Heavy metals in surface sediment and epibenthic macroinvertebrates from the coastal zone and continental slope of Kenya

In surface sediments, a statistically significant increase was measured in the concentration of copper and cadmium along all transects, and of zinc along only the most southern (Gazi) transect, radiating into the Indian Ocean perpendicular to the Kenyan coast. Mean copper and cadmium increased from 5 to 30 μg g⁻¹ dry wt and from 0.01 to 0.34 μg g⁻¹ dry wt in shallow coastal (±20 m depth) to deep-sea stations (±2000 m depth), respectively. These gradients were found both during the south-east monsoon and north-east monsoon period. The shallow estuarine zone of the Sabaki river mouth showed significantly enhanced levels of total organic carbon and nitrogen and all metals analysed, except cadmium.In crustaceans, the concentration of copper and particularly cadmium was significantly above baseline levels, varying from 45 to 90 μg g⁻¹ dry wt and 1.0 to 8.5 μg g⁻¹ dry wt, respectively. Zinc levels (49–102 μg g⁻¹ dry wt) were at about baseline levels or a little elevated. On the contrary, lead showed very low concentrations, varying from 0.1 to 0.6 μg g⁻¹ dry wt. Other species generally showed the same pattern.     

A note on specific variability of long surface gravity waves and drag coefficient in coastal upwelling zone

In this paper we solve analytically wave kinematic equations and the wave energy transport equation, for basic long surface gravity wave in the coastal upwelling zone. UsingGent andTaylor's (1978) parameterization of drag coefficient (which includes interaction between long surface waves and the air flow) we find variability of this coefficient due to wave amplification and refraction caused by specific surface water current in the region. The drag coefficient grows towards the shore. The growth is faster for stronger current. When the angle between waves and the current is less than 90° the growth is mainly connected with the waves steepness, but when the angle is larger, it is caused by relative growth of the wave phase velocity.     

Impacts of pollution on coastal and marine ecosystems including coastal and marine fisheries and approach for management: a review and synthesis

The history of aquatic environmental pollution goes back to the very beginning of the history of human civilization. However, aquatic pollution did not receive much attention until a threshold level was reached with adverse consequences on the ecosystems and organisms. Aquatic pollution has become a global concern, but even so, most developing nations are still producing huge pollution loads and the trends are expected to increase. Knowledge of the pollution sources and impacts on ecosystems is important not only for a better understanding on the ecosystem responses to pollutants but also to formulate prevention measures. Many of the sources of aquatic pollutions are generally well known and huge effort has been devoted to the issue. However, new concepts and ideas on environmental pollution are emerging (e.g., biological pollution) with a corresponding need for an update of the knowledge. The present paper attempts to provide an easy-to-follow depiction on the various forms of aquatic pollutions and their impacts on the ecosystem and organisms.     

Approximation constructions in interpretation problems of gravity and magnetic surveys: A review

Methods of approximation occupy a significant place at the interpretation stage of gravity and magnetic surveys. Two main directions are the approximation of the initial field by an analytic function and the approximation or parametrization of a geological model.     

A note on distribution of amplitudes of peaks in structural response including uncertainties of the exciting ground motion and of the structural model

This note is an extension of earlier works that presented probability distribution functions for amplitudes of the peaks (the highest, the second highest … the m-th highest) in response of deterministic single degree-of-freedom (SDOF) and multi degree-of-freedom (MDOF) structures to ground motion, with deterministic Fourier spectrum and duration. It shows how these probability distribution functions can be evaluated if the Fourier spectrum and duration of the excitation are random variables specified via distribution functions. Two cases are considered: (l) when the structural model is deterministic, and (2) when the modal frequencies are random variables. The procedure presented here approximates the transfer function of the structural response by Dirac delta functions at the modal frequencies, and is applicable to multi-storey buildings with small modal damping, and with natural frequencies that are not too close. The resulting probability distribution functions are needed in seismic hazard calculations of peak response amplitudes of SDOF and MDOF structures that will not be exceeded with given confidence during the service time of the structure from any earthquake at all known faults within certain distance from the structure.     

