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The interaction between volcanic processes and glacial ice is termed glaciovolcanism and is a process that is prevalent on Earth and potentially once prevalent on Mars. Such processes are dynamic, forming potentially habitable environments under glacial ice. This work will attempt to describe the glaciovolcanic deposits at the Crazy Hills and Lone Butte in central Washington and evaluate the potential habitability of these glaciovolcanoes. The identification of pillow lavas and thick hyaloclastite beds point to the hosting glacier being at least 300m thick, although precise estimation is not possible at this time. X-ray fluorescence results show that the two provinces shared a magmatic source deep in the mantle and evolved separately to form the Crazy Hills basalt and Lone Butte basaltic andesite. The identification of putative biogenic alteration textures in the pillow rims of the Crazy Hills basalt indicates a stronger potential for habitable conditions in a glaciovolcanic environment.

The viticultural history of Wisconsin started in the 1840s, with the very first vine plantings by Hungarian Agoston Haraszthy on the Wollersheim Winery property located in the Lake Wisconsin American Viticultural Area (AVA). This study examines the terroir of historic Wollersheim Winery, the only winery within the confines of the Lake Wisconsin AVA, to understand the interplay of environmental factors influencing the character and quality as well as the variability of Wollersheim wines. Soil texture, chemistry, and mineralogy in conjunction with precision viticulture tools such as electromagnetic induction and electrical resistivity tomography surveys, are utilized in the Wollersheim Winery terroir characterization and observation of spatially variable terroir at the vineyard scale. Establishing and comparing areas of variability at the plot level for two specific vineyard plots (Domaine Reserve and Lot 19) at Wollersheim Winery provides insight into the effects of soil properties and land characteristics on grape and wine production using precision viticulture tools. The viticultural future of Wisconsin looks quite favorable, as the number of wineries keeps rising to meet the demand for Wisconsin wine and local consumption. As climate change continues to affect the grape varieties cultivated across the world’s wine regions, more opportunities arise for Wisconsin to cultivate cool-climate European varieties, in addition to the American and French–American hybrid varieties currently dominating grape production in this glacially influenced wine region.RÉSUMÉL'histoire viticole du Wisconsin a commencé dans les années 1840, avec les premières plantations de vigne par le Hongrois Agoston Haraszthy sur la propriété du vignoble Wollersheim situé dans la région de l’American Viticultural Area (AVA) du lac Wisconsin. Cette étude porte sur le terroir historique du vignoble Wollersheim, le seul à l'intérieur de l’AVA du lac Wisconsin, qui soit soumis à l'interaction des facteurs environnementaux qui influencent le caractère, la qualité et la variabilité des vins Wollersheim. La caractérisation et l’observation des variations spatiales du terroir à l’échelle du vignoble Wollersheim se font par l’étude de la texture du sol, sa chimie et sa minéralogie en conjonction avec des outils de viticulture de précision comme l'induction électromagnétique et la tomographie par résistivité électrique. En définissant des zones de variabilité au niveau de la parcelle et en les comparant pour deux parcelles de vignobles spécifiques (domaine Reserve et lot 19) du vignoble Wollersheim on peut mieux comprendre les effets des propriétés du sol et des caractéristiques du paysage sur la production de raisin et de vin. Le nombre de vignoble augmentant pour répondre à la demande de vin du Wisconsin et à la demande locale, l'avenir viticole du Wisconsin semble assez prometteur. Comme le changement climatique continue d'influer sur la variétés des cépages cultivés dans les régions viticoles du monde, c’est l’occasion pour le Wisconsin de cultiver des variétés européennes de climat frais, en plus des variétés hybrides américaines et franco–américaines qui dominent actuellement la production de raisin dans ce vin glaciaire région.

An application of trend surface analysis is presented within a space-time framework to predict the rates of sea-level rise for the southern New England coastal region since 10,000 years B.P. Based ...

The common belief currently shared by many geoscientists concerning the climatic interpretation of limestones is that a warm-water environment is essential. This concept is not necessarily true because the rate and extent of terrigenous sediment dilution, rather than water temperature, is the primary factor determining whether or not a limestone forms at nearshore or continental shelf depths. Because carbonate productivity is lowest in cold climates, however, CaCO3 abundance and the thickness of carbonate accumulations tend to be least at high latitudes. In this regard present-day continental shelves and beaches offer a poor model for comparing cold-water and warm-water carbonates because of the generally emergent continental tectonic framework, recent eustatic sea-level changes, and the presence of ice caps at the modern poles. Typically, the influence of climate on non-reef continental shelf and beach environments cannot be clearly distinguished by the presence or absence of major taxonomic groups. Faunal diversity and equitability are more sensitive in this regard. The absence of shelf-depth inorganic carbonate precipitates, micrite envelopes, and peloids may also point to the cold-water origin of a rock. Skeletal mineralogy and oxygen isotopes of certain unrecrystallized carbonates may be good paleoclimatic indicators; however, trace elements and physical-textural attributes of the carbonate fraction are probably temperature insensitive. Previous studies of high-latitude continental shelves have concentrated merely on the abundance of calcareous material and there is seemingly a disproportionate amount of information with respect to low-latitude carbonate studies. Further research on cold-water carbonates may open up new avenues for alternative paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic interpretations.

