The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility in biotite, muscovite and chlorite single crystals

The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) of single crystals of biotite, muscovite and chlorite has been measured in order to provide accurate values of the magnetic anisotropy properties for these common rock-forming minerals. The low-field AMS and the high-field paramagnetic susceptibility are defined. For the high-field values, it is necessary to combine the paramagnetic deviatoric tensor obtained from the high-field torque magnetometer with the paramagnetic bulk susceptibility measured from magnetization curves of the crystals. This leads to the full paramagnetic susceptibility ellipsoid due to the anisotropic distribution of iron cations in the silicate lattice. The ellipsoid of paramagnetic susceptibility, which was obtained for the three phyllosilicates, is highly oblate in shape and the minimum susceptibility direction is subparallel to the crystallographic c-axes. The anisotropy of the susceptibility within the basal plane of the biotite has been evaluated and found to be isotropic within the accuracy of the instrumental measurements. The degree of anisotropy of biotite and chlorite is compatible with previously reported values while for muscovite the smaller than previously published values. The shape of the chlorite AMS ellipsoid for all the samples is near-perfect oblate in contrast with a wide distribution of oblate and prolate values reported in earlier studies. Reliable values are important for deriving models of the magnetic anisotropy where it reflects mineral fabrics and deformation of rocks.     

A Parametric Approach for Dealing with Compositional Rounded Zeros

In this work, a parametric approach for replacing data below the detection limit, also known as rounded zeros, in compositional data sets is proposed. Compositional rounded zeros correspond to small proportions of some whole that cannot be reliably detected by the analytical instruments under given operating conditions. This kind of zeros appear frequently in the data collection process in geosciences. They must be treated in an adequate way before some multivariate analysis can be applied. Our procedure results from a modification of the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm and is based on the additive log-ratio transformation. Its coherence with the nature of compositional data and with basic operations in the simplex sample space is checked. Using real data sets, we find that this approach improves other parametric and non-parametric techniques for compositional rounded zeros.     

Three-Dimensional Velocity Field and Cross-Frontal Water Exchange in the Kuroshio Extension

A spread of warm water from the first crest of the Kuroshio Extension is periodically enhanced by northward warm water intrusions from the main current. The water type in the spread area was previously found to be the same as that in the Kuroshio front at depth. In looking for the possible mechanism responsible for the northward warm water intrusions, a dynamic analysis in the Kuroshio front was carried out by using CTD, ADCP, AVHRR and ARGOS buoy data, obtained in 1996 by the R.V. Hakuho Maru. Downstream, cross-stream and vertical velocities in the Kuroshio Extension were found by using a "stream coordinate system". The velocity field in the Kuroshio front at the first crest showed a double structure with two surface velocity maxima. In the inner part of the front, relatively high cross-stream (northward) and vertical (upward) velocities were found. Thus, this study suggests that while water particles flow downstream along the first stationary meander of the Kuroshio Extension, they also experience lateral and vertical movements which allow the deeper water from an upstream location to rise to the surface layer, and in certain locations to deflect northward. By assuming isopycnal movement and conservation of potential vorticity, it was found that in those locations where anticyclonic curvature of the meander increases, warm water is more likely to deflect northward. High ageostrophic components observed in the first 300 m of the water column are probably related to the relatively high cross-stream and vertical velocities in the inner part of the front.     

Spatial and seasonal patterns of flood change across Brazil

Brazil has some of the largest rivers in the world and has the second greatest flood loss potential among the emergent countries. Despite that, flood studies in this area are still scarce. In this paper, we used flood seasonality and trend analysis at the annual and seasonal scales in order to describe flood regimes and changes across the whole of Brazil in the period 1976–2015. We identified a strong seasonality of floods and a well-defined spatio-temporal pattern for flood occurrence. There are positive trends in the frequency and magnitude of floods in the North, South and parts of Southeast Brazil; and negative trends in the North-east and the remainder of Southeast Brazil. Trends in the magnitude (frequency) were predominant in the winter (summer). Overall, floods are becoming more frequent and intense in Brazilian regions characterized by wet conditions, and less frequent and intense in drier regions.     

