Mineralization of vestimentiferan tubes at methane seeps on the Congo deep-sea fan

Vestimentiferan tube worms are prominent members of modern methane seep communities and are totally reliant as adults on symbiotic sulphide-oxidizing bacteria for their nutrition. The sulphide is produced in the sediment by a biochemical reaction called the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). A well-studied species from the Gulf of Mexico shows that seep vestimentiferans ‘mine’ sulphide from the sediment using root-like, thin walled, permeable posterior tube extensions, which can also be used to pump sulphate and possibly hydrogen ions from the soft tissue back into the sediment to increase the local rate of AOM. The ‘root-balls’ of exhumed seep vestimentiferans are intimately associated with carbonate nodules, which are a result of AOM. We have studied vestimentiferan specimens and associated carbonates from seeps at the Kouilou pockmark field on the Congo deep-sea fan and find that some of the posterior ‘root’ tubes of living specimens are enclosed with carbonate indurated sediment and other, empty examples are partially or completely replaced by the carbonate mineral aragonite. This replacement occurs from the outside of the tube wall inwards and leaves fine-scale relict textures of the original organic tube wall. The process of mineralization is unknown, but is likely a result of post-mortem microbial decay of the tube wall proteins by microorganisms or the precipitation from locally high flux of AOM derived carbonate ions. The aragonite-replaced tubes from the Kouilou pockmarks show similar features to carbonate tubes in ancient seep deposits and make it more likely that many of these fossil tubes are those of vestimentiferans. These observations have implications for the supposed origination of this group, based on molecular divergence estimates.     

The impact of climate change on the bulk and clay geochemistry of fluvial residual channel infillings: the late Weichselian and Early Holocene River Meuse sediments (The Netherlands)

Fine-grained fluvial residual channel infillings are likely to reflect systematic compositional changes in response to climate change, owing to changing weathering and geomorphological conditions in the upstream drainage basin. Our research focuses on the bulk sediment and clay geochemistry, laser granulometry and clay mineralogy of Late-glacial and Early Holocene River Meuse (Maas) unexposed residual channel infillings in northern Limburg (The Netherlands). We demonstrate that residual channel infillings register a systematic bulk and clay compositional change related to climate change on a 1–10 k-yr time-scale. Late-glacial and Holocene climatic amelioration stabilised the landscape and facilitated prolonged and intense chemical weathering of phyllosilicates and clay minerals due to soil formation. Clay translocation and subsequent erosion of topsoils on Palaeozoic bedrock and loess deposits increased the supply of smectite and vermiculite within River Meuse sediments. Smectite plus vermiculite contents rose from 30–40% in the Pleniglacial to 60% in the Late Allerød and to 70–80% in the Holocene. Younger Dryas cooling and landscape instability caused almost immediate return to low smectite and vermiculite contents. Following an Early Holocene rise, within about 5000 yr, a steady state supply is reached before 5 ka (Mid-Holocene). Holocene sediments therefore contain higher amounts of clay that are richer in high-Al, low-K and low-Mg vermiculites and smectites compared with Late (Pleni-)glacial sediments. The importance of clay mineral provenance and loess admixture in the River Meuse fluvial sediments is discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An obliquity-controlled Early Pleistocene river terrace record from Western Turkey?

Investigation of the Pleistocene sequence of the Gediz River, Western Turkey, has revealed a record of Early Pleistocene river terraces. Eleven terraces spanning the interval from 1.67 to 1.245 million years ago (MIS 59–37) are preserved beneath basaltic lava flows. The high number of terraces over this short time period reflects high-frequency sedimentation/incision cycles preserved due to the fortuitous combination of relatively high uplift rates (0.16 mm yr⁻¹) and progressive southwards valley migration. Comparison of this record with ODP967 from the Eastern Mediterranean Basin suggests a link between the production of terraces and obliquity-driven 41,000 year climate cycles in the Early Pleistocene.     

Paleofloods and ancient fishing weirs in NW Iberian rivers

A 15-m-thick, fluvial sedimentary record of the NW Iberian lower Miño River was studied. Grain-size analyses were performed and twelve samples were dated using optically stimulated luminescence dating techniques, documenting a 1300-yr-old reconstructed fluvial record that does not match with known climate fluctuations in the area, but is linked instead to the construction of a series of ancient fishing weirs (pesqueiras). The sedimentation phases are in agreement with known episodes of increased population density, which suggests active use of the pesqueiras. A number of sedimentation hiatuses in the fluvial record point towards damage to the pesqueiras during large-scale flooding in the Miño River basin, and a sudden drop in population probably due to the arrival of the plague in the 13th century AD. The oldest sedimentation phases started just after 700 AD, and we infer that the first pesqueiras were constructed around this time. This timing coincides with the transition of the NW Iberian landscape towards a more intensively used agricultural landscape, as evidenced from other geo-archeological investigations. The results demonstrate that the pesqueiras are several hundreds of years older than known from historical records, but not so old as to date back to the Roman occupation.     

