ALBERT

Description: Highlights • Internal diffusion often controls the releases of flame retardants from microplastics. • Fick's law can describe the releases of additive flame retardants from microplastics. • Effects of temperature, plastic matrix, and particle size can be predicted by models. • Weathering of plastic matrix can greatly accelerate the releases of flame retardants. • Low fluxes of flame retardants released from microplastics pose no risk to ecosystem. The widely occurring debris of plastic materials, particularly microplastics, can be an important source of flame retardants, which are one of the main groups of chemicals added in the production of plastics from polymers. This review provides an overview on the use of flame retardants in plastic manufacturing, the kinetics of their releases from microplastics, the factors affecting their releases, and the potential environmental and ecosystem risk of the released flame retardants. The releases of flame retardants from microplastics typically involve three major steps: internal diffusion, mass transfer across the plastic-medium boundary layer, and diffusion in the environmental medium, while the overall mass transfer rate is commonly controlled by diffusion within the plastic matrix. The overall release rates of additive flame retardants from microplastics, which are dependent on the particle's geometry, can often be described by the Fick's Law. The physicochemical properties of flame retardant and plastic matrix, and ambient temperature all affect the release rate, which can be predicted with empirical and semi-empirical models. Weathering of microplastics, which reduces their particle sizes and likely disrupts their polymeric structures, can greatly accelerate the releases of flame retardants. Flame retardants could also be released directly from the microplastics ingested by aquatic organisms and seabirds, with physical and chemical digestion in the bodies significantly enhancing their release rates. Limited by the extremely slow diffusion in plastic matrices, the fluxes of flame retardants released from microplastics are very low, and are unlikely to pose significant risk to the ecosystem in general. More research is needed to characterize the mechanical, chemical, and biological processes that degrade microplastics and accelerate the releases of flame retardants and to model their release kinetics from microplastics, while efforts should also be made to develop environmentally benign flame retardants to ultimately minimize their risk to the environment and ecosystem.

Description: Ongoing discoveries of terrestrial exoplanets and the desire to determine their habitability have created an increasing demand for studies of a wide range of climatic regimes and atmospheric circulations. These studies have, in turn, challenged our understanding of our own planet’s atmospheric dynamics and provided new frameworks with which we can further our understanding of planetary atmospheres. In this work, we use an idealized moist general circulation model in aquaplanet configuration to study the atmospheric circulation of terrestrial planets with high obliquities. With seasonally varying insolation forcing and a shallow slab ocean as a lower boundary, we emphasize seasonal phenomena that might not be captured in simulations with annual mean forcing and that might involve nonlinear behaviors. By progressively increasing obliquity, we explore the response of the large-scale atmospheric circulation to more extreme seasonal cycles and a reversed annual mean equator-to-pole insolation distribution, and its impact on the energy and water cycles. We show that for high obliquities, the large-scale atmospheric circulation and the meridional energy transport are dominated by seasonally reversing broad cross-equatorial Hadley cells that transport energy from the summer to the winter hemisphere and significantly mitigate temperature extremes. These overturning cells also play a major role in shaping the planet’s hydrological cycle, with the associated ascending branches and precipitation convergence zones becoming progressively broader and more poleward shifted into the summer hemisphere with higher obliquities. While not embedded within the Hadley cell ascending branches, the hot summer poles of high obliquity planets experience nonnegligible precipitation during and at the end of the warm season: during the summer, lower-level moist static energy maxima at the summer poles force locally enhanced convective activity. As temperatures rapidly drop at the end of the summer and convective activity decreases, the water-holding capacity of the atmosphere decreases and water vapor stored in the atmospheric column rapidly condenses out, extending the duration of the summer pole rainy season into the corresponding autumn. Our study reveals novel understanding of how atmospheric dynamics might influence a planet’s overall climate and its variability.

Description: The analysis of three extreme African dust outbreaks over the Iberian Peninsula (IP) shows that a double Rossby wave breaking (RWB) process in the polar jet (PJ) creates the conditions for dust storm formation over subtropical deserts in North Africa and the restructuring of upper-level air flows critical for the dust transport poleward after ablation. Two consecutive anticyclonic RWBs initiate over the IP and the adjacent Atlantic, the first commencing 10 days before dust reaches the IP and the second three to five days later. The first RWB becomes quasi-stationary over the eastern Mediterranean when the second RWB develops. In turn, the first RWB blocks downstream propagation of the second, which is amplified by energy reflection poleward from the first break causing vortex intensification and equatorward propagation over the Atlas as well as a strengthening and coupling of the subtropical jet (STJ) to circulations in the ITCZ. Zonal flows are blocked and sustained low-level northeasterlies/easterlies are induced across northwest Africa. The three events present substantial differences in the location and geometry of key upper- and low-level subsynoptic features that organize the dust storms over the Sahara following the second break. Dust lifted by either the cold outflow from convective downdrafts or by orographic gravity waves interacts with terrain-induced and larger scale circulations and is transported to the IP. The location of the cyclonic large scale signal from the second RWB to the west or over the Atlas and the blocking of zonal flows are key for the poleward dust transport.

Description: Aqueous sorption processes play an important role in, for example, pollutant binding to natural nanoparticles, colloid stability, separation and enrichment of components and remediation processes. In this article, which is a tribute to Hans Lyklema, models of localized (ad)sorption of molecules and ions from aqueous solution on homogeneous and heterogeneous nanoparticles are presented. The discussed models range from ideal monocomponent sorption on homogeneous (Langmuir) and heterogeneous sites, to multicomponent ideal sorption on homogeneous and heterogeneous sites, multicomponent multisite ion complexation with charge distribution (CD-MUSIC) and non-ideal competitive adsorption on heterogeneous sites (NICA). Attention is also paid to lateral interaction, site-induced aggregation, binding stoichiometry and multilayer formation. Electrical double layer models are discussed in relation to ion binding on impermeable and permeable nanoparticles. Insight in models that can describe sorption of molecules and ions on nanoparticles leads to awareness of the limitations of using simple models for complex systems and is needed for the selection and application of an appropriate model for a given system. This is relevant for all practical sorption processes and for a better understanding of the role of natural nanoparticles in the binding of nutrients and pollutants.

Description: These are the first animals to pass mutations found outside sex cells

Description: The total cultivable microbiota of the ice-stored European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), the most important commercial fish species of the Mediterranean aquaculture, was determined using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. High Resolution Melting (HRM) curve profiles and sequencing analysis (V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene) were used respectively for the differentiation and identification of the collected isolates from six time intervals (day 0, 4, 8, 12, 14 and 16) while fish were stored in ice. HRM analysis differentiated the unknown microbiota in ten groups (208 isolates) and in two single isolates based on their HRM curve profiles. The isolates with HRM profiles which were 〉91% similar within each group were found to belong to the same species using sequencing analysis. Thus, the ten groups consist of representatives of Psychrobacter glacincola, Ps. alimentarius, Ps. cryohalolentis, Ps. maritimus, Ps. fozii, Pseudomonas sp., Paeniglutamicibacter sp., Carnobacterium sp., Leucobacter aridicolis and Bacillus thuringiensis. Based on this approach, Ps. cryohalolentis was found to be the most dominant phylotype at the beginning of fish shelf-life compared to other species. The abundance of this bacterium decreased throughout storage, while Ps. glacincola increased and dominated at the time of the sensory minimum acceptability (day 14) and rejection (day 16). To conclude, HRM could be used for the rapid determination of sea bass microbiota, using the representatives of each group as reference bacterial strains, in order for scientists to solve rapidly stakeholders problems related with microbial quality or safety of fish.

Description: Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.), an herb belonging to the amaranth family, is rich in minerals, amino acids, vitamins, proteins, and flavonoids. Its grain, compared with other major grains, has unique nutritional value with tremendous applications. This study used four independently bred high-generation lines (seed colors) of quinoa as materials to further understand the metabolic differences in the filling periods of quinoa varieties. Additionally, the non-targeted metabolome of quinoa seeds 35 and 42 days after flowering, respectively, were studied via liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The two filling periods of yellow, white, black, and red quinoa grains resulted in significant differences in the metabolites, particularly in L-methionine, S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine, S-adenosyl-L-methionine, pyruvate, fumarate, and oxaloacetate. Soluble sugar, amino acid, and fatty acid contents in quinoa increased after 42 days of flowering. There were metabolic differences between the sugar phosphates (L-fucose, D-mannose-6-phosphate, xylulose-5-phosphate, sedoheptulose-7-phosphate), amino acid (alanine), and organic compounds (kynurenate, tryptamine, serotonin, bilirubin) among the four quinoa varieties. The relative difference in the metabolites was largest when the yellow quinoa grain was compared with the other quinoa varieties and smallest when the red and black varieties were compare. The results of this study provide a basis for the reproduction and identification of new quinoa varieties, as well as for screening potential quality control target genes by combining genomics and transcriptomics.

Description: We processed three quinoa ecotypes as they are commonly consumed in a daily diet. For the treatments, quinoa seeds were washed, cooked, and/or germinated. Following treated, we used 1H NMR-based metabolomic profiling to explore differences between the ecotypes. Then, for a non-targeted and targeted food fingerprint analysis of samples, we performed multivariable data analyses, including principal component analysis (PCA), orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA), and hierarchical cluster analysis. From our study, we were able to discriminate each quinoa ecotype regardless of treatment based on its metabolomic profiling. Additionally, we were able to identify 30 metabolites that were useful to determine the effect of each treatment on nutritional composition. Germination increased the content of most metabolites irrespective of ecotype. In general, ecotype CQE_03 was different from ecotypes CQE_01 and CQE_02. Our phytochemical analysis revealed the effects of washing, cooking, and/or germination, particularly on saponins content.

Description: We emphasize the importance of marine silicate weathering (MSiW) reactions in anoxic sediment as fundamental in generating alkalinity and cations needed for carbonate precipitation and preservation along continental margins. We use a model that couples thermodynamics with aqueous geochemistry to show that the CO2 released during methanogenesis results in a drop in pH to 6.0; unless these protons are buffered by MSiW, carbonate minerals will dissolve. We present data from two regions: the India passive margin and the active subduction zone off Japan, where ash and/or rivers supply the reactive silicate phase, as reflected in strontium isotope data. Offshore India and Korea, alteration of continent-derived silicates results in pore water enriched in radiogenic 87Sr, with 87Sr/86Sr ratios as high as 0.7095 and 0.7104, respectively. Off Japan, strontium in pore water influenced by ash alteration is depleted in 87Sr, with 87Sr/86Sr as low as 0.7065. Carbonate minerals formed by alkalinity and cations generated through MSiW carry these strontium isotopic signals, and are typically dolomite, siderite, and Fe-rich calcite. These contrast with the aragonite and high-magnesium calcite that form during anaerobic oxidation of methane and incorporate the coeval seawater 87Sr/86Sr signal. We show that MSiW is necessary for authigenic carbonate formation and preservation along continental margins, which remove carbon from Earth's surface at rates previously estimated to be at least 1012 mol yr−1. In addition, these authigenic carbonates are of relevance to studies of the deep biosphere, fluid flow, seismogenesis, slope stability, and reservoir characteristics.

Description: Highlights • Cadomian continental arc crust of NE Iran was built during ∼15 Myr of magmatism. • Magmatic flare-up in Iran Cadomia occurred over ∼45 Myr; 570 to 525 Ma. • Geochemical differentiation in “hot zones” built the stratified continental crust of Iran. Abstract The generation and differentiation of continental crust by arc magmatism is strongly influenced by episodes of high magmatic flux (“flare-ups”). Magmatic flare-ups encourage the development of deep crustal hot zones where magmatic differentiation and density stratification combine to form the upper felsic and lower mafic continental crust. Such processes, which are responsible for the construction of continental arc crust, are prolonged events, which build a ∼30-40 km arc crust over tens of million years (∼100 Myr). New zircon U-Pb data reveal that the construction of Cadomian crust from NE Iran occurred over ∼15 ± 0.3 Myr. However, compiled zircon U-Pb ages reveal a prolonged magmatic flare-up of ∼45 Myr; ∼570 to 525 Ma. Basement outcrops in NE Iran expose lower- and upper crust that show how magmatic-geochemical differentiation occurred deep beneath a Cadomian continental arc in a crustal hot zone. Isotopic data for igneous rocks produced during this 45 Myr episode reveal interactions between mantle-derived melts and old continental crust. Synthesis of new and published data indicates that this type of interaction is common during periods of high magmatic fluxes. Our results indicate that differentiation of mafic melts in the lower crust during prolonged magmatic flare-ups plays a key role in building a stratified continental crust.

Description: Highlights • Total amount of generated biogenic methane is estimated at ~3100 Gt. • Total amount of generated thermogenic methane is estimated at ~1,560 Gt. • The Maykop formation is partially productive in the central basin and not yet fully productive towards the basin peripherals. A new numerical model reconstructing the depositional history (98–0 Ma) of the Western Black Sea sub-basin is presented. The model accounts for changing boundary conditions (i.e. water depth, bottom water temperature, heat flow evolution over time) and estimates the rates and total amounts of the in-situ biogenic methane generation and thermally-driven organic matter maturation in the source rocks. The overall thermogenic and biogenic gas generation predicted by the model is estimated at ~1560 Gt and ~3100 Gt, respectively.

Description: The clumped isotope (Δ47) proxy is a promising geochemical tool to reconstruct past ocean temperatures far back in time and in unknown settings, due to its unique thermodynamic basis that renders it independent from other environmental factors like seawater composition. Although previously hampered by large sample-size requirements, recent methodological advances have made the paleoceanographic application of Δ47 on small (〈5 mg) foraminifer samples possible. Previous studies show a reasonable match between Δ47 calibrations based on synthetic carbonate and various species of planktonic foraminifers. However, studies performed before recent methodological advances were based on relatively few species and data treatment that is now outdated. To overcome these limitations and elucidate species-specific effects, we analyzed 14 species of planktonic foraminifers in sediment surface samples from 13 sites, covering a growth temperature range of ∼0–28 °C. We selected mixed layer-dwelling and deep-dwelling species from a wide range of ocean settings to evaluate the feasibility of temperature reconstructions for different water depths. Various techniques to estimate foraminifer calcification temperatures were tested in order to assess their effects on the calibration and to find the most suitable approach. Results from this study generally confirm previous findings that there are no species-specific effects on the Δ47-temperature relationship in planktonic foraminifers, with one possible exception. Various morphotypes of Globigerinoides ruber were found to often deviate from the general trend determined for planktonic foraminifers. Our data are in excellent agreement with a recent foraminifer calibration study that was performed with a different analytical setup, as well as with a calibration based exclusively on benthic foraminifers. A combined, methodologically homogenized dataset also reveals very good agreement with an inorganic calibration based on travertines. Our findings highlight the potential of the Δ47 paleothermometer to be applied to recent and extinct species alike to study surface ocean temperatures as well as thermocline variability for a multitude of settings and time scales.

Description: Deformation during CO2 injection can lead to problems, like seismicity or fluid leaks, but small strains have the potential to be a useful signal for monitoring. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the possible evolution of the strain field during injection, and then assess existing and emerging techniques for measuring the strain field. Poroelastic analyses show that normal strains caused by injection into a reservoir are tensile in the vicinity of the well, but everywhere else at least one strain component is compressive. The vertical strain is compressive in the confining unit, and the radial strain decreases and changes sign from tensile to compressive with distance from the well. Tilting is away from the injection well at the ground surface, but it is towards the well overlying the reservoir. Methods for measuring in-situ strain include instruments that are grouted in the annulus between casing and wall rock (∼ 0.1 microstrain resolution), portable strain sensors that are temporarily clamped to the borehole wall (∼ 0.01 microstrain resolution), and strainmeters that are grouted in place (∼0.001 microstrain resolution). Instruments for measuring in-situ normal strains at the magnitudes and rates expected during injection are emerging, but they have yet to be fully evaluated in applications related to CO2 storage. In-situ strain data measured with emerging instruments promises to fill an important gap between the episodes of fast strain rates measured by seismic data, and the slow strains measured over relatively long periods of time by InSAR and GPS.

Description: Estuarine systems are of key importance for the riverine input of silicon (Si) to the ocean, which is a limiting factor of diatom productivity in coastal areas. This study presents a field dataset of surface dissolved Si isotopic compositions (30SiSi(OH)4) obtained in the estuaries of three of the world’s largest rivers, the Amazon (ARE), Yangtze (YRE), and Pearl (PRE), which cover different climate zones. While 30SiSi(OH)4 behaved conservatively in the YRE and PRE supporting a dominant control by water mass mixing, significantly increased 30SiSi(OH)4 signatures due to diatom utilization of Si(OH)4 were observed in the ARE and reflected a Si isotopic enrichment factor 30 of −1.0±0.4‰ (Rayleigh model) or −1.6±0.4‰ (steady state model). In addition, seasonal variability of Si isotope behavior in the YRE was observed by comparison to previous work and most likely resulted from changes in water residence time, temperature, and light level. Based on the 30 value obtained for the ARE, we estimate that the global average 30SiSi(OH)4 entering the ocean is 0.2-0.3‰ higher than that of the rivers due to Si retention in estuaries. This systematic modification of riverine Si isotopic compositions during estuarine mixing, as well as the seasonality of Si isotope dynamics in single estuaries, needs to be taken into account for better constraining the role of large river estuaries in the oceanic Si cycle.

Description: Highlights: • Assessment of the Indian Ocean simulation from global forced sea- ice models. • SST biases are 2 times smaller in forced simulations than the coupled simulations. • Coupled model shows large inter-model spread over the eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. • Refinement in model horizontal resolution does not significantly improve simulations. • Uncover a secondary pathway of northward cross-equatorial transport along 75 °E. • Models are unable to capture the observed thick barrier layer in the north Bay of Bengal. Abstract: We present an analysis of annual and seasonal mean characteristics of the Indian Ocean circulation and water masses from 16 global ocean–sea-ice model simulations that follow the Coordinated Ocean-ice Reference Experiments (CORE) interannual protocol (CORE-II). All simulations show a similar large-scale tropical current system, but with differences in the Equatorial Undercurrent. Most CORE-II models simulate the structure of the Cross Equatorial Cell (CEC) in the Indian Ocean. We uncover a previously unidentified secondary pathway of northward cross-equatorial transport along 75 °E, thus complementing the pathway near the Somali Coast. This secondary pathway is most prominent in the models which represent topography realistically, thus suggesting a need for realistic bathymetry in climate models. When probing the water mass structure in the upper ocean, we find that the salinity profiles are closer to observations in geopotential (level) models than in isopycnal models. More generally, we find that biases are model dependent, thus suggesting a grouping into model lineage, formulation of the surface boundary, vertical coordinate and surface salinity restoring. Refinement in model horizontal resolution (one degree versus degree) does not significantly improve simulations, though there are some marginal improvements in the salinity and barrier layer results. The results in turn suggest that a focus on improving physical parameterizations (e.g. boundary layer processes) may offer more near-term advances in Indian Ocean simulations than refined grid resolution.

