Marine Macrophyte Wrack Inputs and Dissolved Nutrients in Beach Sands

We investigated the role of sandy beaches in nearshore nutrient cycling by quantifying macrophyte wrack inputs and examining relationships between wrack accumulation and pore water nutrients during the summer dry season. Macrophyte inputs, primarily giant kelp Macrocystis pyrifera, exceeded 2.3 kg m⁻¹ day⁻¹. Mean wrack biomass varied 100-fold among beaches (range = 0.41 to 46.43 kg m⁻¹). Mean concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), primarily NO_x⁻-N, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) in intertidal pore water varied significantly among beaches (ranges = 1 to 6,553 μM and 7 to 2,006 μM, respectively). Intertidal DIN and DON concentrations were significantly correlated with wrack biomass. Surf zone concentrations of DIN were also strongly correlated with wrack biomass and with intertidal DIN, suggesting export of nutrients from re-mineralized wrack. Our results suggest beach ecosystems can process and re-mineralize substantial organic inputs and accumulate dissolved nutrients, which are subsequently available to nearshore waters and primary producers.     

Elevated marine deposits in Bermuda record a late Quaternary megatsunami

Deposits of coral-bearing, marine shell conglomerate exposed at elevations higher than 20 m above present-day mean sea level (MSL) in Bermuda and the Bahamas have previously been interpreted as relict intertidal deposits formed during marine isotope stage (MIS) 11, ca. 360–420 ka before present. On the strength of this evidence, a sea level highstand more than 20 m higher than present-day MSL was inferred for the MIS 11 interglacial, despite a lack of clear supporting evidence in the oxygen-isotope records of deep-sea sediment cores. We have critically re-examined the elevated marine deposits in Bermuda, and find their geological setting, sedimentary relations, and microfaunal assemblages to be inconsistent with intertidal deposition over an extended period. Rather, these deposits, which comprise a poorly sorted mixture of reef, lagoon and shoreline sediments, appear to have been carried tens of meters inside karst caves, presumably by large waves, at some time earlier than ca. 310–360 ka before present (MIS 9–11). We hypothesize that these deposits are the result of a large tsunami during the mid-Pleistocene, in which Bermuda was impacted by a wave set that carried sediments from the surrounding reef platform and nearshore waters over the eolianite atoll. Likely causes for such a megatsunami are the flank collapse of an Atlantic island volcano, such as the roughly synchronous Julan or Orotava submarine landslides in the Canary Islands, or a giant submarine landslide on the Atlantic continental margin.     

Revision of the Conchostracan Genus Tenuestheria from the Upper Cretaceous Lanxi Formation in Zhejiang and Its Biostratigraphic Significance in Southeast China

The diagnosis of the conchostracan genus Tenuestheria from the Lanxi Formation in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province in Southeast China is revised following an examination of the type species under a scanning electron microscope, which revealed some morphological features on the carapace that had not been recognized previously. The importance of the Tenuestheria Fauna is considered in the context of correlation of six Turonian–Santonian formations in this region of China. The value of the Cenomanian Nemestheria and Turonian Linhaiella faunas in correlating the underlying early Late Cretaceous formations is also noted.     

Compaction localization in the Earth and the laboratory: state of the research and research directions

Localized compaction in porous rocks is a recently recognized phenomenon that has been shown to reduce permeability dramatically. Consequently, the phenomenon is relevant to a variety of technologies involving fluid injection or withdrawal. This article summarizes current understanding of localized compaction and impediments to further progress. The article is based on discussions at a small workshop on localized compaction sponsored by the Office of Science, U. S. Department of Energy.     

新疆东天山十里坡自然铜矿化区马头滩组玄武岩锆石LA-ICPMS U-Pb年龄及其意义

新疆北部东天山十里坡地区近年来新发现了与玄武岩有关的自然铜矿化这一新类型。自然铜的赋矿地层-马头滩组中的赋矿玄武岩锆石 LA-ICPMS 年龄为307±4Ma,对应于晚石炭世,显示该套赋矿地层属于上石炭统。从该区自然铜赋矿火山岩所限定的时间看,成矿背景应属于后碰撞环境。东天山十里坡地区自然铜矿化的构造背景、成矿系统和矿化类型与峨眉山玄武岩自然铜矿化和美国基威诺铜矿床均存在差异,自然铜矿化的成因可能也存在差异。     

Greatlakean Substage: A replacement for Valderan Substage in the Lake Michigan basin

New evidence from recent field and seismic investigations in the Lake Michigan basin and in the type areas of the Valders, Two Creeks and Two Rivers deposits necessitates revision of late-glacial ice-front positions, rock- and time-stratigraphic nomenclature and climatic interpretations and deglaciation patterns for the period ca. 14,000–7,000 radiocarbon years B.P. The previously reported and long accepted pattern of deglaciation for the Lake Michigan basin started with a regular retreat from the Lake Border Morainic System, with a minor oscillation marked by the Port Huron moraine(s) and then an extensive Twocreekan deglaciation followed by a major (320 km) post-Twocreekan advance (Valders). However, we now record a major retreat between the times of the Lake Border and Port Huron moraines, followed by a gradual retreat from the Port Huron limit and interrupted by a minor standstill (deposition of Manitowoc Till), a retreat (Twocreekan) and a readvance (Two Rivers Till). No Woodfordian or younger readvance was as extensive as had been the preceding one. This sequence argues for a normal, climatically controlled, progressive deglaciation rather than one interrupted by a major post-Twocreekan (formerly Valderan) surge. This revision appears finally to harmonize the geologic evidence and the palynological record for the Great Lakes region. Our investigations show that Valders Till from which the Valderan Substage was named is late-Woodfordian in age. We propose the term “Greatlakean” as a replacement for the now misleading time-stratigraphic term “Valderan”. The type section and the definition of the upper and lower boundaries of the Greatlakean Substage remain the same as those originally proposed for the Valderan Substage but the name is changed.     

On the inter-relationship between grain size sensitive creep and dynamic recrystallization of olivine

The recent theoretical results of Twiss (1976) and Goetze (1978) suggest that at high temperatures and sufficiently high stresses the creep behavior of dry olivine should be dominated by either nonlinear diffusion accommodated grain-boundary sliding or nonlinear Coble creep mechanisms. This would result following the production of a fine grain-size by dynamic recrystallization. For the high-temperature experimental work performed by Karato et al. (1982) dry single crystals of olivine were almost totally recrystallized during creep, and temperature changing experiments were performed on the resulting dynamically recrystallizing polycrystalline aggregates. However, the activation energy for creep determined by Karato et al. (1982) was far higher than that predicted by the models of Twiss (1976) or Goetze (1978), although the conditions required for operation of at least the model of Twiss (1976) apparently were satisfied. The data for the highly recrystallized specimens from the higher stress, lower temperature experiments of Zeuch and Green (1979) and Zeuch (1980) are in good agreement with the results of Karato et al. (1982). These latter experiments were conducted under conditions where either the model of Twiss (1976) or Goetze (1978) should have been applicable. I tentatively conclude that although fine grain sizes were produced in the experiments of Karato et al. (1982), Zeuch and Green (1979) and Zeuch (1980) by dynamic recrystallization, there is no evidence for a transition to grain-boundary diffusional creep mechanisms at high or low stresses despite the predictions of Twiss (1976) or Goetze (1978). Instead, deformation is dominated by dislocation movement with recovery by dynamic recrystallization.