Elevated Flux Research Articles

Are 34S-enriched authigenic sulfide minerals a proxy for elevated methane flux and gas hydrates in the geologic record?

The sulfate–methane transition (SMT) zone is a diagenetic transition within anoxic marine sediments created by the metabolic activity of a consortium of sulfate-reducing bacteria and methane-oxidizing Archaea. As interstitial dissolved sulfate is consumed by microbially mediated sulfate reduction of sedimentary organic matter (SOM) and anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) large enrichments of 34S occur in the interstitial sulfate pool. These isotopic enrichments are transmitted to the dissolved sulfide pool (∑HS−) and subsequently into sulfide minerals (So, ∼FeS, FeS2).We investigate the sulfur isotopic composition of pore-water sulfate and sulfide minerals at three sites underlain by gas hydrates at the Blake Ridge. The isotopic composition of sulfate-sulfur is most positive at the SMT showing maximum values of +29.1, 49.6, 51.6‰ VCDT at each of the respective sites. δ34S values of bulk sulfide minerals tend to be more enriched in 34S at and below the SMT ranging from −12.7 to +23.6‰, corresponding to enrichments of 26.7–62.4‰ relative to the mean value of −38.8‰ in the sulfate reduction zone. Both enhanced delivery of methane to the SMT, and non-steady-state sedimentation appear necessary to create large 34S enrichments in sulfide minerals. Similar associations of AOM and large δ34S enrichments (>0‰) occur in other gas hydrate terranes (Cascadia margin) but their exact origin is equivocal at present. An analysis of δ34S data from freshwater and marine sedimentary environments reveals that 34S enrichments within sulfide minerals occur under a range of conditions, but are statistically associated with AOM and systems not limited by dissolved interstitial iron.In methane-rich sediments, methane delivery to the SMT increases the role of AOM in sulfate depletion that impacts the formation and isotopic composition of authigenic sulfide minerals. We hypothesize that under certain diagenetic conditions large 34S enrichments within sulfide minerals in the geologic record potentially identify: (1) the former occurrence of AOM (2) present-day and “fossil” locations of the sulfate–methane transition zone; and (3) a diagenetic terrane, today characteristic of deep-water, methane-rich, marine sediments conducive to gas hydrate formation. Thus, 34S-enriched sulfide minerals preserved in modern and ancient continental-margin sediments may allow for the identification of AOM-related processes that occur in methane-rich sediments.

The polar sulfur cycle in the Werenskioldbreen, Spitsbergen: Possible implications for understanding the deposition of sulfate minerals in the North Polar Region of Mars

In this study we investigated the polar cycling of sulfur (S) associated with the Werenskioldbreen glacier in Spitsbergen (Svalbard). Sulfide-derived S comprised 0.02–0.42wt% of the fine-grained fraction of proglacial sediments. These sediments originated from glacial erosion of Precambrian sulfide-rich quartz and carbonate veins. In summer 2008, the δ34S of dissolved SO4 in glacier melt waters (+9‰ to +17‰) was consistent with SO4 generation from oxidation of primary sulfide minerals in the bedrock (+9‰ to +16‰). The calculated monthly SO4 load was ∼6881kg/month/km2 in the main glacier stream. Subsequent evaporation and freezing of glacial waters lead to precipitation, accumulation, and temporary storage of sulfate salt efflorescences in the proglacial zone. These salts are presumably ephemeral, as they dissolve during annual snow/glacial melt events.Hydrated sulfates such as gypsum are also important constituents of the low-elevation areas around the polar ice cap of Planum Boreum on Mars. The origin of this gypsum on Mars might be better understood by using the investigated polar S cycle in Spitsbergen as a foundation. Assuming a trace sulfide content in the basaltic bedrock on Mars, the weathering of sulfides within the fine, porous texture of the ancient aeolian strata (basal unit) underlying Planum Boreum could have created elevated SO4 fluxes (and gypsum precipitation) during episodic thawing/melting events in the past. Limited water activity and prevailing dry conditions on the surface of Mars are the likely factors that accounted for the larger accumulation and preservation of polar gypsum on the surface and its broad aeolian distribution around Planum Boreum. This suggestion is also supported by an experiment showing that gypsum sand can be transported, under dry conditions, over great distances (∼2000km) without a significant loss of mass.

