Genesis of Recent silicic magmatism in the Medicine Lake Highland,California: evidence from cognate inclusions found at Little Glass Mountain

We use granular inclusions and phenocrysts in the Little Glass Mountain rhyolite flows to estimate temperature, pressure and the fugacities of O₂, H₂ and H₂O. The compositions of magnetite-ilmenite are used to estimate temperature and oxygen fugacity. Fugacities of H₂ and H₂O are estimated from the compositions of associated biotite-sanidine-magnetite. P_Total depends on the compositions of magnetite -ferrosilite-silica. Lastly, hydrothermal experiments were conducted at the estimated T, P and f_O2 to establish the beginning of melting of the most evolved of the inclusions in CO₂-H₂O fluids.The data suggest that the most evolved inclusions formed at ～ 830°C, a total pressure of 5200 bars, f_O2 of 10^?13 and P_H2O ～ 1000 bars. Of these variables total pressure is most difficult to estimate accurately. The values of T, P etc., previously stated produce a maximum estimate of the depth of equilibration between host magma and the inclusions whereas, assuming P_H2O = P_Total yields a minimum estimate. The physical conditions together with texture suggest a plutonic origin at a minimum depth of 3.4 km but no deeper than 15–18 km beneath the Medicine Lake Highland.The composition and mineralogy suggest that the rhyolite was derived from the dacite by crystal fractionation. The relation between dacite and associated basaltic or andesitic rocks is uncertain. The ${}^{87}\text{Sr}{}^{86}\text{Sr}$ ratios (essentially 0.7040 for both inclusions and lavas) do not require involvement of crustal rocks. A source in the uppermost mantle or lower lithosphere is considered most probable for the parental liquid which gave rise to the dacite.     

Lead(II) complexation by fulvic acid: how it differs from fulvic acid complexation of copper(II) and cadmium(II)

Pb²⁺, like Cu²⁺, forms strong complexes with fulvic acids (Cd²⁺-fulvate complexes are much weaker), but Pb-fulvate precipitates at a much lower mole ratio of metal ion to fulvic acid than either Cu-fulvate or Cd-fulvate does. Physical association of Pb²⁺ with Pb-fulvate solids as well as complexation by sites still available in the precipitates probably causes the increased removal of free Pb²⁺ from solution after precipitation begins.     

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in an anoxic sediment core from the Pettaquamscutt River (Rhode Island,U.S.A.)

Fifteen sections from an anoxic sediment core were analyzed for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Two types of PAH were observed: (a) those from combustion sources such as pyrene and chrysene and (b) those from natural sources such as retene and perylene. The combustion PAH levels in core sections dated between 1900 and 1970 were much higher than in earlier sections; this indicated an anthropogenic origin of these PAH at this location. The perylene and retene core profiles show significant anomalies during the period 1850–1880. Organic carbon does not fluctuate markedly but δC-13 of organic carbon shows several unexplained excursions; one of which correlates with the perylene and retene anomalies.     

Thermal metamorphism of primitive meteorites—V. Ten trace elements in Tieschitz H3 chondrite heated at 400–1000°C

We determined ten trace elements by neutron activation analysis in Tieschitz (H3) chondrite powder heated in a low-pressure environment (initially ~ 10^?5 atm H₂) for 1 week at 100°C increments from 400–1000°C. Of these, Co seems unaffected by heating, 20% of Ga is lost only at 1000°C and losses of other elements progress with temperature to extremes of 25% for Se, 75% for Cs and 90–97% for Ag, Bi, In, Te, Tl and Zn. Treating elemental mobilization as kinetically-controlled by diffusion from spherical grains of uniform size, Ag, Cs, In and Se are lost from a single site by a single process while Bi, Te, Tl and Zn are lost from two sites or from one site by different processes at high and low temperatures. Magnitudes of apparent activation energies for loss of the first four elements at all temperatures and the last four at low temperatures are consistent with volume diffusion; at high temperatures Bi, Te, Tl and Zn are lost by a low-energy process, like desorption.We compared trace element abundances, patterns of statistically-significant correlations, factor analysis and two-element correlations between Tieschitz and heated Krymka (L3) and, except for factor analysis, “as-received” H3–6 chondrites. Trends for heated ordinary chondrites are similar though small differences occur; those for Tieschitz and H3–6 chondrites differ markedly indicating that H3–6 chondrites—unlike E3–6 chondrites—probably escaped substantial open-system metamorphism. Sharp contrasts in pictures for E-, L- and H-group chondrites indicate substantial differences in genetic histories.     

