Anoxic carbon degradation in Arctic sediments: Microbial transformations of complex substrates

Complex substrates are degraded in anoxic sediments by the concerted activities of diverse microbial communities. To explore the effects of substrate complexity on carbon transformations in permanently cold anoxic sediments, four substrates—Spirulina cells, Isochrysis cells, and soluble high molecular weight carbohydrate-rich extracts of these cells (Spir-Ex and Iso-Ex)—were added to sediments collected from Svalbard. The sediments were homogenized, incubated anaerobically in gas-tight bags at 0°C, and enzyme activities, fermentation, and terminal respiration were monitored over a 1134 h time course. All substrate additions yielded a fraction (8%-13%) of carbon that was metabolized to CO₂ over the first 384 h of incubation. The timecourse of VFA (volatile fatty acid) production and consumption, as well as the suite of VFAs produced, was similar for all substrates. After this phase, pathways of carbon degradation diverged, with an additional 43%, 32%, 33%, and 8% of Isochrysis, Iso-Ex, Spirulina, and Spir-Ex carbon respired to CO₂ over the next 750 h of incubation. Somewhat surprisingly, the soluble, carbohydrate-rich extracts did not prove to be more labile substrates than the whole cells from which they were derived. Although Spirulina and Iso-Ex differed in physical and chemical characteristics (solid/soluble, C/N ratio, lipid and carbohydrate content), nearly identical quantities of carbon were respired to CO₂. In contrast, only 15% of Spir-Ex carbon was respired, despite the initial burst of activity that it fueled, its soluble nature, and its relatively high (50%) carbohydrate content. The microbial community in these cold anoxic sediments clearly has the capacity to react rapidly to carbon input; extent and timecourse of remineralization of added carbon is similar to observations made at much higher temperatures in temperate sediments. The extent of carbon remineralization from these specific substrates, however, would not likely have been predicted on the basis of general substrate characteristics.     

Gold partitioning in melt-vapor-brine systems

We used laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry to measure the solubility of gold in synthetic sulfur-free vapor and brine fluid inclusions in a vapor + brine + haplogranite + magnetite + gold metal assemblage. Experiments were conducted at 800°C, oxygen fugacity buffered at Ni-NiO (NNO), and pressures ranging from 110 to 145 MPa. The wt% NaCl eq. of vapor increases from 2.3 to 19 and that of brine decreases from 57 to 35 with increasing pressure. The composition of the vapors and brines are dominated by NaCl + KCl + FeCl₂ + H₂O. Gold concentrations in vapor and brine decrease from 36 to 5 and 50 to 28 μg/g, respectively, and the calculated vapor:brine partition coefficients for gold decrease from 0.72 to 0.17 as pressure decreases from 145 to 110 MPa. These data are consistent with the thermodynamic boundary condition that the concentration of gold in the vapor and brine must approach a common value as the critical pressure is approached along the 800°C isotherm in the NaCl-KCl-FeCl₂-HCl-H₂O system.We use the equilibrium constant for gold dissolution as AuOH⁰, extrapolated from lower temperature and overlapping pressure range, to calculate expected concentrations of AuOH⁰ in our experimental vapors. These calculations suggest that a significant quantity of gold in our experimental vapors is present as a non-hydroxide species. Possible chloridogold(I) species are hypothesized based on the positively correlated gold and chloride concentrations in our experimental vapors. The absolute concentration of gold in our synthetic vapor, brine, and melt and calculated mass partition coefficients for gold between these physicochemically distinct magmatic phases suggests that gold solubility in aqueous fluids is a function of aqueous phase salinity, specifically total chloride concentration, at magmatic conditions. However, though we highlight here the effect of salinity, the combination of our data with data sets from lower temperatures evinces a significant decrease in gold solubility as temperature drops from 800°C to 600°C. This decrease in solubility has implications for gold deposition from ascending magmatic fluids.     

Argo floats revealing bimodality of large-scale mid-depth circulation in the North Atlantic

Analysis of Argo float trajectories at 1 000 m and temperature at 950 m in the North Atlantic between November 2003 and January 2005 demonstrates the existence of two different circulation modes with fast transition between them. Each mode has a pair of cyclonic - anticyclonic gyres. The difference is the location of the cyclonic gyre. The cyclonic gyre stretches from southeast to northwest in the first mode and from the southwest to the northeast in the second mode. The observed modes strongly affect the heat and salt transport in the North Atlantic. In particular, the second mode slows down the westward transport of the warm and saline water from the Mediterranean Sea.     

