Seasonal and interannual variability of phytoplankton pigment in the Laccadive (Lakshadweep) Sea as observed by the Coastal Zone Color scanner

Based on Coastal Zone Color Scanner data from November 1978 through December 1981, the seasonal cycle of phytoplankton pigment in the upper part of the euphotic zone is established for the offshore Laccadive Sea. Year-round, the pigment content is low and the seasonal range is small, following the pattern of the nutrient-poor Arabian Sea to the west. Apparently, indigenous phytoplankton blooms are absent. July and August, however, were poorly studied because of cloud cover. Interannual differences during the northeast monsoon and the spring intermonsoon periods are minor. The abundant phytoplankton caused by the upwelling off India during the southwest monsoon remains essentially restricted to the shelf, but there are occasional large, zonal outbreaks into the Laccadive Sea, as well as others advected to the south of India. Visual inspection of the raw CZCS scenes for June through November 1982–1985, with almost no data until August or even September, shows such outbreaks of pigment-rich water to be common. Inspection of monthly SeaWiFS images for 1997 through part of 2001 confirms the absence of indigenous phytoplankton blooms.     

Quantitative charge state analysis of manganese biominerals in aqueous suspension using scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM)

We have applied Scanning Transmission Soft X-ray Microscopy (STXM) to investigate the charge state distribution of Mn in two kinds of Mn-biominerals, Mn nodules collected from Lake Michigan sediments and Mn precipitates formed by spores of a marine bacillus SG-1 under transport limited reaction conditions. A data analysis technique was developed, which allows for extraction of spatially resolved 2-d charge state maps of manganese on a submicron level. We find that the charge state of Mn dominates the spectral shape of L-edge spectra of environmentally important single oxidation state Mn minerals and that spectra of mixed oxidation state oxides can be modelled by a combination of appropriate single oxidation state reference spectra. Two-dimensional maps of charge state distributions clearly reveal domains of different oxidation states within single particles of Mn-micronodules. Spots of preferred accumulation of Mn(II) were found, which indicates biogenic precipitation of Mn(II)-species as a first step of nodule formation. The presence of Mn(III) in the studied sediment samples suggests the involvement of one-electron oxidation processes and reaction conditions which inhibit or slow down the disproportionation of Mn(III)-products. Under transport limited conditions, Mn oxidation products formed by spores of the marine bacillus SG-1 can vary from cell to cell. The presence of significant amounts of Mn(III) containing species points to the involvement of one-electron oxidation reactions as in the case of the micro-nodules. Our technique and the results obtained form a new basis for the mechanistic understanding of the formation of Mn biominerals in the environment.     

Slope stability analysis in 3D using numerical limit analysis (NLA) and elasto-plastic analysis (EPA)

The present paper addresses the problem of factor of safety (FS) determination in 3D slope stability analysis. For that purpose, use is made of two numerical methods/techniques in three benchmark problems: numerical limit analysis (NLA) and elasto-plastic analysis (EPA). Finite elements are used in both techniques. The primary objective of the study is, by comparing the two techniques, to establish the feasibility of using NLA in the evaluation of 3D slope stability problems and to establish its practical applicability and competitiveness in relation to EPA. Because of their geometry or their boundary conditions, the problems cannot be analysed as plane strain state problems or using the 2D limit equilibrium technique. In both methods, an FS is determined for the slopes by reducing the strength parameters of the geological materials using a scalar factor, known as the strength reduction factor. From the comparison of the FSs and of the computational efforts required for the two numerical techniques, it was possible to establish NLA’s competiveness and viability for the analysis of real 3D slope stability problems when implemented in an efficient manner.     

Forensic identification of sixteen species of Chesapeake Bay sportfishes using mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis

A method for the genetic identification of sixteen species of Chesapeake Bay sportfishes was developed using restriction fragment-length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of two mitochondrial (mt) DNA gene regions amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). To facilitate molecular-based identifications we screened for genetic markers that revealed minimal intraspecific variation but consistently discriminated among the different species. Two mitochondrial markers were developed to provide redundancy for identifications, and 40 individuals of each species were screened with both markers. The primary marker was a region of mtDNA approximately 1,495 base-pairs (bp) in length that included part of the 12S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene and crossed into the adjacent 16S rRNA gene. When digested with the restriction enzymeRsa I, this region provided unique restriction patterms for all sixteen species. The second marker was a region of the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase 4 (ND4) gene approximately 1,700 bp in length and digested with the restriction enzymeBstO I. This marker also discriminated among all sixte en species, but revealed higher levels of intraspecific variation than the rRNA genes. An additional set of restriction profiles was obtained for this region using the enzymeAva II to provide identification in the event a novel restriction pattern might be encountered in future studies. Because a minimal amount of tissue is required for the PCR/RFLP analysis, these molecular markers should prove useful in identifying fishes both as adults and in their early life history stages.     

