Considerations for conducting incubations to study the mechanisms of As release in reducing groundwater aquifers

Microbial Fe reduction is widely believed to be the primary mechanism of As release from aquifer sands in Bangladesh, but alternative explanations have been proposed. Long-term incubation studies using natural aquifer material are one way to address such divergent views. This study addresses two issues related to this approach: (1) the need for suitable abiotic controls and (2) the spatial variability of the composition of aquifer sands. Four sterilization techniques were examined using orange-colored Pleistocene sediment from Bangladesh and artificial groundwater over 8 months. Acetate (10 mM) was added to sacrificial vials before sterilization using either (1) 25 kGy of gamma irradiation, (2) three 1-h autoclave cycles, (3) a single addition of an antibiotic mixture at 1× or (4) 10× the typical dose, and (5) a 10 mM addition of azide. The effectiveness of sterilization was evaluated using two indicators of microbial Fe reduction, changes in diffuse spectral reflectance and leachable Fe(II)/Fe ratios, as well as changes in P-extractable As concentrations in the solid phase. A low dose of antibiotics was ineffective after 70 days, whereas autoclaving significantly altered groundwater composition. Gamma irradiation, a high dose of antibiotics, and azide were effective for the duration of the experiment.     

Origin and evolution of the Steamboat Springs siliceous sinter deposit, Nevada, U.S.A.

Siliceous hot spring deposits from Steamboat Springs, Nevada, U.S.A., record a complex interplay of multiple, changing, primary environmental conditions, fluid overprinting and diagenesis. Consequently these deposits reflect dynamic geologic and geothermal processes. Two surface sinters were examined—the high terrace, and the distal apron-slope, as well as 13.11 m (43 ft) of core material from drill hole SNLG 87-29. The high terrace sinter consists of vitreous and massive-mottled silica horizons, while the distal deposit and core comprise dominantly porous, indurated fragmental sinters. Collectively, the three sinter deposits archive a complete sequence of silica phase diagenetic minerals from opal-A to quartz. X-ray powder diffraction analyses and infrared spectroscopy of the sinters indicate that the distal apron-slope consists of opal-A and opal-A/CT mineralogy; the core yielded opal-A/CT and opal-CT with minor opal-A; and the high terrace constitutes opal-C, moganite, and quartz. Mineralogical maturation of the deposit produced alternating nano–micro–nano-sized silica particle changes. Based on filament diameters of microbial fossils preserved within the sinter, discharging thermal outflows fluctuated between low-temperatures (< 35 °C, coarse filaments) and mid-temperatures ( 35–60 °C, fine filaments). Despite transformation to quartz, primary coarse and fine filaments were preserved in the high terrace sinter. AMS ¹⁴C dating of pollen from three horizons within core SNLG 87-29, from depths of 8.13 to 8.21 m (26′8″ to 26′11″), 10.13 to 10.21 m (33′3″ to 33′6″), and 14.81 to 14.88 m (48′7″ to 48′10″), yielded dates of 8684 ± 64 years, 11,493 ± 70 years and 6283 ±60 years, respectively. In the upper section of the core, the stratigraphically out-of-sequence age likely reflects physical mixing of younger sinter with quartzose sinter fragments derived from the high terrace. Within single horizons, mineralogical and morphological components of the sinter matrix were spatially patchy. Overall, the deposit was modified by sub-surface flow of alkali-chloride thermal fluids depositing a second generation of silica, and periodically, by acidic steam condensate formed during periods when the water table was low. Local faulting produced considerable fracturing of the sinter. Hence, the Steamboat Springs sinter experienced a complex history of primary and secondary hydrothermal, geologic and diagenetic events, and their inter-relationships and effects are locked within the physical, chemical and biological signatures of the deposit.     

Diatom-inferred depth models in 8 Canadian boreal lakes: inferred changes in the benthic:planktonic depth boundary and implications for assessment of past droughts

