Bacterial dominance of phototrophic communities in a High Arctic lake and its implications for paleoclimate analysis

The phototrophic communities in meromictic, perennially ice-covered Lake A, on Ellesmere Island in the Canadian High Arctic, were characterized by pigment analysis using high performance liquid chromatography. Samples were taken to determine the vertical changes down the water column as well as a variation between years. These analyses showed that Lake A had distinct phototrophic communities in its oxic and anoxic layers. The pigment analyses indicated that phototrophic biomass in the upper, oxic waters was dominated by picocyanobacteria, while in the lower, anoxic layer photosynthetic green sulphur bacteria were dominant. Interannual variation in pigment concentrations was related to the penetration of photosynthetically active radiation in the water column, suggesting that light availability may be limiting the net accumulation of photosynthetic bacterial biomass in Lake A. Pigment analysis of the surface sediments indicated that deposition was dominated by the photosynthetic sulphur bacterial contribution. The sedimentary record of bacterial pigments in polar meromictic lakes offers a promising tool for the reconstruction of past changes in ice cover and therefore in climate.     

Photo-interprétation à différentes échelles et relevés de terrain: exemples de corrélations structurales dans le Bassin Méditerranéen et sur le socle Ouest africain

Résumé L'interprétation structurale des linéaments, décelés sur clichés photographiques pris par satellite, est discutée sur les bases suivantes: d'une part en pratiquant au minimum un changement d'échelle (plus grande); d'autre part en utilisant les relevés de terrain. Des exemples pris dans le Bassin Méditerranéen sédimentaire et sur le socle cristallophyllien de l'Afrique de l'Ouest permettent de définir une méthodologie commune. Ainsi en région sédimentaire, partant de prises de vue par exemple au 1/2 500 000, les échelles au 1/15 000 et au 1/50 000 se révèlent être des compléments précieux en photo-interprétation. De la même façon en zone de socle, les échelles au 1/20 000 et au 1/50 000 sont complémentaires du 1/200 000. De plus grâce aux donnés de terrain, il est possible de qualifier l'information photogéologique et d'en exprimer sa nature. Enfin les problèmes de corrélations entre rhegmatisme de socle et fracturation de couverture sont abordés de façon préliminaire: la similitude directionnelle observée devrait orienter les futures recherches en ce domaine.

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The structural interpretation of disclosed lineaments on satellite's pictures ist discused on the following basis: first, with a minimum scale change (making it bigger); on the other hand using field plotting. The examples took from the Mediterranean sedimentary basin and from the western Africa crystalographic shield allow us to define a common methodology. Thus, in sedimentary area, through 1/2 500 000 scale aerial photographys, the 1/15 000 and 1/50 000 scales would be real valuable complements in photo-interpretation. Same way as, in shield zone, the 1/20 000 and 1/50 000 scales would be complements of the 1/200 000 one. More than that, because of field plotting utilisation is possible to quality photogeological information and even to explain its nature. In short correlation problems are exposed in a preliminary approach; the observed directional similitude could orientate the future research.

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Zusammenfassung Die strukturelle Deutung von Lineamenten, die aus Satellitenphotos abzulesen sind, wird nach folgenden Voraussetzungen erörtert: zum einen wird zumindest eine Vergrößerung des Maßstabes vorgenommen, zum anderen werden Geländebefunde herangezogen. An Hand von Beispielen aus dem sedimentären Mittelmeerbecken sowie dem Kristallo-phyllitischen Sockel Westafrikas ist es möglich, eine gemeinsame Methodik zu definieren. So erweisen sich im sedimentären Gebiet die Maßstäbe 115 000 und 150 000 als wertvolle Ergänzungen zur Photointerpretation zum Beispiel einer Aufnahme von 12 500 000. Entsprechend ergänzen im Bereich des Sockels die Maßstäbe 120 000 und 150 000 die Aufnahme von 1200 000. Darüber hinaus ist es mit Hilfe von Geländedaten möglich, die photogeologische Information zu qualifizieren und zu beinhalten. Schließlich werden die Probleme der Korrelation zwischen Bruchbildung im Sockel und Brücken im Deckgebirge angesprochen: Die beobachtete Annäherung in der Ausrichtung soll zukünftige Untersuchungen auf diesem Gebiet orientieren.

