Biogeochemical behavior of Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke in the Pitinga mining district, Amazon, Brazil

The vegetal species Ampelozizyphus amazonicus Ducke (Rhamnaceae Family) was chosen as a sampling medium for the lateritic surfaces of the Pitinga Mine in the Amazon region, in order to study the biogeochemical behavior of this species and compare it with the chemical composition of a reference plant. The Pitinga mining district is one of the largest producers of tin in the world. This district contains unique deposits of cryolite and rare metals such as Zr, Nb, Ta, Y and REEs related to granitic bodies that intrude into the volcanic and acid pyroclastic rocks. The results showed that the species A. amazonicus predominantly concentrates significant levels of Zr, Nb, Ta, Th, Be, Sc over U, Hf, Ga and In. These elements are characteristic of the mineral paragenesis for the region, suggesting that this plant can provide a representative sampling medium future geochemical exploration programs in the region.     

Petrogenesis of Al–silicate-bearing trondhjemitic migmatites from NE Sardinia, Italy

The migmatites from Punta Sirenella (NE Sardinia) are layered rocks containing 3–5 vol.% of centimeter-sized stromatic leucosomes which are mainly trondhjemitic and only rarely granitic in composition. They underwent three deformation phases, from D₁ to D₃. The D₁ deformation shows a top to the NW shear component followed by a top to the NE/SE component along the XZ plane of the S₂ schistosity. Migmatization started early, during the compressional and crustal thickening stage of Variscan orogeny and was still in progress during the following extensional stage of unroofing and exhumation.

The trondhjemitic leucosomes, mainly consisting of quartz, plagioclase, biotite ± garnet ± kyanite ± fibrolite, retrograde muscovite and rare K-feldspar, are locally bordered by millimeter-sized biotite-rich melanosomes. The rare granitic leucosomes differ from trondhjemitic ones only in the increase in modal content of K-feldspar, up to 25%. Partial melting started in the kyanite field at about 700–720 °C and 0.8–0.9 GPa, and was followed by re-equilibration at 650–670 °C and 0.4–0.6 GPa, producing fibrolite–biotite intergrowth and coarse-grained muscovite.

The leucosomes have higher SiO₂, CaO, Na₂O, Sr and lower Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃, MgO, TiO₂, K₂O, P₂O₅, Rb, Ba, Cr, V, Zr, Nb, Zn and REE content with respect to proximal hosts and pelitic metagreywackes. Sporadic anomalous high content of calcium and ferromagnesian elements in some leucosomes is due to entrainment of significant amounts of restitic plagioclase, biotite and accessory phases. The rare granitic leucosomes reveal peritectic K-feldspar produced by muscovite-dehydration melting. Most leucosomes show low REE content, moderately fractionated REE patterns and marked positive Eu anomaly. Proximal hosts and pelitic metagraywackes are characterized by higher REE content, more fractionated REE patterns and slightly negative Eu anomaly.

The trondhjemitic leucosomes were generated by H₂O-fluxed melting at 700 °C of a greywacke to pelitic–greywacke metasedimentary source-rock. The disequilibrium melting process is the most reliable melting model for Punta Sirenella leucosomes.     

Time dependent structural architecture of subsidiary fracturing and stress pattern in the tip region of an extensional growth fault system, Tarquinia basin, Italy

Fault tip regions, relay ramps and accommodation zones in between major segments of extensional fault systems provide zones of additional structural and stratigraphic complexities and also significantly affect their hydraulic behaviour. The great interest for both academic and industrial purposes encouraged specific studies of fault tip regions that, in some cases, produced controversial results. We approached the study of fault tip regions by integrating structural, AMS and stratigraphic analyses of the tip of an extensional growth fault system in the Tarquinia basin, on the Tyrrhenian side of the Northern Apennines. Detailed structural mapping indicates the occurrence of systematic relationships between the orientation of the main subsidiary fault zones, the orientation and position of the two main joint sets developed in the fault damage zones, and the overprinting relationships between the two main joint sets themselves. Microstructural analysis of fault core rocks indicates a progression of deformation from soft-sediment to brittle conditions. The AMS study supports the evolution of deformation under a constantly oriented stress field. By combining this multidisciplinary information we propose an evolutionary model for the tip of the extensional growth fault system that accounts for the progressively changing sediment rheological properties, and for the time dependent subsidiary deformation pattern by invoking the interplay between the regional stress field and the local, kinematically-derived one by fault activity. We also speculate on the overall implications for fluid flow of the proposed evolutionary model.     

