Transformation of phosphorus in the Elbe estuary

The distribution of dissolved and particle-bound phosphorus (P) was investigated in the Elbe estuary during March 1995. The forms of particulate P were studied with a sequential extraction technique. Organic P dominated particle-bound P in the outer reaches of the estuary (52%), decreased to a minimum of 21% in the turbidity zone, and increased to 33% further upstream. Fe-bound P was the second most important P species in the outer reaches (27%) and dominated in the turbidity zone (up to 57%) and upstream of the turbidity zone (up to 48%). The P:Fe ratio increased with decreasing salinity, from 0.11 in the outer reaches to about 0.22 at zero salinity. Dissolved inorganic P release from reverine suspended matter was about two to three times larger than release, from marine suspended matter and was dominated by release of Fe-bound P. Dissolved inorganic P release from marine and from riverine organic matter were of equal importance. Because marine suspended matter dominates in the estuary, this suggests riverine organic matter is remineralized much faster than marine organic matter. This is in line with the refractory nature of marine organic matter (no phytoplankton bloom) and the easily degradable character of the riverine suspended matter (phytoplankton bloom) in the Elbe estuary during March 1995.     

High Energetic Electrons Accelerated by a Coronal Shock Wave

Combined SOHO (Solar and Helisopheric Observatory) and ground based radio observations show evidently signatures of electrons accelerated by a shock wave during the event on July 9, 1996. A solar type II radio burst has been received as a signature of a coronal shock wave at 300 MHz on 9:10:54 UT. It was accompanied with electron beams appearing as type III radio bursts below 80 MHz. Simultaneously, the COSTEP (Comprehensive Suprathermal and Energetic Particle Analyzer) instrument aboard SOHO has measured enhanced electron fluxes in the range 30 keV – 3 MeV. This indicates that a coronal shock wave was able to produce high energetic electrons. A mechanism of electron acceleration up to relativistic velocities is presented and compared with the observations. The electron acceleration takes place at substructures of quasi-parallel collisionless shocks. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

A wide-angle seismic traverse through the Variscan of southwest Ireland

A wide-angle seismic profile across the western peninsulas of SW Ireland was performed. This region corresponds to the northernmost Variscan thrust and fold deformation. The dense set of 13 shots and 109 stations along the 120  km long profile provides a detailed velocity model of the crust.
  The seismic velocity model, obtained by forward and inverse modelling, defines a five-layer crust. A sedimentary layer, 5–8  km thick, is underlain by an upper-crustal layer of variable thickness, with a base generally at a depth of 10–12  km. Two mid-crustal layers are defined, and a lower-crustal layer below 22  km. The Moho lies at a depth of 30–32  km. A low-velocity zone, which coincides with a well-defined gravity low, is observed in the central part of the region and is modelled as a Caledonian granite which intruded upper-crustal basement. The granite may have acted as a buffer to northward-directed Variscan thrusting. The Dingle–Dungarvan Line (DDL) marks a major change in sedimentary and crustal velocity and structure. It lies immediately to the north of the velocity and gravity low, and shows thickness and velocity differences in many of the underlying crustal layers and even in the Moho. This suggests a deep, pre-Variscan control of the structural development of this area. The model is compatible with thin-skinned tectonics, which terminated at the DDL and which incorporated thrusts involving the sedimentary and upper-crustal layers.     

Palaeomagnetism of the continental sector of the Cameroon Volcanic Line, West Africa

Measurement of samples from 154 sites in the continental sector of the Cameroon Volcanic Line yielded six palaeomagnetic poles, at 243.6°E, 84.6°N, α ₉₅ = 6.8°; 224.3°E, 81.2°N, α ₉₅ = 8.4°; 176.1°E, 82.0°N, α ₉₅ = 8.5°; 164.3°E, 86.4°N, α ₉₅ = 3.4°; 169.4°E, 82.6°N, α ₉₅ = 4.6° and 174.7°E, 72.8°N, α ₉₅ = 9.5°, belonging to rocks which have been dated by the K–Ar method at 0.4–0.9  Ma, 2.6  Ma, 6.5–11  Ma, 12–17  Ma, 20–24  Ma and 28–31  Ma, respectively. The results are in general agreement with other palaeomagnetic poles from Oligocene to Recent formations in Africa.
  The first three poles for rocks formed between 0.4 and 11  Ma are not significantly different from the present geographical pole. Together with other African poles for the same period, this suggests that the African continent has moved very little relative to the pole since 11  Ma. The other three poles for rocks dated between 12 and 31  Ma are significantly different from the present geographical pole, showing a 5° polar deviation from the present pole in the Miocene and 13° in the Middle Oligocene.     

