9000 years of changes in peat organic matter composition in Store Mosse (Sweden) traced using FTIR-ATR

Store Mosse (the ‘Great Bog’ in Swedish) is one of the most extensive bog complexes in southern Sweden (~77 km²), where pioneering palaeoenvironmental research has been carried out since the early 20th century. This includes, for example, vegetation changes, carbon and nitrogen dynamics, peat decomposition, atmospheric metal pollution, mineral dust deposition, dendrochronology, and tephrochronology. Even though organic matter (OM) represents the bulk of the peat mass and its compositional change has the potential to provide crucial ecological information on bog responses to environmental factors, peat OM molecular composition has not been addressed in detail. Here, a 568-cm-deep peat sequence was studied at high resolution, by attenuated reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) in the mid-infrared region (4000–400 cm^–1). Principal components analysis was performed on selected absorbances and change-point modelling was applied to the records to determine the timing of changes. Four components accounted for peat composition: (i) depletion/accumulation of labile (i.e. carbohydrates) and recalcitrant (i.e. lignin and other aromatics, aliphatics, organic acids and some N compounds) compounds, due to peat decomposition; (ii) variations in N compounds and carbohydrates; (iii) residual variation of lignin and organic acids; and (iv) residual variation of aliphatic structures. Peat decomposition showed two main patterns: a long-term trend highly correlated to peat age (r = 0.87), and a short-term trend, which showed five main phases of increased decomposition (at ~8.4–8.1, ~7.0–5.6, ~3.5–3.1, ~2.7–2.1 and ~1.6–1.3 ka) – mostly corresponding to drier climate and its effect on bog hydrology. The high peat accumulation event (~5.6–3.9 ka), described in earlier studies, is characterized by the lowest degree of peat decomposition of the whole record. Given that FTIR-ATR is a quick, non-destructive, cost-effective technique, our results indicate that it can be applied in a systematic way (including multicore studies) to peat research and provide relevant information on the evolution of peatlands.     

Fire severity and surface rock fragments cause patchy distribution of soil water repellency and infiltration rates after burning

Although fire‐induced soil water repellency (SWR) and its effects on soil hydrology and geomorphology have been studied in detail, very few studies have considered the effect of rock fragments resting on the soil surface or partly embedded in soil. In this research, we have studied the effect of rock fragments on the strength and spatial distribution of fire‐induced SWR at different fire severities. A fire‐affected area was selected for this experiment and classified into different zones according to fire severity (unburned, low, moderate and high) and rock fragment cover (low, <20% and high, >60%). During 7 days after fire, SWR and infiltration rates were assessed in the soil surface covered by individual rock fragments and in the midpoint between two adjacent rock fragments (with maximum spacing of 20 cm). SWR increased with fire severity. Rock fragments resting on the soil surface increased the heterogeneity of the spatial distribution of fire‐induced SWR. SWR increased significantly with rock fragment cover in bare areas under moderate and high fire severity, but quantitatively important changes were only observed under high fire severity. In areas with a low rock fragment cover, water repellency from soil surfaces covered by rock fragments increased relative to bare soil surfaces, with increasing SWR. In areas with a high rock fragment cover, SWR increased significantly from non‐covered to covered soil surfaces only after low‐severity burning. Rock fragment cover did not affect infiltration rates, although it decreased significantly in soil surfaces after high‐severity burning in areas under low and high rock fragment cover. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Resource Model Updating For Compositional Geometallurgical Variables

