Small plastic debris changes water movement and heat transfer through beach sediments   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Carson HS  Colbert SL  Kaylor MJ  McDermid KJ 《Marine pollution bulletin》2011,62(8):1708-1713

We investigated the physical properties of beaches contaminated with plastic fragments. We compared sediment cores from Hawai‘i Island’s Kamilo Beach, notable for plastic accumulation, to cores from a nearby beach. Compared to the nearby beach, Kamilo sediments contained more plastics (up to 30.2% by weight), were coarser-grained, and were more permeable (t-test, p < 0.0001). 85% of the fragments were polyethylene, and 95% were concentrated in the top 15 cm of the cores. We constructed artificial cores of standardized grain size and varying plastic-to-sediment ratios. Adding plastic significantly increased the permeability (ANOVA, p = 0.002), which was partially attributed to the fragments increasing the mean grain size. Sediments with plastic warmed more slowly (16% maximum decrease in thermal diffusivity), and reached lower maximum temperatures (21% maximum increase in heat capacity). These changes have a variety of potential effects on beach organisms, including those with temperature-dependent sex-determination such as sea turtle eggs.  相似文献   

Coast effect distortion of marine magnetotelluric data: Insights from a pilot study offshore northeastern Japan     

Kerry Key  Steven Constable 《Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors》2011,184(3-4):194-207

We report on strong coast effect distortions observed for broadband marine magnetotelluric (MT) data collected on the forearc offshore northeastern Japan. Eight days of horizontal electric and magnetic fields recorded at eight seafloor stations and the horizontal magnetic fields from a land remote station were processed with a robust multiple-station algorithm, yielding good MT responses and inter-station transfer functions at periods of 7–10,000 s. Transverse electric (TE) mode responses have cusps in apparent resistivity and negative phases at periods around 1000 s, while the transverse magnetic (TM) mode responses are galvanically depressed below the TE responses. An analysis of inter-station transfer functions confirms that the apparent resistivity cusps are a magnetic field, rather than electric field, phenomenon, consisting of an amplitude minimum and rapid phase change around a characteristic frequency. Poynting vectors for a TE coast effect model study illustrate that the anomalous phases are associated with energy diffusing back up to the seafloor from below, after being turned around from its usual downward propagating trajectory by inductive coupling between the conductive ocean and the resistive seafloor along the continental margin. We show that the characteristic frequency and position of the TE mode apparent resistivity cusps are determined by a relatively simple combination of the electrical resistivity of the seafloor, the depth of the ocean, and the distance from the coastline. By including coastlines and bathymetry in 2D inversion, we recover the seafloor conductivity structure along the forearc, demonstrating that broadband data can constrain the thickness of conductive forearc sediments and the underlying high resistivity associated with the mantle wedge and subducting oceanic lithosphere.  相似文献   

Assessing social-ecological coupling: Agriculture and hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico     

Stefanie Hufnagl-Eichiner  Steven A. WolfLaurie E. Drinkwater 《Global Environmental Change》2011,21(2):530-539

Analysis and enhancement of “coupling” of social-ecological systems (SES) has emerged as a leading theme in sustainability studies. However, as an analytical concept that can support empirical research, coupling has not been adequately developed. This study synthesizes concepts from environmental sociology and ecological sciences to derive three criteria to assess adaptive coupling of an SES: prevention orientation, spatial targeting and temporal targeting. We apply our criteria to the case of nitrogen pollution from agriculture in the Mississippi River Basin (MRB) and resulting hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico. We analyzed the federal agricultural research and development portfolio to assess the character of investments in knowledge creation and how patterns of investment have changed over time. While superficial assessment of the data suggests that public spending on nitrogen relevant research constitutes a substantive response to the problem of Gulf hypoxia, disaggregating the data highlights an ineffectual response. Specifically, we find that spatial and temporal targeting of investment of socioeconomic resources in the MRB is poorly aligned with the nature of ecological risks confronting the region. In addition to this policy relevant result, our study highlights the importance of geographically referenced data and attention to relevant scales of analysis. Further, the paper demonstrates opportunities to advance concepts and empirical understanding of social-ecological coupling through interdisciplinary research on interfaces that mediate interactions in SES, for example publicly funded research aimed at agricultural practice and environmental conservation in the MRB.  相似文献   

