Development of preferred orientation in plane strain deformed limestone: Experiment and theory

Carbonate rocks deform preferentially by twin gliding on e={01ˉ18} and slip on r ={10ˉ14} and f={02ˉ21}. In polycrystalline aggregates strong textures develop. We report on experimentally produced textures in triaxial plane strain geometry with orthorhombic symmetry at 200° C and 400° C. Pole figure of the experimentally deformed specimens are compared quantitatively with theoretical simulations based on the Taylor theory using both slip and mechanical twinning as mechanisms. Agreement at low and high temperature is satisfactory and documents that models developed for f.c.c. metals can be applied to low symmetry minerals provided that deformation mechanisms are known and that mechanical twinning is properly accounted for. Comparison with experimental results indicates that strain was nearly homogeneous at the conditions considered and the same may apply to many geological textures. Three texture types are described which are differentiated mainly by the relative importance of e twinning.     

Preferred orientation in experimentally deformed dolomite

Fine grained dolomite has been deformed in over twenty compression experiments in a Griggs-type piston-cylinder apparatus at various P and T conditions. Preferred orientation determined quantitatively using X-ray techniques and spherical harmonic analysis of the data is presented in inverse pole-figures of — 2/m symmetry. In most cases specimens display strong preferred orientation which varies mainly as a function of temperature. At all conditions it is very different from calcitic limestone. Although there is no significant grain growth even at 1000 °C the simple c-axes maximum fabric above 700 °C might be the result of recrystallization or translation on c. Below 700 °C, the preferred orientation is much weaker and complex. The primary maximum in the inverse pole-figure is near e, a secondary maximum near a high angle positive rhomb, principal minima are at c and f. This inverse pole-figure is consistent with f-twinning and translation gliding on r (t = a ?), two mechanisms which counteract each other. The latter is a new deformation mechanism for dolomite which we propose in order to explain the pattern of preferred orientation. The minimum at c is less pronounced below 100 ° C suggesting that c-translation may be active, but in these fine-grained aggregates it appears to be less important than is expected from single crystal experiments (Higgs and Handin, 1959), at least at low temperatures.     

Single carbon surface reactions of 1-octadecene and 2,3,6-trimethylphenol on activated carbon: Implications for methane formation in sediments

The reactions of a terminal alkene (1-octadecene) and a polymethyl phenol (2,3,6-trimethylphenol) on activated carbon have been investigated in closed system pyrolysis experiments in the temperature range 170-340 °C. The reaction products of 1-octadecene included methane, isomeric octadecenes, methyl substituted alkanes, alkyl aromatics and an homologous series of n-alkanes with carbon numbers indicative of progressive single carbon depletion of the reactant. The reaction products of 2,3,6-trimethylphenol also contained methane, as well as C₁-C₄ methyl phenols produced by demethylation and methyl transfer reactions. A carbon surface reaction involving the formation of a reactive single carbon intermediate (i.e. methylene/carbene) is proposed. This reaction accounts for the products observed from the pyrolysis experiments and also is consistent with liquid hydrocarbon distributions found in petroleum basins. Methane was the dominant (ca. 85% of C₁-C₄) gaseous hydrocarbon product of 2,3,6-trimethylphenol but accounted for only ca. 17% of the C₁-C₄ hydrocarbons from 1-octadecene. These findings suggest that single carbon surface reactions may play an important role in the geochemical formation of crude oil and natural gas and that the composition of the source material and therefore the type of organic compounds undergoing such reactions, influences the hydrocarbon gas composition in sedimentary basins.     

Iron porphyrins in coal from the United States

Iron porphyrins have been isolated from seven U.S. humic coals of various geological ages. Mass spectrometry shows that for the higher rank coals the porphyrins comprise an homologous series of alkyl derivatives (C₂₇-C₃₂). Mesoheme is detected in a Cretaceous lignite from Montana.     

