Descent toward the Icehouse: Eocene sea surface cooling inferred from GDGT distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inglis, Gordon N.; Farnsworth, Alexander; Lunt, Daniel; Foster, Gavin L.; Hollis, Christopher J.; Pagani, Mark; Jardine, Phillip E.; Pearson, Paul N.; Markwick, Paul; Galsworthy, Amanda M. J.; Raynham, Lauren; Taylor, Kyle. W. R.; Pancost, Richard D.

2015-07-01

The TEX86 proxy, based on the distribution of marine isoprenoidal glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether lipids (GDGTs), is increasingly used to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST) during the Eocene epoch (56.0-33.9 Ma). Here we compile published TEX86 records, critically reevaluate them in light of new understandings in TEX86 palaeothermometry, and supplement them with new data in order to evaluate long-term temperature trends in the Eocene. We investigate the effect of archaea other than marine Thaumarchaeota upon TEX86 values using the branched-to-isoprenoid tetraether index (BIT), the abundance of GDGT-0 relative to crenarchaeol (%GDGT-0), and the Methane Index (MI). We also introduce a new ratio, %GDGTRS, which may help identify Red Sea-type GDGT distributions in the geological record. Using the offset between TEX86H and TEX86L (ΔH-L) and the ratio between GDGT-2 and GDGT-3 ([2]/[3]), we evaluate different TEX86 calibrations and present the first integrated SST compilation for the Eocene (55 to 34 Ma). Although the available data are still sparse some geographic trends can now be resolved. In the high latitudes (>55°), there was substantial cooling during the Eocene (~6°C). Our compiled record also indicates tropical cooling of ~2.5°C during the same interval. Using an ensemble of climate model simulations that span the Eocene, our results indicate that only a small percentage (~10%) of the reconstructed temperature change can be ascribed to ocean gateway reorganization or paleogeographic change. Collectively, this indicates that atmospheric carbon dioxide (pCO2) was the likely driver of surface water cooling during the descent toward the icehouse.

Oh Magadi! Interpreting isoGDGTs and n-alkanes in a saline tropical lake: Lake Magadi, Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferland, T. M.; Werne, J. P.; Castañeda, I. S.; Cohen, A. S.; Lowenstein, T. K.; Deocampo, D.; Renaut, R.; Bernhart, O. R.

2017-12-01

The Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project (HSPDP) seeks to understand the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental context of hominin adaptation and evolution by analysis of paleolacustrine cores taken near key hominin fossil and artifact localities in Kenya and Ethiopia. We present biomarker and compound specific isotope data from a 200 m drill core from Lake Magadi, Kenya. Located 20 km from the Koora Plain in the southern Kenya Rift, and adjacent to the Olorgesailie basin, Lake Magadi is in one of the richest Early-Late Pleistocene archaeological localities in Africa, a region that has been key in debates about the relationship between climate and evolution. Present-day Lake Magadi is a saline pan, a descendant of a series of paleolakes that have occupied its drainage basin and progressively dried for approximately one million years. Nearly 70% of samples analyzed for n-alkanes recorded a robust terrestrial signal. The majority of samples did not contain the complete suite of branched GDGTs necessary to reconstruct temperature from the Methylation of Branched Tetraethers and Cyclisation of Branched Tetraethers (MBT/CBT; Weijers et al., 2007) proxy. The TetraEther indeX with 86 carbon atoms (TEX86; Schouten et al., 2002) temperature proxy was established for 90% of samples analyzed for isoGDGTs, however the Methane and Ring Indices (Zhang et al., 2011; Zhang et al., 2016) suggest that the TEX86 is not applicable to temperature reconstruction at Magadi. Despite this, the Magadi TEX86 temperature reconstruction appears to agree with not only the trends in our n-alkane data but with other regional and global records, including the GRIP-2 δ18O record. We compare our temperature data to other records in the region, and investigate influences on our TEX86 data including microbial community turnover and lake drying.

Who’s on top? SST proxy comparison from the Peru Margin Upwelling System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chazen, C.; Herbert, T.; Altabet, M. A.

