High-resolution last deglaciation record from the Congo fan reveals significance of mangrove pollen and biomarkers as indicators of shelf transgression

High abundances of mangrove pollen have been associated with transgressive cycles on tropical margins, but the detailed relations between systems tracts and the taphonomy of the pollen are unclear. We report here the occurrence and high abundance of Rhizophora pollen, in association with taraxerol, a Rhizophora-sourced biomarker, from a high-resolution Congo fan core covering the last deglaciation. An age model based on ¹⁴C dates enables the temporal changes in taraxerol content and the percentage frequencies and flux (pollen grains (pg) cm⁻² (10³ yr)⁻¹) of mangrove pollen to be compared quantitatively with the lateral rate of transgression across the flooding surface (derived from glacio-hydro-isostatic model output and the bathymetry of the margin). Rhizophora pollen concentrations and taraxerol content of the sediment are very strongly positively correlated with the lateral rate of transgression and indicate, independently of any sequence stratigraphic context, that mangrove pollen spikes are associated with the transgressive systems tract rather than the highstand systems tract or maximum flooding surface. Lower-resolution longer-term records from this margin indicate an association between taraxerol concentrations and transgressive rather than regressive phases. The flux of these materials to the Congo fan is interpreted as a function of the erosion of flooded mangrove swamp on the shelf and, less importantly, changing extent of mangrove habitat, during sea-level rise. Congo River palaeoflood events also result in reworking of mangrove pollen and supply to the fan, but this mechanism is subdominant. Rhizophora pollen has been underestimated in many palynological studies undertaken on cores from the African margin because of inappropriate sieve mesh size used during laboratory preparation.     

The Kaliningrad, West Russia earthquakes on the 21st of September 2004—Surprise events in a very low-seismicity area

The earthquakes in Kaliningrad, West Russia on the 21st of September 2004 were unexpected in a seismically quiet area. The main shock of magnitude m_b = 5 was widely felt around the Baltic Sea. A comparison with some historic earthquakes in Northern Europe shows that its perceptibility area is smaller than that of the 1904 Oslo Graben earthquake of an estimated magnitude (M_L) 5.4 but larger than those of the 1759 Kattegat and 1819 Lurøy earthquakes. The latter are claimed to have had magnitudes (M_S) in the range of 5.7-6.0. An analysis of the Lg phase of the Kaliningrad earthquakes as recorded at a number of European stations accords only weakly with the macroseismic intensity pattern that shows fast attenuation towards west-northwest and southeast. The strike-slip focal mechanism of the main shock is discussed in the context of remnant glacial rebound stresses in generating present-day seismicity in N. Europe.     

Characteristics of turbulent structures in the unstable atmospheric surface layer

An atmospheric surface-layer (ASL) experiment conducted at a meteorological site in the Oostelijk-Flevoland polder of the Netherlands is described. Turbulent fluctuations of wind velocity, air temperature and static pressure were measured, using three 10 m towers.Simultaneous turbulent signals at several heights on the towers were used to investigate the properties of the turbulent structures which contribute most significantly to the turbulent vertical transports in the unstable ASL. These turbulent structures produce between 30 and 50% of the mean turbulent vertical transport of horizontal alongwind momentum and they contribute to between 40 and 50% of the mean turbulent vertical heat transport; in both cases this occurs during 15 to 20% of the total observation time.The translation speed of the turbulent structures equals the wind speed averaged over the depth of the ASL, which scales on the surface friction velocity. The inclination angle of the temperature interface at the upstream edge of the turbulent structures to the surface is significantly smaller than that of the internal shear layer, which is associated with the temperature interface. The turbulent structures in the unstable ASL are determined by a large-scale temperature field: Convective motions, which encompass the whole depth of the planetary boundary layer (PBL), penetrate into the ASL. The curvature of the vertical profile of mean horizontal alongwind velocity forces the alignment of the convective cells in the flow direction (Kuettner, 1971), which have an average length of several hundreds of metres and an average width of a few tens of metres. This mechanism leads to the formation of turbulent structures, which extend throughout the depth of the ASL.     

