Persistence and metallic composition of paint particles in sediments from a tidal inlet

Concentrations of Cu, Pb, Sn and Zn have been determined in sediment (<500 μm) and macroscopic paint particles (>500 μm) retrieved from sections of two cores collected from a tidal inlet of the Plym estuary, southwest England. Paint particles contributed up to about 0.2% of the total mass retrieved from each section and were most abundant towards the base of the cores where, according to (210)Pb dating, deposition took place about a decade prior to sampling. Metal concentrations in the paint particles pooled from the sections were highly variable, typically spanning two orders of magnitude in each core, and were greatest for Cu and Zn (up to 460,000 and 170,000 μg g(-1), respectively) due to their use in contemporary antifouling formulations applied to boat hulls. Concentrations of metals in the sediment were, however, relatively invariant, an effect attributed to the abundance and dispersion of microscopic paint particles throughout the cores.     

Derelict fishing gear in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands: diving surveys and debris removal in 1999 confirm threat to coral reef ecosystems

Marine debris threatens Northwestern Hawaiian Islands' (NWHI) coral reef ecosystems. Debris, a contaminant, entangles and kills endangered Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi), coral, and other wildlife. We describe a novel multi-agency effort using divers to systematically survey and remove derelict fishing gear from two NWHI in 1999. 14 t of derelict fishing gear were removed and debris distribution, density, type and fouling level documented at Lisianski Island and Pearl and Hermes Atoll. Reef debris density ranged from 3.4 to 62.2 items/km². Trawl netting was the most frequent debris type encountered (88%) and represented the greatest debris component recovered by weight (35%), followed by monofilament gillnet (34%), and maritime line (23%). Most debris recovered, 72%, had light or no fouling, suggesting debris may have short oceanic circulation histories. Our study demonstrates that derelict fishing gear poses a persistent threat to the coral reef ecosystems of the Hawaiian Archipelago.     

21世纪的天气预报

大气——地球的成员20世纪的最后几年,大自然遗赠我们一些极端事件。飓风、龙卷风、冬季风暴、洪水和其它灾害给地球人类的生活造成惨重的损失。1998年,与天气相关的灾害造成的世界经济损失约有900亿美元,比1996年的记录增加了将近50％。在人类追求财富和经济增长的过程中,各国政府逐步认识到天气、气候、空气质量及其它环境因素在政府和个人决策时日益重要。在进入下个世纪的时候,将迫使我们进一步提供几分钟至数十年的大气及其变化情况。这些服务将远远超出日常的天气预报。还要为保护健康、减轻灾害、发展经济等各种各样的计划和决…     

燕山带中生代主要构造事件与板块构造背景问题

对冀北、辽西火成岩体和火山岩的定年与野外构造的研究揭示,燕山地区主要缩短变形期为：①前中侏罗期（１８０Ｍａ）;②晚侏罗期（１６１～１４８Ｍａ）;③早白垩期（１４３～１２７Ｍａ→１１７Ｍａ）。前中侏罗期为ＳＮ向缩短可能与蒙古弧－华北板块沿索伦缝合带拼合有关。晚侏罗世－早白垩世的缩短变形可能是西伯利亚与蒙古－华北拼合板块沿其北１０００～１８００ｋｍ外,蒙古－鄂霍茨克缝合带碰撞的板内响应。我国东部ＮＮＥ