Barnacle fouling in the Mediterranean sponges Axinella polypoides and Axinella verrucosa

Secondary metabolites protect many marine sponges (Phylum: Porifera) from settlement by fouling organisms. Previous studies on the subtidal demosponge Axinella verrucosa collected in the Western Mediterranean led to the isolation of compounds that inhibited the settlement of cyprids larvae of the intertidal barnacle Balanus amphitrite, and the enzyme chitinase, which plays a key role in the molting cycle of crustaceans. However, in a field survey conducted at three locations in Israel, Eastern Mediterranean Sea, we observed that A. verrucosa is fouled by the subtidal barnacle Balanus trigonus, a previously unknown association. Settlement inhibition assays using B. amphitrite with chemical extracts from Israeli A. verrucosa and Axinella polypoides, a sympatric, congeneric sponge that seems not to be fouled by B. trigonus, showed that cyprid larvae of B. amphitrite were inhibited by the extracts of both sponges from settlement at concentrations several magnitudes lower than natural volumetric extract concentration in the sponges. These results indicate that, unlike the intertidal barnacle B. amphitrite, the subtidal B. trigonus is unaffected by the compounds from A. verrucosa, stressing and underlining the importance of using suitable target organisms (i.e. from the same habitat) to test for ecologically relevant antifouling activities.     

Propagation ofSn andPn to teleseismic distances

Summary Sn andPn waves propagated to teleseismic distances are investigated by means of short-period seismograph records of the Swedish network.Sn is found in the distance range of 2400 to 4600 km andPn in the range 3500 to 3900 km, but only provided the path is exceptionally homogeneous. Almost all paths are restricted to the Russian platform. There are probably very few areas in the world offering similar propagation paths. The velocities just under the Mohorovii discontinuity are found to be 4.72 km/sec and 8.26 km/sec for transverse and longitudinal waves respectively. In addition, other properties of the teleseismicSn andPn are investigated, such as periods, dispersion, amplitudes, particle motions, propagation mechanisms, and comparisons are made withPa, Sa, withLi, Lg1, Lg2 and withP. The fact that teleseismicPn occurs much more seldom than teleseismicSn could be explained by different velocity profiles just under the crust.     

A large wet snow avalanche cycle in West Greenland quantified using remote sensing and in situ observations

Natural Hazards - On 11 April 2016 we observed high slushflow and wet snow avalanche activity at the environmental monitoring station Kobbefjord in W-Greenland. Snow avalanches released as a result...     

Luminescence dating of historical fluvial deposits from the Danube and Ebro

The validity of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) has been tested on known‐age (historical) fluvial deposits along the rivers Danube (Austria) and Ebro (Spain). As partial bleaching of the OSL signal prior to deposition can interfere with correct age estimates, different approaches to extracting the dose accumulated during burial are compared. Using the finite mixture model gave OSL ages that are internally as well as stratigraphically consistent and in agreement with independent age control. According to these results, fluvial deposition at the Danube River study site can be attributed to different periods ranging from Bronze Age to the 18th century A.D. Fluvial deposits of Roman age and of the late 17th or early 18th century A.D. were found at the Ebro River study site. This is consistent with the morphological subdivision of the valleys and encourages further investigation of the fluvial and archaeological history of the study areas using OSL. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Transfer of litter-derived N to soil mineral-organic associations: Evidence from decadal N tracer experiments

