Solution-collapse depressions and suspensates in the limnocrenic lake of banyoles (ne Spain)

A high resolution seismic reflection survey in the Banyoles limnocrenic solution lake allowed penetration of dense suspensates occupying cone-like bottom depressions of different size. The depressions result from the dissolution and collapse of underlying Eocene calcareous and gypsiferous materials over which lacustrine sediments of varying thicknesses have accumulated. The suspensates occupying the depressions present three main types of seismic signatures: stratified, semistratified, and transparent. The densities of the suspensates and the water depths of their tops, which fluctuate continuously, vary from one depression to another. The maximum seismically recorded suspensate thickness is 44 m. Morphological and structural features, seismic characters, and variable degrees of hydraulic activity, point to the existence of different stages of maturity in the lake bottom depressions. This work brings new insight on the dynamics and evolution of limnocrenic solution lakes.     

Analysis of solitary disturbances over an Antarctic Ice Shelf

Large amplitude, propagating, solitary disturbances have been observed in the atmospheric boundary layer over a gently sloping Antarctic Ice Shelf. The waves are usually trapped within the lowest 40 m and are observed only when the surface layer is strongly stably stratified and prevailing wind speeds are low. It is shown that the waves are trapped due to the combined effects of velocity curvature and stratification. The observed wavelengths can be bounded using simple heuristic arguments based on the Scorer parameter. Properties of the waves are compared with results from the weakly nonlinear numerical model of Rottman and Einaudi (1993).     

Hydrocarbons in 60 northeast Gulf of Mexico shelf sediments: a preliminary survey

Hydrocarbon results from gas chromatography of 60 recent sediment and 10 benthic algae samples delineate two distinct shelf environments in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico.Sediments off Florida (shell hashes and sands) have moderate amounts of lipids/total sediment (average 113ppm ± 80%) but low hydrocarbon levels (average 3.06 ppm ± 41%). Aliphatic hydrocarbons are dominated by a series of branched or cyclic, unsaturated C₂₅ isomers. The major n-alkane is n-C₁₇. The n-alkane and isoprenoid patterns are consistent with a marine hydrocarbon source.Sediments closer to the Mississippi River (silts and clays) contain large amounts of lipids (average 232 ppm ± 53%) and hydrocarbons (average 11.7 ppm ± 55%) to total sediment. Aliphatic hydrocarbons are mainly odd carbon number high molecular weight n-alkanes, indicating a terrigenous hydrocarbon source. Isoprenoids are present in greater abundance than in sediments off Florida (n-C₁₇/ pristane and n-C₁₈/phytane ratios ~2to 3). Relatively large amounts of n-C₁₆, together with an even distribution of n-alkanes in the range C₁₄–C₂₀ and a substantial unresolved envelope all point to a fossil fuel input to the Mississippi samples.Samples off the Alabama coast show intermediate characteristics.     

Patterns of oxygen isotope depletion,multiple hydrothermal circulation systems,and the cooling history of the Stony Mountain intrusive complex,Colorado

Oxygen isotopic compositions of 27 whole rock and mineral samples from the three intrusive phases of the Stony Mountain stock, San Juan Mountains, Colorado, have been measured and are combined with published analyses to obtain a history of the meteoric water circulation that cooled the intrusions. The order of intrusion was: the Outer Diorite, the Gabbro and the Inner Diorite. The new whole rock data give δ¹⁸O (SMOW) + 1.9 to + 3.7‰ for the Gabbro, and + 0.4 to + 4.9‰ for the Inner Diorite. Five mineral analyses are reported for the Inner Diorite: three feldspars (ranging from + 0.2 to + 4.3), one quartz (+8.2), and one pyroxene (+5.3).All three intrusions are significantly depleted in¹⁸O relative to normal igneous rocks. This depletion occurred by subsolidus exchange of oxygen isotopes, as shown by the correlation between the extent of depletion and the grain size, and by the non-equilibrium¹⁸O concentrations in coexisting minerals. The patterns of¹⁸O depletion, which are complex, suggest that separate hydrothermal circulation systems were set up by the cooling of each intrusion in turn.The minimum water to rock ratio required to effect the observed depletion in the Inner Diorite is approximately 0.18, although the ratio for the total flux was probably much greater. The mineral data show marked¹⁸O depletion in the feldspars and little, if any, depletion in the quartz. Application of oxygen diffusion data for feldspar and quartz leads to the conclusion that the effective temperature for oxygen isotope exchange was below 600°C and above 400°C. Furthermore, these data place constraints on convective cooling times for this intrusion. Minimum times for cooling of the 500-m-diameter Inner Diorite through this temperature range are on the order of 14 to 900 years. For comparison, a maximum time limit of 4000 years would be needed if cooling occurred only by conduction.     

