<Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis> and fluid evolution of barren and lithium pegmatites from Vlastějovice,Bohemian Massif,Czech Republic

Fluid inclusions, mineral thermometry and stable isotope data from two types of mineralogically and texturally contrasting pegmatites, barren ones and lithium ones, from the Moldanubian Zone of the Bohemian Massif were studied in order to constrain P–T conditions of their emplacement, subsolidus hydrothermal evolution and to estimate composition of the early exsolved fluid and that of the parental melt. Despite the fact that the lithium pegmatites are abundant throughout the crystalline units of the Bohemian Massif, data similar to this paper have not been published yet. The studied pegmatites are hosted by iron-rich calcic skarn bodies. This specific setting allowed scavenging of calcium, fluorine and some other elements from the host rocks into the pegmatitic melts and post-magmatic fluids. Such contamination process was important namely in the case of barren pegmatites, as can be deduced from the variation in anorthite contents in plagioclase and from the presence of fluorite, hornblende (with F content) or garnet in the contact zones of pegmatite dykes. Fluid inclusions were studied mostly in quartz, but also in fluorite, titanite and apatite. Early aqueous–carbonic and late aqueous fluids were identified in both pegmatite types. The P–T conditions of crystallization as well as the detailed composition of exsolved magmatic fluid, however, particularly differ. The magmatic fluids associated with barren pegmatites correspond to H₂O–CO₂ low salinity fluids, composition of which evolved from 20 to 23 to <5 mol% CO₂, and from 2 to 4–6 mol% NaCl eq. Sudden decrease in the CO₂ content of the post-magmatic fluids (<5 mol% CO₂) seems to coincide with the enrichment of the fluid in calcium (from the contamination process) and resulted in precipitation of calcites (frequently found as trapped solid phases in fluid inclusions). The fluids associated with lithium pegmatites are more complex (H₂O–CO₂/N₂–H₃BO₃–NaCl). The CO₂ content of early exsolved fluid is 26–20 mol% CO₂ and remains the same in the next fluid generation. The main difference between the magmatic and the first post-magmatic fluids is the presence of 7–9 wt% of H₃BO₃ (identified as daughter mineral sassolite) in the former. The second post-magmatic fluids are again CO₂-poor (∼4 mol%) and more saline (∼4 mol% NaCl eq.). The composition of exsolved fluid was further used to constrain volatile composition and content of the parental melts. Finally, P–T conditions of pegmatite crystallization are constrained: 600–640°C and 420–580 MPa for the barren pegmatites and 500–570°C and 310–430 MPa for the lithium pegmatite. While the emplacement of the former occurred in thermal equilibrium with the Moldanubian host rock environment, the emplacement of the later suggests substantial thermal disequilibrium.     

Single piles under horizontal loads in sand: determination of <Emphasis Type="Italic">P</Emphasis>–<Emphasis Type="Italic">Y</Emphasis> curves from the prebored pressuremeter test

Lateral load-deflection behaviour of single piles is often analysed in practice on the basis of methods of load-transfer P–Y curves. The paper is aimed at presenting the results of the interpretation of five full-scale horizontal loading tests of single instrumented piles in two sandy soils, in order to define the parameters of P–Y curves, namely the initial lateral reaction modulus and the lateral soil resistance, in correlation with the pressuremeter test parameters. P–Y curve parameters were found varying as a power of lateral pile/soil stiffness, on the basis of which hyperbolic P–Y curves in sand were proposed. The predictive capabilities of the proposed P–Y curves were assessed by predicting the soil/pile response in full-scale tests as well as in centrifuge tests and a very good agreement was found between the computed deflections and bending moments, and the measured ones. Small-sized database of full-scale pile loading tests in sand was built and a comparative study of some commonly used P–Y curve methods was undertaken. Moreover, it was shown that the load-deflection curves of these test piles may be normalised in a practical form for an approximate evaluation of pile deflection in a preliminary stage of pile design. At last, a parametric study undertaken on the basis of the proposed P–Y curves showed the significant influence of the lateral pile/soil stiffness on the non-linear load-deflection response.     

The relation of seasonal pattern in stable carbon compositions to meteorological variables in the leaves of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sabina</Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">przewalskii</Emphasis> Kom. and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sabina chinensis</Emphasis> (Lin.) Ant.