Hydrological effects of dip‐slip fault rupture on a hydrothermal plume

AbstractEarthquakes cause a variety of hydrological effects, including changes in well levels, streamflow, hot‐spring temperatures, and geyser periodicity. These may be produced by changes in pore‐fluid pressure or by changes in permeability. We investigate near‐field effects of normal earthquakes on fault‐controlled hydrothermal plumes, e.g., at the Te Kopia geothermal system on the Paeroa Fault, New Zealand. A numerical model is detailed that addresses the effects of coseismic pore‐pressure and permeability perturbations on geothermal upflow along a dip‐slip fault. Fluid flow is modeled using the heat and mass transfer code Finite Element Heat and Mass transfer. The 2 m wide fault is impermeable and thus behaves as a partition between fluid flow in the adjacent fault blocks, as well as a structure for upflow to localize upon. A realistic distribution for the coseismic change in mean rock stress is obtained from a plane‐strain mechanical model for normal fault rupture in an elastic‐plastic‐viscous crust. These stress changes are imported into the fluid flow model as pore‐fluid pressure changes. In addition, we consider the effects of fault core fracture and damage by introducing an increase in permeability at the fault plane. Results show that short‐term effects are dominated by pore‐pressure changes, which cause increased heat and mass fluxes at the surface for a period of several weeks. Longer‐term, an elevated mass flux remains due to the increase in subsurface permeability. Upflow migrates from the footwall scarp into the hanging wall and away from the fault, because rising fluids are no longer deflected by the fault.

The effect of peroxiredoxin 4 on fly physiology is a complex interplay of antioxidant and signaling functions

Peroxiredoxin 4 (Prx4) has been implicated in a wide variety of biological processes, including development, progression of cancer, inflammation, and antioxidant function. The purpose of this study was to provide further insight into its multiple roles at the whole-animal level, using Drosophila. Reduced expression of dPrx4 (up to 90%) resulted in greater sensitivity to oxidative stress, an elevated H₂O₂ flux, and increases in lipid peroxidation, but no effect on longevity. Overexpression at low levels (<2-fold) gave reduced levels of oxidative damage and tended to show an increase in longevity. Flies expressing dPrx4 globally at high levels (>5-fold) had a dramatically reduced life span (by 20-80%) and increased apoptosis. Analysis of these overexpressors revealed an aberrant redistribution of the dPrx4 protein from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to cytosol and hemolymph. In addition to the known proapoptotic effects of the cytosolic form of dPrx4, dPrx4 overexpression triggered an NF-κB-mediated proinflammatory response, similar to that observed in cells under ER stress or when microbially challenged. Finally, we provide the first evidence that dPrx4, on secretion into the hemolymph, elicits a JAK/STAT-mediated response. The effects on fly survival and homeostasis appear to represent a combination of differential effects dictated in large part by dPrx4 subcellular and tissue-specific localization.

Sedimentary records of metal deposition in Japanese alpine lakes for the last 250 years: Recent enrichment of airborne Sb and In in East Asia

Concentrations of 18 elements, including Sb, In, Sn, and Bi, were measured in sediment cores from two pristine alpine lakes on Mount Hachimantai, northern Japan, representing the past 250years. Vertical variations in concentrations are better explained by atmospheric metal deposition than by diagenetic redistribution of Fe and Mn hydroxide and organic matter. Anthropogenic metal fluxes were estimated from 210Pb-derived accumulation rates and metal concentrations in excess of the Al-normalized mean background concentration before 1850. Anthropogenic fluxes of Sb and In showed gradual increases starting around 1900 in both lakes, and marked increases after 1980. Comparison of Sb/Pb and Pb stable isotope ratios in sediments with those in aerosols of China or northern Japan and Japanese source materials (recent traffic- and incinerator-derived dust) suggest that the markedly elevated Sb flux after 1980 resulted primarily from enhanced long-range transport in aerosols containing Sb and Pb from coal combustion on the Asian continent. The fluxes of In, Sn, and Bi which are present in Chinese coal showed increasing trends similar to Sb for both study lakes. This suggests that the same source although incinerators in Japan may not be ruled out as sources of In. The sedimentary records for the last 250years indicate that atmospheric pollution of Sb and In in East Asia have intensified during recent decades.

