Assessment of marine benthic quality change in gradients of disturbance: Comparison of different Scandinavian multi-metric indices

Three multi-metric benthic macrofauna indices were used to assess marine benthic ecological quality status (EcoQS) according to the European Water Framework Directive, in seven pollution gradients mainly, western Scandinavia. The impacts included organic load, hypoxia, metals, urban effluents and physical disturbance. The indices responded in a similar threshold fashion, irrespective of impact factor identity. Usually, the border between Good and Moderate EcoQS (G/M), is determined as some deviation from a reference situation. References, however, are difficult to find. An alternative procedure is described to estimate the G/M border, not requiring reference data. Thresholds, where faunal structure deterioration commences, were identified from non-linear regressions between indices and impact factors. Index values from the less impacted side of the thresholds were assumed to come from environments of Good and High EcoQS, and the 5th percentile of these data, was defined as the G/M border. Estimated G/M borders compared well with previous studies.     

Sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy of the middle Jurassic Tarbert Formation, Oseberg South area (northern North Sea)

This paper describes the development of a regressive-to-transgressive shoreline wedge within the Middle Jurassic Tarbert Formation in the Oseberg South area (northern North Sea), as interpreted from core and log data from more than hundred wells. The wedge is described in terms of four facies associations (FA1–FA4). The lower, regressive portion of the wedge (FA1–FA2) contains both coarsening upward wave/storm-dominated shoreline deposits as well as coal-bearing paralic deposits, and was deposited during ascending regression. The upper, transgressive portion of the wedge (FA3–FA4) is characterised by wave-dominated estuarine deposits, exhibiting an upward change from inner to central to outer estuarine deposits. In contrast to some earlier studies, it is argued that this part was deposited during accretionary transgression. The present study documents an estuarine system that developed without any preceding fall of relative sea level and valley incision. It is argued that differential fault-induced subsidence created a broad gentle sag wherein one or several estuarine systems developed as the depositional system became transgressive. The subtle fault-induced subsidence is related to the tectonic evolution in the North Sea Basin.     

Late-orogenic Svecofennian deformation in SW Finland constrained by pegmatite emplacement ages

Late stages of the Svecofennian orogeny in SW Finland were related to a tranpressional stress field and dextral movements along crustal scale shear zones under decreasing temperature and pressure conditions. In the Kemiö area, a minimum estimate for the time span of movements along one of these shear zones is obtained from the ages of 1840 to 1830 Myr-old microcline granite sheets, related to early ductile deformation, and by dating structurally late rare-mineral granite pegmatites, related to brittle deformation. One pegmatite was emplaced when the rheological conditions in the gabbro changed from ductile to semi-ductile and brittle. It has U-Pb ferrotapiolite ages ranging between 1807.0 ± 2.9 Myr (2 ) and 1803.1 + 2.9/ -2.0 Myr (2 ). Another pegmatite emplaced under brittle conditions has an U-Pb ferrotapiolite age of 1802.9 ± 1.3 Myr (2 ). These pegmatites were emplaced preferentially in gabbroic rocks, that showed brittle to semi-ductile deformation at a time when their more felsic host-rocks still showed ductile deformation. The age range bracketed by the microcline granite sheets and the structurally late pegmatites indicates that ductile deformation related to the transpressional Late Svecofennian tectonic regime in southwestern Finland, persisted for at least 30–40 Myr.     

An approach to the intercalibration of benthic ecological status assessment in the North Atlantic ecoregion, according to the European Water Framework Directive

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) establishes a framework for the protection and improvement of transitional and coastal waters; its final objective is to achieve at least 'good water status' for all waters, by 2015. The WFD requires Member States (MSs) to assess the Ecological Status (ES) of water bodies. This assessment will be based upon the status of the biological, hydromorphological and physico-chemical quality elements, by comparing data obtained from monitoring networks to reference (undisturbed) conditions, and then deriving an Ecological Quality Ratio (EQR). One of the biological quality elements to be considered is the benthic invertebrate component and some structural parameters (composition, diversity and disturbance-sensitive taxa) must be included in the ES assessment. Following these criteria, several approaches to benthic invertebrate assessment have been proposed by MSs. The WFD requires that these approaches are intercalibrated. This contribution describes the comparison of the different methodologies proposed by United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark and Norway. Results show a high consistency between the approaches, both with regard to determining the EQR and boundary settings for the ES.     

Topic 2: Movement and interaction of nitrates and pesticides in the vegetation cover—soil groundwater-rock system

Organic and inorganic materials brought into the soil by intensive agricultural activities are decomposed in the soil zone by chemical and biochemical effects and redox processes and will enter into the infiltration process in the form of dissolved ions. Water movement in the unsaturated and saturated infiltration zone is subject to the laws of hydrology, but the changes of dissolved material content are controlled by chemical and biochemical effects also subject to changes in the transport processes.     

Speleothem preservation and diagenesis in South African hominin sites implications for paleoenvironments and geochronology

Plio‐Pleistocene speleothems from australopithecine‐bearing caves of South Africa have the potential to yield paleoenvironmental and geochronological information using isotope geochemistry. Prior to such studies it is important to assess the preservation of geochemical signals within the calcitic and aragonitic speleothems, given the tendency of aragonitic speleothems to recrystallize to calcite. This study documents the geochemical suitability of speleothems from the principal hominin‐bearing deposits of South Africa. We use petrography, together with stable isotope and trace element analysis, to identify the occurrence of primary aragonite, primary calcite, and secondary calcite. This study highlights the presence of diagenetic alteration at many of the sites, often observed as interbedded primary and secondary fabrics. Trace element and stable isotopic values distinguish primary calcite from secondary calcite and offer insights into geochemical aspects of the past cave environment. δ¹³C values of the primary and secondary calcites range from +6 to −9‰ and δ¹⁸O values range from −4 to −6‰. The data are thus typical of meteoric calcites with highly variable δ¹³C and relatively invariant δ¹⁸O. High carbon isotope values in these deposits are associated with the effects of recrystallization and rapid outgassing of CO₂ during precipitation. Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios differ between primary and secondary calcite speleothems, aiding their identification. Carbon and oxygen isotope values in primary calcite reflect the proportion of C₃ and C₄ vegetation in the local environment and the oxygen isotope composition of rainfall. Primary calcite speleothems preserve the pristine geochemical signals vital for ongoing paleoenvironmental and geochronological research. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The allocation of scarce natural resources: The case of fisheries

This article addresses the question of allocation of living marine resources among countries. We examine the principles for distribution emanating from the global rules for ocean governance, review state practice, and consider some distributional effects of conservation measures. We find that it is difficult to ascertain the influence of the distribution principles with any greater degree of precision. The principles vary with regard to their ease of operationalization. Further, state practice shows that distributional principles serve to define the scope for a range of different distributional outcomes, but their relative importance remains elusive. Thus, distributional outcomes cannot be explained in terms of these principles alone. A measure of politics is always at play.     

Wave forces on vertical cylinders upon shoals

An experimental study has been carried out on the forces from plunging breaking regular and irregular waves on a vertical cylinder on a shoal. Total as well as local wave forces have been measured. Engineering formulae for the calculation of the horizontal forces and overturning moments have been derived. The duration of the impact forces have been measured and compares fairly well with theoretical values.