Description: Tracking climate change and its relationships with chemical weathering and massive volcanic activity in deep-time greatly improves our understanding of the Earth's climate system. The Permo-Carboniferous period is a critical time interval with million year-scale glacial-deglacial cycles and massive basaltic volcanism, such as the Skagerrak-Centered (also named Skagerrak or Jutland) large igneous province. To explore the volcanism-climate interactions in this period, we obtained high precision CA-TIMS U-Pb zircon ages for three tuffaceous layers from a cored upper Pennsylvanian-lower Permian marginal marine succession in southern North China. These ages calibrate the Permo-Carboniferous biostratigraphy between ∼301–296 Ma in North China. From this dated core succession, mudrock samples and their calculated weathering index values were screened to constrain the weathering trends for the source landscapes and demonstrate a rapid increase with a subsequent decrease in source chemical weathering intensity during the period of ∼299 to 296.5 Ma. These trends coincide with the southern Gondwana glacial records, low latitude temperature changes, relative sea-level variations, and shifts in atmospheric pCO2 that together document an earliest Permian climate warming-cooling perturbation with a temperature maximum at ∼298 Ma. This climate warming in the Permo-Carboniferous icehouse correlates with the emplacement of the Skagerrak-Centered large igneous province, which likely released voluminous CO2 that led to climate warming during the Permo-Carboniferous transition. The immediately following cooling could possibly result from the rapid post-eruptional weathering of the massive basaltic rocks of this province in tropical latitudes, which would have sequestered atmospheric CO2 and promoted return to cooler icehouse conditions. This study supports the assertation that massive basaltic volcanism could first cause rapid climate warming and then may have an overall net cooling effect as previously suggested for the Deccan Traps and the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province.

Description: Highlights • High-Ti lavas have the same composition as Walvis Ridge and Gough Subtrack. • Low-Ti lavas are derived from a distinct source compare to the high-Ti lavas. • High-Ti and low-Ti basalts reflect the spatial zonation of the plume head. • Tristan-type composition has not been discovered in the plume head stage. • Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopes from Etendeka flood basalts. Abstract The origin and distribution of geochemically distinct source components in continental flood volcanism (generally associated with the initial phase of a mantle plume head) are poorly understood. Here we present new geochemical (major and trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope) data from the Etendeka flood basalts and associated dikes from northern and central Namibia that are believed to have been produced during the initial stage of the Tristan-Gough hotspot. Following earlier studies, the Etendeka lava flows and dikes are divided into high-Ti and low-Ti groups. The trace element and isotopic composition of the high-Ti tholeiitic basalts, exclusively outcropping in northern Etendeka (northwestern Namibia), are similar to the Gough-type enriched mantle I (EMI) composition found on the Walvis Ridge (the Atlantic type locality for the EMI end member). The low-Ti tholeiitic basalts, primarily outcropping in Southern Etendeka (central western Namibia), have higher 143Nd/144Nd and 207Pb/204Pb but lower 208Pb/204Pb ratios than the Gough composition. Combining our data with newly published 3He/4He data and estimates of the magma source’s potential temperature from 1520-1680◦C, we conclude that the source of the low-Ti basalts was also intrinsic to the Tristan-Gough plume, consistent with a spatially-zoned plume head. The low-Ti basalts were derived from a distinct EMI-type source component that has thus far only been detected in the initial Tristan-Gough plume head (∼132 Ma), but not the later submarine hotspot track.

Description: Oceanic island basalts are targeted for geochemical study because they provide a direct window into mantle composition and a wealth of information on the dynamics and timescales associated with Earth mixing. Previous studies mainly focused on the shield volcanic stage of oceanic islands and the more fusible, enriched mantle components that are easily distinguished in those basalts. Mantle depleted compositions are typically more difficult to resolve unless large amounts of this material participated in mantle melting (e.g., mid-ocean ridges), or unique processes allow for their compositions to be erupted undiluted, such as very small degrees of melting of a source with minimal fusible enriched components (e.g., rejuvenated basalts) or as xenoliths (e.g., abyssal peridotites). Mantle depleted components, defined here as material with low time-integrated Rb/Sr (low 87Sr/86Sr) and high time-integrated Sm/Nd and Lu/Hf ratios (high 143Nd/144Nd and 176Hf/177Hf) relative to primitive mantle, derive from a potentially very large volume reservoir (up to 80% of the mantle), and therefore need adequate characterization in order estimate the composition of the Earth and mantle-derived melts. This review focuses on mantle depleted compositions in oceanic island basalts using the Hawaiian-Emperor chain as a case study. The Hawaiian-Emperor chain is the ∼6000 km long geological record of the deeply sourced Hawaiian mantle plume, active for 〉81 Myr. Hawaiian volcanism evolves through four volcanic stages as a volcano traverses the Hawaiian plume: alkalic preshield, tholeiitic shield (80–90% volcano volume), alkalic postshield (∼1%), and silica undersaturated rejuvenated (〈0.1%). We report Pb-Sr-Nd-Hf isotope compositions and trace element concentrations of three rejuvenated Northwest Hawaiian Ridge basalts and compare them to an exhaustive compiled dataset of basalts from the Hawaiian Islands to the Emperor Seamounts. The Northwest Hawaiian Ridge (NWHR) includes 51 volcanoes spanning ∼42 m.y. between the bend in the Hawaiian-Emperor chain and the Hawaiian Islands where there is no high-precision isotopic data published on the rejuvenated-stage over ∼47% of the chain. NWHR and Hawaiian Island rejuvenated basalts are geochemically similar, indicating a consistent source for rejuvenated volcanism over ∼12.5 million years. In contrast, shield-stage basalts from the oldest Emperor Seamounts are more depleted in isotopic composition (i.e., higher 176Hf/177Hf, and 143Nd/144Nd with lower 87Sr/86Sr and 208Pb*/206Pb*) and trace element concentrations (i.e., much lower concentrations of highly incompatible elements) than all other depleted Hawaiian basalts younger than the bend, including NWHR rejuvenated basalts. The strongly depleted source for the oldest Emperor Seamounts (〉70 Ma) was likely related to interaction with the Kula-Pacific-Izanagi mid-ocean ridge spreading system active near the Hawaiian plume in the Late Cretaceous. In contrast, the incompatible trace element ratios of NWHR rejuvenated basalts require a distinct source in the Hawaiian mantle plume that was imprinted by ancient (〉1 Ga) partial melting, likely ancient recycled oceanic lithosphere. This review of the geochemistry of Hawaiian depleted components documents the need for the sampling of multiple distinctive depleted compositions, each preferentially melted during specific periods of Hawaiian plume activity. This suggests that the composition of depleted components can evolve during the lifetime of the mantle plume, as observed for enriched components in the Hawaiian mantle plume. Changes in the composition of depleted components are dominantly controlled by the upper mantle tectonic configurations at the time of eruption (i.e., proximity to a mid-ocean ridge), as this effect overwhelms the signal imparted by potentially sampling different lower mantle components through time.

Description: Highlights • The syntectonic Otjimbingwe alkaline complex (Namibia) is ca. 545 Ma old. • Metasomatized mantle-derived melts are modified by AFC and accumulation processes. • The alkaline melts intruded during extensional tectonics during flat subduction. The ~545 Ma-old syn-collisional Otjimbingwe alkaline complex is composed of pyroxene-amphibole-biotite-bearing, mildly nepheline-normative to quartz-normative rocks ranging in composition from monzogabbro to monzonite, syenite and granite. The alkaline rocks have moderate to high SiO2 (50.5–73.0 wt%) and Na2O + K2O (5.1–11.5 wt%) and moderate to low MgO (6.6–0.2 wt%) concentrations. All samples have high large ion lithophile element (LILE: Ba up to 4600 ppm) and high-field-strength element contents (HFSE; Zr: 155–1328 ppm; Nb: 16–110 ppm; Ta: 1.4–7.1 ppm and Hf: 4–24 ppm) and have strongly fractionated LREE patterns ((La/Yb)N = 14–51). The most primitive members lack significant negative Eu anomalies. Mantle-normalized multi-element diagrams show depletion in Ba, Rb, Nb (Ta), P and Ti. The alkaline rocks have moderate radiogenic initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7061–0.7087) and unradiogenic initial ɛNd values (−3.9 to −6.1). This isotope signature, associated with high LREE/HFSE ratios indicates that the parental melts were generated in enriched portions of the shallow lithospheric mantle, which was probably affected by previous subduction zone processes. In addition, correlations between Sr and Nd isotopes indicate that some of these variations result from combined crustal assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC) processes. A new model of flat subduction is presented that explains most of the unsolved problems in the orogenic evolution of the Damara orogen, namely (i) the absence of early intrusive rocks with a clear subduction zone setting, (ii) the absence of high-pressure rocks such as blueschists and eclogites, (iii) the unusual distribution of igneous rocks with a clear predominance of granite and granodiorite and (iv) the need for a asthenospheric window during a classical subduction to explain the high T/moderate P granulite facies conditions in the overriding plate.

Description: Glacial meltwater is an important source of bioessential trace elements to high latitude oceans. Upon delivery to coastal waters, glacially sourced particulate trace elements are processed during early diagenesis in sediments and may be sequestered or recycled back to the water column depending on local biogeochemical conditions. In the glaciated fjords of Svalbard, large amounts of reactive Fe and Mn (oxyhydr)oxides are delivered to the sediment by glacial discharge, resulting in pronounced Fe and Mn cycling concurrent with microbial sulfate reduction. In order to investigate the diagenetic cycling of selected trace elements (As, Co, Cu, Mo, Ni, and U) in this system, we collected sediment cores from two Svalbard fjords, Van Keulenfjorden and Van Mijenfjorden, in a transect along the head-to-mouth fjord axis and analyzed aqueous and solid phase geochemistry with respect to trace elements, sulfur, and carbon along with sulfate reduction rates. We found that Co and Ni associate with Fe and Mn (oxyhydr)oxides and enter the pore water upon reductive metal oxide dissolution. Copper is enriched in the solid phase where sulfate reduction rates are high, likely due to reactions with H2S and the formation of sulfide minerals. Uranium accumulates in the solid phase likely following reduction by both Fe- and sulfate-reducing bacteria, while Mo adsorbs to Fe and Mn (oxyhydr)oxides in the surface sediment and is removed from the pore water at depth where sulfidization makes it particle-reactive. Arsenic is tightly coupled to Fe redox cycling and its partitioning between solid and dissolved phases is influenced by competition with FeS for adsorption sites on crystalline Fe oxides. Differences in trace element cycling between the two fjords suggest delivery of varying amount and composition of tidewater glacier (Van Keulenfjorden) and meltwater stream (Van Mijenfjorden) material, likely related to oxidative processes occurring in meltwater streams. This processing produces a partially weathered, more reactive sediment that is subject to stronger redox cycling of Fe, Mn, S, and associated trace elements upon delivery to Van Mijenfjorden. With climate warming, the patterns of trace element cycling observed in Van Mijenfjorden may also become more prevalent in other Svalbard fjords as tidewater glaciers retreat into meltwater stream valleys.

Description: Highlights • Highly variable sea-ice conditions off eastern North Greenland during the Holocene. • The mid to late Holocene is characterized by seasonal to marginal sea-ice conditions. • Seasonal formation of the Northeast-Water (NEW) Polynya during the last 1 ka. Understanding the processes controlling the natural variability of sea ice in the Arctic, one of the most dynamic components of the climate system, can help to constrain the effects of future climate change in this highly sensitive area. For the first time, a high-resolution biomarker study was carried out to reconstruct past sea-ice variability off eastern North Greenland. This area is strongly influenced by cold surface waters and drift ice transported via the East Greenland Current, meltwater pulses from the outlet glaciers of the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream and the build-up of landfast ice. The well-dated Holocene sedimentary section of Core PS93/025 provides insights into variations of the sea-ice conditions (regional and local sea-ice signal), oceanic and atmospheric circulation and the biotic response to these changes. These biomarker records show a reduced to variable sea-ice cover during the early Holocene between 10.2 and 9.3 ka, followed by a steady increase in sea-ice conditions during the mid Holocene. During the last 5–6 ka, sea-ice conditions remained more stable representing a seasonal to marginal sea-ice situation. Based on our biomarker records, stable sea-ice edge conditions, with a fully developed polynya situation occurred since the last 1 ka.

Description: Volcán Antuco (37°24′ S, 71°22′W; 2979 m asl) is the 13th ranked high threat volcano in Chile with 27 recorded historical eruptions, mostly (~96%) with volcanic explosivity indices (VEI) of ~1–2. An older eruptive record has been reconstructed from sections exposed on the western flank and is intimately related to a well-documented catastrophic sector collapse at ~7.2 cal ka BP. However, very little is known about Antuco's post-collapse eruptive history in other sectors, especially on the eastern flanks where prevalent westerly winds favor optimal eastward tephra transport and deposition. Our study reveals a more complete record of activity that has already been indicated from previous work with at least 23 tephra-forming explosive eruptions, most of them within the last c. 7.2 ka, including 4 events that have generated pyroclastic density currents that have widely inundated the lower eastern flanks. Tephra from these eruptive events are typically composed of scoria, free crystals and lithics, with occasional pumice. The composition of juvenile fragments varies between basalt and trachyandesite (50.2–62.2 wt% SiO2) and show phenocrysts of plagioclase, olivine and pyroxene. Our results show that most of the eruptions of Antuco (c. 79%) are Strombolian to violent Strombolian. These eruptions have an estimated longer repose times (c. 200 year) and are likely higher in magnitude than those registered during historical times. This study also shows that the composition, style and magnitude may change from one eruptive episode to the next. This eruptive variability seems in complete accord with recent findings from other centers in the Southern Volcanic Zone exhibiting similar temporal eruptive diversity and ultimately, has significant implications with respect to hazard assessment.

Description: The generation of magmas in the East African Rift System (EARS) is largely the result of either: (A) melting of easily fusible compositions located within the lithospheric mantle due to thermobaric perturbations of the lithosphere, or (B) melting of the convecting upper mantle due to decompression caused by thinning of the plate during extension. Melt generated from amphibole- or phlogopite-bearing metasomes within the lithospheric mantle yields alkaline, silica-undersaturated lavas, while more silica-saturated lavas are primarily a function of melting material within the convecting upper mantle. Sourcing of silica-undersaturated melts within the lithospheric mantle is consistent with the observed tendency for initial melts within any given region to exhibit trace element characteristics consistent with melting of lithospheric metasomes, likely reflecting the initial destabilization and thinning of the lithospheric mantle. With continued lithospheric thinning, the trend towards more silica-saturated compositions coincides with a shift towards compositions interpreted as melting of the convecting upper mantle. Contributions from these two sources may oscillate where extension is pulsed – melts of the convecting upper mantle are favored during periods of plate thinning; melting of either existing or recently formed metasomes may be favored during periods of relative extensional quiescence. The isotopic systematics of East African magmatism reveals significant complexity as to the specific reservoirs that may participate in the melting processes noted above. The lithospheric mantle beneath East Africa has undergone enrichment through the percolation of sub-lithospheric derived melts and fluids over an extended interval, which close to the Tanzania craton, has resulted in a layered lithospheric mantle exhibiting extreme isotopic ratios. Elsewhere, the lithospheric mantle has also undergone enrichment but given the more juvenile age of this lithosphere, less extreme isotopic values have developed. Material rising from the African Large Low Shear Velocity Province (LLSVP) has also metasomatized the lithospheric mantle, and thus lavas exhibiting a trace element signature linked to melting within the lithospheric mantle may exist as any number of reservoirs or mixtures of the same. Material derived from the convecting upper mantle incorporates the Afar Plume endmember, a depleted mantle endmember, and some form of lithospheric endmember. The isotopic characteristics of magma suites from throughout the region form arrays that broadly converge on the composition of the Afar Plume, despite some complexity where the plume material has formed a hybrid plume-lithosphere component. The convergence of these arrays strongly supports a model whereby the prevalent composition of material rising from the African LLSVP beneath the EARS is broadly equivalent to the composition of the Afar Plume.

Description: The current increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration induces changes in the seawater carbonate system resulting in decreased pH and calcium carbonate saturation state, a phenomenon called ocean acidification (OA). OA has long been considered as a major threat to echinoderms because their extensive endoskeleton is made of high‑magnesium calcite, one of the most soluble forms of calcium carbonate. Numerous studies addressed this question in sea urchins, but very few questioned the impact of OA on the sea star skeleton, although members of this taxon do not compensate their extracellular pH, contrary to most sea urchins. In the present study, adults of the common sea star, Asterias rubens from Kiel Fjord, a site experiencing natural acidification events exceeding pCO2 levels of 2500 μatm, were chronically exposed to different levels of simulated ocean acidification (pHT-SW 8.0, 7.4, 7.2), encompassing present and future conditions, for the duration of 109 days. Corrosion and mechanical properties of skeletal elements were studied using scanning electron microscopy, three-point bending tests as well as nanoindentation. The spines were significantly corroded at pHT-SW 7.4 and below while the ambulacral plates were only affected at pHT-SW 7.2. Nanoindentation of newly formed spines and ambulacral plates did not reveal significant CO2-induced differences in skeleton hardness or elasticity across treatments. Results of three-point bending tests revealed significantly reduced characteristic strength and fracture force of ambulacral plates from the median arm segment at pHT-SW 7.4 and below. These plates are those supporting the tube feet involved in the opening of bivalves during feeding and in the animal attachment to the substrate. Under reduced seawater pH, this might result in fracture of sea star plates during predation on mussel. The present results predict a possible impact of ocean acidification on the skeletal integrity of a marine keystone predator.

Description: In this study, we conducted an experimental panel survey in Norway, Germany and Portugal to explore consumers' willingness to pay more for products that are certified microplastic free. This is placed within the context of private certification schemes and private governance as mechanisms to increase consumer conscientiousness, establish a higher environmental standard in terms of microplastic and reduce marine pollution. We find that consumers in general are very conscious about the issue, would generally prefer products that are microplastics free, but would seldom choose these when there is a price premium on the label. This had a geographical offset though, with the results aligning with that of political trust in the nation, with Norwegians being less likely to purchase items with price premiums for private governance labels, and Portugal being most likely to – even with a price premium.

Description: Seamount phosphates are increasingly regarded as potential resources for rare earth elements (REE) and plus yttrium (REY). Carbonate fluorapatite (CFA) formed within seamount ferromanganese (FeMn) crusts is the most common seamount phosphate mineral. However, reports on the mineralogy and geochemistry of CFA are few and thus its origin and acquisition of trace elements are not well understood. In this study, we analyzed the major and trace elements of CFA in FeMn crusts collected from Western and Central Pacific seamounts to investigate the genesis of trace elements in the CFA. This is the first study to use in situ analytical techniques such as electron microprobe analyzer (EPMA) and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to analyze seamount CFA. We found that the CFA hosts abundant minor and trace elements and propose that ionic substitutions are responsible for the high contents of SO3, SiO2, REY, Sr, Na, Fe, and Mn in the CFA veins found in the FeMn crusts, i.e., SiO32− and SO42− substitute for PO42−, while REE3+, Y3+, Na+, Fe2+, and Mn2+ substitute for Ca2+. REE3+ substitutions for Ca2+ in the CFA are charge-compensated by Na+ substitution for Ca2+. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis shows that CO32– mainly substitutes for PO42− in the CFA crystal structure, and there is a minor substitution of PO42− by CO3F3−. Ocean water is the major source of the P and REY, which when precipitated as seamount CFA is characterized by high ∑REE (345 to 6016 ppm) and heavy-REE (HREE) enrichments. Monazite grains dispersed in the seamount CFA contribute trace amount of REY. These results shed light on the composition and element mobility of seamount CFA with economic potential, which also provides valuable insights into global ocean chemical cycling (e.g. REE).

