Stratigraphy of total metals in PIRLA sediment cores

Sediment cores from 30 low-alkalinity lakes in northern New England (NE), New York (NY), the northern Great Lakes States (NGLS) of Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin, and Florida (FL) have been dated by ²¹⁰Pb and analyzed for water and organic content, eight major elements (Al, Ti, Fe, Mn, Ca, Mg, Na, K) plus four trace metals (Pb, Zn, Cu, and V). Variations in the percentages of major elements through time are dominated by long-term independent variations in the abundance of SiO₂, FeO, and to a lesser extent Ca and Al. Additional variations are caused by varying proportions of inorganic matter. Major variations in chemistry are generally unrelated to documented distrubances in the watersheds; most disturbances are minor fires or selective logging.Accelerated accumulation of Pb from atmospheric sources into sediment first occurs in sediment dated between 1800 and 1850 in NY and NE, slightly later in the NGLS region, and about 1900 in FL. Modern accumulation rates in all areas are comparable (ca. 1 to 4 g cm^–2 yr^–1). Accumulation rates of Pb in some lakes have declined significantly from 1975 to 1985. Atmospheric deposition of anthropogenic Zn and Cu is also indicated by generally increasing accumulation rates in sediment cores, but the record is not as clear nor are chemical profiles in all lakes parallel to the trends in atmospheric emissions inferred on the basis of fossil fuel consumption, smelting, and other industrial activities. Inter-lake variations in profiles of Cu and Zn are large. Vanadium accumulation rates increase by the 1940s in NY and NE, but not until the 1950s in the NGLS region. This timing correlates with regional trends in the combustion of fuel oil, a major source of atmospheric V.Acidification of some of the lakes is suggested by decreases in the concentration and accumulation rates of Mn, Ca, and Zn in recent sediment, relative to other elements of catchment origin. The decreases generally occur slightly before the onset of acidification as indicated by diatoms. Increased sediment accumulation rates for Fe may indicate the acidification of watershed soils. The use of the accumulation rate of TiO₂ as an indicator of rates of erosion and for normalization of trace metal accumulation rates is in question for lakes where the flux of TiO₂ from the atmosphere varies and is a significant fraction of the total flux of TiO₂ to the sediment.This is the thirteenth of a series of papers to be published by this journal which is a contribution of the Paleoecological Investigation of Recent Lake Acidification (PIRLA) project. Drs. D. F. Charles and D. R. Whitehead are guest editors for this series.     

同位素示踪剂在流域水文模拟中的应用

主要目的是通过对同位素在流域水文模拟应用中的一些假定、限制条件以及方法进行澄清和系统化,从而促进同位素在流域水文模拟中一些新的研究方向和研究热点.主要从三个方面,即同位素流量过程线分割、流域平均滞时与不同水源混合、与水文模型耦合,讨论同位素示踪剂在流域水文模拟中的研究进展情况.同时指出了同位素在流域水文模拟中应用存在的一些主要问题,包括:①降雨同位素含量的时空变化;②不同径流成分的采样;③径流输出同位素含量的空间变化;④流域平均滞时分布函数的确定;⑤水文同位素耦合模型.     

Macrofaunal Spatial Patterns in Relationship to Environmental Variables in the Richibucto Estuary,New Brunswick,Canada

Estuarine macrobenthos respond to a variety of environmental gradients such as sediment type and salinity, and organic enrichment. A relatively new influence, organic loading from suspended bivalve culture, has the potential to alter this response. A study on soft-bottom macrobenthic communities was carried out in the Richibucto estuary (46°40′N, 64°50′W), New Brunswick, Canada, with samples collected from 18 stations in late September and early October 2006. The site consisted of a large tidal channel originating upstream in a small river. The channel was punctuated by bag culture of oysters along its length. A total of 88 species were recorded. The mean values of abundance, species richness, and diversity (H′) of macrofauna were 11,199 ind. m⁻² (ranged from 4,371 to 19,930 ind. m⁻²), 23.4 species grab⁻¹ and 3.29 grab⁻¹, respectively. In general species richness and H′ increased from the upper estuary to the estuarine mouth. Multivariate analyses clearly exhibited the spatial distribution in community structure, which coincided with the locations along the estuary (the upper, the lower and the mouth), as well as inside and outside the channel. Species richness and diversity H′ showed strong positive correlations with salinity (21.2–25.2 ppt), and abundance was positively correlated with water depth (1.0–4.5 m). Abundance and species richness were negatively correlated with both of silt–clay fraction (3.3–24.8%) and sorting (σ_I). Species richness was also negatively correlated with organic content (1.9–12.7%). The BIO-ENV analyses identified silt–clay fraction, σ_I and salinity as the major environmental variable combination influencing the macrofaunal patterns, and silt–clay fraction as the single best-correlated variable.     

