneath mid-ocean ridges, provide additional information on the melting process, which could be used to test these hypotheses. We compiled a global database of abyssal peridotite compositions averaged over the same ridge segments defined by Gale et al. (2013). In addition, we calculated the distance of each ridge segment to the nearest hotspots.We show that Cr# in spinel in abyssal peridotites is negatively correlated with Na90 in basalts from the same ridge segments on a global scale. Ridge segments that erupt basalts apparently produced by larger degrees of mantle melting are thus underlain by peridotites from which large amounts of melt have been extracted. We find that near-ridge hotspots have a more widespread influence on mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) composition and ridge depth than previously thought. However, when these hotspot-influenced ridge segments are excluded, the remaining segments show clear relationships between MORB composition, peridotite composition, and ridge depth with spreading rate. Very slow-spreading ridges (<20 mm/yr) are deeper, erupt basalts with higher Na90, Al90, K90/Ti90, and lower Fe90, Ca90/Al90, and expose peridotites with lower Cr# than intermediate and fast-spreading ridges.We show that away from hotspots, the spreading-rate dependence of the maximum degree of mantle melting inferred from Cr# in peridotites (FM) and the bulk degree of melting inferred from Na90 in basalts (FB) from the same ridge segments is unlikely to be due to variations in mantle composition. Nor can the effects of dynamic mantle upwelling or incomplete melt extraction at low spreading rates satisfactorily explain the observed compositions of abyssal peridotites and MORB from very slow-spreading ridges. Instead, the distinctive compositions of abyssal peridotites and MORB from very slow-spreading ridges could result from the presence of a thick lithospheric lid, leading to a lower average degree of melting, and a higher contribution to melting from more fertile mantle lithologies. Alternatively, spreading rate influences the thermal structure of the upper mantle such that the mantle beneath very slow-spreading ridges is cooler.

Numerical analysis of characteristic features of shallow and deep cavity in supersonic flow

abstractFlow past open cavities are numerically simulated at a Mach number of 1.5, and Reynolds number, based on initial momentum thickness at the front lip of cavity, of 3333 for variable depths (D) with constant length (L). The dominant frequency of oscillation shows a sudden jump when there is a transition from shallow (L/D > 1) to deep cavity (L/D < 1). The vorticity thickness displays two different growth rates along the length of cavity: (1) initial lower spreading rate, followed by (2) higher spreading rate. The lower spreading rate of shear layer is dictated by the type of cavity (either shallow or deep), while the higher spreading rate is directly related to the amplitude of oscillations. Proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) is implemented to visualise the coherent structures based on their energy content. The first two POD spatial structures in the shallow cavity represent vortex shedding, while in the deep cavity, they comprise vortex pairing interactions as in mixing layer. The higher POD modes contain coherent structures at mixed frequencies. The behaviour of coherent structures associated with a temporal frequency is further investigated using dynamic mode decomposition (DMD). The higher DMD modes confirm the dominance of mixing layer behaviour in the deep cavity.

Fluid–rock interaction during seprentinization of oceanic ultramafic rocks hosting the Lost City hydrothermal field, 30° N, MAR

The estimation of the fluid/rock (W/R) ratio during serpentinization on the basis of oxygen isotope characteristics is peculiar, because this process is accompanied by not only changes in the stoichiometric proportions of oxygen in fluid and rock, but also by the formation of associated minerals. These factors should be taken into account for environments when the volume of aqueous fluid is limited, for instance, for serpentinization of the deep-seated rocks of oceanic lithosphere under low spreading rates. We studied isotope characteristics of samples collected in dives of submersible MIR during Cruise 50 of the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh along vertical profile on the southern slope of the Atlantis Massif, which hosts the Lost City hydrothermal field. Almost all studied serpentinites have homogenous strontium isotope composition corresponding to the composition of the modern seawater. Oxygen isotope composition of these serpentinites shows systematic variations from 2. 6 to 6.1‰ with sampling depth, which indicates the preservation of stratigraphic position of samples in the sequence of the Atlantis Massif and the global serpentinization of the entire plutonic sequence. The value of the fluid–rock ratio during serpentinization in a system closed to fluid was estimated using the dissolution–crystallization model. This model takes into account the variable stoichiometry of oxygen and the effect of the simultaneous crystallization of brucite on the oxygen isotope composition of newly formed serpentine. The results show that at moderately elevated temperatures (≈300°C) and 0.1 270°C and W/R ratio <1. These conditions are similar to those of serpentinization of harzburgites from the lower parts of the studied sequence of the Atlantis Massif.

Effect of latent heat of freezing on crustal generation at low spreading rates

AbstractLithospheric structure changes at low spreading rates (&lt;40 mm a−1), such that steady state molten rock cannot exist above the normal Moho depth of ∼6 km. Dredge statistics of recovered lithologies indicate that the percentage of basalt is significantly decreased compared to faster ridges and that the mode of crust generation is variable. One important effect on lithospheric structure is the latent heat released when basaltic magma freezes within the mantle, instead of being transported all the way to the surface. Using thermal models, we show that freezing of melt at mantle depths buffers temperature due to the latent heat of crystallization. Two quasi‐stable seafloor‐spreading patterns are imposed on the model: (1) upwelling of magma along a narrow axial zone and (2) pure shear extension over a broad zone. The variability in crustal structure predicted by these models explains variability observed in dredge lithology statistics at eight slow to ultraslow spreading ridge segments. For example, the Gakkel Eastern Volcanic Zone and Sparsely Magmatic Zone are both spreading at 12 mm a−1, but the former is composed of 7% peridotite, whereas the latter is 46% peridotite. This difference can be explained by a change from a narrow axis regime with ∼2 km thick crust to a wide axis regime with a crust‐mantle mix. Overall, dredge statistics and thermal models suggest that some, but not all, latent heat of ascending magmas is released at mantle depths and that various ridge axial morphologies can occur.

