Metal binding to dissolved organic matter and adsorption to ferrihydrite in shallow peat groundwaters: Application to diamond exploration in the James Bay Lowlands,Canada

The speciation and solubility of kimberlite pathfinder metals (Ni, Nd, Ba and K) in shallow peat groundwaters is investigated over the Yankee, Zulu and Golf kimberlites in the Attawapiskat region, James Bay Lowlands, Canada. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between dissolved organic matter (DOM) complexation with kimberlite pathfinder metals and determine the spatial distribution of those metals in shallow peat groundwaters along sampling transects over subcropping kimberlites. Nickel, Nd, Ba and K complexation with DOM and the adsorption of these metals onto ferrihydrite were calculated using Visual MINTEQ 3.0 and the NICA-Donnan database. Calculations predict almost 100% of soluble Nd, Ni and Ba form complexes with DOM at sampling sites with little to no contribution from upwelling groundwater (i.e., dissolved organic C (DOC) concentrations = 40–132 mg/L, pH = 3.9–5.5, and log ionic strength ??3). In only the most ombrotrophic peat groundwater conditions does a majority fraction of K bind to DOM. By contrast, under conditions with large contributions from upwelling groundwaters (i.e., DOC concentrations ?40 mg/L, pH = 5.5–6.5, and log ionic strength = ?3 to ?2), as little as 10% of Nd and Ni, and 0% K and Ba are predicted to complex with DOM. The modeling calculations suggest the dominant control on metal–DOM complexation, particularly with respect to Ni and Nd, is competitive effects for DOM binding sites due to elevated ionic strength where there is evidence of strong groundwater upwelling. Visual MINTEQ modeling of metal adsorption on ferrihydrite surfaces predicts that under strong upwelling conditions, Ni and Nd are scavenged from solution due to increased ferrihydrite precipitation and decreased fractions of metals complexed with DOM. Analytical geochemical data are consistent with model predictions of metal adsorption on ferrihydrite. Total dissolved Ni and Nd concentrations at sites of strong upwelling are up to five times lower than waters with little to no upwelling and log ferrihydrite saturation indices (logSI_ferr) indicate precipitation (values up to 5) at sites of strong groundwater upwelling. Where the majority of Ni and Nd complex with DOM and ferrihydrite is highly under saturated (logSI_ferr = ?18 to ?5), the concentrations of total Ni and Nd are elevated compared to other sites along sampling transects. Metal complexation with DOM effectively inhibits metal scavenging from solution via adsorption and/or from forming secondary mineral precipitates. Also, because alkaline earth metals do not compete strongly with Ni and Nd for adsorption sites on ferrihydrite surfaces, but do compete strongly for insoluble organic sites, Ni and Nd are more likely to adsorb onto ferrihydrite.     

Current Nature of the Kuroshio in the Vicinity of the Kii Peninsula

The Kuroshio flows very close to Cape Shionomisaki when it takes a straight path. The detailed observations of the Kuroshio were made both on board the R/V Seisui-maru of Mie University and on board the R/V Wakayama of the Wakayama Prefectural Fisheries Experimental Station on June 11–14, 1996. It was confirmed that the current zone of the Kuroshio touches the coast and bottom slope just off Cape Shionomiaki, and that the coastal water to the east of the cape was completely separated from that to the west. The relatively high sea level difference between Kushimoto and Uragami could be caused by this separation of the coastal waters when the Kuroshio takes a straight path. This flow is rather curious, as the geostrophic flow, which has a barotropic nature and touches the bottom, would be constrained to follow bottom contours due to the vorticity conservation law. The reason why the Kuroshio leaves the bottom slope to the east of Cape Shionomisaki is attributed to the high curvature of the bottom contours there: if the current were to follow the contours, the centrifugal term in the equation of motion would become large and comparablee to the Coriolis (or pressure gradient) term, and the geostrophic balance would be destroyed. This creates a current-shadow zone just to the east of the cape. As the reason why the current zone of the Kuroshio intrudes into the coastal region to the west of the cape, it is suggested that the Kii Bifurcation Current off the southwest coast of the Kii Peninsula, which is usually found when the Kuroshio takes the straight path, has the effect of drawing the Kuroshio water into the coastal region. The sea level difference between Kushimoto and Uragami is often used to monitor the flow pattern of the Kuroshio near the Kii Peninsula. It should be noted that Uragami is located in the current shadow zone, while Kushimoto lies in the region where the offshore Kuroshio water intrudes into the coastal region. The resulting large sea level difference indicates that the Kuroshio is flowing along the straight path.     

