Method‐dependent influence of environmental variables on reef fish assemblages when comparing trap and video surveys

Despite substantial survey effort and a large body of literature on abiotic and biotic factors in temperate reef ecosystems, knowledge of the complex and interactive effects of environmental variables on those communities is limited. Various survey methods have been developed to study environmental predictors of biodiversity, but there remains a gap in our understanding of how survey results are influenced by environmental factors. Here, we surveyed the fish assemblage associated with southeastern U.S. temperate marine reefs with simultaneous, paired trap, and camera gears throughout a ~50,000 km² area during 2011–2013 and assessed the influence of environmental variables on the trap‐ and video‐surveyed assemblages. Predictor variables in the multivariate general linear models included depth, temperature, month, year, location, substrate relief, percent sessile biota, biota type, and turbidity. Depth and latitude had the greatest influence on the fish assemblage for both gears. The influence of habitat variables differed between methods and percent biota explained more variation in the fish assemblage when assessed by traps, while substrate relief and biota type explained more variation in the fish assemblage when assessed by video. In general, habitat complexity was positively related to the abundance of fishes in the video survey, but there was a negative relationship in the trap survey. Differences between gears were species‐specific and the influences of environmental variables were similar for some species such as Haemulon plumierii and Hyporthodus niveatus. The methods presented here can be used to assess method‐dependent differences in fish assemblages, which is a necessary precursor to assess the effect of environmental variables on the accuracy of surveys.     

Groundwater-level response to land-use change and the implications for salinity management in the West Moorabool River catchment, Victoria, Australia

The connection between the removal of native vegetation, rising water tables and increasing stream salinity has been established for many catchments across Australia. However, the West Moorabool River in south west Victoria is an example of a catchment where there has been little discernable effect on groundwater levels following land clearing. Over the past 150 years, a significant portion of the catchment has been cleared of dense forest for agricultural development. Historic standing water-level records from 1870–1871 and 1881 are compared with contemporary measurements (1970s to 2007) recorded in the government bore databases. The data show that the earliest recorded groundwater levels are well within the seasonal range of values observed today. By integrating geology and hydrogeology with historical observations of groundwater levels, climate data and land use, the contemporary field observations of stream salinity are linked to the changed water use and shift in rainfall. In contrast to the normally accepted axiom, reafforestation as a management strategy to mitigate the rising salinity in the West Moorabool River catchment would seem inappropriate.     

Mineralized and unmineralized calderas in Spain; Part II, evolution of the Rodalquilar caldera complex and associated gold-alunite deposits

The Rodalquilar caldera complex is located in the western part of the Cabo de Gata volcanic field in southeastern Spain and is the first documented example of epithermal gold-alunite mineralization within a caldera in Europe. The Rodalquilar caldera is an oval collapse structure having a maximum diameter of 8 km and formed at 11 Ma from eruption of the Cinto ash-flow tuff. The oval Lomilla caldera, with a diameter of 2 km, is nested within the central resurgent dome of the older Rodalquilar caldera. The Lomilla caldera resulted from the eruption of the Lazaras ash-flow tuff which was ponded within the moat of the Rodalquilar caldera. The last phase of volcanic activity in the caldera complex was the emplacement of hornblende andesite flows and intrusions. This magmatic event resulted in structural doming of the caldera, opening of fractures and faults, and provided the heat source for the large hydrothermal systems which deposited quartz-alunite type gold deposits and base metal vein systems. The gold-alunite deposits are enclosed in areas of intense acid sulfate alteration and localized in ring and radial faults and fractures present in the east wall of the Lomilla caldera. Like other acid-sulfate type deposits, the Rodalquilar gold-alunite deposits are closely related in time and space to porphyritic, intermediate composition magma emplaced along caldera structures but unrelated to the caldera forming magmatic system.     

Diffusion spreading of middle-latitude ionospheric plasma irregularities

In contrast to the way that the spreading of irregularities in a plasma is usually considered, the diffusion spreading of irregularities stretched along the geomagnetic field B is examined using a three-dimensional rigorous numerical model of quasi-neutral diffusion in the presence of a magnetic field, in conjunction with the actual height variations of the diffusion and conductivity tensors in the ionosphere. A comparison with the earlier constructed approximate model of unipolar diffusion was made. As in the previous case, the same peculiarities of irregularity spreading in the inhomogeneous background ionospheric plasma were observed. The accuracy of the approximate model for describing the process of spreading of anisotropic ionospheric irregularities is established. Time relaxation effects of real heating-induced ionospheric irregularities on their scale transverse to B are presented using the approximate analytical model for the case of a quasi-homogeneous ionospheric plasma. The calculated results have a vivid physical meaning and can be directly compared with experimental data on the radiophysical observations of artificial heating-induced irregularities created by powerful radio waves in the ionosphere.     

