ALBERT

Description: The Aminoil Group drilled a 10,000 ft - well a few kilometers off the Krakatau volcano in 1973. The well bottomed in Pliocene sediments after penetrating a more than 8,000 ft thick Upper Pliocene section of mainly claystones with interbedded sand-, siltstones and pyroclastics. On the basis of temperature surveys and BHT's measured during logging, a static formation temperature in excess of 450° F was extrapolated for the bottom of the hole. Tue high temperatures caused some deterioration in the mud properties, but otherwise no serious drilling problems. Owing to overpressures a high salinity oil mud and controlled drilling had to be employed. The well was P&A because no economic hydrocarbon accumulations could be expected in the high temperature regimes.

Description: This data volume presents a series of planktological observations carried out over a 19-year-period in Kiel Bight in the Western Baltic Sea. Three fixed stations (Boknis Eck: 1957 - 1975, Fehmarnbalt: 1951 - 1960, Breitgrund: 1960 - 1971) were visited at monthly intervals, and the plankton standing stock was investigated in relation to depth and environmental factors, employing a standard observation programme. This consisted in the measurement of temperature, salinity, (density), oxygen, (oxygen saturation), total phosphorus, PO4-phosphorus, seston, protein and chlorophyll a. Additional measurements comprised the caloric content of seston, particulate organic carbon and nitrogen (Boknis Eck: 1973 - 75), as well at dry weight and organic matter of p1ankton, sampled by vertical hauls of three plankton nets of different mesh size: 55 µm, 100 µm and 300 µm {Boknis Eck: 1963 - 75).

Description: Meiofauna dispersal is possible by waterfowl, by floating substrates including sea ice, and by turbulent water, either in suspension or adhering to sediment particles. During severe storms sea water turbulence erodes sediments not only in shallow water, but also in the sublittoral region. In the past centuries meiofauna had a chance of dispersal in sand that served as ballast for sailing vessels. Direct evidence for mciofauna dispersal is scarce. In an appendix to the paper several authors report on meiofauna found on drifting coconuts and in plankton samples, and on other observations bearing on meiofauna dispersal.

Description: An estimate of average river particulate matter (RPM) composition was bàsed on analyses of more than 40 elements in the Amazon, Congo, Ganges, Magdalena, Mekong, Parana and Orinoco rivers, to which were added literature data for 13 other major world rivers, covering the whole spectrum of morphoclimatic features. Geographic variations of major elements in RPM are mostly linked to weathering types and to the balance between weathering rate and river transport. As a result of chemical erosion, Al, Fe and Ti are enriched in RPM with respect to the average parent rock, while Na, Ca, Mg and Sr are strongly depleted. These figures are directly related to the relative importance of dissolved and particulate transport in rivers; this has been computed for each of 40 elements. In order to study weathering on a global scale, the total observed elemental fluxes (dissolved + particulate) have been computed and compared to theoretical ones. The latter were derived from the elemental content in the average parent rock and the total quantity of weathered material, computed from the Al ratio in RPM and in parent rock. Observed and theoretical fluxes are balanced for the less mobilized elements (rare earths, Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Mn, Rb, Si, Th, Ti, U and V) for which no enrichment relative to Al is noted in RPM, and for B, Ba, Ca, K, Mg, Na, Sr which are relatively depleted in RPM due to their high dissolved transport. Additional fluxes have been found for Br, Sb, Pb, Cu, Mo, Zn and are possible also for Ni and P. This is reflected by marked enrichments in RPM relative to Al for the poorly or moderately dissolved transports (Pb, Cu, Zn). Several hypotheses involving either the natural origin (volcanic dust, marine aerosols, geochemical fractionation) or the artificial origin (worldwide pollution) are discussed to explain these discrepancies, assuming river transport and weathering either to be in a steady state on a global scale or not. However, none of them can fully account for these additional fluxes. It is most likely that these excesses have multiple origins, anthropogenic or natural or both. The comparison between RPM and deep-sea clay compositions emphasizes the prime influence of river input on oceanic sedimentation of Si, Al, Fe, Ti, lanthanides, Sc, Rb, V, etc. A few elements such as Zn, Sb, occur in excess in RPM as compared to deep-sea clays; in order to balance this excess, a remobilization of these elements out of the sediment can be considered. Finally, the enrichment of Co, Cu, Mn and Ni in deep-sea clays compared to RPM is discussed and attributed to several sources and processes.