Sequence stratigraphy of the Precambrian

The method of sequence stratigraphy requires the application of the same workflow and principles irrespective of the age of strata under analysis. In that respect, its application to Precambrian successions is similar to the approach used for Phanerozoic case studies. Differences, however, are recorded in terms of the preservation potential and the amount of data available for analysis; the rates and intensities of the allogenic controls on sedimentation; the environmental conditions and related physical processes; and the evolution of competing groups of organisms and associated biogenic processes. The combined effect of these contrasting aspects accounts for differences in the architecture of depositional sequences, particularly with respect to the relative contributions of various systems tracts to the makeup of a sequence.

The application of sequence stratigraphy to Precambrian basins has considerably enlarged the perspective on the fundamental principles governing the processes of sedimentary basin formation and the mechanisms controlling stratigraphic cyclicity in the rock record. These first-order principles are perhaps the most important contribution of Precambrian research to sequence stratigraphy. At the broader scale of Earth's geological history, the tectonic regimes governing the formation and evolution of sedimentary basins are shown to have been much more erratic in terms of nature and rates than originally inferred solely from the study of the Phanerozoic record. This provides important clues with respect to the criteria that should be involved in the hierarchy system of classification of stratigraphic sequences and bounding surfaces.     

Epeiric Sea Formation on Neoproterozoic Supercontinent Break-up: A Distinctive Signature in Coastal Storm Bed Amalgamation

Literature review underlines uncertainty in the configuration of the Neoproterozoic supercontinent, (with Rodinia and Palaeopangaea reconstructions enjoying wide support), that stems primarily from inadequate palaeomagnetic data. Nonetheless, breakup of this supercontinent at ca. 0.65 Ga was conducive for epeiric sea formation globally. In the Vindhyan basin, India, a carbonate depositing sea developed over a fluvial-aeolian plain, at approximately 0.6 Ga. The top part of the Vindhyan Supergroup, the Upper Bhander Sandstone, was, however, able to prograde because of a decline in the rate of relative sea level rise. Within this general setting, temporal increases in this rate caused storm deposition at the coastline, largely in a supralittoral setting. Bizarre amalgamation of these storm beds without erosion likely owes its origin to severe curtailment of the velocity of the downwelling flow on the very gentle, muddy coastal slopes, and is thought to be a hallmark of deposition in an open epeiric setting. The storm domination in the Bhander embayment shelf is compatible with the Palaeopangaea supercontinental configuration.     

A retrospective analysis of contamination and periphyton PICT patterns for the antifoulant irgarol 1051, around a small marina on the Swedish west coast

Irgarol is a triazine photosystem II (PSII) inhibitor that has been used in Sweden as an antifouling ingredient since the 1990s. Early microcosm studies indicated that periphyton was sensitive to irgarol at concentrations regularly found in harbours and marinas. However, field studies of irgarol effects on the Swedish west coast in 1994, using the pollution-induced community tolerance (PICT) approach, failed to detect any effects of the toxicant in the field. A PICT study involves sampling of replicate communities in a gradient of contamination, and a comparison of their community tolerance levels, with an increase being an indication that sensitive species have been eliminated and replaced by more tolerant ones. Typically, short-term assays are used to quantify the community tolerance levels. Later PICT studies in the same area over a 10 year period demonstrate that irgarol tolerance levels have increased, although the contamination pattern has been stable. Our results support the hypothesis that that the PICT potential was low initially, due to a small differential sensitivity between the community members, and that a persistent selection pressure was required to favour and enrich irgarol-tolerant species or genotypes.     

