Actinian dominated intertidal mudflats: A new case of an extraordinary rare phenomenon from Southern Chile

Generally, estuarine intertidal mudflats constitute important nurseries for fish and foraging grounds for coastal birds by providing a plenitude of mollusks, worms, and crustaceans as prey, which in turn mostly feed on suspended and benthic microalgae, bacteria, and detritus. Despite the high productivity of such habitats, pronounced variability in both salinity and temperature results typically in low diversity. The only sea anemone reported from estuarine mud is the edwardsiid Nematostella vectensis Stephenson, 1935. It occurs widely in the northern hemisphere, and occasionally in extremely high density. Here we document another sea anemone from estuarine mud and muddy sand found in Southern Chile which has similar ecological attributes. Taxonomic confusion has impeded the reporting on this small but prominent member in a macrozoobenthic assemblage, the brooding Anthopleura hermaphroditica (Carlgren, 1899; Anthozoa: Actiniidae). It differs from N. vectensis by the presence of symbiotic algae. Average density under poly- to euhaline conditions in mud and muddy sand at around mid tide level was about 3 actinians per cm². An average abundance of 11,000 m^? 2, a biovolume of 487 cm³ m^? 2, and a biomass of 35.5 g dry organic weight m^? 2 were found in mud and muddy sand in two surveys 20 years apart. The mean fishing area of fully expanded individuals covers 42 ± 25 mm², corresponding to a circular area with a diameter of 7.3 ± 5.7 mm. Preliminary experiments indicate that associated benthos may be relegated to life below surface by the net of tentacles above the sediment. As no predators on A. hermaphroditica could be found on the mudflat, the success of this mixotrophic sea anemone may entail a trophic dead end.     

The granulometrical characteristics of a slowly-moving dust cloud

A torn-up road offered the opportunity to sample a dust cloud continuously at different heights during a time interval of 51 hours. In particular the granulometrical characteristics of the dust caught were investigated. It appears that if the air layer in the vicinity of a dust cloud is not too turbulent, the cloud will be clearly granulometrically stratified. The coarse material moves chiefly at the bottom of the cloud, whereas the fine material will occur both at the bottom and at the top. The experiment also shows that the higher the dust in the cloud, the worse it is sorted. Above a critical height, however, the degree of sorting increases again. The variation of the mean dust diameter d₅₀, as a function of the height z, can be expressed in a simple semi-logarithmic equation. The variation of the dust quantity G, as a function of the height z, can also be expressed in a semi-logarithmic form but the correlation is higher when a power equation is used. The ratio of fine silt to coarse silt seems to vary parabolically with height. One can only speak of an optimal transport height in the case of particles > 16 μm. For finer particles, the turbulence of a normal air stream is usually high enough to carry the particles anywhere in the dust cloud, so that one can no longer speak of an optimal transport height. The granulometrical border between aeolian transport in saltation and aeolian transport in suspension lies, according to the results of the experiment, at a diameter of about 63 μm.     

Pliocene climate change of the Southwest Pacific and the impact of ocean gateways

The transition from the early Pliocene “Warmhouse” towards the present “Icehouse” climate and the role of Gateway dynamics are intensively debated. Both, the constrictions of the Central American Seaway and the Indonesian Gateway affected ocean circulation and climate during the Pliocene epoch. Here, we use combined δ¹⁸O and Mg/Ca ratios of planktonic foraminifera (marine protozoa) from surface and subsurface levels to reconstruct the thermal structure and changes in salinities from the Southwest Pacific Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 590B from 6.5 to 2.5 Ma. Our data suggest a gradual cooling of ~ 2 °C and freshening of the sea surface during ~ 4.6–4 Ma with an increased meridional temperature gradient between the West Pacific Warm Pool and the Southwest Pacific when the closing of the Central American Seaway reached a critical threshold. After ~ 3.5 Ma, the restricted Indonesian Gateway might have amplified the East Australian Current, allowing enhanced heat transport towards the Southwest Pacific with reduced meridional temperature gradients when the global climate gradually cooled. At the same time our data suggest a cooling and freshening of Subantarctic Mode Water (SAMW) or/and an increased northward flow of SAMW towards Site 590B, possibly a first step towards the present Antarctic Frontal System.     

Barium uptake into the shells of the common mussel (Mytilus edulis) and the potential for estuarine paleo-chemistry reconstruction

In this study we test if calcite shells of the common mussel, Mytilus edulis, contain barium in proportion to the water in which they grew. Similar to all bivalves analyzed to date, the [Ba/Ca]_shell profiles are characterized by a relatively flat background [Ba/Ca]_shell, interrupted by sharp [Ba/Ca]_shell peaks. Previous studies have focused on these [Ba/Ca]_shell peaks, but not on the background [Ba/Ca]_shell. We show that in both laboratory and field experiments, there is a direct relationship between the background [Ba/Ca]_shell and [Ba/Ca]_water in M. edulis shells. The laboratory and field data provided background Ba/Ca partition coefficients (D_Ba) of 0.10 ± 0.02 and 0.071 ± 0.001, respectively. This range is slightly higher than the D_Ba previously determined for inorganic calcite, and slightly lower than foraminiferal calcite. These data suggest that M. edulis shells can be used as an indicator of [Ba/Ca]_water, and therefore, fossil or archaeological M. edulis shells could be used to extend knowledge of estuarine dissolved Ba throughputs back in time. Moreover, considering the inverse relationship between [Ba/Ca]_water and salinity, background [Ba/Ca]_shell data could be used as an estuary specific indicator of salinity. The cause of the [Ba/Ca]_shell peaks is more confusing, both the laboratory and field experiments indicate that they cannot be used as a direct proxy of [Ba/Ca]_water or phytoplankton production, but may possibly be caused by barite ingestion.     