Strain localization mechanisms in deep-seated layered rocks

More than 160 shear zones of the Norwegian Caledonides and Italian Southern Alps, formed under high-temperature or high-pressure conditions, are analysed with respect to mechanisms of strain localization. In metabasic rocks with a pre-existing (magmatic) layering strain localizes preferentially in mafic layers, although experiments in monomineralic rocks would predict a location in the weaker feldspar-rich layers. In addition, in some of these zones amphibole recrystallizes dynamically, whereas feldspars only show undulatory extinction. These are evidences for strength inversion between feldspars and mafic minerals. This inverse strength behaviour is caused by a reduced grain size of feldspars and sometimes amphiboles in the pre-existing mafic layers, i.e. prior to shearing. The localization of the shear zones is therefore a grain-size-sensitive process (grain-size-dependent softening), nearly independent of the composition of the deformed material. The numerous amphibole–amphibole contacts favour dynamical recrystallization by grain-boundary migration and the rare feldspar–feldspar contacts prevent or suppress the same process in feldspars. Therefore, the feigned inverse strength is mainly caused by the interaction of reduced grain size and grain-boundary effects in the original rock. This behaviour can lead to the preferential localization of shear zones in mafic layers, although they are not favourably oriented with respect to the stress system.     

Profiles and simulated exchange of H2O,O3, NO2 between the atmosphere and the HartX Scots pine plantation

Summary Vertical profiles of H₂O, CO₂, O₃, NO and NO₂ were measured during the Hartheim Experiment (HartX) to develop and calibrate a multi-layer resistance model to estimate deposition and emission of the cited gaseous species. The meteorological and gas concentration data were obtained with a 30 m high telescopic mast with 7 gas inlets located at 5 m intervals and meteorological sensors at 5, 15 and 30 m above ground; a complete gas profile was obtained every 9 min 20 s. Measured profiles were influenced by several exchange processes, namely evapotranspiration, dewfall, assimilation of CO₂ in the tree crowns, soil respiration, deposition of NO₂ and O₃ to the soil and advection of NO_x from the nearby highway. Surprisingly, no decrease in O₃ concentration was observed in the crown layer during daytime, probably due to the relatively low density of foliage elements and strong turbulent mixing.The advantage of measuring in-canopy profiles is that turbulent exchange coefficients need not be estimated as a prerequisite to obtaining vertical flux estimates. In recent years, flux-gradient relationships in canopies have been subject to many criticisms. If fluxes are calculated at several heights considering only the transfers between the turbulent air and the interacting surfaces at a certain height, and those fluxes are then integrated vertically in a subsequent step, then exchange estimates (deposition or emission) can be obtained independent of turbulent exchange conditions.Typical estimated deposition velocities calculated for a 3-day period are between 4 and 10 mm/s for NO₂ and about 4–9 mm/s for O₃ (day and night values respectively). This leads to deposition rates of about 20–40 ng N/m²s for NO₂ and about 30–40 mg O₃/m² deposited daily under the conditions encountered during HartX. Sensitivity tests done with the best available and most realistic values for model parametrization have shown that sensitivity is large with respect to the soil and cuticula resistances as well as for gas-phase ozone destruction and that more research is required to describe the effectiveness of cuticula and soil in modifying sink characteristics for NO₂ and O₃.With 12 Figures     

The Algoma-type iron-formations of the Nigerian metavolcano-sedimentary schist belts