The petrogenesis of plagioclase‐phyric basalts at mid‐ocean ridges

Plagioclase ultraphyric basalts (PUBs) have been sampled along most mid‐ocean ridges with ultraslow to intermediate spreading rates. Over the past 40 years, the prevalent models for their origin assume positive buoyancy of plagioclase in basaltic liquids resulting in selective concentration of plagioclase phenocrysts by floatation. However, when the global population of PUB lavas is examined, this hypothesis becomes less compelling. PUB host lavas demonstrate a large range of compositions and densities, similar to aphyric glasses from the same ridge segments. Most importantly, the majority of PUB host liquids are less dense than their phenocryst cargo, meaning that plagioclase floatation within a magma chamber cannot be the driving force for phenocryst enrichment. Furthermore, PUB lavas have never been sampled on axis at fast‐spreading centers or from locations with noted contemporaneous axial magma chambers, where PUBs should be abundant if plagioclase is buoyant in mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB). Instead, we argue that the high modal abundance of plagioclase results from interaction between magma and preexisting zones of crystal cumulates within the lower crust, possibly followed by loss of olivine during magma ascent. PUBs erupt when the magma maintains an ascent velocity greater than the settling rate of the plagioclase phenocrysts, which precludes long crustal residence times for these magmas. In addition to being a proxy for lower spreading rates, our findings also suggest that PUB eruption can also be used as a proxy for the absence of a magma chamber or transport through a conduit system that bypassed an axial chamber.

Identification of the effects of the nozzle-exit boundary-layer thickness and its corresponding Reynolds number in initially highly disturbed subsonic jets

The influence of the nozzle-exit boundary-layer thickness in isothermal round jets at a Mach number of 0.9 and at diameter Reynolds numbers ReD ≃ 5 × 104 is investigated using large-eddy simulations. The originality of this work is that, contrary to previous studies on the topic, the jets are initially highly disturbed, and that the effects of the boundary-layer thickness are explored jointly on the exit turbulence, the shear-layer and jet flow characteristics, and the acoustic field. The jets originate from a pipe of radius r0, and exhibit, at the exit, peak disturbance levels of 9% of the jet velocity, and mean velocity profiles similar to laminar boundary-layer profiles of thickness δ0 = 0.09r0, 0.15r0, 0.25r0, or 0.42r0, yielding 99% velocity thicknesses between 0.07r0 and 0.34r0 and momentum thicknesses δθ(0) between 0.012r0 and 0.05r0. Two sets of computations are reported to distinguish, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, between the effects of the ratio δ0/r0 and of the Reynolds number Reθ based on δθ(0). First, four jets with a fixed diameter, hence at a constant Reynolds number ReD = 5 × 104 giving Reθ = 304, 486, 782, and 1288 depending on δ0, are considered. In this case, due to the increase in Reθ, thickening the initial shear layers mainly results in a weaker mixing-layer development with lower spreading rates and turbulence intensities, and reduced sound levels at all emission angles. Second, four jets at Reynolds numbers ReD between 1.8 × 104 and 8.3 × 104, varying so as to obtain Reθ ≃ 480 in all simulations, are examined. Here, increasing δ0/r0 has a limited impact on the mixing-layer key features, but clearly leads to a shorter potential core, a more rapid velocity decay, and higher fluctuations on the jet axis, and stronger noise in the downstream direction. Similar trends can be expected for high-Reynolds-number jets in which viscosity plays a negligible role.

Predictability Associated with Nonlinear Regimes in an Atmospheric Model

Abstract Atmospheric regimes are midlatitude flow patterns that persist for periods of time exceeding a few days. Here, the authors analyzed the output of an idealized atmospheric model (QG3) to examine the relationship between regimes and predictability. The regimes were defined as the regions of the QG3 phase subspace characterized by excess persistence probability relative to a benchmark linear empirical model (EMR) for geographically two-dimensional and then zonally averaged flow patterns. The regimes identified correspond to the opposite phases of the Arctic Oscillation (AO+ and AO−) and to a more regional pattern reflecting the positive phase of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO+). For all of these phase-space regime regions, the leading modes of the QG3 state vector decay to climatology at a slower rate than predicted by the EMR, which contributes to the maintenance of non-Gaussian regime anomalies. Predictable regimes are connected to “regime precursor” regions of the phase space, from which trajectories flow into regime regions following mean phase-space velocities. Packets of trajectories originating from these regions are characterized by anomalously low spreading rates due to a combination of low local stochastic diffusivity and convergence of the nonlinear component of mean phase-space velocities along the trajectory pathways. While unpredictable regimes do have precursor regions, trajectories emanating from these regions are characterized by relatively high spreading rates. The predictable regimes AO+ and AO− are insensitive to the metric used to identify the regimes; however, the unpredictable regime NAO+ in the 2D space is not directly associated with its zonal-metric counterpart.

Dynamic Spreading of Polar Liquids on Offset Papers

The aim of this study was to investigate the spreading of sessile drops of polar probe liquids (water and ethylene glycol) on pigment coated offset papers. Furthermore, existing theoretical models for spreading were applied to evaluate the experimental results. The hydrodynamic model gave a better fit to the results at lower spreading rates, while the molecular-kinetic theory gave a good fit over a larger velocity range. Factors introduced to correct for the exponential dependency on time of the drop base radius and its contact angle can be interpreted as coupled processes. Differences in the spreading between the papers were found to correlate with the acid and base components of the surface energy, rather than with differences in surface roughness.