A zone of active seabed erosion has been identified in the northwestern Rockall Trough using seismic reflection profiles and cores. The region from George Bligh Bank to Rockall Bank has been subject to vigorous bottom-current activity, for at least the last 35 Ma. Bottom currents originate from southward flowing North Atlantic Deep Water, in water depths of 500–2000 m. Acoustic character mapping reveals a zone of erosion extending over 8500 km2 along the northwestern margins of the trough. The erosion surface is characterized by an acoustically reflective seabed, with occasional parallel to transparent reflectors. These are the result of strong bottom-currents exposing the underlying volcanic basement, drift sequences and fan sediments. The erosion surface is covered by a <10 m veneer of Quaternary sediment. The majority of the basin consists of well-stratified, parallel Quaternary drift and hemipelagite sequences. Along the western margin of the trough, these sediments form broad-sheeted drifts. Eocene sediments adjacent to George Bligh Bank have been exposed by strong bottom-currents for the last 35 Ma, compared with the flanks of Rockall Bank, where sedimentation was intermittent. Core sampling from George Bligh Bank and Rockall Bank recovered Quaternary gravelly–sandy muds interpreted as gravel lags, and muddy sandy contourites, overlying early–mid-Eocene aged sediments. The gravels represent the influence of a strongest North Atlantic Deep Water flow, winnowing coarse sediment into 'lags', commonly preserved within sandy contourite sequences.
Scientific editing by Mike Hambrey.
The margins of the northwestern Rockall Trough are dominated by sedimentation influenced by bottom currents, reflected in the presence of sediment drifts and seabed erosion. Numerous work has been published on the sediment drifts of the Rockall Trough, in particular the Feni Ridge, developed in the southern Rockall Trough (⇓Flood et al. 1979; ⇓Faugeres et al. 1981). Also described are the bottom-current signatures and palaeocirculation patterns from the grain-size variations within the sediments of drifts (⇓Dowling & McCave 1993; ⇓Robinson & McCave 1994) and sediment fluxes across the drifts as a whole (⇓Cremer et al. 1993; ⇓Wold 1994). The formation of sediment drifts and waves, and the effects of the last Glacial–Interglacial cycle on deposition has been described (⇓Howe et al. 1994; ⇓Howe 1995; ⇓Howe 1996; ⇓Stoker et al. 1998). Little work has been presented illustrating the evidence for active seabed erosion across the region. Some seabed maps of the region still illustrate the northern Feni Ridge as extending into the northwestern Rockall Trough, an area now known to be one of vigorous seabed erosion and net sediment export (⇓Stoker 1998; ⇓Stoker et al. 2001). We present seismic-reflection profiles and sediment-core data from the northwestern Rockall Trough (⇓Fig. 1). The nature of the pervasive erosion of the seabed is described along with core evidence for the implied vigorous bottom current activity along the margins of the trough. This paper aims to: (1) characterize the nature and regional extent of the erosion, (2) provide a model for the accumulation of gravel-lag contourites in deep-water current-influenced settings and (3) describe the implication for sequence stratigraphic interpretation.
(a) Bathymetry and bottom-current pathways of the Rockall Trough. Inset shows study area (b). GBB, George Bligh Bank; BBB, Bill Bailey Bank; LB, Lousy Bank; HT, Hebrides Terrace seamount; AD, Anton Dohrn seamount; RB, Rosemary Bank seamount; WTR, Wyville Thomson Ridge; FSC, Faeroe–Shetland Channel. Bathymetry from ⇓Smith & Sandwell (1994) plotted using Maplab software, M_map. Adapted from ⇓Stoker et al. (2001).
Rockall Trough is a NE-trending deep-water basin, separating the Hebrides Shelf to the east from the Rockall Plateau to the west. At its northern limit the trough is separated from the Faeroe–Shetland Channel by the prominent NW-trending Wyville–Thomson Ridge (⇑Fig. 1). To the SW the trough widens and deepens from 1000 m in the north to 4000 m, across the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. Generally, the floor of the trough is smooth and featureless. However, sediment drifts mantle the western margins, and slope fans locally encroach onto the rise of the eastern margin (⇓Stoker 1998). The central and northern regions of the trough are interrupted by Rosemary Bank, Anton Dohrn and Hebrides Terrace seamounts. The northwestern trough is characterized by a series of relatively shallow banks, e.g. Rockall Bank, George Bligh Bank, Lousy Bank and Bill Bailey Bank. These intermittent highs effectively separate the northwestern trough from the deep-water regions of the Hatton–Rockall and Iceland Basins to the west.
The modern, sediment starved deep-water basin that is the Rockall Trough is essentially a mid- to late Cenozoic phenomenon (⇓Stoker 1998; ⇓Stoker et al. 2001). Regional subsidence of the NW UK continental margin in late Eocene time resulted in a marked change in the style of sedimentation in the Rockall Trough, coinciding with the onset of bottom-current activity in the region. This subsidence is manifest by a shut-down of shelf-derived sediment supply, and the formation of a late Eocene deep-water unconformity caused by bottom-current erosion. This unconformity is particularly well-developed on the NW flank of the basin where Eocene and older strata are partially overlain by middle to upper Cenozoic sediments. The latter consist predominantly of deep-marine sediment drifts that lap onto the unconformity, and locally display upslope accretion that largely buries the unconformity adjacent to the Rockall Bank. Late Eocene–early Oligocene lowstand-fan deposits have built out from the NE Rockall Bank. In the NW Rockall Trough, the most significant phase of sediment-drift development occurred in the early Miocene to early Pliocene interval. Following a major bottom-current erosive event in early Pliocene time, subsequent sedimentation on the NW flank of the basin was greatly reduced. Consequently, a number of different geological elements comprise the present-day seabed surface that has been shaped by the complex interplay of mid- to late Cenozoic erosional and depositional events.
Modern deep-water circulation across the area involves a number of complex water masses (⇑Fig. 1). Cold, dense Norwegian Sea Deep Water overflows the Wyville–Thomson Ridge into the northern trough, mixing with Labrador Sea Water and Antarctic Bottom Water to form North Atlantic Deep Water, which flows southwards down the western margin of the trough. The eastern margins of the trough are influenced by an along slope current down to depths of 1000 m (⇓Huthnance 1986; ⇓Kenyon 1986). The slope current termed NE Atlantic Water flows north until it is deflected to the west by the Wyville–Thomson Ridge. Current-meter observations report flow velocities of 15–48 cm s−1 on the mid-upper Hebrides Slope (⇓Akhurst 1991; ⇓Howe & Humphrey 1995). In the northwestern trough, flows of 50 cm s−1 around Bill Bailey Bank and locally exceeding 100 cm s−1 were reported adjacent to the main Norwegian Sea Deep Water overflow across the Wyville–Thomson Ridge (⇓Kuijpers et al. 1998).
The seismic reflection profiles presented in this paper were collected as part of a joint British Geological Survey (BGS)–oil company initiative forming an offshore reconnaissance mapping programme of the western frontier basins within the Rockall region (see acknowledgements). The seismic data include analogue seismic-reflection profiles, 2×40 and 4×40 cubic inch airgun array, 1 and 2 kJ sparker and deep-tow boomer, together with available commercial deep-seismic data. Calibration of the seismic stratigraphy is based upon BGS boreholes and short cores as well as other published databases such as the Deep-Sea Drilling Project (DSDP). Short (<6 m) drillcore and vibrocore samples were collected across the area in the spring of 1994. Sediment cores were cut transversely into half and logged in detail. The archive half of the cores were X-radiographed, in half core sections, using a Scanray AC120L at settings of 75 kV and 5 mA for between 2 and 2.5 minutes. Smear slides for core characterization were taken downcore at every 0.20 m. Subsamples for dinoflagellate analysis were taken at every 0.20 m, or where a significant change in lithology was noted in certain homogeneous sections of the cores. All samples were subjected to normal palynological processing as outlined in ⇓Wood et al. (1996). Oxidizing reagents were avoided to prevent damage to delicate and fragile cysts (⇓Harland et al. 1998). Particle-size analysis was conducted on 50–100 g samples. Sand and coarse gravel percentages were obtained from sieving, with the <63 μm fraction (silt sized and less) obtained from analysis using a Malvern laser Mastersizer-X.
The seismic-reflection dataset used in this study extends across the northern Rockall Trough, SW of Rosemary Bank seamount, to Anton Dohrn seamount and Rockall Bank (⇓Fig. 2).
Location of seismic reflection profile grid used to compile the acoustic character map illustrated in ⇓Figure 3. Also shown are the locations of the seismic reflection profiles illustrated in ⇓Figures 4 & ⇓5.
The acoustic character of the area has been mapped and the depositional process interpreted (⇓Fig. 3). Generally, the areas in the western Rockall Trough are characterized by seismic reflectors displaying truncation and convergence with zones of exposed and highly reflective seafloor. These regions are therefore dominated by strong bottom-current activity. To the east, into the basin and deeper water, away from the margins of Rockall and George Bligh Banks, sheeted and elongate sediment drifts dominate. Here the reflectors become parallel, well stratified, lapping onto the older exposed sediments to the west. Current activity here is less vigorous, allowing deposition of contourites and hemipelagites to occur.
Seabed acoustic character map with core locations.
The seismic-stratigraphic subdivisions shown on ⇓Figures 4–⇓5 are based on ⇓Stoker et al. (2001) who established the following megasequence framework for the Rockall Trough: RTc, late Eocene to early Miocene; RTb, early Miocene to early Pliocene; RTa, early Pliocene to Holocene. These megasequences are bounded by reflectors C30, C20 and C10 dated, respectively, as early late Eocene, early Miocene and early Pliocene.
(a) Airgun seismic-reflection profile 92/01-18 showing exposed, eroded seabed and location of cores 59/14-10, 59/14-5, 59/14-7 and 59/14-8, on the flanks of George Bligh Bank. The erosion surface is Eocene and older, pre-drift sediments exposed by strong bottom-current activity. To the SE, are onlapping middle to upper Cenozoic contouritic sediments. Adapted from ⇓Stoker et al. (1998). (b) Airgun seismic-reflection profile 92/01-38 showing location of cores 58-14/11, 58-14/43 and 58-14/54. The uneven seabed is shaped from eroded Eocene sediments overlain by early Miocene–early Pliocene (RTb) drift sediments, eroded in the early Pliocene (C10 unconformity). A thin Pliocene–Holocene cover (RTa) overlies C10 (inset). Adjacent to George Bligh Bank a small elongate drift and moat within RTb has been produced by strong current flow. SBM, Seabed multiple; Vab, volcanic acoustic basement. Profiles located on ⇑Figure 2.
(a) Airgun seismic reflection profile 92/01-08, adjacent to Rockall Bank showing the location of core 58-14/34. The profile indicates the lapping of the margins of broad, sheeted drifts of the middle-late Cenozoic section, onto exposed, eroded pre-drift sediments of Eocene age. Near the foot of Rockall Bank, a thinner succession of mounded, eroded early Miocene–early Pliocene (RTb) drift sediments are preserved. (b) Airgun seismic reflection profile 92/01-45 showing location of cores 57-13/76 and 57-13/75. The smooth seabed expression due to late Eocene–early Oligocene (RTc) lowstand-fan deposits with a thin drape of Quaternary (RTa) sediments. In the basin the fan deposits are interbedded with the basinal succession (inset). Abbreviations as for ⇑Figure 4. Profiles located on ⇑Figure 2.
The general seismic facies across the region are described below and summarized in the acoustic character map shown in ⇑Figure 3. The thickness of the units and relief of the seabed were calculated based on an assumed acoustic velocity of water of 1.45 km s−1, with 1.8 km s−1 for the sediments (⇓Hamilton 1985).
Acoustically reflective, and uneven areas of seafloor predominate in the shallower-water regions (<500–1000 m) on the tops, and across the flanks of George Bligh and Rockall Banks, and on the Anton Dohrn seamount. These regions extend in swathes to up to 5 km wide and up to 270 m thick. Elongate patches, over 60 km long of exposed seafloor are also present in deeper water (below 1500 m) along the margins of Rockall Bank. This seismic facies represents bedrock exposed by vigorous bottom current flow (⇑Fig. 4a and b). In most cases the exposed bedrock is composed of early-late Eocene sediments or late Palaeocene volcanic basement (⇓Stoker et al. 1998).
This seismic facies forms the majority of the margins of Rockall and George Bligh Banks. It occurs as an extensive (10 000 km2), long, (>200 km), strip along the western margins of the trough, up to 600 m thick and over 50 km wide. Adjacent to the banks, elongate and isolated patch drifts and moats have been produced by bottom-currents. These have become eroded in places, truncating the reflectors and producing scour around obstructions (⇑Fig. 4b). ⇓Stoker et al. (2001) suggests an age of Miocene–Pliocene for the patch drifts. The exposure of the underlying seismic units also includes the slope sediments of Rockall Bank, interpreted as an upper Eocene–lower Oligocene lowstand fan by ⇓Stoker (1998) (⇑Fig. 5b).
The majority of the sediments in the basin are acoustically well stratified with parallel reflectors. This facies is over 540 m thick and forms an extensive sheet covering approximately 26 250 km2 (65%), of the study area in the western trough. Toward the margins of the basin the reflectors converge to lap onto the parallel, irregular-transparent facies of the Rockall and George Bligh Banks (⇑Fig. 5a). The reflectors display a lateral sheet-form with a slight doming of the seafloor (350 m in relief over 20 km extent) suggesting a subtle mound. ⇓Howe et al. (1994) described similar sheet-form sequences from the northeastern Rockall Trough as broad sheeted drifts (see ⇑Fig. 4a). The facies may represent bottom-current and hemipelagic deposition from the early–late Eocene to the Holocene with unconformities described by ⇓Stoker et al. (2001) occurring in early Miocene and early Pliocene time.
This facies occurs only around the shelf break of Rockall Bank. This thin sequence is up to 70 m thick and less than 15 km wide in outcrop. The reflectors thin and converge towards the west. At the shelf break the unit displays a bulged, truncated character, possibly suggesting some downslope mass-wasting. ⇓Stoker & Gillespie (1996) described these as slope sediments of late Eocene age.
This facies is found all across the area from George Bligh Bank in the north to Anton Dohrn seamount to the south. Thicknesses vary from 90–150 m with a lateral extent of up to 20 km. The chaotic-unstratified, with a lensoid geometry and hummocky upper surface, indicate downslope mass wasting, in particular, debris-flow deposits. The age of this facies is uncertain.
This only occurs on the top and flanks of the Anton Dohrn seamount. The facies extends over an area of approximately 150 km2, and is less than 70 m thick. The irregular-transparent character is uniform throughout, with a thin, <10 m capping of parallel reflectors. The unit thins towards the top and flank of the seamount, reaching its thickest development on the southeastern flank. ⇓Stoker & Gillespie (1996) refer to these sequences as undifferentiated sediments of uncertain age.
Analysis of the seismic reflection profiles from George Bligh Bank in the north to Rockall Bank in the south of the study area provide information on the exposed erosion surface. In the north, adjacent to George Bligh Bank, the erosion surface is irregular and uneven, with exposed late Eocene sediments cut into by vigorous bottom-current activity. Towards the east, visible on profile 92/01-18 (⇑Fig. 4a), the broad sheeted drift onlaps onto the erosion surface with no evidence of previous deposition on the exposed sediments. The drift sediments contain a more complete depositional sequence, based on previous BGS borehole evidence outlined above, from the late Eocene to the Quaternary. This indicates that the present erosion surface in the north, on the eastern flanks of George Bligh Bank may have remained broadly sediment-free for the past 35 Ma. Further south, still on the flanks of George Bligh Bank, profile 92/01-38 shows the erosion surface becoming more even and less pronounced. A small thickness (<150 m) of uneroded drift sediments cover most areas, although the sediment has become scoured around the emerged Eocene sediments (⇑Fig. 4b). Profiles 92/01-8 and 92/01-45 (⇑Fig. 5a and b) from the eastern flanks of Rockall Bank illustrate the complexity of the erosion surface. The northernmost profile, ⇑Fig. 5a, displays the more irregular character of the erosion surface with the eroded core of an elongate drift at the base of slope to the SW. Exposure of the underlying Eocene sediments is irregular with patches of thin sediment cover to the west of the onlapping broad-sheeted drift. The late Eocene to early Oligocene lowstand fan sequence presents a smooth, regular seabed to the west of the central Rockall Bank (⇑Fig. 5b). Here, although the erosion surface is not so clear, the veneer of glaciomarine Quaternary sediments rests unconformably upon early Oligocene age sequences presenting a smooth, gently sloping seabed. The eastern flanks of Rockall Bank displays a complex picture of both erosion and deposition. The eroded drift sequence encompasses Miocene–Pliocene sediments with a veneer of Quaternary. The erosion surface here is incomplete, with sediments not exposed as long as to the north, therefore suggesting weaker and more irregular current activity.
Overall, the nature of the erosion surface from George Bligh Bank in the north to the flanks of Rockall Bank in the south is irregular and, in places, diachronous. This erosive surface is interpreted as representing phases of erosion and deposition, rather than a single bottom-current 'event' across the region. Adjacent to Rockall Bank, because of increased sediment supply, the erosion surface is incomplete, becoming buried within the preserved drift sediments. George Bligh Bank in the north suggests more persistent seabed erosion, with the exposure of Eocene sediments and deposition of the preserved drift sequence to the east, away from the bank. The modern seabed in the northwest Rockall Trough, especially adjacent to George Bligh Bank is a region of active, contemporaneous seafloor erosion.
Core information is summarized in ⇓Table 1, with example cores illustrated in ⇓⇓Figures 6–⇓8. Preliminary calcareous nannofossil dating were conducted on samples from the core top and base of the core. Using these initial dates, the cores were found to extend from Holocene–Pleistocene sands, gravels and muds, in some cases resting unconformably upon the underlying Palaeocene and Eocene age siliclastic and carbonate material (⇓Stoker 1995).
Vibrocore 58-14/34 from 1486 m of water in the northwestern Rockall Trough. Holocene and mid–late Pleistocene aged glaciomarine-derived sandy and muddy contourites with interbedded gravel lags overly mid-Eocene mudstones. Particle size analysis sorting trends display very poorly sorted contouritic sediments, with values of >1. The Eocene and Holocene muds and mudstones display a more moderate sorting trend with values <1. Core location shown in ⇑Figures 3 and on ⇑5a. Key on ⇓Figure 7.
Vibrocore 57-13/53 from 1480 m of water from the northwestern Rockall Trough. The core displays a sequence of early Pleistocene to Holocene sandy and muddy contourites with gravel lags. Core location shown in ⇑Figure 3.
Vibrocore 57-13/76 from 970 m of water from the northwestern Rockall Trough. The core recovered a sequence of late Pliocene–Holocene sandy and muddy contourites and hemipelagites with gravel lags. Also displayed are sediment sorting trends, indicating poorly sorted contourites with moderately well sorted muds. Core location shown in ⇑Figures 3 and ⇑5b. Key on ⇑Figure 7.
A variety of gravels were identified from both the rockdrill and vibrocores, from clean, washed and well sorted to poorly sorted matrix-supported muddy and sandy gravels. The gravel lithofacies varies in thickness from thin <0.05 m horizons to graded sucessions up to 0.20 m. Clasts range in size from 2 mm granules up to 5 cm, and are commonly well rounded to sub-angular in shape. Contacts are either: sharp and erosive, especially where the gravels overly the early–mid-Eocene mudstones, sandstones and claystones; or graded and transitional, being more common where the gravels occur within the muddy sands. Occasionally bivalve, gastropod, coral and bryozoan debris is found amongst the clasts.
Bioturbated, olive or pale-olive muddy sand is a common lithofacies in the cores, particularly from the vibrocores from the Quaternary successions recovered. Thicknesses vary from 0.10 m to 0.50 m. The sands are massive and homogeneous in appearance, although X-radiographs display some erosive contacts and rare internal laminations. Contacts are occasionally gradational, especially where the sands contain thinner horizons of gravel, or more commonly sharp and erosive where the gravels and muds overlie Eocene-aged mudstones. Smear slides reveal common (20–30%) planktic foraminifera and comminuted centric diatoms. The sands consist of sub-angular quartz and lithic fragments. Occasional lonestones occur throughout.
Mottled, pale, olive brown and massive bioturbated muds extend up to 2.00 m in thickness. The muds are poorly sorted with scattered sand grains, sand-filled burrows and monosulphidic knots. Lonestones are present throughout. Contacts are gradational, or are sharp and erosive where muds overlie the muddy sands and, in some cases, gravels. Planktic foraminifera and diatoms are common, and are visible in smear slides.
Two intact macrofossils were recovered from two cores. A gastropod, Troschelia berniciensis from 0.66 m in inversely graded gravels in vibrocore 57-13/53 and a brachiopod, Macandrevia cranium from 1.94 m found in bioturbated muddy sands in vibrocore 58-14/9. Both forms are common in the Rockall Trough, and are currently extant, with wide depth ranges of 200–2000 m.
