Internal flow structures in columnar jointed basalt from Hrepphólar, Iceland: II. Magnetic anisotropy and rock magnetic properties

The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) and rock magnetic properties were measured on specimens from a basalt plate that was cut from a vertical section of a basalt column from Hrepphólar, Iceland. Macroscopic structures are clearly distinguishable in the plate, including banding inferred to represent viscous fingering parallel to the vertical axis of the column. Rock magnetic experiments indicate that the dominant ferromagnetic (sensu lato) mineral is titanomagnetite, Fe _3?x Ti _x O₄, with a Ti-composition of x?=?~0.6. Magnetic properties are related to the position within the plate and reveal a dominant volume fraction of single domain titanomagnetite in the center of the basalt column, with multidomain titanomagnetite away from the center. The AMS determined by low-field measurements shows an inconclusive relationship with the visual structures, which arises from variation of the grain size (i.e., single domain versus multidomain) across the column. In contrast, the AMS measured with a high-field torsion magnetometer avoids the complication of magnetic domain state, as is demonstrated in this contribution, and additionally allows for the separation of ferrimagnetic from paramagnetic sub-fabrics. Both sub-fabrics display a clear relationship with the macroscopic structures and support the hypothesis that vertical flow of melt took place during development of the Hrepphólar columnar basalt. Maximum susceptibility axes of the ferrimagnetic sub-fabric are grouped near the vertical axis of the column. The paramagnetic sub-fabric varies systematically across the column in coincidence with internal structure. The shape of the magnetic susceptibility ellipsoid varies across the basalt column, showing an increasingly prolate fabric toward its center.     

Assessing marine debris in deep seafloor habitats off California

Marine debris is a global concern that pollutes the world’s oceans, including deep benthic habitats where little is known about the extent of the problem. We provide the first quantitative assessment of debris on the seafloor (20-365 m depth) in submarine canyons and the continental shelf off California, using the Delta submersible. Fishing activities were the most common contributors of debris. Highest densities occurred close to ports off central California and increased significantly over the 15-year study period. Recreational monofilament fishing line dominated this debris. Debris was less dense and more diverse off southern than central California. Plastic was the most abundant material and will likely persist for centuries. Disturbance to habitat and organisms was low, and debris was used as habitat by some fishes and macroinvertebrates. Future trends in human activities on land and at sea will determine the type and magnitude of debris that accumulates in deep water.     

High-resolution simulation and characterization of density-driven flow in CO2 storage in saline aquifers

Simulations are routinely used to study the process of carbon dioxide (CO₂) sequestration in saline aquifers. In this paper, we describe the modeling and simulation of the dissolution–diffusion–convection process based on a total velocity splitting formulation for a variable-density incompressible single-phase model. A second-order accurate sequential algorithm, implemented within a block-structured adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) framework, is used to perform high-resolution studies of the process. We study both the short-term and long-term behaviors of the process. It is found that the onset time of convection follows closely the prediction of linear stability analysis. In addition, the CO₂ flux at the top boundary, which gives the rate at which CO₂ gas dissolves into a negatively buoyant aqueous phase, will reach a stabilized state at the space and time scales we are interested in. This flux is found to be proportional to permeability, and independent of porosity and effective diffusivity, indicative of a convection-dominated flow. A 3D simulation further shows that the added degrees of freedom shorten the onset time and increase the magnitude of the stabilized CO₂ flux by about 25%. Finally, our results are found to be comparable to results obtained from TOUGH2-MP.     

Biodegradation of riverine dissolved organic carbon in five estuaries of the southeastern United States

The biological turnover of riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) discharged into five southeastern United States estuaries was examined in long-term respiration bioassays. Measures of bacterial oxygen consumption indicated surprisingly large differences in the inherent biodegradability of DOC among the five estuaries, despite their close geographic proximity. Differences of up to 13-fold in biodegradation rates were also found temporally within a single estuary. For most of the southeastern United States estuaries, measured rates of riverine DOC biodegradation were low relative to rates reported for other freshwater and marine environments. This was particularly true for the coastal plain (“blackwater”) rivers that contribute about 35% of the riverine DOC exported to coastal marine environments in this region; extrapolation of biodegradation rates to the adjacent continental shelf predict biodegradation of a maximum of 11% of exported blackwater DOC within the estuary-shelf system (with transit times of up to 140 d). DOC from Piedmont rivers was more biologically labile, with maximum losses of 30% predicted within the estuary and adjacent shelf. Short exposures to natural sunlight increased the lability of the riverine DOC and enhanced biodegradation rates by over 3-fold in some cases, although significant inter-estuary differences in susceptibility of riverine DOC to photolysis were also evident. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY085 00007     

