Arctic microbial ecosystems and impacts of extreme warming during the International Polar Year

As a contribution to the International Polar Year program MERGE (Microbiological and Ecological Responses to Global Environmental change in polar regions), studies were conducted on the terrestrial and aquatic microbial ecosystems of northern Canada (details at: http://www.cen.ulaval.ca/merge/). The habitats included permafrost soils, saline coldwater springs, supraglacial lakes on ice shelves, epishelf lakes in fjords, deep meromictic lakes, and shallow lakes, ponds and streams. Microbiological samples from each habitat were analysed by HPLC pigment assays, light and fluorescence microscopy, and DNA sequencing. The results show a remarkably diverse microflora of viruses, Archaea (including ammonium oxidisers and methanotrophs), Bacteria (including filamentous sulfur-oxidisers in a saline spring and benthic mats of Cyanobacteria in many waterbodies), and protists (including microbial eukaryotes in snowbanks and ciliates in ice-dammed lakes). In summer 2008, we recorded extreme warming at Ward Hunt Island and vicinity, the northern limit of the Canadian high Arctic, with air temperatures up to 20.5 °C. This was accompanied by pronounced changes in microbial habitats: deepening of the permafrost active layer; loss of perennial lake ice and sea ice; loss of ice-dammed freshwater lakes; and 23% loss of total ice shelf area, including complete break-up and loss of the Markham Ice Shelf cryo-ecosystem. These observations underscore the vulnerability of Arctic microbial ecosystems to ongoing climate change.     

Spectrally based remote sensing of river bathymetry

This paper evaluates the potential for remote mapping of river bathymetry by (1) examining the theoretical basis of a simple, ratio‐based technique for retrieving depth information from passive optical image data; (2) performing radiative transfer simulations to quantify the effects of suspended sediment concentration, bottom reflectance, and water surface state; (3) assessing the accuracy of spectrally based depth retrieval under field conditions via ground‐based reflectance measurements; and (4) producing bathymetric maps for a pair of gravel‐bed rivers from hyperspectral image data. Consideration of the relative magnitudes of various radiance components allowed us to define the range of conditions under which spectrally based depth retrieval is appropriate: the remotely sensed signal must be dominated by bottom‐reflected radiance. We developed a simple algorithm, called optimal band ratio analysis (OBRA), for identifying pairs of wavelengths for which this critical assumption is valid and which yield strong, linear relationships between an image‐derived quantity X and flow depth d. OBRA of simulated spectra indicated that water column optical properties were accounted for by a shorter‐wavelength numerator band sensitive to scattering by suspended sediment while depth information was provided by a longer‐wavelength denominator band subject to strong absorption by pure water. Field spectra suggested that bottom reflectance was fairly homogeneous, isolating the effect of depth, and that radiance measured above the water surface was primarily reflected from the bottom, not the water column. OBRA of these data, 28% of which were collected during a period of high turbidity, yielded strong X versus d relations (R² from 0·792 to 0·976), demonstrating that accurate depth retrieval is feasible under field conditions. Moreover, application of OBRA to hyperspectral image data resulted in spatially coherent, hydraulically reasonable bathymetric maps, though negative depth estimates occurred along channel margins where pixels were mixed. This study indicates that passive optical remote sensing could become a viable tool for measuring river bathymetry. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Glyphosate persistence in seawater

Glyphosate is one of the most widely applied herbicides globally but its persistence in seawater has not been reported. Here we quantify the biodegradation of glyphosate using standard “simulation” flask tests with native bacterial populations and coastal seawater from the Great Barrier Reef. The half-life for glyphosate at 25 °C in low-light was 47 days, extending to 267 days in the dark at 25 °C and 315 days in the dark at 31 °C, which is the longest persistence reported for this herbicide. AMPA, the microbial transformation product of glyphosate, was detected under all conditions, confirming that degradation was mediated by the native microbial community. This study demonstrates glyphosate is moderately persistent in the marine water under low light conditions and is highly persistent in the dark. Little degradation would be expected during flood plumes in the tropics, which could potentially deliver dissolved and sediment-bound glyphosate far from shore.     

