Iodine concentrations of soils near Trabzon, Turkey: a region of endemic goiter

Iodine contents of soils developed over the major rock formations of the northern zone of the Eastern Pontide Tectonic Belt (Northeastern Turkey) have been investigated with respect to soil-parent rock relationship, effect of topography, elevation, and climate to construe its effect on the health of the local population. Samples were collected from the A and B horizons of the soils developed over the major stratigraphic units constituting the eastern Pontides, including the Lower Basic Complex of Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous age, the Berdiga limestone (Jurassic-lower Cretaceous), the Dagbasi granitoid (Upper Cretaceous), volcano-sedimentary sequence of Upper Cretaceous age, ore-bearing and barren dacites of Upper Cretaceous age, and Neogene alkaline basalts. Chemical analyses of soil samples indicate significantly lower iodine abundances for all the soils studied (5–28 ppm) in comparison to the average abundance of iodine in analogous soils of other parts of the world (22–93 ppm). The concentration of iodine in soils developed over the same geologic formation decrease with increasing elevation. In certain cases, this decrease may reach up to 70%. Goiter is highly common throughout this region in Turkey. The results of this study suggest that the iodine deficiency of region’s soils may be a principal underlying cause for this area of Turkey being an endemic goiter region.     

Using δN values in algal tissue to map locations and potential sources of anthropogenic nutrient inputs on the island of Maui, Hawai‘i, USA

Macroalgal blooms of Hypnea musciformis and Ulvafasciata in coastal waters of Maui only occur in areas of substantial anthropogenic nutrient input, sources of which include wastewater effluent via injection wells, leaking cesspools and agricultural fertilizers. Algal δ¹⁵N signatures were used to map anthropogenic nitrogen through coastal surveys (island-wide and fine-scale) and algal deployments along nearshore and offshore gradients. Algal δ¹⁵N values of 9.8‰ and 2.0-3.5‰ in Waiehu and across the north-central coast, respectively, suggest that cesspool and agricultural nitrogen reached the respective adjacent coastlines. Effluent was detected in areas proximal to the Wastewater Reclamation Facilities (WWRF) operating Class V injection wells in Lahaina, Kihei and Kahului through elevated algal δ¹⁵N values (17.8-50.1‰). From 1997 to 2008, the three WWRFs injected an estimated total volume of 193 million cubic meters (51 billion gallons) of effluent with a nitrogen mass of 1.74 million kilograms (3.84 million pounds).     