Description: The desiccation tolerance of the intertidal seagrass Zostera japonica has been demonstrated in a number of studies; however, the factors limiting expansion of intertidal seagrass species into subtidal zones remain controversial. We transplanted Z. japonica shoots from the intermediate intertidal zone into the plots with and without Z. marina shoots in both the lower intertidal and shallow subtidal zones to investigate the factors controlling Z. japonica growth in these zones. Daily photon flux density at the Z. japonica canopy level was attenuated by both water depth and coexisting Z. marina shoots but more strongly by Z. marina shoots than water depth in the transplant plots. The shoot density and biomass of Z. japonica transplants were significantly lower in transplant plots in the subtidal zone than in the lower intertidal zone. Although the photon flux density was significantly lower in transplant plots containing Z. marina shoots, the growth of Z. japonica transplants did not differ significantly between plots with and those without Z. marina shoots. Z. japonica transplants exhibited photoacclimatory responses such as increased shoot height and chlorophyll content under the lower-light conditions, offsetting the reduced light availability so that no significant differences in transplant growth occurred between plots with and those without Z. marina shoots. As the growth of Z. japonica transplants decreased significantly in the subtidal zone, the interactive effects of environmental stresses associated with tidal inundation and reduced light availability may restrict penetration of the intertidal seagrass Z. japonica into the subtidal zone. The persistence of high photosynthetic performance after air exposure and a regular arrangement of the densely overlapped leaves atop wet sediments may be desiccation tolerance mechanisms for Z. japonica in the intertidal zone.

Description: Enrichment of the oceans with CO2 may be beneficial for some marine phytoplankton, including harmful algae. Numerous laboratory experiments provided valuable insights into the effects of elevated pCO(2) on the growth and physiology of harmful algal species, including the production of phycotoxins. Experiments close to natural conditions are the next step to improve predictions, as they consider the complex interplay between biotic and abiotic factors that can confound the direct effects of ocean acidification. We therefore investigated the effect of ocean acidification on the occurrence and abundance of phycotoxins in bulk plankton samples during a long-term mesocosm experiment in the Gullmar Fjord, Sweden, an area frequently experiencing harmful algal blooms. During the experimental period, a total of seven phycotoxin-producing harmful algal genera were identified in the fjord, and in accordance, six toxin classes were detected. However, within the mesocosms, only domoic acid and the corresponding producer Pseudo-nitzschia spp. was observed. Despite high variation within treatments, significantly higher particulate domoic acid contents were measured in the mesocosms with elevated pCO(2). Higher particulate domoic acid contents were additionally associated with macronutrient limitation. The risks associated with potentially higher phycotoxin levels in the future ocean warrants attention and should be considered in prospective monitoring strategies for coastal marine waters.

Description: Massive cyanobacteria blooms occur almost every summer in the Baltic Sea but the capability to quantitatively predict their extent and intensity is poorly developed. Here we analyse statistical relationships between multi-decadal satellite-derived time series of the frequency of cyanobacteria surface accumulations (FCA) in the central Baltic Sea Proper and a suite of environmental variables. Over the decadal scale (∼5-20 years) FCA was highly correlated (R2 ∼ 0.69) with a set of biogeochemical variables related to the amount of phosphorus and hypoxia in bottom layers. Water temperature in the surface layer was also positively correlated with FCA at the decadal scale. In contrast, the inter-annual variations in FCA had no correlation with the biogeochemical variables. Instead, significant correlations were found with the solar shortwave direct flux in July and the sea-surface temperature, also in July. It thus appears that it is not possible to predict inter-annual fluctuations in cyanobacteria blooms from water chemistry. Moreover, environmental variables could only explain about 45% of the inter-annual variability in FCA, probably because year-to-year variations in FCA are significantly influenced by biological interactions.

Description: Studies integrating mangrove in-situ observations and remote sensing analysis for specific sites often lack precise estimates of carbon stocks over time frames that include disturbance events. This study quantifies change in mangrove area from 1985 to 2018 with Landsat time series analysis, estimates above and belowground stored carbon using field data, and evaluates aboveground carbon stock changes after the 2004 Category 4, Hurricane Charley, in J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge. Two allometric equation methods yielding similar results were used to estimate aboveground carbon content in three mangrove species found in the refuge. Aboveground carbon contained 67 (SE = 2) MgC ha−1 with a total refuge estimate of 74,504 MgC in 2018. Sediment contained 259 (SE = 28) MgC ha−1 for a total of 288,008 MgC in the refuge. The initial reduction in mangrove area caused by Hurricane Charley was between 0.6% and 5.3%, equivalent to between 427 MgC and 3,599 MgC under three different scenarios of carbon loss. As a result of the hurricane, approximately 61 ha of mangroves were disturbed, of which 24 ha had recovered by 2018, with 37 ha (~3% of the pre-hurricane mangrove area) still not recovered 14 years after the event. The 37 ha of mangroves that have not recovered are located in a tidally restricted area of the refuge. A longer recovery time in this area will likely result in a greater loss of carbon storage than in the rest of the refuge.

Description: Highlights • Geochemically diverse Late Cretaceous small-volume magmatism in the Sava-Vardar Zone. • Late Cretaceous ultrapotassic lava, equivalent of minette and kersantite. • Magma derivation from a LREE and K enriched, garnet-bearing anciently metasomatized mantle source. • Magmatism occurred either in a fore-arc setting or is associated with transtensional tectonics. Abstract Late Cretaceous global plate reorganization associated with the inception of counterclockwise rotation of Africa relative to Europe initiated in the Balkan region small-volume magmatism of diverse geochemical signature along the enigmatic Sava-Vardar Zone. We study a Late Cretaceous lamprophyric sill in Ripanj village near Belgrade to constrain this magmatic episode. The lamprophyre is characterized by high contents of Na, P, Fe and Al, and low contents of K, Ca and Mg. Its original nature (Na, K, Ca and Mg) is concealed by intense alteration (albitization of feldspar and partial chloritization of phlogopite) that erased the ultrapotassic affinity of the rocks and resulted in extremely low K/Na ratios. The recalculated chemical composition demonstrates that the rocks are ultrapotassic, with K2O and MgO 〉3 wt % and K2O/Na2O 〉 2, and belong to the durbachite-vaugnerite series, i. e., the plutonic equivalents of minettes and kersantites. Two phlogopite concentrates gave Ar–Ar ages of 86.80 ± 0.5 Ma and 86.90 ± 0.5 Ma. Our combined elemental and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data (87Sr/86Sr 0.70667–0.70677, 143Nd/144Nd 0.512426–0.512429, 206Pb/204Pb 18.82–19.13, 207Pb/204Pb 15.67–15.68, 208Pb/204Pb 38.92–39.19) for representative lamprophyric samples suggests magma derivation from a light rare earth elements (LREE) and K enriched, metasomatized mantle source. The content of LREE of the rocks is enriched, whereas heavy rare earth elements (HREE) is depleted. Rare earth elements (REE) of the whole rock and REE of diopside all indicate that garnet was present in their source. There are two viable and mutually-excluding geodynamic scenarios for the Late Cretaceous magmatism in the Balkans: (i) If the Sava-Vardar ocean still existed in the Late Cretaceous and was subducted under the European plate with arc volcanism along the Apuseni-Banat-Timok-Panagyurishte-Srednjogorje belt, coeval magmatism in the Sava-Vardar Zone occurred in a fore-arc setting, and may be related to ridge subduction; (ii) If the Mesozoic ocean closed already during the Upper Jurassic or Lower Cretaceous, the Late Cretaceous volcanism within the Sava-Vardar Zone represents intracontinental volcanism associated with transtensional tectonics.

Description: The marine sulphur cycle is driven by the reduction of sulphate to sulphide coupled to microbial decomposition of organic matter. The sulphide produced by sulphate reduction may either react with Fe or organic matter to be buried as pyrite or organic sulphur, respectively; or may be oxidised through different pathways and intermediates. The amount of sulphide that is oxidised in marine sediments is not well constrained, yet oxidative sulphur cycling has critical implications for hypoxic coastal waters and oxygen minimum zones, carbon mineralisation, microbial metabolism and the interpretation of ancient and modern stable isotope signatures. Here, we present an experimental method to directly determine sulphide oxidation rates in undiluted marine sediment incubations. We find that sulphide oxidation rates in the top two centimetres of organic-rich coastal sediments were greater than rates of sulphide production through sulphate reduction and calculate that in the top 6 centimetres, up to 92 % of sulphide produced during sulphate reduction was reoxidised. The rates decreased steeply with depth, however, and sulphide oxidation to sulphate could no longer be quantified 10 cm below the seafloor. Fe oxides were the primary oxidant for sulphide and the sulphide oxidation rate was related to the amount and reactivity of the Fe minerals. These results provide important insights into the magnitude and processes of the sulphur cycle in marine sediments.

Description: Mantle convection is the principal mechanism by which heat is transferred from the deep Earth to the surface. Cold subducting slabs sink into the mantle and steadily warm, whilst upwelling plumes carry heat to the base of lithospheric plates where it can subsequently escape by conduction. Accurate estimation of the total heat carried by these plumes is important for understanding geodynamic processes and Earth's thermal budget. Existing estimates, based upon swell geometries and velocities of overriding plates, yield a global heat flux of ∼2 TW and indicate that plumes play only a minor role in heat transfer. Here, we revisit the Icelandic and Hawaiian plumes to show that their individual flux estimates are likely to be incorrect due to the assumption that buoyancy is mainly produced within the lithosphere and therefore translates at plate velocities. We develop an alternative methodology that depends upon swell volume, is independent of plate velocities, and allows both for decay of buoyancy through time and for differential motion between asthenospheric buoyancy and the overlying plate. Reanalysis of the Icelandic and Hawaiian swells yields buoyancy fluxes of Mg s−1 and Mg s−1, respectively. Both swells are used to calibrate a buoyancy decay timescale of ∼45 Myr for the new volumetric approach, which enables buoyancy fluxes to be estimated for a global inventory of 53 swells. Estimates from magmatic hotspots yield a cumulative lower bound on global plume flux of 2 TW, which increases to 6 TW if amagmatic swells are also included and if all buoyancy is assumed to be thermal in origin. Our results suggest that upwelling plumes play a significant role in the transfer of heat into the uppermost mantle.

Description: Continental shelves in arid tropical settings present particular challenges to 210Pb-based analysis of sedimentation rates and surface mixing owing to the combination of coarse sediment, deep and year-round bioturbation, and lower atmospheric flux of 210Pb. The modern continental shelf at the northern terminus of the hyper-arid Gulf of Eilat/Aqaba (GOE) receives flood-runoff of siliciclastics, producing a mixed seabed with ~20% carbonate that is dominated by larger benthic foraminifera and mollusks. Focusing analysis on only the fine-fraction of deep-penetrating cores (≥70 cm) from 15 to 40 m water depths yields reliable 210Pb profiles, in contrast to analysis of bulk sediment (graphical abstract). Sedimentation rates increase offshore five-fold, from 0.01–0.04 cm/y in 15 m water depth to 0.21–0.27 cm/y in 30–40 m depths, reflecting offshore redistribution of flood-delivered siliciclastic sediments away from the wadi mouth, a result also supported by an offshore increase in the inventory of excess 210Pb. In contrast, the thickness of the surface mixed layer (SML) decreases from 〉30 cm to ~20 cm with proximity to anthropogenic stressors (channelized flood runoff, historic release of sewage and operation of fish cages), which we attribute to the suppression of macrobenthic burrowers. The rate of sedimentation on the Gulf shelf –away from dynamic bypassing in the 15 m shoreface – is comparable to other tropical carbonate shelves rich in large benthic foraminifera, and is higher than rates documented on the adjacent slope, increasing confidence in this approach to 210Pb analysis using only the fine fraction. Analysis of the fine fraction rather than bulk sediment would be a useful adjustment to 210Pb methodology in any area with scarce fine-grained sediment.

Description: Deep-water volcanoes are emplaced in water depths 〉1.0 km and are widespread along continental margins and in ocean basins. Whilst the external morphology of deep-water volcanoes can be mapped using bathymetric surveys, their internal structure and true volume remain enigmatic. It is thus difficult to determine how deep-water volcanoes grow. We investigate 13 Late Miocene-to-Quaternary, deep-water volcanoes that are imaged in 3D by seismic reflection data from the northern South China Sea, which allow us to quantify their external morphology and examine their internal structure. These deep-water volcanoes were emplaced in water depths 〉1.5 km, are relatively small (〈3.0 km diameter, 〈0.56 km tall, and 〈0.92 km3 in volume), and have steep slopes (up to 42°). Most of the volcanoes have erosional, ‘crater-like’ bases, infilled with sub-horizontal seismic reflections. These crater-like bases are overlain by downward-converging, conical seismic reflections delineating the classical volcano morphology. We suggest the crater-like bases formed by excavation of cold, wet, and poorly consolidated near-seabed sediment during expulsion of hydrothermal fluid, and not by explosive magmatic eruptions or gravitational subsidence. Erupted igneous material infilled the precursor craters with the observed sub-horizontal layers, likely comprising hyaloclastites. After this initial phase of volcanism, the buildup of volcanic material produced layers that are now represented by the flank-parallel or downward-converging, conical seismic reflections. We suggest high hydrostatic pressures of 〉15 MPa, which are typical of water depths 〉1.5 km, inhibited degassing and fragmentation of ascending magma and thus erupted lava. This lack of degassing and fragmentation permitted effusive eruptions during the latter stages of volcanism. Our models for volcano growth in the deep submarine realm demonstrate the power of using 3D seismic data when investigating the internal structure and total volume of deep-water volcanoes.

Description: Arctic fjord sediments of Svalbard receive terrestrial material from glacial runoff and organic matter from marine primary productivity. Organic carbon mineralization proceeds primarily through sulfate and iron reduction in the fjord sediment. The ongoing retreat of glaciers in the high Arctic is altering the input of glacial material to the fjords, with unknown consequences for the iron and sulfur cycles in the fjord sediments. We measured sulfate reduction rates in sediment cores and analyzed porewater geochemistry, then compared these results to long-term sediment incubations to determine the rates of iron reduction and sulfide oxidation in three glacially influenced fjords on the west coast of Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Despite an abundance of glacially-sourced Fe(III)-oxide minerals, active sulfate reduction took place throughout the sediment. Analyses of the sulfur and oxygen isotopic composition of porewater sulfate and sulfate concentrations suggest that sulfide produced from biological sulfate reduction is reoxidized to sulfate. Long-term sediment incubations indicated sulfide oxidation at all three stations. The rate of sulfide oxidation was controlled by both the rate of sulfate reduction and the quantity and reactivity of Fe(III)-oxides. In our experimental incubations, we detected a decrease in Fe(III) content of the 0.5 M HCl and ascorbate-extractable fractions, but not in the 6 M HCl fraction, indicating that the highly reactive Fe(III) fraction is utilized by microorganisms and serves as the oxidant for sulfide oxidation. Our results show that sulfide oxidation in glacially-influenced fjord sediments is a wide-spread geochemical process. Further warming will drive glacial retreat onto land, where sediment-laden glacial meltwater will be altered during flow through proglacial streams and lakes before entering the marine environment. Fjord sediments will likely become more sulfidic, as glaciers deliver less particulate, highly-reactive metal oxides to the marine environment.

Description: Highlights • Nd isotope data reflect advection and dilution of Mediterranean Outflow Water on its way north in the Bay of Biscay. • Combined Hf and Nd isotopes are a sensitive indicator of inputs from land as well as long distance advection and mixing. • Nd isotope results of this and earlier studies demonstrate the temporally variable flow path of Mediterranean Sea Water. We present dissolved neodymium and hafnium concentrations and isotope compositions of surface and deep-water masses from the Bay of Biscay. Neodymium isotope signatures in surface waters of the Bay of Biscay are mostly dominated by local weathering inputs from the surrounding continental margin. Subsurface Eastern North Atlantic Central Water (ENACW) shows a distinct Nd isotope signature (εNd ≅ −12) at the southwestern-most station and is significantly diluted by mixing with more radiogenic waters or shifted by inputs of relatively radiogenic particulate Nd on its way north along the European margin. Furthermore, the Nd isotope data clearly show a declining fraction of Mediterranean Sea Water (MSW) at intermediate depths on its way north indicating that only 40% to 60% of MSW still present in the mixture at the Galician margin arrive at the stations further north in the Bay of Biscay. An interannual variability of the flow path of MSW is identified when comparing the results of the Nd isotope compositions and salinity data of this study with those of earlier studies from the area. In agreement with Nd isotope and concentration analyses the Hf isotope composition of MSW is set by large-scale inputs of terrigenous material into the Mediterranean as can be deduced from elevated Hf concentrations still observable at the Galician margin. Hf isotope signatures of all water masses of the Bay of Biscay, moreover, are overprinted by local weathering inputs and do not reflect water mass mixing. However, combined dissolved Nd and Hf isotopes serve as indicators of local weathering influences on signatures expected from long distance water mass mixing.

Description: Highlights: • Feeding overlap was highly expressed between native and non-native oyster. • Differences were recorded in zooplankton but not in phytoplankton consumption. • O. edulis larvae in C. gigas stomach content was confirmed by DNA analysis. • O. edulis had broader isotopic niche than C. gigas. Abstract: In order to detect the possible regulatory effect of non-native C. gigas on the native O. edulis, under aquaculture conditions, feeding interactions between them were investigated in a highly productive environment of Lim Bay (Adriatic Sea). The present study uses a multi-methodological approach, including stomach content, DNA barcoding and stable isotope analysis to elucidate the feeding ecology of two oyster species. The research confirmed a high overlap throughout the year in the feeding traits among native and non-native oyster species. Competition for food was not the only relationship that exists between the investigated species as the presence of O. edulis larvae in C. gigas stomach content was confirmed by DNA analysis. Findings are not in favour of introducing C. gigas to commercial aquaculture in any new areas in the Adriatic Sea and support the need to improve the existing O. edulis aquaculture and conserve its wild stocks.

Description: Highlights • The SUGAR project has developed and tested various methods for gas production from marine gas hydrates from micro to field scale. • Numerical simulations improved the understanding of processes on molecular to reservoir scale. • Depressurization is a promising technology for exploiting gas hydrate deposits in the Danube Delta. • The injection of CO2 or CO2–N2 is not a suitable method for the exploitation of gas hydrate deposits in the Danube Delta. Abstract One important scientific objective of the national research project SUGAR – Submarine Gas Hydrate Reservoirs was the development, improvement, and test of innovative concepts for the production of methane from natural gas hydrate reservoirs. Therefore, different production methods, such as the thermal stimulation using in situ combustion, the chemical stimulation via injection of CO2 as a gaseous, liquid or supercritical phase and depressurization were tested alone or in combination at different scales. In the laboratory experiments these ranged from pore and hydrate grain scale to 425-L reactor volume, whereas numerical models were applied to describe the related processes from molecular to reservoir scale. In addition, the numerical simulations also evaluated the feasibility and efficiency of the application of these methods in selected areas, such as the Danube Paleodelta in the Black Sea, addressing the two dominant methane hydrate reservoir settings, buried channel-levee and turbidite systems. It turned out, that the injection of CO2 or a CO2–N2 gas mixture is not applicable for the Danube Paleodelta in the Black Sea, because the local pressure and temperature conditions are too close to the equilibrium conditions of both, the CO2 hydrate and a CO2–N2 mixed hydrate stability fields. Experiments using thermal stimulation and depressurization showed promising results but also some issues, such as sufficient heat transfer. In summary it can be said that the applicability and efficiency of each method has to be proven for each specific hydrate reservoir conditions. Based on the results obtained by numerical simulations the most promising and safe method for the production of CH4 from hydrate bearing sediments in the Danube Paleodelta would be the depressurization technique. This study summarizes the main experimental and modeling results.

