Microbial modulation in the biomass and toxin production of a red-tide causing alga

The effect of S₁₀, a strain of marine bacteria isolated from sediment in the Western Xiamen Sea, on the growth and paralytic shellfish poison (PSP) production in the alga Alexandrium tamarense (A. tamarense) was studied under controlled experimental conditions. The results of these experiments have shown that the growth of A. tamarense is obviously inhibited by S₁₀ at high concentrations, however no evident effect on its growth was observed at low concentrations. Its PSP production was also inhibited by S₁₀ at different concentrations, especially at low concentrations. The toxicity of this strain of A. tamarense is about (0.95–12.14) × 10⁻⁶ MU/cell, a peak toxicity value of 12.14 × 10⁻⁶ MU/cell appeared on the 14th day, after which levels decreased gradually. The alga grew well in conditions of pH 6–8 and salinities of 20–34‰. The toxicity of the alga varied markedly at different pH and salinity levels. Toxicity decreased as pH increased, while it increased with salinity and reached a peak value at a salinity of 30‰, after which it declined gradually. S₁₀ at a concentration of 1.02 × 10⁹ cells/ml inhibited growth and the PSP production of A. tamarense at different pH and salinity levels. S₁₀ had the strongest inhibitory function on the growth of A. tamarense under conditions of pH 7 and a salinity of 34‰. The best inhibitory effect on PSP production by A. tamarense was at pH 7, this inhibitory effect on PSP production did not relate to salinity. Interactions between marine bacteria and A. tamarense were also investigated using the flow cytometer technique (FCM) as well as direct microscope counting. S₁₀ was identified as being a member of the genus Bacillus, the difference in 16S rDNA between S₁₀ and Bacillus halmapalus was only 2%. The mechanism involved in the inhibition of growth and PSP production of A. tamarense by this strain of marine bacteria, and the prospect of using it and other marine bacteria in the bio-control of red-tides was discussed.     

Brine history indicated by argon, krypton, chlorine, bromine, and iodine analyses of fluid inclusions from the Mississippi Valley type lead-fluorite-barite deposits at Hansonburg, New Mexico

Argon, krypton, chlorine, bromine, and iodine were measured in a homogeneous population of high-salinity hydrothermal fluid inclusions from the Tertiary-age Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) lead-fluorite-barite deposits at Hansonburg, New Mexico to establish new types of evidence for the history of both the fluid and the major dissolved salts. Noble gases and halogens in fluid inclusions containing 10⁻¹⁰–10⁻⁹ L of brine (Cl= 3 molal) were analyzed by laser microprobe noble-gas mass spectrometry (lmngms) on neutron-irradiated samples.

The concentrations of³⁶Ar (4.7 × 10⁻⁸ molal) and⁸⁴Kr1.8 × 10⁻⁹ molal) in the fluid inclusions are equal to those of fresh surface waters in equilibrium with air at approximately20 ± 5°. The mole ratios ofBr/Cl (1.2 × 10⁻⁴) andI/Cl (1–2 × 10⁻⁶) are among the lowest measured in any natural waters, similar to those of modern brines formed by dissolution of Permian NaCl-bearing evaporites in southeast New Mexico.⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios (600) are twice that of air, and indicate that the fluid inclusions had excess radiogenic⁴⁰Ar (1.4 × 10⁻⁵ molal) when trapped. The amount of excess⁴⁰Ar appears to be too large to have been acquired with Cl by congruent dissolution of halite-bearing evaporites, and possibly too small to have been acquired with Pb by congruent dissolution of granitic basement rocks with Proterozoic KAr ages.

From thelmngms data, combined with published Pb and S isotope data, we infer the following sequence of events in the history of the Hansonburg MVT hydrothermal brine: (1) the brine originated as relatively dilute meteoric water, and it did not gain or lose atmospheric Ar or Kr after recharge; (2) the originally dilute fluid acquired the bulk of its Cl and sulfate in the subsurface after recharge by dissolving halite-bearing Permian? marine evaporites; (3) the high salinity brine then acquired most of its Pb and excess radiogenic⁴⁰Ar from interactions with aquifer rocks other than evaporites, possibly clastic sedimentary rocks or basement rocks with Phanerozoic KAr “ages”; and (4) the brine deposited fluorite without having boiled or degassed.     