In the field of mineral resources extraction, one main challenge is to meet production targets in terms of geometallurgical properties. These properties influence the processing of the ore and are often represented in resource modeling by coregionalized variables with a complex relationship between them. Valuable data are available about geometalurgical properties and their interaction with the beneficiation process given sensor technologies during production monitoring. The aim of this research is to update resource models as new observations become available. A popular method for updating is the ensemble Kalman filter. This method relies on Gaussian assumptions and uses a set of realizations of the simulated models to derive sample covariances that can propagate the uncertainty between real observations and simulated ones. Hence, the relationship among variables has a compositional nature, such that updating these models while keeping the compositional constraints is a practical requirement in order to improve the accuracy of the updated models. This paper presents an updating framework for compositional data based on ensemble Kalman filter which allows us to work with compositions that are transformed into a multivariate Gaussian space by log-ratio transformation and flow anamorphosis. This flow anamorphosis, transforms the distribution of the variables to joint normality while reasonably keeping the dependencies between components. Furthermore, the positiveness of those variables, after updating the simulated models, is satisfied. The method is implemented in a bauxite deposit, demonstrating the performance of the proposed approach.

     

DISTRIBUTION OF DYNAMIC WATER LEVEL IN A SHALLOW LAKE

ABSTRACT

The shore of a large and shallow reservoir or lake may incur damages caused by high or low static water level, as well as from dynamic water level rises induced by wind; thus, the random variables representing, respectively, static water level and wind-induced rise must be added. The case study of Lake Balaton, Hungary, illustrates a proposed methodology to estimate, on the one hand, the distribution function of monthly static water level and on the other hand, that of monthly maximum rise caused by wind (seiche plus waves). We consider one section of lake shore which is homogeneous from the viewpoints of types of structure, dominant winds and corresponding values of fetch, so that a well-defined damage function can be used later for that section. A convolution of the two distribution functions is performed to yield the distribution function of monthly maximum water level. On the basis of existing data, normal distributions are suggested for either static or dynamic water levels. Extensions and transferability of the methodology are discussed.     

Constraining peak P–T conditions in UHP eclogites: calculated phase equilibria in kyanite‐ and phengite‐bearing eclogite of the Tromsø Nappe,Norway

Kyanite‐ and phengite‐bearing eclogites have better potential to constrain the peak metamorphic P–T conditions from phase equilibria between garnet + omphacite + kyanite + phengite + quartz/coesite than common, mostly bimineralic (garnet + omphacite) eclogites, as exemplified by this study. Textural relationships, conventional geothermobarometry and thermodynamic modelling have been used to constrain the metamorphic evolution of the Tromsdalstind eclogite from the Tromsø Nappe, one of the biggest exposures of eclogite in the Scandinavian Caledonides. The phase relationships demonstrate that the rock progressively dehydrated, resulting in breakdown of amphibole and zoisite at increasing pressure. The peak‐pressure mineral assemblage was garnet + omphacite + kyanite + phengite + coesite, inferred from polycrystalline quartz included in radially fractured omphacite. This omphacite, with up to 37 mol.% of jadeite and 3% of the Ca‐Eskola component, contains oriented rods of silica composition. Garnet shows higher grossular (X_Grs = 0.25–0.29), but lower pyrope‐content (X_Prp = 0. 37–0.39) in the core than the rim, while phengite contains up to 3.5 Si pfu. The compositional isopleths for garnet core, phengite and omphacite constrain the P–T conditions to 3.2–3.5 GPa and 720–800 °C, in good agreement with the results obtained from conventional geothermobarometry (3.2–3.5 GPa & 730–780 °C). Peak‐pressure assemblage is variably overprinted by symplectites of diopside + plagioclase after omphacite, biotite and plagioclase after phengite, and sapphirine + spinel + corundum + plagioclase after kyanite. Exhumation from ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) conditions to 1.3–1.5 GPa at 740–770 °C is constrained by the garnet rim (X_Ca^Grt = 0.18–0.21) and symplectite clinopyroxene (X_Na^Cpx = 0.13–0.21), and to 0.5–0.7 GPa at 700–800 °C by sapphirine (X_Mg = 0.86–0.87) and spinel (X_Mg = 0.60–0.62) compositional isopleths. UHP metamorphism in the Tromsø Nappe is more widespread than previously known. Available data suggest that UHP eclogites were uplifted to lower crustal levels rapidly, within a short time interval (452–449 Ma) prior to the Scandian collision between Laurentia and Baltica. The Tromsø Nappe as the highest tectonic unit of the North Norwegian Caledonides is considered to be of Laurentian origin and UHP metamorphism could have resulted from subduction along the Laurentian continental margin. An alternative is that the Tromsø Nappe belonged to a continental margin of Baltica, which had already been subducted before the terminal Scandian collision, and was emplaced as an out‐of‐sequence thrust during the Scandian lateral transport of nappes.     

