Natural or fertilizer-derived uranium in irrigation drainage: a case study in southeastern Colorado,U.S.A.

Drainage from heavily cultivated soils may be contaminated with U that is leached from the soil or added as a trace constituent of PO₄-based commercial fertilizer. The effect of decades-long application of U-rich fertilizer on the U concentration of irrigation drainage was investigated in a small (14.2 km²) drainage basin in southeastern Colorado. The basin was chosen because previous reports indicated locally anomalous concentrations of dissolved NO₃ (6–36 mg 1⁻¹) and dissolved U (61 pg 1⁻¹) at the mouth of the only stream. Results of this study indicated minimal impact of fertilizer-U compared to natural U leached from the local soils. Detailed sampling of the stream along a 6 mile (9.7 km) reach through heavily cultivated lands indicated marked decoupling of the buildup of dissolved NO₃ and U. Dissolved U increased markedly in the upstream half of the reach and correlated positively with increases in Na, Mg, SO₄, B and Li derived from leaching of surrounding shaley soils. In contrast, major increases in dissolved NO₃ occurred farther downstream where stream water was heavily impacted by ground water return from extensively fertilized fields. Nitrogen isotopic measurements confirmed that dissolved NO₃ originated from fertilizer and soil organic N (crop waste). Uranium isotopic measurements of variably uraniferous waters showed little evidence of contamination with fertilizer-derived U of isotopically distinct²³⁴U/²³⁸U alpha activity ratio (A.R. = 1.0). Leaching experiments using local alkaline soil, irrigation water and U-rich fertilizer confirmed the ready leachability of soil-bound U and the comparative immobility of U added with liquid fertilizer. Relatively insoluble precipitates containing CaPU were formed by mixing liquid fertilizer with water containing abundant dissolved Ca. In the local soils soluble Ca is provided by dissolution of abundant gypsum. Similar studies are needed elsewhere because the mobility of fertilizer-derived U is dependent on fertilizer type, porewater chemistry and soil properties (pH, moisture, mineralogy, texture).     

Groundwater’s significance to changing hydrology, water chemistry, and biological communities of a floodplain ecosystem, Everglades, South Florida, USA

The Everglades (Florida, USA) is one of the world’s larger subtropical peatlands with biological communities adapted to waters low in total dissolved solids and nutrients. Detecting how the pre-drainage hydrological system has been altered is crucial to preserving its functional attributes. However, reliable tools for hindcasting historic conditions in the Everglades are limited. A recent synthesis demonstrates that the proportion of surface-water inflows has increased relative to precipitation, accounting for 33% of total inputs compared with 18% historically. The largest new source of water is canal drainage from areas of former wetlands converted to agriculture. Interactions between groundwater and surface water have also increased, due to increasing vertical hydraulic gradients resulting from topographic and water-level alterations on the otherwise extremely flat landscape. Environmental solute tracer data were used to determine groundwater’s changing role, from a freshwater storage reservoir that sustained the Everglades ecosystem during dry periods to a reservoir of increasingly degraded water quality. Although some of this degradation is attributable to increased discharge of deep saline groundwater, other mineral sources such as fertilizer additives and peat oxidation have made a greater contribution to water-quality changes that are altering mineral-sensitive biological communities.     

234U/238U and δ87Sr in peat as tracers of paleosalinity in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta of California,USA