Review of Carboniferous-Permian volcanicity in Scotland

The main Carboniferous outcrop in Scotland is in the Midland Valley rift, though rocks of that age also occur farther south along the English Border. The cyclic sedimentary sequence comprises up to 3,000 m. of Dinantian (mainly Viséan) and 2,000 m. of Silesian beds which at one locality or another include lavas or tuffs almost at every level. The distribution of these volcanic rocks is known in exceptional detail because of mining and exploratory borings in the Viséan oil shale field and in the various Namurian and Westphalian coalfields.The lavas and tuffs form part of an alkaline (sodic) magma series. Their outpourings were greatest in volume during the Dinantian, with the formation of the extensive lava piles which now form the Clyde Plateau (maximum thickness c. 900 m.) in the west, the Garleton Hills (c. 600 m.) and Burntisland Anticline (c. 400 m.) in the east, and the Kelso Traps of the Tweed Basin (c. 120 m.), the Birrenswark Lavas of Dumfriesshire (c. 90 m.), the Kershopefoot Basalt of Liddesdale (c. 60 m.) and the Glencartholm Volcanic Beds (mostly tuffs) of Eskdale (c. 180 m.) to the south. Most of the lavas are varieties of olivine-basalt, but subordinate trachybasalts, trachytes and rhyolites are included in the upper parts of the Clyde Plateau and Garleton Hills successions. The areas covered by individual lava fields are difficult to assess because they varied from time to time and occasionally overlapped.By the end of the Dinantian this form of activity had ceased everywhere except in West Lothian, where it continued into early Namurian (E₁). Thereafter volcanicity continued periodically from scattered centres and gave rise to relatively short-lived ash-cones. They formed in Ayrshire (E₁ age) but were most abundant in Fife, occurring there almost throughout the Namurian succession. The highly explosive nature of this phase of volcanicity is apparent from the rarity of associated lavas (though minor basaltic intrusions occur in the necks) and from the presence within the surrounding sediments of thin layers of tuff representing fine ash carried for distances of up to 32 km from source. These layers, some of which are kaolinized and are a variety of tonstein, are of local use in correlation.The explosive phase is now known to have continued throughout Westphalian A and possibly into Westphalian B in Fife, but in Ayrshire volcanicity was more intermittent and is represented by two outpourings of basalt lavas, one late Namurian to early Westphalian in age and up to 150 m. thick, the other Stephanian in age and 90 to 237 m. thick. The Stephanian lavas and associated necks in Ayrshire, like some of the necks exposed on the classic Fife coastal section on the Firth of Forth, were until recently believed to be Permian, but there is now no positive evidence of Permian eruption in Scotland.Two groups of intrusions cut the Carboniferous rocks. The most extensive is of alkaline dolerites which are co-magmatic with the basaltic lavas and tuffs, and are of similar geographic distribution. They form sills up to 120 m. thick and are probably of various ages up to Stephanian. It is possible that some of them were high-level reservoirs from which diatremes issued. The other group is of quartz-dolerite or tholeiite which forms a series of east-west dykes and a sill-complex extending over an area of about 1500 km² and having a maximum thickness of 127 m. Their age is late Carboniferous.The distribution of the Carboniferous volcanic rocks is not apparently related to the rift-valley, but is clearly linked in places to the earlier Caledonoid structures which determined the pattern of sedimentation. The lavas and, to a lesser extent, the tuffs, influenced the sedimentary processes by partially enclosing basins, by causing local anomalies in cyclic sequences and by providing sources of atypical sediment.

---

Zusammenfassung Im Midland Valley (Schottland) war der permokarbonische Alkali-(Na)-Vulkanismus besonders im Dinantium aktiv, wobei bis 900 m mächtige Laven (Olivinbasalte, untergeordnet Trachytandesite, Trachyte und Rhyolite) gefördert wurden. Gegen Ende des Dinantium hörte diese Art der Aktivität fast ganz auf, dafür setzte eine explosive, periodische Tätigkeit ein, die zu kurzlebigen Aschenkegeln führte. Ein Beweis für das früher angenommene permische Alter dieser Necks läßt sich nicht erbringen.Zwei Gruppen von Intrusiva sind in die karbonischen Sedimente eingedrungen. Die größere der beiden wird durch Alkali-Dolerite (Sills) gebildet, die co-magmatisch zu den Laven und Tuffen sind. Die andere besteht aus Quarz-Doleriten und Tholeyiten (vorwiegend Dykes), die spätkarbonisch bis frühpermischen Alters sind.Die Verbreitung der karbonischen Vulkanite ist nicht an das Midland Valley, sondern an frühere caledonische Strukturen gebunden und für den Sedimentationsprozeß von Bedeutung.

