Stable isotopes and heavy metal distribution in Dreissena polymorpha (Zebra Mussels) from western basin of Lake Erie, Canada

 Dreissena polymorpha is an exotic freshwater bivalve species which was introduced into the Great Lakes system in the fall of 1985 through the release of ballast water from European freighters. Utilizing individual growth rings of the shells, the stable isotope distribution (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) was determined for the life history of selected samples which were collected from the western basin of Lake Erie. These bivalves deposit their shell in near equilibrium with the ambient water and thus reflect any annual variation of the system in the isotopic records held within their shells. Observed values for δ¹⁸O range from -6.64 to –9.46‰ with an average value of –7.69‰ PDB, while carbon values ranged from –0.80 to –4.67‰ with an average value of –1.76‰ PDB. Dreissena polymorpha shells incorporate metals into their shells during growth. Individual shell growth increments were analyzed for Pb, Fe, Mg, Mn, Cd, Cu, and V concentrations. The shells show increased uptake of certain metals during periods of isotopic enrichment which correspond with warmer water temperatures. Since metals are incorporated into the shells, the organism may be useful as a biomonitor of metal pollution within aquatic environments. Received: 31 October 1996 · Accepted: 21 May 1997     

Isotopic and chemical intra-shell variations in low-Mg calcite of rudist bivalves (Mollusca-Hippuritacea): disequilibrium fractionations and late Cretaceous seasonality

 Isotopic (δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O) and elemental (Mg, Sr, Mn, Fe) compositions were analysed in sclerochronological profiles of several shells of late Cretaceous rudist bivalves from Greece, Turkey, Somalia and the Arabian Peninsula. The preservation of original compositions of low-Mg calcite of outer shell layers is indicated by constant and high Sr, generally low Fe and Mn, and the preservation of fibrous-prismatic ultrastructures. Cyclic variations in δ¹⁸O and Mg are interpreted to reflect seasonal temperature/salinity cycles and, thus, annual growth increments. In shells of Torreites, amplitudes of correlated δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O cycles cannot be related to reasonable palaeotemperatures or salinity. This isotopic pattern reflects vital fractionations of an extent which is unknown from modern bivalves. In contrast, almost identical ranges and amplitudes of δ¹⁸O cycles are observed in 13 shells of five species from Santonian-Campanian localities in central Greece and northern Turkey, suggesting that seasonal variations in environmental conditions were recorded without significant vital fractionations. The effect of seasonal salinity changes on δ¹⁸O of the shells is evaluated, and mean palaeotemperatures are constrained within the range of 30–32.5  °C. The annual range of temperature was estimated to be 7  °C, assuming a constant salinity. This agrees with other isotopic proxies of Late Cretaceous palaeotemperatures, and with global circulation models which predict higher low-latitude sea-surface temperatures than the present ones. Received: 12 February 1998 / Accepted: 24 May 1999     

The Wyoming gold deposits: volcanic-hosted lode-type gold mineralisation in the eastern Lachlan Orogen,Australia

The eastern Lachlan Orogen in southeastern Australia is noted for its major porphyry–epithermal–skarn copper–gold deposits of late Ordovician age. Whilst many small quartz vein-hosted or orogenic lode-type gold deposits are known in the region, the discovery of the Wyoming gold deposits has demonstrated the potential for significant lode-type mineralisation hosted within the same Ordovician volcanic stratigraphy. Outcrop in the Wyoming area is limited, with the Ordovician sequence largely obscured by clay-rich cover of probable Quaternary to Cretaceous age with depths up to 50 m. Regional aeromagnetic data define a north–south trending linear belt interpreted to represent the Ordovician andesitic volcanic rock sequence within probable Ordo-Silurian pelitic metasedimentary rocks. Drilling through the cover sequence in 2001 to follow up the trend of historically reported mineralisation discovered extensive alteration and gold mineralisation within an andesitic feldspar porphyry intrusion and adjacent volcaniclastic sandstones and siltstones. Subsequent detailed resource definition drilling has identified a substantial mineralised body associated with sericite–carbonate–albite–quartz–(±chlorite ± pyrite ± arsenopyrite) alteration. The Wyoming deposits appear to have formed as the result of a rheological contrast between the porphyry host and the surrounding volcaniclastic rocks, with the porphyry showing brittle fracture and the metasedimentary rocks ductile deformation. The mineralisation at Wyoming bears many petrological and structural similarities to orogenic lode-style gold deposits. Although the timing of alteration and mineralisation in the Wyoming deposits remain problematic, a relationship with possible early to middle Devonian deformation is considered likely.     