青海南部熔积岩的发现:对寻找VMS型矿床的重要启示

熔积岩指的是侵入、混合到未固结或弱固结的湿沉积物中的熔浆分解、原位形成的一类特殊岩石。正确地认识该类岩石,有利于增进人们对岩浆-水(沉积物)相互作用过程的理解,恢复古环境。在青海南部沱沱河地区发现了一套角砾为撕片状、锯齿状及浑圆状的安山岩,胶结物为铁硅质组合的特殊熔积岩。研究表明,该熔积岩的角砾为岩浆遇水后快速淬火、裂解的产物,铁硅质组合为海底喷气沉积形成的含铁建造;且安山岩与含铁建造发生混合时,含铁建造尚未固结。该套熔积岩的发现,改变了长期以来对开心岭铁矿为火山热液交代安山岩而形成的认识,对于在矿区寻找VMS型矿床、区域内寻找海底热水喷流沉积型矿床具有重要的启示意义。     

Pan-African high pressure granulites from SE-Kenya: Petrological and geothermobarometric evidence for a polycyclic evolution in the Mozambique belt

Two different Pan-African tectono-metamorphic events are recognised in the Taita Hill Tsavo East National Park/Galana river area, SE-Kenya (Mozambique belt) based on petrographic and geothermobarometric evidence. Structurally, this area can be subdivided into four units: (1) the easternmost part of the basement along the Galana river is characterized by subhorizontal slightly to the west and east dipping foliation planes. Migmatic paragneisses with intercalated marbles, calcsilicates and metapelites and bands of amphibolites are the dominant rock type. (2) The western part of the Galana river within the Tsavo East National Park is a ca. 25 km wide shear zone with subvertical foliation planes. The eastern part shows similar rocks as observed in unit 1, while towards west, metasedimentary units become rare and the main rock types are tonalitic gneisses with intercalated amphibolites. (3) A 10 km wide zone (Sagala Hills zone) between the strike slip zone (unit 2) and the Taita Hills (unit 4) is developed. This zone is characterized by elongated and folded felsic migmatic amphibole and garnet bearing orthogneiss bodies with intercalated bands of mafic rocks. (4) The Taita Hills are a slightly to the N dipping nappe stack. The main rock type in the Taita Hills are amphibole–biotite–plagioclase–quartz ± garnet ± clinopyroxene ± scapolite bearing migmatic gneisses with mafic bands. In the southern part, metapelites, marbles and some amphibolites are common.Although the geological structures are different in units 1 and 2, the calculated PT conditions are similar with peak PT of 760–820 °C and 7.5–9.5 kbar. Temperatures in unit 3 (Sagalla Hills zone) and unit 4 (Taita Hills) are slightly higher ca. 760–840 °C, but pressure is significantly higher, ranging from 10 to 12 kbar. Sillimanite growth around kyanite, garnet zonation pattern, mineral reaction textures, and PT calculations constrain a “clock-wise” PT-path with near isobaric cooling following the peak of metamorphism. The different PT conditions, tectonic setting, and a different age of metamorphism are evidence that units 1 and 2 (Galana river) belong to a different tectono-metamorphic event than unit 3 (Sagala Hills zone) and 4 (Taita Hills). The major shear zone (unit 2) marks a tectonic suture dividing the two different tectono-metamorphic domains. It is also likely that it played an important role during exhumation of the granulite facies rocks from units 3 and 4.     

Characterisation of Memory Effects and Development of an Effective Wash Protocol for the Measurement of Petrogenetically Critical Trace Elements in Geological Samples by ICP-MS

High sensitivity and low detection limits would seem to make inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) an ideal analytical tool for determining low (sub-μg g^-1) concentrations of the rare earth elements (REE), Y, Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta, Sn, W, Mo, Th, and U in most mafic materials (e.g. Hall and Plant 1992). However, the generally "sticky" nature exhibited by most of the high field strength elements (HFSEs: Zr, Nb, Hf, Ta, Th and U) as well as Sn, W and Mo can result in spurious results due to memory effects transmitted between unknowns and calibration samples. This, in turn, can seriously compromise the sensitivity, accuracy, and precision of ICP-MS analyses for these elements in geological materials. Data resulting from analyses with poor accuracy and precision can lead to erroneous interpretation and misleading petrogenetic modelling. To resolve this problem, we propose an effective wash protocol for these critical trace elements.     

Eclogite and carpholite-bearing metasedimentary rocks in the North Qilian suture zone, NW China: implications for Early Palaeozoic cold oceanic subduction and water transport into mantle

Low‐temperature eclogite and eclogite facies metapelite together with serpentinite and marble occur as blocks within foliated blueschist that was originated from greywacke matrix; they formed a high‐pressure low‐temperature (HPLT) subduction complex (mélange) in the North Qilian oceanic‐type suture zone, NW China. Phengite–eclogite (type I) and epidote–eclogite (type II) were recognized on the basis of mineral assemblage. Relic lawsonite and lawsonite pseudomorphs occur as inclusions in garnet from both types of eclogite. Garnet–omphacite–phengite geothermobarometry yields metamorphic conditions of 460–510 °C and 2.20–2.60 GPa for weakly deformed eclogite, and 475–500 °C and 1.75–1.95 GPa for strongly foliated eclogite. Eclogite facies metasediments include garnet–omphacite–phengite–glaucophane schist and various chloritoid‐bearing schists. Mg‐carpholite was identified in some high‐Mg chloritoid schists. P–T estimates yield 2.60–2.15 GPa and 495–540 °C for Grt–Omp–Phn–Gln schist, and 2.45–2.50 GPa and 525–530 °C for the Mg‐carpholite schist. Mineral assemblages and P–T estimates, together with isotopic ages, suggest that the oceanic lithosphere as well as pelagic to semi‐pelagic sediments have been subducted to the mantle depths (≥75 km) before 460 Ma. Blueschist facies retrogression occurred at c. 454–446 Ma and led to eclogite deformation and dehydration of lawsonite during exhumation. The peak P–Tconditions for eclogite and metapelite in the North Qilian suture zone demonstrate the existence of cold subduction‐zone gradients (6–7 °C km^?1), and this cold subduction brought a large amount of H₂O to the deep mantle in the Early Palaeozoic times.     

