Probable causes for cyanobacterial expansion in the Baltic Sea: Role of anoxia and phosphorus retention

This study corroborates the hypothesis that nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria have probably occurred as an important component of the phytoplankton community in the Baltic Sea at least since brackish water conditions were initiated 8,500¹⁴C yr BP. Pigment analyses indicate that extensive occurrences started prior to a sharp increase in nutrient levels dated to 7,100¹⁴C yr BP. The cyanobacteria could have functioned as a natural trigger for eutrophication in the Baltic Sea by importing nitrogen. This is also verified by a contemporaneous drop in the δ¹⁵N values from 4‰ to around 2‰. We further conclude that the spreading of cyanobacteria was probably caused by a decrease in nitrogen∶phosphorus (N∶P) in the water mass that resulted from the intrusion of oceanic water with high P levels. The fractionation of P in sediments indicated that iron-bound P was efficiently sequestered under anoxic conditions that occurred as a consequence of the establishment of a stable stratification caused by the marine intrusion. This pool only showed minor variations around 3 μmol g⁻¹ at the freshwater-brackish water transition. All P pools except the CaCO₃ fraction showed a distinct increase around 9,300¹⁴C yr BP prior to the transition. We interpreted this increase as a change in preservation of organic matter or in the source of the sediment. Slightly after 4,000¹⁴C yr BP there was a dramatic drop in all P pools without any corresponding decreases in total N and carbon. Total P decreased from around 75 to 25–30 μmol g⁻¹. The most dramatic drop occurred in the organic bound and the detrital apatite fractions, which decreased by a factor of 3–4. We explain this as a preferential regeneration of P, especially organic P, compared to other nutrients due to more prevalent anoxic conditions.     

The attenuation of chemical elements in acidic leachates from coal mineral wastes by soils

The chemical attenuation of acidity and selected elements (aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, fluorine, iron, manganese, nickel, and zinc) in acidic leachates from coal mineral wastes by four natural subsurface soils has been investigated using laboratory column methods Leachate solutions were allowed to percolate through the soils under simulated natural flow conditions, and the elemental concentrations in the influents and effluents were measured periodically Elemental retentions were substantial for all species except managanese, which was eluted in excess from all soils except the most calcareous Two processes appeared to operate in decreasing influent concentrations: (1) precipitation of solid phases caused by increased pH of the leachate as it percolated through the soil, and (2) adsorption of elements onto exchange and sorption sites naturally present in the soil and on iron and aluminum oxide precipitates formed in situ from leachate components because of the increased pH The soil property most important in retention was its alkalinity Thus, carbonaceous soils provide the best control material for acidic leachates from coal mineral wastes. Results show that natural soils can substantially reduce pollutant fluxes to the environment from acidic coal waste dumps and should be considered when selecting waste disposal sites Performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy     

Prediction of Uplift Pile Displacement Based on Cone Penetration Tests (CPT)

Accurate prediction of uplift pile displacement is necessary to ensure appropriate structural and serviceability performance of civil projects. On the other hand, in recent years, machine-learning models have been applied to many geotechnical-engineering problems, with some degrees of success. The scope of this research includes three main stages: (1) the compilation of load–displacement data sets, obtained from the published literature, (2) analysis of machine learning models that predict the uplift pile displacement based on the cone penetration test data, and the relative importance of input parameters that have been evaluated using senility analysis by the artificial neural network, In addition, this paper also examines the different selection of input parameters and internal network parameters to obtain the optimum model, (3) A parametric study has also been performed for the input parameters to study the consistency of the suggested model. The statistical parameters and parametric study obtained in this research show the superiority of the current model. It is demonstrated that machine learning models such as ANN and GP models outperform the traditional methods, and provide accurate uplift pile displacement predictions.     

