Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic history of the Lake Baikal depression and formation of its unique biodiversity

Independent methods of geological and molecular-biological chronologies have made it possible to define generally corresponding stages in the geological and biological evolution of the environments and communities of Lake Baikal since the Late Cretaceous, i.e., during the last 70 myr. All the abiotic elements drastically changed during geological evolution, with destruction of existing and formation of new natural complexes. Nevertheless, some specific zones retained relicts of former settings. The resulting present-day natural complex includes elements of different ages and geneses. Similar to different natural zones of the present-day Earth, which are populated by different biocoenoses, stages in the development of abiotic elements are also characterized by different faunal and floral assemblages. Some taxa were replaced by others, and the resulting aqueous biota of Lake Baikal includes different-age and ecologically different elements. The oldest groups of Baikal organisms appeared approximately 70 Ma ago, although the largest proportion of the lake biota started forming 4–3 Ma ago in response to the most drastic changes in the abiotic elements of the environment. The youngest taxa appeared 1.8 to 0.15 Ma ago, i.e., during the period when superdeep lake environments and mountainous glaciations were developing. The chronological coincidence of main stages in development of abiotic and biotic elements of the nature indicates their relationships. Particular transformations of abiotic elements and the probable mechanism of their influence on the evolution of living communities are also considered.     

Identifying Rocky Seabed Using GIS-Modeled Predictor Variables

Mapping the seabed along the Norwegian coast is costly and time consuming. Hence, finding a modeling method to separate rocky seabed from other substrate types will provide digital maps that may be used to develop cost-effective sampling designs to predict species and habitat distribution. Our approach was to use geophysical data that were quantitative and objectively defined, generalized additive models (GAMs), and Akaike information criterion (AIC) to develop statistical models and select among them. We found that slope, terrain curvature, wave exposure, and depth predicted rocky seabed occurrence with a high degree of certainty.     

Radioecological studies of activation products released from a nuclear power plant into the marine environment

The seaweeds Fucus vesiculosus, Fucus serratus, Ascophyllum nodosum and Cladophora glomerata and crustaceans of the Idothea and Gammarus families have proven to be excellent bioindicators for radioactive corrosion products released from a nuclear power plant into the marine environment. These bioindicators have been used to map the spatial and temporal distribution of the released radioactivity. The activity has been followed up to 150 km from the power plant, and the decrease in activity concentration C(z) in the bioindicators with distance z can be expressed by a power function C(z) = α. z^?1·4 where α is a constant.The variation with time of activity concentration very well reflects the amount of activity discharged from the power plant, with surprisingly good resolution in time.The bioindicators exhibit different uptake patterns of the radionuclides detected, and variations from summer to winter for the crustaceans Idothea, when compared to Fucus, has been found.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000594

A new model is suggested for the history of the Baikal Rift,in deviation from the classic two-stage evolution scenario,based on a synthesis of the available data from the Baikal Basin and revised correlation between tectonic-lithological-stratigraphic complexes(TLSC) in sedimentary sections around Lake Baikal and seismic stratigraphic sequences(SSS) in the lake sediments.Unlike the previous models,the revised model places the onset of rifting during Late Cretaceous and comprises three major stages which are subdivided into several substages.The stages and the substages are separated by events of tectonic activity and stress reversal when additional compression produced folds and shear structures.The events that mark the stage boundaries show up as gaps,unconformities,and deformation features in the deposition patterns. The earliest Late Cretaceous-Oligocene stage began long before the India-Eurasia collision in a setting of diffuse extension that acted over a large territory of Asia.The NW-SE far-field pure extension produced an NE-striking half-graben oriented along an old zone of weakness at the edge of the Siberian craton.That was already the onset of rift evolution recorded in weathered lacustrine deposits on the Baikal shore and in a wedge-shaped acoustically transparent seismic unit in the lake sediments.The second stage spanning Late Oligocene-Early Pliocene time began with a stress change when the effect from the Eocene India-Eurasia collision had reached the region and became a major control of its geodynamics.The EW and NE transpression and shear from the collisional front transformed the Late Cretaceous half-graben into a U-shaped one which accumulated a deformed layered sequence of sediments.Rifting at the latest stage was driven by extension from a local source associated with hot mantle material rising to the base of the rifted crust.The asthenospheric upwarp first induced the growth of the Baikal dome and the related change from finer to coarser molasse deposition.With time,the upwarp became a more powerful stress source than the collision,and the stress vector returned to the previous NW-SE extension that changed the rift geometry back to a half-graben. The layered Late Pliocene-Quaternary subaerial tectonic-lithological-stratigraphic and the Quaternary submarine seismic stratigraphic units filling the latest half-graben remained almost undeformed.The rifting mechanisms were thus passive during two earlier stages and active during the third stage. The three-stage model of the rift history does not rule out the previous division into two major stages but rather extends its limits back into time as far as the Maastrichtian.Our model is consistent with geological, stratigraphic,structural,and geophysical data and provides further insights into the understanding of rifting in the Baikal region in particular and continental rifting in general.     

