Reverse flow in turbidity currents: the role of internal solitons

Pickering & Hiscott, (1985) have demonstrated amply the presence of reverse-flow units within the thick-bedded calcareous wacke (TCW) beds of the turbiditic Cloridorme Formation (Middle Ordovician, Gaspé Peninsula, Quebec, Canada). These reverse-flow units are underlain and overlain by units which reveal flow in the primary (obverse) direction. In this paper, a model is proposed for this reverse flow, based on the probable nature of the primary turbidity flow. It appears that the initial flow was highly elongated (thickness h? length L), with h～ 500 m, velocity U～ 2 m s^-1 and sediment concentration C～ 1·25%_o. The rate of momentum loss of the flow is estimated by means of a useful parameter which we call the ‘drag distance’, symbol d_D, defined by where h and L are the thickness and length of the flow, respectively; _cC_d is a combined drag coefficient representing friction on the bottom and at the upper interface; and _fC_d is a form-drag coefficient related to the shape and size of the head. d_D is the distance travelled by a current of constant h and L, flowing over a horizontal bottom and obeying a quadratic friction law, for an e-fold reduction in velocity. Simple considerations, confirmed by our own experiments (described in this paper), show that such an elongated turbidity current cannot be reflected as a whole from an adverse slope: when the nose of the current reaches the slope, it forms a hump, which surges backwards and sooner or later breaks up into a series of internal solitons. The latter, probably numbering 4–7, will cause reverse flow at a given point as they pass by, provided that the residual velocity in the tail is not too great. Flow in the original (obverse) direction will be re-established after the passage of the solitons. Quiescent periods in front of, between and behind the solitons, when soliton-associated currents cancelled out the residual obverse flow, would allow the deposition of thin mud-drapes. Additional flow reversals observed in a few of the TCW beds cannot be explained readily by the re-passage of solitons, since wave breaking at the ends of the basin would cause massive energy loss; internal seiches are the preferred explanation for these later reversals.     

Developing a modern pollen–climate calibration data set for Norway

Bjune, A. E., Birks, H. J. B., Peglar, S. M. & Odland, A. 2010: Developing a modern pollen–climate calibration data set for Norway. Boreas, Vol. 39, pp. 674–688. 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00158.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. Modern pollen–climate data sets consisting of modern pollen assemblages and modern climate data (mean July temperature and mean annual precipitation) have been developed for Norway based on 191 lakes and 321 lakes. The original 191‐lake data set was designed to optimize the distribution of the lakes sampled along the mean July temperature gradient, thereby fulfilling one of the most critical assumptions of weighted‐averaging regression and calibration and its relative, weighted‐averaging partial least‐squares regression. A further 130 surface samples of comparable taphonomy, taxonomic detail and analyst became available as a result of other projects. These 130 samples, all from new lakes, were added to the 191‐lake data set to create the 321‐lake data set. The collection and construction of these data sets are outlined. Numerical analyses involving generalized linear modelling, constrained ordination techniques, weighted‐averaging partial least‐squares regression, and two different cross‐validation procedures are used to asses the effects of increasing the size of the calibration data set from 191 to 321 lakes. The two data sets are used to reconstruct mean July temperature and mean annual precipitation for a Holocene site in northwest Norway and a Lateglacial site in west‐central Norway. Overall, little is to be gained by increasing the modern data set beyond about 200 lakes in terms of modern model performance statistics, but the down‐core reconstructions show less between‐sample variability and are thus potentially more plausible and realistic when based on the 321‐lake data set.     