Some binary and ternary silicate solution models

Four different solution models, the two-parameter Margules, the quasi-chemical (QC), the Wilson and the non-random two-liquid (NRTL) model, have been used for fitting the calorimetric excess enthalpy of solution for the following four binary silicate systems: anorthite-albite, pyrope-grossular, diopside-enstatite and diopside-Ca-Tschermak. All models except the Wilson model yield a satisfactory fit to the data but the NRTL model generally results in the lowest residuals. The use of NRTL and QC facilitates the study of the configurational and non-configurational parts of the excess entropy of mixing.Three different methods, namely those of Kohler, Wohl, and Hillert, have been used to combine binary solution properties to predict ternary solution properties. Comparison of computed excess free energy of mixing in a hypothetical solution shows that all the three methods are viable but the Kohler and Wohl methods are similar to each other and are significantly different from the Hillert method. The Kohler method with one or a combination of different binary models is recommended for predicting multicomponent solution properties.Abbreviations G ^ex excess free energy of mixing - H ^ex excess enthalpy of mixing - S ^ex total excess entropy of mixing - S _ex ^c configurational excess entropy of mixing - W _ij interaction energy parameter between speciesi andj - X _i mole fraction of speciesi - QC quasi-chemical - NRTL non-random two-liquid - M Margules formulation - W Wohl's formulation - RK Redlich-Kister - K Bertrand-Kohler - H Hillert - Di diopside (CaMgSi₂O₆) - En enstatite (Mg₂Si₂O₆) - Py pyrope (MgAl_2/3SiO₄) - Gr grossular (CaAl_2/3SiO₄) - CaTs Ca-Tschermak (CaAl₂SiO₆) - Ab albite (NaAlSi₃O₈) - An anorthite (CaAl₂Si₂O₈)     

Stromatolitic associations and their palaeo-environmental significance: A re-appraisal of a lower proterozoic locality from the northern cape province,South Africa

A basal section of the Lower Proterozoic Transvaal Dolomite from the northern Cape has been re-examined. Numerous associations of stromatolites and other structures have been distinguished in it. Forms of domical stromatolite dominate the structures, but columns, and associations built around spheroidal forms, are also represented. This material accumulated in a telescoped range of environments through the intertidal to a high-energy agitated zone and out into the subtidal.Columnar forms and flat domes from the intertidal zone appear to be remarkably similar to features described from Hamelin Pool at Shark Bay, Western Australia. The subtidal elongate domes and mounds increase in size with depth to reach dimensions of 40 by 10 m, heights of 13 m and relief of 2.5 m. Minor structures on these subtidal forms reflect decreasing energy outwards; included within them are columnar forms in the shallow subtidal zone.It is suggested that deposition within an epeiric sea was away from a headland on a relatively steeply shelving floor affected by currents at right angles to the shore. There are indications that an arid to semi-arid climate existed at that time.     

Effects of Policy Measures and Moderating Factors on Climate Change Adaptation Among Private Forest Owners in Sweden

Threats associated with climate change may damage forests. To encourage adaptation in countries with a lot of privately owned forest, policy measures directed at private forest owners may be implemented. By means of policy scenarios, the present study examined the effects of two hypothetical policies: an advice and an economic incentive, on climate change adaptation among private forest owners in Sweden (n?=?753 and n?=?729). Both policies strengthened the intention to adapt although results also revealed that individual variables (i.e., forest values) and a contextual variable (i.e., being in an encouraging social risk management context) were important for the owners’ response. Production forest values and social risk management context furthermore moderated the effect of policy on intention to adapt, suggesting that the economic incentive was mainly more effective than the advice among owners with strong production values and among owners in less encouraging social risk management contexts.     

Effect of solubility limitation on hygroscopic growth and cloud drop activation of SOA particles produced from traffic exhausts

Hygroscopicity measurements of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) particles often show inconsistent results between the supersaturated and subsaturated regimes, with higher activity as cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) than indicated by hygroscopic growth. In this study, we have investigated the discrepancy between the two regimes in the Lund University (LU) smog chamber. Various anthropogenic SOA were produced from mixtures of different precursors: anthropogenic light aromatic precursors (toluene and m-xylene), exhaust from a diesel passenger vehicle spiked with the light aromatic precursors, and exhaust from two different gasoline-powered passenger vehicles. Three types of seed particles were used: soot aggregates from a diesel vehicle, soot aggregates from a flame soot generator and ammonium sulphate (AS) particles. The hygroscopicity of seed particles with condensed, photochemically produced, anthropogenic SOA was investigated with respect to critical supersaturation (s_c) and hygroscopic growth factor (gf) at 90% relative humidity. The hygroscopicity parameter κ was calculated for the two regimes: κ_sc and κ_gf, from measurements of s_c and gf, respectively. The two κ showed significant discrepancies, with a κ_gf /κ_sc ratio closest to one for the gasoline experiments with ammonium sulphate seed and lower for the soot seed experiments. Empirical observations of s_c and gf were compared to theoretical predictions, using modified Köhler theory where water solubility limitations were taken into account. The results indicate that the inconsistency between measurements in the subsaturated and supersaturated regimes may be explained by part of the organic material in the particles produced from anthropogenic precursors having a limited solubility in water.