Identification of Uranyl Minerals Using Oxygen K‐Edge X‐Ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Although most of the world's uranium exists as pitchblende or uraninite, this mineral can be weathered to a great variety of secondary uranium minerals, most containing the uranyl cation. Anthropogenic uranium compounds can also react in the environment, leading to spatial–chemical alterations that could be useful for nuclear forensics analyses. Soft X‐ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has the advantages of being non‐destructive, element‐specific and sensitive to electronic and physical structure. The soft X‐ray probe can also be focused to a spot size on the order of tens of nanometres, providing chemical information with high spatial resolution. However, before XAS can be applied at high spatial resolution, it is necessary to find spectroscopic signatures for a variety of uranium compounds in the soft X‐ray spectral region. To that end, we collected the near edge X‐ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra of a variety of common uranyl‐bearing minerals, including uranyl carbonates, oxyhydroxides, phosphates and silicates. We find that uranyl compounds can be distinguished by class (carbonate, oxyhydroxide, phosphate or silicate) based on their oxygen K‐edge absorption spectra. This work establishes a database of reference spectra for future spatially resolved analyses. We proceed to show scanning X‐ray transmission microscopy (STXM) data from a schoepite particle in the presence of an unknown contaminant.     

黔东南凯里-榕江-从江前寒武系甚低级变质作用研究

根据碎屑岩甚低级变质作用原理,运用伊利石结晶度、绿泥石结晶度、伊利石-白云母多型、伊利石(白云母)b_0值、绿泥石温度计等碎屑岩低温变质研究的方法,分析研究了黔东南前寒武系67个2μm的粘土样品,得到黔东南凯里-榕江-从江一带下江群伊利石结晶度为0.221~0.607°Δ2θCu Kα、绿泥石结晶度为0.239~1.393°Δ2θCu Kα,变质带伊利石-白云母多型均为2M_1型,伊利石(白云母)b_0值为0.9001~0.9048nm,平均0.9021nm。根据伊利石(白云母)b_0值的累积频率曲线得出研究区下江群遭受的变质作用为典型的中压变质类型。由Cathelineau(1988)绿泥石温度计估算出下江群浅变质带峰期变质温度为362~382℃。以上结果表明凯里-榕江-从江一带下江群经历了成岩-高近变质-浅变质作用,基于Warr和Rice标样的成岩/变质界限,剖面可划分为一个成岩带、两个近变质带、一个转变带和一个浅变质带。结合华南地区新元古代构造运动,推断新元古界下江群经历的成岩-变质作用与晋宁运动引起的扬子地块与华夏地块碰撞拼贴有关。     

粤西河台金矿田糜棱岩XRD特征及其地质意义

粤西河台金矿区位于钦州湾—杭州湾（钦—杭）结合带南段的云开地区,是典型的受韧性剪切带控制的金矿。然而,对于剪切带中有利于金成矿的地质环境及其成矿过程仍然存在争议。本文在对河台矿区高村矿床进行详细野外地质调查的基础上,通过X射线衍射（XRD）对含金剪切带中各类糜棱岩系列岩石进行系统研究,建立应力变化—成分变异的对比序列,从而进一步揭示剪切变形与金矿化的关系。结果显示,剪切带中白（绢）云母的含量在9%~40%,并且在初糜棱岩、无矿糜棱岩、含矿糜棱岩、无矿超糜棱岩、含矿超糜棱岩中含量呈现出逐渐递增的趋势。白（绢）云母主要为2M1型,b0值分布在0.55505~0.99002 nm之间,在初糜棱岩、无矿糜棱岩和无矿超糜棱岩中逐渐增高,分别形成在低压、中压和高压环境。可见,从初糜棱岩到超糜棱岩,随着变形强度的增加,热液活动也随之增强,从而新生成了大量白（绢）云母。然而,在含矿的糜棱岩和超糜棱岩中还存在一些低压白云母,推测其可能是在后期脆性裂隙中由于流体活动所新形成的。因此,成矿可能经历了两个阶段,即早期的韧性剪切变形阶段导致金的初步富集,后期叠加的脆性破裂阶段形成具有工业品位的矿体。另外,无矿超糜棱岩的石英含量（29.8%）明显低于糜棱岩（44.2%）,推测在形成石英脉型矿体过程中,部分热液可能来自于其围岩超糜棱岩。因此,相对于初糜棱岩和糜棱岩,超糜棱岩中更有利于金矿的形成。     

Decline of Pseudodiaptomus hessei (Copepoda, Calanoida) in two water bodies located in the Senegal River hydrosystem (West Africa): Hypotheses and perspectives