The seasonal variation of foliar δ¹³C values in Sabina przewalskii Kom. and Sabina chinensis (Lin.) Ant. was measured. The relationships between foliar δ¹³C values and branch δ¹³C values as well as environmental factors (monthly total precipitation, monthly average air temperature, monthly average soil temperature, monthly total solar duration, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, vapor pressure, wind speed and potential evaporation) were investigated. The results showed that the foliar δ¹³C values were negatively correlated with air pressure, and positively correlated with air temperature, precipitation, vapor pressure, potential evaporation, solar duration, wind speed and soil temperature. No significant relationship between δ¹³C values and relative humidity was detected. This demonstrates that the foliar δ¹³C of Sabina is a successful empirical indictor of these meteorological factors within the usual range of C₃ whole-leaf δ¹³C values. Furthermore, the δ¹³C signature of leaf tissue is similar to that of wood tissue and the responses of δ¹³C values in S. przewalskii Kom. to environmental factors are also relatively stronger than that of S. chinensis (Lin.) Ant. These results provided strong evidence that it is feasible to extract climatic information from tree-ring δ¹³C series and S. przewalskii Kom. is a dendroclimatologically promising tree species.     

BaCO<Subscript>3</Subscript>: high-temperature crystal structures and the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pmcn</Emphasis>→<Emphasis Type="Italic">R</Emphasis>3<Emphasis Type="Italic">m</Emphasis> phase transition at 811°C

The temperature (T) evolution of the barium carbonate (BaCO₃) structure was studied using Rietveld structure refinements based on synchrotron X-ray diffraction and a powdered synthetic sample. BaCO₃ transforms from an orthorhombic, Pmcn, α phase to a trigonal, R3m, β phase at 811°C. The orthorhombic BaCO₃ structure is isotypic with aragonite, CaCO₃. In trigonal R3m BaCO₃, the CO₃ group occupies one orientation and shows no rotational disorder. The average <Ba–O> distances increase while the <C–O> distances decrease linearly with T in the orthorhombic phase. After the 811°C phase transition, the <Ba–O> distances increase while C–O distances decrease. There is also a significant volume change of 2.8% at the phase transition.     

Local problem-based <Emphasis Type="Italic">a posteriori</Emphasis> error estimators for discontinuous Galerkin approximations of reactive transport

We consider adaptive discontinuous Galerkin (DG) methods for solving reactive transport problems in porous media. To guide anisotropic and dynamic mesh adaptation, a posteriori error estimators based on solving local problems are established. These error estimators are efficient to compute and effective to capture local phenomena, and they apply to all the four primal DG schemes, namely, symmetric interior penalty Galerkin, nonsymmetric interior penalty Galerkin, incomplete interior penalty Galerkin, and the Oden–Babuška-Baumann version of DG. Numerical results are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed error estimators.     

Performance of elevated tanks in<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis><Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">w</Emphasis></Subscript> 7.7 Bhuj earthquake of january 26th, 2001

The current designs of supporting structures of elevated water tanks are extremely vulnerable under lateral forces due to an earthquake and the Bhuj earthquake provided another illustration when a great many water tank stagings suffered damage and a few collapsed. The more popular shaft type stagings suffer from poor ductility of thin shell sections besides low redundancy and toughness whereas framed stagings consist of weak members and poor brace-column joints. A strength analysis of a few damaged shaft type stagings clearly shows that all of them either met or exceeded the strength requirements of IS:1893-1984, however, they were all found deficient when compared with requirements of the International Building Code. IS:1893-1984 is unjustifiably low for these systems which do not have the advantage of ductility and redundancy and are currently being underestimated at least by a factor of 3 and need an upward revision of forces immediately.     