2009-12-01

The Peru Margin upwelling region is situated at the interface between the poleward Peru Undercurrent and the equatorward Peru Coastal current. Strong coastal winds force cold, nutrient-rich thermocline waters to the surface. Sea surface temperatures in this region fluctuate sub-annually with changes in the position of the Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and sub-decadally with modifications in the strength of Walker Circulation. In contrast, the temperature of the Peru Margin thermocline is stable, isolated from surface winds and slow to respond to major perturbations in surface temperature. Using high resolution sampling (6-7 year) across an annually laminated sediment core from the heart of the Peru Margin upwelling system (15°S) we explore how Uk’37 temperatures compare with TEX86 temperatures across a 200-year interval in the Mid-late Holocene. Mean late Holocene Uk’37 temperatures, extracted from a high sedimentation rate core from the Peru Margin are similar to modern mean annual sea surface temperatures at 15°S. Multi-decadal-scale (50-100 year) Uk’37 temperature fluctuations oscillate about the mean by 1.5°C. These rapid temperature changes are coherent with fluctuations in surface productivity (C37total and Biogenic Silica) in addition to sub-surface denitrification (δ15N). In contrast, TEX86 temperatures derived from identical samples exhibit colder temperatures than modern mean annual conditions and virtually no temperature fluctuation. We posit that TEX86 values are recording temperatures below the photic zone near the mix-layer-thermocline boundary and may, on longer timescales provide invaluable information about thermocline temperature. With this interpretation in mind, we present a TEX86-based long-term thermocline reconstruction over the Holocene.

Hydrologic and temperature variability at Lake Titicaca over the past 50,000 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fornace, K.; Shanahan, T. M.; Sylva, S.; Ossolinski, J.; Baker, P. A.; Fritz, S. C.; Hughen, K. A.

2011-12-01

The Bolivian Altiplano has been the focus of many paleoclimate studies due to the important role it plays in the South American climate system. Although the timing of climate shifts in this region is relatively well known, the magnitudes of hydrologic versus temperature changes remain poorly quantified. Here we apply hydrogen isotope analysis (δD) of terrestrial leaf waxes and the TEX86 temperature proxy in sediments from Lake Titicaca to reconstruct hydrologic and temperature variability over the past 50,000 years. Our record reveals that the Altiplano underwent a major climate shift during the last deglaciation, reflected in a ~70-80% enrichment in leaf wax δD at the onset of the Holocene. Using the global isotope-temperature relationship for meteoric water, only 25-40% of this enrichment can be explained by the 4-5°C deglacial warming shown by the TEX86 proxy, indicating that precipitation was significantly reduced (and evaporation/evapotranspiration increased) during the Holocene. Further, the timing of these hydrologic and temperature changes was asynchronous during the transition from a cold and wet glacial state to a warm and dry Holocene. The major hydrologic shift recorded by leaf wax δD occurred around ~11-12 ka, consistent with Northern Hemisphere deglacial patterns, whereas TEX86 data indicate that rapid warming began much earlier, more typical of a Southern Hemisphere deglacial pattern. Within the late glacial and Holocene mean climate states, however, there is evidence of synchronous hydrologic and temperature variability on millennial timescales. This study demonstrates that climate on the Altiplano was controlled by the interaction of local and remote forcing on a range of timescales.

TEX 86 and stable δ 18O paleothermometry of early Cretaceous sediments: Implications for belemnite ecology and paleotemperature proxy application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutterlose, Jörg; Malkoc, Matthias; Schouten, Stefan; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.; Forster, Astrid

2010-10-01

Recent studies have cast doubt on the unadjusted usage of Jurassic and Cretaceous δ 18O paleotemperature data derived from belemnites, since the latter data often reflect cooler paleotemperature estimates than would be expected. In this study we address this problem by analysing rocks of Barremian to early Aptian age from two outcrops in northern Germany using TEX 86 paleothermometry, along with 142 belemnite guards studied for their stable isotope (δ 13C, δ 18O) and trace element composition (magnesium, strontium, iron, and manganese). Both TEX 86 and δ 18O Bel indicate very warm water temperatures for a distinctive black shale sequence of late early Barremian age ("Hauptblätterton") with temperatures of up to 29 °C and 23 °C, respectively. We observe a constant offset of TEX 86 temperatures versus the 4 to 5 °C cooler δ 18O belemnite signal for this interval. The late Barremian sequence shows an increase of the δ 18O Bel values from - 1‰ to 0‰ reflecting temperatures around 16 to 12 °C, while the contemporaneous TEX 86 temperatures vary between 26 and 32 °C. The common occurrence of belemnites in the anoxic sediments of the early Barremian implies, however, clearly a nektonic way of life similar to that of recent teuthids, rather than a nektobenthic one like Sepia. This in turn suggests that the belemnites investigated here (genera Praeoxyteuthis, Aulacoteuthis, Oxyteuthis, and Neohibolites) were active swimmers, which inhabited a deeper habitat below the thermocline in an epicontinental sea of perhaps 100 to 250 m water depth. The offset of the TEX 86 and δ 18O Bel data is therefore interpreted to reflect temperature signals from two different depth habitats, i.e. the TEX 86 is selectively derived from warm sea-surface waters, and the belemnites likely occupied deeper and cooler waters with relative increasing salinities in the late Barremian. This study stresses the importance that the taxonomy, paleobiology and ecology of the belemnite taxa (genera, species) used for paleotemperature reconstructions must be considered before the δ 18O Bel signal can be further interpreted. The variation of the δ 18O signature gained from one belemnite population of 22 specimens by 1.1‰ suggests that the δ 18O data of individual belemnites should be used with caution for reconstructing long termed paleotemperature trends.

