ALBERT

Description: While basaltic volcanism is dominate during rifting and continental breakup, felsic magmatism may also comprise important components of some rift margins. During International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 396 on the continental margin of Norway, a graphite-garnet-cordierite bearing dacitic, pyroclastic unit was recovered within early Eocene sediments on Mimir High (Site U1570), a marginal high on the Vøring transform margin. Here, we present a comprehensive textural, mineralogical, and petrological study of the dacite in order to assess its melting origin and emplacement. The major mineral phases (garnet, cordierite, quartz, plagioclase, alkali feldspar) are hosted in a fresh rhyolitic, highly vesicular, glassy matrix, locally mingled with sediments. The xenocrystic major element chemistry of garnet and cordierite, the presence of zircon inclusions with inherited cores, and thermobarometric calculations all support a crustal metapelite origin. While most magma-rich margin models favor crustal anatexis in the lower crust, thermobarometric calculations performed here show that the dacite was produced at upper-crustal depths (〈 5 kbar) and high temperature (750–800 °C) with up to 3 wt% water content. In situ U-Pb analyses on zircon inclusions give a magmatic age of 54.6 ± 1.1 Ma, revealing the emplacement of the dacite post-dates the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Our results suggest that the opening of the North Atlantic was associated with a phase of low-pressure, high-temperature crustal melting at the onset of the main phase of magmatism.

Description: The joint ESA/NASA Mass-change And Geosciences International Constellation (MAGIC) has the objective to extend time-series from previous gravity missions, including an improvement of accuracy and spatio-temporal resolution. The long-term monitoring of Earth’s gravity field carries information on mass change induced by water cycle, climate change and mass transport processes between atmosphere, cryosphere, oceans and solid Earth. MAGIC will be composed of two satellite pairs flying in different orbit planes. The NASA/DLR-led first pair (P1) is expected to be in a near-polar orbit around 500 km of altitude; while the second ESA-led pair (P2) is expected to be in an inclined orbit of 65°–70° at approximately 400 km altitude. The ESA-led pair P2 Next Generation Gravity Mission shall be launched after P1 in a staggered manner to form the MAGIC constellation. The addition of an inclined pair shall lead to reduction of temporal aliasing effects and consequently of reliance on de-aliasing models and post-processing. The main novelty of the MAGIC constellation is the delivery of mass-change products at higher spatial resolution, temporal (i.e. subweekly) resolution, shorter latency and higher accuracy than the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) and Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment Follow-On (GRACE-FO). This will pave the way to new science applications and operational services. In this paper, an overview of various fields of science and service applications for hydrology, cryosphere, oceanography, solid Earth, climate change and geodesy is provided. These thematic fields and newly enabled applications and services were analysed in the frame of the initial ESA Science Support activities for MAGIC. The analyses of MAGIC scenarios for different application areas in the field of geosciences confirmed that the double-pair configuration will significantly enlarge the number of observable mass-change phenomena by resolving smaller spatial scales with an uncertainty that satisfies evolved user requirements expressed by international bodies such as IUGG. The required uncertainty levels of dedicated thematic fields met by MAGIC unfiltered Level-2 products will benefit hydrological applications by recovering more than 90 per cent of the major river basins worldwide at 260 km spatial resolution, cryosphere applications by enabling mass change signal separation in the interior of Greenland from those in the coastal zones and by resolving small-scale mass variability in challenging regions such as the Antarctic Peninsula, oceanography applications by monitoring meridional overturning circulation changes on timescales of years and decades, climate applications by detecting amplitude and phase changes of Terrestrial Water Storage after 30 yr in 64 and 56 per cent of the global land areas and solid Earth applications by lowering the Earthquake detection threshold from magnitude 8.8 to magnitude 7.4 with spatial resolution increased to 333 km.