Dew formation on the surface of biological soil crusts in central European sand ecosystems

Abstract. Dew formation was investigated in three developmental stages of biological soil crusts (BSC), which were collected along a catena of an inland dune and in the initial substrate. The Penman equation, which was developed for saturated surfaces, was modified for unsaturated surfaces and used for prediction of dewfall rates. The levels of surface saturation required for this approach were predicted using the water retention functions and the thicknesses of the BSCs. During a first field campaign (2–3 August 2011), dewfall increased from 0.042 kg m−2 for the initial sandy substrate to 0.058, 0.143 and 0.178 kg m−2 for crusts 1 to 3, respectively. During a second field campaign (17–18 August 2011), where dew formation was recorded in 1.5 to 2.75-h intervals after installation at 21:30 CEST, dewfall increased from 0.011 kg m−2 for the initial sandy substrate to 0.013, 0.028 and 0.055 kg m−2 for crusts 1 to 3, respectively. Dewfall rates remained on low levels for the substrate and for crust 1, and decreased overnight for crusts 2 and 3 (with crust 3 &gt; crust 2 &gt; crust 1 throughout the campaign). Dew formation was well reflected by the model response. The suggested mechanism of dew formation involves a delay in water saturation in near-surface soil pores and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) where the crusts were thicker and where the water capacity was high, resulting in elevated vapor flux towards the surface. The results also indicate that the amount of dewfall was too low to saturate the BSCs and to observe water flow into deeper soil. Analysis of the soil water retention curves revealed that, despite the sandy mineral matrix, moist crusts clogged by swollen EPS pores exhibited a clay-like behavior. It is hypothesized that BSCs gain double benefit from suppressing their competitors by runoff generation and from improving their water supply by dew collection. Despite higher amounts of dew, the water availability to the crust community decreases with crust development, which may be compensated by ecophysiological adaptation of crust organisms, and which may further suppress higher vegetation or mosses.

The effects of transient, localized electric fields on equatorial electron acceleration and transport toward the inner magnetosphere

Motivated by recent observations of intense electric fields and elevated energetic particle fluxes within flow bursts beyond geosynchronous altitude (Runov et al., 2009, 2011), we apply modeling of particle guiding centers in prescribed but realistic electric fields to improve our understanding of energetic particle acceleration and transport toward the inner magnetosphere through model‐data comparisons. Representing the vortical nature of an earthward traveling flow burst, a localized, westward‐directed transient electric field flanked on either side by eastward fields related to tailward flow is superimposed on a nominal steady state electric field. We simulate particle spectra observed at multiple THEMIS spacecraft located throughout the magnetotail and fit the modeled spectra to observations, thus constraining properties of the electric field model. We find that a simple potential electric field model is capable of explaining the presence and spectral properties of both geosynchronous altitude and “trans‐geosynchronous” injections at higher L‐shells (L &gt; 6.6 RE) in a manner self‐consistent with the injections' inward penetration. In particular, despite the neglect of the magnetic field changes imparted by dipolarization and the inductive electric field associated with them, such a model can adequately describe the physics of both dispersed injections and depletions (“dips”) in energy flux in terms of convective fields associated with earthward flow channels and their return flow. The transient (impulsive), localized, and vortical nature of the earthward‐propagating electric field pulse is what makes this model particularly effective.

Stormwater contaminant loading following southern California wildfires

Contaminant loading associated with stormwater runoff from recently burned areas is poorly understood, despite the fact that it has the potential to affect downstream water quality. The goal of the present study is to assess regional patterns of runoff and contaminant loading from wildfires in urban fringe areas of southern California. Postfire stormwater runoff was sampled from five wildfires that each burned between 115 and 658 km(2) of natural open space between 2003 and 2009. Between two and five storm events were sampled per site over the first one to two years following the fires for basic constituents, metals, nutrients, total suspended solids, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Results were compared to data from 16 unburned natural areas and six developed sites. Mean copper, lead, and zinc flux (kg/km(2)) were between 112- and 736-fold higher from burned catchments and total phosphorus was up to 921-fold higher compared to unburned natural areas. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon flux was four times greater from burned areas than from adjacent urban areas. Ash fallout on nearby unburned watersheds also resulted in a threefold increase in metals and PAHs. Attenuation of elevated concentration and flux values appears to be driven mainly by rainfall magnitude. Contaminant loading from burned landscapes has the potential to be a substantial contribution to the total annual load to downstream areas in the first several years following fires.