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, , : , no- , , — . . , 1: 15.000 1:50.000 12.500.000. 1: 200.000 1: 20.000 1: 50.000. . . .

     

Nouvelle interprétation structurale de la « faille Nord- Pyrénéenne » en vallée d'Aspe (Pyrénées-Atlantiques). Remise en question d'un plutonisme ophitique danien dans le secteur de Bedous

In the Aspe Valley (western Pyrenees), the Europe/Iberia boundary corresponds to a complex fracturing zone, called the ‘Bielle–Accous Wrench-Faulting Corridor’, which represents the classical ‘North-Pyrenean Fault’. Located between the High Primary Range and the North-Pyrenean Zone, the BAWC shows different south-verging sheets mainly composed of Triassic materials. The Bedous ophite, associated with Muschelkalk and Keuper sediments, is also Triassic in age and involved in the same Pyrenean thrusting structures. So, contrary to a recent interpretation, this magmatic rock cannot be related to a supposed Danian plutonism inducing metamorphic processes in the surrounding Mesozoic formations. To cite this article: J. Canérot et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

A hybrid approach to modeling territorial control in violent armed conflicts

Territorial control is central to the understanding of violent armed conflicts, yet reliable and valid measures of this concept do not exist. We argue that geospatial analysis provides an important perspective to measure the concept. In particular, measuring territorial control can be seen as an application of calculating service areas around points of control. The modeling challenge is acute for areas with limited road infrastructure, where no complete network is available to perform the analysis, and movements largely occur off road. We present a new geospatial approach that applies network analysis on a hybrid transportation network with both actual road data and hexagon‐fishnet‐based artificial road data representing on‐road and off‐road movements, respectively. Movement speed or restriction can be readily adjusted using various input data. Simulating off‐road movement with hexagon‐fishnet‐based artificial road data has a number of advantages including scalability to small or large study areas and flexibility to allow all‐directional travel. We apply this method to measuring territorial control of armed groups in Sub‐Saharan Africa where inferior transport infrastructure is the norm. Based on the Uppsala Conflict Data Program's (UCDP) Georeferenced Event Data (GED) as well as spatial data on terrain, population locations, and limited transportation networks, we enhance the delineation of the specific areas directly controlled by each warring party during civil wars within a given travel time.     

The NdSr isotopic correlation in mantle materials and geodynamic consequences

The neodymium-strontium isotopic correlation observed in most of the Earth mantle materials is evaluated by means of direct modelling. Several geochemical models are quantitatively developed to explain the observations. The main results of this modelling are that such a correlation is not geochemically trivial and that it corresponds to specific conditions in chemical fractionation. These specific conditions seem to be satisfied by solid-liquid partitioning in magmatic conditions. The discussion of the experimental data supports a continuous convecting-magmatic fractionation model for a large proportion of the mantle.     

