Short-term environmental variability in cold-water coral habitat at Viosca Knoll,Gulf of Mexico

The Lophelia pertusa community at Viosca Knoll (VK826) is the most extensive found to date in the Gulf of Mexico. As part of a multi-disciplinary study, the physical setting of this area was described using benthic landers, CTD transects and remotely operated vehicle observations. The site was broadly characterised into three main habitats: (1) dense coral cover that resembles biogenic reef complexes, (2) areas of sediment, and (3) authigenic carbonate blocks with sparse coral and chemosynthetic communities. The coral communities were dominated by L. pertusa but also contained numerous solitary coral species. Over areas that contained L. pertusa, the environmental conditions recorded were similar to those associated with communities in the north-eastern Atlantic, with temperature (8.5–10.6 °C) and salinity (～35) falling within the known species niche for L. pertusa. However, dissolved oxygen concentrations (2.7–2.8 ml l^?1) and density (σ_Θ, 27.1–27.2 kg m^?3) were lower and mass fluxes from sediment trap data appeared much higher (4002–4192 mg m^?2 d^?1). Yet, this species still appears to thrive in this region, suggesting that L. pertusa may not be as limited by lower dissolved oxygen concentrations as previously thought. The VK826 site experienced sustained eastward water flow of 10–30 cm s^?1 over the 5-day measurement period but was also subjected to significant short-term variability in current velocity and direction. In addition, two processes were observed that caused variability in salinity and temperature; the first was consistent with internal waves that caused temperature variations of 0.8 °C over 5–11 h periods. The second was high-frequency variability (20–30 min periods) in temperature recorded only at the ALBEX site. A further pattern observed over the coral habitat was the presence of a 24 h diel vertical migration of zooplankton that may form part of a food chain that eventually reaches the corals. The majority of detailed studies concerning local environmental conditions in L. pertusa habitats have been conducted within the north-eastern Atlantic, limiting most knowledge of the niche of this species to a single part of an ocean basin. Data presented here show that the corals at VK826 are subjected to similar conditions in temperature, salinity, and flow velocity as their counterparts in the north-east Atlantic, although values for dissolved oxygen and density (sigma-theta: σ_Θ) are different. Our data also highlight novel observations of short-term environmental variability in cold-water coral habitat.     

1971-2009 年珠穆朗玛峰地区尼泊尔境内气候变化

利用珠穆朗玛峰南坡尼泊尔境内(科西河流域) 的10 个气象站1971-2009 年月平均气温、月平均最高、最低气温和逐月降水资料, 采用线性趋势、Sen 斜率估计、Mann-Kendall 等方法分析区域气候变化状况及其时空特征, 并与珠穆朗玛峰北坡地区气候进行比较, 分析了珠穆朗玛峰地区气候变化的特征与趋势。结果表明:(1) 1971-2009 年间, 珠穆朗玛峰南坡年平均气温为20.0℃, 线性升温率为0.25℃/10a, 与北坡主要受年平均最低气温影响相反, 增幅主要受年平均最高气温升高的影响, 并且在1974 年及1992 年间出现两次显著增温, 增温特别明显的月份为2 月和9 月;(2) 该地区降水变化的局地性较强, 近40 年间年平均降水量为1729.01 mm, 年平均降水量以每年约4.27 mm的线性增幅有所增加, 但并不显著, 且降水月变化和季变化特征均不明显;(3) 由于珠穆朗玛峰南坡受到季风带来暖湿气流和喜马拉雅山阻挡的双重影响, 珠峰南坡的年平均降水量远高于北坡;(4) 珠穆朗玛峰南坡气温变暖的海拔依赖性并不明显, 且南坡地区的变暖趋势并没有北坡变暖趋势明显。     

Use of Surface Waves in Statistical Correlations of Shear Wave Velocity and Penetration Resistance of Chennai Soils

