Diversity and Habitat Distribution of Birds in Coastal Marshes and Comparisons with Surrounding Upland Habitats in Southeastern South America

We studied variation in bird assemblages with plant associations for three different coastal marshes from Southeastern South America (SESA) and assessed how marsh bird assemblages related to nearby upland bird assemblages. We surveyed bird species and plant structure along the tidal gradient of each locality from the low tide level to the upper habitats bordering coastal marshes. Twenty species frequently used coastal marshes, including relatively few migratory species. We found that birds occurring in SESA coastal marshes do not have distributions constrained to coastal marshes. Nonetheless, four bird assemblages were recognized in association with vegetation types and/or sites. Among the recorded coastal marsh species, the bay-capped wren-spinetail (Spartonoica maluroides) is both the most frequent and the most habitat constrained. Bird richness increases steadily along the tidal gradient associated with the increase in vegetation structure, suggesting that bird richness is directly explained by vegetation and indirectly by the physical conditions influencing vegetation structure. Results highlight the importance of SESA middle marshes as habitat for conservation of some threatened SESA grassland birds.     

Magnetic polarity zonation within the El Teniente copper–molybdenum porphyry deposit, central Chile

El Teniente porphyry copper deposit, the world’s greatest intrusion-related Cu–Mo ore body, is hosted within basaltic–andesitic volcanic and gabbroic rocks (mafic complex). This ore body is strongly affected by multiple events of alteration/mineralization with pervasive potassic and chloritic alteration and coetaneous with associated copper mineralization. We present paleomagnetic results obtained from oriented samples at four locations within the mine and from two drill cores, 200 and 400 m long, respectively. Samples are representative of all the main hydrothermally altered rock units, with emphasis on the mafic host rock and dacitic (Teniente dacite porphyry) and dioritic porphyry intrusions. Magnetic experiments [hysteresis loop, isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM), k–T curves, thermal, and alternating field demagnetization] show the presence of prevailing magnetite. Microscope and SEM observations show two families of magnetite, (a) large multidomain magnetite grains, associated with biotite and chlorite of various different hydrothermal alteration events, and (b) abundant small to medium grain-size magnetite (<10 μm) contained within plagioclase, either related to an early Na–Ca–Fe alteration or included within plagioclase during magmatic crystal growth. While the Teniente dacite porphyry and the quartz diorite–tonalite have low magnetic susceptibility (<0.0005 SI) and low natural remanent magnetization (NRM, 10⁻⁴–10⁻³ Am⁻¹), the mineralized mafic host rocks have usually high susceptibility (>0.01 and up to 0.2 SI) with NRM in the range 0.1–2 Am⁻¹. Most mafic complex rock samples have univectorial magnetizations during alternating field or thermal demagnetization. Within the mine, the magnetic polarity is spatially distributed. In the northern part of the deposit, the Teniente dacite porphyry, the associated hydrothermal breccias, and the hosting mafic complex record a reverse polarity magnetization, also observed in the El Teniente sub-6 mine sector immediately to the east and southeast. In the eastern part of the deposit, a normal polarity is observed for samples of the mafic complex from the two long drill cores. There is no evidence for superimposed magnetizations of opposite polarities in samples of the mafic complex. Anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) in a DC field of 40 μT and NRM have similar magnitude and comparable behavior upon alternating field demagnetization. The well-defined strong remanent magnetizations associated with high unblocking temperatures (>500°C) indicate an acquisition of remanent magnetization during mineralization by circulating high temperature fluids related with ore deposition. Paleomagnetic results and the recorded polarity zonation suggest multiple mineralization events occurred at El Teniente, each one with its own evolution stages, superimposed within the district. These results indicate that a simplified broad four-stage model for El Teniente, as presented and overly employed by many authors, divided in (1) late magmatic, (2) main hydrothermal, (3) late hydrothermal, and (4) posthumous stage, does not recognize various short-lived single mineralization events, some superimposed and some distinctly separated in time and space. There is no paleomagnetic evidence for post-mineralization deformation     

Direct and Indirect pCO2 Measurements in a Wide Range of pCO2 and Salinity Values (The Scheldt Estuary)

Recent improvements in both Infra-red spectroscopy and equilibrator techniqueshave allowed to determine, for the first time, pCO₂using simultaneously and continuously both the direct and indirect methods in an estuary where pCO₂ values range from 500 to 8500 atm and salinity from 0 to 30. Our results show that both methods are in excellent agreement in the wholeestuary (r² = 0.999, n = 1075, p < 0.0001). Thus, the NBS (US National Bureau of Standards) scale, although inadequate for seawater samples, is appropriate for estuarine waters and can be applied with confidence to calculate pCO₂.     

Modelling change in the Peruvian-Chilean Eastern Pacific Fisheries

Time-series analyses of the Peruvian-Chilean Eastern Pacific Fisheries output are presented. The paper discusses how human action and adverse environmental conditions have affected regional productivity levels and fish stock. It is shown that overfishing during critical environmental periods is the likely cause for fluctuations in regional output and the decline of Peru's fishing (anchovy) industry, in opposition to the theory that holds that stock depletion is caused solely by ENSO (El Niño/Southern Oscillation) events. Policy implications are drawn from empirical findings, tressing the need for strict resource management and future restrictions on fish captures when ENSO events are highly probable.     

