Surveillance for previously unmonitored organic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary

The San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program initiated surveillance monitoring to identify previously unmonitored synthetic organic contaminants in the San Francisco Estuary. Organic extracts of water samples were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry in full scan mode. The major contaminant classes identified in the samples were fire retardants, pesticides, personal care product ingredients, and plasticizers. Evidence from the literature suggests that some of these contaminants can persist in the environment, induce toxicity, and accumulate in marine biota and in higher food chain consumers. The major sources of these contaminants into the marine environment are the discharge of municipal and industrial wastewater effluents, urban stormwater, and agricultural runoff. As a proactive effort, it is suggested that surveillance studies be used routinely in monitoring programs to identify and prevent potential problem contaminants from harming the marine environment.     

The distribution of meteoric <Superscript>36</Superscript>Cl/Cl in the United States: a comparison of models

The natural distribution of ³⁶Cl/Cl in groundwater across the continental United States has recently been reported by Davis et al. (2003). In this paper, the large-scale processes and atmospheric sources of ³⁶Cl and chloride responsible for controlling the observed ³⁶Cl/Cl distribution are discussed.The dominant process that affects ³⁶Cl/Cl in meteoric groundwater at the continental scale is the fallout of stable chloride from the atmosphere, which is mainly derived from oceanic sources. Atmospheric circulation transports marine chloride to the continental interior, where distance from the coast, topography, and wind patterns define the chloride distribution. The only major deviation from this pattern is observed in northern Utah and southern Idaho where it is inferred that a continental source of chloride exists in the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.In contrast to previous studies, the atmospheric flux of ³⁶Cl to the land surface was found to be approximately constant over the United States, without a strong correlation between local ³⁶Cl fallout and annual precipitation. However, the correlation between these variables was significantly improved (R ²=0.15 to R ²=0.55) when data from the southeastern USA, which presumably have lower than average atmospheric ³⁶Cl concentrations, were excluded. The total mean flux of ³⁶Cl over the continental United States and total global mean flux of ³⁶Cl are calculated to be 30.5±7.0 and 19.6±4.5 atoms m^–2 s^–1, respectively.The ³⁶Cl/Cl distribution calculated by Bentley et al. (1986) underestimates the magnitude and variability observed for the measured ³⁶Cl/Cl distribution across the continental United States. The model proposed by Hainsworth (1994) provides the best overall fit to the observed ³⁶Cl/Cl distribution in this study. A process-oriented model by Phillips (2000) generally overestimates ³⁶Cl/Cl in most parts of the country and has several significant local departures from the empirical data.

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Resumen Davis et al. (2003) han informado de la distribución natural de la proporción ³⁶Cl/Cl en las aguas subterráneas de la parte continental de los Estados Unidos de América [EUA]. En este artículo, se discute cuáles son los procesos a gran escala y las fuentes atmosféricas del ³⁶Cl y del cloruro que dan lugar a la distribución observada de ³⁶Cl/Cl.El proceso dominante que afecta a la relación ³⁶Cl/Cl en las aguas subterráneas de origen meteórico a escala continental es el aporte de cloruro estable desde la atmósfera, que procede principalmente de los océanos. La circulación atmosférica transporta el cloruro marino hacia el interior, donde la distancia a la costa, topografía y corrientes del viento definen la distribución del cloruro. La única desviación principal de este esquema tiene lugar al norte de Utah y en el sur de Idaho, donde se deduce que existe una fuente continental de cloruro en los Rellanos Salados de Bonneville (Salt Flats).En contraste con estudios previos (Knies et al. 1994; Phillips 2000), se ha descubierto que el flujo atmosférico de ³⁶Cl hacia la superficie terrestre es aproximadamente constante en todos los estados, sin deducirse una correlación fuerte entre el aporte de ³⁶Cl y la precipitación anual. Sin embargo, la correlación entre estas variables se ve mejorada de forma significativa, con coeficientes de regresión comprendidos entre 0,15 y 0,55, cuando se excluyen los datos recogidos en el sudeste de los EUA, que tienen concentraciones de ³⁶Cl atmosférico presuntamente inferiores a la media. El flujo medio total de ³⁶Cl calculado en la zona continental de los Estados Unidos vale 30,5±7,0 átomos por metro cuadrado y segundo, mientras que el flujo total global de ³⁶Cl es de 19,6±4,5 átomos por metro cuadrado y segundo.La distribución de ³⁶Cl/Cl calculada por Bentley et al. (1986) infravalora la magnitud y variabilidad observada en los valores medidos a lo largo de los Estados Unidos. El modelo propuesto por Hainsworth (1994) proporciona el mejor ajuste conjunto a la distribución observada de ³⁶Cl/Cl en este estudio. El modelo orientado a procesos de Phillips (2000) sobreestima por lo general la distribución de ³⁶Cl/Cl en la mayoría del país y difiere significativamente de algunos valores locales empíricos.