The Pre-Quaternary sediments recovered from the drillcore, especially from sites adjacent to George Bligh Bank, are Tertiary sediments exposed at the seafloor. These sediments are predominantly sandstones (including bioclastic sandstones), mudstones (including sandy mudstones), siltstones and claystones. These range in ages from Palaeocene–Pliocene for the sandstones, and early–mid-Eocene to Pliocene for the claystones, mudstones and siltstones.
The concentrations of poorly sorted gravels suggest deposition by the winnowing effects of bottom currents. Broken and comminuted shell material may also indicate a dynamic high-energy depositional environment. These gravels are discussed in detail later.
⇓Viana et al. (1998) described similar muddy sands, with a high biogenic content as being sandy contourites. These sediments are similar to the sandy contourites described from the Hebrides slope by ⇓Stoker et al. (1998) and ⇓Howe (1995).
The massive bioturbated muds conform to the general model of hemipelagite sediments described by ⇓Stow & Tabrez (1998). The isolated sand-filled burrows may suggest periodic influxes of coarser sediment, perhaps by turbidity currents or benthic storms depositing contouritic sands, with subsequent bioturbation of the sediment. The lonestones are interpreted as dropstones from icebergs.
The sandstones and bioclastic sandstones with concentrations of shelly material are interpreted as shelf (shallow-water) sands. The mudstones, claystones and siltstones are interpreted as being deposited in a shallow-water offshore basin.
Bulk particle-size analysis on 62 samples from the vibrocores and rockdrills typically reflect the predominantly glaciomarine character of the parent material. The samples taken from the Quaternary and Pliocene sequences are poorly to very poorly sorted, with polymodal particle sizes ranging from pebbles to fine silt. Downcore-sorting (standard deviation) trends display very poor sorting in the sandy contourites and gravels, with only the finer-grained Quaternary hemipelagic muds and early Eocene mudstones of 58-14/34 and 57-13/76 showing moderate sorting trends (⇑Figs 6 and ⇑8). Carbonate-free samples have also been analysed, after dissolution using dilute HCl. The results indicate a significant quantity of sand and silt in the samples consists of carbonate material, possibly comprising comminuted nannofossils and foraminfera.
Twenty samples were taken for dinoflagellate dating. Seventeen from core 58-14/34, two from rockdrill 59-14/53 and one from the top of 59-14/10.
Of the 17 samples from 58-14/34, only 11, from the upper 2 m were found to contain dinoflagellate cysts. The recovery of cysts varied throughout, but cyst assemblages were dominated by Protoceratium reticulatum with subsidiary Bitectatodinium tepikiense and Nematosphaeropsis labyrinthus, together with lesser amounts of Impagidinium spp., Spiniferites spp. and Protoperidinium cysts including Protoperidinium pentagonum. This assemblage is consistent with sediments deposited in a temperate, offshore continental slope environment similar to that of the present-day North Atlantic. A Holocene age is therefore ascribed to the top 2.00 m of this core. The cysts within this Holocene succession exhibit a similar dynamism to the Holocene records recovered from the Barra Fan, on the eastern margin of the Rockall Trough (⇓Harland & Howe 1995). The single sample from the top of the rockdrill 59-14/10 proved to be barren of dinoflagellate cysts.
The uppermost sample from rockdrill 58-14/53 also proved to be barren of dinoflagellates. The sample from 0.15 m provided a limited cyst-assemblage dominated by Bitectatodinium tepikiense with Nematosphaeropsis labyrinthus, Protoceratium reticulatum and Impagidinium sphaericum. This assemblage is consistent with a northern temperate environment on the continental slope, but the presence of Bitectatodinium tepikiense suggests lower sea-surface salinities. In comparison with other deglaciation records from the Rockall Trough (⇓Howe et al. 1998) the sample may date from the warm Allerød–Bölling interstadial of 13.5–11 ka.
The presence of the gravel lags within the sandy contourite sequences is clearly indicative of strong current winnowing and erosion. The gravels may be the product of: (i) direct ice-rafting during glaciation, (ii) downslope reworking from the adjacent banks (possibly during an episode of low sea level, increasing sediment input to the deeper water areas) or (iii) exhumation of clasts originating from the underlying Tertiary sediments. The removal or reworking of the fines would subsequently produce concentrated 'lags' within the sandy contourite sequences. The gravels appear to be localized in occurrence, rather than being a more widespread gravel pavement or sheet extending across the region. ⇓Stow et al. (1998) described gravel-lag contourites from a variety of mid–high latitude settings as being the result of the winnowing of iceberg rain-out. No contourite model includes the presence of gravel lags, although clearly these sediments fit into the model proposed by ⇓Stow et al. (1986) as an extreme end-member, coarsening-upward from muds to sands to gravels with increasing bottom-current speeds. The formation of the gravel lags can be described as: (1) gravel emplacement (through ice-rafting, downslope mass–wasting or exhumation), followed by (2) burial during a phase of weak current activity or rapid sediment deposition, (3) reworking and erosion during an episode of strong bottom-current activity, during which the gravels are not removed, but (4) become concentrated at the sediment surface, as the fines are winnowed away, (5) a subsequent phase of reduced current activity combined with sediment input buries the lag within the contourite sequence.
The significance of a gravel lag within a contourite sequence is not only that it represents an episode of vigorous bottom-current activity (although this is important when identifying climatic signals), but that it also represents a loss through erosion of a significant thickness of the sequence.
The application of sea-level curves to large thicknesses of marine sediments has been understood by the hydrocarbon exploration industry for decades. However, as the sequences examined here show, caution should be exercised when applying sequence stratigraphic methods to deep-water margin successions.
The presence of a zone of erosion extending along the northwestern Rockall Trough, and the irregular nature of the composite, perhaps diachronous, erosion surface itself has implications for the interpretation of similar features observed elsewhere in both the deep sea and the preserved onshore rock record. ⇓Haq (1993) described the 'erosive–corrosive cycle model' whereby a period of sea-level fall produces seabed erosion associated with a lowstand followed by a corrosive phase of pelagic/hemipelagic sedimentation as the highstand floods the outer shelf and rise. This cycle is completed by a phase of preservation during the late highstand. This model is extremely useful when interpreting rock sequences exposed onshore. Applying this model to the sequences observed in the Rockall Trough is more difficult. The erosive phase, especially in the north, adjacent to George Bligh Bank, may have lasted possibly 35 Ma, thereby continuing throughout a series of four potential supercycles of sea-level rise and fall (⇓Haq 1991). The preserved sequence, if described from onshore exposures, would consist of shallow-water Eocene siliciclastics and mudstones, overlain unconformably by deep-water sandy contourites and gravel lags. This could easily be interpreted wrongly as a transgressive shallow–deepwater sequence. Not only the geometry of the sediments and the lateral zone of erosion need to be considered, but also the scale of the features observed. The zone of active erosion from George Bligh Bank to Rockall Bank extends over an area of more than 8500 km2, a scale that cannot be appreciated from outcrop studies alone.
Deep-water seabed erosion and non-deposition are the most obvious example of bottom-current activity. In the Rockall Trough the dynamic North Atlantic Deep Water system has shifted both temporally and spatially, with erosion extending through various sequences and across the northwestern Rockall Trough (⇓Fig. 9). ⇓Tucholke & Embley (1984) described a similar zone of erosion off South Africa, here the erosion is a product of persistent corrosive Antarctic Bottom Water activity combined with low sediment supply, indicated by the presence of authigenic manganese. In that environment, bottom current speeds need not be that high (typically 15–20 cm s−1). By comparison, the northwestern Rockall Trough is not starved of sediment. The depositional drifts that mantle the margin, and the presence of mass wasting across the region, all indicate a vigorous, if sporadic, sediment input. Current speeds needed to produce such consistent seafloor erosion and non-deposition vary depending on the nature of the sediment. For fine-grained material (<63 μm) consistent current speeds of over 20 cm s−1 are needed (from Postma 1967 in ⇓Kennett 1982). Present-day current speeds in the northwestern Rockall Trough typically reach 50 cm s−1, more than enough to produce the features observed here (from Bill Bailey Bank, ⇓Kuijpers et al. 1998).
Summary diagram showing the contrast between the erosive environments of George Bligh Bank (a) and Rockall Bank (b). By Rockall Bank, the erosion surface is incomplete, becoming buried within the drift sediments. George Bligh Bank in the north displays more persistent seabed erosion, with exposures of Eocene sediments.
The development of the composite erosion surface is still unclear, although ⇓Stoker et al. (2001) suggest an inception in late Eocene time, with intensified erosion since the early Miocene, coinciding with the submergence of the Scotland–Greenland Ridge. This would have removed an effective barrier to deep-water exchange between the Arctic and the Atlantic and promoted the flow of proto-North Atlantic Deep Water (as Norwegian Sea Overflow Water) into the Rockall Trough. The inception of the broad-sheeted drifts to the east of the zone of erosion may also date from this episode and hence the sequences they contain preserve a record of bottom-current flow from late Eocene/early Miocene time to the present day. The preservation of the Quaternary, recovered in the cores, also raises a number of questions. The preservation as a veneer over the erosion surface, suggests a slowing or even a cessation of current activity. As most of the Quaternary sequences cored contain contourites, bottom currents are probably still active across the region. The sediment supply over the last 2 Ma has been sufficient to effectively swamp the region, providing material to become reworked and entrained by bottom-currents. However, this represents too much material to become totally removed in the time-span since the last glaciation. The well-documented shutdown in North Atlantic Deep Water over the North Atlantic during the last glaciation, also provides a reason for the thin cover of Quaternary sediments (⇓Dowling & McCave 1993; ⇓Cremer et al. 1993; ⇓McCave et al. 1995). Deglaciation and the start-up of the Atlantic deep-water 'conveyor' would therefore only have allowed bottom currents the last 10 ka to potentially rework and remobilize the sediments.
The location of such widespread seafloor erosion also is linked to the complex bathymetry of the margin. The northwestern Rockall Trough is subject to Norwegian Sea Overflow Water overflowing across the Wyville–Thomson Ridge, and flowing southwards past Bill Bailey Bank and Lousy Bank towards the narrowest and steepest regions of the trough (⇓Vanneste et al. 1995). The steepening margin and the localized effects of the rough bottom topography all aid to accelerate and disturb the flow. The effects of complex, steep bathymetry on bottom-current flows have been discussed by ⇓Boldreel et al. (1998) from Faeroe Bank, also by ⇓Howe et al. (1997) from the Falkland Trough and by ⇓Marani et al. (1993) from the central Mediterranean. Narrow channels and steep margins associated with regions of complex bathymetry all aid in enhancing current flows thereby increasing seafloor erosion producing sediment drift formation away from the main axis of current flow.
(1) The combined study of both high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles and core material has revealed a region of seabed erosion covering an area of >8500 km2 from George Bligh Bank in the north to Rockall Bank. The erosion surface is highly reflective where volcanic sediments are exposed, or parallel laminated to transparent where sequences of sediment drifts are exposed. To the east of the zone of erosion, a complete succession of Quaternary–Miocene contourite and hemipelagite drift sediments, lap onto the exposed, older Eocene seafloor.
(2) The erosion surface is complex. In the north, adjacent to George Bligh Bank, Quaternary sediments rest unconformably upon Eocene sediments. Towards Rockall Bank, the erosion surface has cut through, drift sediments of Miocene and Pliocene age.
(3) Cores recovered from the erosion surface display poorly sorted Quaternary sandy contourites with gravel lags, resting unconformably on Eocene siliclastic and mudstone sediments. The gravels originate from: (i) direct ice-rafting, (ii) downslope mass wasting during lower sea levels or (iii) the exhumation of clasts from the exposed Tertiary sediments. Subsequent strong bottom-current activity has winnowed away the fines and reworked the gravels into coarse lags within normal sandy contourite sequences.
(4) The timing of erosion is linked to North Atlantic Deep Water flow initiated during the late Eocene and increasingly itensified during the Neogene, as a result of the submergence of the Greenland–Scotland Ridge, facilitating Atlantic and Arctic deep-water exchange. The seafloor adjacent to George Bligh Bank has remained relatively sediment-free because of persistent North Atlantic Deep Water flow, that lasted from 35 Ma until the region became swamped by sediment during Quaternary glaciations.
The authors would like to thank Ken Hitchen and Nigel Fannin at the British Geological Survey (BGS), Edinburgh. Rex Harland of Dinodata Services, Nottingham worked on the dinoflagellate material. Robin Harvey at the Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory (DML) identified the macrofossil material. Mark Inall produced the original Rockall basemaps at DML. Chris Espie at James Cook University helped to conduct particle-size analysis. This research was supported by a BGS/Rockall consortium grant GA/98E/47. Thanks to the following oil companies for allowing access to the material and funding the work: Agip, Amerada Hess, Arco, British Gas, BP, Conoco, Elf, Enterprise, Esso, Mobil, Phillips and Statoil. The paper was improved considerably by the comments of Barrie McKelvey, Rob Whittington and Mike Hambrey. The contribution of M. S. Stoker is published with the permission of the Director of the British Geological Survey (NERC).
↵After completing work on an initial draft of this paper, Ken J. Woolfe died tragically in Australia. He will be greatly missed.
Akhurst, M.A. 1991. Aspects of late Quaternary sedimentation in the Faeroe-Shetland Channel, Northwest UK continental margin. British Geological Survey Technical Report, WB/91/2.
Boldreel, L.O., Andersen, M.S. & Kuijpers, A. 1998. Neogene seismic facies and deep-water gateways in the Faeroe Bank area, NE Atlantic. Marine Geology 152, 129-140.
Cremer, M., Faugeres, J.-C, Grousset, F. & Gonthier, E. 1993. Late Quaternary sediment flux on sedimentary drifts in the Northeast Atlantic. Sedimentary Geology 82, 89-103.
Dowling, L.M. & McCave, I.N. 1993. Sedimentation on the Feni Drift and Late Glacial bottom water production in the northern Rockall Trough. Sedimentary Geology 82, 79-89.
Faugeres, J.-C., Gonthier, E, Grousset, F. & Poutiers, J. 1981. The Feni Drift: The importance and meaning of slump deposits on the eastern slope of the Rockall Bank. Marine Geology 40, M49-M75.
Flood, R.D., Hollister, C.D. & Lonsdale, P. 1979. Disruption of the Feni sediment drift by debris flows from Rockall Bank. Marine Geology 32, 311-334.
Hamilton, E.L. 1985. Sound velocity as a function of depth in marine sediments. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 78, 1348-1355.
Harland, R. & Howe, J.A. 1995. Dinoflagellate cysts and the Holocene oceanography of the north-eastern Atlantic Ocean. The Holocene 5, 220-228.
Harland, R., Pudsey, C.J, Howe, J.A. & Fitzpatrick, M.E.J. 1998. Recent dinoflagellate cysts in a transect from the Falkland Trough to the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. Palaeontology 41, 1093-1131.
Haq, B.U. 1991. Sequence stratigraphy, sea level change, and significance for the deep-sea. In: Swift, D. J. P. et al. (eds) . Shelf Sand and Sandstone Bodies, geometry, facies and sequence stratigraphy. International Association of Sedimentologists. Special Publications, 12, 3-39.
Haq, B.U. 1993. Deep-sea response to eustatic change and significance of gas hydrates for continental margin stratigraphy. In: Posamentier, H. W. et al. (eds) . Sequence Stratigraphy and Facies Associations. International Association of Sedimentologists. Special Publications, 18, 93-106.
Howe, J.A. 1995. Sedimentary processes and variation in slope-current activity during the last glacial-interglacial episode on the Hebrides Slope, Northern Rockall Trough, North Atlantic Ocean. Sedimentary Geology 96, 201-230.
Howe, J.A. 1996. Turbidite and contourite sediment waves, northern Rockall Trough, North Atlantic Ocean. Sedimentology 43, 219-235.
Howe, J.A., Stoker, M.S. & Stow, D.A.V. 1994. Late Cenozoic sediment drift complex, northeast Rockall Trough, North Atlantic. Palaeoceanography 9, 989-999.
Howe, J.A. & Humphrey, J.D. 1995. Photographic evidence for slope current activity on the Hebrides Slope, North-east Atlantic Ocean. Scottish Journal of Geology 30, 107-115.
Howe, J.A., Pudsey, C.J. & Cunningham, A.P. 1997. Pliocene-Holocene contourite deposition under the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, Western Falkland Trough, South Atlantic Ocean. Marine Geology 138, 27-50.
Howe, J.A., Harland, R, Hine, N.M. & Austin, W.E.N. 1998. Late Quaternary stratigraphy and palaeoceanographic change in the northern Rockall Trough, North Atlantic Ocean. In: Stoker, M.S, Evans, D, Cramp, & A. (eds) . Geological Processes on Continental Margins: Sedimentation, Mass-Wasting and Stability. Geological Society, London. Special Publications, 129, 269-286.
Huthnance, J.M. 1986. Rockall slope current and shelf edge processes. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 88B, 83-101.
Kennett, J.P. 1982. Geological effects of bottom currents: motion and commotion. In: Kennett, J.P. (ed) . Marine Geology. Prentice-Hall, Inc504-536.
Kenyon, N.H. 1986. Evidence from bedforms for a strong poleward current along the upper continental slope of NW Europe. Marine Geology 72, 187-198.
Kuijpers, A., Anderson, M.S, Kenyon, N.H, Kunzendorf, H. & van Weering, T.C.E. 1998. Quaternary sedimentation Norwegian Sea overflow pathways around Bill Bailey Bank, northeastern Atlantic. Marine Geology 152, 101-127.
Marani, M., Argnani, A, Roveri, M. & Trincardi, F. 1993. Sediment drifts and erosion surfaces in the central Mediterranean: seismic evidence of bottom-current activity. Sedimentary Geology 82, 207-221.
McCave, I.N., Manighetti, B. & Beveridge, N.A.S. 1995. Circulation in the glacial North Atlantic inferred from grain-size measurements. Nature 374, 149-152.
Robinson, S.G. & McCave, I.N. 1994. Orbital forcing of bottom-current enhanced sedimentation on Feni Drift, NE Atlantic during the Pleistocene. Palaeoceanography 9, 943-972.
Smith, W.H.F. & Sandwell, D.T. 1994. Bathymetric prediction from dense satellite altimetry and sparse shipboard bathymetry. Journal of Geophysical Research 99, 21803-21824.
Stoker, M.S. 1995. Shallow sampling programme 1994—Stratigraphical Sites. In: Stoker, M.S, Hitchen, & K. (eds) . Rockall Continental margin project: Final Geological Report, Volume 3. British Geological Survey technical report WB/95/11C, appendix 2.
Stoker, M.S. 1998. Sediment drift development on the continental margin off NW Britain. In: Stoker, M.S, Evans, D, Cramp, & A. (eds) . Geological Processes on Continental Margins: Sedimentation, Mass Wasting and Stability. Geological Society, London. Special Publications, 129, 229-254.
Stoker, M.S. & Gillespie, E.J. 1996. North Central Rockall Trough and Adjacent Margins (56°30′N–59°30′N, 8°00′W–15°00′W), Solid Geology (1:50 000) 2 sheets. British Geological Survey Technical Report, WB/96/09C.
Stoker, M.S., Akhurst, M.C, Howe, J.A. & Stow, D.A.V. 1998. Sediment drifts and contourites on the continental margin off northwest Britain. Sedimentary Geology 115, 33-51.
Stoker, M.S., van Weering, T.C.E. & Svaerdborg, T. 2001. A Mid–Late Cenozoic tectonostratigraphic framework for the Rockall Trough. In: Shannon, P. et al. (eds) . Petroleum exploration of Ireland's offshore basins. Geological Society, London. Special Publications, in press.
Stow, D.A.V. & Lovell, J.P.B. 1979. Contourites: their recognition in modern and ancient sediments. Earth Science Reviews 14, 251-291.
Stow, D.A.V. & Tabrez, A. 1998. Hemipelagites: processes, facies and model. In: Stoker, M.S, Evans, D, Cramp, & A. (eds) . Geological Processes on Continental Margins: Sedimentation, Mass-Wasting and Stability. Geological Society, London. Special Publications, 129, 317-337.
Stow, D.A.V., Faugeres, J.-C. & Gonthier, E. 1986. Facies distribution and textural variation in Faro Drift contourites: velocity fluctuation and drift growth. Marine Geology 72, 71-100.
Stow, D.A.V., Faugeres, J-C, Viana, A. & Gonthier, E. 1998. Fossil contourites: a critical review. Sedimentary Geology 115, 3-31.
Tucholke, B.E. & Embley, R.W. 1984. Cenozoic regional erosion of the abyssal sea floor off South Africa. In: Schee, J.S. (ed) . Interregional unconformities and hydrocarbon accumulation. American Association of Petroleum Geologists. Memoirs, 36, 145-164.
Vanneste, K., Henriet, J-P, Posewang, J. & Theilen, F. 1995. Seismic stratigraphy of the Bill Bailey and Lousy Bank area: implications for subsidence history. In: Scrutton, R.A, Stoker, M.S, Shimmield, G.B, Tudhope, & A.W. (eds) . The Tectonics, Sedimentation and Palaeoceanography of the North Atlantic Region. Geological Society, London. Special Publications, 90, 125-139.
Viana, A.R., Faugeres, J.-C. & Stow, D.A.V. 1998. Bottom-current controlled sand deposits—a review of modern shallow-to deep water environments. Sedimentary Geology 115, 53-80.
Wold, C.N. 1994. Cenozoic sediment accumulation on drifts in the northern North Atlantic. Palaeoceanography 9, 917-941.
Wood, G.D., Gabriel, A.M. & Lawson, J.C. 1996. Palynological techniques – processing and microscopy. In: Jansonius, J, McGregor, & D.C. (eds) . Palynology: principles and applications, volume 1. American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists Foundation, Publishers Press, Salt Lake City29-50.