Pseudodiaptomus hessei is a key species in many water bodies in the Senegal River hydrosystem but it became rare or completely disappeared from two ecosystems (Lake Guiers and Dakar Bango Reservoir; Senegal, West Africa) after major hydrological changes caused by human action, mainly impoundments on the river in 1985, and the opening of a new estuary mouth in 2003. Kâ et al. [Kâ, S., Pagano, M., Ba, N., Bouvy, M., Leboulanger, C., Arfi, R., Thiaw, O.T., Ndour, E.H.M., Corbin, D., Defaye, D., Cuoc, C., Kouassi, E., 2006. Zooplankton distribution related to environmental factors and phytoplankton in a shallow tropical lake (Lake Guiers, Senegal, West Africa). International Review of Hydrobiology 91(5), 389–405] put forward several hypotheses to explain the reasons for this decline: salinity and chemical changes in the water, predation by a cyclopid predator Mesocyclops ogunnus and/or the inhibiting effects of cyanobacteria and/or diatoms (allelopathy). This study assessed these hypotheses by studying the distribution of P. hessei in 13 stations (including the Dakar Bango reservoir and Lake Guiers) in relation to physical, chemical and biological (phyto- and zooplanktons) factors at each station. We produced a distribution pattern for this species in the Senegal River hydrosystem. Rank correlations and principal component analysis showed that P. hessei was not correlated with conductivity but was positively correlated with pH and alkalinity, suggesting chemical effects. The clear association with two filamentous cyanobacteria (Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii and Anabaena sp.) did not appear to support the hypothesis of cyanobacteria inhibition but blooming conditions were never encountered during the study. Negative correlation with diatoms (especially with Fragilaria sp.) suggested that aldehyde producing diatoms had a negative effect. Negative correlations with cyclopids such as Mesocyclops supported the hypothesis of cyclopid predation to explain the decline of P. hessei. This study proposes several lines of research for future studies to test these hypotheses.     

Regional and temporal changes in bivalve diversity off the south coast of Portugal

From 2000 to 2006, a total of 75 bivalve species were identified, varying from 29 (spring 2001) to 54 species (spring 2005) per year. Seasonal tendencies in diversity varied according the year, thus the interpretation of long-term and regional scales is essential before drawing any conclusions in other studies. Richness and diversity consistently decreased with depth and increased with sediment grain size (from low in very coarse sand to high in coarse silt). Diversity decreased progressively from 3 to 16 m depth, thus the harsher shallower environments (due to waves and tidal air exposure) showed greater diversity than the most stable areas. Communities in finer sediments were more diverse than those in coarser sand. Evenness showed patterns opposite to diversity, overall.Diversity and evenness maps (produced with multivariate universal kriging), showed that most geographic areas with greater diversity were farer from river outflows and wastewater treatment plants. Two types of geographic pattern were observed: areas with persistently greater bivalve diversity through time and areas that changed locally from year to year. This spatial analysis can be used to establish priority conservation areas for management purposes, and to analyse the persistency of regional diversity patterns. The area with most habitat heterogeneity (Sotavento) corresponded to greatest diversity.There was a positive relationship between Spisula solida and Chamelea gallina landings and bivalve diversity 2 years and 1 year later, respectively. Possibly, local fisheries, by selectively withdrawing the commercial numerically dominant species from the ecosystem, increased diversity 1 to 2 years later, as the ecological niches of the dominants are quickly filled by several other species thereby creating a more even community. On regional scales, no significant impact was found on long-term bivalve diversity in local fisheries,     

Effects of pulsed nutrient inputs on phytoplankton assemblage structure and blooms in an enclosed coastal area

The response of phytoplankton assemblage structure to terrestrial nutrient inputs was examined for the Gulf of Kalloni in the Northern Aegean Sea, a productive semi-enclosed coastal marine ecosystem. The study was focused on a typical annual cycle, and emphasis was placed on the comparative analysis between blooms developing after significant nutrient inputs from the watershed, and naturally occurring blooms. Baseline information was collected on a monthly basis from a network of stations located in the oligotrophic open sea and the interior and more productive part of the embayment. Intensive sampling was also carried out along a gradient in the vicinity of a river which was the most important source of freshwater and nutrient input for the Gulf. Phytoplankton assemblage structure was analyzed from 188 samples using diversity indices (Shannon and Average Taxonomic Distinctness), multivariate plotting methods (NMDS), multivariate statistics (PERMANOVA), and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Three characteristic assemblages were recognized: (1) an autumn assemblage developed under nutrient depleted conditions, having low diversity due to the dominance of two small diatoms, (2) a winter bloom of the potentially toxic species Pseudo-nitzschia calliantha occurring immediately after a nutrient peak and characterized by very low diversity, and (3) a naturally occurring early summer bloom of centric diatoms with relatively high diversity. The results of the study support the view that moderate nutrient inputs may have a beneficial effect on the functioning of coastal ecosystems, stimulating the taxonomic diversity through the growth of different taxonomic groups and taxa. On the other hand, a sudden pulse of high nutrient concentrations may greatly affect the natural succession of organisms, have a negative effect on the diversity through the dominance of a single species, and can increase the possibility of a harmful algal bloom development.     