Enzymological classification of salt lakes in Romania

Sediments of 56 salt lakes from Romania were studied enzymologically. The following 7 enzymatic and nonenzymatic catalytic activities have been measured: phosphatase, H₂O₂-splitting in nonautoclaved (catalase) and autoclaved samples, TTC reduction in nonautoclaved (dehydrogenase) and autoclaved samples, without or with glucose addition. A formula is proposed for the evaluation of the enzymatic potential of salt lake sediments or other habitats. A hierarchy of the studied lakes has been established on the basis of the enzymatic potential of their sediments expressed as enzymatic indicator.     

Laboratory determination of mechanical and hydraulic properties of chemically grouted sands

The purpose of this paper is to investigate mechanical and hydraulic properties of sands treated with mineral-based grouts through the results of a laboratory test programme consisting of unconfined compression tests (UCS), triaxial bender element tests (BeT) and constant flow permeability tests in triaxial apparatus. An improved apparatus was set up for obtaining high quality, multiple grouted specimens from a single column. Two selected natural sands having different grain sizes were grouted with two mineral-based silica grouts, resulting in different levels of improvement. The behaviour of the sands treated by mineral grouts, in terms of strength, initial stiffness and permeability, was compared with that exhibited by more traditional silicate grouts. The results of this study indicate that sands treated with mineral grouts result in higher strengths, higher initial shear modulus and lower permeability values than the sands treated with the silicate solution. The effect of grout type, effective confining pressure, and sand particle-size on small-strain shear modulus of grouted sand specimens was evaluated. Based on test results, the small strain shear modulus increment from treated to untreated specimens has been correlated with the unconfined compressive strength, obtaining a unique relationship regardless of grout type and grain-size of tested sands.     

Geochemical mobility of arsenic in the surficial waters from Argentina

The presence of arsenic (As) in surface water constitutes an important environmental risk, where mobility and adsorption processes are responsible for its behavior in the sediment–water interface. Therefore, the assessment of adsorption, mobility and water availability of arsenic in freshwater sediments, with agricultural, livestock and urban soil uses was performed. Arsenic concentrations in sediments ranged from 5.4 to 15.9 mg kg^?1 (total) and 2.8 to 6.5 mg kg^?1 (labile), and those of iron and manganese were 11,563–23,500 and 140.6–662.1 mg kg^?1, respectively. The As levels in water were significantly lower than those of sediments. Results would suggest that As co-precipitation and adsorption on Fe oxides are probably the major route of immobilization, determining its low lability. Manganese did not present an outstanding contribution to the retention, and cation-exchange capacity, pH and organic matter of sediments did not show an influence on the mobility of As.     

Growth rates and ecology of coralline rhodoliths from the Ras Ghamila back reef lagoon,Red Sea

Rhodoliths are important marine carbonate producers that provide habitat for several marine organisms, and are threatened by ongoing global climate change. Meter‐sized sedimentary patches rich in living rhodoliths, interspersed among corals, were discovered in the back reef of Ras Ghamila lagoon, Southern Sinai, at less than 1 m water depth. In this shallow and relatively sheltered subtropical environment, rhodoliths were found to be monospecific or oligospecific, spheroidal, 3.5 to 9.4 cm in maximum diameter, with warty/lumpy or fruticose (protuberance degree IV) growth forms, and corresponded to the unattached branches or praline type. They grew in bright light under seasonal, moderate, wind‐driven water motion. The dominant rhodolith‐forming species recorded were: Lithophyllum kotschyanum, Porolithon onkodes, Hydrolithon sp. and three species of Neogoniolithon: Neogoniolithon fosliei, Neogoniolithon brassica‐florida, and an undescribed species noted in the text as Neogoniolithon sp. A total of 38 Alizarin‐stained rhodoliths was released in the field and collected after 1 year. They showed different banding patterns (alternating long and short cells) that revealed seasonal growth, with the lowest rates occurring in winter for all species, and an additional summer growth slackening in Neogoniolithon fosliei. Lithophyllum kotschyanum presented evidence of occasional growth cessation, possibly due to temporary burial. The observed annual growth rate of rhodoliths was unrelated to their size. The mean accretion rates were 1.08 mm · year^?1 in L. kotschyanum, 0.75 mm · year^?1 in P. onkodes, 0.49 mm · year^?1 in Hydrolithon sp., 0.85 mm mm · year^?1 in N. fosliei, 0.63 mm · year^?1 in N. brassica‐florida and 0.57 mm · year^?1 in Neogoniolithon sp. The annual mean marginal elongation rate for these taxa was respectively 8.74, 13.92, 3.59, 9.40 and 9.25 mm · year^?1, with the exception of Neogoniolithon sp., for which this parameter was not recorded. Maximum marginal elongation occurred in P. onkodes pointing out its greater ability as a space competitor in comparison with the other rhodolith species. The highest accretion rate and common presence of L. kotschyanum indicate its importance as carbonate producer in tropical reef.     

