Relationships among water column toxins,cell abundance and chlorophyll concentrations during Karenia brevis blooms

The assumptions that Karenia brevis cell abundance and brevetoxin concentrations are proportional and that cell abundance and chlorophyll are related were tested in a 3-year field study off the west coast of Florida. The relationship between K. brevis cell abundance and brevetoxins (PbTx-2+PbTx-3) in whole water samples was strong (R²=0.92). There was no significant difference between the brevetoxin concentrations in whole water and the >0.7 μm particulate fraction. Only 7% of the total brevetoxin concentration was measured in the <0.7 μm (cell free) filtrate. The relationship of K. brevis cell abundance >5000 cells L⁻¹ with chlorophyll for all cruises and at all depths was robust (R²=0.78). These data substantiate the use of chlorophyll as a proxy for K. brevis cell abundance and K. brevis cell abundance as a proxy for brevetoxins during blooms. The ratios of the brevetoxins, PbTx-2:PbTx-3, was significantly higher in surface water than in bottom water. This information in conjunction with K. brevis growth rates may provide a useful indicator for determining the physiological state of the bloom over time.     

Highly depleted oceanic lithosphere in the Rheic Ocean: Implications for Paleozoic plate reconstructions

The Rheic Ocean formed at ca. 500 Ma, when several peri-Gondwanan terranes (e.g. Avalonia and Carolinia) drifted from the northern margin of Gondwana, and were consumed during the Late Carboniferous collision between Laurussia and Gondwana, a key event in the formation of Pangea. Several mafic complexes ranging in age from ca. 400–330 Ma preserve many of the lithotectonic and/or chemical characteristics of ophiolites. They are characterized by anomalously high εNd values that are typically either between or above the widely accepted model depleted mantle curves. These data indicate derivation from a highly depleted (HD) mantle and imply that (i) the mantle source of these complexes displays time-integrated depletion in Nd relative to Sm, and (ii) depletion is the result of an earlier melting event in the mantle from which basalt was extracted. The extent of mantle depletion indicates that this melting event occurred in the Neoproterozoic, possibly up to 500 million years before the Rheic Ocean formed. If so, the mantle lithosphere that gave rise to the Rheic Ocean mafic complexes must have been captured from an adjacent, older oceanic tract. The transfer of this captured lithosphere to the upper plate enabled it to become preferentially preserved. Possible Mesozoic–Cenozoic analogues include the capture of the Caribbean plate or the Scotia plate from the Pacific to the Atlantic oceanic realm. Our model implies that virtually all of the oceanic lithosphere generated during the opening phase of the Rheic Ocean was consumed by subduction during Laurentia–Gondwana convergence.     

Kinematics of the Rockland Brook Fault, Nova Scotia: Implications for the interaction of the Meguma and Avalon terranes

The Cobequid-Chedabucto fault system of northern mainland Nova Scotia represents the surface expression of the Avalon-Meguma terrane boundary, but because it is exposed at high crustal levels in the Cobequid Highlands, the fault system provides little information as to the kinematic relationships of the two terranes in this area. In the eastern Cobequid Highlands, the Rockland Brook Fault (RBF) is exposed within the more deeply eroded highlands massif and juxtaposes units of widely varying ages and lithologies. Therefore, this fault is better suited to define the nature and timing of fault movement associated with Avalon-Meguma terrane interaction.In several large Carboniferous plutons along the length of the RBF, and in previously deformed Precambrian rocks, mylonitic foliation orientations are predominantly east-west trending and mineral lineations plunge southeast. Kinematic indicators such as minor fold vergence, porphyroclast systems, asymmetric boudins, shear-band fabrics, and preferred recrystallization orientations indicate dextral shear. These data are taken to infer that the central section of the RBF is dominated by dextral strike-slip motion. Transpression occurs locally where the RBF curves into restraining bends. Kinematic data in these bends indicate top to the northwest thrusting. At the easternmost extent of the RBF, high-level brittle normal faults predominate in the locally extensional environment. The timing of RBF movement is constrained only by the ca 360 Ma granite bodies which it deforms and by the Westphalian sedimentary rocks which are affected by only the latest stages of movement.These kinematic data are consistent with previously published kinematic models for the interaction of the southern margin of the Avalon Composite Terrane with the Meguma Terrane in mainland Nova Scotia. These models suggest that regional dextral shear was accompanied by localized components of transpressional thrusting, wrench tectonism, and small-scale sedimentary basin development during Devonian to Carboniferous terrane interaction.     

