Vertical abundance profiles of hydrocarbons in Titan's atmosphere at 15° S and 80° N retrieved from Cassini/CIRS spectra

Limb spectra recorded by the Composite InfraRed Spectrometer (CIRS) on Cassini provide information on abundance vertical profiles of C₂H₂, C₂H₄, C₂H₆, CH₃C₂H, C₃H₈, C₄H₂, C₆H₆ and HCN, along with the temperature profiles in Titan's atmosphere. We analyzed two sets of spectra, one at 15° S (Tb flyby) and the other one at 80° N (T3 flyby). The spectral range 600-1400 cm⁻¹, recorded at a resolution of 0.5 cm⁻¹, was used to determine molecular abundances and temperatures in the stratosphere in the altitude range 100-460 km for Tb and 170-495 km for T3. Both temperature profiles show a well defined stratopause, at around 310 km (0.07 mbar) and 183 K at 13° S, and 380 km (0.01 mbar) with 207 K at 80° N. Near the north pole, stratospheric temperatures are colder and mesospheric temperatures are warmer than near the equator. C₂H₂, C₂H₆, C₃H₈ and HCN display vertical mixing ratio profiles that increase with height at 15° S and 80° N, consistent with their formation in the upper atmosphere, diffusion downwards and condensation in the lower stratosphere, as expected from photochemical models. The CH₃C₂H and C₄H₂ mixing ratios also increase with height at 15° S. But near the north pole, their profiles present an unexpected minimum around 300 km, observed for the first time thanks to the high vertical resolution of the CIRS limb data. C₂H₄ is the only molecule having a vertical abundance profile that decreases with height at 15° S. At 80° N, it also displays a minimum of its mixing ratio around the 0.1-mbar level. For C₆H₆, an upper limit of 1.1 ppb (in the 0.3-10 mbar range) is derived at 15° S, whereas a constant mixing ratio profile of is inferred near the north pole. At 15° S, the vertical profile of HCN exhibits a steeper gradient than other molecules, which suggests that a sink for this molecule exists in the stratosphere, possibly due to haze formation. All molecules display a more or less pronounced enrichment towards the north pole, probably due, in part, to subsidence of air at the north (winter) pole that brings air enriched in photochemical compounds from the upper atmosphere to lower levels.     

欠发达地区农户消费行为空间结构演变特征——以湖北省黄冈市为例

农户消费活动空间是乡村空间结构的一种表现和组成部分,在受到乡村已有的物质空间和社会空间结构影响的同时,也不断塑造并形成新的乡村空间结构.在对湖北黄冈二程镇8个村100家农户的访谈和问卷调查的基础上,总结了农户消费行为空间结构演变的一般规律和影响机制.研究结构表明:10年来,农户消费的平均空间距离总体上有缩短趋势;农户消...     

青藏高原南部雅鲁藏布江蛇绿岩带的时空分布特征及地质意义

雅鲁藏布江缝合带是青藏高原上重要的缝合带之一,位于青藏高原南部,蛇绿岩是该带的主体。雅鲁藏布江缝合带按蛇绿岩的出露规模、岩石层序以及侵位时间,大致可以分为东段、中段和西段。在蛇绿岩出露规模上存在显著差异,东段规模较小,中段次之,西段最大,并且在西段分成两支蛇绿岩带;蛇绿岩岩石层序出露比较齐全的是中段日喀则和东段罗布莎,其他地方的蛇绿岩均被肢解,不能组成完整的蛇绿岩岩石剖面;在蛇绿岩的形成和侵位时间上,也有着不同的特点,东段和西段集中形成于晚侏罗世—早白垩世,而中段形成时间较早,时代从中三叠世一直持续到早白垩世,主要集中形成于晚侏罗世—早白垩世。笔者系统研究雅鲁藏布江缝合带蛇绿岩在东西方向上所表现出来的差异性,对更全面深刻地了解新特提斯洋的产生、俯冲及其消亡过程和演化历史具有重要意义。     

The impact of changing climate on phenology,productivity, and benthic–pelagic coupling in Narragansett Bay

