ALBERT

Description: Research on the ecological impacts of environmental change has primarily focused at the species level, leaving the responses of ecosystem-level properties like energy flow poorly understood. This is especially so over millennial timescales inaccessible to direct observation. Here we examine how energy flow within a Great Basin small mammal community...

Description: Hydration and metasomatism of the lithospheric mantle potentially influences both the magmatic and tectonic evolution of southwestern North America. Prior studies have suggested that volatile enrichments to the mantle underlying western North America resulted from shallow subduction of the Farallon Plate during the Laramide (∼74-40 Ma). This study examines temporal and spatial variations in volatile elements (H 2 O, Cl, F, S) determined from olivine- and orthopyroxene-hosted melt inclusions along and across the Rio Grande Rift, the easternmost extent of Laramide shallow subduction. Maximum chlorine enrichments are observed in the southern rift with a Cl/Nb of ∼210 and reduce with time to MORB-OIB levels (∼5-17). Measured water abundances are 〈0.8 wt% in rehomogenized inclusions, however calculated H 2 O, based on Cl/Nb systematics, primarily varies from 0.5-2 wt% H 2 O. Sulphur abundances (〈 0.61 wt%), and calculated sulphide saturation, indicate magmas with high Cl/Nb also contain oxidized sulphur. The abundance of fluorine in melt inclusions (up to 0.2 wt%) is not correlated to other volatile elements. Temporal variations in melt inclusion volatile abundances coupled with varying isotopic (Sr-Nd-Pb) whole rock systematics suggests a transition from lithospheric to asthenospheric melt generation in the southern RGR and potential lithosphere-asthenosphere melt mixing in the central RGR. East to west decrease in volatile enrichment likely reflects a combination of varying mantle sources and early removal of metasomatised lithospheric mantle underlying regional extension. Results indicate, from multiple causes, subduction-related volatile enrichment to the lithospheric mantle is ephemeral, and strong enrichments in volatiles are not preserved in active magmatic-tectonic provenances. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The Upper Cretaceous Tuscaloosa marine shale (TMS) is an oil play across central Louisiana and southwest Mississippi. The lower TMS is characterized by relatively high log resistivity (〉5 ohm-m) compared to the upper part, and this elevated resistivity zone (ERZ) has become the primary target zone. This study is to investigate the cause of variation in log resistivity based on the data of petrography, mineralogy, and organic matter property and porosity. The results suggest that log resistivity is not controlled by mineralogy or porosity; rather, it is associated with oil generation during organic matter maturation. Total organic carbon (TOC) content, Rock-Eval free hydrocarbon yield (S1), and hydrogen index (HI) in the studied core increase with depth. Porosity within organic matter (OM), measured by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), is also higher within the ERZ. The correlated variations among TOC content, S1 values, OM porosity, and log resistivity suggest that the higher log resistivity resulted from in situ oil generation and that the OM pores were generated during oil generation. Thermal maturity varies little in the core; whereas the downward-increasing HI indicates an increasing abundance of oil-prone type II kerogen. Higher OM porosity appears to be related to the greater proportion of type II kerogen in the ERZ. The data set demonstrates that higher contents of TOC and oil-prone kerogen are the combined factors for higher oil generation, therefore, higher log resistivity in the ERZ. The study provides a quantitative relationship between OM porosity and oil generation.

Description: There is increasing evidence for morphological change in response to recent environmental change, but how this relates to fluctuations in geographic range remains unclear. We measured museum specimens from two time periods (1902–1950 and 2000–2008) that vary significantly in climate to assess if and how two high elevation contracting species of ground squirrels in the Sierra Nevada of California, Belding's ground squirrel ( Urocitellus beldingi ) and the golden-mantled ground squirrel ( Callospermophilus lateralis ), and one lower elevation, stable species, the California ground squirrel ( Otospermophilus beecheyi ), have responded morphologically to changes over the last century. We measured skull length (condylobasal length), an ontogenetically more labile trait highly correlated with body size, and maxillary toothrow length, a more developmentally constrained trait predictive of skull shape. C. lateralis and U. beldingi , both obligate hibernators, have increased in body size, but have not changed in shape. In contrast, O. beecheyi , which only hibernates in parts of its range, has shown no significant change in either morphometric trait. The increase in body size in the higher elevation species, hypothesized to be a plastic effect due to a longer growing season and thus prolonged food availability, opposes the expected direction of selection for decreased body size under chronic warming. Our study supports that population contraction is related to physiological rather than nutritional constraints.