A 26 million year gap in the central Arctic record at the greenhouse-icehouse transition: Looking for clues

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sangiorgi, F.; Brumsack, H.-J.; Willard, D.A.; Schouten, S.; Stickley, C.E.; O'Regan, M.; Reichart, G.-J.; Sinninghe, Damste J.S.; Brinkhuis, H.

2008-01-01

The Cenozoic record of the Lomonosov Ridge (central Arctic Ocean) recovered during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 302 revealed an unexpected 26 Ma hiatus, separating middle Eocene (???44.4 Ma) from lower Miocene sediments (???18.2 Ma). To elucidate the nature of this unconformity, we performed a multiproxy palynological (dinoflagellate cysts, pollen, and spores), micropaleontological (siliceous microfossils), inorganic, and organic (Tetra Ether Index of lipids with 86 carbon atoms (TEX86) and Branched and Isoprenoid Tetraether (BIT)) geochemical analysis of the sediments from ???5 m below to ???7 m above the hiatus. Four main paleoenvironmental. phases (A-D) are recognized in the sediments encompassing the unconformity, two below (A-B) and two above (C-D): (A) Below the hiatus, proxies show relatively warm temperatures, with Sea Surface Temperatures (TEX86-derived SSTs) of about 8??C and high fresh to brackish water influence. (B) Approaching the hiatus, proxies indicate a cooling trend (TEX86-derived SSTs of ???5??C), increased freshwater influence, and progressive shoaling of the Lomonosov Ridge drilling site, located close to or at sea level. (C) The interval directly above the unconformity contains sparse reworked Cretaceous to Oligocene dinoflagellate cysts. Sediments were deposited in a relatively shallow, restricted marine environment. Proxies show the simultaneous influence of both fresh and marine waters, with alternating oxic and anoxic conditions. Pollen indicates a relatively cold climate. Intriguingly, TEX86-derived SSTs are unexpectedly high, ???15-19??C. Such warm surface waters may be partially explained by the ingression of warmer North Atlantic waters after the opening of the Fram Strait during the early Miocene. (D) Sediments of the uppermost interval indicate a phase of extreme oxic conditions, and a well-ventilated environment, which occurred after the complete opening of the Fram Strait. Importantly, and in contrast with classical postrifting thermal subsidence models for passive margins, our data suggest that sediment erosion and/or nondeposition that generated the hiatus was likely due to a progressive shoaling of the Lomonosov Ridge. A shallow water setting both before and after the hiatus suggests that the Lomonosov Ridge remained at or near sea level for the duration of the gap in the sedimentary record. Interacting sea level changes and/ or tectonic activity (possibly uplift) must be invoked as possible causes for such a long hiatus. Copyright 2008 by the American Geophysical Union.

Mid-Pliocene to Early Pleistocene land and sea surface temperature history of NW Australia based on organic geochemical proxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, R. A.; Castañeda, I. S.; Henderiks, J.; Christensen, B. A.; De Vleeschouwer, D.; Renema, W.; Groeneveld, J.; Bogus, K.; Gallagher, S. J.; Fulthorpe, C.; Expedition 356 Scientists, I.

