Strontium isotope ratios in volcanic rocks from the south-eastern part of the Hellenic arc

Isotopic ratios of strontium in 9 volcanic rocks from the south-eastern part of the Hellenic arc range from 0.7037 to 0.7075. Within individual series of differentiation, there seems to be a correlation between Sr⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁶ and K₂O/SiO₂.All strontium isotope data for the Hellenic arc are reviewed. Comparable (but slightly smaller) ranges of Sr isotope ratios are found in other island arcs with continental basement. To explain the high values of Sr⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁶ ratio for the Hellenic arc, a selective addition of Sr⁸⁷ from the wall rock, and a process of assimilation involving water, perhaps from subducted sediments, are suggested. Since closely-spaced individual volcanic centres of similar ages have very different Sr isotope ratios, and since the range of Sr isotopic composition in individual centres is quite large, the variation is unlikely to be due to primary variation in mantle composition.     

Long-term variations of annual and growing season rainfalls in Nigeria

Summary Evidence for changes in the annual and growing season rainfall series for the period 1919 to 1985 in Nigeria are examined on a regional basis, using power-spectral and lowpass filter techniques, and the Mann-Kendall rank statistic. Four regions, the Coastal Zone, the Guinea-Savanna Zone, the Midland area and the Sahel, are used in the investigation of rainfall variation from south to north across the country.Quasi-periodic oscillations in the annual and growing season rainfall series are found to be concentrated in four spectral bands: 2.0–2.4, 2.7–2.9, 3.2–3.6 and 5.6–6.3 years. The spatial coherence of the fluctuations in annual and growing season rainfall is found to be limited to Nigeria south of 11 degrees north latitude. Evidence also emerges of a progressive decline in annual and growing season rainfall for northern Nigeria, north of nine degrees north latitude, for the period 1939–1985.With 5 Figures     

A fuzzy approach to the lectotype optimization of offshore platforms

Lectotype optimization of offshore platforms is of particular importance in the concept design process. Lectotype optimization involves multiple objectives with uncertainty and so is a problem of multiple attribute decision making. To date, there have been few published works on this topic in the context of offshore engineering. This paper develops a framework and methodology for evaluation of offshore platform alternatives, where a fuzzy optimum model is proposed to integrate the influence of each objective in the criteria set, and a new weight-assessing method is developed to mimic the decision maker’s experience and preference based on complementary pairwise comparisons. A case study shows that the new framework and methodology is scientific, reasonable and easy to use in practice.     

Development of means and methods of drifter technology applied to the problem of the Black Sea research

During the last ten years, autonomous drifting platforms for data collection (drifters) equipped with Argos satellite communication devices have become one of the main components for the observation system in the upper layer of the ocean and surface atmosphere. This article presents the results of the Black Sea drifter monitoring in 2002–2006 within a number of international programs and projects. During this period, about 70 drifters manufactured by NPF Marlin-Yug Ltd. (Sevastopol, Ukraine) were deployed in the western part of the Black Sea. The drifters were mainly standard barometric Lagrangian tracers and a part of them were principally new temperature profiling buoys. Unique long-term data were obtained about the circulation of the surface currents and the dynamics of the temperature stratification within the seasonal thermocline and the cold intermediate layer.     

Oxygen isotope exchange between H2O and CO2 at elevated CO2 pressures: Implications for monitoring of geological CO2 storage

Traditionally, the application of stable isotopes in Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects has focused on δ¹³C values of CO₂ to trace the migration of injected CO₂ in the subsurface. More recently the use of δ¹⁸O values of both CO₂ and reservoir fluids has been proposed as a method for quantifying in situ CO₂ reservoir saturations due to O isotope exchange between CO₂ and H₂O and subsequent changes in δ¹⁸O_H2O values in the presence of high concentrations of CO₂. To verify that O isotope exchange between CO₂ and H₂O reaches equilibrium within days, and that δ¹⁸O_H2O values indeed change predictably due to the presence of CO₂, a laboratory study was conducted during which the isotope composition of H₂O, CO₂, and dissolved inorganic C (DIC) was determined at representative reservoir conditions (50 °C and up to 19 MPa) and varying CO₂ pressures. Conditions typical for the Pembina Cardium CO₂ Monitoring Pilot in Alberta (Canada) were chosen for the experiments. Results obtained showed that δ¹⁸O values of CO₂ were on average 36.4 ± 2.2‰ (1σ, n = 15) higher than those of water at all pressures up to and including reservoir pressure (19 MPa), in excellent agreement with the theoretically predicted isotope enrichment factor of 35.5‰ for the experimental temperatures of 50 °C. By using ¹⁸O enriched water for the experiments it was demonstrated that changes in the δ¹⁸O values of water were predictably related to the fraction of O in the system sourced from CO₂ in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. Since the fraction of O sourced from CO₂ is related to the total volumetric saturation of CO₂ and water as a fraction of the total volume of the system, it is concluded that changes in δ¹⁸O values of reservoir fluids can be used to calculate reservoir saturations of CO₂ in CCS settings given that the δ¹⁸O values of CO₂ and water are sufficiently distinct.     

