Short-term environmental variability in cold-water coral habitat at Viosca Knoll,Gulf of Mexico

The Lophelia pertusa community at Viosca Knoll (VK826) is the most extensive found to date in the Gulf of Mexico. As part of a multi-disciplinary study, the physical setting of this area was described using benthic landers, CTD transects and remotely operated vehicle observations. The site was broadly characterised into three main habitats: (1) dense coral cover that resembles biogenic reef complexes, (2) areas of sediment, and (3) authigenic carbonate blocks with sparse coral and chemosynthetic communities. The coral communities were dominated by L. pertusa but also contained numerous solitary coral species. Over areas that contained L. pertusa, the environmental conditions recorded were similar to those associated with communities in the north-eastern Atlantic, with temperature (8.5–10.6 °C) and salinity (～35) falling within the known species niche for L. pertusa. However, dissolved oxygen concentrations (2.7–2.8 ml l^?1) and density (σ_Θ, 27.1–27.2 kg m^?3) were lower and mass fluxes from sediment trap data appeared much higher (4002–4192 mg m^?2 d^?1). Yet, this species still appears to thrive in this region, suggesting that L. pertusa may not be as limited by lower dissolved oxygen concentrations as previously thought. The VK826 site experienced sustained eastward water flow of 10–30 cm s^?1 over the 5-day measurement period but was also subjected to significant short-term variability in current velocity and direction. In addition, two processes were observed that caused variability in salinity and temperature; the first was consistent with internal waves that caused temperature variations of 0.8 °C over 5–11 h periods. The second was high-frequency variability (20–30 min periods) in temperature recorded only at the ALBEX site. A further pattern observed over the coral habitat was the presence of a 24 h diel vertical migration of zooplankton that may form part of a food chain that eventually reaches the corals. The majority of detailed studies concerning local environmental conditions in L. pertusa habitats have been conducted within the north-eastern Atlantic, limiting most knowledge of the niche of this species to a single part of an ocean basin. Data presented here show that the corals at VK826 are subjected to similar conditions in temperature, salinity, and flow velocity as their counterparts in the north-east Atlantic, although values for dissolved oxygen and density (sigma-theta: σ_Θ) are different. Our data also highlight novel observations of short-term environmental variability in cold-water coral habitat.     

Dust processing in nova winds

We have radically re-assessed the conditions required for the formation and growth of carbon grains in the ejecta of novae. The stability and hence the ultimate fate of the grains is primarily determined by the degree to which they are annealed by the nova's ultraviolet radiation field.     

Water status in winter wheat grown under salt stress

1 IntroductionSalinization is one of the major problems in arid and semi-arid regions in relation to land use and in particular to agricultural production[1]. Excessive salinity leads to toxicity in crops and reduction of the availability of water to crops, by reducing the osmotic potential of the soil solution[2]. Movement of soil water induces solute transport, and solutes are transferred towards the ground surface by the upward soil-water movement caused by evaporation, resulting in an accu…     

Mechanical shaking and soil water affect the growth of Psammochloa villosa in the Mu Us Sandland

The Mu Us Sandland is basically characterized by water shortage and high wind. Thus, wind-induced mechanical perturbation (MP) and soil water availability are likely to interact to affect plant growth. Since high water availability and MP can induce responses that are in the opposite direction, we hypothesized that MP effects on perennial grasses might be mitigated by increased soil water availability in the Mu Us Sandland. We counducted an experiment in which seedlings of Psammochloa villosa were subjected to two levels of MP (non-MP vs. MP 1 min d⁻¹) and two levels of water availability (200 ml d⁻¹vs. 400 ml d⁻¹) and measured three plant traits. MP significantly decreased plant height, total biomass, and root/shoot ratio. There were significant interactions between MP and soil water availability on plant height and root/shoot ratio. These findings imply that MP alone is a stressful factor for P. villosa and MP effects on its growth can be partially mitigated by increased soil water availability, and also suggest that P. villosa may respond to MP in a way that allows plants to survive in the windy semiarid environments.     

Coordinated Study on Solar Wind Turbulence During the Venus-Express, ACE and Ulysses Alignment of August 2007

At the end of August 2007, Venus, Earth and Ulysses were aligned within a few degrees. This unusual event gives the opportunity to attempt a coordinated study on the radial evolution of solar wind turbulence and coronal transients like CMEs between 0.7 and 1.4 AU. Interplanetary magnetic field data and moments of proton velocity distribution function such as density, speed and temperature are required for this programme and will be provided by ACE at Earth, Venus Express at Venus and Ulysses at 1.4 AU. This project has been recently proposed as a Coordinated Investigation Programme (CIP35) for the International Heliophysical Year.     

