Trace elements and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) concentrations in deep Gulf of Mexico sediments

The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and trace elements were determined for surface (top 2 cm) sediment samples collected during the deep Gulf of Mexico benthos (DGoMB) study .These elements and compounds are known to be toxic to organisms at high concentrations and may affect biological communities. There is no indication of major anthropogenic input of the elements Be, Co, Cr, Fe, Si, Tl, V, K, Mg, Ca, Sr and Zn, based on normalization to Al. The concentrations of these metals in the sediment are a function of the relative amounts of trace-metal-rich Mississippi River-derived silicate material and trace-metal-poor plankton-derived carbonate. This is not true for the elements Ba, Ni, Pb, Cd, As, Cu and Mn, whose concentrations show considerable scatter when normalized to Al and a general enrichment. On a normalized basis, Mn is enriched 5–10 fold, Cu and Ni 2–3 fold and Pb 2 fold over Mississippi River-derived material. These enrichments are likely the result of remobilization of metals from depths in the sediment column where reducing conditions exist. The Ba concentrations at selected sites are higher than those of average clay-rich sediments, but are typical of sediments from near oil well platforms in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In the case of Ba, it seems likely that the enrichments, as high as a factor of 10, are due to disposal of oil well drilling mud. The Ba-enriched samples are from the three shallowest water sites in the Mississippi Trough (sites MT1, 2 and 3) and from site C1 and WC5. All are in an area of intense petroleum exploration and development. PAH concentrations are also elevated at MT1, MT3 and C1. The total PAH concentration ranged from not detected (ND) to 1033 ng/g with a mean of 140 ng/g. Even at the sites most enriched in PAHs and trace elements, the concentrations are not at the levels expected to adversely affect the biota. However, these predicted non-effects are based on research using mostly near-shore estuarine species, not on the indigenous species at the sampling sites.     

Use of clast shape in determining the sedimentary history of the late devonian keepit conglomerate,Australia

Clasts of the Late Devonian Keepit Conglomerate of northeastern New South Wales, Australia, are predominantly andesites of isotropic nature that lack any apparent initial shape controls. Given adequate time in a particular environment, these clasts could be reasonably expected to develop shapes characteristic of abrasion within that environment.Clasts from both fluvial and marine resedimented conglomerates of the Keepit Conglomerate possess shape characteristics indicative of shaping within a fluvial environment. Maximum projection sphericity, and a plot of sphericity against either the oblate-prolate index or the flatness parameter C/A, were the most useful in indicating fluvial shaping processes. In addition, the $\text{OP}$ Index and the dominant form classes of the Sneed and Folk Sphericity-Form diagram were in support of a fluvial history for the clasts.The occurrence of clasts exhibiting typical fluvial shapes in marine resedimented conglomerates indicates a lack of time and/or insufficient energy in a beach environment for reshaping of the clasts prior to resedimentation into deeper-water submarine-fan environments. This interpretation is consistent with and lends support to the interpretation, based on all other available data, for the Keepit Conglomerate of a history of rapid progradation of fluvial gravels into a relatively low-energy coastline environment, with periodic resedimentation of coarse sediment into deeper water.     

Gulf of Mexico hydrocarbon seep communities—IX. Sterol biosynthesis of seep mussels and its implications for host-symbiont association

The sterol analysis of six hydrocarbon seep mussels (mytilid II and mytilid Ib) from the Alaminos Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico is reported. The sterol composition of the mussel-symbiotic bacteria complex reflects a preponderant synthesis of 4α-methyl sterols (seep mytilid II), and a predominant biosynthesis of 4-desmethyl sterols with some amounts of 4α-methyl sterols (seep mytilid Ib). This suggests a methane-based symbiotic relationship between the mussels and methanotrophic bacteria. It also suggests that the biosynthesis of sterols in the mussel-bacteria complex is completed to the level of cholest-5-en-3ß-ol (mytilid II) or 5α-cholestan-3ß-ol (mytilid Ib).     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987113000595