Mineral-organic associations act as mediators of litter-derived N flow to the mineral soil, but the time scales and pathways involved are not well known. To close that gap, we took advantage of decade old ¹⁵N litter labeling experiments conducted in two European forests. We fractionated surface soils by density with limited disaggregating treatment and investigated organic matter (OM) characteristics using δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N and the C/N ratio. Mineral properties were studied by X-ray diffraction and selective dissolution of pedogenic oxides.Three types of associations were isolated: plant debris with few trapped minerals (<1.65 g/cm³), aggregates dominated by phyllosilicates (1.65-2.4 g/cm³), and single mineral grains and pedogenic oxides with little OM (>2.4 g/cm³). A small proportion of ¹⁵N tracer was rapidly attached to single mineral grains, while most of it moved from plant debris to aggregates of low density and progressively to aggregates of higher density that contain a more microbially processed OM. After a decade, 60% of the ¹⁵N tracer found in the investigated horizon was retained in aggregates, while plant debris still contained 40% of the tracer.We present a conceptual model of OM and N flow through soil mineral-organic associations, which accounts for changes in density, dynamics and chemistry of the isolated structures. It suggests that microbial reworking of OM entrapped within aggregates (1.65-2.4 g/cm³) causes the gradient of aggregate packing and, further on, controls the flow of litter-derived N through aggregates. For associations with denser material (>2.4 g/cm³), mineralogy determines the density of the association, the type of patchy OM attached to mineral surfaces and controls the extent of litter-derived N incorporation.     

Development of instrumental seismology in Sweden in 1949–1958

Summary A review is given of the present (1959) seismological stations in Sweden, i.e. Uppsala, Kiruna, Skalstugan, and Göteborg, as well as of older stations, which are no longer in operation, i.e. Vassijaure, Abisko, and Lund, including all pertinent information. The disturbing effect of the loose ground at Lund in distinction from the four first-mentioned stations is clearly demonstrated. The very good ground at Uppsala, Kiruna, Skalstugan, and Göteborg, together with the use of modern equipment of high magnification has made these stations, especially Uppsala and Kiruna, very sensitive. This is obvious from the number of recorded earthquakes. The method of time measurements, including direct recording of time signals, is described, and means to reach a high time accuracy are outlined, including the recommendation to use quartz clocks. Long-period (0.5–2 min) disturbances on the long-period Benioff combinations were mainly due to air currents in the seismometer room and were eliminated by providing the seismometers with special covers. The method of ground amplitude determinations is outlined, especially for the Benioff instruments, and typical magnification curves are given. Comparisons of ground amplitudes from simultaneous records of BenioffE, N and WiechertE, N and of BenioffZ and GrenetZ have been made. The amplitude comparison between Benioff and Wiechert has given a new estimate of the effect of friction (especially of the recording pen against the paper) in the Wiechert apparatus.

---

Zusammenfassung Eine Übersicht sowohl von den gegenwärtigen (1959) seismologischen Stationen in Schweden, d.h. Uppsala, Kiruna, Skalstugan und Göteborg, als auch von früheren Stationen, die nicht mehr im Betrieb sind, d.h. Vassijaure, Abisko und Lund, wird gegeben. Die störende Wirkung des lockeren Bodens in Lund zum Unterschied gegen die vier erstgenannten Stationen wird deutlich hervorgehoben. Der sehr gute Untergrund in Uppsala, Kiruna, Skalstugan und Göteborg und die Verwendung moderner Apparate hoher Vergrösserung haben diese Stationen, besonders Uppsala und Kiruna, sehr empfindlich gemacht. Dieser Umstand geht aus der Anzahl registrierter Beben hervor. Die Methode der Zeitmessungen (direkte Registrierung der Zeitsignale einbegriffen) wird beschrieben, und Massnahmen eine hohe Zeitgenauigkeit zu erreichen werden erwähnt, die auch die Verwendung von Quarz-Uhren umfassen. Langperiodische Störungen (Perioden 0.5–2 Min) auf den langperiodischen Benioff-Registrierungen waren hauptsächlich durch Luftströmungen im Seismometerraum verursacht und wurden durch spezielle Kappen über den Seismometern eliminiert. Die Methode der Bestimmung von Boden-Amplituden wird beschrieben, hauptsächlich für die Benioff-Instrumente, und typische Vergrösserungskurven sind gegeben. Vergleichungen der Bodenamplituden von parallelen Registrierungen von BenioffE, N und WiechertE, N und von BenioffZ und GrenetZ sind ausgeführt worden. Die Amplitudenvergleichung zwischen Benioff und Wiechert hat eine neue Schätzung des Einflusses der Reibung (speziell vom Schreibfeder gegen das Papier) im Wiechert-Seismographen gegeben.