---

Résumé Le principal affleurement carbonifère en Ecosse se trouve dans le graben du Midland Valley, quoiqu'on rencontre les roches de cet âge le long de la frontière anglaise. La succession du cycle sédimentaire comprend jusqu'à 3,000 m. de roches de l'âge Dinantien (principalement Viséen) et à 2,000 m. des couches Silésiennes qui dans une localité quelconque comprennent des laves ou des tufs à presque tous les niveaux. La distribution de ces roches volcaniques est bien connu dans tous les détails à cause des mines et des forages.Les laves et les tufs font partie d'une série alkaline (sodique) magma. Leurs éruptions atteignirent leur maximum en volume pendant Ie Dinantien, avec la formation du Plateau de Clyde (épaisseur maximum 900 m. env.) à l'ouest, les Collines de Garleton (600 m. env.) et l'anticlinal de Burntisland (400 m. env.) a l'est, et les Kelso Traps du bassin du Tweed (120 m. env.), les Birrenswark Lavas de Dumfriesshire (90 m. env.), le Kershopefoot Basait de Liddesdale (60 m. env.) et les Glencartholm Volcanic Beds (des tufs pour la plupart) d'Eskdale (180 m. env.) au sud. La plupart des laves sont des variétés de basalte-olivine, mais des quantié peu considérables de trachybasalte, trachytes et rhyolites sont comprises dans les parties supérieures dans les successions du Plateau de Clyde et des Collines de Garleton.A la fin du Dinantien, cette forme d'activité avait cessé partout excepté dans l'Ouest Lothian, où elle continuait jusqu'au commencement du Namurien. Après cela le volcanisme continua périodiquement des centres dispersés, et donna naissance à des cônes de cendre de relativement petite durée. Ceux-ci se formèrent en Ayrshire (age E₁), mais on les trouvait beaucoup plus souvent en Fife, et on les y rencontrait presque pendant toute la succession namurienne. La nature explosive de cette phase de volcanisme est apparente par la rareté des laves et par la présence dans le sédiment qui se trouve dans les couches étroites de tuf, résultat du cendre fin porté jusqu'à 32 km. de sa source. Ces couches-ci dont quelques-unes furent transformées en kaolin, sont une variété de tonstein qui s'emploie beaucoup en corrélation. La distribution des quelques cheminées volcaniques coïncide aux structures nord—est d'un âge précarbonifère.La phase explosive est maintenant connue d'avoir continué à travers toute la Westphalie «Äs» et possiblement d'avoir pénétré dans la Westphalie «B» en Fife, mais en Ayrshire le volcanisme était plus intermittent et est représenté par deux éruptions de lave basaltique, l'une pendant la fin du Namurien jusqu'au début du Westphalien et d'une épaisseur de 150 m., l'autre du Stéphanien et d'une épaisseur de 90 à 237 m. Les laves du Stéphanien et les cheminées associées étaient classées auparavant comme Permien, mais maintenant il n'y a aucune évidence positive d'éruption permianique en Ecosse.Deux groupes d'intrusions scindèrent les roches carbonifères. Le groupe le plus étendu est fait de dolérites alkalines qui sont co-magmatiques avec les laves basaltiques et les tufs, et sont de pareille distribution géographique. Elles forment des silles d'une épaisseur jusqu; à 120 m. et elles sont probablement d'âges variés jusqu'au Stéphanien. Il est possible que quelques-une d'entre elles furent des réservoirs de haut-niveau desquels des diatrèmes sortirent. L'autre groupe est fait de quartz-dolérite ou tholéiite qui forme une série de dikes est—ouest et une sille-complexe couvrant une étendue de 1,500 km² et ayant une épaisseur maximale de 127 km. Leur áge est de la fin du Carbonifère ou du début du Permien.

---

- Midland Valley (). ( 900 ), , , . . : ) , , ) .

---

---

Published by permission of the Director, Institute of Geological Sciences.     

Iodine differentiation between different sized fractions in natural waters

Membrane filtration technique was applied to study the distribution of iodine and some other chemical elements (iron, manganese, aluminum, and silicon) in natural waters between different sized fractions (>0.45, 0.45–0.22, 0.22–0.1, and <0.1 μm). The paper presents analysis of factors able to modify the proportions of the adsorbed and dissolved species of the elements in waters. It is proved that up to 90% of the total amount of the iodine ion occurs in aquatic environments in the form of dissolved species (according to the current standard, in the fraction < 0.45 μm), with approximately 49% of the total concentration corresponding to the fraction of <0.10 μm. An increase in the acidity of the waters and their enrichment in finely divided organic and mineral material, and also an increase in Fe and Mn concentrations, may increase in the concentrations of the trace element in the particulate matter (up to 26% of the total iodide concentration). The greatest variations in iodine distribution between different fractions are found in the surface waters.     

