Comparative study of sampling methods and in situ and laboratory analysis for shallow-water submarine hydrothermal systems

A primary aim for sampling of submarine hydrothermal vents is to minimize inclusion of ambient seawater. Here, we compare the results of three different sampling methods (air displacement, two-valve bottle, and syringes) for shallow submarine systems. Mixing of hydrothermal fluid with seawater is unavoidable; however, calculations based on linear mixing models allow estimation of the hydrothermal fluid end-member composition. The results show that sampling with a two-valve bottle and syringes are the best options because they allow collection of samples with a large proportion of hydrothermal fluid. Additionally, we compare the results of in situ and laboratory analyses of the fluid samples, and demonstrate that determination of chemical composition in situ is the best option for some components, as re-equilibration affects some component concentrations (i.e. bicarbonate). Conversely, silica determination in situ usually underestimates the concentration in the fluid, as it does not account for polymeric silica. Other components can be measured either in the field or in the laboratory.     

Temperature–composition–time (T–X–t) data from authigenic K-feldspar: An integrated methodology for dating fluid flow events

Integration of fluid inclusion analysis with high spatial resolution Ar–Ar dating of K-feldspar cements has been used to resolve and reconstruct palaeo-fluid flow. Fluid inclusion analysis allows discrimination of distinct cement phases, thereby identifying discrete episodes of fluid flow. Ar–Ar dating of the same cements via high spatial resolution laserprobe establishes absolute age constraints on the framework previously constructed. Integration of these two datasets yields temperature–composition–time data.     

Composition and applied sedimentology of salt from brines of the Mamfe Basin, Cameroon

Salts produced using brines of the Mamfe Basin were analysed by XRD for their mineral composition and ICP-MS for minor element composition. Halite (NaCl) and dolomite (CaMg (CO₃)₂) constitute the major minerals with minor impurities from Mo and Cd in the chlorides and Sc and Cu in the carbonates. The mineral composition is evidence of dissolution of evaporites with parent brine of marine origin. Other elements analysed are suggested to be adsorbed to these salts and result from water–rock interaction. The elements partitioned based on their correlation to other elements are suggested to derive from sulphates including barite for Ba, sulphides for Pb, Zn, silicates for Zr, Mn and oxides for V, Cr. The electrical conductance of the brines is related to the salt yield by the equation; M = 9 × 10^− 4E− 3.27, and it can be used to estimate salt yield throughout the year. Over 1200 tons of salt consisting dominantly of grade I halite are lost annually as brines across the basin. Purification is required for some minor elements including Ba, Pb, Hg and Cd for use as a condiment. A genetic relation between the parent brine, sulphide minerals and organic matter-rich sediments is proposed.     

Stable isotope evidence for the atmospheric origin of CO2 involved in carbonation of MSWI bottom ash

Stable isotopes were used to constrain the origin of CO₂ involved in the ageing process of municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) bottom ash under open-air conditions. The δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of CaCO₃ occurring in MSWI bottom ash samples of variable age and the δ¹³C of the residual organic matter content were measured, and laboratory assessments made of the isotopic fractionation accompanying CaCO₃ neo-formation during accelerated carbonation experiments of bottom ash or pure lime with atmospheric or industrial CO₂. The results indicate that stable isotopic compositions exhibited by fresh and aged bottom ash samples reflect non-equilibrium processes resembling those described in the carbonation of concrete and mortar. They also lead to conclusions on the prevalent involvement of atmospheric CO₂ in the open-air carbonation of MSWI bottom ash.     

The bimodal rift-related Juscelândia volcanosedimentary sequence in central Brazil: Mesoproterozoic extension and Neoproterozoic metamorphism

The Barro Alto Complex and Juscelândia volcanosedimentary sequence are exposed in the central part of the Neoproterozoic Brasília belt of central Brazil. The former is a large (approximately 150 km long), boomerang-shaped, mafic-ultramafic, layered complex formed by two different intrusions metamorphosed under granulite facies. These rocks are tectonically overlain by rocks of the Juscelândia volcanosedimentary sequence, represented mainly by biotite-gneiss and amphibolite, or amphibolite facies metamorphic equivalents of rhyolite and basalt, respectively. New SIMS U–Pb zircon data and Sm–Nd isochron data presented herein help clarify the igneous and metamorphic evolution of the Juscelândia volcanosedimentary sequence, as well as its relationship with the Barro Alto Complex. Zircon grains from two biotite gneisses were analyzed by SIMS (SHRIMP) and indicate Mesoproterozoic dates, approximately 1.28 Ga, interpreted as the time of bimodal volcanism in a tectonic setting transitional between a continental rift and an ocean basin. Metamorphism is constrained by Sm–Nd garnet-whole-rock isochrons for garnet amphibolite and pelitic schists of the Juscelândia sequence, as well as for clinopyroxene-garnet amphibolite and garnet granulite of the Barro Alto Complex, which give ages between 0.74 and 0.76 Ga, in agreement with SIMS dates for metamorphic zircon rims. These new data are significant, because they establish that a single metamorphic event affected both the Barro Alto Complex and the Juscelândia sequence. Based on these new data, we present a modified tectonic model for the Brasília belt.     