REE diffusion in calcite

Chemical diffusion of four rare-earth elements (La, Nd, Dy and Yb) has been measured in natural calcite under anhydrous conditions, using rare-earth carbonate powders as the source of diffusants. Experiments were run in sealed silica capsules along with finely ground calcite to ensure stability of the single-crystal samples during diffusion anneals. Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) was used to measure diffusion profiles. The following Arrhenius relations were obtained over the temperature range 600–850°C: D_La =2.6×10⁻¹⁴ exp(−147±14 kJ mol⁻¹/RT) m² s⁻¹, D_Nd =2.4×10⁻¹⁴ exp(−150±13 kJ mol⁻¹/RT) m² s⁻¹, D_Dy =2.9×10⁻¹⁴ exp(−145±25 kJ mol⁻¹/RT) m² s⁻¹, D_Yb =3.9×10⁻¹² exp(−186±23 kJ mol⁻¹/RT) m² s⁻¹. In contrast to previous findings for refractory silicates (e.g. zircon), differences in transport rates among the REE are not pronounced over the range of temperature conditions investigated in this study. Diffusion of the REE is significantly slower than diffusion of the divalent cations Sr and Pb and slower than transport of Ca and C at temperatures above 650°C. Fine-scale zoning and isotopic and REE chemical signatures may be retained in calcites under many conditions if diffusion is the dominant process affecting alteration.     

Impacts of domestic sewage effluent on phytoplankton from Bedford Basin, eastern Canada

The impact of domestic sewage effluent (SE) on the dynamics of phytoplankton assemblages from Bedford Basin was evaluated in the laboratory. Phytoplankton production and chlorophyll a increased proportionally with SE enrichment. Phytoplankton species composition also changed. The potentially harmful diatoms, Pseudonitzschia spp., present initially in small numbers (600 cells 1⁻¹) in Bedford Basin seawater, and became dominant (3–5×10⁶ cells 1⁻¹) when the seawater was enriched with 0.5–5% untreated SE. With higher proportions of SE, other harmful species such as Fragilaria spp. and Euglena spp. became dominant (7−15×10⁶ and 2.2×10⁴ cells 1⁻¹, respectively). Treatment of SE with UV light or activated charcoal seems to favour growth of benign species, such as Chaetoceros socialis, Skeletonema costatum and Thalassiosira spp., but not harmful species such as Pseudonitzschia spp. Further research on UV treatment of domestic sewage is recommended.     

The Effect of Copper on the Settlement Success of Larvae from the Scleractinian Coral Acropora tenuis

This study examined the effect of copper on the settlement success of planula larvae of the reef-building coral Acropora tenuis during 1994 and 1996 at Magnetic Island, Great Barrier Reef. Copper concentrations of 2, 10, 20 μg l⁻¹ did not inhibit larval settlement after 48-h exposure. However, copper concentrations of 42 μg l⁻¹ and 81 μg l⁻¹ significantly reduced settlement success of A. tenuis larvae after 48-h exposure compared with controls using normal seawater. At 200 μg l⁻¹ copper, all larvae died. EC₅₀ values for the effect of copper on A. tenuis larval settlement were calculated from the 1996 results using measured copper concentrations. The 48-h EC₅₀ was 35 μg l⁻¹ with an upper and lower 95% confidence limit of 37 μg l⁻¹ and 32 μg l⁻¹, respectively. The 48-h NOEC value for both experiments was 20 μg l⁻¹ copper. These experiments provide some of the first data on sub-lethal effects of trace metals on tropical marine organisms, and demonstrate that relatively low copper concentrations impair or inhibit settlement of coral larvae.     

