Holocene record of productivity in the NW Iberian continental shelf

A multiproxy approach (textural characteristics, heavy metal concentrations and benthic foraminifera data) was adopted to study the OMEX core KSGX 40, collected at the Galicia Mud Deposit (NW Iberian outer continental shelf) and recording the last ca. 4.8 ka cal BP. Geochemical profiles of Fe, Mn, Zn, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Al and Ca show significant temporal variations. Benthic foraminifera productivity proxy suggests that the recorded muddy events were contemporaneous of a higher C_org flux to the marine benthic environment. The higher flux of organic matter, following a long-term intensification of the upwelling and coinciding with a finer sedimentation, led to depressed levels of oxygen beneath the water-sediments interface and to early diagenetic processes of several redox-sensitive elements.     

The effect of sea-ice extent in the North Atlantic on the stability of the thermohaline circulation in global warming experiments

Different climate models simulate different behavior of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) under the same global warming scenario. We propose a plausible explanation for this and argue that a proper simulation of the present-day climate in the subpolar North Atlantic is important. This is illustrated using results from idealized global warming experiments, in which both the radiative forcing scenario and the model employed are the same, with the only major difference being the initial subpolar North Atlantic climate. The initial conditions are made progressively colder, with more extensive sea-ice cover in the northern North Atlantic.The key result is that starting from conditions which are too cold in the North Atlantic and with sea-ice that is too extensive leads to an MOC that is more stable to the radiative forcing. Furthermore, under considerably underestimated sea surface temperatures in subpolar regions, the MOC can even intensify. A reduction of freshwater flux associated with the reduction of sea-ice melt is shown to be important for such unusual behavior of the MOC. Other mechanisms are also considered, but not deemed as important in explaining published inter-model differences.     

Untersuchungen über die Trübungsverhältnisse,die Durchsichtigkeit und die Wasserfarbe in schweizerischen Gewässern

Zusammenfassung Im ersten, der Festlegung der theoretischen Grundlagen der Trübung gewidmeten Kapitel wird die Sinkgeschwindigkeit kleiner Teilchen auf Grund der Gesetze der ?Schwebetheorie? vonWesenberg-Lund, W. Ostwald sowie der Stokesschen Formel diskutiert. Ein weiteres Kapitel orientiert anhand bisheriger Kenntnisse über die Erscheinungen der Lichtdurchl?ssigkeit (bzw.-absorption) und des Lichtklimas in verschiedenen Tiefen unserer Seen. Die Trübung der in einer Reihe von Flu?systemen und Seen erhobenen W?sser wurde mittels der absoluten Messung im Pulfrich-Stufenphotometer festgestellt. Sodann wurden die analysierten Proben nach steigenden Trübungswerten geordnet und unterteilt in ?Klarseen?, ?mitteltrübe? und ?trübe? Seen. Schliesslich wurde zusammen mitH. Züllig der Grad der Trübung, der Transparenz und die Seefarbe zueinander in Beziehung gebracht, wobei unterschieden wird zwischen Seen, die a) durch vorwiegend anorganische Stoffe, b) durch vorwiegendOscillatoria-armes Plankton, c) durch vorwiegendOscillatoria rubescens getrübt sind. Die in mehreren Tabellen und Abbildungen wiedergegebenen Werte der Wassertrübung spiegeln die unterschiedlichen Verh?ltnisse wider, die sich im Laufe einer ausgedehnteren Flu?strecke oder in einem See ergeben aus der Mischung des verschieden stark mit Schwebestoffen belasteten Wassers von Haupt- und Nebenfluss, sodann aus der fortschreitenden oder von Strecke zu Strecke wechselnden Sedimentation, und natürlich auch von der lokalen oder regionalen Wetterlage (Niederschl?ge und Schneeschmelze). In ausgedehnten und zum Teil über Monate hinweg durchgeführten Sedimentationsversuchen im Laboratorium wurde schliesslich der Kl?rvorgang von W?ssern verschiedener Herkunft in Funktion der Zeit untersucht. Dabei ergaben sich unterschiedliche Kurven, die ein Bild zu vermitteln verm?gen über den mittleren Durchmesser der die Trübung verursachenden sedimentierbaren, anorganischen Partikeln.     

