Changing depositional environment revealed from sediment components,west of “Swatch of No Ground”, northern Bay of Bengal

The sediment cores of 20 cm length collected from 31 to 83 m range of water depth from the inner shelf of Bay of Bengal west of “Swatch of No Ground” were analyzed for grain size, organic carbon, total nitrogen, calcium carbonate and clay mineralogy. Grain size analysis revealed that the sediment size decreases from west to east within the study area indicating a possible direction of transport towards east parallel to the coast. The grain size also decreases with increasing water depth, i.e. north to south, indicating sediment contribution to the area of study from Hooghly and other local rivers. In the cores studied, illite was the dominant clay mineral which seems to be a product of glacial weathering under arid conditions with its source being the Himalayan region. The organic carbon content was low in the sediments and was attributed to low plankton production or intense oxidation processes. Low calcium carbonate percentage also supports the view of a low productivity in this region. Organic carbon increases gradually from west to east indicating its association with finer sediments and also indicates transport due to currents which drift the organic carbon away before it settles down within the sediments. Higher values relatively closer to the coast in the eastern side indicate additional contribution from Sunderban mangroves. The C/N ratio obtained indicates mixed source of terrestrial and marine for the organic matter in the sediments. Sedimentation rates available for deltaic plains and shelves off Bangladesh when adopted for the present area revealed that a 20 cm long sediment column was deposited in around 10 years. In most of the cores studied, a change in the trend of sediment components and organic carbon was observed at around 10 cm where grain size increases and organic carbon decreases towards the surface inferring that during the last 5 years, possible floods during NE monsoon or due to melting of ice in Himalaya are responsible for releasing additional water and material which brought a change in hydrodynamic conditions. The surface depletion of organic carbon indicates its dilution by the addition of coarser materials.     

Regional and temporal changes in bivalve diversity off the south coast of Portugal

From 2000 to 2006, a total of 75 bivalve species were identified, varying from 29 (spring 2001) to 54 species (spring 2005) per year. Seasonal tendencies in diversity varied according the year, thus the interpretation of long-term and regional scales is essential before drawing any conclusions in other studies. Richness and diversity consistently decreased with depth and increased with sediment grain size (from low in very coarse sand to high in coarse silt). Diversity decreased progressively from 3 to 16 m depth, thus the harsher shallower environments (due to waves and tidal air exposure) showed greater diversity than the most stable areas. Communities in finer sediments were more diverse than those in coarser sand. Evenness showed patterns opposite to diversity, overall.Diversity and evenness maps (produced with multivariate universal kriging), showed that most geographic areas with greater diversity were farer from river outflows and wastewater treatment plants. Two types of geographic pattern were observed: areas with persistently greater bivalve diversity through time and areas that changed locally from year to year. This spatial analysis can be used to establish priority conservation areas for management purposes, and to analyse the persistency of regional diversity patterns. The area with most habitat heterogeneity (Sotavento) corresponded to greatest diversity.There was a positive relationship between Spisula solida and Chamelea gallina landings and bivalve diversity 2 years and 1 year later, respectively. Possibly, local fisheries, by selectively withdrawing the commercial numerically dominant species from the ecosystem, increased diversity 1 to 2 years later, as the ecological niches of the dominants are quickly filled by several other species thereby creating a more even community. On regional scales, no significant impact was found on long-term bivalve diversity in local fisheries,     

Landfill site selection using combination of fuzzy logic and multi-attribute decision-making approach

During the last decades, growth of urbanization and industrialization led to an increase in solid waste generation. Landfilling is the most prevalent ultimate disposal method for the municipal solid wastes in developing countries. The rapid municipal solid waste generation in Markazi province (central part of Iran) causes the need for precision in finding a suitable landfill site selection. In the present study, 12 factors (environmental and socioeconomic factors) have been applied to select the landfill site in Markazi province, Iran. The different methods including the analytic network process (ANP) combined with fuzzy linguistic quantifier, ordered weighted average (OWA), and weighted linear combination (WLC) approach in geographic information system was applied to find an appropriate landfill site. The OWA operator function permits the evaluation of the wide spectrum of consequences (with different scenario) obtained from different management strategies. Results revealed that integration of fuzzy logic, ANP, and OWA provides flexible and better ideas compared to the Boolean logic and WLC to select a suitable landfill site.     