Tin and organotin in water, sediments, and benthic organisms of Poole Harbour

Tributyltin (TBT) concentrations in waters of Poole Harbour ranged between 2–139 ng l⁻¹ (as Sn) and increased to 234–646 ng l⁻¹ within marinas. Seasonal trends in contamination coincided with boat usage patterns and peaked during summer months. A combination of poor tidal flushing and removal of TBT to particulates restricts high levels of contamination to areas closest to marinas and moorings; TBT concentrations in benthic sediments decreased from 0.52 μg g⁻¹ near such sites to 0.02 μg g⁻¹ at the harbour mouth. Organotin accumulations in several benthic invertebrates including polychaetes (Nereis diversicolor), snails (Littorina littorea) and clams (Scrobicularia plana, Mya arenaria) reflect the distribution of contamination in the environment, though concentration factors (relative to water) vary considerably between species and were highest in sediment dwelling clams, notably Mya (1.3×10⁵). Compared to organotins, biological availability of inorganic tin is low.

Levels of TBT in parts of Poole Harbour exceed Environmental Quality Targets designed to protect marine life and may be responsible for poor recruitment, particularly in bivalves, at heavily contaminated sites.     

Implanted radiogenic and other noble gases in crustal diamonds from Northern Kazakhstan

Noble gases were extracted in steps from grain size fractions of microdiamonds ( < 100 μm) from the Kokchetav Massif, Northern Kazakhstan, by pyrolysis and combustion. The concentration of ⁴He in the diamonds proper (liberated by combustion) shows a 1/r dependence on grain size. For grain diameters > 15 μm the concentration also decreases with the combustion step. Both results are clear evidence that ⁴He has been implanted into the diamonds from -decaying elements in the surrounding matrix. The saturation concentration of ⁴He(5.6 × 10⁻⁴ cm³ STP/g) is among the very highest observed in any terrestrial diamonds. Fission xenon from the spontaneous fission of ²³⁸U accompanies the radiogenic ⁴He; the ¹³⁶Xe_f/⁴He ratio of (2.5 ± 0.3) × 10⁻⁹ agrees well with the production ratio of 2.3 × 10⁻⁹ expected in a reservoir where Th/U 3.3. Radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar is predominantly ( > 90%) set free upon combustion; it also resides in the diamonds and appears to have been incorporated into the diamonds upon their formation.

³He, on the other hand is mainly released during pyrolysis and hence is apparently carried by ‘contaminants’. The concentration in the diamonds proper is of the order of 4 × 10⁻¹² cm³ STP/g, with a ³He/⁴He ratio of 1 × 10⁻⁸. Excess ²¹Ne, similarly, appears to be present in contaminants as well as in diamonds proper. These two nuclides in the contaminants must have a nucleogenic origin, but it is difficult to explain their high concentrations.     

On the strength of electric currents and zonal magnetic fields at the top of the Earth''s core: Methodology and preliminary estimates

A new method is described for estimating: (a) the meridional electric current density, j_θ, (b) the vertical growth rate of the zonal magnetic field, ∂B_φ/∂r, or its scale-height, B_φ/∂B_φ/∂r) and (c) the vertical growth rate of the vertical current density, ∂j_r/∂r, at a few isolated points on the top surface of the Earth's core from observations of the internal geomagnetic field at the Earth's surface. The theoretical technique rests on combining unaccelerated, gravitationally-driven Boussinesq fluid dynamics of the core with frozen-flux electromagnetism, the mantle being treated as a spherically symmetric insulator.

Insertion into this theory of main field models for epochs 1965, 1975 leads to preliminary values for these quantities of magnitude: (a) j_θ 1 A/m², (b) ∂B_φ/∂r 10⁻⁶ T/m or B_φ/(∂B_φ/∂r) 10 m, (c) ∂j_r/∂r 10⁻⁶ A/m³. Some geophysical implications of these estimates are discussed.     