Description: Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is a global and increasing threat to biodiversity and ecosystem function. Much of our current understanding of N deposition impacts comes from field manipulation studies, although interpretation may need caution where simulations of N deposition (in terms of dose, application rate and N form) have limited realism. Here we review responses to simulated N deposition from the UKREATE network, a group of nine experimental sites across the UK in a diversity of heathland, grassland, bog and dune ecosystems which include studies with a high level of realism and where many are also the longest running globally on their ecosystem type. Clear responses were seen across the sites with the greatest sensitivity shown in cover and species richness of bryophytes and lichens. Productivity was also increased at sites where N was the limiting nutrient, while flowering also showed high sensitivity, with increases and declines seen in dominant shrub and forb species, respectively. Critically, these parameters were responsive to some of the lowest additional loadings of N (7.7-10 kg ha −1 yr −1 ) showing potential for impacts by deposition rates seen in even remote and “unpolluted” regions of Europe. Other parameters were less sensitive, but nevertheless showed response to higher doses. These included increases in soil%N and ‘plant available’ KCl extractable N, N cycling rates and acid-base status. Furthermore, an analysis of accumulated dose that quantified response against the total N input over time suggested that N impacts can “build up” within an ecosystem such that even relatively low N deposition rates can result in ecological responses if continued for long enough. Given the responses have important implications for ecosystem structure, function, and recovery from N loading, the clear evidence for impacts at relatively low N deposition rates across a wide range of habitats is of considerable concern.

Description: A new conceptual framework is proposed to improve our understanding of soil organic matter behaviour at depth: at any soil profile, two vertically distinct, dynamic zones of influence can be identified, an upper vegetation zone of influence (VZI), controlled by plant traits, and a lower mineral matrix zone of influence (MMZI), controlled by geochemical interactions. In the VZI, soil organic carbon (SOC) flux is upwards to the atmosphere (SOC mineralization to CO2), while in the MMZI, the SOC flux is downwards to deep soil storage (SOC stabilization and persistence), as it is suggested by SOC profiles in analogy to the ‘zero‐flux plane’ concept in hydrology. Abstract Soil organic matter (SOM) is an indicator of sustainable land management as stated in the global indicator framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG Indicator 15.3.1). Improved forecasting of future changes in SOM is needed to support the development of more sustainable land management under a changing climate. Current models fail to reproduce historical trends in SOM both within and during transition between ecosystems. More realistic spatio‐temporal SOM dynamics require inclusion of the recent paradigm shift from SOM recalcitrance as an ‘intrinsic property’ to SOM persistence as an ‘ecosystem interaction’. We present a soil profile, or pedon‐explicit, ecosystem‐scale framework for data and models of SOM distribution and dynamics which can better represent land use transitions. Ecosystem‐scale drivers are integrated with pedon‐scale processes in two zones of influence. In the upper vegetation zone, SOM is affected primarily by plant inputs (above‐ and belowground), climate, microbial activity and physical aggregation and is prone to destabilization. In the lower mineral matrix zone, SOM inputs from the vegetation zone are controlled primarily by mineral phase and chemical interactions, resulting in more favourable conditions for SOM persistence. Vegetation zone boundary conditions vary spatially at landscape scales (vegetation cover) and temporally at decadal scales (climate). Mineral matrix zone boundary conditions vary spatially at landscape scales (geology, topography) but change only slowly. The thicknesses of the two zones and their transport connectivity are dynamic and affected by plant cover, land use practices, climate and feedbacks from current SOM stock in each layer. Using this framework, we identify several areas where greater knowledge is needed to advance the emerging paradigm of SOM dynamics—improved representation of plant‐derived carbon inputs, contributions of soil biota to SOM storage and effect of dynamic soil structure on SOM storage—and how this can be combined with robust and efficient soil monitoring.