Dynamic early Holocene vegetation development on the Faroe Islands inferred from high-resolution plant macrofossil and pollen data

Vegetation dynamics during the earliest part of the Holocene (11,250-10,250 cal yr BP) have been reconstructed from a lacustrine sequence on Sandoy, the Faroe Islands, using detailed plant macrofossil and pollen evidence. The plant macrofossils suggest the initial vegetation was sparse herb and shrub tundra, with Salix herbacea and open-ground species, followed by the development of a denser and more species-rich arctic heathland after 11,150 cal yr BP. Despite high pollen values for Betula nana, macrofossils are rare. The bulk of the macrofossils recorded are S. herbacea and Empetrum leaves with numerous herb taxa and an abundance of Racomitrium moss. Conditions start to change around 10,800 cal yr BP, with increased catchment erosion and sediment delivery to the lake from ca. 10,600 cal yr BP, and a transition to alternating Cyperaceae and Poaceae communities between ca. 10,450 and 10,250 cal yr BP. This vegetation change, which has been recorded throughout the Faroes, has previously been interpreted as a retrogressive shift from woody shrubs to a herbaceous community. The detailed plant macrofossil data show the shift is the replacement of an Empetrum arctic heathland by grassland and moist sedge communities. These taxa dominate the modern landscape.     

Mobility of Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and V in sulphide-bearing fine-grained sediments exposed to atmospheric O2: an experimental study

 The major aim was to increase our knowledge on the behaviour of Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and V in sulphide-bearing fine-grained sediments exposed to atmospheric oxygen. Samples of this type of sediment collected in a previous investigation at eight sites in western Finland were digested in HClO₄-HNO₃-HCl-HF at 200  °C and in HCl:HNO₃:H₂O at 95  °C (aqua regia), and subjected to extractions with ammonium acetate and hydrogen peroxide. Metals and S in the leachates were determined with ICP-AES. The results of the chemical analyses are compared with previously reported experimental data. The concentrations of Al and Fe in the sulphide-bearing fine-grained sediments are about 7% and 5%, respectively. Of the trace metals studied, Mn is most abundant followed in decreasing order by V>Cr>Ni>Cu>Co. On oxidation of the sediments, high proportions of Co, Mn and Ni, intermediate proportions of Cu but low proportions of Fe, Al, Cr and V are released. The extent of the release of a metal on oxidation is controlled either by (1) the level to which the pH of the sediments drops on oxidation (Al, Cu, Cr, V), (2) the amount of the metal associated with easily reduced phases (metal sulphides) in the sediments (Ni, Co) or (3) the sum of the amount associated with reduced phases and adsorbed on soil compounds (Mn). No control of the release of Fe on oxidation of the sediments was identified. Based on the results of the study it is argued that artificial drainage and the subsequent oxidation of sulphide-bearing sediments will result in extensive leaching of Co, Mn and Ni, moderate leaching of Cu and limited leaching of Cr and V into drainages. The major elements, Fe and Al, have the potential to be mobilised and leached in large amounts, though the proportions mobilised/leached will remain low. It is suggested that the identification of sulphide-bearing sediments with a high potential of metal release should be based on determination of metals in easily mobilised reduced compounds (dissolved e.g. in H₂O₂) and of the level to which the pH of the sediments drops on oxidation. Received: 16 October 1997 · Accepted: 9 March 1998     

Sampling and Characterizing Rare Earth Elements in Groundwater in Deep-Lying Fractures in Granitoids Under In Situ High-Pressure and Low-Redox Conditions

Several countries are preparing to dispose of radioactive nuclear waste deep underground in crystalline rock. This type of bedrock is commonly extensively fractured and consequently carries groundwater that serves as a medium for transporting metals and radionuclides. A group of metals of particular interest in this context is the rare earth elements (REEs), because they are analogues of actinides contained within radioactive waste and are tracers of hydrological pathways and geochemical processes. Concentrations of REEs are commonly low in these groundwaters, leading to values below detection limits of standard monitoring methods, particularly for the heavy REEs. We present a new technical set-up for monitoring REEs (and other trace metals) in groundwater in fractured crystalline rock. The technique consists of passing the fracture groundwater, commonly under high pressure and containing reduced chemical species, through a device that maintains the physicochemical character of the groundwater. Within the device, diffusive gradient in thin-film (DGT) discs are installed in triplicate. With this set-up, we studied REEs in groundwater in fractures at depths of approximately ?144, ?280, and ?450 m in granitoids in the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory in southern Sweden. The entire REE suite was detected (concentrations down to 0.1 ng L^?1) and was differently fractionated among the groundwaters. The shallowest groundwater, composed of dilute modern Baltic Sea water, was enriched in the heavy REEs, whereas the deeper groundwaters, dominated by old saline water, were depleted in the heavy REEs. Deployment periods varying from 1 to 4 weeks delivered similar REE concentrations, indicating stability and reproducibility of the experimental set-up. The study finds that 1 week of deployment may be enough. However, if the overall setting and construction allow for longer deployment times, 2–3 weeks will be optimal in terms of reaching reliable REE concentrations well above the detection limit while maintaining the performance of the DGT samplers.     

