First Multi‐Isotopic (Pb‐Nd‐Sr‐Zn‐Cu‐Fe) Characterisation of Dust Reference Materials (ATD and BCR‐723): A Multi‐Column Chromatographic Method Optimised to Trace Mineral and Anthropogenic Dust Sources

Atmospheric dust is an integral component of the Earth system with major implications for the climate, biosphere and public health. In this context, identifying and quantifying the provenance and the processes generating the various types of dust found in the atmosphere is paramount. Isotopic signatures of Pb, Nd, Sr, Zn, Cu and Fe are commonly used as sensitive geochemical tracers. However, their combined use is limited by the lack of (a) a dedicated chromatographic protocol to separate the six elements of interest for low‐mass samples and (b) specific reference materials for dust. Indeed, our work shows that USGS rock reference materials BHVO‐2, AGV‐2 and G‐2 are not applicable as substitute reference materials for dust. We characterised the isotopic signatures of these six elements in dust reference materials ATD and BCR‐723, representatives of natural and urban environments, respectively. To achieve this, we developed a specific procedure for dust, applicable in the 4–25 mg mass range, to separate the six elements using a multi‐column ion‐exchange chromatographic method and MC‐ICP‐MS measurements.     

Chinese migrants in Melbourne and their house choices

Meanings behind the choice of the migrant house are explored through an examination of 12 houses of migrants who emigrated from mainland China to Melbourne during the 1990s and 2000s. A qualitative investigation shows that there are three interconnected meanings behind the choice of houses in Melbourne: a desire to counter past experiences of housing in China, a desire to improve future opportunities through housing, and the wish to blend into Australian society. While much of the literature claims that migrant housing represents the ethnic character of their owners through architectural features, these Chinese houses do not resemble past houses in China in any physical way. The location of the house in a ‘good’ suburb was the most important factor when choosing the house. The house should be located near good educational, transport and shopping services before the built form becomes important. Chinese migrants wish to assimilate into Australian society through their choice of ordinary houses that do not communicate their ethnic identity through their external façades, while also adopting Australian ways of living that are focused on gardens and backyards.     

Photogrammetric modeling of underwater environments

Underwater photogrammetry provides an efficient nondestructive means for measurement in environments with limited accessibility. With the growing use of consumer cameras, its application is becoming easier, thus benefiting a wide variety of disciplines. However, utilizing cameras for underwater photogrammetry poses some nontrivial modeling problems due to refraction effect and the extension of the imaging system into a unit of both the camera and the protecting housing device. This paper studies the effect that the underwater environment has on the photogrammetric process, and proposes a model for describing the geometric distortions and for estimating the additional parameters involved. The proposed model accounts not only for the multimedia effect, but also for inaccuracies related to the setting of the camera and housing device. The paper shows that only a small number of additional parameters is needed to model both elements and to preserve the collinearity relation. The results show that no unique setup is needed for estimating the additional parameters and that the estimation is insensitive to noise or first approximations. Experiments show that high levels of accuracy can be achieved.     

The Mars oxidant experiment (MOx) for Mars '96

The MOx instrument was developed to characterize the reactive nature of the martian soil. The objectives of MOx were: (1) to measure the rate of degradation of organics in the martian environment; (2) to determine if the reactions seen by the Viking biology experiments were caused by a soil oxidant and measure the reactivity of the soil and atmosphere: (3) to monitor the degradation, when exposed to the martian environment, of materials of potential use in future missions; and, finally, (4) to develop technologies and approaches that can be part of future soil analysis instrumentation. The basic approach taken in the MOx instrument was to place a variety of materials composed as thin films in contact with the soil and monitor the physical and chemical changes that result. The optical reflectance of the thin films was the primary sensing-mode. Thin films of organic materials, metals, and semiconductors were prepared. Laboratory simulations demonstrated the response of thin films to active oxidants.     