On the ionospheric source region of cold ion outflow

Recent studies have shown that low energy ions constitute a significant part of the total ion population in the Earth's magnetosphere. In this study, we have used a comprehensive data set with measurements of cold (total energy less than 70 eV) ion velocity and density to determine their source. This data set is derived from Cluster satellite measurements combined with solar wind and interplanetary magnetic field measurements and geomagnetic indices. By using the guiding center equation of motion, we were able to calculate the trajectories and thus determine the source region of the cold ions. Our results show that the polar cap region is the primary source for cold ions. We also found that the expansion and contraction of the polar cap as a consequence of changes in solar wind parameters were correlated with the source region size and intensity of the cold ion outflow. Elevated outflow fluxes near the nightside auroral zone and the dayside cusps during disturbed conditions suggest that energy and particle precipitation from the magnetosphere or directly from the solar wind can enhance the outflow of cold ions from the ionosphere.

Background X-ray Radiation Fields Produced by Young Embedded Star Clusters

ABSTRACTMost star formation in our galaxy occurs within embedded clusters, and these background environments can affect the star and planet formation processes occurring within them. In turn, young stellar members can shape the background environment and thereby provide a feedback mechanism. This work explores one aspect of stellar feedback by quantifying the background X-ray radiation fields produced by young stellar objects. Specifically, the distributions of X-ray luminosities and X-ray fluxes produced by cluster environments are constructed as a function of cluster membership size N. Composite flux distributions, for given distributions of cluster sizes N, are also constructed. The resulting distributions are wide and the X-ray radiation fields are moderately intense, with the expected flux levels exceeding the cosmic and galactic X-ray backgrounds by factors of ∼10–1000 (for energies 0.2–15 keV). For circumstellar disks that are geometrically thin and optically thick, the X-ray flux from the background cluster dominates that provided by a typical central star in the outer disk where r ≳ 9–14 AU. In addition, the expectation value of the ionization rate provided by the cluster X-ray background is ζX ∼ 8 × 10-17 s-1, about 4–8 times larger than the canonical value of the ionization rate from cosmic rays. These elevated flux levels in clusters indicate that X-rays can affect ionization, chemistry, and heating in circumstellar disks and in the material between young stellar objects.

Temporal variations of organochlorine pesticides in precipitation in Beijing, China

Temporal variations of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were determined in precipitation and monthly depositional fluxes were calculated in Beijing from February 2009 to March 2011. Compounds which were detected most often included α-HCH and β-HCH, and the volume-weighted mean (VWM) concentration of hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs) was 33.0 ng L−1, accounting for 72.3% of the ∑OCPs in precipitation. The total concentrations of OCPs ranged from 3.73 to 152 ng L−1 (mean: 29.7 ± 3.5 ng L−1) for dissolved phase and from 1.61 to 114 ng L−1 (mean: 15.9 ± 2.0 ng L−1) for particulate phase, respectively. OCPs in dissolved phase dominated sampled concentrations in precipitation (HCHs: 71.8%, Chlordane: 77.7%, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes-DDTs: 50.1%) with an exception of hexachlorobenzene–HCB (26.3%). Furthermore, the distribution coefficient, Kpd, was generally large in low temperature, especially in spring. The abundance of ∑OCPs in the precipitation fluctuated monthly, with high value in late winter and spring. The past farmland near the sampling site was under construction during sampling, which may be an important local re-emission source in this study. The elevated wet deposition flux of 11 selected OCPs was 14.9 μg m−2 yr−1 in Beijing.