Seagrass ecophysiology meets ecological genomics: are we ready?

In March 2011, the Ecophysiology and Genetics Working Groups of the European Science Foundation COST Action ES 0906, entitled Seagrass Productivity: From Genes to Ecosystem Management, organized an exploratory workshop entitled “Linking Ecophysiology and Ecogenomics in Seagrass Systems”. The goal of the workshop was to discuss how to integrate comparative gene expression studies with physiological processes such as photosynthetic performance, carbon and nitrogen utilization and environmental adaptation. The main questions discussed for integrative research related to mechanisms of carbon utilization, light requirements, temperature effects and natural variation in pH and ocean acidification. It was concluded that the seagrass research community is still in the nascent stages of linking ecophysiology with genomic responses, as carbon and nitrogen metabolism of seagrasses have not been sufficiently well studied. Likewise, genomic approaches have only been able to assign meaningful interpretations to a handful of differentially expressed genes. Nevertheless, the way forward has been established.     

The significance of rock structure,lithology and pre‐glacial deep weathering for the shape of intermediate‐scale glacial erosional landforms

The main landforms within the glacially scoured Precambrian rocks of the Swedish west coast are closely connected to the principal structural pattern and have lately been explained as mainly a result of etch processes, probably during the Mesozoic and with a possible second period of etching during the Neogene. To explore the effect of multiple glacial erosion on the rock surfaces, an island with two different lithologies and with striae from different directions was selected for a detailed study, focusing on the shape of roches moutonnées. Air‐photo interpretation of bedrock lineaments and roches moutonnées combined with detailed field mapping and striae measurements are used to interpret the structural and lithological control on the resulting shape. The study reveals a significant difference in shape between roches moutonnées in augen‐granite and orthogneiss. Low elongated and streamlined roches moutonnées occur in the gneiss area, striated by a Late Weichselian ice flow from the NE. This ice flow is subparallel with both the local dominant trend of topographically well‐expressed joints and the schistosity of the gneiss. Frequently, there are no signs of quarrying on the lee‐sides of the gneiss roches moutonnées and hence they resemble the shape of whalebacks, or ruwares, as typically associated with the exposed basal weathering surface found in tropical areas. The granite roches moutonnées were formed by an older ice flow from the ESE, which closely followed the etched WNW–ESE joint system of the granite. Late Weichselian ice flow from the NE caused only minor changes of the landforms. On the contrary, marks of the early ESE ice flow are poorly preserved in the gneiss area, where it probably never had any large effect as the flow was perpendicular to both schistosity and structures and, accordingly, also to the pre‐glacial relief. The study demonstrates that coincidence between ice flow direction and pre‐glacially etched structures is most likely to determine the effects of glacial erosion. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Biostratigraphic Evidence of the Allerød-Younger Dryas-Preboreal Oscillation in Northern Iceland

Basal sediments of Lake Torfadalsvatn, northern Iceland, record changes in terrestrial and limnic environments in the period 11,300-9000 ¹⁴C yr B.P. These changes were probably forced by climate and connected with displacements of the marine polar front and sea-ice margin. Pollen, spores, green algae (Pediastrum), saturation isothermal remanent magnetization, and carbon content of the basal sediments provide the first detailed biostratigraphic record of the last glacial-interglacial transition in Iceland. During the first pioneer phase, beginning at ca. 11,300 ¹⁴C yr B.P., grasses and fell-field herbs became established, and lake productivity was very low. At ca. 10,900 ¹⁴C yr B.P., climatic and soil conditions became favorable for shrubs and dwarf shrubs. This change, together with increased limnic productivity, clearly indicates long seasons without ice-cover in the sea immediately north of Iceland. A return to a colder climate (Younger Dryas), probably in connection with a southward displacement of the marine polar front, occurred by 10,600 ¹⁴C yr B.P. Shrub and dwarf-shrub vegetation disappeared, and limnic productivity diminished. A second pioneer vegetation phase, dominated by Oxyria/Rumex and grasses, was initiated by a change to longer seasons without sea ice at ca. 9900 ¹⁴C yr B.P. This warming is also evident as a contemporaneous increase in lake productivity. After ca. 9400 ¹⁴C yr B.P. the reestablishment of dwarf-shrub heaths and very high limnic productivity indicate further warming.