Mobility of rare-earth elements and copper during shear-zone-related retrograde metamorphism

In Mid Proterozoic crystalline rocks of the Mount Isa Inlier, around Cloncurry, Australia, 2000 km² of alteration and brecciation are the product of high-temperature (> 450 °C) concentrated saline solution activity. During retrogression, this fluid was locally responsible for mobility of V, Y, Nb and light rare-earth elements (15 × enrichment). Copper and S were leached during alteration and this may have been a significant source of components in nearby Cu-Au deposits. Similar rare-earth-element behaviour has been observed in the hematite breccias which host Cu-sulfides at the giant Olympic Dam Cu-Au deposit.     

Source Country Differences in the Spatial Distribution of Foreign Direct Investment in the United States

Statistical analysis of foreign direct investment in the United States reveals source country differences in interstate location. We relate these differences to the knowledge foreign investors have of the United States. Regression analysis indicates a significant concentration of foreign investment from individual countries in larger states and in border states. Worldwide investment in the United States does not show these preferences. Investment from Japan and Canada accounted for most of the interstate dispersal of foreign employment in the 1980s.     

Correlation between rainfall and dust occurrence at mildura,Australia: The difference between local and source area rainfalls

In studies of temporal variation in dust activity, rainfall recorded at the same location as the dust events (local rainfall) has commonly been used as a climatic control variable. The main objectives of this note are to test the validity of using local rainfall and to determine the improvement in the relationship between rainfall and dust activity that could be achieved by using regional rainfall in the dust source area. For the period 1960-1989 at Mildura, Australia, the likely dust source area was identified by analysing wind direction during dust events. It was found that a marked improvement in the correlation between dust activity and antecedent rainfall can be achieved by using the regional source area rainfall rather than local rainfall. The improved correlation suggests that widespread drought is more important than local below-average rainfall in intensifying dust activity.     

Balanced Sediment Fluxes in Southern California’s Mediterranean-Climate Zone Salt Marshes

Salt marsh elevation and geomorphic stability depends on mineral sedimentation. Many Mediterranean-climate salt marshes along southern California, USA coast import sediment during El Niño storm events, but sediment fluxes and mechanisms during dry weather are potentially important for marsh stability. We calculated tidal creek sediment fluxes within a highly modified, sediment-starved, 1.5-km² salt marsh (Seal Beach) and a less modified 1-km² marsh (Mugu) with fluvial sediment supply. We measured salt marsh plain suspended sediment concentration and vertical accretion using single stage samplers and marker horizons. At Seal Beach, a 2014 storm yielded 39 and 28 g/s mean sediment fluxes and imported 12,000 and 8800 kg in a western and eastern channel. Western channel storm imports offset 8700 kg exported during 2 months of dry weather, while eastern channel storm imports augmented 9200 kg imported during dry weather. During the storm at Mugu, suspended sediment concentrations on the marsh plain increased by a factor of four; accretion was 1–2 mm near creek levees. An exceptionally high tide sequence yielded 4.4 g/s mean sediment flux, importing 1700 kg: 20 % of Mugu’s dry weather fluxes. Overall, low sediment fluxes were observed, suggesting that these salt marshes are geomorphically stable during dry weather conditions. Results suggest storms and high lunar tides may play large roles, importing sediment and maintaining dry weather sediment flux balances for southern California salt marshes. However, under future climate change and sea level rise scenarios, results suggest that balanced sediment fluxes lead to marsh elevational instability based on estimated mineral sediment deficits.     

Evolution of Mid-Atlantic Coastal and Back-Barrier Estuary Environments in Response to a Hurricane: Implications for Barrier-Estuary Connectivity

Assessments of coupled barrier island-estuary storm response are rare. Hurricane Sandy made landfall during an investigation in Barnegat Bay-Little Egg Harbor estuary that included water quality monitoring, geomorphologic characterization, and numerical modeling; this provided an opportunity to characterize the storm response of the barrier island-estuary system. Barrier island morphologic response was characterized by significant changes in shoreline position, dune elevation, and beach volume; morphologic changes within the estuary were less dramatic with a net gain of only 200,000 m³ of sediment. When observed, estuarine deposition was adjacent to the back-barrier shoreline or collocated with maximum estuary depths. Estuarine sedimentologic changes correlated well with bed shear stresses derived from numerically simulated storm conditions, suggesting that change is linked to winnowing from elevated storm-related wave-current interactions rather than deposition. Rapid storm-related changes in estuarine water level, turbidity, and salinity were coincident with minima in island and estuarine widths, which may have influenced the location of two barrier island breaches. Barrier-estuary connectivity, or the transport of sediment from barrier island to estuary, was influenced by barrier island land use and width. Coupled assessments like this one provide critical information about storm-related coastal and estuarine sediment transport that may not be evident from investigations that consider only one component of the coastal system.     

