Methane in the southern North Sea: Sources, spatial distribution and budgets   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Maik Grunwald  Olaf Dellwig  Melanie Beck  Joachim W. Dippner  Jan A. Freund  Cora Kohlmeier  Bernhard Schnetger  Hans-Jürgen Brumsack 《Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science》2009,81(4):445-456

Measurements of methane (CH₄) so far have always shown supersaturation in the entire North Sea relative to the atmospheric partial pressure and the distribution of surface CH₄ reveals a distinct increase towards the shore. Since North Sea sediments presumably are an insignificant source for CH₄ the coastal contribution via rivers and tidal flats gains in importance.In this work, CH₄ data from the River Weser, the back barrier tidal flats of Spiekeroog Island (NW Germany), and the German Bight are presented. Results from the River Weser are compared to other rivers draining into the German Bight. Measurements in the tidal flat area of Spiekeroog Island highlight this ecosystem as an additional contributor to the overall CH₄ budget of the southern North Sea. A tidally driven CH₄ pattern is observed for the water column with maximum values during low tide. Tidal flat sediments turn out to be the dominating source because pore waters discharged during low tide are highly enriched in CH₄. In contrast, the freshwater contribution to the tidal flats by small coastal tributaries has almost no impact on water column CH₄ concentrations. The CH₄ level seems to be disturbed irregularly by wind forcing due to elevated degassing and prevention of advective flow when tidal flats remain covered by water.Based on our data, two model calculations were used to estimate the impact of tidal flats on the CH₄ budget in the German Bight. Our results demonstrate that the back barrier tidal flats of the east Frisian Wadden Sea contribute CH₄ in an order of magnitude between the Wash estuary and River Elbe and thus have to be considered in budget calculations.  相似文献   

An inverse approach to heat flow study in hydrologically active areas     

K. Wang  A. E. Beck 《Geophysical Journal International》1989,98(1):69-84

  相似文献   

Geometry and brittle deformation of the subducting Nazca Plate, Central Chile and Argentina     

Megan Anderson  Patricia Alvarado †  George Zandt  Susan Beck 《Geophysical Journal International》2007,171(1):419-434

We use data from the Chile Argentina Geophysical Experiment (CHARGE) broad-band seismic deployment to refine past observations of the geometry and deformation within the subducting slab in the South American subduction zone between 30°S and 36°S. This region contains a zone of flat slab subduction where the subducting Nazca Plate flattens at a depth of ∼100 km and extends ∼300 km eastward before continuing its descent into the mantle. We use a grid-search multiple-event earthquake relocation technique to relocate 1098 events within the subducting slab and generate contours of the Wadati-Benioff zone. These contours reflect slab geometries from previous studies of intermediate-depth seismicity in this region with some small but important deviations. Our hypocentres indicate that the shallowest portion of the flat slab is associated with the inferred location of the subducting Juan Fernández Ridge at 31°S and that the slab deepens both to the south and the north of this region. We have also determined first motion focal mechanisms for ∼180 of the slab earthquakes. The subhorizontal T -axis solutions for these events are almost entirely consistent with a slab pull interpretation, especially when compared to our newly inferred slab geometry. Deviations of T -axes from the direction of slab dip may be explained with a gap within the subducting slab below 150 km in the vicinity of the transition from flat to normal subducting geometry around 33°S.  相似文献   

Non-conservative behaviour of molybdenum in coastal waters: Coupling geochemical, biological, and sedimentological processes     

Olaf Dellwig  Melanie Beck  Mirko Lunau  Kerstin Kolditz  Hans-Jürgen Brumsack 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2007,71(11):2745-2761