Enchytraeid oligochaetes as marine pollution indicators

Fifteen species of enchytraeid oligochaetes have been collected from a pulp mill waste receiving area. Of these, one species Lumbricillus lineatus which is a known stressresistant intertidal form is predominant within 1.5 km of the mill outfall. Beyond that distance the species is replaced by a variable association of 14 other species from the genera Lumbricillus, Marionina and Enchytraeus. L. lineatus is common in Europe and eastern North America in upper intertidal drift habitats, but on the Pacific Coast is not indigenous. In British Columbia it has only been collected adjacent to three pulp mills, not at five other such mills, nor at ten undisturbed intertidal stations at each of which a diverse association of Enchytraeid species occurs. L. lineatus can serve as an index of the impact of pulp mill effluent at the site investigated. The most practical index is percentage of total adult enchytraeids represented by L. lineatus.     

Cerdanya basin geometry and its implication on the Neocene evolution of the Eastern Pyrenees

Cerdanya is a Neogene half-graben basin that lies over the Palaeozoic rocks of the Eastern Pyrenean Axial Zone. Subvertical fault scarps bound the half-graben at the southern and southeastern margins, but Neogene sediments may directly overlap Palaeozoic rocks in the northern margin.Vertical electrical soundings show that the Miocene sequence reaches a maximum thickness of over 700 m and that fine-grained lacustrine deposits from the central part of the basin grade to coarser fluvial deposits toward the margins.Macro- and micro-structural data analyzed in Cerdanya and other related Neogene basins, such as Rosselló, Confient, Capcir and Seu d'Urgell, suggest that they formed as a consequence of transtensile motion along an old northeastern-trending fault. The stress situation favoured sinistral movements along east-trending faults.     

Cavity formation in living scleractinian reef corals and fossil analogues

The origin of cavitous fabrics in some living scleractinian coral-dominated communities from the Florida Reef tract is examined in terms of comparative laboratory growth experiments designed to distinguish the micro-environmental role of living organic matter.The communities were sustained in an open sea water aquarium for 12 months; during which they were sequentially (1) stained to provide growth markers on the calcareous skeletons with Alizarin Red S; (2), stained, immediately after killing, to distinguish their associated tissues and organic matter with Harris' Haematoxylin and Eosin; and (3) thereupon impregnated with polyester resin so they could be compared with fossil samples. This enabled recognition of (1) comparable preservational states in three dimensional studies of both recent and fossil material; (2) the relationship between living soft tissues and newly developed carbonate matter in a single specimen; (3) skeletal malformations and their distinction from skeletal diagenetic products; (4) comparative growth and destruction rates between the host and its intraskeletal community and epibionts; and (5) the development of porosity and incipient cavity filling.The fabrics of two contrasting communities (1) a predominantly tissue clad colony ofPorites furcata (Lamarck), and (2) an almost tissue-free colony ofEusmilia fastigiata (Pallas) are compared with a control branch of thePorites colony which protruded beyond the water level. The tissue-clad colony acts as a closed system which is sensitive to major, or seasonal, envir nmental changes; whereas, the naked colony forms an open system and is thus sensitive to many more micro-environmental influences, some of which will be ephemeral.The tissue clad specimen contains proportionately more intraskeletal carbonate cement (<25%) than the naked specimen (<10%). This precipitate reaches its thickest accumulates (25%) in the areas immediately below the living polypal tissues; whereas in the core of the branch, the precipitate (5%) overlies septa which have been subjected to contemporaneous dissolution (<20%). By contrast the naked colony is much more susceptible to bio-erosion and encrustation. It contains at least four suites of intra- and inter-skeletal cavities which are variously (1) insensitive to organic dyes, yet sensitive to Alizarin Red S, (2) insensitive to all dyes, (3) completely sediment infilled, or (4) organically coated. These may be ascribed to at least three distinct chemical micro-environments, i.e. organically active, organically inert and apparently accreting carbonate by inorganic means, and apparently sterile. Moreover these cavities may be ascribed to a general time sequence of (1) sterile voids, (2) sediment filled, (3) inorganically controlled carbonate accreting, and (4), most recently, organically active.Shifts in community structure and concomitant cavity formation may be rapidly effected by subtle environmental changes; as secretion rates vary from organism to organism. The experimental rates, placed in declining order are: encrusting worms, encrusting red algae, bivalve, coral. The worms, with their organic coatings, secreted a maximum extension of 12 mm per month, and the red algae 3 mm, whereas the bivalve and coral only achieved a matter of microns. Thus, in the aquarium, the coral would have been effectively smothered by the worms and algae in the forseeable future.