Mathematical modeling of PCB bioaccumulation in Perna viridis

In the present work, we built a mathematical model of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) bioaccumulation in Perna viridis, namely, a one-compartment model with a time dependent incorporation rate R (μg g⁻¹ lipid per ppb water per day), with positive substrate cooperativity as the underlying physical mechanism. The temporal change of the PCB concentration Q (μg g⁻¹ lipid) in the soft tissues of the mussel depends on the competition of the input rate RW and the output rate kQ, where W is the concentration of PCB in water (ppb water) and k is the elimination rate (per day). From our experimental data, k=0.181±0.017 d⁻¹. The critical concentration in water W_c for positive substrate cooperativity was found to be 2.4 ppb. Below W_c, R is a constant. For a water concentration of 0.5 ppb Aroclor 1254, R=24.0±2.4 μg g⁻¹ lipid ppb⁻¹ d⁻¹. Above W_c, positive substrate cooperativity comes into effect and R becomes a function of time and dependent on the concentration Q in a form R=γQ/(Q+δ). This is the case for a water concentration of 5 ppb Aroclor 1254, where γ=15.1 μg g⁻¹ lipid ppb⁻¹ d¹ and δ≈200 μg g⁻¹ lipid. From this model, the uptake is exponentially increasing when the PCB concentration in the mussel is small compared to 200 μg g⁻¹ lipid, and hyperbolically increasing when the concentration is large compared to 200 μg g⁻¹ lipid, which are consistent with the experimental data. The model is useful for understanding the true processes taking place during the bioaccumulation and for risk assessment with higher confidence. Future experimental data which challenge the present model are anticipated and in fact desirable for improvement and perfection of the model.     

Variation in water use efficiency and δC levels in Eucalyptus grandis clones

This study aimed to determine whether the δ¹³C levels in the foliage and twigs of four Eucalyptus grandis clones were related to their water use efficiency (WUE). This relationship has previously been demonstrated in a number of herbaceous species but not in mature trees. The study involved accurate measurements of tree trunk growth and water use over a period of 4 months, with subsequent isotopic analysis of mature foliage from the north and south side of the canopy, and young leaves from the top of the canopy.

The water use efficiencies were found to vary from 5.97 × 10⁻³ to 12.3 × 10⁻³ m³ m⁻³. Significant differences were observed between clonal-mean water use efficiencies averaged over six sampling periods. The average δ¹³C of the mature and young foliage was found to be significantly correlated with WUE. However, the correlation was weak, suggesting that the relationship between δ¹³C and WUE is more complex in trees than suggested in the literature on crop plants. It is suggested that differences between sample trees in carbon allocation and leaf-to-air vapour pressure deficits may account for the poor correlation between δ¹³C and WUE in the four E. grandis clones studied.     

The West Falmouth oil spill after 20 years: Fate of fuel oil compounds and effects on animals

The barge Florida spilled No. 2 fuel oil into Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts on 29 September 1969. Sediments from five of the original stations were sampled in August 1989 and analysed for fuel oil hydrocarbons. Two subtidal and one intertidal marsh station showed no evidence of fuel oil. One subtidal mud core had traces of biodegraded fuel oil at 10–15 cm. One marsh core contained 10⁻⁶ g g⁻¹ dry wt of weathered and biodegraded fuel oil aromatic hydrocarbons and cycloalkanes at 5–10 cm with lesser concentrations at 0–5 and 10–15 cm. Although present in trace concentrations, these hydrocarbons appear to be slightly inducing cytochrome P4501A in marsh fish (Fundulus heteroclitus).     

Melting rates beneath Hawaii: Evidence from uranium series isotopes in recent lavas

²³⁸U, ²³²Th, ²³⁰Th and ²²⁶Ra abundances have been measured in six samples of recent Hawaiian basalt by high precision mass spectrometry, in an attempt to compare the melting process in plumes and at spreading ridges. The data reveal a very small range in (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) activity ratio up to a maximum value of 1.02 ± 0.01, and (²²⁶Ra/²³⁰Th) activity ratios which lie between 1.10 ± 0.015 and 1.19 ± 0.02. UTh and RaTh abundances are linearly correlated demonstrating that the disequilibria predate crystallisation and differentiation. Using recently published estimates for the bulk partition coefficients of U and Th, the results are consistent with melting rates > 10⁻³ kg m⁻³ a⁻¹ at porosities < 10⁻³ for dynamic fractional melting in the garnet stability field.     

