Retention Zone Research Articles

Distribution and composition of floating macro litter off the Azores archipelago and Madeira (NE Atlantic) using opportunistic surveys

The distribution and composition of macro litter floating around oceanic islands is poorly known, especially in the North Atlantic. Due to its isolated location at the fringe of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre, the Azores archipelago has recently been proposed as a potential retention zone for floating litter. To further investigate this assumption, opportunistic surveys from pole-and-line tuna fishing boats were performed from 2015 to 2017 to document (1) the distribution and (2) the composition of the floating macro litter present off the Azores and Madeira islands. Among the 2406 visual transects, 482 floating debris were recorded and were mainly composed of general plastic user items (48%), plastic packaging (21%) and derelict fishing gears (18%). Average number of debris per transect was 0.19 ± 0.5, with a total number ranging between 0 and 5 items per transect. For the majority of transects (84%), no debris was observed, 13% of the transects contained a single item, and only 3% contained more than one item. Although debris between 2.5 and 5 cm were recorded, 93% of the debris were larger than 5 cm. The GLMs showed strong effect of the observer (p < 0.001) and the standardized densities accounting for the observer bias were higher (1.39 ± 0.14 items.km-2) than the observed densities (0.78 ± 0.07 items.km−2). Debris densities were however relatively low and tended to aggregate around the Central group of the Azores (standardized mean: 0.90 ± 0.20 items.km−2). Our findings therefore suggest that most of the debris might originate from far away land-based sources and from fishing activities. This study highlights the potential of fisheries observer programs to obtain cost-effective information on floating macro debris that are essential to support the implementation of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive.

Enhanced sedimentation of elongated plankton in simple flows

Negatively buoyant phytoplankton play an important role in the sequestration of CO_2 from the atmo-sphere and are fundamental to the health of the world’s fisheries. However, there is still much to discoveron transport mechanisms from the upper photosynthetic regions to the deep ocean. In contrast to intuitive expectations that mixing increases plankton residence time in light-rich regions, recent experimental and computational evidence suggests that turbulence can actually enhance sedimentation of negatively buoyant diatoms. Motivated by these studies we dissect the enhanced sedimentation mechanisms using the simplest possible two-dimensional flows, avoiding expensive computations and obfuscation. In particular, we find that in vertical shear, preferential flow alignment and aggregation in down-welling regions both increase sedimentation, whereas horizontal shear reduces the sedimentation due only to alignment. However the magnitude of the shear does not affect the sedimentation rate. In simple vertical Kolmogorov flow elongated particles also have an enhanced sedimentation speed as they spend more time in down-welling regions of the flow with vertically aligned orientation, an effect that increases with the magnitude of shear. An additional feature is identified in horizontal Kolomogorov flow, whereby the impact of shear-dependent sedimentation speed is to cause aggregation in regions of high-shear where the sedimentation speed is minimum. In cellular flow, there is an increase in mean sedimentation speed with aspect ratio and shear strength associated with aggregation in down-welling regions. Furthermore, spatially projected trajectories can intersect and give rise to chaotic dynamics, which is associated with a depletion of particles within so called retention zones.

A novel approach to assess the hydrodynamic effects of a salmon farm in a Patagonian channel: Coupling between regional ocean modeling and high resolution les simulation

The interaction between local hydrodynamics conditions and salmon cages are important in disease transmission and in the transport of waste products generated by aquaculture. We propose a modeling methodology to assess the hydrodynamic effects of a salmon farm in a Patagonian channel. The method is based on the coupling between a Coastal and Regional Ocean COmmunity model (CROCO) and a high resolution Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model. A salmon farm located in the Estero Elefantes Channel (45°39′16.50″S–73°35′59.40″W) was used as a study case. The physical coherence of the results was validated by comparison with field current velocities measured with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). The model predictions were capable of reproducing the tendencies of the variation although there were some differences in magnitude. The results showed that the hydrodynamics of the Estero Elefantes Channel is dominated by two circulation modes depending on the current direction in the adjacent Moraleda channel. Both circulation modes are characterized by a highly unstable shear flow composed by turbulent structures that interact with the salmon cages. Therefore it is not possible to select a local control volume with arbitrarily defined inlets, outlets and impermeable walls to evaluate hydrodynamic processes relevant to the salmon farms. The presence of the cages modifies the natural hydrodynamics of the channel, attenuating the intensity of the local velocity magnitude and generating recirculation and retention zones near them. However, their effect is not confined locally because the perturbations introduced by the presence of cages are propagated far from them. The transport of material discharged inside the cages was also analyzed. This information should prove useful both for producers and the aquaculture management authority.