Assessment of past drought in boreal regions, a region predicted to be strongly affected by climate warming, can provide insights into future availability of water. However, limited instrumental data and paleoclimatic data are available for this assessment. To address this lack of data in the boreal region of northwest Ontario, a regional study of lakes in the Winnipeg River Drainage Basin was initiated. Diatom-inferred (D-I) depth models were developed based on surface samples collected along a depth gradient within 8 small boreal lakes. Weighted-averaging and modern analog approaches provided robust within-lake depth models for each of the study lakes, with bootstrapped r² values ranging from 0.90 to 0.98, and root-mean-squared-errors of prediction (RMSEP) between 1.1 and 2.5 m. Large differences in the estimated depth optima for three representative, but common diatom species across our 8 study lakes suggested that within-lake calibration datasets are more appropriate for inferring past drought based in depth models than a regional multi-lake calibration dataset, and that light and related variables are controlling factors governing the maximum depth of benthic taxa. A down-core application of the D-I depth models on a near-shore core from Meekin Lake, retrieved near the present-day ecotone between the benthic and planktonic diatom assemblages indicated highly similar trends in inferred depth (r = 0.96). The models have significant correlations with other metrics of changes in depth including diatom species richness (r = 0.74–0.78) and evenness (r = 0.76–0.8), thereby allowing a check on the strength and direction of the depth inferences down-core. Near-shore cores located near the benthic:planktonic transition is a sensitive region that can provide estimates of past droughts in lakes where such inferences have been difficult to estimate.     

Use of cartographic images by expert and novice field geologists in planning fieldwork routes

Topographic maps and aerial photographs are particularly useful when geoscientists are faced with fieldwork tasks such as selecting paths for observation, establishing sampling schemes, or defining field regions. These types of images are crucial in bedrock geologic mapping, a cognitively complex field-based problem-solving task. Geologic mapping requires the geologist to correctly identify rock types and three-dimensional bedrock structures from often partial or poor-quality outcrop data while navigating through unfamiliar terrain. This paper compares the walked routes of novice to expert geologists working in the field (n = 66) with the results of a route planning and navigation survey of a similar population of geologists (n = 77). Results show clearly that those geologists with previous mapping experience make quick and decisive determinations about field areas from available imagery and maps, regardless of whether they are or not physically present in the field area. Recognition of geologic features enabled experts to form and verbalize a specific plan for travel through a landscape based on those features. Novices were less likely to develop specific travel route plans and were less likely to identify critical landscape cues from aerial photographs.     

Sr-Isotope record of Quaternary marine terraces on the California coast and off Hawaii

Strontium-isotopic ratios of dated corals have been obtained from submerged reefs formed during Quaternary glacial periods off the Hawaiian islands. These data, combined with data from deep-sea sediments, tightly constrain the secular variation of marine ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr for the past 800,000 yr. Although long-term trends are apparent, no significant (>0.02‰), rapid (<100,000 yr) excursions in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr were resolved nor did we observe any samples with ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr greater than that of modern seawater. Strontium in mollusks from elevated marine terraces formed during interglacial periods on the southern California coast show resolvable and consistent variations in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr which, when compared to the trend of Quaternary marine ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, can be used to infer uplift rates and define approximate ages for the higher terraces. The Sr-isotope age estimates indicate that uplift rates vary among crustal blocks and were not necessarily constant with time. No contrast in Sr-isotopic ratios between similar-age Hawaiian and California fossils was observed, confirming that any change in marine ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr from glacial to interglacial periods must be small. A realistic appraisal of the potential of Sr-isotope stratigraphy for chronometric applications in the Quaternary suggests that the technique will be limited to relatively coarse distinctions in age.     

Paleoecology of a Middle Wisconsin Deposit from Southern California

Analysis of a buried deposit in the Diamond Valley of southern California has revealed well-preserved pollen, wood, and diatom remains. Accelerator mass spectrometry dates of 41,200±2100 and 41,490±1380 ¹⁴C yr B.P. place this deposit in marine isotope stage 3. Diatoms suggest a shallow lacustrine environment. Pollen data suggest that several plant communities were present near the site, with grassland, scrub, chaparral, forest, and riparian communities represented. Comparison with modern pollen suggests similarities with montane forests in the nearby San Bernardino and San Jacinto ranges, indicating vegetation lowering by at least 900 m elevation and temperatures 4°–5°C cooler than today. An increase in high-elevation conifer pollen documents climatic cooling near the profile top. Early-profile diatoms are typical of warm water with high alkalinity and conductivity, whereas later diatoms suggest a higher flow regime and input of cooler water into the system. We suggest that the sequence is part of the cooling phase of an interstadial Dansgaard–Oeschger cycle. Records of the middle Wisconsin period are rare in southern California, but the Diamond Valley site is similar to records from Tulare Lake in the San Joaquin Valley and the ODP Site 893A record from Santa Barbara Basin. It is probable that the Diamond Valley assemblage is a local expression of a vegetation type widespread in the ranges and basins of southwestern California during the middle Wisconsin.