Trace metal uptake by the grass <Emphasis Type="Italic">Melinis repens</Emphasis> from roadside soils and sediments,tropical Australia

This study reports on trace metal uptake by the grass species Melinis repens, growing in roadside soils and sediments in tropical northeastern Australia. Median total Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn concentrations were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in road edge soils (Cu = 61.1 mg/kg, Pb = 97.3 mg/kg, Ni = 28.6 mg/kg, Zn = 729 mg/kg) than in background soils collected away from roads (Cu = 5.8 mg/kg, Pb = 11.2 mg/kg, Ni = 3.7 mg/kg, Zn = 21 mg/kg). Significantly (P < 0.05) elevated Zn values were recorded in the stems of the M. repens specimens growing on roadside soils (231.6 mg/kg dry weight of tissue) compared with those of grasses growing on background soils (40.8 mg/kg dry weight of tissue). Moreover, median Cu, Ni and Zn values in the roots of roadside grasses (Cu = 29.1 mg/kg, Ni = 2.73 mg/kg, Zn = 169 mg/kg) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than their respective levels in the roots of background M. repens samples (Cu = 5.98 mg/kg, Ni = 0.70 mg/kg, Zn = 22 mg/kg). A greenhouse experiment showed that Cu and Zn in road sediments are labile and are available for uptake by M. repens. The studied roadside soils and sediments were leached with a diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid–CaCl₂–triethanolamine–HCl extraction solution, which proved to be a rudimentary indicator of Zn availability and uptake to the root tissue of M. repens. The results demonstrate that trace metals in roadside grasses have the potential to be directed up the food-chain as grasses are consumed by herbivores. In addition, bioavailable metal contaminants hosted by road sediments have the capacity to impact on ecosystems downstream of roads because these sediments are mobilised by road runoff waters from road surfaces into adjoining catchments.     

Eco-physiological response of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus euphratica</Emphasis> Oliv. to water release of the lower reaches of the Tarim River,China

Eco-physiological and plant performance responses and acclimation of Populus euphratica Oliv. to water release of the lower reaches of Tarim River, China were investigated. Three representative areas and 15 transects were selected along the lower reaches of the Tarim River. The groundwater level and salt content as well as plant performance and the contents of proline, soluble sugar, and plant endogenous hormone (ABA, CTK) in leaves were monitored and analyzed before- and after-water release. The groundwater level was raised in different areas and transects by the water release program. The physiological stress to P. euphratica decreased after the water release. Our results suggested that the groundwater level in the studied region changed from −3.15 to −4.12 m, salt content of the groundwater from 67.15 to 72.65 mM, the proline content from 9.28 to 11.06 mM, the soluble sugar content from 224.71 to 252.16 mM, the ABA content from 3.59 to 5.01 ng/(g FW), and the CK content from 4.01 to 4.56 ng/(g FW)- for the optimum growth and recover of P. euphratica indicated by the plant performance parameters, and the efficiency of water release was the highest.     

Growth and reproduction of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sophora moorcroftiana</Emphasis> responding to altitude and sand burial in the middle Tibet

Sophora moorcroftiana, an endemic leguminous shrub in Tibet, is found in valleys, slopes, terraces from 3,000 to 3,900 m above sea level along the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River. S. moorcroftiana is more tolerant of sand burial than other species in the valleys and is regarded as an ideal species for studying acclimatization to climatic factors. Stem basal diameter showed decline as altitude increased from 3,039 to 3,928 m in the Yarlung Zangbo River valley. Population density increased with the rise of altitude. However, seed bank density, seed germination and seed weight of S. moorcroftiana did not change with changing elevation. Plants responded to altitude variances with remarkable sensitivities. Stem basal diameter size declined along the vertical gradient between plateau and mountainside. Both in alpine and plateau areas, plants similarly adapted growth to altitude, but displayed different responses with respect to reproductive parameters, such as seed bank density, dry weight of seed, seed germination, seedling density and sapling density. Sand accretion remarkably reduced seed bank density and seedling density of the total population of S. moorcroftiana, but could promote shoot sprouting and shoot growing on the individual scale that stimulated the overall development of the population. The results suggested that this particular foredune species did not merely tolerate sand burial, but actually responded positively to sand accumulation.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">An Inconvenient Truth</Emphasis> and the scientists

An Inconvenient Truth provides an opportunity to examine the differences between scientific statements and the mixed statements made by politicians. The Gore movie is a powerful example of the latter. There are some inaccuracies and exaggerations in the film, but on the whole it represents mainstream scientific views on global warming. This essay looks into the state of the art of climate change research including its scientific underpinnings. Climate science is in a state of ‘normal science’ as discussed by Kuhn. There is a large body of scientists who are adherents to the paradigm and there does not appear to be any serious alternative at this time.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Mesopithecus</Emphasis> (Primates: Cercopithecoidea) from Villafranca d’Asti (Early Villafranchian; NW Italy) and palaeoecological context of its extinction