Barium silicates of the Berisal Complex, Switzerland: A study in geochronology and rare-gas release systematics

Barium silicate minerals such as celsian, ganterite, armenite, as well as Ba-bearing and Ba-free white mica from the Berisal Complex, Simplon Nappe, Swiss Alps, were dated by ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar. Ages of Ba-free micas are ca. 17 Ma, while Ba and parentless ⁴⁰Ar are correlated in Ba silicates, suggesting common inheritance from the Paleozoic orthogneissic protolith. The release pattern of reactor-produced ³⁹Ar (or ³⁷Ar) from hydrated and anhydrous minerals is very similar, with apparent activation energies of ca. 180 kJ/mole and a conspicuous kink around 900 °C. White micas release Ar at higher temperature than the literature determination of their dehydroxylation. In addition to Ar, we studied the degassing of monoisotopic ¹³¹Xe produced from Ba during neutron irradiation. Xe is degassed at higher temperature than Ar, and again all analyzed silicates have the same apparent activation energy of ca. 300 kJ/mole. The decoupling of Ar and Xe rules out delamination as the dominant degassing mechanism in mica and implies that recoiled rare gas atoms mostly reside inside the T-O-T layers of the mica structure. The near-identical apparent activation energies in such diverse silicates as tecto-, phyllo- and cyclosilicate requires instead that the in-vacuo gas release kinetics are the same in all three silicates. As the only structural element common to these three silicate families are silica tetrahedra, it is possible that their well-known rotation plays a decisive role for in-vacuo Ar degassing; additional high-temperature in situ structural investigations on feldspars and micas would be needed to help constrain the mechanisms of laboratory Ar release.     

Evidence for the enhanced lability of dissolved organic matter following permafrost slope disturbance in the Canadian High Arctic

Arctic landscapes are believed to be highly sensitive to climate change and accelerated disturbance of permafrost is expected to significantly impact the rate of carbon cycling. While half the global soil organic matter (SOM) is estimated to reside in Arctic soils, projected warmer temperatures and permafrost disturbance will release much of this SOM into waterways in the form of dissolved organic matter (DOM). The spring thaw and subsequent flushing of soils releases the highest contributions of DOM annually but has historically been undersampled due to the difficulties of sampling during this period. In this study, passive samplers were placed throughout paired High Arctic watersheds during the duration of the 2008 spring flush in Nunavut, Canada. The watersheds are very similar with the exception of widespread active layer detachments (ALDs) that occurred within one of the catchments during a period of elevated temperatures in the summer of 2007. DOM samples were analyzed for structural and spectral characteristics via nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and fluorescence spectroscopy as well as vulnerability to degradation with simulated solar exposure. Lignin-derived phenols were further assessed utilizing copper(II) oxide (CuO) oxidation and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The samples were found to have very low dissolved lignin phenol content (∼0.07% of DOC) and appear to originate from primarily non-woody angiosperm vegetation. The acid/aldehyde ratios for dissolved vanillyl phenols were found to be high (up to 3.6), indicating the presence of highly oxidized lignin. Differences between DOM released from the ALD vs. the undisturbed watershed suggest that these shallow detachment slides have significantly impacted the quality of Arctic DOM. Although material released from the disturbed catchment was found to be highly oxidized, DOM in the lake into which this catchment drained had chemical characteristics indicating high contributions from microbial and/or primary productivity. The resulting pool of dissolved carbon within the lake appears to be more biologically- and photochemically-labile than material from the undisturbed system. These disturbances may have implications for projected climate warming; sustained elevated temperatures would likely perpetuate widespread ALDs and further affect carbon cycling in this environment.     

Aqueous uptake of uranium onto pyrite surfaces; reactivity of fresh versus weathered material

In order to better understand the interaction between aqueous uranium and pyrite (FeS₂) the uptake of uranium onto the surfaces of both weathered and freshly generated pyrite surfaces was examined using batch sorption experiments. Analysis was performed using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results clearly indicate that freshly polished pyrite surfaces are efficient scavengers of uranium from solution, while weathered surfaces exhibit only limited uptake. Results also indicate partial reduction of uranium at the pyrite surfaces, with a heterogeneous distribution of U(IV) and U(VI) species.