In Situ Determination of Au and Cu in Natural Pyrite by Near‐Infrared Femtosecond Laser Ablation‐Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry: No Evidence for Matrix Effects

Gold and copper concentrations were determined in natural pyrite by near‐infrared femtosecond LA‐ICP‐QMS, using both sulfide reference materials (pyrrhotite Po‐726 and in‐house natural chalcopyrite Cpy‐RM) and NIST SRM 610 as external calibrators. Firstly, using NIST SRM 610 as the external calibrator, we calculated the Au concentration in Po‐726 and the Cu concentration in Cpy‐RM. The calculated concentration averages for Au and Cu were similar to the values published for Po‐726 and Cpy‐RM, respectively. Secondly, we calculated Au and Cu concentrations taking NIST SRM 610 as an unknown sample and using Po‐726 and Cpy‐RM as external calibrators. Again, the average values obtained closely reflected the preferred concentrations for NIST SRM 610. Finally, we calculated Au and Cu concentrations in natural pyrite using sulfide and silicate reference materials as external calibrators. In both cases, calculated concentrations were very similar, independent of the external calibrator used. The aforementioned data, plus the fact that we obtained very small differences in relative sensitivity values (percentage differences are between 5% and 17% for ⁵⁷Fe, ⁶³Cu and ¹⁹⁷Au) on analyses of silicate and sulfide RMs, indicate that there were no matrix effects related to the differences in material composition. Thus, it is possible to determine Au and Cu in natural sulfides using NIST silicate glasses as an external calibrator.     

Advances in Researches of the Effects of Grassland Vegetation on Soil Erosion in Loess Plateau

Soil erosion is a serious global environmental problem which limits the survival and development of human beings. In our country, due to the special physical geography and socio-economic conditions, soil erosion intensity is great, which is particularly prominent in Loess Plateau region. Therefore, preventing and controlling soil erosion, as well as reducing soil erosion in Loess Plateau have become the key to solving environmental problems in the region. Soil erosion on Loess Plateau is serious, and grassland vegetation has good effects on soil and water conservation, which can improve ecological environment well. After the implementation of the project about returning farmland to grassland on Loess Plateau, the ecological benefits mainly focused on soil and water conservation benefits, soil improvement benefits, water conservation benefits and species diversity benefits, etc. Grassland vegetation has an irreplaceable role in the construction of the ecological environment on Loess Plateau. Therefore, the role of grassland in preventing soil erosion has received more and more attention. Scholars have done lots of research involved in the relationship between grassland coverage and soil erosion, impacts of grassland on hydrodynamic parameters, effects of grassland on soil properties, reduction effects of grassland on runoff and sediment, and soil erosion process on grassland slope. However, there is little research on erosion effect induced by grassland cover. This paper mainly pointed out the following questions: First, grassland cover is influenced by many factors, but the relationship with soil erosion from the dynamic mechanism is rarely discussed; Second, there is no well-developed theory of overland flow erosion at present, which limits the study of hydrodynamic parameters on grassland slope; Third, establishment of mathematical model between grassland cover and soil resistance can accelerate the quantitative analysis of grassland influence on erosion; Fourth, comprehensive analysis of influencing factors on water reduction and sediment reduction effect on grassland are insufficient; Fifth, there are not many mechanisms to analyze the erosion process of grassland slope by using the hydrodynamic characteristics of slope; sixth, research results on grassland-induced erosion are mainly focused on leading to soil dry layer and we should continue to strengthen in the future. This paper summarized the previous results, and supplemented some studies about erosion caused by grassland, then pointed out the existing problems in current research and the areas that need to be strengthened in the future, aiming at reducing soil erosion on the Loess Plateau.     

