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.     

An empirical garnet (YAG) – xenotime thermometer

 A pronounced negative correlation between the yttrium concentration in garnet ([Y]_Grt) and temperature has been observed in xenotime (YPO₄)-bearing metapelites from central New England, USA. The [Y]_Grt decreases roughly two orders of magnitude (∼5500 to less than 100 ppm Y) over a 150 °C interval. A regression of ln([Y]_Grt) against estimated reciprocal temperature yields the following relationship:

The Equation of State of Lakes

In recent years, a number of workers have studied the stability of deep lakes such as Lake Tanganyika, Lake Baikal and Lake Malawi. In this paper, the methods that can be used to determine the effect that the components of lakes have on the equation of state are examined. The PVT properties of Lakes have been determined by using apparent molal volume data for the major ionic components of the lake. The estimated PVT properties (densities, expansibility and compressibilities) of the lakes are found to be in good agreement with the PVT properties (P) of seawater diluted to the same salinity. This is similar to earlier work that showed that the PVT properties of rivers and estuarine waters could also be estimated from the properties of seawater.The measured densities of Lake Tanganyika were found to be in good agreement (± 2 × 10^-6 g cm^-3) with the values estimated from partial molal properties and the values of seawater at the same total salinity (S_T = 0.568). The increase in the densities of Lake Tanganyika waters increased due to changes in the composition of the waters. The measured increase in the measured density (45 × 10^-6 g cm^-3) is in good agreement (46 × 10^-6 g cm^-3) with the values calculated for the increase in Na⁺, HCO₃ ^-, Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Si(OH)₄.Methods are described that can be used to determine the conductivity salinity of lakes using the equations developed for seawater. By combining these relationships with apparent molal volume data, one can relate the PVT properties of the lake to those of seawater.     

Heavy metal inflow into the floodplains at the mouth of the river Weiße Elster (Central Germany)

From 1998 to 2002 investigations were carried out to estimate both the quantity and quality (heavy metal contents) of suspended matter loads discharged into a floodplain area measuring approx. 5 km² of the Central German river Weiße Elster, a tributary of the river Saale in the Elbe river basin. Flood sediments, suspended particulate matter, and floodplain soils were investigated especially for the main pollutants Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, and Hg. Supplementary gamma spectroscopy examinations were performed to help to identify the age of deposits in order to estimate sedimentation rates for last decades. The recent flood sediments are contaminated by up to 33 times the geogenic background (Cd). Up to 55% of the total annual SPM load of the river Weiße Elster is relocated into the investigated retention area in the flood‐stricken year 2002. The sedimentation rates for the last 50 years vary between 0.5 mm/a and 1 mm/a in far away and rarely flooded parts and between 1 mm/a and 2 mm/a in the frequently flooded parts of the inflow of the retention area.     

Evaporation over a Heterogeneous Land Surface: EVA_GRIPS and the LITFASS-2003 Experiment—An Overview

The Evaporation at Grid/Pixel Scale (EVA_GRIPS) project was realised in order to determine the area-averaged evaporation over a heterogeneous land surface at the scale of a grid box of a regional numerical weather prediction or climate model, and at the scale of a pixel of a satellite image. EVA_GRIPS combined surface-based and airborne measurements, satellite data analysis, and numerical modelling activities. A mesoscale field experiment, LITFASS-2003, was carried out in the heterogeneous landscape around the Meteorological Observatory Lindenberg (MOL) of the German Meteorological Service in May and June, 2003. The experiment was embedded in the comprehensive, operational measurement program of the MOL. Experimental determination of surface fluxes on a variety of spatial scales was achieved by employing micrometeorological flux stations, scintillometers, a combination of ground-based remote sensing instruments, and the Helipod, a turbulence probe carried by a helicopter. Surface energy fluxes were also derived from satellite data. Modelling work included the use of different Soil–Vegetation–Atmosphere Transfer schemes, a large-eddy simulation model and three mesoscale atmospheric models. The paper gives an overview on the background of EVA_GRIPS, and on the measurements and meteorological conditions during LITFASS-2003. A few general results are discussed.     

Processing and quality control of flux data during LITFASS-2003

Different aspects of the quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) of micrometeorological measurements were combined to create a comprehensive algorithm which was then applied to experimental data from LITFASS-2003 (Lindenberg Inhomogeneous Terrain—Fluxes between Atmosphere and Surface: a long term Study). Eddy-covariance measurements of the latent heat flux were the main focus of the QA/QC efforts. The results of a turbulence sensor intercomparison experiment showed deviations between the different eddy-covariance systems on the order of 15%, or less than 30 W m⁻², for the latent heat flux and 5%, or less than 10 W m⁻², for the sensible heat flux. In order to avoid uncertainties due to the post-processing of turbulence data, a comprehensive software package was used for the analysis of experimental data from LITFASS-2003, including all necessary procedures for corrections and quality control. An overview of the quality test results shows that for most of the days more than 80% of the available latent heat flux data are of high quality so long as there are no instrumental problems. The representativeness of a flux value for the target land-use type was analysed using a stochastic footprint model. Different methods to calculate soil heat fluxes at the surface are discussed and a sensitivity analysis is conducted to select the most robust method for LITFASS-2003. The lack of energy balance closure, which was found for LITFASS-2003, can probably be attributed to the presence of low-frequency flux contributions that cannot be resolved with an averaging time of 30 min. Though the QA/QC system has been developed for the requirements of LITFASS-2003, it can also be applied to other experiments dealing with similar objectives.     