Toxic Effects of Cadmium on Fertilizing Capability of Spermatozoa, Dynamics of the First Cleavage and Pluteus Formation in the Sea Urchin Anthocidaris crassispina (Agassiz)

Effects of cadmium on the fertilizing capability of spermatozoa, dynamics of the first cleavage and pluteus formation in the sea urchin, Anthocidaris crassispina, were investigated. Exposure to cadmium concentrations of 0.32, 0.56, 1.0, 1.8, 3.2, 5.6 and 10.0 mg l⁻¹ for 30 min caused a significant adverse effect on the fertilizing capability of spermatozoa (EC₅₀=1.7 mg l⁻¹). For the first cleavage kinetics assay, eggs were pre-exposed to 0, 0.18, 0.32, 0.56, 1.0, 1.8, 3.2 and 5.6 mg l⁻¹ of cadmium for 30 min. Fresh sperms of fixed concentrations were then added to the eggs and the percentage of divided zygotes estimated. Concentration-dependent toxic effects on the dynamics of the first cleavage in A. crassispina were observed between 0.18 and 5.6 mg l⁻¹ cadmium. Calculation of EC₅₀ values by probit analysis at different stages of the first cleavage revealed that EC₅₀ values increased gradually from 0.37 mg l⁻¹ at the beginning to 2.24 mg l⁻¹ at the end of the cleavage process. Different larval classes (normal, abnormal and retarded plutei, preplutei, dead embryos/larvae) of A. crassispina obtained from eggs pre-treated with cadmium for 30 min and then exposed to cadmium throughout embryogenesis were also examined. The percentage of abnormal plutei was significantly higher than that of the control at 0.56 mg l⁻¹ cadmium and higher. The 48 h EC₅₀ calculated for the number of normal plutei was 1.5 mg l⁻¹. A χ²-test revealed significant changes in the distribution of proportions of different larval classes only at cadmium concentrations 1.8 mg l⁻¹. At 5.6 mg l⁻¹ of cadmium, small malformed plutei, and oval embryos with rudimentary skeleton, poorly differentiated intestines and no mouth (pre-pluteus stage) were observed. The relative sensitivity of various end points to cadmium is also compared and discussed.     

The Impact of the Herbicide Diuron on Photosynthesis in Three Species of Tropical Seagrass

The impact and recovery from exposure to the herbicide diuron [DCMU; 3-(3′,4′-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea] was assessed for three tropical seagrasses, maintained in outdoor aquaria over a 10-day period. Photosynthetic stress was detected using chlorophyll a fluorescence, measured with a Diving-PAM (pulse amplitude modulated fluorometer). Exposure to 10 and 100 μg l⁻¹ diuron resulted in a decline in effective quantum yield (ΔF/F_m^′) within 2 h of herbicide exposure in Cymodocea serrulata, Halophila ovalis and Zostera capricorni. Effective quantum yield also declined over the first 24 h of exposure in H. ovalis at even lower diuron concentrations (0.1 and 1.0 μg l⁻¹). Effective quantum yield in H. ovalis and Z. capricorni was significantly depressed at all diuron concentrations (0.1–100 μg l⁻¹) after 5 days exposure, whereas effective quantum yield in C. serrulata was only significantly lower in plants exposed to highest diuron concentrations (10 and 100 μg l⁻¹). Effective quantum yield depression was present 5 days after plants exposed to 10 and 100 μg l⁻¹ diuron were returned to fresh seawater. These results indicate that exposure to herbicide concentrations present in nearshore Queensland sediments present a potential risk to seagrass functioning.     