Uvaichnites riojana: A new crane-like bird ichnotaxon from the lower Miocene of La Rioja (Ebro Basin,Spain)

A new bird ichnotaxon found in Cenicero (La Rioja, Ebro Basin, Spain) is described here. The footprints are preserved in sandstone beds in a central-distal alluvial fringe with a mud-dominated floodplain, located in the transition unit between the Nájera and Haro formations. This level is positioned between the Y and Z local Agenian biozones (lower Miocene). The footprints were preliminarily studied in another work and considered as an indeterminate ichnotaxon. Uvaichnites riojana ichnogen. nov. and ichnosp. nov. is a tridactyl footprint characterized by a prominent central pad, very large to enormous sized, with unjointed toes at the proximal end. These features differ from Aquatilavipes, Aviadactyla, Avipeda, Ludicharadripodiscus, Fuscinapeda, and Ornithotarnocia of the Avipedidae morphofamily. U. riojana is considered to be similar to common crane (Grus grus) footprints in the Gruidae family. There are a few references about this family in the Iberian Peninsula and Balearic Islands and this find could confirm the presence of Gruidae since at least the lower Miocene.     

Cobalt zoning in microscopic pyrite from Kamoto,Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa)

The Kamoto deposit consists of two stratiform orebodies separated by a barren sedimentary unit. It is a copper and cobalt deposit, the main features of which are summarized in the first part of the paper. Above the upper orebody, dolostone beds are found, where pyrite is the only sulfide mineral. This pyrite was investigated with the help of a microprobe: all idiomorphic grains were found to be surrounded by a well-defined rim, where the cobalt content reaches 4%; framboidal grains were also found to be heterogeneous with respect to cobalt. The distribution of nickel and copper is described. These observations afford one more evidence that post-depositional events played an important role in the Mine Series of Katanga, especially with regard to heavy metals geochemistry.

---

Resume Le gisement de Kamoto est constitué de deux corps minéralisés stratiformes séparés par une unité sédimentaire stérile. C'est un gisement de cuivre et de cobalt dont les principales caractéristiques sont brièvement résumées. Audessus du corps minéralisé supérieur, on trouve des couches de dolomie, où la pyrite est le seul sulfure présent. Cette pyrite a été étudiée à l'aide d'une microsonde: tous les grains idiomorphes y sont entourés d'une bordure bien nette, où la teneur en cobalt atteint 4%; les grains d'apparence framboïdale sont également hétérogènes au point de vue de leur teneur en cobalt. La distribution du nickel et du cuivre est décrite. Ces observations apportent um témoignage supplémentaire de l'importance des événements postérieurs au dépôt dans la «Série des Mines» katangaise, tout spécialement en ce qui concerne la géochimie des métaux lourds. Elles démontrent que le «système» constitué par la roche sédimentaire est resté ouvert pendant un certain temps après la sédimentation.

     

Spatial patterns and environmental risks of ringnet fishing along the Kenyan coast

Ringnet fishing began in the early 20th century and is practised worldwide, mainly to target nearshore pelagic species. The method was introduced to Kenya’s coastal waters by migrant fishers from Tanzania. However, the impacts of this fishing gear remain poorly assessed. We assessed the spatial distribution of ringnet fishing effort and its possible effects on ecosystem components, such as coral reefs, marine megafauna and marine protected areas, on the south coast of Kenya. We tracked 89 ringnet fishing trips made from December 2015 to January 2016 and used spatial multicriteria analysis to determine hotspots of possible environmental risks. The results showed that habitat type and bathymetric profile influenced the spatial distribution of ringnet fishing effort. Mixed seagrass and coral habitats had the highest concentration of the effort. Most of the habitats in the study area were moderately exposed to the impacts of the ringnet fishery. The study identifies high-risk areas that require spatial measures to minimise possible environmental risks of the gear both to habitats and to endangered sea turtles.     

Mytilus californianus as an indicator of heavy metals on the northwest coast of Baja California, Mexico.

Samples of Mytilus californianus were analyzed to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of Ag, Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn concentrations on the northwest coast of Baja California and to compare the results with levels reported for California, USA. The samples were collected at eight sites from the US-Mexican border to San Quintín, BC (300 km south of the border) in February and July 1982 and 1994. During both years, north-south gradients in the concentration of Ag and Pb were observed, with the highest values close to the US-Mexican border (Ag = 0.60-1.54 and Pb = 0.21-2.89 micrograms g-1) and the lowest in the southern part of the study area (Ag = 0.05-0.10 and Pb = not detectable-0.03 microgram g-1). The Ag and Pb gradients suggest that their distributions are affected by anthropogenic activities close to the US-Mexican border. South-north gradients in the concentration of Cd (minimum = 0.59-2.16 and maximum = 2.61-12.93 micrograms g-1), for both 1982 and 1994, were observed. The geographic annual means of Pb for California (average of six stations along the entire state) were significantly higher than those of this study (average of the eight sampling sites) in 1982 and 1994. Cu in California was significantly greater than that of this study only in 1994. Cluster analyses on all metals indicate three similar geographic zones in 1982 and 1994, suggesting a relative consistency in the processes that determine the spatial variability of the concentration of some metals in M. californianus on the northwest coast of Baja California.     