Increased Terrestrial to Ocean Sediment and Carbon Fluxes in the Northern Chesapeake Bay Associated With Twentieth Century Land Alteration

We calculated Chesapeake Bay (CB) sediment and carbon fluxes before and after major anthropogenic land clearance using robust monitoring, modeling and sedimentary data. Four distinct fluxes in the estuarine system were considered including (1) the flux of eroded material from the watershed to streams, (2) the flux of suspended sediment at river fall lines, (3) the burial flux in tributary sediments, and (4) the burial flux in main CB sediments. The sedimentary maximum in Ambrosia (ragweed) pollen marked peak land clearance (~1900 a.d.). Rivers feeding CB had a total organic carbon (TOC)/total suspended solids of 0.24?±?0.12, and we used this observation to calculate TOC fluxes from sediment fluxes. Sediment and carbon fluxes increased by 138–269% across all four regions after land clearance. Our results demonstrate that sediment delivery to CB is subject to significant lags and that excess post-land clearance sediment loads have not reached the ocean. Post-land clearance increases in erosional flux from watersheds, and burial in estuaries are important processes that must be considered to calculate accurate global sediment and carbon budgets.     

A model of an exploding,radiating star in general relativity

In a previous paper Adams, Cary and Cohen (1994) presented a model of a supernova. In that paper the equations of General Relativity describing the evolution of a spherically symmetric, radiating star were solved analytically. The evolution of the star was determined by the application of boundary conditions at the center and at the edge. Due to lmitations in the presupernova model, only the very slow inward motion of an unstable, degenerate core could be considered. The solution was also limited by the need to exclude a runaway term, one that increased exponentially with time. Without the exclusion of the runaway, the luminosity would have increased without bound and the mass would have become negative.This paper presents a completely analytic solution to the equations of General Relativity describing the evolution of a Type II supernova. Professor S.E. Woosley kindly gave us data on the physical variables of a 12M ₀ presupernova star. In our model the core collapses within 1 s, leaving a 1.3M ₀ remnant. Shortly afterward 10.6M ₀ is ejected to infinity, and 0.17M ₀ is radiated away in the form of neutrinos. The distance of the edge from the center increases proportionally to the two-thirds power of the time. The luminosity decreases proportionally to the inverse four-thirds power.Although the runaway solution was modified by the exploding rather than a static envelope, it must still be excluded by adjusting initial conditions. Its character is changed from an exponential to a very large power (55) of time. The removal of a degree of freedom by this exclusion leads to physically non-sensical results such as negative luminosity. The inclusion of a term describing motion of the mantle due to neutrino interactions provides the additional degree of freedom necessary for physically reasonable results.     

Lidar observations of turbulent vortex shedding by an isolated topographic feature

Scanning measurements by a single wavelength lidar (1.06 m) were made downwind of the Pt. Sur rock, an isolated hill (height 110 m) along the California coast. Turbulent eddies (approximate diameter 50 m) were observed detaching from a stationary aerosol feature above the rock and moving downwind. Under conditions with a high Froude number [1.8], the Strouhal number [0.22] of vortex shedding was close to that observed in tank experiments with a Reynolds number of 200.     

Corona textures in Proterozoic olivine melanorites of the Equeefa Suite,Natal Metamorphic Province,South Africa

Summary Olivine-plagioclase and phlogopite-plagioclase coronas have been identified from olivine melanorites of the Mid- to Late Proterozoic Equeefa Suite in southern Natal, South Africa. Olivine, in contact with plagioclase, is mantled by a shell of clear orthopyroxene, in turn rimmed by pale green (pargasitic) clinoamphibole. Locally a third rim, composed of a fine pargasite-spinel symplectite is developed adjacent to the plagioclase. The second corona reaction has produced greenish-brown pargasite at phlogopite-plagioclase interfaces. A third, less obvious reaction, between olivine and phlogopite is also noted. Analytical data of all the mineral phases present, along with the coronas, are given. Two-pyroxene thermometry yields magmatic core temperatures ( 1120°C), with rim compositions indicating equilibration at 850°C. Consistent with this, the modelled olivine-plagioclase reaction occurs between 830–1050°C with a_waterbetween 0.1 and 1.0 at 7 kbar. The three reactions took place during a prolonged history of cooling and partial hydration of the magmatic olivine melanorites from over 1000°C down to 600°C. The P-T conditions indicated by the reactions suggest this cooling process was essentially isobaric, indicating that the area was not subjected to rapid uplift or burial throughout this entire period.