Magmatic oxide deposits in the～260 Ma Emeishan Large Igneous Province(ELIP),SW China and northern Vietnam,are important sources of Fe,Ti and V.Some giant magmatic Fe-Ti-V oxide deposits, such as the Panzhihua,Hongge,and Baima deposits,are well described in the literature and are hosted in layered mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the Panxi region,the central ELIP.The same type of ELIP- related deposits also occur far to the south and include the Anyi deposit,about 130 km south of Panzhihua,and the Mianhuadi deposit in the Red River fault zone.The Anyi deposit is relatively small but is similarly hosted in a layered mafic intrusion.The Mianhuadi deposit has a zircon U-Pb age of～260 Ma and is thus contemporaneous with the ELIP.This deposit was variably metamorphosed during the Indosinian orogeny and Red River faulting.Compositionally,magnetite of the Mianhuadi deposit contains smaller amounts of Ti and V than that of the other deposits,possibly attributable to the later metamorphism.The distribution of the oxide ore deposits is not related to the domal structure of the ELIP.One major feature of all the oxide deposits in the ELIP is the spatial association of oxide-bearing gabbroic intrusions,syenitic plutons and high-Ti flood basalts.Thus,we propose that magmas from a mantle plume were emplaced into a shallow magma chamber where they were evolved into a field of liquid immiscibility to form two silicate liquids,one with an extremely Fe-Ti-rich gabbroic composition and the other syenitic.An immiscible Fe-Ti-(P) oxide melt may then separate from the mafic magmas to form oxide deposits.The parental magmas from which these deposits formed were likely Fe-Ti-rich picritic in composition and were derived from enriched asthenospheric mantle at a greater depth than the magmas that produced sulfide-bearing intrusions of the ELIP.     

Tidal river sediments in the Washington,D.C. area. III. Biological effects associated with sediment contamination

Sediment toxicity and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure were measured as one component of a study cohceived to determine the distribution and effect of sediment contamination in tidal freshwater portions of the Potomac and Anacostia rivers in the Washington, D.C., area. Samples were collected at 15 sites. Analyses included a partial life cycle (28 d) whole sediment test using the amphipod Hyalella azteca (Talitridae) and an assessment of benthic community structure. Survival and growth (as estimated by amphipod length) were experimental endopoints for the toxicity test. Significant mortality was observed in 5 of 10 sites in the lower Anacostia River basin and at the main channel Potomac River site. Sublethal toxicity, as measured by inhibition of amphipod growth, was not observed. Toxicity test results were in general agreement with synoptically measured sediment contaminant concentrations. Porewater total ammonia (NH₃+NH₄ ⁺) appears to be responsible for the toxicity of sediments from the Potomac River, while correlation analysis and simultaneously extracted metals: acid volatile sulfide (SEM∶AVS) results suggest that the toxicity associated with Anacostia River sediments was due to organic compounds. Twenty-eight macroinvertebrate taxa were identified among all sites, with richness varying from 5 to 17 taxa per site. Groups of benthic assemblages identified by group-average cluster analysis exhibited variable agreement with sediment chemical and sediment toxicity results. Integration of toxicological, chemical, and ecological components suggests that adverse environmental effects manifest in the lower Anacostia River benthos result from chemical contamination of sediment.     

