Pressure-Dependence of Rare Earth Element Distribution in Amphibolite- and Granulite- Grade Garnets. A LA-ICP-MS Study

Using an excimer (KrF) laser ablation ICP-MS system, we studied the distribution of REE in garnets from metapelites and metabasites from Ivrea-Verbano (Western Alps, Italy) and from the Peña Negra Anatectic Complex (Central Iberia), finding systematic variations that correlate well with the metamorphic grade. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of garnets from amphibolite-grade metapelites have lower-than-chondrite levels from La to Sm, a very small or no Eu anomaly, and a steep rise in the abundance of heavy REE as the atomic number increases. Metapelitic garnets from the amphibolite-granulite transition have a marked Eu negative anomaly and are enriched in MREE such that Sm is 10-15 times chondrite and the pattern is almost flat from Dy to Yb-Lu. In garnets from granulite-grade metapelites, the intensity of the Eu anomaly and the relative concentration of Nd, Sm, Gd and Tb increase, with almost flat chondrite-normalized patterns from Sm to Lu. Garnets from mafic granulites are remarkably similar to those of metapelitic garnets equilibrated at the same pressure, except for the Eu anomaly. The apparent paradox of enhanced uptake of larger REE ions with increasing pressure is attributed to the 3M²⁺ 2REE³⁺+ vacancy substitution, which produces a net decrease in the dimensions of the unit-cell of garnet. Variations in REE patterns depend essentially on the pressure and have little dependence on either temperature, bulk-composition of garnet, or REE whole-rock composition, so they could represent a new approach for geobarometric studies. The best numerical parameter to express pressure-related variations of REE distribution in garnets is the Gd/Dy ratio which does not seem perceptibly affected by disequilibrium partitioning. The regression equation between GASP pressure and the average Gd/Dy^garnet is P = 3.6 + 5.6 Gd/Dy. This equation seems to be reliable for garnets: (1)equilibrated within a pressure range of 4-9 kbar, (2) coexisting with modal monazite; and (3) with unit-cell dimensions under 11.46 Å.     

Crustal and mantle strengths in continental lithosphere: is the jelly sandwich model obsolete?

The relative importance of the contribution of the lower crust and of the lithospheric mantle to the total strength of the continental lithosphere is assessed systematically for realistic ranges of layer thickness, composition, and temperature. Results are presented as relative strength maps, giving the ratio of the lower crust to upper mantle contribution in terms of crustal thickness and surface heat flow. The lithosphere shows a “jelly sandwich” rheological layering for low surface heat flow, thin to average crustal thickness, and felsic or wet mafic lower crustal compositions. On the other hand, most of the total strength resides in the seismogenic crust in regions of high surface heat flow, crust of any thickness, and dry mafic lower crustal composition.     

江苏沿海高速公路低能见度浓雾的气候特征和影响因子研究

文章对2012年6月至2014年6月期间发生于江苏省沿海高速公路的浓雾过程(能见度0.5 km)进行统计分析,探讨了低能见度浓雾的气候特征、气象要素变化以及主要环流形势背景。研究结果表明:(1)低能见度浓雾月分布次数有显著差异,3-6月、12月至次年2月雾发生次数最高,春、冬季高于夏、秋季;03:00-05:00为低能见度生成的高峰时段,08:00左右为消散峰值时段。(2)能见度低于0.5 km后,如果相对湿度继续增大到97%左右、温度处于0~4℃、风速在0~2 m·s~(-1)、风向在ENE-SSE,能见度可能继续下降到0.2 km以下。(3)对150366个样本的环流背景统计分析表明,中北部路段的低能见度天气大多数是由锋前雾引起的,主要出现在中低层暖区域内,地面为冷锋前部弱气压场的环流条件下。全路段大面积低能见度天气由辐射雾和平流雾造成,辐射雾天气形势主要是高层为下沉气流,配合地面受弱高压或高压南下;平流雾出现在中低层暖性系统,地面位于入海高压后部或低压倒槽东侧,低层盛行偏东风或东南风。(4)"象鼻型"先期振荡现象适用于沿海高速公路低能见度预报过程,尤其对能见度稳定维持0.2 km以下的浓雾过程有很好的预警和监测作用。     

