Diel variation of benthic respiration in a coral reef sediment (Reunion Island,Indian Ocean)

Oxygen and total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) fluxes at the water–sediment interface were measured using benthic chambers to assess the short-term variations of community respiration (CR) in the back reef sediments of Reunion Island (Indian Ocean). Benthic CR had a daily cycle of minimal (6:00 AM) and maximal values (6:00 PM), showing increases of oxygen and DIC fluxes of 2.8- and 3.8-fold, respectively. Average CR values were observed at midday and midnight. The evolution of fluxes was positively related to oxygen concentration in ambient water, but not to temperature changes. In the study area, high daytime primary production augments the amount of energy available for community metabolism and increases benthic respiration. The benthic communities are therefore subjected to short-term variable environmental conditions with oxygen supersaturation during the day, and moderately hypoxic conditions at the end of the night.     

Compositional characteristics of olivines from Apollo 12 samples

The olivine phenocrysts of four basalts (12004, 12008, 12009 and 12022) are concentrically zoned and have core compositions about as magnesian as experimentally produced liquidas olivines, features which suggest fractional crystallization and absence of Fe-Mg reequilibration. In the magnesium- and olivine-rich granular basalt 12035, the olivines are either unzoned or are zoned toward adjacent grains and have compositions more iron-rich than either cumulus olivines or liquidus olivines (should the rock represent the composition of a melt), features which suggest extensive Fe-Mg re-equilibration.     

上部地壳的流体作用与大理岩的低温塑性

本文应用光学显微镜、透射电子显微镜和阴极发光显微镜系统研究了Ｗａｔｅｒｂｅｒｇ断层带（纳米比亚）内粗晶大理岩中发育的构造岩,宏观碎裂结构与微观糜棱装结构是断层构造岩的主要特点。巨大的孪形碎屑与弥漫的细小粒质形成了鲜明的反差,广泛发育的压溶颖合线与多阶段方解石细脉遍布构造带不同部位,ＴＥＭ亚微粒粒度具有简单的峰值分布（～０．３～０．４μｍ）,但动态重结晶颗粒的粒度却具有较大的变化范围（０．１～３．０     

Organic carbon isotope ratios in Quaternary cores from the Gulf of Mexico

All of the major deep-water sedimentary provinces of the Gulf of Mexico were sampled with 48 piston cores, representative of the late Quaternary. The amount (per cent) and δ5C¹³ of the organic carbon in the sediment was measured at intervals within each core.Graphs of δC¹³ versus depth for each core give an indication of the sedimentological history of the Gulf. They show the extent of terrestrial influence on the Gulf during the late Pleistocene.Changes in δC¹³ of up to 6.0%.(from ~ ?19%.to ?25%. vs NBS-20) were measured across the Pleistocene-Holocene boundary in cores from the abyssal plain. These changes are consistent with a model wherein varying amounts of land-derived organic carbon were transported to the Gulf basin during glacial periods.By comparing graphs for cores from different areas, it was concluded that the major parameter affecting the δC¹³ values of organic carbon from marine sediments is the relative amount of terrestrial material present in the sediment. The maximum possible effect of the Pleistocene-Holocene temperature change in the Gulf was determined to be ~1.0%, if such an effect occurs at all.     