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.     

Wind-forced continental shelf waves from a geographical origin

The response of a barotropic coastal ocean on a step-shaped continental shelf to a traveling sinusoidal wind stress forcing is predicted theoretically using a frictional force proportional to the alongshore current velocity. This theory is compared to a small set of observations from the northeast coast of Australia where a sudden widening of the continental shelf provides a geographical origin. The comparison is accomplished by means of frequency response functions relating alongshore wind stress with alongshore velocity. Amplitudes of the response functions are predicted to increase with alongshore distance equatorward and also to decrease with frequency at any location. These predictions are verified by the measurements. Predicted phase lags are generally less than about 30°, with observations agreeing with theory to within about 20°C. In general, the measurements provide reasonable evidence to support the theory of wind-forced continental shelf waves from a geographical origin.     

Why delaying emission reductions is a gamble

In the debate on the timing of greenhouse gas emissions reductions the aspect of political feasibility has often been missing. We introduce this aspect and show that, if we decide to delay emissions reductions, and the environmental effectiveness of global mitigation efforts is to remain the same in terms of temperature change, we must be willing and able to undertake much more substantial emission reductions than with early action. Even under conservative assumptions on initial political feasibility (maximum 0.25% year-on-year reductions), a 20-year delay means that we must reduce emissions at an annual rate that is 5 to 11 times greater than with early climate action. Our capacity for technological progress, political change and the inertia of the socio-economic system gives us reason to be concerned about our ability to achieve such higher rates of emission reductions. If we are not able to achieve such higher rates, delaying action will inevitably result in higher temperatures in 2100. Unless we are willing to accept higher temperatures, choosing to delay climate action is a gamble that political feasibility will increase over time as a result of the delay itself.     

The clustering of K∼20 galaxies in 17 radio galaxy fields

We investigate the angular correlation function, ο(θ), of the galaxies detected in the 2.1-μm K ' band in 17 fields (101.5 arcmin² in total), each containing a z ∼1.1 radio galaxy. There is a significant detection of galaxy clustering at a limit of K ∼20, with a ο(θ) amplitude similar to that estimated by Carlberg et al. at K =21.5. The ο(θ) amplitudes of these K -limited samples are higher than expected from the faint galaxy clustering in the blue and red passbands, but consistent with a pure luminosity evolution model if clustering is stable (ε=0) and the correlation function of early-type galaxies is steeper than that of spirals.
We do not detect a significant cross-correlation between the radio galaxies and the other galaxies in these fields. The upper limits on the cross-correlation are consistent with a mean clustering environment of Abell class 0 for z ∼1.1 radio galaxies, similar to that observed for radio galaxies at z ∼0.5, but would argue against an Abell class 1 or richer environment. As Abell 0 clustering around the radio galaxies would not significantly increase the ο(θ) amplitude of galaxies in these fields, stable clustering with a steep ξ( r ) for E/S0 galaxies appears to remain the most likely interpretation of the ο(θ) amplitude.
At K ≤20, the number of galaxy–galaxy pairs of 2–3 arcsec separation exceeds the random expectation by a factor of 2.15±0.26. The excess of close pairs is comparable to that previously reported for R -band data, and consistent with a ∼(1+ z )² evolution of the galaxy merger rate.     

Petrology of filicudi,aeolian archipelago

Volcanic rocks on the island of Filicudi are typical of the cale-alkaline association of the Aeolian archipelago, and range in composition from basalt to high-K andesite. All specimens contain abundant phenocrystic plagioclase (cores of An_82–97, rims becoming progressively more sodic with increasing Differentiation Index), clinopyroxene, and magnetite; the most basic samples contain olivine, which is replaced by orthopyroxene at around D.I.=44. SiO₂ generally increases with time, and this in conjunction with the continuity in mineralogy suggests that the lavas are the differentiation products of a single batch of magma. Least-squares mixing calculations are consistent with a shallow fractional model, as is the variation in trace element abundances.     

Convolute laminations — a theoretical analysis: example of a Pennsylvanian sandstone

Data from an outcropping laminated interval were collected and analyzed to test the applicability of a theoretical model describing instability of layered systems. Rayleigh—Taylor wave perturbations result at the interface between fluids of contrasting density, viscosity, and thickness. In the special case where reverse density and viscosity interlaminations are developed, the deformation response produces a single wave with predictable amplitudes, wavelengths, and amplification rates.Physical measurements from both the outcropping section and modern sediments suggest the usefulness of the model for the interpretation of convolute laminations. Internal characteristics of the stratigraphic interval, and the developmental sequence of convoluted beds, are used to document the developmental history of these structures.