Lithospheric flexural modelling of the seaward and trenchward of the subducting oceanic plates

ABSTRACT

Based on a two-segment plate flexural modelling, we investigated the effective elastic thickness of global subducting oceanic lithosphere. Our results show that for the plate age of 0 to 50 Ma, the seaward effective elastic thickness T _e ^M values are located between 600 and 900°C isotherms, and do not track any isotherm, while the majority of the trenchward effective elastic thickness T _e ^m values are located between 300 and 600°C isotherms. For the plate age older than 50 Ma, T _e ^M values basically matches the 600°C isotherm with some fluctuations for the age older than 110 Ma, while T _e ^m values mainly fall between 200 and 400°C isotherms. The reduction in effective elastic thickness (T _e ^M-T _e ^m) varies from 2.6 to 30.1 km, or 11–68% of seaward T _e ^M. Thus, the absolute value of the decrease in the effective elastic thicknesses (T _e ^M-T _e ^m) increases with the plate age, while the percentage reduction in the effective elastic thickness (1-T _e ^m/T _e ^M) has no obvious relationship with the age, but more related to the curvature of bending plate. Almost all bending-related earthquakes occurred above the T _e ^M line, but many normal-faulting earthquakes are deeper than the T _e ^M-T _e ^m line, implying that the plate may still retain some thickness of an elastic property core in the areas (depth) where earthquakes occur.     

pH effect on Re(VII) and Se(IV) diffusion in compacted GMZ bentonite

In a high-level radioactive waste (HLW) repository, pH has an impact on the solubility, migration, and adsorption of radionuclides. Thus, understanding the effects of pH on the diffusion of radionuclides is essential for long-term disposal of HLW. In this work, the diffusion behaviors of Re(VII) and Se(IV) in compacted Gaomiaozi (GMZ) bentonite at different pH have been investigated by a through-diffusion method. The effective diffusion coefficient, i.e., D_e values of Re(VII) and Se(IV) were in the range of (1.0–2.4) × 10⁻¹¹ m²/s at pH 3.0–10.0 and (0.38–2.3) × 10⁻¹¹ m²/s at pH 3.0–9.0. In the case of Re(VII), the D_e values remained almost unchanged probably because ReO₄⁻ was the dominant species in the pH range of 3.0–10.0. In the case of Se(IV), whose predominant species were HSeO₃⁻ at pH < 9.0 and SeO₃²⁻ at pH ≥ 9.0, the D_e values decreased by a factor of 3–6 at pH 9.0, i.e., D_e (pH < 9.0)/D_e (pH 9.0) ≈ 3–6, implying that the species with a higher valence state had a stronger anion exclusion effect. The decrease in D_e values can be explained by the diffusion species of Se(IV). Additionally, the rock capacity factor α decreased with the increase of pH. HSeO₃⁻ was absorbed on GMZ bentonite with distribution coefficient K_d values in the range of (1.0–2.5) × 10⁻⁴ m³/kg at pH ≤ 8.0, whereas SeO₃²⁻ was negligibly sorbed at pH > 8.0.     

Experimental metasomatism of monazite and xenotime: mineral stability, REE mobility and fluid composition

In this study a Th-bearing monazite from a Brazil beach sand, a low Th monazite from a Malawi carbonatite, and a xenotime from a pegmatite in northern Pakistan were experimentally metasomatised in a series of common metamorphic and igneous fluids at 600°C/500 MPa and 900°C/1000 MPa. Fluids included H₂O, NaCl, and KCl brines, CaF₂?+?H₂O, 1m and 2m HCl, 1m and 2m H₂SO₄, 1m NaOH, and Na₂Si₂O₅?+?H₂O. The monazite show a variety of responses to the fluids ranging from no reaction (KCl?+?H₂O) to small compositional changes and partial replacement of the monazite grain rim by Th-enriched monazite in the NaOH and (Na₂Si₂O₅?+?H₂O) experiments respectively. The other acid and brine fluids induced varying degrees of partial dissolution in the monazite and xenotime, but no compositional alteration. Partial replacement of monazite grain rims by Th-enriched monazite occurred only in the alkaline fluids as the result of a coupled dissolution-reprecipitation process.     