The purpose of this study was to determine the history of paleosalinity over the past 6000+ years in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (the Delta), which is the innermost part of the San Francisco Estuary. We used a combination of Sr and U concentrations, δ⁸⁷Sr values, and ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios (AR) in peat as proxies for tracking paleosalinity. Peat cores were collected in marshes on Browns Island, Franks Wetland, and Bacon Channel Island in the Delta. Cores were dated using ¹³⁷Cs, the onset of Pb and Hg contamination from hydraulic gold mining, and ¹⁴C. A proof of concept study showed that the dominant emergent macrophyte and major component of peat in the Delta, Schoenoplectus spp., incorporates Sr and U and that the isotopic composition of these elements tracks the ambient water salinity across the Estuary. Concentrations and isotopic compositions of Sr and U in the three main water sources contributing to the Delta (seawater, Sacramento River water, and San Joaquin River water) were used to construct a three-end-member mixing model. Delta paleosalinity was determined by examining variations in the distribution of peat samples through time within the area delineated by the mixing model.The Delta has long been considered a tidal freshwater marsh region, but only peat samples from Franks Wetland and Bacon Channel Island have shown a consistently fresh signal (<0.5 ppt) through time. Therefore, the eastern Delta, which occurs upstream from Bacon Channel Island along the San Joaquin River and its tributaries, has also been fresh for this time period. Over the past 6000+ years, the salinity regime at the western boundary of the Delta (Browns Island) has alternated between fresh and oligohaline (0.5–5 ppt).     

Preferential solution of234U from recoil tracks and234U/238U radioactive disequilibrium in natural waters

A mathematical model to calculate the²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio (AR) in an aqueous phase in contact with rock/soil is presented. The model relies on the supply of²³⁸U by dissolution and that of²³⁴U by dissolution and preferential release from radiation damaged regions (recoil tracks). The model predicts that values of²³⁴U/²³⁸U AR>1 in the aqueous phase can be obtained only from weathering “virgin” surfaces. Thus, to account for the observed steady-state supply of²³⁴U excess to the oceans by the preferential leaching model, ‘virgin’ rock/soil surfaces would have to be continually exposed and weathered. The²³⁸U concentration and²³⁴U/²³⁸U AR in continental waters allow us to estimate the exposure rates of “virgin” rock/soil surfaces.     

Holocene initiation and expansion of the southern margins of northern peatlands triggered by the East Asian summer monsoon recession

Northern peatlands represent one of the largest biospheric carbon reservoirs in the world. Their southern margins act as new carbon reservoirs, which can greatly influence the global carbon dynamics. However, the Holocene initiation, expansion and climate sensitivity of these peatlands remain intensely debated. Here we used a compilation of basal peat ages across six isolated peatlands at the southern margins of northern peatlands to address these issues. We found that the earliest initiation event of these peatlands occurred after the Younger Dryas (YD, 12,800–11,700 years ago) period. The second initiation event and rapid expansion occurred since 5 ka cal. BP. The recession of East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) during the YD period and at around 5 ka cal. BP likely played a major role in controlling the initiation and expansion of these peatlands. The rapid expansion of these peatlands possibly contributed to the significant increases in atmospheric methane concentrations during the late Holocene because of the minerotrophic fens status and rapid expansion of them. These ecological processes are different from northern peatlands, indicating the special carbon sink and source implications of these peatlands in the global carbon cycle.     

Holocene peat and carbon accumulation rates in the southern taiga of western Siberia

Although recent studies have recognized peatlands as a sink for atmospheric CO₂, little is known about the role of Siberian peatlands in the global carbon cycle. We have estimated the Holocene peat and carbon accumulation rate in the peatlands of the southern taiga and subtaiga zones of western Siberia. We explain the accumulation rates by calculating the average peat accumulation rate and the long-term apparent rate of carbon accumulation (LORCA) and by using the model of Clymo (1984, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B 303, 605-654). At three key areas in the southern taiga and subtaiga zones we studied eight sites, at which the dry bulk density, ash content, and carbon content were measured every 10 cm. Age was established by radiocarbon dating. The average peat accumulation rate at the eight sites varied from 0.35 ± 0.03 to 1.13 ± 0.02 mm yr⁻¹ and the LORCA values of bogs and fens varied from 19.0 ± 1.1 to 69.0 ± 4.4 g C m⁻² yr⁻¹. The accumulation rates had different trends especially during the early Holocene, caused by variations in vegetation succession resulting in differences in peat and carbon accumulation rates. The indirect effects of climate change through local hydrology appeared to be more important than direct influences of changes in precipitation and temperature. River valley fens were more drained during wetter periods as a result of deeper river incision, while bogs became wetter. From our dry bulk density results and our age-depth profiles we conclude that compaction is negligible and decay was not a relevant factor for undrained peatlands. These results contribute to our understanding of the influence of peatlands on the global carbon cycle and their potential impact on global change.     

