Fifteen days of continuous activity survey at Stromboli volcano, Italy, in late September 2000: Doppler radar, seismicity, infrared, soil humidity, and mapping of the crater region

The intention of our study was to gain new insight into the complex interplay between different types of eruption of the Stromboli volcano by combining detailed field observation with different geophysical methods. We recorded more than 600 eruptions by use of continuous Doppler radar measurements. We detected the onset of the seismic precursor and the beginning of the visible eruption by use of seismic and infrared data. Two soil samples per day were used to monitor the effect of humidity on the eruptive style. We mapped the crater region as a reference base for the long-term morphological changes of the active region and for the exact positions of our measurement systems. Two distinct types of eruption were distinguished from each other on the basis of seismic and radar data - short, wide-angle Strombolian explosions and pulsating, sharp angle fountain-like eruptions. Data and visual observations imply that weather conditions significantly effect volcanic activity. We also interpret the intensification of eruptive activity during our field study as replenishment of the reservoir with a new batch of magma in late September 2000.     

Analyses of organic and inorganic contaminants in Salton Sea fish

Chemical contamination of fish from the Salton Sea, a quasi-marine lake in Southern California, could adversely impact millions of birds using the Pacific Flyway and thousands of humans using the lake for recreation. Bairdiella icistia (bairdiella), Cynoscion xanthulus (orangemouth corvina), and Oreochromis spp. (tilapia) were sampled from two river mouths and two nearshore areas of the Salton Sea. Muscle tissues were analyzed for a complete suite of 14 trace metals and 53 pesticides. Fish muscle tissues had concentrations of selenium ranging between 1.89 and 2.73 microg/g wet weight. 4,4'-DDE accounted for 94% of the total DDT metabolites. Total DDTs ranged between 17.1 and 239.0 and total PCBs between 2.5 and 18.6 ng/g wet weight. PCB congeners 132, 138, 153, 168, and 180 comprised over 50% of the total PCBs. Given the potential implementation of a commercial fishing at the Salton Sea in the future, the presence of persistent organic pollutants and selenium warrants further research into the effects of these mixtures on fish populations, and on wildlife and humans consuming fish.     

Climate change and North Sea storm surge extremes: an ensemble study of storm surge extremes expected in a changed climate projected by four different regional climate models

The coastal zones are facing the prospect of changing storm surge statistics due to anthropogenic climate change. In the present study, we examine these prospects for the North Sea based on numerical modelling. The main tool is the barotropic tide-surge model TRIMGEO (Tidal Residual and Intertidal Mudflat Model) to derive storm surge climate and extremes from atmospheric conditions. The analysis is carried out by using an ensemble of four 30-year atmospheric regional simulations under present-day and possible future-enhanced greenhouse gas conditions. The atmospheric regional simulations were prepared within the EU project PRUDENCE (Prediction of Regional scenarios and Uncertainties for Defining EuropeaN Climate change risks and Effects). The research strategy of PRUDENCE is to compare simulations of different regional models driven by the same global control and climate change simulations. These global conditions, representative for 1961–1990 and 2071–2100 were prepared by the Hadley Center based on the IPCC A2 SRES scenario. The results suggest that under future climatic conditions, storm surge extremes may increase along the North Sea coast towards the end of this century. Based on a comparison between the results of the different ensemble members as well as on the variability estimated from a high-resolution storm surge reconstruction of the recent decades it is found that this increase is significantly different from zero at the 95% confidence level for most of the North Sea coast. An exception represents the East coast of the UK which is not affected by this increase of storm surge extremes.     

Quantification of carbon flow from stable isotope fractionation in rice field soils with different organic matter content