text:
Shangri La - Special Tours in Celebration of the Damascus Room Opening
9:00AM, 10:30AM & 12:00PM
For the first time, Shangri La will open the historic Damascus Room, a collection highlight of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, to the public on July 7 following several years of conservation work. The Damascus Room includes an elaborately painted and gilded wood ceiling dateable to 1830 and similarly ornamented wall panels with cartouches adorned with gold calligraphy. Acquired by Doris Duke in the early 1950s from the firm Asfar & Sarkis of Damascus, the late Ottoman period room features luxury trade items such as ceramic plates and silk velvets from Turkey;
glassware from Iran and Bohemia; and hanging enameled lamps from North Africa.
On July 7, tours will focus on the Damascus Room and the related Syrian Room (a second Damascene interior in the DDFIA collection) followed by a open house. In addition to enjoying these polychrome reception rooms with their elaborate floral patterns, brightly colored paints, and shimmering metal leaf, visitors will learn about Duke's travels in Syria in 1938 and 1952; the acquisition of the Damascus Room from Asfar & Sarkis; and the conservation efforts of the last several years.
Tickets: $20 Hawai'i Resident, $25 Non-Resident
All tours originate at the Honolulu Museum of Art. Reservations are required and can be booked by calling (808) 532-3685.
The mission of the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art (DDFIA) is to promote the study and understanding of Islamic arts and cultures.
DDFIA, © 2002
David Franzen
DDFIA pursues its mission in two ways:
- Through Shangri La in Honolulu, which is owned and supported by DDFIA and undertakes a range of activities as a center for learning about Islamic arts and cultures; and
- Through the Building Bridges Program, which is based in New York and awards grants to promote the use of arts and media to improve Americans' understanding of Muslim societies.
Based in New York, DDFIA is one of three operating foundations supported by the
Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
scott davidson December 12, 2012 at 2:02 AM
Nice way to decorate your walls. I have never done that. My effort to beautify the walls in my house was to order big-sized canvas prints from wahooart.com, from images of western art. I use the same angel motifs in all of the rooms painted by different painters, such as this one by very interesting English artist Stanley Spencer, http://EN.WahooArt.com/A55A04/w.nsf/OPRA/BRUE-8LT7K6.
Kiersten Faulkner, Executive Director of Historic ...
Beyond Boundaries: National Preservation Conferen...
Shangri La - Special Tours in Celebration of the D...
NPS Plans Preservation On Rule Change Affecting Ar...
The Kona Historical Society Lecture Series Continu...
Section 106 Webinar Series returns
Be in the Know first do.co,mo.mo_hawaii event toni...
Historic Hawai'i Foundation Names SENATOR DANIEL K...
6/23 Community Workshop Presented by Distinctive W...
JOIN HISTORIC HAWAI'I FOUNDATION FOR "PAU HANA WIT...
STATEWIDE PRESERVATION PLAN UNDERWAY
Hawai'i State Parks Seeks Archaeologist for Kona
Two historical documentaries on Hawaiian Railways ...
Celebrate the Restoration of Ka Lanakila Church at...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A little update on the dollhouse for you this weekend. It's been slow going because I (as usual) decided to re-cut everything to get the design right. (And I mean every single piece!) The house is a little wider now by about 3 inches to better fit the interior stairway and I replaced all the thinner mdf with 1/4 inch.
The front porch and the chimney are new exterior additions. I'm almost tempted to put in another dormer on the third floor but I don't know exactly where it would go with the exterior design.
I ran into some trouble cutting the 3rd floor supports. I couldn't find the jig that cuts angles on the table saw so I'm instead waiting for my next laser cutting slot. Every single wall in this house should be finished and properly cut (including the doorways and built-in bookcases) in the next two weeks! Yay!
I'm happy with the way things are looking. I'm starting to figure out specific room layouts, plan out electrical, and find tile options. There are a couple of areas that will have hinges and I need to set those up too. I don't know what happened but Michaels really raised the prices of their basswood sheets this year. After some searching, I've found a couple more economical 1/16 plywood sheets to cut the windows with at a hobby shop.
Another week or two and I'll start glueing parts of the dollhouse together. I get so nervous when the dog sneaks into that room! It's pretty solid right now but I get worried that one big bump to that table and the whole thing will come crashing down!
It looks so good so far! Love your stairs.
Depending on which walls are hinged, you could split the second floor bathroom in two and make a smaller ensuite with a walk in closet. Or just a really huge bathroom/dressing room with a vanity. The big windows of the empty space lend themselves nicely to an office. If that side wall is hinged you could slide laundry behind it? A narrow door at the back wall right next to the stairs to the third floor?
For realism, if you have a second bathroom on the third floor it would go above the second floor bathroom. And you could make it a smaller room with a larger kids bedroom next to it, both with small dormers like the Houseworks one? With small four or six pane windows?
I know what you mean about nerves. Every time a cat gets curious I feel like I'm holding my breath!
Thanks for all the ideas Sheila! I was thinking of adding some sort of closet feature in that large bathroom on the second floor. I know it's kind of too large for just a bathroom but I really want two angles to look into the space, so maybe a set of double doors will do the trick. I'll definitely play around with your laundry idea. I think it will be easier now that I can see every space. I hadn't thought of the realism of having two bathrooms on top of each other! I was actually thinking I should avoid that... but it would make sense!
I'm just not sure about the dormers? Would they look funny on the front? The chimney is kind of in the way. Would be nice from the inside though.
So much to think about... Thanks!
If you positioned two small dormers to be symmetrical on either side of the short gable you'd have something of interest on the roof and they wouldn't be too close to the chimney. Then you'd have light in the bathroom and bedroom potentially.
Now there an idea! Thanks Shelia!
This house is awesome! I so admire your work. Making plans and building a large dollhouse from start to finish is an architect work.
Thank you Drora! It's really an interesting thing... you use a lot of real house building concepts to make the structure, but at the same time some things just don't translate well into 1:12 scale and you have to find other methods.
Es genial esta parte del diseño donde tienes que tomar montones de decisiones y pensar en como quedará mejor-La imaginación trabaja a un ritmo frenético.
Casi demasiadas opciones, pero sí, es emocionante! Gracias por el aliento Isabel!
It is so much fun to see this taking shape - thanks for the update post! The facade is looking great with the new porch addition and the chimney stack, and the extra room in the interior makes the entryway so spacious and inviting! I know that whatever layout you decide on for the second and third floors will be brilliant - you just need some time, now that the walls are up, to let it marinate for a while.
I hope you get to make the most out of your next laser cutting slots and that everything goes seemlessly!
Que interesante ver como toda la casa va tomando forma,como se delimitan los espacios y la escala con los muebles se ve perfecta!!
A mi me gusta un hermoso baño,donde puedas introducir algún mueble,bañera grande,hasta una zona de vestidor donde poder ponerse la ropa con comodidad después del baño.
Me gusta mucho la estructura!!!
Gracias Pilar! También me gusta un diseño de baño grande para jugar. ¡Creo que un vestidor sería genial!
Great house! I love its structure and the front with its many windows.
Thanks Marion, the chimney really is my favourite. I wish I could figure out how to add in another dormer in the third floor but I don't think the design will allow it.
I know this house is going to be so much work and material! But I'm kind of happy I won't be building another structure for a while. I'm looking forward to spending time on the finishes and the decorating. I rushed through that last year in order to finish in time for the contest.
I'm so amazed you are able to build a house a year!
This is an classic looking house and should lend itself to all kinds of interesting room layouts! I do believe that you should be in business making custom kitchen kits for retail because single kitchen you make Kristine, I'm Bowled Over with!
Your kitchen layout and the Fabulous window-wall are ideal for incorporating natural light, architectural interest and that desired long-view into the other rooms- I LOVE how they look!
Hi Elizabeth! Thanks so much for the encouragement! I've been on the fence about selling my kitchens, I think I need to do another couple before I really get the design in a place to sell. They can be so delicate. I decided earlier this year to focus on building the house and I will only make things for sale or do tutorials as I make them for the house. I think it's hard for sellers to balance making inventory and actually enjoying working on their own projects. So we'll see how the year goes.