2017-12-01

IODP Expedition 356 Site U1463 is located off the coast of NW Australia, and is sensitive to Indonesian Throughflow (ITF) variability. The ITF is a critical ocean gateway that affects global thermohaline circulation, and regulates the movement of water from the Pacific Ocean into the Indian Ocean. However, despite its importance to the global climate system, few SST reconstructions exist for this region that span the Plio-Pleistocene. Here we investigate both the land and sea-surface temperature (SST) history of NW Australia to constrain ITF variability across the Plio-Pleistocene interval. We apply multiple organic geochemical proxies to this site from 3.4-2.6 Ma, which includes the mid-Pliocene warm period, characterized by slightly higher (2-3°C) global temperatures and similar CO2 concentrations to modern values (e.g. Badger et al. 2013; Bartoli et al., 2011; Dowsett et al., 2009; Hönisch et al., 2009; Pagani et al. 2009; Raymo et al., 1996). SST was reconstructed using TEX86, based on isoprenoid glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (iGDGTs), and the long-chain diol index (LDI), based on the ratio of diols produced by marine diatoms (Rampen et al., 2012). The Uk'37 index, based on long-chain ketones, was analyzed but cannot be applied as a SST proxy at this site due to the influence of coastal alkenone producers. Additionally, a continental air temperature record was developed using the MBT'5ME proxy, based on branched GDGTs (De Jonge et al., 2014; Weijers et al., 2007). We find that TEX86, LDI and MBT'5Me exhibit similar trends and show relatively warm and stable temperatures from 3.5-2.4 Ma followed by a gradual cooling of 3-4°C from 2.4-1.5 Ma. This cooling corresponds with an arid interval previously identified on the same core by Christensen et al. (2017). Furthermore, we find that the TEX86 record agrees closely with the LR04 global benthic δ18O stack (Lisiecki and Raymo, 2005) and captures glacial/interglacial periods including Marine Isotope Stage M2. Our results help to constrain climatic changes across the mid-Pliocene warm period and aim to improve future climate models and elucidate the role of the ITF in driving global climate variability.

Long Island Sound Water Temperatures During the Last Two Thousand Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warren, C. E.; Varekamp, J. C.; Thomas, E.

2010-12-01

The Long Island Sound (LIS), sometimes called the “urban sea”, is a large estuary in the heavily populated coastal zone between New York City and the Connecticut - Rhode Island border. LIS has seen dramatic environmental shifts since colonial times, including major changes in aquatic food extraction, land use, contaminant and nutrient inputs, and climate change. Annual seasonal hypoxic/anoxic events, especially common in westernmost LIS, have been identified as potentially severe stressors for LIS biota including valuable fisheries species such as lobsters and shellfish. These conditions develop when the Sound becomes stratified in midsummer and oxygen consumption from the oxidation of organic matter exceeds oxygen resupply from the atmosphere or photosynthesis. Severity, lateral extent and frequency of hypoxia/anoxia is influenced by the amount of organic matter available for oxidation, both marine organic matter (produced by algal blooms in response to influx of N-rich effluents from waste water treatment plants) and terrestrial organic matter. These events are also influenced by the severity of stratification, determined by differences in density from temperature and salinity gradients of surface and bottom waters. Studies of cores in western and central LIS, dated using Hg-pollution profiles, 210Pb - 137Cs, and 14C, indicate that eutrophication and hypoxia have occurred in LIS only over the last ~150 years, with the possible exception of the Narrows (closest to NY) where it may have occurred before colonial times. Salinity decreased as well over the last 150 years, possibly due to changes in land use or deflection of fresh water from the Hudson River. Temperature variability in LIS over the last few thousand years has not been clearly documented, as several paleotemperature proxies are difficult to use in estuarine settings. Oxygen isotope values of carbonate microfossils are influenced by salinity fluctuations, and Mg/Ca values in these shells may be influenced by the carbonate saturation state of the water. The tetraether index (TEX86) temperature proxy is based on the number of cyclopentane rings in the glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) from the membrane lipids of marine Crenarchaeota, which changes in response to temperature. Crenarcheota are one of the three major groups of non-thermophilic Archaea, a widely distributed, abundant and ecologically diverse group. This proxy can be used in organic-rich sediments deposited in many different settings. We analyzed samples for TEX86 in LIS cores in order to generate a 2,000 year temperature record. We compare the TEX86 paleotemperature record data (dominantly reflecting surface water temperatures) with a Mg/Ca record based on benthic foraminifera (reflecting bottom water temperatures), and an oxygen isotope record based on benthic foraminifera and corrected for salinity changes by using the Mg/Ca record. The Mg/Ca record appears to show evidence for the Little Ice Age and Medieval Warm Period. Preliminary TEX86 data indicate that temperatures of LIS waters, as averaged over the part of the year that the proxy organisms are biologically active, generally fluctuated between 12-14°C.

