Characterization and provenance of the slabs of the Puigseslloses Megalith,Barcelona, Spain

The Puigseslloses megalith tomb (Barcelona, Spain) is located on the summit of a hill in the Vic Plain where the sedimentary rocks that were used in its construction do not crop out. A sedimentological and petrological characterization of the monument's slabs and a multidisciplinary analysis of the outcropping materials in nearby areas has allowed the identification of three possible source areas associated with the Paleogene Banyoles Marls Formation and the Folgueroles Sandstone Formation and allows us to propose possible routes by which the slabs were transported from the catchment site to the place where the monument was built. In addition, the lithology and position of different slabs within the megalith denote the intention to separate the chamber from the corridor by using different types of slab. The position of the monument also reveals that tomb location was more of a priority than proximity to the slab sources. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Clay minerals in sediments of Portuguese reservoirs and their significance as weathering products from over-eroded soils: a comparative study of the Maranhão, Monte Novo and Divor Reservoirs (South Portugal)

The Southern region of Portugal is subjected to several forms of over-erosion. Most leached products, mainly composed of fine particles containing nutrients, metals or pesticides, are easily transported by river flows. When these are hindered by a physical barrier such as a dam, the particulate load accumulates on the bottom of the reservoirs, often leading to a pronounced decrease of water quality. Bottom sediments from three reservoirs were subjected to grain-size analysis and a study of clay minerals by X-ray diffraction. Most sediments contain a diverse set of clay minerals, mostly illites, smectites, chlorites and kaolinites. The nature of the clay minerals reflects the nature of the parent rocks. During the cycles of transport and temporary deposition, they may undergo significant chemical and physical transformations, which lead to an increase of expandable properties and therefore, to a higher cationic exchange capacity, determining its important role as vehicles of environmental pollutants.     

Effects of coastal orientation and depth on the distribution of subtidal benthic assemblages

A better understanding of biological systems can only be gained if we understand what processes are important and how they operate to determine the distribution of organisms. Coastal orientation and depth can influence environmental conditions, including the degree of water motion and availability of light, which in turn may influence the horizontal and vertical patterns of organism distribution. Here, we used a mixed‐model design to examine the effects of coastal orientation and depth on the structure of benthic assemblages by comparing the abundance and distribution of macroalgae and invertebrates in shallow and deep waters on the opposing coasts of São Miguel. Generally, coastal orientation had little influence on the distribution of most taxa. In contrast, significant differences were generally associated with depth, although patterns were spatially variable at the scale of locations. This study suggests that depth, and processes operating at the scale of location, but not at the scale of the coast, have an important influence on these assemblages, and that failure to recognise such a scale of variability may hamper our ability to better understand the processes that structure these communities.     

Observed heating effects of conjugate photoelectrons

A gridded spherical electrostatic analyzer aboard Injun 5 has been used to measure fluxes of thermal and hyperthermal electrons at subauroral latitudes in the midnight sector of the northern ionosphere between altitudes of 2500 and 850 km. Due to the offset between the geomagnetic and geographic poles hyperthermal fluxes, consisting of energetic photoelectrons that have escaped from the sunlit southern hemisphere are observed along orbits over the Atlantic Ocean and North America but not over Asia. The ambient electron temperatures (T_e) near 2500 km have their highest values at trough latitudes for all longitudes. At altitudes near 1000 km elevated electron temperatures in the trough were not a consistent feature of the data. Equatorward of the trough, in the longitude sector to which conjugate photoelectrons have access, T_e ～ 4000 K at 2500 km and ～ 3000 K at 1000 km. For regions with the conjugate point in darkness T_e ? 2300 K over the 1000–2500 km altitude range. The effective thermal characteristics of conjugate photoelectrons are studied as functions of altitude and latitude. The observations indicate that (1) at trough latitudes elevated electron temperatures in the topside ionosphere are mostly produced by sources other than conjugate photoelectrons, and (2) at subtrough latitudes, in the Alantic Ocean-North American longitude sector, conjugate photoelectrons contribute significantly to the heating of topside electrons. Much of the conjugate photoelectron energy is deposited at altitudes >2500 km then conducted along magnetic field lines into the ionosphere.     