Rice fields are an important source for the greenhouse gas methane produced by acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis. Fractionation of ¹³C/¹²C can in principle be used to quantify the relative contribution of these pathways, but our knowledge of isotopic fractionation during reduction of CO₂ and turnover of acetate in different methanogenic environments is still scarce. We therefore measured δ¹³C signatures in two types of anoxic Italian rice field soils, one with high and one with low degradable organic matter (OM) content. Both soils were incubated in the presence and absence of methyl fluoride, a specific inhibitor of acetoclastic methanogenesis. Optimization of methyl fluoride concentration resulted in complete inhibition of acetoclastic methanogenesis. CH₄ was then exclusively produced by hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis, allowing determination of the isotopic signatures and fractionation factors specific for this methanogenic pathway. Acetate, which was then no longer consumed, accumulated and was used for determination of the isotopic signature of the fermentatively produced acetate (both total acetate and methyl carbon of acetate). Hence, all isotopic signatures, including fractionation factors were determined for the methanogenic soil. These data, were then used for computation of the relative contribution of the two methanogenic pathways. In the high OM soil, the contribution of acetoclastic methanogenesis to total CH₄ production increased simultaneously with decreasing acetate concentration. In the low OM soil, methanogenesis from H₂/CO₂ was clearly greater than theoretically expected. Furthermore, isotope fractionation of hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis indicated that the in situ energy status of methanogens strongly depended on the availability of organic carbon in the rice field soil system. Collectively, our data show that the study of isotopic fractionation in methanogenic environments allows a deeper insight into the ongoing processes, which may be quite different in the same ecosystem with different content of degradable OM.     

The Bayesian approach to an internally consistent thermodynamic database: theory, database, and generation of phase diagrams

An internally consistent thermodynamic dataset has been derived for 148 endmember phases (145 solids and 3 fluids) comprising the elements Li, Na, K, Be, Mg, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn, Al, Si, C, H, and O. This has been achieved by simultaneous treatment of phase property (like standard enthalpy of formation, standard entropy, molar heat capacity, molar volume, thermal expansivity, bulk modulus etc.) and reaction reversal data by the Bayesian method. The theory underlying the approach, and the computational methods involved, are briefly outlined. (For the benefit of readers unfamiliar with inference statistics, the basic concepts of the Bayes method are also presented in such a way that they can be grasped intuitively.) Although not yet addressed, this method can be extended to refine the thermodynamic mixing properties of crystalline solutions. The sources of the input data, culled from the literature, are summarized in the Appendix. The resulting database is succinctly documented in this paper. It includes the enthalpies of formation and entropies, their uncertainties, and the correlation among them. The database allows calculation of P-T, T-X _CO2, P-X _CO2, and T-f _O2 sections, with error propagation into the computed phase diagrams on a routine basis. A user-friendly computer program has been written to generate such phase diagrams. It is public domain software. The software and the thermodynamic database (which includes a complete documentation of the thermodynamic data above and beyond those listed (Table 2, here) may be downloaded from the web site http://homepage.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/niranjan.chatterjee/Index.htm. Examples of computed phase diagrams are given to illustrate the quality of the data and the capabilities of the software. Received: 11 March 1998 / Accepted: 11 June 1998     

Comparison of Galerkin-type discretization techniques for two-phase flow in heterogeneous porous media

A comparison of Standard Galerkin, Petrov-Galerkin, and Fully-Upwind Galerkin methods for the simulation of two-phase flow in heterogeneous porous media is presented. On the basis of the coupled pressure-saturation equations, a generalized formulation for all three finite element methods is derived and analysed. For flow in homogeneous media, the Petrov-Galerkin method gives excellent results. But this method fails miserably for problems with heterogeneous media. This is because it is not able to capture correctly processes that take place at interfaces when, for instance, the capillary pressure-saturation relationship after Brooks and Corey is assumed. The Fully-Upwind Galerkin method is superior to the Petrov-Galerkin approach because it is able to give correct results for flow in homogeneous and heterogeneous media for the two models of van Genuchten and Brooks-Corey. The widely used formulation which is correct for the homogeneous case cannot be used for heterogeneous media. Instead the straightforward approach of gradp_c in combination with a chord-slope technique must be utilized.     

Petrogenesis of basalts from the project FAMOUS area: experimental study from 0 to 15 kbars

