Microbiological composition of native and exotic clams from Tagus estuary: Effect of season and environmental parameters

The influence of seasonal and environmental parameters on the occurrence of bacteria was investigated in two clam species (Venerupis pullastra and Ruditapes philippinarum), water and sediment from the Tagus estuary. Total viable counts (TVC), Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Vibrio spp. were evaluated during one-year. Overall, significant seasonal variations were found in both sampling sites, especially for E. coli and Vibrio spp. levels. In summer, significantly higher Vibrio spp. levels were found in R. philippinarum and sediment samples, but not in V. pullastra clams and water samples. In contrast, significantly higher TVC and E. coli levels were observed in winter months in water and sediment samples. Salmonella spp. was generally isolated when higher levels of E. coli were detected, particularly in R. philippinarum. This study is useful for authorities to develop monitoring strategies for coastal contamination and to estimate human health risks associated with the consumption of bivalves.     

A mineralogical and geochemical study of polymict eucrite discovered in Sahara of southwest Algeria

NWA2268 is a polymict eucrite discovered in the Sahara, at southwest Algeria, close to the region of Tindouf. This meteorite weighs 65 g and presents a thin black fusion crust. The rock is fine- to medium-grained breccia and contains mineral fragments of plagioclases, pyroxenes, spinel, olivine and silica. The rock contains some basaltic fragments with sub-ophitic or cumulative textures, constituted by plagioclases and exsolved pigeonite. Pyroxferroite grains are present and locally destabilised in an association of hedenbergite, fayalite and silica. It also presents unequilibrated eucritic clast with heterogeneous pyroxenes and plagioclases compositions. Pyroxenes in the all of the other clasts have equilibrated composition, with exolved pigeonites with augite lamellaes. This polymict eucrite contains also partially devitrified glass that represents impact melts linked to impact event. None recrystallization of this glass confirms a lack of post-brecciation metamorphism. Diogenitic fragments are less abundant than 10 %. The oxygen isotopic composition of NWA2268 is Δ¹⁷O (?0.43). This meteorite is interpreted as belonging to the HED group attributed to the 4-Vesta asteroid.     

Hydrological regimes in a tropical valley of New Caledonia (SW Pacific): Impacts of wildfires and invasive fauna

In New Caledonia wildfires and invasive mammals (deer and wild pigs) constitute the major agents of land surface degradation. Our study reveals the linkage between land cover and water balance on the northeast coast of New Caledonia (2400 mm annual rainfall) located on a micaschist basement. The hydrological regime of characteristic and representative land surfaces is assessed using a 1-year record from three 100 m² plots each, located in a forest area degraded by an invasive fauna, in a woody savannah which is regularly burned, and in a healthy forest area. The three plots present highly contrasting hydrological regimes, with annual and maximum runoff/rain ratios during a rain event of, respectively, 0.82, 0.16, 0.03, and 2.7, 0.7, 0.2, for the degraded forest, the savannah and the healthy forest. Such results suggest that subsurface flow originating from the contributing area above the degraded forest plot should exfiltrate inside the plot. A conceptual model for the degraded forest plot shows that water exfiltrating inside the plot represents 61% of the observed runoff. In savannahs, water should mainly be transferred downstream by subsurface flow within a thick organic soil layer limited by an impervious clay layer at a 20–30 cm depth. Savannahs are generally located above forests and generate the transfer of rainwater to downslope forests. Exfiltration into the forests can be the result of this transfer and depends on the thickness and permeability of the forest topsoils and on topographic gradients. Water exfiltration in forest areas highly degraded by pigs and deer enhances erosion and increases further degradation. It probably also limits percolation in the areas located downstream by increasing the amount of superficial runoff concentrated in gullies.     

An evaluation of solar radiation pressure strategies for the GPS constellation

The subtle effects of different Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite force models are becoming apparent now that mature processing strategies are reaching new levels of accuracy and precision. For this paper, we tested several approaches to solar radiation pressure (SRP) modeling that are commonly used by International GNSS Service (IGS) analysis centers. These include the GPS Solar Pressure Model (GSPM; Bar-Sever and Kuang in The Interplanetary Network Progress Report 42-160, 2005) and variants of the so-called DYB model (Springer et al. in Adv Space Res 23:673–676, 1999). Our results show that currently observed differences between GPS orbit solutions from the various IGS analysis centers are in large part explained by differences between their respective approaches to modeling SRP. DYB-based strategies typically generate orbit solutions that have the smallest differences with respect to the IGS final combined solution, largely because the DYB approach is most commonly used by the contributing analysis centers. However, various internal and external metrics, including ambiguity resolution statistics and satellite laser ranging observations, support continued use of the GSPM-based approach for precise orbit determination of the GPS constellation, at least when using the GIPSY-OASIS software.     

