Isotopic characteristics of precipitation in Slovenia and Croatia: Comparison of continental and maritime stations

The stable isotopic composition of hydrogen and oxygen (δ²H and δ¹⁸O) and tritium activity (³H) were monitored in monthly precipitation at two continental stations (Ljubljana, Zagreb) and six stations along the eastern Adriatic coasts of Slovenia and Croatia in the period 2001–2003. Mean air temperatures and amount of precipitation were also recorded.

Distinct differences in both meteorological and isotopic data between the continental and maritime stations were observed. Seasonal variations in δ¹⁸O are smaller at the maritime stations than at the continental ones due to smaller seasonal temperature variations. A good correlation between δ¹⁸O and δ²H was obtained for each station, and the local meteoric water lines are close to the Global Meteoric Water Line, with a decreasing trend of slope for the south-Adriatic stations. Good correlations between δ¹⁸O in monthly precipitation and mean monthly air temperature were observed at all stations. The slope of δ¹⁸O vs. T varied between 0.37‰ °C⁻¹ and 0.15‰ °C⁻¹. Mean ³H activity and seasonal variation of ³H activity are smaller at maritime stations than at continental ones. Additionally, ³H activity decreases in the NW–SE direction of the Adriatic coast.

The study of spatial variations over this relatively small area rich in geographical and climatic diversities showed the complexity of the isotopic composition of precipitation and the isotopic data obtained for eight stations, most of them in the karstic area along the Adriatic coast, and gave valuable information for regional hydrological investigations and modelling of isotope variability over the Mediterranean basin.     

Isotope variations in a Sierra Nevada snowpack and their relation to meltwater

Isotopic variations in melting snow are poorly understood. We made weekly measurements at the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, California, of snow temperature, density, water equivalent and liquid water volume to examine how physical changes within the snowpack govern meltwater δ¹⁸O. Snowpack samples were extracted at 0.1 m intervals from ground level to the top of the snowpack profile between December 1991 and April 1992. Approximately 800 mm of precipitation fell during the study period with δ¹⁸O values between −21.35 and −4.25‰. Corresponding snowpack δ¹⁸O ranged from −22.25 to −6.25‰. The coefficient of variation of δ¹⁸O in snowpack levels decreased from −0.37 to −0.07 from winter to spring, indicating isotopic snowpack homogenization. Meltwater δ¹⁸O ranged from −15.30 to −8.05‰, with variations of up to 2.95‰ observed within a single snowmelt episode, highlighting the need for frequent sampling. Early snowmelt originated in the lower snowpack with higher δ¹⁸O through ground heat flux and rainfall. After the snowpack became isothermal, infiltrating snowmelt displaced the higher δ¹⁸O liquid in the lower snowpack through a piston flow process. Fractionation analysis using a two-component mixing model on the isothermal snowpack indicated that δ¹⁸O in the initial and final half of major snowmelt was 1.30‰ lower and 1.45‰ higher, respectively, than the value from simple mixing. Mean snowpack δ¹⁸O on individual profiling days showed a steady increase from −15.15 to −12.05‰ due to removal of lower δ¹⁸O snowmelt and addition of higher δ¹⁸O rainfall. Results suggest that direct sampling of snowmelt and snow cores should be undertaken to quantify tracer input compositions adequately. The snowmelt sequence also suggests that regimes of early lower δ¹⁸O and later higher δ¹⁸O melt may be modeled and used in catchment tracing studies.     

A 53 year seasonally resolved oxygen and carbon isotope record from a modern Gibraltar speleothem: Reconstructed drip water and relationship to local precipitation

