Morphology and structure of the Camarinal Sill from high-resolution bathymetry: evidence of fault zones in the Gibraltar Strait

The Gibraltar Strait is the very narrow neck which connects the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The causes and mode of its opening at the end of the Messinian Salinity Crisis are still a matter of debate, and models based on eustatic rise and/or topographic lowering due to either erosion or faulting are generally evoked. We investigated the presence of faults based on a morphological and structural analysis of the Camarinal Sill, the shallowest passage in the Gibraltar Strait (<100 m water depth in places). This sill connects the Spanish and Moroccan shelves, and probably represents a structural high inherited from the Miocene compressive tectonics which took place in the external zones of the Betic-Rif orogenic arc. Our high-resolution bathymetric data enabled us to identify and interpret the origin of major morphological features in the area, including canyons, channels and a landslide, which we name the Tarifa landslide. Topographic arguments suggest that the Camarinal Sill is crossed by two main E-W- to ENE-WSW-directed fault zones which bound areas with different distribution, orientation and slopes of both scarps and crests. We name these the Hercules and Tarik fault zones, north and south of the sill respectively. The Hercules fault zone probably incorporates a normal movement component, whereas kinematic indicators are poor along the Tarik fault zone. The age of faulting is poorly constrained in both cases. Together with existing evidence of faults onland, the presence of these fault zones implies that they could be responsible for, or have contributed to, the opening of the Gibraltar Strait.     

Las Matras Block, Central Argentina (37°S-67°W): the Southernmost Cuyania Terrane and its Relationship with the Famatinian Orogeny

The Las Matras Block in Central Argentina constitutes the southernmost part of the Cuyania terrane, which was accreted to the southwestern margin of Gondwana during the Early to Mid Ordovician Famatinian orogeny. The Grenville-aged rocks of the Las Matras Block are represented by the tonalitic to trondhjemitic Las Matras pluton. A new U-Pb conventional zircon age of 1244±42 Ma confirms previous Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isochron ages of this pluton. Mineral composition data are consistent with the tonalitic-trondhjemitic character of the pluton, and constrain its emplacement level to 1.9 to 2.6 kb. This shallow level of emplacement and the undeformed character of the pluton are distinctive features of this southernmost basement. A regional comparison indicates that the igneous-metamorphic evolution of the Grenville-aged basement rocks of the Cuyania terrane occurred over a period of more than 200 million years, with ages older than 1200 Ma up to those close to 1000 Ma. The shallowest crustal level is found in Las Matras, suggesting a southward shallowing of the exposed level of basement. The deformation and metamorphism associated with the collisional Famatinian orogeny affect both the Cuyania terrane and the adjacent western margin of Gondwana, and the Gondwana margin was also the locus of the related arc magmatism, but the compressive effects of the collision decrease in intensity toward the south. The Famatinian metamorphism and magmatism continue even further south into the Patagonia region, but the southern continuity of the Cuyania terrane into this region remains uncertain.     

云母的命名

根据容许的化学成分范围，给出了纯云母类（true micas)，脆云母类（brittle micas)和层间阳离子亏损的云母类（interlayer-cation-deficient micas)的端元矿物和矿物种，概括介绍了利用现有的各种化学分析数据计算云母晶体化学式的方法，以及描述不常见化学元素代换或多型堆积的一系列修饰词和后缀，列出了云母的同义词和变种、定名有误的物质，以及过去使用或误用的云母名称。     

Seasonal variations in lipid composition of the hydrothermal vent mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus from the Menez Gwen vent field

Specimens of the hydrothermal mussel Bathymodiolus azoricus collected in Menez Gwen hydrothermal vent field (NE Atlantic) during 2002–2003 were examined for feeding patterns variations through three seasons. The fatty acid profile and lipid classes of the mussels were studied, together with the MODIS/AQUA-derived near-surface chlorophyll a to test the hypothesis that surface productivity might be related to the feeding patterns of this species. The lipid levels showed pronounced seasonal fluctuations with the highest values occurring in January and August. Seasonal variations in lipid classes and fatty acid composition of neutral and polar lipids in the mussels are presented. Differences in the fatty acid profile of lipid classes in different seasons suggest that the higher energy requirements in summer and winter were supplied by bacterial biomarkers ω7 MUFA (monounsaturated fatty acids), whereas ω6 PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) and NMI (non-methylene-interrupted) fatty acids predominated during the spring. The MODIS/AQUA data show marked seasonal variability and an anomalous peak during January of 2003, although this cannot be directly linked to lipid composition variation.     