Description: Published

Description: 1288–1308

Description: JCR Journal

Description: Marginal seas influenced by large rivers are characterized by complex hydrodynamic and organic matter cycling processes. However, the impacts of hydrodynamics on the composition and reactivity of particulate organic matter (POM) remain unclear. Here we conducted a comprehensive study on the bulk, molecular and biological properties of suspended POM in the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent area subjected to strong currents, eddies as well as typhoons during spring and autumn. D/L‐enantiomers of particulate amino acids (PAA) were analyzed to evaluate the bioreactivity of POM and quantify bacterial‐derived organic carbon. We found that POM bioavailability as indicated by carbon‐normalized yields of PAA (PAA‐C%) reflected the ecosystem productivity. Relatively high PAA‐C% values (20−35%) were observed in productive areas influenced by Changjiang River plume, cyclonic eddies and typhoons, likely related to the enhanced nutrient availability arising from hydrodynamic processes. In contrast, the oligotrophic Taiwan Warm Current‐influenced regions featured relatively low POM bioavailability (PAA‐C% 〈 10%) despite typhoons facilitating water mixing. The PAA‐C% values showed a significant positive correlation with extracellular enzyme activity, indicating that bioavailable POM can rapidly stimulate heterotrophic transformation. Hot spots of elevated bioavailable POM showed high contributions of bacterial organic carbon. A large portion (∼2/3) of bacterial organic carbon was present in the form of bacterial detritus, suggesting that patches of these biological hot spots represent important sites of carbon sequestration. Together, our findings indicate that fresh POM production is largely controlled by nutrient supply driven by hydrodynamic processes, with important implications for carbon sequestration in the dynamic ocean margins. Plain Language Summary Marginal seas are subject to complex hydrodynamic processes and play an important role in carbon sequestration. Disentangling the linkages between hydrodynamics and organic carbon reactivity and composition is crucial to understanding the regional carbon cycle. Here we collected suspended particulate organic matter (POM) in the Changjiang Estuary and adjacent coastal areas. Based on the biomarker D/L‐amino acids, we assessed the bioavailability of POM and quantified the organic carbon originating from bacteria. We found that high bioactivity of POM occurred in productive Changjiang River plume, cyclonic eddy, and typhoon influenced areas. These hydrodynamic processes appear to increase nutrient availability, therefore promoting phytoplankton growth. Bioavailable POM can rapidly stimulate heterotrophic activity and facilitate the transformation of algal‐derived organic carbon to bacterial detritus, thus contributing to carbon sequestration. Our findings suggest that the production of bioavailable POM is largely controlled by hydrodynamically driven nutrient supply. Key Points We use D/L‐amino acids to assess the bioreactivity and bacterial origins of particulate organic matter (POM) in the dynamic Changjiang Estuary and adjacent area High bioavailability of POM occurs in productive regions affected by Changjiang River plume, cyclonic eddies and typhoons Hot spots of bioavailable POM represent important sites for carbon sequestration

Description: In the boreal summer of 2021, the equatorial Atlantic experienced the strongest warm event, that is, Atlantic Niño, since the beginning of satellite observations in the 1970s. Such events have far‐reaching impacts on large‐scale wind patterns and rainfall over the surrounding continents. Yet, developing a paradigm of how Atlantic Niño interacts with the upper‐ocean currents and intraseasonal waves remains elusive. Here we show that the equatorial Kelvin wave associated with the onset of the 2021 Atlantic Niño modulated both the background flow and the eddy flux of the equatorial upper‐ocean circulation, causing an extremely weak and delayed tropical instability wave (TIW) season. TIW‐induced variations of sea surface temperature (SST), sea surface salinity, sea surface height, and eddy temperature advection were exceptionally weak during May to July, the climatological peak of TIW activity, but rebounded in August when higher than normal variability was observed. Moored velocity data at 23°W show that during the peak of the 2021 Atlantic Niño from June to August, the Equatorial Undercurrent was deeper and stronger than usual. An anomalously weak eddy momentum flux strongly suppressed barotropic energy conversion north of the equator from May to July, likely contributing to low TIW activity. Reduced baroclinic energy conversion also might have played a role, as the meridional gradient of SST was sharply reduced during the Atlantic Niño. Despite extremely weak TIW velocities, modest intraseasonal variability of chlorophyll‐a (Chl‐ a ) was observed during the Atlantic Niño, due to pronounced meridional Chl‐ a gradients that partly compensated for the weak TIWs. Plain Language Summary Every few years the eastern equatorial Atlantic Ocean is significantly warmer than usual during boreal summer. Such warm events are referred to as Atlantic Niño events, and share similarities with El Niño events in the Pacific. In 2021, the strongest Atlantic Niño in at least four decades was observed in the equatorial Atlantic. This study is the first that investigates the complex interaction between Atlantic Niño, tropical Atlantic upper‐ocean currents, and equatorial waves based on various observational data sets. We show that the developing 2021 Atlantic Niño weakened both the background flow and the variability of near‐surface currents in May, which in turn largely reduced the strength of intraseasonal (20–50 days) waves that are usually generated by instability of the upper‐ocean zonal currents. As a consequence, the cooling effect that these waves usually have north of the equator and the warming effect along the equator vanished from May to July 2021. Interestingly, variability of chlorophyll concentration was enhanced, suggesting that enhanced meridional chlorophyll gradients compensated for reduced wave activity. Key Points The developing 2021 Atlantic Niño led to weaker equatorial surface currents and reduced vertical shear of upper‐ocean horizontal velocity Strong reduction of the surface flow, eddy flux, and meridional temperature gradient in May caused extremely weak and delayed tropical instability wave (TIW) season Reduced meridional TIW advection contributed to sharpen the north equatorial Chl‐ a front resulting in modest intraseasonal Chl‐ a variability

