Changes in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence ecosystem estimated by inverse modelling: Evidence of a fishery-induced regime shift?

Mass-balance models have been constructed using inverse methodology for the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence for the mid-1980s, the mid-1990s, and the early 2000s to describe ecosystem structure, trophic group interactions, and the effects of fishing and predation on the ecosystem for each time period. Our analyses indicate that the ecosystem structure shifted dramatically from one previously dominated by demersal (cod, redfish) and small-bodied forage (e.g., capelin, mackerel, herring, shrimp) species to one now dominated by small-bodied forage species. Overfishing removed a functional group in the late 1980s, large piscivorous fish (primarily cod and redfish), which has not recovered 14 years after the cessation of heavy fishing. This has left only marine mammals as top predators during the mid-1990s, and marine mammals and small Greenland halibut during the early 2000s. Predation by marine mammals on fish increased from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s while predation by large fish on fish decreased. Capelin and shrimp, the main prey in each period, showed an increase in biomass over the three periods. A switch in the main predators of capelin from cod to marine mammals occurred, while Greenland halibut progressively replaced cod as shrimp predators. Overfishing influenced community structure directly through preferential removal of larger-bodied fishes and indirectly through predation release because larger-bodied fishes exerted top-down control upon other community species or competed with other species for the same prey. Our modelling estimates showed that a change in predation structure or flows at the top of the trophic system led to changes in predation at all lower trophic levels in the northern Gulf of St. Lawrence. These changes represent a case of fishery-induced regime shift.     

The 3640–3510 BC rhyodacite eruption of Chachimbiro compound volcano,Ecuador: a violent directed blast produced by a satellite dome

Based on geochronological, petrological, stratigraphical, and sedimentological data, this paper describes the deposits left by the most powerful Holocene eruption of Chachimbiro compound volcano, in the northern part of Ecuador. The eruption, dated between 3640 and 3510 years BC, extruded a ～650-m-wide and ～225-m-high rhyodacite dome, located 6.3 km east of the central vent, that exploded and produced a large pyroclastic density current (PDC) directed to the southeast followed by a sub-Plinian eruptive column drifted by the wind to the west. The PDC deposit comprises two main layers. The lower layer (L1) is massive, typically coarse-grained and fines-depleted, with abundant dense juvenile fragments from the outgassed dome crust. The upper layer (L2) consists of stratified coarse ash and lapilli laminae, with juvenile clasts showing a wide density range (0.7–2.6 g cm^?3). The thickness of the whole deposit ranges from few decimeters on the hills to several meters in the valleys. Deposits extending across six valleys perpendicular to the flow direction allowed us to determine a minimum velocity of 120 m s^?1. These characteristics show striking similarities with deposits of high-energy turbulent stratified currents and in particular directed blasts. The explosion destroyed most of the dome built during the eruption. Subsequently, the sub-Plinian phase left a decimeter-thick accidental-fragment-rich pumice layer in the Chachimbiro highlands. Juvenile clasts, rhyodacitic in composition (SiO₂?=?68.3 wt%), represent the most differentiated magma of Chachimbiro volcano. Magma processes occurred at two different depths (～14.4 and 8.0 km). The hot (～936 °C) deep reservoir fed the central vent while the shallow reservoir (～858 °C) had an independent evolution, probably controlled by El Angel regional fault system. Such destructive eruptions, related to peripheral domes, are of critical importance for hazard assessment in large silicic volcanic complexes such as those forming the Frontal Volcanic Arc of Ecuador and Colombia.     

Le Léon : un domaine exotique au Nord-Ouest de la chaine varisque armoricaine (France)

Résumé

La synthèse des données structurales, pétrologiques, géochimiques et radiochronologiques permet d’avoir une vision nouvelle du Léon et de proposer un modèle d’évolution géodynamique dans cette région. Cette évolution, entièrement paléozoïque, débute par la mise en place de granitoïdes d’affinité calco-alcaline (orthogneiss de Brest), témoins probables d’une subduction ordovicienne corroborée par la présence de reliques d’un métamorphisme HP-HT (éclogites de Lesne-ven). Toutes les séries lithologiques seront ensuite soumises à une déformation tangentielle associée à un métamorphisme de type intermédiaire pouvant aller localement jusqu’à l’anatexie. Cet événement tec-tono-métamorphique correspond à une collision continentale dvonienne qui achève la période de convergence précédente. La suite de 1 évolution au cours du Carbonifère est intracontinentale. Elle est marquée par une succession d’événements plutono-tectoniques : mise en place vers 340 Ma de granitoîdes crustaux (St Renan-Kersaint) associés au cisaillement dextre nord-armoricain; mise en place vers 300 Ma d’ un ensemble granitique d’origine plus profonde (Aber - Mut) immédiatement suivi par des venues crustales (Ploudalmézeau-Kernil.s) associée au fonctionnement d’une nouvelle zone de cisaillement (zone senestre de Porspoder-Guisseny); mise en place enfin, vers 290 Ma, d’un dernier complexe granitique crustal (Brignogan-Plouescat) terminant avec les mierogranites du Bas-Léon l’évolution hercynienne de cette

La période antécarbonifère de l’évolution du Léon pose un problème lié à sa position géographique actuelle dans le prolongement du Domaine cadomien nord-armoricain peu affecté par les événements varisques. En réalité le Léon par sa structure et son histoire précoce (éohercynienne) possède plus d’affinités avec le Domaine sud-armoncain. L hypothèse d’une probable origine exotique du Léon est discutée.     