The geology of the polymetamorphic complex of Ios,Cyclades, Greece and its significance for the Cycladic Massif

The geological structure of the island of Ios, Cyclades, Greece, is a dome consisting of an augengneiss core and a mantle of garnet-mica schists that together form the Basement which is overthrust by a marble-schist Series. This Series is mainly made up of meta-volcanics and metamorphosed sediments, presumably Mesozoic in age. It is a tectonically composed pile of marbles alternating with glaucophane schists, actinolite schists and chlorite schists. Petrological relations and isotope dating indicate the polymetamorphic character of Ios. Two Alpine metamorphic phases, M₁ and M₂, and relicts of a high grade metamorphic or magmatic phase (Mo), that only affected the Basement, are demonstrated. Radiometric ages obtained for the Basement confirm the interpretation that the Mo phase is Pre-Alpine. The M₁ and M₂ were dated at 43 Ma and 25 Ma respectively. The P-T conditions of metamorphism are estimated as 9–11 kb and 350 to 400° C for the M₁ phase and 5–7 kb and 380–420° C for the M₂ phase. The metamorphic history of the Cyclades is discussed and it is suggested that Pre-Alpine Basement occurs also on Sikinos and Naxos.

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Zusammenfassung Die Kykladeninsel Ios besteht zur Hauptsache aus einem Gneisdom. Der Kern dieses Doms ist ein Augengneiskomplex, welcher von Granat-Muskovit-Schiefern umhüllt wird. Auf dieses Grundgebirge ist eine Marmor-Schiefer-Serie überschoben worden, eine tektonisch bedingte Wechselfolge von Metasedimenten und Metavulkaniten, wahrscheinlich mesozoischen Alters.Die petrologischen Gegebenheiten und Isotopendatierungen bezeugen Polymetamorphose. Es konnten zwei metamorphe Phasen alpidischen Alters nachgewiesen werden, M₁ und M₂, sowie die Spuren einer hochgradigen, metamorphen oder magmatischen Phase Mo, welche nur die Basis betroffen hat.Radiometrische Alterbestimmungen bestätigen die Deutung, daß das Grundgebirge voralpidisches Alter hat. Die Phasen M₁ und M₂ wurden datiert auf 43 Mj. und 25 Mj. Die Druck-Temperatur-Bedingungen der M₁ und M₂ wurden abgeschätzt auf 9–11 Kb und 350–400° C für die M₁ und auf 5–7 Kb und 380–420° C im Falle der M₂. Der metamorphe Werdegang der Kykladen wird diskutiert sowie die mutmaßliche Existenz eines vergleichbaren voralpidischen Grundgebirges auf den Nachbarinseln Sikinos und Naxos.

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Résumé La structure géologique de l'île d'Ios (Cyclades, Grèce) est un dôme. Le noyau du dôme est un complexe d'augengneiss enveloppé par des schistes à grenat et mica. Ce noyau, qui constitue le socle, est chevauché par une série composée d'une succession tectonique de marbres et de schistes à glaucophane, de schistes à actinote et de schistes à chlorite. Les relations pétrologiques et les datations isotopiques indiquent le caractère polymétamorphique de l'île d'Ios. On y peut démontrer deux phases de métamorphisme alpin (M 1 et M 2) ainsi que des témoins d'une phase métamorphique ou magmatique antérieure qui n'a influencé que le socle. Les datations radiométriques obtenues pour le socle confirment l'âge préalpin de la phase M 0. Les phases M 1 et M 2 sont datées à 43 et 25 Ma respectivement. Les conditions du métamorphisme des phases M 1 et M 2 sont estimées respectivement à 9–11 kb avec 350–400° C, et 5–7 kb avec 380–420° C. L'histoire métamorphique des Cyclades est discutée ainsi que la présence probable d'un socle Préalpin comparable dans les îles voisines de Sikinos et de Naxos.

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Kykladen los . — , , . , , - , , . (M₁ M₂) , ( m₀), . , . M₁ M₂ - 43, 25 . M₁ 9–11 350–400° , ₂ 5–7 380–420° . . Kykladen - Sikinos Naxos.

