Organotemplate silica deposition in Neoproterozoic deep-marine environments: evidence from the Penganga Group, Adilabad, India

Silica in bedded cherts interstratified with manganese carbonates in a deep‐water carbonate ramp succession of the Neoproterozoic Penganga Group, India, displays film‐like, spherical to rod‐shaped, and tubular branching microstructures. The microstructures resemble mineralized extracellular polysaccharides, biofilms and bacterial morphologies. The microstructures suggest silicification by nucleation of silica on organic‐templates or indirectly as sorbed species accumulating on organic templates. Given that similar microstructures have also been documented in Archean cherts it is proposed that organotemplates might have been an important sink for the deposition of silica in Precambrian deep‐water marine environments.     

Formation of chemogenic calcite in super-anoxic seawater — Framvaren, southern Norway

Framvaren, a super-anoxic fjord in southern Norway, contains 7–8 mmoll⁻¹ of sulphide and a total carbonate concentration of 18.5 mmol kg⁻¹ in the bottom water. The chemistry of calcium has been studied, considering sources, biogenic and chemical processes and sedimentary sinks. Calcium associated with the bacteria biomass at the redox interface (18m depth) appears to be the primary source of dissolved calcium in the deep, anoxic water. Excess calcium and high total carbonate cause supersaturation of calcite, which is precipitated chemogenically. Calcite (and presumably some aragonite) is identified both in sediment trap material and the bottom sediments below the depth of supersaturation.     

Trace metals in suspended particulate matter and in sediment trap material from a permanently anoxic fjord — Framvaren, South Norway

Geochemical studies of the trace metal concentrations in suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediment trap material from a permanently anoxic fjord, Framvaren, South Norway in 1989 and 1993 indicate that extremely high concentrations of zinc (max = 183920 mg/kg), copper (max = 4130 mg/kg), lead (max = 2752 mg/kg), and cadmium (max= 8.1 mg/kg) sometimes (1993) occur in the SPM collected in the anoxic water layer. The highest concentrations of Zn occur just below the redoxcline at 22 m water depth (in 1993), and copper, lead and cadmium have maximum concentrations between 30 and 80 m depth, where the amount of total SPM is at a minimum (about 0.3 mg/L). On a mass per volume (g/L) basis, the maximum concentrations of Cd, Cu and Fe occur at the interface (21m) and those of Zn occur just below the redoxcline (22 m depth). The SPM and sediment trap data suggest that the metals are precipitated as sulfide minerals in the anoxic water. The presence of particulate sulfides was confirmed by SEM studies that show the occurrence of discrete metal (Cu, Fe, Pb, and Zn) sulfide particles in size from 10–20 m as well as framboidal pyrites (1–5 m in size). Higher levels of metal sulfides at intermediate depths rather than in the deep water of Framvaren (> 100 m), may be due to input of trace metals by water exchange over the sill in the upper part of the water column. In the deep water, less metal sulfide precipitation takes place due to depletion of trace metals, and the dilution of particulate metal concentrations by organic matter and by the chemogenic formation of calcite.     

Weak-contrast approximation of the elastic scattering matrix in anisotropic media

The plane-wave reflection and transmission coefficients at a plane interface between two anisotropic media constitute the elements of the elastic scattering matrix. For a 1-D anisotropic medium the eigenvector decomposition of the system matrix of the transformed elasto-dynamic equations is used to derive a general expression for the scattering matrix. Depending on the normalization of the eigenvectors, the expressions give scattering coefficients for amplitudes or for vertical energy flux.Computing the vertical slownesses and the corresponding polarizations, the eigenvector matrix and its inverse can be found. We give a simple formula for the inverse, regardless of the normalization of the eigenvectors. When the eigenvectors are normalized with respect to amplitudes of displacement (or velocity), the calculation of the scattering matrix for amplitudes is simplified.When the relative changes in all parameters are small, a weak-contrast approximation of the scattering matrix, based on the exactly determined polarization vectors in an average medium, is obtained. The same approximation is also derived directly from the transformed elasto-dynamic equations for a smooth vertically inhomogeneous medium, proving the consistency of the approximation.For monoclinic media, with the mirror symmetry plane parallel to the interface, the approximative scattering matrix is given in terms of analytic expressions for the non-normalized eigenvectors and vertical slownesses. For transversely isotropic media with a vertical axis of symmetry (VTI) and isotropic media, explicit solutions for the weak-contrast approximations of the scattering matrices have been obtained. The scattering matrix for amplitudes for isotropic media is well known. The scattering matrix for vertical energy flux may have applications in AVO analysis and inversion due to the reciprocity of the reflection coefficients for converted waves.Numerical examples for monoclinic and VTI media provide good agreement between the approximative and the exact reflection matrices. It is, however, expected that the approximations cannot be used when the symmetry properties of the two media are very different. This is because the approximation relies on a small relative contrast between the eigenvectors in the two media.Presented at the Workshop Meeting on Seismic Waves in Laterally Inhomogeneous Media, Castle of Trest, Czech Republic, May 22–27, 1995.     

