The amphipod Talitrus saltator as a bioindicator of human trampling on sandy beaches

The present paper assesses the use of the supralittoral amphipod Talitrus saltator as a bioindicator of the effects of human trampling on the supralittoral sandy band. Samplings in delimited areas were carried out at sites subjected to different human impact. The results showed a strong negative correlation between the number of swimmers and the sandhopper population density, while there was no clear relationship between sandhopper abundance and the other factors considered: granulometry, compactness and organic carbon content of the sand, and trace metal contents in the sand and sandhoppers. A field test of trampling conducted in a confined space showed its direct negative effect on sandhopper survival. However, trace metal analysis confirmed the ability of T. saltator to bioaccumulate some elements (Hg, Zn, Cu, Cd). Our study demonstrates that T. saltator is a good bioindicator of human impact in the supralittoral zone of sandy shores.     

Distribution and geochemical features of Hercynian-Indosinian granitoids in southeastern China

The tectonic patterns of the Hercynian-Indosinian cycle in southeastern China can be divided into two types. The first type is the Hercynian-Indosinian eugeosynclinal system, which is situated on the outer side of the Caledonian uplift belts. The second type is the Hercynian-Indosinian fault depression zone or superimposed basin system, which is developed on the basement formed by the Caledonian orogenic movement. There are two genetically different series of granitoids corresponding to two tectonic settings in the Hercynian-Indosinian tectonic regime of southeastern China. Among the transformation-series batholiths one of the largest in the Qinzhou Gulf geosyncline is known as the Darongshan granite (NE-extending) with an outcrop area of about 7000 km². The age of emplacement determined by whole-rock Rb-Sr isochron method ranges from 223 to 263 m.y., corresponding to late Permian, with higher Sr inital ratios (0.7179–0.7274). The granite is chemically rich in K₂O but poor in Na₂O with the atomic Na/K ratio<1.0 and the mole ratio Al₂O₃/(Na₂O + K₂O + CaO) > 1.0. K-feldsparg are usually predominated by medium to maximum microclines with a higher degree of Al-Si ordering characterized by the concentration of Al in T₁ sites of the feldspars (t₁ (o) = 0.57–0.99). Biotites are often rich in Fe but poor in Mg, belonging to Fe-biotite or siderophyllite, with a lower MF value (Mg/(Mg + Fe⁺³ +Fe²⁺ +Mn)), normally <0.4, and a lower Fe₃₊/Fe²⁺ ratio of 0.03-0.02 in their octahedron layers. This fact indicates that the oxidation degree of iron is relatively low in the transformation-series granites as compared with the syntexis-series granitoids. Granitic batholiths of the syntexis series distributed along the fault belts in the Hercynian depressions are usually more mafic, meta-aluminous granodiorites and smaller in size than those of the transformation series, with an outcrop area of 1–200 km₂. The Taiping granodiorite, for instance, is situated on the southern side of the Lower Yangtze River depression. It was emplaced 223 m.y. ago as dated by whole-rock Rb-Sr isochron method, with an initial Sr ratio of 0.706. Petrochemically, it is characterized by Na/K > 1.0 (1.31), mole Al₂O₃/(Na₂O + K₂O + CaO) < 1.0(0.95) and high Fe₂O₃/(Fe₂O₃ + FeO)(0.47), evidently differing from the transformation-series granites. K-feldspars are predominated by orthoclase with a lower degree of Si-Al ordering (t₁ (o) = t₁(m) = 0.30). Biotites are commonly rich in Mg in their octahedron layers (MF = 0.42–0.50) with higher Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ ratios (0.36-0.51), indicating their formation under higher oxygen fugacity conditions. All this goes to prove that the syntexis-series granitoids were probably derived from mafic igneous or metamorphic source rocks in the lower crust.     

江西相山潜火山岩中淬冷包体的发现及其成因机制探讨

在江西相山大型塌陷式火山盆地北部的潜火山岩岩墙中，笔者发现了闪长质的岩石包体，这种包体具典型的反向脉及淬冷边，且淬冷边内含有大量针状磷灰石。在包体内部或包体与寄主岩的边界均见有钾长石及斜长石捕虏晶，这种捕虏晶是包体岩浆从寄主岩岩浆中捕获的，常被熔蚀成筛状或浑圆状。包体与寄主岩（次斑状花岗闪长岩）的稀土元素曲线和不相容元素蛛网图的形态非常相似。因此，相山潜火山岩岩墙中的闪长质岩石包体是不同成分、不同温度的岩浆经对流及不均一岩浆混合作用而形成，在成因类型上属淬冷包体。     

粤东塌山含锡花岗斑岩原生铝质矿物特征和成因

粤东塌山含锡花岗斑岩以岩脉产出，侵位年龄１３８Ｍａ，含不等数量的原生铝质矿物，如红柱石、铁铝榴石、铁叶云母和白云母等。根据产出特征，红柱石被区分为两个世代，石榴子石分为三个结晶时期。结合全岩为过铝质（Ａ／ＮＫＣ＝１．２３４），高的Ｋ２Ｏ／Ｎａ２Ｏ（２．１５）、Ｒｂ／Ｓｒ（３．１０）、Ｋ／Ｒｂ（２１５）比和ＩＳｒ值（０．７１３１），低的εＮｄ（Ｔ）值（－７．４）和长石铅同位素组成相似于造山带铅演化模     