Diets of Steller sea lions off the coast of Hokkaido,Japan: An inter‐decadal and geographic comparison

Inter‐decadal and geographic variations in the diets of Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus, were examined based on the contents of 408 stomachs collected from coastal areas around Hokkaido Island during the periods 1994–1998 and 2005–2012. The most important prey species in the 1990s were gadid fishes (walleye pollock [Gadus chalcogrammus], Pacific cod [Gadus microcephalus] and saffron cod [Eleginus gracilis]). The frequency of occurrence and gravimetric contribution of gadids decreased in the 2000s latter period at three study sites (Rausu, Shakotan and Rebun) and were replaced by Okhotsk Atka mackerel (Pleurogrammus azonus) and smooth lumpsucker (Aptocyclus ventricosus). However, analysis based on gravimetric composition indicated that the dietary diversity of prey showed only a slight inter‐decadal difference, reflecting the wide diversity of prey ingested during both study periods. These results indicate that Steller sea lions along the Hokkaido coast are opportunistic feeders that utilize a wide variety of prey, and appear to feed mainly upon prey that is easily obtained.     

Upwelling plumes in sagami bay and adjacent water around the Izu Islands,Japan

Water plumes, 20 km long or less, identified by low temperature, high salinity and high nutrient concentrations, were observed on the eastern side of Izu Islands where the Kuroshio Current or its branch flowed eastward. The T-S diagrams and the vertical profiles of oceanographic variables indicated that the water plumes resulted from the upwelling of subsurface water. A newly formed plume, characterized by a sharp temperature front and high nutrient concentrations, contained less chlorophyll than did old plumes. It is suggested that the upwelling plumes are maintained for a period long enough to allow luxuriant growth of phytoplankton.     

How hydrological factors initiate instability in a model sandy slope

Knowledge of the mechanisms of rain‐induced shallow landslides can improve the prediction of their occurrence and mitigate subsequent sediment disasters. Here, we examine an artificial slope's subsurface hydrology and propose a new slope stability analysis that includes seepage force and the down‐slope transfer of excess shear forces. We measured pore water pressure and volumetric water content immediately prior to a shallow landslide on an artificial sandy slope of 32°: The direction of the subsurface flow shifted from downward to parallel to the slope in the deepest part of the landslide mass, and this shift coincided with the start of soil displacement. A slope stability analysis that was restricted to individual segments of the landslide mass could not explain the initiation of the landslide; however, inclusion of the transfer of excess shear forces from up‐slope to down‐slope segments improved drastically the predictability. The improved stability analysis revealed that an unstable zone expanded down‐slope with an increase in soil water content, showing that the down‐slope soil initially supported the unstable up‐slope soil; destabilization of this down‐slope soil was the eventual trigger of total slope collapse. Initially, the effect of apparent soil cohesion was the most important factor promoting slope stability, but seepage force became the most important factor promoting slope instability closer to the landslide occurrence. These findings indicate that seepage forces, controlled by changes in direction and magnitude of saturated and unsaturated subsurface flows, may be the main cause of shallow landslides in sandy slopes. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characteristics of precipitation in northern Mauritania and its links with sea surface temperature

This paper deals with the periodic fluctuation of precipitation at three meteorological stations (Atar, Chenguitti, and Akjoujt) in the Adrar and Inchiri provinces in northern Mauritania and its links with sea surface temperature (SST). Trends for these three meteorological stations were evaluated using the Mann–Kendall (MK) nonparametric test, regression analysis, and autocorrelation for persistence analysis. The MK test showed a significant decreasing trend for Akjoujt and an insignificant trend for the other rainfall time series. However, the decreasing linear regression trends were highly significant for the different time series. On the other hand, persistence analysis indicated the presence of a linear Markov type. The cycles found by power spectrum analysis ranged from 0.5 years to about 11 years. The possibility of a connection between precipitation in this region and sunspot numbers was suggested. SST of the Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, and Mediterranean Sea have significant cross-correlations with precipitation in the study area. The El Niño-Southern Oscillation effect was found to be marginal.     

The distribution of Fe3+ and Ga3+ between two tetrahedral sites in melilites,Ca2(Mg,Fe3+, Ga,Si)3O7

The distribution of Fe³⁺ and Ga³⁺ between the two tetrahedral sites in three synthetic melilites has been studied by using ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. In the melilite, (Ca₂Ga₂SiO₇)₅₀ (Ca₂Fe³⁺GaSiO₇)₅₀ (mol %), the distribution of Fe³⁺ and Ga³⁺ in T1 and T2 sites is apparently random, which can be explained in terms of the electrostatic valence rule. However in the melilites, (Ca₂MgSi₂O₇)₅₂ (Ca₂Fe³⁺GaSiO₇)₄₂ (Ca₂Ga₂SiO₇)₆ and (Ca₂MgSi₂O₇)₆₂ (Ca₂Fe³⁺GaSiO₇)₃₆ (Ca₂Ga₂SiO₇)₂ (mol %), Fe³⁺ shows preference for the more ionic T1 site and Ga³⁺ for the more covalent T2 site. If the electronegativity of Ga³⁺ is assumed to be larger than that of Fe³⁺, the mode of distribution of Fe³⁺ and Ga³⁺ can be explained in terms of our previous hypothesis that a large electronegativity induces a stronger preference for the more covalent T2 site.     