Polychaete shell-borings are widespread but not often common in Paleozoic strata of most continents, occurring in pelecypod, gastropod, cephalopod, coral, stromatoporoid, crinoid, brachiopod, ectoproct, and calcareous algal skeletons of Ordovician to Permian age. Four genera are known: Vermiforichnus (Spionidae), Ordovician to Permian; Caulostrepsis (Spionidae) , Devonian to Oligocene; Myzoslomites (Myzostomidae), Ordovician to Jurassic: and possibly Conchotrema , Devonian to Permian. The Silurian Citonia sipho is a worm-boring, not a calcareous worm tube, referable to Vermiforichnus . An exceedingly well preserved Devonian fossilized polychaete, Vermiforafacta rollhisi , with complex setigerous parapodia, dorsal cirri, peristomial cirri, prostomium, and tentacle-like palps, occurs entombed in an agglutinated tube-lined worm-boring ( Vermiforichnus ) . It may have been a shell-borer considering its many similarities to the spionid, Polydora , which apparently ecologically replaced it. Like Polydora, Vermiforafacta probably filtered food and sediment from sea water and constructed agglutinated tubes which lined its borings. In bivalves, borings parallel valves and are usually perpendicular to commissures; in massive skeletons, they radiate outward and laterally. Distorted later growth and “blisters” indicate that the host was often alive. Commensal to pathogenic parasitism existed and worms benefited from their hosts's feeding currents and protective shells. One polychaete nestler is reported. Life positions of hosts are sometimes indicated.

"Tadpole nests" are a true biogenic sedimentary structure known only from the Recent. All known occurrences of supposed fossil forms have been disputed and are considered to be interference ripple marks of inorganic rather than of organic origin. Silurian, Carboniferous, and Triassic "tadpole nest"-like structures could not have been produced by tadpoles because frogs did not appear until the Jurassic Period. A new occurrence of Recent "tadpole nests" from New York indicates that tadpoles produce nests with their tails while feeding from bottom sediments and that their delicate nature severely limits their chances of preservation in the fossil record. The term "tadpole holes" (Dionne, 1969) is unnecessary because the term it was meant to replace, "tadpole nests," is correct by definition. Although Benjaminichnus Boekschoten, 1964, was proposed for Recent "tadpole nests" and was also intended for any fossil forms that may some day be found, it is an objective synonym of Batrachiodes Hitchcock, 1858 ( non Lacepede, 1800), an inorganic sedimentary structure (interference ripple marks). We recommend strongly that Recent biogenic sedimentary structures, and other potential trace fossils with known producers, not be given formal taxonomic names. Instead, the taxonomic (or colloquial) name of the organisms responsible for a structure should be used for reference. The possibility of such a structure being found as a trace fossil is insufficient justification for giving it a taxonomic name.

A coastal segment in a summer field geology course is still relatively unusual in geologic education. The Boston University summer field geology camp spends a week at Plum Island, Massachusetts, studying the beaches, dune field, and the adjacent marsh and spit, so as to provide the student with first-hand experience in recent sedimentation, coastal geomorphology, botanical affects in geology, and coastal studies methodology. In addition, other geologic field methods can be taught and applied in a diverse coastal environment. This geologic diversity also permits simultaneous pursuit of small group projects, promotes efficient use of equipment, encourages independent work, and effectively lowers student-teacher ratios.

Microscopic examination of unconsolidated sands and coarse silts usually receives minimal attention in various sedimentology courses because of the difficulty of preparing adequate slides for study. Our technique for overcoming part of this problem is to impregnate small amounts of sandy sediment with a quick-curing resin. Once the sediment- resin plug is removed from a mold, it can be polished quickly for standard low magnification binocular (reflected light) microscopic studies. Using these easily made preparations, laboratory exercises with unconsolidated sands can be conducted efficiently for the determination of mineral composition, provenance, and grain roundness and sphericity in a manner that is comparable to the study of indurated sandstones in thin sections.