The timing and magnitude of phytoplankton blooms have changed markedly in Narragansett Bay, RI (USA) over the last half century. The traditional winter–spring bloom has decreased or, in many years, disappeared. Relatively short, often intense, diatom blooms have become common in spring, summer, and fall replacing the summer flagellate blooms of the past. The annual and summer mean abundance (cell counts) and biomass (chl a) of phytoplankton appear to have decreased based on almost 50 years of biweekly monitoring by others at a mid bay station. These changes have been related to warming of the water, especially during winter, and to increased cloudiness. A significant decline in the winter wind speed may also have played a role. The changes in the phenology of the phytoplankton and the oligotrophication of the bay appear to have decreased greatly the quantity and (perhaps) quality of the organic matter being deposited on the bottom of the bay. This decline has resulted in a very much reduced benthic metabolism as reflected in oxygen uptake, nutrient regeneration, and the magnitude and direction of the net flux of N₂ gas. Based on many decades of standard weekly trawls carried out by the Graduate School of Oceanography, the winter biomass of bottom feeding epibenthic animals has also declined sharply at the mid bay station. After decades of relatively constant anthropogenic nitrogen loading (and declining phosphorus loading), the fertilization of the bay will soon be reduced during May–October due to implementation of advanced wastewater treatment. This is intended to produce an oligotrophication of the urban Providence River estuary and the Upper Bay. The anticipated decline in the productivity of the upper bay region will probably decrease summer hypoxia in that area. However, it may have unanticipated consequences for secondary production in the mid and lower bay where climate-induced oligotrophication has already much weakened the historically strong benthic–pelagic coupling.     

Increasing nutrient concentrations and the rise and fall of a coastal fishery; a review of data from the Nile Delta,Egypt

There is a conceptual basis, and some empirical evidence, that increasing nutrient loads to coastal waterbodies will initially increase ecosystem productivity up to a threshold, beyond which secondary productivity and fishery yields will decline. Here we have compiled data from the Egyptian and international literature for fish landings and inorganic nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) data from four large coastal lagoons (63–500 km²) on Egypt's Nile Delta to provide evidence for the initially positive, but then negative, response of fishery yields to increased nutrient supply across a very wide range of enrichment (up to 1 mM dissolved organic nitrogen, DIN). Taking the data from the four lagoons as an aggregate, fish landings increase with increased nutrients up to a peak in landings at approximately 100 μM DIN, beyond which there was an exponential decline in landings. It appears that pesticide and heavy metal contamination and overfishing played only minor roles in the lowered fishery yield at highest DIN concentrations. We do not have sufficient evidence about the specific mechanisms that led to the decline of the fishery, but suspect that some feature of eutrophication—low oxygen, for example, may have been involved.     

Eutrophication and the rate of net nitrification in a coastal marine ecosystem

Rates of net nitrification were calculated for four large (13 m³) estuarine-based microcosms that had been subjected to inorganic nutrient enrichment. Calculated rates were based on two years of weekly nitrate and nitrite measurements and ranged from a maximum of 0·55 μmol NO₂₊₃⁻ produced l⁻¹ day⁻¹ in the control tank (no enrichment) to over 13 μmol NO₂₊₃⁻ produced l⁻¹ day⁻¹ in the most enriched tank (receiving 18·6 μmol NH₄ l⁻¹ day⁻¹). Almost all NO₂₊₃⁻ production was pelagic, little was benthic. Net NO₃⁻ production or net NO₂⁻ production dominated the net nitrification rates during different seasons. Good correlations were found between various oxidation rates and substrate concentrations. The calculated net nitrite production rates were 10 to 1000 times higher than previously reported rates for open ocean systems, demonstrating the potential importance of nitrification to estuarine systems.     

A review of mantle xenoliths and their role in diamond exploration

An historical introduction to the geotherm and its significance for the existence of a diamond window at the base of the peridotite lithosphere is followed by a brief survey of types of mantle zenoliths (low T, high T and metasomatized peridotites, megacrysts or discrete nodules, eclogites and less common varieties). The similarities of eclogite xenoliths to the subducted eclogites with graphitized diamonds in the peridotite massif of Beni Bousera, northern Morocco, are reviewed. Diamond-bearing peridotite (Archaean harzburgite and lherzolite) and eclogite xenoliths are rare, having suffered excessive disaggregation. They do not necessarily relate proportionately to the types of diamonds in the host kimberlite/lamproite.Batches of single mineral species from disaggregated diamondiferous xenoliths, particularly garnets, form a realistic approach to diamond exploration. Nickel thermometry applied to Cr pyropes, developed by Griffin et al. (1989) Contr. Miner. Petrol. 103, 199–203, and barometry dependent upon Cr content in notional coexisting spinels, provide a realistic appreciation of the extent of the diamond window. Sodium and K pressure “indicators” in eclogitic garnets and clinopyroxenes are reviewed, but estimates are affected by mantle processes (metasomatism) and amounts of coexisting P and Ti.Metasomatic processes in the basal lithosphere are sourced in the underlying asthenospheric (megacryst) magmas. Depending on the degree and type of interaction they can result in the destruction of ancient diamonds or the growth of new peridotitic diamonds. Partial destruction or replacement of mineral indicators may also result and Cr garnets acquire distinctive quantifiable trace element signatures. High T minerals encapsulated in diamond are either relict from former ambient high T conditions or the result of localized thermal highs emanating from asthenospheric magmas (or plume/diapir).It is concluded that the fullest significance of the geochemistry (sensuo lato) of the diamondiferous debris erupted by kimberlites and lamproites, can only be made by reference to complementary geophysical, structural and isotopic studies of the surrounding cratonic country rocks. Thus, tectonothermal events which punctuate the varied evolutionary histories of cratons—plume migration, rifting, subduction/overthrusting, delamination, cratonization, flood basalt generation, regional metamorphism and metasomatism, etc.—can be manifested in the deep lithosphere environment, and cannot be divorced from questions of diamond formation and survival.     

