Spatio-temporal Changes of Sabellarian Reefs Built by the Sedentary Polychaete Sabellaria alveolata (Linné)

Abstract. Important intertidal sabellarian reefs are built by the polychaete Sabellaria alveolata (L^INNÉ) in the Mont Saint-Michel Bay in Normandy at Champeaux (France). Typical profiles and plans were done over a ten year period. At the same time, population dynamics were examined during the last six years. At this site a nearly complete morphological cycle spread itself over more than ten years. Initially built on rock substrate (primary settlement phase), the studied reefs actually lie on a sandy shore. The growth phase begins by stages of balls which are then joined with new settlements between or on older tubes (secondary settlement). This phase comes to an end with an important platform stage. Then, the destruction phase brings us back to dead eroded reefs on which new worms can settle (secondary settlement). This cycle seems to be independent of the age of the living population, although new settlements of young worms and also sufficient hydrodynamics seem necessary.     

Variability of the Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) in the Western Tropical Pacific: On the Ability of an OGCM to Simulate the SSS, and on the Sampling of an Operating Merchant Ship SSS Network

The sea surface salinity (SSS) derived from a network developed at Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD/Nouméa) has been analyzed during the period 1995–1998 in the tropical western Pacific. The measurements were made with thermosalinographs installed on merchant ships selected for their regularity and routes. The western tropical Pacific was sampled mainly along three regular routes across the equator leading to an average of a one month frequency. We analyze here how such a network can be efficient in monitoring the SSS at time scales longer than one month. For this purpose we have used results derived from the Princeton Ocean Model (POM) which is forced by the surface flux of National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) reanalysis data. The interannual variability of the simulated SSS exhibits very similar features to (sub-sampled) observations despite its being weakly damped to a climatology in order to avoid biases. Even smaller time scale phenomena can be simulated, like the erosion/reconstruction of the region composed of low density waters lying within the Pacific warm pool. The agreement between the observational data and the simulations indicate that the network sampling is sufficient to monitor the SSS variability of the western tropical Pacific from three-month to interannual time scales. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Relative current effect on short wave growth

Ocean Dynamics - Short waves growth is characterized by nonlinear and dynamic processes that couple ocean and atmosphere. Ocean surface currents can have a strong impact on short wave steepness and...     

安徽庐枞盆地龙桥铁矿床赋矿层位碎屑锆石年代学及其对赋矿地层时代的制约研究

龙桥铁矿床是庐枞盆地一个大型层控矽卡岩型铁矿床,顺层产于沉积岩地层中,受地层控制特征明显,具有显著的成矿特色。龙桥铁矿床赋矿层位时代确定对于该类矿床的成因研究和找矿勘探有着重要的意义。龙桥铁矿床赋矿地层为一套厚度20~150m的泥灰岩、角砾状灰岩、白云岩、泥质粉砂岩和石英杂砂岩,由于缺乏标志性化石和岩性标志层,赋矿地层的时代归属长期存在争议。本文在野外研究的基础上,对龙桥铁矿床主矿体顶底板不同位置的4组砂岩样品(ZK109,ZK309,ZK007和ZK1603)和矿区外围侏罗系罗岭组砂岩(LQWW)开展了系统碎屑锆石年代学研究,定年结果表明,ZK109,ZK309,ZK007和ZK1603样品碎屑锆石的最小年龄和最大年龄分别为262.1±3.2 Ma,2589.8±15.0 Ma;261.8±1.9 Ma,2520.1±11.1 Ma;264.6±2.0 Ma,2947.2±51.4Ma和257.1±1.9Ma,2717.0±21.0。LQWW样品的碎屑锆石最小年龄为166.0±1.4Ma,最大年龄为3842.6±6.5 Ma。结合区域地质特征分析,上述碎屑锆石年龄特征表明,龙桥铁矿床赋矿围岩形成时代应为中三叠世。结合近期庐枞地区的勘查成果,本文认为庐枞北部是寻找龙桥式铁矿床的有利地区。     

Neogene tectonostratigraphic history of the southern Neuquén basin (39°–40°30′S,Argentina): implications for foreland basin evolution