나피온/전도성 나노입자 전기방사 웹을 이용한 고성능 이온성 고분자-금속 복합체 구동기의 제조

이온성 고분자-금속 복합체(ionic polymer-metal composite, IPMC) 구동기의 구동성능 향상을 위해 전기방사를 통해 제조된 나피온/전도성 나노입자 웹을 나피온 필름의 양면에 접합시켜 전해질막을 개질하였다. 전도성 나노입자는 다층탄소나노튜브(multiwalled carbon nanotube, MWNT)와 은 나노입자가 사용되었으며, 이를 각각 나피온 용액에 분산시켜 전기방사하였다. 개질된 IPMC는 향상된 구동변위, 응답속도 및 구동력을 나타내었으며 은 나노입자에 비해 MWNT가 더욱 뛰어난 구동변위와 구동력을 유도하였고, 전도성 나노입자가 포함되지 않은 전기방사 웹을 적용한 경우에도 성능향상이 관찰되었다. 제조된 IPMC의 우수한 구동성능은 전기방사 웹의 다공성에 의한 전해액 이동의 용이성, 고분산된 전도성 나노입자에 의해 유도된 높은 전기용량 및 낮은 전극 저항 때문인 것으로 분석되었다. To improve the performance of ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC) actuators, Nafion films sandwiched with Nafion/conducting nanoparticulate electrospun webs were used as polymer electrolytes of IPMC. Multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) and silver were the conducting nanoparticulates and the nanoparticles dispersed in a Nafion solution were electrospun. IPMCs with the Nafion/conducting nanoparticulate electrospun webs displayed improved displacements, response rates, and blocking forces. MWNT was superior to silver in terms of displacement and blocking force, and the webs without the conducting fillers also caused enhanced performances compared with the conventional IPMCs. These improvements were attributed to an elevated electrolyte flux through highly porous interlayers and capacitance induced by well dispersed conducting fillers, and low interfacial resistance between electrolyte and electrodes.

Summer Diatom Blooms in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre: 2008–2009

The summertime North Pacific subtropical gyre has widespread phytoplankton blooms between Hawaii and the subtropical front (∼30°N) that appear as chlorophyll (chl) increases in satellite ocean color data. Nitrogen-fixing diatom symbioses (diatom-diazotroph associations: DDAs) often increase 102–103 fold in these blooms and contribute to elevated export flux. In 2008 and 2009, two cruises targeted satellite chlorophyll blooms to examine DDA species abundance, chlorophyll concentration, biogenic silica concentration, and hydrography. Generalized observations that DDA blooms occur when the mixed layer depth is < 70 m are supported, but there is no consistent relationship between mixed layer depth, bloom intensity, or composition; regional blooms between 22–34°N occur within a broader temperature range (21–26°C) than previously reported. In both years, the Hemiaulus-Richelia and Rhizosolenia-Richelia DDAs increased 102–103 over background concentrations within satellite-defined bloom features. The two years share a common trend of Hemiaulus dominance of the DDAs and substantial increases in the >10 µm chl a fraction (∼40–90+% of total chl a). Integrated diatom abundance varied 10-fold over <10 km. Biogenic silica concentration tracked diatom abundance, was dominated by the >10 µm size fraction, and increased up to 5-fold in the blooms. The two years differed in the magnitude of the surface chl a increase (2009>2008), the abundance of pennate diatoms within the bloom (2009>2008), and the substantially greater mixed layer depth in 2009. Only the 2009 bloom had sufficient chl a in the >10 µm fraction to produce the observed ocean color chl increase. Blooms had high spatial variability; ocean color images likely average over numerous small events over time and space scales that exceed the individual event scale. Summertime DDA export flux noted at the Hawaii time-series Sta. ALOHA is probably a generalized feature of the eastern N. Pacific north to the subtropical front.

What are the impacts of grazing and cutting events on the N2O dynamics in humid temperate grassland?

