Ecological quality assessment of small estuaries from the Portuguese coast based on benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages indices

Benthic macroinvertebrates communities are the most consistently emphasized biotic component of aquatic ecosystems and are one of the biological indicators required for assessment by the European Water Framework Directive. In this context, several indices based on these communities have been developed in order to assess ecological quality of estuarine systems. In the present work we used AMBI, M-AMBI, BENTIX and BAT to distinguish ecological status of five small estuarine systems of the Portuguese south and southwest coasts. Although indices outputs did not differ between systems and sampling seasons, results indicated that the metrics in which these indices are based could differentiate community structures as a result of two main gradients that force these communities: the natural variability, and the anthropogenic impact.     

Response of single benthic metrics and multi-metric methods to anthropogenic pressure gradients, in five distinct European coastal and transitional ecosystems

In recent times many benthic indices have been proposed to assess the ecological quality of marine waters worldwide. In this study we compared single metrics and multi-metric methods to assess coastal and transitional benthic status along human pressure gradients in five distinct environments across Europe: Varna bay and lake (Bulgaria), Lesina lagoon (Italy), Mondego estuary (Portugal), Basque coast (Spain) and Oslofjord (Norway). Hence, 13 single metrics (abundance, number of taxa, and several diversity and sensitivity indices) and eight of the most common indices used within the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) for benthic assessment were selected: index of size spectra (ISS), Benthic assessment tool (BAT), Norwegian quality index (NQI), Multivariate AMBI (M-AMBI), Benthic quality index (BQI), (Benthic ecosystem quality index (BEQI), Benthic index based on taxonomic sufficiency (BITS), and infaunal quality index (IQI). Within each system, sampling sites were ordered in an increasing pressure gradient according to a preliminary classification based on professional judgement. The different indices are largely consistent in their response to pressure gradient, except in some particular cases (i.e. BITS, in all cases, or ISS when a low number of individuals is present). Inconsistencies between indicator responses were most pronounced in transitional waters (i.e. IQI, BEQI), highlighting the difficulties of the generic application of indicators to all marine, estuarine and lagoonal environments. However, some of the single (i.e. ecological groups approach, diversity, richness) and multi-metric methods (i.e. BAT, M-AMBI, NQI) were able to detect such gradients both in transitional and coastal environments, being these multi-metric methods more consistent in the detection than single indices. This study highlights the importance of survey design and good reference conditions for some indicators. The agreement observed between different methodologies and their ability to detect quality trends across distinct environments constitutes a promising result for the implementation of the WFD’s monitoring plans. Moreover, these results have management implications, regarding the dangers of misclassification, uncertainty in the assessment, use of conflicting indices, and testing and validation of indices.     

北美五大湖区晚更新世劳伦泰德冰盖演化年代学综述及石英光释光测年的初步尝试

北美五大湖区的安大略湖北岸Don Valley Brickyard、Scarborough Bluffs、Bowmanville Bluffs剖面共同构成了北美东北部最长也是最厚的陆地第四纪沉积记录, 较完整地记录了晚更新世劳伦泰德冰盖(the Laurentide Ice Sheet)的演化. 晚更新世劳伦泰德冰盖演化的重建有赖于这些经典剖面中重要沉积地层单元的准确年代学控制. 传统的地层年代学主要是依靠少量¹⁴C年代, 将主要的混杂堆积单元(diamicton)解释为气候变冷环境下的冰川扩张, 并与指示全球冰量变化的深海氧同位素曲线一一比对建立起来的. 这样建立起来的年代学存在很大的不确定性. 20世纪80-90年代的少量热释光年代也不相吻合, 最近的13个长石红外释光定年则只集中于Bowmanville Bluffs的一个分层, 并未建立整个剖面的地层年代学, 使这些经典沉积剖面的年代学一直没有得到系统的建立. 应用石英光释光SAR-SGC法测试了Bowmanville Bluffs剖面Glaciofluvial Sand单元的2个冰水沉积样品, 年代结果分别为(41.6±3.8) ka、(48.1±4.4) ka, 分析表明这一年代结果偏老, 石英颗粒可能晒褪不完全. 由于大测片无法识别晒褪不完全的颗粒, 因此, 测试更多的剖面序列的光释光年代并尝试采用粗颗粒小测片或单颗粒技术解决样品颗粒晒褪不完全的问题将是必要的.     

