The Gash Breccias of the Pembroke Peninsula,SW Wales

The thickest development of Carboniferous Limestone in Great Britain (about 1200 m) is in the Pembroke Peninsula of SW Wales. In various places, the regularity of the normally well‐stratified limestone is broken by zones of disturbance, which are spectacularly displayed in magnificent near‐vertical cliff sections. The zones generally occupy the whole of the 50 m‐high cliffs and are up to 300 m wide. The chief component of these zones is a chaotic, clast‐supported breccia, composed of angular limestone fragments welded together with varying degrees of firmness by sparry calcite veining or a normally sparse, red‐pink sandy or silty matrix. The breccias are very easy to distinguish and form a striking contrast to the grey cliff scenery hereabouts ( Figs 1, 2 ), yet they have not been discussed much—until now.

Figure 1 Open in figure viewer PowerPoint Location map, showing localities mentioned in the text, the outcrop of the Carboniferous Limestone, the chief synclinal axes and the distribution envelope of the Gash Breccias (after Thomas 1971 ). 1. Flimston Bay; 2. Bullslaughter Bay (west); 3. Bullslaughter bay (east); 4. Trevallen; 5. Box Bay; 6. Draught; 7. Whitesheet Rock; 8. Lydstep Point; 9. St Margaret's Point; 10. Den Point; 11. Valleyfield Top; 12. Pembroke Castle.     

Cl,Br and I analyses of metamorphic and sedimentary rocks by isotope dilution mass spectrometry

Isotope dilution mass spectrometry with negative thermal ions was applied to determine Cl, Br and I in rocks which, in part, contained less than 100 ppb of Br and I. Two sets of samples have been investigated: a) a series of Al-rich metapelites of increasing metamorphic grade from the Damara Orogen, Namibia and b) fresh and hydrothermally altered greywackes from the Pb−Zn deposit Bad Grund in Germany. It was found that regional metamorphism of Al-rich metapelites causes no strong fractionation of the halides. The Br/Cl ratios in the metapelites are similar to those of sea water. The I/Cl and I/Br ratios, however, are 500 times higher. The I depleted in the ocean most probably is associated with organic matter stored in sediments. The unaltered greywackes from near the Pb−Zn vein have about the same concentrations of halides as the metamorphic Al-rich pelites. By contrast, the hydrothemally altered greywackes contain about twice as much Cl and I, and about 2–5 times as much Br as the unaltered samples. The element ratios, however, are similar for all three categories of rocks, thereby indicating that sea water played no role in the hydrothermal system.     

Planar charged-particle trajectories in multipole magnetic fields

This paper provides a complete generalization of the classic result that the radius of curvature () of a charged-particle trajectory confined to the equatorial plane of a magnetic dipole is directly proportional to the cube of the particles equatorial distance () from the dipole (i.e. ³). Comparable results are derived for the radii of curvature of all possible planar chargedparticle trajectories in an individual static magnetic multipole of arbitrary order m and degree n. Such trajectories arise wherever there exists a plane (or planes) such that the multipole magnetic field is locally perpendicular to this plane (or planes), everywhere apart from possibly at a set of magnetic neutral lines. Therefore planar trajectories exist in the equatorial plane of an axisymmetric (m = 0), or zonal, magnetic multipole, provided n is odd: the radius of curvature varies directly as ⁿ⁼². This result reduces to the classic one in the case of a zonal magnetic dipole (n = 1). Planar trajectories exist in 2m meridional planes in the case of the general tesseral (0 < m < n) magnetic multipole. These meridional planes are defined by the 2m roots of the equation cos[m()–_n^m)] = 0, where _n^m = (1/m) arctan (h_n^m/g_n^m); g_n^m and h_n^m denote the spherical harmonic coefficients. Equatorial planar trajectories also exist if (n – m) is odd. The polar axis ( = O,) of a tesseral magnetic multipole is a magnetic neutral line if m > I. A further 2_m(n – m) neutral lines exist at the intersections of the 2_m meridional planes with the (n – m) cones defined by the (n – m) roots of the equation P_n^m(cos ) = 0 in the range 0 < 9 < , where P_n^m(cos ) denotes the associated Legendre function. If (n – m) is odd, one of these cones coincides with the equator and the magnetic field is then perpendicular to the equator everywhere apart from the 2m equatorial neutral lines. The radius of curvature of an equatorial trajectory is directly proportional to ⁿ⁼² and inversely proportional to cos[m(–)]. Since this last expression vanishes at the 2m equatorial neutral ines, the radius of curvature becomes infinitely large as the particle approaches any one of these neutral lines. The radius of curvature of a meridional trajectory is directly proportional to rⁿ⁺², where r denotes radial distance from the multiple, and inversely proportional to P_n^m(cos )/sin . Hence the radius of curvature becomes infinitely large if the particle approaches the polar magnetic neutral ine (m > 1) or any one of the 2m(n – m) neutral ines located at the intersections of the 2m meridional planes with the (n – m) cones. Illustrative particle trajectories, derived by stepwise numerical integration of the exact equations of particle motion, are pressented for low-degree (n 3) magnetic multipoles. These computed particle trajectories clearly demonstrate the non-adiabatic scattering of charged particles at magnetic neutral lines. Brief comments are made on the different regions of phase space defined by regular and irregular trajectories.Also Visiting Reader in Physics, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK     

