Paleolimnological investigations of anthropogenic environmental change in Lake Tanganyika: I. An introduction to the project

We investigated paleolimnological records from a series of river deltas around the northeastern rim of Lake Tanganyika, East Africa (Tanzania and Burundi) in order to understand the history of anthropogenic activity in the lakes catchment over the last several centuries, and to determine the impact of these activities on the biodiversity of littoral and sublittoral lake communities. Sediment pollution caused by increased rates of soil erosion in deforested watersheds has caused significant changes in aquatic communities along much of the lakes shoreline. We analyzed the effects of sediment discharge on biodiversity around six deltas or delta complexes on the east coast of Lake Tanganyika: the Lubulungu River delta, Kabesi River delta, Nyasanga/Kahama River deltas, and Mwamgongo River delta in Tanzania; and the Nyamuseni River delta and Karonge/Kirasa River deltas in Burundi. Collectively, these deltas and their associated rivers were chosen to represent a spectrum of drainage-basin sizes and disturbance levels. By comparing deltas that are similar in watershed attributes (other than disturbance levels), our goal was to explore a series of historical experiments at the watershed scale, with which we could more clearly evaluate hypotheses of land use or other effects on nearshore ecosystems. Here we discuss these deltas, their geologic and physiographic characteristics, and the field procedures used for coring and sampling the deltas, and various indicators of anthropogenic impact.     

Boron and Oxygen Isotope Composition of Certified Reference Materials NIST SRM 610/612 and Reference Materials JB-2 and JR-2

We present data on the concentration, the isotope composition and the homogeneity of boron in NIST silicate glass reference materials SRM 610 and SRM 612, and in powders and glasses of geological reference materials JB-2 (basalt) and JR-2 (rhyolite). Our data are intended to serve as references for both microanalytical and wet-chemical techniques. The δ¹¹ B compositions determined by N-TIMS and P-TIMS agree within 0.5% and compare with SIMS data within 2.5%. SIMS profiles demonstrate boron isotope homogeneity to better than δ¹¹ B = 2% for both NIST glasses, however a slight boron depletion was detected towards the outermost 200 μm of the rim of each sample wafer. The boron isotope compositions of SRM 610 and SRM 612 were indistinguishable. Glasses produced in this study by fusing JB-2 and JR-2 powder also showed good boron isotope homogeneity, both within and between different glass fragments. Their major element abundance as well as boron isotope compositions and concentrations were identical to those of the starting composition. Hence, reference materials (glasses) for the in situ measurement of boron isotopes can be produced from already well-studied volcanic samples without significant isotope fractionation. Oxygen isotope ratios, both within and between wafers, of NIST reference glasses SRM 610 and SRM 612 are uniform. In contrast to boron, significant differences in oxygen isotope compositions were found between the two glasses, which may be due to the different amounts of trace element oxides added at ten-fold different concentration levels to the silicate matrix.     

Assessment of toxicological status of a SW Mediterranean segment population of striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) using skin biopsy

Various studies have revealed high concentrations of contaminants such as organochlorines (OCs) and heavy metals in Mediterranean cetaceans. A geographical trend of contamination (PCBs and DDTs) has been found for striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba). In this study we used a non-lethal approach (skin biopsy) to investigate bioaccumulation of OCs, including polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), DDTs, polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs), trace elements (Hg, Cd, Pb) and CYP1A activity (BPMO) in nine striped dolphins sampled in the Aeolian area (Sicily – Italy) in summer 2002. The arithmetic mean value of BPMO activity in this group was 43.46 AUF/g tissue/h. This value is approximately 3 times and 5 times lower, respectively, than the value found in the Ionian and in the Ligurian groups. Skin biopsies of striped dolphins emerged as a suitable material for assessing the toxicological status of the various Mediterranean groups.     

Structural origin of Lake Singkarak in central Sumatra

Since long it has been accepted that Lake Singkarak in Central Sumatra is nothing else but a remnant of a gigantic volcano — the Singkarak volcano — which once blew off its top to form a lake. Van Bemmelen, though not referring to Singkarak lake especially, explained the numerous depressions in Sumatra as the combined result of volcanic and tectonic activities, a phenomenon he called volcano-tectonic process which caused the formation of the socalled volcano-tectonic depressions. A short visit to the lake area in the months of February and March (1970) convinced the author that Lake Singkarak is neither a volcanic ruin nor a volcano-tectonic depression in the sense of van Bemmelen. Faulting evidences, morphology and the position of the Singkarak trough plus the distribution of volcanic products north and south of the lake led to the conclusion that the Singkarak trough is a depression making part of the 1650 km graben zone which stretches from Sumatra’s northern tip untill the Semangko valley in the SE. Field evidences suggest that the lake results from a damming process by volcanic material produced by the Marapi-Singgalang-Tandikat volcanoes in the north and by the products from the Talang volcano in the south.     

