Intertidal macroalgae and macroinvertebrates: Seasonal and spatial abundance patterns along an estuarine gradient

Quantitative sampling of the dominant intertidal epibiota was conducted seasonally along an estuarine gradient within the Great Bay Estuary System, New Hampshire, U.S.A. The abundance and zonation of the dominant macroorganisms varied with distance into the estuary. Replacement of marine by estuarine species occurred, and overall abundance and species richness decreased along the estuarine gradient. Zonation patterns within the inner estuary were primarily allied with substrata. Maximum abundance of invertebrates occurred in the mid-intertidal zone where a dense fucoid canopy provided habitat heterogeneity. Densities of epibiotic organisms decreased toward low water, especially in the inner estuary where hard substratum was limiting. Settlement blocks, introduced into the low intertidal zone, were dominated by barnacles and fucoid algae; after 16 months, the species composition on the settlement blocks resembled the adjacent community. Semibalanus balanoides settled in the spring, while Fucus vesiculosus var. spiralis exhibited low but constant settlement. Despite the physical rigors of the estuarine environment, only Semibalanus balanoides, Ilyanassa obsoleta and Spartina alterniflora showed significant seasonal changes in density. Thus, there are predictable and persistent epibiotic species assemblages within the intertidal zone of the Great Bay Estuary System.     

Long-term growth of the oil industry in the United States

A number of growth models have been developed and used in an attempt to project the historical pattern of oil activities to some estimate of their upper limit. Techniques are outlined for the estimation of parameters of the logistic and Gompertz curves. Factor analysis indicated a close relationship between production and demand, whereas annual discoveries and discoveries classified by year of discovery tended to comprise unique factors which were indifferent to changes in time. The growth models projected relatively high values for ultimate demand and production in comparison to the figures for ultimate reserves. Inasmuch as these trends seemed to be occurring independently, some reconciliation of the results was necessary. Using the highest projections of estimates for reserves suggests that over 420 billion barrels of oil in place will eventually be discovered in the United States, with perhaps 200 billion barrels of this eventually to be proved in the form of reserves. Projections for production were higher, corresponding to a trend indicating high levels in demand for crude oil. The only credible long-term estimate of demand was given by a bounded exponential growth model, in which ultimate cumulative demand for crude oil would reach about 416 billion barrels. These figures imply that over 150 billion barrels of oil would be imported into the United States from 1970 to 2070. Provided the time pattern for one of the variables has been determined, then estimates of the other variables probably would be facilitated because of the high interrelationship between variables. Models are suggested in which accurate pivotal forecasting in the short term might be possible—assuming the particular future trend in some of the independent variables has been predetermined.Research Council of Alberta Contribution No. 596.     

A model not requiring continuous lithosphere for anomalous high-frequency arrivals from deep-focus South American earthquakes

Various workers have constructed models to explain a class of anomalous arrivals at Peruvian and Chilean stations from deep-focus South American earthquakes. These arrivals are shear waves with a later arrival time, a higher frequency content, a longer duration and a lower apparent velocity than direct S. Our models assume that there is a sufficiently sharp discontinuity at the upper interface of the descending lithospheric slab between depths of 80 and 250 km to provide efficient reflection (≈0.1) for S-waves incident from below. The observed travel times require a single S-to-S reflection at this interface if the J-B velocity-depth model is modified to allow for 7% higher velocities down to a depth of 300 km (excluding the crust). The locus of required reflection points correlates well with the upper boundary of the observed seismicity (strike and dip angles within 5°) and Q for the proposed path is consistent with the frequency content of the anomalous arrivals. Thus the existence of these arrivals requires a dipping interface down to about 250 km, but, contrary to the wave-guide model of Isacks and Barazangi, cannot be used to infer a continuous lithospheric slab down to the deep-focus earthquakes (h #62; 500 km).     

Subduction beneath western South America: evidence from converted phases

Summary. There are two conflicting models for the dip of the subduction zone beneath central Peru and beneath central Chile. One model, based primarily on the distribution of hypocentres thought to be most reliably located, postulates a shallow (∼ 10°) dip for the downgoing plate. The second model, re-examined in this paper and based chiefly on an analysis of ScSp converted phases, postulates a normal (∼ 30°) dip for the subduction.
A detailed examination of ScSp data for central Peru and central Chile shows that ScSp arrivals can be identified on all seismograms on which the predicted signal/noise ratio is greater than 1, and the measured amplitude ratios of ScSp to ScS imply a normal dip for the conversion interfaces. The characteristics of the ScSp arrivals in these regions are virtually identical to those for ScSp arrivals in southern Peru, where a well-defined Benioff zone and the calculated ScSp -conversion region both imply a normal dip for the subduction. Hence ScSp observations in South America support the model of an approximately constant dip of subduction from central Peru to central Chile to a depth of at least 120 km, and impose a constraint that must be satisfied by any satisfactory tectonic model for these regions.     

