Estimation of anaerobic biodegradation rate constants at MGP sites

Field data at six former manufactured gas plant sites in New Jersey were used to estimate the biodegradation rate constants for the anaerobic processes naturally occurring within the ground water contaminant plumes (primarily iron and sulfate reduction). Those rate constants turned out to be about an order of magnitude smaller than values reported for the same contaminants (primarily benzene and naphthalene) at fuel sites. At four of the sites, there appeared to be sufficient electron acceptor present to eventually degrade the contaminants in the plume. However, the presence of nonaqueous phase liquids tends to offset that capacity by continuing to act as a source of contaminants that can dissolve in the ground water.     

Life cycle of chokka-squid Loligo reynaudii in South African waters

This short note summarises past and current knowledge of the life cycle of chokka-squid Loligo reynaudii d’Orbigny, 1845, in South African waters. Prior to approximately 2010, the chokka-squid stock was considered simple and uniform, with one paralarval pool, the drift of paralarvae westwards, one main nursery area and one main, long spawning migration of adult squid eastwards, back to the main spawning grounds. Based on new information, this life-history scheme has been revised. Genetically, the stock is uniform; however, morphologically, it comprises three main geographic groups. It is proposed that the differences between the groups originate from many different paralarval events and that short (not long) migrations dominate the life cycle.     

Mid-Holocene variability in the marine C reservoir age for northern coastal Papua New Guinea

Changes in oceanic radiocarbon (¹⁴C) reservoir ages through the deglaciation and Holocene can provide important information on ocean circulation as Earth's climate warmed. Here, we present reservoir ages for the western tropical Pacific that span the mid-Holocene transition from less to more frequent El Niño events. Reservoir ages were calculated using paired U–Th and conventional ¹⁴C dating of eight individual fossil coral samples from Koil and Muschu Islands, northern coastal Papua New Guinea (PNG). AMS ¹⁴C and MC-ICPMS U–Th dating of additional samples from six of the fossil corals were used to confirm the TIMS U–Th and conventional ¹⁴C ages. The combined results show average reservoir ages of 185±30 ¹⁴C yr (n=4) for 7220–5850 yr BP compared to 420 ¹⁴C yr for a modern coral from Muschu Island. From 5850 to 5420 yr BP reservoir ages increase to modern values. The relatively young reservoir ages from 7220 to 5850 yr BP are best explained by greater influx of well-equilibrated sub-tropical water from the southern branch of the South Equatorial Current (SEC). This is consistent with strengthening trade winds (facilitating air–sea exchange) and a more northerly position of the Intertropical Convergence Zone thought to have occurred at this time. The transition to more modern-like reservoir ages from 5850 to 5420 yr BP suggests modern oceanic circulation patterns were established during this interval. The onset of modern El Niño activity around this time would have served to enhance the intrusion of ¹⁴C-depleted equatorial waters via the south equatorial branch of the SEC. Overall, the changes in reservoir age presented here for the western tropical Pacific suggest that Holocene changes in the El Niño–Southern Oscillation state of the tropical Pacific resulted in reorganisation of oceanic circulation in this region.     

The role of in situ stress in determining hydraulic connectivity in a fractured rock aquifer (Australia)

Fracture network connectivity is a spatially variable property that is difficult to quantify from standard hydrogeological datasets. This critical property is related to the distributions of fracture density, orientation, dimensions, intersections, apertures and roughness. These features that determine the inherent connectivity of a fracture network can be modified by secondary processes including weathering, uplift and unloading and other mechanisms that lead to fracture deformation in response to in situ stress. This study focussed on a fractured rock aquifer in the Clare Valley, South Australia, and found that fracture network connectivity could be discriminated from several geological, geophysical and hydrogeological field datasets at various scales including single well and local- to regional-scale data. Representative hydromechanical models of the field site were not only consistent with field observations but also highlighted the strong influence of in situ stress in determining the distribution of fracture hydraulic apertures and the formation of hydraulic chokes that impede fluid flow. The results of this multi-disciplinary investigation support the notion that the hydraulic conductivity of a fracture network is limited to the least hydraulically conductive interconnected fractures, which imposes a physical limit on the bulk hydraulic conductivity of a fractured rock aquifer.     