Public prosecutors offices handle the work of public prosecutors.They are divided into four types:the Supreme Public Prosecutors Office corresponding to the Supreme Court; High Public Prosecutors Offices corresponding to High Courts; District Prosecutors Offices corresponding to District Courts and Family Courts;and Local Public Prosecutors Offices corresponding to Summary Courts.
Public prosecutors,as representatives of the public interest,pursuant to Public Prosecutors Office Law(Law No.61of1947),have the authority to:(1)investigate crimes;(2)prosecute criminal cases;(3)request due process of law to courts for criminal cases;(4)supervise the execution of sentences for criminal cases;(5)request notification from or state opinions to courts with respect to other matters under the authority of courts when they consider it necessary to do so in performing their duties;and(6)carry out duties assigned to their authority under laws and ordinances.
Japan adopts the principle of prosecution by the state.Prosecution by private individuals is not permitted,and the right to prosecute is granted exclusively to public prosecutors( the concept of monopolization of prosecutions),with the only exception of the" quasi-prosecution procedure "(see Part3,Chapter2,Section1,1 ).
Public prosecutors proceed with criminal investigation when they receive cases referred or sent from the police etc.or charges and complaints or they recognize criminal cases themselves,and dispose of the cases based on the investigation results.Dispositions of cases consist of final and intermediate dispositions,and final dispositions are roughly divided into prosecution and non-prosecution.
Prosecution includes request for formal trial,request for summary order and request for speedy trial.Reasons for non-prosecution dispositions include(1)insufficient conditions for prosecution(for example,death of a suspect,dissolution of a corporation,lack,invalidity,or withdrawal of a complaint,charge or request in the case of offenses to be prosecuted upon complaint,charge,or request)(2)the case not being considered an offense(for example,because the suspect is a minor or mentally disabled),(3)no suspicion of an offense being proved(for example,lack or insufficiency of evidence).In addition,(4)even when the suspicion of an offense is proved,public prosecutors may suspend prosecution if prosecution is deemed to be unnecessary in light of the character,age,or circumstances of the suspect,the seriousness and nature of the offense,and the situation after the offense( the principle of discretionary prosecution).
Public prosecutors are obliged to refer cases involving juvenile suspects to family courts when they perceive the suspicion of an offense following their investigations into such cases,except when these cases have been transferred to them by family courts.Even if there is no suspicion of an offense,they are also obliged to refer cases to family courts when they consider that it is a case of what are called status offenses(see Part4,Chapter2,Section2,1 for the prosecution of juvenile cases).