     

Application of the representer method for parameter estimation in numerical reservoir models

A data assimilation method was applied to estimate poorly known parameters (permeabilities) in a numerical reservoir model. Most variational methods for data assimilation are based on the assumption that the model is perfect except for the poorly known parameters. The representer method allows also for model errors, i.e. for uncertainties in the state variables (pressures and saturations). The method is based on minimizing a cost functional, assuming all the errors and parameters to be multivariate Gaussian random variables with given mean and covariances. The uncertain parameters and variables are expanded into a finite sum of basis functions called representers, and the gradients of the cost functional are obtained with an adjoint method. This approach gives an optimal parametrization in the sense that the final result is equal to the solution of the full inverse problem. The method was tested on a simple one-dimensional model to simulate two-phase (oil-water) flow through a heterogeneous reservoir. The results show that the method is able to provide an acceptable estimate of the permeability field. We used pressure measurements from a small number of observation wells in between the injection and production wells, but the representer method could be used equally well to assimilate data from other sources. The method appears to be a promising data assimilation tool for applications in reservoir engineering.     

A comparison of genetic structure in two low-dispersal crabs from the Wild Coast,South Africa

The Wild Coast in south-eastern South Africa is strongly influenced by the warm, southward-flowing Agulhas Current. This current has a significant impact on dispersal in the coastal biota of the region, and facilitates high levels of connectivity among populations. However, it is not known how the region's high-velocity hydrology affects genetic population structure in endemic estuarine species, populations of which are frequently isolated from the sea. Here, we compared genetic structure in two estuarine crabs of the family Hymenosomatidae. Both are presumed to have low dispersal potential, but they differ in terms of their life histories. Hymenosoma longicrure has abbreviated larval development and can complete its entire life cycle within estuaries, whereas Neorhynchoplax bovis is a direct developer that lacks planktonic larvae. Using DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial COI gene and the intron of the nuclear ANT gene, we found that levels of genetic structure differ considerably between the species. Depending on the genetic marker used, H. longicrure is genetically homogeneous (COI) or displays low levels of genetic structure and minor evidence of recruitment near natal sites (ANT). In contrast, connectivity in N. bovis is much lower, as this species has a unique combination of alleles at each site, indicating that recruitment is mostly local. These results support previous findings suggesting that even a short larval dispersal phase is sufficient to maintain high levels of connectivity and prevent genetic divergence among populations.     

Crabs,leeches and trypanosomes: an unholy trinity?

The red king crab Paralithodes camtschaticus was deliberately introduced to the Barents Sea in the 1960s and 1970s from its native area in the North Pacific. The carapace of these crabs is a favoured substrate for the leech Johanssonia arctica to deposit its eggs, and the leech is a vector for a trypanosome blood parasite of marine fish, including cod. We examined cod for trypanosome infections during annual cruises along the coast of Finnmark in North Norway over three successive years from stations along a gradient of over 1000 km. In every year the level of trypanosome infection in cod was significantly highest in the area with the greatest density of king crabs. We propose the hypothesis that the burgeoning population of red king crabs in this area is indirectly responsible for increased transmission of trypanosomes to cod by promoting an increase in the population of the leech vector.     

Fast reconnaissance of carbonate dissolution based on the size distribution of calcareous ooze on Walvis Ridge, SE Atlantic Ocean

We present a new index of carbonate fragmentation based on the size distribution of bulk sediments in core MD962094 from Walvis Ridge (SE Atlantic Ocean). The carbonate fragmentation index is constructed by taking a ratio of the two coarsest fractions in the grain size distributions of the bulk calcareous ooze. The coarsest two fractions (25–90 μm and >90 μm) of the bulk sediments consist primarily of complete shells and fragments of adult foraminifera shells, and juvenile foraminifera shells and fragments, respectively. The ratio of the proportions of the two fractions is interpreted as a measure of fragmentation of the foraminifera shells caused by carbonate dissolution. Downcore changes in our carbonate fragmentation index compare very well with those in the coarse-carbonate fragmentation index in sediments from a nearby core on Walvis Ridge. The latter commonly used fragmentation index is defined as a ratio of foraminifera fragments over whole foraminifera in the >150-μm fraction as seen with a light microscope. Fragmentation is relatively high during glacial stages and relatively low during interglacial stages during the last 300 kyr, caused by the combined effect of wind-driven upwelling of corrosive water and increased production of organic matter, decreasing the preservation potential of carbonates both during and after deposition. The carbonate fragmentation index we present here provides a precise and fast method to establish a downcore fragmentation record. It can be applied to bulk sediments that are carbonate-rich (CaCO₃>68%) and to all other deep-marine sediments of which the grain size distribution of the carbonate-free fraction is available.