Description: Three volcanic arcs have been the source of New Zealand's volcanic activity since the Neogene: Northland arc, Coromandel Volcanic Zone (CVZ) and Taupō Volcanic Zone (TVZ). The eruption chronology for the Quaternary, sourced by the TVZ, is well studied and established, whereas the volcanic evolution of the precursor arc systems, like the CVZ (central activity c. 18 to 2 Ma), is poorly known due to limited accessibility to, or identification of, onshore volcanic deposits and their sources. Here, we investigate the marine tephra record of the Neogene, mostly sourced by the CVZ, of cores from IODP Exp. 375 (Sites U1520 and U1526), ODP Leg 181 (Sites 1123, 1124 and 1125), IODP Leg 329 (Site U1371) and DSDP Leg 90 (Site 594) offshore of New Zealand. In total, we identify 306 primary tephra layers in the marine sediments. Multi-approach age models (e.g. biostratigraphy, zircon ages) are used in combination with geochemical fingerprinting (major and trace element compositions) and the stratigraphic context of each marine tephra layer to establish 168 tie-lines between marine tephra layers from different holes and sites. Following this approach, we identify 208 explosive volcanic events in the Neogene between c. 17.5 and 2.6 Ma. This is the first comprehensive study of New Zealand's Neogene explosive volcanism established from tephrochronostratigraphic studies, which reveals continuous volcanic activity between c. 12 and 2.6 Ma with an abrupt compositional change at c. 4.5 Ma, potentially associated with the transition from CVZ to TVZ. Key Points New Zealand's Neogene explosive volcanism based on the marine tephra record Geochemical fingerprinting of marine tephra layers across the study area to establish volcanic events Insights into geochemical variations with time, repose times and spatiotemporal distribution

Description: Mapping and sampling four sections of the slow-spreading Reykjanes Ridge provide insight into how tectonic and volcanic activity varies with distance from the Iceland plume. The studied areas are characterized by significant variations in water depth, lava chemistry, crustal thickness, thermal structure, and ridge morphology. For each study area, fault pattern and dimension, tectonic strain, seamount morphology, and density are inferred from 15 m-resolution bathymetry. These observations are combined with geochemical analysis from glass samples and sediment thickness estimations along Remotely Operated Vehicle-dive videos. They reveal that (a) tectonic and volcanic activity along the Reykjanes Ridge, do not systematically vary with distance from the plume center. (b) The tectonic geometry appears directly related to the deepening of the brittle/ductile transition and the maximum change in tectonic strain related to the rapid change in crustal thickness and the transition between axial-high and axial valley (∼59.5°N). (c) Across-axis variations in the fault density and sediment thickness provide similar widths for the neo-volcanic zone except in regions of increased seamount emplacement. (d) The variations in seamount density (especially strong for flat-topped seamounts) are not related to the distance from the plume but appear to be correlated with the interaction between the V-shape ridges (VSR) flanking the ridge and the ridge axis. These observations are more compatible with the buoyant upwelling melting instability hypothesis for VSR formation and suggest that buoyant melting instabilities create many small magma batches which by-pass the normal subaxial magmatic plumbing system, erupting over a wider-than-normal area. Key Points The distance from the plume center is not the only factor controlling tectonic and volcanic activity along the Reykjanes Ridge Fault dimensions are primarily controlled by the variation of crustal thermal structure with distance from the hotspot Flat-topped seamount abundances peak where a V-shaped ridge intersects the axis, consistent with a buoyant upwelling melting instability

Description: When volcanic mountains slide into the sea, they trigger tsunamis. How big are these waves, and how far away can they do damage? Ritter Island provides some answers.

Description: Organic carbon (OC) in permafrost interacts with the mineral fraction of soil and sediments, representing 〈 1% to ~80% of the total OC pool. Quantifying the nature and controls of mineral-OC interactions is therefore crucial for realistic assessments of permafrost-carbon-climate feedbacks, especially in ice-rich regions facing rapid thaw and the development of thermo-erosion landforms. Here, we analyzed sediment samples from the Batagay megaslump in East Siberia, and we present total element concentrations , mineralogy, and mineral-OC interactions in its different stratigraphic units. Our findings indicate that up to 34 ± 8% of the OC pool interacts with mineral surfaces or elements. Interglacial deposits exhibit enhanced OC-mineral interactions, where OC has undergone greater microbial transformation and has likely low degradability. We provide a first-order estimate of ~12,000 tons of OC mobilized annually downslope of the headwall (i.e., the approximate mass of 30 large aircrafts), with a maximum of 38% interacting with OC via complexation with metals or associations to poorly crystalline iron oxides. These data imply that over one-third of the OC exposed by the slump is not readily available for mineralization, potentially leading to prolonged OC residence time in soil and sediments under stable physicochemical conditions.

Description: The simulation of deep-sea conditions in laboratories is technically challenging but necessary for experiments that aim at a deeper understanding of physiological mechanisms or host-symbiont interactions of deep-sea organisms. In a proof-of-concept study, we designed a recirculating system for long-term culture (〉2 yr) of deep-sea mussels Gigantidas childressi (previously Bathymodiolus childressi). Mussels were automatically (and safely) supplied with a maximum stable level of ~60 μmol L−1 methane in seawater using a novel methane–air mixing system. Experimental animals also received daily doses of live microalgae. Condition indices of cultured G. childressi remained high over the years, and low shell growth rates could be detected, too, which is indicative of positive energy budgets. Using stable isotope data, we demonstrate that G. childressi in our culture system gained energy, both, from the digestion of methane-oxidizing endosymbionts and from digesting particulate food (microalgae). Limitations of the system, as well as opportunities for future experimental approaches involving deep-sea mussels, are discussed.