Trace element mobility in mine waters from granitic pegmatite U–Th–REE deposits,Bancroft area,Ontario

Small, low-grade, granitic pegmatite U–Th–REE deposits are found throughout the Grenville geological province of eastern Canada. Groundwater quality at historical mining properties in the Bancroft area was investigated in order to better understand the mobility of trace elements that may pose health risks if there is renewed development of this class of mineral deposit. Groundwater samples were obtained from diamond drill holes, flowing adits and flooded mine shafts. Uranium occurs almost entirely in the dissolved (<0.45 μm) phase and is found at concentrations reaching 2579 μg/L. The Canadian maximum acceptable concentration for U in drinking water (0.02 mg/L) was exceeded in 70% of samples. Regulatory limits for ²²⁶Ra (0.5 Bq/L) and for ²¹⁰Pb (0.2 Bq/L) were generally exceeded in these samples as well. Speciation modeling indicates that over 98% of dissolved U is in the form of highly mobile uranyl-Ca–carbonate complexes known to inhibit U adsorption. Uranium concentrations in groundwater appear to be correlated with the uranothorite content of the deposits rather than with their U grade. Uranothorite may be more soluble than uraninite, the other ore mineral, because of its non-ideal composition and metamict structure. Thorium, released concomitantly with U during the dissolution of uranothorite and thorian uraninite, exhibits median and maximum total concentrations of only 0.1 and 11 μg/L, respectively. Mass balance and stoichiometric considerations indicate that almost all Th is immobilized very close to its source. The sums of total light REE (La–Gd) concentrations have median and maximum values of 6 and 117 μg/L, respectively. The sums of total heavy REE (Tb–Lu) concentrations have median and maximum values of 0.8 and 21 μg/L, respectively. Light REE are derived mainly from the dissolution of metamict allanite whereas the sources of heavy REE are widely dispersed among accessory minerals. Fractionation patterns of REE in the dissolved phase are flat or concave, with negative Ce anomalies associated with more oxic groundwaters. The data suggest preferential LREE and HREE complexation with organic and carbonate ligands in the dissolved phase, respectively. Fractionation patterns in the suspended particulate phase exhibit decreasing enrichment with atomic number from La to Gd and a flat profile from Tb to Lu. This is explained by preferential sorption of LREE and uniform sorption of HREE. Manganese particulates are the most likely sorbents. Potential health risks from Th or REE in mine waters are unlikely due to the very low mobility of these elements. Uranium, on the other hand, exhibits high mobility in shallow, oxic groundwaters and drainage from some mine adits may require mitigation.     

Atmospheric deposition of cadmium in the northeastern USA

Lake sediment cores, dated by ²¹⁰Pb, were collected from Spectacle Pond (SP), Massachusetts, and Side Pistol Lake (SPL) and Sargent Mountain Pond (SMP), Maine, USA. SP is a kettle seepage lake in granitic sand and gravel. SMP is a drainage pond on granite with little soil in the small watershed. SPL is a drainage lake in granitic till. The three cores were analyzed for total Cd. For SP and SMP, maximum concentrations of 1.7 and 3.9 mg/kg, four and eight times background concentrations, respectively, occur in the late 1960s. Accumulation rates reach maximum values concurrently with concentration and are 0.054 and 0.016 μg/cm²/a, more than 10 times background. Concentration and accumulation rate age relationships in SMP and SP are similar for background values, timing and magnitude of increase to peak values, and the decrease nearly to background values since about 1975. The chemical response to decreased atmospheric deposition lags in SPL sediment. Kettle-like lakes more clearly indicate changes in atmospheric deposition than drainage lakes.     