Coastal Habitat Use and Residency of Juvenile Atlantic Sharpnose Sharks (Rhizoprionodon terraenovae)

Coastal habitat use and residency of a coastal bay by juvenile Atlantic sharpnose sharks, Rhizoprionodon terraenovae, were examined by acoustic monitoring, gillnet sampling, and conventional tag–recapture. Acoustic monitoring data were used to define the residency and movement patterns of sharks within Crooked Island Sound, Florida. Over 3 years, sharks were monitored for periods of 1–37 days, with individuals regularly moving in and out of the study site. Individual sharks were continuously present within the study site for periods of 1–35 days. Patterns of movement could not be correlated with time of day. Home range sizes were typically small (average?=?1.29 km²) and did not vary on a yearly basis. Gillnet sampling revealed that juvenile Atlantic sharpnose sharks were present in all habitat types found within Crooked Island Sound, and peaks in abundance varied depending on month within a year. Although telemetry data showed that most individuals remained within the study site for short periods of time before emigrating, conventional tag–recapture data indicates some individuals return to Crooked Island Sound after extended absences (maximum length?=?1,352 days). Although conventional shark nursery theory suggests small sharks remain in shallow coastal waters to avoid predation, juvenile Atlantic sharpnose sharks frequently exited from protected areas and appear to move through deeper waters to adjacent coastal bays and estuaries. Given the high productivity exhibited by this species, the benefit gained through a nursery that reduces predation may be limited for this species.     

基于土壤-小麦系统的河南黄淮平原As生态安全评价

在研究河南省黄淮平原经济区土壤As对小麦籽实As含量影响的基础上,分析了土壤及籽实As的数据特征,并利用单项污染指数法,对研究区小麦籽实As的安全状况进行了评价,发现研究区小麦籽实中As的含量远远低于不安全标准。还进一步研究了土壤As全量与小麦籽实As含量之间的响应关系,同时根据提供的资料,对小麦籽实的As含量与土壤中As的某些形态的含量建立多元线性回归模型,从而通过食品质量标准推算出土壤中As的安全临界浓度。     

Multi-stage reaction history in different eclogite types from the Pakistan Himalaya and implications for exhumation processes

Metabasites were sampled from rock series of the subducted margin of the Indian Plate, the so-called Higher Himalayan Crystalline, in the Upper Kaghan Valley, Pakistan. These vary from corona dolerites, cropping out around Saif-ul-Muluk in the south, to coesite–eclogite close to the suture zone against rocks of the Kohistan arc in the north. Bulk rock major- and trace- element chemistry reveals essentially a single protolith as the source for five different eclogite types, which differ in fabric, modal mineralogy as well as in mineral chemistry. The study of newly-collected samples reveals coesite (confirmed by in situ Raman spectroscopy) in both garnet and omphacite. All eclogites show growth of amphiboles during exhumation. Within some coesite-bearing eclogites the presence of glaucophane cores to barroisite is noted whereas in most samples porphyroblastic sodic–calcic amphiboles are rimmed by more aluminous calcic amphibole (pargasite, tschermakite, and edenite). Eclogite facies rutile is replaced by ilmenite which itself is commonly surrounded by titanite. In addition, some eclogite bodies show leucocratic segregations containing phengite, quartz, zoisite and/or kyanite. The important implication is that the complex exhumation path shows stages of initial cooling during decompression (formation of glaucophane) followed by reheating: a very similar situation to that reported for the coesite-bearing eclogite series of the Tso Morari massif, India, 450 km to the south-east.     

Flow and transport predictions during multi-borehole tests in fractured chalk using discrete fracture network models

Multi-borehole pumping and tracer tests on the 10 to 100-m scale were conducted in a fractured chalk aquitard in the Negev Desert, Israel. Outcrop and core fracture surveys, as well as slug tests in packed-off intervals, were carried out at this site to obtain the parameters needed for construction of a stochastic discrete fracture network (DFN). Calibration of stochastic DFNs directly to the multiple borehole test data was inadequate. Instead, two equivalent deterministic DFN flow models were used: the vertical-fractures (VF) model, consisting of only vertical fractures, and the fractures’ intersections (INT) model, consisting of vertical and horizontal fractures with enhanced transmissivity at their intersections. Both models were calibrated against the multi-borehole response of one pumping test and their predictions were tested against three other independent pumping tests. The average accuracies of all transient drawdown predictions of the VF and INT models were 65 and 66%, respectively. In contrast to this equality in average drawdown predictions of both models, the INT model predicted better important breakthrough curve features (e.g., first and peak arrival times), than the VF model. This result is in line with previously assumed channeled flow, derived from analytical analysis of these pumping and tracer tests. Ronit Nativ, deceased, may her memory be blessed.     

