Seasonal variations of water system distribution and flow patterns in the southern sea area of Hokkaido,Japan

Hydrographic data and composite current velocity data (ADCP and GEK) were used to examine the seasonal variations of upper-ocean flow in the southern sea area of Hokkaido, which includes the “off-Doto” and “Hidaka Bay” areas separated by Cape Erimo. During the heating season (April–September), the outflow of the Tsugaru Warm Current (TWC) from the Tsugaru Strait first extends north-eastward, and then one branch of TWC turns to the west along the shelf slope after it approaches the Hidaka Shelf. The main flow of TWC evolves continuously, extending eastward as far as the area off Cape Erimo. In the late cooling season (January–March), part of the Oyashio enters Hidaka Bay along the shallower part of the shelf slope through the area off Cape Erimo, replacing almost all of the TWC water, and hence the TWC devolves. It is suggested that the bottom-controlled barotropic flow of the Oyashio, which may be caused by the small density difference between the Oyashio and the TWC waters and the southward migration of main front of TWC, permits the Oyashio water to intrude along the Hidaka shelf slope.     

Study of an unexpected convective storm

The occurrence of a severe storm in the Argentine littoral has been analyzed. Although general atmospheric conditions were not favorable to the development of deep convection, this storm produced strong winds and hail of considerable intensity. Its occurrence was associated with the entrance of a pulse of humid air at low levels and could be related to the development of two vorticity centers in the region. Atmospheric conditions existing above a low-level inversion are used to simulate two possible clouds, with base altitudes at 2200 and 3000 m and updraft speeds reaching maximum values of 27 and 29 m s⁻¹ respectively. It is noted that the base temperature of about 13°C, found for the first cloud, can be correlated with the prevalence of frozen drop embryos, observed in an analyzed hailstone sample. Hailstone vertical trajectories are simulated in both modeled clouds, assuming spheroidal and spherical particles and assigning different values to the drag coefficient C_d.     

Assessment of the acid drainage neutralization capacity and the toxic metals lixiviation of tailing from Guanajuato mining district,Mexico

In Mexico, many environmental problems are generated by large mining activities taking place in several mining districts. These mining activities produce great quantities of residues; large majorities of these have high sulfur content, which could generate acid drainage due to their interaction with the oxygen in the environment. The study area was located in the Mining District of Guanajuato, Mexico with abandoned tailings generated mainly by the gold and silver production. Two areas, called as Monte de San Nicolás (SN) and Peregrina (P) were selected for this study. The results study shows that there was no risk of production of acid drainage, since these tailings contained high amount of carbonates, which neutralized the generation of acidity and consequently decreased the possibility of leaching of some elements. However, not all elements leach in acid pH, as arsenic bound to oxyhydroxides, which is in a basic environment and its increased release by increasing the pH.     

Characterization of fluid inclusions from mineralized pegmatites of the Damara Belt,Namibia: insight into late-stage fluid evolution and implications for mineralization

Mineralogy and Petrology - Mineralized NYF and LCT pegmatites occur throughout the northeast-trending Neoproterozoic Damara Belt, Namibia. Mineralization in the pegmatites varies geographically,...     

Analysis of stratigraphical sequences at Cocina Cave (Spain) using rare earth elements geochemistry

This study investigates the stratigraphical sequence of Cocina Cave (Spain) employing and testing for the first time the capability of rare earth elements as markers of human activities in caves. Located in Dos Aguas (Valencian Community, Spain), Cocina Cave is characterized by the presence of several Holocene archaeological deposits from the final Mesolithic to the present day and is a pivotal site for understanding the socio-ecological dynamics of the last hunter-gatherer inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula and the transition to pastoral and agricultural economies in the Western Mediterranean. However, the identification of strata from particular time-periods in the cave is often difficult due to the homogeneity of layers, the poor archaeological record in some strata and the presence of severe disturbance phenomena. The methodological approach of this study consisted of cross-referencing rare earth elements and other chemical markers with the archaeological stratigraphical interpretation, in an attempt to not only support the identification of the anthropic contribution to the formation of Cocina Cave strata, but also to characterize and confirm different natural and occupational episodes, particularly those associated with hunter-gatherer, early agriculturalist, and shepherd activities. Sediments were collected from different excavation areas and analysed for major elements, trace elements, rare earth elements (REE), soil organic matter (SOM) amounts and pH. Multivariate statistics were employed to group samples according to their elemental profile, and these were then compared to the archaeological temporal interpretation. The obtained results showed that REE amount and fractionation geochemical processes were regulated by carbonates, phosphates and pH. The use of REE as markers was particularly useful as their concentrations and their calculated ratios and anomaly distributions were demonstrated to be highly consistent with the archaeological stratigraphical interpretation.     

Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive: Natural variability associated with the CARLIT method on the rocky shores of the Ligurian Sea (Italy)

The Water Framework Directive (WFD) 2000/60/EC, adopted by the European Community in 2000 with the goal of maintaining and improving the aquatic environments, requires that member states achieve and maintain a good ecological status of all water bodies by 2015. In the marine context, the ecological status has to be quantified applying indexes based on appropriate key biological elements, which allow the categorization of water bodies into five Ecological Status (ES) classes. The CARLIT index is a cartographic monitoring tool enabling the Ecological Quality Ratio (EQR) to be calculated using macroalgae in coastal hard bottoms as a key biological element; at present it is being applied in Spain, France and Italy. To detect actual changes of water quality and, consequently, rely on the application of indexes for the assessment of the ecological status in the marine environment, it is necessary to evaluate their sensitivity to natural variability at different temporal and spatial scales. In this study we present a first quantification of natural (spatial and temporal) variability of EQR‐CARLIT quality assessment in 2006 and 2007 along the Ligurian coast (North‐Western Mediterranean, Italy). The EQR‐CARLIT values recorded along the Ligurian coastline show that natural variability of EQR‐CARLIT is low and that it does not affect the attribution of a given stretch of coast to a particular ES class, in agreement with the major human pressures acting in the area (urbanization, river load, sea‐farming). A small‐scale variability was detected, strengthening the use of cartography of the whole rocky shore, whenever possible, or, alternatively, the assessment of the ecological status for long stretches of coast, to encompass the small‐scale variability due to local factors.     

Petrogenesis of early paleozoic peralkaline rhyolites from the Macedo de Cavaleiros region (NE Portugal)

The petrology and geochemistry of Variscan peralkaline gneisses from NE Portugal, discovered in 1962, is presented. Major and trace element data for the oversaturated sequence of the Macedo de Cavaleiros area depict some specific geochemical patterns: high Fe₂O₃ ^(t) (even higher than in the Ethiopian Main Rift), high REE concentrations and small Eu anomalies. Field and petrographical observations also suggest that liquid immiscibility has played an important petrogenetic role in the crystallization trends. The alternating pyroxenefeldsparhematite-rich bands observed in outcrop are interpreted as resulting from fluctuating fO₂ conditions. Petrological and geochemical data show that these pantelleritic and comenditic rocks are the end members of an alkaline-transitional basaltic sequence, by which they are overlain. An uppermost sequence of oceanic tholeiitic basalts completes the picture of an evolving rift environment, where mantle processes generate crustal thinning and eventually oceanic crust.

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Zusammenfassung Petrologie und Geochemie variszischer peralkaliner Gneisse aus Nordostportugal, 1962 entdeckt, werden dargestellt. Die Haupt- und Spurenelementanalysen dieser übersättigen Gesteine weisen Besonderheiten auf, wie z. B. die hohen Fe203-Gehalte, die selbst noch die des »Ethiopian Main Rift« übersteigen, die hohen Konzentrationen an Seltenen Erdelementen und die kleine negative Eu-Anomalie. Geländegeologie und Petrographie suggerieren, da\ die liquid-magmatische Entmischung eine wichtige petrogenetische Rolle im Kristallisationsablauf spielte. Im Aufschlu\ wird eine Wechsellagerung von Pyroxen-Feldspat- und Hämatit-reichen Schichten beobachtet, die hier als Folge von fO2-Schwankungen erklärt wird. Die petrologischen und geochemischen Daten zeigen, da\ die pantelleritischen und comenditischen Gesteine die letzten Glieder in einer Abfolge vom alkalinen übergangstyp darstellen... Die vulkanische Abfolge im Gebiet von Macedo de Cavaleiros endet mit tholeiitischen Basalten, die damit das Bild der magmatischen Entwicklung in einem Rift-Bereich, in dem Mantelprozesse eine Krustenverdünnung in einem Rift-Bereich, in dem Mantelprozesse eine Krustenverdünnung und die Bildung ozeanischer Kruste bewirkten, vervollständigen.