Description: Highlights • We interpret the Four Way Closure Ridge (FWCR) and the Ridge A as a set of bi-vergent folds, a detachment fold and a trishear fault propagation, which formed sequentially over a strong detachment. • We suggest a quantification of the strain compaction of Ridge A and FWCR, finding correlation of dilation and porosity lost, with the variation of the physical properties—increase in resistivity and seismic velocity—measured by Berndt et al. (2019). • We conclude that the sourced fluids from the calculated mechanical compaction alone could not explain the observed hydrate accumulations in the FWCR. Additional sources, possibly from depth, are required. • Using growth strata as constraints, we have conduced kinematic structural modeling and finite strain calculations. Such combination of analyses might become helpful for research on gas hydrate and other km-scale structural geology in active margins. Abstract Understanding the structural evolution of complex convergent plate boundaries could contribute to linking the anticipated fluid production and transportation at depth to the measured amounts of fluid stored in hydrate methane. To better understand fluid behavior within a complex convergent boundary, we propose an evolution model for a set of doubly plunging, oppositely-verging structures referred to as Ridge A and the Four-Way Closure Ridge (FWCR), located offshore southwestern Tawian. The structures exhibit 1) Initial deformation along a decollement forming a seaward (westward)-verging detachment fold, followed by 2) a landward(eastward)-verging fault propagation fold (trishear) about 8 km east of the detachment fold, and 3) a westward-verging low-angle thrusting modifying the previous structures. Furthermore, finite strain analyses based on the kinematic model suggest high pore space reduction between the detachment and fault propagation folds. The volume of methane possibly expelled during the pore space reduction is not enough to explain the high hydrocarbon concentration necessary for hydrate formation. Kinematic modeling along with finite strain analyses support the possibility of deep sourced fluid migration along such bi-vergent structures at this hydrate-rich site.

Description: Highlights • Masaya caldera is an unusual basaltic caldera in that it formed by voluminous magma extraction during explosive eruptions. We identify the nature, age and volume of these three eruptions of which the first, emplacing the San Antonio tephra, was by far most voluminous. • The by far largest fraction of the 9 km3 DRE erupted volume of this tephra was discharged during a Plinian eruption phase, which was bracketed by phreatomagmatic eruptions. We demonstrate that water contents measured in melt inclusions equilibrated during residence at shallow level shortly before eruption strongly underestimate original water contents during differentiation at higher pressure. We argue that the large fraction of exsolved H2O together with buoyancy pressure from connection to the deeper reservoir drove the eruptive high mass flux needed for the Plinian eruption phase. Masaya is unusual for a basaltic caldera because it formed by piston-subsidence in response to large-volume magma withdrawal by highly explosive eruptions, i.e. in a fashion typical of silicic calderas. The first and most voluminous of the three explosive eruptions formed the 6 ka old basaltic San Antonio Tephra (SAT). This eruption is also unusual in that most of the 9 km3 DRE basaltic magma was discharged by a plinian eruption. The subsequent eruptions of the basaltic Masaya Triple Layer (MTL, 2.1 ka) and the Masaya Tuff/Ticuantepe Lapilli (MT-TIL, 1.9 ka) each discharged 2 km3 DRE magma and enlarged the Masaya caldera. The SAT consists of a lower sequence of alternating scoria lapilli and ash layers, interpreted as an alternation between more or less phreatomagmatically influenced fallout events. These are followed by two prominent well-sorted lapilli layers: the first one formed by a climactic plinian eruption whose column height reached 21–29 km and discharged most of the total erupted mass including about 35 Mt. SO2. The second, lithic-rich lapilli layer probably formed by a phreatoplinian event when partial collapse of the magma chamber roof initiated increasing magma-water interaction which ultimately formed the upper sequence of phreatomagmatic cross-bedded surge deposits, accretionary lapilli-rich tuffs and a final fallout of dense lapilli. Phreatomagmatic activity may have been related to disruption of a hydrothermal system reflected in hydrothermally altered lithics, and/or by the caldera floor subsiding closer to the groundwater table. The bulk-rock chemical composition of the SAT is basaltic but the bimodal glass compositions demonstrate mixing of a basaltic with an andesitic melt probably in the conduit during eruption. The SAT basalt differentiated in a reservoir near the MOHO at 20 km depth by fractional crystallization of olivine, plagioclase, and minor clinopyroxene forming a tholeiitic fractionation trend. Minor intermediate-An plagioclase crystallized from the basaltic melt at H2O concentrations of about 2 wt% as measured by FTIR in melt inclusions. However, a key observation is that the melt inclusions are not in equilibrium with the high-An plagioclases hosting them. Re-equilibration of the inclusions requires initially higher water contents (about 5–6 wt%) which also fits the high Ba/La ~ 80 indicating input from the strongly hydrated subducting slab. Therefore, while the SAT magma evolved under hydrous conditions at depth, it was then stored at shallow level long enough to adjust to the low saturation pressure and to precipitate some intermediate-An plagioclase but still preserving its high temperature (around 1100 °C) and phenocryst-poor composition. Large overpressure due to connection to the deep-seated reservoir and water degassing during ascent limited the storage time at shallow level and drove the unusually intense and voluminous plinian-style eruption that facilitated piston-type collapse of the chamber roof.

Description: Highlights; • Brexit provides a unique opportunity to develop a fisheries policy that will lead the world in sustainable use of marine ecosystems. • The COVID-19 slowdown has reduced fishing pressure to levels not seen since WW2 and is an opportunity to kick-start recovery of depleted stocks. • The concept of Maximum Sustainable Yields has been misused resulting in the degradation of stocks so that many are currently threatened. • Marine fisheries represent only 0.12% of UK economic output, risking the opportunity to advance sustainability during wider trade negotiations. • This article provides recommendations for a policy to deliver sustainable resource management and conservation to benefit future generations. Abstract: Brexit creates a systemic shock that provides a unique opportunity for the UK to implement a new sustainable Fisheries Policy to better manage the multiple stocks on which future fishers will depend on leaving the European Union. At the same time, the global slowdown of commercial fishing as a result of COVID-19 has reduced pressure on some threatened stocks to levels not seen since the Second World War. In combination, Brexit and the COVID-19 slowdown have created a unique opportunity to facilitate the recovery of a threatened resource. Nevertheless, challenges remain as fisheries represent only 0.12% of UK economic output, presenting a risk that opportunities for more sustainable management will be lost during wider trade negotiations. Reduced fishing pressure during the COVID-19 era will enable stocks an opportunity to recover if supported by a new UK Fisheries Policy that focuses on: (a) re-establishing the role of Maximum Sustainable Yield to set limits that enable the recovery of fish populations initiated during the COVID-19 era; (b) ensuring that catch targets are set with the aim to maintain biomass at 120% of that which will achieve Maximum Sustainable Yield; (c) improving coherent resource management that also considers the expensive use of carbon associated with unsustainable fishing, and the need to protect fish throughout their life-cycle; and (d) constructing and effectively enforcing protection of a resilient network of Marine Protected Areas despite potential protests from EU member states.

Description: Highlights: • 1st global long-term fishery biomass trends evaluation of 1300 exploited marine populations. • Decline in average fishery biomass observed across oceans and climate zones. • Systemic wide-spread overfishing of the world's coastal and continental shelf water. Abstract: This contribution presents time series of the ‘fishery biomass’ of fish populations, defined as the weight (whole-body, wet weight) of the in-water part of a fishable population, i.e., that part of a population (also called ‘stock’) that is exposed to a certain fishing gear. Detailed data of this type are only available for a limited number of species that are targets of the fisheries in the waters of economically developed regions, such as Europe, the USA, Canada or Australia. However, similar fishery biomass assessments are generally lacking for developing countries, even for many of their most heavily fished species. Here, an estimation of the long-term fishery biomass trends of 1320 fish and invertebrate populations for 483 species exploited by fisheries in the 232 coastal Marine Ecoregions (MEs) around the world was undertaken. Fishery biomass trends were derived using the Bayesian CMSY stock assessment method applied to the global fisheries catch database for 1950–2014 as reconstructed by the Sea Around Us for every maritime fishing country in the world. Overall, the results suggest a consistent decline in the fishery biomass of exploited populations, in virtually all climatic zones and ocean basins in the world. The only zone with currently higher fishery biomass than in 1950 is the northern Pacific polar-boreal zone, likely due to environmental changes that occurred in the region positively affecting fish populations, combined with prudent management of the fisheries. For populations in MEs that are known to have highly questionable catch statistics, the results suggested smaller declines in fishery biomass than likely occurred in reality, implying that these results do not exaggerate declining trends in fishery biomass. This study used informative Bayesian priors to improve the trend analyses in areas where systematic stock assessments were conducted. The use of these independent assessments reduced the uncertainty associated with the findings of this study.

Description: Highlights • Code comparisons build confidence in simulators to model interdependent processes. • International hydrate reservoir simulators are compared over five complex problems. • Geomechanical processes significantly impact response of gas hydrate reservoirs. • Simulators yielded comparable results, however many differences are noted. • Equivalent constitutive models are required to achieve agreement across simulators. Geologic reservoirs containing gas hydrate occur beneath permafrost environments and within marine continental slope sediments, representing a potentially vast natural gas source. Numerical simulators provide scientists and engineers with tools for understanding how production efficiency depends on the numerous, interdependent (coupled) processes associated with potential production strategies for these gas hydrate reservoirs. Confidence in the modeling and forecasting abilities of these gas hydrate reservoir simulators (GHRSs) grows with successful comparisons against laboratory and field test results, but such results are rare, particularly in natural settings. The hydrate community recognized another approach to building confidence in the GHRS: comparing simulation results between independently developed and executed computer codes on structured problems specifically tailored to the interdependent processes relevant for gas hydrate-bearing systems. The United States Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, (DOE/NETL), sponsored the first international gas hydrate code comparison study, IGHCCS1, in the early 2000s. IGHCCS1 focused on coupled thermal and hydrologic processes associated with producing gas hydrates from geologic reservoirs via depressurization and thermal stimulation. Subsequently, GHRSs have advanced to model more complex production technologies and incorporate geomechanical processes into the existing framework of coupled thermal and hydrologic modeling. This paper contributes to the validation of these recent GHRS developments by providing results from a second GHRS code comparison study, IGHCCS2, also sponsored by DOE/NETL. IGHCCS2 includes participants from an international collection of universities, research institutes, industry, national laboratories, and national geologic surveys. Study participants developed a series of five benchmark problems principally involving gas hydrate processes with geomechanical components. The five problems range from simple geometries with analytical solutions to a representation of the world's first offshore production test of methane hydrates, which was conducted with the depressurization method off the coast of Japan. To identify strengths and limitations in the various GHRSs, study participants submitted solutions for the benchmark problems and discussed differing results via teleconferences. The GHRSs evolved over the course of IGHCCS2 as researchers modified their simulators to reflect new insights, lessons learned, and suggested performance enhancements. The five benchmark problems, final sample solutions, and lessons learned that are presented here document the study outcomes and serve as a reference guide for developing and testing gas hydrate reservoir simulators.

Description: Mantle plumes provide valuable information about whole-mantle convection: they originate at the core-mantle boundary, cross Earth's mantle and interact with the lithosphere. For instance, it has been proposed that the mobility/stability of plumes depends on plume intrinsic properties, on how slabs interact with the basal boundary layer, on mantle flow, or on their proximity to mid-ocean ridges. Here, we use 3D-spherical models of mantle convection generating self-consistent plate-like behaviour to investigate the mechanisms linking tectonics and mantle convection to plume dynamics. Our models produce fully-dynamic mantle plumes that rise vertically with deflection 〈10°and present excess temperatures, rising speeds, buoyancy and heat fluxes comparable to observations. In the absence of plate tectonics, plumes are stable and their lifetime exceeds hundreds of million years. With plate tectonics, plumes are more mobile, and we identify four physical mechanisms controlling their stability. 1/ Fixed plumes are located at saddle points of basal mantle flow. 2/ Plumes moving at speeds between 0.5-1 cm yr−1 are slowly entrained by passive mantle flow. 3/ Fast plume motions between 2-5 cm yr−1 lasting several tens of million years are caused by slab push. 4/ Plumes occasionally drift at speeds 〉5 cm yr−1 over 〈10 Myr through plume merging. We do not observe systematic anchoring of plumes to mid-oceanic ridges. Independent of the presence of a dense basal layer, plate-like regimes decrease the lifetime of plumes compared to stagnant-lid models. Plume age, temperature excess or buoyancy flux are not diagnostic of plume lateral speed. The fraction of plumes moving by less than 0.5 cm yr−1 is 〉25%, which suggests that fixed hotspot reference frames can be defined from carefully selected hotspot tracks.

Description: Coralline algae, a major calcifying component of coastal shallow water communities, have been shown to be one of the more vulnerable taxonomic groups to ocean acidification (OA). Under OA, the interaction between corallines and epiphytes was previously described as both positive and negative. We hypothesized that the photosynthetic activity and the complex structure of non-calcifying epiphytic algae that grow on corallines ameliorate the chemical microenvironmental conditions around them, providing protection from OA. Using mesocosm and microsensor experiments, we showed that the widespread coralline Ellisolandia elongata is less susceptible to the detrimental effects of OA when covered with non-calcifying epiphytic algae, and its diffusive boundary layer is thicker than when not covered by epiphytes. By modifying the microenvironmental carbonate chemistry, epiphytes, facilitated by OA, create micro-scale shield (and refuge) with more basic conditions that may allow the persistence of corallines associated with them during acidified conditions. Such ecological refugia could also assist corallines under near-future anthropogenic OA conditions

Description: Highlights • We present the first modern amphibious seismic experiment conducted across Calabria. • The section shows the forearc-to-backarc Vp structure of the subduction system. • We infer mantle exhumation in the Marsili backarc basin, in the Tyrrhenian. • The system is marked by spatially rapid petrological and tectonic changes. • An analog of Tethys subduction systems formed by slab rollback is proposed. Abstract The formation of Cenozoic mountain belts in the Mediterranean realm was preceded by tens of millions of years of subduction, forming volcanic arcs, and frontal contractional systems. In addition, subduction usually involves slab rollback and formation of oceanic backarcs. Although such structure must have influenced the orogeny of Mediterranean mountain belts, no active analog has been mapped with modern crustal-scale seismic methods. Here, we study the entire Calabrian subduction system to map the structure resulting from Tethys lithosphere subduction and slab rollback, in a process that must be akin to that operating during a phase of the formation of the Mediterranean orogenic belts. We present a crustal-scale cross section of the entire Calabrian subduction system obtained from on- and off-shore wide-angle seismic data. The 2D P-wave velocity section shows spatially abrupt (〈5 km of profile distance) structural and petrological transitions from the Ionian sedimentary wedge and Calabrian arc, to the rifted NW Calabrian margin, where the Quaternary Aeolian arc is emplaced. The margin, then, transitions northwards into the Marsili backarc region, where exhumed mantle and localized volcanism occurred during its formation. This complex structure implies rapid temporal and spatial changes between magmatic and amagmatic processes, and between compressional and extensional regimes during the evolution of this subduction system. We find that some terranes involved in the Alpine orogeny share petrological and tectonic similarities with some domains of the Calabrian subduction system. Based on the results of this study we propose the Calabrian Arc system as an analog for the subduction structuration that preceded the formation of Alpine orogenic systems.

Description: In this work, bimetallic film of mercury and bismuth (Hg-Bi) was incorporated with poly(1,2-diaminoanthraquinone)/glassy carbon electrode (PDAAQ/GC) using applied potential method. The obtained Hg-Bi/PDAAQ/GC electrode was characterized by square wave voltammetry (SWV), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. The proposed electrode had been used as a highly sensitive sensor for both single and simultaneous determination of lead (Pb2+), cadmium (Cd2+) and zinc (Zn2+) ions in acetate buffer solution by anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV). The adopted ASV method was achieved by optimizing different parameters such as metal deposition method (either in-situ or ex-situ), metals pre-concentration potential, pre-concentration time and different pH of values for acetate buffer solution. The prepared sensor provided a good reproducible response, high sensitivity with a linear range of 0.0–50.0 μg/L for Cd2+ and Zn2+ with a low detection limit of 0.107 and 0.037 μg/L, respectively. The linear range of Pb2+ was 10.0–120.0 ng/L with a detection limit of 3.18 ng/L. Also, the sensor was used for the analysis of the analytes in water samples with satisfactory results in comparison with inductively coupled plasma – mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS).

Description: Current understanding of the long-term carbon cycle posits that Earth's climate is stabilized by a negative feedback involving CO2 consumption by chemical weathering of silicate minerals. This theory holds that silicate weathering responds to climate: when atmospheric pCO2 and surface temperatures rise, chemical weathering accelerates, consuming more atmospheric CO2 and cooling global climate; when pCO2 falls, weathering fluxes decrease, permitting buildup of CO2 and consequent warming. However, the functional dependence of global weathering rates on atmospheric pCO2 (Earth's “weathering curve”) remains highly uncertain, with a variety of mathematical formulations proposed in the literature. We explore the factors influencing this relationship, and how they may have changed over Earth history. We then revisit classic carbon cycle model experiments to demonstrate how the choice of weathering curve has dramatic consequences for the response of the Earth system to several types of climatic and carbon-cycle perturbations. First, the slope of the weathering curve determines the timescale of recovery and the “long tail” of elevated pCO2 following carbon release events. Second, the nature of Earth's weathering curve determines the response of pCO2 to changing volcanic CO2 degassing, which has varied significantly over geologic timescales. Finally, we demonstrate how changes to Earth's weathering curve over time driven by, for example, tectonic or evolutionary processes, can act as a forcing, in addition to a feedback, in the carbon cycle and climate. These examples highlight the importance of constraining Earth's weathering curve, both for improving our understanding of past carbon cycle perturbations and predicting the future impact of anthropogenic carbon release on long timescales.

Description: Natural organic matter (NOM) is an important redox-active component in soils and aquifers that comprises numerous functional moieties spanning a wide range of redox potentials. Tracking reversible electron transfer from and to NOM in biogeochemical redox processes has been a challenge for decades. Reasons include side reactions of reactants used to determine the redox state of NOM and slow reaction kinetics of reactants or traditional non-mediated electrochemical methods. Furthermore, partially irreversible reactions/methods employed hamper the experimental determination of redox properties of NOM. Recent advances in mediated electrochemical analysis, however, have greatly improved our ability to characterize the redox properties of NOM. Thus, mediated electrochemical analysis may become an important tool in expanding our understanding of NOM-fueled biogeochemical N cycling in anoxic environments. Nonetheless, this technique has rarely been applied to investigate microbial pathways of reversible NOM redox cycling such as its coupling to anoxic nitrogen (N) cycling. Here we advocate for employing mediated electrochemical analysis to address such topics in the future and provide recommendations for a successful experimental application of this method in the presence of reactive N-species. To this end, we review recent applications of mediated electrochemical analysis in studying microbial NOM cycling. We exemplify the potential of mediated electrochemical techniques for biogeochemical research by discussing how microbial NOM redox cycling is linked to anaerobic N cycling. We focus on anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) and reduction of N-oxides that are related to N loss and nitrous oxide (N2O) mitigation. Finally, we present strategies to work around problems arising from electroactive intermediates that hamper the application of mediated electrochemical analysis in microbial experiments.