Geochronology of Late Cenozoic volcanism in the area of Van Lake,Turkey: An example of development dynamics for magmatic processes

An isotope-geochronological study has been performed to examine the products of Late Cenozoic collision volcanism on the northern coast of Van Lake, Turkey. We obtained 45 new K-Ar dates, based on which the principal time characteristics of volcanic activity in the region have been determined. The total duration of magmatic activity in the area of the northern coast of Van Lake has lasted ∼15 myr; it has had an expressed discrete nature, when periods of intense volcanic activity alternated with lasting breaks in eruptions. Four stages of Neogene-Quaternary volcanism have been identified: Middle Miocene (15.0–13.5 myr), Late Miocene (10–9 myr), Pliocene (5.8–3.7 myr), and Quaternary (1.0–0.4 Ma). The average duration of the stages has been 1–2 myr; the stages were separated from each other with periods of inactivity of approximately equal lengths (∼3 myr). For each of the Pliocene and Quaternary stages, three additional phases of volcanism have been identified, which were separated from each other with short time intervals (a few hundred thousand years). The last burst of volcanic activity in the area in question took place ∼400 ka; similar to Quaternary volcanism in general, it was not characterized by a high intensity. An important result of the studies performed was to confirm the existence of a separate Middle Miocene stage of collision volcanism for the Caucasian-Anatolian Segment of the Alpine Fold Belt. The data generated allow concluding that Neogene-Quaternary volcanism in this portion of the belt started much earlier (∼15 Ma) than assumed by the majority of the previous researchers.     

安徽霍邱安阳山晚石炭世碳酸盐岩地层中奥陶纪牙形石和虫颚化石的发现

最近的研究表明,安徽霍邱地区安阳山(白大山)剖面下部碳酸盐岩段属于晚石炭世,上部碎屑岩段属于青白口纪。我们进一步对剖面进行了微体古生物分析,在晚石炭世碳酸盐岩中发现了丰富的微体古生物化石,其中以牙形石和虫颚化石数量最多。经鉴定,有牙形石Belodina和虫颚化石Marlenites marginatus,Chairidogenys borealis,Cornugenys sp.,Porrhogrnys sp.,Channahania sp.,Paradrilonersgenys cherylae等,Belodina时代为晚奥陶世,虫颚化石的时代为奥陶纪。晚石炭世地层中存在奥陶纪化石,表明可能存在奥陶系的物源区,微体化石是通过剥蚀、搬运再沉积保存到晚石炭世碳酸盐岩中。显然,新发现的微体化石可能并不具有地层意义,但是具有古地理和古构造意义。     

Geological characteristics and evolution of the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan plateau since the late Cenozoic

The eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau developed an integrated series of late Cenozoic lacustrine, loess, red and moraines deposits. Various genetic sediments recorded rich information of Quaternary palaeoenvironment changes. Xigeda Pliocene lacustrine deposits, formed during 4.2 Ma B.P.–2.6 Ma B.P., experienced nine periodic warm-cold stages. Eolian deposition in western Sichuan began at 1.15 Ma B.P., and the loess-soil sequences successively record fourteen palaeomonsoon change cycles. Red clay in the Chengdu plain record five stages of paleoclimatic change stages since 1.13 Ma B.P.. There was an old glacial period of 4.3 Ma B.P. in the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. During the Quaternary, there were five extreme paleoclimatic events corresponding to five glaciations. __________ Translated from Geological Bulletin of China, 2007, 26(12): 1620–1626 [译自: 地质通报]     

