Constraining sequence stratigraphy in north Australian basins: SHRIMP U–Pb zircon geochronology between Mt Isa and McArthur River

Fifty‐five new SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages from samples of northern Australian ‘basement’ and its overlying Proterozoic successions are used to refine and, in places, significantly change previous lithostratigraphic correlations. In conjunction with sequence‐stratigraphic studies, the 1800–1580 Ma rock record between Mt Isa and the Roper River is now classified into three superbasin phases—the Leichhardt, Calvert and Isa. These three major depositional episodes are separated by ～20 million years gaps. The Isa Superbasin can be further subdivided into seven supersequences each 10–15 million years in duration. Gaps in the geological record between these supersequences are variable; they approach several million years in basin‐margin positions, but are much smaller in the depocentres. Arguments based on field setting, petrography, zircon morphology, and U–Pb systematics are used to interpret these U–Pb zircon ages and in most cases to demonstrate that the ages obtained are depositional. In some instances, zircon crystals are reworked and give maximum depositional ages. These give useful provenance information as they fingerprint the source(s) of basin fill. Six new ‘Barramundi’ basement ages (around 1850 Ma) were obtained from crystalline units in the Murphy Inlier (Nicholson Granite and Cliffdale Volcanics), the Urapunga Tectonic Ridge (‘Mt Reid Volcanics’ and ‘Urapunga Granite’), and the central McArthur Basin (Scrutton Volcanics). New ages were also obtained from units assigned to the Calvert Superbasin (ca 1740–1690 Ma). SHRIMP results show that the Wollogorang Formation is not one continuous unit, but two different sequences, one deposited around 1730 Ma and a younger unit deposited around 1722 Ma. Further documentation is given of a regional 1725 Ma felsic event adjacent to the Murphy Inlier (Peters Creek Volcanics and Packsaddle Microgranite) and in the Carrara Range. A younger ca 1710 Ma felsic event is indicated in the southwestern McArthur Basin (Tanumbirini Rhyolite and overlying Nyanantu Formation). Four of the seven supersequences in the Isa Superbasin (ca 1670–1580 Ma) are reasonably well‐constrained by the new SHRIMP results: the Gun Supersequence (ca 1670–1655 Ma) by Paradise Creek Formation, Moondarra Siltstone, Breakaway Shale and Urquhart Shale ages grouped between 1668 and 1652 Ma; the Loretta Supersequence (ca 1655–1645 Ma) by results from the Lady Loretta Formation, Walford Dolomite, the upper part of the Mallapunyah Formation and the Tatoola Sandstone between ca 1653 and 1647 Ma; the River Supersequence (ca 1645–1630 Ma) by ages from the Teena Dolomite, Mt Les and Riversleigh Siltstones, and Barney Creek, Lynott, St Vidgeon and Nagi Formations clustering around 1640 Ma; and the Term Supersequence (ca 1630–1615 Ma) by ages from the Stretton Sandstone, lower Doomadgee Formation and lower part of the Lawn Hill Formation, mostly around 1630–1620 Ma. The next two younger supersequences are less well‐constrained geochronologically, but comprise the Lawn Supersequence (ca 1615–1600 Ma) with ages from the lower Balbirini Dolomite, and lower Doomadgee, Amos and middle Lawn Hill Formations, clustered around 1615–1610 Ma; and the Wide Supersequence (ca 1600–1585 Ma) with only two ages around 1590 Ma, one from the upper Balbirini Dolomite and the other from the upper Lawn Hill Formation. The Doom Supersequence (<1585 Ma) at the top of the Isa Superbasin is essentially unconstrained. The integration of high‐precision SHRIMP dating from continuously analysed stratigraphic sections, within a sequence stratigraphic context, provides an enhanced chronostratigraphic framework leading to more reliable interpretations of basin architecture and evolution.     

Evidence for Enhanced Mineral Dissolution in Organic Acid-Rich Shallow Ground Water