Stramonita haemastoma as a bioindicator for organotin contamination in coastal environments

Stramonita haemastoma was investigated as a suitable bioindicator of TBT and TPhT contamination in the tropical Atlantic Ocean by: 1. Imposex induction in healthy females after inoculation with TBT and TPhT in the laboratory; and 2. Determining incidence of imposex in S. haemastoma collected from areas with various levels of tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPhT) and determining the concentrations of these chemical in its tissues and that of its prey, the mussell Perna pernas. Imposex intensities and organotin concentrations in tissues showed good correlation, indicating S. haemastoma as a reliable bioindicator of TBT and TPhT contamination in coastal waters. Body burden threshold of TBT and TPhT for imposex induction was estimated to be 10-20 ng g(-1).     

天坑形成的水力机制

大部分情况下,天坑都是现代暗河通道洞顶塌陷而成.塌陷的扩大造成暗河通道的阻塞和改道,使得水力梯度变陡,溶蚀和侵蚀增强.可以说,天坑大部分空间体积的形成都是地下河大规模搬运崩塌堆积物的结果.强烈变化的大流量是搬运崩塌堆积的最佳条件,而暗河通道的改道和扩大又进一步加强了塌陷作用.与区域裂隙模式不同,新的裂隙随着崩塌周围应力释放而扩张.与原始洞穴通道形成相比,大规模天坑的形成都是源于这些作用.     

The 16th Workshop on Antarctic Meteorology and Climate and 6th Year of Polar Prediction in the Southern Hemisphere Meeting

1. Overview In June 2021, the 16th Workshop on Antarctic Meteorology and Climate (WAMC) and the 6th Year of Polar Prediction in the Southern Hemisphere (YOPP-SH) Meeting (http://polarmet.osu.edu/WAMC;021/) were held online and hosted by the Polar Meteorology Group at Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus,Ohio (Fig. 1).     

Roles of Continental Shelves and Marginal Seas in the Biogeochemical Cycles of the North Pacific Ocean

Most marginal seas in the North Pacific are fed by nutrients supported mainly by upwelling and many are undersaturated with respect to atmospheric CO₂ in the surface water mainly as a result of the biological pump and winter cooling. These seas absorb CO₂ at an average rate of 1.1 ± 0.3 mol C m⁻²yr⁻¹ but release N₂/N₂O at an average rate of 0.07 ± 0.03 mol N m⁻²yr⁻¹. Most of primary production, however, is regenerated on the shelves, and only less than 15% is transported to the open oceans as dissolved and particulate organic carbon (POC) with a small amount of POC deposited in the sediments. It is estimated that seawater in the marginal seas in the North Pacific alone may have taken up 1.6 ± 0.3 Gt (10¹⁵ g) of excess carbon, including 0.21 ± 0.05 Gt for the Bering Sea, 0.18 ± 0.08 Gt for the Okhotsk Sea; 0.31 ± 0.05 Gt for the Japan/East Sea; 0.07 ± 0.02 Gt for the East China and Yellow Seas; 0.80 ± 0.15 Gt for the South China Sea; and 0.015 ± 0.005 Gt for the Gulf of California. More importantly, high latitude marginal seas such as the Bering and Okhotsk Seas may act as conveyer belts in exporting 0.1 ± 0.08 Gt C anthropogenic, excess CO₂ into the North Pacific Intermediate Water per year. The upward migration of calcite and aragonite saturation horizons due to the penetration of excess CO₂ may also make the shelf deposits on the Bering and Okhotsk Seas more susceptible to dissolution, which would then neutralize excess CO₂ in the near future. Further, because most nutrients come from upwelling, increased water consumption on land and damming of major rivers may reduce freshwater output and the buoyancy effect on the shelves. As a result, upwelling, nutrient input and biological productivity may all be reduced in the future. As a final note, the Japan/East Sea has started to show responses to global warming. Warmer surface layer has reduced upwelling of nutrient-rich subsurface water, resulting in a decline of spring phytoplankton biomass. Less bottom water formation because of less winter cooling may lead to the disappearance of the bottom water as early as 2040. Or else, an anoxic condition may form as early as 2200 AD. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.