Remains of the cercopithecid Mesopithecus monspessulanus are relatively rare. Two previously unpublished mandibles of M. monspessulanus (housed in the Basel Naturhistorisches Museum), from the Italian locality of Villafranca d’Asti are described. These remains belong to the assemblage of the Triversa Faunal Unit, dated to the Early Villafranchian, that is to the unit MN16a (Middle Pliocene) of the European mammal biochronology. According to this recently revised biochronological attribution, Villafranca d’Asti records the last Mesopithecus occurrence in Europe. The NOW (Neogene Old World) database has been used as a basis to evaluate both the mammalian faunal and the palaeoenvironmental context at the time surrounding this last occurrence of Mesopithecus. The comparison (taxonomical composition and ungulate hypsodonty), between the Villafranca d’Asti assemblage and other Plio-Pleistocene mammal communities of Europe, shows that the extinction of Mesopithecus is related to a faunal turnover and a change toward more open landscapes during the Early–Middle Villafranchian transition. This is consistent with the “Elephant-Equus event”, that occurred in Europe at 2.5 Ma. Furthermore, the co-occurring but more terrestrial cercopithecid Macaca crossed this faunal turnover. This strengthens the assumption that the latest Mesopithecus species, M. monspessulanus, had woodland-oriented adaptations. Editorial handling: J.-P. Billon-Bruyat & M. Chiari (Guest)     

Raman spectroscopic study of hydrous <Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-Mg<Subscript>2</Subscript>SiO<Subscript>4</Subscript> to 56.5 GPa

 Raman spectra of a single-crystal fragment of hydrous γ-Mg₂SiO₄, synthesized in a multianvil press, have been measured in a diamond-anvil cell with helium as pressure-transmitting medium to 56.5 GPa at room temperature. All five characteristic spinel Raman modes shift continuously up to the highest pressure, showing no evidence for a major change in the crystal structure despite compression well beyond the stability field of ringwoodite in terms of pressure. At pressures above ∼30 GPa a new mode on the low-frequency site of the two silicate-stretching modes is clearly identifiable, indicating a modification in the spinel structure which is reversible on pressure release. The frequency of the new mode (802 cm⁻¹ extrapolated to 1 bar) suggests the presence of Si–O–Si linkages and/or a partial increase in the coordination of Si. Direct determination of the subtle structural change causing the new Raman mode would require high-pressure, single-crystal synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments. The Raman modes of hydrous and anhydrous Mg-end-member ringwoodite are nearly identical up to 20 GPa, suggesting that protonation has only minor effect on the lattice dynamics over the entire pressure stability range for ringwoodite in the mantle. Received: 7 December 2001 / Accepted: 16 April 2002     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">An </Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">Inconvenient Truth</Emphasis>: a focus on its portrayal of the hydrologic cycle

An Inconvenient Truth (AIT) has earned Al Gore an Oscar and a share of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize and has been widely acclaimed by the mass media. However, significant errors exist in the film, owing to alarmism and exaggeration. As this forum does not provide for a detailed examination of these errors, this paper will focus only on the portrayal of the hydrologic cycle by AIT—precipitation and floods, soil moisture and droughts, and storminess. AIT argues that precipitation and intense rainfalls, floods, droughts, and the total number, intensity, and duration of tropical cyclones have all increased due exclusively to anthropogenically-driven climate change; indeed, AIT paints a picture of near scientific certainty with an overwhelming bias toward catastrophe scenarios. A closer look at the science, however, reveals that the data do not support these claims and that the scientific community is divided as to what the impact of anthropogenic climate change on the hydrologic cycle will be. Thus, the film gives a false impression of both the current state of climate change and that ‘the science is settled’.