Study of peristerites using transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis

Peristerite feldspars from Seiland in Norway have been studied by a combination of transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis. The different types of microtextures have been correlated with the local mean composition, and it is found that the miscibility gap between An₄ and An₁₇ extends into the ternary Or—Ab—An region. The orientation of the more common type of exsolution lamellae varies from (08¯1) to about (¯1, 21, ¯2) with increasing potassium content.     

Identification and characterization of secondary minerals formed in tungsten mine tailings using transmission electron microscopy

Secondary minerals formed in tailings derived from a W-rich deposit were investigated in detail using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The study focused on secondary minerals that formed in the vicinity of oxidized sphalerite [ZnS] and tennantite [Cu₁₀(Fe,Zn)₂As₄S₁₃] grains. Samples for TEM analysis were prepared directly from petrographic thin sections using a focused ion beam instrument. This method insured that spatial relationships among primary grains, secondary minerals and the pore spaces were maintained. The results from this study indicate that the secondary coatings associated with sphalerite and tennantite are composed of several discrete phases. The phases identified in this study include an Fe–Zn–As–O phase, secondary sulfides, native Cu, an Fe–Si–O phase, an In–O phase, and wulfenite [PbMoO₄]. The Fe–Zn–As–O phase precipitates directly from the pore water and the nearby primary mineral grains act as a source for some of the elements (e.g., Zn from sphalerite, As from tennantite). Secondary Cu sulfides were found at the outer margins of sphalerite and roquesite [CuInS₂] grains. It is likely that these Cu sulfides form as a result of interactions between the primary grain and aqueous Cu(II) present in the pore water, similar to what occurs in supergene environments. A secondary sulfide that was composed of variable amounts of Cu, Zn, As, Fe and S was also identified along the outer margins of tennantite. Native Cu was found in association with chalcopyrite [CuFeS₂] inclusions that were present in one of the sphalerite grains and probably represents a low-temperature secondary phase. The oxidation of chalcopyrite in the presence of aqueous Si leads to the formation of a nanocrystalline or amorphous Fe–Si–O phase. Roquesite oxidation leads to the formation of a crystalline In–O phase, which is likely dzhalindite [In(OH)₃]. Wulfenite was found in the interstitial voids present in the Fe–Zn–As–O phase suggesting that it forms by direct precipitation from the local pore water. The results from this study indicate that secondary coatings consist of complex secondary phases that may only be distinguished at the nanoscale. The TEM investigations reveal details regarding mineralogical sinks and sources for aqueous components that may otherwise be overlooked.     

Imaging the heterogeneity of mineral surface reactivity using Ag(I) and synchrotron X-ray microscopy

Microscopic-scale imaging of reduced zones on the surfaces of minerals can be achieved by reaction with dilute Ag(I) solutions and subsequent analysis using synchrotron X-ray microscopy (XRM) above the Ag K-edge (25.5 keV). The principal reductant is Fe(II), but other reductants such as sulfide may contribute. Reduced zones may exist instrinsically, as in the structure of biotite and augite, or may be generated by reaction with chemical agents such as dithionite or treatment with sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB). We demonstrate the method on flakes of specular hematite and biotite, as well as on thin sections of different rocks (arfvedsonitic granite, oolitic hematite, diabase, and quartz conglomerate) treated with SRB, and discuss possible artifacts that can occur. To our knowledge, this is the only microscopic technique that can image Fe(II) zones on the surface of an Fe-bearing mineral with monolayer sensitivity.     

The Finne fault zone (central Germany): structural analysis of a partially inverted extensional fault zone by balanced cross-sections

The Finne fault zone, located in central Germany to the southwest of the Harz mountains, was studied by means of detailed map analysis, investigations of fault displacement and balanced cross-sections for the most strongly deformed area in the center of the fault zone (ca. 50?% of total fault zone length). The system of the Finne fault zone shows a nearly 100-km-long straight flexure that symbolizes the morphological and geological northeastern border of the Thuringian basin. In the central part, which should be surveyed here, the fault zone corresponds to a distinctive narrow band of highly deformed Triassic sedimentary rocks. The northwestern and especially the southeastern parts of the research area are developed as several parallel branch faults. In the southeastern elongation of the fault zone, which is not part of our survey, the sedimentary cover is missing. Here, it is possible to gain insight to the fact that the basement is also involved to the kinematics of the fault zone. Based on our results, we propose a subdivision of the fault zone into four sectors. From the northwest to the southeast, we interpret the structure of these sectors to reflect (1) a compressional flexure, (2) an overthrust graben, and (3) a partially inverted and folded half graben. In the extreme southeast (4), the fault zone is characterized by an anticline with some strike-slip movement parallel to the fold axis. This segmentation is caused by a thrust fault system whose strike direction deviates slightly from that of the earlier formed graben system. The structural configuration can be explained by a two-phase deformation, in which the contractional strain exceeded the preceding extensional deformation. In the investigated area, the horizontal shortening attains a maximum of ca. 1?km. The present study confirms many earlier hypotheses, presents new results on the deformation history of the fault zone, and attempts to evaluate the deformation in a regional geological context. The results of earlier studies were refined and revised using modern methods, and a unified structural and kinematic model of the Finne fault zone was created.     