The Impact of Biofilm Growth on Transport of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in Sand     

Aimin Wang  Bin Lin  Brent E. Sleep  Steven N. Liss 《Ground water》2011,49(1):20-31

Understanding the transport behavior, survival, and persistence of pathogens such as Escherichia coli O157:H7 in the subsurface is essential to protection of public health. In this study, the transport of E. coli O157:H7 in a two‐dimensional bench‐scale sand aquifer system, hereafter referred to as the sandbox, was investigated, with a focus on the impact of biofilm development on E. coli retention and survival. Biofilm growth was initiated through flushing with unsterilized groundwater and addition of glucose, nitrate, and phosphate. Retention of E. coli from an injection test in clean sand, prior to promotion of biofilm growth, was approximately 9%. Subsequent to biofilm growth, 47% of injected E. coli cells were retained under similar flow conditions. After 10 d of no flow, sterile water was flushed through the biofouled sandbox and substantial concentrations (up to 1.5 × 10⁵ cells/mL) of E. coli were measured in the effluent indicating that E. coli had survived the starvation period. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed that E. coli were located not only on the surface but also within the biofilm. Imposition of starvation conditions resulted in biofilm sloughing and possible mobilization of biofilm‐associated E. coli.  相似文献   

The use of kelp sieve tube sap metal composition to characterize urban runoff in southern California coastal waters     

Fink LA  Manley SL 《Marine pollution bulletin》2011,62(12):2619-2632

This study introduces an innovative method for biomonitoring using giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) sieve tube sap (STS) metal concentrations as an indication of pollution influence. STS was sampled from fronds collected from 10 southern California locations, including two reference sites on Santa Catalina Island. Using ICP-MS methodology, STS concentrations of 17 different metals were measured (n = 495). Several metals associated with pollution showed the highest STS concentrations and most seasonal variation from populations inside the Port of Los Angeles/Long Beach. Lowest concentrations were measured at less-urbanized areas: Santa Catalina Island and Malibu. Some metals showed a spatial gradient in STS metal concentration with increasing distance from point sources (i.e. Los Angeles River). Cluster analyses indicate that polluted seawater may affect kelp uptake of metals essential for cellular function. Results show that this method can be useful in describing bioavailable metal pollution with implications for accumulation within an important ecosystem.  相似文献   

An experimental study of discharge partitioning and flow structure at symmetrical bifurcations     

Robert E. Thomas  Daniel R. Parsons  Steven D. Sandbach  Gareth M. Keevil  Wouter A. Marra  Richard J. Hardy  James L. Best  Stuart N. Lane  Jessica A. Ross 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2011,36(15):2069-2082