Late Pleistocene to Holocene eruptive activity of Pico de Orizaba,Eastern Mexico

The Late Pleistocene to Holocene eruptive history of Pico de Orizaba can be divided into 11 eurptive episodes. Each eruptive episode lasted several hundred years, the longest recorded being about 1000 years (the Xilomich episode). Intervals of dormancy range from millenia during the late Pleistocene to about 500 years, the shortest interval recorded in the Holocene. This difference could reflect either changes in the volcano's activity or that the older stratigraphic record is less complete than the younger. Eruptive mechanisms during the late Pleistocene were characterized by dome extrusions, lava flows and ash-and-scoria-flow generating eruptive columns. However, in Holocene time plinian activity became increasingly important. The increase in dacitic plinian eruptions over time is related to increased volumes of dacitic magma beneath Pico de Orizaba. We suggest that the magma reservoir under Pico de Orizaba is stratified. The last eruptive episode, which lasted from about 690 years bp until ad 1687, was initiated by a dacitic plinian eruption and was followed by effusive lava-forming eruptions. For the last 5,000 years the activity of the volcano has been gradually evolving towards such a trend, underlining the increasing importance of dacitic magma and stratification of the magma reservoir. Independent observations of Pico de Orizaba's glacier early this century indicate that some increase in volcanic activity occurred between 1906 and 1947, and that it was probably fumarolic.     

A study of the formation and history of a piece of continental crust by 87Rb-87Sr method: The case of the French oriental Pyrénées

Rb-Sr whole rock data for gneisses and granites from the oriental Pyrénées yield cadomian ages for the basement gneisses and hercynian ages for the granites. Granites occur in two generations. An alkaline granite dated at 335±15 m.y. is syn.—or slightly post-tectonic, and a later calcalkaline granite dated at 275±12 m.y, is clearly intrusive and marks the end of hercynian tectono-metamorphism. Initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the granites put limits on the proportion of juvenile contribution from the mantle to their formation. Petrogenetic models are tested using Rb and Sr as tracers.     

Weathering regime associated with subsurface circulation on volcanic islands

Volcanic islands, being characterized by highly porous basaltic/andesitic lava flows and pyroclastic deposits, are subject to important chemical weathering by subsurface waters. Moreover, such subsurface weathering is impacted by hydrothermal springs in both active and non-active volcanic areas, thus increasing dissolved load concentrations. Here, we focus on the subsurface water chemistry in the volcanic islands of the Lesser Antilles and Réunion and on the origin of these subsurface flows. We are able, through the use of various isotopic tools (C, Sr, U–Th), to identify hydrothermal influences in river water. For example, Li concentrations show a positive correlation with temperature of hot and cold springs and also a relationship with δ¹³C; from this, we can show that several sources of hydrothermal activity influence the rivers of the Lesser Antilles and that some rivers also reveal an important organic influence. As much as 20% of the subsurface hydrothermal springs go to feed the rivers. The increasing temperatures result in more dissolved elements being mobilized and an increase in chemical weathering rates. In addition, using the (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) isochron for the well and river dissolved loads in Martinique, Guadeloupe and Réunion, we can evaluate residence times in the river water, i.e. the average residence time in the water along the circulation path to the sampling point. Alteration takes longer when the water circulates through thick soil, for example, 400–5,000 years when circulating under an ash profile and 1,200–15,000 years when circulating through a collapse zone. It would appear that waters circulation is globally three times longer for subsurface water than for surficial water. The weathering regime in tropical volcanic environments seems to be controlled mainly by such subsurface circulation with high chemical concentration from hydrothermal inputs. The origin of these compositions is varied and not controlled by a single hydrothermal spring. Consequently, it is subsurface circulation that determines the weathering regime in tropical volcanic islands with the main controlling parameters being temperature and residence time.     

溶蚀空间形成及中国与世界其它地区碳酸盐岩近期溶蚀量对比分析

碳酸盐岩次生渗透性是成岩作用、构造作用、水动力作用及生物化学作用的综合结果。在这些作用影响下,有的岩溶形态发育相当快,因此,了解溶蚀速度对于更好地理解岩溶水文地质问题是很重要的, 本文在评价当前碳酸敖岩溶蚀速度几种方法的基础上,对近年来从中国和世界几个其它岩溶地区获得的碳酸盐岩溶蚀观测资料进行了对比。结果表明,气候条件对碳酸盐岩溶蚀速度有明显影响。      

Contribution de l'aeromagnetisme a l'etude du golfe de Valence (Mediterranee occidentale)

We present an aeromagnetic survey of the Gulf of Valencia and the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean). A total field anomaly map and a map of the anomalies reduced to the pole have been obtained. From these maps, it is apparent that there are two regions of opposing magnetic style: the Balearic archipelago which is magnetically very smooth, and the north Balearic basin (or Gulf of Valencia) where anomalies are in places very intense. From a comparison of these two domains, we conclude that the Valencian basin was created during an extensional tectonic phase.     

Le mécanisme de la précipitation du Co3 Ca et la Détermination de L'épaisseur du Dépôt annuel de la vase dans le lac de Neuchâtel

Sans résumé