Geodynamic significance of ophiolites within the Calabrian Arc

Abstract Slices of oceanic lithosphere belonging to the neo‐Tethys realm crop out discontinuously in the northern Calabrian Arc, Southern Apennines. They consist of high‐pressure–low‐temperature metamorphic ophiolitic sequences formed from metaultramafics, metabasites and alternating metapelites, metarenites, marbles and calcschist. Ophiolites occupy an intermediate position in the northern Calabrian Arc nappe pile, situated between overlying Hercynian continental crust and the underlying Apenninic limestone units. In the literature, these ophiolitic sequences are subdivided into several tectonometamorphic units. Geochemical characteristics indicate that metabasites were derived from subalkaline basalts with tholeiitic affinity (transitional mid‐oceanic ridge basalt type), and a harzburgitic‐lherzolitic protolith is suggested for the serpentinites. The pressure–temperature‐deformation paths of the metabasites from different outcrops display similar features: (i) the prograde segment follows a typical Alpine geothermal gradient up to a metamorphic climax at 350°C and 0.9 GPa and crystallization of the high‐pressure mineral assemblage occurs along a pervasive foliation developed during a compressive tectonic event; and (ii) the retrogression path can be subdivided in two segments, the first is characterized by nearly isothermal decompression to approximately 400°C and 0.3 GPa and the second follows a cooling trajectory. During low‐pressure conditions, a second deformation event produces millimetric to decametric scale asymmetric folds that describe west‐verging major structures. The third deformation event is characterized by brittle extensional structures. The tectonometamorphic evolution of the ophiolitic sequences from the different outcrops is similar. Both thermobarometric modeling and tectonic history indicate that the studied rocks underwent Alpine subduction and exhumation processes as tectonic slices inside a west‐verging accretionary wedge. The subduction of oceanic lithosphere was towards the present east; therefore, the Hercynian continental crust, overthrusted on the ophiolitic accretionary wedge after the neo‐Tethys closure, was part of the African paleomargin or a continental microplate between Africa and Europe.     

Evidence for enhanced hydration on the northern flank of Olympus Mons, Mars

In this paper we report about a small region on the northern scarp of Olympus Mons showing an increase of the 3 μm hydration band in the OMEGA spectra, together with low superficial temperatures. Although water ice clouds can occurs on the flank of big martian volcanoes, radiative transfer modeling indicates that atmospheric water ice alone cannot justify the shape of the observed band. A fit of the 1.9–3 μm absorption features is obtained by hypothesizing that the study region consists of a mixture of dust and water ice covered by an optically thin (τ=0.08 at 3 μm) layer of dust. Thermal modeling also suggests that water ice in this region may be stable during most of the martian year due to the saturation of the atmosphere. If water ice is responsible for the observed spectral behavior, it might consist of a number of ice or snow patches possibly deposited in small depressions.     

Close encounters in young stellar clusters: implications for planetary systems in the solar neighbourhood

The stars that populate the solar neighbourhood were formed in stellar clusters. Through N -body simulations of these clusters, we measure the rate of close encounters between stars. By monitoring the interaction histories of each star, we investigate the singleton fraction in the solar neighbourhood. A singleton is a star which formed as a single star, has never experienced any close encounters with other stars or binaries, or undergone an exchange encounter with a binary. We find that, of the stars which formed as single stars, a significant fraction is not singletons once the clusters have dispersed. If some of these stars had planetary systems, with properties similar to those of the Solar System, the planets' orbits may have been perturbed by the effects of close encounters with other stars or the effects of a companion star within a binary. Such perturbations can lead to strong planet–planet interactions which eject several planets, leaving the remaining planets on eccentric orbits. Some of the single stars exchange into binaries. Most of these binaries are broken up via subsequent interactions within the cluster, but some remain intact beyond the lifetime of the cluster. The properties of these binaries are similar to those of the observed binary systems containing extrasolar planets. Thus, dynamical processes in young stellar clusters will alter significantly any population of Solar System-like planetary systems. In addition, beginning with a population of planetary systems exactly resembling the Solar System around single stars, dynamical encounters in young stellar clusters may produce at least some of the extrasolar planetary systems observed in the solar neighbourhood.     

Size‐frequency distributions of Joania cordata and Argyrotheca cuneata (Brachiopoda: Megathyrididae) from the Central Tyrrhenian Sea

Size‐frequency distributions can support reliable inferences concerning population dynamics of brachiopods, but only a few data are available so far. In this study, length and width frequency distributions of dead specimens of the Recent brachiopods Joania cordata and Argyrotheca cuneata from the Marine Protected Area ‘Secche di Tor Paterno’, Central Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy (41°35′ N, 12°20′ E), are reported in order to add new data about size‐frequency distributions of brachiopods. The studied specimens came from death assemblages in the coralligenous substrate, in the Posidonia oceanica meadows, and in the sand channels. The observed patterns vary from left‐skewed (J. cordata) to right‐skewed (A. cuneata), indicating respectively a low and high mortality of smaller individuals. Significant differences between the coralligenous substrate and the P. oceanica meadow were observed for both species, revealing a variation among different habitats. All length and width distributions are clearly polymodal, but the biological meaning of the peaks is difficult to interpret, as the two species seem to have a 2‐year life span. A biometric analysis of shell sizes revealed that length and width are the most variable parameters during the growth of the animal.