Equilibrium and structural studies of silicon(iv) and aluminium(iii) in aqueous solution. V. Acidity constants of silicic acid and the ionic product of water in the medium range 0.05–2.0 M Na(CI) at 25°C

The apparent ionization constants for silicic acid, k₁ and k₂, and the ionic product of water, k_w, have been determined in 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 2.0 M Na(CI) media at 25°C. The medium dependence of these constants was found to fit equations of the form

$\text{log}\text{k}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{=}\text{log}\text{K}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{+a}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{I}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{(1+I}{}^{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{)+b}{}_{\mathrm{i}}\text{I}$

where K₁ is the ionization constant in pure water, α_i and b_i are parameters of which b_i has been adjusted to present data. The following results were obtained (α_i, b_i): pK₁ = 9.84, (1.022, ?0.11); pK₂ = 13.43, (2.044, ?0.20); and pK_w = 14.01 (1.022, ?0.22). k_i values are collected in Tables I and II. Attempts have been made to explain the medium dependence of k₁ and k₂ with weak sodium silicate complexing according to the equilibria

$\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{SiO(OH)}{}^{\mathrm{?}}{}_3\text{?}\text{NaSiO(OH)}{}_3\text{;k}{}_{11}$

$\text{Na}{}^{\mathrm{+}}\text{+}\text{SiO}{}_2\text{(OH)}{}^2{}_2\text{?}\text{NaSiO}{}_2\text{(HO)}{}^{\mathrm{?}}{}_2\text{; k}{}_{21}$

giving k₁₁ = 0.37M^?1 and k₂₁= 3.0M^?1. However, these weak interactions cannot be interpreted unambiguously from potentiometric data at different 1-levels. Probably the medium dependence could equally well be expressed by variations in the activity coefficients.The measurements were performed as potentiometric titrations using a hydrogen electrode. The average number of OH^- reacted per Si(OH)₄, Z, has been varied within the limits 0 ? Z ? 1.1 and B₁, the total concentration of Si(OH)₄, between 0.001 M and 0.008 M. k₁ was evaluated from experimental data with B ? 0.003 M, and k₂ with B ? 0.008 M and Z ? 0.95.     

The impact of oestrogenic and androgenic contamination on marine organisms in the United Kingdom--summary of the EDMAR programme. Endocrine Disruption in the Marine Environment

This paper summarises results of the EDMAR programme which is investigating oestrogenic and androgenic endocrine disruption in UK coastal waters. Most of the data concern fish. Four species (flounder, viviparous blenny and two sand gobies) are experiencing feminisation in industrialised estuaries. In males this includes vitellogenin (VTG) synthesis, ovotestis induction and/or feminised sexual characteristics. Although reproductive success may be impaired in some cases, implications for fish populations are still unclear. Suspected causative contaminants include natural oestrogenic substances and synthetic oestrogen mimics. The majority of the oestrogenic activity is adsorbed to sediments, and routes of exposure may include benthic food chain transfer. Some natural androgenic substances are also being discharged to estuaries, but their activity appears low.     

A new microsplitter for unconsolidated sediments

Unrepresentative subsamples can be obtained from a sedimentary sample through repeated subdivision when using a mechanical microsplitter. Physical biases are often compounded by repetition and can result in wide variations among the estimates computed from the relative proportion of foraminifera of a given species. A new microsplitter, designed on a new principle, has been built to separate small representative subsamples. The device is based on the uniform distribution of unconsolidated sediments suspended in water. A subsample of the desired size is obtained by collecting sediment from an appropriate sedimentation area. Operation of this sampler is rapid and convenient and requires only one step, thus eliminating sampling biases introduced by repeated operations with other splitters. This new device was tested and found to be superior to the Otto Microsplitter according to some statistical goodness-of-fit tests conducted on the series.     