Because it has been suggested by many sedimentologists that skewness characteristics of recent sediments can be applied to the interpretation of paleoenvironments of unconsolidated and diagenetically unaffected sediments, we have compared skewness to both other textural features and compositional variations of the unconsolidated, uppermost Miocene sediments of central Delaware. Previous studies have indicated a lagoonal or bay environment for these silts and sands. Analysis of samples from 22 wells revealed a lignite-bearing, poorly sorted, dark gray, silty central region almost surrounded by shell fragment-bearing, poorly sorted, relatively heavy mineral-rich, gray, silty, subangular quartz sands. In the central silty region, clay (up to 20 percent) is more abundant to the north where a terrestrial source area was located. In the surrounding sandy region, the best sorted sediments, containing frosted quartz grains, occur to the south, indicating a possible transition into an offshore barrier island complex with windblown sands carried northward into the oceanward margin of the lagoon. Plotting the skewness values revealed a nearly identical central region with negative skewness almost surrounded by a marginal region of positive skewness, mimicking the "bulls-eye" distributional patterns of the other textural and compositional data. Comparison with recent environmental studies of skewness suggests that the central region probably represents proximity to a river mouth or tidal estuary where winnowing may have dominated over deposition, whereas the surrounding region may represent sands deposited in an adjacent shallow, sheltered lagoonal area dominated by deposition. This study supports the suggestion that the sign of skewness, coupled with lithologic and other textural analyses, is potentially useful in identifying ancient sedimentary environments. However, further work is necessary to fully evaluate its usefulness.

The origin and development of barrier islands systems has received much attention during the last decade as marine scientists have become more concerned with coastal environments. Plum Island, part of a barrier island system located off the northeastern coast of Massachusetts where sea level is believed to have remained stable for the last three thousand years, was selected to test the hypothesis that dune migration and longshore sediment transport patterns are causing its landward (west) development and migration, rather than the commonly accepted "rising sea level hypothesis." Ninety-four surface sand samples taken from the top 2 to 3 inches (5-7 cm) and 94 subsurface sand samples from a 3-ft depth (1 m) were collected for statistical size analysis along six east-west traverses at o e mile intervals perpendicular to the island. Trend surface analysis was then performed with the graphic mean size values from the surface and subsurface samples to determine any consistent stratigraphic and geographic textural shifts between the surfaces. Comparison of the third-order surfaces indicates that the graphic mean grain size generally coarsens from the subsurface to surface. This shift appears to indicate that there is a general landward (west) shift through time in the graphic mean size distributions from the older subsurface to the younger surface. This shift is interpreted to be a direct response of the dune field to the predominant northeasterly storm conditions modified by longshore currents in an area of stable sea level. It is therefore concluded that a rising sea leve is not necessary for barrier island migration landward.

Salt marsh agglutinated foraminiferal assemblages, floristie zones and environmental subdivisions along the Plum Island barrier island system in Massachusetts resemble the zonation pattern for coastal marshes in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. Forty-three surface samples from high marsh, low marsh, tidal channel margin and elevated surface environments yielded seven species: Trochanmina macrescens, Tr. Inflate, Miliammina fusca. Tiphotrocha comprimata. Amotium sal sum, Haplophragmoides bonplandi, and Arenoparelia mexicana. Analysis of the dead to living ratios does not show a significant preservational difference among the salt marsh environments. Analysis of the total distributions indicates significant differences among the foraminiferal assemblages as a function of surface environments. The high marsh is characterized by Trochanmina macrescens, Tiphotrocha comprimata and two of the lesa common species. The low marsh is characterized by Miliammina fusca, Trochanmina inflate, and Ammotium salsum. The tidal channel margin assemblage is similar to that of the low marsh except that Ammotium salsum is no longer significant. Although the elevated marsh surfaces contained no living specimens, a high marsh type assemblage of dead specimens was present. These cosmopolitan foraminiferal assemblages should be valid discriminators for the reconstruction of Holocene salt marsh paleoenvironments in many regions. RÉSUMÉ Dans les marais salants longeant le système de flèches littoralea de Plum Island, au Massachusetts, les assemblages de foraminifères agglutinants, les zones floristiques et les subdivisions environneroentales observés ressemblent au zonage des marais côtlers des Maritimes. Quarante-trois écbantillons de surface des slikkes, schorres, chenaux de marée et bancs de surface élevés ont livre sept espèces: Trochanmina macrescens, Tr. Inflate, Miliammina fusca. Tiphotrocha comprimata. Amotium sal sum, Haplophragmoides bonplandi, et Arenoparelia mexicana. Une analyse des rapports morts/vivants ne montre aucune différence notable entre les environneraents de marais salants. Une analyse des distributions totales indique des différences notables entre les assemblages de foraminifères en fonction des environmements de surface. La schorre se caractérise par T. macrescens, T. comprimata et deux especes moins communes. La slikke se distingue par M. fusca. T. infJata et A. salsum. Les assemblages de bordure des chenaux de marées ressemblent à la slikke bien qu' A. salsum n'y soit plus preponderant. Bien que les bancs élevés du marais ne contiennent aucun spécimen vivant, on y rencontre un assemblage de spécimens morts typique de la schorre. Ces assemblages cosmopolites de foraminifères devraient pouvoir servir d'indicateurs valides lors de la reconstitution des paléomilieux de marais salants holocènes dans plusieurs régions. [Traduit par le journal]

