Caspian Sea amphipods: biodiversity,systematic position and ecological peculiarities of some species

In the Caspian Sea, one group of crustaceans, the Amphipoda, is represented by 72(70?) species, 60(58?) of which are gammarids, arranged in 20 genera. Almost all are endemic to the Ponto-Caspian zoogeographical region. To simplify the taxonomy of the genusGammarus Fabricius s.l., the Caspian gammarids ought to be grouped in 4 genera:Dikerogammarus Stebbing,Pontogammarus Sowinsky,Stenogammarus Martynov, andChaetogammarus Martynov. Taking into account the influence of different ecological factors on the external morphology of gammarids, we consider that all described forms ofDikerogammarus haemobaphes (Eichwald),D. villosus (Sowinsky),D. palmatus Martynov,D. fluviatilus Martynov, and perhapsD. aralensis (Uljanin) are one species —D. haemobaphes. Study of the ecological area and distribution ofIphigenella andrusovi Sars,Pandorites podoceroides (Grimm) andChaetogammarus placidus Sars indicates that these species are endemic to the Caspian Sea.     

Lower Pleistocene deltaic and marine sediments in boreholes from the central North Sea

Lower Pleistocene sediments recovered in boreholes from the Aberdeen Ground Formation in the central North Sea indicate that the unit was deposited in a delta front to prodelta/shallow, open shelf marine setting. Possible estuarine and clastic nearshore marine deposits have been identified on the western margin of the basin. The delta front sediments consist of interbedded, structureless to laminated sands and muds with organic debris, ferruginous nodules and common soft sediment deformation structures. Sporadic rippled and graded beds, basal scours to beds and starved ripples suggest periodic wave–current reworking. Prodelta/shelf marine sediments are predominantly argillaceous with only occasional thin sand beds and rare phosphatic bands. One exceptionally thick sand body or submarine channel-fill although this remains uncertain. The estuarine/clastic nearshore marine sediments include coarse channel-lag deposits and rippled and laminated subtidal sands. A rich microfossil assemblage recovered from the prodelta/shelf marine sequence indicates that deposition occurred under fluctuating climatic conditions.     

Limnology of Opal Lake

Opal Lake, a cold, acid lake on the central volcanic plateau of the North Island, New Zealand, had an average pH of 4.3 and was highly eutrophic. The biota was less diverse than in neighbouring near‐neutral waters. Macrophytes were rare; phytoplankton were mainly represented by the Chlorophyceae, and there were only 4 zooplankton species. The mean standing crop of macroinvertebrates was 6240 per square metre; this was higher than in other eutrophic lakes in the region and comprised more than 98% chironomid larvae represented by 4 species. Molluscs were absent. The fauna was more diverse than in more acid lakes of the .central volcanic plateau.     

Trace elements in medium-temperature (40–80 °C) thermal waters from the Mura basin (North-Eastern Slovenia)

Medium-temperature thermal waters in the Mura basin occur in hydrogeological systems different in age, burial depth, temperature, porosity and permeability, and the presence of free carbon dioxide which penetrates through the fractures from pre-Tertiary basement. The waters commonly belong to sodium-bicarbonate hydrogeochemical facies, but may have significantly different amounts of total dissolved solids, including trace elements. Thermal waters occurring in low-permeable, well-compacted and moderately fractured Tertiary sediments older than Upper Pliocene are the richest in trace elements, although their abundance may be very variable from one aquifer to another. The ratios of major alkaline and alkaline earth elements (Na, K, Ca) and trace elements (Li, Rb, Cs, Ba, Sr) commonly show relative enrichment in highly mineralised waters with respect to the waters with lower mineralisation. Rare earth elements (REEs) and Y show only minor fractionation in the highly mineralised waters, whereas in the waters with lower mineralisation strong fractionation of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) over light rare earth elements (LREEs) occurs, along with a pronounced positive europium anomaly. Positive Th/U ratios are commonly observed, although both actinide elements occur in the range of some hundredths of ppb to some ppb. Trace elements were particularly useful in the study of well cycling in two hydraulically interconnected geothermal wells in the town of Murska Sobota, which produce a mixture of low- and high-mineralised waters.     

Re-parameterization of a quasi-analytical algorithm for colored dissolved organic matter dominant inland waters

Quasi-Analytical Algorithms (QAAs) are based on radiative transfer equations and have been used to derive inherent optical properties (IOPs) from the above surface remote sensing reflectance (R_rs) in aquatic systems in which phytoplankton is the dominant optically active constituents (OACs). However, Colored Dissolved Organic Matter (CDOM) and Non Algal Particles (NAP) can also be dominant OACs in water bodies and till now a QAA has not been parametrized for these aquatic systems. In this study, we compared the performance of three widely used QAAs in two CDOM dominated aquatic systems which were unsuccessful in retrieving the spectral shape of IOPS and produced minimum errors of 350% for the total absorption coefficient (a), 39% for colored dissolved matter absorption coefficient (a_CDM) and 7566.33% for phytoplankton absorption coefficient (a_phy). We re-parameterized a QAA for CDOM dominated (hereafter QAA_CDOM) waters which was able to not only achieve the spectral shape of the OACs absorption coefficients but also brought the error magnitude to a reasonable level. The average errors found for the 400–750 nm range were 30.71 and 14.51 for a, 14.89 and 8.95 for a_CDM and 25.90 and 29.76 for a_phy in Funil and Itumbiara Reservoirs, Brazil respectively. Although QAA_CDOM showed significant promise for retrieving IOPs in CDOM dominated waters, results indicated further tuning is needed in the estimation of a(λ) and a_phy(λ). Successful retrieval of the absorption coefficients by QAA_CDOM would be very useful in monitoring the spatio-temporal variability of IOPS in CDOM dominated waters.     