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Phragmites</Emphasis> and environmental management: A question of values

For a common, widespread, and familiar plant,Phragmites australis engenders an enormous level of scientific controversy and emotional conflict. In parts of the world,Phragmites is an important component of healthy ecosystems and an integral (if now minor) contributor to human economies. In other places it is an invading, unfriendly, and ugly weed. To some scientists and environmentalists,Phragmites is an indicator of and key factor in landscape degradation and habitat deterioration. To others, it is a valiant remnant of nature, providing a relatively rich ecology where there might otherwise be only barren and eroding ground. Our review of the literature leads us to conclude thatPhragmites is simply a biological entity. It is not inherently good or bad, since its evolution, biology, and ecology do not give it a value. The controversy overPhragmites, its role in the ecosystem, and the need for and intensity of management efforts are all artifacts of human perspectives. Effective, consistent management decisions (for either control or enhancement ofPhragmites) can only be made on the basis of site-specific scientific findings, a consideration of technologies with their needed level-of-effort, and explicit exposition of the human values driving the management options. We present a simple decision model to illustrate the interaction of these management components forPhragmites in the environment.     

Conversion and degradation of crude oil by Bacillus SP3

The objective of this study is to demonstrate the basic characteristics of Bacillus SP3 and evaluate its effect on different crude oils. Strain SP3 is a motile, gram-positive, spore-producing rod that was isolated from a reservoir of the Shengli oil field in East China. The cells of strain SP3 grew at high temperatures up to 58℃ at the pH range of 5.5–8.5. Strain SP3 grew facultatively and could use different organic substrates, and produce some metabolites such as 4-hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone, methyl-2-nitrogen benzene and 1, 2-benzenedicarboxylic acid bis ester. Laboratory studies have demonstrated that the strain converted and degraded different components and changed the physical and chemical properties of crude oils. Strain SP3 degraded crude oil and the growth of bacteria on crude oil resulted in loss of aromatic hydrocarbons, resins and asphaltenes. The bioconversion of crude oils would lead to an enrichment in lighter hydrocarbons and an overall redistribution of saturate hydrocarbons. The interactions of microorganisms with crude oils are variable, depending on the microbial species and the chemical compositions of crude oils.     

Domainal fabric development,associated microstructures and <Emphasis Type="Italic">P-T</Emphasis> records attesting to polymetamorphism in a granulite complex of the Eastern Ghats granulite belt,India

The granulite complex around Jenapore, Orissa, Eastern Ghats granulite belt, bears the imprint of two episodes of strong deformation (D₁ and D₂) attended with foliation (fabric) development (S₁ and S₂). Two distinct metamorphic events at P-T conditions of ∼900°C at ∼9 kbar and ∼600°C at ∼6 kbar are correlated with D₁ and D₂ respectively. The reaction textures in S₁-microdomains are interpreted to be the product of near isobaric cooling at ∼9 kbar from 950°C to 600°C, whereas those in the S₂-microdomains are considered to be the result of an up-pressure trajectory from ∼6 kbar at 600°C. The D₁-M₁ high P-T granulite event is interpreted to be Archean in age (ca. 3 Ga) on the basis of the isotopic data obtained from the charnockite suite of the area. The later relatively low P-T granulite facies event, attendant to D₂-S₂ is considered to be related to the Grenvillian orogeny as represented by the dominant isotopic record in the belt.     

Limitation and combined effects of iron and phosphorus on the growth of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Prorocentrum micans</Emphasis> Ehrenberg (Dinophyceae) and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomonas</Emphasis> sp. (Cryptophyceae)

Iron and phosphorus limitation and their combined effects on the growth and development of Prorocentrum micans Ehrenberg (Dinophyceae) and Cryptomonas sp. (Cryptophyceae) have been studied. The growth status of these algae at different Fe and P levels is quantitatively analyzed through lab-culture experiments. Results show that Fe starvation can misalign chloroplast lamellas, and metamorphose and twist thylakoid, leading to a retarded growth rate. The combined effects of Fe and P can accelerate their growth, and an optimum culture condition to maintain the maximum growth rate is a combination of 0.05 μM Fe and 50 μM P. Algal uptake of Fe and P are synergistic. Their cellular concentrations bear significant correlations (r = 0.9979 for Cryptomonas sp. and 0.9938 for P. micans; P < 0.01) and correspondingly the molar P:Fe ratios are ∼160:1 and ∼356:1, respectively. These findings will provide novel insights for revealing the crucial factors controlling the occurrence of algal blooms.