Letters from Carlos Ibáñez e Ibáñez de Ibero to Aimé Laussedat: new sources for the history of nineteenth century geodesy

Recently found letters written by Carlos Ibáñez e Ibáñez de Ibero (1825–1891), first president of the International Geodetic Association, to geodesist–photogrammetrist Aimé Laussedat (1819–1907) are discussed. The contents of these epistolary conversations reflect their personal preoccupation with solving the geodetic problems of the time (1857–1889) and their desire to develop and propagate geodetic knowledge across all international boundaries.     

Bioaccumulation of radiocaesium in Arctic seals

Seals are high trophic level feeders that bioaccumulate many contaminants to a greater degree than most lower trophic level organisms. Their trophic status in the marine food web and wide-spread distribution make seals useful sentinels of arctic environmental change. The purpose of this investigation is to document the levels and bioaccumulation potential of radiocaesium in high latitude seal species for which data have not previously been available. The study was carried out on harp, ringed, and bearded seals caught north of the island archipelago of Svalbard (82°N) in 1999. The results are then compared with previous studies in order to elucidate factors responsible for bioaccumulation in Arctic seals. Concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs were determined in muscle, liver and kidney samples from a total of 10 juvenile and one adult seal. The mean concentration in muscle samples for all animals was 0.23±0.045 Bq/kg f.w. ¹³⁷Cs concentrations in both liver and kidney samples were near detection limits (≈0.2 Bq/kg f.w.). The results are consistent with previous studies indicating low levels of radiocaesium in Arctic seals in response to a long term trend of decreasing levels of ¹³⁷Cs in the Barents Sea region. Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) estimated for seals from NE Svalbard are low, ranging from 34 to 130. Comparing these values with reported BCFs for Greenland seals from other sectors of the European Arctic, we suggest that the combination of physiological and ecological factors on radiocaesium bioaccumulation is comparable among different Arctic seal populations. The application of this work to Arctic monitoring and assessment programs is discussed.     

Storm-water hydrograph separation of run off from a mine-tailings impoundment formed by thickened tailings discharge at Kidd Creek, Timmins, Ontario

The Kidd Creek Cu---Zn sulphide mine is located near Timmins, Ontario. Mill tailings are thickened and deposited as a thickened slurry in a circular, conical-shaped pile with an area of approximately 1200 ha. Deposition of tailings as a thickened slurry results in a relatively uniform grain-size distribution and hydraulic conductivity, and a thick tension-saturated zone above the water table. The tailings are drained by numerous small, ephemeral stream channels, which have developed in a radial pattern. During storms, water from these streams collects in catchment ponds where it is held before treatment. The contribution of tailings pore water to the run off is of interest because of the potential for discharge of pore water containing high concentrations of Fe(II)-acidity, metals and SO₄ to the stream. Hydraulic head measurements, measurements of water-table elevation and groundwater flow modelling were conducted to determine the mechanisms responsible for tailings pore water entering the surface streams. Chemical hydrograph separation of storm run off in one of these streams, during three rainfall events, using Na and Cl as conservative tracers, indicates that the integrated tailings pore water fraction makes up between less than 1 % and 20% of the total hydrograph. This range is less than the maximum fraction of tailings pore water of 22–65% reported for run off from a conventional tailings deposit. At this site, preferential flow through permeable fractures may be the dominant mechanism causing discharge of tailings pore water to storm run off. Estimates of the mass of Fe(II) that discharges to the surface run off from the pore water range up to 2800 mg s⁻¹ during a moderate intensity, long duration rainfall event. The greatest potential for discharge of significant masses of solutes derived from the pore water exists during long duration rainfall events, when the water table rises to the surface over large areas of the tailings impoundment.     

Olivine clinopyroxenite xenoliths in the Oslo Rift,SE Norway

Olivine clinopyroxenite xenoliths in a basalt flow at Krokskogen in the Oslo rift consist mainly of Al-Ti-rich clinopyroxene and alteration products after olivine (possibly also orthopyroxene). The clinopyroxene contains primary inclusions of Cr-Al-bearing titanomagnetite, pyrite and devitrified glass, and secondary fluid inclusions rich in CO₂. On the basis of petrography, mineral compositions and bulk major and trace element chemistry, it is concluded that the xenoliths represent cumulates with about 5% trapped liquid, formed from a mildly alkaline basaltic magma. Microthermometrical analysis of secondary or pseudosecondary fluid inclusions give a minimum pressure of formation of 5.5 to 6 kbars, that is a depth greater than 16–17 km. The host lava has initial _Nd=+4.16±0.17 and _Sr=–5.50±0.26, which is believed to reflect the isotopic composition of the lithospheric mantle source region under south Norway in early Permian time. The isotopic character of the magma which gave rise to the xenoliths is preserved in clinopyroxenes which have _Nd ^t =+1.9 to +2.6 and _Sr ^t = –1.1 to –1.8. The isotopic differences between the host magma and the xenoliths reflect some degree of crustal contamination of the xenolith's parent magma.The xenoliths of this study represent an important source of information about the large masses of dense cumulates found at depth in the crust under the Oslo rift.