The fate of foramol (“temperate-type”) carbonate platforms

On rimmed shelves of Bahamian-type, characterized by chlorozoan associations and typical of tropical seas, carbonate production keeps pace with normal sea-level rise except when rapid rise or drastic environmental changes occurs. On the other hand, open temperate carbonate shelves are characterized by low carbonate production of the foramol association (molluscs, benthic foraminifera, bryozoans, coralline algae, etc.) and generally show seaward relict sediments, because carbonate production cannot keep pace with normal rate of sea-level change.

Several examples of recent drowning foramol carbonate platforms (e.g., large areas of the Mediterranean Sea, eastern-northeastern Yucatan Shelf) as well as analogous ancient drowned foramol-type carbonate platforms (e.g., early to middle Miocene of the Southern Apennines; Miami Terrace) may support the idea that the drowning of many ancient carbonate platforms has been favoured by their biogenic (foramol sensu lato) constitution. Because of their typically low rate of growth, foramol carbonate platforms are fated to be drowned even if the sea-level rise is one with which the normal growth of chlorozoan platforms can keep pace. Similar conditions may also occur in tropical areas where variations in environmental conditions, such as the presence of cold waters, changes in salinity and increased nutrients, preclude the development of chlorozoan associations.     

An XMM-Newton proton response matrix

Soft protons constitute an important source of background in focusing X-ray telescopes, as Chandra and XMM-Newton experience has shown. The optics in fact transmit them to the focal plane with efficiency similar to the X-ray photon one. This effect is a good opportunity to study the environment of the Earth magnetosphere crossed by the X-ray satellite orbits, provided that we can link the spectra detected by the instruments with the ones impacting on the optics. For X-ray photons this link has the form of the so-called response matrix that includes the optics effective area and the energy redistribution in the detectors. Here we present a first attempt to produce a proton response matrix exploiting ray-tracing and GEANT4 simulations with the final aim to be able to analyse XMM-Newton soft proton data and link them to the external environment. If the procedure is found to be reliable, it can be applied to any future X-ray missions to predict the soft particles spectra impacting on the focal plane instruments.     

Surface current patterns in front of the Venice Lagoon

Surface patterns of the low-frequency current in a 20 × 30 km region in front of the Venice Lagoon were analysed from a 13-month-long HF radar data set. Surface circulation was related to prevalent wind regimes in the area and to the tidal flow through the lagoon inlet. Three different categories of wind-forcing were defined: bora (NE wind), sirocco (SE wind), and finally the category containing all other wind directions and calms (winds lower than 3 m/sec). Mean flow and vorticity spatial distributions were discussed for different wind conditions. The coastal area about 5 km wide is characterized by a flow field with maximum vorticity. Outside the coastal boundary layer the interior flow is part of the Adriatic basin-wide cyclonic circulation. Two counter-rotating vortices of the dimension of about 4–5 km were evidenced in the average flow field in front of the lagoon inlet (Malamocco inlet) in all situations except for the bora. The vortex-pair is probably associated with the tidal flow through the inlet. The bora wind induces a strong southward coastal jet detached from the coast by about 5 km homogenizing the flow and eliminating the dipole. The average coastal flow pattern in calm wind conditions was also analysed as a function of the strong inflow/outflow (currents in the inlet > 0.7 m s⁻¹) from the lagoon inlet. In both cases the vorticity pattern is similar, with the negative vorticity to the left of the inlet and positive to the right looking seaward.     

Linking meteorites to their asteroid parent bodies: The capabilities of dust analyzer instruments during asteroid flybys

Linking meteorites to their asteroid parent bodies remains an outstanding issue. Space-based dust characterization using impact ionization mass spectrometry is a proven technique for the compositional analysis of individual cosmic dust grains. Here we investigate the feasibility of determining asteroid compositions via cation mass spectrometric analyses of their dust ejecta clouds during low (7–9 km s⁻¹) velocity spacecraft flybys. At these speeds, the dust grain mass spectra are dominated by easily ionized elements and molecular species. Using known bulk mineral volume abundances, we show that it is feasible to discriminate the common meteorite classes of carbonaceous chondrites, ordinary chondrites, and howardite–eucrite–diogenite achondrites, as well as their subtypes, relying solely on the detection of elements with ionization efficiencies of ≤700 or ≤800 kJ mol⁻¹, applicable to low (~7 km s⁻¹) and intermediate (~9 km s⁻¹) flyby speed scenarios, respectively. Including the detection of water ion groups enables greater discrimination between certain meteorite types, and flyby speeds ≥10 km s⁻¹ enhance the diagnostic capabilities of this technique still further. Although additional terrestrial calibration is required, this technique may allow more unequivocal asteroid-meteorite connections to be determined by spacecraft flybys, emphasizing the utility of dust instruments on future asteroid missions.