Cadmium content, accumulation and toxicity in dog whelks collected around the Welsh coastline

The concentration of cadmium in sexually mature Nucella lapillus was investigated around the coast of Wales. Higher concentrations of cadmium were found in whelks located in the Bristol Channel compared with Cardigan Bay Nucella. Accumulation and toxicity of cadmium were investigated at 50–600 μg Cd l⁻¹ over a period of 21 days. At the lower concentrations of 50–100 μg Cd l⁻¹ all Nucella survived the 21 days of experimentation. The rate of cadmium uptake after exposure to cadmium was inconsistent and not related to the degree of site contamination. At all sites the concentration of cadmium in Nucella, after treatment with 50–600 μg Cd l⁻¹ for 21 days, was significantly different from controls, but after 7 days it varied with the site and cadmium concentration. Only samples collected at Fishguard, Dale, and Swansea survived 21 days at 600 μg Cd l⁻¹. Tissue cadmium concentrations did not significantly effect the whole body concentration of zinc.     

A study of the Rima Sirsalis lunar magnetic anomaly

The source of the lunar magnetic anomaly associated with the Rima Sirsalis linear rille has been modelled using the vector field intensities due to arbitrary uniform magnetization in a rectangular prism. It is shown that in order to match the Apollo 16 subsatellite data, the lunar surface near the rille must have a vertical magnetization of 6–9 × 10⁻³ G if the anomaly is due to flux leakage from a gap in the crust with the dimensions of the rille. This is more than one order of magnitude larger than the magnetization of any lunar sample, but is comparable with the high magnetization recently deduced for the Reiner γ formation in Oceanus Procellarum. An alternative explanation is that Rima Sirsalis and its surroundings are the site of a vertical magnetization contrast of 10⁻⁵ – 10⁻⁴ G which is at least as wide as the rille and extends to a depth of tens of kilometers in the crust. A wider magnetic source reduces the required magnetization (or depth) proportionately, since to first order the field at high altitude is proportional to the magnetic dipole moment per unit length.     

Physiological and biochemical changes in shrimp larvae (Penaeus vannamei) intoxicated with organochlorine pesticides

Shrimp larvae (Penaeus vannamei) collected from an uncontaminated area were challenged with sublethal concentrations of organochlorine pesticides. The effects of treatment with lindane, lorsban, chlordane and DDT, were a 5, −12, 13 and 21% increase in the larval respiratory rate, respectively. Glycogen synthesis decreased from the 0.471 μg g⁻¹ h⁻¹ of the control, to 0.455, 0.415, 0.400 and 0.365 μg g⁻¹ h⁻¹, for larvae submitted to DDT, chlordane, lindane and lorsban. In addition, we measured decreases in nucleic acid content, from 20.4 and 34.9% in larvae challenged by chlordane and lorsban, respectively, and values close to 25% for two other pesticides tested. These results indicate drastic metabolic changes, which may impinge on the commercial fishery and culture of this organisms.     

Attenuation of nitrate in aquitard sediments of southern Ontario

To examine nitrate persistence, detailed geochemical profiling, using core-squeezed water and piezometer samples, was carried out at five sites in southern Ontario where groundwater is moving downward in silt-rich aquitard sediments at rates of 16 to more than 20 cm year⁻¹. Elevated levels of NO₃⁻-N (5–50 mg 1⁻¹) that occur in the shallow groundwater as a result of agricultural activity, were found to be consistently attenuated, generally to very low levels (< 0.05 mg 1⁻¹-N), at the ‘redoxcline’, the horizon marking the boundary between the surficial weathered (brown) sediments and the underlying unweathered (grey) sediments. Tritium dating suggests that groundwater at the redoxcline depths (3–5 m) was recharged between 1970 and 1980, thus the N03 depletion appears to result from biodegradation reactions since no major landuse changes have occurred during this period. The close association of the nitrate depletion zones with the redoxcline, where, in particular, sediment sulphur contents increase abruptly, and where also porewater SO₄²⁻ levels increase, suggests that the dominant attenuation reaction is autotrophic denitrification using reduced sulphur compounds present in the unweathered sediment as the electron donor. Mass balance calculations suggest that the increase in the downward rate of migration of the redoxcline, owing to added sulphur consumption from NO₃⁻ contamination, is only about 1 mm year⁻¹ at these sites. Review of the literature indicates that most silt- and clay-rich sediments have S contents in the same range, or higher, than those investigated here, thus, in most cases where aquifers are overlain by several metres or more of unweathered confining sediments, it is likely that a high degree of protection is afforded from surficial NO₃⁻ contamination.     