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Zusammenfassung Die Entstehung von Hohlräumen in lebenden Korallen (Scleractinia) der Florida-Riffe und die Rolle organischer Substanzen im Mikro-Milieu dieser Hohlräume wurden durch vergleichende Wachstumsbeobachtungen in einem Seewasseraquarium untersucht. Dabei wurden das Korallenskelett und interne Zemente mit Alizarin-Rot S und die organischen Teile mit Eosin und Harris' Hämatoxylin angefärbt.Zwei Korallentypen wurden verglichen: 1. Mit organischen Geweben ausgekleidete Korallen (untersuchtes BeispielPorites furcata [Lamarck]); 2. Die nahezu gewebelosen, nackten Korallen (BeispielEusmilia fastigiata [Pallas]).Der erste Typ wirkt als geschlossenes System und reagiert nur auf wesentliche, z. B. jahreszeitliche Milieuänderungen; er enthält bis zu 25% intra-skelettalen Zement, wobei am meisten unmittelbar unter dem Gewebe des lebenden Polypen gebildet wird, jedoch nur 5% in tieferen Teilen des Skelettes, dort sind dafür bis zu 20% des Karbonates der Septen aufgelöst.Der Typ der nackten Korallen dagegen wirkt als offenes System, ist wesentlich empfindlicher gegenüber (Mikro-) Milieuveränderungen und enthält nur bis zu 10% intra-skelettalen Zement. Korallen dieses Typs sind viel anfälliger gegenüber Bio-Erosion und Inktrustierung. Es werden folgende intraskelettale Hohlräume unterschieden: 1. sterile; 2. sedimentgefüllte, 3. solche, in denen inorganische Karbonate ausgefällt werden; 4. solche, in denen organische Prozesse ablaufen.Die Empfindlichkeit dieser Korallen selbst gegenüber geringfügigen Milieuänderungen und die Veränderung der Biozönose infolge solcher Änderungen beeinflussen Entstehung und Verteilung dieser Hohlräume.