川东北楼房洞洞穴系统水体元素含量季节变化与影响因素

通过对川东北诺水河地区楼房洞洞穴系统水体Ca、Mg、Sr、Ba和U元素含量变化进行为期一年(2011年7月至2012年6月)的监测,结果发现:(1)各监测点的元素含量变化一般具有较明显的季节性,但不同的监测点之间、不同的元素之间季节变化趋势并不一致,反映了在不同的环境下不同的元素含量变化的影响机制存在差异;(2)对于2011年9月的强降水事件,河水的元素含量明显受到稀释作用影响,而洞穴内水体尤其是池水的元素含量变化明显较弱,这反映了洞穴上覆地层对外部降水事件的缓冲作用,特别是洞穴内池水由于存在更复杂的影响机制,其对外界的降水事件的响应最不敏感;(3)在所有监测点,Sr含量和Sr/Ca比值变化均表现出冬春季节相对较高而夏秋季节较低的特点,可能反映了水岩相互作用和大气沉降活动是影响Sr含量和Sr/Ca比值变化的主要机制。这对该地区岩溶洞穴沉积中的Sr含量(或Sr/Ca比值)和87Sr/86Sr比值作为研究大气粉尘活动和冬季风强度变化指标的观点给予了支持。     

Arsenic in mine waters: an international study

 Hydrochemical data are presented for arsenic (As) in the mine waters of 34 gold and base-metal mining localities in seven countries of south-east Asia, Africa and Latin America, encompassing contrasting climatic settings and at least eight discrete styles of primary mineralization. Peak dissolved As concentrations at these sites range from 0.005–72 mg/l, with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) potable water threshold of 50 μg/l exceeded in 25 cases. Arsenate (As⁵⁺) constitutes the dominant species at over 80% of sites. Very high dissolved As concentrations (>1 mg/l) show no systematic between-site relationship with mine water pH/Eh regime. Important determinants of mine water As fluxes include iron hydrochemistry, the presence of cyanic ore processing effluents, site geology, the paragenetic sequence that follows sulphide oxidation, climate and mine management. Human toxicological impacts of As contamination have been recognized at only one case-study site, with a further four considered to warrant more detailed risk assessment. Received: 2 November 1999 · Accepted: 21 March 2000     

Hydrogeochemistry and reservoir characterization of the Konya geothermal fields,Central Anatolia/Turkey

A conceptual model with water samples from ten geothermal fields (?smil, Ilg?n (Çavu?cugöl), Tuzlukçu-Ak?ehir, Seydi?ehir and Kavakköy, Hüyük, Ere?li-Akhüyük, Kad?nhan?, Cihanbeyli, Karap?nar and Bey?ehir) in the province of Konya defined the geothermal system. Carbonates, quartzite and marbles of Paleozoic metamorphics are the reservoir rocks and the heating sources are igneous rock intrusions and geothermal gradient. The variable thermal water (CaMgHCO₃, CaSO₄, NaSO₄, CaHCO₃, CaNaHCO₃, NaCl and CaNaClHCO₃) had EC and temperature between 177.8 and 56,100 μS/cm and between 18.3 and 44 °C, respectively. Ca²⁺ in geothermal fluids are associated with marble and carbonate rocks and the high chloride shows direct connection with deep geothermal system, and prolonged contact with evaporite rocks. Sulphate originates from dissolution of and oxidation of sulphate and sulphur-bearing minerals. The high As, B, F and Mn concentration in some thermal water samples were determined as 85 μg/l, 148.56 mg/l, 3.01 mg/l and 208.13 mg/l, respectively. Reservoir temperatures computed by Na/K geothermometers were between 85.37–158.89 °C for Ak?ehir thermal waters and 58.78–90.45 °C for Ere?li thermal waters. The maximum reservoir temperature of other geothermal waters was 75 °C by the silica geothermometers.     

扩散法——EA-IRMS测定天然水体铵态氮同位素实验条件研究

稳定氮同位素是研究氮循环和氮污染源示踪的一个有效手段。然而目前国内对水体中铵态氮同位素测定方法研究较少,限制了水体氮循环和污染机理的深入探讨。本文采用改进的扩散法(EA-IRMS)测定水中铵态氮同位素,探讨了样品制备过程中扩散溶液的体积、浓度和扩散时间对回收率及氮同位素测定值的影响。实验得出最佳扩散条件为:1.50 mg/L氯化铵溶液400 mL扩散14天,回收率大于95%,且不会产生氮同位素分馏。本研究为高精度测定天然水体中铵态氮同位素提供了更可靠的实验条件。     

Mallow Springs,County Cork,Ireland

Because of its copious and reliable rainfall, Ireland has an abundance of springs. Many of the larger ones issue from the Carboniferous limestone that occurs in over 40% of the country. The spring water is mainly a calcium bicarbonate type with a temperature of about 10°C. In the 18th century, warm and cold springs were developed as spas in various parts of Ireland. The popularity of these springs was short and most were in major decline by 1850. Today only one cold spa at Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare is still operating. Springs in Ireland were places of religious significance for the pre-Christian Druidic religion. In the Christian period they became holy wells, under the patronage of various saints. Cures for many different ailments were attributed to water from these wells.