The response of a climate proxy against measured temperature, rainfall and atmospheric circulation patterns at sub-annual resolution is the ultimate test of proxy fidelity but very few data exist showing the level of correspondence between speleothem climate proxies and the instrumental climate record. Cave sites on the Gibraltar peninsula provide a unique opportunity to calibrate speleothem climate proxies with the longest known available precipitation isotopes and instrumental records. An actively growing speleothem sampled from New St. Michaels Cave in 2004 is composed of paired laminae consisting of light columnar calcite and a darker microsparitic calcite. Stable isotope analysis of samples micromilled in 100 μm steps at the equivalent of bi-monthly intervals reveals fabric-correlated annual cycles in carbon isotopes, oxygen isotopes and trace elements responding to seasonal changes in cave microclimate, hydrology and ventilation patterns. Calcite δ¹³C values reach a minimum in the light columnar fabric and evidence from trace element behaviour and cave monitoring indicates that this grows under cave ‘winter’ conditions of highest pCO₂, whereas the dark microsparitic calcite, characterised by elevated δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values grows under low ‘summer’ pCO₂ conditions. Drip water δ¹³C_DIC reaches a minimum in March–April, at which time the attenuated δ¹⁸O signal becomes most representative of winter precipitation. An age model based on cycle counting and the position of the ¹⁴C bomb carbon spike yields a precisely dated winter oxygen isotope proxy of cave seepage water for comparison with the GNIP and instrumental climate record for Gibraltar. The δ¹⁸O characteristics of calcite deposited from drip water representing winter precipitation for each year can be derived from the seasonally resolved record and allows reconstruction of the δ¹⁸O drip water representing winter precipitation for each year from 1951–2004. These data show an encouraging level of correspondence (r² = 0.47) with the δ¹⁸O of rainfall falling each year between October and March and on a decadal scale the δ¹⁸O of reconstructed winter drip water mirrors secular change in mean winter temperatures.     

Late Pleistocene to Holocene composite speleothem O and C chronologies from South Island, New Zealand—did a global Younger Dryas really exist?

Oxygen and carbon data from eight stalagmites from northwest South Island are combined to produce composite records of δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C from 23.4 ka to the present. The chronology is anchored by 43 thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) uranium series ages. Delta ¹⁸O values are interpreted as having a first order positive relationship to temperature, but also to be influenced by precipitation in a complex manner. Delta ¹³C is interpreted as responding negatively to increases in atmospheric CO₂ concentration, biological activity and precipitation amount.

Six climatic phases are recognized. After adjustment of 1.2‰ for the ice volume effect, the δ¹⁸O record between 23 and 18 ka varies around −3.72‰ compared to the Holocene average of −3.17‰. Late-glacial warming commenced between 18.2 and 17.8 ka and accelerated after 16.7 ka, culminating in a positive excursion between 14.70 and 13.53 ka. This was followed by a significant negative excursion between 13.53 and 11.14 ka of up to 0.55‰ depth that overlapped the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ACR) and spanned the Younger Dryas (YD). Positive δ¹⁸O excursions at 11.14 ka and 6.91–6.47 ka represent the warmest parts of the Holocene. The mid-Holocene from 6 to 2 ka was marked by negative excursions that coincide with increased glacial activity in the South Island. A short positive excursion from 0.71 to 0.57 ka was slightly later than the Medieval Warm Period of Europe.

Delta ¹³C values were high until 17.79 ka after which there was an abrupt decrease to 17.19 ka followed by a steady decline to a minimum at 10.97 ka. Then followed a general increase, suggesting a drying trend, to 3.23 ka followed by a further general decline. The abrupt decrease in δ-values after 17.79 ka probably corresponds to an increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration, biological activity and wetness at the end of the Last Glaciation, but the reversal identified in the δ¹⁸O record from 13.53 to 11.14 ka was not reflected in δ¹³C changes. The lowest δ¹³C values coincided with the early Holocene climatic suboptimum when conditions were relatively wet as well as mild.

Major trends in the δ¹⁸O_c record are similar to the Northern Hemisphere, but second order detail is often distinctly different. Consequently, at the millennial scale, a more convincing case can be made for asymmetric climatic response between the two hemispheres rather than synchronicity.     

Preliminary stratigraphic and structural architecture of Bhutan: Implications for the along strike architecture of the Himalayan system

High-precision in-situ ion microprobe (SIMS) oxygen isotope analysis of zircons from two diorite intrusions associated with the late Caledonian Lochnagar pluton in Scotland has revealed large differences in the degree of heterogeneity in zircon δ¹⁸O between the diorites. Zircon crystals from the Cul nan Gad diorite (CnG) show a unimodal distribution of oxygen isotope values (δ¹⁸O = 6.0 ± 0.6‰ (2σ)) and no or only minor grain-scale variation. Those from the Allt Darrarie diorite (AD1) show a large range in δ¹⁸O and an apparent bimodal distribution with modes of 6.6 ± 0.4‰ and 7.3 ± 0.4‰. Variations of up to 1.2‰ occur between and within grains; both an increase and decrease in δ¹⁸O with zircon growth has been observed. The δ¹⁸O composition of growing zircon can only change if open-system processes affect the magma composition, i.e. if material of contrasting δ¹⁸O composition is added to the magma. The variability in AD1 is interpreted to represent a cryptic record of magma mixing. A ‘deep crustal hot zone’ is a likely site for generation of the dioritic magmas which developed by mixing of residual melts and crustal partial melts or by melting of mafic lower crustal rocks. The overall small number of zircons with mantle-like δ¹⁸O values (5.3 ± 0.6‰ (2σ)) in the Lochnagar diorites is largely the product of crustal differentiation rather than crustal growth.

