Surface evolution of salt‐encrusted playas under extreme and continued dryness

Miocene continental saltpans are scattered in the Central Valley of the Atacama Desert, one of the driest regions on Earth. These evaporitic deposits are hydrologically inactive, and are detached from groundwater brines or aquifers. The surface of the saltpans, also known as salars, comprises desiccation polygons, commonly with nodular salt structures along their sides. The morphology and bulk mineralogy of salt polygons differs between and within salars, and the shape and internal structure of salt nodules varies between different polygon types. Based on field observation, and mineralogy and crystallography data, we generated a conceptual model for the genesis and evolution of these surface features, whereby rare rainfall events are responsible for the transformation of desiccation salt polygons and the initial formation of salt nodules along polygon borders. In addition, frequent, but less intense, deliquescence events further drive the evolution of salt nodules, resulting in a characteristic internal structure that includes laminations, and changes in porosity and crystal morphologies. As a result, and despite the extreme dryness, the surfaces of fossil salars are dynamic on timescales of several years to decades, in response to daily cycles in atmospheric moisture, and also to rare and meager rainfall events. We propose that fossil salars in the Atacama Desert represent an end stage in the evolution of evaporitic deposits under extreme and prolonged dryness. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of the MV Rena oil spill on intertidal rocky reefs in the Bay of Plenty,New Zealand

In the weeks following the 2011 Rena oil spill, a series of surveys was initiated on eight rocky intertidal reefs to describe the distribution of oil and to assess the impacts of oil on ecological communities. Consistent but relatively low cover of oil occurred at two sites (Mt Maunganui and Moturiki). The area covered by oil had decreased by c. 90% after 5 months due to natural weathering processes. There were immediate effects of oil fouling on the mussel Limnoperna pulex and its associated fauna, with reductions in the number of mussels and infaunal taxonomic richness. However, no ecological effects on any of the communities were detectable after 1 month. Overall, the ecological effects of the Rena oil spill on rocky shore intertidal communities were small and not long-lasting, but we stress that this does not consider potential sublethal effects and their consequences on organisms.     

Faecal indicators and pathogens in selected New Zealand waterfowl

Freshly excreted droppings from Canada geese (n=80), black swans (n=80), ducks (n=80) and gulls (n=80) were collected from sites around New Zealand. The droppings were enumerated for Escherichia coli, enterococci and Salmonella spp., and for the presence/absence of Cryptosporidium spp. Overall prevalence of E. coli and enterococci in samples was 95% and 94%, respectively. Cryptosporidium spp. was detected in 2% of the samples, whereas no Salmonella spp. were detected in the survey. Preliminary estimates of daily microbial outputs suggest that ducks will produce the highest loadings of E. coli and enterococci per bird, whereas Canada geese will produce the highest loadings of Campylobacter spp. per bird. This study provides the first set of indicator and pathogen counts for one of the largest sources of diffuse faecal contamination of natural waters in New Zealand.     

The other 93%: trophic cascades,stressors and managing coastlines in non-marine protected areas

Abstract

This paper reviews interactions involving stands of macroalgae on rocky reefs, and presents new data on changing sea surface temperatures (SSTs), as a contribution to the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Leigh Marine Laboratory (LML) of the University of Auckland. The focus is on trophic interactions involving predators, sea urchins and large brown algae, particularly trophic cascades. Of the 369 publications arising from work at LML, 40 have been on key aspects of these trophic interactions. Quantitative investigations of the structure of kelp bed communities and mechanistic studies involving manipulative field-based experiments, essentially a bottom-up perspective based on habitats and key species, dominated the research through the 1980s. From the mid-1990s onwards, the focus was more on marine reserves and a hierarchical, top-down perspective of community structure, with a particular focus on the role of predatory fish, and marine reserves as a tool of management. I discuss these models of community structure of kelp beds within the wider context of the New Zealand nearshore zone, the varying biogeographic regimes around the coastline, diffuse stressors and the changing nearshore climate. I show there appears to have been a significant warming trend in SST in northeast and northwest New Zealand over the past 30 years. I conclude that a trophic effects model is unlikely to apply to much of the coastline of New Zealand, and that a model involving multiple effects, including bottom-up forces, environmental and climatic influences, species' demographics, and catchment-derived sedimentation is more appropriate for kelp communities over most of the country. New management models are needed to safeguard marine resources and the services they provide.     

浙闽沿海晚中生代伸展构造的岩石学标志:东极岛镁铁质岩墙群

在浙江舟山群岛之东极岛上,出露大规模的镁铁质岩墙群,它们沿晚中生代花岗岩和火山碎屑岩的节理侵位,产状近于直立且与围岩截然接触,指示岩墙岩浆以主动方式沿构造裂隙侵入。东极岛镁铁质岩墙群的岩性主要是角闪辉绿岩,全岩Ar-Ar年龄为93.4Ma。在地球化学上,它们属弱碱性系列,SiO_2含量为46.88%～52.55%,CaO 5.40%～7.82%,Al_2O_316.30%～17.31%,TiO_2 1.53%～1.18%,(Na_2O+K_2O)4.62%～6.88%,Mg~#=34～42;具有轻稀土元素和大离子亲石元素(LILE,如Sr、K、Rb、Ba等)富集、高场强元素(HFSE,如Nb、Ta等)亏损等特点,它们的I_(Sr)为0.7084～0.7098,ε_(Nd)(t)为-3.21～-8.11,与福建沿海的镁铁质岩墙群及浙闽沿海晚中生代基性岩浆岩(辉长岩/辉绿岩和玄武岩)相似。它们由起源于受消减作用影响的岩石圈地幔部分熔融而产生并受地壳混染的玄武岩浆,在伸展构造环境中形成,是浙闽沿海晚中生代伸展构造的重要岩石学标志。     

PROCEEDINGS OF THE EIGHTH GENERAL MEETING HELD IN PEKING,JULY 25th. & 26th.,1924.

The eighth general meeting of the Geological Society of China was the first meeting in the year 1924, following the Annual Meeting. It was arranged in two evenings as follows.     

Environmental effects of the MV Rena shipwreck: cross-disciplinary investigations of oil and debris impacts on a coastal ecosystem

ABSTRACT

The 2011 wreck of the MV Rena off the northeast coast of New Zealand, and subsequent impacts, has been called New Zealand's worst ever maritime environmental disaster. It is certainly one of the world's most complex as it involved a pollutant combination of oil and dangerous goods debris in a dynamic oceanic environment adjacent to a pristine coastline. Heavy fuel oil, shipping containers loaded with cargo, and a wide range of wreck debris and contaminants were spread along hundreds of kilometres of coastline of the Bay of Plenty. Much of this landed on sandy beaches and rocky shores. Broken containers released often toxic substances, and the wreck itself slid down the pinnacle of the wreck site at Astrolabe Reef (Otaiti). The reef remains heavily contaminated, with substantial remnants of the ship and its cargo present, and chemical effects still evident in some species. Here we present the background and timeline of events that unfolded after the grounding. The following articles contain the results of the ensuing chemical, toxicological and ecological studies of contamination and environmental recovery. At the time of writing, numerous legacy issues remain.