Osterplana 65: a Fossil Meteorite From Ordovician Sweden

470 million years ago, somewhere in our Solar System, there was an enormous collision between two asteroids. We know this because of the rain of meteorites that struck Earth at that time. But inside that rain of meteorites, which were all of the same type, there is a mystery: an oddball, different from the rest. And that oddball could tell us something about how rocks from space can change ecosystems, and allow species to thrive.

This oddball meteorite has a name: Osterplana 65. It’s a fossilized meteorite, and it was found in a limestone quarry in Sweden. Osterplana 65 fell to Earth some 470 mya, during the Ordovician period, and sank to the bottom of the ocean. There, it became sequestered in a bed of limestone, itself created by the sea-life of the time.

link.

Tortotubus: a Fossil Fungus From Aeronian Silurian Sweden

A fossil dating from 440 million years ago is not only the oldest example of a fossilised fungus, but is also the oldest fossil of any land-dwelling organism yet found. The organism, and others like it, played a key role in laying the groundwork for more complex plants, and later animals, to exist on land by kick-starting the process of rot and soil formation, which is vital to all life on land.

This early pioneer, known as Tortotubus, displays a structure similar to one found in some modern fungi, which likely enabled it to store and transport nutrients through the process of decomposition. Although it cannot be said to be the first organism to have lived on land, it is the oldest fossil of a terrestrial organism yet found. The results are published in the Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society.

"During the period when this organism existed, life was almost entirely restricted to the oceans: nothing more complex than simple mossy and lichen-like plants had yet evolved on the land," said the paper's author Dr Martin Smith, who conducted the work while at the University of Cambridge's Department of Earth Sciences, and is now based at Durham University. "But before there could be flowering plants or trees, or the animals that depend on them, the processes of rot and soil formation needed to be established."

Working with a range of tiny microfossils from Sweden and Scotland, each shorter than a human hair is wide, Smith attempted to reconstruct the method of growth for two different types of fossils that were first identified in the 1980s. These fossils had once been thought to represent parts of two different organisms, but by identifying other fossils with 'in-between' forms, Smith was able to show that the fossils actually represented parts of a single organism at different stages of growth. By reconstructing how the organism grew, he was able to show that the fossils represent mycelium - the root-like filaments that fungi use to extract nutrients from soil.

It's difficult to pinpoint exactly when life first migrated from the seas to the land, since useful features in the fossil record that could help identify the earliest land colonisers are rare, but it is generally agreed that the transition started early in the Palaeozoic era, between 500 and 450 million years ago. But before any complex forms of life could live on land, there needed to be nutrients there to support them. Fungi played a key role in the move to land, since by kick-starting the rotting process, a layer of fertile soil could eventually be built up, enabling plants with root systems to establish themselves, which in turn could support animal life.

link.

Double Impact Crater Found in Sweden From Floian/Dapingian Ordovician, Possibly Linked to Proposed Ordovician Meteor Event

Double rainbows have nothing on Earth’s newest dynamic duo: the double crater.

Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have uncovered two impact craters in Jämtland, Sweden, which they believe to have occurred simultaneously around 460 million years ago. Double meteor impacts are rare events, and the discovery in Sweden is the first proven instance of its kind.

“Information from drilling operations demonstrates that identical sequences are present in the two craters, and the sediment above the impact sequences is of the same age. In other words, these are simultaneous impacts,” said Erik Sturkell, professor of geophysics at the University of Gothenburg and a member of the team that found the double crater, in a university statement.

Although these two meteorites struck at the same time, that does not mean they are physically alike, however. One crater measures a massive 4.7 miles in diameter, while the other, which was located nearly ten miles away, was a much a smaller 2,300 feet across.

As for how it happened, it all started in the stars.

“Around 470 million years ago, two large asteroids collided in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, and many fragments were thrown off in new orbits. Many of these crashed on Earth, such as these two in Jämtland,” said Sturkell.

link.

There are several impacts in North America and another in Estonia that roughly line up.  This hypothesized event is termed the "Ordovician Meteor Event."  They are all supposedly within a million years of each other and I wonder though whether or not they line up given the paleogeography. 