OSL-thermochronometry using bedrock quartz: A note of caution

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) thermochronometry is an emerging application, whose capability to record sub-Million-year thermal histories is of increasing interest to a growing number of subdisciplines of Quaternary research. However, several recent studies have encountered difficulties both in extraction of OSL signals from bedrock quartz, and in their thermochronometric interpretation, thus highlighting the need for a methodological benchmark. Here, we investigate the characteristic OSL signals from quartz samples across all major types of bedrock and covering a wide range of chemical purities. High ratios of infrared to blue stimulated luminescence (IRSL/BLSL), an insensitive ‘fast’ OSL component, and anomalously short recombination lifetimes seen in time-resolved luminescence (TR-OSL), are often encountered in quartz from crystalline (magmatic and metamorphic) bedrock, and may hamper successful OSL dating. Furthermore, even when the desirable signal is present, its concentration might be indistinguishable from its environmental steady-state prediction, thus preventing its conversion to a cooling or heating history. We explore the saturation properties and the thermal activation parameters of various OSL signals in quartz to outline the capabilities and limitations for their use in low-temperature thermochronometry.     

A comparison of receiver technologies in borehole MMR and EM surveys

A series of downhole magnetometric resistivity (DHMMR) and downhole electromagnetic (DHEM) surveys were conducted near Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, and at Zinkgruvan, Sweden, to determine how probe and receiver equipment choices affect the amount of noise visible in borehole MMR and EM data. Noise analyses performed on the data, using the standard deviation to gauge the relative noise levels between different probes and receiver systems, indicate that high noise levels in MMR data result primarily from the use of a three‐component EM probe, which has a reduced effective area and hence a higher noise floor compared with a single‐component EM probe. High noise, attributable to cultural sources such as nearby power lines, in either MMR or EM data can be reduced through the use of full‐waveform, multipurpose receiver systems. These systems allow for the use of tapered stacking, which is a more effective method of eliminating coherent noise associated with power‐line transients than the boxcar‐stacking method used by traditional receiver systems.     

Numerical electromagnetic modeling including studies of characteristic dimensions: A review

Recent activity in important approximate methods used in numerical electromagnetic (EM) modeling is reviewed. Comparisons between the results obtained by different numerical methods and between analytical and numerical solutions are presented. The importance of 3D modeling and thin sheet approximations are pointed out.This review also considers and summarizes studies of characteristic dimensions in three topics: source fields, numerical modeling and physical phenomena in the earth and interpretation. The skin depth (i.e., generally the attenuation) of the EM energy is considered to be the most important and fundamental characteristic dimension.     

Seasonal closures as a measure of trawling effort control in two Mediterranean trawling grounds: effects on epibenthic communities

Within the framework of ecosystem-based management, we focused on the use of seasonal closures as effective measures to minimise the degradation of benthic communities by trawling. These closures imply the complete cessation of trawling fleet activity and are commonly used in the Mediterranean to reduce the annual fishing effort, with the ultimate goal of effective resource management. In this study, we aimed to investigate how epibenthic communities respond to seasonal closures. The potential benefits of short-term annual closures in two Mediterranean fishing grounds were evaluated by analysing changes in community structure and composition that were linked to the closure. A decrease of faunal abundance was observed with the resumption of fishing activity after the closure at both fishing grounds. Remarkably, results indicated that some large and mobile fauna were able to respond to these closures. We concluded that the currently planned closures are too short to benefit benthic communities.     