The δ¹⁸O of quartz from the CnG and AD1 diorites shows only minor variation (CnG: 10.9 ± 0.5‰ (2σ), AD1: 11.7 ± 0.6‰ (2σ)) within single populations, with no evidence of mixing. Quartz–zircon isotopic disequilibrium is consistent with later crystallisation of quartz from late magmatic fluids, and in case of the AD1 diorite after the inferred magma mixing from a homogenised, higher δ¹⁸O melt.

High-precision SIMS oxygen isotope analysis of zircon provides a new approach to identifying and resolving previously undetected early-stage magma mixing and constraining the compositions and origins of the component magmas. A combination of zircon, quartz and whole-rock data has proven to be a powerful tool in reconstructing the petrogenetic evolution of diorite from early crystallisation to late alteration.     

Oxygen isotopic composition of low-temperature authigenic clinoptilolite

Oxygen isotope ratios were obtained from authigenic clinoptilolites from Barbados Accretionary Complex, Yamato Basin, and Exmouth Plateau sediments (ODP Sites 672, 797, and 762) in order to investigate the isotopic fractionation between clinoptilolite and pore water at early diagenetic stages and low temperatures. Dehydrated clinoptilolites display isotopic ratios for the zeolite framework (δ¹⁸O_f) that extend from +18.7‰ to +32.8‰ (vs. SMOW). In combination with associated pore water isotope data, the oxygen isotopic fractionation between clinoptilolite and pore fluids could be assessed in the temperature range from 25°C to 40°C. The resulting fractionation factors of 1.032 at 25°C and 1.027 at 40°C are in good agreement with the theoretically determined oxygen isotope fractionation between clinoptilolite and water. Calculations of isotopic temperatures illustrate that clinoptilolite formation occurred at relatively low temperatures of 17°C to 29°C in Barbados Ridge sediments and at 33°C to 62°C in the Yamato Basin. These data support a low-temperature origin of clinoptilolite and contradict the assumption that elevated temperatures are the main controlling factor for authigenic clinoptilolite formation. Increasing clinoptilolite δ¹⁸O_f values with depth indicate that clinoptilolites which are now in the deeper parts of the zeolite-bearing intervals had either formed at lower temperatures (17–20°C) or under closed system conditions.     

Using SPIRAL (Single Pollen Isotope Ratio AnaLysis) to estimate C3- and C4-grass abundance in the paleorecord

C₃ and C₄ grasses differ greatly in their responses to environmental controls and influences on biogeochemical processes (e.g. water, carbon, and nutrient cycling). Difficulties in distinguishing between these two functional groups of grasses have hindered paleoecological studies of grass-dominated ecosystems. Stable carbon isotopic analysis of individual grains of grass pollen using a spooling-wire microcombustion device interfaced with an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer holds promise for improving C₃ and C₄ grass reconstructions. This technique, SPIRAL (Single Pollen Isotope Ratio AnaLysis), has only been evaluated using pollen of known C₃ and C₄ grasses. To test the ability of SPIRAL to reproduce the abundance of C₃ and C₄ grasses on the landscape, we measured δ¹³C values of > 1500 individual grains of grass pollen isolated from the surface sediments of ten lakes in areas that span a large gradient of C₃- and C₄-grass abundance, as determined from vegetation surveys. Results indicate a strong positive correlation between the δ¹³C-based estimates of % C₄-grass pollen and the abundance of C₄ grasses on the landscape. The % C₄-grass pollen slightly underestimates the actual abundance of C₄ grasses at sites with high proportions of C₄ grasses, which can be corrected using regression analysis. Comparison of the % C₄-grass pollen with C/N and δ¹³C measurements of bulk organic matter illustrates the distinct advantages of grass-pollen δ¹³C as a proxy for distinguishing C₃ and C₄ shifts within the grass family. Thus SPIRAL promises to advance our understanding of grassland ecology and evolution.     