Changes in the circulation of Tampa Bay due to Hurricane Frances as recorded by ADCP measurements and reproduced with a numerical Ocean model

Hurricane Frances is shown to greatly alter the hydrodynamics within Tampa Bay, Florida, and the exchange of water with the Gulf of Mexico in both observational data and a realistic numerical circulation model of the Tampa Bay estuary. Hurricane Frances hit Tampa Bay on September 5, 2004 with surface winds peaking twice near 22 m s⁻¹. There were three stages to the hydrodynamic effect of Frances on Tampa Bay. The first stage included the approach of Frances up to the first wind peak. The winds were to the south and southeast. During this stage sea level was maintained below mean sea level (MSL) and the residual current (demeaned, detided) was weak. The second stage began as the winds turned to the east and northeast, as the eye passed near the bay, and ended as the second wind peak appeared. During this stage the residual currents were strongly positive (into the bay), raising sea level to 1.2 m above MSL at St. Petersburg. The measured residual circulation peaked at over +0.7 m s⁻¹ near the surface. The model shows this velocity peak yielded a maximum volume flux into the bay of +44,227 m³ s⁻¹, displacing a total volume of 1.5 billion m³ in just a few hours, about 42% of the bay volume. In the third stage a strong negative flow developed as the wind and sea level relaxed to near normal levels. The ADCP measured a peak outflow of −0.8 m s⁻¹ during this time. Model results indicate a maximum flux of −37,575 m³ s⁻¹, and that it took about 50 h to drain the extra volume driven into the bay by Hurricane Frances.     

Coastal erosion vs riverine sediment discharge in the Arctic Shelf seas

This article presents a comparison of sediment input by rivers and by coastal erosion into both the Laptev Sea and the Canadian Beaufort Sea (CBS). New data on coastal erosion in the Laptev Sea, which are based on field measurements and remote sensing information, and existing data on coastal erosion in the CBS as well as riverine sediment discharge into both the Laptev Sea and the CBS are included. Strong regional differences in the percentages of coastal erosion and riverine sediment supply are observed. The CBS is dominated by the riverine sediment discharge (64.45᎒⁶ t a^-1) mainly of the Mackenzie River, which is the largest single source of sediments in the Arctic. Riverine sediment discharge into the Laptev Sea amounts to 24.10᎒⁶ t a^-1, more than 70% of which are related to the Lena River. In comparison with the CBS, the Laptev Sea coast on average delivers approximately twice as much sediment mass per kilometer, a result of higher erosion rates due to higher cliffs and seasonal ice melting. In the Laptev Sea sediment input by coastal erosion (58.4᎒⁶ t a^-1) is therefore more important than in the CBS and the ratio between riverine and coastal sediment input amounts to 0.4. Coastal erosion supplying 5.6᎒⁶ t a^-1 is less significant for the sediment budget of the CBS where riverine sediment discharge exceeds coastal sediment input by a factor of ca. 10.     

Observations on the asexual reproductive activities of the sessile stages of the sea nettleChrysaora quinquecirrha (Scyphozoa)

Twenty-seven colonies of wild scyphistomae ofChrysaora quinquecirrha were observed for a period of ten weeks during the summer. Asexual activities of individual organisms were recorded several times each week. Polyps most often proceeded to strobilate in mid-June and then strobilate a second time 18 days later. They then detached and changed position by means of stolons and then produced podocysts. Initial cysts first excysted and the resulting polyps then strobilated. A second strobilation was not generally observed. The developmental implications of these activities are discussed.     

Evaporation data from a Piche evaporimeter

Measurements with Piche evaporimeters have been conducted within a thermometer screen over a grass surface at several heights. The results show a good correlation with model calculations but differ somewhat in absolute value. Comparisons with the Penman potential evaporation results show a considerable overestimation. With a simple factor, or with a lower measuring position, the results can be brought in a better agreement. The idea of G. Stanhill was verified and proved to be useful only for long periods.