Recovery of interior brackish marshes seven years after the chalk point oil spill

Seven years after the April 2000 spill of 140,000 gallons of a mixture of No. 6 and No. 2 fuel oils in the Patuxent River, Maryland, heavily oiled brackish marshes showed continuing effects. Stem density and stem height were significantly lower in oiled versus unoiled sites for Spartina alterniflora but not Spartina cynosuroides habitats. In contrast, belowground biomass was significantly lower in S. cynosuroides habitats but not S. alterniflora habitats. Total PAH concentrations were up to 453 mg/kg in surficial soils (0-10 cm) and 2921 mg/kg with depth (10-20 cm). The oil had lost 22-76% of its initial PAH content after seven years, although the oil in marsh soils has undergone little to no additional weathering since Fall 2000. Based on amphipod acute toxicity tests and sediment quality guidelines, 25% of the soils in the marsh are expected to be toxic (ESB-TU_FCV values > 3.0; P_Max > 0.65).     

Some challenges of an "upside down" nitrogen budget--science and management in Greenwich Bay, RI (USA)

When nutrients impact estuarine water quality, scientists and managers instinctively focus on quantifying and controlling land-based sources. However, in Greenwich Bay, RI, the estuary opens onto a larger and more intensively fertilized coastal water body (Narragansett Bay). Previous inventories of nitrogen (N) inputs to Greenwich Bay found that N inputs from Narragansett Bay exceeded those from the local watershed, suggesting that recent efforts to reduce local watershed N loads may have little effect on estuarine water quality. We used stable isotopes of N to characterize watershed and Narragansett Bay N sources as well as the composition of primary producers and consumers throughout Greenwich Bay. Results were consistent with previous assessments of the importance of N inputs to Greenwich Bay from Narragansett Bay. As multiple N sources contribute to estuarine water quality, effective management requires attention to individual sources commensurate with overall magnitude, regardless of the political complications that may entail.     

Manganese thermometer for mantle peridotites

The temperature dependence of the Mn-Mg distribution between garnet and clinopyroxene, originally proposed by Carswell, was confirmed by Shimizu and Allègre (1978) using ion microprobe and electron microprobe data. High precision electron microprobe analyses of a larger set of 52 Iherzolites from S. Africa and Malaita, Solomon Islands show considerable scatter in the temperature dependence of this distribution, and correlation with the CaO content of the garnet is indicated. A new distribution coefficient is based on the reaction: $$\begin{gathered} \operatorname{Mn} _{\text{2}} \operatorname{Si} _2 \operatorname{O} _6 {\text{ + }}\operatorname{CaAl} _{2/3} \operatorname{SiO} _4 {\text{ + }}\operatorname{MgAl} _{2/3} \operatorname{SiO} _4 \hfill \\ {\text{Mn - pyroxene grossular pyrope}} \hfill \\ {\text{ }} \rightleftharpoons \operatorname{CaMgSi} _2 \operatorname{O} _6 {\text{ + }}2\operatorname{MnAl} _{2/3} \operatorname{SiO} _4 \hfill \\ {\text{ diopside spessartine}} \hfill \\ \end{gathered} $$ It was calibrated against temperature determined from two independent thermometers (Wells pyroxene and O'Neill-Wood garnet-olivine) for Iherzolitic assemblages, and shown to to be sensitive to within + 50 °C for most specimens in the range 900 °– 1,300 ° C. This distribution coefficient appears independent of pressure within the uncertainty of the available data, and has the potential to be a third independent thermometer for use in garnet Iherzolites and possibly eclogites.