Anthropogenic impacts on reduced inorganic sulfur and heavy metals in coastal surface sediments, north Yellow Sea

This study investigated the organic carbon, reduced inorganic sulfur, and heavy metal distribution in superficial sediments at an estuary, a wastewater discharge area, and a mariculture area, as compared with an unpolluted distal site, in the north Yellow Sea, China. Sediment grain size, acid volatile sulfur (AVS), chromium (II)-reducible sulfur, elemental sulfur, total sulfur, total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen and trace metal content were determined for each site. These results indicate that pollution leads to increased TOC at all affected sites, which in turn leads to elevated AVS. The resultant change in diagenetic environment leads to changes in the mineralogical fate of Mn. Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd: all are present at elevated concentrations, and with more metal in the non-residual fractions. Cd shows by far the most elevated concentrations and most significant increase in non-residual fractions and consequently poses the most significant pollution risk.     

Environmental distribution of chlorohydrocarbon contaminants associated with Sydney sewage discharges

A steady-state nonequilibrium fugacity model incorporating the oceanographic dimensions of the environment receiving a sewage discharge from Sydney, Australia was used to predict the environmental fate of a range of chlorohydrocarbon contaminants. The model showed advection in water to be the dominant removal process, accounting for all except 1–2% of the contaminants discharged. With the exception of the more water soluble dieldrin, the major portion of contaminant present in the area was held in the sediments. Bioconcentration and sediment sorption models were used with levels detected in the biota and sediments to calculate the ambient water concentrations of the chlorohydrocarbon contaminants. The ambient water concentrations calculated using these models were in general agreement within a factor of about 2 in all but one case, and that was in agreement within an order of magnitude. The fugacity model was also used to estimate the rates of discharge of each of the contaminants. These were chlordane 83–640, DDT 150, dieldrin 1400–1500, hexachlorobenzene 360–400 and PCBs 55–96 g day⁻¹. Comparisons of the calculated ambient concentrations of each compound in the water and in fish in waters adjacent to the discharge point before and after its relocation from a cliff-face to a deepwater site indicated that relocation should result in an order of magnitude reduction.     

Cenozoic studies in northernmost Chile

The Cordillera de la Costa is constructed from a block-faulted Paleogene landscape. The range is cut by canyons and bordered by a high cliff and a zone of marine terraces. To the east the longitudinal depression is infilled by Neogene deposits which were laid-down over the Paleogene surface and have since been locally structurally disturbed. In the Andes stratovolcanoes rise above the Andean plateau and are surrounded by internal drainage basins.In northernmost Chile subsidence of the submarine continental margin has been complemented by uplift of the Andes. Ingestion of sial and sima in the trench area seems to have led to magma production, and there has been an eastward movement in both igneous and structural events. The present plate motions have produced a compressive tectonism, but local distension has occurred at the edge of the continental plate. The longitudinal depression is believed to be a tectonically neutral zone west of the eastward-dipping reverse faulting of the Andean region. Wave-action on a subsiding coast is considered responsible for carving the high cliff, whereas littoral terraces reflect a recent zonally-atypical uplift phase.N-S strike-slip faulting is attributed to ancient plate-closure patterns. Problematic approximately E-W faults could reflect the adjustment of the continental margin to the stresses generated during recent relative plate motions.Early Tertiary erosion produced a Paleogene pediplain. The resulting large quantities of Paleogene sediment are considered to have been subducted during plate convergence. Tectonic movements formed the longitudinal depression and other smaller basins in the late Oligocene. Towards the south, Neogene planation has eroded the Paleogene pediplain, although major pediplanation and aggradation had everywhere ceased by the Upper Miocene when canyon formation commenced. Ignimbritic eruption waned in the Upper Miocene, and gave way to andesitic stratovolcano production that modified the Altiplano internal drainage. Post-Miocene capture of some of this drainage has occurred by headward erosion along Andean flank channels. Canyons across the coastal mountains were established at about the same time, although some of the long channels in the south are of greater antiquity.

