Radium and lead-210 in marine barite

Measurements of ²²⁶Ra and ²¹⁰Pb in barite samples separated from different depths of a piston core from the eastern equatorial Pacific are reported. ²²⁶Ra is enriched in the barite as would be expected from the chemistries of Ra and Ba; the ${}^{226}\text{Ra}\text{Ba}$ ratio centers around 1.5 · 10¹⁴ atoms/mole. The results suggest that barite is concentrating Ra at a rate comparable to its decay rate, viz. 5.78 · 10^?3 yr^?1. The gross ²¹⁰Pb depletion with respect to ²²⁶Ra is indicative of ²²²Rn loss due to the smallness of the barite crystals.     

Water colour index of the Guinean sector of the Atlantic Ocean

The distribution of the colour index is considered in the region bounded by 8–11°N and 13°30–18°30W based on the results of measurements made on board vessels of the Marine Hydrophysical Institute of the Ukrainian SSR Academy of Sciences (MHI) in 1977–1985. Mean values and statistical characteristics are calculated for the colour index variability over one-degree squares. A map of its multi-yearly average distribution is plotted.Translated by M. M. Trufanov.     

Fluid forces on a small cylinder in the presence of a large cylinder in relative oscillatory flow

The present brief paper is intended to show that the fluid forces on a small cylinder can be considerably magnified when it is in the flow field of a larger cylinder. Two cylinders of unequal diameter are oscillated in a tank of fluid, and the lift and in-line forces on the smaller cylinder are measured when the pair of cylinders is placed at various orientations and spacings.     

Coastal conditions in West Africa—A review

This paper describes the coastal system between Cape Palmas bordering the Ivory Coast and Liberia and Mount Cameroon, as a basis for regional coastal-erosion management.The area includes the rocky coasts of the Ivory Coast and Ghana, the long sandy beaches of Togo and Benin and the deltas of the Volta and Niger Rivers. Important elements of the system appear to be its geographical setting, its geological history, oceanological impacts, the sediment supply by rivers and coastal erosion, littoral transport and the rise of mean sea level. The morphological processes are influenced by human activities in the catchments of the rivers (dams), in the estuaries (dredging) and along the coasts (port construction).It appears that future human interventions and the impact of increased sea-level rise will require intergovernmental co-ordination in coastal-erosion management, as the various coasts are all part of one system.     

Influence of stratification and irradiance regime on summer phytoplankton composition in coastal and shelf seas of the British Isles

The effect of interaction between stratification and irradiance regimes on phytoplankton community structure was investigated in three shelf/coastal regions of the British Isles, each of which displayed ranges of vertical stability and light attenuation. Relationships between vertical stability, light penetration and community structure were indicated by the ordination of dominance (assessed using cell volume) of the main phytoplankton phyletic groups—diatoms, dinoflagellates and microflagellates—on a surface defined by a bulk stratification index () and water column depth, scaled by transparency (λh). Diatom- and dinoflagellate-dominated communities occupied distinctly different domains on the - λh surface, diatoms being favoured in well-mixed water columns with high values for λh and dinoflagellates dominating where stratification was strong and λh was low. Microflagellates were not abundant in any of the study areas and showed no clear ordination on the - λh surface. The domain of co-dominance of diatom and dinoflagellates on the - λh surface was narrow with small changes in the irradiance or stratification regime resulting in a switch to diatom or dinoflagellate dominance. It is suggested that loss of non-motile diatom communities in strongly stratified water columns might be a strong selective force in favour of dinoflagel-lates. However, in water columns with intermediate stratification and optical properties, the outcome of competition may be decided by physiological attributes of the two groups with respect to growth in low and fluctuating irradiances.     

Steady drift force on vertical cylinder - viscous vs. potential

The contribution of the steady drift force on a floating structure may arise from waves, wind and current. The component of the wave drift force may be due to the second-order diffraction theory or potential effect and may be due to the velocity squared force or viscous effect. The presence of current in waves increases the effect of the viscous force. The expressions for these terms for a vertical cylinder are derived and their relative importance is investigated. Plots are presented showing the regions where the viscous or potential drift force predominates. Experiments were conducted with both small and large diameter cylinders. The mean drift forces obtained in these tests are compared with the theory.     

Sonographs of submarine sediment failure caused by the 1980 earthquake off northern California

In 1980, a large earthquake caused extensive sediment failure on the shallow continental shelf off the Klamath River in northern California. Side-scan sonography was used to complement detailed geophysical profiling in identifying specific features and resolving modes of failure. The features include a nearly flat failure terrace mantled with sand boils, collapse craters and sediment flows, and bounded on the seaward side by a meandering continuous toe ridge. Seaward of the terrace lies a compression zone delineated by small pressure ridges. Our findings indicate a temporal progression of failure from lique-faction of shallow subsurface sand to lateral spread of intact blocks to sediment collapse and flow.     

PCDD/F and PCB in harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) from British Columbia: response to exposure to pulp mill effluents

Blubber of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) sampled from the Strait of Georgia, BC, in 1991 and 1992 contained higher concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and furans (PCDD/F) than did samples from Quatsino Sound on western Vancouver Island. The higher proportions of 1,2,3,6,7,8-hexachlorodibenzodioxin and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran in the Strait of Georgia samples probably reflect contamination arising from the discharge of effluents from bleached kraft mills. Higher concentrations of non-ortho- and mono-ortho substituted polychlorinated biphenyls were also found in the Strait of Georgia samples, probably as a result of general industrial activity in the region. Principal components analysis showed that residues were distributed differently between males and females. Within males, concentrations of PCDD, PCDF and PCBs appeared to increase with age. Toxic equivalents (TEQ) to 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin in the Quatsino Sd. samples were close to the working guidelines for edible fish used by Health Canada; TEQ calculated for the Strait of Georgia samples exceeded these guidelines by up to a factor of five.     

Oxidative stress in two populations of killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) with differing contaminant exposure histories

A population of killifish (Fundulus heteroclitus) inhabiting a creosote-polluted inlet of the Elizabeth River demonstrates tolerance to the acute toxic effects exerted by contaminated sediments on reference site killifish. Previous data have suggested that upregulated antioxidant defenses contribute to short-term tolerance in killifish exposed to Elizabeth River sediments. This study investigated population differences in antioxidant defenses from wild caught Elizabeth River and reference population killifish in different seasons, and after being held in the laboratory. Parameters measured in the killifish were total glutathione concentrations (GSH(T)), activities of glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and lipid peroxidation (LPO), all in adult hepatic tissues. The Elizabeth River population exhibited greater GSH(T), higher GPx activities, and increased LPO as compared to the reference population. Sex specific population differences were also observed in GSH(T) and GPx. Both populations displayed decreased GSH(T) and increased GR from early to late summer, as well as after being held in the laboratory. This study indicates that there are many factors that may contribute to differences in levels of antioxidant defenses in addition to exposure to contaminants, including reproductive status and environmental conditions.