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Résumé La distribution naturelle du rapport ³⁶Cl/Cl dans les eaux souterraines des États-Unis a été récemment présentée par Davis et al. (2003). Dans ce travail, les processus à grande échelle et les sources atmosphériques de ³⁶Cl et de chlorure responsables du contrôle de la distribution observée du rapport ³⁶Cl/Cl sont discutés. Le processus dominant qui affecte le rapport ³⁶Cl/Cl dans les eaux souterraines dorigine météorique à léchelle continentale est lapport atmosphérique de chlorure stable, qui provient pour lessentiel de sources océaniques. La circulation atmosphérique transporte des chlorures marins vers lintérieur des continents, où la distribution de chlorure est définie par la distance à la côte, la topographie et les régimes des vents. La seule exception majeure à ce schéma est observée dans le nord de lUtah et le sud de lIdaho où lon suppose quil existe une source continentale de chlorure dans les bas-fonds salés de Bonneville. Au contraire de précédentes études (Knies et al. 1994; Phillips 2000), on trouve que le flux atmosphérique de ³⁶Cl vers le sol est approximativement constant sur lensemble des États-Unis, sans forte corrélation entre la retombée locale de ³⁶Cl et les précipitations annuelles. Cependant, la corrélation entre ces variables devient significative (R ²=0.15 à 0.55) lorsquon supprime les données du sud-est des États-Unis, dont on pense quelles présentent des concentrations en ³⁶Cl atmosphérique inférieures à la moyenne. Le flux total moyen de ³⁶Cl sur les États-Unis continentaux et le flux moyen global de ³⁶Cl sont respectivement évalués à 30.5 ± 7.0 et 19.6 ± 4.5 atomes.m^–2.s^–1. La distribution du rapport ³⁶Cl/Cl calculée par Bentley et al. (1986) sous-estime lordre de grandeur et la variabilité observés pour la distribution mesurée du rapport ³⁶Cl/Cl sur les États-Unis continentaux. Le modèle proposé par Hainsworth (1994) fournit le meilleur ajustement densemble à la distribution du rapport ³⁶Cl/Cl observée dans cette étude. Un modèle orienté vers les processus proposé par Phillips (2000) surestime dans lensemble le rapport ³⁶Cl/Cl dans la plupart des régions du pays et présente plusieurs désaccords locaux avec les données empiriques.

     

Contaminant concentrations in sport fish from San Francisco Bay, 1997

In 1997, seven sport fish species were sampled from seven popular fishing areas in San Francisco Bay. Mercury exceeded a human health screening value in 44 of 84 (52%) samples. All collected samples of leopard shark and striped bass exceeded the mercury screening value of 0.23 microg/g wet weight. PCBs exceeded the screening value in 51 of 72 (71%) samples. DDT, chlordane, and dieldrin, had lower numbers of samples above screening values: 16 of 72 (22%) for DDT, 11 of 72 (15%) for chlordanes, and 27 of 72 (37%) for dieldrin. Concentrations of PCBs and other trace organics were highest in white croaker and shiner surfperch, the two species with the highest fat content in their muscle tissue. Fish from one location, Oakland Harbor, had significantly elevated wet weight concentrations of mercury, PCBs, DDTs, and chlordanes compared to other locations. Removal of skin from white croaker fillets reduced lipid concentrations by 27-49% and concentrations of trace organics by 33-40%.     

Ionospheric measurements of relative coronal brightness during the total solar eclipses of 11 August, 1999 and 9 July, 1945

Swept-frequency (1/10 MHz) ionosonde measurements were made at Helston, Cornwall (50°06N, 5°18W) during the total solar eclipse on August 11, 1999. Soundings were made every three minutes. We present a method for estimating the percentage of the ionising solar radiation which remains unobscured at any time during the eclipse by comparing the variation of the ionospheric E-layer with the behaviour of the layer during a control day. Application to the ionosonde date for 11 August, 1999, shows that the flux of solar ionising radiation fell to a minimum of 25±2% of the value before and after the eclipse. For comparison, the same technique was also applied to measurements made during the total solar eclipse of 9 July, 1945, at Sörmjöle (63°68N, 20°20E) and yielded a corresponding minimum of 16 ± 2%. Therefore the method can detect variations in the fraction of solar emissions that originate from the unobscured corona and chromosphere. We discuss the differences between these two eclipses in terms of the nature of the eclipse, short-term fluctuations, the sunspot cycle and the recently-discovered long-term change in the coronal magnetic field.     