Bioadsorption by sugarcane bagasse for the reduction in oil and grease content in aqueous effluent

Several techniques have been used to reduce the oil and grease content in aqueous streams; one excellent is bioadsorption. With a view to provide a sustainable method for the treatment of oily effluents, the aim of this study was to evaluate sugarcane bagasse as bioadsorbent to reduce the oil and grease content of aqueous effluents. Analysis of the material was performed, and the adsorption experiments were in a batch system, using a synthetic effluent. The results showed that the kinetic equilibrium occurred in 0.08 h of contact. The study of influence of pH of the aqueous phase and the temperature showed that the adsorption capacity was proportional to the pH value, but inversely proportional to the temperature. The adsorption isotherm was obtained at a temperature of 298.15 K using the Langmuir and Langmuir–Freundlich models, and the maximum adsorption capacity obtained was 6.65 kg of hydrocarbon per kg of bioadsorbent. It was verified that sugarcane bagasse represents an excellent material for application in the treatment of oily aqueous effluents, since it is associated with low cost and a high adsorption capacity. The variation in the adsorption capacity observed as a function of pH of the aqueous phase was not found to be significant. This is an important characteristic of the material in terms of its industrial application, verifying the possibility for its implementation in any treatment process, demonstrating the great potential of sugarcane bagasse for use as a sustainable alternative in the reduction in oil and grease in aqueous effluents.     

Estimating urban above ground biomass with multi-scale LiDAR

Background

Urban trees have long been valued for providing ecosystem services (mitigation of the “heat island” effect, suppression of air pollution, etc.); more recently the potential of urban forests to store significant above ground biomass (AGB) has also be recognised. However, urban areas pose particular challenges when assessing AGB due to plasticity of tree form, high species diversity as well as heterogeneous and complex land cover. Remote sensing, in particular light detection and ranging (LiDAR), provide a unique opportunity to assess urban AGB by directly measuring tree structure. In this study, terrestrial LiDAR measurements were used to derive new allometry for the London Borough of Camden, that incorporates the wide range of tree structures typical of an urban setting. Using a wall-to-wall airborne LiDAR dataset, individual trees were then identified across the Borough with a new individual tree detection (ITD) method. The new allometry was subsequently applied to the identified trees, generating a Borough-wide estimate of AGB.

Results

Camden has an estimated median AGB density of 51.6 Mg ha^–1 where maximum AGB density is found in pockets of woodland; terrestrial LiDAR-derived AGB estimates suggest these areas are comparable to temperate and tropical forest. Multiple linear regression of terrestrial LiDAR-derived maximum height and projected crown area explained 93% of variance in tree volume, highlighting the utility of these metrics to characterise diverse tree structure. Locally derived allometry provided accurate estimates of tree volume whereas a Borough-wide allometry tended to overestimate AGB in woodland areas. The new ITD method successfully identified individual trees; however, AGB was underestimated by ≤?25% when compared to terrestrial LiDAR, owing to the inability of ITD to resolve crown overlap. A Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis identified assigning wood density values as the largest source of uncertainty when estimating AGB.

Conclusion

Over the coming century global populations are predicted to become increasingly urbanised, leading to an unprecedented expansion of urban land cover. Urban areas will become more important as carbon sinks and effective tools to assess carbon densities in these areas are therefore required. Using multi-scale LiDAR presents an opportunity to achieve this, providing a spatially explicit map of urban forest structure and AGB.

