The macrobenthos of Lake Ontario during 1964 to 1966, and subsequent changes in the deepwater community

From January 1964 through January 1966, Dr. F.P. Ide and colleagues at the University of Toronto Great Lakes Institute (GLI) collected benthic macroinvertebrates from up to 63 stations during each of 16 cruises on Lake Ontario. This intensive survey was conducted at a time of rapidly increasing anthropogenic impact. Total invertebrate abundance decreased with increasing depth; this distribution was bimodal on the northern side of the lake, with peaks at ca. 35 and 80 m. Oligochaeta were more abundant along the southern than on the northern side of the lake, except in Humber Bay. The amphipodDiporeia was rarely collected at most stations near the mouth of the Niagara River. Chironomidae were most abundant in the Kingston Basin but were common throughout the lake at depths less than 50 m. Sphaeriidae were confined to water <100 m deep and were most abundant along the southern shore. When compared with the results of subsequent surveys of the deepwater zone, the GLI data provide evidence of two major shifts in the abundance of benthic animals. Numbers of Oligochaeta decreased by about 40% during 1965 and remained at the lower levels through 1990. The abundance ofDiporeia changed little from 1964 through 1977, but increased sharply between 1977 and 1981. These shifts do not appear to reflect implementation of controls on the discharge of phosphorus, or direct predation by fish. Changes in fish and zooplankton communities and inputs of toxic contaminants seem equally likely to be responsible for the shifts in the deepwater benthic community. We have proposed several predictions which could test the relative importance of biotic interactions or chemical stressors.     

Plagioclase zonation styles in hornblende gabbro inclusions from Little Glass Mountain,Medicine Lake volcano,California: implications for fractionation mechanisms and the formation of composition gaps

The rhyolite of Little Glass Mountain (73–74% SiO₂) is a single eruptive unit that contains inclusions of quenched andesite liquid (54–61% SiO₂) and partially crystalline cumulate hornblende gabbro (53–55% SiO₂). Based on previous studies, the quenched andesite inclusions and host rhyolite lava are related to one another through fractional crystallization and represent an example of a fractionation-generated composition gap. The hornblende gabbros represent the cumulate residue associated with the rhyolite-producing and composition gap-forming fractionation event. This study combines textural (Nomarski Differential Interference Contrast, NDIC, imaging), major element (An content) and trace element (Mg, Fe, Sr, K, Ti, Ba) data on the style of zonation of plagioclase crystals from representative andesite and gabbro inclusions, to assess the physical environment in which the fractionation event and composition gap formation took place. The andesite inclusions (54–61% SiO₂) are sparsely phyric with phenocrysts of plagioclase, augite and Fe-oxide±olivine, +/–orthopyroxene, +/–hornblende set within a glassy to crystalline matrix. The gabbro cumulates (53–55% SiO₂) consist of an interconnected framework of plagioclase, augite, olivine, orthopyroxene, hornblende and Fe-oxide along with highly vesicular interstitial glass (70–74% SiO₂). The gabbros record a two-stage crystallization history of plagioclase+olivine+augite (Stage I) followed by plagioclase+orthopyroxene+ hornblende+Fe-oxide (Stage II). Texturally, the plagioclase crystals in the andesite inclusions are characterized by complex, fine-scale oscillatory zonation and abundant dissolution surfaces. Compositionally (An content) the crystals are essentially unzoned from core-to-rim. These features indicate growth within a dynamic (convecting?), reservoir of andesite magma. In contrast, the plagioclase crystals in the gabbros are texturally smooth and featureless with strong normal zonation from An₇₄ at the core to around An₃₀. K, and Ba abundances increase and Mg abundances decrease steadily towards the rim. Ti, Fe, and Sr abundances increase and then decrease towards the rim. The trace element variations are fully consistent with the two-stage crystallization sequence inferred from the gabbro mineralogy. These results indicate progressive closed-system in situ crystallization in a quiescent magmatic boundary layer environment located along the margins of the andesite magma body. The fractional crystallization that generated the host rhyolite lava is one of inward solidification of a crystallizing boundary layer followed by melt extraction and accumulation of highly evolved interstitial liquid. This mechanism explains the formation of the composition gap between parental andesite and rhyolite magma compositions.     

Are there salinity stress proteins?

To establish whether osmotic stress can be separated from possible toxicant stress in Eurytemora affinis, protein synthesis was analyzed under various conditions of temperature and osmotic stress. Individual adult copepods raised at 10 ppt and 15 °C were exposed for 5 h to different temperature and salinity regimes. Newly synthesized proteins were separated and identified using SDS-PAGE and autoradiography. Copepods exposed to lower (2 and 5 ppt) and higher (15 and 20 ppt) salinities showed differences in the up- and down-regulation of specific proteins. Concurrent heat stress changed these protein patterns. These results suggest that protein profiles might be used to distinguish the effect of toxicants in a salinity gradient such as the Chesapeake Bay or in the Baltic region.     