西澳大利亚伊尔冈地块东部金矿田省太古宙地壳的演化

对西澳大利亚东部金矿田省太古宙花岗岩—绿岩地壳发展的几个不同模式作了系统的阐述。由于缺少以下几个方面资料,引起了许多争论: 1)绿岩和花岗岩的连续出露。 2)具有充分的区域的综合性多学科研究。 3)在对岩套研究中,用几种同位素方法进行补充的地质年代和岩石成因方面的研究。 4)标准地区的详细地球物理资料。     

同步轨道相对论电子通量长期倒空事件的统计研究

地球辐射带中有"杀手"电子之称的相对论电子通量增强和损失过程一直是空间物理学和空间天气学研究的热点.本文通过对2000—2016年间,地球同步轨道相对论电子通量降低至背景通量水平并持续时间长达3天以上这一特殊现象进行了相关统计研究.从事件的时间分布角度,本文研究了约1.5个太阳活动周内共62例事件随太阳活动水平高低的分布情况,结果表明:在太阳活动周下降期有较少的事件发生,而在峰年、谷年这类事件的发生率与太阳活动水平的高低并没有直接联系.随后,我们对这62例事件在开始、持续、结束三个阶段分别做了一些相关参数的统计,探讨相对论电子通量长期倒空事件的客观规律和产生机制.研究结果表明:事件发生前,太阳风动压、密度的显著增加引起磁层顶向内收缩,等离子体层顶一直维持在高L区域,IMF B_z分量南向和磁暴过程使相对论电子通量通过绝热和非绝热等物理损失机制降至背景通量水平.当这些相对论电子达到背景通量水平后,较弱的太阳风条件和地磁活动水平不足以提供充分的可以使相对论电子通量增长的源;虽然有些相对论电子通量长期倒空事件期间存在中、小磁暴过程,但这些强度较弱的磁暴很可能不会显著地影响...     

澳大利亚造山型金矿和侵入岩有关金矿系统流体包裹体资料和矿化过程的比较

We have examined the fluid inclusion data and fluid chemistry of Australian orogenic and intrusion-related gold deposits to determine if similar mineralization processes apply to both styles of deposits.The fluid inclusion data from the Yilgarn craton,the western subprovince of the Lachlan orogen,the Tanami,Tennant Creek and Pine Creek regions,and the Telfer gold mine show that mineralization involved fluids with broadly similar major chemical components(i.e.H_2O NaCl CO_2±CH_4±N_2).These deposits formed over a wide range of temperature-pressure conditions(<200 to>500℃,<100～400MPa).Low salinity, CO_2-bearing inclusions and low salinity aqueous inclusions occur in both systems but the main difference between these two types of deposits is that most intrusion-related gold deposits also contain at least one population of high-salinity aqueous brine.Oxygen and hydrogen isotope data for both styles of deposit usually cannot distinguish between a magmatic or metamorphic source for the ore-bearing fluids.However,sulfur and lead isotope data for the intrusion-related gold deposits generally indicate either a magmatic source or mixing between magmatic and sedimentary sources of fluid.The metamorphic geothermal gradients associated with intrusion-related gold deposits are characterized by low pressure,high temperature metamorphism and high crustal geothermal gradients of>30/km.Where amphibole breakdown occurs in a granite source region,the spatially related deposits are more commonly associated with Cu-Au deposits rather than Au-only deposits that are associated with lower temperature granites.The dominant processes thought to cause gold precipitation in both types of deposits are fluid-rock interaction(e.g.desulfidation)or phase separation.Consideration of the physical and chemical properties of the H_2O-NaCl-CO_2 system on the nature of gold precipitation mechanisms at different crustal levels infers different roles of chemical(fluid-rock interaction)versus rheological(phase separation and/or fluid mixing)host-rock controls on gold deposition.This also implies that at the site of deposition,similar precipitation mechanisms operate at similar crustal levels for both orogenic and intrusion-related gold deposits.     