Impact of landfill density on transport and hydraulic characteristics of recirculated leachate

ABSTRACTTo achieve a uniform water distribution and to promote the stabilization of bioreactor landfills, the effects of different density on the transport and hydraulic characteristics of recirculated leachate were studied in a Li+ tracer experiment. The landfill density was related negatively to the maximum production rate of leachate, the percentage of Li+ tracer solution and the cumulative amount of Li+ that washed out in the first recirculation round. The cumulative amount of Li+ that was washed out accounted for 92.61%, 82.07% and 75.25% of the injection volume in three waste columns (1#, 2# and 3#) with landfill densities of 497.5, 726.4 and 970.1 kg m−3 at the thirtieth recirculation, respectively. The results revealed that a greater landfill density yielded a smaller amount of Li+ that was washed out per recirculation cycle and the cumulative amount of Li+ washed out, and a longer contact time between the waste and leachate. Moreover, waste columns 1#, 2# and 3# are reactors with a high dispersion and obvious retention zones, and their Morrill Dispersion Index (MDI) values were 25.00, 34.51 and 24.55, respectively. A short-flow phenomenon is obvious in the reactor with a low landfill density. Furthermore, the plug-flow effect is relatively better in the reactor with a high landfill density. To achieve a uniform distribution of recirculated leachate in the landfill, the MDI of the reactor should be reduced combined with other measures, such as pre-crushing and different recirculation schemes.

Advection of passive scalars induced by a bay-trapped nonstationary vortex

A simple model of fluid particle advection induced by the interaction of a point vortex and incident plane flow occurring near a curved boundary is analyzed. The use of the curved boundary in this case is aimed at mimicking the geometry of an isolated bay of a circular shape. An introduction of such a boundary to the model results in the appearance of retention zones, where the vortex can be permanently trapped being either stationary or periodically oscillating. When stationary, it induces a steady velocity field that in turn ensures regular advection of nearby fluid particles. When the vortex oscillates periodically, the induced velocity field turns unsteady leading to the manifestation of chaotic advection of fluid particles. We show that the size of the fluid region engaged into chaotic advection increases almost monotonically with the increased magnitude of the vortex oscillations provided the magnitude remains relatively small. The monotonicity is accounted for the fact that the frequency of the vortex oscillations incommensurable with the proper frequency of fluid particle rotations in the steady state. Another point of interest is that it is demonstrated that bounded regions, in which the vortex may be trapped, can appear even at a significant distance from the bay. Making use of a Lagrangian indicator, examples of fluid particle advection induced by the periodic motion of the vortex inside the bay are adduced.

Coastal upwelling seasonality and variability of temperature and chlorophyll in a small coastal embayment

While the seasonality of wind-driven coastal upwelling in eastern boundary upwelling systems has long been established, many studies describe two distinct seasons (upwelling and non-upwelling), a generalized framework that does not capture details relevant to marine ecosystems. In this contribution, we present a more detailed description of the annual cycle and upwelling seasonality for an understudied location along the central California coast. Using both the mean monthly upwelling favorable wind stress and the monthly standard deviation, we define the following seasons (contiguous months) and a transitional period (non-contiguous months): “Winter Storms” season (Dec-Jan-Feb), “Upwelling Transition” period (Mar and Jun), “Peak Upwelling” season (Apr-May), “Upwelling Relaxation” season (Jul-Aug-Sep), and “Winter Transition” season (Oct-Nov). In order to describe the oceanic response to this upwelling wind seasonality, we take advantage of nearly a decade of full water-column measurements of temperature and chlorophyll made using an automated profiling system at the end of the California Polytechnic State University Pier in San Luis Obispo Bay, a small (~ 2km wide near study site) and shallow (~ 10m average bay depth) coastal embayment. Variability and average-year patterns are described inside the bay during the various upwelling seasons. Moreover, the role of the local coastline orientation and topography on bay dynamics is also assessed using long-term measurements collected outside of the bay. The formation of a seasonally variable upwelling shadow system and potential nearshore retention zone is discussed. The observations presented provide a framework on which to study interannual changes to the average-year seasonal cycle, assess the contribution of higher-frequency features to nearshore variability, and better predict dynamically and ecologically important events.