Extraordindary Claim? Possible Russian Submarine Wreck Found in Swedish Waters

The Swedish military is studying a video taken by shipwreck hunters who say it shows a wrecked submarine just off the eastern coast of Sweden which appears to be Russian, a spokesman said on Monday.

The discovery comes less than a year after Swedish troops and ships unsuccessfully hunted for a Russian submarine reportedly cited near Stockholm, in the country's biggest military mobilization since the Cold War.

Swedish Armed Forces spokesman Anders Kallin did not say whether the military also believed it was a Russian submarine.

"We choose not to comment on it before we have seen more material. We will continue the analysis together with the company in the coming days," Kallin said.

Ocean X Team, the company behind the discovery, said on its website: "It is unclear how old the submarine is and for how long it has been at the bottom of the sea, but the Cyrillic letters on the hull indicate that it is Russian."

One of the men who discovered the submarine, Dennis Asberg, told the Expressen newspaper it looked modern. But one expert quoted by the paper said he believed it was a Russian submarine that sank in 1916.

link.

I tagged with the 'extraordinary claim' because Dennis Asberg, one of the finders, is noted for the heavily criticized 'Baltic Sea Anomaly' back in the day.  

Swedish Hummeln Structure is an Ordovician Impact Crater From a L Chondrite Meteorite

Impact origin for the Hummeln structure (Sweden) and its link to the Ordovician disruption of the L chondrite parent body

Authors:

Alwmark et al

Abstract:

Several studies of meteorites show that a large disruption of an asteroid occurred ca. 470 Ma in our solar system's asteroid belt. As a consequence, a large number of meteorite impacts occurred on Earth during the following few million years. The finding and characterization, for the first time, of planar deformation features in quartz grains from rocks collected at the Middle Ordovician Hummeln structure (Sweden) prove the hypervelocity impact origin of the structure. The unambiguous shock features allow us to close an ∼200-yr-old discussion about its origin, and further the hypothesis of enhanced asteroid bombardment during the Middle Ordovician, adding an impact crater to the increasing number confirmed and properly dated from this period. Despite its relatively small size (∼1.2 km in diameter), similar to the young Meteor Crater (Arizona, USA), and its old age, the Hummeln structure is remarkably well preserved, contradicting the general assumption that small craters are not preserved on Earth for more than a few tens of thousands to a couple of million years.

Understanding a Campanian Cretaceous Rocky Shore Ecology From Sweden

Rocky shore taphonomy—A comparative study of modern and Late Cretaceous analogues

Authors:

Sørensen et al

Abstract:

Rocky shores are rare in the fossil record due to erosion under both sea-level rise and fall. In contrast, modern rocky shores are well-studied, but little is known about the evolution of their ecosystems due to the rarity of ancient counterparts. Reconstruction of these ancient ecosystems is thus essential to get an insight into their evolution. A high-diversity Late Cretaceous (Campanian) rocky shore fauna is found in southern Sweden. The original composition of the shelly fauna cannot be interpreted by direct examination of the preserved fauna due to the effects of taphonomic processes. Life and death assemblages from a modern rocky shore fauna from Thailand have previously been analysed and a hypothetical fossil assemblage was reconstructed in order to attempt an interpretation of the Campanian life assemblage. This study shows a low taxonomic agreement between the original Campanian life assemblage and the fossil assemblage, due to taphonomic processes, and high environmental fidelity with only a few out-of-habitat species represented. The modern life assemblage showed in an earlier study, a high loss of species before onset of fossilisation. This suggests that the faunal composition of the Campanian life assemblage cannot be easily reconstructed, and time averaging by generations of death assemblages makes this even more difficult. The Campanian aragonitic fauna is poorly represented and the rarity of moulds after aragonitic species is interpreted as due to taphonomic processes and not to lower richness of aragonitic species in the Cretaceous. This is supported by comparison with the high richness of aragonitic species found on a Late Cretaceous rocky shore in Germany. An originally high-diversity gastropod fauna is thus interpreted to have dominated the intertidal zone in the Campanian example, and the rare moulds of each of the aragonitic species indicate a high taphonomic loss in spite of rapid burial. Calcitic species-richness is higher in the Campanian fauna than in the modern life, death, and constructed hypothetical fossil assemblages. This is interpreted as reflecting time averaging of generations of calcitic species and low loss of calcitic species by taphonomic processes in the Campanian fauna. It is thus assumed that the original Campanian fauna experienced a change in faunal composition from a gastropod-dominated life assemblage to a bivalve-dominated fossil assemblage due to dissolution of aragonite and excellent preservation of calcite. Reconstruction of ancient rocky shore shelly faunas can thus be considerably improved by comparison with analogous modern rocky shore faunas.