Fluctuations of floods of the River Morava (Czech Republic) in the 1691–2009 period: interactions of natural and anthropogenic factors

Abstract

Floods from the middle part of the River Morava (eastern Czech Republic) are considered over the course of the past three centuries, the study being based on data derived from documentary evidence (1691–1880), measured peak water stages, H_k (1881–1920) and peak discharges, Q_k (1916–2009), evaluated with respect to their N-year return period (H_N and Q_N ). Changes in land use and water management (water reservoirs, channel modifications) are discussed, as are factors influencing runoff conditions in the Morava catchment. Decadal synthesis of flood series identifies the highest flood activity in the decades of 1911–1920 and 1961–1970 (11 floods each), 1831–1840, 1891–1900, 1901–1910 and 1931–1940 (10 floods each). Uncertainty in this series is related to some incompleteness of documentary data in the pre-1881 period. Very low flood frequency occurred in the 1990s–2000s, although the most disastrous floods were recorded in this particular period (July 1997 at Q ₁₀₀ and March/April 2006 at Q ₂₀–Q ₅₀). Changes in flood frequency correspond partly to long-term changes in temperature and precipitation patterns.

Citation Brázdil, R., ?ezní?ková, L., Valá?ek, H., Havlí?ek, M., Dobrovolný, P., Soukalová, E., ?ehánek, T. & Skokanová, H. (2011) Fluctuations of floods of the River Morava (Czech Republic) in the 1691–2009 period: interactions of natural and anthropogenic factors. Hydrol. Sci. J. 56(3), 468–485.     

Evaluation of the removal of heavy metals in a natural wetland impacted by mining activities in Mexico

This research is focused on evaluating heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn) uptake and removal by Eleocharis ovata, Cyperus manimae, Typha dominguensis, and Pteridium aquilinum in a natural wetland impacted by mining activities. We analyzed heavy metals content and distribution in native plants, soils, and water of a semipermanent natural wetland in Taxco de Alarcón, Guerrero, and we also determined the physicochemical characteristics of the water. Translocation factor (TF) and bioconcentration factor (BCF) were evaluated. Results showed that physical and chemical conditions are favorable for plants development. Correlation analysis showed a good and positive relation (0.95) between Cu and Pb in soils and plants. In the analyzed matrices: Zn (0.62–2.20 mg/L) exceeded the permissible limits in water, high concentrations of Pb and Zn (26.57–525.67 and 266.67–983.33 mg/kg, respectively) were detected in the studied soils, and Pb exceeded the normal range for E. ovata and P. aquilinum in the analyzed plants. Uptake of heavy metals in the tissues of different species was found in the following order: root > leaf. Data of TF and BCF showed that E. ovata is a tolerant plant with respect to heavy metals exposure since TF value was greater than 1. This study showed that E. ovata could be considered as a bioaccumulator of heavy metals in contaminated soils.     

Chemical composition and physical properties of lithium-iron micas from the Krušné hory Mts. (Erzgebirge)

Compositions of natural lithium-iron micas are approximated best by the sidero-phyllite-polylithionite join. These micas contain little or no magnesium and manganese. Their octahedral sheets contain close to two trivalent cations (mainly aluminum) in small crystallographic sites and a variable quantity of lithium and R⁺² (mainly iron) in large sites. Octahedral vacancies are situated mostly in large sites. Lithium and R⁺² approach a 44 replacement relationship in micas with octahedral occupancy close to six. Lithium and fluorine show a good positive correlation (small excess of fluorine over lithium), which indicates a crystallochemical association between them. There is a less distinct positive correlation between lithium and R⁺⁴.Based on simplifications, a calculation shows that about two-thirds of octahedral vacancies are caused by substitutions within the octahedral sheet, one-third, by tetrahedral substitutions. Different methods of calculating the crystallochemical formula yield slightly different numbers of octahedral vacancies, but do not affect the mica's position in plots of physical parameters against composition. If a crystallochemical formula is calculated from analysis of a mica contaminated with quartz, topaz, or feldspar, the apparent number of octahedral vacancies increases; such a formula exhibits unusual behavior in composition plots.     

Seismotectonic scheme of Central and Eastern Europe

Summary The distribution of earthquake foci in the crust and the upper mantle indicates the position of mobile zones. Comparing epicentral maps of Central and Eastern Europe, known tectonic lines, results of deep seismic sounding and gravimetric survey enables a scheme of potential seismogenic zones, which correspond to active fault zones separating plates and blocks in the area, to be compiled. The level of earthquake activity varies along the investigated boundaries and can be considered as a measure of the intensity of the present geodynamic processes.Paper presented at the joint symposium AlO of the XVIIth General Assembly of the European Seismological Commission and of the 7th Annual Meeting of the European Geophysical Society, Budapest (Hungary), Aug. 21. – 29., 1980.