Impact of former mining activities on the uranium distribution in the River Saale (Germany)

In the lower part of the River Saale, Germany, U shows concentrations of up to 4 μg/L. Former mining activities and their still existing dewatering systems in the drainage basin of the River Saale are responsible for the high salt and trace metal concentrations in the water of some tributaries. An old adit from the Mansfeld mining district flowing into the Schlenze Stream with mean U concentrations of about 60 μg/L increases the U concentration of the River Saale by 0.5 μg/L. The U concentrations in the running waters of the study area can be explained by mixing processes. Uranium from the adit and the Schlenze is mainly transported in the <0.45 μm fraction as a carbonate complex.     

Source Identification of Florida Bay's Methylmercury Problem: Mainland Runoff Versus Atmospheric Deposition and <Emphasis Type="Italic">In situ</Emphasis> Production

The first advisory to limit consumption of Florida Bay fish due to mercury was issued in 1995. Studies done by others in the late 1990s found elevated water column concentrations of both total Hg (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in creeks discharging from the Everglades, which had its own recognized mercury problem. To investigate the significance of allochthonous MeHg discharging from the upstream freshwater Everglades, we collected surface water and sediment along two transects from 2000 to 2002. Concentrations of THg and MeHg, ranging from 0.36 ng THg/L to 5.98 ng THg/L and from <0.02 ng MeHg/L to 1.79 ng MeHg/L, were elevated in the mangrove transition zone when compared both to upstream canals and the open waters of Florida Bay. Sediment concentrations ranged from 5.8 ng THg/g to 145.6 ng THg/g and from 0.05 ng MeHg/g to 5.4 ng MeHg/g, with MeHg as a percentage of THg occasionally elevated in the open bay. Methylation assays indicated that sediments from Florida Bay have the potential to methylate Hg. Assessment of mass loading suggests that canals delivering stormwater from the northern Everglades are not as large a source as direct atmospheric deposition and in situ methylation, especially within the mangrove transition zone.     

Development and carbon sequestration of tropical peat domes in south-east Asia: links to post-glacial sea-level changes and Holocene climate variability

Tropical peatlands of SE-Asia represent a significant terrestrial carbon reservoir of an estimated 65 Gt C. In this paper we present a comprehensive data synthesis of radiocarbon dated peat profiles and 31 basal dates of ombrogenous peat domes from the lowlands of Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo and integrate our peatland data with records of past sea-level and climate change in the region. Based on their developmental features three peat dome regions were distinguished: inland Central Kalimantan (Borneo), Kutai basin (Borneo) and coastal areas across the entire region. With the onset of the Holocene the first peat domes developed in Central Kalimantan as a response to rapid post-glacial sea-level rise over the Sunda Shelf and intensification of the Asian monsoon. Peat accumulation rates in Central Kalimantan strongly declined after 8500 cal BP in close relation to the lowering rate of the sea-level rise and possibly influenced by the regional impact of the 8.2 ka event. Peat growth in Central Kalimantan apparently ceased during the Late Holocene in association with amplified El Niño activity as exemplified by several truncated peat profiles. Peat domes from the Kutai basin are all younger than ～8300 cal BP. Peat formation and rates of peat accumulation were driven by accretion rates of the Mahakam River and seemingly independent of climate. Most coastal peat domes, the largest expanse of SE-Asian peatlands, initiated between 7000 and 4000 cal BP as a consequence of a Holocene maximum in regional rainfall and the stabilisation and subsequent regression of the sea-level. These boundary conditions induced the highest rates of peat accumulation of coastal peat domes. The Late Holocene sea-level regression led to extensive new land availability that allowed for continued coastal peat dome formation until the present. The time weighted mean Holocene peat accumulation rate is 0.54 mm yr^?1 for Central Kalimantan, 1.89 mm yr^?1 for Kutai and 1.77 mm yr^?1 for coastal domes of Sumatra and Borneo. The mean Holocene carbon sequestration rates amount to 31.3 g C m^?2 yr^?1 for Central Kalimantan and 77.0 g C m^?2 yr^?1 for coastal sites, which makes coastal peat domes of south-east Asia the spatially most efficient terrestrial ecosystem in terms of long term carbon sequestration.     

