Propagation of the Southwest Indian Ridge at the Rodrigues Triple Junction

The analysis of multibeam bathymetric data of the Southwest Indian Ridge(SWIR) domain between the triple junction traces from 68° E to theRodrigues Triple Junction (RTJ; 70° E) reveals the evolution of thisridge since magnetic anomaly 4 (8 Ma). Image processing has been used toshow that the horizontal component of strain due to a network of normal stepfaults increases dramatically between 69°30 E and the RTJ. Thisarea close to the RTJ is characterized by a deep graben at the foot of thetriple junction trace on the African plate and by a narrow fault-boundedridge that joins an offset of the trace on the Antarctic plate. In thatarea, spreading is primarily amagmatic and dominated by tectonic extensionprocesses. To the west of 69°30 E, some lobate bathymetricfeatures atop of a large topographic high suggest volcanic constructions.Between 68°10 E and 69°25 E the southern flank of theSWIR domain is wider than the northern one and is characterized by a series of 7 en echelon bathymetric highs similar in size,shape and orientation to the one centred at 69°30E near the present-day triple junction. Their en echelon organization along the triple junction trace on the Antarctic plate and the typical lack of conjugated parts on the northern flank show that these bathymetric highs have been shifted to the south by successive northward relocalisations of the SWIR rifting zone. This evolution results in the asymmetric spreading of the SWIR in the survey area. The off-axis bathymetric highs connect to the offsets of the triple junction trace on the Antarctic plate when the Southeast Indian Ridges lightly lengthenstoward the northwest and the triple junction is relocated to the north. We propose that the SWIR lengthens toward the northeast with two propagation modes: 1) a continuous and progressive propagation with distributed deformation in preexisting crust of the Central Indian Ridge, 2) a discontinuous propagation with focusing of the deformation in a rift zone when the triple junction migrates rapidly to the north. The modes of propagation of the SWIR are related to different localisation and distribution of strain which are in turn controlled by changes of the triple junction configurations due to propagation, recession or a symmetric spreading on the Central and Southeast Indian Ridges.     

Factors affecting spatial and temporal variability in material exchange between the Southern Everglades wetlands and Florida Bay (USA)

Physical and biological processes controlling spatial and temporal variations in material concentration and exchange between the Southern Everglades wetlands and Florida Bay were studied for 2.5 years in three of the five major creek systems draining the watershed. Daily total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) fluxes were measured for 2 years in Taylor River, and ten 10-day intensive studies were conducted in this creek to estimate the seasonal flux of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), total organic carbon (TOC), and suspended matter. Four 10-day studies were conducted simultaneously in Taylor, McCormick, and Trout Creeks to study the spatial variation in concentration and flux. The annual fluxes of TOC, TN, and TP from the Southern Everglades were estimated from regression equations. The Southern Everglades watershed, a 460-km² area that includes Taylor Slough and the area south of the C-111 canal, exported 7.1 g C m⁻², 0.46 g N m⁻², and 0.007 g P m⁻², annually. Everglades P flux is three to four orders of magnitude lower than published flux estimates from wetlands influenced by terrigenous sedimentary inputs. These low P flux values reflect both the inherently low P content of Everglades surface water and the efficiency of Everglades carbonate sediments and biota in conserving and recycling this limiting nutrient. The seasonal variation of freshwater input to the watershed was responsible for major temporal variations in N, P, and C export to Florida Bay; approximately 99% of the export occurred during the rainy season. Wind-driven forcing was most important during the later stages of the dry season when low freshwater head coincided with southerly winds, resulting in a net import of water and materials into the wetlands. We also observed an east to west decrease in TN:TP ratio from 212:1 to 127:1. Major spatial gradients in N:P ratios and nutrient concentration and flux among the creek were consistent with the westward decrease in surface water runoff from the P-limited Everglades and increased advection of relatively P-rich Gulf of Mexico (GOM) waters into Florida Bay. Comparison of measured nutrient flux from Everglades surface water inputs from this study with published estimates of other sources of nutrients to Florida Bay (i.e. atmospheric deposition, anthropogenic inputs from the Florida Keys, advection from the GOM) show that Everglades runoff represents only 2% of N inputs and 0.5% of P input to Florida Bay.     

Calculation of the nonlinear energy transfer through the wave spectrum at the sea surface covered with broken ice

The nonlinear energy transfer through the wave spectrum is studied on the basis of the previously obtained explicit equation for matrix elements of a four-wave kinetic integral. The equation describes the evolution of a system of gravity waves at the surface of a sea of finite depth with a uniform distribution of broken ice over the sea surface. Particular attention is paid to the analytical part of the algorithm of the calculation of the kinetic integral. This part differs from the standard algorithm by a set of prominent features of the dispersion relation for wave oscillations in the ice-covered water. The kinetic integral for the system under consideration is calculated, and the results are compared with the results obtained for the ice-free water.     

Age of the western Black Sea basin according to an analysis of the anomalous magnetic field and geological data

Until recently, the ideas about the age of the Black Sea deep-water basin have been based on land geological observations in the coastal areas at the interaction periphery, underwater observations from manned submersibles, and on the data of seismic reflection and refraction studies and drilling. Formerly, the scarcity of the information led to a wide scattering of the age determinations: from the Jurassic to the Eocene. Recently, with the appearance of reliable geological and geophysical data, the range of the age estimates has been considerably reduced during the last few years, although there is no commonly accepted opinion on this issue. Therefore, the first attempt to determine the age of the Western Black Sea basin using an analysis of the anomalous magnetic field is of certain interest. The following results were obtained: the basin probably opened between 71.338 and 71.587 My B.P. (subchron C32n.1r). During the interval 68.737–71.071 My B.P. (subchron C31r), extinction of the spreading axes took place. Thus, the total duration of the Campanian-Maestrichtian phase of the opening was about 3 My (interval from 71.587 to 68.737 My B.P.). This result does not agree with the geological and geophysical data available to date. To solve this problem, collection of new geological data and further studies of the structure of the anomalous magnetic field are required.     