Atmospheric concentrations of nitrous oxide (N2O) have been increasing over the last century with much of this increase from agricultural soils, fertilized with nitrogen. To understand the N2O emissions from terrestrial ecosystems (e.g. grassland soils) it is necessary to understand the processes leading to N2O production. From February to August in 2010, we conducted a field study to measure the N2O fluxes using the chamber technique, at a grazed and cut grassland site in South West Ireland. The objectives of the study were: 1) to understand the temporal variation of the N2O fluxes during the spring and summer periods; 2) to examine the separate effects of grazing and cutting events on N2O fluxes; and 3) to examine the relationship of soil ammonium (NH4+−N) and soil nitrate (NO3--N) with N2O fluxes. We found the highest peak of daily N2O flux occurred at the start of spring; however the total of summer fluxes (June, July and August) of 1.81±0.7kg N2O–Nha−1 were higher than those of the spring (March, April and May) fluxes of 1.51±0.6kg N2O–Nha−1. The soil NH4+−N concentration was higher than the soil NO3–N concentration over the study period and elevated N2O fluxes coincided with elevated soil NH4–N concentrations. There were two short (2day duration) cattle grazing events; one on April 26/27 and the second on June 27/28. There were two grass cutting (for silage) events: on May 30 and on August 4. After the two grazing and two cutting events, the N2O fluxes increased markedly. After both grazing events, there was an immediate step increase of ~200μg N2O–Nm−2h−1, after which the fluxes decreased over the next few weeks. After both cutting events, there was a gradual increase in N2O fluxes over the next several weeks. We found that the N2O flux increases post grazing, were due to grazing only, since the other variables (soil temperature, WFPS, N application) did not change. However, the flux increases post cutting could not ascribed to cutting only, as other flux favouring variables of: changes in soil temperature and WFPS also occurred at this time. The N2O fluxes correlated better with soil NH4–N concentration (r2=0.73 (p=<0.05)) than with NO3--N (r2=0.25 (p=not significant)). The occurrence of elevated NH4–N in conjunction with elevated WFPS, frequently in the range of 50–60% suggests that nitrification rather than denitrification was likely the dominant process involved in the production of N2O at this site.

Foraminiferal record of the Middle Miocene climate transition prior to the Badenian salinity crisis in the Polish Carpathian Foredeep Basin (Central Paratethys)

Foraminifers occurring in marls underlying the Middle Miocene Badenian gypsum in the northern Polish Carpathian Foredeep in one borehole section [Młyny (Busko) PIG 1] and in two dewatering pits in operating quarries (Leszcze and Bork&oacute;w) contain well-preserved foraminifers. Sixty-seven species of benthic and twenty-one species of planktonic foraminifers are recorded in the 12-m-thick section of the Młyny borehole. Benthic assemblages are characterized by the dominance of Bulimina and Uvigerina while planktonic assemblages are composed mainly by warm-water orbulinids and Globigerinoides spp. in the lower part of the Młyny section and by temperate-cold water Globigerina spp. in the upper part of the Młyny section as well as the Leszcze and Bork&oacute;w sections. The taxonomic composition of foraminiferal assemblages makes it possible to distinguish two foraminiferal zones in the Młyny borehole: the Orbulina suturalis and Uvigerina costai zones, and only the latter zone is accessible at Leszcze and Bork&oacute;w. The benthic foraminiferal successions in the studied interval suggest oxygenation and productivity changes in the Carpathian Foredeep Basin prior to the Badenian salinity crisis. Four intervals of lowered oxygenation and/or elevated organic flux to the sea-floor are recognized; the intervals in which foraminiferal assemblages suggest marine environments with lowered oxygenation in bottom waters alternate between the intervals where stress markers form less than 50% of the benthic foraminiferal assemblages. Benthic assemblages are moderately to highly diversified, and species have more equal frequencies. The upsection decrease in the proportion of planktonic foraminifers reflects the shallowing of the basin accompanied by a decrease in the temperature gradient between the upper (warmer) and deeper (colder) water beds. The average palaeotemperature of water based on d18O of Uvigerina and Globigerina decreased by ca. 2 and ca. 6&deg;C, respectively (from 9.9 and 17.4&deg;C in the Orbulina suturalis Zone to 7.9 and 11.5&deg;C in the Uvigerina costai Zone, respectively). Below the gypsum, the d18O values of both benthic and planktonic foraminifers show quite large variations possibly due to the salinity increase. Coeval domination of benthic foraminiferal assemblages by Bulimina suggests increased surface water productivity and an increased organic flux to the sea-floor prior to the onset of evaporite deposition and/or salinity increase. &nbsp