Paleohydrological implications of Holocene peatland development in northern Michigan

Sediment, pollen, and plant macrofossil stratigraphies from two small oligotrophic Chamaedaphne-Sphagnum peatlands provide data about local hydrologic changes in northern Michigan during the Holocene. Gleason Bog started about 8000 yr B.P. as a shallow pond that supported rich fen vegetation. After it was partly filled with peat and sand (about 4000 yr B.P.), the vegetation changed to oligotrophic bog. At Gates Bog paludification starting about 3800 yr B.P. caused peat accumulation over sand without an initial pond phase. The onset of peat accumulation at both sites is attributed to a rise in the water table resulting from the onset of cool and moist late Holocene climates. The water table of Gleason Bog is linked to the water level of adjacent Douglas Lake, which may have undergone a simultaneous rise. The results emphasize the individuality of hydrological conditions and hydroseral development in northern Michigan peatlands.     

Indicator value of oribatid mites in determining past permafrost dynamics in northern European sub‐Arctic peatlands

Permafrost dynamics play an important role in the surface hydrology and carbon balance of northern peatlands. Plant macrofossil analysis with radiocarbon dating has been widely used in detecting past permafrost dynamics in peatlands; however, there is a lack of permafrost‐specific plant indicator species, which makes it challenging to determine the exact timing of historical permafrost aggradation. We investigated the indicator value of oribatid mites in determining past permafrost dynamics in sub‐Arctic peatlands. Analyses of subfossil oribatid mite assemblages of Holocene peat profiles from two mires, one in northern Finland and one in northeastern European Russia, were carried out and interpreted using modern calibration data from the same study areas. The results were compared with previously published reconstructions of permafrost history based on plant macrofossil analyses from the same locations. The results suggest that the oribatid mites Carabodes labyrinthicus, Chamobates borealis and Neoribates aurantiacus are promising indicator species to detect past permafrost occurrence in peatlands. In addition, N. aurantiacus is clearly associated with the presence of lichens, which is particularly useful because lichen remains are rarely preserved in peat deposits. Results are in accordance with earlier studies showing that oribatid mites are useful indicators of past environmental change.     

Modelling the effects of climate change on methane emission from a northern ombrotrophic bog in Canada

Peatlands are a large potential source of methane (CH₄) to the atmosphere. In order to investigate the effects of climate change on CH₄ emission from northern ombrotrophic peatlands, a simulation model coupling water table dynamics with methane emission was developed for the Mer Bleue Bog in Ontario, Canada. The model was validated against reported values of CH₄ flux from field measurements and the model outputs exhibited high sensitivity to acrotelm thickness, leaf area index, transmissivity and slope of water table. With a 2–4°C temperature rise over the 4-year simulation period, the rate of CH₄ release dropped significantly to under 0.1 mg m⁻² day⁻¹. On the other hand, mean CH₄ emission increased by >26-fold when the increase in precipitation was >15%. When looking at the combined effects, the highest CH₄ release (13.3 mg m⁻² day⁻¹) was attained under the scenario of 2°C temperature rise and 25% precipitation increase. Results obtained in this study highlight the importance of avoiding more extreme climate change, which would otherwise lead to enhanced methane release from peatlands and further atmospheric warming through positive feedback.     

Holocene vegetation dynamics and hydrological variability in forested peatlands of the Clay Belt,eastern Canada,reconstructed using a palaeoecological approach

Forested peatlands are widespread in boreal regions of Canada, and these ecosystems, which are major terrestrial carbon sinks, are undergoing significant transformations linked to climate change, fires and human activities. This study targets millennial‐scale vegetation dynamics and related hydrological variability in forested peatlands of the Clay Belt south of James Bay, eastern Canada, using palaeoecological data. Changes in peatland vegetation communities were reconstructed using plant macrofossil analyses, and variations in water‐table depths were inferred using testate amoeba analyses. High‐resolution analyses of macroscopic charcoal >0.5 mm were used to reconstruct local fire history. Our data showed two successional pathways towards the development of present‐day forested peatlands influenced by autogenic processes such as vertical peat growth and related drying, and allogenic factors such as the occurrence of local fires. The oldest documented peatland initiated in a wet rich fen around 8000 cal. a BP shortly after land emergence and transformed into a drier forested bog rapidly after peat inception that persisted over millennia. In the second site, peat started to accumulate from ~5200 cal. a BP over a mesic coniferous forest that shifted into a wet forested peatland following a fire that partially consumed the organic layer ~4600 cal. a BP. The charcoal records show that fires rarely occurred in these peatlands, but they have favoured the process of forest paludification and influenced successional trajectories over millennia. The macrofossil data suggest that Picea mariana (black spruce) persisted on the peatlands throughout their development, although there were periods of more open canopy due to local fires in some cases. This study brings new understanding on the natural variability of boreal forested peatlands which may help predict their response to future changes in climate, fire regimes and anthropogenic disturbances.     