A geostatistical re-interpretation of gravity surveys in the Yagoua,Cameroon region

Since 1960, many gravity studies have been carried out in the Yagoua region of northern Cameroon. Gravity data was collected over a wide area of approximately 11628 km². These data are insufficient, irregular, scattered and do not efficiently permit gravity field downward and upward continuations, derivatives and other operations that might require regular gridded data. Some anomalies on the Collignon map (1968), may correlate with known geological structure but do not appear on maps by Louis (1970) and Poudjom et al. (1996). To produce regular gridded gravity data and better control anomalies due to geological structures, the kriging method was applied to a 188-data baseline. Several variogram models were tested for this purpose. It was found that a spherical variogram model is the best; it has produced a new kriging dataset of about 10,100 data and a new map of kriged Bouguer data. This map contains positive anomalies in the Maroua-Mindif and Maga areas on the Collignon (1968) map, which were not present on Louis (1970) and Poudjom et al. (1996) maps. The positive anomalies of Guibi-Doukoula and Yagoua, not separated on the Louis (1970) and Poudjom et al. (1996) maps, show up as clearly distinct as previewed by Collignon (1968). The new results can be used for subsequent gravimetric studies.     

A pattern in the incidence of major coastal mudslides

The communication considers eroding coastal cliffs which consist predominantly of stiff-fissured clay overlying a more resistant stratum, the contact having a gentle component of coastwise dip. From the southern coasts of England, five such cliffs are described. In each of these a zone of dominant mudsliding exists, which stands out from the background of lesser mudslides and other forms of failure: the common feature is that in each case the zone of major mudsliding coincides closely with the length of cliff over which the base of the clay stratum lies within the tidal range, and generally within the upper part of this. It is suggested that this pattern results from optimum conditions for continuing stimulation of mudslide activity by toe erosion being reached in the above zone.     

A biomonitoring study: Heavy metals in macroalgae from eastern Aegean coastal areas

The concentrations of metals were measured in macroalgae species seasonally at eight coastal stations along the eastern Aegean coast. Sediment and seawater samples were also collected to detect their metal contents in order to gain more information on the environmental conditions of the area and possible bioaccumulation patterns. The aim of this study is, to gather more information on the use of selected species as cosmopolitan biomonitors for the eastern Aegean; to provide information on the marine environmental quality by the use of macroalgae and to determine which algae species are suitable as biomonitoring species for the study area. The relative abundance of metals in macroalgae decreases in the order: Fe-Zn-Cu-Cr-Cd-Hg-Pb and seawater: Fe-Zn-Pb-Cu-Cr-Cd-Hg. In sediment the distribution order from higher to lower was Fe-Cr-Zn-Pb-Cu-Hg-Cd. The brown algae Cystoseira sp., the green algae Ulva sp. and Enteromorpha sp. possess high potential as cosmopolitan biomonitors for trace metals in the Aegean Sea.     

A note on attenuation of earthquake intensity in Macedonia

The attenuation of intensity of strong shaking is related to the dissipation of earthquake energy. It varies with distance from the epicenter, and depends on the local geological conditions. The 1437 data points have been collected from the Atlas of Isoseismal Maps (Catalogue of Earthquakes) in the UNDP/UNESCO Survey of the Seismicity of the Balkan Region (1974) and from unpublished data on seismic intensities in the Balkan region up to 1989.

A regression analysis has been performed to describe the attenuation of earthquake intensity in Macedonia in terms of epicentral intensity, I₀, epicentral distance, R, and local geological conditions at the recording site, s (s = 0, 1 or 2 for soft, medium and hard geological site conditions).     

Dynamics of mesozooplankton assemblages in subtropical coastal waters of Hong Kong: A comparative study between a eutrophic estuarine and a mesotrophic coastal site

A monthly comparative study of mesozooplankton biomass and composition between a eutrophic Pearl River estuarine site (WE) and a mesotrophic coastal-oceanic site (EO) in Hong Kong waters was conducted to examine the response of mesozooplankton to nutrient-rich riverine discharge. Although the annual average mesozooplankton biomass was higher at WE than at EO, they were not statistically significant. Variations of mesozooplankton biomass at both stations followed similar trends of Chl a concentrations, with the exception of July at WE where mesozooplankton biomass was low but total Chl a was high. This mismatch may be due to the high flushing effect of the Pearl River discharge in summer and a time lag in mesozooplankton population growth. On the other hand, the composition of mesozooplankton was significantly modified by riverine discharge and eutrophication conditions. While small copepods dominated at both sites, the eutrophic estuarine water had a high abundance of barnacle and polychaete larvae, while cladocerans, bivalve larvae, gastropod larvae and chaetognaths mainly occurred at EO. Eutrophication increased the top-down role of copepods in the grazing community, revealed by an increase in the percentage of copepods in the total metazoan mesozooplankton, especially during the period of high river discharge. Moreover, mesozooplankton diversity at the two stations was similar, and they both showed relatively higher diversity during autumn and winter and lower diversity during summer, especially at WE. These results suggest that, despite high nutrient and Chl a concentrations in estuarine waters, mesozooplankton biomass were not enhanced compared to coastal waters with no river impact, possibly due to poor food quality and increased predation in the eutrophic estuarine waters.     