The Eocene-Miocene contact in the Delaware coastal plain should be moved down and placed below the pebbly, glauconitic sand of the uppermost Piney Point Formation (Jacksonian age). The uppermost part of the Piney Point Formation (glauconitic greensand), which is pebbly, lacks a characteristic late Eocene fauna and contains middle Miocene Foraminifera, unquestionably making this pebbly sand Miocene in age. Thus, a new correlation can be drawn on the basis of the microfossils, rather than on the green color due to the presence of glauconite.

A shell-boring polychaete worm was found replaced by the min eral limonite-goethite; this fossil is probably a limonite-goethite pseudo morph after pyrite, suggesting that the soft-bodied worm was originally re placed by pyrite. External structures such as a prostomium, anterior tentacle like palps, peristomial cirri, parapodia, setae bundles of the parapodia, and dorsal cirri of the parapodia are pre served. This worm resembles living members of the family Spionidae in form and habit. This discovery extends the known range of this family (Cre taceous?, Miocene to Recent) back about 365 million years to the Devo nian period.

The use of an internally illuminated wooden box with a plate glass top for making acetate peels is described. The plate glass provides a uniformly smooth, flat surface which inhibits air bubble formation even with relatively large specimens. A mirror on the bottom of the box is used to immediately observe the quality of the peel.

Coastal back-barrier salt-marsh environments are evaluated as possible modern analogs for some coal-forming basins. Analysis of the amount of organic matter in Holocene salt-marsh peats from 158 core samples at Plum Island, Massachusetts, indicates that the organic matter content is too low to ultimately produce coal. C-14 dates indicate depositional rates of 1 mm/yr. Both the high and low salt-marsh peat facies would probably diagenetically alter to a carbonaceous shale. A review of the organic content reported from other nondeltaic back-barrier and coastal salt-marsh environments indicates that they commonly have too much detrital material to classify as coal precursors. Barrier-island systems, being affected by sea-level changes and subject to landward migrations, also lack long-term stability needed for coal formation. These data suggest that modern back-barrier environments are not good analogs for coal-forming basins.

There is much controversy regarding the method that best measures the representative grain sizes used to calculate sediment statistics. Twenty-five sand-sized sediment samples were collected in barrier-island subenvironments and analyzed by a sieving technique and a settling-tube technique. On the basis of graphic sediment statistics as variables, discriminant analysis indicates that the more conventional sieving method correctly characterized 96 percent of the samples by subenvironments, while the settling-tube technique correctly characterized only 72 percent of the samples.

A number of recent studies cast doubt on the reliability of using size-frequency distributions of fossil species for inferring ecological age-survivorship curves, fossil community structure, and paleoenvironments. Survivorship curves for fossil taxa are really post-larval size-survivorship curves. Data are lacking for the normally enormous mortalities that occur during larval stages. Such curves represent the effects of differential taphonomy upon various size classes. Before dismissing the paleoecological application of ecological survivorship curving, the patterns of sizefrequency distributions of very large and spatially disparate populations of extant species should be explored. Emphasis to date has been upon temporal, not spatial, averaging in the generation of fossil assemblages. We provide size-survivorship and reconstructed age-survivorship curves on over 2.5 million live individuals of the infaunal bivalve Mya arenaria from 1, 093 collecting sites at 15 locations within four estuaries from eastern Massachusetts. A significant difference was found among the cohort structures of post-larval M. arenaria from the four estuaries, even though environmental settings were similar. A summary cohort curve was constructed that may be analogous to very extensive (but perhaps unlikely) spatial averaging in the generation of a fossil assemblage. The size-survivorship curves constructed for the four estuaries and for the 15 locations exhibit considerable variation from the summary curve. This supports the contention that size-survivorship data gleaned from ecological contexts should only be applied to the paleoecological record with extreme caution.