Chemical signature of intermediate water masses along western Portuguese margin

Although the circulation of intermediate water masses in the eastern North Atlantic remains poorly defined, the presence of fresher intermediate waters, the Sub-Artic (SAIW) and the Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW), as well the saline intermediate Mediterranean Water (MW), has been tracked using biogeochemical properties. Here we assess the hydrographic and chemical structures of intermediate waters along the western Portuguese margin by examining the vertical distributions and property-property plots of chemical tracers (oxygen and nutrients). AAIW was traced by low oxygen and high nutrients, while SAIW was recognized by low nutrients. The Mediterranean Water (MW) undercurrent is shown to spread towards the eastern flank of Gorringe bank. Concurrently, the fresher waters gained salt by direct incorporation of MW, while this water was enriched in nutrients on its way northward and westward owing, to a great extent, to the entrainment of an AAIW branch. The distributions of nutrients and apparent oxygen utilization are discussed in terms of regional ocean circulation. Our analysis suggests a circulation pattern of the various intermediate waters along the western Portuguese margin: MW extends all over the area, but its presence is more pronounced around cape St. Vincent; SAIW apparently moves southward, reaching the Gorringe bank region, and AAIW flows northward along the coast and around the bank.     

Effects of Steady Flow on Magnetoacoustic-Gravity Surface Waves: I. The Weak Field Case

Magnetoacoustic gravity (MAG) waves have been studied for some time. In this article, we investigate the effect that a shear flow at a tangential discontinuity embedded in a gravitationally stratified and magnetised plasma has on MAG surface waves. The dispersion relation found is algebraically analogous to the relation of the non-flow cases obtained by Miles and Roberts (Solar Phys. 141, 205, 1992), except for the introduction of a Doppler-shifted frequency for the eigenvalue. This feature, however, introduces rather interesting physics, including the asymmetric presence of forward- and backward-propagating surface waves. We find that increasing the equilibrium flow speed leads to a shift in the permitted regions of propagation for surface waves. For most wave number combinations this leads to the fast mode being completely removed, as well as more limited phase speed regimes for slow-mode propagation. We also find that upon increasing the flow, the phase speeds of the backward propagating waves are increased. Eventually, at high enough flow speeds, the wave’s direction of propagation is reversed and is in the positive direction. However, the phase speed of the forward-propagating wave remains mainly the same. For strong enough flows we find that the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability can also occur when the forward- and backward-propagating modes couple.     

Segmentation and kinematics of the North America‐Caribbean plate boundary offshore Hispaniola

We explored the submarine portions of the Enriquillo–Plantain Garden Fault zone (EPGFZ) and the Septentrional–Oriente Fault zone (SOFZ) along the Northern Caribbean plate boundary using high‐resolution multibeam echo‐sounding and shallow seismic reflection. The bathymetric data shed light on poorly documented or previously unknown submarine fault zones running over 200 km between Haiti and Jamaica (EPGFZ) and 300 km between the Dominican Republic and Cuba (SOFZ). The primary plate‐boundary structures are a series of strike‐slip fault segments associated with pressure ridges, restraining bends, step overs and dogleg offsets indicating very active tectonics. Several distinct segments 50–100 km long cut across pre‐existing structures inherited from former tectonic regimes or bypass recent morphologies formed under the current strike‐slip regime. Along the most recent trace of the SOFZ, we measured a strike‐slip offset of 16.5 km, which indicates steady activity for the past ~1.8 Ma if its current GPS‐derived motion of 9.8 ± 2 mm a^?1 has remained stable during the entire Quaternary.