Comparison of glacial and interglacial oceanographic conditions in the South Atlantic from variations in calcium carbonate and radiolarian distributions

Temperature estimates produced by a radiolarian-based transfer function, factor distributions of radiolarian assemblages, and variations in calcium carbonate were used to reconstruct the oceanographic conditions in the South Atlantic during the last glacial maximum (18,000 yr B.P.). This study suggests that while the position of the Subtropical Convergence at 18,000 yr B.P. was very similar to its present position, the Antarctic Polar Front shifted northward 1° to 3° of latitude in the eastern South Atlantic and 3° to 5° of latitude in the western South Atlantic. The largest temperature changes occurred in the subantarctic region and along the eastern portion of the Subtropical Gyre.     

Application of infinite slope analysis to subaqueous sediment instability,Mississippi delta

Submarine landslides are described on very low angle slopes (0.5°–1.7°) in the Mississippi prodelta area and are evaluated using infinite slope analysis. For instability to occur, pore water pressure ratios in excess of hydrostatic (u/γ_wz) and approaching geostatic (u/γ′z) are needed. These calculated values, based on three sets of effective strength parameters and for two sediment depths to failure, are in close agreement with measured pore water pressure data from in situ piezometers. Ratios of (u/γ′z) as large as 0.986 have been monitored. Mud vents are also indicative of large internal pressures within the sediments, generated by rapid sedimentation, wave perturbation, and biogenic methane. The analysis suggests that the reduction in effective stress may be sufficient to cause failure by gravitational stresses alone.     

R+ bacteria in estuarine sediments

Increased construction of coastal canal communities had led to a deterioration of the water quality in the canals. In addition to being used for recreational activities, the canals serve as a dumping place for domestic sewage from these communities. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of transferable drug-resistant (R⁺) bacteria in six coastal canals. A significantly higher number of R⁺ bacteria (both pathogenic and nonpathogenic) occurred in the bottom sediments than in the overlaying water. These sediments can be resuspended following rain, dredging, storms, boating, and diving, thus releasing their bacterial populations into the overlaying water.     

Efficiency of kriging estimation for square, triangular, and hexagonal grids

Although several researchers have pointed out some advantages and disadvantages of various soil sampling designs in the presence of spatial autocorrelation, a more detailed study is presented herein which examines the geometrical relationship of three sampling designs, namely the square, the equilateral triangle, and the regular hexagon. Both advantages and disadvantages exist in the use of these designs with respect to estimation of the semivariogram and their effect on the mean square error or variance of error. This research could be used to design optimal sampling strategies; it is based on the theory of regionalized variables, in which the intrinsic hypothesis is satisfied. Among alternative designs, an equilateral triangle design gives the most reliable estimate of the semivariogram. It also gives the minimum maximum mean square error of point estimation of the concentration over the other two designs for the same number of measurements when the nugget effect is small relative to the variance. If the nugget effect is large (.90 ² or more), and the linear sampling density is >0.85r where r is the range, the hexagonal design is best. This study computes and compares the maximum mean square error for each of these designs.     

A high-resolution TEM-AEM, pH titration, and modeling study of Zn coprecipitation with ferrihydrite

Experiments of Zn²⁺ and Fe³⁺ coprecipitation as a function of pH were conducted in the laboratory at ambient temperature and pressure. X-ray diffraction patterns of the coprecipitates show two broad peaks at 0.149 and 0.258 nm, which is consistent with published patterns for pure 2-line ferrihydrite. Zn²⁺ uptake occurred at pH ≥5 while Fe³⁺ precipitation occurred between pH 3 and 4, although both Zn²⁺ and Fe³⁺ were present in the same solution during the entire range of pH titration. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that the coprecipitates are 2 to 6 nm sized single crystalline particles but aggregated to 50 to 400 nm sized clusters. Analytical electron microscopy indicated that the 5% atomic Zn with respect to Fe was homogeneously distributed. No segregated phases were found in the clusters or at single crystal edges, which is consistent with published extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) results at similar Zn/(Zn + Fe) ratios. Hence, occlusion and surface precipitation may be excluded as possible coprecipitation mechanisms. The bulk solution Zn²⁺ sorption edge was fitted to both solid solution and generalized diffuse layer surface complexation models. However, a solid solution model is inconsistent with published EXAFS results that show tetrahedral polydentate Zn²⁺ complexes sharing apices with Fe³⁺octahedra.     

