The Colônia structure,São Paulo,Brazil

Abstract– The near‐circular Colônia structure, located in the southern suburbs of the mega‐city of São Paulo, Brazil, has attracted the attention of geoscientists for several decades due to its anomalous character and the complete absence of any plausible endogenous geologic explanation for its formation. Origin by impact cratering has been suggested repeatedly since the 1960s, but no direct evidence for this has been presented to date. New seismic data have been recently acquired at Colônia, providing new insights into the characteristics and possible layering of infill of the structure, as well as into the depth to the underlying basement. We review the current knowledge about the Colônia structure, present the new seismic data, and discuss the existing—as yet still indirect—evidence for a possible origin by an impact. The new data suggest the existence of a sedimentary fill of approximately 275 m thickness and also the presence of two intermediate zones between sediment and basement: an upper zone that is approximately 65 m thick and can be interpreted as a possible crater‐fill breccia, whereas the other zone possibly represents fractured/brecciated basement, with a thickness of approximately 50 m. Although this depth to basement seems to be inconsistent with the expected geometry of a simple, bowl‐shape impact structure of such diameter, there are a number of still unconstrained parameters that could explain this, such as projectile nature, size and velocity, impact angle, and particularly the current erosion depth.     

The complex impact structure Serra da Cangalha,Tocantins State,Brazil

Abstract– Serra da Cangalha is a complex impact structure with a crater diameter of 13,700 m and a central uplift diameter of 5800 m. New findings of shatter cones, planar fractures, feather features, and possible planar deformation features are presented. Several ring‐like features that are visible on remote sensing imagery are caused by selective erosion of tilted strata. The target at Serra da Cangalha is composed of Devonian to Permian sedimentary rocks, mainly sandstones that are interlayered with siltstone and claystones. NNE–SSW and WNW–ESE‐striking joint sets were present prior to the impact and also overprinted the structure after its formation. As preferred zones of weakness, these joint sets partly controlled the shape of the outer perimeter of the structure and, in particular, affected the deformation within the central uplift. Joints in radial orientation to the impact center did not undergo a change in orientation during tilting of strata when the central uplift was formed. These planes were used as major displacement zones. The asymmetry of the central uplift, with preferred overturning of strata in the northern to western sector, may suggest a moderately oblique impact from a southerly direction. Buckle folding of tilted strata, as well as strata overturning, indicates that the central uplift became gravitationally unstable at the end of crater formation.     

Site Response as a Function of Near-Surface Geology in the South Iceland Seismic Zone

Site response measurements provide information on the amplification of ground motions generated by local conditions. Recent studies of large destructive earthquakes have shown that damage during the earthquakes are often caused by the amplification of seismic waves in near-surface sedimentary layers. The estimation of site response is therefore critical, in order to evaluate the true seismic hazard potential of a given area. We investigated local site amplifications in the South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ). Nine digital seismographs were deployed, temporarily, in an area of approximately 400 km2, in the westernmost part of the SISZ. Among the 90 events recorded, 15 were used in this study, including a magnitude 3.1 (ML) event and selected aftershocks, which occurred in the northern outskirts of the village Hveragerdi. Single Station Spectral Ratios (SSSR) of the recorded earthquakes revealed some of the effects of local site conditions. Spectral amplification factors of 2–5 on average, can be expected in the SIL area, depending on the sediment type and thickness. Higher site amplifications occur in the southern part of the study region, where the thickest sedimentary cover is found. Spectral amplification, related to topographical effects, is observed at the bedrock reference station, Bjarnastadir. Standard Spectral Ratios (SSR), with respect to the bedrock reference station, Bjarnastadir, were also calculated for some stations, in order to compare the two spectral ratio results. The two methods show a good correlation at some stations, whereas at others they vary considerably. The comparison between the earthquake and ambient noise data, on the other hand, gave better correlation when the SSSR method is used.     

