Variability in oceanographic and ecological processes in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago

This paper brings together unpublished historical data sets and published literature to review the role of climatic, oceanographic and ecological processes in the marine ecosystem of the eastern Canadian Archipelago. Physical data include characteristics of the water masses, circulation patterns, sea ice conditions, and climatic records from 1950s onward. Biological data include unpublished data sets on nutrients, primary and secondary production, and sedimentation, which were collected during the 1980–1990s in the eastern Canadian Archipelago. These results show high year-to-year variability in nutrient inventories and ratios, the magnitude of the ice algae and phytoplankton bloom, the timing of ice algae sedimentation in the spring, and the composition of the zooplankton community. The significance of this high interannual variability and its effect on pelagic–benthic coupling processes is discussed in the context of climatic and oceanographic forcing, with emphasis on recent (past decade) Arctic changes. An estimate of total primary production in the Archipelago is also presented, along with published production estimates for other Arctic shelves, showing that the Archipelago may support up to 32% of the total primary production of Arctic shelves. The high year-to-year variability in production and carbon transfer pathways (e.g. pelagic versus benthic) in the Archipelago suggest that the system might be resilient to the increased variability in climatic conditions occurring in the past decade. However, this increased variability combined with directional change in climatic and oceanographic conditions might also modify the existing balance of ecological processes. For example, shifts in the timing of events appear to have already occurred in the past decade, with potential cascading effects throughout the ecosystem.     

Tracer anomaly evolution in the flow field of an isolated eddy

We explore the horizontal stirring of a passive tracer field in the vicinity of an isolated, finite amplitude, quasigeostrophic, β-plane eddy. We consider stirring in the presence of a uniform background gradient of tracer concentration as well as cases in which the tracer anomaly is initially contained within the eddy.This paper reports a survey of phenomenology based upon numerical experiments. We explore the sensitivity of results to physical parameters and to various aspects of the numerical simulation.Under the joint effects of β and of non-linearity, the eddy center migrates. Time dependent effects in a radiated wake provide important stirring mechanisms for the background tracer field. An unexpected, persistent result is a tendency to propel a tendril of tracer westward from near the launch latitude of the eddy. In some cases, the westward penetration of the tendril is even further than the migration of the eddy center.Tracer properties characteristics of the launch site of the eddy tend to be captured and carried with the eddy. However, tracer leaks from the eddy, due to both explicit diffusion-like effects and eddy interaction with background flow features, can result in drawing off of secondary tracer patches.We also calculate trajectories of Lagrangian particles launched in and around the eddy.     

香港地区地震风险评价和设防区划

香港地区隶属于中国板内地震区中的东南沿海块缘地震带。港-九块体为晚中生代至早第三纪以来以持续稳定上升为主的块体, 块体活动性明显地低于其周边相对下沉的中新生代盆地。为此, 赋予港-九块体为最大可信震级M=5.5级潜在震源区, 而其周边中新生代断陷盆地则为最大可信震级M6.0潜在震源。从大陆地震构造成因的环境、潜在震源可信震级范围M=5.0～7.5和近源地震动饱和等三个方面的可比性, 结合中国大陆地震震源破裂尺度和地震烈度影响场, 所建立的反映中国地震构造和震源破裂及地震烈度影响场特点的PGA和反应谱地震动衰减预测关系式可用于香港地区。以50%概率时的中值对中国强震记录的对比, 本研究所提供的经验期望预测关系式, 能包络实际的资料。因此, 用此地震动衰减预测模式对香港地区地震危险性进行评估, 将会得到相对保守地震动预测值。通过香港地区基岩地震动危险性分析和计算, 参照中国大陆地震设防标准, 进行了基岩设计参数确定和区划。以年概率P=0.02、P=0.002、P=0.0004三个概率标准, 对应的地震动重复周期大约分别约为50a, 500a, 2500a的基岩PGA和反应谱, 作为香港地区基岩上构筑物和建筑物可选的基     

Ice margin influence on glaciomarine sedimentation in the Permo—Carboniferous Dwyka Formation from the southwestern Karoo, South Africa

A persistent sedimentary unit, interbedded in massive diamictite over a distance of almost 400 km near the top of the Permo-Carboniferous Dwyka Formation in the southwestern Karoo, consists of stratified diamictite, rhythmite, lonestone argillite and black shale. The stratified diamictite facies association is interpreted as ice-marginal debris-flow, the diamictite-lonestone argillite facies association as proximal to intermediate debris-flow, debris rain and suspension settling, and the shale-diamictite facies association as distal debris-flow and suspension settling deposits. An analysis of the mudrock and diamictite facies relationships suggests deposition from a rapidly calving oscillating ice margin in the east and at a consistently retreating grounded ice margin with few icebergs in the west. Sediment sources, volume of ice rafting, resedimentation processes, ice marginal recession and advance, and configuration of the ice margin influenced the distribution of debris-flow deposits and bergstone mud in the east and resulted in a near-random facies arrangement. Due to a lack of icebergs in the west, debris-flow deposits and bergstone mud were poorly developed which reduced the number of facies transitions and variation, resulting in a more systematic upward-fining sequence.     

