A tephrostratigraphic record for the last glacial–interglacial cycle from Lake Ohrid,Albania and Macedonia

Here we present a tephrostratigraphic record (core Co1202) recovered from the northeastern part of Lake Ohrid (Republics of Macedonia and Albania) reaching back to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 6. Overall ten horizons (OT0702‐1 to OT0702‐10) containing volcanic tephra have been recognised throughout the 14.94 m long sediment succession. Four tephra layers were visible at macroscopic inspection (OT0702‐4, OT0702‐6, OT0702‐8 and OT0702‐9), while the remaining six are cryptotephras (OT0702‐1, OT0702‐2, OT0702‐3, OT0702‐5, OT0702‐7 and OT0702‐10) identified from peaks in K, Zr and Sr intensities, magnetic susceptibility measurements, and washing and sieving of the sediments. Glass shards of tephra layers and cryptotephras were analysed with respect to their major element composition, and correlated to explosive eruptions of Italian volcanoes. The stratigraphy and the major element composition of tephra layers and cryptotephras allowed the correlation of OT0702‐1 to AD 472 or AD 512 eruptions of Somma‐Vesuvius, OT0702‐2 to the FL eruption of Mount Etna, OT0702‐3 to the Mercato from Somma‐Vesuvius, OT0702‐4 to SMP1‐e/Y‐3 eruption from the Campi Flegrei caldera, OT0702‐5 to the Codola eruption (Somma‐Vesuvius or Campi Flegrei), OT0702‐6 to the Campanian Ignimbrite/Y‐5 from the Campi Flegrei caldera, OT0702‐7 to the Green Tuff/Y‐6 eruption from Pantelleria Island, OT0702‐8 to the X‐5 eruption probably originating from the Campi Flegrei caldera, OT0702‐9 to the X‐6 eruption of generic Campanian origin, and OT0702‐10 to the P‐11 eruption from Pantelleria Island. The fairly well‐known ages of these tephra layers and parent eruptions provide new data on the dispersal and deposition of these tephras and, furthermore, allow the establishment of a chronological framework for core Co1202 for a first interpretation of major sedimentological changes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Earth Fissures in Wadi Najran,Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The formation of earth fissures due to groundwater depletion has been reported in many places in North America, Europe, and Asia. Najran Basin is in the southern part of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and agricultural activities and other groundwater uses have caused significant groundwater depletion there. The basin recently experienced a sudden appearance of numerous earth fissures. An interdisciplinary study consisting of an evaluation of land-use changes, and hydrological, hydrogeological, and geophysical investigations was conducted to determine the reason for the formation of the earth fissures. The hydrological analysis strongly revealed that the groundwater level is decreasing with time. Groundwater depletion would lead to the accumulation of subsurface stress, causing soil hydro-consolidation which creates the ideal condition for the formation of earth fissures. Electrical resistivity, data indicated that there are anomalies in the profiles, which are most probably due to the presence of subsurface topography, another key factor for the formation of the earth fissures.     

Zur Entstehung der Trou-Au-Natron-Caldera (Tibesti-Gebirge,Zentral-Sahara) aus photogeologischer Sicht

Aerial photographs of the “Trou au Natron” and “Doôn Kinimi” calderas (Tibesti Mts., Central Sahara) have been interpreted and plotted in order to obtain qualitative and quantitative information. The Trou au Natron sets an example for the possibility to identify the origin of a caldera by means of analysing aerial photographs only. Special attention is paid to the pyroclastics, because they had been used so far as an argument for the explosive origin of the Trou au Natron. It is possible to point out that no immediate relation exists between pyroclastics and the formation of the caldera and that the Trou au Natron — contrary to former opinions — presents a collapse caldera.     

Sr and Ar isotope studies of detrital smectites from the Atlantic Ocean (D.S.D.P., Legs 43, 48 and 50)

Mineralogical, morphological and isotopic (RbSr and KAr) determinations were made on some detrital smectites of Palaeocene and Cenomanian ages from D.S.D.P. drillings in the Atlantic Ocean. These minerals are not inert in their depositional environment; authigenic laths grow on detrital sheets with sharp borders. This authigenesis could occur slightly after deposition in a closed system, for some of these smectites. It has been tentatively quantified by the RbSr and KAr isotopic methods, which seem also well suited to evaluate the chemical extent of this authigenesis. At least, no preferential loss of ⁴⁰Ar vs. ⁸⁷Sr could be detected in the minerals, even in those which are smaller than 0.2 μm.     