This quote by Henry Ford also applies to organisations. Organisations that want to make a change need to initiate a change management process, often in the form of projects: while processes keep an organisation stable, projects are able to change organisations – a significant advantage!
Since change can cause fears and uncertainty, it makes sense to professionally stand by those who are affected by the change; through coaching or support in Project Management.
Professional development of change management by defining adequate projects and responsibilities.
Professional and continuous communication of change.
Professional support of change – considering the goals and individuals who are affected by it.
I want to change my organisation (company, division, department, team), but I do not know exactly how.
I need someone who professionally supports the upcoming change process.
During change management I want project management training for the employees.
I want to strengthen the communication skills, conflict skills and/or teamwork in my organisation.
I want professional support (frequency coaching) for all those affected by the change.


Well, 2016 is coming to a close. One minute I am ready to toast to a successful 2016 and the next minute I'm ready to throw a mimosa at my tv screen for all the turmoil this year has endured in the world.
With 2016 coming to a close, it is time to start prepping your business for a banging end. How do you do that? Take the next week (the last week of September) to prepare.
Write down your business goals for the next quarter. Keep this list short. It should consist of only two main goals. Don't try to overdue it.
Start on your taxes NOW! Do not wait until March.
Revamp your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is SO important for your business, I cannot stress this enough. You can gain prospects, leads, partnerships, and access to great networking.
Plan to make 15 phone calls/or send emails a day for client acquisition for your business. This can either be for clients, sponsors, network connections or potential partnerships. This number may not sound like a big number but we have three months left in the year…let's do the math…that is 1,380 by the end of the year!
How do you plan to prepare for this final quarter of the year? Tell me in the comment section below.