Coincidence of cadmium and antibiotic resistance in New York Bight apex benthic microorganisms

Microorganisms resistant to 1–500 ppm cadmium were isolated over an 11 month period from sediments at the sewage sludge, dredge spoils and industrial acid waste disposal sites, as well as at an estuarine outflow to the New York Bight apex. Tests for antibiotic resistance in these isolates revealed that 94% of the isolates were resistant to one or more antibiotics and that 91% of the original isolates could be characterized by multiple drug resistance. Different selective pressures may account for the various genera and antimicrobial resistance patterns observed. The possibility of extrachromosomal linkage of cadmium and streptomycin resistance is discussed.     

Calculation of oil concentrations under chemically dispersed slicks

Equations are proposed which describe the diffusion of a plume of oil from chemically dispersed oil slicks into the oceanic water column and which yield estimates of oil concentration as a function of the volume of oil dispersed, time-varying plume area, depth, time, and as a function of a single adjustable parameter, vertical diffusivity. A ‘diffusion floor’ at any desired depth may be included. Experimental data were fitted to the equations to yield an estimate of this diffusivity. It is concluded that oil concentrations can be estimated with a mean error of a factor of three, this high value being attributable to the inherently variable nature of the oceanic diffusion processes. Implications for assessing the toxic effects of dispersed slicks are discussed. It may be possible to calculate acute median lethal water depths and volumes for given organisms subjected to given dispersed oil slicks.     

Heavy metal release from mine tailings into sea water—A laboratory study

In a laboratory experiment to simulate mine tailings disposal into a coastal inlet of British Columbia, initial rapid increases in dissolved iron, copper and lead were observed in the first three hours with subsequent slow decreases to background values within one month. Manganese and nickel increased slowly during the experiment while cadmium and zinc did not increase.     

Plasmid incidence in marine bacteria isolated from petroleum polluted sites on different petroleum hydrocarbons

Oil-degrading bacteria isolated from oil spills, an industrial bay, and an offshore oil field by liquid enrichment on crude oils and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon compounds were screened for extra-chromosomal DNA. Plasmids were detected in 21% of the strains isolated on whole crude oil and in 17% of the strains isolated on polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons. Multiple plasmids were observed in 50% of the plasmid-containing strains. Pseudomonas was the predominant genus isolated during the study. Plasmids do not appear to be of importance to these strains during degradation of freshly introduced oil at a nonpolluted site such as might be the case in an ocean oil spill. Plasmids do appear to be significant in the adaptation of Pseudomonas species to chronic petroleum pollution.     

Thermal metamorphism of primitive meteorites—VIII. Noble gases,carbon and sulfur in Allende (C3) meteorite heated at 400–1000°C

Noble gases, C and S are lost from Allende samples heated for 1 week at temperatures of 400–1000°C in a low pressure environment. In the extreme, losses of ³He and ⁴He are ~ 100 × while for C. S and Ne, Ar and Kr isotopes and ¹³²Xe. these are ≤10 ×. Except for He, these losses are less severe than those of Bi or Tl from samples heated in the same runs. Significant He. Ne and Ar isotopic fractionation during heating indicates preferential outgassing of specific reservoirs. Apparent activation energies for all species generally indicate loss controlled by a diffusive process. Next to He, ⁴⁰Ar is the most labile of those species considered here but still less so than Bi or Tl. L-group (but not H- or LL-group) chondrites may have lost mobile elements like Tl while being outgassed after late impact-associated heating. A less likely alternative possibility involving a collateral relation between condensation conditions and depth in a parent object may also explain the L-group trend.     

Geochemical distribution of hydrocarbons in sediments from mid-Narragansett Bay,Rhode Island

The concentration of hydrocarbons (saturated and aromatic) and synthetic chlorinated compounds (Chlordane, DDT, and PCBs) decreased with depth in sediment cores from mid-Narragansett Bay and reached background levels at different depths. These depths were in general agreement with those expected based on the chronological inputs of these materials to the Bay. Although the total hydrocarbons concentration decreased with depth, the biogenic n-alkanes (n-C_{25,27,29,31,33}) showed a fairly constant concentration with depth as did the organic carbon content of these sediments. The n-alkane odd/even ratio increased with depth in the cores. Size fractionation (> 45 μm and < 45 to > 0.3 μm) of two core sections showed more hydrocarbons associated with the smaller size fraction in the surface section, while the lower section had approximately equal concentrations in both fractions. These trends suggest that over the time period covered by these cores the inputs of biogenic materials has remained relatively constant, while the input of anthropogenic hydrocarbons has increased dramatically during the last 100 yr. This increase is probably due to the expanded use of petroleum over this time period and subsequent chronic inputs to this estuarine environment.