U,U andTh in seawater

We have developed techniques to determine²³⁸U,²³⁴U and²³²Th concentrations in seawater by isotope dilution mass spectrometry. U measurements are made using a²³³U²³⁶U double spike to correct for instrumental fractionation. Measurements on uranium standards demonstrate that²³⁴U/²³⁸U ratios can be measured accurately and reproducibly.²³⁴U/²³⁸U can be measured routinely to ± 5‰ (2σ) for a sample of 5 × 10⁹ atoms of²³⁴U (3 × 10⁻⁸ g of total U, 10 ml of seawater). Data acquisition time is 1 hour. The small sample size, high precision and short data acquisition time are superior to-counting techniques.²³⁸U is measured to ± 2‰ (2σ) for a sample of 8 × 10¹² atoms of²³⁸U ( 3 × 10⁻⁹ g of U, 1 ml of seawater).²³²Th is measured to ± 20‰ with 3 × 10¹¹²³²Th atoms (10⁻¹⁰ g²³²Th, 1 1 of seawater). This small sample size will greatly facilitate investigation of the²³²Th concentration in the oceans. Using these techniques, we have measured²³⁸U,²³⁴U and²³²Th in vertical profiles of unfiltered, acidified seawater from the Atlantic and²³⁸U and²³⁴U in vertical profiles from the Pacific. Determinations of²³⁴U/²³⁸U at depths ranging from 0 to 4900 m in the Atlantic (7°44′N, 40°43′W) and the Pacific (14°41′N, 160°01′W) Oceans are the same within experimental error (± 5‰,2σ). The average of these²³⁴U/²³⁸U measurements is 144 ± 2‰ (2σ) higher than the equilibrium ratio of 5.472 × 10⁻⁵. U concentrations, normalized to 35‰ salinity, range from 3.162 to 3.281 ng/g, a range of 3.8%. The average concentration of the Pacific samples (31°4′N, 159°1′W) is 1% higher than that of the Atlantic (7°44′N, 40°43′W and 31°49′N, 64°6′W).²³²Th concentrations from an Atlantic profile range from 0.092 to 0.145 pg/g. The observed constancy of the²³⁴U/²³⁸U ratio is consistent with the predicted range of²³⁴U/²³⁸U using a simple two-☐ model and the residence time of deep water in the ocean determined from¹⁴C. The variation in salinity-normalized U concentrations suggests that U may be much more reactive in the marine environment than previously thought.     

Entrainment from a bed of particles by thermal convection

Differentiation in magma chambers, in the Earth's core and in the partially molten early Earth is a competitive process between sedimentation and re-entrainment of crystals in the presence of convection. Previous studies show that the particles suspended in convective layers eventually settle and do so almost as fast as in the absence of convection. However, the nature and magnitude of the competing entrainment has remained unclear. Here we provide a simple theory and experimental evidence showing that entrainment occurs at the crests of dunes created in the particle bed at the base of a convecting fluid. In both laminar and turbulent regimes, the dune formation and entrainment are driven by viscous stresses produced by thermal plumes. At sufficiently high Rayleigh numbers the particles are probably entrained by Reynolds stresses. Entrainment in the Earth's core is hardly possible because it requires unreasonably small crystals. Entrainment of 10⁻²–10⁻¹ cm diameter crystals is very likely in magma oceans. For magma chambers entrainment requires large viscosities (> 10⁶ P) and even when it occurs, the total amount of the suspended solid fraction is very small.