text:
Q: Cannot upgrade Node.js using n I'm trying to update Node.js on Ubuntu serever 14.04 using n.
n upgrades but the version is still the same:
root@0e2dbaa3db85:/home# node -v
v0.10.25

root@0e2dbaa3db85:/home# n 0.10.33
  install : node-v0.10.33
    mkdir : /usr/local/n/versions/node/0.10.33
    fetch : https://nodejs.org/dist/v0.10.33/node-v0.10.33-linux-x64.tar.gz
installed : v0.10.33

root@0e2dbaa3db85:/home# node -v
v0.10.25

Do I have to tell n which version to use as default?
I've tried n latest, it installs 0.12.0 but node -v outputs 0.10.25 again.
What should I do?

A: On occasion the n package won't install the links for node, and the selection won't allow you to select any version installed by n.
When that happens, you need to install an "n" version of node so the selector will allow you to choose.
Here is what I had to do.

*

*Use n to install a node version.
# n stable

 install : node-v5.10.1
   mkdir : /usr/local/n/versions/node/5.10.1
   fetch : https://nodejs.org/dist/v5.10.1/node-v5.10.1-linux-x64.tar.gz
######################################################################## 100.0%
   installed : v0.10.42

*Select the node version from the install directory
In this case it is located at:
/usr/local/n/versions/node/5.10.1/bin/node

*Replace existing node link with new node version
cd /bin
mv node node_old
ln -s /usr/local/n/versions/node/5.10.1/bin/node

At this point node should work, and n should allow you to select version.

A: *

*Resolved by nvm.

*I faced the same issue with you. I could not change node version with n because I installed nvm and used nvm to manage node versions before.

*I resolved the issue by execute nvm command. For example: nvm install 11.8.0 then check node version node -v. Tada it works.

A: n 0.10.33 will install that version of node, but you still haven't selected it. After installing, simply execute n and pick the version you want to use.
n latest will install or activate the latest version of node. Run it twice to use node 0.12.0
Documentation.

A: I faced same issue, where I select a different version or even download a new version with n and it still shows the initial installation before I started using n. This worked for me:

*

*Unlink
sudo unlink /usr/bin/node

*Run n again to choose the node version.
After this two steps it worked

A: From what I can read from the n readme, you need to call n <version> to install, and then run n with no arguments, so a version picker will be shown:

Type n to prompt selection of an installed node. Use the up / down arrow to navigate, and press enter or the right arrow to select, or ^C to cancel:
(...)
Commands:
  n <version>    Install node <version>

However, if you run n latest, it will install or activate the latest version:

n latest            Install or activate the latest node release

A: Try to set the simbolic link to node to the npm global folder.

