Microbially induced formation of ooid-like coated grains in the Late Cretaceous methane-seep deposits of the Nakagawa area, Hokkaido, northern Japan

Abstract   Ooid-like coated grains are found in the Late Cretaceous methane-seep deposits in the Nakagawa area, Hokkaido, Japan. The coated grains were examined using macro- and microscopic observations, electron-probe microanalysis, and biomarker analysis. They are round- to oval-shaped, with nuclei consisting of fractured sediment and micritic envelopes. The fractures probably occurred as a result of increasing hydrostatic pressure when the sediment was still unconsolidated or weakly consolidated. Biomarker analysis revealed that two types of molecules, crocetane and PMI, are predominant in the hydrocarbon fraction with highly negative carbon isotopic composition as low as −122‰ ( vs Vienna Peedee Belemnite). These data suggest that the coated grains were formed under the influence of anaerobic oxidation of methane, near the sediment/seawater interface. The presence of such grains indicates that methane-containing pore water reached the sea floor at that time.     

Empirical study of the infrared lattice vibrations (1100–350 cm−1) of phlogopite

A detailed evaluation of the assignments given to the infrared (IR) vibrations in the lattice stretching region is presented here based on observations of the effects of various chemical substitutions in synthetic analogues of phlogopite, KMg₃(AlSi₃)O₁₀(OH)₂. As in previous studies, this study has confirmed that the 995, 960, and 460 cm^?1 vibrations are influenced by Si, the 822 and 760 cm^?1 vibrations by Al, the 915 and 725 cm^?1 vibrations by Al and Si, and the 592 cm^?1 vibration by OH. Contrary to previous studies, it is shown here that the 690, 495, and 375 cm^?1 vibrations are strongly linked with Mg and not just Si. The 655 cm^?1 band in phlogopite is attributed to an in-plane Al-O vibration rather than an Al-O-Si vibration. As a check on the band assignments made here, IR spectra were obtained for synthetic clintonite, CaMg₂Al(Al₃Si)O₁₀(OH)₂, as well as its chemical analogues and compared with the IR spectrum of phlogopite. The band intensities for the Si-O, Al-O, and Si-O-Mg vibrations changed in accord with the composition of clintonite. The most intense band in clintonite at 660 cm^?1 appears to be associated only with Al and is assigned here to a tetrahedral Al-O-Al vibration which must be present, if not dominant, in this mineral. The near coincidence of an in-plane Al-O vibration at 655 cm^?1 (phlogopite) and an in-plane Al-O-Al vibration at 660 cm^?1 (clintonite) makes the identification of tetrahedral Al-Si order-disorder in trioctahedral layered silicates by IR spectroscopy very difficult. The ratio of the 822/995 cm^?1 bands may, however, prove to be very useful for discerning the amount of tetrahedrally coordinated Al in these types of minerals.     

Observations of the microwave emission of Venus from 1.3 to 3.6 cm

Laboratory measurements of Steffes (1986) have suggested that the intensity and shape of the microwave spectrum of Venus might be especially sensitive to the subcloud abundance of constituents such as SO2 and gaseous H2SO4. It was likewise suggested that some variations of the shape of the emission spectrum might occur between 1.5 and 3 cm (10 to 20 GHz), a wavelength range which had previously only been sparsely observed. As a result, coordinated observations of Venus emission were conducted at four wavelengths between 1.35 cm (22.2 GHz) and 3.6 cm (8.42 GHz) using the 43-m NRAO antenna at Green Bank, West Virginia, and the 64-m antenna at NASA's Deep Space Communication Complex, Goldstone, California. In this paper, we report the methodology and results of these observations, and compare the results with other observations and with calculated emission spectra. We conclude that the observed emission spectrum is consistent with an average subcloud abundance of gaseous H2SO4 in equatorial and midlatitude regions which is approximately 5 ppm. It is suggested that additional measurements of atmospheric microwave opacity be made with the Pioneer-Venus Orbiter Radio Occultation experiment to search for temporal and spatial variations in gaseous H2SO4 abundance in the Venus atmosphere. An upper limit for the subcloud abundance of SO2 is also determined.     

A simple new bioassay based on echinochrome synthesis by larval sea urchins

A simple, rapid and quantitative embryo-larval bioassay that uses changes in echinochrome pigment synthesis as an indicator of seawater toxicity has been developed to allow increased use of sensitive sea urchin bioassays where time, resources and technical expertise may be limited. Several 48 h embryo-larval tests were conducted with lowered salinity and increased concentrations of copper as the potential toxicants. At 48 h the larvae were examined for echinochrome pigment level (E), the number of embryos that had gastrulated (G) and the percentage of gastrulas that had developed to prisms (P). Relationships between the pigment levels (E) and morphological parameters (G and P) were investigated using simple and partial correlation analysis. Reductions in echinochrome levels were correlated with both G and P, and partial correlation analysis showed that changes in echinochrome levels are associated with G, P, or G and P, depending on the experimental conditions. The echinochrome measurement procedure appears to be as good as or better than the morphological examination technique since it is as sensitive, less variable and takes about 25% of the time required for morphological examination.     

