Water chemistry and sedimentological observations in littlefield lake,michigan: Implications for lacustrine marl deposition

A combination of both water chemistry and sedimentological information was used to investigate the carbonate-producing mechanism in Littlefield Lake, a small lake located in Isabella County, central Michigan. Data on temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, calcium carbonate (CaCO₃) saturation, alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium were obtained on a monthly basis over a 13-month period, with each parameter determined at 1m intervals over a depth range of 20m. The loss of dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂) from warm surface waters during direct degassing, and to a lesser extent during photosynthetic uptake by lacustrine macrophytes and phytoplankton during the summer, results in massive precipitation of the low-magnesium calcite which predominates in all Littlefield Lake sedimentary facies However, despite the fact that carbonate precipitation in this rather typical temperate-region marl lake is directly related to, and may be driven by, seasonal variation in these physiochemical parameters, most calcite forms as encrustations around cyanophytic and chlorophytic macrophytes. Such relationships demonstrate that carbonate precipitation in marl lakes may result from complex interactions between both biochemical and physiochemical processes. As such, marl formation in this, and probably many other calcareous lake systems, can not be simply ascribed to one or the other of these two general mechanisms.     

A reassessment of the economic effects of global climate change on U.S. agriculture

This study uses recent GCM forecasts, improved plant science and water supply data and refined economic modeling capabilities to reassess the economic consequences of long-term climate change on U.S. agriculture. Changes in crop yields, crop water demand and irrigation water arising from climate change result in changes in economic welfare. Economic consequences of the three GCM scenarios are mixed; GISS and GFDL-QFlux result in aggregate economic gains, UKMO implies losses. As in previous studies, the yield enhancing effects of atmospheric CO₂ are an important determinant of potential economic consequences. Inclusion of changes in world food production and associated export changes generally have a positive affect on U.S. agriculture. As with previous studies, the magnitude of economic effects estimated here are a small percentage of U.S. agricultural value.     

Developing A National Drinking Water Regulation for Disinfection of Ground Water

The Safe Drinking Water Act directs EPA to promulgate requirements for disinfection of ground water-based drinking water systems. The Ground- water Disinfection Rule regulatory workgroup, made up of representatives from EPA, the states, and other interested parties, is actively considering the issues for the wide range of elements necessary to ensure a regulation that will protect public health and can be feasibly implemented. This regulation is likely to require disinfection of ground water sources and systems found to be contaminated or vulnerable to contamination.     

SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF FERROUS IRON IN EIGHTEEN UNITED STATES GEOCHEMICAL REFERENCE STANDARDS

Iron (II) oxide in 50 mg samples of silicate rocks, deposits, and soils is measured after digestion with HF and HCl in the presence of ICl. The iodine produced is measured spectrophotometrically. Results are presented for the eighteen available USGS geochemical reference standards including the GXR series.     

Nd isotopic characteristics of S- and I-type granites

The initial Nd and Sr isotopic composition has been determined in S- and I-type granites from the Paleozoic Berridale and Kosciusko Batholiths of southeast Australia. The Nd and Sr isotopic variations form a strongly covariant array with S-types granites having a relatively restricted range inε_Nd values from ?6.1 to ?9.8 but a large range in initial⁸⁷Sr⁸⁶Sr of from 0.7094 to 0.7184. These characteristics are indicative of an～1400-m.y. sedimentary or metasedimentary source for S-types. I-types have variable initial Nd ranging from +0.4 to ?8.9, and a more limited range in initial⁸⁷Sr⁸⁶Sr of from 0.70453 to 0.7119. These isotopic characteristics are consistent with a two-component mixing model whereby a depleted mantle-like component (DMC) withε_Nd = +6 and⁸⁷Sr⁸⁶Sr= 0.703, is mixed with a crustal component (CC) havingε_Nd = ?9 and⁸⁷Sr⁸⁶Sr= 0.720. Although this two-component mixing model satisfies the isotopic constraints the source rock chemistry of the I-types is not compatible with the large proportion (up to 50%) of sedimentary material implied by the isotopic data. This indicates that more than two components are required to account for both the isotopic and chemical data. Both the chemical and isotopic data are consistent with I-type granites having been formed from source rocks of predominantly mantle derivation and obtained progressively from the mantle over a period of 1000 m.y. prior to granite formation.     

Long-term effects of crude oil on microbial processes in subarctic marine sediments: Studies on sediments amended with organic nutrients

Subarctic marine sediments amended with various organic compounds were exposed to fresh Cook Inlet crude oil at a concentration of 50 ppt for either 6 or 8 months. After the sediments were initially treated, they were returned to the approximate location where they were collected and left to be exposed to natural environmental conditions until they were retrieved for analysis. As a result of crude oil treatment, the activities of the enzymes that hydrolyse structural polysaccharides were reduced and the activities of the enzymes that hydrolyse storage polysaccharides were stimulated. In addition to these changes, we observed changes in phosphatase activity, nitrogen fixation rates, potential denitrification rates, methane concentrations, CO₂ production rates, and the glucose uptake and mineralization rates. The effect of the crude oil perturbation was different depending on the organic compound used in the amended sediments. Many of these differences could be explained by the effect of crude oil on the hydrolases which were responsible for degrading the compound in question. The results of this study suggest the effect of crude oil on microbial processes may be affected by the type of organic material present in the impacted marine sediment. This study also illustrates the value of measuring hydrolase activity in studies designed to determine the effects of this or any other pollutant on microbial processes in marine sediments.