Non-conservative behaviour of dissolved Mo was observed during specific time periods in the water column of the Wadden Sea of NW Germany. In July 2005 dissolved Mo declined within 36 h from a level only slightly below seawater (82 nM) to a minimum value of 30 nM, whereas in August 2002 dissolved Mo revealed a tidal cyclicity with maximum values up to 158 nM at low tide. In contrast, cruises in August 2003 and 2004 displayed an almost conservative behaviour of Mo. The decrease in dissolved Mo during July 2005 and elevated values in August 2002 were accompanied by Mo enrichments on aggregates in the water column of the Wadden Sea. Along with Mo, dissolved Mn showed unusual concentration patterns in July 2005, with values distinctly below the common summer level (by a factor of five). A direct relation between the loss of Mo and scavenging by freshly formed MnO_x phases could not be inferred from our data because both metals revealed inverse patterns. Parallel to decreasing dissolved Mo concentrations dissolved Mn showed an increasing trend while particulate Mn decreased. Such finding is compatible with the formation of oxygen-depleted zones in aggregates, which provide suitable conditions for the rapid fixation of Mo and parallel release of Mn by chemically and/or microbially mediated processes. Our assumption is supported by biological (e.g. number of aggregate-associated bacteria) and sedimentological (e.g. aggregate abundance and size) parameters. The production of organic components (e.g. TEP) during breakdown of an algae bloom in July 2005 led to the formation of larger Mo-enriched aggregates, thus depleting the water column in dissolved Mo. After deposition on and incorporation into sandy tidal flats these aggregates are rapidly decomposed by microbial activity. Pore water profiles document that during microbial decomposition of these aggregates, substantial amounts of Mo are released and may replenish and even enrich Mo in the open water column. We postulate a conceptual model for the observed non-conservative behaviour of Mo in coastal waters, which is based on the tight coupling of geochemical, biological, and sedimentological processes.  相似文献   

Roadway construction in karst areas: management of stormwater runoff and sinkhole risk assessment   总被引：7，自引：0，他引：7  

Wanfang Zhou  Barry F. Beck 《Environmental Geology》2005,47(8):1138-1149

In karst-rich regions, it is inevitable that roadways cross karst landscapes. Road building across such terranes faces environmental and engineering challenges because of impacts on water quality from stormwater runoff and concerns of sinkhole collapse under or near roadways. When highway runoff drains rapidly into subsurface conduit networks through open sinkholes and/or sinking streams, the impact of the runoff on the karst aquifer can be qualitatively evaluated by mixing cell models. Formulation of a comprehensive stormwater runoff management plan prior to roadway construction can minimize the associated adverse impacts. The commonly used best management practices help manage the stormwater runoff effectively in some sites. Site-specific management plans are preferable for other sites because of concerns of flooding and land stability. Proactive measures should be taken to identify areas of the greatest sinkhole collapse risk along the proposed route and the associated groundwater drainage patterns.  相似文献   

Natural radionuclides as tracers of coastal biogeochemical processes   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

J. Kirk Cochran  H. Feng  D. Amiel  A. Beck 《Journal of Geochemical Exploration》2006,88(1-3):376

This paper presents an overview of the ways that natural radionuclides have been used as tracers of biogeochemical processes occurring in the coastal ocean. The radionuclides involved include those in the uranium and thorium decay series and those produced in the atmosphere by the interaction of cosmic rays with atmospheric gases (i.e., cosmogenic radionuclides). The property of radioactivity provides a chronometer with which to measure the rates of oceanic processes, and the fundamental biogeochemical behavior of the radionuclide determines which process(es) it may be used to trace. Examples from recent research will be presented in the talk.  相似文献   

Petrography and geochemistry of the chassignite Northwest Africa 2737 (NWA 2737)     

P. Beck  J.A. Barrat  M. Wadhwa  R.C. Greenwood  J. Cotten  B. Reynard 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2006,70(8):2127-2139

