The influence of diurnal temperatures on the hydrochemistry of a tufa‐depositing stream

At‐a‐station diurnal variations in carbonate hydrochemistry were measured during four observation periods at Davys Creek, a tufa‐depositing stream in central NSW, Australia. Major ion concentrations and continuously logged measurements of specific conductivity, pH and temperature showed that changes in the amount of CaCO₃ deposited upstream of the study reach were directly related to changes in diurnal water temperatures, which control the rate of CO₂ efflux to the atmosphere. The greatest upstream losses occurred during the mid‐afternoon water temperature peak, whereas the lowest upstream losses occurred at sunrise, when water temperatures were at their lowest. Cloudy days at all times of the year produced small diurnal water temperatures ranges (c. 2–5°C) and, consequently, relatively small changes in upstream CaCO₃ loss (23–50 mg L^?1) through the day. Clear sunny days, especially during summer months, produced large diurnal water temperature changes (up to c. 11°C), which in turn triggered diurnal changes in upstream CaCO₃ loss of up to 100 mg L^?1. By implication, the active reach of tufa deposition must advance downstream and increase in length during the evening and vice versa during the day. Given that the temperature of Davys Creek waters are a function of insolation, changes in the reach of tufa deposition under baseflow conditions are a direct function of the prevailing weather. This has implications for the palaeoclimatic interpretation of fossil tufa deposits. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Qso Hosts I Zw 1 and 3C 48: Prototypes of a Merger-Driven Quasar Evolution?

I Zw 1 and 3C 48 are two neighboring template objects at a later stage of the hypothesized merger-driven evolutionary sequence from ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs) to quasi-stellar objects (QSOs). Since galaxy mergers are assumed to trigger the evolution, it is important to confirm the merger properties of transitionary objects. Using multi-wavelength observations and N-body simulations, the merger histories of I Zw 1 and 3C 48 have been investigated in two separate case studies. Here, the results from both studies are compared and their relevance for the evolutionary hypothesis is discussed.This research is partly based on observations with ISAAC at the Very Large Telescope (VLT) of the European Southern Observatory (ESO) under projects 67.B-0009 and 67.B-0019.     

Temporal and spatial variability of cation and silica export in an alpine watershed,Emerald Lake,California

A reaction set of possible mineral weathering reactions is proposed to explain observed cation and silica export for the Emerald Lake watershed, a small Sierra Nevada, California catchment. The reaction set was calculated through a stoichiometric mole‐balance method, using a multiyear record of stream flow and snowpack chemical analyses and site‐specific mineral compositions. Reaction‐set calculations were intended to explore how the processes controlling stream cation and silica export depend on differing bedrock mineralogy across the catchment as snowmelt and runoff patterns change over the year. Different regions within the watershed can be differentiated by lake inflow subdrainages, each exhibiting different stream‐flow chemistry and calculated weathering stoichiometry, indicating that different silica and cation generation processes are dominant in wet steep portions of the catchment. Short‐term differences in stream concentrations were assumed to reflect ion exchange equilibria and rapid biological processes, whereas long‐term persistent stream concentration differences in different areas of the catchment were assumed to reflect spatial variability in mineral weathering stoichiometry. Mineralogical analyses of rock samples from the watershed provided site‐specific chemical compositions of major mineral species for reaction calculations. Reaction sets were evaluated by linear regression of calculated versus observed differences between snowmelt and stream‐flow chemistry and by a combined measure. Initially, single weathering reactions were balanced and evaluated to determine the reactions that best explained observed stream chemical export. Next, reactions were combined, using mineral compositions from different rock types to estimate the dependence of ion fluxes on lithology. The seasonal variability of major solute calculated fluxes is low, approximately one order of magnitude, relative to the observed three orders of magnitude variability in basin discharge. Reaction sets using basin‐averaged lithology and Aplite lithologies gave superior explanations of stream chemical composition. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A radio study of neutral gas and dust in the radio galaxy 3C 293

We have observed broad H  i absorption in the radio galaxy 3C 293 using Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometric Network (MERLIN) at 0.2-arcsec angular resolution and the Giant Meterwavelength Radio Telescope (GMRT) at arcsec resolution. Extensive H  i is found in absorption across the centre of this peculiar radio galaxy, allowing a detailed study of the dynamics of the neutral gas on linear scales down to ∼160 pc. In optical depth position–velocity diagrams across the central few kpc we detect a distinct velocity gradient of 179 km s⁻¹ arcsec⁻¹ associated with the broad absorption. This is interpreted as a ring of neutral gas rotating around the suspected position of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) . The radius of this high velocity gradient ring is found to be >0.74 arcsec (600 pc), implying an upper limit upon the enclosed mass of     , assuming a near edge-on disc with an inclination of i . The optical depth of H  i is mapped across the entire central region of 3C 293 showing enhancements of a factor of 4 in the areas that are co-spatial with dust lanes seen in Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ) imaging of this galaxy.     