Identification of constitutive parameters of soil using an optimization strategy and statistical analysis

The paper at hand investigates a strategy to calibrate different constitutive models for soils via back analysis. The efficiency and reliability of the parameter identification for soil models is worked out. In order to demonstrate of how to utilise identification procedures, results from optimisation against conventional oedometer and drained triaxial compression tests on natural Pappadai clay are presented and discussed. The aim of geotechnical optimisation problems is to obtain a set of model parameter values that provide the best match between soil model simulations and appropriate measurements. For the parameter identification process, a constrained population-based algorithm is chosen, namely the Particle Swarm Optimiser. The identification is carried out in an initial step separately on each test and then simultaneously on oedometer and triaxial tests. The evaluation is performed employing three different constitutive models of varying complexity and number of constitutive parameters.A subsequent residual analysis and the computation of confidence intervals for the parameters provide valuable results to assess the quality of the identified parameters in correlation with the evaluated data. Therefore, criteria of the utility and reliability of the mathematical models for further prognosis computations can be estimated.     

Multi-time-scale analysis of hydrological drought forecasting using support vector regression (SVR) and artificial neural networks (ANN)

In this study, the preprocessing of the gamma test was used to select the appropriate input combination into two models including the support vector regression (SVR) model and artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict the stream flow drought index (SDI) of different timescales (i.e., 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 months) in Latian watershed, Iran, which is one of the most important sources of water for the large metropolitan Tehran. The variables used included SDI _t , SDI _t ? 1, SDI _t ? 2, SDI _t ? 3, and SDI _t ? 4 monthly delays. Two variables including SDI _t and SDI _t ? 1 with lower gamma values were identified as the most optimal combination of variables in all drought timescales. The results showed that the gamma test was able to correctly identify the right combination for the forecasting of 6, 9, and 12 months SDI using the ANN model. Also, the gamma test was considered in selecting the appropriate inputs for identifying the values of 9, 12, and 24 months SDI in SVR. The support vector machine approach showed a better efficiency in the forecast of long-term droughts compared to the artificial neural network. In total, among forecasts made for 30 scenarios, the support vector machine model only in scenario 3 of SDI₃, scenario 1 of SDI₆, and scenarios 2 and 3 of SDI₂₄ represented poorer efficiency compared to the artificial neural network (MLP layer), but in other scenarios, the results of SVR had better efficiency.     

Selective feeding and grazing rates of oyster (Crassostrea virginica) larvae on natural phytoplankton assemblages

Results of laboratory feeding experiments suggest that oyster (Crassostrea virginica) larvae select small phytoplanktonic organisms (<10 μm) over larger-celled forms from natural estuarine assemblages, but that little selection occurs within the small phytoplankton fraction. Laboratory-reared larvae grazed each of five small-celled phytoplankton groups enumerated (coccoids, centrate diatoms, pennate diatoms, dinoflagellates, and flagellates) at rates proportional to phytoplankton group densities in controls (no larvae added). Larval grazing rates (number of cells removed per larva per hour) were inversely proportional to both larval density and experimental duration.     