We report on the petrology and geochemistry of the Northwest Africa 2737 (NWA 2737) meteorite that was recovered from the Morrocan Sahara in 2000. It is the second member of the chassignite subclass of the SNC (Shergotitte-Nakhlite-Chassignite) group of meteorites that are thought to have originated on Mars. It consists of black olivine- and spinel-cumulate crystals (89.7 and 4.6 wt%, respectively), with intercumulus pyroxenes (augite 3.1 wt% and pigeonite-orthopyroxene 1.0 wt%), analbite glass (1.6 wt%) and apatite (0.2 wt%). Unlike Chassigny, plagioclase has not been observed in NWA 2737. Olivine crystals are rich in Mg, and highly equilibrated (Fo = 78.7 ± 0.5 mol%). The black color of olivine grains may be related to the strong shock experienced by the meteorite as revealed by the deformation features observed on the macroscopic to the atomic scale. Chromite is zoned from core to rim from Cr_83.4Uv_3.6Sp_13.0 to Cr_72.0Uv_6.9Sp_21.1. Pyroxene compositional trends are similar to those described for Chassigny except that they are richer in Mg. Compositions range from En_78.5Wo_2.7Fs_18.8 to En_76.6Wo_3.2Fs_20.2 for the orthopyroxene, from En_73.5Wo_8.0Fs_18.5 to En_64.0Wo_22.1Fs_13.9for pigeonite, and from En_54.6Wo_32.8Fs_12.6 to En_46.7Wo_44.1Fs_9.2 for augite. Bulk rock oxygen isotope compositions confirm that NWA 2737 is a new member of the martian meteorite clan (Δ¹⁷O = 0.305 ± 0.02‰, n = 2). REE abundances measured in NWA 2737 mineral phases are similar to those in Chassigny and suggest a genetic relationship between these two rocks. However, the parent melt of NWA 2737 was less evolved and had a lower Al abundance.  相似文献   

Stabilization due to gyroscopic coupling in dual-spin satellites subject to gravitational torques     

R. Longman  P. Hagedorn  A. Beck 《Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy》1981,25(4):353-373

The stability of attitude equilibria relative to gravitational torques for a rigid satellite in a circular orbit has been divided into three inertia regions, the Lagrange region of assured Liapunov stability, the Beletskii-Delp region which is often described as stabilized due to gyroscopic coupling, and an assured instability region. The generalization of these regions to the case of dual-spin or gyrostat satellites whose internal spin momentum is along a principal axis is treated here. The stability boundaries are obtained for all possible equilibrium orientations for such vehicles, and the variations of these boundaries corresponding to changes in the internal momentum magnitude, or to aligning the momentum with a different principal axis, are determined.Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at the Institut für Mechanik; on sabbatical leave from Columbia University, New York, U.S.A.  相似文献   

Divergent Cretaceous paleomagnetic pole position for the Southern California Batholith,U.S.A.     

R.F. Teissere  M.E. Beck 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1973,18(2):296-300

  相似文献   

Diel biogeochemical cycling in a hyperventilating shallow estuarine environment     

Nicole G. Beck  Kenneth W. Bruland 《Estuaries and Coasts》2000,23(2):177-187

A diel biogeochemical study was performed to assess the influence that periods of elevated biological activity have on the biogeochemical cycling of macronutrients and redox-sensitive elements in a natural estuarine environment. High-resolution data (15 min sampling) illustrates periodic extreme variations in dissolved oxygen (DO) in the shallow waters of Azevedo Pond, Elkhom Slough, California. During periods of low tidal flushing, DO values can range from highly oxic (>560 μM O₂: >250% saturation) during sunny days to suboxic conditions (<5 μM) at night. Nutrient cycling and redox-sensitive trace element biogeochemistry were evaluated in response to the extreme daily DO fluctuations. A diel sampling study was conducted over a 26-h period, where O₂ concentrations ranged from 346 μM to sustained non-detectable levels in the night hours. In concert with the DO fluctuations, diel phosphate cycling was on the order of 4 μM in response to tidal flushing events and biological assimilation and regeneration. The IO₃ ⁻/I⁻ redox couple quickly responded to suboxic conditions in the water column by a marked increase in I⁻ concentrations and corresponding depletion of IO₃ ⁻. The extreme fluctuations of the p∈ in the water column resulted in diel dissolved Mn²⁺ variations of nearly 5 μM, with observed dissolved Mn removal rates on the order of 1 μM h⁻¹. The elevated biogeochemical cycling of oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, iodine, manganese, and iron found in this shallow estuarine environment suggest that tidal restrictions and anthropogenic nutrient enrichments can amplify diel variations and potentially hinder the functional and ecological stability of these systems. These data suggest that accurate chemical monitoring of the health of an estuarine ecosystem must account for the diel variability inherent in these highly productive environments.  相似文献