Although the Neuquén basin in Argentina forms a key transitional domain between the south‐central Andes and the Patagonian Andes, its Cenozoic history is poorly documented. We focus on the sedimentologic and tectonic evolution of the southern part of this basin, at 39–40°30′S, based on study of 14 sedimentary sections. We provide evidence that this basin underwent alternating erosion and deposition of reworked volcaniclastic material in continental and fluvial settings during the Neogene. In particular, basement uplift of the Sañico Massif, due to Late Miocene–Pliocene intensification of tectonic activity, led to sediment partitioning in the basin. During this interval, sedimentation was restricted to the internal domain and the Collon Cura basin evolved towards an endorheic intermontane basin. From stratigraphic interpretation, this basin remained isolated 7–11 Myr. Nevertheless, ephemeral gateways seem to have existed, because we observe a thin succession downstream of the Sañico Massif contemporaneous with the Collon Cura basin‐fill sequence. Comparisons of stratigraphic, paleoenvironmental and tectonic features of the southern Neuquén basin with other foreland basins of South America allow us to classify it as a broken foreland with the development of an intermontane basin from Late Miocene to Late Pliocene. This implies a thick‐skinned structural style for this basin, with reactivation of basement faults responsible for exhumation of the Sañico Massif. Comparison of several broken forelands of South America allows us to propose two categories of intermontane basins according to their structural setting: subsiding or uplifted basins, which has strong implications on their excavation histories.     

Determination of Mercury in One Hundred and Sixteen Geological and Environmental Reference Materials Using a Direct Mercury Analyser

The mercury content of 116 reference materials (RMs) from ten international organisations was determined in this study, which focused on variability within and between batches of RMs. Direct mercury analysis (DMA) was applied to RMs having Hg contents between 1 and 6300 ng g^?1 and provided good precision and accuracy. Accuracy was demonstrated by the agreement of our results with certified values, while replicates were made to establish the precision. Low within‐batch variability was noted, with precision from 0.1 to 23% (n = 3–5) apparently depending on Hg content and homogeneity, whereas systematic offsets were detected among several batches. Thanks to the analysis of different batches; the homogeneity or heterogeneity of several RMs was shown, and thus, suitable RMs for quality control for Hg determinations could be recommended.     

Genesis of Mafic Microgranular Enclaves in the Shaocunwu Granodiorite,Southern China,and their Implications: Evidence from Zircon and Whole-rock Geochemistry

Magmatic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) are widely developed in the Shaocunwu granodiorite at the northeast margin of the eastern Jiangnan orogenic belt.Field geology showed that the MMEs occur as irregular ellipsoids near the edge of the intrusion,and consist of diorite,dominantly composed of amphibole,biotite,and plagioclase grains,with minor acicular apatite.Zircon U-Pb dating showed the ages of the host granodiorites and MMEs are 145.9±1.1 Ma and 145.6±2.5 Ma,respectively,indicating both originated during coeval late Jurassic magmatism.Whole-rock geochemical results show that the host granodiorite and MMEs have similar rare earth and trace element partition curves in spider grams,and similar ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr,and ~(147)Nd/~(144)Nd isotope ratios,and their zircon ~(177)Hf/~(176)Hf isotopic ratios are similar.Geochemical studies indicate that both the host granodiorite and MMEs formed by mixing of coeval magma.Zircon Ti thermometers and oxygen fugacity of the host granodiorite and the MMEs show high oxygen fugacity,similar to that of W-Cu (Mo) mineralized granitoids in the eastern Jiangnan orogenic belt.A similar magma mixing process was probably one of the mechanisms that generated the W-Cu (Mo) fertile melts.     

Impact of the Phaeocystis globosa spring bloom on the intertidal benthic compartment in the eastern English Channel: a synthesis

From 1999 to 2005, studies carried out in the frame of regional and national French programs aimed to determine whether the Phaeocystisglobosa bloom affected the intertidal benthic communities of the French coast of the eastern English Channel in terms of composition and/or functioning. Study sites were chosen to cover most of the typical shore types encountered on this coast (a rocky shore, an exposed sandy beach and a small estuary). Both the presence of active Phaeocystis cells and their degradation product (foam) did have a significant impact on the studied shores. The primary production and growth rates of the kelp Saccharina latissima decreased during the bloom because of a shortage of light and nutrient for the macroalgae. On sandy sediments, the benthic metabolism (community respiration and community primary production), as well as the nitrification rate, were enhanced during foam deposits, in relation with the presence of bacteria and active pelagic cells within the decaying colonies. In estuarine sediments, the most impressive impact was the formation of a crust at the sediment surface due to drying foam. This led to anoxic conditions in the surface sediment and resulted in a high mortality among the benthic community. Some organisms also tended to migrate upward and were then directly accessible to the higher trophic level represented by birds. Phaeocystis then created a shortcut in the estuarine trophic network. Most of these modifications lasted shortly and all the systems considered came back to their regular properties and activities a few weeks after the end of the bloom, except for the most impacted estuarine area.