Eocene drill holes in cold-seep bivalves of Hokkaido, northern Japan

Four specimens of the thyasirid Conchocele bisecta (Conrad) and one small specimen of the vesicomyid Hubertschenckia ezoensis (Yokoyama), each with a drill hole made by a naticid gastropod, were found at a cold‐seep site in the upper Eocene Poronai Formation of Hokkaido. This is apparently the oldest record not only of drill holes, but also of predation scars, in a cold‐seep fauna. In addition, drilled vesicomyids are known from several Miocene cold‐seep sites in Japan. We suggest that the Eocene and Miocene chemoautotrophic bivalves were drilled only in the shallow‐water settings preferred by most naticids. The lack of drill holes in Oligocene chemoautotrophic bivalves in the northwestern USA suggests that this innovation, which allowed naticids to prey upon highly toxic bivalves, first appeared in the western Pacific during the Eocene.     

Reconnaissance dating: A new radiocarbon method applied to assessing the temporal distribution of Southern Ocean deep-sea corals

We have developed a rapid ‘reconnaissance’ method of preparing graphite for ¹⁴C/¹²C analysis. Carbonate (～15 mg) is combusted using an elemental analyzer and the resulting CO₂ is converted to graphite using a sealed tube zinc reduction method. Over 85% (n=45 replicates on twenty-one individual corals) of reconnaissance ages measured on corals ranging in age from 500 to 33,000 radiocarbon years (Ryr) are within two standard deviations of ages generated using standard hydrolysis methods on the same corals, and all reconnaissance ages are within 300 Ryr of the standard hydrolysis ages. Replicate measurements on three individual aragonitic corals yielded ages of 1076±35 Ryr (standard deviation; n=5), 10,739±47 Ryr (n=8), and 40,146±3500 Ryr (n=9). No systematic biases were found using different cleaning methods or variable sample sizes. Analysis of ¹³C/¹²C was made concurrently with the ¹⁴C/¹²C measurement to correct for natural fractionation and for fractionation during sample processing and analysis. This technique provides a new, rapid method for making accurate, percent-level ¹⁴C/¹²C analyses that may be used to establish the rates and chronology of earth system processes where survey-type modes of age estimation are desirable. For example, applications may include creation of sediment core-top maps, preliminary age models for sediment cores, and growth rate studies of marine organisms such as corals or mollusks. We applied the reconnaissance method to more than 100 solitary deep-sea corals collected in the Drake Passage in the Southern Ocean to investigate their temporal and spatial distribution. The corals used in this study are part of a larger sample set, and the subset that was dated was chosen based on species as opposed to preservation state, so as to exclude obvious temporal biases. Similar to studies in other regions, the distribution of deep-sea corals is not constant through time across the Drake Passage. Most of the corals from the Burdwood Bank (continental shelf of Argentina) have ages ranging between 0 and 2500 calendar years, whereas most of the corals from the Sars Seamount in the Drake Passage have ages between 10,000 and 12,500 calendar years. Such differences may be caused in part by sampling biases, but may also be caused by changes in larval transport, nutrient supply, or other environmental pressures.     

Variation with Depth in Temperate Seagrass-Associated Fish Assemblages in Southern Victoria,Australia

Variability in the abundance and distribution of seagrass-associated fish assemblages was examined at different depths in a temperate bay in southern Australia. Depth differences in seagrass-associated fish assemblages are poorly known but this information is critical given that seagrass loss can occur at specific depths depending on the cause. Overall, 69 species of fish from 26 families were recorded, with higher species richness in shallow than deep beds, with 12 species found only in deep beds and 22 species found only in shallow beds. While the total fish abundance (i.e. abundance of all species recorded) varied between years and seasons, and to some extent between sites, it was significantly higher in shallow than deep seagrass beds in the majority of cases. Although there was some variation between sites, seagrass tended to be longer and have a higher biomass in shallow than deep beds during both spring and autumn throughout the study. A positive relationship between seagrass biomass/length and total fish abundance/species richness was apparent. Assemblage structure tended to be distinct at each depth, with the largest species recorded in shallow seagrass. Large numbers of small schooling fish, such as atherinids, dominated in shallow seagrass but were not found in deep seagrass. Loss of seagrass could therefore have varying implications for distinct assemblages found at different depths.