Importance of the oxidation/maturation pair in the evolution of humic coals

The natural thermal evolution of type III coals (Humic origin) is expressed during diagenesis by a loss of oxygen as CO₂ and H₂O. Other phenomena such as oxidation can cause extensive geochemical modifications and may complicate the effects of simple maturation.Humic coals from the Jurassic in southeastern Utah were studied by elemental analysis, Rock-Eval pyrolysis and infrared spectroscopy. In a van Krevelen diagram (atomic H/C vs atomic O/C), the samples fall within the envelope defined by 860 reference humic coals covering the entire range of diagenesis. Nevertheless, various criteria (geochemical, petrographic, geological and microscopic) cast doubt upon the interpretation that such a distribution of coal composition results from thermal maturation.The same criteria indicate the intervention of redox phenomena. Comparison of our results with those from artificial and natural oxidation shows that these coals were subjected to an oxidation process different from ordinary late alteration. This process was probably due to circulation of highly oxidizing saline water causing oxygen fixation and the transformation of carboxyls into carboxylate anions. The cations that were fixed are oxygenated and certainly contain calcium, but also uranium and perhaps several other cations (V, Mo, Fe...). Emphasis is placed on possible mechanisms that cause such phenomena.     

Modélisation géométrique 3D des granites stéphaniens du massif du Pelvoux (Alpes,France)

The structural analysis and the 3D modelling of Stephanian granites of the Pelvoux Massif characterize an emplacement along sinistral NW–SE- and dextral NE–SW-trending shear zones in the Pelvoux and in the Aiguilles Rouges–Mont Blanc Massifs, respectively. This Carboniferous shear system is consistent with a north–south extension direction known in the whole Variscan belt at this time. To cite this article: P. Strzerzynski et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Capture-zone design in an aquifer influenced by cyclic fluctuations in hydraulic gradients

Design of a groundwater pumping and treatment system for a wood-treatment facility adjacent to the tidally influenced Fraser River estuary required the development of methodologies to account for cyclic variations in hydraulic gradients. Design of such systems must consider the effects of these cyclic fluctuations on the capture of dissolved-phase contaminants. When the period of the cyclic fluctuation is much less than the travel time of the dissolved contaminant from the source to the discharge point, the hydraulic-gradient variations resulting from these cycles can be ignored. Capture zones are then designed based on the average hydraulic gradient determined using filter techniques on continuous groundwater-level measurements. When the period of cyclic fluctuation in hydraulic gradient is near to or greater than the contaminant travel time, the resulting hydraulic-gradient variations cannot be ignored. In these instances, procedures are developed to account for these fluctuations in the capture-zone design. These include proper characterization of the groundwater regime, assessment of the average travel time and period of the cyclic fluctuations, and numerical techniques which allow accounting for the cyclic fluctuations in the design of the capture zone. Electronic Publication     

Caractéristiques et signification d'un niveau coquillier majeur à brachiopodes,marqueur événementiel dans l'évolution dévonienne de la Saoura (Sahara du Nord-Ouest,Algérie)

In the Saoura, the brachiopod shell beds, so-called niveau coralligène, correspond to a major shell deposit dated to the Late Emsian. Brachiopods and crinoids dominate the benthic assemblage that contains also corals, bryozoans, trilobites, goniatites, and orthocones. This major level has a large geographic distribution and it is characterized by a wide brachiopod diversity due to time-averaging, taphonomic feedback and alternate bottom conditions changing from soft to shelly and firm. This kind of brachiopod association is linked to a transgressive onlap system. At regional extent, we can correlate this major shell bed to similar shell deposits from the Ahnet-Mouydir, Tindouf, and Zemmour areas. It indicates an important transgressive event underlined by change in the sedimentation from detritic deposits to carbonate sediments. To cite this article: A. Ouali Mehadji et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Getting across information communities

Amazon’s deforestation affects citizens from varying information communities. Experts like scientists or journalists acquire relevant data on-site and publish valuable information on the Web. But different and sometimes conflicting views on reality impede sharing of information across communities, relevant content remains far too often undiscovered. We introduce rule-based semantic annotations as solution to facilitate the discovery and evaluation of geographical information. With the distinction between shared domain and local information source ontologies, the proposed architecture of a semantically supported SDI for the Amazon also takes the plethora of GI formats into account. Creating semantic annotations is challenging, a recommender system for semantic annotations enables even the non-IT experts to participate. The benefits of the proposed techniques are further illustrated by a scenario which spans across information communities of economics, ecology, and ethnology.