Tholeiitic basalt glasses from the FAMOUS area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are among the most primitive basaltic liquids reported from the ocean basins. One of the more primitive of these[Mg/(Mg+Fe²⁺) = 0.68;Ni= 232ppm;TiO₂ = 0.61] glasses (572-1-1) was selected for an experimental investigation. This study found olivine to be the liquidus phase from 1 atm to 10.5 kbar where it is replaced by clinopyroxene. The sequence of appearance of phases at 1 atm pressure is olivine (1268°C), plagioclase (1235°C) and clinopyroxene (1135°C). The sample is multiply saturated at 10.5 kbar with olivine (Fo₈₈), clinopyroxene (Wo₃₂En₆₀Fs₉), and orthopyroxene (Wo₅En₈₃Fs₁₂). From the 1-atm data we have measured (FeO/MgO) olivine/(FeO*/MgO) liquid (K′_D) for olivine-melt pairs equilibrated at 12 temperatures in the range 1268–1205°C.K′_D varies from 0.30 at 1205°C to 0.27 at 1268°C. Analysis of high-pressure olivine melt pairs indicates a systematic increase inK′_D with pressure.Evaluation of the 1-atm experiments reveals that fractionation of olivine followed by olivine + plagioclase can generate much of the variation in major element chemistry observed in the FAMOUS basalt glasses. However, it cannot account for the entire spectrum of glass compositions — particularly with respect to TiO₂ and Na₂O. The variations in these components are such as to require different primary liquids.Comparison of clinopyroxene microphenocrysts/xenocrysts found in oceanic tholeiites with experimental clinopyroxenes reveal that the majority of those in the tholeiites may have crystallized from the magma at pressures greater than ～ 10 kbar and are not accidental xenocrysts. Clinopyroxene fractionation at high pressures may be a viable mechanism for fractionating basaltic magmas.The major and minor element mineral/meltK′_d's from our experiments have been used to model the source region residual mineralogy for given percentages of partial melting. These data suggest that ～20% partial melting of a lherzolite source containing 0–10% clinopyroxene can generate the major and minor element concentrations in the parental magmas of the Project FAMOUS basalt glasses.     

Phosphorus accumulation rates in metalliferous sediments on the East Pacific Rise

Based on phosphorus, iron and manganese analyses in 16 cores (5 dated) from the crest and flanks of the East Pacific Rise and the Bauer Deep we estimate that phosphorus is being deposited about 20 times faster in metalliferous sediments near the rise crest than in adjacent flank deposits, and about 40 times faster on the crest than in the Bauer Deep. Almost all of the phosphorus on the rise crest is contained in poorly crystallized hydrothermal iron oxyhydroxides, supporting Berner's (1973) proposal of phosphate sorption by these phases. The phosphate is probably derived from seawater, but some hydrothermal contribution cannot be excluded at this time. Flux estimates indicate that metalliferous sedimentation could remove 15–40% of the pre-agricultural river input of dissolved phosphate.     

Glacial stratigraphy of East and Central Jutland

Glaciostratigraphic investigations at one key locality (Haldum), 9 major and about 160 minor localities in East and Central Jutland, Denmark, together with laboratory work, have led to the establishment of a stratigraphy consisting of 10 till units, usually separated by meltwater deposits. The stratigraphy is in some degree supported by thermoluminescence datings. The complete sequence includes one till unit with associated meltwater deposits of Menapian age, three till units with intercalated meltwater deposits of Elsterian age, marine sediments deposited during the Holsteininan, and three till units with intercalated of Elsterian age, marine sediments deposited during the Holsteinian, and three till units with intercalated glaciofluvial sedimants of Saalian age. Eemian deposits are present above this level, and the whole sequence is capped by till and meltwater deposits related to three glacial advances during the Weichselian.     

Bounce Rock—A shergottite‐like basalt encountered at Meridiani Planum,Mars

Abstract– The Opportunity rover of the Mars Exploration Rover mission encountered an isolated rock fragment with textural, mineralogical, and chemical properties similar to basaltic shergottites. This finding was confirmed by all rover instruments, and a comprehensive study of these results is reported here. Spectra from the miniature thermal emission spectrometer and the Panoramic Camera reveal a pyroxene‐rich mineralogy, which is also evident in Mössbauer spectra and in normative mineralogy derived from bulk chemistry measured by the alpha particle X‐ray spectrometer. The correspondence of Bounce Rock’s chemical composition with the composition of certain basaltic shergottites, especially Elephant Moraine (EET) 79001 lithology B and Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 94201, is very close, with only Cl, Fe, and Ti exhibiting deviations. Chemical analyses further demonstrate characteristics typical of Mars such as the Fe/Mn ratio and P concentrations. Possible shock features support the idea that Bounce Rock was ejected from an impact crater, most likely in the Meridiani Planum region. Bopolu crater, 19.3 km in diameter, located 75 km to the southwest could be the source crater. To date, no other rocks of this composition have been encountered by any of the rovers on Mars. The finding of Bounce Rock by the Opportunity rover provides further direct evidence for an origin of basaltic shergottite meteorites from Mars.