Isotopic and elemental analysis of uraninite concentrates using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is capable of measuring isotopic and elemental abundances in geologic materials easily and rapidly. Although the precision of isotope ratio data obtained by ICP-MS is inferior to that by thermal ionization mass spectrometry, it is adequate for application to a number of geochemical exploration problems.National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Pb metal standard reference material 981 (NBS981), was used as the isotopic standard to correct the measured isotope intensities for mass discrimination. The mean relative standard deviation (RSD) of the determinations of the abundances of ²⁰⁶Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb, and ²⁰⁸Pb in the two other NIST Pb isotope reference materials, NBS981 and NBS982, was better than 0.3%, whereas the RSD for the determination of the less abundant ²⁰⁴Pb was 0.4%. Accuracy was demonstrated by repeated analysis of NBS981, NBS982, and NBS983. The Student t-statistic ranged between −1.75 and 2.04 for the abundances of the 4 Pb isotopes in the three NIST materials.Data from a suite of 13 uraninite-rich samples from Labrador demonstrate the ability of ICP-MS to determine age and geochemical information sufficient for regional interpretations. The determined radiogenic ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ratios of 12 of the samples give ages between 1697 and 1805 Ma with average uncertainties (one standard deviation) of 4 Ma, whereas one of the samples has an age of 495 ± 4 Ma. The average age of the 12 samples was 1752 ± 27 Ma. Along with the Pb isotope intensities, ²³²Th and ²³⁸U were measured and the U-Pb age determined from a fit of the ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U vs. ²⁰⁷Pb/²³⁵U for 9 of the samples. The concordia intercept age of 1740 Ma for the best-fit line is in good agreement with the mean ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of 1752 Ma.     

Seismic damage assessment in Sarpole-Zahab town (Iran) using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images and texture analysis

Natural Hazards - The synthetic aperture radar SAR system with the capability of imaging during the night, day, and the all-weather conditions has a high potential in change detection on the ground...     

Tracing source and evolution of suspended particles in the Rio Negro Basin (Brazil) using chemical species of iron

Suspended solids found in porewaters obtained in waterlogged soil sequences that included representative laterite–podzol transitions, associated brooks and major rivers of the Rio Negro watershed (Brazil) were studied using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopies. The main goal was to ascertain sources and track the evolution of suspended matter using a ubiquitous chemical species, FeIII complexed to organic matter (FeOM). Three size fractions were separated by tangential-flow (ultra)filtration: particulate (> 0.2 μm), dense (P) and light (Ps), and colloidal (5 kD < Col. < 0.2 μm) fractions. Quantitative results were acquired for Col. and Ps fractions which are predominantly organic in nature.FeOM concentration (in ‰ dry weight) was determined to be relatively low in suspended solids found in black waters from podzol porewaters and brooks whereas in the main rivers it was several times higher. FeOM concentrations were also correlated with Fe(II)/Fe(III) ratios in solution; these ratios were high in podzol porewaters and low in the rivers. Considering that organic complexation of Fe(II) is minor when compared to that of Fe(III), two interpretations were proposed to account for the above observation. First, [FeOM] was assumed to be distributed along a mixing line, with the clear waters from laterites and the black waters from podzols being its end-members. Consequently, [FeOM] can be used to trace the source of suspended material. Second, dissolved Fe(II) from podzol areas was considered to be progressively oxidized as pore waters move towards the mainstream. According to this mechanism, iron is complexed by organic matter or precipitated as oxides, thus producing an evolution of colloidal matter. As a result of these mechanisms' action, both the high production of Fe(II) and organic matter at the waterlogged podzol–laterite transition areas are major factors affecting iron export in the Rio Negro watershed.     

扫描电镜—能谱在单个包裹体物质组成研究中的应用

利用扫描电镜－能谱对四川冕宁稀土矿床早期萤石的单个流体－熔融包裹体的成分进行了分析,发现包裹体内流体相离子以Ｎａ、Ｃａ、Ｂａ为主,阴离子以ＳＯ４、Ｆ、Ｃｌ米,有意义的是在包裹体中发现了Ｌａ、Ｃｅ、Ｎｄ等稀土元素,其中矿化元素素铈的含量最高,研究结果进一步证明四川冕宁稀土矿床是一个与盐熔体有关的热液矿床。     

Environmental characteristics of tropical coral reef-seagrass dominated lagoons (Lakshadweep,India) and implications to resilience to climate change

Environmental characteristics of the coral reef-seagrass ecosystem of selected Lakshadweep Islands (India) were assessed with a view to understanding the future climate change scenario in the region. Images obtained from the Indian remote sensing satellite (IRS P6) were used to identify the different zones such as the corals, the seagrass and the sandy region. The pH (7.6–8.6) of sediment was relatively high in the coral reef compared to the seagrass area, possibly indicating a climate shift-induced coral bleaching. The water quality and sediment texture generally showed marked intra- and inter-island variations illustrating that these coral reef ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climate change brought about by increased human interventions. Future research should therefore explore the habitat and resource connections, to predict their restoring capabilities for a sustainable exploitation. With an alarming increase in the population and associated developmental activities, the island ecosystems are expected to respond severely to the climate change, which may eventually lead to mass mortality of corals due to bleaching.     

Identification of landslide susceptible settlements using geographical information system of Yelwandi river basin,Maharashtra (India)

Natural Hazards - Landslides are one of the critical geological processes, which cause enormous damage to civil engineering structures and also lead to loss of life. The present study is an attempt...