Holocene cool‐water carbonate and terrigenous sediments from southern Spencer Gulf,South Australia

Holocene sediments from southern Spencer Gulf are cool‐water carbonate‐rich gravels and sands, dominated by molluscs and Bryozoa. Five sedimentary fades are recognized: (i) molluscan gravel; (ii) branching coralline‐algal gravel, associated with shallow partially protected environments; (iii) molluscan‐biyozoan sand; (iv) mixed bioclastic sand, representative of the deeper central region of the lower gulf; and (v) bryozoan gravel, an isolated fades developed in a semi‐protected micro‐environment. The southern gulf is characterized by complex oceanographic conditions together with variations in water depth and substrate. The sediments share the characteristics of both the southern shelf and upper Spencer Gulf. Grain‐size distribution and sedimentary facies are controlled by a combination of all the above processes. Past sea level fluctuations are recognized from sea floor strand‐line deposits. The relic component of the palimpsest sediments has eroded from the Pleistocene aeolianite dunes. The sediments, therefore, reflect both the modern marine and past environments.     

Granite gneiss basement on Flinders Island,South Australia

A U–Pb zircon age of 1762 ± 11 Ma is reported for granite gneiss located on Flinders Island, South Australia. This age is identical, within analytical uncertainty, to a previously reported age for schists of the Price Metasediments located 100 km to the southeast on the southwestern coast of the Eyre Peninsula. The outcrop represents the only known country rock to the Early Mesoproterozoic Calca Granite (Hiltaba Suite) of Flinders Island, the largest island of the Investigator Group of islands, in the southwestern Gawler Craton. The stratigraphic name Investigator Granite Gneiss is proposed for this rock unit. The discovery of the Investigator Granite Gneiss now considerably increases the extent of known Late Palaeoproterozoic rocks on the eastern side of the peninsula. The outcrop was previously included with the considerably younger St Peter Suite granite‐monzogranite, and grouped together with other islands in the Investigator Group. This new dating suggests that the geology on the other islands may require revision. For the first time, detailed major and trace‐element geochemistry is supplied for the granite gneiss on Flinders Island.     

Screening the current soil drainage class map of Flanders (Belgium) for its predictive quality

The predictive quality of the current drainage class map of Flanders was evaluated using data from two monitoring networks: one with good spatial coverage but poor temporal coverage and another with better temporal but poor spatial coverage. We combine both networks to obtain 1678 point predictions for mean highest water (MHW) and mean lowest water (MLW) tables by applying time series modelling and total least squares regression. The resulting MHW and MLW point data set was used to evaluate the currency of the existing map and to identify regional differences. The quality of the current map is moderate, and large differences occur between regions. Especially the Campine region shows large and systematic differences, whereas the southeastern hills and chalk–loam region is relatively accurate. If more weight is given to errors in the wetter drainage classes, about 50% of the area of Flanders would benefit from remapping. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

SHRIMP U–Pb geochronology of authigenic xenotime and its potential for dating sedimentary basins

SHRIMP (Sensitive High‐Resolution Ion MicroProbe) analytical procedures have been developed to enable dating of the small, early diagenetic xenotime overgrowths that commonly occur on zircons in siliciclastic sedimentary rocks. The method will be particularly useful in Precambrian terranes, where diagenetic xenotime dating could play a role equivalent to biostratigraphic dating in the Phanerozoic. Reliable ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb data are more readily obtained than ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U, which also favours application to the Precambrian. However, it is demonstrated that ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U dating of larger overgrowths (>10 μm) is also viable and applicable to Phanerozoic samples. SHRIMP Pb/Pb geochronology of authigenic xenotime in an unmetamorphosed Palaeoproterozoic sandstone in the Kimberley Basin has constrained diagenesis to a precision of ± 7 Ma. In contrast, greenschist‐facies metasediments of the Archaean Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa, contain both authigenic and alteration xenotime that record a complex history of growth from early diagenesis to the last major thermal event to affect the basin.     

Spatial patterns of groundwater‐lake exchange – implications for acid neutralization processes in an acid mine lake

Exchange of groundwater and lake water with typically quite different chemical composition is an important driver for biogeochemical processes at the groundwater‐lake interface, which can affect the water quality of lakes. This is of particular relevance in mine lakes where anoxic and slightly acidic groundwater mixes with oxic and acidic lake water (pH < 3). To identify links between groundwater‐lake exchange rates and acid neutralization processes in the sediments, exchange rates were quantified and related to pore‐water pH, sulfate and iron concentrations as well as sulfate reduction rates within the sediment. Seepage rates measured with seepage meters (?2.5 to 5.8 L m^‐2 d^‐1) were in reasonable agreement with rates inverted from modeled chloride profiles (?1.8 to 8.1 L m^‐2 d^‐1). Large‐scale exchange patterns were defined by the (hydro)geologic setting but superimposed by smaller scale variations caused by variability in sediment texture. Sites characterized by groundwater upwelling (flow into the lake) and sites where flow alternated between upwelling and downwelling were identified. Observed chloride profiles at the alternating sites reflected the transient flow regime. Seepage direction, as well as seepage rate, were found to influence pH, sulfate and iron profiles and the associated sulfate reduction rates. Under alternating conditions proton‐consuming processes, for example, sulfate reduction, were slowed. In the uppermost layer of the sediment (max. 5 cm), sulfate reduction rates were significantly higher at upwelling (>330 nmol g^‐1 d^‐1) compared to alternating sites (<220 nmol g^‐1 d^‐1). Although differences in sulfate reduction rates could not be explained solely by different flux rates, they were clearly related to the prevailing groundwater‐lake exchange patterns and the associated pH conditions. Our findings strongly suggest that groundwater‐lake exchange has significant effects on the biogeochemical processes that are coupled to sulfate reduction such as acidity retention and precipitation of iron sulfides. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of land‐use changes on nonpoint source pollution in the Xizhi River watershed,Guangdong, China