Geologic correlation between the Neoproterozoic Sergipano belt (NE Brazil) and the Yaoundé belt (Cameroon, Africa)

The Yaoundé belt (Cameroon) and the Sergipano belt (NE Brazil) belonged to a major and continuous Neoproterozoic orogen at the northern margin of the ancient Congo-São Francisco craton. The Yaoundé belt comprises schists, quartzites, gneisses and migmatitic gneisses grouped into three domains; the low-grade Mbalmayo Group in south and the medium- to high-grade Yaoundé and Bafia Group in north. The Sergipano belt is divided into six domains, the three southernmost of which are mostly made up of clastic and chemical metasedimentary rocks whereas the others are more diverse with a migmatite–gneiss complex, and two metavolcanicplutonic complexes. In general, the two belts show structural vergence and decrease of metamorphic grade towards the craton; three main deformation phases are recognized in the Sergipano belt in contrast with two described in the Yaoundé belt. The minimum age of Pan-African-Brasiliano collision in the Sergipano belt is constrained at 628 ± 12 Ma on syn-collision granites, whereas in the Yaoundé belt collision took place between 620 and 610 Ma, i.e. the age of granulite facies metamorphism. Sm–Nd isotope geochemistry and U–Pb age dating indicate that most clastic metasedimentary rocks in both belts were derived from sources to the north and, to a lesser degree, from the cratons to the south.     

Distribution and nutrient status of haplotypes of the marsh grassPhragmites australis along the Rappahannock River in Virginia

We compared the distribution and nutrient status of native haplotype F ofPhragmites australis along the freshwater to mesohaline tidal marsh gradient of the Rappahannock River, Virginia, for comparison with the nonnative, invasive haploty M. Using GIS analysis of aerial photography and GPS-based ground truthing, we identified 55 separate clones of native haplotype F comprising a total of 3.68 ha (range 0.002–0.734 ha), all found in tidal wetlands where surface water salinity was 0 psu. We identified 219 separate clones of the invasive haplotype M covering 68.3 ha along the same stretch of river (range 0.004–11.86 ha), found in wetlands where salinity ranged from 0 to 11 psu. From 15 separate clones for each haplotype, average carbon content in leaves of the native was significantly higher than the invasive (43.90±0.08% versus 42.82±0.15%, F_1,28=20.938, p<0.01), and nitrogen content was significantly lower (2.22±0.03% versus 2.58±0.07%, F_1,28=11.972, p<0.01). The average C:N:P ratio for leaf tissue was 1100∶48∶1 for haplotype F and 1084∶56∶1 for haplotype M. Relative to the native, the invasive haplotype forms larger stands distributed throughout a broader estuarine reach and incorporates more nitrogen in leaf tissue. From a management standpoint, nativePhragmites protection should focus on deterring nonnative haplotype invasion through the minimization of both adjacent upland disturbance and nutrient enrichment in tidal freshwater marshes.     

Modeling nonlinear seagrass clonal growth: Assessing the efficiency of space occupation across the seagrass flora

The clonal growth of 9 seagrass species was modeled using a simulation model based on observed clonal growth rules (i.e., spacer length, rhizome elongation rates, branching rates, branching angle) and shoot mortality rates for seagrass species. The results of the model confirmed the occurrence of complex, nonlinear growth of seagrass clones derived from internal dynamics of space occupation. The modeled clones progressed from a diffuse-limited aggregation (DLA), dendritic growth, identified with a guerrilla strategy of space occupation, to a compact (Eden) growth, comparable to the phalanx strategy of space occupation, once internal recolonization of gaps, left by dead shoots within the clone, begins. The time at which seagrass clones shifted from diffuse limited to compact growth was predictable from the branching angle and frequency of the species and varied from 1 yr to several decades among species. As a consequence the growth behavior and the apparent growth strategy of the species changes with the development of the clones. The results of the model demonstrate that the emergent complexity of seagrass clonal growth is contained within the simple set of growth rules that can be used to represent clonal growth.