Description: Caribbean reefs have experienced unprecedented changes in the past four decades. Of great concern is the perceived widespread shift from coral to macroalgal dominance and the question of whether it represents a new, stable equilibrium for coral-reef communities. The primary causes of the shift—grazing pressure (top-down), nutrient loading (bottom-up) or direct coral mortality (side-in)—still remain somewhat controversial in the coral-reef literature. We have attempted to tease out the relative importance of each of these causes. Four insights emerge from our analysis of an early regional dataset of information on the benthic composition of Caribbean reefs spanning the years 1977–2001. First, although three-quarters of reef sites have experienced coral declines concomitant with macroalgal increases, fewer than 10% of the more than 200 sites studied were dominated by macroalgae in 2001, by even the most conservative definition of dominance. Using relative dominance as the threshold, a total of 49 coral-to-macroalgae shifts were detected. This total represents ~ 35% of all sites that were dominated by coral at the start of their monitoring periods. Four shifts (8.2%) occurred because of coral loss with no change in macroalgal cover, 15 (30.6%) occurred because of macroalgal gain without coral loss, and 30 (61.2%) occurred owing to concomitant coral decline and macroalgal increase. Second, the timing of shifts at the regional scale is most consistent with the side-in model of reef degradation, which invokes coral mortality as a precursor to macroalgal takeover, because more shifts occurred after regional coral-mortality events than expected by chance. Third, instantaneous observations taken at the start and end of the time-series for individual sites showed these reefs existed along a continuum of coral and macroalgal cover. The continuous, broadly negative relationship between coral and macroalgal cover suggests that in some cases coral-to-macroalgae phase shifts may be reversed by removing sources of perturbation or restoring critical components such as the herbivorous sea urchin Diadema antillarum to the system. The five instances in which macroalgal dominance was reversed corroborate the conclusion that macroalgal dominance is not a stable, alternative community state as has been commonly assumed. Fourth, the fact that the loss in regional coral cover and concomitant changes to the benthic community are related to punctuated, discrete events with known causes (i.e. coral disease and bleaching), lends credence to the hypothesis that coral reefs of the Caribbean have been under assault from climate-change-related maladies since the 1970s.

Description: The cycles of phosphorus, carbon and oxygen are intimately linked. Indeed, in many models, phosphorus is considered the driver of the carbon and oxygen cycles, and low concentrations of atmospheric oxygen during the Mesoproterozoic Era have been linked to extreme phosphorus limitation in the Mesoproterozoic oceans. To evaluate the Mesoproterozoic Era phosphorus cycle, we analyze the concentrations of phosphorus, organic carbon, and selected trace metals in several geological formations of Mesoproterozoic age. We combine these analyses with literature data to explore the relationship between phosphorus and organic carbon removal into Mesoproterozoic Era sediments through a variety of water depths and water-column chemistries. We find that the ratio of organic carbon to reactive phosphorus (Corg/Preact) is largely invariant between different paleo-settings with average Corg/Preact that is either equal to or less than the Redfield ratio of 106/1 through all environments we explored. We put these results in the context of the modern phosphorus cycle which is reviewed here. Compared to modern phosphorus dynamics, we see no evidence for an anoxic-euxinic feedback between phosphorus burial, carbon burial and oxygen production during Mesoproterozoic times. However, we do identify an additional potential phosphorus feedback related to the relationship between anoxia and deep-sea phosphorus dynamics that could have importance in oxygen regulation through time. We find that the average value of Corg/Preact during the Mesoproterozoic Era was greater than the average for modern sediments. This result suggests that equal or more organic carbon was buried per unit of phosphorus during Mesoproterozoic times compared to today, a conclusion broadly consistent with the carbon isotope record. These results offer the possibility of a strong oxygen source to the atmosphere during the Mesoproterozoic Era, raising the conundrum as to why atmospheric oxygen levels were lower then when compared to now. We suggest that a variety of factors may explain these differences in oxygen concentration including elevated rates of mantle degassing, reduced rates of phosphorus weathering and the lack of a terrestrial biosphere.

Description: Highlights • New trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data for SVZ crustal and trench sediment samples. • New whole-rock Hf–O isotope data for crustal and trench sediment samples. • Nd model ages confirm a Mesoproterozoic crustal residence age for the Guarguaráz complex. • NSVZ trench sediments reflect the source composition of eroded mafic material. Abstract This paper provides new trace element and Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb-O isotope data on Neoproterozoic to Phanerozoic mid to upper crustal lithologies of the Andean basement in central Chile and western Argentina (33°-35°S; 69°-72°W). It also provides additional data on trench sediments being subducted offshore the northern segment of the Southern Volcanic Zone in Chile. Neoproterozoic metamorphic and igneous rocks from the Guarguaráz complex (Argentina; 33.6°S, 69.5°W), when back corrected to 350 Ma, display a narrow range in 87Sr/86Sri (0.713–0.718), 143Nd/144Ndi (0.5118–0.5121), εNdi (−8.1 to −1.1), εHfi (−11.4 to +1.2) and δ18O (9–13‰). Nd model ages (TDM = 1.08–1.65 Ga) for the Guarguaráz complex points to a Mesoproterozoic crustal residence age for these rocks. Metasedimentary rocks from the Carboniferous accretionary prism in central Chile (~34°S) overlap with these ranges, but differ by having lower initial 87Sr/86Sri (0.7052–0.7093) and higher δ18O (14–17‰). The Guarguaráz metamorphic and igneous rocks, when back corrected to 350 Ma, have similar Pb isotope ratios than the Chilean Carboniferous metasedimentary rocks (206Pb/204Pbi = 17.58–18.52 vs. 18.33–18.46; 207Pb/204Pbi = 15.50–15.64 vs. ~15.64; 208Pb/204Pbi = 37.70–38.36 vs. 37.98–38.18). Two Guarguaráz samples are shifted towards less radiogenic Pb isotope ratios, similar to samples representative of the Cuyania basement. This suggests that Chilenia hosts at least two geochemical components: (1) a component with unradiogenic Pb isotopes, similar to the Proterozoic Cuyania basement, and (2) a component with more radiogenic Pb isotopes, similar to Chilean Phanerozoic metasedimentary and igneous rocks. The ranges in Pb isotope ratios for the Chilean Mesozoic (206Pb/204Pbi = 18.44–19.86; 207Pb/204Pbi = 15.59–15.69; 208Pb/204Pbi = 38.30–40.30) and Miocene (206Pb/204Pbi = 18.43–18.57; 207Pb/204Pbi = 15.58–15.60; 208Pb/204Pbi = 38.33–38.46) igneous rocks are similar to those of the accretionary prism. The Mesozoic and Miocene intrusive rocks are characterized by low 87Sr/86Sri (0.704–0.708 and ~0.704, respectively) and high εNdi (−6.2 to +4.0 and + 3.9 to +5.9, respectively) and εHfi (+7.0 to +12.7 and + 8.5 to +10.8, respectively). They can be divided into two groups. Group (1), consisting exclusively of Mesozoic samples, has negative εNdi, 87Sr/86Sri 〉 0.706, elevated e.g., Ba/Th, Nb/Yb, Zr/Y and lower Nb/La, reflecting derivation from enriched (most likely overriding crust or mantle) material. Group (2), consisting of Mesozoic and Miocene rocks, has positive εNdi, εHfi, and lower initial 87Sr/86Sri than group (1) reflecting depleted mantle melts addition to the crust. Finally, Sr-Nd-O isotopic compositions of the trench sediments at latitude 33°-33.3°S are almost identical to those at latitude 35°-40°S, indicating a relative homogeneous material input along the SVZ, although there are subtle differences in REE and Pb isotopic compositions. Based on Nd–Hf isotopes, trench sediments offshore Chile (εNd〉 +1; εHf 〉 +2) and offshore Peru (εNd 〈 −2; εHf 〈 +1) have distinct compositions, reflecting the differences in input material. The positive εNd and εHf values suggest derivation from eroded depleted mantle-derived mafic material.

Description: In sedimentary basins, emplacement of sheet intrusions such as sill complexes significantly contributes to the transport and storage of hot magma at shallow level. Such emplacement at shallow depth leads in doming of the overburden, which acts as plausible structural traps useful for hydrocarbon exploration. The petroliferous Canterbury Basin, SE offshore New Zealand, is a classic example of such phenomena, where saucer-shaped magmatic sills are emplaced within the Cretaceous to Eocene succession. This has resulted into forced folds and hydrothermal vents above the sill terminations within the Eocene sequences. The present study attempts to capture this scenario through a neural network by designing meta-attributes, called as the Sill Cube (SC) and Fluid Cube (FC). The meta-attributes are computed by unifying different seismic attributes that are trained over interpreter's knowledge on the geologic targets following a supervised scheme of neural learning. The approach prominently arrests the structural geometry of sill complexes and fluxed-out magmatic fluids within the Cretaceous to Eocene strata from 3D seismic reflection data of the Waka prospect, offshore Canterbury Basin. Based on the meta-attribute interpretation, the individual sills within the Waka prospect cover areas of ~1.5 km2 to 17 km2, where the principal sills namely the Sill W1 and Sill W2 spread over an area of ~12 km2 and 17 km2, respectively. Moreover, the fluxed out magmatic fluids vertically rise to a height of ~800 m through hydrothermal vents from the tip of the principal sills, and uplift the overburden. Such approach is automated and incorporates interpreter's acquaintances to effectively capture subsurface magmatic activities for better interpretation of 3D seismic data.

Description: Understanding the evolution of ocean basins is critical for studies in global plate tectonics, mantle dynamics, and sea-level through time, and relies on identifiable tectonic plate boundaries. The evolution of the 2.5 million km2 Amerasia Basin in the Arctic Ocean remains largely unsettled due to widespread overprint by the Cretaceous High-Arctic Large Igneous Province. Traces of an extinct, but deeply buried, spreading centre (herein South Amerasia Ridge, SAR) has been shown to exist in the southern part of the Amerasia Basin, in the Canada Basin. However, structural details of the SAR and, hence, the kinematic evolution of the Canada Basin, are yet to be unraveled. Based on 3D gravity inversion and the vertical gravity gradient of the latest generation of satellite gravity models, we document new structures within the Canada Basin spreading system. Our results are supported by analysis of aeromagnetic and recent marine geophysical data. Evidence is shown of consistent oblique segmentation of the SAR spreading centre in a right stepping en echelon pattern. The spreading segments are offset by northeast-trending non-transforms that are traceable throughout the oceanic crustal domain and parallel to pre-oceanic strike-slip faults in the older part of the Canada Basin. We interpret the SAR to have formed by highly oblique spreading in a northeast-southwest direction. We compare the predicted SAR basement topography with the global ridge systems and produce a detailed magnetic modelling also constrained by the basement topography. The results indicate that the SAR crust formed by a slow-to-intermediate spreading regime and that sea-floor spreading terminated during a reverse polarity chron, most likely in the Early Cretaceous. Our novel plate reconstruction model, adopting a highly oblique spreading in Canada Basin, requires a translational motion of the Alaska/Chukotka tectonic block, replacing the decades-old rotational model of the Cretaceous High Arctic.

Description: The source region of basalts in the mantle is chemically and lithologically heterogeneous. During decompression melting of a spatially distributed and lithologically heterogeneous mantle, mineral modes of distinct mantle sources vary continuously, resulting in spatial and temporal variations in the bulk partition coefficient of a trace element in different lithologies in the melting column, which in turn affects the fractionation of the trace element in partial melt and residual solid. This problem can be quantified by following the motion of solid in the melting column. This study presents a new melting model that can be used to keep track of spatial and temporal variations of mineral mode, melting reaction, bulk partition coefficient, and trace element concentration in the lithologically heterogeneous melting column. Simple analytical solutions for a time-dependent perfect fractional melting model are obtained. Essential features of the new model are elucidated through case studies of melting a two-lithology mantle that consists of blobs of orthopyroxene-rich lithology in the upwelling lherzolitic mantle; and an application to Sr-Nd-Hf isotope ratio variations in basalts from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is presented. Fractional melting of the two-lithology mantle results in large temporal variations in incompatible trace element concentrations and Sr-Nd-Hf isotope ratios in the pooled melt. Mixing of fractional melts derived from different lithologies in the melting column produces enriched and depleted melts that form mixing loops in Sr-Nd-Hf isotope ratio correlation diagrams. These mixing loops rotate away from mixing lines defined by the binary mixing model and are a unique feature of melting a spatially heterogeneous mantle. Formation of the mixing loop can be traced to the location and spacing of the enriched lithological units in the melting column. The role of lithological heterogeneity is to change the bulk partition coefficient of a trace element from its values in the lherzolitic mantle to new values in the pyroxenitic mantle, which alters the extent of depletion of the trace element in the melting column. Changing bulk partition coefficient with time and space through lithological heterogeneity can result in greater variabilities in Sr-Nd-Hf isotope ratios and highly incompatible trace element concentrations in the pooled melt. Results from this study establish a framework for systematic studies of trace element fractionation and isotope ratio variation during decompression melting of a spatially distributed and lithologically heterogeneous mantle.

Description: Highlights • There are Late Cretaceous granitoids and Paleocene A-type granites in NW Iran. • Different mechanisms are suggested for genesis of granitoids and A-type granites. • Subduction initiation and extension generated granitoids during the Late Cretaceous. Abstract The continental crust of NW Iran is intruded by Late Cretaceous I-type granites and gabbro-diorites as well as Paleocene A-type granites. SIMS and LA-ICPMS U-Pb analyses of zircons yield ages of 100–92 Ma (Late Cretaceous) for I-type granites and gabbro-diorites and 61–63 Ma (Paleocene) for A-type granites. Late Cretaceous gabbro-diorites (including mafic microgranular enclaves; MMEs) from NW Iran show variably evolved signatures. They show depletion in Nb and Ta on N-MORB-normalized trace-element spider-diagrams and have high Th/Yb ratios, suggesting their precursor magmas were generated in a subduction-related environment. Gabbro-diorites have variable zircon εHf(t) values of +1.2 to +8, δ18O of 6.4 to 7.4‰ and bulk rock εNd(t) of −1.4 to ~ +4.9. The geochemical and isotopic data attest to melting of subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) to generate near-primitive gabbros with radiogenic Nd isotopes (εNd(t) = ~ +4.9) and high Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf ratios, similar to mantle melts (Nb/Ta ~ 17 and Zr/Hf ~ 38). These mafic melts underwent further fractionation and mixing with crustal melts to generate Late Cretaceous evolved gabbro-diorites. Geochemical data for I-type granites indicate both Nb-Ta negative and positive anomalies along with enrichment in light REEs. These rocks are peraluminous and have variable bulk-rock εNd(t) (−1.4 to +1.3), zircon εHf(t) (+2.8 to +10.4) and δ18O (4.7–7.3‰) values, but radiogenic bulk rock Pb isotopes. The geochemical and isotopic signatures of these granites suggest interaction of mantle-derived mafic magmas (similar to near-primitive Oshnavieh gabbros) with middle-upper crust through assimilation-fractional crystallization (AFC) to produce Late Cretaceous I-type granites. Paleocene A-type granites have distinctive geochemical features compared to I-type granitoids, including enrichment in Nb-Ta, high bulk rock εNd(t) (+3.3 to +3.9) and zircon εHf(t) (+5.1 − +9.9) values. Alkaline granites are ferroan; they have low MgO, CaO, Sr, Ba and Eu concentrations and high total Fe2O3, K2O, Na2O, Al2O3, Ga, Zr, Nb-Ta, Th and rare earth element (REE) abundances and Ga/Al ratios. These rocks might be related to fractionation of a melt derived from a sub-continental lithospheric mantle, but which interacted with asthenosphere-derived melts. We suggest that subduction initiation and the resultant slab roll-back caused extreme extension in the overlying Iranian plate, induced convection in the mantle wedge and led to the decompression melting of SCLM. Rising mantle-derived magmas assimilated middle-upper crustal rocks. Fractionating mantle-derived magmas and contamination with crustal components produced evolved gabbro-diorites and I-type granites. In contrast, asthenospheric upwelling during the Paleocene provided heat for melting and interaction with SCLM to generate the precursor melts to the A-type granites.

Description: High-resolution multibeam bathymetric and seismic data enables a detailed morphological investigation of a submarine canyon (West Penghu Canyon) on the northeastern South China Sea margin, where twenty-three (23) scours are observed along the canyon thalweg. These scours form narrow topographic depressions in plan view and show asymmetrical morphologies in cross-section. The identified scours can be further divided into two groups (Types A and B) based on their sizes and relative locations. They are separated by a slope break at a water depth of ~2850 m. Type A scours (S1-S18) occur upslope from the slope break, whereas Type B scours (S19-S23) lie downslope from this same break. The scours are interpreted as net-erosional cyclic steps associated with turbidity currents flowing through the West Penghu Canyon; the currents that form Type A scours reflect higher V, Q, and Δel compared to the currents forming Type B scours. A change in slope gradient and loss of lateral confinement are proposed to control the change from Type A to Type B scours. Furthermore, Coriolis force influences the flow direction of turbidity currents, leading to the preferential development and larger incision depths of scours towards the southwestern flank of the West Penghu Canyon. Our results contribute to a better understanding on the origin of scours in submarine canyons across the world.

Description: Since 2016, the European Union (EU) has required Member States to prevent, control and eradicate selected invasive alien species (IAS) designated as Species of Union Concern. To improve these conservation efforts, online information systems are used to convey IAS information to the wider public, often as a means to bolster community-based environmental monitoring. Despite this, both the conformity and quality of information presented amongst online databases remain poorly understood. Here, we assess the harmonisation and educational potential of four major IAS databases (i.e., conformity of information and information quality, respectively): CABI, EASIN, GISD and NOBANIS. All databases were interrogated for information concerning 49 IAS of Union Concern. For each species, information presented within the evaluated databases was scored in relation to several key topics: morphological identification; EU distribution; detrimental impacts; control options; and the use of source material citations. Overall, scores differed significantly among databases and thus lacked harmonisation, whereby CABI ranked significantly highest based on the combined scores for all topics. In addition, CABI ranked highest for the individual topics of species identification, impacts, control options, and for the use of citations. EASIN ranked highest for species distribution data. NOBANIS consistently ranked as the lowest scoring database across all topics. For each topic, the highest scoring databases achieved scores indicative of detailed or highly detailed information, which suggests a high educational potential for the information portrayed. Nevertheless, the extent of harmonisation and quality of information presented amongst online databases should be improved. This is especially pertinent if online databases are to contribute to public participatory monitoring initiatives for IAS detection.

Description: The results of a comprehensive study of submerged paleoenvironments developed along the karstified eastern Adriatic coast during the Late Quaternary are presented in this study. The Lošinj Channel is a drowned karst basin filled with sediments. A multi-proxy analysis of two sediment cores (LK-12 and LK-15) recovered from water depths of 62 and 64 m was conducted. We used magnetic susceptibility, grain size, mineralogy, XRF core scanning, organic and inorganic carbon, total nitrogen, and paleontological data, supplemented with AMS 14C dating results and high-resolution seismic data, to reconstruct the infill history of the Lošinj basin during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. Our findings include the first detailed description of the presumed Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5a marine sediment succession along the eastern Adriatic coast. Deposition in the brackish-to-freshwater lacustrine body (Lošinj paleolake) occurred during MIS 3. Sea level lowstand that followed caused the formation of environmental conditions typical of a karst polje. The post-Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) sea level rise led to the establishment of a brackish marine lake with seawater seepage through the karstified sill at 13.7 cal kyr B.P. The transition to the present-day marine conditions commenced at 10.5 cal kyr B.P. Paleoenvironmental changes in the investigated area can be linked to the presence of a sill at −50 m depth that separates the Lošinj basin from the Kvarnerić Bay. The sill depth determines the isolation or inundation of the investigated basin in response to the changes in sea level. Paleoenvironments reacted sensitively to these changes, and therefore, the study area represents an ideal setting to track regional sea level and climate variabilty.

