A sediment trap intercomparison study in the Santa Barbara Basin

Four sediment traps of radically different design were deployed in the Santa Barbara Basin for approximately 45 days. The measured fluxes ranged from 370 to 774 g m^?2 yr^?1 for the different designs. These values lie within flux measurements previously determined for the basin. Compared to the 25-year record (920 g m^?2 yr^?1), however, all fluxes determined in this experiment are somewhat low. Because this experiment was conducted during a general period of high storm activity and runoff, measurement of greater than average flux was expected. It is probable that the higher flux recorded by the sediments results from a significant input of detritus into the basin by near bottom transport.The chemical composition of trapped material was nearly identical in all four trap designs. The deep cone design, however, had a significantly lower Mn content. Since this trap was the only one in which reducing conditions were produced in the sample container, reduction and mobilization of manganese after collection is believed to have occurred.In spite of the very different designs tested, the factor of two agreement in flux determination and the compositional similarity of the material collected is encouraging for future attempts to directly measure the flux of particulates in the ocean.     

Chloritoid-bearing metapelites associated with glaucophane rocks in western Crete,Greece

In western Crete, Greece, a widespread occurrence of chloritoid-bearing metapelites with the main mineral assemblage chloritoid-phengitic white mica-Fe-rich chlorite-quartz was recorded to form the country rock of glaucophane-bearing metabasalts. Six bulk rock analyses of the metapelites conform to the compositional restrictions evaluated by Hoschek (1967) for the formation of chloritoid. Three microprobe analyses revealed chloritoid compositions low in Mg and Mn, and, consequently, high in Fe. The metamorphic grade documented in the metapelites is obviously related to a subsequent prograde metamorphism by which, in the adjacent meta-basalts, epidote is formed at the expense of lawsonite. No relict of a high-P, low-T assemblage, in part well preserved in the meta-basalts, was recognized in the chloritoid schists. The significance of the metamorphic history is briefly discussed.     

Petrologic significance of rare earths distribution in granites

Granitic rocks of various ages and composition are found in the Schwarzwald region of West Germany. These granites range in age from Upper Devonian to Upper Carboniferous (370-280 m.y.) and in composition from granodiorites to alkali feldspar granites. 14 representative samples of twelve different types were analysed for their La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Yb, Lu by instrumental neutron activation. The studies reveal that there are characteristic differences between the different types of granitic rocks both as regards to their total REE content as well as the distribution pattern of these elements. These differences can not be directly related to the variations in the major element chemistry or the mineralogy of the granites. On the other hand, a relationship is found between the age of the granitic rocks and the total REE as well as their distribution pattern. In general the ΣREE varies from 22 to 215 ppm in different types. The ΣLa-Lu increases gradually in the direction Upper Devonian→Lower Carboniferous, however, in the granitic rocks of the Upper Carboniferous this trend is reversed and there is again a marked depletion in the content of REE. The chondrite normalised patterns of all the older types give a smooth concave curve with decrease of concentration from La to Lu. All the Upper Carboniferous granites on the other hand are characterised by a progressive pronounced negative Eu anomaly. The gradual increase of the ΣREE in the older granites is related to their evolution by progressive anatexis, whereas, the decrease in the total REE content in case of the younger Upper Carboniferous granites is due to processes of magmatic differentiation. The depletion of Eu in these K-feldspar rich types of granite is probably related to the breakdown of biotite in the anatectic starting material.     

Biogene und nichtbiogene organische Schmutzstoffe

Analytical methods and their application on the river Rhine for the identification and determination of refractory organic compounds are reported. 18 hydrocarbons, 32 chlorinated hydrocarbons, 13 organic nitro compounds, 14 ethers, 4 alcohols, 9 phenols, 6 esters and 21 other organic compounds have been identified. In view of the tedious methods which have to be applied, a technique for determining the ratio of persistent to biodegradable organic compounds has to be found. Requirements and perspectives of microbiological assays are discussed and rules for the survey of waste discharges are proposed.     

Climatic constraints for the development of the far south of Latin America

The climatic constraints of the southernmost tip of South America (45° S to 57° S) is examined and compared with the corresponding latitudes in the northern hemisphere.Southern summers are cooler than northern summers by 5.5 to 6°C owing to subantarctic influences and constantly-blowing oceanic winds. Although frost and snowfall are less common than in the northern hemisphere, they can occur well into the summer months. Cold air exports from the antarctic and the location of the antarctic convergence near 60° S explain the steady coolness of ocean and air masses. The constant winds cause tree deformations and inhibit vegetation growth because of the negative influence that winds faster than 4 m/sec have on photosynthesis efficiency. The absence of long-lasting warm summer periods that would stimulate plant growth is due to scarce or weak anticyclonic thrusts and to the permanent west wind drift. To be added to this is a chronic shortage of air humidity on the eastern slopes of the Patagonian Andes and plains which again curtails crop growth. On the western slopes, on the other hand, continuous orographic rains prove also a hindrance to cultivation. Therefore, only north of 42° S do conditions for permanent cultivation become optimal.     

Deformation of experimentally shock-loaded quartz powders: X-ray line broadening studies

Quartz powders (mean grain size: 22 μm) were pressed into sample discs of different green densities (ρ₀=1.65; 1.85 and 2.05 g/cm³) and subjected to shock pressure between 1.5 and 17.0 GPa. Peak shock pressures were determined by the impedance method using the Hugoniot curves of steel and quartz powders. Fourier techniques were used to analyse the line broadening of 5 X-ray reflections in each case. The Fourier coefficients were subjected to a Rothman-Cohen correction before further processing. The coherent domain size decreases abruptly from several thousand Ångström in the unshocked state to about 800 Å at 1.5 GPa, and reaches a constant mean value of about 200 to 300 Å at dynamic pressures of about 4 GPa. At very high dynamic pressures (?15 GPa) there is further fragmentation to very small domain size. There is no systematic correlation between sample density and coherent domain size produced by the shock event. A more or less linear dependency exists between microstrain and pressure for each starting density of the quartz powder. The observation that microstrain decreases with increasing starting density could be explained by the fact that increasingly larger portions of the input energy are consumed to create fresh surfaces by comminution. Consequently, less energy will be available for strain strengthening. The stored energies in the shocked quartz powders are of the same order as the surface energy. Shock-treated quartz should therefore be suitable for accelerating any activated process such as sintering.     

Gravimetry for monitoring vertical crustal movements: Potential and problems

Through recent developments in absolute and relative techniques, gravimetry has reached an accuracy of a few hundredths to a few tenths of μm s^{−2 *}in small or large-scale networks, respectively. Consequently, gravimetric techniques can now be employed as one efficient tool for detecting vertical crustal movements. Gravity data are necessary for converting the results of geometric levelling to heights defined in the gravity field, and—by repeated surveys—to control time variations of the height-reference surface. More important is the use of repeated gravity surveys for strengthening and partly replacing levelling, being a time-consuming procedure with unfavourable error propagation over larger distances. The successful application of observed gravity variations with time in the detection of vertical crustal movements depends on the reliability of the conversion factor between gravity and height changes, and on the accuracy of the gravity measurements. The conversion factor should be determined through simultaneous levelling and gravimetry, in representative parts of the survey region. Strategies for establishing gravimetric control are changing now with the availability of transportable absolute gravity meters, and the possibility of accurately calibrating relative instruments and observing small gravity differences with feed-back-systems. Consequently, more attention has to be given now to disturbing effects of environmental character, such as microseismics, atmospheric pressure and groundwater table variations, and to periodic effects such as gravimetric earth tides and polar motion.