Mafic inclusions in the silica-rich rocks of the Tolfa-Ceriti-Manziana volcanic district (Tuscan Province,Central Italy): Chemistry and mineralogy

Summary A chemical and mineralogical study of magmatic inclusions in the silica-rich rocks of the Tolfa-Ceriti-Manziana sector (Tuscan Province, Central Italy) shows that they can be grouped according to their degree of alkalinity. We distinguish: TCM latites (TCML) with an alkaline-potassic affinity; Ceriti latites (CL) with calc-alkaline affinity; and Manziana shoshonites and latites (MS-ML) with an affinity intermediate between alkaline and subalkaline. The latter are hybrid rocks originating from the mixing of two magmas with slightly different geochemical affinities.These magmas may represent liquids derived by partial melting of a heterogeneous mantle, metasomatized by a crustal source. The most alkaline magmas (TCML) are associated with the largest degree of metasomatism which, if more pronounced, could lead to the production of the potassic magmas of the Roman Province.

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Mafische Einschlüsse in den Si-reichen Gesteinen des vulkanischen Distriktes von Tolfa-Ceriti-Manziana (Toskanische Provinz, Zentralitalien): chemie und mineralogie

Zusammenfassung Eine chemische und mineralogische Untersuchung der magmatischen Einschlüsse in den sauren Gesteinen des Tolfa-Ceriti-Manziana Sektors (Toskanische Provinz, Zentralitalien) zeigt, daß sie nach dem Grad der Alkalinitdt unterteilt werden können. Wir unterscheiden TCM latite (TCML) mit einer Alkali-Kalium Affinität; Ceriti Latite (CL) mit einer kalkalkalischen Affinität und Manziana Shoshonite und Latite (MS-ML) mit einer Affinität die zwischen alkalisch und subalkalisch liegt. Die Letztgenannten sind Mischgesteine, die durch die Mischung zweier Magmen mit verschiedenen geochemischen Affinitäten entstanden sind.Diese Magmen, die genetisch nicht mit den Wirtsgesteinen in Beziehung stehen, dürften Schmelzen repräsentieren, die auf teilweise Aufschmelzung eines heterogenen Mantels, der durch eine krustale Quelle metasomatisiert wurde, zurückgehen. Die am meisten alkalischen Magmen (TCML) sind mit dem höchsten Grad der Metasomatose assoziiert, der wiederum, wenn noch stärker entwickelt, zur Entstehung der kalireichen Magmen der römischen Provinz führen könnte.

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With 9 Figures     

The Albano maar lake (Colli Albani Volcano, Italy): recent volcanic activity and evidence of pre-Roman Age catastrophic lahar events

The evaluation of volcanic hazard in the Roman hinterland related to the quiescent Colli Albani Volcano has recently been the subject of renewed attention and several interpretations by many authors. However, very little was known of the recent history of the volcano, making such interpretations rather speculative. The most recent activity of Colli Albani Volcano originated from the Albano polygenetic maar lake, which erupted several phreatomagmatic units, the most recent of which, the Peperino Albano ignimbrite, has been dated at around 25 ka. An area of several square kilometers centered around Albano Lake is presently the site of shallow and frequent seismic activity and gaseous emission as well as hydrothermal activity and is therefore considered the most prone to geologic hazards. This paper presents new stratigraphic and geomorphologic data as well as age determinations that allow rejuvenation of the most recent activity of the Colli Albani Volcano, and particularly the Albano maar lake, to the Holocene. This study allows for the first time to identify a potential hazard related to the Albano maar lake withdrawal interpreted to be related to endogenous causes, namely CO₂ emission. The main results of the study are: (1) the Peperino Albano is not, as is generally believed, the last phreatomagmatic eruption from the Colli Albani Volcano; a previously unrecognized phreatomagmatic surge deposit has been identified overlying the paleosol at the top of the Peperino Albano and related lahar deposits; (2) two lahar deposits separated by paleosols top the stratigraphic succession and are dispersed only to the NW, corresponding to the lowest point of the maar rim, indicating that catastrophic hydrologic events occurred at the Albano Lake in recent times; rapid and substantial lake-level variations and lake withdrawal are reported by Roman historians and recorded by the stratigraphy of the Albano Lake lacustrine sediments; (3) microfracturing related to seismic energy release is linked to sudden variation of CO₂ flow and upwelling of hydrothermal fluids. These occurrences across the lake are the likely causes that triggered during Holocene several episodes of lake withdrawal, rising the water table and probably triggering convective rollover of the lake water.     