Geochemical fixation of rare earth elements into secondary minerals in sandstones beneath a natural fission reactor at Bangombé, Gabon

To study geochemical processes for migration and fixation of fissiogenic rare earth elements (REE) in association with uranium dissolution, in situ isotopic analyses using an ion microprobe were performed on U- and REE-bearing secondary minerals, such as coffinite, françoisite, uraniferous goethite, and uraninite found in a sandstone layer 30 to 110 cm beneath a natural fission reactor at Bangombé, Gabon. Phosphate minerals such as phosphatian coffinite and françoisite with depleted ²³⁵U (²³⁵U/²³⁸U = 0.00609 to 0.00638) contained large amount of fissiogenic light REE, while micro-sized uraninite grains in a solid bitumen aggregate have normal U isotopic values (²³⁵U/²³⁸U = 0.00725) and small amount of fissiogenic REE components. The proportions of fissiogenic and non-fissiogenic REE components in four samples from the core of BAX03 vary in depth ranging from 30 cm to 130 cm beneath the reactor, which suggests mixing between fissiogenic isotopes from the reactor and non-fissiogenic isotopes from original minerals in the sandstone. Significant chemical fractionation was observed between Ce and the other REE in the secondary minerals, which shows evidence of an oxidizing atmosphere during their formation. Pb-isotopic analyses of individual minerals do not directly provide chronological information because of the disturbance of U-Pb decay system due to recent geologic alteration. However, systematic Pb-isotopic results from all of the minerals reveal the mobilization of fissiogenic isotopes, Pb and U from the reactor in association with dolerite dyke intrusion ∼0.798 Ga ago and the formation of the secondary minerals by mixing event between 2.05 Ga-old original minerals and reactor materials due to recent alteration.     

A laboratory simulation of mesoscale flow interaction with the Alps

A series of laboratory experiments, aimed at the simulation of some aspects of Alpine lee cyclogenesis has been carried out in the rotating tank of the Coriolis Laboratory of LEGI-IMG in Grenoble. Dynamic and thermodynamic processes, typical of baroclinic development triggered by the orography, were simulated. The background flow simulating the basic state of the atmosphere consisted of a stream of intermediate density fluid introduced at the interface between two fluid layers. The structure of the intermediate current was established by mixing fluid obtained from the upper layer of fresh water with fluid removed from the heavier salty layer below.The dynamical similarity parameters are the Rossby (Ro), Burger (Bu) and Ekman (Ek) numbers, although this last, owing to its small values, need not be matched between model and prototype, since viscous effects are not important for small time scales. The flow in both the prototype and laboratory simulation is characterized by hydrostatics; this requires (Ro²δ²/Bu)1 (where δ=H/L is the aspect ratio of the obstacle) which is clearly satisfied, in the atmosphere and oceans, and for the laboratory experiment.A range of experiments for various Rossby and Burger numbers were conducted which delimited the region of parameter space for which background flows akin to that found to the northwest of the Alps prior to baroclinic cyclogenesis events, were observed.One such experiment was carried out by placing a model of the Alps at the appropriate place in the flow field. The subsequent motion in the laboratory was observed and dye tracer motions were used to obtain the approximate particle trajectories. The density field was also analyzed to provide the geopotential field of the simulated atmosphere. Using standard transformations from the similarity analysis, the laboratory observations were related to the prototype atmosphere. The flow and the geopotential fields gave results compatible with the particular atmospheric event presented.     

Precursory seismic crustal deformation in the area of southern Albanides

On the basis of growing evidence thatstrong earthquakes are preceded by a periodof accelerating seismicity of moderatemagnitude earthquakes, an attempt is madeto search for such seismicity pattern in NWAegean area. Accelerating seismic crustaldeformation has been identified in the areaof southern Albanides mountain range(border region between Greece, formerYugoslavia and Albania). Based on certainproperties of this activity and on itssimilarity with accelerating seismicdeformation observed before a strongearthquake which occurred in the sameregion on 26 May 1960 (M = 6.5), we canconclude that a similar earthquake may begenerated in the same region during thenext few years. This conclusion is inagreement with independent results whichhave been derived on the basis of the timepredictable model.     

Spectroscopic studies on soil organic fractions—II. IR and 1H-NMR spectra of methylated and unmethylated fulvic acids

The IR and ¹H-NMR spectra of fulvic acids (FA) are discussed. The FA, extracted by traditional methods, were fractionated on the basis of molecular weight (m.w.). Three fractions were obtained labelled FA I (m.w. > ～ 2000), FA II (m.w. > ～ 12000) and FA III (～2000 < m.w. < ～ 12000). Fraction FA II was methylated with CH₃I-Ag₂O. The ¹H-NMR spectra of unmethylated FA fractions show some signals common to all three fractions and some differences in the 3–5 ppm range due to the resonances of OCH₃ and O-CH₂ groups. The proton spectrum of the methylated fraction shows absorption areas for OCH₃ groups of phenols and carboxyls. The results confirm that NMR spectroscopy is a convenient technique which can contribute to defining the chemical structure of humic substances.