Building comparable global change vulnerability assessments: The vulnerability scoping diagram

Advancing vulnerability science depends in part on identifying common themes from multiple, independent vulnerability assessments. Such insights are difficult to produce when the assessments use dissimilar, often qualitative, measures. The Vulnerability Scoping Diagram is presented to facilitate the comparison of assessments with dissimilar measures. The diagram is illustrated with recent research on drought vulnerabilities, showing that common insights into vulnerability may emerge if independent research teams use a common structure for organizing information about exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity—even if the underlying measures differ between assessments. Broadly adopting this technique, which is grounded in the “Eight Steps” methodological protocol [Schröter, D., Polsky, C., Patt, A., 2005. Assessing vulnerabilities to the effects of global change: an eight step approach. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change 10(4), 573–595], will enable a vulnerability meta-analysis, the lessons from which may permit places to identify helpful adaptation or mitigation options without first having to conduct their own vulnerability assessments.     

Singularity and Nonnormality in the Classification of Compositional Data

Geologists may want to classify compositional data and express the classification as a map. Regionalized classification is a tool that can be used for this purpose, but it incorporates discriminant analysis, which requires the computation and inversion of a covariance matrix. Covariance matrices of compositional data always will be singular (noninvertible) because of the unit-sum constraint. Fortunately, discriminant analyses can be calculated using a pseudo-inverse of the singular covariance matrix; this is done automatically by some statistical packages such as SAS. Granulometric data from the Darss Sill region of the Baltic Sea is used to explore how the pseudo-inversion procedure influences discriminant analysis results, comparing the algorithm used by SAS to the more conventional Moore–Penrose algorithm. Logratio transforms have been recommended to overcome problems associated with analysis of compositional data, including singularity. A regionalized classification of the Darss Sill data after logratio transformation is different only slightly from one based on raw granulometric data, suggesting that closure problems do not influence severely regionalized classification of compositional data.     

Relationships between gold concentration and structure in quartz veins from the Hodgkinson Province, northeastern Australia

The Hodgkinson Province is a tract of␣multiply deformed Silurian-Devonian rocks in north␣Queensland, Australia. Gold-bearing quartz veins from the West Normanby Goldfield in the northern Hodgkinson Province were emplaced during the Permian D₄ event, broadly coeval with regional granite emplacement. Taylors Fault, a major structure that formed during D₂, hosts the veins which infill dilatational jogs opened during sinistral-normal reactivation of the fault in D₄. Veins contain graphitic laminations that formed when fault planes segmented wallrocks adjacent to the veins, producing tabular clasts that were tectonically sliced into the reefs. Laminations are the result of progressive shear strain, associated with continued movement on the faults, which caused strain-enhanced dissolution of silicate minerals and residual graphite enrichment in the clasts. This process produced graphite-coated shear planes that delimit zones of grain size reduction in the veins. Laminations commonly contain stylolites, which nucleated on pronounced sinuosities of the shear planes due to progressive shortening during D₄. Gold particles have preferentially nucleated in zones of relatively coarser-grained quartz adjacent to the shear planes, where shortening strain caused microfracturing and allowed fluid access. Gold may have been introduced with the quartz, but was redistributed within the reefs and localized along the laminations by the effects of synchronous, progressive deformation. Regionally, gold deposits show close spatial relationships with granite plutons of the Permian Whypalla Supersuite. Relationships in the West Normanby Gold Field support a regional model of reef emplacement and gold mineralization during the Permian D₄ event. Received: 24 August 1997 / Accepted: 14 October 1997     

Petrogenesis of late stage magmatism at Hold with Hope, East Greenland

The Myggbukta caldera complex and a swarm of basic dykes constitute the latest Tertiary magmatism in the Hold with Hope region, East Greenland. The Sr and Nd isotope ratios of these rocks show coherent variations which extend to high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and low ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd values and require a contribution from continental lithosphere. Broad correlations with major element differentiation indices suggest that the continental component was incorporated during magmatic differentiation thereby favouring a crustal contamination process. Trace element concentrations are strongly correlated with isotopic compositions but display ranges for many incompatible elements which extend beyond likely crustal contaminant compositions. This is readily modelled by AFC processes in which the dominant cause of trace element enrichment is the concentration effect of fractional crystallisation rather than the composition of the contaminant. The simplest such models still require unrealistically high degrees of fractional crystallisation to explain the ten-fold enrichment of some trace elements. This can be overcome if the primary magmas entering the crust already had highly variable trace element compositions. Such variability is readily achieved if melts from different parts of the melting column escape without thorough homogenization. An AFC model which incorporates variability in parental magma composition is then able to simulate the range of compositions observed at Hold with Hope. This carries the implication that the variations observed are more readily attributed to changes in uncontaminated parental magma than to variations in the composition or amount of contaminant. Received: 5 March 1998 / Accepted: 16 June 1998     

Proper motions and variability of the H2 knots in the HH 111 and 121 protostellar outflows

We discuss the formation of spectral features in the decelerating ejecta of gamma-ray bursts, including the possible effect of inhomogeneities. These should lead to blueshifted and broadened absorption edges and resonant features, especially from H and He. An external neutral ISM could produce detectable H and He, as well as Fe X-ray absorption edges and lines. Hypernova scenarios may be diagnosed by Fe Kα and H Lyα emission lines.