Field relationships as well as petrographical and geochemical considerations form the basis of a model for the origin of the protoliths of the iron-formations and the associated phyllitic host rock of the Palaeoproterozoic schist belts of northern Nigeria. The iron-formations which consist of both the magnetite-subfacies and silicatefacies occur as relatively small, sporadic tabular bodies throughout the belts. They are concordantly interbanded with metasedimentary phyllites with which they share common metamorphic and deformational imprints. The iron-formations have high contents of Mn, Ca, Fe and P₂O₅ and low concentrations of alkalis (Na,K, Rb) Ba and Sr, Ti, Al and Si, whereas the phyllite exhibits exactly the opposite character. These results and other features (e.g. the composition of tourmaline in the phyllite and the occurrence of hydroclastic Cr-Mn-spinel and sulphides in the iron-formation) indicate a supply of materials from two different sources to the marine basin of Nigeria probably during Birimian time: slow but continuous deposition of continentally derived material of pelitic to psammitic composition; and rapid, sometimes intermittent, sporadic pulses of submarine-volcanic exhalations. During regional metamorphism (probably of Eburnian age) at greenschist to lower amphibolite fades conditions, the continental materials were transformed into phyllites and the mudstone-like sediments derived from volcanic exhalations into iron-formations. In the northern Nigerian schist belts two types of metamorphic parageneses in the iron-formations are recognized, both with various subtypes and without transitions between these two facies: (1) silicate-rich parageneses without magnetite (silicatefacies) and (2) magnetite-rich parageneses (magnetite-subfacies). In contrast to these parageneses, the iron-formations in the higher-grade metamorphic terrains of central Nigeria turn out to be hematitic (hematite-subfacies), and are derived from magnetite-bearing iron-formations by a second tectono-metamorphic event of Pan-African age (Mücke and Annor 1993). Whole-rock analyses of the Nigerian iron-formations explain the abundance of garnet (mainly spessartine) and clearly show that the formation of metamorphic minerals depended not only on temperature and pressure but also on the existing redox conditions. These environmental conditions controlled the formation of either magnetite parageneses (low redox conditions) or silicate parageneses without magnetite (high redox conditions). The environmental conditions are also an indication that magnetite (and hematite) could not have been constituents of the original sedimentary protolith of the Nigerian schist belts, but are exclusively of metamorphic origin.     

Application of GIS for land-use/land-cover change analysis in a mountainous terrain

Integration of remote sensing data with other spatial/non-spatial data was carried out using ARC/INFO software package. A simple classification technique was adopted for land cover/land-use change analyses in relation to elevation, slope, aspect and bio-climatic classes. Suitability assessment of land where agricultural extension occurred between 1963 and 1993 was made using GIS software package. Expansion of agriculture and was found to be maximum in 2200-2400 m elevation zone and 20–30° slope classes. When topographic aspects were considered expansion was maximum on south east and west facing slopes. The loss of vegetal cover is estimated to be 15 per cent between 1963–1993. However regeneration of forest was found to be maximum in elevation ranges of 1600–2000 metre and mostly having 20–30° average slope, Land deterioration over the two mapping periods was identified and strategies were suggested to mitigate the problem.     

The Neftegorsk, Sakhalin Island, earthquake of 27 May 1995

Abstract Past seismic catastrophes were unknown in Sakhalin Island before 1995 except those suggested from findings of paleoseismodislocations. The first time that dwellers have experienced such a catastrophe in the Sakhalin Island history was on 27 May 1995. The devastating Neftegorsk earthquake occurred in Northern Sakhalin (?= 52.8° north; δ= 143.2° east; H = 18 km; M_s= 7.2), killed almost 2000 people in the small city of Neftegorsk, caused damage and destruction of buildings, bridges, railways and roads, breakage of oil and gas pipelines, electric and communication lines, and was accompanied by large-scale surface phenomena within a source area. It was felt all over the Sakhalin Island, as well as over the closest part of the Eurasian continent. Surface fracturing was the most impressive effect of the Neftegorsk earthquake. The 37-km long, right-lateral strike-slip fault, with a strike of north 15° east and a horizontal displacement up to a maximum of 8 m, has been observed from Taxon Mountain at the south to the junction of the Cadylanye and Keniga Rivers at the north. According to the results of a detailed geological survey and study of the aftershocks, the total extent of the source area was - 80 km. Various secondary phenomena have been observed at the Earth's surface, such as landslides, falls, soil liquefaction, mud volcanoes etc. The earthquake was followed by hundreds of aftershocks within the following 1-2 months. Spatially, the earthquake fault coincides with the pre-existing Upper Piltun fault, known earlier from geological studies. Recent high activity of the latter fault has been recognized only after the Neftegorsk event because of findings of traces of significant past dislocations within the fault zone. From a tectonic viewpoint it can be suggested that the Upper Piltun fault is a Riedel-type shear fracture located between two main regional faults: the Gyrgylanye-Dagy fault at the west and the Piltun-Ekhaby fault at the east. Therefore, its present activity, expressed by the destructive Neftegorsk earthquake, seems to be explained by a long strain accumulation within a broad zone of regional right-lateral shear faulting.