Volcanic and Scientific Activity at Kick ’em Jenny Submarine Volcano 2001–2002: Implications for Volcanic Hazard in the Southern Grenadines,Lesser Antilles

Kick em Jenny submarine volcano, ~8 km north of Grenada, has erupted at least 12 times since it was first discovered in 1939, making it the most frequently active volcano in the Lesser Antilles arc. The volcano lies in shallow water close to significant population centres and directly beneath a major shipping route, and as a consequence an understanding of the eruptive behaviour and potential hazards at the volcano is critical. The most recent eruption at Kick em Jenny occurred on December 4 2001, and differed significantly from past eruptions in that it was preceded by an intensive volcanic earthquake swarm. In March 2002 a multi-beam bathymetric survey of the volcano and its surroundings was carried out by the NOAA ship Ronald H Brown. This survey provided detailed three-dimensional images of the volcano, revealing the detailed morphology of the summit area. The volcano is capped by a summit crater which is breached to the northeast and which varies in diameter from 300 to 370 m. The depth to the summit (highest point on the crater rim) is 185 m and the depth to the lowest point inside the crater is 264 m. No dome is present within the crater. The crater and summit region of Kick em Jenny are located at the top of an asymmetrical cone which is about 1300 m from top to bottom on its western side. It lies within what appear to be the remnants of a much larger arcuate collapse structure. An evaluation of the morphology, bathymetry and eruptive history of the volcano indicates that the threat of eruption-generated tsunamis is considerably lower than previously thought, mainly because the volcano is no longer thought to be growing towards the surface. Of more major and immediate concern are the direct hazards associated with the volcano, such as ballistic ejecta, water disturbances and lowered water density due to degassing.     

δ34S isotope values of dissolved sulfate (SO4 2−) as a tracer for battery acid (H2SO4) contamination in groundwater

The application of sulfur isotope (³⁴S) values of sulfate in groundwater provided the information necessary to evaluate the source, transport and fate of battery acid and associated contaminants at the Gulf Coast Recycling (GCR) facility. The chemical and isotopic composition of groundwater beneath the (GCR) property, a battery recycling facility in east Tampa, Florida, varies more than expected for an area of comparable size. Sulfate (SO₄^2–) values, for example, range from 1.2 to 11,500 mg/L and oxygen and hydrogen isotopes do not attenuate towards the weighted annual mean. Those samples that are high in sulfate generally have a low pH, which immediately indicates battery acid (H₂SO₄) contamination as a potential source for the sulfate. The low pH and high reactivity of the sulfuric acid groundwater cause the formation of hydrogeological microenvironments due to preferential dissolution of carbonate minerals, which in turn causes enhanced recharge and groundwater flow in certain areas; thus, the extreme scatter in the data set. Because of the difficult hydrogeology it is not straightforward to delineate the point-sources of contamination and up to five potential scenarios have to be evaluated: (1) seawater intrusion, (2) upwelling of high-sulfate groundwater, (3) local dissolution of gypsum, (4) an up-gradient contaminant source to the northeast of the GCR property and (5) battery acid contamination.     

An integrated linear/non-linear flow model for the conduit-fissure-pore media in the karst triple void aquifer system

Most karstic aquifer media may be characterized as the triple-void media with highly-varied hydraulic properties, including matrix pore, fissure and conduit, in which liner flow may co-exist with non-linear flow. In this paper, an attempt is made to couple linear flow with non-linear flow in a single unified flow governing equations by introducing the concept of equivalent hydraulic conductivity (EHC) and deriving a general Darcys law for various flow. The expression of EHC in the karst conduit and fissure are also derived. The procedures of numerical implementation are demonstrated via an ideal model and a case study of karst aquifer system in the Beishan Ore Formation area, Guangxi Autonomous Region, China.     

Laboratory Measurement and Correction of Thermal Properties for Application to the Rock Mass

The requirement for quantitative thermal property data in assessing the performance of an engineered repository is identified. Experimental methods for the measurement of thermal conductivity, thermal expansivity and heat capacity are outlined and typical test results are presented for two rock-types of interest in relation to the Sellafield site. The controls on the thermal properties are discussed and a series of corrections from the rock material to the rock mass properties are presented. Finally, a correction scheme that accounts for the effect of scale is followed.     