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Résumé L'auteur présente la pétrologie et la géochimie des gneiss varisques peralcalins du nord-est du Portugal, découverts en 1962. Les analyses des éléments majeurs et en traces dans ces roches sursaturées montrent quelques caractéristiques spéciales comme la haute teneur en Fe₂O₃ (t) (supérieure mÊme à celles de l'»Ethiopian Main Rift«), la haute concentration en terres rares et la faible anomalie négative de Eu. La géologie de terrain et les observations pétrographiques suggèrent aussi que l'imiscibilité entre liquides a joué un rÔle pétrogénétique important au cours de la cristallisation. Les alternances de bandes alternativement riches en pyroxène-feldspath et en hématite, observées sur les affleurements, sont interprétées comme le résultat de la fluctuation de fO₂. Les données pétrologiques et géochimiques montrent que les roches pantéléritiques et comenditiques représentent les derniers termes d'une séquence du type alcalintransitionel qui les surmonte. La séquence volcanique dans le secteur de Macedo de Calvaleiros se termine par des basaltes tholéiitiques qui complètent le cadre d'une environnement d'un zone de »rift« dans laquelle les processus mantéliques ont déterminé l'amincissement crustal et la formation d'une croûte océanique.

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A paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Laguna Babícora, Chihuahua, Mexico based on ostracode paleoecology and trace element shell chemistry

Paleoecology of Laguna Babícora, Chihuahua, Mexico was reconstructed using ostracode faunal assemblages and shell chemistry. The paleolimnological record is used to show the magnitude of paleoclimatic changes in the area from 25,000 years to the present.Faunal assemblages consist of four species of the genus Limnocythere: L. sappaensis, L. ceriotuberosa, L. bradburyi and L. platyforma, all associated with Candona caudata, Candona patzcuaro and Cypridopsis vidua. A paleosalinity index developed from these assemblages indicates that the lake's salinity fluctuated frequently from oligo- to meso-haline conditions during the last 25,000 years. This pattern and low salinity range are in good agreement with modern TDS (here used as an indicator of salinity) values recorded from 26 wells and one spring from the area (258–975 mg l^–1). To estimate paleotemperature we examined the trace element content (Mg/Ca ratios) from individual valves of L. ceriotuberosa and L. platyforma, the two species most commonly recorded in Laguna Babícora.Shell Mg/Ca ratios of 204 specimens of these two species were used to estimate water temperature (Mg/Ca) by means of experimental standard coefficients. Our data show that paleowater temperature ranged from 5.6–21.3 °C (with 2 values ranging from 0.2–4.8 °C), which suggest a close correlation with atmospheric temperatures around the lake. These results are in good agreement with a modern mean winter temperature (3.5 °C) and mean summer temperature (20 °C) recorded in the area between 1970 and 1980.     

Shell‐shape and morphometric variability in Mytilus galloprovincialis from micro‐tidal environments: responses to different hydrodynamic drivers

Tidal conditions differently influence inter‐tidal organisms in terms of general physiological and metabolic responses. In this study we investigated the morphological response in shells of Mytilus galloprovincialis native to different micro‐tidal coastal environments in the Northern Adriatic Sea. Our purpose was to highlight the ecophenotypic variability across tidal levels and to elucidate how tidal currents and waves produced by anthropogenic activities may play a part in modulating shell morphology. Three sampling sites were selected: an open‐sea area 15 km off‐shore and two sites within the lagoon of Venice, the first near one of its three inlets, and the other one in the proximity of Venice city centre. At each sampling site, organisms were seasonally collected at different depths within their vertical zonation, either in the inter‐tidal zone – i.e. at both the highest and lowest tide zonation limits, and subtidally. The mussel shells were analysed by investigation of their morphometric relationships (height/length and width/length ratios) and by elliptic Fourier analysis of the shell contours. Shell thickness and condition index were also evaluated for a better comprehension of energy allocation/partitioning. Estimates based on long‐term measurements, visual observation, wind statistics and wave growth laws allowed an evaluation of the forces acting on shells. At the open‐sea site, the observed phenotypic variability of both shell shape and thickness was clearly related to the tidal vertical zonation. At the two lagoon sites, the currents generated by tidal flow through the inlet and the waves caused by the frequent passage of boats influenced both shell shape and thickness. A trade‐off between protection and growth was apparent along the tide gradient, as emphasized by the differences in the partitioning and allocation of energy between shell and flesh production.