Factors Controlling In Situ Biogeochemical Transformation of Trichloroethene: Column Study

In situ biogeochemical transformation involves biological formation of reactive minerals in an aquifer that can destroy chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethene (TCE) without accumulation of intermediates such as vinyl chloride. There is uncertainty regarding the materials and geochemical conditions that are required to promote biogeochemical transformation. The objective of this study was to identify amendments and biogeochemical conditions that promote in situ biogeochemical transformation. Laboratory columns constructed with plant mulch were supplemented with different amendments and were operated under varying conditions of water chemistry and hydraulic residence time. Four patterns of TCE removal were observed: (1) no removal, (2) biotic transformation of TCE to cis‐1,2‐dichloroethene (cis‐1,2‐DCE), (3) biogeochemical transformation of TCE without accumulation of reductive dechlorination products, and (4) mixed behavior where a combination of patterns was observed either simultaneously or over time. Principal coordinates analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) identified factors that promoted biogeochemical transformation: (1) high influent sulfate concentration, (2) relatively high hydraulic retention time, (3) supplementation of mulch with vegetable oil, and (4) addition of hematite or magnetite. The combination of the first three factors promoted complete sulfate reduction and a high volumetric sulfate consumption rate. The fourth factor provided a source of ferrous iron and/or a surface to which sulfide could react to form reactive iron sulfides. Many columns demonstrated either no TCE removal or a biotic TCE transformation pattern. Modification of column operation to include all four factors identified above promoted biogeochemical transformation in these columns. These results support the importance of the factors in biogeochemical transformation.     

美国干热岩"地热能前沿瞭望台研究计划"与中美典型EGS场地勘查现状对比

美国能源部正在实施干热岩“地热能前沿瞭望台研究计划”(FORGE计划)。它是以经典干热岩定义的干热岩勘查开发为约束,通过增强型地热系统(EGS)示范工程建设实践,形成新一代EGS试验平台。美国本着“可复制的结果=巨大的潜力”的理念,实现干热岩勘查开发技术新突破,以满足美国1亿家庭绿色电力供应为实际应用目标。中美典型EGS场地勘查现状对比结果表明：犹他州米尔福德与青海省共和县恰卜恰两个典型EGS场地具可比性,大致处于“并跑”的水平;在天然裂隙系统、原位地应力场、压裂参数获取与压裂方案制定等方面,米尔福德EGS场地有所超前。据此建议有关部门加快青海省共和县恰卜恰EGS场地进入勘查开发阶段,以提高我国干热岩勘查开发技术水平,早日实现EGS工程化。     

Climate drying and associated forest decline in the lowlands of northern Guatemala during the late Holocene

Palynological studies document forest disappearance during the late Holocene in the tropical Maya lowlands of northern Guatemala. The question remains as to whether this vegetation change was driven exclusively by anthropogenic deforestation, as previously suggested, or whether it was partly attributable to climate changes. We report multiple palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment proxies (pollen, geochemical, sedimentological) from sediment cores collected in Lake Petén Itzá, northern Guatemala. Our data indicate that the earliest phase of late Holocene tropical forest reduction in this area started at ∼ 4500 cal yr BP, simultaneous with the onset of a circum-Caribbean drying trend that lasted for ∼ 1500 yr. This forest decline preceded the appearance of anthropogenically associated Zea mays pollen. We conclude that vegetation changes in Petén during the period from ∼ 4500 to ∼ 3000 cal yr BP were largely a consequence of dry climate conditions. Furthermore, palaeoclimate data from low latitudes in North Africa point to teleconnective linkages of this drying trend on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.     