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Korona-Texturen in proterozoischen Olivin-Melanoriten der Equeefa Suite, Natal Metamorphic Province, Südafrika

Zusammenfassung Aus Olivin-Melanoriten der mittel- bis spätproterozoischen Equeefa Suite im südlichen Natal, Südafrika, wurden Olivin-Plagioklas und Phlogopit-Plagioklas-Koronartexturen beobachtet. Olivin, der mit Plagioklas im Kontakt steht, wird von einem klaren Saum vom Orthopyroxen ummantelt, der seinerseits von blaßgrünem (pargasitischem) Klinoamphibol umsäumt wird. Stellenweise ist ein dritter Saum, bestehend aus feinkörnigem symplektitischem Pargasit-Spinell im Kontakt mit Plagioklas ausgebildet. Die zweite koronabildende Reaktion resultiert in Bildung eines grünbraunen Pargasites an Phlogopit-Plagioklas Kornkontakten. Eine dritte, weniger auffällige Reaktion zwischen Olivin und Phlogopit wurde ebenfalls beobachtet. Zwei-Pyroxen-Thermometrie ergab magmatische Temperaturen der Kernbereiche ( 1120°C) und belegt eine Gleichgewichtseinstellung in den Randzonen bei ca. 850°C. Olivin-Plagioklas-Modellreaktionen liegen ebenfalls in einem Temperaturbereich von 830–1050°C bei Wasseraktivitäten von 0.1 bis 1.0 und einem Druck von 7 kbar. Die drei Reaktionen liefen im Zuge einer länger andauernden Abkühlung unter teilweiser Hydratisierung der magmatischen Melanorite in einem Temperaturbereich von 1000°C bis ca. 600°C ab. Die aus den Reaktionen ableitbaren P-T-Bedingungen sprechen für eine im wesentlichen isobare Abkhlungsgeschichte und zeigen, daß dieses Gebiet wáhrend dieser gesamten Periode keiner raschen Hebung bzw. keiner Versenkung unterworfen worden ist.

     

Paleohydrology and paleoclimate records in a saline prairie lake core: mineral,isotope and organic indicators

This pilot study examines the potential of obtaining a sedimentary record of paleoenvironmental/climatic/hydrologic conditions for saline Redberry Lake in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. The tools are mineralogy, stable isotopes and pigments. The upper meter of an offshore sediment core contains 10 to 20% by weight aragonite (CaCO₃), which apparently precipitated in the water column. The ¹⁸O and ¹³C of the bulk aragonite (corrected for content of detrital calcite) vary by 4 to 5. Enrichment in ¹⁸O in aragonite is significantly correlated with pigment concentrations (chlorophyll a, phaeophytin). The ¹⁸O and pigment data provide evidence for relatively dry and/or warm conditions and high limnetic productivity for the period 2500 to 1500 yrs B.P. After 1500 B.P., the climate was apparently similar to the present, with two episodes of relatively enhanced productivity, dryness and/or warmth, at around 1000 to 900 and 500 to 200 B.P. During the past century, Redberry Lake has decreased approximately 8 m in depth and its salinity has doubled. No clear sedimentary signal was observed in response to these recent hydrologic trends. These changes have not been associated with a significant climate trend in the region, but may have been induced by land use changes in the catchment.This publication is the third of a series of papers presented at the Conference on Sedimentary and Paleolimnological Records of Saline Lakes. This Conference was held August 13–16, 1991 at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. Dr. Evans is serving as Guest Editor for this series.     

Saturn's rings: Particle composition and size distribution as constrained by observations at microwave wavelengths: II. Radio interferometric observations

The sizes, composition, and number of particles comprising the rings of Saturn may be meaningfully constrained by a combination of radar- and radio-astronomical observations. In a previous paper, we have discussed constraints obtained from radar observations. In this paper, we discuss the constraints imposed by complementary “passive” radio observations at similar wavelengths. First, we present theoretical models of the brightness of Saturn's rings at microwave wavelengths (0.34–21.0 cm), including both intrinsic ring emission and diffuse scattering by the rings of the planetary emission. The models are accurate simulations of the behavior of realistic ring particles and are parameterized only by particle composition and size distribution, and ring optical depth. Second, we have reanalyzed several previously existing sets of interferometric observations of the Saturn system at 0.83-, 3.71-, 6.0-, 11.1-, and 21.0-cm wavelengths. These observations all have spatial resolution sufficient to resolve the rings and planetary disk, and most have resolution sufficient to resolve the ring-occulted region of the disk as well. Using our ring models and a realistic model of the planetary brightness distribution, we are able to establish improved constraints on the properties of the rings. In particular, we find that: (a) the maximum optical depth in the rings is ～ 1.5 ± 0.3 referred to visible wavelengths; (b) a significant decrease in ring optical depth from λ3.7 to λ21.0 cm allows us to rule out the possibility that more than ～30% of the cross section of the rings is composed of particles larger than a meter or so; this assertion is essentially independent of uncertainties in particle adsorption coefficient; and (c) the ring particles cannot be primarily of silicate composition, independently of particle size, and the particles cannot be primarily smaller than ～0.1 cm, independently of composition.