Bioluminescence potential during polar night: impact of behavioral light sensitivity and water mass pathways

During polar nights of 2012 and 2017, bioluminescence (BL) potential surveys demonstrated high emissions at depths around and below 100 m at offshore stations to the north of a Svalbard fjord (Rijpfjorden). We demonstrated that the highest bioluminescent emissions for offshore stations are located at depths below depths of modelled/ambient light intensities corresponding to the reported irradiance thresholds for the behavioral light sensitivity of krill and copepods, and suggest that behavioral light sensitivity is one of the reasons for high values of BL potential observed below 100 m at offshore stations. In order to understand sources of bioluminescent taxa responsible for the observed high values of BL potential in offshore waters, we have investigated the origin and pathways of water masses circulating to the north, offshore of the fjord Rijpfjorden by using a hydrodynamic model. For both 2012 and 2017, the model water masses mostly originate from the west, where the Atlantic water is flowing northward, then along the shelf and shelf slope of northern Svalbard, and to the offshore of the fjord. This indicates that the advection of zooplankton by North Atlantic Water is one possible source of bioluminescent organisms offshore of northern Svalbard. In 2012, water masses also originated from the inflow through Hinlopen trench and strait, while, in 2017, the offshore water was advected and upwelled into the fjord on time scales less than 10 days, and after that there was a recirculation back from the fjord to offshore on time scales larger than 10 days. This recirculation from the fjord might be another source of bioluminescent organisms in the offshore waters.

     

Polyorogenic reworking of ore‐controlling shear zones at the South Range of the Sudbury impact structure: A telltale story from in situ U–Pb titanite geochronology

The post‐impact orogenic evolution of the world class Ni–Cu–PGE Sudbury mining camp in Ontario remains poorly understood. New temporal constraints from ore‐controlling, epidote–amphibolite facies shear zones in the heavily mineralised Creighton Mine (Sudbury, South Range) illuminate the complex orogenic history of the Sudbury structure. In situ U–Pb dating of shear‐hosted titanite grains by LA‐ICP‐MS reveals new evidence for shear zone reworking during the Yavapai (ca. 1.77–1.7 Ga), Mazatzalian–Labradorian (1.7–1.6 Ga) and Chieflakian–Pinwarian (1.5–1.4 Ga) accretionary events. The new age data show that the effects of the Penokean orogeny (1.9–1.8 Ga) on the structural architecture of the Sudbury structure have been overestimated. At a regional scale, the new titanite age populations corroborate that the Southern Province of the Canadian Shield documents the same tectonothermal episodes that are recorded along orogenic strike within the accretionary provinces of the Southwestern United States.     

Resolving the source and mixing proportions of modern leakage to the Memphis aquifer in a municipal well field using geochemical and 3H/3He data, Memphis, Tennessee, USA

The Memphis aquifer in southwestern Tennessee is a confined to semi-confined unconsolidated sand aquifer and is the primary municipal water source for the Memphis metropolitan area. Leakage of modern water from shallow unconfined aquifers through the upper Claiborne confining unit locally degrades water quality in the Memphis aquifer and makes the aquifer more vulnerable to contamination. Major solute chemistry, tritium, and ³H/³He data were used to investigate the source and mixing proportions of modern water in the Memphis aquifer in the Davis well field, Memphis, Tennessee. Water quality in several production wells in the Davis well field has declined over the past 30 years, mainly through increased total dissolved solids, iron, alkalinity, and hardness. Trends in chemical data, tritium, and other hydrogeologic data support a source for the leakage from the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial aquifer. Mixing proportions of alluvial water in production well water obtained by inverse chemical modeling with PHREEQCi range from 7 to 45%. For two of the production wells, MLGW 414 and 432, ³H/³He data yield mixing ratios similar to those obtained from PHREEQCi in three of four cases; the dissimilar ratio is likely due to a poor solution from the PHREEQCi inverse modeling. Modeling of the age distribution obtained from MLGW 414 and 432 using an exponential-piston flow model (EPM) with an inverse solution computer code yielded mixed results. The EPM solution obtained for MLGW 414 converged with difficulty only for a 5-year transit time in the shallow aquifer and is consistent with a source from the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial aquifer; however, the modeled age of the water is greater than that observed. In comparison, the EPM solution for MLGW 432 converged for the 5- and 7-year transit periods in the shallow aquifer and yielded model ages consistent with observed ³H/³He ages; however, the extent of the maximum radii for infiltration source is not consistent with a Mississippi River Valley Alluvial aquifer source. Other potential sources for leakage to MLGW 432 include water from the Fluvial-terrace aquifer migrating along a fault east of the well field or infiltration of water from a lake south of the well field.     