Shear wave velocity (V _s) is one of the most important input parameter to represent the stiffness of the soil layers. It is preferable to measure V _s by in situ wave propagation tests, however it is often not economically feasible to perform the tests at all locations. Hence, a reliable correlation between V _s and standard penetration test blow counts (SPT-N) would be a considerable advantage. This paper presents the development of empirical correlations between V _s and SPT-N value for different categories of soil in Chennai city characterized by complex variation of soil conditions. The extensive shear wave velocity measurement was carried out using Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) technique at the sites where the SPT-N values are available. The bender element test is performed to compare the field MASW test results for clayey soils. The correlations between shear wave velocity and SPT-N with and without energy corrections were developed for three categories of soil: all soils, sand and clay. The proposed correlations between uncorrected and energy corrected SPT-N were compared with regression equations proposed by various other investigators and found that the developed correlations exhibit good prediction performance. The proposed uncorrected and energy corrected SPT-N relationships show a slight variation in the statistical analysis indicating that both the uncorrected and energy corrected correlations can predict shear wave velocity with equal accuracy. It is also found that the soil type has a little effect on these correlations below SPT-N value of about 10.     

Age,provenance and tectonic setting of the Canastra and Ibiá Groups (Brasília Belt,Brazil): Implications for the age of a Neoproterozoic glacial event in central Brazil

The Brasília Belt is one of the best preserved Neoproterozoic orogens in Brazil. It comprises a thick Meso–Neoproterozoic sedimentary/metasedimentary pile including the Canastra and Ibiá Groups, which are the object of this study. The Canastra Group constitutes a regressive sedimentary sequence made mainly of greenschist-facies metapelitic and metapsammitic rocks, including phyllite, sandy metarhythmite and quartzite, with minor intercalations of limestone, as well as carbonaceous and carbonatic phyllite. The Ibiá Group is formed of a basal diamictite followed upwards by phyllites and calc-schists. It rests on an erosional unconformity on top of the Canastra Group.A provenance study based on U–Pb zircon geochronology on a selection of seven samples helped to establish the various source areas and maximum depositional ages of the original sediments. In addition, seven new Sm–Nd analyses are presented and discussed together with previously published data.LAM-ICP-MS U–Pb dating of detrital zircon grains indicates a maximum depositional age of the Canastra and Ibiá Groups of ca. 1030 and 640 Ma, respectively. The provenance signature of the Canastra Group comprises a wide range of detrital zircon ages with a significant Paleoproterozoic component (～1.8 and ～2.1 Ga) and an important Mesoproterozoic source (1.1–1.2 Ga), especially for the Paracatu Formation, indicating the São Francisco–Congo Craton as main source. These provenance data, in particular the absence of Neoproterozoic zircon grains, typical of the active margin of the Brasília Belt, allied with the homogeneous Paleoproterozoic T_DM values are consistent with the previous interpretation that the Canastra Group represents a sedimentary sequence deposited on a passive margin setting.Zircon grains from the diamictite of the Ibiá Group yielded ages ranging from 936 to 2500 Ma. In contrast, the overlying calc-phyllite of the Rio Verde Formation reveals a dominant Neoproterozoic provenance pattern with important peaks at 665, 740 and 850 Ma. The São Francisco-Congo Craton and Goiás Magmatic Arc are, most probably, the two main source regions for the Ibiá Group which may represent, therefore, a former fore- or back-arc sedimentary sequence. Tectonically, therefore, the Ibiá Group is equivalent to the Araxá Group exposed in central Goiás and both represent syn-orogenic sedimentary sequences formed with important detrital contributions derived from the Neoproterozoic Goiás Arc.The provenance data presented here indicate that the Cubatão Formation is most possibly representative of a Marinoan or younger glacial event.     

