Comparison of analytical methods for the determination of silica in geothermal waters

The silica concentration of 26 Guatemalan geothermal waters were analyzed colorimetrically (spectrophotometrically) and by atomic absorption. Results by the atomic absorption method were less affected by polymerization and precipitation of silica from supersaturated solutions.Shaking the samples prior to analysis improves the accuracy of the atomic absorption results.The advantages of colorimetric analysis over atomic absorption are better sensitivity and precision. However, for accurate colorimetric results, geothermal samples must be sufficiently diluted in the field, which ensures that no further polymerization occurs and that amorphous silica that may be present will redissolve. If the samples are not diluted in the field they should be diluted in the laboratory and left standing for at least a month to allow the silica to redissolve. If analyzed immediately the diluted samples should be made alkaline and heated overnight in a 90° oven.     

Oceanographic conditions associated with high abundances of the radiolarian Cycladophora davisiana

The cosmopolitan radiolarian Cycladophora davisiana usually comprises less than 5% of the radiolarian fauna in Holocene sediments. In recent sediments from the Sea of Okhotsk, however, this species frequently represents more than 20% of the radiolarian assemblage. At times during the late Pleistocene, abundances of this species in excess of 40% are recorded in marine sediments from high-latitude oceans (> 40°) of both hemispheres. The Sea of Okhotsk apparently represents a modern analogue of climatic and oceanographic conditions that existed throughout large portions of high-latitude oceans at times during the late Pleistocene.The near-surface water structure of the Sea of Okhotsk is characterized by a low-salinity surface layer with a strong temperature minimum near its base. The low surface salinities are responsible for maintaining near-freezing subsurface temperatures as well as establishing relatively stable temperatures and salinities at depths below the temperature minimum. This water structure is produced, at least in part, by intense freezing of sea ice in winter with subsequent summer melting. The physical characteristics of the upper water column affect the abundance and activity of shallow-dwelling flora and fauna, while providing a stable subsurface environment for deeper-dwelling fauna.     

Kepone concentration in juvenile anadromous fishes

Young-of-the-year alewife, American shad, blueback herring, and striped bass were analyzed for Kepone contamination. Samples were collected from the Potomac, Rappahannock, Pamunkey, Mattaponi, Chickahominy, and James rivers during the period 1977–79. Concentrations of Kepone ≥0.3 ppm occurred in all four species collected in the James River nursery zone between km 65 and 120, and in the lower Chickahominy River. Concentrations of Kepone <0.3, ppm were also present in samples from the Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers. Four possible explanations, for the occurrence of Kepone in these samples from the upper York River system (Mattaponi and Pamunkey rivers) were, evaluated. Kepone was not detectable in samples from the Rappahannock and Potomac rivers.     

A transfer function for estimating paleoceanographic conditions based on deep-sea surface sediment distribution of radiolarian assemblages in the South Atlantic

A quantitative analysis of radiolarian species in 57 deep-sea surface sediment samples from the South Atlantic Ocean produced four geographically distinct assemblages (tropical, polar, gyre margin, and subtropical). The distributions of these assemblages or factors coincide with present-day patterns of sea-surface temperatures or water masses.These four assemblages were used to construct a transfer function relating radiolarian distribution in the surface sediments to present-day winter and summer temperatures using standard regression techniques. As a test of the quality of this transfer function, temperatures were estimated on surface sediment samples from the eastern South Pacific. The temperatures produced by the transfer function compared favorably with the observed (present-day) winter and summer sea-surface temperatures at these sites.     

Great-circle Rayleigh wave attenuation and group velocity,Part IV: Regionalization and pure-path models for shear velocity and attenuation

Pure-path averages for group velocities and specific attenuation have been calculated from individual observations and from path averages for two regionalizations; one original to this study and the other previously devised by Wu. Both are based on four upper-mantle provinces: ocean basin, continent, island arc and mid-ocean ridge. Pure-path group velocities and specific attenuation have also been calculated for combinations of regions and provide well separated regional measurements for such composite regions.Shear-velocity models for pure and combined regions have been derived by a controlled Monte Carlo inversion procedure and indicates that a low-velocity zone is required beneath the oceans, but is not required beneath continents. Models have been produced for pure and combined ocean, ocean-ridge, continent and continent-arc provinces.Q^?1_R determined from pure-path average group velocities and attenuation coefficients has been regionalized successfully for 2- and 3-region combinations. The resulting pure-path Q^?1_R for continents is much lower than that for ocean basins and ocean-ridge provinces. Inversion of Q^?1_R for ocean-ridge provinces shows that the average Q_β for the upper 200 km of these regions is between 85 and 100.     