Interactions between sediment chemistry and frenulate pogonophores (Annelida) in the north-east Atlantic

The small frenulate pogonophores (Annelida: Pogonophora a.k.a. Siboglinidae) typically inhabit muddy sediments on the continental slope, although a few species occur near hydrothermal vents and cold seeps. We present data on the distribution and habitat characteristics of several species on the European continental shelf and slope from 48°N to 75°N and show how the animals interact with the chemistry of the sediments. The environments inhabited include: shallow (30 m), organic-rich, fjord sediments; slope sediments (1000–2200 m) and methane seeps at 330 m depth. All the species studied obtain nutrition from endosymbiotic bacteria. They take up reduced sulphur species, or in one case, methane, through the posterior parts of their tubes buried in the anoxic sediment. We conclude that most species undertake sulphide ‘mining’, a mechanism previously demonstrated in the bivalves Lucinoma borealis and Thyasira sarsi. These pogonophores participate in the sulphur cycle and effectively lower the sulphide content of the sediments. Our results show that the abundance of frenulate pogonophores increases with increasing sedimentation and with decreasing abundance of other benthos, particularly bioturbating organisms. The maximum sustainable carrying capacity of non-seep sediments for frenulate pogonophores is limited by the rate of sulphate reduction.     

Feeding of the Norwegian spring spawning herring Clupea harengus (Linne) at the different stages of its life cycle

The aim of the research was to investigate the diet of herring at different stages of its life cycle. For that purpose feeding of 0-group and immature herring in the Barents Sea, as well as of mature fish from the Norwegian Sea, was studied. 0-Group herring was sampled in the Barents Sea in August–September 2002–2005 during the international 0-group and trawl-acoustic survey of pelagic fish, as well as during the trawl-acoustic survey of demersal fish in November–December 2003–2004. Stomach samples of immature herring (1–3 years) were collected in late May and early of June 2001 and 2005 in the south-western part of the Barents Sea during the trawl-acoustic survey for young herring. Stomach samples of mature herring were collected in the Norwegian Sea in 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, and 2002 in the course of the international trawl-acoustic survey of pelagic fish. Feeding intensity of herring of all age groups varied considerably between years and this was probably associated with availability and accessibility of their prey. The 0-group herring was found to have the most diverse diet, including 31 different taxa. In August–September, copepods, euphausiids, Cladocera, and larvae Bivalvia were most frequent in the diet of 0-group herring, but euphausiids and Calanus finmarchicus were the main prey taken. In November–December, euphausiids and tunicates were major prey groups. It was found that C. finmarchicus in the diet of 0-group herring was replaced by larval and adult euphausiids with increasing fish length. C. finmarchicus was the principal prey of immature herring and dominated in the diet of both small and large individuals and mainly older copepodites of C. finmarchicus were taken. Larval and adult euphausiids were found in stomachs of immature herring as well, but their share was not large. The importance of different prey for mature herring in the Norwegian Sea varied depending on the feeding area and length of the herring. On the whole C. finmarchicus and 0-group fish were the most important prey for mature herring diet, but fish prey were only important in a small sampling area. Hyperiids, euphausiids, tunicates, and pteropods were less important prey, and in 2002 herring actively consumed herring fry and redfish larvae.     

涌浪对风浪能量影响的实验研究

在实验室风浪水槽中进行纯风浪和混合浪波面位移观测,研究波长较长的规则波对风浪能量的影响.本文用混合浪和纯风浪中的风浪显著波的零阶谱矩之比代表混合浪中的风浪与纯风浪能量之比,并以此表征涌浪对风浪能量的影响.研究了该能量比随涌浪波陡S、风区x、波龄倒数u/C、涌浪频率与纯风浪谱峰频率之比fs/fwp的变化规律.结果表明,涌浪对风浪能量的抑制作用随涌浪波陡的增加、波龄倒数的增大及涌浪频率与纯风浪谱峰频率之比的增大而增强.发现该能量比依赖于无因次量R=(1+80(πS)2)1.9(fs/fwp)0.9(u/C)0.27,并拟合得到2者的经验关系.此外,本文实验还发现,在某些情况下,涌浪的存在使风浪能量增加.     

淹没植物对河道糙率的影响

基于河道水动力及植物柔性变形分析,建立淹没状态下的植物河道糙率计算的理论关系,同时,利用试验资料及理论分析成果,进一步获得了植物河道糙率的附加值,借此可以分析与评价河道植物对水流阻力的影响程度.