Dissolved iron(II) in the Pacific Ocean: Measurements from the PO2 and P16N CLIVAR/CO2 repeat hydrography expeditions

The redox speciation of dissolved iron in seawater was evaluated at 121 locations in the Pacific Ocean at depths of 15-1000 m, using the method of luminol chemiluminescence. The results indicate that reduced iron, Fe(II), is ubiquitous in surface seawater with a relatively consistent pattern of occurrence. Surface maxima were present in most profiles, with median concentrations of 25-30 pM representing 12-14% of the total dissolved iron. Concentrations decreased monotonically with depth to<12 pM within the upper euphotic zone. This pattern was observed during both day and nighttime sampling events, which suggests that non-photochemical production mechanisms can produce photochemical-like signatures. Further, if theoretical rates of Fe(II) oxidation are applicable to the open ocean, then the employed sampling methods precluded assessment of photochemically-produced Fe(II), regardless of ambient light conditions. For this and other reasons, the concentrations reported here for the upper water column likely represent lower limits of labile iron concentration, and suggest that dissolved iron may be more available for uptake than previously believed. Deeper in the water column, Fe(II) was also frequently detected, though it constituted a small fraction of the total dissolved iron. Possible source mechanisms at these depths include thermal (dark) reduction of Fe(III) organic complexes or remineralization of sinking biogenic particles containing Fe(II). In the northern Philippine Sea between the Japanese coast and the Izu-Bonin volcanic arc system, Fe(II) concentrations were found to be atypically high, possibly because of high atmospheric dust deposition near the surface and transport of sediment-derived iron at depth.     

Borehole drainage and its implications for the investigation of glacier hydrology: experiences from Haut Glacier d'Arolla,Switzerland

Studies of glacier hydrology rely increasingly on measurements made in boreholes as a basis for reconstructing the character and behaviour of subglacial drainage systems. In temperate glaciers, in which boreholes remain open to the atmosphere following drilling, the interpretation of such data may be complicated by supraglacial or englacial water flows to and from boreholes. We report on a suite of techniques used to identify borehole water sources and to reconstruct patterns of water circulation within boreholes at Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland. Results are used to define a number of borehole ‘drainage’ types. Examples of each drainage type are presented, along with the manner in which they influence interpretations of borehole water‐levels, borehole water‐quality data, and borehole dye traces. The analysis indicates that a full understanding of possible borehole drainage modes is required for the correct interpretation of many borehole observations, and that those observations provide an accurate indication of subglacial conditions only under relatively restricted circumstances. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Textural and chemical variation in plagioclase phenocrysts from the 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens,USA

This study presents major- and trace-element chemistry of plagioclase phenocrysts from the 1980 eruptions of Mount St. Helens volcano. Despite the considerable variation in textures and composition of plagioclase phenocrysts, distinct segments have been cross-correlated between crystals. The variation of Sr and Ba concentration in the melt, as calculated from the concentration in the phenocrysts using partition coefficients, suggests the cores and rims crystallised from compositionally different melts offset by the plagioclase crystallisation vector. In both of these melts Sr and Ba are correlated despite the abundance of plagioclase in the 1980 dacites. We propose that rapid crystallisation of plagioclase upon magma ascent caused a shift in melt composition towards lower Sr and higher Ba, as documented in the rims of the phenocrysts. Although the cores of the phenocrysts crystallised at relatively shallow depths, they preserve the Sr and Ba of the deep-seated melts as they ascended from a deeper region. Further magma ascent resulted in microlite nucleation, which is responsible for a similar shift to even lower Sr concentration as observed in the groundmass of post-18 May 1980 samples. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Alternatives to current GPS-RTK services and some implications for CORS infrastructure and operations

The justification for the establishment of CORS networks was initially in support of geodesy and other geoscientific applications at the global and regional level. However, increasingly GPS CORS network operators have sought ways of making their network infrastructure the basis of a profitable business. This has arisen with the introduction of real-time centimeter-level accuracy services, carrier phase-based modes of operation generally referred to as GPS-RTK (real-time kinematic). One approach is to try to recruit a core group of users who are prepared to pay for the GPS-RTK services. But this is only feasible if the number of users, and the fees that are charged, are sufficient to generate a reasonable return-on-investment (ROI). This ROI (or at the very least “cost-recovery”) is important for many network operators in order that they may provide for the maintenance and upgrade of the CORS infrastructure. On the other hand, there are those who advocate that there is no need to recoup CORS investment, that the installed GPS receivers should be seen as public infrastructure in a similar manner to roads, bridges, etc. This paper discusses some new business and operational models for GPS-RTK services. These include models for the establishment and operation of CORS infrastructure, service provision, business cases, and options for value-added services beyond the standard GPS-RTK service. One concept is based on a “client–server” model. Currently GPS-RTK service providers have no control over the quality of the results computed by users. This makes it difficult for them to justify charging for their services. What if instead of broadcasting RTK corrections and placing the onus of obtaining a final solution on the user and his equipment, the user’s coordinates are determined by the service provider? Putting the computational effort on the server side will justify more easily the charging of users for a value-added product: an accurate and quality assured coordinate in the local reference frame. This paper describes the client–server concept as well as possible business models that may underpin such a service model. These models include some derived from mobile telephony and service/hospitality businesses. Furthermore, with the projected proliferation of independent, competitive GPS-RTK services, the concept of a GPS data or service “broker” is worth exploring.     

Identification and significance of a visible,basalt‐rich Vedde Ash layer in a Late‐glacial sequence on the Isle of Skye,Inner Hebrides,Scotland

This paper reports the discovery of a visible, tephra horizon of Late‐glacial age from the site of Loch Ashik in the Isle of Skye, the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. Although the tephra shards have a bimodal geochemical composition identical to that of the Vedde Ash (a well known marker horizon within Late‐glacial sequences. The horizon at Ashik is dominated by basaltic shards and devitrified tephra shards, giving the layer its characteristic black colour. Only rhyolitic shards have previously been reported from Vedde Ash horizons in the British Isles. This new evidence raises some important questions about the factors that govern the distribution and accumulation of basaltic tephra, and about the methods used to detect ash shards in basins distal to centres of volcanic activity. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.