Characteristic analysis—1981: Final program and a possible discovery

The latest or n ewest version of the char acteristic an alysis (NCHARAN)computer program offers the exploration geologist a wide variety of options for integrating regionalized multivariate data. The options include the selection of regional cells for characterizing deposit models, the selection of variables that constitute the models, and the choice of logical combinations of variables that best represent these models. Moreover, the program provides for the display of results which, in turn, makes possible review, reselection, and refinement of a model. Most important, the performance of the above-mentioned steps in an interactive computing mode can result in a timely and meaningful interpretation of the data available to the exploration geologist. The most recent application of characteristic analysis has resulted in the possible discovery of economic sulfide mineralization in the Grong area in central Norway. Exploration data for 27 geophysical, geological, and geochemical variables were used to construct a mineralized and a lithogeochemical model for an area that contained a known massive sulfide deposit. The models were applied to exploration data collected from the Gjersvik area in the Grong mining district and resulted in the identification of two localities of possible mineralization. Detailed field examination revealed the presence of a sulfide vein system and a partially inverted stratigraphic sequence indicating the possible presence of a massive sulfide deposit at depth.     

Little River Experimental Watershed,a keystone in understanding of coastal plain watersheds

The US Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service Southeast Watershed Research Laboratory (SEWRL) initiated a hydrologic research program on the Little River Experimental Watershed (LREW) in 1967. Long-term (52 years) streamflow data are available for nine sites, including rainfall-runoff relationships and hydrograph characteristics regularly used in research on interactive effects of climate, vegetation, soils, and land-use in low-gradient streams of the US EPA Level III Southeastern Plains ecoregion. A summary of prior research on the LREW illustrates the impact of the watershed on building a regional understanding of hydrology and water quality. Climatic and streamflow data were used to make comparisons of scale across the nine nested LREW watersheds (LRB, LRF, LRI, LRJ, LRK, LRO, LRN, LRM, and LRO3) and two regional watersheds (Alapaha and Little River at Adel). Annual rainfall for the largest LREW, LRB, was 1200 mm while average annual streamflow was 320 mm. Annual rainfall, streamflow, and the ratio between annual streamflow and rainfall (Sratio) were similar (α = 0.05) across LREWs LRB, LRF, LRI, LRJ, LRK, and LRO. While annual rainfall within the 275 ha LRO3 was found to be similar to LRO and LRM (α = 0.05), annual streamflow and Sratio were significantly different (α = 0.05). Comparisons of annual rainfall, streamflow, and Sratio between LRB and the regional watersheds indicated no differences (α = 0.05). Based upon this analysis, most regional watersheds shared similar hydrologic characteristics. LRO3 was an exception, where increases in row crops and decreases in forest coverage resulted in increased streamflow. LREW data have been instrumental in building considerable scientific understanding of flow and transport processes for these stream systems. Continued operation of the LREW hydrologic network will support hydrologic research as well as environmental quality and riparian research programs that address emerging and high priority natural resource and environmental issues.     

Lucinid clam influence on the biogeochemistry of the seagrass<Emphasis Type="Italic">Thalassia testudinum</Emphasis> sediments

Lucinid bivalves dominate the infauna of tropical seagrass sediments. While the effect of seagrass on lucinids has been studied, the reverse effect has largely been ignored. Lucinids can alter porewater chemistry (i.e., increase porewater nutrients by suspension feeding and decrease porewater sulfides by oxygen introduction and bacterial oxidation), which can potentially change seagrass productivity and growth morphology. To observe correlations between porewater chemistry and lucinid presence, a field survey and laboratory microcosm experiment were conducted. Survey sampling sites with lucinids had significantly lower sulfide and higher ammonium concentrations than sampling sites without lucinids. There was no difference in phosphate concentration among sampling sites. Both lucinid species used in the microcosm experiment (Ctena orbiculata andLucinesca nassula) significantly lowered sulfide concentrations in the sediment porewater. Microcosm and field survey results were incorporated into a sulfide budget. In seagrass sediments, lucinids remove 2–16% of the total sulfide produced. Sulfide is a major stressor to both plants and animals in Florida Bay sediments; this removal may be important to maintaining seagrass productivity and health. Oxygen introduction into sediments byC. orbiculata was estimated in a dye experiment.C. orbiculata were added to small tubes containing sieved mud and incubated in a bath of seawater with a Rhodamine WT. Rhodamine WT accumulation in the sediment was measured. A first order estimate showed that oxygen introduction can account for less than 5% ofC. orbiculata sulfide removal.