Titan's surface from the Cassini RADAR radiometry data during SAR mode

We present initial results on the calibration and interpretation of the high-resolution radiometry data acquired during the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mode (SAR-radiometry) of the Cassini Radar Mapper during its first five flybys of Saturn's moon Titan.We construct maps of the brightness temperature at the 2-cm wavelength coincident with SAR swath imaging. A preliminary radiometry calibration shows that brightness temperature in these maps varies from 64 to 89 K. Surface features and physical properties derived from the SAR-radiometry maps and SAR imaging are strongly correlated; in general, we find that surface features with high radar reflectivity are associated with radiometrically cold regions, while surface features with low radar reflectivity correlate with radiometrically warm regions. We examined scatterplots of the normalized radar cross-section σ⁰ versus brightness temperature, outlining signatures that characterize various terrains and surface features. The results indicate that volume scattering is important in many areas of Titan's surface, particularly Xanadu, while other areas exhibit complex brightness temperature variations consistent with variable slopes or surface material and compositional properties.     

Transportation geography: The influence of Walter Isard and regional science

This paper explores the influence of Walter Isard, his work, and the field of regional science generally on transportation geography. It argues that Isards impact was both subtle and significant. Regional science greatly influenced the emergence of modern transportation geography in the 1950s. Transportation themes and methods from Isards own work provided early building blocks for transportation geography. Moreover, Isard and regional science contributed importantly to the development of the intellectual network of persons, places, and institutions that early on defined the subfield. Regional science and transportation geography have diverged in recent decades, but opportunities exist for renewed interaction.The author thanks Doug Fleming and Dick Morrill for comments on an earlier version of this paper.     

Growth and population dynamics of crayfish Paranephrops planifrons in streams within native forest and pastoral land uses

Population dynamics of crayfish (Paranephrops planifrons White) in streams draining native forest and pastoral catchments, Waikato, New Zealand, were investigated from September 1996 to July 1998. Crayfish densities were generally greater in native forest streams because of high recruitment over summer, but varied greatly between streams in both land uses. Peak densities in summer were 9 crayfish m^‐2 in native forest and 6 crayfish m^‐2 in pasture streams, but peak biomass in summer was much greater in pasture streams. Mark‐recapture data showed that crayfish, particularly juveniles, in pasture streams grew faster than in native forest streams, through both greater moult frequency and larger moult increments. Females reached reproductive size at c. 20 mm orbit‐carapace length (OCL) after their first year in pasture streams, but after 2 years in native forest streams. Annual degree days >10°C appeared to explain the differences in the timing of life cycles. Estimates of annual crayfish production (range = 0.8–3.4 g dry weight m^‐2 year^–1) were similar in both land uses, and P/B ratios were between 0.95 and 1.2. Despite deforestation and conversion to pasture, crayfish in these Waikato hill‐country streams have maintained similar levels of annual production to those in native forest streams, although juvenile growth rates have increased and longevity has decreased.     

The role of fluids in faulting deformation:a case study from the Dead Sea Transform (Jordan)

The geochemistry of carbonate fault rocks has been examined in two areas of the Arava Fault segment, which forms the major branch of the Dead Sea Transform between the Dead Sea and the Gulf of Aquaba. The role of fluids in faulting deformation in the selected fault segment is remarkably different from observations at other major fault zones. Our data suggest reduced fluid rock interactions in both areas and limited fluid flow. The fault did not act as an important fluid conduit. There are no indications that hydrothermal reactions (cementation, dissolution) did change the strength and behavior of the fault zone, although the two areas show considerable differences with respect to fluid sources and fluid flow. In one area, the investigated calcite mineralization reveals an open fluid system with fluids originating from a variety of sources. Stable isotopes (¹³C, ¹⁸O), strontium isotopes, and trace elements indicate both infiltration of descending (meteoric and/or sea water) and ascending hydrothermal fluids. In the other area, all geochemical data indicate only local (small scale) fluid redistribution. These fluids were derived from the adjacent limestones under nearly closed-system conditions.     

Regional debris-flow and debris-flood frequency–magnitude relationships

Construction of frequency–magnitude (F–M) relationships of debris floods and debris flows is challenging because of few direct observations, discontinuous event occurrence, loss of field evidence, the difficulty of accessing the sediment archive and the challenge of finding suitable statistical methods to analyse the dataset. Consultants often face budget limitations that prohibit application of the full gamut of absolute dating methods, stratigraphic analysis and analytical tools necessary to fully resolve the F–M legacy. In some cases, F–M curves are needed for watersheds without local information, or where obtaining this information is prohibitively expensive. For such watersheds, the F–M relationship may be estimated where several F–M curves have already been assembled in a specific region. Individual F–M curves are normalized by fan area or fan volume, then stratified by process type and geomorphic activity level. This paper describes the development of regional F–M curves for debris flows in southwestern British Columbia and debris flows and debris floods in the Bow River valley near Canmore, Alberta. We apply the regional relationships to other cases in Canada and the United States and demonstrate that the method can be globalized. The regional approach is compared to cases where detailed F–M relationships have been established by other means. Strong negative deviations from the regional debris-flow or debris-flood magnitude trends could signal inherent watershed stability, while strong positive deviations could signal extraordinary landslide processes, or suggest that the fan may be largely of paraglacial origin. We highlight some of these outlying cases and develop a method whereby the regional curves can be meaningfully adjusted, or reliance can be placed on lower or upper confidence bounds of the F–M curves. We caution against the indiscriminate use of the regionally based F–M curves, especially in watersheds where multiple geomorphic processes are active. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.