High Resolution Deterministic Prediction System (HRDPS) Simulations of Manitoba Lake Breezes

The Effects of Lake Breezes On Weather–Manitoba (ELBOW-MB) field project, conducted around Lakes Manitoba and Winnipeg in July 2013, was the first in-depth field study of lake breezes in Manitoba, Canada. Using observational data collected during ELBOW-MB and output from the 2.5?km Canadian High Resolution Deterministic Prediction System (HRDPS), comparisons were made between HRDPS output and observational data to determine whether the HRDPS can simulate Manitoba lake breezes. The model comparisons considered various lake-breeze characteristics, such as depth, inland penetration distance, and initiation and dissipation time. In addition, cross-sections of lake-breeze circulations were analyzed. The results show that the HRDPS was able to correctly simulate lake breezes, or lack thereof, in 78% of cases on Lake Winnipeg and 68% of cases on Lake Manitoba. Modelled lake-breeze initiation and dissipation times were found to be too early in some cases and too late in others when compared with observations. Overall, it was found that the HRDPS was able to simulate most aspects of lake breezes, although inland penetration distance was one characteristic that the HRDPS was not able to simulate realistically.     

Simulations of the gross solar magnetic field during sunspot cycle 21

Regarding new bipolar magnetic regions as sources of flux, we have simulated the evolution of the radial component of the solar photospheric magnetic field during 1976–1984 with a spatial resolution of about 34 000 km, and have derived the corresponding evolution of its absolute value averaged over the visible disk. For nominal values of the transport parameters, this simulated gross field is in close, though imperfect, agreement with the observed gross field and its associated indices of solar activity. By analyzing the response of the simulated gross field to variations in the transport parameters and the source properties, we find that the simulated field originates in newly erupted bipolar regions. The lifetimes of these regions are almost always less than 3 mo. Consequently, the strength of the simulated gross field is a measure of the current level of solar activity, and any recurrent patterns with lifetimes in excess of 6 mo must reflect the continuing eruption of new flux at active longitudes rather than the persistence of old flux in long-lived magnetic structures.E. O. Hulburt Center for Space Research.Laboratory for Computational Physics.Berkeley Research Associates, Springfield, VA.     

Chronic toxicity of tributyltin on development and reproduction of the hermaphroditic snail Physa fontinalis: Influence of population density

Tributyltin (TBT) is toxic to aquatic organisms and occurs widely in sediments and surface waters of American and European rivers and lakes. This study investigated TBT effects on development and population growth rate (r) of the common, hermaphroditic European freshwater snail Physa fontinalis. Egg ropes of similar age (1-3 days old) were exposed to a control (solvent only) and nominal concentrations of 0.01, 1.0 and 10 microg TBT l(-1) in triplicate. Hatching and mortality were recorded during 0-40 days of exposure. At day 40, 18 juveniles were randomly selected from each concentration (i.e., six from each test vessel) and individually exposed to the same concentration of TBT in 50 ml beakers. A cohort of 20 juveniles was allowed to continue developing in the original test vessels, so that individual and grouped results could be compared. Mortality and reproduction were recorded at 48-h intervals throughout the study period (110 days). Abnormal embryonic development was observed at 1 and 10 microg TBT l(-1). Although 50% of eggs hatched at 10 microg TBT l(-1), all these hatchlings failed to survive. Survivorship of hatchlings was significantly reduced by TBT at 1 microgl(-1). In general, there was a delay in egg production in isolated snails when compared with the grouped snails. Survival, fecundity and population growth rate (r) were reduced in both individual and grouped P. fontinalis at 1.0 microg TBT l(-1). Only a decline in r was observed in snails exposed individually to 0.01 microg TBT l(-1).     

Tintinnids and Other Microplankton from the Greenland Sea: Abundance and Distribution in the Marginal Ice Zone (MayJune 1989)

Abstract. Microplankton (silicoflagellates, dinoflagellates, tintinnids, pteropods, crustaceans, and fecal pellets) was analysed in 71 0–95 m samples from the Greenland Sea collected from May to June 1989. Abundances were clearly associated with the ice edge, highest concentrations occurring in ice-free waters. The 15 to 30 m stratum was generally richer in microplankton than deeper waters, with the exception of microcrustaceans, which often peaked below 30 m. Six tintinnid species were identified. The mean size of the tintinnid Parafavella denticulata from the Greenland Sea was consistently greater than that of Barents Sea specimens. It is suggested that colder waters and scarcer food are responsible for these morphometric differences.     

Characterization of vertical mixing at a tidal-front on Georges Bank

Studies of mixing were done at the northern flank of Georges Bank in the summer and autumn of 1988. Two time-series of the evolution and intensity of microstructure were examined over a tidal period in the context of tidal forcing and the evolution of the density and velocity field at the site. From the CTD, ADCP and microstructure observations (EPSONDE) on Georges Bank, several interesting features of the mixing processes were found. High dissipation and diffusivity regions appear near the bottom of the Bank. Turbulence near the bottom is highest in intensity and reaches farthest from the bottom at peak tidal flow and diminishes in intensity and vertical extent as the flow decreases. The thickness of the bottom turbulent layer has its maximum value when the flow is strongest and the stratification is weakest. Characterization of the dissipation rate and turbulent diffusivities in respect to buoyancy frequency N, current shear S, Richardson Number R_i and ε/νN² was done. Dissipation and χ_T showed little dependence on shear or N² but decreased at larger R_i. χ_t was found to be higher in regions of higher N² and increased as ε/νN² increased. K_T, K and K_ν, were all highest near the bottom in excess of 10⁻²m²s⁻¹ and decreased towards the surface. There was little suggestion of a dependence of mixing efficiency on S², R_i or ε/νN², but some indication that Γ decreases with decreasing N².