---

Zusammenfassung Die Küstenkordillere Nordchiles stellt eine paleogene Landschaft mit Blockverwerfungen dar. Das Gebirge ist von Canyons zerlegt und im Westen von einem hohen Cliff und marinen Terrassen begrenzt. Ostwärts befindet sich der Längstalgraben, gefüllt mit neogenen Ablagerungen. Die neogenen Formationen sind lokal gestört. In den Hochanden haben sich Stratovulkane auf dem andinen Plateau gebildet.Im nördlichsten Chile ist das Abtauchen des submarinen Kontinentalrandes vom Aufstieg der Anden begleitet. Sial und Sima, die im Grabenbereich verschwanden, haben wahrscheinlich eine Magmaproduktion hervorgerufen. Die magmatischen und strukturellen Vorgänge bewegen sich dort ostwärts. Die Plattenbewegungen hatten eine kompressive Tektonik zur Folge, aber lokale Dehnung hat am Rande der kontinentalen Platte stattgefunden. Die Längstaldepression ist als eine tektonisch neutrale Zone westlich der ostwärts fallenden Aufschiebung der Anden zu betrachten. Die Küstenterrassen stellen eine rezente, für die Zone atypische Hebungsphase dar.Horizontale N-S-Verwerfungen sind alten Plattenverschiebungen zuzusprechen. Problematische, ungefähr E-W verlaufende Verwerfungen könnten die Einordnung der Kontinentalränder zu dem durch rezente relative Plattenbewegungen hervorgerufenen Stre\ darstellen.Frühtertiäre Erosion hat eine paleogene Landschaft geformt. Die dadurch verursachten gro\en Mengen paleogener Sedimente sind wohl während der Plattenkonvergenz verschluckt worden. Tektonische Bewegungen im späten Pliozän haben die Längstal- und andere kleinere Depressionen gebildet. Im Süden hat die neogene Erosion die paleogene Landschaft geformt, aber zur Zeit des oberen Miozäns hat jede wichtigere Pediplanation und Aggradierung aufgehört und die Bildung der Canyons eingesetzt. Im oberen Miozän haben die Ignimbritergüsse aufgehört, während die Produktion der andesitischen Stratovulkane einsetzte, die das interne Abflu\system des Altiplano modifizierte. Die rückwirkende Erosion in den Kanälen längs der Anden hat einige dieser Flu\systeme nach dem Miozän eingefangen. Die Canyons durch das Küstengebirge waren auch zu ungefähr dieser Zeit etabliert, aber einige der längeren Kanäle im Süden sind älter.

---

Résumé La Cordillère cotière du Nord du Chili apparaÎt comme un horst découpant une surface morphologique paleogène. La chaÎne est entaillée par des canyons et domine en falaise une étroite bande de terrasses marines. La dépression longitudinale qui la limite à l'Est est remplie de dépÔts néogènes qui ensevelissent la surface paléogène faiblement deformée.Dans les Andes, des stratovolcans parsèment le plateau andin.Dans l'extrÊme Nord du Chili, la subsidence de la marge continentale sous-marine a été accompagnée par le soulèvement des Andes. L'ingestion de sial au niveau de la fosse semble responsable de la gènèse des magmas et de la migration vers l'Est des manifestations ignées et structurales.L'actuel mouvement de plaques a produit une tectonique en compression avec des distensions locales sur la marge de la plaque continentale. La dépression longitudinale est interpretée comme une zone tectonique neutre à l'Ouest de la faille à plongement Est remontant la zone andine.L'abrasion marine sur la cÔte en voie de subsidence est rendue responsable de la mégafalaise cotière bien que les terrasses littorales témoignent d'une phase de soulèvement local.Les décrochements Nord-Sud représenteraient des mouvements différentiels au sein de la plaque. Le système de failles E-W répondrait au réajustement de la marge continentale. La pédiplaine paléogène résulterait de la phase d'érosion du début du tertiaire. Les produits d'érosion auraient été entraÎnés dans la subduction durant la convergence des plaques. Les mouvements tectoniques de la fin de l'oligocène for mèrent la dépression longitudinale et d'autres petits bassins. Vers le Sud la pénéplanation néogène a érodé les restes de la pédiplaine paléogène; enfin toute érosion planaire a cessé à la fin du Miocène avec la formation des canyons. Le volcanisme ignimbritique s'est achevé à la fin du Miocène supérieur et a été relayé par le volcanisme central andésitique qui modifia le drainage de l'Altiplano. La capture post-miocène par érosion regressive de quelques-uns de ces réseaux a été effectuée par les cours d'eau du flanc occidental de la Cordillère. Les canyons qui entraillent la Cordillère cotière furent creusés à la mÊme époque, bien que certains au Sud semblent plus anciens.

---

. - . , . . . , . , , , . . , . , . , , . N-S , . , E-W , , . . , . , , . . Pediplanation Aggradierung . , Altiplano. . , .