Extinction versus backscatter relationships for lidar applications at 351 nm: maritime and desert aerosol simulations and comparison with observations

Functional relationships linking at λ₀=351 nm aerosol extinction α_λ0^aer and backscatter coefficient β_λ0^aer of maritime and desert type aerosols are determined to allow for inversion of the single-wavelength lidar signals. Such relationships are derived as mean behavior of 20,000 extinction versus backscatter computations, performed for aerosol size distributions and compositions whose describing parameters are randomly chosen within the naturally observed variability. For desert-type aerosols, the effect of the particle non-sphericity is considered and it is shown that the extinction to backscatter ratio of non-spherical dust particles can be up to 60% larger than the values obtained for spherical particles. Aerosol extinction and backscatter coefficient profiles obtained inverting the single-wavelength lidar signal with the modeled relationships are then compared to the same profiles measured by a combined elastic-Raman lidar operating at 351 nm. Analytical back trajectories and satellite images are used to characterize advection patterns during lidar measurements and to properly choose the modeled functional relationship. A good accordance between the two techniques is found for advection patterns over the lidar site typical of maritime and dust conditions. Maximum differences between the model-based α_λ0^aer and β_λ0^aer vertical profiles and the corresponding ones measured by the combined elastic-Raman lidar technique are of 30% and 40% in maritime and desert dust conditions, respectively. The comparison of elastic-Raman lidar measurements and model-based results also reveals that particle non-sphericity must be taken into account when mineral dust-type aerosols are directly advected over the measurement site.     

Volcanology and petrology of volcanic products from the island of Milos and neighbouring islets

New geochronological and volcanological data from volcanics of the island group of Milos (South Aegean active volcanic arc), allow four main cycles of volcanic activity to be distinguished, ranging in age between 3.5 and 0.1 m.y. B.P. The oldest volcanic activity consists almost totally of pyroclastics and submarine products, followed by subaerial ones. The eruptive centers migrated in time and concentrated, during the most recent volcanic phase, in the central part of Milos and on the island of Antimilos. The oldest products are dominated by andesites and dacites, while the most recent ones mainly consist of rhyolites. The volcanic evolution and the geochemical characters of the erupted products suggest that the feeding system of the oldest volcanism was located in the deep continental crust, where contamination and fractional crystallization jointly occurred. The younger cycle of volcanic activity was fed from small and relatively shallow magma chambers, where contamination processes played a minor role. These magma bodies are considered to responsible for the shallow thermal anomaly giving rise to the high enthalpy field on Milos.     

Projection of runoff characteristics as a response to regional climate change in a Central/Eastern European catchment

ABSTRACT

The impact of climate change on runoff characteristics is investigated for the Upper Tisza basin, in eastern Central Europe. For a reliable estimation of uncertainty, an appropriate stochastic weather generator is embedded into a Monte Carlo cycle capable of generating any large number of independent, equally probable, 100-year-long daily sequences of synthetic data with which a hydrological model is driven in order to obtain the hydrological responses to the meteorological data sequences. According to our results, a decrease of daily average runoff is likely to occur in the future in the Upper Tisza basin, especially in July and August. The occurrence of water levels below the critical low level is estimated to increase between July and October. Level-3 flood warnings are projected to be less frequent in the future; however, they will tend to be more severe than in the historical period.     

Constraints on the use of phytoplankton as a biological quality element within the Water Framework Directive in Portuguese waters

The European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD), a new regulation aiming to achieve and maintain a clean and well-managed water environment, refers to phytoplankton as one of the biological quality elements that should be regularly monitored, and upon which the reference conditions of water quality should be established. However, the use of phytoplankton as a biological quality element will result in several constraints, which are analyzed in this article with examples from Portuguese waters. Specifically, the establishment of reference conditions of water quality may be difficult in some water bodies for which no historical data exists. The sampling frequency proposed for phytoplankton monitoring does not seem suitable to assess phytoplankton succession, and may preclude the detection of algal blooms. Finally, the use of chlorophyll a as a proxy of phytoplankton biomass and abundance has been proposed by some authors, but it may overlook blooms of pico- and small nanophytoplankton, and overestimate the importance of large microphytoplankton. Furthermore, most studies in Portugal have used only inverted microscopy for phytoplankton observation and quantification; this method does not permit the distinction between autotrophic and heterotrophic cells, especially in samples preserved with Lugol's solution, and does not allow the observation of smaller-sized cells. Finally, some techniques, such as remote sensing and chemotaxonomic analysis, are proposed to be used as supplements in phytoplankton monitoring programs.