Sediment quality of the lower St. Johns River, Florida: an integrative assessment of benthic fauna, sediment-associated stressors, and general habitat characteristics

Sediment quality of the lower St. Johns River (LSJR) estuary, Florida was evaluated using synoptic data on benthic community structure, levels of potential stressors (chemical contaminants, ammonia and sulfide), and other basic habitat characteristics (depth, dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature) collected at seven stations, three times a year from July 2000-July 2002. Un-ionized ammonia and hydrogen sulfide were detected at toxic levels on at least one sampling occasion at four stations. Chemical contamination of sediment at probable bioeffect levels also was observed at four stations. Concentrations of pesticides or other chemical substances typically associated with human activities (e.g., PCBs) were detectable at all stations, though not always present at concentrations likely of causing significant bioeffects. A total of 251 taxa and 9783 individuals were identified and enumerated from the benthic infaunal samples. Polychaete worms and molluscs dominated the benthic fauna at all seven stations. The opportunistic and pollution-tolerant polychaete Streblospio benedicti was the most abundant species overall (from all samples combined), appearing as a dominant at five of the seven stations. Overall, the sites sampled as part of this study indicate a highly stressed benthos resulting from multiple anthropogenic impacts.     

地核物质成分研究进展

系统介绍了地核的形成时间、地核的物理特性、化学成分和物质存在相态.利用W-Hf同位素系测年方法厘定地核与地幔分异的年龄是在地球形成的最初30 Ma.但是,内核的结晶年龄还是未知的.地核声波速度的各向异性可能是六面体紧密堆积(hcp)相铁的C轴方向沿地球轴线优选定向排列引起的.利用地球物理资料估算的地核密度与响应温压条件...     

四川广元千佛崖石窟造像表面风化的环境地质问题分析

采用温湿度测试、石窟造像渗水实验、石窟造像吸水的红外成像、岩石特征分析等手段,对四川广元千佛崖石窟造像表面及其周围环境进行监测,以及对石窟造像岩石特征进行分析。结果表明：进深较大的窟室内外存在2℃~4℃的温差,岩石0~40 mm深度范围内温度与外界气温存在显著相关性;石窟造像岩石主要成分为长石、石英、黑云母及黏土矿物,岩石渗水率和吸水率高,表层风化程度高。环境和岩石特征揭示广元千佛崖石窟造像的风化机理为：石质文物棱角部位和小型石窟造像对温度的变化敏感,当气温出现变化时,其温度变化剧烈,而其他部位相对滞后,从而导致石窟造像表层岩石在热胀冷缩的应力下出现微裂隙,并随着微裂隙逐渐增大,石质文物表面出现疏松、起壳、鳞片剥落等病害。同时微裂隙的出现增加水入渗的途径并扩大水-岩相互作用的面积,含水矿物的水合压力和结晶压力使岩石内部结构疏松逐渐破坏;水化学作用导致可溶盐离子形成,并随水毛细迁移在石窟造像表面聚集,导致石窟造像表面酥碱、锈染、彩绘层空鼓等失去原真而破坏。最后提出在窟龛上面加盖窟檐和在崖顶及立面坡面刻槽疏排水流等石窟造像治理措施来减缓其表面风化。     

Mobility of Rare Earth Elements in Basalt‐Derived Laterite at the Bolaven Plateau,Southern Laos

Geochemical and geochronological studies were conducted on basalts and laterites from the Bolaven Plateau in southern Laos in order to evaluate the mobility and mineralization of REE, Y and Sc during laterization. The basalts are classified into three categories: (i) small volumetric alkali basalt (eruption age: 15.7 Ma), large volumetric olivine tholeiite (1.2 Ma) and quartz tholeiite with olivine tholeiite (younger than 0.5 ± 0.2 Ma). Formation of REE minerals during laterization result in mobilization and fractionation of REE and Y in laterite profiles. Occurrence of florencite‐(Ce) in a laterite profile derived from alkali basalt immobilizes REE (particularly LREE) and this leads the laterites to be enriched in LREE relative to the parent basalt. Few positive Ce anomalies in this profile suggest that florencite‐(Ce) [(Ce)Al₃(PO₄)₂(OH)₂] formation was followed by CeO₂ precipitation due to the change of redox condition. In tholeiite‐derived laterite profiles, florencite is not recognized and REE and Y tend to be depleted relative to the parent basalts with positive Ce anomalies. This is interpreted as scavenging REE³⁺ except for Ce⁴⁺ from the laterite profile in oxidizing conditions. Sc behaves similarly to Fe during laterization and it is more abundant in the tholeiitic laterite than that in the alkali basaltic laterite. Results of sequential extraction indicate that REE of the alkali basaltic laterite are contained in residual phase, which is dominantly florencite‐(Ce), but they are rarely present in ion‐adsorption phase. It is concluded that basaltic laterites have a low potential of REE resource in terms of low REE contents and a difficulty in REE extraction.     

