Transient sediment supply in a high‐altitude Alpine environment evidenced through a 10Be budget of the Etages catchment (French Western Alps)

Although beryllium‐10 (¹⁰Be) concentrations in stream sediments provide useful synoptic views of catchment‐wide erosion rates, little is known on the relative contributions of different sediment supply mechanisms to the acquisition of their initial signature in the headwaters. Here we address this issue by conducting a ¹⁰Be‐budget of detrital materials that characterize the morphogenetic domains representative of high‐altitude environments of the European Alps. We focus on the Etages catchment, located in the Ecrins‐Pelvoux massif (southeast France), and illustrate how in situ ¹⁰Be concentrations can be used for tracing the origin of the sand fraction from the bedload in the trunk stream. The landscape of the Etages catchment is characterized by a geomorphic transient state, high topographic gradients, and a large variety of modern geomorphic domains ranging from glacial environments to scarcely vegetated alluvial plains. Beryllium‐10 concentrations measured in the Etages catchment vary from ~1 × 10⁴ to 4.5 × 10⁵ atoms per gram quartz, while displaying consistent ¹⁰Be signatures within each representative morphogenetic unit. We show that the basic requirements for inferring catchment‐wide denudation from ¹⁰Be concentration measurements are not satisfied in this small, dynamic catchment. However, the distinct ¹⁰Be signature observed for the geomorphic domains can be used as a tracer. We suggest that a terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) budget approach provides a valuable tool for the tracing of material origin in basins where the ‘let nature do the averaging’ principles may be violated. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

In situ tensile fracture toughness of surficial cohesive marine sediments

This study reports the first in situ measurements of tensile fracture toughness, K _IC, of soft, surficial, cohesive marine sediments. A newly developed probe continuously measures the stress required to cause tensile failure in sediments to depths of up to 1 m. Probe measurements are in agreement with standard laboratory methods of K _IC measurements in both potter’s clay and natural sediments. The data comprise in situ depth profiles from three field sites in Nova Scotia, Canada. Measured K _IC at two muddy sites (median grain size of 23–50 μm) range from near zero at the sediment surface to >1,800 Pa m^1/2 at 0.2 m depth. These profiles also appear to identify the bioturbated/mixed depth. K _IC for a sandy site (>90% sand) is an order of magnitude lower than for the muddy sediments, and reflects the lack of cohesion/adhesion. A comparison of K _IC, median grain size, and porosity in muddy sediments indicates that consolidation increases fracture strength, whereas inclusion of sand causes weakening; thus, sand-bearing layers can be easily identified in K _IC profiles. K _IC and vane-measured shear strength correlate strongly, which suggests that the vane measurements should perhaps be interpreted as shear fracture toughness, rather than shear strength. Comparison of in situ probe-measured values with K _IC of soils and gelatin shows that sediments have a K _IC range intermediate between denser compacted soils and softer, elastic gelatin.     

Lake Floor Morphology and Sediment Architecture of Lake Torneträsk,Northern Sweden

Here we present datasets from a hydroacoustic survey in July 2011 at Lake Torneträsk, northern Sweden. Our hydroacoustic data exhibit lake floor morphologies formed by glacial erosion and accumulation processes, insights into lacustrine sediment accumulation since the beginning of deglaciation, and information on seismic activity along the Pärvie Fault. Features of glacial scouring with a high‐energy relief, steep slopes, and relative reliefs of more than 50 m are observed in the large W‐basin. The remainder of the lacustrine subsurface appears to host a broad variety of well preserved formations from glacial accumulation related to the last retreat of the Fennoscandian ice sheet. Deposition of glaciolacustrine and lacustrine sediments is focused in areas situated in proximity to major inlets. Sediment accumulation in distal areas of the lake seldom exceeds 2 m or is not observable. We assume that lack of sediment deposition in the lake is a result of different factors, including low rates of erosion in the catchment, a previously high lake level leading to deposition of sediments in higher elevated paleodeltas, tributaries carrying low suspension loads as a result of sedimentation in upstream lakes, and an overall low productivity in the lake. A clear off‐shore trace of the Pärvie Fault could not be detected from our hydroacoustic data. However, an absence of sediment disturbance in close proximity to the presumed fault trace implies minimal seismic activity since deposition of the glaciolacustrine and lacustrine sediments.     

Buchbesprechungen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

A kinetic approach to describe trace-element distribution between particles and solution in natural aquatic systems

The partitioning of radioactive trace elements between seawater and particulate matter from surface sediments and sediment traps was investigated in laboratory experiments. For the elements Na, Zn, Se, Sr, Cd, Sn, Sb, Cs, Ba, Hg, Th and Pa (group I) constant distribution coefficients (K_d) were found after a few days of equilibration, whereas the elements Be, Mn, Co and Fe (group II) showed an increasing K_d over the whole time of observation of 108 days. The time dependence of K_d is described by an adsorption-desorption equilibrium (group I elements), followed by a lattice transport reaction step (group II elements). The reaction rate constants are compared to Mn oxidation rates and to adsorption rate constants derived from in situ measurements of the $\text{U}\text{Th}$ disequilibrium as available from literature.     