稳定同位素贝壳年轮指示的牡蛎礁体水平夹层成因

渤海湾西岸众多的埋藏牡蛎礁体内,除正常的牡蛎壳体堆积层外,还广泛地存在一定数量的水平夹层。水平夹层的存在,可能指示了礁体的生长环境发生了变化。文章对组成礁体的正常建礁层和水平夹层中的牡蛎壳体,进行了贝壳年轮和稳定同位素分析研究,对比了水平夹层和正常建礁层中的壳体生长速率和壳体记录的稳定同位素变化范围与幅度,恢复了壳体记录的礁体生长环境,探讨了壳体同位素记录揭示的礁体水平夹层成因。结果表明,相对于相邻正常建礁层中的壳体,水平夹层中的壳体记录的季节性氧同位素变化幅度较小,这主要与壳体生长时期的季节性淡水输入变化较小或(和)年平均气温较低有关。水平夹层中的壳体记录的低温季节相对较多的淡水输入量和高温季节相对较少的淡水输入量, 或(和)由于年平均气温较低而导致的壳体在一年中的生长周期缩短,是造成礁体中水平夹层形成的主要驱动因素。     

中国第四纪气候研究及对我国未来气候与环境变化的讨探

本文首先列述了中国第四纪气候研究中9种主要宏观气候标志:冰川作用遗迹、冰缘构造,哺乳动物、植物（含孢粉）、软体动物、有孔虫化石,岩性、岩溶及海平面升降等方面的特征。在此基础上,系统论述了中国第四纪以来气候演化与变革的历史。最后,作者对未来百年左右时期内,在全球增温发展趋势下,中国各地区气候与环境变化中可能出现的一些情况,作了初步的探讨。本文为中国未来气候的研究及其对工农业建设的影响,提供了重要的参考信息。     

Preservation of the shell matrix protein dermatopontin in 1500 year old land snail fossils from the Bonin islands

Organic molecules such as proteins can be preserved in certain fossils. The bulk properties of fossil proteins of both vertebrates and invertebrates have been studied for over half a century. Named proteins have so far been identified, however, only in vertebrate fossils, such as collagen from mammoth bones. Using immunological assays, we examined 1500 year old fossils of the extinct land snail Mandarina luhuana from the Bonin islands for the presence of dermatopontin, a molluscan shell matrix protein. First, we examined the shell microstructure and mineralogy of the fossil shells using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) in order to estimate the extent of diagenetic alteration. The results suggest that the original microstructure and mineralogy of the shells are preserved. Antiserum raised against the Type-1 dermatopontin fragment of the living land snail Euhadra brandtii showed significant immunological reactivity with the extracts from the fossil shells of M. luhuana. Immunological binding curves drawn for the shell extracts of extant M. aureola and the extinct M. luhuana confirmed the presence of dermatopontin in the fossil shells and provided an estimate that about 75–98% of the original dermatopontin was lost from the M. luhuana fossils. This is the first report of a named protein being identified in invertebrate fossils.     

辽宁西部第四纪哺乳动物及其地层时代

以大、小凌河流域为中心的辽西地区第四纪地层分布广泛, 奥陶纪石灰岩为主的基岩使该地区喀斯特地貌发育, 并在水溶蚀作用下形成洞穴, 为哺乳动物栖息提供了理想的场所。20世纪70年代以前曾发现过建平、凌源西八间房、喀左鸽子洞和锦县沈家台等化石产地, 之后陆续发现了喀左帽儿山洞穴、二布尺洞穴、朝阳马山洞和凌源沟门洞化石产地等。根据动物化石组合及其对比, 辽西发现的这些化石群分别代表中更新世晚期、晚更新世早期、晚更新世中期和晚更新世晚期4个地质时代。这些材料的发现, 对辽西乃至整个东北地区第四纪哺乳动物研究及区域第四纪地层的划分对比等具有重要意义。     

黄土高原西部秦安新近纪风尘堆积的蜗牛化石证据

对黄土高原西部秦安地区晚新近纪甘肃群中的一套黄土-古土壤序列以20cm间距采集的310个蜗牛化石样品进行了系统的研究。结果表明,黄土层与古土壤层中的蜗牛化石全部为陆生种类,以Gastrocopta,Pupilla,Vallonia,Metodontia,Cathaica和Punctum等占优势,与黄土高原第四纪黄土-古土壤序列中蜗牛化石的种属组成基本一致,这表明研究剖面是一套陆生成因的地层,与黄土高原第四纪黄土-古土壤序列有着相似的沉积环境。上述结果为提取古环境信息从生物学角度提供了证据。     