Vertical and temporal variability in concentration and distribution of thaumarchaeotal tetraether lipids in Lake Superior and the implications for the application of the TEX86 temperature proxy

This study investigated the vertical and temporal distribution of Thaumarchaeota derived core isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids through sampling and analysis of both suspended particulate matter from the water column at different times in the annual cycle and a 3year long record of settling particles in two sediment traps at different depths at an open lake location in Lake Superior. Results from these analyses suggest that Thaumarchaeota were present throughout the water column during times of overturning, but mainly resided below the depth of the thermocline (20–40m) during the period of thermal stratification. Fluxes of thaumarchaeotal produced GDGTs were highly periodic and mainly occurred during two periods of the annual cycle (winter and late spring/early summer). A covariance of both branched and isoprenoid GDGT fluxes with the mass accumulation flux combined with the observation that those periods of maximum fluxes were associated with increased BIT index values, however, suggest that these two periods of elevated fluxes may be related to an influx of resuspended particles transported from shallower near shore regions of Lake Superior. During all sampling periods TEX86 inferred temperatures from SPM were in good agreement with in situ water temperatures of the depths at which the SPM was sampled. The observed range of TEX86 inferred temperatures in 3years of settling particles is relatively small and does not show significantly higher inferred temperatures during the thermally stratified period, indicating that the sedimentary TEX86 signal during the summer thermally stratified period mainly originated from depths below the relatively shallow thermocline. Additionally, TEX86 values during the winter period of increased fluxes did not capture the decrease in water temperatures observed throughout the water column during this period, and thus may be a further indication that the thaumarchaeotal lipid flux was the result of sediment focusing. Flux-weighted TEX86 inferred temperatures from both sediment traps were in good agreement with TEX86 temperatures from surface sediments from the same location in Lake Superior. Both flux weighted TEX86 temperatures from the sediment traps and average TEX86 temperatures from surface sediments were similar to averaged measured water temperatures at below ∼40m depth within the error of the lacustrine TEX86 calibration. Based on the observed depths of Thaumarchaeota in the water column, TEX86 values in sediments of Lake Superior likely reflect a combination of mixed-season and sub-thermocline temperatures. This is effectively the same as the annual averaged water temperature observed at depths below 40m in Lake Superior. Thus, trends in TEX86 inferred temperatures in sediment records of Lake Superior, and similar lakes, are likely to reflect subsurface temperature variability rather than that of surface temperatures.

A numerical study of external building walls containing phase change materials (PCM)

Phase Change Materials (PCMs) have been receiving increased attention, due to their capacity to store large amounts of thermal energy in narrow temperature ranges. This property makes them ideal for passive heat storage in the envelopes of buildings. To study the influence of PCMs in external building walls, a one-dimensional transient heat transfer model has been developed and solved numerically using a finite difference technique. Different external building wall configurations were analyzed for a typical building wall by varying the location of the PCM layer, the orientation of the wall, the ambient conditions and the phase transition temperature of the PCM.The integration of a PCM layer into a building wall diminished the amplitude of the instantaneous heat flux through the wall when the melting temperature of the PCM was properly selected according to the season and wall orientation. Conversely, the results of the work show that there is no significant reduction in the total heat lost during winter regardless of the wall orientation or PCM transition temperature. Higher differences were observed in the heat gained during the summer period, due to the elevated solar radiation fluxes. The high thermal inertia of the wall implies that the inclusion of a PCM layer increases the thermal load during the day while decreasing the thermal load during the night.

Plankton and productivity during the Permian–Triassic boundary crisis: An analysis of organic carbon fluxes

