Estimation of the oxygen and CO2 mean exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere in key areas of the ocean

Current estimations of gas exchange between the ocean and the atmosphere are based on the concepts about diffusive gas transfer across the interface and about a stationary character of the processes; however, under a strong wind, these concepts are invalid. Transfer equations for gas constitutents of the air are incorporated into a numerical model of a nonstationary upper layer of the ocean. These equations contain the source function—gas transfer by bubbles, which becomes noticeable even at a wind speed of 8–10 m/s. The fluxes of oxygen and CO₂ are calculated at a specified wind speed, dependences of these fluxes on the wind speed are constructed, and estimates for the average annual fluxes are obtained for several areas of the Gulf Stream and Kuroshio. A substantial change in the difference of the air-water gas contents under a strong wind, caused by the turbulent exchange growth and appreciably affecting the gas exchange, is noted. The influence of the carbonate system of seawater on the CO₂ transfer during a storm is estimated. The results obtained are compared to the estimates based on the traditional approach.     

First results from the North Iceland experiment

Between June 2004 and September 2004 a temporary seismic network was installed on the northern insular shelf of Iceland and onshore in north Iceland. The seismic setup aimed at resolving the subsurface structure and, thus, the geodynamical transition from Icelandic crust to typical oceanic crust along Kolbeinsey Ridge. The experiment recorded about 1,000 earthquakes. The region encloses the Tjörnes Fracture Zone containing the Husavik–Flatey strike-slip fault and the extensional seismic Grimsey Lineament. Most of the seismicity occurs in swarms offshore. Preliminary results reveal typical mid-ocean crust north of Grimsey and a heterogeneous structure with major velocity anomalies along the seismic lineaments and north–south trending subsurface features. Complementary bathymetric mapping highlight numerous extrusion features along the Grimsey Lineament and Kolbeinsey Ridge. The seismic dataset promises to deliver new insights into the tectonic framework for earthquakes in an extensional transform zone along the global mid-ocean ridge system.     

Remote determination of momentum-flux profiles in the lower atmospheric boundary layer

An acoustic locator—a sodar—is a unique instrument for getting the objective characteristics of the current state of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) owing to a combination of such properties as remoteness, mobility, resolution, and information content. This study demonstrates the capabilities of a sodar to obtain data on the second moments of the field of wind-velocity fluctuations, in particular, the profiles of momentum flux in the lower ABL, which are very important in practical applications. A corresponding method is described, and the results of its experimental verification and some examples of its application under the conditions of different ABL stratification are presented.     

Thioploca spp. sheaths as niches for bacterial and protistan assemblages

Sulfide oxidizing bacterial mats are common in regions of the continental shelves characterized by high primary production and the resultant oxygen minimum zone. These mats are made up of several species of Beggiatoa and/or Thioploca, which oxidize sulfide that is generated in the sediment. Thioploca spp. inhabit a large polysaccharide sheath that encompasses bundles of 1–20 filaments (trichomes), each ranging from 3 to 60 μm in diameter. This sheath has been shown to be a critical component of the autecology of Thioploca. Analysis of Thioploca from cold seeps in Monterey Bay using light and transmission electron microscopy identified new and diverse microbial assemblages associated with interstitial spaces between trichomes, inside the sheath. Small diameter, non‐vacuolate, filamentous prokaryotes were numerous. Amoebae, euglenozoa, ciliates and other protists of unknown affiliation were observed in sheaths. Most of the protists possessed food vacuoles and some protists showed ultrastructural evidence of endosymbionts. These observations suggest that Thioploca sheaths may serve as oases on the sea floor, providing nutritional and detoxification services to previously unrecognized microbial partners.     

