123 resultados para Surface-areas


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Fluctuations in the length of 72 glaciers in the Northern and Southern Patagonia Icefield (NPI and SPI, respectively) and the Cordillera Darwin Icefield (CDI) were estimated between 1945 and 2005. The information obtained from historical maps based on 1945 aerial photographs was compared to ASTER and Landsat satellite images and to information found in the literature. The majority of glaciers have retreated considerably, with maximum values of 12.2 km for Marinelli Glacier in the CDI, 11.6 km for O'Higgins Glacier in the SPI and 5.7 km for San Rafael Glacier in the NPI. Among the 20 glaciers that have retreated the most relative to their size, small (less than 50 km**2) and medium (between 50 and 200 km**2) glaciers are the most affected. However, no direct relation between glacier retreat and size was found for the 72 glaciers studied. The highest percentage retreat in the CDI was by the CDI-03 Glacier (37.9%) and Marinelli Glacier (37.6%). In the SPI, relative retreats were heterogeneous and fluctuated between 27.2% (Amelia Glacier) and 0.4% (Viedma Glacier). In the NPI, relative retreat was very high for Strindberg and Cachet glaciers (35.9% and 27.6%, respectively) but for the remaining glaciers in this icefield it ranged between 11.8% (Piscis Glacier) and 3.6% (San Quintin Glacier). In addition to surface area, the surface slope (calculated on the basis of the DEM SRTM) was also related to the relative retreat and no straightforward relation was found. From a global point of view, we suggest that glacier retreat in the region is controlled firstly by atmospheric warming, as it has been reported in this area. Besides the general increase in temperature observed, no signal of a geographical pattern for the fluctuations in glacier length was found. Consequently, glaciers appear to initially react to local conditions most probably induced by their exposition, geometry and hypsometry. The heterogeneity of rates of retreat suggests that differences in basin geometry, glacier dynamics and response time are key features to explain fluctuations of each glacier.

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Samples from sutface sediments of the shell, continental slope, and adjacent deep sea regions off West Africa between 27° N and 15° N were investigated with respect to grain size distribution of the total samples, sand contents of the acid insoluble residues, carbonate content of the total samples, and the separate grain size fractions, specific surfaces, colours and mineralogical composition of the clay fractions. The grain size distributions of the total samples of the sediments of the shelf and the continental slope off Spanish-Sahara are controlled mainly by biogenic components. The supply of terrigeneous material in this area is very low. At deeper parts of the continental slope and in the deep sea areas, the relative amounts of carbonate minerals in the sediments are considerably reduced. The prevailing sand contents of the upper slope changes into clay dominance. On the shelf of Mauritania - represented by profiles extending down to 200 m water depth - the grain size is also controlled mainly by biogenic carbonates. Nevertheless, the admixture of fossil silicate components is important, too. The southern parts of the area is investigated are located in a region influenced by sediments of the Senegal River, which especially control the contents of silt and clay. The silicate sands, predominately of quartz, are fossil and form a mixed sediment with younger deposits. The carbonate contents of the different grain size fractions are formed either by sedimentation of carbonate and silicate particles of the respective grain size or by autochtonous disintegration of coarser sediment particles, as shown by the occurence of Mg-rich calcite and especially aragonite in the clay sized fraction. In the northern parts of the area investigated, which have very minute terrigeneous supply, the latter mechanism is the dominant factor, controlling the carbonate contents of the fine grain sized fractions. In the vicinity of the mouth of the Senegal the carbonate contents are influenced by extremely high dilution with terrigencous silicates. Mg-rich calcite and aragonite are produced preferentially in shallow slope and shelf areas up to 500 m of water depth. The specific surfaces of the carbonate-free clay fractions indicate that the clay fractions of the shelfareas with little terrigenous supply consits of relatively coarser particles. Very fine particles are removed and transported towards the deep sea. Lateral differentiation of this kind was not observed in the area off Senegal. The high surface areas, characterizing the clay fractions of this region, are thought to be due to high montmorillonite contents as was found for deep seas sediments. The mineralogical composition of the clay fraction from the southern parts of the area is characterized by high kaolinite and montmorillonite contents, while in the northern illite is predominating. At least two types of montmorillionites are present: in areas influenced by the Senegal mostly one type was found, which could swell to 17; on the shelves and slopes of the other regions the montmorillonite-group is represented by a montmorillonite-mica-type mixed-layer mineral. A "glauconite", found in the sand fraction, which had very similar properties to those of the montmorillonite-mica mixed-layer, is believed to be the source of this mixed-layer-type mineral. Palygorskite is present in all samples out of range of the Senegal supply. It may be an indicator of eolian transported material. The occurence of rich palygorskit deposits in the arid hinterlands emphasizes the terrestrial origin.