     

Gentrification as space domestication. The High Line Art case

In this paper, we critically examine the role of artistic locational choices and practices in the context of gentrification processes in urban renewal contexts. We characterize gentrification as a form of domestication of space, and explore the extent to which artistic choices and practices relate to such process with reference to the deontological dilemma of legitimization within the art system vs. responsible empowerment of vulnerable local constituencies. We illustrate our argument with an analysis of the High Line Art project, and show how this can be considered as a textbook example of art-driven space domestication leading to brutal forms of gentrification. We comment on the threat that this provides to the social credibility of artistic practices as an agency of responsible social change.     

Reproductive biology of Parazoanthus axinellae (Schmidt, 1862) and Savalia savaglia (Bertoloni, 1819) (Cnidaria,Zoantharia) from the NW Mediterranean coast

Despite the wide distribution of zoanthids, little is known about their pattern of reproduction. Here we investigate the reproductive biology of two Mediterranean species, the common Parazoanthus axinellae (Schmidt) and the rare Savalia savaglia (Bertoloni). For both species, samples were collected during an annual cycle, from January to December 2005, in the Western Mediterranean (Ligurian Sea, Italy). Both species are gonochoric. In P. axinellae the sex‐ratio (n colonies = 30) showed a slight predominance of male colonies (M/F = 1.35), whereas in the population of S. savaglia (n colonies = 15) a predominance of females was found (M/F = 0.3). In P. axinellae the first gametocytes were visible in March, whereas in S. savaglia they became visible in May. Both species reproduce at the end of autumn when seawater temperature begins to decrease. Parazoanthus axinellae (10 m depth) spawns eggs and sperms in November, whereas S. savaglia (67 m depth) spawns in December. In P. axinellae sexes were segregated on a rocky wall, with males occurring deeper, whereas male and female colonies of S. savaglia were irregularly dispersed in the population. The maximum number of oocytes differed between the species, being higher in P. axinellae than in S. savaglia.     

Prototype measurements and small-scale model tests of wave overtopping at shallow rubble-mound breakwaters: the Ostia-Rome yacht harbour case

The paper presents the comparison between the results of small-scale model tests and prototype measurements of wave overtopping at a rubble-mound breakwater. The specific structure investigated is the west breakwater of the yacht harbour of Rome at Ostia (Italy) and is characterized by a gentle seaward slope (1/4) and by a long, shallow foreshore. The laboratory tests firstly aimed at carefully reproducing two measured storms in which overtopping occurred and was measured. The tests have been carried out in two independent laboratories, in a wave flume and in a wave basin, hence using a two-dimensional (2-D) and a three-dimensional (3-D) setup. In the 2-D laboratory tests no overtopping occurred during the storm reproductions; in the 3-D case discharges five to ten times smaller than those observed in prototype have been measured. This indicates the existence of model and scale effects. These effects have been discussed on the basis of the results of several parametric tests, which have been carried out in both laboratories, in addition to the storm reproductions, varying wave and water level characteristics. Final comparison of all the performed tests with 86 prototype measurements still suggests the existence of scale and model effects that induce strong underestimation of overtopping discharge at small scale. The scale reproduction of wave breaking on the foreshore, together with the 3-D features of the prototype conditions and the absence of wind stress in the laboratory measurements, have been individuated as the main sources of scale and model effects. The paper also provides a comparison between the data and a largely used formula for wave overtopping discharges in the presence of structures similar to the one at hand. The suitable value of a roughness factor that appears in that formula is investigated and good agreement is found with other recent researches on rubble-mound breakwaters.     

Tectonic role of oceanic fracture zones

A critical analysis of the geometric properties of oceanic fracture zones leads to the conclusion that their identification with ridge—ridge transform faults is an oversimplification. Models are presented, and examples are given, of processes (asymmetric spreading and differential spreading) which can alter the ridge-fracture zone pattern and extend active shear within lithospheric plates. These processes have a number of interesting tectonic consequences and could offer an explanation for, among other things, belts of intra-plate seismic activity and reversal of slip directions along a strike-slip fault.