CO_2 Density-Raman Shift Relation Derived from Synthetic Inclusions in Fused Silica Capillaries and Its Application

Abstract: The densities of CO2 inclusions in minerals are commonly used to determine the crystallizing conditions of the host minerals. However, conventional microthermometry is difficult to apply for inclusions of small size (< 5–10 μm) or low density. Raman analysis is an alternative method for determining CO2 density, provided that the CO2 density–Raman shift relation is known. This study aims to establish this CO2 density–Raman shift relation by using CO2 inclusions synthesized in fused silica capillaries. By using this newly-developed synthetic technique, we formed pure CO2 inclusions, and their densities were determined by microthermometry. The Raman analysis showed that the relation between CO2 density (D in g/cm3) and the separations (Δ in cm?1) between the two main bands (i.e. Fermi diad bands) in CO2 Raman spectra can be represented by a cubic equation: D (g/cm3)=0.74203(?0.019Δ3+5.90332Δ2?610.79472Δ+21050.30165)?3.54278 (r2=0.99920). Our calculated D value for a given Δ is between those obtained from two previously-reported equations, which were derived from different experimental methods. An example was given in this study to demonstrate that the densities of natural CO2 inclusions that could not be derived from microthermometry could be determined by using our method.     

Lethal toxicity of industrial detergent on bottom dwelling sentinels

We used fresh and brackish water shrimp （Desmoscaris trispinosa and Palaemonetes africanus）, in sediment bioassays to assess the toxicity of an industrial detergent containing high levels of anionic surfactant （linear alkylbenzene sulphonate （LAS））. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development （OECD）, # 218 direct sediment toxicity assessment was employed. The organisms were exposed to different concentrations （31.25, 62.5, 125,250 and 500 mg/kg） of the chemical （Neatex） in replicate treatments. Percentage mortality was measured as the ecological endpoint. Mean mortality and estimated lethal concentration LCso values varied with species type, concentration and exposure duration. The statistical variation in the observed mean mortality of the test organisms in the chemical and the control treatment shows that mortality may be induced by the effect of the chemicals. The lethal concentration （LCso） was significantly different at levels ofp 〈 0.05 for the fresh and brackish water experiments. Consequently, assessment of water and sediment quality as a result of chemical pollutants was necessary for protecting some of the more sensitive benthic invertebrates representing the major proportion of the diet of many species in the Niger Delta ecological zone.     

西太平洋海山富钴结壳分子化石和超微化石记录:年代划分和古生态环境演变

分析了西太平洋海山CM1D03富钴结壳中超微化石生物地层学记录,结合钙质微浮游生物印痕,对结壳进行了地质年代的划分,其年代为晚古新世—早始新世(54~51Ma)、中始新世(45~40Ma)、中新世—上新世(22~2.4Ma)、上新世—更新世(3.6~1.2Ma)。利用气相色谱、气相色谱-质谱联用检测了结壳中的正构烷烃、类异戊二烯、甾烷等分子化石,探讨结壳生长过程中的生源构成、沉积环境以及古生态演替特征。结果表明,结壳中氯仿沥青"A"/有机碳(TOC)比值为10.51%~21.74%,具有明显的烃类运移特征。正构烷烃的轻/重烃比值(ΣC-23/ΣC+24)为0.74~1.47,碳优势指数(CPI)为0.80~1.45,碳稳定同位素(δ13 C)为-24.00‰~-25.48‰,指示有机质主要来源于海洋表层水体的浮游植物。研究还表明,有机质物源,C27、C28、C29甾烷的丰度变化,TOC保存及δ13 C等均与结壳生长所处海洋环境、全球气候和南极底流的结构变化有关。