Estimating selenium removal by sedimentation from the Great Salt Lake,Utah

The mass of Se deposited annually to sediment in the Great Salt Lake (GSL) was estimated to determine the significance of sedimentation as a permanent Se removal mechanism. Lake sediment cores were used to qualitatively delineate sedimentation regions (very high to very low), estimate mass accumulation rates (MARs) and determine sediment Se concentrations. Sedimentation regions were defined by comparison of isopach contours of Holocene sediment thicknesses to linear sedimentation rates determined via analysis of ²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁶Ra, ⁷Be and ¹³⁷Cs activity in 20 short cores (<5 cm), yielding quantifiable results in 13 cores. MARs were developed via analysis of the same radioisotopes in eight long cores (>10 cm). These MARs in the upper 1–2 cm of each long core ranged from 0.019 to 0.105 g_sed/cm²/a. Surface sediment Se concentrations in the upper 1 or 2 cm of each long core ranged from 0.79 to 2.47 mg/kg. Representative MARs and Se concentrations were used to develop mean annual Se removal by sedimentation in the corresponding sedimentation region. The spatially integrated Se sedimentation rate was estimated to be 624 kg/a within a range of uncertainty between 285 and 960 kg/a. Comparison to annual Se loading and other potential removal processes suggests burial by sedimentation is not the primary removal process for Se from the GSL.     

Distribution of organochlorines in the dissolved and suspended phase of the sea-surface microlayer and seawater in Hong Kong, China

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were measured in the dissolved and suspended particulate phase in the sea-surface microlayer (SML) and subsurface water (SSW) collected from Hong Kong's coastal environment. The concentration ranges (pg/L) for summation sigmaHCHs, summation sigmaDDTs and summation sigmaPCBs in the SSW dissolved phase (DP i.e. sum of truly dissolved and colloidal phase) were 409-940 (mean 602), 774-5583 (mean 1908) and 266-433 (mean 278), respectively. The concentration ranges (pg/L) for summation sigmaHCHs, summation sigmaDDTs and summation sigmaPCBs in SSW suspended particulate matter (SPM) were <5-85 (mean 59), 358-1369 (mean 787) and 85.6-273 (mean 172), respectively. The enrichment factor of PCBs and OCPs in the SML varied between 1.1 and 4.5 for the DP, and 0.4-8.2 for the SPM. The distribution of contaminants between DP and SPM in both the SML and SSW indicates that particulate matter plays an important role in the distribution and fate of DDTs and PCBs, but not for HCH isomers. The Pearl River Estuary is likely to be a major source of contaminants transported to Hong Kong.     

Enhanced visualization of the flat landscape of the Cambridgeshire Fenlands

The Fenlands of East Anglia, England, represent a subtle landscape, where topographic highs rarely exceed 30 m above sea level. However, the fens represent an almost full sequence of Quaternary deposits which, together with islands of Cretaceous and Jurassic outcrops, make the area of geological importance. This feature discusses the advantages of using 3D visualization coupled with high‐resolution topographical data, over traditional 2D techniques, when undertaking an analysis of the landscape. Conclusions suggest that the use of 3D visualization will result in a higher level of engagement, particularly when communicating geological information to a wider public.     

Mary Kathleen metamorphic‐hydrothermal uranium — rare‐earth element deposit: Ore genesis and numerical model of coupled deformation and fluid flow

The Mary Kathleen U‐REE orebody of the Proterozoic Mt Isa Block was the product of chemical and physical interaction between regional metamorphic/hydrothermal fluids and preexisting calcic skarns. The deposit provides excellent examples of mechanical control on ore localisation and of the complexity of ores in rocks with protracted thermal histories. Host skarns were produced by contact metasomatism around the 1740 Ma Burstall Granite, whereas the allanite‐uraninite ore formed under amphibolite‐facies conditions, late during the D₂ phase of the ca 1550–1500 Ma Isan orogeny. Observations of ore geometry are consistent with previous geochronologic data demonstrating a large time gap between skarn formation and ore genesis. Numerical modelling of coupled deformation and fluid flow suggests that veins at the core of ore shoots may have formed as tensile or shear fractures during coupling of the competent skarn host with the late‐D₂ Mary Kathleen Shear Zone, allowing a change of orientation of ore shoots with distance from the shear zone. Mineral chemistry and petrographic observations suggest the possible role of a redox control on chemical localisation of ore by conversion of Fe²⁺‐rich clinopyroxene‐rich skarn host to Fe³⁺‐rich secondary garnet ‘skarn’ and uraninite‐allanite ore. Alternately, fluid pressure drops as a consequence of fracturing of the host skarn may have triggered fluid unmixing, or fluid mixing, leading to ore precipitation. Available data do not allow clear definition of the ultimate source of the U and REE, nor of the specific chemical ore‐forming mechanism. However, regional constraints, previous Sm–Nd modelling, and our numerical models suggest a combination from proximal skarn hosts and from distal sources accessed by flow of metamorphic and/or late tectonic igneous‐derived fluids. The deposit has some similarities with ironstone‐hosted Cu–Au ± U deposits found in the nearby Cloncurry Belt.     