Sensitivity of tropical cyclone characteristics to the radial distribution of sea surface temperature

Sea Surface Temperature (SST) is crucial for the development and maintenance of a tropical cyclone (TC) particularly below the storm core region. However, storm data below the core region is the most difficult to obtain, hence it is not clear yet that how sensitive the radial distribution of the SST impact the storm characteristic features such as its inner-core structures, translational speed, track, rainfall and intensity particularly over the Bay of Bengal. To explore the effects of radial SST distribution on the TC characteristics, a series of numerical experiments were carried out by modifying the SST at different radial extents using two-way interactive, triply-nested, nonhydrostatic Advanced Weather Research and Forecast (WRF-ARW) model. It is found that not only the SST under the eyewall (core region) contribute significantly to modulate storm track, translational speed and intensity, but also those outside the eyewall region (i.e., 2–2.5 times the radius of maximum wind (RMW)) play a vital role in defining the storm’s characteristics and structure. Out of all the simulated experiments, storm where the positive radial change of SST inducted within the 75 km of the storm core (i.e., P75) produced the strongest storm. In addition, N300 (negative radial changes at 300 km) produced the weakest storm. Further, it is found that SST, stronger within 2–2.5 times of the RMW for P75 experiment, plays a dominant role in maintaining 10 m wind speed (WS ₁₀), surface entropy flux (SEF) and upward vertical velocity (w) within the eyewall with warmer air temperature (T) and equivalent potential temperature (??_e) within the storm’s eye compared to other experiments.     

Crystal chemistry of perovskite-type compounds in the tausonite-loparite series, (Sr1−2 x Na x La x )TiO3

Perovskite-type compounds in the series tausonite-loparite, (Sr_{1?2 x} Na _x La _x )TiO₃, were synthesized by solid-state reaction (final heating at 1200–1300?°C), and studied using “conventional” and synchrotron X-ray powder diffractometry. The structures of intermediate compositions were determined using the Rietveld profile refinement method. In the compositional range 0?≤x?≤ 0.1, the series comprises perovskites characterized by an undistorted cubic structure (space group Pm3¯m, a?≈ 3.905–3.902?Å, Z?=?1). Intermediate compounds in the range 0.15?≤?x?≤?0.35 crystallize with tetragonal symmetry (I4/mcm, a?≈? , c?≈? , Z?=?4) derived from the cubic aristotype by antiphase rotation of the TiO₆ octahedra about a fourfold axis. The angle of rotation estimated from the positional parameters of oxygen atoms ranges from 2.5(7)° to 5.5(4)°. The cubic-to-tetragonal transition arises from substitution of Sr²⁺ by the comparatively smaller Na¹⁺ and La³⁺ cations. A further transition from the tetragonal to rhombohedral symmetry (R3¯c, a?≈? , c?≈?2 , Z?=?6) occurs between x?=?0.35 and 0.40, and apparently does not involve formation of perovskite with an intermediate two-tilt structure (Imma). The rhombohedral structure is characterized by a multicomponent octahedral tilt about a threefold axis ranging in magnitude from 6.5(2)° to 7.7(2)°. In the series (Sr_{1?2 x} Na _x La _x )TiO₃, the unit-cell dimensions decrease, and the degree of structural distortion increases with x.     

