Late Quaternary Spring-Fed Deposits of the Grand Canyon and Their Implication for Deep Lava-Dammed Lakes

One of the most intriguing episodes in the Quaternary evolution of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado River, Arizona, was the development of vast lakes that are thought to have backed up behind lava erupted into the gorge. Stratigraphic evidence for these deep lava-dammed lakes is expectedly sparse. Possible lacustrine deposits at six areas in the eastern canyon yielded no compelling evidence for sediment deposited in a deep lake. At two of the sites the sediment was associated with late Quaternary spring-fed pools and marshes. Water-lain silt and sand at lower Havasu Creek was deposited 3000 cal yr ago. The deposit contains an ostracode assemblage similar to that living in the modern travertine-dammed pools adjacent to the outcrop. The second deposit, at Lees Ferry, formed in a spring-fed marsh 43,000 cal yr ago, as determined by ¹⁴C and amino acid geochronology. It contains abundant ostracode and mollusk fossils, the richest assemblages reported from the Grand Canyon to date. Our interpretation of these sediments as spring-fed deposits, and their relative youth, provides an alternative to the conventional view that deposits like these were formed in deep lava-dammed lakes that filled the Grand Canyon.     

From Tethys to Eastern Paratethys: Oligocene depositional environments, paleoecology and paleobiogeography of the Thrace Basin (NW Turkey)

The Oligocene depositional history of the Thrace Basin documents a unique paleogeographic position at a junction between the Western Tethys and the Eastern Paratethys. As part of the Tethys, shallow marine carbonate platforms prevailed during the Eocene. Subsequently, a three-staged process of isolation started with the Oligocene. During the Early Rupelian, the Thrace Basin was still part of the Western Tethys, indicated by typical Western Tethyan marine assemblages. The isolation from the Tethys during the Early Oligocene is reflected by oolite formation and endemic Eastern Paratethyan faunas of the Solenovian stage. The third phase reflects an increasing continentalisation of the Thrace Basin with widespread coastal swamps during the Late Solenovian. The mollusc assemblages are predominated by mangrove dwelling taxa and the mangrove plant Avicennia is recorded in the pollen spectra. The final continentalisation is indicated by the replacement of the coastal swamps by pure freshwater swamps and fluvial plains during the Late Oligocene (mammal zone MP 26). This paleogeographic affiliation of the Thrace Basin with the Eastern Paratethys after ~32 Ma contrasts all currently used reconstructions which treat the basin as embayment of the Eastern Mediterranean basin.     

Assessing catchment-scale spatial and temporal patterns of groundwater and stream salinity

Understanding catchment-scale patterns of groundwater and stream salinity are important in land- and water-salinity management. A large-scale assessment of groundwater and stream data was undertaken in the eastern Mt Lofty Ranges of South Australia using geographical information systems (GIS), regional scale hydrologic data, hydrograph separation and hydrochemical techniques. Results of the study show: (1) salts were mostly of marine origin (75%), while sulfate and bicarbonate from mineral weathering comprised most of the remainder, (2) elevated groundwater salinities and stable water isotopic compositions similar to mean rainfall indicated that plant transpiration was the primary salt accumulation mechanism, (3) key factors explaining groundwater salinity were geology and rainfall, with overall catchment salinity inversely proportional to average annual rainfall, and groundwater salinity ‘hotspots’ (EC >8 mS/cm) associated with geological formations comprising sulfidic marine siltstones and shales, (4) shallow groundwater correlated with elevated stream salinity, implying that baseflow contributed to stream salt loads, with most of the annual salt load (estimated to be 24,500 tonnes) occurring in winter when baseflow volume was highest. Salt-load analysis using stream data could be a practical, low-cost technique to rapidly target the investigation of problem areas within a catchment.     