Description: Cephalopods represent an important pathway for mercury transfer through food webs. Due to the general difficulties in capturing oceanic squid, beaks found in the diet of top predators can be used to study their life-cycles and ecological role. Using upper beaks of the giant warty squid Moroteuthopsis longimana (major prey in the Southern Ocean), we describe a method to assess mercury concentrations along the life of cephalopods through the segmentary analysis of beak sections (i.e. tip of the rostrum and subsections along the hood). Distinct total mercury concentrations in the different subsections support that beaks can be used to study mercury levels in different periods of cephalopods' life-cycle. Mercury values in the anterior (1.3–7.9 μg kg−1 dw) and posterior (7.8–12.5 μg kg−1 dw) subsections of the hood reflect juvenile and adult stages, respectively. Furthermore, these results confirm that mercury bioaccumulates continuously throughout the individuals' life, with adults doubling their mercury concentrations to juveniles.

Description: Marine coastal areas have high social-economic relevance and ensuring the good quality of these areas has gained importance in the past decades due to the increase of anthropogenic pressures. Understanding the dynamics of these areas is crucial to support management decisions. In this context, phytoplankton communities are generally used as key indicators of environmental quality as they respond in short time-scales and are at the base of food webs. This work intends to improve our understanding on how phytoplankton communities respond to environmental conditions, particularly in upwelling areas. Seawater samples were collected from Algarrobo Bay, Central Chile, for both phytoplankton pigments and microscopy analysis. Data were analyzed in combination with physico-chemical parameters and two distinct hydrographic regions were identified for the study area: i) a region occupying most of the northern bay section, characterized by lower temperatures and dissolved oxygen (DO), higher concentration of nutrients and higher N:P, where a mixed community with diatoms, chrysophytes, cryptophytes, haptophytes and other small flagellates were observed; and ii) a central-southern section, with higher temperatures and DO, lower nutrients and lower N:P, where diatoms, in particular the centric diatom Chaetoceros Ehrenberg, 1844 sp. (~92.5% on average), dominated the phytoplankton assemblage. Other common but much less abundant diatom genus included Skeletonema Greville, 1865, Eucampia Ehrenberg, 1839, Dactyliosolen Castracane, 1886, Nitzschia Hassall, 1845, Cylindrotheca Rabenhorst, 1859 and Asterionellopsis Round, 1990. Apart from diatoms, the most abundant taxa belonged to flagellates, mainly chrysophytes (228.4 × 103 cells L−1 on average) and cryptophytes (213 × 103 cells L−1 on average). Overall, results suggest that the southern part of the Algarrobo Bay, with higher residence times and nutrient discharges, may act as an upwelling shadow area, where phytoplankton species can accumulate.

Description: The Møre and Vøring basins of the mid-Norwegian volcanic passive margin are characterized by thick accumulations of Cretaceous to Paleocene sedimentary strata. They were formed during a series of Late Mesozoic-Early Cenozoic extensional events and represent vast underexplored areas with a limited number of wells. Recently, a new generation of long-offset 2D seismic reflection lines and 3D seismic data, together with new well data, has permitted a significant improvement in the regional understanding of the Møre and Vøring basins. This has enabled much better imaging of the deep Cretaceous subbasins and sub-basalt structures. In light of this significant data improvement, we performed a regional tectonostratigraphic synthesis of the pre-breakup development of the Møre and Vøring basins. We have interpreted eight regional Cretaceous and Paleocene horizons and constructed a series of structural and thickness maps. The new interpretations allow us to examine the sequential evolution of the Cretaceous to Paleocene sedimentary infill and to discuss its relationship to the deep crustal structures and regional tectonic events. We conclude that the long and polyphased development of the Møre and Vøring basins is partly controlled by deep-seated structural highs. We show that active deposition in the Early Cretaceous was mainly focused in the Møre Basin, while the main Cenomanian and subsequent Late Cretaceous-Paleocene depocentres developed principally in the Vøring Basin and migrated sequentially west towards the present continent-ocean boundary. We argue that the outer Møre and Vøring basins are likely underlain by a relatively thick continental crust compared to the inner part of the regional sag basin. In this setting our observations do not support evidence for a large zone of exhumed upper mantle, which has previously been proposed to have formed before magmatism and breakup.

Description: Since erupting in 2006, the “Lapindo” mudflow (or “Lusi,” as it is known by scientists) has released a constant flow of mud that has devastated communities and environments in East Java's Sidoarjo regency. The mudflow also has spawned countless formal and informal scientific reports that dispute what initiated the eruption: drilling for gas or a distant earthquake. A 2018 special issue in Marine and Petroleum Geology by the “Lusi Lab” is devoted entirely to the mudflow, which includes an article by Miller and Mazzini (2018) that presents one perspective of the current status of the trigger debate. This discussion article draws attention to a series of inaccuracies and misrepresentations within Miller and Mazzini’s (2018) article. These concerns include (1) the promotion of erroneous drilling and geological data, (2) the inaccurate and unprofessional characterization of scientists who posit opposing interpretations of drilling and geological data, (3) the use of deceptive rhetoric, (4) the dissemination of misleading and unsubstantiated claims about unnamed stakeholders, and (5) the lack of knowledge of – and sensitivity toward – social contexts. After providing an overview of these issues, this article focuses on items (3), (4) and (5), which tend to be overlooked in ongoing geological discussions on the disaster, but have a significant impact on the production, circulation, and reception of geoscience in both professional and non-professional arenas. This commentary on Miller and Mazzini (2018) does not challenge the credibility or integrity of the authors or any scientist associated with the Lusi Lab, but rather argues for a version of geoscience that stays above ground by being conscientious to the social dynamics that impact, and are impacted by, scientific inquiry. Without the appropriate care and scholarly caution, even the most neutral scientist's work can be perceived as compromised to both scholarly and non-scholarly audiences.

Description: Detrital muscovite and biotite 40Ar/39Ar analyses are useful tools for studying regional tectonic histories, sediment provenances and paleo-drainage reconstructions. During transport and recycling of detrital micas physical and chemical weathering occurs. This process effects the grain size and age populations ultimately found in river sediments, but is often ignored in provenance studies. Here, we present detrital muscovite and biotite 40Ar/39Ar results of 15 modern sediments from the Yangtze River to address the impact of grainsize on provenance age populations. The beam intensities of 39Ar, formed from 39K by neutron capture reaction during sample irradiation, have been used as an index for grain size. We found that relatively older detrital mica ages of the Yangtze River are often characterized by small 39Ar signals (i.e., grain sizes), and large grain sizes correspond to younger grains. This observation is also revealed by reanalysis of previously reported detrital mica studies in other major river systems (Red and Brahmaputra rivers) and sediments (Scotian Basin, Canada and Antarctic) and probably results from physical and chemical weathering during transport and recycling. Our Yangtze results indicate that detrital muscovite and biotite ages of grainsize ranging from 100 to 1000 μm cover all age components as identified in all dated grains (with a size of 〉100 μm), and thus indicate that detrital mica 40Ar/39Ar analyses should include also small grains from 〉100 μm to reduce the effects of hydraulic sorting and weathering. Grainsizes smaller than 100 μm have not been tested in this study, but will be more difficult to date due to both smaller beam intensities and possible recoil effects.

Description: Dissolved iron (DFe) and manganese (DMn) are essential micronutrients involved in vital phytoplankton physiological pathways, and their deficit can limit primary production in otherwise nutrient-replete surface ocean waters. In this work we present the spatial distributions and biogeochemical cycling of these metals across the Canadian GEOTRACES transect in the Canadian Arctic Ocean during the summer and autumn of 2015. Surface concentrations are dominated by freshwater inputs showing a strong negative correlation with salinity, especially for DMn which behaves more conservatively than DFe. The highest surface concentrations were measured in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (Fe: 0.401–1.91 and Mn: 4.33–9.54 nmol kg−1) and the Canada Basin (Fe: 0.225–0.479 and Mn: 3.93–7.02 nmol kg−1), regions highly influenced by riverine inputs, whereas the lowest values were found in the Labrador Sea (Fe: 0.106–0.362 and Mn: 0.450–1.09 nmol kg−1) where freshwater inputs diminished and phytoplankton uptake increased. Subsurface and deep water distributions for both metals are largely controlled by a complex balance between sources (advective inputs and organic matter remineralization) and removal processes. The subsurface peaks (∼100–300 m) observed in the Canada Basin (Fe: 0.541 ± 0.060 and Mn: 1.38 ± 0.42 nmol kg−1) and Baffin Bay (Fe: 0.753–1.03 nmol kg−1) were advected from the Chukchi Sea and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago respectively, where DFe and DMn are released from the benthic boundary layer in these shelf-dominated environments. Advective sources associated with the Arctic Circumpolar Boundary Current, rather than vertical fluxes of DFe and DMn in sinking particles, dominate metal distributions in the deep Canada Basin waters (〉300 m). In the highly productive Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea, organic matter remineralization is a notable source of DFe and DMn to deep waters. In the deepest waters (〉1000 m), scavenging of DFe and DMn govern their vertical distributions; a pseudo-first order scavenging model explained the continuous removal of DMn in the Canada Basin, where the concentrations reach uniformly low concentrations (0.150 ± 0.004 nmol kg−1) after ∼400 years. Applying this DMn scavenging model we were able to estimate the age (120–190 years) of deep Baffin Bay waters, a topic of discussion for many years.

Description: Seasonal variation of structural, physiological and growth indicators and the metabolome of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa, as well as biogeochemical conditions of underlying sediment were studied in two meadows growing at increasing distance downstream from a fish farm in the Aegean Sea in order to assess seagrass performance under stress. Horizontal rhizome production decreased significantly with proximity to the fish farm (0.67 and 1.57 g DW m−2 d−1 close and far from the fish-farm, respectively). This coincided with observed effects on ecophyiological indicators, such as rhizome nitrogen, leaf carbon and leaf δ13C, which were elevated with proximity to the fish-farm. Seasonality was shown by some indicators being elevated in either in the warm (C of all tissues and leaf δ34S) or the cold period (N of all tissues). Growth promoting metabolites (sucrose, fructose, myo-inositol, heptacosane, tetracosane, stigmasterol, catechin and alpha-tocopherol) were lower close to the zone, whereas metabolites involved with stress-response (alanine, serine, proline, putrescine, ornithine, 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid and cinnamic acid) were higher. We found that growth-promoting metabolites were positively correlated with horizontal rhizome production, whereas the metabolites related to stress were negatively correlated. Metabolomic fingerprinting of seagrass provides opportunities for early detection of environmental degradation in marine ecological studies.

Description: Over 100 years after the event, the mechanism of the 1908 Messina tsunami remains unresolved. The up to 12 m runups observed along the coasts of Sicily and Calabria cannot be explained by the coseismic tsunami, so recent studies have proposed a dual earthquake/submarine mass failure (SMF) mechanism. Here we propose a new dual source and use it to simulate tsunami generation with a three-dimensional non-hydrostatic model, coupled to a two-dimensional fully nonlinear and dispersive model, to simulate tsunami propagation to shore. We first reanalyze observations of tsunami arrival times from eyewitnesses acquired shortly after the 1908 event, and a tsunami record at a tide gauge in Malta. Similar to earlier work, this data is used to locate the likeliest tsunami source area by inverse wave ray tracing, but accounting for frequency dispersion effects on wave celerity, uncertainty in reported arrival times, and a time delay between the EQ and SMF triggering. Analyzing the seafloor morphology in this area, we identify a new SMF at the foot of the Fiumefreddo Valley, northeast of Mount Etna. The general location is consistent with earlier studies, however our SMF is much smaller (~2 km3) than, e.g., that of Billi et al. (2008) and is a fairly rigid-block-slump, rather than a translational SMF. We model the block motion and simulate tsunami generation from a dual EQ/SMF source, and its propagation to shore, in higher resolution grids and based on more accurate bathymetry and topography than in earlier work. Runups and travel times agree well with observations, except for runups on either side of the Messina Straits north of the SMF, which are still underpredicted. In the far field, simulations reproduce well the arrival time and initial wave amplitudes at the Malta tide gauge. Our newly parameterized SMF and modeling improve tsunami runups simulated near the SMF location and south of it. However, as with all previous modeling of this event, additional sources are required to explain runups in the northern Messina Straits, which we suggest might be smaller and shallower SMFs located in this area. These will be considered in future work. Highlights • New earthquake/submarine landslide model of the Messina 1908 tsunami strongly suppoorts a dual source mechanism. • Newly identified 2 km3 submarine landslide, off of Mt Etna, is the most likely non-seismic tsunami mechanism. • Improves earlier modeling by using higher resolution topography/bathymetry and grids in state of the art models. • Numerical simulations validated by post event field surveys and, for the first time, Malta tide gauge data. • New work provides strong evidence that additional submarine landslides occurred in the northern Messina Straits.

Description: Mytilus mussels (Mytilus edulis (ME), M. trossulus (MT), and M. galloprovincialis (MG)) are of interest in many fields of marine science and have been used as model in evolutionary research. For instance, they form mosaic hybrid zones or hybrid swarms in areas of secondary contact and hence are suited to address questions related to the evolution of reproductive barriers, adaptive hybridization or speciation. While existing genomic information mostly focuses on single species (ME, MG), this project generated RNA seq data of all three species from allopatric populations, i.e. samples representing genetically pure specimens. We investigated adult mantle tissue (four specimens per species), which is functionally involved in processes such as reproduction or biomineralization. The project provides three assembled transcriptomes (post filtering total transcript numbers for ME: 353339, MT: 437827, MG: 290267) representing genes annotated to at least 40 level 2 GO-terms (number (percentage) of annotated transcripts for ME: 44434 (12.6%), MT: 43960 (10%), MG: 60064 (20.7%)). Annotation showed that the most abundant 40 GO-terms are equally well covered by contigs of the three Mytilus transcriptomes. Therefore, this project lays a basis for evolutionary research by providing candidate genes representing various molecular functions such as reproduction, cellular processes or immune response. The potential of the new transcriptomes to address evolutionary questions is further exemplified by a pilot study on ME and MT transcriptomes that used reciprocal blast to identify 7652 one-to-one orthologue pairs of transcripts

Description: Highlights • Common HIMU end member in adjacent continental and oceanic volcanic provinces. • End member St. Helena HIMU derived from deep upwelling(s)/plume(s). • Plateau collision & plume interaction with Gondwana active margin causes breakup. • Hybrid volcanic-tectonic margins resulted from Zealandia – Antarctica breakup. Abstract Margins resulting from continental breakup are generally classified as volcanic (related to flood basalt volcanism from a starting plume head) or non-volcanic (caused by tectonic processes), but many margins (breakups) may actually be hybrids caused by a combination of volcanic and tectonic processes. It has been postulated that the collision of the Hikurangi Plateau with the Gondwana margin ∼110 Ma ago caused subduction to cease, followed by large-scale extension and ultimately breakoff of the Zealandia micro-continent from West Antarctica through seafloor spreading which started at ∼85 Ma. Here we report new geochemical (major and trace element and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope) data for Late Cretaceous (99-69 Ma) volcanism from Zealandia, which include the calc-alkalic, subduction-related Mount Somers (99-96 Ma) and four intraplate igneous provinces: 1) Hikurangi Seamount Province (99-88 Ma), 2) Marlborough Igneous Province (98-94 Ma), 3) Westland Igneous Province (92-69 Ma), and 4) Eastern Chatham Igneous Province (86-79 Ma). Each of the intraplate provinces forms mixing arrays on incompatible-element and isotope ratio plots between HIMU (requiring long-term high U/204Pb) and either a depleted (MORB-source) upper mantle (DM) component or enriched continental (EM) type component (located in the crust and/or upper mantle) or a mixture of both. St. Helena end member HIMU could be the common component in all four provinces. Considering the uniformity in composition of the HIMU end member despite the type of lithosphere (continental, oceanic, oceanic plateau) beneath the igneous provinces, we attribute this component to a sublithospheric source, located beneath all volcanic provinces, and thus most likely a mantle plume. We propose that the plume material rose beneath the active Gondwana margin and flowed along the subducting lithosphere beneath the Hikurangi Plateau and neighboring seafloor and through slab tears/windows beneath the Gondwana (later to become Zealandia) continental lithosphere. We conclude that both plateau collision, resulting in subduction cessation, and the opening of slab tears/windows, allowing hot asthenosphere and/or plume material to upwell to shallow depths, were important in causing the breakup of Zealandia from West Antarctica. Combined tectonic-volcanic processes are also likely to be responsible for causing breakup and the formation of other hybrid type margins.

Description: Pelagic squids are a key component in Southern Ocean ecosystems. Most species have a circumpolar distribution that is patchy in relation to major oceanographic features. However, little is known regarding where and when they spawn, or subsequently, what environmental predictors drive the size distribution particularly during early life stages. Here, we relate the size distribution of larval and juvenile squids to the oceanographic conditions around the southern Kerguelen Plateau. This is an important foraging area for many predators of squid, but there has been very little sampling effort for squids to date in that area. Seven squid species from six families were captured using depth-stratified mid-water trawls. The squids had a mantle length (ML) ranging from 7.3 to 680.1 mm, and were at their larval and juvenile form with the exception of two larger mature Galiteuthis glacialis (431.4 mm and 680.1 mm ML). Squids at stages 0 to I were predominant (ML 〈 100 mm), with a single size mode for each species, suggesting that these species may use the plateau as a spawning and/or nursery ground. Larger individuals (〉100 mm ML, above maturity stage I) were generally observed more in the southeast of the study domain. Squid size was positively associated with lower minimal water column temperature, higher surface chlorophyll-a concentration, and both the deepest and shallowest layers of the water column. The spatial distribution may be adaptive, helping to reduce inter- and intra-species competition and increase survivorship during early life stages. The reported relationships provide important new insights into the biophysical drivers of pelagic squid habitats around the Southern Ocean. These data significantly increase the known range of several Southern Ocean species and present implications for spawning habitat that warrant further investigation.

Description: Highlights • Seismic depth imaging gives insight into the southern Hikurangi subduction zone. • Velocities reveal regional variations in compaction and drainage of input sediments. • Dewatering of subducted sediments might influence décollement strength. • Thrusts at the leading edge of deformation are upper-plate dewatering pathways. • Stratigraphic host of the décollement changes at the southern end of the margin. Abstract The southern end of New Zealand's Hikurangi subduction margin accommodates highly oblique convergence between the Pacific and Australian plates. We carry out two-dimensional (2D) seismic reflection tomography and pre-stack depth migrations on two seismic lines to gain insight into the nature of subducted sediments and upper plate faulting and dewatering at the toe of the wedge. We also investigate the NE to SW evolution of emergent upper plate thrust faulting using 47 seismic lines spanning an along-strike distance of ∼270 km. The upper sequence of sediments that ultimately gets subducted (the MES sequence) has an anomalously-low seismic velocity character. At the southwestern end of the margin, ∼150 km east of Kaikōura, the MES sequence has experienced greater compaction (for an equivalent effective vertical stress) than it has some 200 km further to the northeast. This difference is likely attributable to greater horizontal compression in the southwest caused by impingement of the Chatham Rise on the deformation front. Relationships between velocity and effective vertical stress suggest that the MES sequence is well-drained in the vicinity of frontal thrusts, corroborated by evidence for upper plate dewatering along those thrusts. Effective drainage of the MES sequence likely promotes interplate coupling on the southern Hikurangi margin. The décollement is generally hosted near a seismic reflector known as “Reflector 7”. East of Kaikōura, however, Reflector 7 becomes accreted, indicating that subduction slip at the southwestern end of the margin is no longer hosted at (or above) this reflector. Instead, the décollement steps down to a deeper stratigraphic level further inboard. Further to the SW, approximately in line with the lower Kaikōura Canyon, the offshore manifestation of subduction-driven compression ceases.