A method of calculating quartz solubilities in aqueous sodium chloride solutions

The aqueous silica species that form when quartz dissolves in water or saline solutions are hydrated. Therefore, the amount of quartz that will dissolve at a given temperature is influenced by the prevailing activity of water. Using a standard state in which there are 1,000 g of water (55.51 moles) per 1,000 cm³ of solution allows activity of water in a NaCl solution at high temperature to be closely approximated by the effective density of water, p_e, in that solution, i.e. the product of the density of the NaCl solution times the weight fraction of water in the solution, corrected for the amount of water strongly bound to aqueous silica and Na⁺ as water of hydration. Generally, the hydration of water correction is negligible.The solubility of quartz in pure water is well known over a large temperature-pressure range. An empirical formula expresses that solubility in terms of temperature and density of water and thus takes care of activity coefficient and pressure-effect terms. Solubilities of quartz in NaCl solutions can be calculated by using that equation and substituting p_e, for the density of pure water. Calculated and experimentally determined quartz solubilities in NaCl solutions show excellent agreement when the experiments were carried out in non-reactive platinum, gold, or gold plus titanium containers. Reactive metal containers generally yield dissolved silica concentrations higher than calculated, probably because of the formation of metal chlorides plus NaOH and H₂. In the absence of NaOH there appears to be no detectable silica complexing in NaCl solutions, and the variation in quartz solubility with NaCl concentration at constant temperature can be accounted for entirely by variations in the activity of water.The average hydration number per molecule of dissolved SiO₂ in liquid water and NaCl solutions decreases from about 2.4 at 200°C to about 2.1 at 350°C. This suggests that H₄SiO₄ may be the dominant aqueous silica species at 350°C, but other polymeric forms become important at lower temperatures.     

Some chemical structural features of coals of differing maceral distributions and stratigraphy

Six North American bituminous coals (four Carboniferous and two Cretaceous) and eight maceral concentrates from Carboniferous British seams have been heated with tetralin and hydrogen to 400°C. The hexane-soluble parts of the products were separated by column chromatography and the fractions were then analyzed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. In all cases the aromatic hydrocarbon fraction was a very complex mixture containing a number of alkylated biphenyls, diphenylmethanes and -ethanes, and polycyclic compounds. However single ioncchromatography (m/z = 142) showed that, in addition to these, the products from five of the six American coals contained homologous series of long chain n-alkylnapththalenes with alkyl groups extending to C₁₆. In other fractions from the American coals, homologous series of n-alkylfurans and alkylphenols were found to be major components, as also were many alkylcyclohexenones related to isophorone. Extensive homologous series of n-alkyl aromatics were not detected in products from any of six vitrinites from British seams, though series of n- and iso-alkylphenols were found in the products from two sporinite concentrates. A number of polycyclic ketones apparently related to sterols were found in the products from the British vitrinites but not from any American coals. Reasons for what appear to be systematic structural differences between the American and British coals are discussed. Differences in stratigraphy are noted and it seems not impossible that differences in source vegetation are significant.     

Magnesiocummingtonite-P21/m: A Ca- and Mn-Poor Clino-Amphibole from New South Wales

A Ca- and Mn-poor clino-amphibole with Mg/Mg+Fe_tot+Mn (atomic ratio)=0.81 is described. The structural formula is $$Na_{0.09} (Ca_{0.19} Mg_{5.45} Fe_{1.23}^{2 + } Mn_{0.04} Fe_{0.00}^{3 + } Ti_{0.01} Al_{0.07} )_{6.99} [(Si_{7.83} Al_{0.17} )_{8.00} O_{22} /(OH)_2 ].$$ The unit-cell constants area ₀=9.49 Å,b ₀=18.00 Å,c ₀=5.30 Å, β=102.0°,V ₀=886 ų, the refractive indices α_Na=1.621, β_Na=1.632, and γ_Na=1.643. These values, when plotted against the Mg/Mg+Fe ratio, fit the extrapolations towards Mg₇[Si₈O₂₂/(OH)₂] from recently published determinative curves for the cummingtonite series. The clino-amphibole, or part of it, has space groupP2₁/m rather thanC2/m. The most magnesian cummingtonites reported thus far have Mg/Mg+Fe+Mn ratios around 0.7, but recently more magnesian Ca-poorP2₁/m clino-amphiboles have been reported. Although Ca and Mn have been claimed to stabilize cummingtonite as against anthophyllite, most magnesian cummingtonites appear to have <0.24 Ca, and <0.1 Mn per formula unit. The nomenclature of the cummingtonite series is discussed. Retaining the subdivision of the cummingtonite series at Mg/Mg+Fe=0.5, the author proposes to reviveTilley’s (1939) name magnesiocummingtonite for members with Mg/Mg+Fe >0.5. Grunerite is reserved for members with Mg/Mg+Fe <0.5. The space group,C2/m orP2₁/m, may be indicated with a suffix, if known.     