Compound-specific radiocarbon dating of Ross Sea sediments: A prospect for constructing chronologies in high-latitude oceanic sediments

We present an overview of the problems relating to the development of sedimentary chronologies for Antarctic margin sediments, and review the recent application of compound-specific radiocarbon dating methods for resolving them. Radiocarbon dating of solvent-extractable, short-chain (C₁₄, C₁₆, and C₁₈) fatty acids isolated from surface sediments of the Ross Sea, Antarctica, revealed their ages to be consistent with that of the modern dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) reservoir age (pre-bomb, Δ¹⁴C≈−150‰; post-bomb, Δ¹⁴C≈−100‰) in this region. This contrasts sharply with the radiocarbon ages of bulk organic matter in the corresponding sediments are substantially older (Δ¹⁴C=−298‰ to −712‰). Furthermore, the radiocarbon ages of these fatty acids progressively increase with the core depth. These results clearly show a utility of the compound-specific radiocarbon dating for developing sediment chronologies in the Antarctic margin sediments. This approach is potentially applicable to Arctic Ocean, as well as other areas of Southern Ocean where similar interferences by fossil or pre-aged carbon inputs have hindered the progress in the development of late Quaternary paleoceanographic records.     

Stable isotope values of Costa Rican surface waters

Stable isotope data of surface waters from the humid tropics in general, and Costa Rica in particular, are scarce. To improve our understanding of the spatial distribution of stable isotopes in surface waters, we measured δ¹⁸O and δD in river and lake (n=63) and precipitation (n=3) samples from Costa Rica. We also present data from the IAEA/WMO isotopes in precipitation network as context for our study. Surface water isotope values do not strongly correlate with elevation, stream head elevation, stream length, distance from Caribbean Sea, or estimated mean annual precipitation for the country as a whole. However, the data show distinct regional trends. The δ¹⁸O and δD values downwind of mountain ranges are inversely related to the altitude of the ranges the air masses traverse. In the lee of the high Talamanca Range, δ¹⁸O values are 6–8‰ lower, while in the lee of the lower Tilarán Range δ¹⁸O values are 2–3‰ lower than upwind sites along the Caribbean Slope. An altitude effect of −1.4‰ δ¹⁸O/km is present on the Pacific slope of southern Costa Rica, equivalent to a temperature effect of −0.3‰/°C. The Nicoya and Osa Peninsulas have higher values than upwind sites, suggesting input of Pacific-sourced moisture, evaporative enrichment, or decreased condensation temperatures. Elevated and increasing d-excess values inland along the Nicaragua Trough suggest a recycled component may be an important contributor to the water budget. These data provide preliminary stable isotope information for Costa Rica, and will benefit paleoclimatic research in the region. More detailed studies would be beneficial to our understanding of the controls on stable isotope composition of tropical waters.     

Zinc stable isotopes in seafloor hydrothermal vent fluids and chimneys

Many of the heaviest and lightest natural zinc (Zn) isotope ratios have been discovered in hydrothermal ore deposits. However, the processes responsible for fractionating Zn isotopes in hydrothermal systems are poorly understood. In order to better assess the total range of Zn isotopes in hydrothermal systems and to understand the factors which are responsible for this isotopic fractionation, we have measured Zn isotopes in seafloor hydrothermal fluids from numerous vents at 9–10°N and 21°N on the East Pacific Rise (EPR), the TAG hydrothermal field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and in the Guaymas Basin. Fluid δ⁶⁶Zn values measured at these sites range from + 0.00‰ to + 1.04‰. Of the many physical and chemical parameters examined, only temperature was found to correlate with fluid δ⁶⁶Zn values. Lower temperature fluids (< 250 °C) had both heavier and more variable δ⁶⁶Zn values compared to higher temperature fluids from the same hydrothermal fields. We suggest that subsurface cooling of hydrothermal fluids leads to precipitation of isotopically light sphalerite (Zn sulfide), and that this process is a primary cause of Zn isotope variation in hydrothermal fluids. Thermodynamic calculations carried out to determine saturation state of sphalerite in the vent fluids support this hypothesis with isotopically heaviest Zn found in fluids that were calculated to be saturated with respect to sphalerite. We have also measured Zn isotopes in chimney sulfides recovered from a high-temperature (383 °C) and a low-temperature (203 °C) vent at 9–10°N on the EPR and, in both cases, found that the δ⁶⁶Zn of chimney minerals was lighter or similar to the fluid δ⁶⁶Zn. The first measurements of Zn isotopes in hydrothermal fluids have revealed large variations in hydrothermal fluid δ⁶⁶Zn, and suggest that subsurface Zn sulfide precipitation is a primary factor in causing variations in fluid δ⁶⁶Zn. By understanding how chemical processes that occur beneath the seafloor affect hydrothermal fluid δ⁶⁶Zn, Zn isotopes may be used as a tracer for studying hydrothermal processes.     