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Résumé L'origine de la formation de cavités clars les communautés de la zone des récifs de Floride, où dominent les coraux scléractiniens vivants, est examinée en fonction d'expériences de croissance comparée prévues pour discerner le rôle de la matière vivante organique au niveau des microenvirons.Les communautés ont été maintenues pendant 12 mois dans un aquarium laissé à l'air libre et rempli d'eau de mer; durant cette période, elles ont été successivement (1) marquées à l'Alizarine Rouge S afin d'obtenir des marques de croissance sur les squelettes calcaires (2) marquées a l'Haematotyline de Harris à l'Eosine exactement après leur mort pour distinguer les tissues de cette matière organique qui leur était associée et ensuite (3) imprégnées de résine polyester afin qu'on puisse les comparer à des échantillons de fossiles. Ceci permit le reconnaissance (1) d'états de conservation semblables du matériau fossile et du matériau recent au cours d'études à trois dimensions; (2) de la relation entre les tissus souples vivants et la matière carbonatée récemment développée chez un seul spécimen; (3) de malformations squelettiques et de leur différenciation avec des produits squelettiques diagénétiques; (4) de taux de croissance et de destruction comparables entre l'organisme, sa communauté intrasquelettique et ses épibionts et (5) le développement de la porosité et l'amorce de remplissage de la cavité.Les formations de deux communautés en contraste (1) une colonie dePorites furcata (Lamarck) le plus souvent recouverte de tissus et (2) une colonie d'Eusmilia fastigiata (Pallas) presque dépourvue de tissus, sont comparées à une branche-contrôle de la colonie dePorites s'elevant au dessus de la surface de l'eau. La colonie recouverte de tissus se comporte comme un système ferme étant sensible à certains changements importants ou saisonniers des environs, tandis que la colonie « nue » constitue un système ouvert étant ainsi sensible à un nombre bien plus important d'influences des microenvirons, dont certaines ne seront qu'éphémères.Les spécimens recouverts de tissus contiennent relativerrent plus de ciment carbonaté intrasquelettique (<25%) que les spécimens « nus » (<10%). Le précipité atteint une accumulation maximale (25%) dans les zones qui se trouvent juste au-dessous des tissus polypaux vivants, tandis qu'à la hauteur de la branche, le précipité (5%) recouvre les septa qui ont subi une dissolution contemporaine (<20%). Au contraire, la colonie « nue » est beaucoup plus susceptible de bio-érosion et d'incrustation. Elle contient au moins quatre séries de cavités intra- et inter-squelettiques qui sont différement (1) insensibles au teintures organiques mais sensibles a l'Arizarine Rouge S (2) insensibles à toutes les teintures (3) complètement remplies de sédiments ou (4) couvertes de substances organiques. Ceci peut être imputé à trois micro-environs distincts, c'est à dire actif au point de vue organique, inerte au point de vue organique et produisant un accroissement carbonaté par des moyens non-organiques, et apparemment stériles. En outre, les cavités peuvent être imputées à une suite générale dans le temps de (1) vides stériles (2) remplissage de sédiments (3) accroissement carbonaté sans contrôle organique et (4) tout récemment activité organique.Les variations de la structure communautaire et la formation concomitante de cavités peutvent être rapidement provoquées par de subtiles modifications des environs, quisque les taux de sécretion varient d'organisme à organisme — le taux expérimentaux par ordre décroissant: sont les vers qui s'incrustent, les algues rouges qui s'incrustent, la coquille, le corail. Les vers, avec leur revêtement organique, secrétaint une extension maximale de 12 mm par mois et les algues rouge de 3 mm, tandis que les produits du coquille et du corail ne dépassaient pas quelques microns. Ainsi, dans l'aquarium, le corail aurait été effectivement étouffé par les vers et les algues dans un futur prévisible.

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(Scleractinia) - , . Alizarin-Rot S, - Harris'a. - : 1) , , Porites furcata, lamarck, 2) - , , , Eusmilia fastigiata, Pallas. , , .: , : 25% , ; 5% , 20% . , , - 10% . . : 1) ; 2) ; 3) ; 4) . .

     

一个秃冻胀丘的热及水文动力学--关于其形成的暗示

Mud boils, classified as non-sorted circles, are a common patterned ground phenomenon of permafrost areas. They typically consist of a bare circle center of cryoturbated soil and are surrounded by vegetation on more stable soil. The objectives are to examine differences in seasonal hydrologic and thermal dynamic across this gradient of cryoturbation, i.e. the region below the organic border and the mud center. We installed instruments in a mud boil at a site close to Ny-@lesund, Spitsbergen, in September 1998. The bare soil circle center ranges about 1 m in diameter and is surrounded by a vegetated border consisting of a mixture of low vascular plants, mosses and lichens. Fine soil (>95% clay and silt) in the lower part of the profile is overlain by coarser grained material (silt and sand). The grain size distribution also suggests an upwelling of fine material in the center of the circle. Temperature and moisture sensors were installed over a vertical 1 m×1 m profile and hourly data recording started in September 1998. Surface irregularities, as well as variations of grain size and moisture, create a non-uniform thermal and hydrologic dynamic. We qualitatively analyze this dynamic with respect to the mud boils physical stability.