Infrared albedos and rotation curves of the Galilean satellites

Infrared (1.5–5 μm) albedos and rotation curves of the Galilean satellites have been obtained. The data suggest that the rotational variation in the infrared is less than ±10% for all four satellites. While no conclusion about rotational variation could be reached for Io, the 1.57 μm data for the outer three satellites marginally suggest phase correlation with the visual variation. The geometric albedos obtained are in general agreement with earlier results. For Io, the absorption feature near 1.5 μm found by Pilcher et al. (1972) is confirmed, thus contradicting the flat spectrum measured by Fink et al. (1973). Io and Ganymede were observed in the 1.57 μm bandpass as they reappeared from eclipse. The curve for Io shows a slight (<10%) overshoot similar to those sometimes reported for visual measurements. This result is based on a single reappearance, and is extremely tentative.     

The sources of material comprising a mass ejection coronal transient

The origin of the material which is ejected during a white light coronal transient has not been determined heretofore. Study of a disturbance on 26 and 27 August 1973, during which a slowly ascending prominence and a more rapid accompanying coronal transient were simultaneously observed, helps to resolve this question. Prominence images obtained in Hα 6563 Å and in He II 304 Å are nearly identical. The mass ejection transient observed in white light (3700–7000 Å) appeared to be a loop about 1 R_⊙ higher than the top of the ascending prominence; it accelerated away from the prominence below it. These observations imply: (1) the bulk of the ejected material did not originate in the ascending prominence; (2) therefore, most of the material must have come from the low corona above the prominence, (and was at coronal temperatures during its outward passage); and (3) the total event - ascending prominence accompanied by coronal mass ejection - was far larger, more energetic, and longer lasting than would be inferred from the prominence observations alone. The transient of 26–27 August was slow and of atypical shape compared to other mass ejection transients, but we believe that these three conclusions apply to most, if not all, of the more than 60 loop-shaped coronal transients observed by the High Altitude Observatory's coronagraph during the nine-month flight of Skylab.     

Phytoplankton, nutrients, and transparency in Danish coastal waters

We present a comparative analysis of 1400 data series of water chemistry (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations), phytoplankton biomass as chlorophylla (chla) concentrations, concentrations of suspended matter and Secchi depth transparency collected from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s from 162 stations in 27 Danish fjords and coastal waters. The results demonstrate that Danish coastal waters were heavily eutrophied and had high particle concentrations and turbid waters. Median values were 5.1 μg chla 1⁻¹, 10.0 mg DW 1⁻¹ of suspended particles, and Secchi depth of 3.6 m. Chlorophyll concentration was strongly linked to the total-nitrogen concentration. The strength of this relationship increased from spring to summer as the concentration of total nitrogen declined. During summer, total nitrogen concentrations accounted for about 60% of the variability in chlorophyll concentrations among the different coastal systems. The relationship between chlorophyll and total phosphorus was more consistant over the year and correlations were much weaker than encountered for total nitrogen. Secchi depth could be predicted with good precision from measurements of chlorophyll and suspended matter. In a multiple stepwise regression model with In-transformed values the two variables accounted for most of the variability in water transparency for the different seasons and the period March–October as a whole (c. 80%). We were able to demonstrate a significant relationship between total nitrogen and Secchi depth, with important implications for management purposes.