Reappraisal of surface wave magnitudes in the Eastern Mediterranean region and the Middle East

We report on a detailed palaeomagnetic study of the Miocene Farellones volcanic formation in the Chilean Andes near Santiago (two sections, 37 sites, about 400 orientated cores). Petrological observations show evidence of low-grade metamorphism increasing downwards through the volcanic sequence. Optical observations of opaque minerals and magnetic experiments suggest that in many cases maghemitization is associated with hydrothermal alteration. However, thermal demagnetization data indicate that the low-grade metamorphism did not significantly modify the direction of the primary remanent magnetization recorded at the time of emplacement of the volcanic lava flows. Four intervals of polarity with two intermediate palaeodirections were observed in the ~650-m-thick composite section. According to the dispersion of flow average directions, palaeosecular variation was slightly larger than that observed in general during the Upper Cenozoic. The site mean directions obtained in this study differ significantly from the expected Miocene direction. Clockwise rotations of up to 20° of small blocks are probably associated with the deformation of the Andean Cordillera since middle Miocene times. Geomagnetic palaeointensity data were obtained, using the Thellier method, on 24 samples from eight distinct lava flows. The flow mean VDM varies from 1.4 to 4.0 × 10²² A m⁻². Altogether, our data seem to suggest the existence of a relatively low geomagnetic field undergoing large fluctuations. Although a linear relationship was observed between the natural remanent magnetization and the thermal remanent magnetization acquired during the Thellier–Thellier experiments, undetected chemical alteration of the magnetic minerals during hydrothermalism may also explain the unusually low palaeointensity obtained.     

The international at-sea intercomparison of fCO2 systems during the R/V Meteor Cruise 36/1 in the North Atlantic Ocean

The ‘International Intercomparison Exercise of fCO₂ Systems’ was carried out in 1996 during the R/V Meteor Cruise 36/1 from Bermuda/UK to Gran Canaria/Spain. Nine groups from six countries (Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, Japan, USA) participated in this exercise, bringing together 15 participants with seven underway fugacity of carbon dioxide (fCO₂) systems, one discrete fCO₂ system, and two underway pH systems, as well as systems for discrete measurement of total alkalinity and total dissolved inorganic carbon. Here, we compare surface seawater fCO₂ measured synchronously by all participating instruments. A common infrastructure (seawater and calibration gas supply), different quality checks (performance of calibration procedures for CO₂, temperature measurements) and a common procedure for calculation of final fCO₂ were provided to reduce the largest possible amount of controllable sources of error. The results show that under such conditions underway measurements of the fCO₂ in surface seawater and overlying air can be made to a high degree of agreement (±1 μatm) with a variety of possible equilibrator and system designs. Also, discrete fCO₂ measurements can be made in good agreement (±3 μatm) with underway fCO₂ data sets. However, even well-designed systems, which are operated without any obvious sign of malfunction, can show significant differences of the order of 10 μatm. Based on our results, no “best choice” for the type of the equilibrator nor specifics on its dimensions and flow rates of seawater and air can be made in regard to the achievable accuracy of the fCO₂ system. Measurements of equilibrator temperature do not seem to be made with the required accuracy resulting in significant errors in fCO₂ results. Calculation of fCO₂ from high-quality total dissolved inorganic carbon (C_T) and total alkalinity (A_T) measurements does not yield results comparable in accuracy and precision to fCO₂ measurements.     

Random variation of fabric eigenvalues: implications for the use of a‐axis fabric data to differentiate till facies†

Fabric ‘shape’, based on the relative values of three eigenvalues calculated from fabric data, has been used to differentiate sediment facies and infer deformation histories. The eigenvalues are based on samples drawn from parent populations, and as such are subject to statistical variance due to sampling effects. In this paper, the degree of statistical variance in fabric data for two types of subglacial till from Breidamerkurjøkull, Iceland, is investigated using ‘bootstrapping’ techniques, in which empirical ‘confidence regions’ are built up by repeated resampling of the original data. The experiments show that, for each till type, the observed between‐sample variability in the fabrics lies within the boundaries associated with random variations, indicating that the observed range of fabric shapes within each till type is likely to be entirely the product of sampling effects. Differences in fabric shape between till types are generally greater than that associated with random variations, indicating that their fabric shape characteristics, as measured by eigenvalues, are significantly different. Nevertheless, the results suggest that great care should be exercised when using a‐axis fabric data to differentiate sedimentary facies, or to infer subtle differences in physical processes or conditions. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & ­Sons, Ltd.     