Introducing TEX86 as a Water pH Proxy for Alkaline Lakes on the Tibetan Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, M.; Tian, Q.; Li, X.; Liang, J.; Yue, H.; Hou, J.

2017-12-01

Lake water pH represents one of the most important indicators for lake evolution and factors influencing the evolution of aquatic ecosystem, however, which is less studied on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Applicability of diatom assemblages, an effective proxy of lake water pH variation in freshwater lakes, is highly limited on the TP because the widespread distribution of alkaline lakes is unfavorable for preservation of diatom shells. Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) are a series of specific membrane lipids biosynthesized by archaea and bacteria, which appear to be a promising method to reflect lake water pH variation. Here we present the distribution of iGDGTs compounds in surface sediments across the TP to discuss the effect of various environmental factors on iGDGTs distribution. The results show that TEX86 is a promising proxy for lake water pH in high-elevation alkaline lakes, as water pH appears to be the most important factor to affect the cyclization of iGDGTs. We proposed the water pH calibration for lakes (salinity<20g/L) on TP, pH=1.8176×TEX86+8.2376 (n=31, r=0.86, RMSE=0.24). To evaluate its performance, we applied the calibration at Bangong Co in western TP and reconstructed past changes in lake water pH. The TEX86-derived pH at Bangong Co varied from 8.69 to 9.49 since the last 16 kyr BP, which is generally consistent with precipitation isotope variation that was reconstructed from leaf wax D/H ratios in the same sediment core, suggesting the lake water pH was mainly controlled by local hydrology. We believe that TEX86 will be able to infer past water pH of alkaline lakes over TP and could be a potentially useful tool for reconstructing pH in alkaline lakes worldwide after regional calibrated.

Geochemical Approach to Archaeal Ecology: δ13C of GDGTs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lichtin, S.; Warren, C.; Pearson, A.; Pagani, M.

2015-12-01

Over the last decade and a half, glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) have increasingly been used to reconstruct environmental temperatures; proxies like TEX86 that correlate the relative abundance of these archaeal cell membrane lipids to sea surface temperature are omnipresent in paleoclimatology literature. While it has become common to make claims about past temperatures using GDGTs, our present understanding of the organisms that synthesize the compounds is still quite limited. The generally accepted theory states that microorganisms like the Thaumarchaeota modify the structure of membrane lipids to increase intermolecular interactions, strengthening the membrane at higher temperatures. Yet to date, culture experiments have been largely restricted to a single species, Nitrosopumilus maritimes, and recent studies on oceanic archaeal rRNA have revealed that these biomarkers are produced in diverse, heterogeneous, and site-specific communities. This brings up questions as to whether different subclasses of GDGTs, and all subsequent proxies, represent adaptation within a single organismal group or a shift in community composition. To investigate whether GDGTs with different chain structures, from the simple isoprenoidal GDGT-0 to Crenarchaeol with its many cyclopentane groups, are sourced from archaea with similar or disparate metabolic pathways—and if that information is inherited in GDGTs trapped in marine sediments—this study examines the stable carbon isotope values (δ13C) of GDGTs extracted from the uppermost meters of sediment in the Orca Basin, Gulf of Mexico, using spooling-wire microcombustion isotope-ratio mass spectrometer (SWiM-IRMS), tackling a fundamental assumption of the TEX86 proxy that influences the way we perceive the veracity of existing temperature records.

A 26 million year gap in the central Arctic record at the greenhouse-icehouse transition: Looking for clues

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sangiorgi, Francesca; Brumsack, Hans-Juergen; Willard, Debra A.; Schouten, Stefan; Stickley, Catherine E.; O'Regan, Matthew; Reichart, Gert-Jan; Damste, Jaap S. Sinninghe; Brinkhuis, Henk