The petrology of the Mt Manypeaks Adamellite and associated high‐grade metamorphic rocks near Albany,Western Australia

The Mt Manypeaks Adamellite is a composite, regionally concordant pluton at least 22 km long and 3 km wide, associated with Precambrian amphibolite facies gneisses of the Albany‐Esperance Block, and situated about 35 km east of Albany, Western Australia. The pluton is surrounded by a granitised aureole, and shows structural and mineralogical harmony with the country rocks. Contacts vary from grada‐tional to sharp. Hence field relations are consistent with syn‐ or late‐kinematic emplacement in the catazone. The normative composition of the pluton corresponds with the thermal trough in the system An‐Ab‐Or‐Q‐H2O at 7 kb PH2O, suggesting an origin involving crystal‐melt equilibria. The pluton is believed to have formed almost in situ by partial anatexis of the country rocks at 700–750°C and a depth of about 25 km during the orogenic episode responsible for regional metamorphism and deformation.     

Element zoning trends in olivine phenocrysts from a supposed primary high-magnesian andesite: an electron- and ion-microprobe study

Electron and ion-probe microanalysis have been used to obtain zoning profiles for major and trace elements in olivine phenocrysts from a high-magnesian andesite from Shodo-Shima island, southwest Japan. This rock was previously thought to represent undifferentiated, primary magma. Some crystals have unzoned cores, while others show cores which are reversely zoned with respect to Mg/ (Mg+Fe), Ni, Mn and Cr. In addition, some Ni profiles show a normally zoned hump at the most central portions of the reversely zoned crystals. All crystals show normally zoned rims. The Li concentrations are constant throughout the cores of all crystals studied, but rise sharply, by a factor of up to at least six, in the rims. The Ca and Co concentrations are essentially constant throughout all the crystals. Mechanisms for producing the observed zoning profiles are discussed, and it is concluded that the reverse zoning was produced by the introduction of crystals into a less differentiated magma than that in which they grew. The reversely zoned crystals could therefore represent xenocrysts which were introduced into an undifferentiated magma, or phenocrysts introduced into a more primitive magma by a magma mixing process. The Ni profiles are used to estimate the residence time of these crystals in the more primitive magma. The following trace element partition co-efficients have been estimated for the olivine-groundmass system in this rock: D ^Ni=16; D ^Mn=1.1; D ^Co=4.2; D ^Ca =0.02; D ^Ti=0.005; D ^V=0.05; D ^Sc=0.2; D ^Na=0.0002. Studies of trace element zoning will become increasingly important as the new generation of trace element microprobes become available but a larger database of experimentally determined values for trace element partition coefficients and diffusion coefficients in crystals and magmas, and a better understanding of other disequilibrium processes are required to fully exploit the new data.     

The measurements of the artificial atmospheric radioactivity

Summary There are some methods and types of instrument for measuring the specific artificial atmospheric radioactivity. In order to compare the simultaneous daily measurements, as made at different stations of a network, or to know the representativeness of a point measurement, it is necessary to consider the random and systematic errors, which are characteristic for the measuring method or the instrument. After having explained the meaning of these quantities, a method of calculation is developed, being illustrated by a numerical example. It is hoped that these considerations may be useful in analogous problems wherever and whenever one and the same quantity is measured with different methods or instruments.

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Zusammenfassung Es gibt verschiedene Methoden und Typen von Instrumenten zur Messung der spezifischen künstlichen atmosphärischen Radioaktivität. Um die gleichzeitigen täglichen Messungen verschiedener Stationen des Beobachtungsnetzes vergleichen zu können und ein Urteil über die Repräsentativität einer Punktmessung zu gewinnen, müssen die zufälligen und die systematischen Fehler der Meßmethode und des Meßinstrumentes berücksichtigt werden. Es wird eine Methode zur Berechnung dieser Fehler entwickelt und ein numerisches Beispiel wiedergegeben. Die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung sind auch bei anderen Problemen anwendbar, wo ein und dieselbe Größe auf Verschiedene Weise oder mit verschiedenen Instrumenten gemessen wird.