Timing eclipses of the Galilean moons with a CCD photometer

The use of an Optec SSP/Lynxx (tradename) CCD imaging photometer for the recording of the Galilean satellite phenomena, with software supplied by Mallama (1992) is described. An example data set (for lo) and least squares reduction is presented.     

The Near Infrared Spectrum of Miranda: Evidence of Crystalline Water Ice

A spectrum from 1.2 to 2.5 μm of Uranus' small satellite Miranda obtained in June 1999 reveals strong water-ice signatures. It confirms the existence of a 2.0-μm water feature previously detected on Miranda and shows a strong second broad 1.5-μm water-ice absorption feature. The spectra also reveal a weak absorption band at 1.65 μm that is indicative of crystalline water ice. Reflectance models which combine the new spectra with new photometry indicate that the spectra are characteristic of a mostly water-ice surface, with a large fraction of carbonaceous or silicate contaminates, and the possible presence of ammonia hydrate, as implied by an apparent weak feature near 2.2 μm. The possible presence of other volatiles is also investigated.     

Evidence for non-radial fields in the Sun's photosphere and a possible explanation of the polar magnetic signal

The appearance of the Hα fibrils suggests the presence of magnetic fields inclined at noticeably non-radial angles in the Sun's chromosphere. We present evidence to suggest that these angles continue into the photosphere. The presence even of small non-radial inclinations can significantly affect the appearance of regions observed by a longitudinal magnetograph. In particular, a simple bipolar loop can appear unbalanced when viewed near the limb. We suggest that the observed polar signal may be nothing more than a geometric effect arising when a balanced but systematically aligned array of bipolar pairs is viewed at an angle.     

The Mar Menor lagoon (SE Spain): A singular natural ecosystem threatened by human activities

The Mar Menor lagoon is one of the most important ecological singularities in the Mediterranean area. At the same time, it is an area where many economic and industrial activities meet. The sum of the impacts of mining, agriculture and urban development in the surroundings to the lagoon during the last decades has affected its ecosystem. In this paper, we have reviewed the studies done by researchers over two decades regarding the impacts of human activities in the lagoon, reporting data of contamination levels and the effects generated in the ecosystem of the lagoon. The discharge of enriched nutrient waters seems to be the most important input in the lagoon. Changes to more friendly agricultural techniques in the surrounding areas are therefore necessary. After our review, we can conclude that it is necessary to have higher efforts from the public administrations and stricter environmental regulations in order to preserve, on one hand, the important ecological values of the lagoon, and on other hand, public health.     

Effect of fault reactivation on deformation of off-fault fractures near a generic deep geological repository in crystalline rock in Canada

Journal of Seismology - In this study, fault rupture and its effect on the deformation of the off-fault fractures are numerically simulated. The purpose of the analysis is to determine the distance...     

Impact of lunar cycle and swell on the daily catch rate of western rock lobster (Panulirus cygnus) using time series modelling

The western rock lobster fishery is one of the most valuable single‐species fisheries in Australia, valued at AU$300 million per year. The impact of environmental factors such as lunar cycle and swell on the daily catch rate of the western rock lobster (Panulirus cynus) is of particular interest in the stock assessment and management of the fishery. The variation in daily catch rates was examined for two periods (migrating period November‐January, non‐migrating period February‐June), at different depths in three management zones for three categories of lobster (undersize, legal size, and setose). Regression and transfer function models for relationships between catch rates and environmental data were considered and compared. The lunar cycle has a significant impact on the daily catch rates with c. 30% lower catch rate during the full moon and c. 20% higher catches near the new moon. This impact occurs mainly during the non‐migrating period both in deep water (40–100 m) and shallow water (<40 m). The swell on the day before fishing was also shown to be significantly related to the catch rate with an increase of c. 10–15% for an increase in swell from light to moderate or moderate to high. These environmental factors can be used to standardise catch rates to provide an improved abundance index for stock assessment. Also, management closures are being considered for 3–5 days over the low catch rate, full moon period to reduce fishing costs and lower fishing effort.