Overhead Detection of Underground Nuclear Explosions by Multi-Spectral and Infrared Imaging

The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty allows for Multi-Spectral and Infrared Imaging from an aircraft and on the ground to help reduce the search area for an underground nuclear explosion from the initial 1,000 km². Satellite data, primarily from Landsat, have been used as a surrogate for aircraft data to investigate whether there are any multi-spectral features associated with the nuclear tests in Pakistan, India or North Korea. It is shown that there are multi-spectral observables on the ground that can be associated with the nominal surface ground zero for at least some of these explosions, and that these are likely to be found by measurements allowed by the treaty.     

Alpine olivine- and titanian clinohumite-bearing assemblages in the Erro-Tobbio peridotite (Voltri Massif, NW Italy)

The microstructures in the Erro-Tobbio peridotite indicate several stages of recrystallization of olivine + titanian clinohumite-bearing assemblages. The development of these assemblages is closely associated with serpentinite mylonites, in which they occur in shear bands and foliations and are inferred to have grown synkinematically, in veins, and as post-kinematic radial aggregates. In the peridotite wall-rock adjacent to these mylonites, the same assemblages have recrystallized statically at the expense of original olivine and pyroxenes, mesh-textured chrysolite and antigorite veins. In addition, the olivine-bearing assemblage occurs in widespread vein systems. The brittle deformation of the peridotite resulting in the development of these vein systems is closely related to ductile deformation of metagabbroic dykes in the peridotite. Although early metasomatism resulted in extensive rodingitization of the gabbros, some dykes show an eclogitic assemblage of Na-clinopyroxene + garnet + chloritoid + chlorite ± talc. These observations, the microstructures and the mineral chemistry all suggest that the assemblages in the ultramafic rocks and metagabbros developed during a prograde evolution towards high pressures (>13–16 kbar, 450–550° C), and during subsequent decompression. This metamorphic evolution is considered to be related to Late Cretaceous intraoceanic subduction in the Alps-Apennine system and closure of the Piedmont-Ligurian basin.     

Near-vertical seismic reflection image using a novel acquisition technique across the Vrancea Zone and Foscani Basin, south-eastern Carpathians (Romania)

The DACIA PLAN (Danube and Carpathian Integrated Action on Process in the Lithosphere and Neotectonics) deep seismic sounding survey was performed in August–September 2001 in south-eastern Romania, at the same time as the regional deep refraction seismic survey VRANCEA 2001. The main goal of the experiment was to obtain new information on the deep structure of the external Carpathians nappes and the architecture of Tertiary/Quaternary basins developed within and adjacent to the seismically-active Vrancea zone, including the Focsani Basin. The seismic reflection line had a WNW–ESE orientation, running from internal East Carpathians units, across the mountainous south-eastern Carpathians, and the foreland Focsani Basin towards the Danube Delta. There were 131 shot points along the profile, with about 1 km spacing, and data were recorded with stand-alone RefTek-125s (also known as “Texans”), supplied by the University Texas at El Paso and the PASSCAL Institute. The entire line was recorded in three deployments, using about 340 receivers in the first deployment and 640 receivers in each of the other two deployments. The resulting deep seismic reflection stacks, processed to 20 s along the entire profile and to 10 s in the eastern Focsani Basin, are presented here. The regional architecture of the latter, interpreted in the context of abundant independent constraint from exploration seismic and subsurface data, is well imaged. Image quality within and beneath the thrust belt is of much poorer quality. Nevertheless, there is good evidence to suggest that a thick (10 km) sedimentary basin having the structure of a graben and of indeterminate age underlies the westernmost part of the Focsani Basin, in the depth range 10–25 km. Most of the crustal depth seismicity observed in the Vrancea zone (as opposed to the more intense upper mantle seismicity) appears to be associated with this sedimentary basin. The sedimentary successions within this basin and other horizons visible further to the west, beneath the Carpathian nappes, suggest that the geometry of the Neogene and recent uplift observed in the Vrancea zone, likely coupled with contemporaneous rapid subsidence in the foreland, is detached from deeper levels of the crust at about 10 km depth. The Moho lies at a depth of about 40 km along the profile, its poor expression in the reflection stack being strengthened by independent estimates from the refraction data. Given the apparent thickness of the (meta)sedimentary supracrustal units, the crystalline crust beneath this area is quite thin (< 20 km) supporting the hypothesis that there may have been delamination of (lower) continental crust in this area involved in the evolution of the seismic Vrancea zone.     