Sea-level, sediment supply and coastal changes: Examples from the coast of Ireland

Sediment supply and pre-existing shoreline morphology are crucial factors in controlling coastal changes due to sea-level rise. Using examples from both southeast and northeast Ireland, it can be shown that sea-level change may trigger a sequence of events which leads to both static and dynamic shoreline equilibrium. Cliff erosion and longshore sediment movement in east Co. Wexford has led to injection of sediment onto the shelf, and the growth, under both wave and tide regimes, of linear offshore shoals. These shoals now control the pattern of shoreline erosion and provide a template for possible stepwise evolution of the coast under any future sea-level rise. In contrast, the nearby coast of south Co. Wexford comprises a series of coarse clastic barriers moving monotonously onshore, via overwash processes. Here the behavior of the barrier is conditioned by the antecedent morphology of both the beach face and stream outlet bedforms. Finally, the rock platform coast of Co. Antrim presents a far more resistant shoreline to incident marine processes, yet even here there is strong evidence of present process control over so-called ‘raised’ platforms and embayments. It is concluded that coastal sediment supply and dynamics, together with coastal morphology and its interaction with waves, present a far more complex variety of sea-level indicators than is normally acknowledged.     

Correlated Nd,Sr and Pb isotope variation in Walvis Ridge basalts and implications for the evolution of their mantle source

Basement intersected in DSDP holes 525A, 528 and 527 on the Walvis Ridge consists of submarine basalt flows and pillows with minor intercalated sediments. These holes are situated on the crest and mid and lower northwest flank of a NNW-SSE-trending ridge block which would have closely paralleled the paleo mid-ocean ridge [13, 14]. The basalts were erupted approximately 70 m.y. ago, an age equivalent to that of immediately adjacent oceanic crust in the Angola Basin and consistent with formation at the paleo mid-ocean ridge [14]. The basalt types vary from aphyric quartz tholeiites on the ridge crest to highly plagioclase phyric olivine tholeiites on the ridge flank. These show systematic differences in incompatible trace element and isotopic composition. Many element and isotope ratio pairs form systematic trends with the ridge crest basalts at one end and the highly phyric ridge flank basalts at the other.The low ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.51238), ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (17.54), ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (15.47), ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (38.14) and high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70512) ratios of the ridge crest basalts suggest derivation from an old Nd/Sm-, Rb/Sr- and Pb/U-enriched mantle source. This isotopic signature is similar to that of alkaline basalts on Tristan de Cunha but offset to significantly lower Nd and Pb isotopic ratios. The isotopic ratio trends may be extrapolated beyond the ridge flank basalts with higher¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.51270), ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (18.32), ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (15.52), ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (38.77) and lower ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70417) ratios in the direction of increasingly Nd/Sm-, Rb/Sr- and Pb/U-depleted source compositions. These isotopic correlations are equally consistent with mixing od depleted and enriched end member melts or partial melting of an inhomogenous, variably enriched mantle source. However, observe ZrBaNbY interelement relationships are inconsistent with any simple two-component model of magma mixing, as might result from the rise of a lower mantle plume through the upper mantle. Incompatible element and Pb isotopic systematics also preclude extensive involvement of depleted (N-type) MORB material or its mantle sources. In our preferred petrogenetic model the Walvis Ridge basalts were derived by partial melting of mantle similar to an enriched (E-type) MORB source which had become heterogeneous on a small scale due to the introduction of small-volume melts and metasomatic fluids.     

Anreicherung von Metallionen durch Membranfiltration von Polyelektrolytkomplexen

The separation of heavy metals by complexation with macromolecular water-soluble agents and subsequent ultrafiltration is described. The method can be expected to join common techniques of metal separation like liquid-liquid extraction, adsorption, redox reaction or liquid membrane permeation. Reactions between metal ions and polymer phases are characterized as pH-dependent distribution equilibria illustrated at a propene-maleic acid copolymer as an example. The complexation behaviour of the substance under study is governed by isotherms of the saturation type. Attempts proved to be successful to calculate break-through constants as well as saturation capacities from batch-type studies and dynamic measurements by transferring the laws of adsorption and ion exchange, respectively, to the ultrafiltration process. The quantities of fixed metals amounting to about 2.5 mmol/g were found to be in the range of moderate adsorbents. A solution consisting of 3 solutes has been tested to get more detailed information on mixture behaviour as compared to single component systems. In the long run, the proposed method should provide an additional variant for the extraction and concentration of metal ions from diluted aqueous solutions.     