Calibrations for benthic foraminiferal Mg/Ca paleothermometry and the carbonate ion hypothesis

Benthic foraminiferal magnesium/calcium ratios were determined on one hundred and forty core-top samples from the Atlantic Ocean, the Norwegian Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea and the Pacific Ocean, mostly at sites with bottom water temperatures below 5 °C. Mg/Ca ratios are consistently lower, by  0.2 mmol/mol, in samples cleaned using oxidative and reductive steps than using oxidative cleaning. Differences between Cibicidoides species have been identified: Mg/Ca of Cibicidoides robertsonianus > Cibicidoides kullenbergi > Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi. Comparison with bottom water temperatures support observations of lowered Mg/Ca of C. wuellerstorfi at temperature below  3 °C compared with values predicted by published calibrations and from other Cibicidoides species. Hydrographic data shows that carbonate ion saturation (Δ[CO₃²⁻]) decreases rapidly below this temperature. An empirical sensitivity of Δ[CO₃²⁻] on Mg/Ca has been established for C. wuellerstorfi of 0.0086 ± 0.0006 mmol/mol/μmol/kg. A novel application using modern temperatures and Last Glacial Maximum temperatures derived via pore fluid modelling supports a carbonate ion saturation state effect on Mg incorporation. This may significantly affect calculated δ¹⁸O_seawater obtained from foraminiferal δ¹⁸O and Mg/Ca temperature.     

Deduction of groundwater flow regime in a basaltic aquifer using geochemical and isotopic data: The Golan Heights, Israel case study

Groundwater flow-paths through shallow-perch and deep-regional basaltic aquifers at the Golan Heights, Israel, are reconstructed by using groundwater chemical and isotopic compositions. Groundwater chemical composition, which changes gradually along flow-paths due to mineral dissolution and water–rock interaction, is used to distinguish between shallow-perched and deep-regional aquifers. Groundwater replenishment areas of several springs are identified based on the regional depletion in rainwater δ¹⁸O values as a function of elevation (−0.25‰ per 100 m). Tritium concentrations assist in distinguishing between pre-bomb and post-bomb recharged rainwater.

It was found that waters emerging through the larger springs are lower in δ¹⁸O than surrounding meteoric water and poor in tritium; thus, they are inferred to originate in high-elevation regions up to 20 km away from their discharge points and at least several decades ago. These results verify the numerically simulated groundwater flow field proposed in a previous study, which considered the geological configuration, water mass balance and hydraulic head spatial distribution.     

Can biomass burning produce a globally significant carbon-isotope excursion in the sedimentary record?

Negative carbon-isotope excursions have been comprehensively studied in the stratigraphic record but the discussion of causal mechanisms has largely overlooked the potential role of biomass burning. The carbon-isotopic ratios (δ¹³C) of vegetation, soil organic matter and peat are significantly lower than atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂), and thereby provide a source of low ¹³C CO₂ when combusted. In this study, the potential role of biomass burning to generate negative carbon isotope excursions associated with greenhouse climates is modeled. Results indicate that major peat combustion sustained for 1000 yr increases atmospheric CO₂ from 2.5× present atmospheric levels (PAL) to 4.6× PAL, and yields a pronounced negative δ¹³C excursion in the atmosphere ( 2.4‰), vegetation ( 2.4‰) and the surface ocean ( 1.2‰), but not for the deep ocean ( 0.9‰). Release of CO₂ initiates a short-term warming of the atmosphere (up to 14.4 °C, with a duration of 1628 yr), which is consistent with the magnitude and length of an observed Toarcian excursion event. These results indicate that peat combustion is a plausible mechanism for driving negative δ¹³C excursions in the rock record, even during times of elevated pCO₂.     