Detecting subtle hydrochemical anomalies with multivariate statistics: an example from ‘homogeneous’ groundwaters in the Great Artesian Basin,Australia

The major ion composition of Great Artesian Basin groundwater in the lower Namoi River valley is relatively homogeneous in chemical composition. Traditional graphical techniques have been combined with multivariate statistical methods to determine whether subtle differences in the chemical composition of these waters can be delineated. Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal components analysis were successful in delineating minor variations within the groundwaters of the study area that were not visually identified in the graphical techniques applied. Hydrochemical interpretation allowed geochemical processes to be identified in each statistically defined water type and illustrated how these groundwaters differ from one another. Three main geochemical processes were identified in the groundwaters: ion exchange, precipitation, and mixing between waters from different sources. Both statistical methods delineated an anomalous sample suspected of being influenced by magmatic CO₂ input. The use of statistical methods to complement traditional graphical techniques for waters appearing homogeneous is emphasized for all investigations of this type. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

柠檬酸发酵中的限制性因子

回顾柠檬酸发酵生化机制的发展历史，综合多年来的研究成果和结合生产实践中出现的问题，推断最有可能的柠檬酸发酵途径。影响柠檬酸发酵的限制性因子有Ｆｅ２＋、Ｍｎ２＋、Ｍｇ２＋、Ｋ＋、Ｐｉ、ＡＤＰ、ＡＴＰ、ＧＴＰ、ＣＯ２等，它们分别作用于发酵的关键酶顺乌头酸酶、丙酮酸羧化酶、柠檬酸合成酶、丙酮酸激酶等。生产实践中应该根据不同菌株而选择控制Ｆｅ２＋、Ｍｇ２＋、Ｍｎ２＋，Ｋ＋等金属离子。     

2-D or 3-D interpretation of conductivity anomalies: example of the Rhine-Graben conductivity anomaly

Summary. Evidence of a conductivity anomaly in the Rhine-Graben was first given about 15 years ago and consequently led to the definition of various models of induction in the region for periods ranging from a few minutes to a few hours. These models reflect two antagonistic ways of explaining the observed anomalous variations of the magnetic field: direct induction in a two-dimensional (2-D) structure or static distortion of telluric currents by the resistive crystalline Vosges (France) and Schwarzwalde (Germany) massifs. We discuss the two approaches using a simple formalism. In particular, we show that the self-induction related to the anomalous currents flowing in the Rhine-Graben is negligible for periods larger than 1000 s, and that, even though the static distortion of telluric currents does account for the observed anomaly, 2-D models can explain some of its features. We also show how the channelled currents are induced in the large sedimentary basins surrounding the area under study.
An experimental verification of this result is given.     

Amino acid diagenesis in the marine bivalve Arctica islandica Linné from northwest European sites: Only time and temperature?

Collections of the molluscan species Arctica islandica from seven sites in Norway, Scotland and the North Sea, ranging in age from recent to Early Pleistocene, have been sampled for amino acid analyses. The shells were sampled in profiles through the valves at different distances from the umbo. In the fossil material a general trend of increasing degree of isoleucine (lle) epimerisation and decreasing amino acid concentrations were found going from the inner part of the valve to the outer. Although less pronounced, there is a similar trend from the central part of the valve to the margin. As the concentration of alloisoleucine (alle) remains nearly constant, the observed changes in alle/lle ratios are a result of variations in the amount of isoleucine. The amino acid composition is fairly uniform in recent shells and the observed gradients are established in mid-Holocene samples. Therefore, it is suggested that the gradients are established during rapid early degradation of the protein, possibly due to microbiological activity. Differences in alle/lle ratios observed in molluscs from sites of the same age and same thermal history could be explained by differences in the exposure to amino-acid-consuming microorganisms during the very early stage of diagenesis.