農作物根域における水分分布の観察手法の開発と分析

This paper is aiming at a new water saving technology in agricultural crop production, in which minimum water required for crop growth exist only in root zone. In this study, we confirmed the zone of water retention during the growth of plant through observations of plant growth and soil water retention. This paper reported the basic concepts and methodology of this technology which controls moisture only in root zone, and also reported the method to observe the soil water retention and plant growth while conducting this water saving technology. The results and knowledge obtained from the experiment were then discussed.

Two‐Phase Exhumation of the Santa Rosa Mountains: Low‐ and High‐Angle Normal Faulting During Initiation and Evolution of the Southern San Andreas Fault System

AbstractLow‐angle detachment fault systems are important elements of oblique‐divergent plate boundaries, yet the role detachment faulting plays in the development of such boundaries is poorly understood. The West Salton Detachment Fault (WSDF) is a major low‐angle normal fault that formed coeval with localization of the Pacific‐North America plate boundary in the northern Salton Trough, CA. Apatite U‐Th/He thermochronometry (AHe; n = 29 samples) and thermal history modeling of samples from the Santa Rosa Mountains (SRM) reveal that initial exhumation along the WSDF began at circa 8 Ma, exhuming footwall material from depths of &gt;2 to 3 km. An uplifted fossil (Miocene) helium partial retention zone is present in the eastern SRM, while a deeper crustal section has been exhumed along the Pleistocene high‐angle Santa Rosa Fault (SFR) to much higher elevations in the southwest SRM. Detachment‐related vertical exhumation rates in the SRM were ~0.15–0.36 km/Myr, with maximum fault slip rates of ~1.2–3.0 km/Myr. Miocene AHe isochrons across the SRM are consistent with northeast crustal tilting of the SRM block and suggest that the post‐WSDF vertical exhumation rate along the SRF was ~1.3 km/Myr. The timing of extension initiation in the Salton Trough suggests that clockwise rotation of relative plate motions that began at 8 Ma is associated with initiation of the southern San Andreas system. Pleistocene regional tectonic reorganization was contemporaneous with an abrupt transition from low‐ to high‐angle faulting and indicates that local fault geometry may at times exert a fundamental control on rock uplift rates along strike‐slip fault systems.

River beads as a conceptual framework for building carbon storage and resilience to extreme climate events into river management

River beads refer to retention zones within a river network that typically occur within wider, lower gradient segments of the river valley. In lowland, floodplain rivers that have been channelized and leveed, beads can also be segments of the river in which engineering has not reduced lateral channel mobility and channel-floodplain connectivity. Decades of channel engineering and flow regulation have reduced the spatial heterogeneity and associated ecosystem functions of beads occurring throughout river networks from headwaters to large, lowland rivers. We discuss the processes that create and maintain spatial heterogeneity within river beads, including examples of beads along mountain streams of the Southern Rockies in which large wood and beaver dams are primary drivers of heterogeneity. We illustrate how spatial heterogeneity of channels and floodplains within beads facilitates storage of organic carbon; retention of water, solutes, sediment, and particulate organic matter; nutrient uptake; biomass and biodiversity; and resilience to disturbance. We conclude by discussing the implications of river beads for understanding solute and particulate organic matter dynamics within river networks and the implications for river management. We also highlight gaps in current understanding of river form and function related to river beads. River beads provide an example of how geomorphic understanding of river corridor form and process can be used to restore retention and resilience within human-altered river networks.

Metal accumulation in sediments and amphipods downstream of combined sewer overflows

