Levi, Giovanni. "Les usages de la biographie", en: Annales ESC, vol. 44, no 6, EHESS, París, 1989, pp. 1325-1336

Fil: Banzato, Guillermo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación. Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (UNLP-CONICET); Argentina.

Levi, Giovanni. "Les usages de la biographie", en: Annales ESC, vol. 44, no 6, EHESS, París, 1989, pp. 1325-1336

Fil: Banzato, Guillermo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educación. Instituto de Investigaciones en Humanidades y Ciencias Sociales (UNLP-CONICET); Argentina.

Strontium concentrations and isotopic compositions of anhydrites from the TAG active mound

Sr isotope analyses have been conducted on anhydrite samples from the TAG (Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse) active hydrothermal mound (26°08?N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge) that have previously been shown to exhibit two distinct patterns of REE behavior when normalized to TAG end-member hydrothermal fluid. Despite differences in REE patterns, the Sr isotope data indicate that all the anhydrites precipitated from fluids with a similar range of hydrothermal fluid and seawater components, and all but one were seawater-dominated (52%-75%). Speciation calculations using the EQ3/6 software package for geochemical modeling of aqueous systems suggest that the REE complexation behavior in different fluid mixing scenarios can explain the variations in the REE patterns. Anhydrites that exhibit relatively flat REE patterns [(La_bs)/(Yb_bs) = 0.8-2.0; subscript bs indicates normalization to end-member black smoker hydrothermal fluid] and a small or no Eu anomaly [(Eu_bs)/(Eu*_bs) = 0.8-2.0] are inferred to have precipitated from mixes of end-member hydrothermal fluid and cold seawater. REE complexes with hard ligands (e.g., fluoride and chloride) are less stable at low temperatures and trivalent Eu has an ionic radius similar to that of Ca2+ and the other REE, and so they behave coherently. In contrast, anhydrites that exhibit slight LREE-depletion [(La_bs)/(Yb_bs) = 0.4-1.4] and a distinct negative anomaly [(Eu_bs)/(Eu*_bs) = 0.2-0.8] are inferred to have precipitated from mixes of end-member hydrothermal fluid and conductively heated seawater. The LREE depletion results from the presence of very stable LREE chloro-complexes that effectively limit the availability of the LREE for partitioning into anhydrite. Above 250°C, Eu is present only in divalent form as chloride complexes, and discrimination against Eu2+ is likely due to both the mismatch in ionic radii between Eu2+ and Ca2+, and the strong chloro-complexation of divalent Eu which promotes stability in the fluid and inhibits partitioning of Eu2+ into precipitating anhydrite. These variations in REE behavior attest to rapid fluctuations in thermal regime, fluid flow and mixing in the subsurface of the TAG mound that give rise to heterogeneity in the formation conditions of individual anhydrite crystals.

A comprehensive analysis of tidal notches in the Mediterranean Sea

Recent works (Evelpidou et al., 2012) suggest that the modern tidal notch is disappearing worldwide due sea level rise over the last century. In order to assess this hypothesis, we measured modern tidal notches in several of sites along the Mediterranean coasts. We report observations on tidal notches cut along carbonate coasts from 73 sites from Italy, France, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, Malta and Spain, plus additional observations carried outside the Mediterranean. At each site, we measured notch width and depth, and we described the characteristics of the biological rim at the base of the notch. We correlated these parameters with wave energy, tide gauge datasets and rock lithology. Our results suggest that, considering 'the development of tidal notches the consequence of midlittoral bioerosion' (as done in Evelpidou et al., 2012) is a simplification that can lead to misleading results, such as stating that notches are disappearing. Important roles in notch formation can be also played by wave action, rate of karst dissolution, salt weathering and wetting and drying cycles. Of course notch formation can be augmented and favoured also by bioerosion which can, in particular cases, be the main process of notch formation and development. Our dataset shows that notches are carved by an ensemble rather than by a single process, both today and in the past, and that it is difficult, if not impossible, to disentangle them and establish which one is prevailing. We therefore show that tidal notches are still forming, challenging the hypothesis that sea level rise has drowned them.