Measurement of stress effects (scope for growth) and contaminant levels in mussels (Mytilus edulis) collected from the Irish Sea

The objective of this research was to quantify the impact of pollution along the coastlines of the Irish Sea. Pollution assessment was based on the combined measurement of scope for growth (SFG), and chemical contaminants in the tissues of mussels (Mytilus edulis) collected from 38 coastal sites around the Irish Sea during June-July in 1996 and 1997. On the UK mainland coast, the SFG showed a general trend with a significant decline in water quality in the Liverpool and Morecambe Bay region. High water quality was recorded along the west coast of Wales, as well as southwest England and northwest Scotland (clean reference sites outside the Irish Sea). Along the coast of Ireland there was a similar trend with reduced SFG within the Irish Sea region. SFG was generally low north of Duncannon and then improved north of Belfast. The poor water quality on both sides of the Irish Sea is consistent with the prevailing hydrodynamics and the spatial distribution of contaminants associated with urban/ industrial development. The decline in SFG of mussels on both sides of the Irish Sea was associated with a general increase in contaminant levels in the mussels. Certain contaminants, including PAHs, TBT, sigmaDDT, Dieldrin, gamma-HCH, PCBs, and a few of the metals (Cd, Se, Ag, Pb), showed elevated concentrations. Many of these contaminants were particularly elevated in the coastal margins of Liverpool Bay, Morecambe Bay and Dublin Bay. A quantitative toxicological interpretation (QTI) of the combined tissue residue chemistry and SFG measurements indicated that at the majority of coastal sites, c. 50 to > 80% of the observed decline in SFG was due to PAHs as a result of fossil fuel combustion and oil spills. TBT levels were highest at major ports and harbours, but these concentrations only made a minor contribution to the overall reduction in SFG. At no sites were individual metals accumulated to concentrations that could cause a significant effect on SFG. The study identified many sites where the observed reduction in SFG was far greater than predicted from the limited number of chemical contaminants analysed, thus indicating the presence of additional 'unknown toxicants'. Sewage (containing domestic, agricultural and industrial components) appears to be an important contributor to reduced SFG and linear alkylbenzenes (LABs) and As may provide suitable 'sewage markers'. There was a highly significant positive correlation between SFG and As (P < 0.001). This relationship may be due to reduced As uptake by algal food material and mussels at sites with elevated P04 concentrations (e.g. at sites with sewage inputs). Phosphate is a known competitive inhibitor of As accumulation, at least in algae. The results highlight that further research is required on 'sewage markers' in mussels. The SFG approach therefore provides a rapid, cost-effective and quantitative measure of pollution impact, as well as a means of identifying the causes through a QTI of tissue contaminants levels. It also serves to identify the presence of unidentified toxicants and areas that require further study.     

Carbon isotope systematics of individual hydrocarbons in hydrothermal petroleum from Escanaba Trough, northeastern Pacific Ocean

We submitted individual aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in samples of hydrothermal petroleum from Escanaba Trough to compound specific isotope analysis to trace their origins. The carbon isotope compositions of the alkanes and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (means -27.5 and -24.7%, respectively) reflect a primarily terrestrial organic matter source.     

1993年中甸M5.8地震前后区域尾波衰减研究

以Aki,K和Chouet^[1]提出的地方震尾波散射理论为基础，利用1993年7月17日中甸MS5．8地震的前震和余震资料，研究了该次地震前后的尾波振幅衰减率β和QC^-1值的时空变化。结果表明，主震前后区域尾波振幅衰减率β和QC^-1值发生了明显的变化。主震前，区域平均β值为0．0122s^-1，相应的QC值为111；主震后，区域平均β值为0．023s^-1，相应的QC值为60。主震前后的QC值变化为1．85倍，表明在以主震为中心，半径约50km的小范围内主震前后的介质背景发生了明显变化。用释放的地震应变能ε（t)的空间分布特点分析，表明主震前高QC值地区与高应变能释放地区是相一致的。中甸地震序列的尾波振幅衰减β和QC值显示了具有前兆意义地空变化的过程，并以力学观点分析解释了产生这种变化的成因。     

The coda attenuation of the Yao''''an area in Yunnan Province

IntroductionThetravellingqualityfactorQofseismicwaveisoneofbasicphysicalparametersformeasuringthemediaattenuation(1/Q)intheearthandreflectionofinhomogeneityandinelasticityofthemedia,whichisusedinstudiesoffocalphysicsandengineeringearthquake.Qiscloselyrelatedtotheregionaltectonicactivityandseismicity.Thisfeaturehasbeenstudyingasoneoffactorsofearthquakeprediction(Chouet,1979;JinandAki,1986,1989).InYunnanregion,QIN(1992)andQIN,etal(1995)hadstudiedthefeaturesofregionalvariationofcodaQcandflu…     

