Tidal variability in the water quality of an urbanized estuary

Tide and water quality data were collected concurrently in the Hackensack River estuary (HRE), a tidal tributary of the New York-new Jersey Harbor estuary. Harmonic analyses of tidal elevation data indicate that HRE tides are predominantly semidiurnal, though modulated by diurnal and fortnightly components. Nearly uniform tidal ranges (averaging approximately 1.6 m) were observed at three stations within the HRE. Periodogram estimates reveal significant tidal variability for the water quality parameter NH₄−N under dry-weather conditions. Lag correlation analyses associate NH₄−N concentration variations with water level fluctuations. Longitudinal profile plots for NH₄−N reveal a consistent pattern of tidal translations, with peak concentrations oscillating about a major wastewater discharger. These analyses suggest that the distribution of NH₄−N concentrations in the HRE is controlled primarily by major point source loadings and horizontal advection. A simplified, one-dimensional model is used to describe this distribution. Effects of tidal variability in masking water quality status and waak trends are also analyzed. These analyses highlight the potential importance of short-term water quality variability in tidal estuaries where concentration gradients are large.     

Granitic magmatism,basement ages,and provenance indicators in the Malay Peninsula: Insights from detrital zircon U–Pb and Hf-isotope data

The Malay Peninsula lies on two continental blocks, Sibumasu and East Malaya, which are intruded by granitoids in two provinces: the Main Range and Eastern. Previous models propose that Permian–Triassic granitoids are subduction-related and syn-to post-collisional. We present 752 U–Pb analyses that were carried out on zircons from river sands in the Malay Peninsula; of these, 243 grains were selected for Hf-isotope analyses. Our data suggest a more complex Sibumasu–East Malaya collision history. ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf_i ratios reveal that Permian–Triassic zircons were sourced from three magmatic suites: (a) Permian crustally-derived granitoids, (b) Early-Middle Triassic granitoids with mixed mantle–crust sources, and (c) Late Triassic crustally-derived granitoids. This suggests three Permian–Triassic episodes of magmatism in the Malay Peninsula, two of which occurred in the Eastern Province. Although the exact timing of the Sibumasu–East Malaya collision remains unresolved, current data suggest that it occurred before the Late Triassic, probably in Late Permian–Early Triassic. Our data also indicate that Sibumasu and East Malaya basements are chronologically heterogeneous, but predominantly of Proterozoic age. Some basement may be Neoarchaean but there is no evidence for basement older than 2.8 Ga. Finally, we show that Hf-isotope signatures of Triassic zircons can be used as provenance indicators.     

Environmental distribution of calcareous algae in Upper Devonian reef complexes

Calcareous algae are important constituents in reef complexes of Frasnian and Famennian ages in the Canning Basin of Western Australia and in reef and bank developments of Frasnian age in western Canada. At least 17 genera of skeletal calcareous algae occur in Upper Devonian carbonate facies in these two regions. Many algae are quantitatively significant constituents in various facies and some forms functioned as framebuilders in reef facies.Algae in back-reef facies includeGirvanella nodules and crusts, dasycladacean (Vermiporella) segments, radiosphaerid calcispheres, and solenoporacean red algae (Parachaetetes andSolenopora). Reef facies are characterized by encrusting forms, such asRenalcis (a problematic alga),Sphaerocodium (=Rothpletzella) (a green or blue-green alga), andKeega (an ancestral coralline red alga).Renalcis andSphaerocodium are principal framebuilders in Western Australia reef complexes, but are subordinate to stromatoporoids in most western Canada occurrences. Fore-reef facies contain deeperwater species ofSphaerocodium andParachaetetes.A similar distribution of Upper Devonian skeletal calcareous algae has been reported from the USSR; this same pattern probably occurs in carbonate complexes of this age in other regions of the world where diagenetic processes have not destroyed the fossil evidence.