Heavy metal and sulfur transport during subcritical and supercritical hydrothermal alteration of basalt: Influence of fluid pressure and basalt composition and crystallinity

Crystalline basalt, diabase and basalt glass have been reacted with a Na-Ca-K-Cl fluid of seawater ionic strength at 350–425°C, 375–400 bars pressure and fluid/rock mass ratios of 0.5–1.0, to assess the role of temperature, basalt/diabase chemistry and texture on heavy metal and sulfur mobility during hydrothermal alteration.Alteration of basalt/diabase is characterized by cation fixation and hydrolysis reactions which show increased reaction progress with increasing temperature at constant pressure. Correspondingly, pH in a series of 400 bar experiments ranges from 4.8 to 2.7 at 350 and 425°C, respectively and is typically lower for alteration of a SiO₂-rich crystalline basalt than for other rock types, due, in part, to relatively high SiO₂ concentrations in solution. High SiO₂ concentrations stabilize hydrous Na- and Ca-rich alteration phases, causing pH to decrease according to reactions such as: 3.0 CaAl₂Si₂O₈ + 1.0 Ca⁺⁺ + 2.0 H₂O = 2.0 Ca₂Al₃Si₃O₁₂(OH) + 2.0 H⁺Phases experimentally produced include: mixed layer chlorite/smectite, Ca-rich amphibole and clinozoisite. Clinozoisite was identified as a replacement product of plagioclase from diabase-solution interaction experiments.In direct response to H⁺ production, dissolved Fe, Mn and H₂S concentrations increase dramatically. For early-stage reaction, H₂S typically exceeds Fe and Mn. However, at 425°C and after long-term reaction at 400°C, H₂S is lost from solution, apparently in response to pyrite replacement of oxide and silicate phases.Pyrrhotite formed at temperatures ≤ 375°C, whereas magnetite was identified in all run products, except from basalt glass alteration.Cu and Zn concentrations in solution are not simple functions of pH. These metals achieve greatest solubility in fluids from experiments at 375–400°C, except when basalt glass is used as a reactant. The relatively low concentrations of these species in solution during basalt glass reaction may be due to adsorption by fine grained alteration phases.     

Modeling of gold mass transfer during the listwanitization and rodingitization using the example of the Ust’-Dep ophiolite complex in the upper Amur territory

Gold mass transfer with chloride and carbonate-chloride solutions was examined at the 300 and 400°C isotherms and P _tot = 1 kbar by means of experimental modeling and theoretical simulations. CO₂ was confirmed to suppress Au solubility in fluids. The low Au solubility (mAu < 10^?8) determined in the experiments explains the mechanism of its precipitation when serpentinites and listwanites interact with acidic mineralized solutions. Listwanitization, which was genetically related with the emplacement of orogenic granitoids, was determined to have overprinted serpentinites and rodingites and strongly affected Au transport in the oregeochemical system. The characteristics of the metasomatic processes in the Ust’-Dep ophiolites and the gold concentration in the rocks produced by these processes confirm this conclusion.     

Palaeomagnetic and rock magnetic study of charnockites from Tamil Nadu,India, and the ‘Ur’ protocontinent in Early Palaeoproterozoic times

