Morphology of craters generated by hypervelocity impacts of micron‐sized polypyrrole‐coated olivine particles

To understand the process of cosmic dust particle impacts and translate crater morphology on smoothed metallic surfaces to dust properties, correct calibration of the experimental impact data is needed. This article presents the results of studies of crater morphology generated by impacts using micron‐sized polypyrrole (PPy)‐coated olivine particles. The particles were accelerated by an electrostatic dust accelerator to high speeds before they impacted onto polished aluminum targets. The projectile diameter and velocity ranges were 0.3–1.2 μm and 3–7 km s^?1. After impact, stereopair images of the craters were taken using scanning electron microscope and 3‐D reconstructions made to provide diameter and depth measurements. In this study, not just the dimensions of crater diameters and depths, but also the shape and dimensions of crater lips were analyzed. The craters created by the coated olivine projectiles are shown to have complicated shapes believed to be due to the nonspherical shape of the projectiles.     

The removal of dissolved humic acids and iron during estuarine mixing

The estuarine chemistry of dissolved humic acids was determined by carrying out both field and laboratory studies. These approaches were combined in an investigation of the Amazon estuary while laboratory mixing experiments were performed using filtered (0.45?0.001 μm) river water fractions of the Water of Luce (Scotland).The results demonstrate that a small fraction of river dissolved organic matter is preferentially and rapidly flocculated during estuarine mixing. This fraction is the high molecular weight component of dissolved humic acids (0.45?0.1 μm filtered). Approximately 60–80% of the dissolved humic acid in these rivers flocculates during estuarine mixing. This represents a removal of only 3–6% of river dissolved organic matter and is responsible for the non-conservative behaviour of dissolved humic acid in the Amazon estuary even though total dissolved organic carbon appears conservative.The salinity dependence with which humic acid flocculates in estuaries is similar to that of iron. This implies that both constituents may be removed from river water by a common mechanism of colloid flocculation.     

Apparent lack of CYP1A response to high PCB body burdens in fish from a chronically contaminated PCB site

Chronic exposure to organic contaminants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) can lead to the development of resistance to these chemicals, a condition associated with reduced response of CYP1A1, a pollutant-inducible biomarker. We measured CYP1A activity (ethoxyresorufin o-deethylase, EROD) and PCB concentrations in feral fish from the Town Branch/Mud River system (Logan County, KY), a stream historically contaminated with PCBs and partially remediated. As a first step in evaluating the possible development of resistant populations in this system, we measured CYP1A expression and PCB body burdens in resident fish from sites we previously characterized as containing biologically significant levels of CYP1A inducing compounds. Mean PCB concentrations in edible flesh ranged from 75.2 to 16.7 microg/g in fish collected from Town Branch remediated sites and were relatively low (1.23 microg/g) in Town Branch reference site fish. However, hepatic CYP1A activity was similar among individuals of most species collected from reference and contaminated/remediated sites. The absence of elevated CYP1A levels in resident fish species despite the presence of significant PCB body burdens may indicate these fish have developed reduced sensitivity to CYP1A induction, a condition associated with acquired resistance to toxicants.     

Boreal forest responses to climate-change scenarios along an ecoclimatic transect in central Canada

The FORSKA2 patch model was used to simulate responses of forest biomass and species composition to four GCM projections of climate change at 11 locations along a transect oriented northeast-southwest across the boreal zone of central Canada. In agreement with earlier results, FORSKA2 produced estimates of present-day biomass accumulation and functional types very consistent with local inventory data. Simulated responses to the four GCM scenarios of climate change produced different results. The GFDL scenario consistently reduced total biomass accumulation compared to present-day conditions, whereas the other three GCMs produced overall increases. In the north, where ecosystem productivity is thought to be limited by low temperature, changes in steady-state biomass accumulation and species composition were relatively minor. In the south, where productivity is probably limited by summer water deficits, the GCM scenarios resulted in larger absolute changes, with generally large increases under GISS, and OSU and generally smaller increases under UKMO. Pronounced changes in species composition were not evident in most simulations, with the exception that warmer winter temperatures evidently allowed invasion by species currently excluded through intolerance to winter minima.