Lithium isotope composition of ordinary and carbonaceous chondrites, and differentiated planetary bodies: Bulk solar system and solar reservoirs

In order to better constrain the Li isotope composition of the bulk solar system and Li isotope fractionation during accretion and parent body processes, Li isotope compositions and concentrations were determined on a number of meteorite falls and finds. This is the first comprehensive study that systematically investigates a representative set of samples from carbonaceous chondrites (CI, CM2, CO3, CV3, CK4 and one ungrouped member), enstatite chondrites (EH, EL), ordinary chondrites (H, L, LL), and achondrites (one eucrite, diogenites, one pallasite, and a silicate inclusion from a IAB iron).

Carbonaceous chondrites have an average isotope composition of δ⁷Li = + 3.2‰ ± 1.9 (2σ) which agrees with the average composition of relatively pristine olivines (representative for the bulk composition) from the Earth primitive upper mantle (PUM). This is lighter than the average δ⁷Li of the basaltic differentiates of the Earth, Moon and Mars and the achondrites. It is an important observation, however, that the lighter end of the isotopic range of the differentiates always coincides with the averages of the mantle olivines and the carbonaceous chondrites. From this we conclude that the bulk of the inner solar system consists mostly of material from carbonaceous chondrites and that the variation seen in the differentiates is due to planetary body processes. Ordinary chondrites are significantly lighter than carbonaceous chondrites. No significant differences in δ⁷Li exist between enstatite chondrites (n = 3) and carbonaceous or ordinary chondrites. The difference between carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites and the variability within the chondrites could indicate the existence of distinct Li isotope reservoirs in the early solar nebula.     

Characteristics of water isotopes and hydrograph separation during the wet season in the Heishui River, China

Runoff generation and dynamics is an important issue in watershed and water resource management, but the mechanism in large scale is unclear and site-dependent. For this reason, spatial variations of δD and δ¹⁸O of river water and their sources within large-area of the Heishui Valley of the upper Yangtze River in western China were investigated during the wet season. A total 117 river water samples were collected at 13 sampling sites located at the junction of the principal river course and its tributaries. The results showed no spatial variations of either δD or δ¹⁸O values existed among tributary sampling sites A, B, E, F, H and I during the wet season, and significantly spatial variation occurred between tributary sampling sites A, B, E, F, H, I and site K; which indicated different proportions of rain entering river water should lead to spatial variation of water isotopes. The hydrograph separation analysis, based on the isotope data of river water, meltwater and rain water samples, showed the contribution of snow and glacier meltwater varied from 63.8% to 92.6%, and that of rain varied from 7.4% to 36.2%; which meant that snow and glacier meltwater was the main supplying water source of baseflow in the Heishui Valley. And the roles of glacier and snow meltwater should be significantly noticed in water resource management in this alpine valley at the rim of the Tibetan Plateau.     

Response spectra for differential motion of columns paper II: Out-of-plane response

It is shown that the common response spectrum method for synchronous ground motion can be extended to make it applicable for earthquake response analyses of extended structures experiencing differential out-of-plane ground motion. A relative displacement spectrum for design of first-story columns SDC (T, T_T, ζ, ζ_T, τ, δ) is defined. In addition to the natural period of the out-of-plane response, T, and the corresponding fraction of critical damping, ζ, this spectrum also depends on the fundamental period of torsional vibrations, T_T, and the corresponding fraction of critical damping, ζ_T, on the “travel time,” τ (of the waves in the soil over a distance of about one-half the length of the structure), and on a dimensionless factor δ, describing the relative response of the first floor. The new spectrum, SDC, can be estimated by using the empirical scaling equations for relative displacement spectra, SD, and for peak ground velocity, v_max. For recorded strong-motion acceleration, and for symmetric buildings, the new spectrum can be computed from Duhamel's integrals of two uncoupled equations for dynamics equilibrium describing translation and rotation of a two-degree-of-freedom system. This representation is accurate when the energy of the strong-motion is carried by waves in the ground the wavelengths of which are one order of magnitude or more longer than the characteristic length of the structure.     