P–T evolution of kyanite eclogite from the Pirin Mountains (SW Bulgaria): implications for the Rhodope UHP Metamorphic Complex

A new occurrence of kyanite eclogite in the Pirin Mountains of southwestern Bulgaria within the rocks belonging to the Obidim Unit of the Rhodope Metamorphic Complex is presented. This eclogite provides important information about the peak–pressure conditions despite strong thermal overprint at low pressure. Textural relationships, phase equilibrium modelling and conventional geothermobarometry were used to constrain the metamorphic evolution. Garnet porphyroblasts with inclusions of omphacite (up to 43 mol.% Jd), phengite (up to 3.5 Si p.f.u.), kyanite, polycrystalline quartz, pargasitic amphibole, zoisite and rutile in the Mg‐rich cores (X_Mg = 0.44–0.46) record a prograde increase in P–T conditions from ～2.5 GPa and 650 °C to ～3 GPa and 700–750 °C. Maximum pressure values fall within the stability field of coesite. During exhumation, the peak–pressure assemblage garnet + omphacite + phengite + kyanite was variably overprinted by a lower pressure one forming symplectitic textures, such as diopside + plagioclase after omphacite and biotite + plagioclase after phengite. The development of spinel (X_Mg = 0.4–0.45) + corundum + anorthite assemblage in the kyanite‐bearing domains at ～1.1 GPa and 800–850 °C suggests a thermal overprint in the high‐pressure granulite facies stability field. This thermal event was followed by cooling at ～0.8 GPa under amphibolite facies conditions; retrograde kelyphite texture involving plagioclase and amphibole was developed around garnet. Our results add to the already existing evidence for ultra high pressure (UHP) metamorphism in the Upper Allochthon of the Rhodope Metamorphic Complex as in the Kimi Unit and show that it is more widespread than previously known. Published age data and field structural relations suggest that the Obidim Unit represents Variscan continental crust involved into the Alpine nappe edifice of the Rhodopes and that eclogite facies metamorphism was Palaeozoic, in contrast to the Kimi Unit where age determinations suggest a Jurassic or Cretaceous age for UHP metamorphism. This implies that UHP metamorphism in the Upper Allochthon of the Rhodopes may have occurred twice, during Alpine and pre‐Alpine orogenic events, and that two independent HP/UHP provinces of different age overlap in this area.     

Local disappearance of bivalves in the Azores during the last glaciation

The Pleistocene (Eemian) outcrops of Lagoinhas and Prainha, located at Santa Maria Island (Azores), were investigated and their fossil mollusc content reported. These studies revealed that the last glaciation affected two groups of molluscs: the ‘warm‐guest’ gastropods with West African or Caribbean affinities (e.g. Conus spp., Cantharus variegatus, Bulla amygdala, Trachypollia nodulosa) and shallow bivalve species mainly associated with sandy habitats (Ensis minor, Lucinella divaricata, and probably Laevicardium crassum). In this paper we focus on this group of bivalves, which has since locally disappeared from the Azores. We relate the local disappearance of these bivalves in the Azores with the lack of sand in the shelf. The specific characteristics of the Santa Maria shelf combined with the sea‐level drop during the Weichselian prevented deposition of the lowstand deposits and permitted erosion of the previous ones, leaving the shelf without a sediment cover. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.