Fluid composition and origin in the hydrothermal system of the Nezhdaninsky gold deposit,Sakha (Yakutia), Russia

Petrochemical characteristics of igneous, sedimentary, and metasomatic rocks; chemical and isotopic compositions of minerals and fluids; and PT parameters of mineral formation at the Nezhdaninsky deposit are reported. A model of hydrothermal system formation is developed on this basis. In addition to decreasing Ba/Rb and Li/Mg ratios in the course of the hydrothermal process, resulting in the formation of ore-bearing metasomatic rocks, increasing K/Ba and diminishing K/Cs ratios indicate the probable participation of magmatic fluid in the ore deposition. The agreement of the K/Rb and K/Ba ratios with the values typical of the main trend of igneous rocks (MT) implies that the K, Rb, and Ba contents were distributed in the ore-forming hydrothermal fluid according to the ratios in the source magmatic chamber. The K/Rb ratios in metasomatic rocks correspond to the MT and approach the pegmatitic-hydrothermal trend and the composition of orthomagmatic fluid of Mo-W greisen. Similar REE patterns of igneous and terrigenous rocks do not allow the REE source to be constrained unequivocally. The lithological control of lithophile element distribution testifies to the supply of host rock components to the hydrothermal system. All studied rocks and minerals are enriched in LREE. The REE total and the contribution of HREE decrease from preore to synore metasomatic rocks, from preore to regenerated carbonates, and from older to younger scheelite. A similar tendency is noted in granitoids of the Kurum pluton. The δ¹⁸O values of quartz range from +10.3 to +12.6‰ in Au-Mo-W zones, from +15.9 to +16.4‰ in metasomatic rocks, from +14.8 to +16.6‰ in gold-ore veins, and from +13.5 to +16.9‰ in silver-base-metal ore mineralization. The estimates of \(\delta ^{18} O_{H_2 O} \) suggest that water was supplied from a magmatic source (δ¹⁸O = +(5.5?9.0‰)) and as a product of sedimentary rock dehydration. High-temperature (up to 390°C) and highly concentrated (up to 31 wt % NaCl equiv) fluids participated in the mineral formation. The phase separation of the fluid into H₂O-CO₂ liquid and predominantly carbon dioxide gas was combined with mixing of a high-temperature and relatively highly concentrated chloride solution with a low-temperature and poorly mineralized fluid. The redox conditions varied from equilibrium with CH₄-bearing fluid at the gold-molybdenum-tungsten stage to equilibrium with CO₂-bearing fluid during the gold-ore stage.     

Occurrence and distribution of shortnose sturgeon,Acipenser brevirostrum,in the upper tidal Delaware River

Sampling in the upper tidal Delaware River between Trenton, New Jersey, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 1981 through December 1984 demonstrated the existence of a significant population of shortnose sturgeon. The sturgeon aggregate in the river channel during daylight hours, especially in the area between Trenton and Florence, New Jersey (river km 211.8 to 198.8). Occurrence in the river downstream of Florence appears to be restricted by poor water quality during summer months. Sturgeon were present in the study area throughout the year, but largest numbers were collected from May though November. No spawning was observed during this study, but presence of males with milt suggests that spawning possibly occurs in the Trenton area. Preliminary population estimates (Peterson, Schnabel and Seber-Jolly) indicate an adult population of approximately 6,000–14,000 shortnose sturgeon occupying the upper tidal Delaware River.     

SH-wave propagation in anisotropic inhomogeneous crustal layer

Summary In this short contribution,SH-wave propagation in an anisotropic inhomogeneous crustal layer lying on an yielding and rigid isotropic half space is considered. The inhomogeneity is assumed to be present in the directional rigidities and the density. The type of variation in elastic parameters considered herein, is such that the velocities ofSH-waves in horizontal and vertical directions are constant. The frequency equations, governing propagation ofSH-waves are derived for both the cases, i.e. (I) when the lower medium is yielding half space and (II) when it is rigid. Dispersion curves for these cases are also presented.     

The effect of random recharge on uniform steady free-surface flow in heterogeneous porous formations

The effect of parametric uncertainty in recharge rate and spatial variability of hydraulic conductivity upon free-surface flow is investigated in a stochastic framework. We examine the three-dimensional free-surface gravitational flow problem for sloped mean uniform flow in a randomly heterogeneous porous medium under the influence of random recharge. We develop analytic solutions for the variance of free-surface position, head, and specific discharge on the free surface. Additionally, we obtain semi-analytic solutions for the statistical moments of head and specific discharge beneath the free-surface. Statistical moments are derived using a first-order approximation and then compared with their parallel in an unbounded medium. The effect of recharge mean and variability on the statistical moments is analyzed. Results can be applied to more complex flows, slowly varying in the mean.