Deep‐water Corallium rubrum (L., 1758) from the Mediterranean Sea: preliminary genetic characterisation

The precious red coral Corallium rubrum (L., 1758) lives in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent Eastern Atlantic Ocean on subtidal hard substrates. Corallium rubrum is a long‐lived gorgonian coral that has been commercially harvested since ancient times for its red axial calcitic skeleton and which, at present, is thought to be in decline because of overexploitation. The depth distribution of C. rubrum is known to range from c. 15 to 300 m. Recently, live red coral colonies have been observed in the Strait of Sicily at depths of c. 600–800 m. This record sheds new light on the ecology, biology, biogeography and dispersal mechanism of this species and calls for an evaluation of the genetic divergence occurring among highly fragmented populations. A genetic characterization of the deep‐sea red coral colonies has been done to investigate biological processes affecting dispersal and population resilience, as well as to define the level of isolation/differentiation between shallow‐ and deep‐water populations of the Mediterranean Sea. Deep‐water C. rubrum colonies were collected at two sites (south of Malta and off Linosa Island) during the cruise MARCOS of the R/V Urania. Collected colonies were genotyped using a set of molecular markers differing in their level of polymorphism. Microsatellites have been confirmed to be useful markers for individual genotyping of C. rubrum colonies. ITS‐1 and mtMSH sequences of deep‐water red coral colonies were found to be different from those found in shallow water colonies, suggesting the possible occurrence of genetic isolation among shallow‐ and deep‐water populations. These findings suggest that genetic diversity of red coral over its actual range of depth distribution is shaped by complex interactions among geological, historical, biological and ecological processes.     

Genetic heterogeneity in populations of the Mediterranean shore crab, Carcinus aestuarii (Decapoda,Portunidae), from the Venice Lagoon

Heterogeneity in genetic composition among recruits, mostly due to a large variance in reproductive success mediated by oceanographic processes, has been reported for marine species but is less understood in coastal lagoons' organisms. Temporal genetic variation in natural populations of the Mediterranean shore crab Carcinus aestuarii was quantified over a multi-year sample. A total of 486 adult crabs were collected at eight different sites of the Venice Lagoon during the period 2005–2007 and screened for genetic variation using 11 microsatellite loci. Two additional samples (N = 115) from neighbouring sites, located approximately 100 km North and South to the Venice Lagoon, were included for the sake of comparison. Our results show significant differences in allelic frequencies at the micro-geographic scale of the Venice Lagoon, observed between sites of collection, typologies of habitat, and areas with different class of ecological risk or pattern of hemocyanin expression. However, this pattern was not constant between years, with significant differences observed mainly in 2005 and 2006, but not in 2007. Our results indicate significant temporal differences suggesting the existence of dynamic processes that act on the genetic pool of this species. Although natural selection and gene flow might play a role, we suggest that genetic drift linked to large variation in the reproductive success of individuals is the most probable scenario to explain the local genetic patterns of differentiation in the Mediterranean shore crab. Our study, by providing the first evidence for the existence of genetic differences in this species at the micro-geographic scale, suggests that a better comprehension of the link between reproduction, recruitment and oceanography is critical to understand how colonization and maintenance of genetic variation is achieved in ephemeral and vulnerable environments such as coastal lagoons.     

First GOCE gravity field models derived by three different approaches

Three gravity field models, parameterized in terms of spherical harmonic coefficients, have been computed from 71 days of GOCE (Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer) orbit and gradiometer data by applying independent gravity field processing methods. These gravity models are one major output of the European Space Agency (ESA) project GOCE High-level Processing Facility (HPF). The processing philosophies and architectures of these three complementary methods are presented and discussed, emphasizing the specific features of the three approaches. The resulting GOCE gravity field models, representing the first models containing the novel measurement type of gravity gradiometry ever computed, are analysed and assessed in detail. Together with the coefficient estimates, full variance-covariance matrices provide error information about the coefficient solutions. A comparison with state-of-the-art GRACE and combined gravity field models reveals the additional contribution of GOCE based on only 71 days of data. Compared with combined gravity field models, large deviations appear in regions where the terrestrial gravity data are known to be of low accuracy. The GOCE performance, assessed against the GRACE-only model ITG-Grace2010s, becomes superior at degree 150, and beyond. GOCE provides significant additional information of the global Earth gravity field, with an accuracy of the 2-month GOCE gravity field models of 10?cm in terms of geoid heights, and 3?mGal in terms of gravity anomalies, globally at a resolution of 100?km (degree/order 200).     

‘Palaeolago Fueguino’, a Late Pleistocene lacustrine basin located in the central sector of Tierra del Fuego: a seismostratigraphic study

At ~20 ka bp , lakes Yehuin, Chepelmut and Fagnano constituted a single, large water body in the central part of Isla Grande de Tierra del Fuego (southernmost Patagonia). The evolutionary history of this lake, known as ‘Palaeolago Fueguino’, was probably controlled by the advances, stillstands and retreats of the ‘Fagnano Palaeoglacier’, an outlet glacier that flowed eastward from the Darwin Cordillera ice sheet. A detailed analysis of high-resolution seismic reflection profiles acquired within the three lakes has allowed the identification and correlation of seven unconformities within the lacustrine sedimentary infill, three seismostratigraphic sequences in Lago Fagnano and four in Lago Yehuin. A seismic stratigraphic correlation between these sequences suggests that these basins formerly constituted a single, large lacustrine body. A lake-level curve of the evolutionary stages of each lake, derived from the seismostratigraphic analysis of the sedimentary infill is proposed here, representing a 17.5 ka-long record. It was further integrated with the glacial record of the advances and retreats of the Fagnano Palaeoglacier. This study has implications for interpreting the sedimentary history of lake basins in glaciated mountain ranges.     