Description: The crystal chemistry of a unique Nb-Ti-rich thorite from Mont Saint-Hilaire (Quebec) has been examined by a combination of single crystal and powder X-ray diffraction, electron microprobe analyses, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. The average of 9 compositions gave (Th 0.21 Nb 0.20 Ti 0.18 Ca 0.13 Y 0.10 REE 0.09 Fe 0.03 Zr 0.01 Sr 0.01 Mn 0.01 K 0.01 Na 0 . 01 ) 1.00 [(Si 0.49 0.41 Al 0.08 P 0.01 S 0.01 ) 1.00 (O 2.33 F 0.02 )](OH) 1.70 . This is the first example in the literature of a zircon-group mineral containing elevated concentrations of Nb (0.20 apfu , 13.33 wt.% Nb 2 O 5 ) and Ti (0.19 apfu Ti, 7.41 wt.% TiO 2 ), and evidence for the (SiO 4 ) 4– (OH) 4 4– "hydrogarnet" substitution. The crystal structure was solved and refined to R = 3.40% and wR 2 = 9.73% for 68 reflections with F o 〉 4( F o ). The studied thorite is slightly metamict, tetragonal, space group I 4 1 / amd , with a 7.058(1) Å, c 6.2260(12) Å, V 310.15(11) Å 3 , and Z = 4. It is isostructural with other zircon-group minerals and has a unit cell which is 4% smaller than that of thorite sensu stricto , a result of the incorporation of high field-strength elements of smaller radii. The structure consists of one eight-coordinated metal site ( A = Th, Zr, U, REE, Y, Nb, Ti, etc. ), one tetrahedral site ( T ), one O site, and one variably-occupied H site. The A site is coordinated by four axial O atoms [ A –O axial = 2.428(5) Å] and four equatorial O atoms [ A –O eq = 2.322(6) Å], which define a bisdisphenoid with 〈 A –O〉 = 2.374 Å. The T site in MSH thorite is only partially occupied by Si (33% vacant) and coordinated by four O with T –O = 1.641(5) Å. A partially occupied H site (31%) is located 0.980 Å away from the O atom, forming (O 4 H 4 ) 4– groups when the T site is vacant. Removal of the center of symmetry in the structure allows for the possibility of the presence of bimodal T –O and A –O bond lengths, leading to both short Si–O bonds and longer –OH bonds, as well as the shorter A –O bonds required for Nb and Ti. Accommodation of Nb and Ti into the thorite structure may be facilitated by increased distortion of the A O 8 bisdisphenoid, relaxation and shortening of A –O bonds as a result of the (SiO 4 ) 4– (OH) 4 4– substitution, and the likely presence of defects (O vacancies) in regions which have undergone slight metamictization, resulting in short-range ordering of Nb, Ti, and Th. Although it is possible that a metastable, limited solid solution exists between thorite and (OH) 4 4– -dominant "thorogummite" with intermediate compositions defined by Th(SiO 4 ) 1 –x (OH) 4 x , reported compositions indicate otherwise and it is suggested that the name "thorogummite" be abandoned.

Description: There is increasing evidence for morphological change in response to 20 th century environmental change, but how this relates to fluctuations in geographic range is unclear. We measured museum specimens from two time periods (1902-1950 and 2000-2008) that vary significantly in climate to assess if and how two high elevation contracting species of ground squirrels in the Sierra Nevada of California, Belding's ground squirrel ( Urocitellus beldingi ) and the golden-mantled ground squirrel ( Callospermophilus lateralis ), and one lower elevation, stable species, the California ground squirrel ( Otospermophilus beecheyi ), have responded morphologically to changes in California over the last century. We measured skull length (condylobasal length), an ontogenetically more labile trait, and maxillary toothrow length (MTRL), a more developmentally constrained trait. C. lateralis and U. beldingi , both obligate hibernators, have increased in body size but have not changed in body shape. In contrast, O. beecheyi , which only hibernates in parts of its range, has shown no significant change in either morphometric trait. The increase in body size in the higher elevation species, presumably a plastic effect due to a longer growing season and thus prolonged food availability, opposes the expected direction of selection for decreased body size under chronic warming. We hypothesize that population contraction is related to physiological rather than nutritional constraints.

Description: Article Although observations of volcanic deposits on Mars are more accessible than ever, constraining Martian eruption styles remains a challenge. Here, the authors show that volcanic eruption style can be characterized through X-ray diffraction analysis of groundmass crystallinity in basaltic volcanic deposits. Nature Communications doi: 10.1038/ncomms6090 Authors: Kellie T. Wall, Michael C. Rowe, Ben S. Ellis, Mariek E. Schmidt, Jennifer D. Eccles

Description: A bstract Thorogummite has been discredited as a valid mineral species. No type material from the original study was available for analysis. An extensive review of the literature, both recent and historic, reveals the use of the name "thorogummite" for any hydrated, metamict thorite or unidentified alteration product of a Th-bearing mineral. All early studies on "thorogummite" and other alteration products of thorite were performed on heterogeneous mixtures of mostly secondary and metamict materials and must be considered suspect. The validity of Frondel’s (1953) proposed (SiO 4 ) 4– (OH) 4 4– substitution between thorite and thorogummite was examined and shown to be an incomplete solid solution. All compositions in the literature to date are Th- and Si-dominant and must be considered thorite. Furthermore, the majority of the compositions in the literature are outdated and likely do not represent those from crystalline, single-phases. More likely, all so-called "thorogummite" are simply metastable hydrated or metamict thorite with varying volumes of other alteration products. The discreditation has been approved by the IMA Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (Nomenclature Voting proposal 14-B).