The effect of climate change on glacier ablation and baseflow support in the Nooksack River basin and implications on Pacific salmonid species protection and recovery

The Nooksack Indian Tribe (Tribe) inhabits the area around Deming, Washington, in the northwest corner of the state. The Tribe is dependent on various species of Pacific salmonids that inhabit the Nooksack River for ceremonial, commercial, and subsistence purposes. Of particular importance to the Tribe are spring Chinook salmon. Since European arrival, the numbers of fish that return to spawn have greatly diminished because of substantial loss of habitat primarily due to human-caused alteration of the watershed. Although direct counts are not available, it is estimated that native salmonid runs are less than 8 % of the runs in the late 1800’s. In addition, climate change has caused and will continue to cause an increase in winter flows, earlier snowmelt, decrease in summer baseflows, and an increase in water temperatures that exceed the tolerance levels, and in some cases lethal levels, of several Pacific salmonid species. The headwaters of the Nooksack River originate from glaciers on Mount Baker that have experienced significant changes over the last century due to climate change. Melt from the glaciers is a major source of runoff during the low-flow critical summer season, and climate change will have a direct effect on the magnitude and timing of stream flow in the Nooksack River. Understanding these changes is necessary to protect the Pacific salmonid species from the harmful effects of climate change. All nine salmonid species that inhabit the Nooksack River will be adversely affected by reduced summer flows and increased temperatures. The most important task ahead is the planning for, and implementation of, habitat restoration prior to climate change becoming more threatening to the survival of these important fish species. The Tribe has been collaboratively working with government agencies and scientists on the effects of climate change on the hydrology of the Nooksack River. The extinction of salmonids from the Nooksack River is unacceptable to the Tribe since it is dependent on these species and the Tribe is place-based and cannot relocate to areas where salmon will survive.     

Assessment of the climate preparedness of 30 urban areas in the UK

Cities are increasingly aware of the need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to changes in weather patterns leading to the production of urban climate change plans. The few existing systematic studies of these plans have focused on either adaptation or mitigation issues, and are typically based on surveys completed by city officials rather than analysis of documented evidence. To gain insight into the status of adaptation and mitigation action across the UK, climate change documents from 30 urban areas (representing ~28 % of the UK’s population) were analysed. An Urban Climate Change Preparedness Score, which could be applied to other urban areas outside the UK, has been devised for comparative analysis. This analysis characterizes progress against (i) Assessment, (ii) Planning, (iii) Action, and (iv) Monitoring, for both adaptation and mitigation. The Preparedness Score allows a quantitative comparison of climate change strategies across the urban areas analysed. This methodology can be transferred to other countries and makes an international comparison of urban areas and their climate change adaptation and mitigation plans possible. We found that all areas acknowledge climate change being a threat and that adaptation and mitigation planning and action is required. However, two urban areas did not have official adaptation or mitigation plans. Typically, mitigation activities across all cities were more advanced than adaptation plans. Emissions reduction targets ranged from 10 %–80 % with differing baselines, timeframes and scopes, for defining and meeting these targets. Similar variability was observed across adaptation plans. Several reasons for these differences are considered, but particularly notable is that a combination of incentives and regulation seem to stimulate more comprehensive strategies and action in many urban areas.     

Assessing Greenland ice mass loss by means of point-mass modeling: a viable methodology

Greenland ice mass loss is one of the most serious phenomena of present-day global climate change. In this context, both the quantification of overall deglaciation rates and its spatial localization are highly significant. We have thoroughly investigated the technique of point-mass modeling in order to derive mass-balance patterns from GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) gravimetry. The method infers mass variations on the Earth’s surface from gravitational signals at satellite altitude. In order to solve for point-mass changes, we applied least-squares adjustment. Due to downward continuation, numerical stabilization of the inversion process gains particular significance. We stabilized the ill-posed problem by Tikhonov regularization. Our simulation and real data experiments show that point-mass modeling provides both rational deglaciation rates and high-resolution spatial mass variation patterns.     

The interaction of migrating grain boundaries with fluid inclusions in rock analogues: the effect of wetting angle and fluid inclusion velocity

The distribution of fluids in grain boundaries, fluid inclusion morphology and kinetics have important effects on the evolution of microstructure and transport properties and should be understood for correct interpretations for studies of thermobarometry and paleorheology. We compare results of in situ annealing experiments on rock analogues in the presence of different pore fluids in transmitted light: bischofite with saturated brine, camphor with ethanol, and camphor with ethylene glycol. The solid–liquid systems vary in terms of wettability and solubility, while homologous temperatures, strain rates, annealing times, and the initial textures are similar. In agreement with earlier work and theory, we observe different types of grain boundary–fluid inclusion interaction at sufficiently low grain boundary velocity such as drag and drop, necking, and the break up into arrays of smaller inclusions. In all three systems the maximum possible velocity of a fluid inclusion being dragged by a moving grain boundary is dependent on the fluid inclusion size. We interpret this to reflect the fluid inclusion mobility, and compare the trend with theoretical models which suggest that for all three systems the rate-limiting process is bulk diffusion and not surface diffusion or solution-precipitation.     

Temperature and precipitation responses to El Niño-Southern Oscillation in a hierarchy of datasets with different levels of observational constraints

Climate Dynamics - El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is the dominant mode of climate variability, affecting climate conditions over large areas of the globe. There are, however, substantial...