Magnification of Flood Disasters and its Relation to Regional Precipitation and Local Human Activities since the 1980s in Xinjiang,Northwestern China

Analyses of flood disasters were conducted using 1950–2001 data on the flood-damaged areas of cropland, the annual number of flood disasters and the direct economic losses in Xinjiang. There is an increasing trend in flood disasters in Xinjiang during the second half of the 20th century, especially since the mid-1980s. Results of a non-parametric Mann–Kendall test on the cropland-flooded index time series revealed an abrupt change in the mid-1980s. The reasons are discussed with respect to changes in annual precipitation and regional human activities, by correlating cropland-flooded area to annual precipitation and three socio-economic parameters (population, cropland area and GDP). The correlation coefficients between the flood-damaged area and the annual precipitation during the periods 1961–1998 and 1987–1998 were substantially higher than during the period of 1961–1986. The correlation coefficients between the flood-damaged area and the three human activity parameters, however, were relatively high for the whole period of 1961–1998, but generally not significant for the 1961–1986 and 1987–1998 periods, separately. These suggest that the occurrence of flood disasters could be mainly induced by local human activities before the mid-1980s, and thereafter mainly by abnormal precipitation in Xinjiang. Meteorological and hydrological records showed that the number of heavy rainfall events and the frequency of rainstorm flood disasters increased since the 1980s. In addition, siltation of reservoirs and loss of flood control structures are partly responsible for the increase of flood-damaged area. These results suggest that the increasing trend in flood disasters in Xinjiang since the middle 1980s could be attributed, at least in part, to an increasing trend in annual precipitation.     

Changing patterns of rain-days in Nigeria

The rain-day series in Nigeria have been examined for periodicities, fluctuations and trends for four regions arranged from south to north (the Coastal, Guinea-Savanna, Midland and Sahelian zones) based on data collected for the period 1919–1985. A significant decline was found in annual rain-days for each zone of the country from 1939–1985 and also during the recent period, 1968–85. This decline was found to begin in July in the Sahel thereafter extending to the Midland in August and still further southwards to embrace the Guinea-Savanna zone by September and October. Evidence was found of a synchronization of fluctuations in annual rain-days in the south-north direction for the country. Only the quasi-biennial oscillation of 2.4–2.8 years was found to be common to the 4 regional annual rain-days series. Finally, the implications of the results for the causative mechanisms of rainfall variability in the country are discussed.     

Phosphatized Punctatus with mouthparts and its embryo fossils from the Lower Cambrian of Ningqiang, south Shaanxi, China

The appearance of coelenterates marks the real beginning of metazoan evolution. It therefore has a prominent position in the origin and evolutionary history of organisms, and is also a pivotal question of evolutionary biology. Punctatus is an extinct, ancient marine animal from the early stage of the Cambrian explosion, occurring at the lowermost Cambrian of both Kuanchuanpu (Ningqiang, Shaanxi) and Maidiping (Emei, Sichuan) areas. Punctatus has been studied for many years since the discovery of its fragments. Systematic and phylogenetic analysis has long been limited because of the rarity of complete specimens. In order to improve research into Punctatus, more than ten thousand globular fossils were recovered by means of “Chemistry Retting”. On the basis of the study of these globular fossils, a series of Punctatus fossils with cone parts and finely preserved soft-tissue mouthparts and fossilized metazoan embryo were recovered. Through research on characteristics such as shape, modality and structure of these fossils symbiotic with Punctatus emeiensis, the author found many possible embryo fossils including the evidence of gastrula-stage animal fossils. The sequence of fetation might have appeared on the corolliform oral region of Punctatus emeiensis. A study of the soft tissues, functional morphology and the sequence of embryo fossils shows evidence that Punctatus resembles coelenterate polyps in systematic classification. Perhaps it also represents an ancestor of the coelenterate with an original tentacle. A comparison with the real “tentacle animal” found in the Chengjiang Fauna, shows that the original tentacle is very tiny and its function range is limited. This reveals the primitive nature of the animal. Although the original tentacle is so small, it does exist, representing the first big step towards the real flexible tentacle with a strong function from the early evolving tentacle. Translated from Journal of Acta Palaeontologica Sinica, 2006, 45(2): 182–194 [译自: 古生物学报]     