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Zusammenfassung Kalkalgen sind wichtige Bestandteile in Riffkomplexen der Frasnestufe und Famennestufe im Canning Bassin in West-Australien, und auch in Riffentwicklungen und Bankentwicklungen der Frasnestufe in West-Kanada. Mindestens 17 Gattungen von Kalkalgenskeletten treten in den oberdevonischen Karbonatfazies dieser beiden Regionen auf. Viele Algen sind quantitativ bedeutsame Bestandteile in verschiedenen Fazies, und einige Formen waren Gerüstbildner in Riffen.Die Algen in Riff-Fazies-Rückseiten umfassenGirvanella-Knötchen und -Krusten, Dasycladaceen-(Vermiporella-)Segmente, radiosphaeritische Calcisphaeren und Rotalgen (Parachaetetes undSolenopora). Riff-Fazies sind durch inkrustierende Formen, wieRenalcis (eine problematische Alge),Sphaerocodium (=Rothpletzella) (eine grüne oder blaugrüne Alge) undKeega (eine altertümliche coralline Rotalge) charakterisiert.Renalcis undSphaerocodium sind wichtige Gerüstbildner in Riffkomplexen in West-Australien, aber in den meisten Riffkomplexen West-Kanadas den Stromatoporen untergeordnet. Vorriff-Fazies enthalten Spezies vonSphaerocodium undParachaetetes aus größerer Wassertiefe.Eine ähnliche Verteilung der oberdevonischen Kalkalgenskelette ist aus der Sowjetunion berichtet worden. Wahrscheinlich ist die gleiche Verteilung in Karbonatkomplexen dieses Alters in anderen Regionen der Welt, wo diagenetische Prozesse die Fossilreste nicht zerstört haben, zu finden.

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Résumé Les algues calcaires sont des éléments importants pour les complexes de récifs datant des époques Frasnienne et Famennienne dans le Bassin Canning de l'Australie Occidentale, et pour les développements de récifs et de batteries de l'époque Frasnienne dans le Canada de l'ouest. Il y a dans ces deux régions au moins 17 espèces d'algues calcaires squelettiques dans des faciès carbonates de l'époque du haut Dévonien. Dans divers faciès, beaucoup d'algues sont des constituants d'une importance quantitative et certaines formes ont servi de cadre à des faciès de récif.Dans des faciès de récif posterieurs nous trouvons parmi les algues des nodules et des croûtesGirvanella, des cerces dasycladacéan (Vermiporella), des calcisphères radiosphaerids, et des algues rouges solénoporacéans (Parachaetetes etSolenopora). Les faciès de récif sont caracterisés par des formes encroûtées, tels queRenalcis (une algue problemmatique),Sphaerocodium (=Rothpletzella) (une algue verte ou bleu-vert), etKeega (une algue rouge « coralligène ancestrale »).Renalcis etSphaerocodium sont des cadres principaux des complexes de récif de l'Australie Occidentale, mais sont subordonnés aux stromatoporoids dans la plupart des endroits du Canada de l'ouest ou se produit le même phénomène. Les faciès de récif frontaux contiennent des espèces deSphaerocodium et deParachaetetes dans des eaux plus profondes.Un rapport de l'URSS indique qu'il y a une distribution semblable des algues calcaires squelettiques de l'époque du haut Dévonien; cette même structure se retrouve probablement dans des complexes carbonates de cette époque pour d'autres régions du monde où des procédés diagénétiques n'ont pas détruit des fossiles.

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Frasne Famenne Canning, , Frasne . , no- , 17 - . , . - Girvanella, Dasycladaceae (Vermiporella), Calcisphaere, Rhodophyta (Parachaetetes Solenopora). Renalcis — , Sphaerocodium, Rothpletzella, , , Keega, rllin. Renalcis Sphaerocodium , a. - Sphaerocodium Parachaetetes, . - . , .

     

On possible influence of space weather on agricultural markets: Necessary conditions and probable scenarios

We present the results of study of a possible relationship between the space weather and terrestrial markets of agricultural products. It is shown that to implement the possible effect of space weather on the terrestrial harvests and prices, a simultaneous fulfillment of three conditions is required: 1) sensitivity of local weather (cloud cover, atmospheric circulation) to the state of space weather; 2) sensitivity of the area-specific agricultural crops to the weather anomalies (belonging to the area of risk farming); 3) relative isolation of the market, making it difficult to damp the price hikes by the external food supplies. Four possible scenarios of the market response to the modulations of local terrestrial weather via the solar activity are described. The data sources and analysismethods applied to detect this relationship are characterized. We describe the behavior of 22 European markets during the medieval period, in particular, during the Maunder minimum (1650–1715). We demonstrate a reliable manifestation of the influence of space weather on prices, discovered in the statistics of intervals between the price hikes and phase price asymmetry. We show that the effects of phase price asymmetry persist even during the early modern period in the U.S. in the production of the durum wheat. Within the proposed approach, we analyze the statistics of depopulation in the eighteenth and nineteenth century Iceland, induced by the famine due to a sharp livestock reduction owing to, in its turn, the lack of foodstuff due to the local weather anomalies. A high statistical significance of temporal matching of these events with the periods of extreme solar activity is demonstrated. We discuss the possible consequences of the observed global climate change in the formation of new areas of risk farming, sensitive to space weather.     