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Coastal zones of the Humboldt Current Upwelling System (HCUS) are composed both of rocky and sandy beaches inhabited by macrozoobenthic communities. These show oscillating changes in the dominance of species; the abundance of the sand crab Emerita analoga is linked to phases of the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The biogenic surfaces of these crabs serve as substrate for opportunistic colonizers. This study is the first record of an epibiosis between E. analoga and the rock mussel Semimytilus algosus, detected at a southern Peruvian sandy beach. Mussels fouled a wide size-range of adult E. analoga (7.3%) but they themselves belonged to small-size classes. The largest S. algosus was 17.4 mm in length. Highest permanence of epibionts was found on larger sand crabs (maximum between 24 and 27 mm). Significantly more mussels were found on the ventral surface (39.4%) compared to 10 other surface areas of the sand crab. Possible benefits and disadvantages of the observed epibiosis for both the basibiont and the epibiont are discussed.

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Photogrammetric surveys have been made and maps drawn of a number of glaciers in the eastern Alps, among them the Waxeggkees in the Zillertal Alps of Tyrol, at approximately ten-year intervals since 1950. Terrestrial photogrammetry was used for the pictures taken in 1950, 1960, 1980, 1989 and 2000, while aerial photogrammetry was employed for the 1969 photo. These maps were subsequently used to calculate the changes in area, elevation and volume for elevational zones of 50 m. The numeric values are given in two tables. The illustration of surface changes in Waxeggkees is continued cartographically on 5 map sheets at the scale of 1 : 15.000 and a vertical interval of the contour lines of 50 m. Changes in glacier area are marked in light red to indicate a decrease in area, and in light blue for an increase. Changes in elevation can only be indicated indirectly, namely in the form of vertical interval bands, referring to the surface areas that arise due to the relocation of the contour lines, resulting from an elevational change. Decrease in elevation is indicated in red, increase in blue, on 100 m contour lines.

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Two water samples and two sediment samples taken in 1965 by the R. V. "Meteor" in the area of the hot salt brine of the Atlantis II-Deep were chemically investigated, and in addition the sediment samples were subjected to X-ray and optical analysis. The investigation of the sulfur-isotope-ratios showed the same values for all water samples. This information combined with the Ca-sulfate solubility data leads us to conclude that, for the most part, the sulfate content of the salt brine resulted from mixing along the boundary with the normal seawater. In this boundary area gypsum or anhydrite is formed which sinks down to the deeper layers of the salt brine where it is redisolved when the water becomes undersaturated. In the laboratory, formation of CaS04 precipitate resulted from both the reheating of the water sample from the uppermost zone of the salt brine to the in-situ-temperature as well as by the mixing of the water sample with normal Red Sea water. The iron and manganese delivered by the hot spring is separated within the area of the salt brine by their different redox-potentials. Iron is sedimented to a high amount within the salt brine, while, as evidenced by its small amounts in all sediment samples, the more easily reducible manganese is apparently carried out of the area before sedimentation can take place. The very good layering of the salt brine may be the result of the rough bottom topography with its several progressively higher levels allowing step-like enlargements of the surface areas of each successive layer. Each enlargement results in larger boundary areas along which more effective heat transfer and mixing with the next layer is possible. In the sediment samples up to 37.18% Fe is found, mostly bound as very poorly crystallized iron hydroxide. Pyrite is present in only very small amounts. We assume that the copper is bound mostly as sulfide, while the zinc is most likely present in an other form. The sulfur-isotope-investigations indicate that the sulfur in the sediment, bound as pyrite and sulfides, is not a result of bacterical sulfate-reduction in the iron-rich mud of the Atlantis II-Deep, but must have been brought up with the hot brine.

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Two main mechanisms are controlling the accumulation of organic matter in the sediments of the Kara Sea. The large rivers Ob and Yenisei supply significant quantities of freshwater onto the shelf (Lisitsyn and Vinogradov, 1995; Bobrovitskaya et al., 1996; Johnson et al., 1997) and deliver terrigenous organie matter and aquatic algae. Additionally, marine organic matter is produced in the water column. In order to distinguish between the different sources of the organic material maceral analysis, organic-geochemical bulk Parameters and biomarkers (short- and long-chain D-alkanes, fatty acids and pigments) were used to determine the quality (marine vs. terrigenous) and quantity of the organic carbon fraction in the surface sediments taken during the 28th cruise of RV Akademik Boris Petrov (Matthiessen and Stepanets, 1998) (Fig. 1). Previous organic-geochemical investigations (i.e., total organic-carbon content (TOC), hydrogen indices (Hl), CIN-ratios) indicate the importance of terrigenous input of organic matter (Galimov et al., 1996; Stein, 1996). Studies of lipid biomarkers in surface sediments in the Ob estuary show also a predominance of terrestrial constituents and an increase in planktonogenic and bacterial lipids further offshore (Belyaeva and Eglinton, 1997). In complex systems such as the Eurasian continental margin characterized by high input of terrestriallaquatic organic matter and strong seasonal variation in sea-ice Cover and primary productivity, the Interpretation of the organic geochemical data is much more complicated and restricted in comparison to similar data Sets from low-latitude open-ocean environments (Fahl and Stein, 1998). Microscopical studies (maceral analysisl palynology), however, allow a direct visual inspection of the particulate organic matter and allow to differentiate particles of different biological sources. Thus, a combination of both methods as shown in this study, yields a more precise identification of organic-carbon sources.