Changes in marine primary productivity following the latest Permian mass extinction (LPME) have been debated at length, with little resolution to date owing to a paucity of quantitative data. Herein, we report total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations and organic carbon accumulation rates (OCAR) for 40 Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB) sections with a near-global distribution and consider their implications for changes in marine productivity during the boundary crisis. Many sections in South China exhibit abrupt declines in TOC and OCAR from the Changhsingian (latest Permian) to the Griesbachian (earliest Triassic), a pattern not observed for sections in other regions. This pattern cannot be explained through secular changes in sedimentation rates, sedimentary facies, or redox conditions, all of which would have favored higher (rather than lower) TOCs and OCARs during the Griesbachian. Further, back-calculation of OC fluxes demonstrate that this pattern cannot be attributed to diagenetic loss of OC in the sediment or, possibly, to OC remineralization in the water column. The most likely explanation is a collapse of marine primary productivity across the South China region concurrently with the LPME and continuing for an extended interval into the Early Triassic. The productivity crash as well as the coeval decimation of benthic marine fauna coincided with deposition of the “boundary clay” at Meishan D, suggesting that both events were related to a large explosive volcanic eruption of uncertain provenance. In other PTB sections having a wide geographic distribution, OCARs increased on average by a factor of ~4× across the LPME, largely owing to a concurrent increase in bulk accumulation rates (BARs). Radiometric dating uncertainties can account at most for only a fraction of the secular change in BARs, which are likely to reflect an increase in subaerial weathering rates and elevated fluxes of detrital material to Early Triassic marine systems. Intensification of chemical weathering relative to physical weathering may have increased the flux of nutrients to the Early Triassic ocean, enhancing marine productivity and contributing to the widespread development of marine dysoxia–anoxia.

Cosmic spherules from the Ordovician of Argentina

The discovery of magnetic spherules in acid‐insoluble residues from conodont samples encouraged a systematic search for Ordovician micrometeorites from northwestern Argentina. Some 220 melted micrometeorites were recovered from the magnetic fraction of six samples (total rock weight: 23 kg) from the Cordillera Oriental (Santa Rosita Formation) and 17 from five samples (total rock weight: 8.9 kg) from the Argentine Precordillera (Las Aguaditas, Gualcamayo and Las Vacas formations). The specimens resemble I‐type cosmic spherules, in their chemistry and distinct dendritic and polygonal crystalline structures. They represent a flux of micrometeorites several orders of magnitude greater than present. The wide differences in spherule abundance between the Precordillera and the Cordillera Oriental samples could reflect uncertainties in the sedimentary rates or temporal variations in the flux of extraterrestrial matter to Earth. The micrometeorite‐bearing formations span the late Tremadocian to the late Darriliwian (~480–460 Ma), which is consistent with a period of elevated flux of extraterrestrial material, as recorded several thousand kilometres away from coeval horizons in Scotland, Sweden and central China. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Early Mars climate near the Noachian–Hesperian boundary: Independent evidence for cold conditions from basal melting of the south polar ice sheet (Dorsa Argentea Formation) and implications for valley network formation

Currently, and throughout much of the Amazonian, the mean annual surface temperatures of Mars are so cold that basal melting does not occur in ice sheets and glaciers and they are cold-based. The documented evidence for extensive and well-developed eskers (sediment-filled former sub-glacial meltwater channels) in the south circumpolar Dorsa Argentea Formation is an indication that basal melting and wet-based glaciation occurred at the South Pole near the Noachian–Hesperian boundary. We employ glacial accumulation and ice-flow models to distinguish between basal melting from bottom-up heat sources (elevated geothermal fluxes) and top-down induced basal melting (elevated atmospheric temperatures warming the ice). We show that under mean annual south polar atmospheric temperatures (−100°C) simulated in typical Amazonian climate experiments and typical Noachian–Hesperian geothermal heat fluxes (45–65mW/m2), south polar ice accumulations remain cold-based. In order to produce significant basal melting with these typical geothermal heat fluxes, the mean annual south polar atmospheric temperatures must be raised from today’s temperature at the surface (−100°C) to the range of −50 to −75°C. This mean annual polar surface atmospheric temperature range implies lower latitude mean annual temperatures that are likely to be below the melting point of water, and thus does not favor a “warm and wet” early Mars. Seasonal temperatures at lower latitudes, however, could range above the melting point of water, perhaps explaining the concurrent development of valley networks and open basin lakes in these areas. This treatment provides an independent estimate of the polar (and non-polar) surface temperatures near the Noachian–Hesperian boundary of Mars history and implies a cold and relatively dry Mars climate, similar to the Antarctic Dry Valleys, where seasonal melting forms transient streams and permanent ice-covered lakes in an otherwise hyperarid, hypothermal climate.