A watershed nitrogen and phosphorus balance: The upper Potomac River basin

Nitrogen and phosphorus mass balances were estimated for the portion of the Potomac River basin watershed located above Washington, D.C. The total nitrogen (N) balance included seven input tource terms, six sinks, and one “change-in-storage” term, but was simplified to five input terms and three output terms. The phosphorus (P) balance had four input and three output terms. The estimated balances are based on watershed data from seven information sources. Major sources of nitrogen are amimal waste and atmospheric deposition. The major sources of phosphorus are animal waste and fertilizer. The major sink, for nitrogen is combined denitrification, volatilization, and change-in-storage. The major sink for phosphorus is change-in-storage. River exports of N and P were 17% and 8%, respectively, of the total N and P inputs. Over 60% of the N and P were volatilized or stored. The major input and output terms on the budget are estimated from direct measurements, but the change-in-storage term is calculated by difference. The factors regulating retention and storage processes are discussed and research needs are identified.     

Fractures,hydrothermal alterations and permeability in the Soultz Enhanced Geothermal System

Borehole studies of the Soultz-sous-Forêts granite are dedicated to deep geothermics. The hydraulic properties of the reservoir are mainly controlled by the occurrence of some altered cataclastic shear zones showing a low natural permeability characterized by the occurrence of brines. Those zones show a fracture cluster organisation with sealed fractures of various types (post-filled joints, sheared fractures, veins). The main hydrothermal deposits observed within the permeable zones are geodic quartz, carbonates, illite and more locally sulphides. The fracture wall–rocks are intensely transformed: dissolution of igneous minerals, crystallization of new minerals, porosity and permeability increase. It is important to characterize the newly-formed minerals in order to choose the reagents used to improve the permeability of the exchanger by chemical stimulations. This article represents a synthesis of the studies completed by the authors between 1990 and 2008 on the fracture networks, hydrothermal alterations and mineral crystallizations they induced and data about the flow pathways in the exchanger.     

Microborer ichnocoenoses in Quaternary corals from New Caledonia: reconstructions of paleo-water depths and reef growth strategies in relation to environmental changes

Coral reef growth and development depend on several environmental factors, including tectonic and climatic parameters and local ecological drivers. Reef growth is especially sensitive to sea-level variations. Paleo-water depth reconstructions are essential tools used to determine reef growth patterns during different periods of reef growth. Assemblages of corals and/or coralline algae have been commonly used in such paleodepth reconstructions. This study shows that using microendolith ichnocoenoses can sometimes provide better accuracy than traditional coralgal analyses, particularly in the depth-range 0–10 m where coralgal assemblages usually show broad distribution ranges. Holocene and Pleistocene cores from two barrier reef sites on the west coast of Grande Terre in New Caledonia are examined here. Holocene reef development at these sites feature examples of microendolith ichnocoenoses that document rapid environmental changes and small sea-level variations of about 2–5 m in amplitude, and record these changes with more accuracy than coral and coralline algae assemblages which are highly dependant on the hydrodynamic energy of the setting. During the Pleistocene, which was less chronologically constrained, the microendolith ichnocoenoses also reflect paleo-water depths and reef-growth patterns at different periods of reef history.     

Fractionation of rare-earth elements in plants during experimental growth in varied clay substrates