Cross-scale: multi-scale coupling in space plasmas

Most of the visible universe is in the highly ionised plasma state, and most of that plasma is collision-free. Three physical phenomena are responsible for nearly all of the processes that accelerate particles, transport material and energy, and mediate flows in systems as diverse as radio galaxy jets and supernovae explosions through to solar flares and planetary magnetospheres. These processes in turn result from the coupling amongst phenomena at macroscopic fluid scales, smaller ion scales, and down to electron scales. Cross-Scale, in concert with its sister mission SCOPE (to be provided by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency—JAXA), is dedicated to quantifying that nonlinear, time-varying coupling via the simultaneous in-situ observations of space plasmas performed by a fleet of 12 spacecraft in near-Earth orbit. Cross-Scale has been selected for the Assessment Phase of Cosmic Vision by the European Space Agency.      

In situ observation of crystal growth in a basalt melt and the development of crystal size distribution in igneous rocks

The speciation of CO₂ in dacite, phonolite, basaltic andesite, and alkali silicate melt was studied by synchrotron infrared spectroscopy in diamond anvil cells to 1,000 °C and more than 200 kbar. Upon compression to 110 kbar at room temperature, a conversion of molecular CO₂ into a metastable carbonate species was observed for dacite and phonolite glass. Upon heating under high pressure, molecular CO₂ re-appeared. Infrared extinction coefficients of both carbonate and molecular CO₂ decrease with temperature. This effect can be quantitatively modeled as the result of a reduced occupancy of the vibrational ground state. In alkali silicate (NBO/t = 0.98) and basaltic andesite (NBO/t = 0.42) melt, only carbonate was detected up to the highest temperatures studied. For dacite (NBO/t = 0.09) and phonolite melts (NBO/t = 0.14), the equilibrium CO₂ + O^2? = CO₃ ^2? in the melt shifts toward CO₂ with increasing temperature, with ln K = ?4.57 (±1.68) + 5.05 (±1.44) 10³ T ^?1 for dacite melt (ΔH = ?42 kJ mol^?1) and ln K = ?6.13 (±2.41) + 7.82 (±2.41) 10³ T ^?1 for phonolite melt (ΔH = ?65 kJ mol^?1), where K is the molar ratio of carbonate over molecular CO₂ and T is temperature in Kelvin. Together with published data from annealing experiments, these results suggest that ΔS and ΔH are linear functions of NBO/t. Based on this relationship, a general model for CO₂ speciation in silicate melts is developed, with ln K = a + b/T, where T is temperature in Kelvin and a = ?2.69 ? 21.38 (NBO/t), b = 1,480 + 38,810 (NBO/t). The model shows that at temperatures around 1,500 °C, even depolymerized melts such as basalt contain appreciable amounts of molecular CO₂, and therefore, the diffusion coefficient of CO₂ is only slightly dependent on composition at such high temperatures. However, at temperatures close to 1,000 °C, the model predicts a much stronger dependence of CO₂ solubility and speciation on melt composition, in accordance with available solubility data.     

Localised strain in fissured clays: the combined effect of fissure orientation and confining pressure

Acta Geotechnica - This paper reports the main results of an experimental study on the mechanics of intensely fissured natural clays, extending our previous studies on scaly clay from Santa Croce...     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000024

We propose that the brittle-ductile transition(BDT) controls the seismic cycle.In particular,the movements detected by space geodesy record the steady state deformation in the ductile lower crust,whereas the stick-slip behavior of the brittle upper crust is constrained by its larger friction.GPS data allow analyzing the strain rate along active plate boundaries.In all tectonic settings,we propose that earthquakes primarily occur along active fault segments characterized by relative minima of strain rate,segments which are locked or slowly creeping.We discuss regional examples where large earthquakes happened in areas of relative low strain rate.Regardless the tectonic style,the interseismic stress and strain pattern inverts during the coseismic stage.Where a dilated band formed during the interseismic stage,this will be shortened at the coseismic stage,and vice-versa what was previously shortened,it will be dilated.The interseismic energy accumulation and the coseismic expenditure rather depend on the tectonic setting(extensional,contractional,or strike-slip).The gravitational potential energy dominates along normal faults,whereas the elastic energy prevails for thrust earthquakes and performs work against the gravity force.The energy budget in strike-slip tectonic setting is also primarily due elastic energy.Therefore,precursors may be different as a function of the tectonic setting.In this model,with a given displacement,the magnitude of an earthquake results from the coseismic slip of the deformed volume above the BDT rather than only on the fault length,and it also depends on the fault kinematics.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000231

The possibility of a net rotation of the lithosphere with respect to the mantle is generally overlooked since it depends on the adopted mantle reference frames,which are arbitrary.We review the geological and geophysical signatures of plate boundaries,and show that they are markedly asymmetric worldwide.Then we compare available reference frames of plate motions relative to the mantle and discuss which is at best able to fit global tectonic data.Different assumptions about the depths of hotspot sources(below or within the asthenosphere,which decouples the lithosphere from the deep mantle) predict different rates of net rotation of the lithosphere relative to the mantle.The widely used no-net-rotation(NNR) reference frame,and low(0.2°-0.4° /Ma) net rotation rates(deep hotspots source) predict an average net rotation in which some plates move eastward relative to the mantle(e.g.,Nazca).With fast(1° /Ma) net rotation(shallow hotspots source),all plates,albeit at different velocity,move westerly along a curved trajectory,with a tectonic equator tilted about 30° relative to the geographic equator.This is consistent with the observed global tectonic asymmetries.