The provenance,petrology and sedimentology of building stone in Bromyard,Herefordshire, UK

A multi-disciplinary study was undertaken of the Lower Old Red Sandstone building stones of Bromyard, Bromyard Downs and Bringsty Common, Herefordshire, UK, to trace their original quarry sources. 196 stone structures were recorded in detail and 3 broad lithological groups recognised. Combining old maps, archival sources, Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data and testimony of local residents, the historic quarries in the area have been mapped. Field studies of the geology of quarries and outcrops have established the area of origin of two distinctive coarse grained lithologies. Intraformational conglomerates have been demonstrated, with some confidence, to be derived from Bromyard itself. Coarse, pebbly, quartzose sandstones have been traced to Bringsty Common and shown to be used only in the church in Bromyard before the 20th century. The origins of fine grained sandstone are found to be more complex. Through a combination of fieldwork and archival research, Clater Park Quarry is indicated as the origin of high quality green sandstones in Bromyard. 15 samples of sandstone from the Bromyard Downs, have been petrographically analysed by point counting to determine their clastic and mineralogical proportions. Early results of this analysis are presented which show modal variation in lithics, feldspars and cements that may serve to link quarries to buildings. Finally, it is suggested that at least some of the diversity of stone present in Bromyard is the result of slight variation in depositional processes in the immediately underlying bedrock.     

Differences in stable isotope compositions of freshwater snails from surface sediments of two Polish shallow lakes

The study reports and discusses the differences in δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of shells between several species of freshwater snails. Shells were derived from sediment samples collected from depths of 0.5, 1, 2 and 3 m along transects in two shallow eutrophic lakes located in mid-western Poland. Mean δ¹³C values of the shells ranged between −7.5 and −3.8‰ in Lake Jarosławieckie and between −8.1 and −5.2‰ in Lake Rosnowskie Duże, whereas mean δ¹⁸O values ranged between −2.2 and −0.2‰ and between −2.2 and 0.4‰ respectively in the studied lakes. A similar order of species in terms of shell isotope values, from least to most ¹³C and ¹⁸O-depleted was observed in both lakes and seems to indicate constancy of the factors controlling the stable isotope compositions of snail shells. We postulate that the nearly 4‰ difference in the mean carbon stable isotope values between the species was primarily controlled by the amount of metabolic carbon incorporated into the shells and the δ¹³C values of the snail food. Different growth cessation temperatures and microhabitats of the species studied result in temporally and spatially varied DIC δ¹³C values, water δ¹⁸O values and water temperature of shell precipitation, and may thus differentiate the δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of shells. The range of δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of individual shells from a sediment sample (mean 2.35 and 2.15‰, respectively) is interpreted as reflecting an intraspecific variability of isotope compositions in shells from a population and changes of the ambient conditions during the accumulation of the sediment layer. The species-specificity and intraspecific variability in C and O isotopic compositions of shells allow concluding that in palaeolimnological studies, stable isotope analyses should be performed on a set of mono-specific shells representing mean isotope compositions of the species for the interval studied rather than single shells or multispecific bulk shell material.     

Influence of host fish age on a mussel parasite differs among rivers: Implications for conservation

Unionoid mussels are obligate parasites on one or more fish species. The objective was to compare growth and survival of encysted mussel larvae of the freshwater pearl mussel (Margaritifera margaritifera) on young-of-the-year (YOY) versus one-year old brown trout (Salmo trutta). YOY and one-year old trout from the Brattefors and Lärje Rivers, Sweden, were infested with mussel larvae from their home river. The mass-normalized encystment abundance was higher on YOY trout than on one-year old trout. The proportional decrease in mass-normalized encystment abundance was larger on YOY brown trout from the Brattefors River than on YOY brown trout from the Lärje River. Encystment per individual fish was higher on YOY trout than on one-year old trout from the Brattefors River, whereas this relationship was reversed for trout from the Lärje River. Larval growth was higher on YOY trout than on one-year old trout. There was a larger difference in larval growth between YOY trout and one-year old trout from the Brattefors River than on the brown trout from the Lärje River. The ability to use both YOY and older fish, such as in the Lärje River, may increase the reproduction potential of mussel populations, compared to a reduced ability to use more than one year class, such as in the Brattefors River. This may also affect the dispersal of mussels, as older brown trout often move and migrate to a higher degree within and between rivers. The dispersal potential of mussels may therefore be relatively high in the Lärje River, but low in the Brattefors River. In rivers where the mussels have to rely on YOY brown trout, it could be worth facilitating passage through migration obstacles for YOY brown trout. Infested YOY brown trout could be artificially re-distributed within rivers, to places with former mussel distributions. It could also be worth testing the suitability of brown trout of different age classes when starting breeding programs.     

