Age, geology, geophysics, and geochemistry of Mahukona Volcano, Hawai`i

The size, shape, and magmatic history of the most recently discovered shield volcano in the Hawaiian Islands, Mahukona, have been controversial. Mahukona corresponds to what was thought to be a gap in the paired sequence (Loa and Kea trends) of younger Hawaiian volcanoes (<4?Ma). Here, we present the results of marine expeditions to Mahukona where new bathymetry, sidescan sonar, gravity data, and lava samples were collected to address these controversies. Modeling of bathymetric and gravity data indicate that Mahukona is one of the smallest Hawaiian volcanoes (～6,000?km³) and that its magmatic system was not focused in a long-lived central reservoir like most other Hawaiian volcanoes. This lack of a long-lived magmatic reservoir is reflected by the absence of a central residual gravity high and the random distribution of cones on Mahukona Volcano. Our reconstructed subsidence history for Mahukona suggests it grew to at least ～270?m below sea level but probably did not form an island. New ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar plateau ages range from 350 to 654?ka providing temporal constraints for Mahukona’s post-shield and shield stages of volcanism, which ended prematurely. Mahukona post-shield lavas have high ³He/⁴He ratios (16–21?Ra), which have not been observed in post-shield lavas from other Hawaiian volcanoes. Lava compositions range widely at Mahukona, including Pb isotopic values that straddle the boundary between Kea and Loa sequences of volcanoes. The compositional diversity of Mahukona lavas may be related to its relatively small size (less extensive melting) and the absence of a central magma reservoir where magmas would have been homogenized.     

Sea‐cliff retreat and shore platform widening: steady‐state equilibrium?

We challenge the notion of steady‐state equilibrium in the context of progressive cliff retreat on micro‐tidal coasts. Ocean waves break at or close to the abrupt seaward edge of near‐horizontal shore platforms and then rapidly lose height due to turbulence and friction. Conceptual models assume that wave height decays exponentially with distance from the platform edge, and that the platform edge does not erode under stable sea‐level. These assumptions combine to a steady‐state view of Holocene cliff retreat. We argue that this model is not generally applicable. Recent data show that: (1) exponential decay in wave height is not the most appropriate conceptual model of wave decay; (2) by solely considering wave energy at gravity wave frequencies the steady‐state model neglects a possible formative role for infragravity waves. Here we draw attention to possible mechanisms through which infragravity waves may drive cliff retreat over much greater distances (and longer timescales) than imaginable under the established conceptual model. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimating gas saturation in a thin layer by using frequency‐dependent amplitude versus offset modelling

Various models have been proposed to link partial gas saturation to seismic attenuation and dispersion, suggesting that the reflection coefficient should be frequency‐dependent in many cases of practical importance. Previous approaches to studying this phenomenon typically have been limited to single‐interface models. Here, we propose a modelling technique that allows us to incorporate frequency‐dependent reflectivity into convolutional modelling. With this modelling framework, seismic data can be synthesised from well logs of velocity, density, porosity, and water saturation. This forward modelling could act as a basis for inversion schemes aimed at recovering gas saturation variations with depth. We present a Bayesian inversion scheme for a simple thin‐layer case and a particular rock physics model and show that, although the method is very sensitive to prior information and constraints, both gas saturation and layer thickness theoretically can be estimated in the case of interfering reflections.     

Celebrating 50 years of SWIMs (Salt Water Intrusion Meetings)

The Salt Water Intrusion Meetings, or SWIMs, are a series of meetings that focus on seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers and other salinisation processes. 2018 marks the 50th year of the SWIM and the 25th biennial meeting. The SWIM proceedings record half a century of research progress on site characterisation, geophysical and geochemical techniques, variable-density flow, modelling, and water management. The SWIM is positioning itself to remain a viable platform for discussing the coastal aquifer management challenges of the next 50 years.     

Winter rainfall interception by two mature open‐grown trees in Davis,California

A rainfall interception measuring system was developed and tested for open‐grown trees. The system includes direct measurements of gross precipitation, throughfall and stemflow, as well as continuous collection of micrometeorological data. The data were sampled every second and collected at 30‐s time steps using pressure transducers monitoring water depth in collection containers coupled to Campbell CR10 dataloggers. The system was tested on a 9‐year‐old broadleaf deciduous tree (pear, Pyrus calleryana ‘Bradford’) and an 8‐year‐old broadleaf evergreen tree (cork oak, Quercus suber) representing trees having divergent canopy distributions of foliage and stems. Partitioning of gross precipitation into throughfall, stemflow and canopy interception is presented for these two mature open‐grown trees during the 1996–1998 rainy seasons. Interception losses accounted for about 15% of gross precipitation for the pear tree and 27% for the oak tree. The fraction of gross precipitation reaching the ground included 8% by stemflow and 77% by throughfall for the pear tree, as compared with 15% and 58%, respectively, for the oak tree. The analysis of temporal patterns in interception indicates that it was greatest at the beginning of each rainfall event. Rainfall frequency is more significant than rainfall rate and duration in determining interception losses. Both stemflow and throughfall varied with rainfall intensity and wind speed. Increasing precipitation rates and wind speed increased stemflow but reduced throughfall. Analysis of rainfall interception processes at different time‐scales indicates that canopy interception varied from 100% at the beginning of the rain event to about 3% at the maximum rain intensity for the oak tree. These values reflected the canopy surface water storage changes during the rain event. The winter domain precipitation at our study site in the Central Valley of California limited our opportunities to collect interception data during non‐winter seasons. This precipitation pattern makes the results more specific to the Mediterranean climate region. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Controls on solid-phase inclusion during porphyroblast growth: insights from the Barrovian sequence (Scottish Dalradian)