*

*sudo unlink /usr/bin/node

*sudo ln -rs PATHTO/.npm-global/node/bin/nodee node

in my case, my path to npm-global dir was on my home. So the full path was /home/rafael/.npm-global/node/bin/node
After this, check if is allrigth:

*

*node -v //return current node version

*n stable //install the stable current version

*node -v //will return the new version installed

*n 8 //install the version 8 for test

*node -v //will return the 8 version

Enjoy

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Depreciation is a crucial part of the car-buying equation and as both a buyer and seller you should understand how it impacts you and your bottom line.
The art and science of depreciation sounds pretty mundane and deadly boring, doesn't it? Some numbers, something about time over money spent and a brand? Yeesh, let's skip it. Right? Wrong. Depreciation is a crucial part of the car-buying equation and as both a buyer and seller you should understand how it impacts you and your bottom line.
First, let's talk about what depreciation actually is. We put together a long list of terms you need to know when you go about buying a new or used car. Basically depreciation is the decrease of a vehicle's value over time. That means that the longer you hold onto an asset, the more it drops in value. A car that you buy from the lot goes from new to used the second you sign the paperwork. That "scarlet letter," if you will, impacts the value of the car negatively, regardless of whether you own it for 5 years or five minutes.
Depreciation happens for a number of reasons. First is the "stigma" or label that goes along with buying something that was previously owned by someone else. That stigma is largely psychological—just because someone owned something before you doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with it, we just know that we are not the first owners. In the car world, dealerships buy cars from a limited number of car manufacturers at wholesale prices. They then have to turn those cars around and sell them for a profit. After all, as we discussed in our piece on why cars at a dealership (even used ones) cost more, you're paying for the salaries of the employees who work in the dealership, the cost of running the AC and heat, and even the lights in the place.
All of those costs are factored into the price of your new car. When the car rolls off the lot, the dealer no longer has control over how that car is treated, or what is done to it. Some people are great with their vehicles while others simply abuse them, and that has a big impact on the value of the car when it eventually returns to the market (whether in a dealer's showroom or via a private seller). Dealers often inflate the price of a new car by anywhere from 5% to 20% over the invoice. There are all kinds of hidden things embedded in that sticker price so a good rule of thumb is to never pay that price.
Now that you have an idea of what depreciation is and where dealers make their money, it's time to discuss why these awesome new machines take such a tremendous hit of depreciation when you drive them off the lot. We've touched on the psychological aspect of new versus used cars. Now let's discuss the idea of the new model. Think about it this way. When a new iPhone comes out—are you willing to pay as much for the old iPhone? Of course not. It doesn't have all the perceived bells and whistles as the new one, therefore it's worth less. If a manufacturer puts out a new model that has more safety tech, or new things like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the perception is that that car is better, because it's newer. It has all the things you "want" in your new car. That makes the price of the older model drop because (as is the law of supply and demand), the older car is less desirable than the newer car.
Skip the dealer, sell it yourself, and get thousands more than a trade-in.
Here's the kicker. New cars depreciate anywhere from 5% to 20% the moment you roll them off the lot. To illustrate this, let's take a look at a luxury car priced at $50,000. If you buy a car for $50,000, it could be worth just $40,000 the moment you sign on the dotted line. That means that if you drove it off the lot, went a block with it and went back to sell it, it would only be worth $40,000. That's a really big hit to take for just driving a block, right?
The truth is that cars in high demand will take a lower depreciation hit than those with a lower demand. According to Intellichoice, a company that analyzes data on every new vehicle sold in the US, in 2016, the vehicles that retained the most value (or took the smallest depreciation hit) were the Jeep Wrangler, Wrangler Unlimited and Porsche Cayenne. These rankings change from year-to-year so based on the model year you own, you could stand to lose more than those who own a newer model.
You should also recognize that popularity plays a large role in depreciation as well. Gas prices fluctuate over time. As gas prices go up, large SUVs go out of style and their values drop. As gas prices go down, however large SUVs become more desirable. As CarFax points out, what may be popular one year, may not the next and those vehicles that held their value could suddenly tank. Sadly, it's all a matter of economics and group psychology.
So what can you do about it? Well, for one, the best way to ensure that your car holds its value is to take good care of it. Get the regularly scheduled maintenance done and keep your records of that maintenance up to date. Second, there's an argument to be made for buying cars in more neutral colors like white, silver and black. Cars in those colors tend to their value better than others though you will see studies (like the recent one from iseecars.com) that argue that your next car should be orange, yellow, or green. We wouldn't recommend choosing a car in those colors just for the sake of resale, though. It's important that you enjoy your car first, so if yellow turns you off, don't buy a yellow car. Overall the best way to protect yourself from depreciation if you are committed to buying a new car, is to buy something that you enjoy, and negotiate the best deal you can get at the dealership. The less you pay for a car, the less impact depreciation will have on your bottom line.
While new car depreciation sounds like a whole lot of accounting mumbo jumbo (and to some extent it is), it's a hot topic even on sites like Quora. It can impact both buyers and sellers and it's crucial to understand why depreciation is such a big deal no matter what side of the car-equation you are on.
For more on topics like this and all the ins-and-outs of buying or selling a car, check back here with us on Instamotor, on the regular.


text:
NZ Fiction
NZ Junior Fiction 5-9-year-olds
Aunt Nasty
Author(s): Margaret Mahy
Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books. A blue Early Reader is perfect for sharing and reading together. A red Early Reader is the next step on your reading journey.
Aunt Nasty is coming to stay. Claire and Toby don't know what to expect. You see, Aunt Nasty isn't like other aunties. Aunt Nasty is a witch
A spooky and magical full colour Early Reader edition of a classic story from the CARNEGIE-winning and HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN AWARD nominated author Margaret Mahy, with new full colour illustrations by Chris Mould.
$16.99(NZD)
Margaret Mahy (1936-2012) is one of New Zealand's most celebrated children's writers. She is the author of more than 150 titles, which have been translated into many different languages and sold around the world. Appointed to the Order of New Zealand in 1993, Mahy also won many global prizes for children's writers, including the Carnegie Medal and the prestigious Hans Christian Andersen Award.
Publisher : Hachette New Zealand
Imprint : Hodder Moa
Produced in : New Zealand
Author : Margaret Mahy
ADDRESS: 1 Jervois Road, Ponsonby, Auckland 1011, NEW ZEALAND
EMAIL: shop@dorothybutler.co.nz
BUSINESS NAME: Wadsworth Sisters Ltd T/A The Dorothy Butler Children's Bookshop


The ideal excursion for those who wish to embark on a journey into the heart of Mumbai and explore the places that are fundamental for an understand this fascinating city.
We leave the port by coach and head for the Girgaum Iskcon Temple, passing by a few of the city's main attractions: The Asiatic Society Library, once home to the city hall, and the Marina Drive coastal road, also known as the "Queen's Necklace" because of its street lights that look like a pearl necklace when lit up at night.
After viewing the sumptuous temple, we visit the Hanging gardens and the Kamla Nehru park from where we can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the city.
We pass the Parsi Towers of Silence, a sacred place for the Parsi community and therefore inaccessible to other people and we observe the Dhobi Gat, an open-air washhouse still used today by locals despite the advent of washing machines.
We visit the Mani Bhavan Museum, which was the residence of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, when he lived in Mumbai between 1917 and 1934.
We then return to our coach and head for the St. Thomas Cathedral. Along the journey we can watch the interesting sights of the business quarters in the south of the city with several monuments dating back to the British colonial era including the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus once known as the Victoria Terminus, the University of Mumbai, the Supreme Court Building and the Prince of Wales Museum, an imposing and unusual building topped with a magnificent white dome.
Before returning to the port stop briefly to take photographs of the symbol of the city: the Gateway of India.
In order to take photos or film videos within the Prince of Wales Museum, you must purchase the necessary tickets.


Department: Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Software, Beijing 100190, Peoples R China.
English Abstract: The automatic and flexible service implementation is requested to satisfy service configuration fast, automatically, flexibly, and extensibly in next generation internet environment. This paper proposes service implementation based on semantic Web in next generation internet environment. The service implementation management is analyzed. The service implementation based on semantic Web is designed and implemented. Policy described by XML combing with OWL-S plays important role in the service implementation based on semantic Web because its flexibility and extensibility. The service implementation process is analyzed and described based on OWL-S.
Dong Wenli. service implementation based on semantic web[C]. 见:International Forum on Computer Science-Technology and Applications. Chongqing, PEOPLES R CHINA. DEC 25-27,.


text:
pajais Spagna
Aura Spagna
Clima Cuenca
matg matg 60 22 9
zercl. zercladur 40 28 14
sett. settember 40 26 13
oct. october 85 20 9
For the month of schaner, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 1994 and 2005.
For the month of favrer, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 1994 and 2005.
For the month of mars, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 1994 and 2005.
Nus engraziain a noss partenari: MetOffice
For the month of avrigl, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 2002 and 2013.
For the month of matg, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 2002 and 2013.
For the month of zercladur, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 1994 and 2005.
For the month of fanadur, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 2002 and 2013.
For the month of avust, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 2002 and 2013.
For the month of settember, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 2002 and 2013.
For the month of october, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 2002 and 2013.
For the month of november, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 1994 and 2005.
For the month of december, average values for station "Cuenca" were calculated from climate data measured between the years 2002 and 2013.
Clima Teruel
Clima Albacete
Clima Madrid Barajas