Spatial and temporal variability of water quality and zooplankton in an artisanal salina

Conditions in artisanal salterns, or salinas, vary depending on their physical structure, seasonal effects, and the two periods of the salt production cycle. They therefore constitute unique wetland habitats, with particular communities that are still poorly studied. Water quality and zooplankton of a working artisanal salina were studied to evaluate spatial variability between sections and temporal variability between the salt production and flooded periods and between seasons. Zooplankton communities were related to environmental conditions. Sampling took place every second week, during almost two years, at six sites of the Tanoerias salina in Aveiro, Portugal: at the beginning and centre of the salina inlet channel, in a supply pond, in two evaporator and one crystalliser ponds. Since salt production occurs in the warm season only, seasonal effects concur with those caused by the salt production cycle. Results showed significant differences in temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD₅) between salt production and flooded periods, i.e. summer and spring/winter seasons. Salinity and alkalinity were linked to salt production with extreme values in the salt-producing crystalliser pond. Zooplankton communities varied between seasons, but also with the salina section and the salt production cycle. Zooplankton densities and diversity tended to be lower during salt production, particularly under the extreme living conditions in the salina crystalliser pond. Variation in zooplankton communities between samples was mainly influenced by temperature, i.e. season, at the salina inlet, by BOD₅ or DO, also related to temperature and season, in the first ponds and by nutrients throughout the system.     

Role of different salt marsh plants on metal retention in an urban estuary (Lima estuary,NW Portugal)

The aim of the present work was to understand the role different salt marsh plants on metal distribution and retention in the Lima River estuary (NW Portugal), which to our knowledge have not been ascertained in this area yet. The knowledge of these differences is an important requirement for the development of appropriate management strategies, and is poorly described for Eurosiberian estuaries, like the one selected. In addition it is important to understand the difference among introduced and native salt marsh plants. In this work, metal levels (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) were surveyed (by atomic absorption spectrometry) in sediments from sites vegetated with Juncus maritimus, Spartina patens, Phragmites australis and Triglochin striata (rhizo-sediments), in non-vegetated sediments and in the different tissues of the plants (roots, rhizomes and aerial shoots). In general, rhizo-sediments had higher metal concentrations than non-vegetated sediments, a feature that seems common to sediments colonized by salt marsh plants of different estuarine areas. All plants concentrated metals, at least Cd, Cu and Zn (and Pb for T. striata) in their belowground structures ([M]_{belowground tissues}/[M]_{non-vegetated sediment} > 1). However, when considered per unit of salt marsh area, the different selected plants played a different role on sediment metal distribution and retention. Triglochin striata retained a significant metal burden in it belowground structures (root plus rhizomes) acting like a possible phyto-stabilizer, whereas P. australis had an higher metal burden in aboveground tissues acting as a possible phyto-extractor. As for J. maritimus and S. patens, metal burden distribution between above and belowground structures depended on the metal, with J. maritimus retaining, for instance, much more Cd and Cu in the aboveground than in the belowground structures. Therefore, the presence of invasive and exotic plants in some areas of the salt marsh may considerably affect metal distribution and retention in the estuarine region.     

Effects of coastal orientation and depth on the distribution of subtidal benthic assemblages

A better understanding of biological systems can only be gained if we understand what processes are important and how they operate to determine the distribution of organisms. Coastal orientation and depth can influence environmental conditions, including the degree of water motion and availability of light, which in turn may influence the horizontal and vertical patterns of organism distribution. Here, we used a mixed‐model design to examine the effects of coastal orientation and depth on the structure of benthic assemblages by comparing the abundance and distribution of macroalgae and invertebrates in shallow and deep waters on the opposing coasts of São Miguel. Generally, coastal orientation had little influence on the distribution of most taxa. In contrast, significant differences were generally associated with depth, although patterns were spatially variable at the scale of locations. This study suggests that depth, and processes operating at the scale of location, but not at the scale of the coast, have an important influence on these assemblages, and that failure to recognise such a scale of variability may hamper our ability to better understand the processes that structure these communities.     

Nitrogen uptake in light versus darkness of the seagrass Zostera noltei: integration with carbon metabolism

We conducted a study that shows that light and dark conditions do not affect the uptake rates of ammonium and nitrate by the seagrass Zostera noltei. This is an important advantage over some seaweed species in which these rates are severely reduced at night. In the light, the ammonium uptake rates were initially higher (15 and 20 μmol·g^?1·h^?1) and stabilized at a rate of 5 μmol·g^?1·h^?1 after 1 h, whereas in the dark the rates remained constant at a rate of 10 μmol·g^?1·h^?1 over the first 180 min of incubation. The rates of nitrate uptake in the light were high within the first 120 min of incubation (7.2–11.1 μmol·g^?1·h^?1) and decreased afterwards to lower values (0.8–3.9 μmol·g^?1·h^?1), whereas in the dark the rates fluctuated around 0.0–11.1 μmol·g^?1·h^?1 throughout the whole incubation time (7 h). The soluble sugar content of Z. noltei leaves increased significantly with both ammonium and nitrate incubations in the light, indicating the metabolic outcome of photosynthesis. In the dark, there was no significant variation in either the soluble sugar or in the starch content of leaves, rhizomes or roots in either the ammonium or nitrate incubations. However, the total starch content of plants decreased at night whereas the total soluble sugars increased, suggesting a process of starch catabolism to generate energy with the consequent production of smaller monosaccharide products. The starch content of rhizomes decreased significantly during the light incubations with nitrate but not with ammonium. These results suggest that carbohydrate mobilization is necessary for Z. noltei to account for extra energetic costs needed for the uptake and assimilation of nitrate. Furthermore, our results suggest that nitrate uptake, at least during the day, requires the mobilization of starch whereas the uptake of ammonium does not.