Importance of unsaturated zone flow for simulating recharge in a humid climate

Transient recharge to the water table is often not well understood or quantified. Two approaches for simulating transient recharge in a ground water flow model were investigated using the Trout Lake watershed in north-central Wisconsin: (1) a traditional approach of adding recharge directly to the water table and (2) routing the same volume of water through an unsaturated zone column to the water table. Areas with thin (less than 1 m) unsaturated zones showed little difference in timing of recharge between the two approaches; when water was routed through the unsaturated zone, however, less recharge was delivered to the water table and more discharge occurred to the surface because recharge direction and magnitude changed when the water table rose to the land surface. Areas with a thick (15 to 26 m) unsaturated zone were characterized by multimonth lags between infiltration and recharge, and, in some cases, wetting fronts from precipitation events during the fall overtook and mixed with infiltration from the previous spring snowmelt. Thus, in thicker unsaturated zones, the volume of water infiltrated was properly simulated using the traditional approach, but the timing was different from simulations that included unsaturated zone flow. Routing of rejected recharge and ground water discharge at land surface to surface water features also provided a better simulation of the observed flow regime in a stream at the basin outlet. These results demonstrate that consideration of flow through the unsaturated zone may be important when simulating transient ground water flow in humid climates with shallow water tables.     

Conserving agricultural heritage systems through tourism: Exploration of two mountainous communities in China

Community plays an important role in the preservation of agricultural heritage system （AHS）. Recently, many AHS have been valorized as interesting resources for rural tourism. The expectations are that tourism development （TD） can be supportive for the conservation of AHS while creating benefits for local communities. In this study, two mountainous pilot villages （Longxian and Xiaohuang） in a global conservation project for traditional agricutural systems - Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems （GIAHS） were selected to identify the relationship between AHS conservation and TD. The study undertook in-depth interviews, and questionnaires of village residents and informal discussions with local villagers. A t-test and a linear regression model were implemented to explore the comparative dimensions of the two communities with different geographical location, economic situation, and stage of TD. The research found some similarities and differences in the two mountainous communities during AHS conservation and TD. Firstly, AHS are preservaed well in both villages unconsiously, while the residents in Xiaohuang value more highly the heritage elements than the respondents in Longxian, and the villagers in Xiaohuang are more worried about their heritage system; Secondly, both villages expect lots of benefits from TD and they clearly perceive more positive than negative impact from tourism and thus approve TD, while the hugedifferent perception on transportation and accessibility in the two villages reflects the bottleneck of TD in Xiaohuang village. At the same time, the respondents from Xiaohuang perceive more positive and fewer negative impact from tourism than the respondents from Longxian. Thirdly, the respondents in the two villages all show positive attitudes towards participation in tourism mostly motivated by the high income expectation. The main factors to determine the community perception in two villages were also analyzed based on the data process. A location-based coneeputal framework of AHS conservation in partnership with TD at community scale is proposed at the end of the paper. The dynamics of tourism development, that could enhance a better understanding of the complex relationship between conservation objectives and tourism development are discussed.     

WATERSHED SEDIMENT YIELD AND RANGELAND HEALTH

lINTRoDUCTIoNDifferencesintheprevailinglanduseandmanagementofaridandsemiaridareasaredeterminedinlargepartbyclimate.AridareasgenerallyreceivetoolittleprecipitationtosupportdrylandagricultureordomesticlivestockgrazingalthoughtheyaregrazedbywildIife,andattimes,bydomesticlivestock.Incontrast,insemiaridareasadequatemoistureisusuallyavaiIableatsometimeduringtheyeartoproduceforageforlivestockandwildlife,andtherearesomeyearswhendrylandcropproductionissuccessful.However,bothclimatesarecharacterize…     

Petrotectonic evolution of the high- to ultrahigh-pressure Maksyutov Complex, Karayanova area, south Ural Mountains: structural and oxygen isotope constraints