Fatty Acid Composition of Plankton and Bighead Carp (Aristichthys nobilis) in Freshwater Ponds

The community structure and fatty acid composition of plankton in broodstock ponds were studied at the Bishui Fisheries Company in the Liaoning Province, northeast China, between May and December 2002 and in March 2003. The Fatty acid analysis of bighead carp larvae and plankton in the fry pond occurred during June, July, and September 2002. The fatty acid composition of the plankton varied with seasonal changes in the community structure. When blue‐green algae dominated the broodstock ponds in spring and summer, the percentage of saturated fatty acids (SFA) (especially 16:0) was high. When diatoms and cryptophytes dominated in autumn and winter, the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) (mainly n–3 PUFA) was high. Similarly, a high content of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) occurred in autumn and winter when DHA‐rich copepods became an important group of zooplankton. In addition, environmental factors, especially water temperature, influenced the fatty acid composition of plankton. 16:0, DHA, and 18:1n–9 were dominant fatty acids of bighead carp larvae during ontogeny. 16:0, C18 unsaturated fatty acids, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were major fatty acids of plankton in the fry pond. Analysis of the relationship between the fatty acids of the larvae and those of plankton showed that the fatty acid profiles of the larvae did not always agree with those of plankton.     

Sources and distribution of fresh water in the East Greenland Current

Fresh water flowing from the Arctic Ocean via the East Greenland Current influences deep water formation in the Nordic Seas as well as the salinity of the surface and deep waters flowing from there. This fresh water has three sources: Pacific water (relatively fresh cf. Atlantic water), river runoff, and sea ice meltwater. To determine the relative amounts of the three sources of fresh water, in May 2002 we collected water samples across the East Greenland Current in sections from 81.5°N to the Irminger Sea south of Denmark Strait. We used nitrate-phosphate relationships to distinguish Pacific waters from Atlantic waters, salinity to obtain the sum of sea ice melt water and river runoff water, and total alkalinity to distinguish the latter. River runoff contributed the largest part of the total fresh water component, in some regions with some inventories exceeding 12 m. Pacific fresh water (Pacific source water S ∼ 32 cf. Atlantic source water S ∼ 34.9) typically provided about 1/3 of the river runoff contribution. Sea ice meltwater was very nearly non-existent in the surface waters of all sections, likely at least in part as a result of the samples being collected before the onset of the melt season. The fresh water from the Arctic Ocean was strongly confined to near the Greenland coast. We thus conjecture that the main source of fresh water from the Arctic Ocean most strongly impacting deep convection in the Nordic Seas would be sea ice as opposed to fresh water in the liquid phase, i.e., river runoff, Pacific fresh water, and sea ice meltwater.     

Liquid freshwater transport and Polar Surface Water characteristics in the East Greenland Current during the AO-02 Oden expedition

Dynamical features of the East Greenland Current (EGC) are synthesized from a survey conducted by the Swedish icebreaker Oden during the International Arctic Ocean - 02 expedition (AO-02) in May 2002 with emphasis on the liquid freshwater transport and Polar Surface Water. The data include hydrography and lowered acoustic doppler current profiler (LADCP) velocities in eight transects along the EGC, from the Fram Strait in the north to the Denmark Strait in the south. The survey reveals a strong confinement of the low-salinity polar water in the EGC to the continental slope/shelf—a feature of relevance for the stability of the thermohaline circulation in the Arctic Mediterranean. The southward transport of liquid freshwater in the EGC was found to vary considerably between the sections, ranging between 0.01 and 0.1 Sverdrup. Computations based on geostrophic as well as LADCP velocities give a section-averaged southward freshwater transport of 0.06 Sverdrup in the EGC during May 2002. Furthermore, Oden data suggest that the liquid freshwater transport was as large north of the Fram Strait as it was south of the Denmark Strait.     