Description: The boreoatlantic gonate squid (Gonatus fabricii) represents important prey for top predators—such as marine mammals, seabirds and fish—and is also an efficient predator of crustaceans and fish. Gonatus fabricii is the most abundant cephalopod in the northern Atlantic and Arctic Ocean but the trace element accumulation of this ecologically important species is unknown. In this study, trace element concentrations (Ag, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn) were analysed from the mantle muscle and the digestive gland tissue of juveniles, adult females, and adult males that were captured south of Disko Island off West-Greenland. To assess the feeding habitat and trophic position of this species, stable isotopes of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) were measured in their muscle tissue. Mercury concentrations were positively correlated with size (mantle length) and trophic position. The Hg/Se ratio was assessed because Se has been suggested to play a protective role against Hg toxicity and showed a molar surplus of Se relative to Hg. Cadmium concentrations in the digestive gland were negatively correlated with size and trophic position (δ15N), which suggested a dietary shift from Cd-rich crustaceans towards Cd-poor fish during ontogeny. This study provides trace element concentration data for G. fabricii from Greenlandic waters, which represents baseline data for a northern cephalopod species. Within West-Greenland waters, G. fabricii appears to be an important vector for the transfer of Cd in the Arctic pelagic food web.

Description: Highlights • Nd isotope records from the South Atlantic and Southern Ocean. • New Early Cretaceous general circulation model. • Opening history of gateways on the Falkland Plateau. • Gateway opening controlled organic carbon burial. Organic carbon burial is an important driver of carbon cycle and climate dynamics on geological and shorter time scales. Ocean basins emerging during the Early Cretaceous break-up of Gondwana were primary sites of organic carbon burial, implying that their tectonic and oceanographic evolution may have affected trends and perturbations in global climate via changes in local organic carbon burial. Assessing the role of individual ocean basins in the global carbon-climate context requires a sound understanding of the processes that induced large-scale changes in carbon burial and the timing of these changes. Here we reconstruct the oceanographic evolution, and its links to organic carbon burial, in the Barremian to Albian South Atlantic and Southern Ocean basins, which may have acted as carbon sinks of global importance. Our reconstruction is based on combined seawater neodymium isotope and sedimentological records obtained from multiple deep sea drill sites and a new general circulation model. Deep water circulation within and between those basins was primarily controlled by the opening of the shallow Falkland Plateau Gateway (between ∼118 Ma and ∼113 Ma) and the deep Georgia Basin Gateway (by ∼110 Ma), for which we provide new age constraints based on biostratigraphic and carbon isotope data. The opening of these gateways was accompanied by local to basin-wide decreases in organic carbon burial, suggesting that ocean circulation affected the oxygenation state via changes in deep water ventilation. Although our data do not provide quantitative information on the impact of changes in regional organic carbon burial on the global carbon cycle, the synchronicity between the reduction of organic carbon burial in the South Atlantic basin and global warming during the Early Albian points to a strong causal relationship.

Description: Highlights • Prominent North Atlantic sea surface cooling and freshening of ~3.5 °C and ~0.7‰ during ~3.65–3.5 Ma. • Surface cooling and freshening inline with a decrease of benthic δ13C records from South Atlantic Ocean sites. • Surface cooling and freshening at the same time as sea ice extension in the Arctic Ocean. Abstract The North Atlantic Current (NAC) as part of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is the major supplier of heat into the northern North Atlantic. Pliocene changes of AMOC strength were speculated to either have amplified or diminished the Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG) 2.7 million years ago (Ma). However, from the North Atlantic, little evidence is known about AMOC changes at around 3.6 Ma. At this time the intensification of NHG started and culminated in the first major glacial M2 event at 3.3 Ma. To elaborate the climatic effects of variations in the NAC during this early stage of NHG, we here present millennial-scale resolved records from Deep Sea Drilling (DSDP) Site 610A in the northern North Atlantic. Our data of planktic foraminiferal Mg/Ca-based sea surface temperatures (SSTMg/Ca) and ice volume corrected salinity approximations (δ18OIVC-seawater) span the critical time period 4–3.3 Ma. From 3.65 to 3.5 Ma, we observe a distinct ~3.5 °C cooling and ~0.7‰ freshening of the sea surface, which we interpret to reflect a weakened NAC. At the same time Arctic sea ice grew and benthic δ13C in the South Atlantic suggest a weakened AMOC. We conclude that the weakened NAC in response to a sluggish AMOC fostered sea ice formation in the Arctic Ocean and high-latitude North Atlantic, which might have preconditioned the climate for subsequent continental glaciations.

Description: Highlights • Physical properties obtained from core and log data at the Danube deep sea fan are reported. • Core-log-seismic integration defines stratigraphic framework at the S2 channel. • All data suggest no gas hydrate is present at drill sites within uncertainties of methods employed. Abstract Drilling, coring, and geophysical logging were performed with the MARUM-MeBo200 seafloor drilling rig to investigate gas hydrate occurrences of the Danube deep sea fan, off Romania, Black Sea. Three sites within a channel-levee complex were investigated. Geophysical log data of P-wave velocity, electrical resistivity, and spectral gamma ray are combined with core-derived physical properties of porosity, magnetic susceptibility, and bulk density. Core- and log physical property data are used to define a time-depth conversion by synthetic seismogram modeling, which is then used to interpret the seismic data. Individual polarity reversed reflectors within the stratigraphic column drilled are linked to reduction in P-wave velocity and bulk density. Those reflectors (and associated reflection packages) are accompanied by distinct and systematic changes in sediment porosity, magnetic susceptibility, and electrical resistivity. Overall, the sediments at drill site GeoB22605 (MeBo-17) represent the younger (upper) levee sequence of the channel, that has been eroded at drill site GeoB22603 (MeBo-16). Splicing seismic data across the channel from the East (MeBo-16) to the West (MeBo-17) demonstrates the continuation of reflectors underneath the channel. The upper ∼50 m below seafloor (mbsf) at site MeBo-16 do not stratigraphically belong to the same sequence of the (deeper) levee-deposits. Above the marked erosional unconformity, sediments at Site MeBo-16 are likely derived by a mixture of repeated slump-events (identified as seismically transparent units) interbedded with hemi-pelagic sedimentation. Similarly, sediments within the upper ∼20 mbsf at Site MeBo-17 are not stratigraphically the same levee-deposits, but are derived by a mixture of slump-events (also seen in the marked seafloor amphitheatre architecture of a large failure complex extending further upslope) and hemi-pelagic sedimentation. All observations combined show that the seismically observed stratigraphic pattern represents a reflectivity sequence mostly driven by variations in density (porosity) and correspondingly by changes in P-wave velocity and electrical resistivity. All observations from the geophysical log- and core, as well as geochemical data do show no evidence for the presence of any significant gas hydrates within the drilled/cored sequences.

Description: Highlights • Predictable trace element enrichments and depletions in the Reykjanes system. • Boiling exerts a major influence on the enrichment of metals. • High concentrations of Au and Ag and Pb indicate accumulation in reservoir fluids. • Three quarters of the metal budget is deposited at depth or in the upflow zone. Abstract Mineral precipitation in the seawater-dominated Reykjanes geothermal system on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Iceland is caused by abrupt, artificially induced, pressure and temperature changes as deep high-temperature liquids are drawn from reservoir rocks up through the geothermal wells. Sulfide scales within these wells represent a complete profile of mineral precipitation through a seafloor hydrothermal system, from the deep reservoir to the low-temperature silica-rich surface discharge. Mineral scales have formed under a range of conditions from high pressures and temperatures at depth (〉2 km) to boiling conditions in the upflow zone and at the surface. Consistent trace element enrichments, similar to those in black smoker chimneys, are documented: Cu, Zn, Cd, Co, Te, V, Ni, Mo, W, Sn, Fe and S are enriched at higher pressures and temperatures in the deepest scales, Zn and Cu, Bi, Pb, Ag, As, Sb, Ga, Hg, Tl, U, and Th are enriched at lower temperatures and pressures nearer to the surface. A number of elements (e.g., Co, Se, Cd, Zn, Cu, and Au) are deposited in both high- and low-pressure scales, but are hosted by distinctly different minerals. Other trace elements, such as Pb, Ag, and Ga, are strongly partitioned into low-temperature minerals, such as galena (Pb, Ag) and clays (Ga). Boiling and destabilization of metal-bearing aqueous complexes are the dominant control on the deposition of most metals (particularly Au). Other metals (e.g., Cu and Se) may also have been transported in the vapor phase. Very large enrichments of Au, Ag and Pb in the scales (e.g., 948 ppm Au, 23,200 ppm Ag, and 18.8 wt.% Pb) versus average concentrations in black smoker chimneys likely reflect that some elements are preferentially deposited in boiling systems. A mass accumulation of 5.7 t/yr of massive sulfide was calculated for one high-temperature production well, equating to metal fluxes of 1.7 t/yr Zn, 0.3 t/yr Cu, 23 kg/yr Pb, 4.1 kg/yr Ag, and 0.5 kg/yr Au. At least three quarters of the major and trace element load is precipitated within the well before reaching the surface. We suggest that a similar proportion of metals may be deposited below the seafloor in submarine hydrothermal systems where significant boiling has occurred. Mass accumulation estimations over the lifetime of the Reykjanes system may indicate significant enrichment of Zn, Pb, Au, and Ag relative to both modern and ancient mafic-dominated seafloor massive sulfide deposits, and highlights the potential for metal enrichment and accumulation in the deep parts of geothermal systems.

Description: Highlights • The vent fluids discharged from the Lutao hydrothermal field experienced low-degree subcritical phase separation. • The temperature and chemical compositions of the vent fluids were modulated by tides. • The time delay between tides and the response of hydrothermal system was about 3 h. • The typhoon “Fung-wong” cooled the reaction zone and decreased the degree of phase separation. • The hydrothermal system began to recover after the typhoon passed by. Abstract The Lutao hydrothermal field is an intertidal arc-volcanic system located offshore southeast Taiwan, hosting a Zhudanqu (ZDQ) vent and a Huwaichi (HWC) spring with strongly contrasting fluid chemistry. Low Mg, moderately enriched Cl, and H+ with respect to seawater indicate that the ZDQ endmember was derived from the brine phase that was formed during low-degree subcritical phase separation. In contrast, the endmember for the HWC vent fluids is related to the vapor phase. Temperature and pressure of the phase separation were estimated as ~150 °C and ~7 bar, respectively. The water/rock ratio was roughly calculated as about 2. The Lutao hydrothermal system was slightly affected by semi-diurnal tides, by some combination of tidal loading and tidal currents. The time delay between tides and the response of the hydrothermal system was about 3 h. While freshwater was almost absent in the HWC vent fluids at normal conditions, the typhoon “Fung-wong” on Sep 21st, 2014, led to intrusions of freshwater into the vent fluids with a percentage of ~16%. Both the ZDQ and the HWC endmember compositions showed some changes after the typhoon event, suggesting a cooling of the reaction zone. After the typhoon passed by, the hydrothermal system began to recover, evidenced by increasing percentages of the HWC endmember and decreasing freshwater contributions. The flux of the HWC endmember was estimated as 460–560 L h−1 based on these observations. This study, for the first time, reports a shallow-depth tidal-influenced hydrothermal system that was temporarily cooled by a tropical storm.

Description: Highlights • Temporally close-spaced double eruption within a couple of hundreds of years. • Magmas are variably tapped from zoned magma chambers during eruptions due to changing magma discharge rates and/or vent migration. • Eruptions started with a series of fallouts featuring stable eruption columns followed by fluctuating and partially collapsing eruption columns. • Eruptive volumes sum up to a total of 25.6 km3 and 40.5 km3 tephra volume, eruption column heights have been between 20–33 km. • Potential hazards from similar sized eruptions around Coatepeque Caldera are indicated even in the distal regions around San Salvador. Abstract The Coatepeque volcanic complex in El Salvador produced at least four Plinian eruptions within the last 80 kyr. The eruption of the 72 ka old Arce Tephra formed the Coatepeque Caldera and was one of the most powerful explosive eruptions in El Salvador. Hitherto it was thought that the Arce tephra had been emplaced only by one, mostly Plinian, eruptive event that ended with the deposition of a thick ignimbrite. However, our stratigraphic, geochemical, and zircon data reveal a temporally closely- spaced double eruption separated by a gap of only a couple of hundred years, and we therefore distinguish Lower and Upper Arce Tephras. Both eruptions produced in the beginning a series of fallout units generated from fluctuating eruption columns and turning wind directions. The final phase of the Upper Arce eruption produced surge deposits by several eruption column collapses before the terminal phase of catastrophic ignimbrite eruption and caldera collapse. Mapping of the individual tephra units including the occurrences of distal marine and lacustrine ash layers in the Pacific Ocean, the Guatemalan lowlands and the Caribbean Sea, result in 25.6 km3 tephra volume, areal distribution of 4 × 105 km2 and eruption column heights between 20–33 km for the Lower Arce eruption, and 40.5 km3 tephra volume, including 10 km3 for the ignimbrite, distributed across 6 × 105 km2 and eruption column heights of 23–28 km for the Upper Arce eruption. These values and the detailed eruptive sequence emphasize the great hazard potential of possible future highly explosive eruptions at Coatepeque Caldera, especially for this kind of double eruption.

Description: Highlights: • Egg production methods have been used for assessing the Eastern Baltic cod stock. • The analysis contributed to the re-establishment of an analytical assessment for the stock. • Annual and daily egg production methods gave similar results. • Results confirmed trends from trawl surveys, questioned earlier because of potential change in catchability. • Several biological processes impact on absolute spawning stock estimates and research needs are identified to improve these. Abstract: Egg production methods (EPM) provide fishery independent estimates of spawning stock sizes and dynamics of fish populations. Such methods are commonly used for short-lived pelagic species, less so for demersal fish such as cod. In this paper, we apply EPMs on cod in the eastern Baltic Sea, using a long time series of ichthyoplankton data. Stock assessment of Eastern Baltic cod has been challenged due to changing productivity of the stock invalidating some of the standard procedures, e.g. age determination and input variables, e.g. natural mortality. We demonstrate that EPMs, based on other data and assumptions than standard stock assessments, provide useful information on stock status and dynamics. We apply both the annual and daily egg production methods, which yielded similar results and were in line with stock trends derived from bottom trawl surveys. However, the EPM based spawning stock estimates were consistently lower compared to results from the latest analytical stock assessment. We identified processes introducing uncertainties in EPM estimates and their effects on the resulting estimates, and conclude that they mainly affect the absolute estimates but less the relative trends in stock dynamics. Therefore, we consider that EPMs are useful for providing relative indices for stock assessment purposes, with the Eastern Baltic cod being the first case where such indices are included in an official stock assessment of a demersal gadoid species. We also identify knowledge gaps in order to be able to derive absolute stock size estimates from EPMs in the future.

Description: Upwelling plumes from the deep mantle have an impact on the Earth’s surface for tens to hundreds of millions of years. During the lifetime of a mantle plume, periodic fluctuations in its composition and temperature have the potential to generate changes in the nature and volume of surface volcanism. We constrain the spatial and temporal scale of compositional changes in a plume using high-resolution Pb isotopes, which identify chemical pulses emerging from the Canary Islands hotspot over the last ∼15 million years (Myr). Surface volcanism spanning ∼400kmalong the island chain changes composition systematically and synchronously, representing a replenishment of the plume head by a distinct mantle flavour on timescales of 3-5 Myr. These low-frequency compositional changes are also recorded by individual volcanoes, and comprise a sequence of closely-spaced isotopic trajectories. Each trajectory is maintained for ∼1 Myr and is preceded and followed by ∼0.3 Myr transitions to magmas with distinct isotope ratios. Relatively sharp transitions between periods of sustained isotopic stability require discrete yet coherent heterogeneities rising at speeds of ∼100-200kmMyr−1and extending for ∼150 km vertically in the conduit. The long-term synchronous changes require larger scale isotopic domains extending ∼600 km vertically through in the plume stem. These observations demonstrate that plumes can chemically “pulse” over short and long-timescales reflecting the characteristics and recycling history of the deep mantle.

Description: Environmental concerns and insecticide resistance threaten the sustained efficacy of mosquito control approaches which remain reliant on synthetic chemicals. Plant-based extracts may be an environmentally sustainable and effective alternative to contemporary mosquito control approaches; however, the efficacies of many possible plant-based extracts remain untested. The present study examines the effects of extracts from three floating and three submerged aquatic plants on larval mosquito Culex pipiens mortality, and development to pupal and adult stages. Physical impacts of floating plant species on mosquito mortality and development are also examined. Extracts of Lagarosiphon major and Lemna minuta were toxic, causing significantly increased mosquito mortality compared to plant-free controls. Effects of Azolla filiculoides, Crassula helmsii, Elodea canadensis and Lemna minor were statistically unclear, yet in some cases tended to increase pupal and larval numbers at high extract concentrations. Surface coverage of all floating Lemna species drove significant mosquito mortality through mechanical processes which likely impeded surface respiration by larval mosquitoes. In particular, high-density mats of L. minuta consistently caused total larval mortality. The present study thus suggests that targeted use of specific aquatic plants could assist in mosquito control protocols. However, as the chemical composition of botanic material will differ across spatial and temporal gradients, even for a singular species, localised assessment of the efficacy of plant-based extracts from within areas experiencing problematic mosquito control is required. The application of aquatic plants that are both toxic to larvae and are effective physical control agents presents an economic and effective method of mosquito control.

Description: The nature of the early terrestrial crust and how it evolved through time remains highly controversial. Whether conventional plate tectonics operated in the Hadean and early Archean and when it came into existence remains unclear. Here, we describe U-Pb ages, Hf isotope composition and trace element chemistry of 3.95–3.10 Ga old detrital zircons from the Singhbhum Craton in eastern India. The 〉3.7 Ga old zircons of this suite have crust-like Hf isotope compositions with strongly negative εHfi and their granitoid sources formed by intra-crustal reworking of a Hadean protolith that was extracted from primitive mantle at 4.4–4.5 Ga. The trace element and Hf isotope compositions of the zircons record a transition from higher Nb/Th (0.070 ± 0.010), Nb/U (0.045 ± 0.005), crust-like Hf isotope compositions, and longer crustal residence times of the protoliths prior to 3.7–3.6 Ga, to lower Nb/Th (0.032 ± 0.012), Nb/U (0.024 ± 0.009; 1σ), mantle-like Hf isotope compositions, and shorter protolith residence times post 3.7–3.6 Ga. The Nb/Th and Nb/U fractionation at 3.7 Ga seen in the detrital zircon record can be explained by transition to granitoid production at greater depths in an oceanic plateau-like regime. However, had that been the case, the crustal residence times of the protoliths of the granitoids from which the detrital zircons were sourced should have progressively increased with time, given the 〉1.1 billion years protracted history of granitoid magmatism in the craton, which is contrary to what is observed. We suggest that the changes in the granitoid chemistry recorded by the detrital zircons document a significant change in the depth of melting of the protoliths as well as in the tectonic setting of continental crust formation, and argue that it marks the transition to granitoid production from oceanic plateaus to arc-like tectonic environments. Broadly similar transitions at ca. 3.6 Ga have been documented in gneisses from the Acasta Gneiss Complex, the Jack Hills zircons and in detrital zircons from the Wyoming Province, which suggest that the end of the Eoarchean may have been marked by widespread transition in planetary tectonic regime.