In situ characterization of forearc serpentinized peridotite from the Sulu ultrahigh-pressure terrane:Behavior of fluid-mobile elements in continental subduction zone

Serpentinized peridotites in the Yangkou(YK),Suoluoshu(SLS) and Hujialin(HJL) areas in the Sulu ultrahighpressure terrane represent the relic of ancient subcontinental lithospheric mantle below the North China Craton.Their protoliths,harzburgite and dunite,were variably hydrated by aqueous fluids released from subducting Yangtze continent.The rocks are enriched in fluid-mobile elements(FME) including Sb(42–333 times the depleted mantle value) and Pb(30–476 times).The degrees of the FME enrichment are comparable to that of the Himalayan forearc serpentinites,and greater than forearc mantle serpentinites from Marianas,suggesting that the degrees of FME enrichment in the forearc serpentinites are greater in continental subduction zones than those in the oceanic subduction zones.Lizardite after olivine in the SLS serpentinite shows higher degrees of enrichment in Sb and As than those for antigorite after both olivine and orthopyroxene in the YK area.The antigorite has highly enriched in Pb,U,Cs,and LREE,but not for the lizardite.The abundance of FME in two different species of serpentine reflects the different temperature of hydration.At temperature lower than 300 ℃,formed lizardite at shallow depths of the mantle wedge incorporates elements that are fluid mobile at low temperatures,such as Sb and As.When the temperature greater than 300 ℃,formed antigorite at a relatively deep mantle wedge incorporate more FME from the subducting continental slab(or fragments),including Pb,U,Cs,LREE as well as Sb and As.The eventual breakdown of antigorite(600–700 ℃) in prograde metamorphism would discharge water as well as FME into the subducting channel and/or the overlying mantle.     

Fossil worm tubes from the presumed cold-seep carbonates of the Miocene Hayama Group, Central Miura Peninsula, Japan

Abstract Fossil worm tubes were collected from the Hayama Group, Miura Peninsula, Japan, together with abundant fossils of Calyptogena-Acharax clams. The fossil worm tubes were well preserved and coated with milky white amorphous silica. Most of the tubes were 1-3 mm in diameter, and up to 10 cm in length. Worm tubes were found in siltstone and limestone, and formed network-like assemblages. Elemental mapping on the tube cross-sections revealed the localization of sulfur, zinc and iron at the worm tubes, which suggests that sulfur-related metabolism and deposition occurred in association with the worm tubes. High resolution analysis revealed the localization of zinc-sulfur (sphalerite, ZnS) on the tubes, while iron-sulfur (pyrite, FeS₂) was localized at the center of the tubes. The spatially separate sphaleritization and pyritization imply that epiphytic and endosymbiotic microorganisms perform different sulfur metabolisms, such as sulfate-reduction and sulfide-oxidation.     

Effects of mass loss for highly-irradiated giant planets

We present calculations for the evolution and surviving mass of highly-irradiated extrasolar giant planets (EGPs) at orbital semimajor axes ranging from 0.023 to 0.057 AU using a generalized scaled theory for mass loss, together with new surface-condition grids for hot EGPs and a consistent treatment of tidal truncation. Theoretical estimates for the rate of energy-limited hydrogen escape from giant-planet atmospheres differ by two orders of magnitude, when one holds planetary mass, composition, and irradiation constant. Baraffe et al. [Baraffe, I., Selsis, F., Chabrier, G., Barman, T.S., Allard, F., Hauschildt, P.H., Lammer, H., 2004. Astron. Astrophys. 419, L13-L16] predict the highest rate, based on the theory of Lammer et al. [Lammer, H., Selsis, F., Ribas, I., Guinan, E.F., Bauer, S.J., Weiss, W.W., 2003. Astrophys. J. 598, L121-L124]. Scaling the theory of Watson et al. [Watson, A.J., Donahue, T.M., Walker, J.C.G., 1981. Icarus 48, 150-166] to parameters for a highly-irradiated exoplanet, we find an escape rate ∼¹⁰² lower than Baraffe's. With the scaled Watson theory we find modest mass loss, occurring early in the history of a hot EGP. In this theory, mass loss including the effect of Roche-lobe overflow becomes significant primarily for masses below a Saturn mass, for semimajor axes ?0.023 AU. This contrasts with the Baraffe model, where hot EGPs are claimed to be remnants of much more massive bodies, originally several times Jupiter and still losing substantial mass fractions at present.