The distribution and content of rare-earth elements (REEs) were determined in two radish species, the cultivated Raphanus sativus and the wild Raphanus raphanistrum, that were grown under laboratory-controlled conditions, in three substrates consisting of illite for one and two smectite substrates for the others, with the two smectite substrates being characterised by different porosities. The plants were split into leaves and stems + roots for analysis. The results indicate that both species take up systematically higher amounts of REEs when grown in the illite substrate, even considering that the smectite equivalent contains about three times more REEs. The REE uptake is also more plant species than mineral composition dependent: R. raphanistrum takes up 3.5–6.7 times more REEs than R. sativus, depending on the substrate, its porosity and the considered plant segments. Increased substrate porosity favours the take up of the REEs, but no specific uptake is observed in leaves relative to that in the combined stems and roots. The transfer of the REEs from minerals to plant organs does not appear to induce systematically identical patterns: (1) in the case of R. sativus, a positive Eu anomaly is visible in all patterns from both segment groups grown in both substrates. When grown in illite, the heavy REEs are also enriched in the stems and roots, which has not been observed in any other organ or in the other substrate and (2) in the case of R. raphanistrum, a very significant positive Gd anomaly, which is not expected to fractionate relative to the other REEs as do Ce and Eu, is observed in all segments of the plants grown in both substrates. A slight negative Ce anomaly is also visible in some of the REE patterns, suggesting some changes in the oxidation–reduction conditions in the substrates near the roots during plant growth. The comparison of the REE patterns from leaves relative to those of the roots + stems shows that those of R. raphanistrum grown in illite provide a spectrum that is very specific with significant deficits in La, Ce, Gd, Tm, Yb and Lu in the leaves. In the other cases, the patterns do not outline significant differences except for R. sativus grown in illite, in which the leaves are enriched in light and medium REEs from La to Gd relative to the stems + roots.     

Carbonyls and nonmethane hydrocarbons at rural European sites from the mediterranean to the arctic

Results of regular measurements during 1992–1995 of hydrocarbons and carbonyl compounds for a number of rural European monitoring sites are presented. The measurements are part of the EMEP programme for VOC measurements in Europe. In addition, several years of regular measurements are included from the Norwegian stations Birkenes at the south coast, and Zeppelin Mountain on Spitsbergen in the Arctic. The sampling frequency has been about twice per week throughout the years, implying that a substantial amount of measurement data are available. Almost all the chemical analyses have been performed by one laboratory, the EMEP Chemical Co-ordinating Centre located at NILU, which avoids problems of intercomparison and intercalibration among different laboratories. For the measured concentrations both seasonal and geographical variations are shown and discussed. The diurnal cycles of the hydrocarbon concentrations were studied in detail at one site, where the grab samples by EMEP where compared with a parallel continuous sampler, operated by EMPA, Switzerland. Hydrocarbons linked to natural gas and fuel evaporation become well mixed into the Arctic in the winter, whereas combustion products show a latitudinal gradient. The sum of oxygenated species constitutes about 5–15% of the sum of C₂–C₅ hydrocarbons in winter. In summer they are almost equal in magnitude, consistent with an increasing oxidation of hydrocarbons.     

大气CO2富集对根际NaCl盐渍的人参果植株干物质生产和水分利用的影响

对单株砂培盆栽的半木质化枝条扦插生根的一月龄人生果(Solanum muricatum Ait.)栽培品种"Xotus",每周浇两次200mL NaCl质量浓度分别为0mg·L^-1和25mg·L^-1的Hoagland营养液处理2个月,第二个月在控制空气CO₂体积分数为(350±10)×10^-6、(700±10)×10^-6和(1050±10)×10^-6的植物生长箱内试验。结果表明,人参果植株干物质生产量和耗水量受根际NaCl盐渍而下降,又随大气CO₂升高而增加。根际NaCl盐渍能增大植株叶片蒸腾系数、根/冠比和干物质向枝干和根部分配的比例及积累量,降低根系吸收水分的效率和耗水量。升高大气CO₂能促进叶片发育及干物质向地上部其他器官和地下部组织分配,增加总叶面积、比叶干重和各种器官中干物质增长量,提高干物质生产率和水分利用率。根际经25mg·L^-1NaCl盐渍处理的植株,总干物质增长量和水分利用率相应下降50%～54%和24%～37%;与350×10^-6CO₂的处理的植株相比,700×10^-6及1050×10^-6CO₂的处理分别使这两项指标提高到79%～106%和61%～88%以及133%～189%和99%～142%。大气CO₂富集能改善受NaCl盐渍的植株干物质生产力、提高水分利用率。根际NaCl盐渍和大气CO₂富集对人参果植株干物质生产和水分利用有生物互作效应。它们的共同作用会促进植株干物质的增长及叶片中合成的干物质向其他器官分配,提高干物质生产率和水分利用率,同时减少总叶面积、枝条和根系干重、根系吸水效率、植株耗水量和叶片蒸腾系数。因此,全球大气CO₂富集将有利于该作物的干物质生产和水分利用。