Chromite growth,dissolution and deformation from a morphological view point: SEM investigations

The SEM investigations on some chromite crystals show significant morphological differences between cumulate chromites (from stratiform complexes and from ophiolites) and chromites from podiform deposits (ophiolites). The later exhibit a rounded habit and abundant pits which are both the result of dissolution processes. Accordingly, the interpretation of the silicate inclusions within these chromites and the interpretration of the trace-elements distribution need great care. The nodules, a typical structure of the podiform chromites, are explained by a magmatic growth followed by a progressive recrystallization. The accessory chromites which define the mineral lineation in the tectonite peridotites from ophiolites have been deformed by processes of intracrystalline gliding, stretching and dissolution. In the harzburgites, the orthopyroxene has progressively exsolved at sub-solidus (symplektites) vermicular to massive chromite displaying euhedral forms. In the dunitic lenses, the idiomorphic chromites which are aligned parallel to the lineation may have also recrystallized in a solid state.     

Precambrian palaeomagnetism in Australia I: Basic dykes and volcanics from the Yilgarn Block

The palaeomagnetism of 54 dykes sampled from the many swarms that intrude the Yilgarn Block of Western Australia shows that their directions of magnetization fall into five distinct groups.Preliminary Rb-Sr age determinations made on samples used in the study however, indicate that for one, and possibly two of those groups, the dykes belong to two widely different ages suggesting that the palaeomagnetic field has been sampled at two widely separated points in time but when its direction was essentially the same. The seven groups of directions thus obtained imply that the dykes belong to at least six, possibly seven periods of intrusion. Relative-age information relating to four of those periods, determined from cross-cutting and baked contact studies, agrees with that obtained radiometrically.The poles and ages of the groups are as follows: Group YA dykes (c. 2500 or c. 1700 m.y.) 21.7S 133.7E (A₉₅ = 17.9°) Group YB dykes (750—700 m.y.) 19.9S 282.0E (A₉₅ = 28.1°) Group YC dykes (1500 m.y., Group YB) 79.7N 2.7E (A₉₅ = 13.0°) Group YD dykes (1700 m.y.) 23.5S 46.1E (A₉₅ = 9.9°) Group YE dykes (c. 2500 m.y.) 28.3S 0.4E (A₉₅ = 31.0°) Group YF dykes (c. 1700 m.y.) 24.7N 101.8E (A₉₅ = 14.0°) Ravensthorpe dykes (2500 ± 100 m.y.) 38.3S 136.2E (A₉₅ = 25.5°)Results from eight samples of the 1390 ± 140 m.y. Morawa Lavas of the Billeranga Hills yield a pole at 42.8N 22.4E (A₉₅ = 14.7°).     

Thermal modelling of magmatic intrusions in the Gjallar Ridge, Norwegian Sea: implications for vitrinite reflectance and hydrocarbon maturation

Extensive magmatic activity took place in the Vøring Basin, offshore Norway, related to the Early Cenozoic rifting. The break‐up of the North‐Atlantic at the Palaeocene–Eocene transition induced strong volcanism. There are numerous magmatic sills below 3 km depth in the area. They are predominantly layer parallel and thin compared with their lateral extent. Igneous intrusions, sills and dykes affected the temperature history, and thus need to be taken into account in petroleum prospect analysis. We have calculated the temperature and maturity effects in the sedimentary layers in the Gjallar area associated with the emplacement of single sill and sill complexes. A 120‐m‐thick sill produces a theoretical vitrinite reflectance (%R₀) 0.8% higher than normal at a distance of 100 m from the sill. Vitrinite reflectance changes caused by a swarm of seven sills varying from 8 to 80 m in thickness were calculated. It is shown that the calculated thermal profile can account for the observed shift in vitrinite reflectance in the well. A two‐dimensional section crossing the Gjallar Ridge, consisting of numerous magmatic intrusions, is also modelled. The modelled geological development and temperature history over the profile show that there are significant maturation effects in the interval under investigation. Based on this work, the sill swarm observed in the area could more than double the fraction of the kerogen that has been transformed to petroleum at the (present) depth of 4 km.     

Erratum: Revisiting the Geometry of a Ternary Diagram with the Half-Taxi Metric

Mathematical Geosciences -