济南岩溶泉域泉群区水化学与环境同位素研究

本文通过对济南岩溶泉域排泄区地下水样品的分析,采用主要离子(Cl、NO_3、Mg、Ca、HCO_3、SO_4)、微量元素(Br、Ba、Sr)、氢氧同位素(~2H和~(18)O)、硫同位素(~(34)S)等示踪因子的综合研究方法,结合岩溶泉域实际水文地质条件,揭示了济南泉水的水文地球化学特征、枯丰期水化学动态和环境同位素特征,确定了泉水在枯、丰水期不同的补给来源及补给途径。研究显示,泉群区出流的泉水可以分为三组,黑虎泉出流的路径是经奥陶系灰岩直接出流,趵突泉是经奥陶系灰岩与第四系沉积层出流地表,而五龙潭泉、珍珠泉和53号井则是在灰岩和侵入岩体的接触地带及第四系沉积层较薄弱处涌出地表;在丰水期地下水是混合补给,包括来自奥陶系岩溶水直接补给和硅酸盐岩裂隙水的间接补给,而在枯水期地下水主要由奥陶系岩溶水直接补给;泉群区地下水中的S主要来源于燃煤,而且有不断增加的趋势。     

青海共和盆地猛犸象化石的发现及意义

在青海共和盆地晚更新世河湖相沉积地层中发现了象类化石,对化石的基本特征进行了描述,依据牙片的釉质层、齿脊频率等特征初步鉴定为猛犸象类化石,并在同一层位发现了钙化树木化石。结合区域地质以及产出猛犸象属化石地层的沉积学特征、孢粉组合等的简要分析认为,共和盆地晚更新世晚期为干燥寒冷的气候环境。这一发现有助于认识中国猛犸象属动物的迁徙过程,以及青藏高原晚更新世的生物演化、气候变化和构造活动。同时,也为研究青藏高原第四纪以来生物进化、湖泊与河流演化、气候变化、古地理与古环境变迁等提供了新资料。     

Dual impact on the groundwater aquifer in the Kazan Plain (Ankara, Turkey): sand–gravel mining and over-abstraction

This study explains the impact of sand–gravel mining and over-abstraction, and the response of the groundwater system in the Kazan Plain, Turkey. The plain used to be known for its fresh groundwater potential, valuable agricultural lands and natural beauty until the 1980s. According to the estimation in 1975, there was 15.5 million m³ annual useable freshwater in the Quaternary sand–gravel aquifer. Groundwater level ranged between 0 and 5 m from the surface of the plain in the 1970s. Because of the large and deep excavations by the sand–gravel pits during the past 25–30 years, the aquifer has thinned and removed entirely in some places. In addition, over-abstraction has accelerated the decline of the groundwater level, particularly in the middle and the upper part of the plain in recent years. As of 2009, about 12% of the total volume of the aquifer area removed by the pits and groundwater table has been reduced to between 5 and 20 m. The decline of the water table reaches 15–20 m in the regions where over-abstraction has taken place. To reduce the hazards to the groundwater system, the sand–gravel pits have to be banned immediately, a reclamation project applied and abstraction must be reduced.     

A late Holocene paleo-productivity record in the western Gulf of Maine,USA, inferred from growth histories of the long-lived ocean quahog (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Arctica islandica</Emphasis>)