The aim of this study was to investigate the concentrations of the metals Ag, Cd, Cu, Mn, Mo, Pb, Pt and Zn in sediments and amphipods along a 100m transect downstream of three different combined sewer overflows (CSOs). Moreover, the study was implemented to better understand the biological availability of metals downstream of CSOs as well as to identify a potential risk of CSOs for benthic or pelagic biota. Samples were taken at downstream sampling sites, which were 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100m away from the outlets of the CSOs. An upstream-located sampling site each was used as reference for the respective transect. Additionally, sediments in two retention zones, located between the CSOs and the receiving creeks were analyzed. All downstream located creek sediments showed a similar metal pattern. Metal concentrations were found to be highest within the first 20m of the creek sediments. Elevated metal concentrations were also detected in the sediments of the retention zones. Metal accumulation in the amphipods was different at all three locations, but highest levels were always found downstream of the sediment accumulation hot spots. This might indicate that the metals were remobilized and became available for the amphipods further downstream of the CSOs.Although the general contamination pattern with respect to each reference site was similar, the degree of contamination was different at each location as demonstrated by anthropogenic enrichment factors. The discharge frequency as well as anthropogenic influences from upper reaches appear to be the most important factors for high metal concentrations in the sediments. Accordingly, in one case high background concentrations in combination with the CSO lead to an exceedance of the predicted effect level of Zn for aquatic organisms. Therefore, sediment contamination should be included in risk assessment when constructing CSOs to protect aquatic life.

Helium trapping in apatite damage: Insights from (U-Th-Sm)/He dating of different granitoid lithologies

Apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He (AHe) thermochronometry is widely used to constrain thermal histories and rates of tectonic, exhumation, and erosion processes. However, data interpretation is often challenging, especially when the thermal history includes extended residence time in the He partial retention zone (HePRZ), with highly dispersed dates revealing the complexity of diffusion processes in natural systems. This study investigates chemical and physical factors that may have impacted He diffusion in apatite over long timescales in a context of protracted residence in the HePRZ. Nine samples from the Ploumanac'h pluton and North Tregor (Armorican Massif, France) were collected in granitoids, differing in petrography and chemisty. This area was chosen because these samples underwent a similar thermal history since ~300Ma. We report new (U-Th-Sm)/He dates, along with apatite fission-track (AFT) data, as well as lithological and chemical characterization. The results show dispersed (U-Th-Sm)/He dates, ranging from 87±7 to 291±23Ma, whereas central AFT dates vary from 142±6 to 199±9Ma. Current predictive models for He diffusion and fission-track annealing in apatite could not reproduce the two datasets together. However, this apparent discrepancy gives insight into the parameters influencing He diffusion at geological timescales. The data confirm that radiation damage enhances He trapping, as the AHe dates are positively correlated to effective uranium (eU) concentration. The He age dispersion for constant eU content cannot be explained just by variations in grain size or chemical composition. To explore the potential influence of recoil damage trapping behavior and annealing kinetics on AHe dates, we tested a new diffusion model from Gerin et al. (2017). Given the expected model of the thermal history provided by AFT inversion, we investigated the influence of the trapping energy on AHe dates. The AHe date variations can be explained only if the trapping energy evolves from one crystal to another, increasing with the amount of damage. For a given trapping energy, minor variations in the recoil-damage annealing rate can consistently explain most of the remaining dispersion of the AHe dates.

Has dyke development in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta shifted flood hazard downstream?

Abstract. In the Vietnamese part of the Mekong Delta (VMD) the areas with three rice crops per year have been expanded rapidly during the last 15 years. Paddy-rice cultivation during the flood season has been made possible by implementing high-dyke flood defenses and flood control structures. However, there are widespread claims that the high-dyke system has increased water levels in downstream areas. Our study aims at resolving this issue by attributing observed changes in flood characteristics to high-dyke construction and other possible causes. Maximum water levels and duration above the flood alarm level are analysed for gradual trends and step changes at different discharge gauges. Strong and robust increasing trends of peak water levels and duration downstream of the high-dyke areas are found with a step change in 2000/2001, i.e. immediately after the disastrous flood which initiated the high-dyke development. These changes are in contrast to the negative trends detected at stations upstream of the high-dyke areas. This spatially different behaviour of changes in flood characteristics seems to support the public claims. To separate the impact of the high-dyke development from the impact of the other drivers – i.e. changes in the flood hydrograph entering the Mekong Delta, and changes in the tidal dynamics – hydraulic model simulations of the two recent large flood events in 2000 and 2011 are performed. The hydraulic model is run for a set of scenarios whereas the different drivers are interchanged. The simulations reveal that for the central VMD an increase of 9–13 cm in flood peak and 15 days in duration can be attributed to high-dyke development. However, for this area the tidal dynamics have an even larger effect in the range of 19–32 cm. However, the relative contributions of the three drivers of change vary in space across the delta. In summary, our study confirms the claims that the high-dyke development has raised the flood hazard downstream. However, it is not the only and not the most important driver of the observed changes. It has to be noted that changes in tidal levels caused by sea level rise in combination with the widely observed land subsidence and the temporal coincidence of high water levels and spring tides have even larger impacts. It is recommended to develop flood risk management strategies using the high-dyke areas as retention zones to mitigate the flood hazard downstream.