Palaeomagnetic and magnetomineralogical results are reported from charnockites in basement terrane at the eastern sector of the WSW–ENE granulite belt of South India. Magnetite is the dominant ferromagnet identified by rock magnetic and optical study; it is present in several phases including large homogeneous titanomagnetites and disseminated magnetite in microfractures linked to growth stages ranging from primary charnockite formation to uplift decompression and exhumation within the interval ～2500–2100 Ma. Several components of magnetization are resolved by thermal demagnetization and summarized by four pole positions; in the northern (Pallavaram) sector these are P1 (33°N, 99°E, dp/dm = 8/9°) and P2 (79°N, 170°E, dp/dm = 3/6°), and in the southern (Vandallur) sector they are V1 (23°N, 116°E, dp/dm = 8/9°) and V2 (26°S, 136°E, dp/dm = 5/10°). These magnetizations are linked to uplift cooling of the basement and unblocking temperature spectra suggest acquisition sequences P1 → P2 and V1 → V2 in each case implying movement of the shield from higher to lower palaeolatitudes sometime between 2500 and 2100 Ma. Palaeomagnetic poles from the cratonic nuclei of Africa, Australia and India all identify motion from higher to lower palaeolatitudes in Early Palaeoproterozoic times, and this is dated ～2400 and ～2200 Ma in the former two shields. The corresponding apparent polar wander (APW) segments match the magnetization record within the charnockite basement terranes of southern India to yield a preliminary reconstruction of the ‘Ur’ protocontinent, the oldest surviving continental protolith with origins prior to 3000 Ma. Although subject to later relative movements these nuclei seem to have remained in proximity until the Mesozoic break-up of Gondwana.     

The geochemistry of aliphatic and polar organic tracers in sediments from Lake Bera, Malaysia

The molecular distributions of homologous aliphatic lipid compounds (n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkanols, n-alkanals and n-alkan-2-ones) were investigated in sediments of Lake Bera, Malaysia as well as in plant waxes from the vicinity using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. In addition, triterpenoids of the oleanane, ursane, lupane and friedelane series, and their diagenetic products were also identified. Using the aquatic proxy P_aq, it was found that the n-alkanes present in surface sediments S1, S5 and S6 correspond to an input from emergent macrophytes, whereas in sediments collected from open water (S2, S3 and S4) they correspond to input from submerged/floating macrophytes. The presence of n-alkan-2-ols, a commonly found homologous series in the sediments as well as in the plant wax, is novel here. In addition, the presence of 24-methylcycloart-22-enol and 24-ethylcycloart-22-enol in sediments as well as the plant wax of Pandanus helicopus, a dominant reed around the lake, also supports the input of plant biomarkers to the sediments. The occurrence of 5-membered ring triterpenoid derivatives as major diagenetic products of the triterpenoids identified (e.g. friedelan-2,3-dione) shows that the degradation of the organic matter in the sediments occurs mainly under oxic conditions. Also, the presence of ring-A degraded triterpenoids (dihydroputranjivic acid, 3-nor-2,4-seco-friedelane, 4α- and 4β-3-norfriedelanes, A-norfriedel-10-one, and A-norfriedel-8-en-10-one) and the aromatized triterpenoid hydrocarbons (mono- and triaromatic derivatives) as minor diagenetic products indicates photochemical and microorganism-mediated alteration reactions of natural products in the sediments. Additional novel polyfunctional friedelane derivatives, namely friedelane-2,3-dione, friedelane-1,3-diol-2-one and friedel-1(10)-ene-1,3-diol-2-one were identified for the first time in this study. These novel polyfunctional triterpenoids were inferred to derive from the oxidation of the triterpenoids from higher plants in this oxic tropical environment. For future reference purposes, the mass spectra of the identified polar triterpenoids are also presented here. This study provides important data on the biogeochemistry of organic matter in a tropical lake of SE Asia.     

