Intra- and inter-specific variability in total and methylmercury bioaccumulation by eight marine fish species from the Azores

We relate fish biological and ecological characteristics to total and organic mercury concentrations to determine whether accumulation is influenced by trophic level, Hg concentration in the diet, and vertical distribution. Levels of total mercury and methylmercury were determined in the muscle tissue of eight species of fish: Pagellus acarne, Trachurus picturatus, Phycis phycis, P. blennoides, Polyprion americanus, Conger conger, Lepidopus caudatus and Mora moro, caught in the Azores. All such fishes are commercially valuable and were selected to include species from a wide range of vertical distributions from epipelagic (<200 m) to mesopelagic (>300 m) environments. Methylmercury was the major form accumulated in all species, comprising an average of 88.1% of total mercury. Concentrations of mercury (total and methylmercury) increased with age, length and weight. Based on data from other studies, mercury concentrations in fish diet were estimated. Mercury levels in food ranged from 0.08 to 0.32 ppm, dry weight. Hg concentrations in the food and in muscle tissue from different species were positively correlated. Total Hg levels in the muscles were approximately nine times those estimated in food. Total mercury concentrations in muscle were positively correlated with both trophic level and median depth. Such enhanced mercury bioaccumulation in relation to depth appears to be determined primarily by concentrations in food and ultimately by water chemistry, which controls mercury speciation and uptake at the base of the food chain.     

Responses of a Northern Adriatic Ampelisca-Corbula community to seasonality and short-term hydrological changes in the Po river

During the 20th century, increased nutrient inflow has increased the frequency and intensity of eutrophication events in the North-western Adriatic Sea. More recently, evidence of a reduction in the Po river flow and a recovery of the benthic environment were reported. We examined the role played by Po river regime and seasonality in determining the temporal pattern of macrozoobenthos variation: samples were collected from a site located 10-12km off Cesenatico during two years from October 2004 to September 2006, when the mean Po discharge remained exceptionally low. 88 taxa were found, and the community was dominated by few species: Ampelisca diadema, Lumbrineris latreillii, Corbula gibba, Aricidea claudiae, Levinsenia gracilis and Nucula nucleus account for about 80% of total abundances. The density of these species exhibited a marked seasonal variability. Moreover, the total abundance and the density of the sensitive species, A. diadema, were negatively affected by several disturbance events (hypoxic conditions, frequent storms and an anomalous winter flood) that occurred between November 2005 and March 2006. The reduction of C. gibba and the increase of A. diadema densities observed in the investigated period, and verified recently by other authors could be related to the reduction in river inputs as a consequence of climatic changes.     

环北极填图计划：北极新的磁异常和重力异常图

环北极地球物理和基岩资料汇编项目由几个国家（俄罗斯、瑞典、芬兰、丹麦、美国、加拿大、德国和挪威）的代表机构执行。本项目编制了一套以60&#176;N为界的北极区1：500万地顷和地球物理数字图集。     

一种高频震级标度

提出一种高频震级标度(m): m=2log■_(kf)+3式中,■_(kf)是在震源或距断层10km处加速度傅里叶振幅谱的高频水平,单位是cm/s(平均的或其中任意一个水平分量)。可以从仪器资料或地震的有感面积来测定m。在北美东部和加州,我们规定对应于“平均”应力降的地震,m=M(矩震级)。如果M也是已知的,则m提供应力降的测量。观测的m与M之间的关系表明,对于北美东部地区地震,平均应力降大约是150bar;对于加州地区地震,平均应力降大约是70bar。北美东部地区应力降的变化又比加州地区的大得多。所提出标度的主要理由是它可用来解释有仪器记录的以前的大地震,而这些地震对北美东部地震危险性估计是十分重要的。对于这样的地震,m可以比M或m_N(Nuttli震级)的测定更为可靠,并且形成测定高频地面运动的更好基础。当将m和M作为一对使用时,则可提供为覆盖整个工程频带的地面运动的一个好的指标。如果能够给出一个地震的两种震级,那么,就可以用一个地面运动模型,如随机模型,获得可靠的反应谱和地面运动峰值。     

新西兰菲奥德兰大陆伸展期间麻粒岩的形成

麻粒岩作为一种高压，高温岩石，传统上认为其形成源于在大陆碰撞带和岩浆弧深处的变质作用。而近年，许多注意力都集中在大陆裂谷期间形成麻粒岩的可能性，特别是目前麻粒岩是否正在北美贝森和兰奇省之下形成。     

徕卡DNA03高精度数字水准测量技术

本介绍了徕卡DNA03高精度数字水准仪的原理及应用程序，并对仪器进行了野外精度测试，并得出徕卡DNA03数字水准仪的实测样本精度。     

Urban policy in Russia: a geographic perspective

The author "describes current features of the Russian urban settlement system, recounts erroneous planning practices of the past, and prescribes changes for the improvement of settlement planning in the future. [Included] are tables, disaggregated to the economic regional level, showing spatial variations in the number of new cities registered over the period 1927-1989. In [a] modification of conventional former Soviet thinking, a case is made in favor of such processes as polarization of space, agglomeration, spontaneous transformation of urban economic profiles, and place-based rather than norm-based planning."