Bed-material transport estimated from channel surveys: Vedder River,British Columbia

This study investigates the possibility to estimate bed-material transfer in gravel-bed rivers by analysis of morphological changes along Vedder River, British Columbia. Data from repeated cross-section surveys are used to estimate volume changes along the length of an 8 km reach. Gravel budgets are based on a continuity approach. An error analysis is performed to evaluate the uncertainty in the best estimate of transport rates. The mean annual gravel transport into the reach over a 9 year period was estimated to be 36600 ± 5600 m³ yr^?1. The sediment transport regime along the length of the river is evaluated and examined in relation to peak flood flows. Significant spatial and temporal variability in transport rates is demonstrated, making dubious the generalization of transport estimates from hydraulic calculations, or from sample measurements at a single cross-section. The assumptions, procedures and limitations of the ‘morphological approach’ to sediment transport analysis are discussed. It is concluded that this approach provides information of quality comparable or superior to that of direct measurements of transport, yet requires less field effort. It also provides additional information about river morphological changes, making it a preferred method for geomorphlogical investigations and for many river management concerns.     

Quick clay—A case study of chemical perspective in Southwest Sweden

Quick clay, a soil that changes from normal firm ground to a liquid mass when it is disturbed, has been involved in most of the large and serious clay slides in Sweden, Norway and Canada. The location, time of occurrence and size of quick clay slides are difficult to predict and large slides may cause great devastation. Some geochemical studies of Swedish quick clay were done in the 1960s and early 1970s, but no systematic studies of the interrelationships of pore water chemistry, mineralogy, geotechnical properties and other parameters on quick clays in Sweden have been published. Such studies are of national and general interest because of the many combinations of rock flour source areas and sedimentation conditions that occurred across central Sweden and into the Baltic Sea area during deglaciation. In this study, geotechnical properties related to the in situ chemistry at one quick clay site were extensively studied, and spot sampling was conducted at two other locations in Southwest Sweden. In this area the clay minerals mainly are non-expanding phyllosilicate minerals (illite) and primary minerals (quartz, feldspar), which is consistent with previous studies of quick clay mineralogy. Extensive leaching has occurred at all three locations. At the extensively studied site, Surte, the lowest salinity was found at the greatest depth, inferring that the leaching by fresh water was accomplished by water movement upward and laterally through the sediment from the underlying bedrock. This is consistent with the local setting where bedrock hills rise sharply to over 100 m above the marine sediment surface. An artesian pressure would also be anticipated at this location. There is a correlation (negative) between sensitivity and salinity but there is an indication that the maximum salinity or electrical conductivity consistent with the quick clay behaviour is higher than reported elsewhere. However, for high sensitivities the salinity is about the same as reported elsewhere. In the deepest part of the borehole, there is a higher content of Fe and Al in the pore water, indicating reduced state. Further work is needed to confirm the difference in salinity and to investigate the possible interplay of salinity and potential dispersing agents such as the role of anoxic conditions, in this region. Further work is especially needed in the locations where the sediment accumulation occurred under lower salinity conditions. At all three locations, high remoulded shear strength and low sensitivity have been seen near the surface together with a decrease in pore water cation concentrations.     

First evidence for the Cenomanian–Turonian oceanic anoxic event (OAE2, ‘Bonarelli’ event) from the Ionian Zone,western continental Greece

Integrated biostratigraphic (planktonic foraminifera, calcareous nannofossils), chemostratigraphic (bulk C and O isotopes) and compound-specific organic geochemical studies of a mid-Cretaceous pelagic carbonate—black shale succession of the Ionian Zone (western Greece), provide the first evidence for the Cenomanian–Turonian oceanic anoxic event (OAE2, ‘Bonarelli’ event) in mainland Greece. The event is manifested by the occurrence of a relatively thin (35 cm), yet exceptionally organic carbon-rich (44.5 wt% TOC), carbonate-free black shale, near the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary within the Vigla limestone formation (Berriasian–Turonian). Compared to the ‘Bonarelli’ black-shale interval from the type locality of OAE2 in Marche–Umbria, Italy, this black shale exhibits greatly reduced stratigraphic thickness, coupled with a considerable relative enrichment in TOC. Isotopically, enriched δ¹³C values for both bulk organic matter (−22.2‰) and specific organic compounds are up to 5‰ higher than those of underlying organic-rich strata of the Aptian-lower Albian Vigla Shale member, and thus compare very well with similar values of Cenomanian–Turonian black shale occurrences elsewhere. The relative predominance of bacterial hopanoids in the saturated, apolar lipid fraction of the OAE2 black shale of the Ionian Zone supports recent findings suggesting the abundance of N₂-fixing cyanobacteria in Cretaceous oceans during the Cenomanian–Turonian and early Aptian oceanic anoxic events.