Seasonal variation of oxidative biomarkers in gills and digestive gland of green-lipped mussel Perna viridis from Arabian Sea

Investigations on seasonal variation in oxidative stress biomarkers were carried out on the natural population of green-lipped mussel Perna viridis collected from Bambolim beach area of Goa. Oxidative stress indices such as lipid peroxidation (LPX), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR), reduced glutathione (GSH) and ascorbic acid (ASA) were measured in gills and digestive gland of P. viridis during February, May, August and November. The present study reveals two important aspects regarding the antioxidant defence status of tissues of P. viridis. Firstly, antioxidant capacity of tissues of P. viridis exhibits seasonal variation. Secondly, various components of antioxidant capacity such as oxidative stress markers, levels of antioxidant enzymes and small antioxidant molecules vary differently in tissues with respect to different seasons. Although the oxidative stress status of gills and digestive gland of P. viridis expressed in terms of LPX and H₂O₂ was the lowest in February, its level was maximal in gills and digestive gland during May and November, respectively. While activities of SOD and GPX of tissues of P. viridis were found to be low in August, activities of CAT and GR were recorded to be low in February. GST activity in gills although remained high in February, in digestive gland elevated values were recorded in August and November. A seasonal variation in the levels of small antioxidant molecules was also noticed. Among non enzymatic antioxidants ASA content of tissues was maximal in May and August in comparison to February and November, but GSH remained high in November. It therefore appears that environmental factors may play a crucial role in regulating the oxidative stress capacity of tissues of P. viridis.     

长江径流变化对南港盐水入侵影响分析

根据长江大通站长系列流量资料，按不同频率把枯季流量划分为丰，平，枯，特枯四类，并与吴淞，高桥氯化物进行对比分析，表明南港河段每年受到盐水入侵的影响，但入侵强度各年相差甚远，主要受控于径流量的丰竭，三峡工作兴建后对长江口咸潮影响，既有不利的一面，又有有利的一面，建议水库调蓄方式根据实际情况调整。     

The alpha/beta ocean distinction: A perspective on freshwater fluxes, convection, nutrients and productivity in high-latitude seas

Stratification is perhaps the most important attribute of oceans with regards to climate and biology. Two simple aspects of the ocean's climate system appear to have a surprisingly important role in transforming waters that feed the global thermohaline circulation, dominating patterns of biogeochemical flux and establishing macroecological domains. First, largely because of meridional distillation (mainly due to the atmospheric transport of freshwater across the Isthmus of Panama) the North Pacific is fresher than the North Atlantic. Second, largely because of zonal distillation (e.g., warming and evaporation at low latitudes and poleward transport of latent heat and moisture by the atmosphere) the upper layers of subtropical seas are permanently stratified by temperature (N_T²=gαdT/dz>0; here called alpha oceans), while the upper layers of high-latitude seas are permanently stratified by salinity (N_S²=gβdS/dz>0; here called beta oceans). The physical basis for the boundary separating alpha and beta oceans is unclear, but may lie in the thermodynamical equations published by Fofonoff [1961. Energy transformations in the sea. Fisheries Research Board of Canada, Report Series 109, 82pp]. Nevertheless, it is clear that the resulting thermohaline distributions establish a ‘downhill journey’ of low-salinity (and nutrient-rich) waters from the North Pacific to the Arctic and then into the North Atlantic. The Arctic Ocean—itself—acts a double estuary, whereby waters entering from the North Atlantic become either denser through cooling (negative estuary) or lighter by freshening (positive estuary) as they circulate within the basin and then return to the North Atlantic as a variety of components of the ocean's conveyor. Intermediate and deep waters generally form within cyclonic beta oceans in close proximity to alphas systems. Similar patterns of stratification, nutrients and biogeographical boundaries persist in the Southern Hemisphere. It is thus argued that this simple distinction—alpha versus beta oceans—provides a broad, conceptual framework for simple interpretation of key physical and biological processes and rates, including the impacts of climate variability.