利用前兆事件对云南地区地震进行中短期预测研究

对某些类型的主震事件, 进行中短期预测也许是可能的. 利用Varnes, Bufe和Varnes提出的破裂时间法模拟前兆地震能量加速释放模型,通过实际观测资料与理论公式的拟合, 可以建立主地震事件的中短期预测技术, 用以确定表示主震的地点、时间和震级大小. 本文使用的是云南区域台网的地震目录资料，覆盖的时间段为1965~2002年. 统计分析表明，在此37年时间内，等于或大于2.5级地震资料是相当完整的. 本文对云南地区的30次主震事件进行了模拟，其中25次主震事件由前兆序列模拟得到的预测时间和震级与实际值相当接近，主震震级预测精度约0.57个震级单位，假定已知前兆序列中最后一次事件，则预测主震发生时间误差约0.64年.对另外的5次主震事件，由于没有足够的前兆事件来充分确定前兆能量加速曲线或是存在对能量加速释放曲线的干扰事件，而不能进行破裂时间法模拟.本文的研究结果还表明，由于云南是破坏性地震和中小地震活跃的地区，因此，主地震与前兆事件最佳搜索半径不存在明显的线性关系.主震矩与系数k，m之间存在强烈的相关性，利用主震地震矩与系数的关系和限制指数m的取值范围，可进一步缩小预测时间和预测震级的最佳拟合区范围，提高了模拟主震事件的预测精度. 本文采用破裂时间法对30次主震事件进行拟合，80％以上获得了较好的结果. 显示出该方法在预测已知主震事件序列的能力方面大有希望，因此，利用前兆事件对未来主震事件进行中短期预测的前景是令人鼓舞的.      

2007年宁洱6.4级地震余震序列尾波QC值研究

基于Aki和Chouet的地方震尾波单次散射模型,利用思茅台记录到的2007年云南宁洱6.4地震余震的数字化波形观测资料,测量了震源区尾波Qc(f)值。当中心频率为1.5Hz时,宁洱地区的尾波Qc值在51～147之间,平均值为79,尾波的振幅衰减率βc(f)在0.014～0.039之间,平均值为0.028;测量得到该地区尾波Qc值与频率f的关系为Qc(f)=53f0.88;尾波波源因子与震级成正比关系,满足关系lgA0=1.51ML-0.94;测量结果显示宁洱地震余震序列的尾波值Qc较低,表明宁洱震源区属于构造运动较为活跃区。     

Anoxia over the western continental shelf of India: bacterial indications of intrinsic nitrification feeding denitrification

Studies on the Arabian Sea coastal anoxia have been of immense interest, but despite its ecological significance there is sparse understanding of the microbes involved. Hence, observations were carried out off Goa (15 degrees 30'N, 72 degrees 40'E to 15 degrees 30'N, 72 degrees 59'E) to understand the processes that mediate the changes in various inorganic nitrogen species in the water column during anoxia. Water column chemistry showed a clear distinct oxic environment in the month of April and anoxic condition in October. Our study based on microbial signatures indicated that oxygen deficit appeared as a well-defined nucleus almost 40 km away from the coast during the oxic period (April) and spreads there after to the entire water column synchronizing with the water chemistry. Striking results of net changes in inorganic nitrogen species in nitrification blocked and unblocked experimental systems show that denitrification is the predominant process in the water column consuming available nitrate ( approximately 0.5 microM) to near zero levels within approximately 72 h of incubation. These observations have been supported by concomitant increase in nitrite concentration ( approximately 4 microM). Similar studies on denitrification-blocked incubations, demonstrate the potential of nitrification to feed denitrification. Nitrification could contribute almost 4.5 microM to the total nitrate pool. It was found that the relation between ammonium and total dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) pool (r=0.98, p<0.001, n=122) was significant compared to the latter with nitrite and nitrate. The occurrence of high ammonium under low phosphate conditions corroborates our observations that ammonium does not appear to be locked under low oxygen regimes. It is suggested that ammonium actively produced by detrital breakdown (ammonification) is efficiently consumed through nitrification process. The three processes in concert viz. ammonification, nitrification and denitrification appear to operate in more temporal and spatial proximity than hitherto appreciated in these systems and this gives additional cues on the absence of measurable nitrate at surface waters, which was earlier attributed only to efficient algal uptake. Hence we hypothesize that the alarming nitrous oxide input into the atmosphere could be due to high productivity driven tighter nitrification-denitrification coupling, rather than denitrification driven by extraneous nitrate.     

云南地区余震序列的能量衰减

利川判断地震序列能蕈释放衰减是否异常的Ec—k量板,汁算了云南及附近地区39次巾强地震序列的能量衰减系数k值。结果显示：①当判别指标k〉1时,地震序列能量衰减处于正常状态;当k≤1时,判断地震序列能量衰减出现异常,其后发生更大地震或强余震的町能什较大。②对云南地区中强地震序列的榆验表明,有74％的地震序列符合上述判别指标。③用相同的地震进行了地震序列频度衰减系数^值的计算,发现符合h值判别指标的地震序列占统计际本的锄％。④对日常地震跟踪临视中遇到的二次典型地震序列详细分析,发现用k值力。法无论对中小地震序列还是巨震序列,预测效果均较好。