In‐Situ Sonication for Enhanced Recovery of Aquifer Microbial Communities

Sampling methods for characterization of microbial communities in aquifers should target both suspended and attached microorganisms (biofilms). We investigated the effectiveness and reproducibility of low‐frequency (200 Hz) sonication pulses on improving extraction efficiency and quality of microorganisms from a petroleum‐contaminated aquifer in Studen (Switzerland). Sonication pulses at different power levels (0.65, 0.9, and 1.1 kW) were applied to three different groundwater monitoring wells. Groundwater samples extracted after each pulse were compared with background groundwater samples for cell and adenosine tri‐phosphate concentration. Turbidity values were obtained to assess the release of sediment fines and associated microorganisms. The bacterial community in extracted groundwater samples was analyzed by terminal‐restriction‐fragment‐length polymorphism and compared with communities obtained from background groundwater samples and from sediment cores. Sonication enhanced the extraction efficiency up to 13‐fold, with most of the biomass being associated with the sediment fines extracted with groundwater. Consecutive pulses at constant power were decreasingly effective, while pulses with higher power yielded the best results both in terms of extraction efficiency and quality. Our results indicate that low‐frequency sonication may be a viable and cost‐effective tool to improve the extraction of microorganisms from aquifers, taking advantage of existing groundwater monitoring wells.     

SporadicE ionization associated with meteor events

Two meteor events which were sighted in the Gujarat skies of India, were accompained by the visibility of sporadicE ionization on the ionograms recorded at Ahmedabad (Geog. Lat. 23·2°N, long. 72·30°E). The first event was the Dhajala fireball which flashed into the geoatmosphere along an E-N to W-S trail at about 20·40 h IST on 28 January 1976; the closest distance of the ground projection of meteor trail from Ahmedabad was 50km. The other event was a possible meteor group sighted over Ahmedabad on 28 May 1978, at about 21·10 h IST. This work describes the nature of the sporadicE ionization observed on Ahmedabad ionograms during the two events. Features of theEs echo during the Dhajala event which indicate that it could be of meteoric origin are discussed. Meteor theory is used to relate the observed ionization with the physical dimensions of the Dhajala meteorite as obtained by other workers.     

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An unexploited population of oysters,Ostrea lutaria Hutton,from foveaux strait

Settlement of Ostrea lutaria on sand‐cement‐plastered asbestos plates held in steel frames on the bottom of Foveaux Strait was studied from March 1965 to April 1967. Spat mortality over the period of plate exposure (about one month) was very low (maximum of 3 percent) and was greatest shortly after settlement. There was no evidence that mortality was due to predation. Essentially the same seasonal pattern of settlement was observed each year. Eighty to 90 percent of spat settled between mid December and mid February in both summers; settlement occurred as early as October; some was observed as late as July.

Results of field experiments suggest some very tentative conclusions on the settlement behaviour of O. lutaria: (1) The larvae are benthopelagic and remain on the bottom in strong current conditions. (2) Light stimulates swimming of larvae in still water. (3) In still water and low light intensities of the area larvae tend to swim upward toward the light. (4) In still water and dim light of the area larvae settle predominantly on under surfaces. (5) In still water in the absence of light larvae settle predominantly on upper surfaces. (6) Under the conditions of current and light in the multiplate frames used to sample spatfall here, larvae settle mainly on upper surfaces. (7) Larvae tend to crawl up inclined surfaces before settling.

The results indicate that larval behaviour may be changed by small alterations of light intensity and current. The contradictory nature of surface angle preferences found by other workers for various species of Ostrea and Crassostrea may have been due to such small variations caused by the experimental techniques. It is possible that the settlement behaviour of all species of these genera is similar.     

A method to reduce the influence of ice-rafted debris on a grain size record from northern Fram Strait, Arctic Ocean

The granulometric composition of terrigenous deep-sea sediments provides information on current speed if certain frame conditions are fulfilled. These include that current transport is the only transport process. At high latitudes this type of investigation is impaired due to the influence of ice-rafted debris (IRD) which contaminates the current-sorted grain size fractions. This study presents a new method that addresses this problem by setting the ice-rafted sand in relation to the silt of both current- and ice-transported origin. Deviations from the resulting regression function are then used to determine the behaviour of the silt mean grain size as a function of current speed largely independent from IRD bias. The study is based on sediments from the Yermak Plateau, Arctic Ocean, a region influenced by IRD brought with the south-headed Transpolar Drift and by north-directed bottom currents. The IRD correction results in displaying changes of current speed at much higher clarity; climate forcing of the currents becomes more evident. For example, the 8200 year cold event shows up as a major event in the corrected record whereas it is hardly visible in the original record.