Recent research has examined the factors controlling the geometrical configuration of bifurcations, determined the range of stability conditions for a number of bifurcation types and assessed the impact of perturbations on bifurcation evolution. However, the flow division process and the parameters that influence flow and sediment partitioning are still poorly characterized. To identify and isolate these parameters, three‐dimensional velocities were measured at 11 cross‐sections in a fixed‐walled experimental bifurcation. Water surface gradients were controlled, and systematically varied, using a weir in each distributary. As may be expected, the steepest distributary conveyed the most discharge (was dominant) while the mildest distributary conveyed the least discharge (was subordinate). A zone of water surface super‐elevation was co‐located with the bifurcation in symmetric cases or displaced into the subordinate branch in asymmetric cases. Downstream of a relatively acute‐angled bifurcation, primary velocity cores were near to the water surface and against the inner banks, with near‐bed zones of lower primary velocity at the outer banks. Downstream of an obtuse‐angled bifurcation, velocity cores were initially at the outer banks, with near‐bed zones of lower velocities at the inner banks, but patterns soon reverted to match the acute‐angled case. A single secondary flow cell was generated in each distributary, with water flowing inwards at the water surface and outwards at the bed. Circulation was relatively enhanced within the subordinate branch, which may help explain why subordinate distributaries remain open, may play a role in determining the size of commonly‐observed topographic features, and may thus exert some control on the stability of asymmetric bifurcations. Further, because larger values of circulation result from larger gradient disadvantages, the length of confluence–diffluence units in braided rivers or between diffluences within delta distributary networks may vary depending upon flow structures inherited from upstream and whether, and how, they are fed by dominant or subordinate distributaries. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Post-glacial regional climate variability along the East Antarctic coastal margin—Evidence from shallow marine and coastal terrestrial records     

Elie Verleyen  Dominic A. Hodgson  Koen Sabbe  Holger Cremer  Steven D. Emslie  John Gibson  Brenda Hall  Satoshi Imura  Sakae Kudoh  Gareth J. Marshall  Andrew McMinn  Martin Melles  Louise Newman  Donna Roberts  Steve J. Roberts  Shiv M. Singh  Mieke Sterken  Ines Tavernier  Sergey Verkulich  Evelien Van de Vyver  Wim Van Nieuwenhuyze  Bernd Wagner  Wim Vyverman 《Earth》2011,104(4):199-212

We review the post-glacial climate variability along the East Antarctic coastline using terrestrial and shallow marine geological records and compare these reconstructions with data from elsewhere. Nearly all East Antarctic records show a near-synchronous Early Holocene climate optimum (11.5–9 ka BP), coinciding with the deglaciation of currently ice-free regions and the optimum recorded in Antarctic ice and marine sediment cores. Shallow marine and coastal terrestrial climate anomalies appear to be out of phase after the Early Holocene warm period, and show complex regional patterns, but an overall trend of cooling in the terrestrial records. A Mid to Late Holocene warm period is present in many East Antarctic lake and shallow coastal marine records. Although there are some differences in the regional timing of this warm period, it typically occurs somewhere between 4.7 and 1 ka BP, which overlaps with a similar optimum found in Antarctic Peninsula terrestrial records. The differences in the timing of these sometimes abrupt warm events in different records and regions points to a number of mechanisms that we have yet to identify. Nearly all records show a neoglacial cooling from 2 ka BP onwards. There is no evidence along the East Antarctic coastline for an equivalent to the Northern Hemisphere Medieval Warm Period and there is only weak circumstantial evidence in a few places for a cool event crudely equivalent in time to the Northern Hemisphere's Little Ice Age. There is a need for well-dated, high resolution climate records in coastal East Antarctica and particularly in Terre Adélie, Dronning Maud Land and Enderby Land to fully understand the regional climate anomalies, the disparity between marine and terrestrial records, and to determine the significance of the heterogeneous temperature trends being measured in the Antarctic today.  相似文献   

Effects of magnesium ions on near-equilibrium calcite dissolution: Step kinetics and morphology   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Man Xu  Steven R. Higgins 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2011,75(3):719-6592

Dissolution kinetics at the aqueous solution-calcite interface at 50 °C were investigated using in situ atomic force microscopy (AFM) to reveal the influence of magnesium concentration and solution saturation state on calcite dissolution kinetics and surface morphology. Under near-equilibrium conditions, dissolved Mg²⁺ displayed negligible inhibitory effects on calcite dissolution even at concentrations of . Upon the introduction of , the solution saturation state with respect to calcite, , acted as a “switch” for magnesium inhibition whereby no significant changes in step kinetics were observed at Ω_calcite<0.2, whereas a sudden inhibition from Mg²⁺ was activated at Ω_calcite?0.2. The presence of the Ω-switch in dissolution kinetics indicates the presence of critical undersaturation in accordance with thermodynamic principles. The etch pits formed in solutions with exhibited a unique distorted rhombic profile, different from those formed in Mg-free solutions and in de-ionized water. Such unique etch pit morphology may be associated with the anisotropy in net detachment rates of counter-propagating kink sites upon the addition of Mg²⁺.  相似文献   