Total concentrations of formate, acetate, and isobutyrate varied from less than 5 to greater than 9,000 μmol/l over distances of < 3 m in ground water from a shallow hydrocarbon contaminated aquifer. Laboratory incubations of aquifer material indicate that organic acid concentrations were dependent on the amount of hydrocarbon loading in the sediment and the relative rates of microbial organic acid production and consumption. In heavily contaminated sediments, production greatly exceeded consumption and organic acid concentrations increased. In lightly contaminated sediments rates were essentially equal and organic acid concentrations remained low. Concentrations of dissolved calcium, magnesium, and iron generally were one to two orders of magnitude higher in organic acid-rich ground water than in ground water having low organic acid concentrations. Carbonate and Fe(III)-oxyhydroxide minerals were the likely sources of these elements. Similarly, concentrations of dissolved silica, derived from quartz and k-feldspar, were higher in organic acid-rich ground water than in other waters. The positive relation (r = 0.60, p < .05, n = 16) between concentrations of silica and organic acids suggests that the microbially mediated buildup of organic acids in ground water enhanced quartz/k-feldspar dissolution in the aquifer, although it was not the only factor influencing their dissolution. A model that included organic acid microequivalents normalized by cation microequivalents significantly strengthened the correlation (r = 0.79, p < .001, n = 16) between dissolved silica and organic acid concentrations, indicating that competition between silica and cations for complexation sites on organic acids also influenced quartz/k-feldspar dissolution. Physical evidence for enhanced mineral dissolution in organic acid-rich waters included scanning electron microscopy images of highly corroded quartz and k-feldspar grains from portions of the aquifer containing organic acid-rich ground water. Microporosity generated in hydrocarbon contaminated sediments may adversely affect remediation efforts that depend on the efficient injection of electron acceptors into an aquifer or on the recovery of solutes from an aquifer.     

A comparison of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) mRNA inducibility in four species of Atlantic coast anadromous fishes

Quantification of levels of cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) gene expression in sentinel species of fishes has been proposed as a management tool to evaluate contamination of aquatic systems. Based on preliminary studies, we hypothesized that differences in CYP1A mRNA inducibility among individuals, populations, or species might lead to spurious conclusions when using this approach in environmental monitoring programs. To address this possibility, we quantitated and compared CYP1A mRNA induction levels in four species of common Atlantic Coast estuarine fish: smooth flounder, hogchoker, striped bass, and Atlantic tomcod, which were treated with model chemicals (beta naphthoflavone (β-NF), or benzo[a]pyrene at 10 ppm) known to induce CYP1A mRNA, or were exposed to contaminated environments. Species-specific CYP1A DNA probes were generated from PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification of genomic DNA using conserved oligonucleotide primers, and, along with cloned rainbow trout and Atlantic tomcod CYP1A cDNA probes were used to quantify CYP1A mRNA levels in northern blot analyses. Successful PCR amplification of CYP1A hybridizable DNA fragments was observed for all four species. Results from northern blot analyses showed large differences in CYP1A mRNA induction among species; only Atlantic tomcod exhibited significant induction of CYP1A mRNA for both chemically treated (97-fold) and environmentally exposed fish (34-fold). Significant, although lower, levels of induction were observed in β-NF treated (14-fold) smooth flounder, but not in environmentally exposed smooth flounder. Only low levels (not significant) of CYP1A gene induction were detected in hogchokers and striped bass. We conclude that CYP1A mRNA inducibility differed significantly among fish taxa perhaps due to differences in regulation of gene expression, suggesting that careful selection of sentinel species should be exercised prior to the use of CYP1A mRNA induction in environmental monitoring programs. However, the significance of differences in CYP1A mRNA inducibility in relation to higher level biological endpoints has yet to be determined.     

The fraction of galaxies that contain active nuclei and their accretion rates

We investigate the relationship between the present-day optical luminosity function of galaxies and the X-ray luminosity function of Seyfert 1s to determine the fraction of galaxies that host Seyfert 1 nuclei and their Eddington ratios. The local type 1 active galactic nuclei (AGN) X-ray luminosity function is well reproduced if ∼1 per cent of all galaxies are type 1 Seyferts which have Eddington ratios of ∼10⁻³. However, in such a model the X-ray luminosity function is completely dominated by AGN in E and S0 galaxies, contrary to the observed mix of Seyfert host galaxies. To obtain a plausible mix of AGN host galaxy morphologies requires that the most massive black holes in E and S0 galaxies accrete with lower Eddington ratios, or have a lower incidence of Seyfert activity, than the central black holes of later-type galaxies.     

Meso-scale testing and development of test procedures to maintain mass balance

The Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science (Texas A&M University––Corpus Christi) has conducted numerous petroleum experiments at the Shoreline Environmental Research Facility (Corpus Christi, Texas, USA). The meso-scale facility has multiple wave tanks, permitting some control in experimental design of the investigations, but allowing for real-world conditions. This paper outlines the evolution of a materials balance approach in conducting petroleum experiments at the facility. The first attempt at a materials balance was during a 1998 study on the fate/effects of dispersant use on crude oil. Both water column and beach sediment samples were collected. For the materials balance, the defined environmental compartments for oil accumulation were sediments, water column, and the water surface, while the discharge from the tanks was presumed to be the primary sink. The “lessons learned” included a need to quantify oil adhesion to the tank surfaces. This was resolved by adhering strips of the polymer tank lining to the tank sides that could be later removed and extracted for oil. Also, a protocol was needed to quantify any floating oil on the water surface. A water surface (oil slick) quantification protocol was developed, involving the use of solid-phase extraction disks. This protocol was first tested during a shoreline cleaner experiment, and later refined in subsequent dispersant effectiveness studies. The effectiveness tests were designed to simulate shallow embayments which created the need for additional adjustments in the tanks. Since dispersant efficacy is largely affected by hydrodynamics, it was necessary to scale the hydrodynamic conditions of the tanks to those expected in our prototype system (Corpus Christi Bay, Texas). The use of a scaled model permits the experiment to be reproduced and/or evaluated under different conditions. To minimize wave reflection in the tank, a parabolic wave dissipater was built. In terms of materials balance, this design reduced available surface area as a sink for oil adsorption.     