River incision and vegetation dynamics in cut-off channels

The consequences of river incision on ecosystems dynamics in cut-off channels were hypothesized to be 1) the reduction of river backflows and overflows of the river in the former channels; 2) the reduction of seepage flows from the river and drainage into the channels; 3) the drainage of the hillslope aquifer by the former channels. The subsequent changes of aquatic plant communities should be 1) the terrestrialization of the higher part of former channels and 2) their change into more oligotraphent ones if the hillslope aquifer is poorer in nutrients than the river. In those reaches where the river bed is aggraded, river backflows in the cut-off channel should increase, as should overflows and seepage, and more eutraphent species should develop. Changes in aquatic vegetation were studied over a ten-year period in four cut-off channels supplied by a nutrient-poor hillslope aquifer and a nutrient-rich river. Two of them were located in an incised reach of the river, one in an aggraded reach and one (reference) in a reach that was neither aggraded nor incised. The vegetation of the reference channel exhibited only minor changes over the ten-year period, indicating that the successional trend is not perceptible at the time scale of the study, and thus that any change observed in the other channels can be ascribed to river incision or aggradation. Terrestrialization expected in the channels located in the incised reach clearly progressed in the downstream parts, but was inhibited by groundwater supplies in the upper parts. As expected, oligotraphent communities progressed or remained dominant in the upper part. The channel located in the aggraded reach of the river exhibited the highest floristic changes. As expected, eutraphent communities progressed in this channel, but unexpectedly, terrestrialization also progressed in the upstream part. Alternative explanations are: 1) aggradation could have instigated more backflows and overflows without modifying significantly the mean water-level and 2) more frequent water overflows could have favoured alluvial deposition and thus terrestrialization.     

Segmentation and kinematics of the North America‐Caribbean plate boundary offshore Hispaniola

We explored the submarine portions of the Enriquillo–Plantain Garden Fault zone (EPGFZ) and the Septentrional–Oriente Fault zone (SOFZ) along the Northern Caribbean plate boundary using high‐resolution multibeam echo‐sounding and shallow seismic reflection. The bathymetric data shed light on poorly documented or previously unknown submarine fault zones running over 200 km between Haiti and Jamaica (EPGFZ) and 300 km between the Dominican Republic and Cuba (SOFZ). The primary plate‐boundary structures are a series of strike‐slip fault segments associated with pressure ridges, restraining bends, step overs and dogleg offsets indicating very active tectonics. Several distinct segments 50–100 km long cut across pre‐existing structures inherited from former tectonic regimes or bypass recent morphologies formed under the current strike‐slip regime. Along the most recent trace of the SOFZ, we measured a strike‐slip offset of 16.5 km, which indicates steady activity for the past ~1.8 Ma if its current GPS‐derived motion of 9.8 ± 2 mm a^?1 has remained stable during the entire Quaternary.     

A new parameterization of eddy diffusivities for nocturnal boundary-layer modeling

Exchange coefficients and mixing lengths under stable stratification have been studied through measurements of mean wind velocity and temperature in the nocturnal boundary layer. For values of the gradient Richardson number lower than 0.15, our measurements fit well the relation of Delage (1974). Beyond Ri = 0.15, the decrease of mixing length is much slower. So a new parameterization of turbulent exchanges is suggested. When introduced in a model of the nocturnal boundary layer, it results in a thickening of the turbulent and inversion layers.     

Book reviews

Climate change in contrasting river basins: adaptation strategies for water, food and environment. Edited by J Aerts and P Droogers. Published in 2004 by CABI Publishing, 288 p., hardcover. ISBN: 0–85199–835–6. Price: US$100 (orders: services@dadirect.com.au).

Australian water bugs. Their biology and identification (Hemiptera‐Heteroptera, Gerromorpha &; Nepomorpha). By Nils M Andersen? and Tom A Weir. Published in 2004 by CSIRO Publishing/Apollo Books, P.O. Box 1139, Collingwood, VIC 3066, Australia. 344 p., hardcover. ISBN: 0–643–090517. Price: AU$135.00 (orders: publishing.sales@csiro.au).

The Lakes Handbook. Volume I: Limnology and Limnetic Ecology. Volume II: Lake restoration and rehabilitation. Edited by Patrick O'Sullivan and Colin Reynolds. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 109 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1JF, United Kingdom (http//www.blackwellpublishing.com). Volume I (published in 2003) 712 p., hardcover. ISBN: 0632047976. Price: £125. Volume II (published in 2004) 568 p., hardcover. ISBN: 063204795X. Price: £125.