Anaerobic propane oxidation in marine hydrocarbon seep sediments     

Steven D. Quistad  David L. Valentine 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2011,75(8):2159-2169

Propane (C₃H₈) is an abundant hydrocarbon in subsurface reservoirs with significance to atmospheric chemistry and to marine biogeochemistry. The anaerobic oxidation of propane coupled to sulfate reduction may prevent sub-seafloor accumulations of propane from entering the ocean and atmosphere. Anaerobic oxidation of propane has recently been demonstrated in cultures of novel sulfate-reducing bacteria, but has not been directly demonstrated or quantified in nature. In this work we describe a method involving incubation with ¹³C-propane to quantify rates of anaerobic oxidation of propane in anoxic sediment, and we conclusively demonstrate the oxidation of propane under sulfidic conditions in fresh sediments of a marine hydrocarbon seep. Observed rates of anaerobic oxidation of propane adhere to first-order kinetic behavior, enabling the modification of this method for whole core rate determinations. Whole core rates in nine cores from two hydrocarbon seeps measured 0.04-2100 nmoles C₃H₈ cm⁻³ day⁻¹ by this method. The seep persistently supplied with more propane displayed substantially higher rates of anaerobic oxidation of propane, by 1-2 orders of magnitude when averaged over the top 10-cm, suggesting the development of the microbial community is strongly modulated by the availability of propane. This work is the first to estimate rates for anaerobic oxidation of propane in any environment, and demonstrates the potential importance of the process as a filter for preventing propane from entering the ocean and atmosphere.  相似文献   

Erratum to: Crystal growth during dike injection of MOR basaltic melts: evidence from preservation of local Sr disequilibria in plagioclase     

Georg F. Zellmer  Kenneth H. Rubin  Peter Dulski  Yoshiyuki Iizuka  Steven L. Goldstein  Michael R. Perfit 《Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology》2011,161(1):175-176

Profiles of a total of 23 plagioclase crystals erupted within the 1982–1991 and 1993 flows of the Coaxial segment of the Juan de Fuca ridge, the 1996 flow of the North Gorda ridge, and from the Western Volcanic Zone of the ultra-slow spreading Gakkel Ridge, have been studied for variations in major and trace element concentrations. We derive equilibration times for the relatively rapidly diffusing Sr in mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) plagioclase crystals of the order of months to a few years in each case. All crystals preserve diffusive disequilibria of strontium and barium. Crystal residence times at MORB magmatic temperatures are thus significantly shorter, of the order of days to a few months at most, precluding prolonged crystal storage in axial magma chambers and instead pointing to rapid crystal growth (up to ~10⁻⁸ cm s⁻¹) and cooling (up to ~1°C h⁻¹) shortly prior to eruption of these samples. Growth of these crystals is therefore inferred to occur almost entirely within oceanic layer 2 during dike injection. Crystals that grew at lower crustal levels or earlier in the differentiation sequence appear to have been excluded from the erupted magmas, as might occur if most of the gabbroic rocks in oceanic layer 3 formed an interlocking crystal framework, with viscosities that are too high to carry earlier formed crystals with the melt. The vertical extent of eruptible, crystal-poor melt lenses within the gabbroic zone is constrained to ~1 m or less by considering the width of local equilibrium growth zones, equilibration times, and crystal settling velocities. This lengthscale is consistent with field evidence from ophiolites. Finally, crystal aggregates within the Gakkel ridge sample studied here are the result of synneusis within the propagating dike during melt ascent.  相似文献