Description: Antarctica has traditionally been considered continental inside the coastline of ice and bedrock since Press and Dewart (1959). Sixty years later, we reconsider the conventional extent of this sixth continent. Geochemical observations show that subduction was active along the whole western coast of West Antarctica until the mid-Cretaceous after which it gradually ceased towards the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula. We propose that the entire West Antarctica formed as a back-arc basin system flanked by a volcanic arc, similar to e.g. the Japan Sea, instead of a continental rift system as conventionally interpreted. Globally, the fundamental difference between oceanic and continental lithosphere is reflected in hypsometry, largely controlled by lithosphere buoyancy. The equivalent hypsometry in West Antarctica (−580 ± 335 m on average, extending down to −1.6 km) is much deeper than in any continent, but corresponds to back-arc basins and oceans proper. This first order observation questions the conventional interpretation of West Antarctica as continental, since even continental shelves do not extend deeper than −200 m in equivalent hypsometry. We present a suite of geophysical observations that supports our geodynamic interpretation: a linear belt of seismicity sub-parallel to the volcanic arc along the Pacific margin of West Antarctica; a pattern of free air gravity anomalies typical of subduction systems; and extremely thin crystalline crust typical of back-arc basins. We calculate residual mantle gravity anomalies and demonstrate that they require the presence of (1) a thick sedimentary sequence of up to ca. 50% of the total crustal thickness or (2) extremely low density mantle below the deep basins of West Antarctica and, possibly, the Wilkes Basin in East Antarctica. Case (2) requires the presence of anomalously hot mantle below the entire West Antarctica with a size much larger than around continental rifts. We propose, by analogy with back-arc basins in the Western Pacific, the existence of rotated back-arc basins caused by differential slab roll-back during subduction of the Phoenix plate under the West Antarctica margin. Our finding reduces the continental lithosphere in Antarctica to 2/3 of its traditional area. It has significant implications for global models of lithosphere-mantle dynamics and models of the ice sheet evolution.

Description: Highlights • Over 1,000 discarded munition material (DMM) are located inside the nearshore munition dumpsite Kolberger Heide. • Munition is exposed and explosives are in direct contact with local flora and fauna. • Munition migration, scour formation and consequent burial takes place. • Only a monitoring can reliably document long-term changes and allow for future predictions. Abstract Post-war marine munition dumpsites do exist and are acknowledged by authorities, but their real extent and their effect onto the environment are mostly unknown. Military historic reconstruction and ocean current data (from in-situ measurements and modelled data) indicate that the German dumpsite in the Baltic Sea ‘Kolberger Heide’ is an active environment with a huge content of discarded munition material (DMM). Repeated high-resolution multibeam and underwater video surveys prove that Kolberger Heide contains more than 1,000 munition objects in the form of e.g. moored mines, ground mines, torpedoes and aerial bombs. An unsupervised seafloor classification was performed to show that corroded munition objects and proud explosives are in direct contact with the diverse local marine flora and fauna. Also the fact that the dumpsite is in close proximity to the shore in very shallow water (less than 15 m water depth) and displacement and burial of mines can be observed, demand an effective and standardised monitoring procedure. Via the combined approach of hydroacoustic and optical methods, areas can be identified, which should be prioritized when it comes to monitoring.

Description: Over two million leisure boats use the coastal areas of the Baltic Sea for recreational purposes. The majority of these boats are painted with toxic antifouling paints that release biocides into the coastal ecosystems and negatively impact non-targeted species. Regulations concerning the use of antifouling paints differ dramatically between countries bordering the Baltic Sea and most of them lack the support of biological data. In the present study, we collected data on biofouling in 17 marinas along the Baltic Sea coast during three consecutive boating seasons (May–October 2014, 2015 and 2016). In this context, we compared different monitoring strategies and developed a fouling index (FI) to characterise marinas according to the recorded biofouling abundance and type (defined according to the hardness and strength of attachment to the substrate). Lower FI values, i.e. softer and/or less abundant biofouling, were consistently observed in marinas in the northern Baltic Sea. The decrease in FI from the south-western to the northern Baltic Sea was partially explained by the concomitant decrease in salinity. Nevertheless, most of the observed changes in biofouling seemed to be determined by local factors and inter-annual variability, which emphasizes the necessity for systematic monitoring of biofouling by end-users and/or authorities for the effective implementation of non-toxic antifouling alternatives in marinas. Based on the obtained results, we discuss how monitoring programs and other related measures can be used to support adaptive management strategies towards more sustainable antifouling practices in the Baltic Sea.

Description: The red seaweed Agarophyton vermiculophyllum is an invasive species native to the north-west Pacific, which has proliferated in temperate estuaries of Europe, North America and Africa. Combining molecular identification tools, historical satellite imagery and one-year seasonal monitoring of biomass and environmental conditions, the presence of A. vermiculophyllum was confirmed, and the invasion was assessed and reconstructed. The analysis of satellite imagery identified the first bloom in 2014 and revealed that A. vermiculophyllum is capable of thriving in areas, where native bloom-forming species cannot, increasing the size of blooms (ca. 10%). The high biomass found during the peak bloom (〉2 kg m−2) and the observation of anoxic events indicated deleterious effects. The monitoring of environmental conditions and biomass variability suggests an essential role of light, temperature and phosphorous in bloom development. The introduction of this species could be considered a threat for local biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in a global change context.

Description: Unlike the well-studied narrow hotspot tracks, the origin of broadly distributed seamount provinces remains a topic of conjecture. Here we present major and trace element and Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb double spike isotope data of a comprehensive sample suite from the Bathymetrists Seamount Province, a broad belt of submarine volcanoes in the eastern equatorial Atlantic, and from the neighboring Cape Verde Ridge, a topographic high on the shoulder of a local fracture zone. The major and trace element results are consistent with the Bathymetrists Seamount Province having formed in an intraplate setting. The isotopic composition of the seamount lavas resemble a HIMU-like signature (206Pb/204Pbin = 19.23–20.35) similar to the nearby St. Helena hotspot composition. Based on plate tectonic reconstructions, a formation of the Bathymetrists Seamount Province by the postulated Sierra Leone plume, believed to be responsible for the geochemical anomaly at the mid ocean ridge at 1.7°N and the nearby St. Peter and Pauls rocks, is not supported. An alternative model that the Bathymetrists Seamount Province was created by edge driven convection in the upper mantle along the boundary of the neighboring Sierra Leone Rise plateau is also not supported by the available data. Plate tectonic reconstructions, however, are consistent with a hotspot origin for the Bathymetrists Seamount Province, as is the presence of a seismic tomographic anomaly at the southwest end of the seamount belt.

Description: Offshore archives retrieved from marine/lacustrine environments receiving sediment from large river systems are valuable Quaternary continental records. In the present study, we reconstruct the Danube River activity at the end of the last glacial period based on sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical analyses performed on long-piston cores from the north-west Black Sea margin. Our data suggest that the Danube River produced hyperpycnal floods throughout the ca. 33–17 ka period. Four main periods of enhanced Danube flood frequency, each of 1.5–3 kyr duration, are recorded at ca. 32.5–30.5 ka (equivalent to the first part of Heinrich Stadial –HS– 3), at ca. 29–27.5 ka (equivalent to Greenland Stadial 4), at ca. 25.3–23.8 ka (equivalent to HS 2) and at ca. 22.3–19 ka. Based on mineralogical and geochemical data, we relate these events to enhanced surface melting of the Alpine Ice Sheet (AIS) that covered ∼50,000 km2 of the Danube watershed at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Our results suggest that (i) the AIS growth from the inner Alps to its LGM position in the northern Alpine foreland started from ca. 30.5 ka, ended no later than ca. 25.3 ka, and was interrupted by a melting episode ca. 29–27.5 ka; (ii) the AIS volume drastically decreased from ca. 22.3 to 19 ka, as soon as summer insolation energy at the AIS latitude increased; and (iii) HSs strongly impacted the AIS mass balance through enhanced summer surface melt. This, together with evidence of severely cool winters and the rapid expansion of sea ice in the North Atlantic, implies strong seasonality in continental Europe during stadials.

Description: Low-temperature (〈100 °C) alteration of oceanic crust plays an important role in determining the chemical composition of the oceans. Although a major sink of seawater potassium, little is known about the effects of low-temperature basalt alteration on the potassium isotopic composition of seawater (K∼0‰), which is ∼0.50‰ enriched relative to bulk silicate Earth (BSE, K= -0.54‰). Here, we present a suite of isotopic systems (K, Mg, Li, 87Sr/86Sr) and major/minor elements in bulk rock, veins and mineral separates from the upper volcanic section of Cretaceous (Troodos ophiolite) and Jurassic (Ocean Drilling Program Hole 801C) oceanic crust. We use these data to estimate the K isotopic fractionation associated with low-temperature oceanic crust alteration and provide new constraints on the role of this process in the global geochemical cycles of Mg and K in seawater. We find that hydrothermally altered basalts from the Troodos ophiolite and ODP Hole 801C, most of which are enriched in K relative to the unaltered glass compositions, have K values both higher and lower than BSE, ranging from +0.01‰ to -1.07‰ (n=83) and +0.04‰ to -0.88‰ (n=17), respectively. Average K values of bulk-rock samples from Troodos and Hole 801C are indistinguishable from each other at ∼-0.50‰, indicating that low-temperature basalt alteration is a sink of 39K from seawater, and explaining, in part, why seawater has a higher 41K/39K than BSE. In contrast to K, average Mg values for both Troodos (∼0.00‰) and Hole 801C (∼0.20‰) indicate that altered oceanic crust (AOC) is a sink of 26Mg from seawater, likely contributing to the light Mg composition of seawater (∼-0.8‰) relative to BSE (∼-0.2‰). We observe isotopically heavy Mg values in basalt samples characterized by small to no changes in bulk Mg content, consistent with extensive isotopic exchange of Mg between seawater and oceanic crust during low-temperature oceanic crust alteration. Finally, we find that variability in Li and K across three sites in the Troodos ophiolite can be explained by different styles of alteration that appear to be related to the timing of sedimentation and its effects on chemical and isotopic exchange between seawater and oceanic crust.

Description: Highlights: • Non-indigenous species (NIS) are increasingly recognized as a matter of concern. • The microbiome of native and NIS gelatinous zooplankton organisms are compared. • Next generation sequencing confirms sign. Species specific microbiome differences. • Indicator OTUs include bacteria which contain known pathogenic strains. • Microbiome monitoring of NIS should be considered for aquaculture risk assessments. Abstract: The translocation of non-indigenous species (NIS) around the world, especially in marine systems, is increasingly being recognized as a matter of concern. Species translocations have been shown to lead to wide ranging changes in food web structure and functioning. In addition to the direct effects of NIS, they could facilitate the accumulation or translocation of bacteria as part of their microbiomes. The Baltic Sea harbours many non-indigenous species, with most recent detection of the jellyfish Blackfordia virginica and the comb jelly Mnemiopsis leidyi in the low saline southwestern Baltic Sea. In this study, we used a multidisciplinary approach and investigated three gelatinous zooplankton species that co-occur in the same environment and feed on similar zooplankton food sources but show different histories of origin. The aim was to conduct a comparative microbiome analysis of indigenous and non-indigenous gelatinous zooplankton species in the low-saline southwestern Baltic Sea. Next-generation 16S rRNA marker gene sequencing of the V1/V2 region was employed to study the bacterial microbiome compositions. All tested species showed significant differences in their microbiome compositions (one way ANOSIM, R = 1, P 〈 0.008) with dissimilarities ranging from 85 to 92%. The indigenous jellyfish Aurelia aurita showed the highest bacterial operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness. The overall differentiation between microbiomes was driven by eight indicator OTUs, which included Mycoplasma and Vibrio species. These bacteria can be problematic, as they include known pathogenic strains that are relevant to human health and aquaculture activities. Our results suggest that the impact assessment of NIS should consider potential pathogenic bacteria, enriched in the environment due to invasion, as potential risks to aquaculture activities.

Description: Plume volcanism may sample mantle sources deeper than mid-ocean ridge and arc volcanism. Ocean island basalts (OIBs) are commonly related to plume volcanism, and their diverse isotopic and elemental compositions can be described using a limited number of mantle endmembers. However, the origins and depths of these mantle endmembers are highly debated. Here we show that the HIMU (high μ, U/204Pb) endmember may reside in the transition zone. Specifically, we report the geochemical signature of a high-pressure multiphase diamond inclusion, entrapped at 420–440 km depth and 1450 ± 50 K, which matches exactly the geochemical patterns of the HIMU-rich OIBs. Since the HIMU component is variably sampled by almost all OIBs, our finding implies that the transition zone causes a major overprint of the geochemical features of mantle plumes. Some mantle plumes, like those feeding Bermuda, St Helena, Tubuai and Mangaia, appear to be dominated by this source. Furthermore, our finding highlights the importance of the transition zone in highly incompatible element budget of the mantle.

Description: Highlights • Regional investigation of precious and base metal-rich deposits in the Cyclades • Pb-isotope and trace element analyses in galena by laser ablation ICP-MS • Galena inherits the Pb-isotopic signature of the underlying basement. • Distinct Pb-isotope signatures in the west and north-central Cyclades, Greece. • 206Pb/204Pb line follows the trace of known tectonostratigraphic units. Polymetallic ore deposits of the Aegean Sea, Greece, are temporally and spatially associated with the emplacement of Miocene granitoids and Pliocene to Quaternary volcanic units along the active volcanic arc and occur adjacent to the crustal-scale detachment systems. A variety of mineral deposits (e.g., carbonate-replacement, skarn, porphyry, vein-type, and low- to high-sulfidation epithermal deposits) formed during different stages of back-arc evolution and can be found in the footwall and hanging wall of the major detachment systems and all tectono-stratigraphic units. New galena Pb-isotope data collected by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analysis exhibit a range of isotopic ratios: 206Pb/204Pb: 18.68–18.91, 207Pb/204Pb: 15.67–15.75 and 208Pb/204Pb: 38.83–39.18, with a resolvable geographic pattern. Together with compiled Pb-isotope data of Cycladic galena, large-scale regional similarities in the Pb-isotope signatures are recognized, suggesting distinct sources of lead in the underlying basement. Base metal-rich deposits in the west Cyclades have a common lead source with a more radiogenic signature, whereas lead in the deposits in the north-central Cyclades was derived from a less radiogenic source. Similarities between the Pb-isotopic signature of galena and regional host rocks suggest, that the pre-Alpine Cycladic Basement was the main source of lead for the deposits in the north and central, and the metamorphosed volcano-sedimentary Lower Cycladic Blueschist Nappe was the source of lead for the deposits in the west. Moreover, there is a close spatial relationship of the 206Pb/204Pb 18.84 line and trace of the proposed Trans-Cycladic Thrust. Regional trends were also observed in the new LA-ICP-MS trace element analysis in galena. Galena in carbonate-replacement and skarn deposits in the west is enriched in base metals and silver, whereas galena in vein-type deposits in the north and low- to high-sulfidation epithermal deposits along the active volcanic arc is enriched in gold, tellurides and selenium. Combined trace element and isotopic data of galena indicate distinct metal sources in the Cyclades. Heterogenous rock assemblages of mixed provenance and age account for the differences in lead isotopes. Whereas the base metals and silver are ultimately sourced from the basement, the precious metals might be derived from the metasomatized lithospheric mantle.

Description: Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are a focal point for the removal of microplastic (MP) particles before they are discharged into aquatic environments. WWTPs are capable of removing substantial quantities of larger MP particles but are inefficient in removing particles with any one dimension of less than 100 mu m, with influents and effluents tending to have similar quantities of these smaller particles. As a single WWTP may release 〉100 billion MP particles annually, collectively WWTPs are significant contributors to the problem of MP pollution of global surface waters. Currently, there are no policies or regulations requiring the removal of MPs during wastewater treatment, but as concern about MP pollution grows, the potential for wastewater technologies to capture particles before they reach surface waters has begun to attract attention. There are promising technologies in various stages of development that may improve the removal of MP particles from wastewater. Better incentivization could speed up the research, development and adoption of innovative practices. This paper describes the current state of knowledge regarding MPs, wastewater and relevant policies that could influence the development and deployment of new technologies within WWTPs. We review existing technologies for capturing very small MP particles and examine new developments that may have the potential to overcome the shortcomings of existing methods. The types of collaborations needed to encourage and incentivize innovation within the wastewater sector are also discussed, specifically strong partnerships among scientific and engineering researchers, industry stakeholders, and policy decision makers.

Description: Highlights • Improved understanding of the behaviour of instrumental mass fractionation (IMF). • The effect of matrix elements on IMF is largely associated with plasma conditions that can be quantified with the NAI. • Matrix effects can be systematically and significantly attenuated by tuning of instrumental operating parameters. • A matrix tolerance plasma state is defined for stable barium isotope analysis. • The suggested analytical protocol is expected to be applicable to other stable isotope measurements with MC-ICP-MS. Abstract Stable barium isotope measurements with multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS) remain an analytical challenge and can be considerably affected by the presence of matrix elements, even when applying double spiking. Therefore significant efforts were invested in previous studies to develop efficient barium purification methods. However, due to the high variability in matrix/barium ratios for diverse sample matrices, potential matrix effects can still not be excluded. While a lot of effort has been invested into improving the chemical separation protocols, the impact of plasma conditions on the accuracy and precision of stable isotope measurements has rarely been considered. Here we present a systematic investigation of the relationship between plasma conditions, instrumental mass fractionation (IMF) and impurity (i.e. matrix) concentrations. The Normalised Ar Index (NAI) and Matrix-Ar Index (MA) are used to quantify MC-ICP-MS plasma conditions and plasma mass loading, respectively. Our results show that the effect of matrix elements on IMF is largely linked to plasma conditions (i.e. NAI) and behaves as a linear function of mass loading (i.e. MA). Accordingly, the matrix effects can be significantly attenuated by increasing the NAI thereby minimising the risk of plasma “over-loading”. The improved understanding of the behaviour of the matrix-induced IMF allows us to define a matrix tolerance plasma state for barium isotope analysis. The accuracy of this recommended method is further assessed by analyses of two well-studied reference materials, the GEOTRACES seawater reference sample SAFe D2 and the carbonate reference material JCp-1. We expect that the analytical protocol described in this study is applicable not only to barium isotope analysis, but also to a wide range of other stable isotope measurements with MC-ICP-MS.

Description: Seagrasses are subjected to intense levels of anthropogenic disturbance as a result of the shallow nearshore waters they inhabit. Some seagrasses are known to have dynamic growth patterns, enabling them to colonize unstable shallow environments and adapt to a range of disturbances. This can result in high levels of variability in morphological and physiological attributes. The seagrass Halodule wrightii is known to be a fast-growing pioneering species with a large geographic range. The present study examines Halodule wrightii in a region under intense anthropogenic stress in order to determine what are the main environmental drivers affecting the morphology, physiology and status of these habitats. Parameters of plant morphology, physiology and status were measured either at the meadow scale (e.g. biochemistry) or at a higher frequency shoot scale (e.g. shoot width). We assigned an impact assessment index to a series of seagrass sites over a gradient of anthropogenic disturbance and found this to be explanatory of a number of the seagrass parameters measured including epiphyte cover, stable isotope δ15N and ETRmax however, it did not clearly explain shoot density, a commonly used bioindicator of environmental stress. At the shoot scale, Principal Component Analysis identified epiphyte and leaf width to have the strongest association. At the meadow scale this was shoot density, dry weight and Ek, albeit with the most impacted sites showing highest shoot density. Stable isotope (δ15N) and leaf length were most significant in explaining the variation between sites and impact category, providing a direct link between anthropogenic sources of nutrients to seagrass meadow density.