Paleoproterozoic quartz-pebble conglomerate type uranium mineralisation in Mankarhachua area,Angul district,Orissa

Ground Radiometric survey of Paleoproterozoic pyritiferous quartz-pebble conglomerate (QPC) occurring to the north of Pallahara area led to the discovery of a QPC type uranium mineralisation near Mankarhachua village. Significant radioactivity is recorded in three sub-parallel uraniferous QPC horizons with metamorphosed pebbly to medium grained recrystallised massive sandstones. Detrital grains of uranothorite, thorite, radioactive allanite, monazite, zircon, minute uraninite grains in carbonaceous matter and thucolite contributes to the radioactive phases present in QPC matrix. Adsorbed U on limonite and goethite, secondary uranyl minerals in matrix, along bedding planes and fractures are commonly observed. This discovery has opened up a new horizon for future exploration for QPC type uranium mineralization in the area. The paper presents observations on geology, radioactivity, petrological and geochemical nature of the uraniferous QPC horizons.     

Lithogeochemical patterns around Pb-Zn mineralizations in Dinantian carbonate rocks of (eastern) Belgium

The lithogeochemical distribution patterns of Mg, Sr, Na, Zn, Pb, Fe, Mn, K, Corg (organic matter) and IR (insoluble residue) in the Dinantian limestones and dolomites from the eastern part of Belgium have been studied (Dinant and Verviers synclinorium). Comparison of geochemical data of non-mineralized strata revealed higher background values in the strata of the Verviers synclinorium where Pb-Zn mineralizations occur. In this area a relation may exist with the metallogenetic district (Herve-Vesdre-Theux district; proposed by Dejonghe 1985b). However, the higher background values also could relate to the more restricted sedimentation conditions in the Verviers synclinorium as opposed to the more open marine conditions in the Dinant synclinorium. The influence of mineralization on the geochemistry of limestones is limited and unpredictable. In dolomites, however, the effect can be important. In these rocks, the lithogeochemical distribution of Zn, Pb and Mn can be subdivided into three populations, i.e. a regional background, a local high background and a halo population. The higher trace element concentrations in the halo population is caused by the existence of disseminated sulfide minerals (sphalerite, galena and pyrite) and Zn-bearing goethite (mainly pseudomorphs after pyrite) and Mn-oxides. The sulfides relate to the ore emplacement. In the local high background only the Zn-bearing oxides occur. Their presence and thus the development of the local high background relates to weathering processes.     

High-resolution numerical modelling of convective precipitation over Northern Italy

Summary A number of forecast experiments were performed in order to assess the capability of reproducing, by means of a limited-area numerical model, the highly structured mesoscale circulations occurring in the Po Valley of Northern Italy during a north-westerly cold front passage across the Alpine chain, with particular attention to the modelling of the effects of organized convection. The case-study occurred during summer 1987 and the model used throughout was the 1989 version of the UB/NMC Limited Area Model (University of Belgrade, National Meteorological Centre of Washington). The model was integrated both with eta, , and sigma, , as vertical coordinates and ECMWF initialized analyses were always used as initial conditions. ECMWF initialized analysis or operational forecast fields were also used for updating in time the lateral boundary conditions. Experiments show qualitative and quantitative agreement with observations, both in upper-air geopotential height fields, in MSLP and in cumulated precipitation. Several modelling issues were also investigated, e.g. sensitivity of the results to horizontal and vertical model resolution and to the influence of the lateral boundaries poitioning, finding large effects of the latter on quantitative precipitation fields. Difficulties in modelling very localized mesoscale phenomena, e.g. organized convective thunderstorms in the Po Valley and Alpine North Foehn in the Milan area, were generally encounted.