Cenozoic latitudinal shift of the Hawaiian hotspot and its implications for true polar wander

Pacific plate equatorial sediment facies provide estimates of the northward motion of the Pacific plate that are independent of paleomagnetic data and hotspot tracks. Analyses of equatorial sediment facies consistently indicate less northward motion than analyses of the dated volcanic edifices of the Hawaiian-Emperor chain. The discrepancy is largest 60–70 Ma B.P.; the 60- to 70-Ma equatorial sediment facies data agree with recent paleomagnetic results from deep-sea drilling on Suiko seamount [1] and from a northern Pacific piston core [2]. Equatorial sediment facies data and paleomagnetic data, combined with K-Ar age dates along the Emperor chain [3], indicate a position of the spin axis at 65 Ma B.P. of 82°N, 205°E in the reference frame in which the Pacific Ocean hotspots are fixed. This pole agrees well with the position of the spin axis in the reference frame in which the Atlantic Ocean hotspots and the Indian Ocean hotspots are fixed [4,5], supporting the joint hypotheses that (1) the Pacific Ocean hotspots are fixed with respect to the hotspots in other oceans, (2) the hotspots have shifted coherently with respect to the spin axis, and (3) the time average of the earth's magnetic field 65 Ma B.P. was an axial geocentric dipole. Global Neogene paleomagnetic data suggest that a shift of the mantle relative to the spin axis has been occurring during the Neogene in the same direction as the shift between 65 Ma B.P. and the present. All data are consistent with a model in which the hotspots (and by inference the mantle) have shifted with respect to the spin axis about a fixed Euler pole at a constant rate of rotation for the last 65 Ma.     

Modelling the chloride signal at Plynlimon,Wales, using a modified dynamic TOPMODEL incorporating conservative chemical mixing (with uncertainty)

The application of a modified version of dynamic TOPMODEL for two subcatchments at Plynlimon, Wales is described. Conservative chemical mixing within mobile and immobile stores has been added to the hydrological model in an attempt to simulate observed stream chloride concentrations. The model was not fully able to simulate the observed behaviour, in particular the short‐ to medium‐term dynamics. One of the primary problems highlighted by the study was the representation of dry deposition and cloud‐droplet‐deposited chloride, which formed a significant part of the long‐term chloride mass budget. Equifinality of parameter sets inhibited the ability to determine the effective catchment mixing volumes and coefficients or the most likely partition between occult mass inputs and chloride mass inputs determined by catchment immobile‐store antecedent conditions. Some success was achieved, in as much as some aspects of the dynamic behaviour of the signal were satisfactorily simulated, although spectral analysis showed that the model could not fully reproduce the 1/f power spectra of observed stream chloride concentrations with its implications of a wide distribution of residence times for water in the catchment. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Currents and sediment transport in the Mississippi Canyon and effects of Hurricane Georges

The temporal variability in currents, temperature, and particulate matter concentration were measured in the Mississippi Canyon axis where the thalweg was 300 m deep from May–July and August–November 1998 using current meters, thermographs, a light-scattering sensor, and sediment traps. Canyon sediments were sampled by coring and observed using an ROV video camera. Currents in the upper Mississippi Canyon generally oscillated up/down canyon with diurnal periodicity and were bottom-intensified. Mean current speed at 3.5 mab was approximately 8 cm s^?1 during both deployments, reaching maximum speeds of over 50 cm s^?1 under normal conditions. Based on current velocities, critical bed shear stress for resuspension of canyon-floor sediments was exceeded about 30% of the time during both deployments. In late September, Hurricane Georges passed 150 km NE of the study site, significantly intensifying current velocities, bed shear stress, resuspension, trap fluxes and temperature fluctuations. As the hurricane passed, maximum current speed reached 68 cm^?s and temperature decreased ～7 °C in less than two hours. Critical bed shear stress for sediment resuspension was exceeded approximately 50% of the time during the five days of hurricane influence. Further evidence for sediment resuspension was the five-fold (and perhaps 70–130 fold) increase in trap fluxes and compositional similarities between canyon surface sediment and material collected by traps.