Holocene development and permafrost history in sub‐arctic peatlands in Tavvavuoma,northern Sweden

Under changing climatic conditions permafrost peatlands can play an important role in the global carbon budget through permafrost carbon feedbacks and shifts in carbon assimilation. To better predict future dynamics in these ecosystems an increased understanding of their Holocene carbon and permafrost history is needed. In Tavvavuoma, northern Sweden, we have performed detailed analyses of vegetation succession and geochemical properties at six permafrost peatland sites. Peatland initiation took place around 10 000 to 9600 cal. a BP, soon after retreat of the Fennoscandian Ice Sheet, and the peatlands have remained permafrost‐free fens throughout most of the Holocene. At the four sites that showed a continuous accumulation record during the late Holocene radiocarbon dating of the shift from wet fen to dry bog vegetation, characteristic of the present permafrost peatland surface, suggests that permafrost developed at around 600–100 cal. a BP. At the other two sites peat accumulation was halted during the late Holocene, possibly due to abrasion, making it more difficult to imply the timing of permafrost aggradation. However also at these sites there are no indications of permafrost inception prior to the Little Ice Age. The mean long‐term Holocene carbon accumulation rate at all six sites was 12.3±2.4 gC m⁻² a⁻¹ (±SD), and the mean soil organic carbon storage was 114±27 kg m⁻².     

The aqueous geochemistry of the rare earth elements and yttrium. Part 7. REE,Th and U contents in thermal springs associated with the Idaho batholith

Concentrations of the rare earth elements (REE), Th and U have been determined in thermal waters emerging from a number of locations in and around the Idaho Batholith. Previous investigators have suggested that the source of heat for the geothermal systems studied is the radioactive decay of K, Th and U which are enriched in the rocks through which the fluids flow. Thus, knowledge of the behavior of REE, Th and U in these systems may contribute to a better understanding of the potential consequences of the interaction of hydrothermal fluids with deeply buried nuclear waste. Such studies may also lead to the possible use of REE as an exploration tool for geothermal resources. The thermal waters investigated may be characterized as near-neutral to slightly alkaline, dilute, NaHCO₃-dominated waters with relatively low temperatures of last equilibration with their reservoir rocks (<200°C). REE, Th and U concentrations were measured using Fe(OH)₃ coprecipitation, followed by ICP-MS, which yielded detection limits of 0.01–0.003 μg/l for each element, depending on the volume of fluid sample taken. The concentrations of REE, Th and U measured (from <0.1 up to a few μg/l) are 3–5 orders of magnitude less than chondritic, in agreement with concentrations of these elements measured in other similar continental geothermal systems. The REE exhibit light REE-enriched patterns when normalized to chondrite, but when normalized to NASC or local granites, they exhibit flat or slightly heavy REE-enriched trends. These findings indicate that the REE are either taken up in proportion to their relative concentrations in the source rocks, or that the heavy REE are preferentially mobilized. Concentrations of REE and Th are often higher in unfiltered, compared to filtered samples, indicating an important contribution of suspended particulates, whereas U is apparently truly dissolved. In some of the hot springs the REE concentrations exhibit marked temporal variations, which are greater than the variations observed in major element concentrations, alkalinity and temperature. There are also variations in the fluid concentrations of REE, Th and U related to general location within the study area which may be reflective of variations in the concentrations of these elements in the reservoir rocks at depth. Thermal waters in the southern and central parts of the field area all contain ∑REE concentrations exceeding 0.1 μg/l (up to as high as 3 μg/l), Th exceeding 0.2 μg/l and U generally <0.4 μg/l. In contrast, thermal waters from the northern area contain lower ∑REE (<0.6 μg/l) and Th (<0.1 μg/l), but higher U (>3.0 μg/l). Using experimentally measured and theoretically estimated thermodynamic data, the distribution of species for La, Ce and Nd have been calculated and also the solubility of pure, endmember (La, Ce, Nd) phosphate phases of the monazite structure in selected hot spring fluids. These calculations indicate that, at the emergence temperatures, CO²⁻₃ and OH⁻ complexes of the REE are the predominant species in the thermal waters, whereas at the deep-aquifer temperatures, OH complexes predominate. In these thermal waters, monazite solubility is strongly prograde with respect to temperature, with solubility often decreasing several orders of magnitude upon cooling from the deep-aquifer to the emergence temperature. At the surface temperature, calculated monazite solubilities are, within the uncertainty of the thermodynamic data, comparable to the REE concentrations measured in the filtered samples, whereas at the deep-aquifer temperature, monazite solubilities are generally several orders of magnitude higher than the REE concentrations measured in the filtered or unfiltered samples. Therefore, a tentative model is suggested in which the thermal fluids become saturated with respect to a monazite-like phase (or perhaps an amorphous or hydrated phosphate) upon ascent and cooling, followed by subsequent precipitation of that phase. The temporal variations in REE content can then be explained as a result of sampling variable mixtures of particulate matter and fluid and/or variable degrees of attainment of equilibrium between fluid and solid phosphate.     