MoisturEC: A New R Program for Moisture Content Estimation from Electrical Conductivity Data

Noninvasive geophysical estimation of soil moisture has potential to improve understanding of flow in the unsaturated zone for problems involving agricultural management, aquifer recharge, and optimization of landfill design and operations. In principle, several geophysical techniques (e.g., electrical resistivity, electromagnetic induction, and nuclear magnetic resonance) offer insight into soil moisture, but data‐analysis tools are needed to “translate” geophysical results into estimates of soil moisture, consistent with (1) the uncertainty of this translation and (2) direct measurements of moisture. Although geostatistical frameworks exist for this purpose, straightforward and user‐friendly tools are required to fully capitalize on the potential of geophysical information for soil‐moisture estimation. Here, we present MoisturEC, a simple R program with a graphical user interface to convert measurements or images of electrical conductivity (EC) to soil moisture. Input includes EC values, point moisture estimates, and definition of either Archie parameters (based on experimental or literature values) or empirical data of moisture vs. EC. The program produces two‐ and three‐dimensional images of moisture based on available EC and direct measurements of moisture, interpolating between measurement locations using a Tikhonov regularization approach.     

Modelling phytoplankton succession on the Bering Sea shelf: role of climate influences and trophic interactions in generating Emiliania huxleyi blooms 1997–2000

Several years of continuous physical and biological anomalies have been affecting the Bering Sea shelf ecosystem starting from 1997. Such anomalies reached their peak in a striking visual phenomenon: the first appearance in the area of bright waters caused by massive blooms of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi (E. huxleyi). This study is intended to provide an insight into the mechanisms of phytoplankton succession in the south-eastern part of the shelf during such years and addresses the causes of E. huxleyi success by means of a 2-layer ecosystem model, field data and satellite-derived information. A number of potential hypotheses are delineated based on observations conducted in the area and on previous knowledge of E. huxleyi general ecology. Some of these hypotheses are then considered as causative factors and explored with the model. The unusual climatic conditions of 1997 resulted most notably in a particularly shallow mixed layer depth and high sea surface temperature (about 4 °C above climatological mean). Despite the fact that the model could not reproduce for E. huxleyi a clear non-bloom to bloom transition (pre- vs. post-1997), several tests suggest that this species was favoured by the shallow mixed layer depth in conjunction with a lack of photoinhibition. A top-down control by microzooplankton selectively grazing phytoplankton other than E. huxleyi appears to be responsible for the long persistence of the blooms. Interestingly, observations reveal that the high N:P ratio hypothesis, regarded as crucial in the formation of blooms of this species in previous studies, does not hold on the Bering Sea shelf.     

THE KRAMER CREEK,COLORADO METEORITE: A NEW L4 CHONDRITE

The Kramer Creek, Colorado, chondrite was found in 1966 and identified as a meteorite in 1972. Bulk chemical analysis, particularly the total iron content (20.36%) and the ratio of Fe_total/SiO₂ (0.52), as well as the compositions of olivine (Fa_21.7) and orthopyroxene (Fs_18.3) place the meteorite into the L-group of chondrites. The well-defined chondritic texture of the meteorite, the presence of igneous glass in the chondrules and of low-Ca clinopyroxene, as well as the slight variations in FeO contents of olivine (2.4% MD) and orthopyroxene (5.6% MD) indicate that the chondrite belongs to the type 4 petrologic class.     

Incorporation,distribution and fate of saturated petroleum hydrocarbons in sediments from a controlled marine ecosystem

A simulation of a chronic input of petroleum into an estuarine environment was investigated using the facilities at the Marine Ecosystems Research Laboratory at the University of Rhode Island. An oil-water dispersion of No. 2 fuel oil was added to the system (twice weekly for 24 weeks) and the saturated hydrocarbons from this oil were measured in suspended material and sediments. After the initial chronic oil addition, trace amounts of hydrocarbons were detected in the sediments within two weeks, but substantial accumulation was not detected for approximately 135 days. The oil appeared to enter the sediment via the suspended material, with most of the saturated hydrocarbons associated with smaller size sediment particles (< 45 μm to > 0·3 μm). With time, the fuel oil saturated hydrocarbons in the sediments were mixed to a depth of 3 to 4 cm. Although only 12% of the total saturated hydrocarbons added to the system were found in the sediments, these hydrocarbons appear to be relatively stable and were still detectable in these sediments for at least six months after the last oil addition.