Orbital resonances in the inner neptunian system: I. The 2:1 Proteus-Larissa mean-motion resonance

We investigate the orbital resonant history of Proteus and Larissa, the two largest inner neptunian satellites discovered by Voyager 2. Due to tidal migration, these two satellites probably passed through their 2:1 mean-motion resonance a few hundred million years ago. We explore this resonance passage as a method to excite orbital eccentricities and inclinations, and find interesting constraints on the satellites' mean density () and their tidal dissipation parameters (Qs>10). Through numerical study of this mean-motion resonance passage, we identify a new type of three-body resonance between the satellite pair and Triton. These new resonances occur near the traditional two-body resonances between the small satellites and, surprisingly, are much stronger than their two-body counterparts due to Triton's large mass and orbital inclination. We determine the relevant resonant arguments and derive a mathematical framework for analyzing resonances in this special system.     

Operational earthquake forecasting in Europe: progress,despite challenges

Is Europe-wide operational earthquake forecasting (OEF) possible? We discuss the myriad problems that prevent it today, many of which relate to heterogeneities in earthquake recording, processing, and reporting. We contemplate the difficulty of building models that cross political boundaries, and we consider the prospect of European OEF in light of recent efforts to harmonize long-term seismic hazard assessment among several nations. Emphasizing the Strategies and Tools for Real-time Earthquake Risk Reduction (REAKT) project, we report achievements related to short-term seismicity forecasting in Iceland and Italy that could apply elsewhere in Europe. In Iceland, collaboration fostered by REAKT resulted in a revised earthquake catalog and a prototype OEF system. We report results from an experiment conducted with this prototype; these results suggest ensemble models provide an information gain, updating models more frequently improves their forecast skill, and that OEF is computationally feasible. In Italy, REAKT supported the creation of an ensemble model that now issues weekly hazard forecasts. We present examples of these forecasts, highlighting the problem that OEF often yields low probabilities, which are difficult to interpret and convert into actionable decisions. Motivated by such low hazard probabilities, we highlight Europe’s pioneering efforts in operational earthquake loss forecasting and mention solutions to problems that currently prevent OEF at the European scale.     

Episodic riverine influence on surface DIC in the coastal Gulf of Maine

Anomalously high precipitation and river discharge during the spring of 2005 caused considerable freshening and depletion of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in surface waters along the coastal Gulf of Maine. Surface pCO₂ and total alkalinity (TA) were monitored by repeated underway sampling of a cross-shelf transect in the western Gulf of Maine (GOM) during 2004–05 to examine how riverine fluxes, mixing, and subsequent biological activity exert control on surface DIC in this region. Most of the variability in surface DIC concentration was attributable to mixing of low DIC river water with higher DIC, saline GOM waters, but net biological uptake of DIC was significant especially during the spring and summer seasons. The extent and persistence of the coastal freshwater intrusion exerted considerable influence on net carbon dynamics. Integrated over the 10-m surface layer of our study region (∼5 × 10⁴ km²), net biological DIC uptake was 0.48 × 10⁸ mol C during April–July of 2004 compared to 1.33 × 10⁸ mol C during April–July of 2005. We found the temporal signature and magnitude of DIC cycling to be different in adjacent plume-influenced and non-plume regions. Extreme events such as the freshwater anomaly observed in 2005 will affect mean estimates of coastal carbon fluxes, thus budgets based on short time series of observations may be skewed and should be viewed with caution.     