Sr and Nd isotope geochronology,geologic history,and origin of the Adirondack Anorthosite

We have analyzed samples from the Adirondack Marcy massif for Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopes in an attempt to determine directly the primary crystallization age of a Proterozoic massif-type anorthosite rock suite. The oldest age obtained (1288 ± 36Ma) is from a 4 point Sm-Nd isochron defined by igneous-textured whole-rock and mineral separate data from a local layered sequence gradational from oxiderich pyroxenite to leuconorite. This age is older than Silver's (1969) 1113 Ma zircon age of associated charnockites, but is within the window of permissible anorthosite ages based on previous geochronology and field relationships. As such, 1288 Ma may represent the time of crystallization of the massif. For the most part, however, both Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotopic systems did not survive granulite facies metamorphism. Internal isochrons based on whole rocks and minerals yield ages between 995 and 919 Ma. These isotopic data suggest that the granulite fades metamorphism experienced by the massif was a prograde event that occurred a minimum of 100 Ma and as much as 350 Ma after crystallization of the massif. The relatively large range in Rb abundance, and in calculated initial ${}^{87}\text{Sr}{}^{86}\text{Sr}$ (0.7039–0.7050) and ${}^{143}\text{Nd}{}^{144}\text{Nd}$ ratios among anorthosite suite rocks, particularly those at or near the contacts of the Marcy massif is explicable by variable contamination with “crustal” materials and/or fluids, derived from surrounding acidic metaplutonic rocks, paragneisses, and marbles. Despite uncertainies caused by crustal contamination and metamorphic resetting of primary ages, Marcy samples have epsilon Nd values between +0.44 and +5.08, implying a source for the massif with long-term depletion in light rare earth elements. A probable source material would be depleted mantle.     

Sterane distribution of solid bitumen pyrolyzates. Changes with biodegradation of crude oil in the Ouachita Mountains,Oklahoma

Solid bitumens (grahamite and impsonite) of southeastern Oklahoma have been shown to originate from near-surface alteration of crude oil (Curiale, 1981; Curiale and Harrison, 1981). Pyrolysis of these solids has been employed to compare the sterane distribution of geographically proximate oils to that of the bitumens. The ratio of rearranged to regular steranes is higher in the pyrolyzates than in the oils, a finding consistent with a bitumen origin due to biodegradation of oil. The remaining presence of steranes, particularly regular steranes, in the bitumens suggests that sterane occlusion may have occurred prior to or during the alteration process, thus removing tetracyclic compounds from the influence of microbial attack. These data suggest that pyrolysis-$\text{GC}\text{MS}$ offers a viable approach to correlation problems involving solid bitumens.     

Terrace stratigraphy in the Tunica Hills of Louisiana

The age and number of important fossil-producing late Pleistocene terraces in the Tunica Hills have recently become quite controversial. One hypothesis holds that only a single loess-mantled Farmdalian terrace flanks the streams in this area. The other maintains that there are two terraces. The youngest is considered essentially Holocene in age while the older is Sangamon in age. Radiometric and stratigraphic evidence collected for this study indicates that there are two terraces. The youngest is late Woodfordian to Holocene in age while the other is Farmdalian.     

Petrogenesis of the mafic feldspathoidal lavas of the Raton-Clayton volcanic field,New Mexico

Major and trace-element whole rock data, Nd and Sr isotopic data, and microprobe data have been collected from a suite of basanites, olivine nephelinites, and olivine melilite nephelinites from the Raton-Clayton volcanic field, New Mexico. Most of the lavas have geochemical characteristics that suggest they are primary upper mantle derived melts. The previously unreported occurrence of Type I and Type II ultramafic xenoliths in some of the lava flows supports this conclusion. All the lavas are strongly enriched in light REE, Sr, Ba, U, Th, and P₂O₅. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are 0.70394 to 0.70412 and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios are equal to an epsilon value of +1.4; the data fall within the Nd-Sr correlation field. Trace-element modeling indicates that the lavas were last in equilibrium with a light-REE enriched mantle with a (La/Yb)_N of two to nine. However, the Nd isotopic data indicate a source with a time integrated, chondritic normalized, Sm/Nd ratio of 1.01. To account for this discrepancy a metasomatic enrichment of the source is proposed. The timing of the enrichment event can only be constrained to less than 1 AE ago, and the isotopic composition of the premetasomatized source and the metasomatizing agent cannot be specified. However, geochemical constraints suggest a CO₂-rich fluid enriched in incompatible elements as the likely metasomatizing agent     

Comparison of macrobenthos collected with cores and suction sampler in vegetated and unvegetated marine habitas

A comparison of shallow water benthic macrofauna collected with hand-held cores and a suction sampler shoed that the core method provided the best estimate of macrofaunal density and composition. In a bare sand habitat, suction methods collected 72.8% fewer individuals per unit surface area of sediment. The difference was 32.6% in a seagrass (Halodule wrightii) habitat. At each site the number of species collected with the two devices was similar; however, population densities of numerically important species were underestimated with the suction device resulting in effects on community statistics. In addition to high sampling efficiency and statistical advantages associated with the use of the multiple cores, ease of operation and low construction cost make simple core tubes the preferred gear for sampling small macrobenthos in soft sediments, with or without vegetation.