     

Modeling the pathways and ages of inflowing salt- and freshwater in the Baltic Sea

A three-dimensional, eddy-permitting ocean circulation model with implemented bottom boundary layer model and flux-corrected transport scheme is used to calculate the pathways and ages of various water masses in the Baltic Sea. The agreement between simulated and observed temperature and salinity profiles of the period 1980–2004 is satisfactory. Especially the renewal of the deep water in the Baltic proper by gravity-driven dense bottom flows is better simulated than in previous versions of the model. Based upon these model results details of the mean circulation are analyzed. For instance, it is found that after the major Baltic inflow in January 2003 saline water passing the Słupsk Furrow flows directly towards northeast along the eastern slope of the Hoburg Channel. However, after the baroclinic summer inflow in August/September 2002 the deep water flow spreads along the southwestern slope of the Gdansk Basin. Further, the model results show that the patterns of mean vertical advective fluxes across the halocline that close the large-scale vertical circulation are rather patchy. Mainly within distinct areas are particles of the saline inflow water advected vertically from the deep water into the surface layer. To analyze the time scales of the circulation mean ages of various water masses are calculated. It is found that at the sea surface of the Bornholm Basin, Gotland Basin, Bothnian Sea, and Bothnian Bay the mean ages associated to inflowing water from Kattegat amount to 26–30, 28–34, 34–38, and 38–42 years, respectively. Largest mean sea surface ages of more than 30 years associated to the freshwater of the rivers are found in the central Gotland Basin and Belt Sea. At the bottom the mean ages are largest in the western Gotland Basin and amount to more than 36 years. In the Baltic proper vertical gradients of ages associated to the freshwater inflow are smaller than in the case of inflowing saltwater from Kattegat indicating an efficient recirculation of freshwater in the Baltic Sea.     

Comparisons of homogeneously reprocessed GPS and VLBI long time-series of troposphere zenith delays and gradients

Troposphere parameters estimated from space-geodetic techniques, like the Global Positioning System (GPS) or Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI), can be used to monitor the atmospheric water vapor content. Although the troposphere can only be monitored at discrete locations, the distribution of the instruments, at least the GPS antennas, can be assumed to be quasi-global. Critical in the data analysis are systematic effects within each single technique that significantly degrade the accuracy and especially the long-term stability of the zenith delay determination. In this paper, consistent time-series of troposphere zenith delays and gradients from homogeneously reprocessed GPS and VLBI solutions are compared for a time period of 11 years. The homogeneity of these completely reprocessed time-series is essential to avoid misinterpretations due to individual model changes. Co-located sites are used to investigate systematic effects and the long-term behavior of the two space-geodetic techniques. Both techniques show common signals in the troposphere parameters at a very high level of precision. The biases between the troposphere zenith delays are at the level of a few millimeters. On the other hand, long-term trends significantly differ for the two techniques, preventing climatological interpretations at present. Tests assume these differences to be due to mathematical artifacts such as different sampling rates and unmodeled semi-annual signals with varying amplitudes.     

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers and their hydroxylated/methoxylated analogs: environmental sources, metabolic relationships, and relative toxicities

Brominated compounds are ubiquitous in the aquatic environment. The polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants are anthropogenic compounds of concern. Studies suggest that PBDEs can be biotransformed to hydroxylated brominated diphenyl ethers (OH-BDE). However, the rate of OH-BDE formation observed has been extremely small. OH-BDEs have also been identified as natural compounds produced by some marine invertebrates. Another class of compounds, the methoxylated BDEs (MeO-BDEs), has also been identified as natural compounds in the marine environment. Both the OH-BDEs and MeO-BDEs bioaccumulate in higher marine organisms. Recent studies have demonstrated that MeO-BDEs can be biotransformed to OH-BDEs and this generates greater amounts of OH-BDEs than could be generated from PBDEs. Consequently, MeO-BDEs likely represent the primary source of metabolically derived OH-BDEs. Given that for some endpoints OH-BDEs often exhibit greater toxicity compared to PBDEs, it is prudent to consider OH-BDEs as chemicals of concern, despite their seemingly "natural" origins.