To investigate environmental variability during the late Holocene in the western Gulf of Maine, USA, we collected a 142-year-old living bivalve (Arctica islandica) in 2004, and three fossil A. islandica shells of the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) and late MWP / Little Ice Age (LIA) period (corrected ¹⁴C_AMS = 1030 ± 78 ad; 1320 ± 45 ad; 1357 ± 40 ad) in 1996. We compared the growth record of the modern shell with continuous plankton recorder (CPR) time-series (1961–2003) from the Gulf of Maine. A significant correlation (r ² = 0.55; p < 0.0001) exists between the standardized annual growth index (SGI) of the modern shell and the relative abundance of zooplankton species Calanus finmarchicus. We therefore propose that SGI data from A. islandica is a valid proxy for paleo-productivity of at least one major zooplankton taxa. SGIs from these shells reveal significant periods of 2–6 years (NAO-like) based on wavelet analysis, multitaper method (MTM) analysis and singular spectrum analysis (SSA) during the late Holocene. Based on established physical oceanographic observation in the Gulf of Maine, we suggest that slope water variability coupled with North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) dynamics is primarily responsible for the observed SGI variability. Special Issue: AGU OS06 special issue “Ocean’s role in climate change—a paleo perspective”.     

青海共和盆地猛犸象化石的发现及意义

在青海共和盆地晚更新世河湖相沉积地层中发现了象类化石,对化石的基本特征进行了描述,依据牙片的釉质层、齿脊频率等特征初步鉴定为猛犸象类化石,并在同一层位发现了钙化树木化石.结合区域地质以及产出猛犸象属化石地层的沉积学特征、孢粉组合等的简要分析认为,共和盆地晚更新世晚期为干燥寒冷的气候环境.这一发现有助于认识中国猛犸象属动物的迁徙过程,以及青藏高原晚更新世的生物演化、气候变化和构造活动.同时,也为研究青藏高原第四纪以来生物进化、湖泊与河流演化、气候变化、古地理与古环境变迁等提供了新资料.     

Chronology of the shell bar section and a discussion on the ages of the Late Pleistocene lacustrine deposits in the paleolake Qarhan, Qaidam basin

Shell bar, composed of abundant fossil shells of Corbicula fluminea müller and Corbicula largillierti philippi and located at the southeastern end (36°30′N, 96°12′E) of the paleolake Quarhan, is one of the most prominent features in the Qaidam basin. It is the highest site where such species of fossil shells have been found in the Late Pleistocene age. A 2.6-m-thick fresh profile was manually excavated to determine the formation ages and the scope of the high paleolake levels. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), conventional radiocarbon dating, and sector inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy ²³⁰Th methods were used to investigate the reliability and accuracy of dating results in different laboratories. Ages of various components (e.g. acid residual and acid soluble fraction of the organic matter) from the same sample were determined. Age differences of a variety of materials (e.g. organic matter, fossil shells, and salt crystals), and age differences at the same sampling position were evaluated. Dating shows that the AMS ages given by alkali residue and acid soluble fractions vary greatly, e.g., from 124.5 cm upwards. The dates given by the acid soluble fraction were normal. Down the column, the dates show a reverse pattern and those of alkali residues, especially the lower part of the section, show an unstable pattern. These imply that organic matter had been influenced by two separate processes. One possible explanation is that the alkali residual fraction most likely had been contaminated by dead carbon-bearing reworked material because the study section is located near the edge of the paleolake and could have been easily influenced by old eroded deposits. Another is that the acid soluble fraction could have been contaminated by upward-flowing groundwater containing soluble organic matter. The amount of this soluble organic material should be very small because the strongest age reversal is in the lower part, where the TOC content remains low, meaning that the change of soluble organic fraction alters neither TOC content nor the δ ¹³C dramatically. It is concluded that a uniform mega-paleolake developed in the Qaidam basin in the northeastern Tibetan plateau between 39.7 and 17.5 ¹⁴C kaB.P. During the period when the high paleolake level of Qarhan was formed, the huge paleolake covered a vast area with dramatic lake level fluctuations. It is found that the ages determined may be influenced by either radioactive ¹⁴C variations of repeated deposition or content variations in the atmosphere. The ages given by fossil shells are 15–18 ka older than those given by organic matter. The large differences between the ages of fossil shells and organic matter might have resulted from the large water areas and huge water volume and the special location of the high-elevation Qaidam basin. This study also shows the reliability and accuracy of the ²³⁰Th dating method on the salt crystals but further study is needed to determine whether this method could be applied to the study area. __________ Translated from Quaternary Sciences, 2007, 27(4): 511–521 [译自: 第四纪研究]