A series of Barrovian sequence samples ranging from garnet to sillimanite zones were investigated to infer their porphyroblast-forming reactions and mineral inclusion histories. Quartz is overgrown and partly consumed during garnet formation and remains as inclusion-rich layers in porphyroblasts of the garnet zone. Staurolite crystals in the staurolite zone display sharp transitions between inclusion-rich and inclusion-free areas, suggesting two stages of growth with a different role of quartz in each. The inclusion-rich domains formed similarly to those in garnet by simple overgrowth and resorption of matrix minerals, with thermodynamic constraints suggesting that this staurolite-forming reaction required the presence of chloritoid that is now absent from the examined samples. The participation of garnet was limited in staurolite formation, with chloritoid breakdown supplying sufficient material to form the large amounts (c. 25 vol%) of staurolite found in the rock. This reaction produces an excess of SiO₂, which leaves the crystal domain as SiO_2aq and thus caused the formation of the inclusion-free areas in the staurolite and precipitation of quartz in the matrix. In the sillimanite zone, staurolite is consumed forming new garnet. The newly formed garnet has less quartz inclusions than its core due to a proportionally greater consumption of quartz by the second garnet-forming reaction than by the initial, garnet-grade reactions. Textural and thermodynamic data both suggest that inclusions in these porphyroblasts represent leftovers of a preferentially overgrown matrix than co-products of the porphyroblast-forming reaction.     

Horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) in an urban estuary (Jamaica Bay, New York) and the potential for ecological restoration

We assessed the suitability of intertidal habitats for spawning by horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus) at 12 proposed restoration sites identified by the United States Army Corps of Engineers along the shore of Jamaica Bay, a highly developed estuary in New York City. Based on beach geomorphology, we chose to quantify horseshoe crab activity at five of the sites during the May–July 2000 breeding season. Horseshoe crabs spawned intensively on small patches of suitable sand within larger areas of eroding shoreline with bulkheads and rubble fill. Small areas of sand behind grounded barges at Brant Point and Dubos Point had densities of over 100,000 eggs m⁻², which was equal to or greater than the egg densities on longer, more natural appearing beaches at Spring Creek and Dead Horse Bay, or at a sand spit at Bayswater State Park. There were no significant differences in the percentage of Jamaica Bay horseshoe crab eggs that completed development when cultured using water from Jamaica Bay or lower Delaware Bay, a less polluted location. Only 1% of the embryos from Jamaica Bay exhibited developmental anomalies, a frequency comparable to a previously studied population from Delaware Bay. We suggest that the distribution and abundance of horseshoe crabs at our study areas in Jamaica Bay is presently limited by the availability of suitable shoreline for breeding, rather than by water quality. Restoration efforts that increase the amount of sandy beach in this urban estuary have a good likelihood of benefiting horseshoe crabs and providing additional value to migrating shorebirds that use horseshoe crab eggs as food.     

Scale relationships in hillslope runoff and erosion

Eight runoff plots, located within a small catchment within the Walnut Gulch Experimental Watershed, southern Arizona, were constructed to test the argument that sediment yield (kg m^?2) decreases as plot length increases. The plots ranged in length from 2 m to 27·78 m. Runoff and sediment loss from these plots were obtained for ten natural storm events. The pattern of sediment yield from these plots conforms to the case in which sediment yield first increases as plot length increases, but then subsequently decreases. Data from the present experiment indicate that maximum sediment yield would occur from a plot 7 m long. Analysis of both runoff and sediment yield from the plots indicates that the relationship of sediment yield to plot length derives both from the limited travel distance of individual entrained particles and from a decline in runoff coefficient as plot length increases. Particle‐size analysis of eroded sediment confirms the role of travel distance in controlling sediment yield. Whether in response to the finite travel distance of entrained particles or the relationship of runoff coefficient to plot length, the experiment clearly demonstrates that the erosion rates for hillslopes and catchments cannot be simply extrapolated from plot measurements, and that alternative methods for estimating large‐area erosion rates are required. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ecology of testate amoebae (thecamoebians) in subtropical Florida lakes

Fifty-seven surface sediment samples from 35 Florida lakes were collected to study testate amoebae. Seven genera, 17 species, and 28 strains were identified in the 46 sediment samples from 31 lakes that contained testate rhizopods. Seven species accounted for ≥90% of the individuals in all samples. Sediment total phosphorus (TPsed), organic matter (OM), and total carbon:total nitrogen ratio (TC:TN) were measured to assess the effect of these variables on thecamoebian assemblages. OM content was the only sediment variable that influenced presence/absence of thecamoebians. Samples with <5% OM contained no thecamoebians. Lakes with multiple surface sediment samples showed high Morisita–Horn similarity values (0.74–0.99), indicating that all sites at which samples were collected in a lake provided representative thecamoebian assemblages. No relationship was observed between thecamoebian diversity indices and sediment variables. Lake trophic state and pH were examined to explore potential water column influences on thecamoebian communities. Highest thecamoebian diversity indices were found in mesotrophic to eutrophic lakes with pH near 8.0. These results suggest that water column conditions have a greater influence on thecamoebian assemblages than do sediment variables. We used multivariate analysis to evaluate the relations between water quality variables and testate rhizopod assemblages. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that alkalinity and pH are the water column variables that most influence the relative abundance of species. Thecamoebians thus hold promise as bioindicators of acidification in Florida lakes. Thecamoebian remains in lake sediment cores should be useful to infer past anthropogenic shifts in lake pH.