Stratigraphy of fossil pigments and Cladophora and its relationship with deposition of tephra in Lake Mývatn,Iceland

Fossil plant pigments and Cladophora fragments were analyzed in a 6.53 m long sediment profile from Lake Mývatn, Iceland, covering most of its history of about 2300 years. A decrease in myxoxanthophyll (produced by Cyanobacteria) with time and an increase in the benthic Cladophora reflects a gradual shift from planktonic to benthic primary production as water depth is reduced (to 3.15 m at the core site) because of sediment accumulation.Two periods of relatively high concentrations of myxoxanthophyll coincided with relatively frequent deposition of tephra (volcanic ash) but did neither conform with tectonic activity which might have changed the water level nor the available climatic record. Sediment depth, tephra content and percent undegraded chlorophyll (an indicator of pigment preservation) together could explain 56.7% of the variation in myxoxanthophyll. It is hypothesized that temporary increases in myxoxanthophyll resulted from periodic nutrient enrichment by fresh tephra deposited in the watershed or because tephra increased the erosion of organic soil in the water catchment area.Fluctuations in Cladophora show an inverse relationship with myxoxanthophyll in the uppermost 4 m of the core, and may result from a shading effect of planktonic Cyanobacteria on the phytobenthos or competition for nutrients released by the bottom sediments.     

Variability of heat shock proteins and glutathione S-transferase in gill and digestive gland of blue mussel,Mytilus edulis

Glutathione S-transferase (GST) and heat shock proteins (hsps) 40, 60, 70 and 90 were determined by immunoblotting using actin as an internal control in Mytilus edulis from one station outside (site1) and three stations within (sites 2-4) Cork Harbour, Ireland. Comparisons were made between gill and digestive gland and between sites. Gill shows generally higher hsp 60, 70 and 90 while digestive gland has higher hsp 40. Site 1 showed higher gill hsps 40 and 70 than sites 2-4 while gill GST was higher in sites 3 and 4 than 1 and 2. Comparison with sites in the North Sea (site 5: outside Tj?rn? in The Koster archipelago in the Skagerack) and Baltic Sea (site 6: Ask? island) also revealed lower hsps 40 and 70 in site 6 (low salinity) than site 5 (high salinity) although hsps 60, 70 and 90 were detectable in digestive gland unlike sites 1-4. Previously, only hsp 70 had been studied at these sites [Mar. Environ. Res. 39. (1995), 181]. At the mRNA level, gill hsp 70 is 80-fold higher at Tj?rn? than Ask?. These data suggest that, while salinity may slightly decrease hsp 40 and 70, both hsp 70 and GST are selectively up-regulated by approx. 10- and 3-fold, respectively, at Tj?rn? compared to the other sites which we attribute to exposure to more widely fluctuating pollution levels.     

Mapping groundwater development costs for the transboundary Western Aquifer Basin, Palestine/Israel

The costs of developing groundwater in the Western Aquifer Basin vary considerably across the West Bank and Israel. One of the main reasons for this variability is the diverse hydrogeological conditions within the aquifer. Using data from recent hydrogeological investigations, an estimate of the variation of both the drilling and pumping costs was calculated and then mapped across the Upper and Lower Aquifers within the Western Aquifer Basin. These groundwater cost maps proved helpful in analyzing the impacts of hydrogeology on water supply, and also in communicating complex hydrogeological information to a broader audience. The maps clearly demonstrate that the most cost-effective area to develop groundwater is along the Green Line—the 1949 armistice boundary between Israel and the Palestinian West Bank. Any migration of this boundary eastwards will affect the cost and feasibility of developing groundwater within Palestine, making abstraction from the Upper Aquifer impracticable, and increasing the cost of developing the Lower Aquifer. Therefore, the separation wall, which is being constructed to the east of the Armistice Line in Palestinian territory, will significantly reduce the ability of the Palestinians to develop groundwater resources.     