RockGIS: a GIS-based model for the analysis of fragmentation in rockfalls

A rockfall is a mass instability event frequently observed in road cuts, open pit mines and quarries, steep slopes and cliffs. After its detachment, the rock mass may disaggregate and break due to the impact with the ground surface, thus producing new rock fragments. The consideration of the fragmentation of the rockfall mass is critical for the calculation of the trajectories of the blocks and the impact energies and for the assessment of the potential damage and the design of protective structures. In this paper, we present RockGIS, a GIS-based tool that simulates stochastically the fragmentation of the rockfall, based on a lumped mass approach. In RockGIS, the fragmentation is triggered by the disaggregation of the detached rock mass through the pre-existing discontinuities just before the impact with the ground. An energy threshold is defined in order to determine whether the impacting blocks break or not. The distribution of the initial mass between a set of newly generated rock fragments is carried out stochastically following a power law. The trajectories of the new rock fragments are distributed within a cone. The fragmentation model has been calibrated and tested with a 10,000 m³ rockfall that took place in 2011 near Vilanova de Banat, Eastern Pyrenees, Spain.     

Using existing scientific capacity to set targets for ecosystem-based management: A Puget Sound case study

Human actions have altered the structure and function of coastal ecosystems worldwide. In many locations, the overall portfolio of goods, cultural amenities, and supporting services provided by the marine environment has deteriorated. Ecosystem-based management (EBM) offers significant promise for addressing these issues because it is a comprehensive and integrated approach designed to reconcile conflicts and trade-offs among users of marine resources. A key step in the implementation of EBM is the establishment of target reference levels, or desired states, for indicators that reflect the status of the ecosystem. This paper reviews five approaches, borrowed from a variety of disciplines, to establish target reference levels for EBM. The approaches include the use of existing reference levels, reference directions, and reference levels based on nonlinear functional relationships, baselines, or social norms. Each approach is particularly suitable for EBM because it can be used alone or in combination with others to contextualize status for a diverse suite of ecosystem goals influenced by a wide variety of human activities. Perhaps most importantly, these approaches offer a prospectus for moving forward with EBM by using readily available information, motivating existing scientific capacity, and addressing trade-offs implicit to the setting of targets. This last point is articulated via examples of how each type of reference level might be applied in Puget Sound, WA, USA, where the efforts of scientists, managers, and policy makers have aligned recently in the interest of EBM implementation.     

Molecular orbitals of Si2O 7 6− , Si3O 10 8− , etc., and mixed (B,Al,P,Si) m applied to clusters and X-ray spectroscopy data of silicates

The Si, Al L_{II, III} and OK_α emission and quantum yield spectra were obtained for 24 silicates. It was found that in minerals of a homogeneous anion composition the Si L_{II, III} line has double-humped structure, and when in addition to SiO ₄ ^4? ions of other composition (BeO ₄ ^6? , AlO ₄ ^5? etc.) are present it has triple-humped structure. The process of crystal-glass transition was studied by X-ray spectroscopy. The result is that in spite of the original form of the Si L_{II, III} line of the mineral this line changes its structure in glass and exhibits a typical double-humped structure. The CNDO/2 approach was used to calculate the electronic structure of basic structural groups of silicates from SiO ₄ ^4? to Si₅O ₁₆ ^12? by replacing one or two of the Si atoms by Be, B, Al and P. A qualitative interpretation of the X-ray spectra is presented.     

Anthropogenic impacts on nitrogen fixation rates between restored and natural Mediterranean salt marshes

To test the effects of site and successional stage on nitrogen fixation rates in salt marshes of the Venice Lagoon, Italy, acetylene reduction assays were performed with Salicornia veneta‐ and Spartina townsendii‐vegetated sediments from three restored (6–14 years) and two natural marshes. Average nitrogen fixation (acetylene reduction) rates ranged from 31 to 343 μmol C₂H₄·m^?2·h^?1 among all marshes, with the greatest average rates being from one natural marsh (Tezze Fonde). These high rates are up to six times greater than those reported from Southern California Spartina marshes of similar Mediterranean climate, but substantially lower than those found in moister climates of the Atlantic US coast. Nitrogen fixation rates did not consistently vary between natural and restored marshes within a site (Fossei Est, Tezze Fonde, Cenesa) but were negatively related to assayed plant biomass within the acetylene reduction samples collected among all marshes. Highest nitrogen fixation rates were found at Tezze Fonde, the location closest to the city of Venice, in both natural and restored marshes, suggesting possible site‐specific impacts of anthropogenic stress on marsh succession.