2008-01-01

The Cenozoic record of the Lomonosov Ridge (central Arctic Ocean) recovered during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 302 revealed an unexpected 26 Ma hiatus, separating middle Eocene (∼44.4 Ma) from lower Miocene sediments (∼18.2 Ma). To elucidate the nature of this unconformity, we performed a multiproxy palynological (dinoflagellate cysts, pollen, and spores), micropaleontological (siliceous microfossils), inorganic, and organic (Tetra Ether Index of lipids with 86 carbon atoms (TEX86) and Branched and Isoprenoid Tetraether (BIT)) geochemical analysis of the sediments from ∼5 m below to ∼7 m above the hiatus. Four main paleoenvironmental phases (A–D) are recognized in the sediments encompassing the unconformity, two below (A–B) and two above (C–D): (A) Below the hiatus, proxies show relatively warm temperatures, with Sea Surface Temperatures (TEX86‐derived SSTs) of about 8°C and high fresh to brackish water influence. (B) Approaching the hiatus, proxies indicate a cooling trend (TEX86‐derived SSTs of ∼5°C), increased freshwater influence, and progressive shoaling of the Lomonosov Ridge drilling site, located close to or at sea level. (C) The interval directly above the unconformity contains sparse reworked Cretaceous to Oligocene dinoflagellate cysts. Sediments were deposited in a relatively shallow, restricted marine environment. Proxies show the simultaneous influence of both fresh and marine waters, with alternating oxic and anoxic conditions. Pollen indicates a relatively cold climate. Intriguingly, TEX86‐derived SSTs are unexpectedly high, ∼15–19°C. Such warm surface waters may be partially explained by the ingression of warmer North Atlantic waters after the opening of the Fram Strait during the early Miocene. (D) Sediments of the uppermost interval indicate a phase of extreme oxic conditions, and a well‐ventilated environment, which occurred after the complete opening of the Fram Strait. Importantly, and in contrast with classical postrifting thermal subsidence models for passive margins, our data suggest that sediment erosion and/or nondeposition that generated the hiatus was likely due to a progressive shoaling of the Lomonosov Ridge. A shallow water setting both before and after the hiatus suggests that the Lomonosov Ridge remained at or near sea level for the duration of the gap in the sedimentary record. Interacting sea level changes and/or tectonic activity (possibly uplift) must be invoked as possible causes for such a long hiatus.

Plio-Pleistocene Sea Surface Temperature Variability As Measured by Different Proxies - A Cautionary Tale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, K. T.; Woodard, S. C.; Castañeda, I. S.; deMenocal, P. B.; Peterson, L.; Rosenthal, Y.; Bochner, L.; Gorbey, D. B.; Mauriello, H.

2016-12-01

Conflicting interpretations from the application of different sea surface temperature (SST) proxies seeking to characterize past climate conditions of the same region have given rise to a number of controversies about key elements of Pliocene climate. Thus, a detailed look at whether or not different temperature proxies yield consistent results is warranted. Here, we examine Pliocene climate variability at the orbital scale reporting new alkenone-derived SST estimates from ODP Site 1088 (South Atlantic) and ODP Site 846 (Eastern Equatorial Pacific). Using these novel datasets and previously published records from a variety of different sites in a variety of localities, we further examine the consistency of Plio-Pleistocene SST variability and orbital signatures from faunal, Mg/Ca, and TEX86 SST records relative to Uk'37 SST records. We find that many companion SST records produce very similar mean trends and standard deviations as well as absolute temperature estimates that are generally within error of each other. Our analysis also suggests that many companion records, with a few notable exceptions, capture the same dominant Milankovitch periodicities and produce phase estimates relative to benthic oxygen isotope estimates that are within error of each other. However, marked structural differences occur between different proxy records on glacial-interglacial timescales in Uk'37 versus Mg/Ca comparisons and some Uk'37 versus TEX86 comparisons. Therefore, the temperature estimates of individual glacial-interglacial cycles may vary significantly when a specific time slice is explored. Our preliminary investigation suggests that whether or not climate records derived from different paleothermometers yield consistent results depends on the timescale being explored and the study site, which reflects key factors such as seasonality, ecology, and diagenetic regime. Additional work that explores the underlying causes of the differences observed among proxies and uses a more systematic approach to directly compare the results from different paleothermometers is required. Until we have a better and broader sense of where/when proxies perform consistently, we recommend caution in treating SST records from different proxies as interchangeable.

Reassessing Pliocene temperature gradients

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tierney, J. E.