Structural variation in Ca(TixSi1−x)O3 perovskites (1>x>0.65) and the ordered phase Ca2TiSiO6

High pressure perovskites in the system CaTiO₃?CaSiO₃ in the composition range from 0 to 50% CaSiO₃ have been re-examined using powder x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. In runs performed at 9 GPa and 1200 °C, a solid solution is obtained with compositions ranging from CaTiO₃ to near Ca(Ti_0.65Si_0.35)O₃, and with the orthorhombic distortion in the CaTiO₃ end-member diminishing to pseudocubic for Ca(Ti_0.65Si_0.35)O₃. Raman spectra show intensity changes and band broadening which are attributed to the reduction of orthorhombic character, but still indicate lower than cubic symmetry for the entire solid solution range. An ordered intermediate, Ca₂TiSiO₆, has been recovered from a run at 14 GPa at 1200 °C. The space group is Fm3m, with a=7.410(2)?Å, and the compound has the double perovskite structure. In this structure, Si-rich octahedral sites and Ti-rich octahedral sites alternate along the three principal axes. Transmission electron microscopy confirms the presence of the Fm3m ordered structure, and also documents the presence of lesser amounts of at least three other ordered perovskite structures which are not resolved in the x-ray data. These may account for extra features observed in the Raman spectrum which are inconsistent with mode assignments for the Fm3m phase. Non face-centered ordering schemes for these regions are suggested based on modeling of the HRTEM patterns.     

The effect of migratory shorebirds on the benthic species of three southwestern Atlantic Argentinean estuaries

We experimentally evaluate the effect of migratory shorebirds on the benthic fauna of three southwestern Atlantic Argentinean stop-over and wintering sites: Bahía Samborombon (35°30′–36°22′S, 57°23′W), Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (37°40′S, 57°26′W), and Bahía Blanca (38°48′–39°25′S, 50°–62°25′W). The experiments consisted of exclusion ceilings and controls (both 1 m²), with 10 replicates each and aligned at the same tidal level. During December 1994–May 1995 these experiments were done, twice in Bahía Samborombon, twice at two sites (Sotelo and Celpa) 4 km apart in Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, and three times in Bahía Blanca. Three polychaete species (Laeonereis acuta, Nephtys fluviatilis, andHeteromastus similis) were found in similar densities in both areas of the Mar Chiquita lagoon.L. acuta andN. fluviatilis were affected in Sotelo, but there was no treatment effect in Celpa. In Sotelo the most abundant shorebirds were Hudsonian godwit (Limosa haemastica), American golden plover (Pluvialis dominica), and White-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis), and in Celpa the most abundant shorebirds were White-rumped sandpiper, two-banded plower (Charadrius falklandicus), and lesser yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes). The largest polychaete densities were in the upper sediment layer (0–6 cm), which was also the most affected layer. Three polychaete species were found in Bahía Samborombon (L. acuta, H. similis, andNeanthes succinea), but onlyH. similis showed a treatment effect. The most abundant shorebirds in Samborombon were white-rumped sandpiper and two-banded plover. No effect was detected in Bahía Blanca, where the most abundant shorebirds were white-rumped sandpiper and American golden plover. In all cases, the species affected by shorebirds were the most abundant species. From the two sites of Mar Chiquita, there was a treatment effect only in Sotelo, which was also the area with higher shorebirds counts. However, much lower densities observed in Samborombon (similar to the unaffected area of Mar Chiquita) also produced a significant decrease in infaunal abundance. These evidences also suggest that just selection of study sites may produce different views of the interaction between shorebirds and benthic species.     

Tetrapyrrole pigments in United States humic coals

Analyses of forty-two United States humic coals have revealed a striking divergence between chlorophyll diagenesis in coals when compared to the more widely studied marine sediments, shales, asphalts and petroleums. Porphyrins of humic coals have been found to be dominated by the ETIO-series, to lack members above C-32, and, in lower ranked samples (e.g. Sub-bituminous-B, high volatile C) to exhibit mass spectral envelopes with unique even-carbon number predominances. The weighted average mass, as well as the carbon number maximum (viz. mode), of these coal porphyrin homologies has been found to decrease as rank increases. The generation of porphyrins of the ETIO-series is suggested as occurring both during early coal formation, including oxidative scission of the isocyclic ring at the phorbide stage, and later during the catagenic alteration of surviving DPEP-series porphyrins. A preliminary study of chlorophyll diagenesis in a South Florida peat partially substantiates this suggestion and has further shown that the coal porphyrins can be derived from bacterial, as well as higher plant, chlorophylls.