Plankton distribution and vertical flux of biogenic matter during high summer stratification in the Krka estuary (Eastern Adriatic)

The aim of this study was to investigate phytoplankton abundance, composition and vertical export in the highly stratified Krka estuary, Croatia. The estuary is stratified throughout the year, and an interface between fresh- and brackish water plays an important role in production and degradation of biogenic matter. Vertical export of particulate organic carbon (POC), phytoplankton carbon (PPC) and faecal pellet carbon (FPC) was studied by deploying sediment traps in the middle and lower reach of the estuary and in the adjacent coastal zone. Zooplankton faecal pellet (FP) production experiments were conducted to provide additional information on the potential contribution of FP to the total carbon flux. High suspended concentrations of POC, chlorophyll a and phytoplankton was found in the lower reaches of the Krka estuary, adjacent to a source of anthropogenic eutrophication. The fraction of organic detritus to the total POC flux was 61–69% inside the estuary but only 7% at the marine station. This indicates that the primary producers in the surface layer of the Krka estuary are decomposed in and below the interface and then settle as detritus to the bottom. Low sedimentation rates in the coastal zone outside the estuary revealed that the eutrophication does not spread out of the estuary. Mesozooplankton played a modest role in vertical flux regulation, due to their low abundance and dominance of smaller forms as well as low faecal pellet production rates. It is concluded that processes taking place at the freshwater-seawater interface are of major importance for the vertical carbon flux in the investigated area.     

Phytoremediation of small-scale oil spills in fresh marsh environments: a mesocosm simulation

Research was conducted to assess the impact of oiling on fresh-marsh plant communities and to test the efficacy of techniques that may be used to enhance the bioremediation of crude oil spills in these environments while minimizing secondary anthropogenic impacts. To emulate field conditions, a mesocosm facility was used that houses 120 mesocosm vessels, each of 200-1 capacity. A five-way factorial treatment arrangement was used that included two substrates (inorganic, organic), two nutrient regimes (fertilized, not fertilized), two aeration levels (substrate aeration, no aeration), three oiling concentrations (0-, 5-, 10-1 m(-2) of South Louisiana Sweet Crude oil), and four vascular plant species (Alternanthera philoxeroides, Panicum hemitomon, Phragmites australis, Sagittaria lancifolia, and an unplanted control). Under the 5- and 10-1 m(-2) oiling concentrations, S. lancifolia displayed a short-term response of increased productivity, whereas P. hemitomon had the highest biomass production and photosynthetic rates at the end of the 18-month experiment. Overall plant growth and productivity, as well as oil degradation, were significantly higher in the inorganic substrate, indicating that biodegradation of oil spills in organic substrates may require a longer time period. Time-released fertilizer also stimulated plant productivity and resulted in higher soil respiratory quotients, suggestive of greater microbial activity, particularly in aerated mesocosms. The amount of oil remaining after 18 months was lowest in aerated and fertilized mesocosms containing either P. hemitomon or S. lancifolia and a substrate of low organic matter content.     

Mechanisms of enrichment of the rarer elements in marine manganese nodules

The rare-earth distribution has been determined in five manganese nodules from a range of marine environments. Manganese nodules from Loch Fyne, Scotland, and the Gulf of Aden are characterized by a low absolute abundance of the rare-earth elements and a low Ce/La ratio compared with deep-sea nodules. This difference is interpreted in terms of the diagenetic remobilization of manganese in the high sedimentation regimes leading to the effective fractionation of manganese from the rare-earth elements and the resultant depletion of the rare earths in nodules from these environments. The mechanism of incorporation of the rare-earth elements into manganese nodules is thought to be either the direct adsorption of these elements from seawater or the scavenging of the elements by colloidal iron oxide prior to their incorporation into the authigenic phase of nodules. There appears to be no evidence for the surface transfer of these elements from inorganic detritus into the authigenic phase of nodules as suggested by previous authors. The distribution of U and Th in the nodules is controlled by factors similar to those controlling the rare-earth abundance in nodules. The higher U/Th ratios in nodules from Loch Fyne and the Gulf of Aden is considered to be due to the preferential reduction of UO₂(CO₃)₃^4? to some lower-valency uranium species such as U₃O₈ in nodules from less oxidizing environments.     

Topography and a magnetic analysis of an area south-east of the Azores (36°N, 23°W)

A detailed survey of a 1°×1°-square of seafloor 100 miles south-east of the Azores shows a strong correlation between directions of regional topographic and magnetic lineations. The area is dissected by the East Azores Fracture Zone at 36°55N, identified as the active Eurasian-African plate boundary, and by another large, non-active fracture zone at 36°10N. Both fracture zones strike 265° and are accompanied by large amplitude magnetic anomalies. The general strike in the area in between is 000°–015°. The skewing effect at this magnetic latitude is very sensitive to variations in strike of the magnetic contrasts. This effect was eliminated by a non-linear transformation which also gives the positions of magnetic contrasts. Some N-S contrasts were identified as sea floor spreading polarity contrasts (anomalies 31 and 32). Weak contrasts could be identified as topographic effects and gave a magnetization intensity of 5 A m^-1. The identified sea floor spreading anomalies to both sides of the fracture zone at 36°10N agree very well, also quantatively, with a three-dimensional model for the fracture zone anomalies. This model describes the non-linear anomalies as end effects of the magnetic layer which is divided in blocks of alternating polarity.