Dynamical phasing of Type II Cepheids

In this paper we examine the problems of phasing using light curves and offer an alternate technique using the changes in acceleration to establish the zero point. We give astrophysical justification as to why this technique is useful and apply the technique to a selection of Type II Cepheids. We then examine some limitations of the technique which qualify its use.     

EChOSim: The Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory software simulator

EChOSim is the end-to-end time-domain simulator of the Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory (EChO) space mission. EChOSim has been developed to assess the capability of the EChO mission concept to detect and characterise the atmospheres of transiting exoplanets. Here we discuss the details of the EChOSim implementation and describe the models used to represent the instrument and to simulate the detection. Software simulators have assumed a central role in the design of new instrumentation and in assessing the level of systematics affecting the measurements of existing experiments. Thanks to its high modularity, EChOSim can simulate basic aspects of several existing and proposed spectrometers including instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope and Spitzer, ground-based and balloon-borne experiments. A discussion of different uses of EChOSim is given, including examples of simulations performed to assess the EChO mission.     

Dreissena polymorpha (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) in the Neva Estuary (eastern Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea): is it a biofilter or source for pollution?

The zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha, a ponto-caspian byssate bivalve, forms permanent dense populations along the shoreline in the northern part of the inner Neva Estuary. Its total biomass along a 17 km transect reached 4980 tons (mean 1060 g m(-2)) in 2000 and 6510 tons (mean 1385 g m(-2)) in 2001. Being persistent and abundant, the zebra mussel populations played an important role in benthic-pelagic coupling in inner Neva River Estuary. The D. polymorpha population released up to 514 kg day(-1) of dissolved inorganic phosphorus and was, therefore, a major source of bioavailable nutrients in the area. Mussel beds were also efficient biofilters and precipitate 15,020 kg day(-1) of particulate organic matter during the warm season. About 50% of precipitated matter had a relatively long retention time, being utilized within zebra mussel populations, while the rest was deposited as faeces and pseudofaeces and served as a source for organic pollution to the eastern Gulf of Finland.     

Copper partitioning between olivine and melt inclusions and its content in primitive island-arc magmas of Kamchatka

Melt inclusions and hosting them highly magnesian olivine from rocks of Kamchatka and the Western Aleutian island arc were analyzed for copper content by LA-ICP-MS to determine the copper partition coefficient in primitive island-arc magmas. Based on measurements of 45 olivine–melt pairs, this coefficient was determined to be 0.028 ± 0.009 (2σ), which is the lowest value among previously published data. Mass-balance calculations of copper in a typical mantle peridotite using obtained partition coefficient indicate that its content in peridotite and primary mantle magmas is mainly determined by mantle sulfide. The Cu partition coefficient was also used to calculate the copper content in parental magmas of volcanoes of the Central Kamchatka Depression. Estimates obtained using copper content in phenocrysts of primitive olivine (Fo > 88 mol %) from these rocks are, on average, 139 ± 58 ppm (2σ), which exceed copper contents in primitive basalts (MgO > 8.5 wt %) of mid-ocean ridges (MORB 93 ± 31 ppm). This suggests the primary enrichment of Central Kamchatka magmas in copper and correlates with their more oxidizing conditions of formation as compared to MORB.     

Geochemistry of radioactive elements in the rocks of the Guli Massif,Polar Siberia

The study of radioactive element distribution in the rocks of the Guli Complex revealed an increase of uranium and thorium contents in the final products of magmatic differentiation. In the carbonatite complex, the radioactive elements are mainly accumulated in the early rocks—phoscorites, while their contents in the late phases, dolomitic carbonatites, decrease. The Th/U ratio increases from near-chondritic values in the weakly differentiated highly-magnesian primary magmas to the late rocks—phoscorites, calcitic carbonatites, and dolomitic carbonatites. The majority of radioactive elements are hosted in rare-metal accessory minerals: perovskite, pyrochlore, calzirtite, and apatite. Rock-forming minerals are characterized by extremely low contents of radioactive elements.