Photosystem II herbicide pollution in Hong Kong and its potential photosynthetic effects on corals

Photosystem II (PSII) herbicides have been shown to affect the photosynthesis of corals at low, environmentally relevant concentrations. The recent detection of the PSII herbicide Irgarol-1051 in coastal waters of Hong Kong at concentrations above the EC(50) for reduction of photosynthesis of corals prompted further investigation into the extent of PSII herbicide pollution in coral reefs of Hong Kong. Snap-shot and passive samples were taken from coral reef sites and evaluated via HPLC/MS-MS and a novel bioanalytical technique. Low concentrations (less than 10 ng L(-1)) of diuron and atrazine were found at all study sites. Extracts from these samples concentrated by a factor of 10 were found to reduce the photosynthetic yield of zooxanthellae. It appears unlikely that herbicide pollution is a key issue in isolation but may act synergistically with other stressors to reduce the viability of Hong Kong's coral reefs. The study has also demonstrated the feasibility of combining sample extraction techniques with a coral specific bioanalytical technique for a sensitive assessment of risks associated with herbicide exposure in corals.     

Isotopic evidence for the magmatic and tectonic histories of the Carolina terrane: implications for stratigraphy and terrane affiliation

Establishing the age and crustal nature of exotic terranes and their underlying basements helps to determine their paleogeographic origin and tectonic histories. We present U–Pb ages of zircons and Sm–Nd whole rock isotopic data for volcanic and plutonic rocks of the Carolina terrane, one of several peri-Gondwanan terranes that were accreted to the margins of the circum-Atlantic continents during the Paleozoic. Volcanism in this subduction-related arc culminated in the eruption of the Morrow Mountain rhyolite, at ca. 540 Ma; thus, magmatism in the Carolina terrane ceased at the beginning of the Cambrian. The presence of inherited zircons and non-juvenile depleted mantle model ages of Carolina slate belt rocks favor a basement that is, at least in part, composed of evolved continental crust. Ages of inherited xenocrystic zircons cluster at ca. 1000, 2100 and 2500 Ma. These ages, in addition to volcanism at ca. 618–540 Ma, correlate best with well-known tectonic events in present-day northern South America. Specifically, the Orinoquian-Sunsas, the Trans-Amazonian and the Central Amazonian orogenic zones are likely candidates for potential basement correlatives to the Carolina terrane. Sm–Nd isotopic signatures vary significantly, but permit assimilation of Orinoquian age (1000 Ma) crust by magmas derived from the depleted mantle in a subduction (arc-related) setting. Our findings are also consistent with proposed correlations between the Carolina terrane and Avalonia which is likewise believed to have formed along the northern margin of present-day South America.     

Zirconolite and xenotime U–Pb age constraints on the emplacement of the Golden Mile Dolerite sill and gold mineralization at the Mt Charlotte mine,Eastern Goldfields Province,Yilgarn Craton,Western Australia

In situ SHRIMP U–Pb dating of magmatic zirconolite (CaZrTi₂O₇) in the Golden Mile Dolerite from the Mt Charlotte gold deposit (Yilgarn Craton, Australia) has yielded the first robust emplacement age (2,680 ± 9 Ma) for the principle host-rock of gold mineralization in the Kalgoorlie district. In contrast, co-magmatic zircon gave ages from ~2.68 Ga to ~2.17 Ga, reflecting isotopic resetting of high-U and -Th crystals. In situ SHRIMP analysis of hydrothermal xenotime (YPO₄), which co-exists with gold in alteration pyrite, provided a Pb/Pb isochron age of 2,655 ± 13 Ma. This date indicates that the youngest deposit in the Kalgoorlie district (Mt Charlotte) formed at ~2.65 Ga, and provides a new minimum age for the structurally older Golden Mile deposit. Our results indicate that gold mineralization at Mt Charlotte is ~50 million years older than indicated by recent ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating and places new constraints on the timing of late-stage regional faulting (D₄) in the province.