Calibration measurements on the DEPFET Detectors for the MIXS instrument on BepiColombo

The Mercury Imaging X-ray Spectrometer (MIXS) will be launched on board of the 5th ESA cornerstone mission BepiColombo. The two channel instrument MIXS is dedicated to the exploration of the elemental composition of the mercurian surface by imaging x-ray spectroscopy of the elemental fluorescence lines. One of the main scientific goals of MIXS is to provide spatially resolved elemental abundance maps of key rock-forming elements. MIXS will be the successor of the XRS instrument, which is currently orbiting Mercury on board of NASAs satellite MESSENGER. MIXS will provide unprecedented spectral and spatial resolution due to its innovative detector and optics concepts. The MIXS target energy band ranges from 0.5 to 7 keV and allows to directly access the Fe-L line at 0.7 keV, which was not accessible to previous missions. In addition, the high spectroscopic resolution of FWHM ≤ 200 eV at the reference energy of 1 keV after one year in Mercury orbit, allows to separate the x-ray fluorescence emission lines of important elements like Mg (1.25 keV) and Al (1.49 keV) without the need for any filter. The detectors for the energy and spatially resolved detection of x-rays for both channels are identical DEPFET (DEpleted P-channel FET) active pixel detectors. We report on the calibration of the MIXS flight and flight spare detector modules at the PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt) beamlines at the BESSY II synchrotron radiation facility. Each detector was calibrated at least at 10 discrete energies in the energy range from 0.5 to 10 keV. The excellent spectroscopic performance of all three detector modules was verified.     

Millstone Hill Thomson scatter results for 1966 and 1967

Thomson (incoherent) scatter radar measurements of F-region electron densities and temperatures were made approximately twice per month throughout 1966 and 1967 at Millstone Hill for periods of 24 hr. Owing to the increase in sunspot activity the results display a rich variety of different types of behaviour. Geomagnetically quiet days tended to follow patterns observed near sunspot minimum. Thus in winter there is typically a marked diurnal variation in electron density with a peak near noon and often a smaller secondary maximum between 02 and 04 EST. In summer there is less day-to-night variation and the peak density is encountered near ground sunset. Usually h_maxF2 is higher in summer than winter and the layer thickness is larger also.Some magnetically disturbed days follow a distinct pattern in which N_max and h_max are normal during the first day of the storm until afternoon when they both increase to very high values. There is then a corresponding decrease in electron temperature. During the night the electron temperature often reaches abnormally high values, providing evidence of nocturnal heating. On the following day N_max and h_max are abnormally low.During 1967 instances in which the trough of low electron density moved south to occupy a position over Millstone became frequent. The electron temperature rose to particularly high values on these occasions. These morphological features are discussed in terms of current theoretical ideas. The results are also employed to derive seasonal variations of electron temperature and protonospheric heat flux. It is shown that since 1964 the protonospheric heat flux has been larger in winter than summer and displays a clear sunspot cycle variation.     

Radiation hydrodynamic simulation of a photoionised plasma experiment at the Z facility

New, high spectral resolution X-ray observations from astrophysical photoionised plasmas have been recorded in recent years by the Chandra and XMM-Newton orbiting telescopes. These observations provide a wealth of detailed information and have motivated new efforts at developing a detailed understanding of the atomic kinetics and radiation physics of photoionised plasmas. The Z facility at Sandia National Laboratories is a powerful source of X-rays that enables us to produce and study photoionised plasmas in the laboratory under well characterised conditions. We discuss a series of radiation-hydrodynamic simulations to help understand the X-ray environment, plasma hydrodynamics and atomic kinetics in experiments where a collapsing wire array at Z is used as an ionising source of radiation to create a photoionised plasma. The numerical simulations are used to investigate the role that the key experimental parameters have on the photoionised plasma characteristics.