Different Behavior of Iron(III) and Aluminum(III) Salts To Coagulate Silica Particle Suspension

The different coagulation‐flocculation behavior of iron(III) and aluminum(III) to coagulate silica particle suspension with four coagulants — FeCl₃, Fe₂(SO₄)₃, AlCl₃, and in our laboratory produced polyaluminum chloride PACl‐2.0 — was investigated through studying particle property changes and coagulation efficiency, for example, variations in zeta potential of particles, particle number, average particle diameter, particle size distribution, and residual turbidity of the supernatant water. Influences of flocculation intensity and pH value on the coagulation‐flocculation process were also studied. The results suggest that, under the test conditions, among these four coagulants FeCl₃ possesses an obviously stronger ability to form larger flocs and to remove turbidity, on the other hand, PACl‐2.0 obviously showed a better charge neutralization ability.     

Intragranular deformation mechanisms in calcite deformed by high-pressure torsion at room temperature

Mineralogy and Petrology - Polycrystalline calcite was deformed to high strain at room-temperature and confining pressures of 1–4 GPa using high-pressure torsion. The high confining...     

Geoarchaeological evidence for multidecadal natural climatic variability and ancient Peruvian fisheries

Understanding the influence of natural climatic variability on modern fisheries is complicated by over a century of industrial fishing. Archaeological data provide unique opportunities for assessing precolonial and preindustrial fisheries. Records show that anchoveta-vs sardine-dominated fisheries correlate with 20th-century climate change in the Pacific Basin and are linked to multidecadal climatic variability. The “anchovy regime” is characterized by cooler conditions and lower frequency El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, while the “sardine regime” is associated with warmer conditions and higher frequency ENSO. Fish remains excavated at Lo Demás, an Inca-period (ca. A.D. 1480–1540) fishing site at 13°25′S on the Peruvian coast, document a shift from an anchoveta-to a sardine-dominated fishery at about A.D. 1500. This shift correlates with records for increasing ENSO frequency at the same time. Middle and late Holocene sites have archaeofish assemblages that also suggest regime changes. Here we show that changes in fish regimes can result from natural variability and we support the potential role of archaeological assemblages in tracking multidecadal climate change in the Pacific Basin throughout the Holocene (0–11,500 cal yr B.P.).     

Zur Evolution des eukaryotischen Phytoplankton im Riphäikum — Neue Erkenntnisse aus der Belt Serie von Nordamerika

Zusammenfassung Aus dem Proterozoikum der Zeitspanne 1400–1000 M.J. war bisher noch kein Vorkommen von eukaryotischem Phytoplankton bekannt. Unsere neuen Funde aus der Belt-Serie von Idaho und Montana gehören in dieses Intervall und füllen damit eine Kenntnislücke. Die identifizierten Mikrobiota passen gut ins bisher bekannte Bild der früh-riphäischen Algenwelt. Charakteristisch für die Vertreter ist eine einfache Morphologie, ein kleines Formenangebot, eine geringe Individuen-Zahl und ein seltenes Vorkommen, das überdies auf bestimmte Lebensräume der Schelfe beschränkt ist. Offenbar war das eukaryotische Phytoplankton zu dieser Zeit noch im langen Anfangsstadium einer Entwicklung, die dem Fossilbefund zufolge bereits vor mehr als 2000 M.J. begonnen haben mu\. Aber erst vor ca. 850 Millionen Jahren setzte eine stärkere Entwicklung zu neuen Formen ein, die dann schrittweise die urtümliche Cyanobakterien-Welt ablösten.

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On the evolution of the eukaryotic phytoplankton in the Riphean — New evidence from the Beltian Serie of North America

No occurrences of eukaryotic phytoplankton were hitherto known during the time span from 1400–1000 M.Y. of the Proterozoic. Our findings from the Beltian Series of Idaho and Montana belong to this interval and thus fill a gap in our knowledge. The identified microbiota agree well with those from the early Riphean. They are characterized by simple morphologies, a limited variety of forms, a low number of individuals and a rare occurrence restricted to a few environments. The findings suggest, that the eukaryotic plankton of that time was still in its long initial stage of evolution which, according to present evidence, must have begun prior to 2000 M.Y. It was only later than 850 million years ago, that the diversification proceeded more rapidly. The new developments gradually replaced the ancient world of cyanobacteria.