Neural networks in the dynamic response analysis of slender marine structures

Risers and anchor lines play important roles in offshore oil exploitation activities nowadays. For this reason the proper analysis and design of such slender structures has been of a paramount interest. The principal characteristics to be accounted for in riser and mooring line analysis are the severe nonlinearities involved and the random dynamic effects associated. The Finite Element Method (FEM) is an essential step to cope with this kind of analysis. But the use of the FEM can be computationally very expensive for the solution of the resultant nonlinear differential equations of motion, because the time-domain integration should produce sufficiently long response time-histories using small time-steps in order to obtain reliable time-series statistics of any structural response parameter, e.g., top tension in an anchor line or stresses occurring at a critical section in a steel catenary riser (SCR). This paper presents a very efficient hybrid Artificial Neural Network (ANN)–Finite Element Method (FEM) procedure to perform a nonlinear mapping of the current and past system excitations (inputs) to produce subsequent system response (output) for the random dynamic analysis of mooring lines and risers. Firstly, a quite short FEM-based time-domain response simulation is generated. Then, an ANN is used to predict the remaining structural response time-history simulation. The hybrid ANN–FEM approach can be very efficient for predicting long response time-histories. It has been observed that a 3 h response time-history can accurately be obtained with approximately the computational cost of a 500 s one, i.e., 20 times faster than a complete simulation using finite element-based solution. Roughly, this can represent a reduction of about a dozen of hours of computer time for a single mooring line analysis and about two dozens of hours (or more) for a single SCR analysis, both belonging to a deep-water floating unit.     

Multi-level assessment of chronic toxicity of estuarine sediments with the amphipod Gammarus locusta: I. Biochemical endpoints

We report on biomarker responses conducted as part of a multi-level assessment of the chronic toxicity of estuarine sediments to the amphipod Gammarus locusta. A companion article accounts for organism and population-level effects. Five moderately contaminated sediments from two Portuguese estuaries, Sado and Tagus, were assessed. Three of them were muddy and two were sandy sediments. The objective was to assess sediments that were not acutely toxic. Three of the sediments met this criterion, the other two were diluted (50% and 75%) with clean sediment until acute toxicity was absent. Following 28-d exposures, the amphipods were analysed for whole-body metal bioaccumulation, metallothionein induction (MT), DNA strand breakage (SB) and lipid peroxidation (LP). Two of the muddy sediments did not cause chronic toxicity. These findings were consistent with responses at organism and population levels that showed higher growth rates and improvement of reproductive traits for amphipods exposed to these two sediments. Two other sediments, one muddy and one sandy, exhibited pronounced chronic toxicity, affecting SB, MT induction (in muddy sediment), survival and reproduction. Potential toxicants involved in these effects were identified. The last sandy sediment exhibited some loss of DNA integrity, however growth was also enhanced. Present results, together with the organism/population-level data, and also benthic communities information, were analysed under a weight-of-evidence approach. By providing evidence of exposure (or lack of it) to contaminants in sediments, the biomarkers here applied assisted in distinguishing toxicants' impacts in test organisms from the confounding influence of other geochemical features of the sediments.