Incorporation,distribution and fate of saturated petroleum hydrocarbons in sediments from a controlled marine ecosystem

A simulation of a chronic input of petroleum into an estuarine environment was investigated using the facilities at the Marine Ecosystems Research Laboratory at the University of Rhode Island. An oil-water dispersion of No. 2 fuel oil was added to the system (twice weekly for 24 weeks) and the saturated hydrocarbons from this oil were measured in suspended material and sediments. After the initial chronic oil addition, trace amounts of hydrocarbons were detected in the sediments within two weeks, but substantial accumulation was not detected for approximately 135 days. The oil appeared to enter the sediment via the suspended material, with most of the saturated hydrocarbons associated with smaller size sediment particles (< 45 μm to > 0·3 μm). With time, the fuel oil saturated hydrocarbons in the sediments were mixed to a depth of 3 to 4 cm. Although only 12% of the total saturated hydrocarbons added to the system were found in the sediments, these hydrocarbons appear to be relatively stable and were still detectable in these sediments for at least six months after the last oil addition.     

Modelling phytoplankton succession on the Bering Sea shelf: role of climate influences and trophic interactions in generating Emiliania huxleyi blooms 1997–2000

Several years of continuous physical and biological anomalies have been affecting the Bering Sea shelf ecosystem starting from 1997. Such anomalies reached their peak in a striking visual phenomenon: the first appearance in the area of bright waters caused by massive blooms of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (E. huxleyi). This study is intended to provide an insight into the mechanisms of phytoplankton succession in the south-eastern part of the shelf during such years and addresses the causes of E. huxleyi success by means of a 2-layer ecosystem model, field data and satellite-derived information. A number of potential hypotheses are delineated based on observations conducted in the area and on previous knowledge of E. huxleyi general ecology. Some of these hypotheses are then considered as causative factors and explored with the model. The unusual climatic conditions of 1997 resulted most notably in a particularly shallow mixed layer depth and high sea surface temperature (about 4 °C above climatological mean). Despite the fact that the model could not reproduce for E. huxleyi a clear non-bloom to bloom transition (pre- vs. post-1997), several tests suggest that this species was favoured by the shallow mixed layer depth in conjunction with a lack of photoinhibition. A top-down control by microzooplankton selectively grazing phytoplankton other than E. huxleyi appears to be responsible for the long persistence of the blooms. Interestingly, observations reveal that the high N:P ratio hypothesis, regarded as crucial in the formation of blooms of this species in previous studies, does not hold on the Bering Sea shelf.     

Structural evolution of the Bayanhongor region, west-central Mongolia

Most of previous models suggest that the Central Asia Orogenic Belt grew southward in the Phanerozoic. However, in the Bayanhongor region in west-central Mongolia, volcanic arc, accretionary prism, ophiolite, and passive margin complexes accreted northeastward away from the Baydrag micro-continent, and hence the region constitutes the southwestern part of a crustal-scale syntaxis close to the west. The syntaxis should be original, because presumably reorientation due to strike-slip faulting can be ignored. It is reconfirmed that the Baydrag eventually collided with another micro-continent (the Hangai) to the northeast. A thick sedimentary basin developed along the southern passive margin of the Hangai micro-continent. This region is also characterized by an exhumed metamorphosed accretionary complex and a passive margin complex, which are both bounded by detachment faults as well as basal reverse faults which formed simultaneously as extrusion wedges. This part of the Central Asia Orogenic Belt lacks exhumed crystalline rocks as observed in the Himalayas and other major collisional orogenic belts. In addition, we identified two phases of deformation, which occurred at each phase of zonal accretion as D1 through Cambrian and Devonian, and a synchronous phase of final micro-continental collision of Devonian as D2. The pre-collisional ocean was wide enough to be characterized by a mid-ocean ridge and ocean islands. Two different structural trends of D1 and D2 are observed in accretionary complexes formed to the southwest of the late Cambrian mid-ocean ridge. That is, the relative plate motions on both sides of the mid-ocean ridge were different. Accretionary complexes and passive margin sediments to the northeast of the mid-ocean ridge also experienced two periods of deformation but show the same structural trend. Unmetamorphosed cover sediments on the accretionary prism and on the Hangai micro-continent experienced only the D2 event due to micro-continental collision. These unmetamorphosed sediments form the hanging walls of the detachment faults. Moreover, they were at least partly derived from an active volcanic arc formed at the margin of the Baydrag micro-continent.     