A review of the LATEX project: mesoscale to submesoscale processes in a coastal environment

The main objective of the LAgrangian Transport EXperiment (LATEX) project was to study the influence of coastal mesoscale and submesoscale physical processes on circulation dynamics, cross-shelf exchanges, and biogeochemistry in the western continental shelf of the Gulf of Lion, Northwestern Mediterranean Sea. LATEX was a five-year multidisciplinary project based on the combined analysis of numerical model simulations and multi-platform field experiments. The model component included a ten-year realistic 3D numerical simulation, with a 1 km horizontal resolution over the gulf, nested in a coarser 3 km resolution model. The in situ component involved four cruises, including a large-scale multidisciplinary campaign with two research vessels in 2010. This review concentrates on the physics results of LATEX, addressing three main subjects: (1) the investigation of the mesoscale to submesoscale processes. The eddies are elliptic, baroclinic, and anticyclonic; the strong thermal and saline front is density compensated. Their generation processes are studied; (2) the development of sampling strategies for their direct observations. LATEX has implemented an adaptive strategy Lagrangian tool, with a reference software available on the web, to perform offshore campaigns in a Lagrangian framework; (3) the quantification of horizontal mixing and cross-shelf exchanges. Lateral diffusivity coefficients, calculated in various ways including a novel technique, are in the range classically encountered for their associated scales. Cross-shelf fluxes have been calculated, after retrieving the near-inertial oscillation contribution. Further perspectives are discussed, especially for the ongoing challenge of studying submesoscale features remotely and from in situ data.     

长江中下游浅水湖泊5种常见底栖动物碳、氮、磷化学计量特征

研究长江中下游地区浅水湖泊5种常见大型底栖动物(铜锈环棱螺、河蚬、苏氏尾鳃蚓、摇蚊属幼虫及中国长足摇蚊)碳、氮、磷化学计量特征,样品采集于多个不同营养水平湖泊.底栖动物碳、氮、磷元素含量的变化范围分别为31.6%~60.7%、5.2%~12.1%及0.41%~2.28%,碳氮比、碳磷比和氮磷比的变化范围分别为4.4~8.9、55~314及9.9~40.1,其中磷元素含量变化最大并是导致N∶P变化的主要原因.不同种类底栖动物元素组成具有显著差异,碳、氮、磷最高平均值分别出现在河蚬(48.4%)、苏氏尾鳃蚓(10.4%)及河蚬(1.09%).铜锈环棱螺(除氮磷比)和河蚬元素组成在不同营养水平湖泊间具有显著差异,重富营养湖泊太湖氮和磷含量最高.相关分析发现铜锈环棱螺及河蚬磷含量和氮磷比与营养状态指数显著相关,表明铜锈环棱螺和河蚬的碳、氮、磷化学计量特征并非保持严格的动态平衡.     

A note on the production of kinetic energy in the atmosphere

Резюме Была выведена формула, характернзующая образование кинетнческой энергии в атмосфере. Из рассуждений кроме прочего также следует, что антициклогенетические (циклогенетические) области являются положительными (отрицательными) источниками кннетической энергии. Полученные результаты отчасти совпадают с [3]. Далее было показано, что в антицпклогенетических областях имеются условия для переноса кинетической энергии в окружаюшую атмосферу.

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