Determination of groundwater flow-through regimes of shallow lakes and wetlands from numerical analysis of stable isotope and chloride tracer distribution patterns

A numerical model previously developed to systematically examine groundwater flow in vertical section near shallow surface water bodies such as lakes, wetlands and ponds is further developed to include simulation of the distribution patterns of hydrogeochemical and stable isotopic tracers in relation to the surface water body and the geometry of distribution patterns of the tracers in the groundwater release zone of the lake. Many different possible flow regimes are identified, however, in this paper attention is focused on flow-through water bodies, as these are the flow regimes observed in field validation. Two shallow lakes on the Swan Coastal Plain of south-west Western Australia are the subject of field studies where hydrogeochemical and stable isotopes are used to validate the flow-through groundwater flow regime predicted by the modelling confirming the validity of the approach. The flow regime transition diagrams introduced in earlier papers are extended to include consideration of the hydrogeochemical and stable isotopic indices Cl_L/Cl₊ and (1000+δ_L)/(1000+δ₊). These ratios are introduced as an additional two of nine non-dimensional ratios that are necessary to analyse the problem. The ratios represent the chloride and isotopic composition (Cl_L and δ_L), respectively, in the groundwater release zones of the lakes, relative to these parameters in the groundwater capture zone (Cl₊ and δ₊) for the lake. Field data from the case studies plotted on appropriately configured transition diagrams demonstrates the overall validity of the modelling approach and its underlying assumptions. It is concluded that isotopic and hydrogeochemical data are invaluable in interpreting the interaction between lakes or wetlands and regional aquifers as it is very difficult to make physical or hydraulic measurements in the field that allow an understanding of lake–aquifer interaction. The tools and concepts developed that are summarized in the presented transition diagrams are invaluable starting points for the consideration and analysis of other case-specific examples of groundwater–surface water interaction and will improve the scientific basis of decision-making concerning lake and wetland management and groundwater interaction by water resource and environmental managers.     

Fe isotope fractionation in iron meteorites: New insights into metal-sulphide segregation and planetary accretion

Magmatic iron meteorites are considered to be remnants of the metallic cores of differentiated asteroids, and may be used as analogues of planetary core formation. The Fe isotope compositions (δ^57/54Fe) of metal fractions separated from magmatic and non-magmatic iron meteorites span a total range of 0.39‰, with the δ^57/54Fe values of metal fractions separated from the IIAB irons (δ^57/54Fe 0.12 to 0.32‰) being significantly heavier than those from the IIIAB (δ^57/54Fe 0.01 to 0.15‰), IVA (δ^57/54Fe − 0.07 to 0.17‰) and IVB groups (δ^57/54Fe 0.06 to 0.14‰). The δ^57/54Fe values of troilites (FeS) separated from magmatic and non-magmatic irons range from − 0.60 to − 0.12‰, and are isotopically lighter than coexisting metal phases. No systematic relationships exist between metal-sulphide fractionation factor (Δ^57/54Fe_M-FeS = δ^57/54Fe_metal − δ^57/54Fe_FeS) metal composition or meteorite group, however the greatest Δ^57/54Fe_M-FeS values recorded for each group are strikingly similar: 0.79, 0.63, 0.76 and 0.74‰ for the IIAB, IIIAB, IAB and IIICD irons, respectively. Δ^57/54Fe_M-FeS values display a positive correlation with kamacite bandwidth, i.e. the most slowly-cooled meteorites, which should be closest to diffusive equilibrium, have the greatest Δ^57/54Fe_M-FeS values. These observations provide suggestive evidence that Fe isotopic fractionation between metal and troilite is dominated by equilibrium processes and that the maximum Δ^57/54Fe_M-FeS value recorded (0.79 ± 0.09‰) is the best estimate of the equilibrium metal-sulphide Fe isotope fractionation factor. Mass balance models using this fractionation factor in conjunction with metal δ^57/54Fe values and published Fe isotope data for pallasites can explain the relatively heavy δ^57/54Fe values of IIAB metals as a function of large amounts of S in the core of the IIAB parent body, in agreement with published experimental work. However, sequestering of isotopically light Fe into the S-bearing parts of planetary cores cannot explain published differences in the average δ^57/54Fe values of mafic rocks and meteorites derived from the Earth, Moon and Mars and 4-Vesta. The heavy δ^57/54Fe value of the Earth's mantle relative to that of Mars and 4-Vesta may reflect isotopic fractionation due to disproportionation of ferrous iron present in the proto-Earth mantle into isotopically heavy ferric iron hosted in perovskite, which is released into the magma ocean, and isotopically light native iron, which partitions into the core. This process cannot take place at significant levels on smaller planets, such as Mars, as perovskite is only stable at pressures > 23 GPa. Interestingly, the average δ^57/54Fe values of mafic terrestrial and lunar samples are very similar if the High-Ti mare basalts are excluded from the latter. If the Moon's mantle is largely derived from the impactor planet then the isotopically heavy signature of the Moon's mantle requires that the impacting planet also had a mantle with a δ^57/54Fe value heavier than that of Mars or 4-Vesta, which then implies that the impactor planet must have been greater in size than Mars.     