Formation of atoll garnets in the UHP eclogites of the Tso Morari Complex,Ladakh, Himalaya

The eclogites of the Tso Morari Complex, Ladakh, NW Himalayas preserve both garnets with spectacular atoll textures, as well as whole porphyroblastic garnets. Whole garnets are euhedral, idiomorphic and enclose inclusions of amphibole, phengite and zoisite within the cores, and omphacite and quartz/coesite towards the rims. Detailed electron microprobe analyses and back-scattered electron images show well-preserved prograde zoning in the whole garnets with an increase in Mg and decrease in Ca and Mn contents from the core to the rim. The atoll garnets commonly consist of euhedral ring over island/peninsular core containing inclusions of phengite, omphacite and rarely amphibole between the core and ring. Compositional profiles across the studied atoll grains show elemental variations with higher concentrations of Ca and Mn with low Mg at the peninsula/island cores; contrary to this low Ca, Mn and high Mg is observed at the outer rings. Temperature estimates yield higher values at the Mg-rich atoll garnet outer rings compared to the atoll cores. Atoll garnet formation was favoured by infiltration of fluid formed due to breakdown of hydrous phases, and/or the release of structurally bounded OH from nominally anhydrous minerals at the onset of exhumation. Infiltration of fluids along pre-existing fracture pathways and along mineral inclusion boundaries triggered breakdown of the original garnet cores and released elements which were subsequently incorporated into the newly-grown garnet rings. This breakdown of garnet cores and inward re-growth at the outer ring produced the atoll structure. Calibrated geo-thermobarometers and mineral equilibria reflect that the Tso Morari eclogites attain peak pressures prior to peak temperatures representing a clockwise path of evolution.     

Surface and subsurface sedimentary structures produced by salt crusts

The growth and subsequent dissolution of salts on or within sediment may alter sedimentary structures and textures to such an extent that it is difficult to identify the depositional origin of that sediment and, as a result, the sediment may be misinterpreted. To help to overcome such problems with investigating ancient successions, results are presented from a comprehensive study of the morphology and fabrics of three large areas of modern salt flats in SE Arabia: the Sabkhat Matti inland region and the At Taf coastal region, both in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the Umm as Samim region in Oman. These salt flats are affected by tidal‐marine, alluvial and aeolian depositional processes and include both clastic‐ and carbonate‐dominated surficial sediments. The efflorescent and precipitated salt crusts in these areas can be grouped into two main types: thick crusts, with high relief (>10 cm) and a polygonal or blocky morphology; or thin crusts, with low relief (<10 cm) and a polygonal or blister‐like appearance. The thin crusts may assume the surface morphology of underlying features, such as ripples or biogenic mats. A variety of small‐scale textures were observed: pustular growths, hair‐like spikes and irregular wrinkles. Evolution of these crusts over time results in a variety of distinctive sedimentary fabrics produced by salt‐growth sediment deformation, salt‐solution sediment collapse, sediment aggradation and compound mixtures of these processes. Salt‐crust processes produce features that may be confused with aeolian adhesion structures. An example from the Lower Triassic Ormskirk Sandstone Formation of the Irish Sea Basin demonstrates how this knowledge of modern environments improves the interpretation of the rock record. A distinctive wavy‐laminated facies in this formation had previously been interpreted as the product of fluvial sheetfloods modified by soft‐sediment deformation and bioturbation. Close inspection of laminations seen in core reveals many of the same sedimentary fabrics seen in SE Arabia associated with salt crusts. This facies is the product of salt growth on aeolian sediment and is not of fluvial origin.