Denudation rates of the Quadrilátero Ferrífero (Minas Gerais, Brazil): Preliminary results from measurements of solute fluxes in rivers and in situ-produced cosmogenic Be

This paper investigates the denudation rates in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais State (Brazil). The aim is to compare chemical weathering rates from measurements of solute fluxes in rivers and long-term mean erosion rates deduced from in situ-produced cosmogenic ¹⁰Be concentrations measured in fluvial sediments. Both water samples and sediments were collected in fifteen stations (checkpoints) located in four hydrographic basins with low anthropogenic perturbations.Depending of the type of substratum, three degrees of chemical denudation rates from water samples are observed: (i) high rates in marbles; (ii) medium rates in schists, phyllites, granites, gneisses and migmatites; (iii) low rates in quartzites and itabirites. Preliminary results of long-term erosion rates deduced from in situ-produced ¹⁰Be are comparable with those of chemical rates.     

Nature and origin of the BIF-hosted São Bento gold deposit, Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Brazil, with special emphasis on structural controls

The orogenic banded iron formation (BIF)-hosted Au mineralization at São Bento is a structurally-controlled, hydrothermal deposit hosted by Archean rocks of the Rio das Velhas greenstone belt, Quadrilátero Ferrífero region, Brazil. The deposit has reserves of 14.3 t Au and historical (underground) production of 44.6 t Au between 1987 and 2001. The oxide-facies São Bento BIF is mineralized at its lower portion, where in contact with carbonaceous, pelitic schists, particularly in the proximity of sulfide-bearing quartz veins. Shear-related Au deposition is associated with the pervasive, hydrothermal sulfidation (mainly arsenopyrite) of the Fe-rich bands of the São Bento BIF. Auriferous, sulfide- and quartz-rich zones represent proximal alteration zones. They are enveloped by ankerite-dominated haloes, which reflect progressive substitution of siderite and magnetite within the BIF by ankerite and pyrrhotite, respectively. The São Bento BIF was intensely and extensively deformed, first into open, upright folds that evolved into tight, asymmetric, isoclinal folds. The inverse limb of these folds attenuated and gave way to sheath folds and the establishment of ductile thrusts. Mineralized horizons at São Bento result from early structural modifications imposed by major transcurrent and thrusts faults, comprising the Conceição, Barão de Cocais and São Bento shear zones. Dextral movement on the SW–NE-directed Conceição shear zone may have generated splays at a compressional side-stepping zone, such as the São Bento shear zone, which is the structural locus for the São Bento gold mineralization. Relaxation of the Conceição shear zone under more brittle conditions resulted in the development of dilatational zones where gold–sulfide–quartz veins formed. These structures are considered to have been generated in the Archean. Geochronological data are scarce, with Pb–Pb analyses of refractory arsenopyrite and pyrite from bedded and remobilized ore plotting on a single-stage growth curve at 2.65 Ga. A later compressional, ductile deformation of unknown age overprinted, rotated and flattened the original, N60E-directed structure of the whole rock succession, with development of planar and linear fabrics that appear similar to Proterozoic-aged structures. Fluid inclusion studies indicate low salinity, aqueous fluids, with or without CO₂ and/or CH₄, with extremely variable CO₂/CH₄ ratios, of probable metamorphic origin. Fluid evolution shows a paragenetic decrease in the carbonic phase from 10–15% to 5%, and increase in the H₂O/(CO₂ + CH₄) and CO₂/CH₄ ratios, suggesting important interaction with carbonaceous sediment. Trapping conditions indicate a temperature of 300 °C at 3.2 kbar.     

Influence of ice compression on components of the velocity of motion of liquid under the ice cover in a traveling periodic flexural gravity wave of finite amplitude

By the method of multiple scales, we obtain (to within the third order of smallness) the asymptotic expansions for the components of the velocity of motion of liquid under a floating ice cover in the process of propagation of periodic surface flexural gravity waves of finite amplitude under the conditions of ice compression. We study the dependences of the distributions of the velocity components along the wave profile on the compressive forces and the parameters of the initial harmonic. It is shown that the amplitude values of the velocity components decrease and the phase shift of oscillations increases as the compressiveforces increase.