Energy distributions of the large-scale horizontal currents caused by wind in the baroclinic ocean

Wind is the main energy source for the generation of the internal waves and the ocean mixing. Wunsch[1] estimated that about 1 TW (1 TW = 1012 W) energy was transported into the ocean from the winds by us-ing the altimeter data. Watanabe et al.[2] numerically calculated that the mixing processes obtained 0.7 TW energy from the global wind, which afforded most of the energy needed by the maintenance of the Merid-ional Overturning Circulation (MOC). During the past 50 years, in the Norther…     

Second Tesseral Harmonic Torque Due to the DynamicS of the Oceanic Surface Layer as Detected by TOPEX/POSEIDON Altimetry 1993-2000

Estimates of the second tesseral torque due to the variations in the radial space position of the mean ocean surface as monitored by TOPEX/POSEIDON altimeter system are derived. The magnitude of the studied torque may be compared to the tidal torque and to the tesseral torque caused by deformations due to the Earths rotation. However, such torque estimates strongly depend on the thickness of the ocean surface layer adopted in the spherical model of which the dynamics is believed to be responsible for the derived torque. The dependence on the thickness is discussed.     

Melt inclusion analysis of the Unzen 1991–1995 dacite: implications for crystallization processes of dacite magma

Dacitic magma, a mixture of high-temperature (T) aphyric magma and low-T crystal-rich magma, was erupted during the 1991–1995 Mount Unzen eruptive cycle. Here, the crystallization processes of the low-T magma were examined on the basis of melt inclusion analysis and phase relationships. Variation in water content of the melt inclusions (5.1–7.2 wt% H₂O) reflected the degassing history of the low-T magma ascending from deeper levels (250 MPa) to a shallow magma chamber (140 MPa). The ascent rate of the low-T magma decreased markedly towards the emplacement level as crystal content increased. Cooling of magma as well as degassing-induced undercooling drove crystallization. With the decreasing ascent rate, degassing-induced undercooling decreased in importance, and cooling became more instrumental in crystallization, causing local and rapid crystallization along the margin of the magma body. Some crystals contain scores of melt inclusions, whereas there are some crystals without any inclusions. This heterogeneous distribution suggests the variation in the crystallization rate within the magma body; it also suggests that cooling was dominant cause for melt entrapment. Numerical calculations of the cooling magma body suggest that cooling caused rapid crystal growth and enhanced melt entrapment once the magma became a crystal-rich mush with evolved interstitial melt. The rhyolitic composition of melt inclusions is consistent with this model.Editorial responsibility: H Shinohara     

Limnic Responses to Increased Effective Humidity during the 8200 cal. yr BP Cooling Event in Southern Sweden

Highly resolved sediment stratigraphic and stable isotope records from a lake in south-central Sweden give evidence of relatively humid summers during the wide-spread cold event at c. 8200 cal. BP. A transient lake-level rise led to increased catchment erosion followed by enhanced phytoplankton production and disturbance of the Chara-dominated algal community. An associated increase in the deposition of organic material resulted in hypolimnetic oxygen deficit and methane formation as inferred from elevated sulphur content of the sediments and strong depletion in ¹³C of bulk organic material. In combination with dry and cold winter conditions as revealed by other proxy records, these data suggest the development of a strongly seasonal climate in northwestern Europe in response to altered atmospheric circulation at this stage. Enhanced zonal circulation with frequent cyclonic activity and increased effective humidity probably characterized the summer climate of southern and central Scandinavia, consistent with conditions inferred for continental Europe. In contrast, the winter climate was dominated by blocking high-pressure circulation, giving rise to cold and dry conditions.     

Vertical distribution of trace elements in the surface waters offshore Nova Scotia

Concentrations of the trace elements Fe, Al, Mn, Cu, Cd, Zn and Ni were measured in shallow vertical profiles (maximum depth 500 m) off the Scotian Shelf in the western North Atlantic. The distributions of the trace elements show variations with depth, the most consistent of which are for Fe and Zn. A minimum concentration near the surface followed by an increase with depth is attributed to in situ mechanisms.