Late Pleistocene and Holocene history of Lake Terrasovoje,Amery Oasis,East Antarctica,and its climatic and environmental implications

A 5.52 m long sediment sequence was recovered from Lake Terrasovoje, Amery Oasis, East Antarctica, in order to reconstruct the regional environmental history. The basal sediments, which are dominated by glacial and glaciofluvial clastic sediments, attest to a Late Pleistocene deglaciation of the lake basin. These sediments are overlain by 2.70 m of laminated algal and microbial mats and a few interspersed moss layers. Radiocarbon dating, conducted on bulk organic carbon of 12 samples throughout the organic sequence, provides a reliable chronology since the onset of biogenic accumulation at c. 12,400 cal. year BP. Successful diatom colonization, however, was probably hampered by extensive ice and snow cover on the lake and restricted input of nutrients until 10,200 cal. year BP. A subsequent increase of nutrient supply culminated between 8600 and 8200 cal. year BP and is related to warm summer temperatures and reduced albedo in the catchment. Warm conditions lasted until 6700 cal. year BP, supporting the establishment of a diatom community. Colder temperatures from 6700 cal. year BP culminated in several periods between 6200 and 3700 cal. year BP, when high amounts of sulphur and low abundances of diatoms were deposited due to a perennial ice and snow cover on the lake. During the late Holocene, relatively warm conditions between 3200 and 2300 cal. year BP and between 1500 to 1000 cal. year BP, respectively, indicated by high accumulation of organic matter and reducing bottom water conditions, were interrupted and followed by colder periods.     

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.     

Inter-hemispheric asymmetry in polar mesosphere summer echoes and temperature at 69° latitude

An inter-hemispheric asymmetry is found in the characteristics of polar mesosphere summer echoes (PMSE) and upper mesosphere temperatures at conjugate latitudes (～69°) above Antarctica and the Arctic. The second complete mesosphere–stratosphere–troposphere (MST) radar summer observation season at Davis (68.6°S) revealed that PMSE occur less frequently, with lower strength and on average 1 km higher compared with their northern counterparts at Andenes (69.3°N). We consider the thermodynamic state of the mesosphere for conjoining hemispheric summers based on satellite and ground-based radar measurements, and show the mesopause region near ～80–87 km of the Southern Hemisphere (SH) to be up to 7.5 K warmer than its Northern Hemisphere (NH) counterpart. We show that this is consistent with our observation of asymmetries in the characteristics of PMSE and demonstrate how the mesosphere meridional wind field influences the existence and strength of the echoes in both hemispheres.     

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.     

Growth,feed conversion and faecal discharge of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) fed three commercial diets

Abstract

A study was undertaken to provide data on growth, feed conversion ratio (FCR) and faecal discharge of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) fed three commercial diets used previously to culture this species in New Zealand. Fish were raised in tanks from 0.4 to 1.2 kg over the spring (water temperature 14–17°C) and summer (17–22°C) periods. There were considerable differences in volumetric and mass‐specific feed intake, and energy intake amongst diets. Daily crude protein intake was similar amongst diets, although it increased from the cold (4.05–4.50 g protein kg^?1 day^?1) to warm period (6.48–7.67 g protein kg^?1 day^?1). The biological and economical FCR varied with diet (BFCR 1.22–2.17, EFCR 1.30–2.62), as did the cost of feed per unit biomass produced (NZ$38–3.78 kg^?1). Growth rates were broadly similar amongst diets, and the warmer summer temperature period greatly improved both growth (increase from 0.51–0.64% to 1.18–1.23% mass gain day^?1) and BFCR (decrease from 1.37–2.17 to 1.22–1.46). The Salmofood ESF diet resulted in only half of the faecal setüeable solids and settleable total nitrogen (T N) and total phosphorus (T P) output compared with Skretting NME, which was in turn only half or less of that of Reliance SF     

Assessing adequacy of spectrum‐matched ground motions for response history analysis

Response spectrum matching is commonly used to generate ground motions with response spectra matching a scenario target spectrum. There is some debate in the literature about whether spectrum‐matched motions lead to biased structural analysis results. Furthermore, there are no objective, quantitative criteria available for deciding whether a ground motion has been manipulated excessively by spectrum matching, and whether large modification may also lead to bias. This study investigates both of these issues by presenting the results of structural analysis using two reinforced concrete moment frame models and two earthquake scenarios, with suites of unmatched and matched ground motions. Through comparison with a robust benchmark, it is shown that no significant bias is introduced by spectrum matching. The period range and target damping values for matching are also investigated, and matching up to three times the fundamental period is shown to be beneficial in reducing dispersion in the results. Finally, these analyses were also used to investigate whether large changes in the ground motion lead to biased analysis results. Several potential measures of change are investigated, including those based on peak absolute ground motion, cumulative squared ground motion (absolute or normalized), and input energy into single‐degree‐of‐freedom systems. Although no systematic, statistically significant correlation is found for the analysis results in terms of any of these measures of change, tentative criteria are proposed, which may be used by analysts to aid in the decision of whether to accept or reject a spectrum‐matched motion. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Land-parcel land-use history as a key to site selection for documenting soil contamination risk: A case study from Australian Suburbia

In that orcharding in early-to-mid twentieth century southeastern Australia involved use of certain heavy metal and As compounds in regular pest-control spray procedures, some interest attaches to the possibility that these landparcels are underlain by’ soils with above-background Cu, Pb and As levels. Interpretation of Land-cover changes allowed land parcels previously occupied by orchards to be identified in the 1950s through time-series air-photos. A comparison of soil analysis results referring to soil samples from control sites, and from land parcels formerly occupied by orchardists, shows that contamination (above-background) levels of cations in the pesticides can be found in the top 6 cm of former orchard soils. It is clear that digital spatial data handling and culturally-informed air photo interpretation has a place in soil contamination studies, land-use planning (with particular reference to re-development) and in administration of public health.