4D architecture and tectonic evolution of the Laverton region,eastern Yilgarn Craton,Western Australia

The Laverton region, located in the eastern Yilgarn Craton (EYC) Western Australia, is second only to the Kalgoorlie region for gold endowment. The integration of high-density, potential-field data, regional- and camp-scale seismic reflection data, regional- and mine-scale structural analysis, and geochronologically-constrained stratigraphy, provided new insights into the 4D architecture and tectonic evolution of Laverton region.     

Experimental stream acidification — the influence of sediment and streambed vegetation

An acidification experiment was conducted on a small stream in the Loch Ard area of central Scotland. The stream was chosen because of its large, flow related, variation in pH (5.9-4.0). Two acid additions were made to approximately pH 3.5–3.7. The results indicated a strong correlation between labile aluminium and hydrogen, and a noticeable hysteresis in the response of calcium and hydrogen. It is hypothesised that divalent cation response is a result of ion-exchange mechanisms involving the streambed vegetation, with aluminium release resulting primarily from exchange reactions with streambed sediment stores. Data from a program of stream spot sampling have been analysed in an attempt to elucidate the contribution of different sources of aluminium under different flow conditions. Streambed sources of aluminium contribute significantly under low flow conditions; however, at high flow, additional sources of aluminium must contribute to match observed streamwater chemistry.     

Impacts of a bottom trawling exclusion zone on Snow Crab abundance and fish harvester behavior in the Labrador Sea, Canada

The Hawke Box trawling exclusion zone off southern Labrador is a 8610 km² closed area implemented in 2003 to protect soft-shelled pre-recruit Snow Crab and juvenile cod from mortality imposed by shrimp trawling and other bottom-impact fisheries. This study utilizes survey, logbook, and observer data from the Snow Crab and Northern Shrimp fisheries to assess the effectiveness of the Hawke Box in protecting and possibly enhancing the Snow Crab resource off southern Labrador. The results indicate that the exclusion zone has failed to protect pre-recruit crabs largely due to a redistribution and intensification of directed Snow Crab effort inside the Box in the years following closure. This unexpected outcome resulted in a high level of fishery-induced mortality to pre-recruit crabs and masked any potential positive outcomes from the cessation of trawling. The shortcomings that contributed to the failure of this exclusion area are discussed in relation to the current state of knowledge on the effectiveness of marine protected areas in general as management tools for conserving aquatic resources.     

Intense Arctic mesocyclones

Characteristics of polar mesoscale cyclones (PMCs) over the North European Basin are analyzed using cloud cover distribution data for 1981–1995. Special features of the annual cycle and interannual variations in characteristics of Arctic mesocyclones with a spiral and comma-shaped cloud structure are discussed. Against the background of large interannual variations, no statistically significant trends were found in the characteristics of Arctic mesocyclones over the North European Basin in the late 20th century. It is shown that the cumulative frequency distribution of PMCs is well approximated by an exponential function in a size range for Arctic mesocyclones from 50 to 400 km. The applicability of the Weibull distribution as an approximation of the PMC size distribution of the number of cyclone days is analyzed. It is shown that the correspondence between the real distribution and the Weibull distribution became worse in the 1990s than in the 1980s, especially the first half of the 1980s. Much of this was due to an increased local maximum in the 1990s in the distribution of polar mesocyclones with diameters about 400 km. This local maximum was found for all types of mesoscale vortices and for all analyzed five-year subperiods during 1981–1995. A large discrepancy between the frequency distribution functions for PMCs depending on their diameters was shown to exist for different types of Arctic mesocyclones.     

Biogeochemistry of dissolved carbon,major, and trace elements during spring flood periods on the Ob River

Detailed knowledge of the flood period of Arctic rivers remains one of the few factors impeding rigorous prediction of the effect of climate change on carbon and related element fluxes from the land to the Arctic Ocean. In order to test the temporal and spatial variability of element concentration in the Ob River (western Siberia) water during flood period and to quantify the contribution of spring flood period to the annual element export, we sampled the main channel year round in 2014–2017 for dissolved C, major, and trace element concentrations. We revealed high stability (approximately ≤10% relative variation) of dissolved C, major, and trace element concentrations in the Ob River during spring flood period over a 1‐km section of the river channel and over 3 days continuous monitoring (3‐hr frequency). We identified two groups of elements with contrasting relationship to discharge: (a) DIC and soluble elements (Cl, SO₄, Li, B, Na, Mg, Ca, P, V, Cr, Mn, As, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ba, W, and U) negatively correlated (p < 0.05) with discharge and exhibited minimal concentrations during spring flood and autumn high flow and (b) DOC and particle‐reactive elements (Al, Fe, Ti, Y, Zr, Nb, Cs, REEs, Hf, Tl, Pb, and Th), some nutrients (K), and metalloids (Ge, Sb, and Te), positively correlated (p < 0.05) with discharge and showed the highest concentrations during spring flood. We attribute the decreased concentration of soluble elements with discharge to dilution by groundwater feeding and increased concentration of DOC and particle‐reactive metals with discharge to leaching from surface soil, plant litter, and suspended particles. Overall, the present study provides first‐order assessment of fluxes of major and trace elements in the middle course of the Ob River, reveals their high temporal and spatial stability, and characterizes the mechanism of river water chemical composition acquisition.