The Maksyutov Complex consists of three fault-bounded lithologic units: a quartzofeldspathic gneiss containing mafic eclogite boudins (Unit #1); a metasedimentary blueschist-facies (Yumaguzinskaya) unit; and a meta-ophiolitic mélange (Unit #2). The geologic history of the high- to ultrahigh-pressure (HP–UHP) assembly of the Maksyutov Complex is complicated by several stages of prolonged retrograde metamorphism and deformation. The Sakmara River exposes all three units near the former village of Karayanova. A structural/petrologic cross-section through the area yields new quantitative data for the complex and, regionally, for the south Urals. Analysis of the Karayanova area has identified the major structures. Regional folding within the complex is parallel to the dominant foliation trending northeast–southwest. Stereonet data show that, during exhumation, this large-scale folding was refolded about axes trending southeast. Unit #1 and the Yumaguzinskaya are tectonically and petrologically distinct units juxtaposed by west-vergent thrusting and recrystallization within the same subduction zone. A shear zone developed later between Unit #2 and the Unit #1+Yumaguzinskaya tectonic package accompanying exhumation. Field relations and petrofabric demonstrate that blueschist-facies recrystallization overprinted an earlier eclogite-facies metamorphism. Thermobarometric measurements yield P–T values of 594–637°C, 1.5–1.7 GPa for eclogite, but these conditions may reflect annealing during the early-stage exhumation at 375 Ma. Cuboid graphite aggregates testify to precursor conditions for Unit #1 within the diamond stability field, if such textures are correctly interpreted. Measured ¹⁸O/¹⁶O partitioning between pairs of coexisting phases yield three main recrystallization temperature ranges: (1) 678±83°C, attending Unit #1 eclogite-facies metamorphism; (2) 453±17°C, during transitional blueschist/greenschist-facies metamorphism for the amalgamated Unit #1+Yumaguzinskaya+Unit #2 assembly; and (3) 250±68°C, reflecting late-stage hydrothermal alteration and exhumation. Oxygen isotope data for Units #1 and #2 indicate that garnet, blue amphibole, and pyroxene crystallized in isotopic equilibrium, validating previous thermobarometric calculations for a Unit #1 retrograde metamorphic event. Variations in δ¹⁸O values for phengites suggest the possibility of late metamorphic fluid infiltration. Retrograde recrystallization at high pressure in the presence of fluids and a calculated slow exhumation rate for the Maksyutov Complex account for the fact that inferred UHP coesite and diamond were completely back-reacted during decompression.     

The stratigraphy and structure of the Galley Head culmination zone: An area of enhanced shortening related to basin geometry within the Irish Variscides

In southwest Ireland an Upper Devonian to Lower Carboniferous clastic succession was deposited in an ENE–WSW trending half-graben, known as the South Munster Basin. Across the Galley Head peninsula on the south coast, this stratigraphical succession is attenuated due to the presence of a palaeogeographical feature called the Glandore High. Evidence suggests that the Glandore High was an east–west feature, faulted to the north and east, which was part of the southern flank (hangingwall rollover) of the South Munster Basin. During post-Carboniferous Variscan deformation the relatively thin stratigraphy of Galley Head underwent prolonged folding, causing a local periclinal fold pair to develop within the hinge zone of a regional syncline. The main cleavage then developed parallel to bedding on the overturned south limb of the anticline of this fold pair. The local enhanced shortening caused the development of a structural culmination, and south facing, tight to isoclinal folds. The culmination was enhanced and tightened by a fault system of contractional, strike-parallel faults linked by cross faults. Secondary folds occur across the hinges of regional anticlines and also on major fold limbs as isolated fold pairs and in monoclinal fold zones, some of which may have nucleated on irregular sandstone bodies. Local crenulation cleavages are related to late fault movements. Syn-cleavage, conjugate, wrench faults record 10 per cent to 15 per cent strike-parallel extension in the culmination. The deformation chronology of the Galley Head area is somewhat anomalous for the Irish Variscides in that the folds were well established before the onset of the main cleavage development. The enhanced shortening across the area was compartmentalized by major cross faults and a minor component of north–south sinistral shear was also active across the area causing a swing in strike and a late set of minor cross faults. Structural facing directions in southwest Ireland appear to be directly linked with the geometry of the deformed basins. Hence the southward facing along the south coast is due to the proximity of the southern margin of the South Munster Basin. Structural facing directions fan northwards across the basin and major folds are overturned to the north at the northern margin of the basin.