Hypoxia by degrees: Establishing definitions for a changing ocean

The marked increase in occurrences of low oxygen events on continental shelves coupled with observed expansion of low oxygen regions of the ocean has drawn significant scientific and public attention. With this has come the need for the establishment of better definitions for widely used terms such as “hypoxia” and “dead zones”. Ocean chemists and physicists use concentration units such as ??molO₂/kg for reporting since these units are independent of temperature, salinity and pressure and are required for mass balances and for numerical models of ocean transport. Much of the reporting of dead zone occurrences is in volumetric concentration units of mlO₂/l or mgO₂/l for historical reasons. And direct measurements of the physiological state of marine animals require reporting of the partial pressure of oxygen (pO₂) in matm or kPa since this provides the thermodynamic driving force for molecular transfer through tissue. This necessarily incorporates temperature and salinity terms and thus accommodates changes driven by climate warming and the influence of the very large temperature range around the world where oxygen limiting values are reported. Here we examine the various definitions used and boundaries set and place them within a common framework. We examine the large scale ocean pO₂ fields required for pairing with pCO₂ data for examination of the combined impacts of ocean acidification and global warming. The term “dead zones”, which recently has received considerable attention in both the scientific literature and the press, usually describes shallow, coastal regions of low oxygen caused either by coastal eutrophication and organic matter decomposition or by upwelling of low oxygen waters. While we make clear that bathyal low oxygen waters should not be confused with shallow-water “dead zones”, as deep water species are well adapted, we show that those waters represent a global vast reservoir of low oxygen water which can readily be entrained in upwelling waters and contribute to coastal hypoxia around the world and may be characterized identically. We examine the potential for expansion of those water masses onto continental shelves worldwide, thereby crossing limits set for many not adapted species.     

Water chemistry and effect of evapotranspiration on chemical sedimentation on the Mkuze River floodplain, South Africa

The Mkuze Wetland System, forming part of the iSimangaliso World Heritage Site, is South Africa’s largest freshwater wetland area and is known to act as a sink for naturally occurring solutes within the landscape. The chemistry of groundwater and porewater samples, collected from two transects on the Mkuze River floodplain, was investigated to identify processes involved in the control of solute concentrations. Results show that solutes in the groundwater become increasingly concentrated under the influence of evapotranspiration, resulting in the saturation, precipitation, and accumulation of less soluble compounds. Trends in porewater chemistry and calculated saturation indices support previously documented mineralogical and sediment geochemical investigations, with CaCO₃ and silica precipitation, and Fe-rich smectite neoformation identified as the major controls on solute concentration. The association of these mineral phases with zones of high salinity suggests that mineral precipitation is an active process on the floodplain which results in the progressive development of salinity, particularly in areas dominated by deep-rooted trees. Similarities between geochemical processes documented in the Okavango Delta (Botswana) and those identified in this study suggest that evapotranspiration-induced chemical sedimentation is an important process in southern African wetlands, which has the potential to influence vegetation distribution, hydrological flows, and local topography.     

Derivation of elemental abundance maps at intermediate resolution from optical interpolation of lunar prospector gamma-ray spectrometer data

We propose a technique that interpolates available lunar prospector gamma-ray spectrometer (GRS) data using Clementine UVVIS spectral reflectance images. The main idea is to use low resolution GRS data as a “ground truth” to establish relationships linking optical data and geochemical information maximizing the respective correlation coefficients. Then the relationships and Clementine UVVIS data are used to derive elemental abundance maps with significantly improved spatial resolution. The main limitation of the technique is its dependence on how well the abundance of the elements correlates with the Clementine UVVIS data. The technique can also be applied to analysis of coming D-CIXS/Smart-1 and AMIE/Smart-1 data to increase resolution of lunar compositional maps. As an illustration of the suggested technique, maps for the elements Fe, Ti, O, Al, Ca, and Mg with pixel size 15 km×15 km are presented. The Fe and Ti distributions resemble qualitatively to the maps obtained with the well-known technique by lucey et al. (2000a. Lunar iron and titanium abundance algorithms based on final processing of Clementine ultraviolet-visible images. J. Geophys. Res. 105, 20,297-20,306), though in our case the ranges of Fe and Ti variations are, respectively, wider and narrower than for lucey's maps. New maps for the elements Fe, Ti, O, Al, Ca, and Mg appear to be informative. For instance, the map of oxygen abundance demonstrates an anomaly in the crater Tycho. The maps of Fe and Al contents show for highland regions slight variations related to maturity degree. Reliability of this relation is confirmed with lunar sample data. The reason of the correlation between chemical composition and exposition age of the lunar surface can be the global transport of the lunar surface material due to meteorite impacts.     