A stratigraphic network across the Subtropical Front in the central South Atlantic: Multi-parameter correlation of magnetic susceptibility, density, X-ray fluorescence and δO records

Computer aided multi-parameter signal correlation is used to develop a common high-precision age model for eight gravity cores from the subtropical and subantarctic South Atlantic. Since correlations between all pairs of multi-parameter sequences are used, and correlation errors between core pairs (A, B) and (B, C) are controlled by comparison with (A, C), the resulting age model is called a stratigraphic network. Precise inter-core correlation is achieved using high-resolution records of magnetic susceptibility κ, wet bulk density ρ and X-ray fluorescence scans of elemental composition. Additional δ¹⁸O records are available for two cores. The data indicate nearly undisturbed sediment series and the absence of significant hiatuses or turbidites. After establishing a high-precision common depth scale by synchronously correlating four densely measured parameters (Fe, Ca, κ, ρ), the final age model is obtained by simultaneously fitting the aligned δ¹⁸O and κ records of the stratigraphic network to orbitally tuned oxygen isotope [J. Imbrie, J. D. Hays, D. G. Martinson, A. McIntyre, A. C. Mix, J. J. Morley, N. G. Pisias, W. L. Prell, N. J. Shackleton, The orbital theory of Pleistocene climate: support from a revised chronology of the marine δ¹⁸O record, in: A. Berger, J. Imbrie, J. Hays, G. Kukla, B. Saltzman (Eds.), Milankovitch and Climate: Understanding the Response to Orbital Forcing, Reidel Publishing, Dordrecht, 1984, pp. 269-305; D. Martinson, N. Pisias, J. Hays, J. Imbrie, T. C. Moore Jr., N. Shackleton, Age dating and the orbital theory of the Ice Ages: development of a high-resolution 0 to 300.000-Year chronostratigraphy, Quat. Res. 27 (1987) 1-29.] or susceptibility stacks [T. von Dobeneck, F.Schmieder, Using rock magnetic proxy records for orbital tuning and extended time series analyses into the super-and sub-Milankovitch Bands, in: G. Fischer, G. Wefer (Eds.), Use of proxies in paleoceanography: Examples from the South Atlantic, Springer-Verlag, Berlin (1999), pp. 601-633.]. Besides the detection and elimination of errors in single records, the stratigraphic network approach allows to check the intrinsic consistency of the final result by comparing it to the outcome of more restricted alignment procedures. The final South Atlantic stratigraphic network covers the last 400 kyr south and the last 1200 kyr north of the Subtropical Front (STF) and provides a highly precise age model across the STF representing extremely different sedimentary regimes. This allows to detect temporal shifts of the STF by mapping δMn / Fe. It turns out that the apparent STF movements by about 200 km are not directly related to marine oxygen isotope stages.     

Organic carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in the intertidal sediments from the Yangtze Estuary, China

The natural isotopic compositions and C/N elemental ratios of sedimentary organic matter were determined in the intertidal flat of the Yangtze Estuary. The results showed that the ratios of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were respectively −29.8‰ to − 26.0‰ and 1.6‰–5.5‰ in the flood season (July), while they were −27.3‰ to − 25.6‰ and 1.7‰–7.8‰ in the dry season (February), respectively. The δ¹³C signatures were remarkably higher in July than in February, and gradually increased from the freshwater areas to the brackish areas. In contrast, there were relatively complex seasonal and spatial changes in stable nitrogen isotopes. It was also reflected that δ¹⁵N and C/N compositions had been obviously modified by organic matter diagenesis and biological processing, and could not be used to trace the sources of organic matter at the study area. In addition, it was considered that the mixing inputs of terrigenous and marine materials generally dominated sedimentary organic matter in the intertidal flat. The contribution of terrigenous inputs to sedimentary organic matter was roughly estimated according to the mixing balance model of stable carbon isotopes.