Echoes of the Cold War? Or Opening Strains of a new one? Swedish Naval Forces Hunt Sub in Baltic

Elements of the Swedish Navy spent the weekend searching for evidence of “foreign underwater activity,” following a Friday announcement from the Swedish Ministry of Defense, ahead of two days of naval maneuvers around the Stockholm archipelago.

Reports from Swedish press outlets have suggested the object is a damaged Soviet submarine, with one report in newspaper Svenska Dagbladet claiming to have intercepted a distress call in Russian.

The Swedish Ministry of Defense did not confirm any of the reports.

Russia defense officials have denied involvement in the incident.

link.

Swedish Knaften-Barsele arc Formed, Accreted onto Karelian Continent During Orosirian PaleoProterozoic

Hafnium isotope evidence for early-Proterozoic volcanic arc reworking in the Skellefte district (northern Sweden) and implications for the Svecofennian orogen

Authors:

Guitreau et al

Abstract:

The Skellefte district is a seemingly juvenile and heavily mineralized crustal domain in northern Sweden that formed between 1.90 and 1.87 Ga. It is commonly interpreted as a volcanic arc deposited on a basement (known variously as the Bothnian or the Knaften-Barsele group) that could be represented by older rocks (1.96-1.94 Ga) found in the vicinity. In order to understand the potential genetic relationship between the arc and the basement, Hf and Pb isotopes in magmatic zircons from key lithologies were measured by solution multi-collector inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. It is shown that both geological groups display similar Hf isotope compositions, which translate into decreasing ɛHf with time. Overall, the data are compatible with reworking of the Knaften-Barsele arc to produce the Skellefte rocks over a short time interval from 1.90 to 1.87 Ga in a context of crustal extension with ongoing subduction. When the data presented here are integrated with general models of tectonic evolution of the Svecofennian orogen, they fit a scenario in which the juvenile Knaften-Barsele arc formed between 1.96 and 1.94 Ga and became accreted onto the Karelian continent located further north at about 1.92-1.91 Ga. Systematic north to south variations in Pb, Nd, and Hf isotope compositions throughout the Svecofennides, interpreted as resulting from an increase in Archean crust involvement towards the south, indicate a genetic link between the Proterozoic crustal domains of Sweden and Finland.

More on Finland, Sweden Joining NATO

SWEDEN and Finland stopped being neutral years ago. They both participate in NATO exercises, commit troops to its rapid-reaction force, took part in peacekeeping operations in Bosnia and Kosovo, joined the fight in Afghanistan and, in the case of Sweden, even got involved in the 2011 air war in Libya.

The two Nordic countries are thus more willing participants in the transatlantic alliance than several full members (Germany refused to have anything to do with Libya). Yet they do not enjoy the biggest benefits of NATO: a seat at the decision-making table and the protection afforded by Article 5, the clause that defines an attack on one as an attack on all. This did not matter much when Russia was a “partner” and neutrality, or rather non-alignment, was a badge of national identity. But Vladimir Putin’s aggression towards Ukraine is forcing a reassessment.

This is especially true in Finland, once part of the Russian empire. Alexander Stubb, who is about to take over as prime minister, made clear his wish to push for NATO membership with the aim of “maximising Finland’s national security”. He was elected this week as leader of the conservative Kokoomus party, succeeding Jyrki Katainen, who is moving to the European Commission. Nothing will happen immediately, as the current five-party coalition excludes moves towards NATO. But Mr Stubb said the country needed a “comprehensive debate” after next April’s general election and, if he wins, he seems determined to lead it.

link.

Swiss Voters Reject Gripen Fighter Purchase

Swiss voters have rejected the country's planned purchase of 22 Saab Gripen E fighter aircraft in a landmark referendum on 18 May.