Westernmost Grand Canyon incision: Testing thermochronometric resolution

The timing of carving of Grand Canyon has been debated for over 100 years with competing endmember hypotheses advocating for either a 70 Ma (“old”) or <6 Ma (“young”) Grand Canyon. Several geological constraints appear to support a “young” canyon model, but thermochronometric measures of cooling history and corresponding estimates of landscape evolution have been in debate. In particular, 4He/3He thermochronometric data record the distribution of radiogenic 4He (from the 238U, 235U and 232Th decay series) within an individual apatite crystal and thus are highly sensitive to the thermal history corresponding to landscape evolution. However, there are several complicating factors that make interpreting such data challenging in geologic scenarios involving reheating. Here, we analyze new data that provide measures of the cooling of basement rocks at the base of westernmost Grand Canyon, and use these data as a testbed for exploring the resolving power and limitations of 4He/3He data in general. We explore a range of thermal histories and find that these data are most consistent with a “young” Grand Canyon. A problem with the recovered thermal history, however, is that burial temperatures are under predicted based on sedimentological evidence. A solution to this problem is to increase the resistance of alpha recoil damage to annealing, thus modifying He diffusion kinetics, allowing for higher temperatures throughout the thermal history. This limitation in quantifying radiation damage (and hence crystal retentivity) introduces non-uniqueness to interpreting time–temperature paths in rocks that resided in the apatite helium partial retention zone for long durations. Another source of non-uniqueness, is due to unknown U and Th distributions within crystals. We show that for highly zoned with a decrease in effective U of 20 ppm over the outer 80% of the radius of the crystal, the 4He/3He data could be consistent with an “old” canyon model. To reduce this non-uniqueness, we obtain U and Th zonation information for separate crystals from the same rock sample through LA-ICP-MS analysis. The observed U and Th distributions are relatively uniform and not strongly zoned, thus supporting a “young” canyon model interpretation of the 4He/3He data. Furthermore, we show that for the mapped zonation, the difference between predicted 4He/3He data for a uniform crystal and a 3D model of the crystal are minimal, highlighting that zonation is unlikely to lead us to falsely infer an “old” Grand Canyon.

Persistence of trophic hotspots and relation to human impacts within an upwelling marine ecosystem.

Human impacts (e.g., fishing, pollution, and shipping) on pelagic ecosystems are increasing, causing concerns about stresses on marine food webs. Maintaining predator-prey relationships through protection of pelagic hotspots is crucial for conservation and management of living marine resources. Biotic components of pelagic, plankton-based, ecosystems exhibit high variability in abundance in time and space (i.e., extreme patchiness), requiring investigation of persistence of abundance across trophic levels to resolve trophic hotspots. Using a 26-yr record of indicators for primary production, secondary (zooplankton and larval fish), and tertiary (seabirds) consumers, we show distributions of trophic hotspots in the southern California Current Ecosystem result from interactions between a strong upwelling center and a productive retention zone with enhanced nutrients, which concentrate prey and predators across multiple trophic levels. Trophic hotspots also overlap with human impacts, including fisheries extraction of coastal pelagic and groundfish species, as well as intense commercial shipping traffic. Spatial overlap of trophic hotspots with fisheries and shipping increases vulnerability of the ecosystem to localized depletion of forage fish, ship strikes on marine mammals, and pollution. This study represents a critical step toward resolving pelagic areas of high conservation interest for planktonic ecosystems and may serve as a model for other ocean regions where ecosystem-based management and marine spatial planning of pelagic ecosystems is warranted.