Groundwater-level response to land-use change and the implications for salinity management in the West Moorabool River catchment, Victoria, Australia

The connection between the removal of native vegetation, rising water tables and increasing stream salinity has been established for many catchments across Australia. However, the West Moorabool River in south west Victoria is an example of a catchment where there has been little discernable effect on groundwater levels following land clearing. Over the past 150 years, a significant portion of the catchment has been cleared of dense forest for agricultural development. Historic standing water-level records from 1870–1871 and 1881 are compared with contemporary measurements (1970s to 2007) recorded in the government bore databases. The data show that the earliest recorded groundwater levels are well within the seasonal range of values observed today. By integrating geology and hydrogeology with historical observations of groundwater levels, climate data and land use, the contemporary field observations of stream salinity are linked to the changed water use and shift in rainfall. In contrast to the normally accepted axiom, reafforestation as a management strategy to mitigate the rising salinity in the West Moorabool River catchment would seem inappropriate.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in urban soils representing different land use categories in Shanghai

An extensive soil survey was carried out in Shanghai to investigate the spatial distribution and possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in urban soils. Soil samples were collected from highways, iron-smelting plants, steel-smelting plants, shipbuilding yards, coking plants, power plants, chemical plants, urban parks, university campuses and residential areas and were analyzed for 16 PAHs by gas chromatography with mass detection. High PAH concentrations were found in all locations investigated, with mean values of soil total PAH concentrations in the range 3,279–38,868 μg/kg DM, and the PAH concentrations were significantly influenced by soil organic matter content. Soil PAH profiles in all districts were dominated by PAHs with 4–6 rings. Principal components analysis and diagnostic ratios of PAHs indicate that they were mainly derived from coal combustion and petroleum but in soils from highways the PAHs were derived largely from vehicle exhaust emissions. The high concentrations of PAHs found indicate that many urban soils in Shanghai represent a potential hazard to public health.     

Zur Geochemie der Diorit-Gruppe

Zusammenfassung Die Granodiorite und QuarzGlimmer-Diorite aus dem Intrusivgebiet von Fürstenstein (Bayerischer Wald), der Diorit des südlichen Vorspessarts mit eingeschalteten Amphibolitschollen und kalifeldspatreichen Schlieren, sowie die Diorite und Hornblendegabbros des mittleren Bergsträßer Odenwaldes wurden geochemisch verglichen. Zur Bestimmung der Haupt-, Neben- und Spurenelemente in 65 Gesteinsproben wurden röntgenspektrometrische, titrimetrische, flammenphotometrische und emissionsspektralanalytische Methoden herangezogen. Zusätzlich fanden 33 chemische Analysen aus der Literatur Verwendung.Die untersuchten Gesteinstypen reichen vom granodioritischen (Bayerischer Wald) über den dioritischen (Spessart) bis zum hornblenditischen (Odenwald) Chemismus, wobei jedes der drei Untersuchungsgebiete eine mehr oder weniger deutliche Gruppierung zeigt. Innerhalb der einzelnen Dioritkomplexe ist nur ein Teil der petrographisch erfaßbaren Gesteinstypen auch durch einen spezifischen Gesteinschemismus gekennzeichnet.Während die Granodiorite des Bayerischen Waldes bis auf die relativ hohen Zr-Gehalte auch im Hinblick auf die Spurenelementführung normale Verhältnisse zeigen, sind die niedrigen Cu-, Ni- und Zn-Gehalte, sowie das hohe K/Rb-Verhältnis in den Odenwald-Dioriten und Hornblendegabbros auffällig. Trotz der großen Streubreite im Hauptchemismus dieser Proben schwanken die SrGehalte nur relativ wenig.Bemerkenswert bei den Spessart-Dioriten ist, daß diese in den Spurenelementgehalten z. T. erheblich unter den von Vinogradov (1962) angegebenen Clarke-Werten bleiben. Die im Diorit eingeschlossenen Amphibolitschollen zeigen deutlich höhere Cu-, Ni- und Zn-Gehalte, sowie niedrigere Sr-und Ba-Gehalte. Die K/Rb-Verhältnisse unterscheiden sich dagegen praktisch kaum. Der Vergleich der Odenwald-Diorite und Hornblendegabbros mit den Amphiboliten zeigt, daß letztere durch niedrigere CaO-Gehalte, etwas größere Zr-Gehalte und ähnlich niedrige Ni-Gehalte gekennzeichnet sind.Im Lichte der geochemischen Ergebnisse wird die Genese der dioritischen Gesteine diskutiert.

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On the geochemistry of the diorite groupComparative investigations of dioritic rocks from Bayerischer Wald, Spessart and Odenwald (South-Germany)

The granodiorites and quartz diorites of the Fürstenstein igneous complex (Bayerischer Wald), the diorites of the Spessart crystalline area (including schollen of amphibolite, and schlieren rich in K-feldspar) as well as the diorites and hornblende gabbros of the central Odenwald igneous complex have been compared. 65 rock specimens have been analyzed for the major and minor elements Si, Ti, Al, Fe³⁺, Fe²⁺, Mn, Mg, Ca, Na, K, P, as well as for the trace elements Zn, Cu, Ni, Rb, Sr, Zr, Ba, and (semiquantitative) V, and Cr using X-ray spectrometric, flame photometric, titrimetric, and UV-spectrometric methods. 33 additional analyses (major and minor elements only) have been taken from literature.The rock types investigated vary from granodiorite to hornblendite in chemical composition. The averages of the three diorite areas plot near quartz diorite, diorite, and gabbro composition, respectively. This grouping is followed very clearly by the trace element content of Zr, Rb and Ba rather than the other ones. The bearing of the geochemical results on the genesis of dioritic rocks is briefly discussed.

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Herrn Prof. Dr. S. Matthes danken wir für sein stetes Interesse am Fortgang der Arbeit sowie für die kritische Durchsicht des Manuskripts. Die Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft förderte die vorliegende Untersuchung in dankenswerter Weise durch die Gewährung von Sachbeihilfen und apparativen Einrichtungen.