text:
Espargaro storms to 5th at the Motul TT Assen
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro stormed across the finish line in 5th position today in Assen at the eighth round of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship. The Young Spaniard launched off the grid from 5th and met the first corner in 4th position whilst right in the mix with the factory MotoGP bikes. He executed an impressive overtake on Aleix Espargaro to move into third before being shuffled back one position at the end of the first lap. Espargaro then stuck into his fierce race pace as he intended to remain with the riders ahead of him. The lap numbers counted down and by the mid point of the race, he was heavily involved in a notable battle for 5th position with five additional riders. On the 20th lap, the pack was covered by just two seconds and the 24 year old was running in 6th with his sights firmly locked on Cal Crutchlow in front. Two laps later, the 2013 Moto2 World Champion powered past Crutchlow and progressed up to 5th before blazing across the finish line impressively ahead of the chasing four riders who were covered by just 0.388.
Meanwhile, Bradley Smith produced another strong display in the Netherlands to seize 7th position after becoming involved in the tussle with his teammate that went right to the finish flag. The 24 year old rider commenced the 85th Dutch TT from 12th on the grid and produced a solid start to battle his way up to 8th at the fall of the first lap. Then Smith stuck into his race rhythm and rode consistently as he sought to close in on the group in front. The Briton remained calm and made steps forward before diving past Pedrosa on the 16th lap to seize 8th. With seven laps remaining, he tried to overtake his teammate, yet unfortunately ran off the track in the process and slipped back to 9th. However, Smith soon recovered the distance and was back in the middle of the battle for 5th. He powered onwards before reclaiming 8th on the 23rd lap and then geared up for the final sprint around the 4.5 kilometre circuit. Here he jumped up a place and after speeding out of the iconic Geert Timmer Bocht chicane he was less than a hairs breadth to Cal Crutchlow in what was a spectacular finish to the Motul TT Assen where he just missed out on 6th position by 0.069.
Position : 5th Championship : 8th Points : 56
"Of course, I have to be pleased with the fifth position today, yet it was a very tough race. Unfortunately, I had a lot of difficulties with my right forearm again, which I have recently had surgery on and the last six laps were particularly tricky. I ran wide in the fast corners and couldn't brake, so to be honest, riding like this was anything but easy. In the last three laps, I even started to think that I wouldn't be able to finish the race as I was convinced I would run wide and crash somewhere. Yet, I kept fighting and held my position until the finish line, but I just tried to be as big as possible in the last lap to make the others struggle to go past me as I had nothing more to give on the brakes. Therefore, beside the satisfaction of the good result, there is also some frustration because in this situation it will be tricky to continue racing due to the problem itself which is also painful. However, tomorrow we will fly, as scheduled, to our first test in Japan for the 8 hour race and face this new challenge after the good result here in the Netherlands."
"Overall, I am pleased to walk away from the Assen track with another solid finish even though it was hard work in this race. It was especially difficult behind the Honda and Ducati bikes as they have to be ridden in different styles when compared to the Yamaha, so it wasn't easy at all to find my way through. To be honest, it was a bit of shame that I qualified in 12th yesterday as I definitely felt that I had the bike underneath me which was strong enough for 4th position. In the second part of the race, I tried to pass Pol with around eight laps left to go, but I ran off track and then had to move back through the group all over again. I thought that I could have overtaken him and then broken away so it was a pity that I ran wide. Nevertheless, beating two factory bikes was great, especially as it was in one on one battles, so I've got to be pleased with my performance. Also the top satellite bike was only two bike lengths in front, which means we have been competitive again. I must say thanks to the team for the great job and I look forward to getting back on my Yamaha M1 at Sachsenring."
Hervé Poncharal - Team manager :
"It was yet again a very strong race result for the Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team. Both Pol and Bradley had good starts and were involved in the incredibly tough battle for 5th throughout the whole race, plus they also passed each other several times. Both were fighting with factory riders, such as, Iannone first and then Dovizioso, Pedrosa and Aleix Espargaro who all fought and passed each other throughout the 26 lap sprint. Pol managed to finish ahead of this group even though he had a lot of pain in his right arm and I'm very glad that he was able to complete the race in this position. I'm really happy for him, especially after his DNF at his home round and I'm sure that this result comes at a perfect time for him and his whole team because they have worked very hard. Bradley was right there as well and at some point of the race he was even setting the fastest times of the entire group. Yet unfortunately, at this track it's not easy to pass. The bottom line is that we leave Assen with a 5th and a 7th which is another positive finish for both guys. Pol was the first satellite rider, plus we are keeping our dream alive as we are just eight points behind Repsol Honda in the team championship and finally, I also want to congratulate Valentino on another incredible victory. Tomorrow our two riders are flying to Suzuka, so I hope they can recover and also sleep well on the plane and we trust to have them back strong at the German GP."
Espargaro speeds to fifth place in qualifying at the Motul TT Assen
Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro will begin the 85th Dutch TT from the middle of the second row on the grid after pulling off an impressive qualifying performance aboard his Yamaha YZR-M1. The young Spaniard completed the opening session this morning with a best lap of 1'33.660 that left him in 9th, despite a small shower in the middle which cleared quickly. His time allowed him to progress straight through to QP2 and once the 15 minute contest started, the 24 year old pulled the pin instantly as he sought to clinch a top grid position for tomorrow's 26 lap race. He went on to complete eight laps, with his top time being a 1'33.013 which was a mere blink of an eye from the front row by only 0.127. The confident charge by the 2013 Moto2 World Champion today sets him up for a strong display tomorrow where he intends to follow up his strong qualifying with a top 6 finish.
Meanwhile, Bradley Smith will commence the 8th round of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship from 12th on the grid at the legendary Assen circuit. Smith delivered a notable performance in FP3 to seize 5th position with a 1'33.387 lap that was just 0.220 from the leading time. He surged into action when qualifying 2 began and posted a best time of 1'33.236 which saw him at the rear of the fourth row. Nevertheless, his time was just over two tenths back from his teammate in what was a fiercely competitive qualifying shootout. The British star will now look to undertake a typical rocket start from the grid and then battle for the leading satellite honours in the Motul TT Assen in order to follow up his double top five finishes at the previous two rounds.
Position : 5th Time : 1'33.013 Laps : 8
"I am happy to begin from fifth on the grid as it has been a few races since I've started from the second row. The qualifying was really tight and I'm pleased that we were able to put a fast lap together, which was our ambition after yesterday's practice. As we achieved this, we now have a good position to start from in tomorrow's race. Unfortunately, the changes that we tried in FP4 didn't work as well as we hoped and I couldn't ride the bike as aggressively as I wanted to with the low grip levels. So we changed back to the setting that we used before and with the new tyres, things seemed to be a lot better straight away. Now we have to continue to work tomorrow in the warm up in order to be all prepared for the race."
Position : 12th Time : 1'33.236 Laps : 8
"I'm quite content with how the bike is feeling for the race tomorrow, so despite being a bit frustrated that I was only 0.2 from fifth, I am still optimistic. We tried a few different settings in FP4 which seem to be positive for the race and have definitely given us a good direction. Due to this, we were weighing up our options before QP2 and considered altering the settings for qualifying, but in the end we decided to remain with what we had. Perhaps we should have risked changing something, but then again, doing that is a gamble and it doesn't guarantee anything. Nevertheless, I know that I left more than 0.2 on the track and our race pace is more competitive than our position is showing at the moment. I have made things a bit trickier for myself by starting from 12th, but with a strong start, we will be in the mix. Just by looking at the lap times today, we know the race will be very close, plus the track is narrow and so it will be a bit more difficult than usual to find somewhere to pass. Yet, the bike is good and I am looking forward to the 26 lap battle tomorrow."
Espargaro and Smith confident for Dutch TT after opening shake down
The Monster Yamaha Tech3 Team rider Pol Espargaro kick-started his Motul TT Assen challenge by finishing in 11th position on the first day of action at the 8th round of the 2015 MotoGP World Championship. The young Spaniard began confidently by getting into gear immediately and posting a best time of 1'34.927 in FP1 under bright and sunny conditions in the Netherlands which left him in 5th place. In the afternoon session, he got straight back to work and continued his efforts to refine the setup of his Yamaha YZR-M1 for the 26 lap race on Saturday, while setting his best time on lap 14. This time of 1'34.321 equalled 11th at the close of the session, which was just over half a second back from the second row. The 24 year old now sets his sights on making some further steps forward tomorrow morning before focusing on the all important qualifying where he intends to score a solid grid position to launch from in Saturday's race.
Meanwhile, Bradley Smith concluded the day in 13th after undertaking a thorough effort in setting up his Yamaha to suit the fast flowing nature of the Assen circuit. The young British rider confidently jumped into action and completed FP1 with a best lap of 1'35.042 that resulted in a 6th place finish. As a result, Smith optimistically looked towards FP2 and here, he picked up where he left off by continuing to make the necessary tweaks to his MotoGP bike. At the fall of the chequered flag, he highlighted his dedication by completing a total of 23 laps, more than any other MotoGP rider, and finished with a top time of 1'34.627. The 24 year old rider intends to make further steps forward in FP3 tomorrow ahead of the qualifying battle.
Position : 11th Time : 1'34.321 Laps : 40
"We kicked off the Dutch TT in a positive manner after having a good start this morning and managed to set a quick lap at the end of the session which put us near the front of the field. Yet unfortunately this afternoon, things didn't work out the same way as everybody improved their times, while we had to face a few slight issues which prevented us from posting a really fast single lap. Everything is so close in the times and the guys with the soft tyre have a clear advantage and can easily beat us on one lap. Yet our race pace is really promising and is quite close to the top riders. Now we just have to hope that it won't rain tomorrow morning so that we can have a good chance of qualifying straight through to QP2. We will see what happens and I will give it my very best."
"Today was quite a good day despite the final position in the combined standings. I am satisfied with the work that we have undertaken and as soon as we got out on track this morning, I felt comfortable straight away. When we tried the hard tyre this afternoon, I was happy with how the bike handled, yet when we put the soft tyre in, the grip wasn't as good as it should have been because we had a tyre that may have not worked properly. This limited me and unfortunately was the reason why I wasn't able to post a strong lap time. Having said that, these things occasionally happen and it's much better for this to occur today instead of tomorrow as we all know how important the qualifying is. We don't know what the weather conditions will be like tomorrow so it's not ideal to be in 13th, but we've had a strong pace all day today and I am optimistic for the qualifying. Therefore, we will make a few small adjustments, but overall, I'm feeling confident and I'm looking forward to getting back out on the track."
Tech3 pair ready to hit Cathedral of speed at full power