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Résumé La présence de phytoplancton eucaryotique n'était pas connue jusqu'à présent pendant la période allant de 1400 à 1000 Ma, au ProtérozoÏque. Nos nouvelles découvertes dans le domaine de la Série Belt de l'Idaho et du Montana se rapportent à ce laps de temps et comblent ainsi une lacune de nos connaissances. Les microbiota identifiés correspondent bien à l'image que l'on se fait des algues du pré-Riphéen connues jusqu'à présent. Ses représentants se caractérisent par une morphologie simple, une variété de formes limitée, un nombre réduit d'individus et une occurence rare, réduite à un petit nombre de milieux. Visiblement, le phytoplancton eucaryotique était encore à cette époque dans la longue phase initiale de son développement qui, d'après les fossiles trouvés, doit avoir commencé il y a plus de 2000 Ma. Ce n'est qu'à moins de 850 Ma que des formes nouvelles se sont diversifiées de faÇon importante et ont remplacé graduellement le monde des cyanobactéries d'origine.

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On the Homogeneity of Type Ia Supernovae Light Curves

A self-similar, hydrodynamic model is derived and used to generate SNe light-curves. It is found that the temporal development of the SN light-curve is governed by a ‘dynamic time’ parameter, and that the observed near-identical, normalized light-curves of Type Ia SNe suggest that they have evolved from progenitor stars of the same central density. Fitting the model parameters to observed Type Ia SNe light-curves suggests that the SNe have originated from the same mass progenitors. The model also provides a theoretical basis for the Phillips observation relating the absolute magnitude of the Type Ia SN to its half-width. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Weathering and weathering rates of natural stone

Physical and chemical weathering were studied as separate processes in the past. Recent research, however, shows that most processes are physicochemical in nature. The rates at which calcite and silica weather by dissolution are dependent on the regional and local climatic environment. The weathering of silicate rocks leaves discolored margins and rinds, a function of the rocks' permeability and of the climatic parameters. Salt action, the greatest disruptive factor, is complex and not yet fully understood in all its phases, but some of the causes of disruption are crystallization pressure, hydration pressure, and hygroscopic attraction of excess moisture. The decay of marble is complex, an interaction between disolution, crack-corrosion, and expansion-contraction cycies triggered by the release of residual stresses. Thin spalls of granites commonly found near the street level of buildings are generally caused by a combination of stress relief and salt action. To study and determine weathering rates of a variety of commercial stones, the National Bureau of Standards erected a Stone Exposure Test Wall in 1948. Of the many types of stone represented, only a few fossiliferous limestones permit a valid measurement of surface reduction in a polluted urban environment.     

Early onset of a microcystin-producing cyanobacterial bloom in an agriculturally-influenced Great Lakes tributary

In late May 2016, a cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom(cHAB) was detected in the Maumee River, the largest tributary to Lake Erie, the southernmost lake of the Laurentian Great Lakes system. Testing on 31 May identified Planktothrix agardhii as the dominant cyanobacterium with cell abundance exceeding 1.7×10~9 cells/L and total microcystins(MC) reaching 19 μg/L MC-LR equivalents, a level over 10-fold higher than the 2015 revised U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) national health advisory levels for drinking water exposure to adults. Low river discharge coincident with negligible precipitation through the latter half of May coincided with an 80% decline in river turbidity that likely favored bloom formation by a low-light adapted P. agardhii population. Also contributing to the c HAB were high initial nutrient loads and an increase of the river temperature from 13℃ to 26℃ over this same period. The bloom persisted through 5 June with microcystins exceeding 22 μg/L MC-LR equivalents at the bloom peak. By 6 June, the river had returned to its muddy character following a rain event and sampling on 7 June detected only low levels of toxin(0.6 μg/L) at public water systems located near the bloom origin. The elevated toxin production associated with this early onset bloom was without precedent for the Maumee River and an unique attribute of the c HAB was the high proportion of potentially-toxic genotypes. Whereas Planktothrix spp. is common in lotic environments, and has been previously detected in the Maumee, blooms are not commonly reported. This early onset, microcystin-producing c HAB provided a rare opportunity to glean insights into environmental factors that promote bloom development and dominance by Planktothrix in lotic environments.