     

Chaotic behaviour of acoustic emission induced in hard coal by gas sorption-desorption

This paper presents study of non-linear dynamics of acoustic emission (AE) generated in coal samples subjected to gas sorption-desorption. Carbon-dioxide and methane were used as sorbats. Experimental facilities used in high pressure sorption of CO₂ and/or CH₄ on coal comprised a pressure vessel and associated pressurisation and monitoring systems. Tests were conducted on medium-rank coal obtained from the Upper Silesia Basin. Several approaches to the treatment of experimental results are proposed in order to detect and characterize deterministic chaos: (1) analysis of fractal/multifractal character of AE energy rate, using fractal generalised dimensions D _q (q); (2) analysis of temporal changes of AE energy rate and its fractal correlation dimension D ₂; and (3) evaluation of attractor dimension within the reconstructed phase space from experimental time series. It was shown that AE generated during CO₂ sorption on medium-rank coal is a more heterogeneous and lower dimensional process in comparison with AE induced by CO₂ desorption. Yet, the AE associated with desorption of CO₂ exhibits higher heterogeneity than the AE generated during desorption of CH₄. There are certain similarities between changes of D₂ during desorption of CO₂ as well desorption of CH₄. However, dynamics of these changes and character of time distributions of D₂ differ, depending on a sorbate. We do not know the precise reason for observed differences, but we presume that the carbon-dioxide molecules dissimilarity to methane molecules can account for them.     

Stability of Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticle Agglomerates in Transitional Waters and Their Effects Towards Plankton from Lagoon of Venice (Italy)

The present study explores the effect of salinity and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) gradients on the stability and reactivity of titanium dioxide nanoparticle (TiO₂-NP) agglomerates in ambient water from the Lagoon of Venice and their possible effect on nauplii sampled at the same locations. In all ambient water samples, TiO₂-NPs formed rapidly micrometre-sized agglomerates. The increase in the salinity and concomitant decrease in DOC content induced the formation of larger agglomerates, with z-average hydrodynamic diameter increasing with TiO₂-NP concentration and exposure duration. Under the studied conditions, ζ-potential exhibited negative values. In line with agglomeration results, enhancement of the salinity and lower DOC resulted in less negative ζ-potential with close to 0 values in the dispersions of 100 mg L^?1 TiO₂-NPs in sea water. Two-hour exposure to micrometre-sized agglomerates of TiO₂-NPs resulted in an increase in the fluorescence of propidium iodide (PI) stained nauplii in comparison with unexposed controls, but had no effect at 24-h exposure. The increase in nauplii-associated PI fluorescence was more noticeable in dispersions containing 100 mg L^?1 than those containing 10 mg L^?1 TiO₂-NPs, suggesting membrane permeability alteration in a concentration-dependent manner. However, the PI staining results have to be interpreted with caution because of the possible dye binding to the nauplii surface without penetration of cellular membrane. The effect of TiO₂-NPs on nauplii was more pronounced at higher salinity and decreased with increasing DOC concentrations at 2 h, while no trends were found at 24-h exposure, as well as exposure to 100 mg L^?1 TiO₂-NPs.     

Hunter–Bowen deformation in South Percy Island,northeastern Australia

South Percy Island is located approximately 50 km off the central Queensland coast and comprises a disrupted ophiolite mass alongside a diverse array of metamorphosed felsic and mafic rocks that record several episodes of magmatism, volcanism and deformation from the Permian to Early Cretaceous. This paper aims to constrain the age, affinity and deformation history of these units, as well as to establish the tectonic significance of the terrane. The trace-element compositions of mafic and felsic meta-igneous rocks record a change from MORB-like prior to ca 277 Ma to subduction-related by ca 258 Ma. Overprinting relationships between intrusive phases and deformation features reveal a relative chronology for the tectonothermal evolution of the area, while U–Pb and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology provides absolute age constraints. Deformation is localised around a NNE-striking tectonic contact that separates serpentinised ultramafic rocks from metamorphosed pillow lavas. Early formed ductile fabrics associated with the main episode of deformation (D₁) preserve bulk flattening strains at greenschist-facies conditions. Emplacement and post-kinematic cooling ages of a pre-D₁ quartz-monzonite dyke constrain the age of D₁/M₁ deformation and metamorphism to the period between ca 258 and ca 248 Ma. Minor brittle deformation (D₂) occurred at ca 230 Ma, based on U–Pb dating of a syn-D₂ diorite dyke (ca 231 ± 10 Ma) and several ca 230 Ma ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar cooling ages. The deformation, metamorphism, and supra-subduction zone magmatism preserved on South Percy Island is correlated with the nearby Marlborough Terrane and more broadly with the second pulse of the Hunter–Bowen Orogeny, which affected much of the central and northern parts of eastern Australia in the late Permian and Early Triassic. Our results support previous suggestions that the second pulse of the Hunter–Bowen Orogeny involved coeval thrust systems in both the inboard and outboard parts of the orogen.