The Annualized Agricultural Non‐point Source (AnnAGNPS) pollution model has been widely used to assess and predict runoff, soil erosion, sediment and nutrient loading with a geographic information system. This article presents a case study of the effect of land‐use changes on nonpoint source (NPS) pollution using the AnnAGNPS model in the Xizhi River watershed, eastern Pearl River Delta of Guangdong province, China. The land‐use changes in the Xizhi River watershed between 1998 and 2003 were examined using the multitemporal remote sensing data. The runoff, soil erosion, sediment transport and nutrient loading 1998 and 2003 were assessed using AnnAGNPS. The effects of land‐use changes on NPS were studied by comparing the simulation results of each year. Our results showed that (i) the NPS loadings increased when forest and grass land converted into paddy, orchard and farmland land, and population size and gross domestic product size as well as the usage amounts of fertilizer and pesticide in the entire watershed were firmly correlated with the NPS loadings; (ii) the land‐use change during fast urbanization in particular when other land types were converted into the development land and buildup land led to increasing of NPS pollution; and (iii) urban land expansion showed more important effects on total organic carbon (TOC) loading compared with nitrogen and phosphorus loadings. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A generalized conditional intensity measure approach and holistic ground‐motion selection

A generalized conditional intensity measure (GCIM) approach is proposed for use in the holistic selection of ground motions for any form of seismic response analysis. The essence of the method is the construction of the multivariate distribution of any set of ground‐motion intensity measures conditioned on the occurrence of a specific ground‐motion intensity measure (commonly obtained from probabilistic seismic hazard analysis). The approach therefore allows any number of ground‐motion intensity measures identified as important in a particular seismic response problem to be considered. A holistic method of ground‐motion selection is also proposed based on the statistical comparison, for each intensity measure, of the empirical distribution of the ground‐motion suite with the ‘target’ GCIM distribution. A simple procedure to estimate the magnitude of potential bias in the results of seismic response analyses when the ground‐motion suite does not conform to the GCIM distribution is also demonstrated. The combination of these three features of the approach make it entirely holistic in that: any level of complexity in ground‐motion selection for any seismic response analysis can be exercised; users explicitly understand the simplifications made in the selected suite of ground motions; and an approximate estimate of any bias associated with such simplifications is obtained. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Multi‐proxy study of Holocene environmental change and human activity in the Central Apennine Mountains,Italy

This paper describes a multi‐proxy palaeoecological investigation undertaken in conjunction with an archaeological survey of the Upper Sangro Valley in the Abruzzo National Park, Central Italy. Despite being a biodiversity hotspot and regarded as a near‐pristine area, the pollen, spore and diatom data all show major changes in the vegetation extending to over 2000 m a.s.l. during the mid to late Holocene. Although there are changes in ecological composition earlier in the Holocene they are different in type and magnitude from the changes which began about 800 cal a BC. The pollen and diatom evidence do not correlate well with regional palaeoclimate data, or on‐site isotopic evidence, but do appear to be related to Samnite (later Iron Age) clearance and upland grazing associated with transhumance and later annexation (and centuriation) of the lower slopes by Roman surveyors. The greatest change in vegetation was during the period c. AD 500–600 and corresponds with the Byzantine–Gothic Wars, and Lombard–Carolingian settlement reorganization into nucleated hilltop settlements which managed upland grazing. This pattern of intensive land use at all altitudes persisted until the early 20th century and only changed following rural depopulation after World War II. These data illustrate how cultural factors had a profound effect on this mountainous region which, in this case, far outweighed the effects of climatic fluctuations which are known to have occurred from both this study area and the region. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

One‐dimensional consolidation with a threshold gradient: a Stefan problem with rate‐dependent latent heat

During the process of one‐dimensional consolidation with a threshold gradient, the seepage front moves downward gradually, and the problem is indicated as a Stefan problem. The novel feature in this Stefan problem is a latent heat that varies inversely with the rate of the moving boundary. An exact solution for the external load that increases in proportion to the square root of time is constructed using the similarity transformation technique. Computational examples concerning the effect of different parameters on the motion of the seepage front are presented. The exact solution provides a worthwhile benchmark for verifying the accuracy of numerical and approximate methods. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.