Gonadal histology and serum vitellogenin levels of bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus from the Northern Pacific Ocean--absence of endocrine disruption bio-indicators

Endocrine disrupting chemicals such as organochlorines have been detected in a large number of marine fish. Histological observation of the gonads, measurement of serum vitellogenin (VTG) level and of liver polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) content were performed to evaluate the reproductive health and the contamination with endocrine disruptors in bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus, collected in the northern Pacific Ocean in 1999 and 2000. Abnormalities commonly found in species affected by endocrine disruptors such as the presence of oocytes in the testis or elevated serum VTG levels were not found in any of males examined. Both males and females had only small amounts of liver PCB content. The results suggest that currently there is little if any risk of organochlorine contamination or endocrine disruption of gonadal function in bigeye tuna from the northern Pacific Ocean. However, further studies are necessary to evaluate the health status of the open sea fishery resources.     

Direct dating of the Sete Lagoas cap carbonate (Bambuí Group,Brazil) and implications for the Neoproterozoic glacial events

The end of the Neoproterozoic is punctuated by glacial deposition, but the chronology of these deposits is hindered presently by the paucity of geochronological data. Here, we present new radiometric dating for the basal Sete Lagoas cap carbonate deposits that overlie glacial units in the São Francisco craton. Six samples from aragonite‐pseudomorph crystal‐rich facies, showing pristine textures and constant ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios around 0.7075, yielded a Pb–Pb isochron age of 740 ± 22 Ma, which is interpreted as the depositional age for these remarkably preserved rocks. This age can be used to infer a low‐to‐moderate palaeolatitude of 20–30° for carbonate (and glacial) deposition. In addition, as it overlaps the ages obtained for the oldest Neoproterozoic glacial successions, our result reinforces the idea of a long‐standing ‘Sturtian’ interval, suggesting that this event represents either different discrete glaciations or a protracted event encompassing almost 80 Ma.     

Crustal segments in the North Patagonian Massif,Patagonia: An integrated perspective based on Sm–Nd isotope systematics

New insights on the Paleozoic evolution of the continental crust in the North Patagonian Massif are presented based on the analysis of Sm–Nd systematics. New evidence is presented to constrain tectonic models for the origin of Patagonia and its relations with the South American crustal blocks. Geologic, isotopic and tectonic characterization of the North Patagonian Massif and comparison of the Nd parameters lead us to conclude that: (1) The North Patagonian Massif is a crustal block with bulk crustal average ages between 2.1 and 1.6 Ga T_DM (Nd) and (2) At least three metamorphic episodes could be identified in the Paleozoic rocks of the North Patagonian Massif. In the northeastern corner, Famatinian metamorphism is widely identified. However field and petrographic evidence indicate a Middle to Late Cambrian metamorphism pre-dating the emplacement of the ca. 475 Ma granitoids. In the southwestern area, are apparent 425–420 Ma (?) and 380–360 Ma metamorphic peaks. The latter episode might have resulted from the collision of the Antonia terrane; and (3) Early Paleozoic magmatism in the northeastern area is coeval with the Famatinian arc. Nd isotopic compositions reveal that Ordovician magmatism was associated with attenuated crust. On the southwestern border, the first magmatic recycling record is Devonian. Nd data shows a step by step melting of different levels of the continental crust in the Late Palaeozoic. Between 330 and 295 Ma magmatism was likely the product of a crustal source with an average 1.5 Ga T_DM (Nd). Widespread magmatism represented by the 295–260 Ma granitoids involved a lower crustal mafic source, and continued with massive shallower-acid plutono volcanic complexes which might have recycled an upper crustal segment of the Proterozoic continental basement, resulting in a more felsic crust until the Triassic. (4) Sm–Nd parameters and detrital zircon age patterns of Early Paleozoic (meta)-sedimentary rocks from the North Patagonian Massif and those from the neighboring blocks, suggest crustal continuity between Eastern Sierras Pampeanas, southern Arequipa-Antofalla and the northeastern sector of the North Patagonian Massif by the Early Paleozoic. This evidence suggests that, at least, this corner of the North Patagonian Massif is not allochthonous to Gondwana. A Late Paleozoic frontal collision with the southwestern margin of Gondwana can be reconcilied in a para-autochthonous model including a rifting event from a similar or neighbouring position to its post-collision location. Possible Proterozoic or Early Paleozoic connections of the NPM with the Kalahari craton or the western Antartic blocks should be investigated.     

A Comparative Analysis of Weights of Evidence,Evidential Belief Functions,and Fuzzy Logic for Mineral Potential Mapping Using Incomplete Data at the Scale of Investigation

Large amounts of digital data must be analyzed and integrated to generate mineral potential maps, which can be used for exploration targeting. The quality of the mineral potential maps is dependent on the quality of the data used as inputs, with higher quality inputs producing higher quality outputs. In mineral exploration, particularly in regions with little to no exploration history, datasets are often incomplete at the scale of investigation with data missing due to incomplete mapping or the unavailability of data over certain areas. It is not always clear that datasets are incomplete, and this study examines how mineral potential mapping results may differ in this context. Different methods of mineral potential mapping provide different ways of dealing with analyzing and integrating incomplete data. This study examines the weights of evidence (WofE), evidential belief function and fuzzy logic methods of mineral potential mapping using incomplete data from the Carajás mineral province, Brazil to target for orogenic gold mineralization. Results demonstrate that WofE is the best one able to predict the location of known mineralization within the study area when either complete or unacknowledged incomplete data are used. It is suggested that this is due to the use of Bayes’ rule, which can account for “missing data.” The results indicate the effectiveness of WofE for mineral potential mapping with incomplete data.