Do Archean chemical sediments record ancient seawater rare earth element patterns?

Rare earth elements (REE) concentrations of Archean and Proterozoic chemical sediments are commonly used as proxies to study secular trends in the geochemistry of Precambrian seawater. In addition, similarities in the REE signatures of Archean chemical sediments and modern seawater have led researchers to argue that some Archean rocks originated as biochemical precipitates (i.e., microbial carbonates) in shallow marine (e.g., peritidal) environments. However, terrestrial waters, including river water and groundwater, also commonly exhibit REE fractionation patterns that resemble modern seawater. Here, we present the seawater-like REE data for groundwaters from central México as additional evidence that these patterns are not unique to the marine environment. The shale-normalized REE patterns of the groundwaters are compared to those of modern seawater (open ocean and nearshore), Holocene reefal microbial carbonates and corals, and Archean chemical sediments using statistical means (i.e., ANOVA and Wilcoxon analyses) in order to quantify the similarities and/or differences in the REE patterns. Shale-normalized (SN) Ce anomalies and measures of REE fractionation [i.e., (La/Yb)_SN, (Pr/Yb)_SN, (Nd/Yb)_SN, and (Gd/Yb)_SN] of the central México groundwater samples are statistically indistinguishable from those of modern seawater. Moreover, except for differences in the Ce anomalies, which are lacking in Archean chemical sediments, the REE patterns of the central México groundwaters are also statistically similar to REE patterns of Archean chemical sediments, especially those of the 3.45 Ga Strelley Pool Chert. Consequently, we suggest that without additional information, it may be premature to unequivocally conclude that Archean chemical sediments record REE signatures of an Archean ocean.     

Line ratios for solar ultra-violet lines of Ov

New O v rate coefficients are used to calculate the ratio of the intensity of the 760 Å multiplet to that of the 630 Å line. Results are given for a range of electron densities and temperatures. The theoretical ratios are compared with observed line ratios for different solar regions.     

Influence of antecedent soil moisture on hydraulic conductivity in a series of texture‐contrast soils

Antecedent soil moisture significantly influenced the hydraulic conductivity of the A1, A2e and B21 horizons in a series of strong texture‐contrast soils. Tension infiltration at six supply potentials demonstrated that in the A1 horizon, hydraulic conductivity was significantly lower in the ‘wet’ treatment than in the ‘dry’ treatment. However in the A2e horizon, micropore and mesopore hydraulic conductivity was lower in the ‘dry’ treatment than the ‘wet’ treatment, which was attributed to the precipitation of soluble amorphous silica. In the B21 horizon, desiccation of vertic clays resulted in the formation of shrinkage cracks which significantly increased near‐saturated hydraulic conductivity and prevented the development of subsurface lateral flow in the ‘dry’ treatment. In the ‘wet’ treatment, the difference between the hydraulic conductivity of the A1 and B21 horizons was reduced; however, lateral flow still occurred in the A1 horizon due to difficulty displacing existing soil water further down the soil profile. Results demonstrate the need to account for temporal variation in soil porosity and hydraulic conductivity in soil‐water model conceptualisation and parameterisation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Thermal Variability in a Tidal River

In this paper, we discuss observations of temperature variability in the tidal portion of the San Joaquin River in California. The San Joaquin River makes up the southern portion of the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta, the eastern end of San Francisco Bay. Observations made in August 2004 and August 2005 show significant diurnal variations in temperature in response to surface heat exchange. However, to account for observed changes in heat content a sizeable downstream heat flux (approximately 100 W m⁻²) must be added to the surface heat flux. To account for this flux via Fickian dispersion, a flow-dependent dispersion coefficient varying from 500 to 4,000 m² s⁻¹ is needed. These values are much larger than would be predicted for a river of this size, suggesting that the complex topology of the Delta greatly enhances longitudinal dispersion. Building on these observations, we present a simple theory that explores how the subtidal temperature field varies in response to changes in flow rate, dispersion, and heat exchange.     

Interannual and regional variability in distribution and ecology of juvenile pollock and their prey in frontal structures of the Bering Sea

The distribution, size, length-specific weight, growth, and feeding of age-0 walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) were examined along with their prey distribution patterns in two contrasting transects over a 4-year period (1994–1997) in relation to biophysical properties of frontal regions around the Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea. There were significant interannual differences in catch of age-0 pollock, but transect and habitat differences (inshore vs. front vs. offshore) were not significant for either catch or size of pollock. There were significant variations in length-specific weight and growth of pollock, but the trends were inconsistent. Copepods dominated the zooplankton biomass in all habitats and years; there were no consistent differences in the densities of the dominant zooplankton taxa among the habitats. There were, however, strong habitat and transect differences in juvenile pollock diet, particularly for the larger and presumably rarer prey taxa (euphausiids, chaetognaths, fish). We did not find any evidence that occupying a particular habitat was beneficial to young pollock, although other factors (e.g. bioenergetic advantage and predation refuge) that we did not examine here could have been more variable and critical to pollock survival. In a physically dynamic system such as the Pribilof Islands, age-0 pollock may need to continuously search for optimal conditions of high prey availability and low predation pressure.     