Large wood clogging during floods in a gravel‐bed river: the Długopole bridge in the Czarny Dunajec River, Poland

AbstractDuring floods, large quantities of wood can be mobilized and transported downstream. At critical sections, such as bridges, the transported wood might be entrapped and a quick succession of backwater effects can occur as a result of the reduction of the cross‐sectional area. The aim of this work is to explore large wood‐related hazards during floods in the gravel‐bed river Czarny Dunajec (Polish Carpathians), where the river flows through the village of Długopole. This work is based on the numerical modelling of large wood transport together with flow dynamics in which inlet and boundary conditions were designed based on field observations. The exploratory approach developed in this study uses multiple scenarios (193) to analyse the factors controlling bridge clogging: wood size, wood supply, flow conditions, morphology and obstacles in the riverbed. Results highlighted the strong control of log length (stronger than that of log diameter) on potential blockage probability; however, according to our results the main factor controlling bridge clogging was the flood discharge. River morphology and wood supply play an important role as well. The river morphology may reduce bridge blockage, as it influences flow velocity and depth, and creates natural retention zones for wood. In addition, the impacts of bridge blockage were analysed in terms of afflux depth and length, and flooded area. Results showed that bridge blockage may result in a significant increase in water depth (up to 0.7 m) and flooded area (up to 33% more), therefore increasing flood risk in the village. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Prevention of neurological injuries during mandibular third molar surgery: technical notes.

Surgery to the mandibular third molar is common, and injuries to the inferior alveolar nerve and the lingual nerve are well-recognized complications of this procedure. The aim of these technical notes is to describe operative measures for reducing neurological complications during mandibular third molar surgery. The following procedure should be used to prevent damage to the inferior alveolar nerve: a well-designed mucoperiosteal flap, to obtain appropriate access to the surgical area; a conservative ostectomy on the distal and distal-lingual side; tooth sectioning, to facilitate its removal by decreasing the retention zones; tooth dislocation in the path of withdrawal imposed by the curvature of the root apex; and careful socket debridement, when the roots of the extracted tooth are in intimate contact with the mandibular canal. To prevent injury to the lingual nerve, it is important (I) to assess the integrity of the mandibular inner cortex and exclude the presence of fenestration, which could cause the dislocation of the tooth or its fragment into the sublingual or submandibular space; (II) to avoid inappropriate or excessive dislocation proceedings, in order to prevent lingual cortex fracture; (III) to perform horizontal mesial-distal crown sectioning of the lingually inclined tooth; (IV) to protect the lingual flap with a retractor showing the cortical ridge; and (V) to pass the suture not too apically and from the inner side in a buccal-lingual direction in the retromolar area.

Lagrangian Coherent Structures in a coastal upwelling environment

A unique spatiotemporal perspective of evolving surface currents off the northern California coast is provided with Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs) determined from attracting Finite-Time Lyapunov Exponents (FTLEs). The FTLEs are calculated from hourly 2-D surface current velocities obtained with HF radars. Attracting FTLE field maxima can identify confluence and shear in flows which can be useful in mapping dynamics associated with fronts. FTLE and SST fields are compared during three time periods in 2009: late March, early September, and late September. During strong upwelling-favorable winds in late March the FTLE and SST fields were not strongly related indicating that frontal dynamics were not strongly influencing surface circulation. Exceptions to this occurred when FTLE ridges calculated from a shorter integration period captured the evolution of a cold water filament and when a FTLE ridge migrated offshore along with an upwelling front. During the two September cases an improved relationship between the FTLE and SST fields was found although occasionally they became shifted. The shifts occurred when the FTLE integration period spanned backwards in time through periods of relaxed and upwelling-favorable winds. This suggests that frontal dynamics captured by LCSs during relaxed winds can subsequently become advected after the onset of wind-forcing by a surface mixed layer decoupled from stably stratified water below the surface mixed layer. Additionally, the LCSs were found to be useful in mapping the origin and destination of surface trajectories, the confluence associated with a persistent eddy-like feature, and retention zones off coastal promontories.

Miocene slip history of the Eagle Eye detachment fault, Harquahala Mountains metamorphic core complex, west-central Arizona