In a major blow to Saab, the country voted 53.4% against the proposed CHF3.126 billion (USD3.45 billion) purchase of the Gripen E to replace the country's ageing Northrop F-5 Tiger II fighter aircraft. Within a total turnout of 55.3%, 1.542 million Swiss voted against the purchase, with 1.344 million in favour.

The Gripen E had been selected by Switzerland in November 2011 to replace the F-5s, and had gone through a lengthy process of parliamentary approval prior to the public referendum.

The rejection now poses major questions for the Swiss Federal Department of Defence Civil Protection and Sport (VBS). In April the VBS stated it had no 'plan B' should the referendum go against the purchase of the Gripen.

The 54-strong Tiger II fleet has been in Swiss service since 1978 and is scheduled to be withdrawn from service in 2016. Meanwhile, the other element of the Swiss Air Force's combat fleet, its 32 Boeing F/A-18C/D Hornets, is itself currently scheduled to be withdrawn from service in 2025. With the purchase of the Gripen now rejected, the VBS urgently needs to identify a solution to maintain the country's air policing capabilities.

Speaking following the referendum result, Swiss Defence Minister Ueli Maurer stated that: "This decision has the effect of creating security gaps. We will make every effort to address these gaps in time in this difficult context. During the coming months, we must consider different options to find the best solution of readiness of the army."

A short-term solution could involve upgrading and refurbishing the country's existing Tiger II fleet, which could be maintained in service until at least 2020 should the need arise. Equally, a service life extension for the Hornet fleet will likely now be considered.

link.

How Sweden Turned Itself into Japan

Three years ago Sweden was widely regarded as a role model in how to deal with a global crisis. The nation’s exports were hit hard by slumping world trade but snapped back; its well-regulated banks rode out the financial storm; its strong social insurance programs supported consumer demand; and unlike much of Europe, it still had its own currency, giving it much-needed flexibility. By mid-2010 output was surging, and unemployment was falling fast. Sweden, declared The Washington Post, was “the rock star of the recovery.”

Then the sadomonetarists moved in.

The story so far: In 2010 Sweden’s economy was doing much better than those of most other advanced countries. But unemployment was still high, and inflation was low. Nonetheless, the Riksbank — Sweden’s equivalent of the Federal Reserve — decided to start raising interest rates.

There was some dissent within the Riksbank over this decision. Lars Svensson, a deputy governor at the time — and a former Princeton colleague of mine — vociferously opposed the rate hikes. Mr. Svensson, one of the world’s leading experts on Japanese-style deflationary traps, warned that raising interest rates in a still-depressed economy put Sweden at risk of a similar outcome. But he found himself isolated, and left the Riksbank in 2013.

Sure enough, Swedish unemployment stopped falling soon after the rate hikes began. Deflation took a little longer, but it eventually arrived. The rock star of the recovery has turned itself into Japan.

link.

Finland, Sweden Considering Joining NATO Because of Crimea?

When Russian warplanes staged a mock bombing run on Sweden last year, air defences were caught napping. It was the middle of the night and no Swedish planes were scrambled.

Instead, Danish jets belonging to NATO's Baltic mission based in Lithuania, took to the air to shadow the Russians.

The discussion that incident triggered over Sweden's ability to defend itself has grown with Russia's seizure of Crimea from Ukraine. As in neighbour and fellow EU member Finland, Swedes wonder whether to seek shelter in the U.S.-led NATO alliance, abandoning Stockholm's two centuries of formal neutrality.

Sweden has talked of a "doctrinal shift" in defence policy. In Helsinki, where "Finlandisation" became a Cold War byword for self-imposed neutrality driven by fear of a powerful neighbour, the government has talked of an "open debate" on joining NATO.

Talk of NATO underscores anxieties that feed calls for more defence cooperation and spending. But membership seems distant, with voters in both countries sceptical of the benefits, and wary of the costs of taking on new international commitments.

Both nations have a history of dealing with Moscow in their own particular ways. Sweden's loss of Finland to Russia in the time of Napoleon prompted it to give up on war and armed pacts.