Biomediation of calcrete at the gold anomaly of the Barns prospect,Gawler Craton,South Australia

Anomalously high Au concentrations (2.5 to 50 ppb) in regolith carbonate accumulations, such as calcrete and calcareous sands in aeolian sand dunes overlying Au mineralisation of the Gawler Craton, South Australia, show a marked covariance of Au with K, Mg and most notably Ca. This relationship appears to be linked to the authigenic formation of smectites and carbonates within the aeolian dunes in the region. However, little is known about the processes involved in the formation of carbonates under semi-arid and arid conditions. In this study the geochemical properties of aeolian dunes along several depth profiles of 2 to 4 m are investigated in order to assess the relationship between Au mobility and calcrete formation. In the profiles a strongly systematic relationship between Au and the increasing Ca–Mg contents at depth highlights the close association between the enrichment of Au in the calcrete and the underlying hydrothermal mineralisation. Intense calcrete formation and concurrent Au enrichment also occurs in the vicinity of roots penetrating the dune. Thin section petrography and cathodoluminescence show that most of the calcrete in the regolith profiles is micritic; some sparic crystallites have also been identified. To demonstrate the presence of microbial processes that may mediate the formation of calcrete, samples from a depth profile in the dune were taken under sterile conditions. After amendment with urea and incubation of up to 24 h, up to 18 mg/l of NH₄⁺ were detected in near surface samples. At depth of 2.3 m 1 mg/l NH₄⁺ were detected compared to a control that contained below 0.05 mg/l NH₄⁺. These results suggest that the genesis of calcrete and pedogenic carbonate in the area may be partly biologically mediated via processes such as the metabolic breakdown of urea by resident microbiota which generates a pH and pCO₂ environment conducive to the precipitation of carbonate. In the process of urea breakdown organic Au complexes such as Au-amino acid complexes may become destabilised in solution and Au may be co-precipitated, resulting in the fine, non-particulate distribution of Au throughout the micritic calcrete carbonate. In conclusion, this study suggests a coupled mechanism of biologically mediated and inorganic mechanisms that lead to the formation of Au-in-calcrete anomalies.     

Dating of lower terrace sediments from the Middle Rhine area, Germany

Modern and known-age Pleistocene fluvial sediments were investigated by optical dating of quartz to test the suitability of the approach for dating deposits from the deeply incised Middle Rhine Valley. Samples from modern flood sediments revealed skewed distributions indicating different residual levels of equivalent dose (D_e) within the different aliquots. Nevertheless, a substantial number of aliquots from the modern deposits reflect D_e values close to zero. For the Pleistocene samples, optical ages are in general consistent with age control given by the presence of the Laacher See Tephra and radiocarbon dating. However, some samples overestimate the known age by a few thousand years when using the arithmetic mean. This is apparently explained by including aliquots in the determination of mean D_e where the optical signal was incompletely bleached at deposition. The most difficult issue in this context is identifying a suitable approach that can distinguish between the variability of D_e due to partial bleaching and microdosimetry. However, even when considering these limitations it appears that optical dating will by a quite suitable method to date Pleistocene sediments from such a complex fluvial environment, especially when focusing on a precision scale beyond a few thousand years.     

北阿尔金巴什考供-斯米尔布拉克花岗杂岩特征及锆石SHRIMP U-Pb定年

北阿尔金巴什考供-斯米尔布拉克杂岩体位于巴什考供盆地北缘, 呈东西向展布, 宽约 2~6 km, 长约30 km, 出露面积约140 km². 主要由灰黑色石英闪长岩、灰白色花岗岩、粉红色花岗岩和花岗伟晶岩组成. 围岩为前寒武系片岩、变质泥岩及变质凝灰岩. 岩石地球化学特征表明, 石英闪长岩属钙碱性系列, 具有Ⅰ型花岗岩的属性; 而粉红色和灰白色花岗岩属高钾钙碱性系列, 具有S型花岗岩的属性. 锆石SHRIMP定年结果表明, 石英闪长岩的年龄为(481.6±5.6) Ma, 而灰白色花岗岩和粉红色花岗岩的年龄在误差范围内基本一致, 分别为(437.0±3.0)~(433.1±3.4) Ma 和(443±11)~(434.6±1.6) Ma. 结合区域地质特征, 认为石英闪长岩可能形成于洋壳俯冲环境, 而灰白色和粉红色花岗岩可能形成于碰撞后环境.     

Investigating the amount of zeroing in modern sediments of River Danube, Austria

Sediments attributed to flooding events of River Danube concerning the bleaching of the optical stimulated luminescence (OSL) signal were investigated. It is demonstrated that the OSL signal in both quartz and feldspar is not completely but differentially bleached in the sediment grains. Partial bleaching of the samples is clearly indicated by the scatter of equivalent dose determined for several individual single aliquots. It is also shown that residual ages in feldspars are significantly higher than those calculated for quartz. It is furthermore demonstrated that analysing measurement-time dependent equivalent dose estimates is not a suitable method to identify partial bleaching in the investigated sediment grains. However, the transport and deposition process of the investigated samples was probably disturbed by an artificial input of sediment, and this case study may thus not be representative of undisturbed high flood events in the past.