Changes in water quality following tidal inundation of coastal lowland acid sulfate soil landscapes

This study examines the remediation of surface water quality in a severely degraded coastal acid sulfate soil landscape. The remediation strategy consisted of partial restoration of marine tidal exchange within estuarine creeks and incremental tidal inundation of acidified soils, plus strategic liming of drainage waters. Time-series water quality and climatic data collected over 5 years were analysed to assess changes in water quality due to this remediation strategy. A time-weighted rainfall function (TWR) was generated from daily rainfall data to integrate the effects of antecedent rainfall on shallow groundwater levels in a way that was relevant to acid export dynamics. Significant increases in mean pH were evident over time at multiple monitoring sites. Regression analysis at multiple sites revealed a temporal progression of change in significant relationships between mean daily electrical conductivity (EC) vs. mean daily pH, and TWR vs. mean daily pH. These data demonstrate a substantial decrease over time in the magnitude of creek acidification per given quantity of antecedent rainfall. Data also show considerable increase in soil pH (2–3 units) in formerly acidified areas subject to tidal inundation. This coincides with a decrease in soil pe, indicating stronger reducing conditions. These observations suggest a fundamental shift has occurred in sediment geochemistry in favour of proton-consuming reductive processes. Combined, these data highlight the potential effectiveness of marine tidal inundation as a landscape-scale acid sulfate soil remediation strategy.     

Experimentally determined Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios in juvenile bivalve calcite for Mytilus edulis: implications for paleotemperature reconstructions

To further evaluate the potential use of Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios as a paleothermometer in the shell carbonate of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis, we grew juvenile mussels (～15 mm shell height; <2 years old) collected from Maine, USA, in controlled environments for 4 months. The four-by-three factorial design consisted of four circulating temperature baths (7, 11, 15 and 19°C), and three salinity ranges (23, 28, and 32). During the experiment, water Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca molar ratios were monitored weekly, and showed little variation across all salinity and temperature ranges. Data from sampled shells including all salinity treatments yielded relatively poor relationships between shell elemental chemistry and water temperatures. However, if only the low salinity treatment data (23) are used, the relationships between shell elemental chemistry and water temperature improve moderately. Based on the data presented here, it may be possible to use Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios from the shell carbonate of juvenile M. edulis to reconstruct paleotemperatures in estuarine settings (salinity below 24) with a corresponding RMSE (root mean squared error; 95% confidence interval) of ±2.4°C and ±2.8°C, respectively. In order for this methodology to be statistically meaningful, water temperature changes must be rather large, as the errors associated with using Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios from the shell material of M. edulis are substantial. Further work is required to determine if the findings presented here can be duplicated, and if the potential salinity effect is pervasive.     

Effects of diel period and tow duration on estuarine fauna sampled with a beam trawl over bare sediment: Consequences for designing more reliable and efficient surveys

The effects of diel period and tow duration (5, 10 and 20 min) on samples of estuarine fauna in a beam trawl, were tested over bare sediment in Tuggerah Lake (New South Wales, Australia). Mean catch rates (numbers of fish caught 5 min⁻¹) were significantly larger at night for the total numbers of individuals and abundant, economically important species of fish and invertebrates (e.g. Gerres subfasciatus, Metapenaeus macleayi, Penaeus plebejus). Greater proportions of larger fish were also caught at night for some species (e.g. G. subfasciatus, Acanthopagrus australis, Rhabdosargus sarba), but not across all tow durations. Multivariate analyses detected dissimilarities in the composition and structure of assemblages between diel periods, which were driven by species caught predominately, or in larger proportions, at night. Short tows (5 min) were more efficient than longer tows (10 or 20 min) for sampling the diversity of species (i.e. most species were caught in the first 5 min of a tow). There were, however, no clear or consistent patterns relating to the effect of tow duration on the catch rates of other variables, the size ranges of abundant species, or the structure and composition of assemblages. Our data confirm that at night, bare sediment is an important habitat for a wide size- and species-range of estuarine fish and invertebrates. In future, more cost-effective and reliable information concerning these taxa would be achieved by sampling with the beam trawl at night, using tow durations of 5 min. We also highlight a problem inherent in the design of many studies of diel variation of fauna (i.e. the potential non-independence of data among day and night periods) and discuss its solution.     

EuroMET及其主要技术特征

简要介绍了ＥｕｒｉｏＭＥＴ的基本情况、在线运行课件ＮＷＰ和ＳＡＴＭＥＴ的主要内容。重点讲述了ＥｕｒｏＭＥＴ的技术方法,技术路线和主要的技术特征。简略的论述了ＥｕｒｏＭＥＴ软件包的汉化及在中国甚至语文化圈内上网运动的可行性。