Controls on Fe reduction and mineral formation by a subsurface bacterium

The reductive dissolution of FeIII (hydr)oxides by dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria (DIRB) could have a large impact on sediment genesis and Fe transport. If DIRB are able to reduce FeIII in minerals of high structural order to carry out anaerobic respiration, their range could encompass virtually every O₂-free environment containing FeIII and adequate conditions for cell growth. Previous studies have established that Shewanella putrefaciens CN32, a known DIRB, will reduce crystalline Fe oxides when initially grown at high densities in a nutrient-rich broth, conditions that poorly model the environments where CN32 is found. By contrast, we grew CN32 by batch culture solely in a minimal growth medium. The stringent conditions imposed by the growth method better represent the conditions that cells are likely to encounter in their natural habitat. Furthermore, the expression of reductases necessary to carry out dissimilatory Fe reduction depends on the method of growth. It was found that under anaerobic conditions CN32 reduced hydrous ferric oxide (HFO), a poorly crystalline FeIII mineral, and did not reduce suspensions containing 4 mM FeIII in the form of poorly ordered nanometer-sized goethite (α-FeOOH), well-ordered micron-sized goethite, or nanometer-sized hematite (α-Fe₂O₃) crystallites. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed that all minerals but the micron-sized goethite attached extensively to the bacteria and appeared to penetrate the outer cellular membrane. In the treatment with HFO, new FeII and FeIII minerals formed during reduction of HFO-Fe in culture medium containing 4.0 mmol/L P_i (soluble inorganic P), as observed by TEM with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, selected area electron diffraction, and X-ray diffraction. The minerals included magnetite (Fe₃O₄), goethite, green rust, and vivianite [Fe₃(PO₄)₂ · 8H₂O]. Vivianite appeared to be the stable end product and the mean coherence length was influenced by the rate of FeIII reduction. When P_i was 0.4 mol/L under otherwise identical conditions, goethite was the only mineral observed to form, and less Fe²⁺ was produced overall. Hence, the ability of DIRB to reduce Fe (hydr)oxides may be limited when the bacteria are grown under nutrient-limited conditions, and the minerals that result depend on the vigor of FeIII reduction.     

Testing a statistical curve‐fitting procedure for quantifying sediment populations within multi‐modal particle‐size distributions

This paper describes a series of tests designed to evaluate the capacity of a personal computer (PC) based statistical curve‐fitting program called MIX to quantify composite populations within multi‐modal particle‐size distributions. Three natural soil samples were analysed by a Coulter Multisizer, and their particle‐size distributions analysed using MIX software to identify the modes, standard deviations and proportions of their composite populations. The particle‐size distributions of the three natural soil samples were then numerically combined in equal proportions using a spreadsheet program to create synthetic particle‐size distributions of known populations. MIX was then tested on the synthetic particle‐size distributions to see if the modes and proportions it identified were similar to those modes and proportions known to characterize the synthetic particle‐size distributions. The main outcome is that MIX can very accurately describe the modal particle size and proportions of the major composite populations within a particle‐size distribution. However MIX has difficulty in identifying small populations (those contributing <10 per cent of a total particle‐size distribution), particularly when they are located in the central sections of particle‐size distributions, overlain by larger populations, or when positioned in the fine tails of distributions. Despite these minor shortcomings, MIX is a valuable tool for the examination and interpretation of particle‐size data. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

GDP and employment effects of policies to close the 2020 emissions gap

Four policies might close the gap between the global GHG emissions expected for 2020 on the basis of current (2013) policies and the reduced emissions that will be needed if the long-term global temperature increase can be kept below the 2 °C internationally agreed limit. The four policies are (1) specific energy efficiency measures, (2) closure of the least-efficient coal-fired power plants, (3) minimizing methane emissions from upstream oil and gas production, and (4) accelerating the (partial) phase-out of subsidies to fossil-fuel consumption. In this article we test the hypothesis of the International Energy Agency (IEA) that these policies will not result in a loss of gross domestic product (GDP) and we estimate their employment effects using the E3MG global macro-econometric model. Using a set of scenarios we assess each policy individually and then consider the outcomes if all four policies were implemented simultaneously. We find that the policies are insufficient to close the emissions gap, with an overall emission reduction that is 30% less than that found by the IEA. World GDP is 0.5% higher in 2020, with about 6 million net jobs created by 2020 and unemployment reduced.

Policy relevance

The gap between GHG emissions expected under the Copenhagen and Cancun Agreements and that needed for emissions trajectories to have a reasonable chance of reaching the 2 °C target requires additional policies if it is to be closed. This article uses a global simulation model E3MG to analyse a set of policies proposed by the IEA to close the gap and assesses their macroeconomic effects as well as their feasibility in closing the gap. It complements the IEA assessment by estimating the GDP and employment implications separately by the different policies year by year to 2020, by major industries, and by 21 world regions.     

The frictional behavior of lizardite and antigorite serpentinites: Experiments,constitutive models,and implications for natural faults

Laboratory studies of the frictional behavior of rocks can provide important information about the strength and sliding stability of natural faults. We have conducted friction experiments on antigorite and lizardite serpentinites, rocks common to both continental and oceanic crustal faults. We conducted both velocity-step tests and timed-hold tests on bare surfaces and gouge layers of serpentinite at room temperature. We find that the coefficient of friction of lizardite serpentinite is quite low (0.15–0.35) and could explain the apparent low stresses observed on crustal transform faults, while that of antigorite serpentinite is comparable to other crustal rocks (0.50–0.85). The frictional behavior of both types of serpentinite is well described by a two-mechanism model combining state-variable-dominated behavior at high slip velocities and flow-dominated behavior at low velocities. The two-mechanism model is supported by data from velocity-step tests and timed-hold tests. The low velocity behavior of serpentinite is strongly rate strengthening and should result in stable fault creep on natural faults containing either antigorite or lizardite serpentinite.