EVIDENCES FROM HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS OF LANDSCAPE EVOLUTION AFTER LITTLE ICE AGE OF A MEDITERRANEAN HIGH MOUNTAIN AREA,SIERRA NEVADA,SPAIN (EIGHTEENTH TO TWENTIETH CENTURIES)

The Sierra Nevada is the highest mountain system on the Iberian Peninsula (Mulhacén 3482 m; Veleta 3308 m) and is located in the extreme SE region of Spain (lat 37°N, long 3°W). Bibliographic resources, particularly from the eighteenth to twentieth centuries, provide insights into the changing summit landscape as the effects of cold, ice, snow and wind shaped its morphology. The selected references emphasize the Sierra's evolving climate reflected in the glaciers and snow hollows, and in the sparse vegetation above certain altitudes. Scientists had established bioclimatic conditions for the entire range in the early nineteenth century, and their works reflect the progression of ideas, particularly in the area of natural sciences, that influenced the period chosen for this study. This information, in addition to current knowledge about the morphogenetic dynamics of the Sierra Nevada, provides the basis for a comparison of the dominant environments from the Little Ice Age to the present, using the most significant high mountain morphological features as a guide. The most relevant findings indicate that cold climate processes (soli‐gelifluction, frost creep and nivation) were more predominant during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries than they are today.     

Sulfur,chlorine, and fluorine degassing and atmospheric loading by the 1783–1784 AD Laki (Skaftár Fires) eruption in Iceland

 The 1783–1784 Laki tholeiitic basalt fissure eruption in Iceland was one of the greatest atmospheric pollution events of the past 250 years, with widespread effects in the northern hemisphere. The degassing history and volatile budget of this event are determined by measurements of pre-eruption and residual contents of sulfur, chlorine, and fluorine in the products of all phases of the eruption. In fissure eruptions such as Laki, degassing occurs in two stages: by explosive activity or lava fountaining at the vents, and from the lava as it flows away from the vents. Using the measured sulfur concentrations in glass inclusions in phenocrysts and in groundmass glasses of quenched eruption products, we calculate that the total accumulative atmospheric mass loading of sulfur dioxide was 122 Mt over a period of 8 months. This volatile release is sufficient to have generated ∼250 Mt of H₂SO₄ aerosols, an amount which agrees with an independent estimate of the Laki aerosol yield based on atmospheric turbidity measurements. Most of this volatile mass (∼60 wt.%) was released during the first 1.5 months of activity. The measured chlorine and fluorine concentrations in the samples indicate that the atmospheric loading of hydrochloric acid and hydrofluoric acid was ∼7.0 and 15.0 Mt, respectively. Furthermore, ∼75% of the volatile mass dissolved by the Laki magma was released at the vents and carried by eruption columns to altitudes between 6 and 13 km. The high degree of degassing at the vents is attributed to development of a separated two-phase flow in the upper magma conduit, and implies that high-discharge basaltic eruptions such as Laki are able to loft huge quantities of gas to altitudes where the resulting aerosols can reside for months or even 1–2 years. The atmospheric volatile contribution due to subsequent degassing of the Laki lava flow is only 18 wt.% of the total dissolved in the magma, and these emissions were confined to the lowest regions of the troposphere and therefore important only over Iceland. This study indicates that determination of the amount of sulfur degassed from the Laki magma batch by measurements of sulfur in the volcanic products (the petrologic method) yields a result which is sufficient to account for the mass of aerosols estimated by other methods. Received: 30 May 1995 / Accepted: 19 April 1996     

PAH features in the ISO SWS01 spectra of [WR] planetary nebulae

We present Infrared Space Observatory (ISO)Short Wavelength Spectrometer (SWS) observations for 16Wolf–Rayet ([WR]) planetary nebulae (PNe) in the range from 2.4 to16.5 m with the aim of analyzing the dust features present inthis group of objects. We have found that Policyclic AromaticHydrocarbon (PAH) molecular bands are present in most of the observed[WR] planetary nebulae with clear exception for K 2–16 among latetype [WC] stars.