2017-12-01

With CO2 levels similar to present, the Pliocene Warm Period (PWP) is one of our best analogs for climate change in the near future. Temperature proxy data from the PWP describe dramatically reduced zonal and meridional temperature gradients that have proved difficult to reproduce with climate model simulations. Recently, debate has emerged regarding the interpretation of the proxies used to infer Pliocene temperature gradients; these interpretations affect the magnitude of inferred change and the degree of inconsistency with existing climate model simulations of the PWP. Here, I revisit the issue using Bayesian proxy forward modeling and prediction that propagates known uncertainties in the Mg/Ca, UK'37, and TEX86 proxy systems. These new spatiotemporal predictions are quantitatively compared to PWP simulations to assess probabilistic agreement. Results show generally good agreement between existing Pliocene simulations from the PlioMIP ensemble and SST proxy data, suggesting that exotic changes in the ocean-atmosphere are not needed to explain the Pliocene climate state. Rather, the spatial changes in SST during the Pliocene are largely consistent with elevated CO2 forcing.

Provenance of tetraether membrane lipids in a large temperate lake (Loch Lomond, UK): implications for GDGT-based palaeothermometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckles, L. K.; Weijers, J. W. H.; Tran, X.-M.; Waldron, S.; Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.

2014-03-01

The application of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT)-based palaeoenvironmental proxies, such as the BIT index, TEX86 and the MBT/CBT palaeothermometer, has lately been expanded to lacustrine sediments. Given recent research identifying the production of branched, bacterial GDGTs (brGDGTs) within lakes, it is necessary to ascertain the effect of this lacustrine production on GDGT-based proxies. This study profiles a temperate, monomictic lake (Loch Lomond, UK), analysing labile intact polar GDGT lipids (IPLs) and resilient core GDGT lipids (CLs) in catchment soils, small tributary rivers, lake water and lake sediments. Loch Lomond consists of two basins bisected by the Highland Boundary Fault, resulting in a mesotrophic to oligotrophic gradient from south to north. The north basin is fjord-like, while the south basin is shallow with a lowland catchment. Besides abundant influxes of allochthonous soil and peat-derived (CL) brGDGTs, brGDGTs are produced in a variety of settings in Loch Lomond. Rather than integrating a scattered soil signal, there is some evidence that small rivers may contribute to the brGDGT pool through addition of brGDGTs produced in situ in these streams. 300 days of settling particles and water column profiles of suspended particulate matter (SPM; March and September 2011) reveal brGDGT production throughout the water column, with (IPL and CL) brGDGT distributions varying by basin. In lake sediments, in situ brGDGT production affects the distributions of sedimentary brGDGTs despite high soil and peat-derived organic matter influxes from the catchment. MBT/CBT-derived mean annual air temperature (MAAT) estimates from soil, river and lake sediments vary widely. A strong bias towards higher MAATs in the south and lower MAATs in the north basin further complicates the application of the proxy. These results emphasise that caution must be exercised when applying the MBT/CBT palaeothermometer to individual lakes in which the use of the proxy has not been validated and therefore the factors affecting its application are not well understood. Despite elevated BIT indices, (partly) due to in situ brGDGT production, reliable TEX86 lake surface temperature (LST) estimates were obtained from SPM with BIT indices up to 0.9 but containing abundant crenarchaeol. Lower north basin sediments yielded accurate LST estimates but require further evaluation to properly constrain the application of the TEX86 proxy.

A High-Resolution Lipid Biomarker Perspective on North Iceland Shelf Marine Climate over the Last Millennium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harning, D.; Sepúlveda, J.; Andrews, J. T.; Cabedo-Sanz, P.; Belt, S. T.; Marchitto, T. M.; Stoner, J. S.; Geirsdóttir, Á.; Miller, G. H.

2017-12-01

Icelandic climate is vulnerable to variations in the dominance of competing Arctic and Atlantic ocean currents. The boundary between these water masses delineates the Polar Front, which today occupies the North Iceland Shelf (NIS). To date, Holocene oceanographic reconstructions along the NIS have employed a variety of proxies including Mg/Ca and δ18O of benthic and planktonic foraminifera, quartz and calcite wt%, the alkenone unsaturation index (Uk'37) and biotic species assemblages. Sea surface temperature (SST) proxies are primarily derived from phytoplankton resulting in a seasonal bias toward spring/summer SST. Furthermore, SST proxies can be influenced by additional confounding variables (e.g. salinity, nutrients, depth habitat of biota) resulting in markedly different Holocene temperature reconstructions between proxy datasets. To evaluate the similarities and discrepancies between various marine proxies, we investigate a high-resolution sediment core collected from the central North Iceland Shelf (B997-316GGC, 658 m depth). Sedimentation covers the last millennium, which captures the transition from the Medieval Warm Period to the Little Ice Age. Age control is constrained by 14C dates and paleomagnetic secular variation. To assess marine surface productivity and sea ice conditions, we analyze quartz and calcite wt% via XRD and a series of highly branched isoprenoid biomarkers. Quantitative paleotemperature estimates are derived from a novel combination of Mg/Ca of foraminifera and two lipid biomarker indices, Uk'37 from Prymnesiophyte alkenones and TEX86 from Thaumarchaeota glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs). The latter TEX86 record is the first paleo application in Icelandic waters, which a recent local calibration study suggests may reflect annual or winter sub-surface (0-200 m) temperatures. Our paleotemperature records are bolstered by the analysis of additional sediment core tops, which expand the established Icelandic calibrations. Finally, we perform statistical analyses in an effort to extract a robust record of paleoceanographic change and to test the applicability of various proxies in high-latitude paleoclimate studies.