Rediversion salinity change in the Cooper River,South Carolina: Ecological implications

A 70% reduction in freshwater discharge through the Cooper River Basin, South Carolina, has provided a unique opportunity to study changes in estuarine plant communities in response to a system-wide increase in salinity. A one-dimensional tidal prism mixing model was used to simulate the changes in the longitudinal salinity distribution which have occurred in the Cooper River since a diversion in 1985 reduced the mean flow from 442 to 130 m³ s^?1. Model simulations indicate that a salinity increase of 10–14‰ has occurred in the region of the river where the marsh plant community shifts from a virtual monoculture ofSpartina alterniflora to a more diverse brackish community. The flow reduction and associated salinity increase are expected to result in an increased dominance of the halophyte,S. alterniflora, and a progressive exclusion of the less halotolerant species which currently inhabit this region.     

Seismicity at White Island volcano, New Zealand: a revised classification and inferences about source mechanism

The classification of earthquakes at White Island volcano, New Zealand, has been revised to address problems in existing classification schemes, to better reflect new data and to try to focus more on source processes. Seismicity generated by the direct involvement of magmatic or hydrothermal fluids are referred to as volcanic, and that generated by fault movement in response to stresses caused by those fluids, regional stresses, thermal effects and so on are referred to as volcano-tectonic. Spasmodic bursts form a separate category, as we have insufficient information to classify them as volcanic or volcano-tectonic. Volcanic seismicity is divided into short-duration, long-period volcanic earthquakes, long-duration volcanic earthquakes, and harmonic- and non-harmonic volcanic tremor, while volcano-tectonic seismicity is divided into shallow and deep volcano-tectonic earthquakes. Harmonic volcanic tremor is related to sub-surface intrusive processes, while non-harmonic volcanic tremor originates close to active craters at shallow depth, and usually occurs during eruptive activity. Short-duration, long-period volcanic earthquakes come from a single source close to the active craters, but originate deeper than non-harmonic volcanic tremor, and are not related to eruptive activity. Long-duration volcanic earthquakes often accompany larger discrete eruptions. The waveform of these events consists of an initial low-frequency part from a deep source, and a later cigar-shaped part of mixed frequencies from a shallow crater source.     

Transport, retention and transformation of material in Australian estuaries

Australian estuaries can be classified into five groups on the basis of their hydrology: Mediterranean, Temperate, Transitional, Arid Tropical and Subtropical, and Wet and Dry Tropical and Subtropical. Most Australian estuaries (68%) are wet and dry tropical and subtropical systems. The five groups of estuaries found in Australia are similar to those found in other parts of the world, but within each individual category the estuaries are more variable. This variability reflects a combination of the extreme hydrology of Australian rivers and the geomorphology of Australian estuaries, which are shallow due to tectonic stability and low coastal relief. Episodic freshwater flows control the transport, retention, and transformation of material in most Australian estuaries, and for only a small part of the year during high flow events do most Australian rivers and estuaries contribute a significant amount of material to the continental shelf. Research and monitoring efforts need to be directed toward evaluating the role episodic freshwater discharges play in the functioning of Australia’s estuaries.     

Solar-cycle variation of the daily foF2 and M(3000)F2

Daily values of the ionospheric characteristics foF2 and M(3000)F2 for a given hour and month are correlated with the corresponding daily values of sunspot number using measured data collected at seven European locations. The significance of applying different-order polynomials is considered and the times are confirmed when the higher-order terms are important. Mean correlation coefficients for combined data sets over all hours, months and stations are determined, together with the standard errors of estimates. Comparisons are made with corresponding figures for monthly median values derived from the same data sets.     

Laboratory Column Experiments Using Polymer Mats to Remove Selected VOCs, PAHs, and Pesticides from Ground Water

Large-scale column experiments were undertaken to evaluate the potential of polymer mats to remove selected volatile organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and pesticides (atrazine and fenamiphos) from ground water and potentially to act as permeable reactive barriers in contaminated ground water environments. The polymer mats, composed of interwoven silicone (dimethylsiloxane) tubes and purged with air, were installed in 2 m long flow-through columns. The polymer mats proved efficient in physically removing (stripping) benzene and naphthalene from contaminated water. Removal efficiencies for both these compounds from an aqueous phase flowing past a polymer mat were 75% or greater. However, for atrazine and fenamiphos, removal efficiencies were 5% or less, probably as a result of their lower Henry's law constants and possibly lower polymer diffusion coefficients.
These experiments indicate that, at least for relatively volatile compounds, polymer mats can provide a remediation technique for the removal of organic compounds from contaminated water. Application of this technique may be well suited as a longer-term, semipassive strategy to remediate contaminated ground water, using natural ground water flow to deliver contaminated ground water to polymer mats engineered as sorption-stripping barriers.
Additional benefits of this technique may include targeted delivery of gaseous chemical amendments, such as oxygen, to enhance aerobic biodegradation and to further reduce any residual concentrations of contaminants.