Water quality and hydrogeochemical characteristics of the River Buyukmelen,Duzce, Turkey

The River Buyukmelen is located in the province of Duzce in northwest Turkey and its water basin is approximately 470 km². The Aksu, Kucukmelen and Ugursuyu streams flow into the River Buyukmelen. It flows into the Black Sea with an output of 44 m³ s⁻¹. The geological succession in the basin comprises limestone and dolomitic limestone of the Yılanlı formation, sandstone, clayey limestone and marls of the Akveren formation, clastics and volcano‐clastics of the Caycuma formation, and cover units comprised of river alluvium, lacutrine sediments and beach sands. The River Buyukmelen is expected to be a water source that can supply the drinking water needs of Istanbul until 2040; therefore, it is imperative that its water quality be preserved. The samples of rock, soil, stream water, suspended, bed and stream sediments and beach sand were collected from the Buyukmelen river basin. They were examined using mineralogical and geochemical methods. The chemical constituents most commonly found in the stream waters are Na⁺, Mg²⁺, SO²⁻₄, Cl⁻ and HCO₃⁻ in the Guz stream water, Ca²⁺ in the Abaza stream water, and K⁺ in the Kuplu stream water. The concentrations of Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, SO²⁻₄, HCO⁻₃, Cl⁻, As, Pb, Ni, Mn, Cr, Zn, Fe and U in the Kuplu and Guz stream waters were much higher than the world average values. The Dilaver, Gubi, Tepekoy, Maden, Celik and Abaza streams interact with sedimentary rocks, and the Kuplu and Guz streams interact with volcanic rocks. The amount of suspended sediment in the River Buyukmelen in December 2002 was 120 mg l⁻¹. The suspended and bed sediments in the muddy stream waters are formed of quartz, calcite, plagioclase, clay (kaolinite, illite and smectite), muscovite and amphibole minerals. As, Co, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni, Zn and U have all accumulated in the Buyukmelen river‐bed sediments. The muddy feature of the waters is related to the petrographic features of the rocks in the basin and their mineralogical compositions, as most of the sandstones and volcanic rocks (basalt, tuffite and agglomerate) are decomposed to a clay‐rich composition at the surface. Thus, the suspended sediment in stream waters increases by physical weathering of the rocks and water–rock interaction. Owing to the growing population and industrialization, water demand is increasing. The plan is to bring water from the River Buyukmelen to Istanbul's drinking‐water reservoirs. According to the Water Pollution Regulations, the River Buyukmelen belongs to quality class 1 based on Hg, Cd, Pb, As, Cu, Cr, Zn, Mn, Se, Ba, Na⁺, Cl⁻, and SO²⁻₄; and to quality class 3 based on Fe concentration. The concentration of Fe in the River Buyukmelen exceeds the limit values permitted by the World Health Organization and the Turkish Standard. Because water from the River Buyukmelen will be used as drinking water, it will have an adverse effect on water quality and humans if not treated in advance. In addition, the inclusion of Mn and Zn in the Elmali drinking‐water reservoir of Istanbul and Fe in the River Buyukmelen water indicates natural inorganic contamination. Mn, Zn and Fe contents in the waters are related to geological origin. Moreover, the River Buyukmelen flow is very muddy in the rainy seasons and it is inevitable that this will pose problems during the purification process. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparison of solute fluxes and sources from glacial and non‐glacial catchments over contrasting melt seasons

Solute and runoff fluxes from two adjacent alpine streams (one glacial and one non‐glacial) were investigated to determine how the inorganic solute chemistry of runoff responded to seasonal and interannual changes in runoff sources and volume, and to differences in physical catchment properties. Intercatchment differences in solute composition were primarily controlled by differences in catchment geology and the presence of soils, whereas differences in total solute fluxes were largely dependent on specific discharge. The glacial stream catchment had higher chemical denudation rates due to the high rates of flushing (higher specific discharge). The non‐glacial Bow River had higher overall concentrations of solutes despite the greater prevalence of more resistant lithologies in this catchment. This is likely the result of both longer average water–rock contact times, and a greater supply of protons from organic soils and/or pyrite oxidation. Increases in snowpack depth/snowmelt runoff reduced the retention of nitrate in the Bow River catchment (i.e. increased nitrate export), probably by reducing net biological uptake, or by reducing the proportion of runoff that had contact with biologically active soil horizons that tend to remove nitrate. The two streams exhibited opposite solute flux responses to climate perturbations over three melt seasons (1998, 1999, and 2000). The 1998 El Niño event resulted in an unusually thin winter snowpack, and increased runoff and solute fluxes from the glacial catchment, but decreased fluxes from the Bow River catchment. Solute fluxes in the Bow River increased proportionally to discharge, indicating that increased snowmelt runoff in this catchment resulted in a proportional increase in weathering rates. In contrast, the proportional variation in solute flux in the glacial stream was only ∼70–80% of the variation in water flux. This suggests that increased ablation of glacier ice and the development of subglacial channels during the 1998 El Niño year apparently reduced the average water–rock contact time in the glacial catchment relative to seasons when the subglacial drainage system was primarily distributed in character. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.