Relative Radiometric Correction of Multitemporal Satellite Imagery Using Fourier and Wavelet Transform

Remotely sensed multitemporal, multisensor data are often required in Earth observation applications. A common problem associated with the use of multisource image data is the grey value differences caused by non-surface factors such as different illumination, atmospheric, or sensor conditions. Image normalization is required to reduce the radiometric influences caused by non-surface factors and to ensure that the grey value differences between temporal images reflect actual changes on the surface of the Earth. This paper proposes new approaches to radiometric correction of multitemporal satellite imagery using wavelet analysis and Fourier transform. The results obtained are compared with commonly used NO-change regression (NC) normalization and Histogram Matching spatial domain methods. Both visual inspection and statistical accuracy assessment show that proposed transform domain approaches are valid.     

Hydraulic testing of low-permeability formations: A case study in the granite of Cadalso de los Vidrios, Spain

In recent years, the study of low-permeability geological formations has undergone considerable development. This is mainly due to the use of natural geological barriers to confine waste disposals, preventing leaking water from bringing contaminants into contact with the biosphere and the groundwater resources.In that context, the Spanish Geological Survey (IGME, Spanish acronym), supported by the National Radioactive Waste Management Agency (ENRESA, Spanish acronym) and with the technical advice of the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB) designed and built a Mobile Hydrogeological Unit (UMH, Spanish acronym) for low-permeability formations characterization, which has been operational since 1997 and has been used for different purposes. Among other possibilities, the UMH allows conducting: constant transient-state flow-rate injection tests, constant-head transient-state injection tests, pseudo-stationary state injection tests, pressure fall-off tests, slug tests and pulse tests.The main objectives of this article are to describe the hydraulic characterization methodology used by IGME to carry out hydraulic tests in low permeability environment, to compare different testing methods and to summarize the results that have been obtained when characterizing the leucogranites of Cadalso de los Vidrios in Spain.The study area presents an increasing interest for granite production inside the Community of Madrid. The petrological and structural characteristics of the granite rocks and the core-samples extracted from a 200 m deep borehole investigation are described. The packer tests are conducted with the Mobile Hydrogeological Unit.The tests are interpreted with the help of analytical solutions. The main software used is Hytool, an open source matlab toolbox that provides a library of analytical solutions and a set of routines to facilitate hydraulic tests interpretation.The results allow the elaboration of a comparative analysis of the applied hydraulic tests and to define the hydraulic conductivity optimum application interval most suited for each of the used methods.Hydraulic conductivity values obtained varies from 3.20·10^− 7 m/s, for the upper weathered layer, to 2.80·10^− 12 m/s, for the test section from 97.36 to 116.15 m depth.Finally, the hydraulic conductivity values obtained in this area are compared with other case studies of granite formations around the world.     

Place attachment and community activism at the coast: The case of Ngunguru,Northland

The politics of place precipitated by a development proposal for a privately owned sandspit in Ngunguru, Northland, is examined in this article. It centres on residents' place attachment and the ways in which this helped to inform community resistance to development. A framing analysis of 23 stakeholder interviews conducted in 2008–2009 was carried out by the authors. Place attachment was centred on holistic appreciation of the sandspit's special values. A widespread view that exercise of private property rights over the site was deeply problematic was informed by this appreciation. Community ties were enhanced by shared perceptions of a threat to the sandspit.     

Longitudinal distributions of river flood power: the combined automated flood,elevation and stream power (CAFES) methodology

Stream power can be an extremely useful index of fluvial sediment transport, channel pattern, river channel erosion and riparian habitat development. However, most previous studies of downstream changes in stream power have relied on field measurements at selected cross‐sections, which are time consuming, and typically based on limited data, which cannot fully represent important spatial variations in stream power. We present here, therefore, a novel methodology we call CAFES (combined automated flood, elevation and stream power), to quantify downstream change in river flood power, based on integrating in a GIS framework Flood Estimation Handbook systems with the 5 m grid NEXTMap Britain digital elevation model derived from IFSAR (interferometric synthetic aperture radar). This provides a useful modelling platform to quantify at unprecedented resolution longitudinal distributions of flood discharge, elevation, floodplain slope and flood power at reach and basin scales. Values can be resolved to a 50 m grid. CAFES approaches have distinct advantages over current methodologies for reach‐ and basin‐scale stream power assessments and therefore for the interpretation and prediction of fluvial processes. The methodology has significant international applicability for understanding basin‐scale hydraulics, sediment transport, erosion and sedimentation processes and river basin management. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.