Solubility of KFe(CrO4)2·2H2O at 4–75°C

The solubility of KFe(CrO₄)₂·2H₂O, a precipitate recently identified in a Cr(VI)-contaminated soil, was studied in dissolution and precipitation experiments. Ten dissolution experiments were conducted at 4–75°C and initial pH values between 0.8 and 1.2 using synthetic KFe(CrO₄)₂·2H₂O. Four precipitation experiments were conducted at 25°C with final pH values between 0.16 and 1.39. The log K_SP for the reaction

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Subfossil Chironomidae from Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. 2. Chironominae (Chironomini and Tanytarsini)

Analysis of subfossil remains of larval Chironomidae in 38 surface-sediment samples from between 53 and 189 meter depth in Lake Tanganyika (East Africa) yielded 77 morphotypes, among which 7 Tanypodinae, 19 Orthocladiinae, and 51 Chironominae. Character-state differences between these morphotypes resemble differences at the species level in the better-known Holarctic fauna, hence we consider most of our Lake Tanganyika morphotypes equivalent to morphological species. Individual morphotypes were identified to species, genus, or tribe level depending on current alpha-taxonomic knowledge on the larvae of the group concerned, and the taxonomic resolution of preserved diagnostic features. This paper presents taxon diagnoses and an illustrated key to the Chironominae (Chironomini and Tanytarsini) in this collection. As the living chironomid fauna of Lake Tanganyika has never been comprehensively studied, we also briefly discuss faunistic aspects, and the ecology of the recovered species and genera in relation to benthic habitat diversity in Lake Tanganyika.     

Dust emission by off-road driving: Experiments on 17 arid soil types, Nevada, USA

Field experiments were conducted in Nellis Dunes Recreational Area (Clark County, Nevada, USA) to investigate emission of dust produced by off-road driving. Experiments were carried out with three types of vehicles: 4-wheelers (quads), dirt bikes (motorcycles) and dune buggies, on 17 soil types characteristic for a desert environment. Tests were done at various driving speeds, and emissions were measured for a large number of grain size fractions. This paper reports the results for two size fractions of emissions: PM10 (particles < 10 μm) and PM60 (particles < 60 μm). The latter was considered in this study to be sufficiently representative of the total suspendable fraction (TSP). Off-road driving was found to be a significant source of dust. However, the amounts varied greatly with the type of soil and the characteristics of the top layer. Models predicting emission of dust by off-road driving should thus consider a number of soil parameters and not just one key parameter. Vehicle type and driving speed are additional parameters that affect emission. In general, 4-wheelers produce more dust than dune buggies, and dune buggies, more than dirt bikes. Higher speeds also result in higher emissions. Dust emitted by off-road driving is less coarse than the parent sediment on the road surface. Off-road driving thus results in a progressive coarsening of the top layer. Exceptions to this are silty surfaces with no, or almost no, vegetation. For such surfaces no substantial differences were observed between the grain size distribution of road dust and emitted dust. Typical emission values for off-road driving on dry desert soils are: for sandy areas, 30–40 g km^− 1 (PM10) and 150–250 g km^− 1 (TSP); for silty areas, 100–200 g km^− 1 (PM10) and 600–2000 g km^− 1 (TSP); for drainages, 30–40 g km^− 1 (PM10) and 100–400 g km^− 1 (TSP); and for mixed terrain, 60–100 g km^− 1 (PM10) and 300–800 g km^− 1 (TSP). These values are for the types of vehicles tested in this study and do not refer to cars or trucks, which produce significantly more dust.     

Holocene environmental dynamics of south-eastern Brazil recorded in laminated sediments of Lago Aleixo

Environmental changes of the last 9,300 years were reconstructed by geochemical and pollen analyses of a 14-m-long, laminated sediment core from Lago Aleixo, south-eastern Brazil. Fossil pollen assemblages indicate open savannah vegetation (campo cerrado) and gallery forests until approximately 6,900 cal. BP. During that time, siderite laminae were deposited under anoxic conditions at the lake bottom. Then, increased rainfall and a shorter annual dry period allowed gallery forests and semi-deciduous forests to expand, leading to more closed cerrado vegetation. High-intensity rainfall events during this period are recorded as peaks in K and Ti concentrations. The sediment facies during this period consists of alternating layers of diatoms and minerogenic matter. C/N ratios imply that algae and perhaps soils, too, were the main contributors to sediment organic matter. Biogenic silica and δ¹³C_org variations indicate increasing primary productivity, which was related to higher nutrient flux from intensified leaching of soils, as shown by rising K/Al ratios. Around 800 cal. BP, a closed, semi-deciduous forest developed under present-day climate conditions. Slope stabilization diminished erosion processes in the catchment and caused reduced input of minerogenic matter into the basin. Human impact is evident in the topmost homogeneous sediments, as removal of the stabilizing forest cover amplified soil erosion. The continuous trend to more humid conditions during the Holocene probably reflects increased influence of the Amazon Basin as a moisture source. We conclude that the Lago Aleixo sediment archive was a sensitive recorder of environmental dynamics in tropical South America, which were mainly controlled by changes in precipitation patterns.     

DUST DEPOSITION AS A FLOW VISUALIZATION TECHNIQUE

Various flow visualization techniques are briefly reviewed, most significantly those using flow streamers and tracers. Special consideration is then given to the dust deposition techniques method that is seldom used but is of particular interest and utility to the physical geographer concerned with fluid flow phenomena. Several examples are provided, using Belgian loess as a tracer, and the advantages and disadvantages of the system are evaluated. The method may also be used in the field. [Key words: geomorphology, fluid dynamics, flow visualization, dust deposition.]