Finland, which won independence during Russia's revolution of 1917 but nearly lost it fighting the Soviet Union in World War Two, kept close to the West economically and politically during the Cold War but avoided confrontation with Moscow.

Like Sweden, it joined the European Union only in 1995.

For all the scepticism about NATO, however, worries have been growing in Scandinavia since Russia's action in Crimea.

link.

An Eucrustacean Recovered From the Cambrian Orsten

A eucrustacean from the Cambrian ‘Orsten’ of Sweden with epipods and a maxillary excretory opening

Authors:

Waloszek et al

Abstract:

The Cambrian species Paulinecaris siveterae n. gen. n. sp., known from two trunk fragments, represents the first record of epipods (serving as gills and osmoregulatory structures) in a crustacean from the Swedish ‘Orsten’. Moreover, it is the first report of the maxillary excretory opening of a crustacean based on Cambrian material of ‘Orsten’-type preservation. One specimen comprises the maxillary segment with an appendage and several thoracic segments with parts of their limbs; a second specimen is a fragment possibly of a more posterior part of the trunk. As in other known small eucrustaceans, the tergites of the new species lack prominent tergopleurae, so that the limbs insert directly ventral to the tergal margins. Limb preservation includes the maxilla and several thoracopods, all possessing a prominent, fleshy basipod with six setose endites along their median rim distally to the proximal endite. The presence of long and prominent limbs of P. siveterae suggests that it had good swimming ability, while the slight C-like curvature of their basal limb part, basipod, indicates involvement of the limbs also in so-called ‘sucking chambers’ for suspension feeding coupled with locomotion. The estimated total length of P. siveterae, 2–3 mm, is comparable to that of extant cephalocarids, but its appendages are twice as long and wide. The limbs of P. siveterae also differ in size and armature from extant eucrustaceans as well as early representatives of this group known from the ‘Orsten’ assemblages. The general morphology of the limbs, for example in having a fleshy and C-shaped basipod with several setae-bearing endites medially, identifies P. siveterae as an entomostracan eucrustacean, but a lack of further details precludes its affinity with any of the in-group taxa. Three epipods on the outer edge of the basipod, as in P. siveterae, are also known from the Cambrian eucrustacean Yicaris dianensis from China and early ontogenetic stages of extant fairy shrimps (Anostraca); their adult stages have two epipods. This hints at an original number of three epipods in the ground pattern of Entomostraca, but some uncertainty remains with regard to the eucrustacean ground pattern because Malacostraca possess a maximum number of two.

Brazil Purchases Swedish Gripen for Next Fighter After Dumping French Rafale in Negotiations

After more than 10 years of discussions, Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has finally decided to purchase the Swedish Saab JAS 39 Gripen E multirole fighter aircraft for the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) to meet the FX-2 programme.

Minister of Defence Celso Amorim and Air Force Commander Brigadier Juniti Saito made the official announcement at a press conference on 18 December.

The decision to finally end the wait over which one of the three remaining bidders - the French Dassault Rafale, the US Boeing F-18 Super Hornet, and the Swedish Saab Gripen E (formerly NG) Fighter - would secure the contract for the 36 FX-2 fighter jets came suddenly following an end of the year ceremony on Wednesday between Dilma and military officers.

link.  2nd link.

Sweden Key NSA Partner for Spying on Russia

Sweden has been a key partner for the United States in spying on Russia and its leadership, Swedish television said on Thursday, citing leaked documents from the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).

Earlier this year, former U.S. National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden passed to media details of a global spying program by the NSA, stirring international criticism. The U.S. has said much of the information was a result of cooperation with other intelligence services.

Swedish television cited a document dated Apr. 18 this year saying Sweden's National Defense Radio Establishment (FRA), which conducts electronic communications surveillance, had helped in providing the United States with information on Russia.

"The FRA provided NSA ... a unique collection on high-priority Russian targets, such as leadership, internal politics," it quoted the document saying.

The FRA declined to comment on the matter.

link.

I'm waiting on what Germany and Finland are doing with the NSA so we can get the last of the holier than thoughs.

Swedish Aurora Time Lapse Video of 10/2/13

Pompe's Post

Go read it. It's an interesting commentary on Americans from his European POV. It's well worth the time and the read.