The structural and thermal evolution of major low-angle normal faults in the Colorado River extensional corridor has been a controversial topic since the pioneering studies of metamorphic core complexes in the early 1980s. We present new geo-thermochronometry data from the Harquahala Mountains in west-central Arizona to determine the timing of extension, displacement magnitude, and slip rates along the Eagle Eye detachment fault (EED) during large-magnitude Miocene extension. Zircon and apatite (U-Th)/He data (ZHe and AHe, respectively) from 31 samples along a ~55 km extension-parallel transect indicate active slip along the EED occurred between ~21 ± 1 Ma until ~14 Ma. The spatial extent of ZHe ages and exhumation of the zircon partial retention zone indicated ~44 ± 2 km of total displacement, whereas lithologic similarity and identical U-Pb ages between correlated footwall rocks in the Little Harquahala Mountains and breccia clasts at Bullard Peak in the NE Harcuvar Mountains indicated ~43-45 km of displacement across the EED. AHe and ZHe data indicated slip rates of ~6.7 + 7.8/-2.3 km/Myr, and ~6.6 + 7.1/-2.0 km/Myr, respectively, both consistent with the duration and displacement estimates. The EED initiated as a listric fault with an ~34 ± 9° dip that decreased to ~13 ± 5° below ~7 km depth. Secondary breakaway development and footwall exposure occurred by ~17 Ma, during active EED slip. Lithologic and geo-thermochronometric offset constraints show excellent agreement and provided a rare opportunity to fully resolve the timing, rates, and total displacement magnitudes along a major continental detachment fault.

Impact of anthropogenic geochemical change and aquifer geology on groundwater phosphorus concentrations

Geologic and geochemical variations across a 4200 km2 area of south-central Wisconsin (USA) were used to examine their relationship to phosphorus concentrations in groundwater from more than four hundred private water supply wells. Surficial geology in the study area ranged from Cambrian sandstones to Ordovician dolomites. Groundwater phosphorus concentrations were higher in aquifers of older Cambrian age compared to the concentrations in aquifers of younger Cambrian and Ordovician age. Because iron concentrations were relatively low in these waters and agricultural land use was similar in all geologic regions, we propose that the differences in bedrock phosphorus and anthropogenic geochemical impacts explain the differences in phosphorus concentrations between aquifers. Within the older Cambrian aquifers, groundwater phosphorus concentrations were elevated in groundwater with higher nitrate-nitrogen concentrations. This finding is consistent with the presence of phosphorus within sediment in these strata and geologic conditions that weakly buffered pH reduction from anthropogenic acidification. In contrast, groundwater phosphorus concentrations in younger Cambrian and Ordovician aquifers were not elevated in samples with higher nitrate. Anthropogenic acidification in these carbonate-rich aquifers was neutralized through increased carbonate weathering, which led to higher groundwater calcium and alkalinity and would limit the dissolution of phosphate-rich minerals, such as apatite, where present. Low iron concentrations observed in most samples suggest that the phosphorus release in the Cambrian strata occurs beyond the zone of secondary mineral retention in the soil. These results have important implications for the eutrophication of inland surface waters in areas with bedrock phosphorus and anthropogenic acidity that is not neutralized before it contacts phosphatic rock.

From ocean depths to mountain tops: Uplift of the Troodos ophiolite (Cyprus) constrained by low‐temperature thermochronology and geomorphic analysis

AbstractThe timing and mode of uplift of the Troodos ophiolite are constrained by low‐temperature thermochronology combined with geomorphic analysis. Zircon (U‐Th)/He and apatite fission track cooling ages in the Troodos plutonic sequence are all Cretaceous (83–106 Ma) and within error of published zircon U‐Pb crystallization ages. This indicates early cooling of the oceanic crust and termination of spreading axis magmatism at ~90 Ma. Apatite (U‐Th)/He ages decrease with reconstructed crustal depths from ~40 Ma near the top of the sheeted‐dike complex to ~4 Ma within the mantle sequence. A prominent inflection point in the age versus depth curve defines the bottom of the exhumed helium partial retention zone and records the onset of rapid exhumation of the main Troodos massif at 6 ± 2 Ma. Inverse thermal modeling supports this conclusion, indicating that the timing of uplift is earlier than previously estimated. The boundaries of the mantle sequence exposed in the core of the Troodos structure closely overlap the boundaries of a concentric zone delineated by high local relief and higher channel steepness indices, indicating differential exhumation and uplift of this area relative to its surroundings. This zone also overlaps with a prominent negative Bouguer gravity anomaly. The timing and pattern of the Troodos ophiolite uplift suggest that it is driven by serpentinite diapirism, possibly triggered by Miocene reactivation of subduction along the Cyprean Arc. The worldwide ubiquity of suprasubduction zone ophiolites may thus reflect the importance of extensive serpentinization at the overthrusting mantle wedge in obduction processes.