Vibration of beams on partial elastic foundations

The natural response of a beam or pile having only a portion of its span supported by an elastic foundation is investigated for the two cases when both ends are either simply supported or free. The derivation of the shape functions and the computed natural frequencies are compared with the extreme cases where the element is either completely supported by, or fully detached from, the elastic foundation.     

Oxyanion Concentrations in Eastern Sierra Nevada Rivers – 2. Arsenic and Phosphate

Water samples were collected from the Truckee River-Pyramid Lake system, the Walker River-Walker Lake system, and the Carson River, all located in eastern California and western Nevada, U.S.A., at three different times (i.e., summer 1991, spring 1992, and autumn 1992) over a two year period. The concentrations of As, Na, Cl, PO4, and pH were measured in these river samples and the associated terminal lakes. Arsenic values ranged from below 13 nmol/kg near Truckee, California to 160 nmol/kg at Nixon, Nevada in the Truckee River, from 40 nmol/kg in the headwaters of both West and East Walker Rivers to 270 nmol/kg below Weber Reservoir on the main branch of the Walker River, and from <27 nmol/kg to 234 nmol/kg for the lower Carson River system. Arsenic concentrations in Steamboat Creek (0.91 mol/kg–1.80 mol/kg) in the Truckee River catchment are above the U.S. EPA drinking water maximum contaminant level of 0.67 mol/kg, as are the As concentrations in both Pyramid Lake (1.33 mol/kg–1.57 mol/kg ) and Walker Lake (13.7 mol/kg–18.7 mol/kg). Sources of As for all three rivers include weathering of As-rich rocks and/or regolith and input of high-As geothermal spring waters, both processes primarily, although not exclusively, adding As to the headwater regions of these rivers. Steamboat Hot Springs (29 mol/kg As 54.5 mol/kg), for example, is identified as a source of As to the Truckee River via Steamboat Creek. The high As concentrations in Pyramid and Walker Lakes are likely due to (1) desorption of arsenate from aquatic particulate matter in these high pH waters (9.0 pH 9.5), (2) limited biologic uptake of arsenate, and (3) evaporative concentration of the lake waters. Evaluation of molar PO4}/As ratios of river waters and geothermal spring waters (e.g., Steamboat Hot Springs), indicates that phosphate is substantially enriched in Steamboat Creek as well as the mid to lower reaches of the Walker and Carson Rivers. These regions of each river are dominated by agricultural interests and, additionally, in the case of Steamboat Creek, residential areas and golf courses. Our data strongly imply that phosphate-rich agricultural return flow has likely added P to these streams and, consequently, increased their respective P:As ratios.     

Estimating variation in stomatal frequency at intra-individual,intra-site,and inter-taxonomic levels in populations of the Leonardoxa africana (Fabaceae) complex over environmental gradients in Cameroon

Variation of stomatal frequency (stomatal density and stomatal index) includes genetically-based, potentially-adaptive variation, and variation due to phenotypic plasticity, the degree of which may be fundamental to the ability to maintain high water-use efficiency and thus to deal with environmental change. We analysed stomatal frequency and morphology (pore length, pore width) in leaves from several individuals from nine populations of four sub-species of the Leonardoxa africana complex. The dataset represents a hierarchical sampling wherein factors are nested within each level (leaves in individuals, individuals in sites, etc.), allowing estimation of the contribution of different levels to overall variation, using variance-component analysis. SI showed significant variation among sites (“site” is largely confounded with “sub-species”), being highest in the sub-species localized in the highest-elevation site. However, most of the observed variance was accounted for at intra-site and intra-individual levels. This variance could reflect great phenotypic plasticity, presumably in response to highly local variation in micro-environmental conditions.     

Energetics of a double flare on November 8, 1980

Here we complete an energy balance analysis of a double impulsive hard X-ray flare. From spatial observations, we deduce both flares probably occur in the same loop within the resolution of the data. For the first flare, the energy in the fast electrons (assuming a thick-target model) is comparable to the convective up-flow energy, suggesting that these are related successive modes of energy storage and transfer. The total energy lost through radiation and conduction, 2.0 × 10²⁸ erg, is comparable to the energy in fast electrons 2.5 × 10²⁸ erg. For the second flare, the energy in the fast electrons is more than one order of magnitude greater than the energy of the convective up-flow. Total energy losses are within a factor of two lower than the calculated fast electron energy. We interpret the observations as showing that the first flare occurred in a small loop with fast electrons heating the chromosphere and resulting in chromospheric evaporation increasing the density in the loop. For the second flare most of the heating occurred at the electron acceleration site. The two symmetrical components of the Ca xix resonance line and a high velocity down-flow of 115 km s ^–1 observed at the end of the second hard X-ray burst are consistent with the flare eruption (reconnection) region being high in the flare loop. The estimated altitude of the acceleration site is 5500 km above the photosphere.