10,000 years of climate control over carbon accumulation in an Iberian bog(southwestern Europe)

The northwest region of the Iberian Peninsula is home to a unique ecosystem of bogs,which are particularly sensitive to projected climate cha nge.In this context,the rate of carbon(C)accumulation in Chao de Veiga Mol.an intact raised bog,was analysed.Changes in the accumulation rate over the past10 millennia were determined in a peat core of 847 cm in depth,with a high mean rate of peat growth(11 yr cm^-1,0.09 cm yr^-1).An age-depth model was generated from 22 14C dates and fallout radionuclides.Chronological,stratigraphical and physico-chemical data confirmed the existence of a single cycle of peat formation throughout the Holocene and the formation of ombrotrophic peat 9500 years ago.The total mean C content was 50.2%,and over 10 millennia 583 kg C m^-2 accumulated at a mean rate of 35.3 g C m^-2 yr^-1,with a long-term(apparent)rate of carbon accumulation in the catotelm of59.9 g C m^-2 yr^-1.These values are much higher than reported for other Iberian peatlands and are amongst the highest documented for peatlands in the northern hemisphere.The dynamics of C accumulation and other measured parameters reveals important variations throughout the Holocene.They could be associated with the main climatic events described in the northern hemisphere and are highly consistent with models established for northern latitudes.The Chao de Veiga Mol raised bog is unique and of great potential value for carrying out high resolution palaeoenvironmental studies,especially in relation to regional and Iocal modulations in southern Europe.     

Peat deposit water quality in Lake Istokpoga,Florida, U.S.A.

In 1983 water quality monitoring was conducted on peat deposits in Highlands County, Florida, U.S.A. The monitoring objective was to provide initial data on the water quality in the area in order to identify potential problems with environmental licensing of peat harvesting operations on these deposits. The investigation included sampling for in situ and laboratory water analyses, peat core analyses, elutriate tests, and interstitial water quality analyses. The general trends evident from the data are that BOD and COD (and the resulting DO) may change from the control and harvest peatlands, but not consistently. In addition, total suspended solids, organic color, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus concentrations appear to be elevated under disturbed conditions. For metals, the major cations (Ca, Mg, K, Fe) may show an increase under disturbed conditions vs. control. For the remaining metals, some increases may occur, but the changes are essentially unpredictable.