On a Property of Gravitational Systems

If one attributes to each component i of a gravitational system a dimensionless parameter ψ _i equal to the ratio of its relative mass (with respect to the mass of the system) to its relative position (with respect to a generally defined radius) and sums up the ψ _i values of all components outside the central core, one obtains a mass distribution index Σψ of the order of unity irrespective of the size or the type of the system. In the case of spiral galaxies (and probable other galactic systems) this property applies not only to the whole galaxy, but also to the matter inside any radius larger than the core radius. The mass distribution index in these systems has a maximum Σψ_* at a certain radius r _*, which strongly correlates with the surface brightness at r _* in galaxies with similar mass to light ratio. The gravitational acceleration of all galaxies at r _* divided by (Σψ_*)² is constant and approximately equal to MOND acceleration parameter. Also, at this radius all galaxies have a surface temperature of the order of the temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Der Umkehreffekt von Götz Messungen des Zenithimmelslichtes mit dem Multiplier

Zusammenfassung Bisher wurde der Umkehreffekt vonGötz nur mittels Photozelle oder Zählrohr untersucht. Die Anwendung des Multipliers als Meßinstrument bietet wegen dessen wesentlich größerer Empfindlichkeit viele Vorteile. So kann damit noch bei Zenitdistanzen der Sonnez>90° bei kleineren Wellenlängen als bisher und bei engerem Spalt des Spektrometers (bessere Monochromasie) gemessen werden.Resultate: 1. Die Verschiebung der Minima der Umkehrkurven,i _n /i _m =f(z), erfolgtgleichsinnig mit abnehmender Wellenlänge _n nach kleineren Zenitdistanzen (entgegen den Angaben vonSchein undStoll, aber in Übereinstimmung mit der Theorie nachGötz undDobson). 2. Zum ersten Mal beziehen sich hier die Angaben aufeffektive Wellenlängen, die ihrerseits noch eine Funktion vonz sind. 3. Aus den Messungen bei den kleinsten, bisher noch nicht zugänglichen Wellenlängen folgt, daß deren Streuniveaus bei tiefen Sonnenständen oberhalb der Schichten größten Ozongehaltes liegen müssen.

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Summary Until now the Umkehr-effect of Götz (inversion of intensity-ratio in zenith-scattered sunlight) has been investigated only by means of photocells or Geiger counters. The application of the multiplier as measuring instrument is of greater advantage because of its much higher sensitivity. Measurements can be made with it even with the sun's zenith distancesz>90° at shorter wave-lengths and with a narrower slit of the spectrometer (better monochromasy).Results: (1) The shift of the minima of the Umkehr-curvesi _n /i _m =f(z), erfolgtgleichsinnig mit abnehmender Wellenlänge _n shows the same sense with decreasing wave-length _n to shorter zenith distances (in opposition to the assertions ofSchein andStoll, but in agreement with the theory ofGötz andDobson). (2) For the first time the statements refer here to effective wave-lengths which in their turn are a function ofz. (3) From measurements of the shortest wave-lengths which until now have not yet been accessible, it can be concluded that at low sun heights the scattering level is situated above the layers with the greatest ozone content.

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Résumé Jusqu'à présent le «Umkehreffect» deGötz, c. à d. l'effet d'inversion des relations d'intensité dans le rayonnement solaire zénithal diffus, n'a été étudié qu'au moyen de cellules photo-électriques ou de compteurs Geiger. En utilisant le multiplicateur comme instrument de mesure on obtient l'avantage d'une bien plus grande sensibilité. Ainsi il est possible de mesurer encore à des distances zénithales du soleil dez>90° par longueurs d'ondes plus courtes que jusqu'ici et avec une fente du spectromètre plus étroite, ce qui nous garantit une meilleure monochromasie.Résultats: 1) Le déplacement des minima des courbes d'inversioni _n /i _m =f(z), erfolgtgleichsinnig mit abnehmender Wellenlänge _n s'effectue dans le même sens que la diminution des longuers d'ondes _n , par distances zénithales plus petites (contrairement aux assertions deSchein et deStoll, mais en concordance avec la théorie selonGötz etDobson). — 2) Pour la première fois les données se rapportent ici à des longueurs d'ondes effectives qui, de leur côté, sont encore fonctions dez. — 3) Il ressort des mesures des plus courtes longueurs d'ondes, qui, jusqu'ici, restaient hors d'atteinte, que pour des hauteurs du soleil basses, leur niveau de fiffusion se trouve au-dessus des couches ayant le plus grand contenu d'ozone.

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