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Résumé On connaît quelques méthodes et types d'instrument à mesurer la valeur spécifique de la radioactivité artificielle dans l'air. Afin de comparer les mesures quotidiennes simultanées, faites aux diverses stations du réseau d'observation, ou pour d'étudier la représentativité, il faut considérer les erreurs aléatoires et systématiques qui sont caractéristiques pour la méthode ou pour l'instrument de mesure. On développe une méthode pour calculer ces erreurs; elle est illustrée par un exemple numérique. On a quelque espoir que les considérations présentées pourraient être utiles à des problèmes analogues partout et toujours si l'on mesure une même grandeur au moyen de méthodes différentes ou d'instruments différents.

     

Geochemistry of suspended matter from the Baltic Sea 2. Results of bulk trace metal analysis by AAS

In 1984, on a transect covering the whole Baltic Sea and parts of the adjacent North Sea, 160 water samples were taken and analysed for their concentrations of particulate and dissolved metals. In addition, the suspended materials were investigated for their elemental bulk composition.The particulate fractions represented from about 5% (Cd, Cu and Ni) to 50% (Fe and Pb) of the total (particulate plus dissolved) concentrations. For some elements (Ba, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn), the particulate matter from the surface microlayer was enriched with respect to those suspended materials taken from 0.2 m depth. This could reflect the atmospheric input of metal-rich aerosols. In anoxic deep waters, maximum contents of Zn (6400 μg g⁻¹), Cu (1330 μg g⁻¹) and Cd (12 μg g⁻¹) were observed in the particulate matter, indicating sulphidic forms. On the other hand, under oxic conditions the distribution coefficients (K_d) decreased with the water depth (Cd, Fe and Pb).Relative to global background levels, the particulate matter contained metal “excesses” amounting to more than 90% of the total contents (Cd, Mn, Pb and Zn). Automated electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPXMA) revealed that the elemental composition of sediments is mainly governed by post-depositional processes of early diagenesis and is only weakly related to the composition of suspended matter in the overlying water body. For instance, in relation to surface mud sediments of the central Baltic net-sedimentation basins, Zn, Cd, Cu and Mn had 30–100% higher levels in the suspended materials. The general pattern of metal contents of particulate matter taken from 10 m depth on a transect between the Bothnian Bay and the North Sea were—possibly as a result of anthropogenic inputs—rather similar for Pb, Zn and Cu. For Fe and Mn, the distribution patterns along the transect were probably governed by the natural loading characteristics and by the biogeochemistry of those elements.     

A climatological data set of temperature and salinity for the Baltic Sea and the North Sea

Ocean Dynamics - A climatological monthly mean data set for temperature and salinity in the area of the North Sea and Baltic Sea is presented. More than 3.1 million temperature observations (2.9...     

Estimates of total radiation and albedo in Sub-Arctic Canada

Summary Maps have recently been prepared of the physiography and plant cover of Labrador-Ungava, in the Canadian Sub-Arctic. These enable detailed studies of representative localities to be extended over wider areas. Methods of estimating the average total insolation from sun and sky received at the surface are discussed, together with aerial measurements of albedo and thus a method of calculating the insolation absorbed by the surface is demonstrated. The limitations of the technique are stressed.

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Zusammenfassung Es wurden Karten der Physiographie und Pflanzenbedeckung von Labrador-Ungava im sub-arktischen Klimagebiet Kanadas bearbeitet; an Hand dieser Karten kann von einzelnen, repräsentativen Orten auf die Verhältnisse in größeren Gebieten geschlossen werden. Die Methoden zur Abschätzung der Globalstrahlung an der Erdoberfläche werden diskutiert. Zusammen mit Messungen der Albedo vom Flugzeug aus ergibt sich eine Möglichkeit, die vom Erdboden absorbierte Strahlungsenergie zu berechnen. Die Grenzen der Leistungsfähigkeit dieser Methode werden betont.

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Résumé On a dressé des cartes de la physiographie et de la couverture végétale du Labrador-Ungava soumis au climat subarctique du Canada. Elles permettent d'étendre les conclusions relatives à certains lieux représentatifs à de plus grands territoires. Discussion des méthodes d'estimation du rayonnement global à la surface du sol. En tentant compte de mesures de l'albédo faites depuis l'avion, on peut calculer l'énergie de rayonnement absorbée par le sol. Les limites d'application de la méthode sont discutées.

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The research described in this paper was sponsored jointly by the Carnegie Arctic Programme of McGill University and the Defence Research Board of Canada.