A biomarker perspective on dust, productivity, and sea surface temperature in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaeschke, Andrea; Wengler, Marc; Hefter, Jens; Ronge, Thomas A.; Geibert, Walter; Mollenhauer, Gesine; Gersonde, Rainer; Lamy, Frank

2017-05-01

In this study, we present a new multiproxy data set of terrigenous input, marine productivity and sea surface temperature (SST) from 52 surface sediment samples collected along E-W transects in the Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. Allochthonous terrigenous input was characterized by the distribution of plant wax n-alkanes and soil-derived branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs). 230Th-normalized burial of both compound groups were highest close to the potential sources in Australia and New Zealand and are strongly related to lithogenic contents (232Th), indicating common sources and transport. Detection of both long-chain n-alkanes and brGDGTs at the most remote sites in the open ocean strongly suggests a primarily eolian transport mechanism to at least 110°W, i.e. by prevailing westerly winds. Two independent organic SST proxies were used, the U37K‧ based on alkenones, and the TEX86 based on isoprenoid GDGTs. Both, U37K‧ and TEX86 indices show robust relationships with temperature over a temperature range between 0.5 and 20 °C, likely implying different seasonal and regional imprints on the temperature signal. Alkenone-based temperature estimates best reflect modern summer SST in the study area when using the polar calibration of Sikes et al. (1997). In contrast, TEX86-derived temperatures may reflect a subsurface signal rather than surface. 230Th-normalized burial of alkenones is highest close to the Subtropical Front and is positively related to the deposition of lithogenic material throughout the study area. In contrast, highest isoGDGT burial south of the Antarctic Polar Front may be largely controlled by diatom blooms, and thus high opal fluxes during austral summer.

A biomarker record of temperature and phytoplankton community in Okinawa Trough since the last glacial maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruan, Jiaping

2017-04-01

A variety of biomarkers were examined from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) core 1202B to reconstruct temperature and phytoplankton community structures in the southern Okinawa Trough for the past ca. 20000 years. Two molecular temperature proxies (Uk37 and TEX86) show 5-6 ℃ warming during the glacial/interglacial transition. Prior to the Holocene, the Uk37-derived temperature was generally 1-4 ℃ higher than TEX86-derived temperature. This difference, however, was reduced to <1 ℃ in the Holocene when the Kuroshio Current was intensified. Correspondingly, the phytoplankton biomarkers (e.g., C37:2 alkenone, brassicasterol, C30 1,15-diols and dinosterol) suggest a shift of planktonic community assemblages with coccolithophorids becoming more abundant in the Holocene at the expense of diatoms/dinoflagellates. Such a shift is related to the variability of nutrient, temperature and salinity in the Okinawa Trough, controlled by the sea level and the intensity of Kuroshio Current. The phytoplankton community change may have profound implications on atmospheric CO2 fluctuations during glacial/interglacial cycles since diatoms and dinoflagellates have a higher efficiency of biological pump than coccolithophorids.

Sources and distributions of branched and isoprenoid tetraether lipids on the Amazon shelf and fan: Implications for the use of GDGT-based proxies in marine sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zell, Claudia; Kim, Jung-Hyun; Hollander, David; Lorenzoni, Laura; Baker, Paul; Silva, Cleverson Guizan; Nittrouer, Charles; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.

2014-08-01

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) in river fan sediments have been used successfully to reconstruct mean annual air temperature (MAAT) and soil pH of the Congo River drainage basin. However, in a previous study of Amazon deep-sea fan sediments the reconstructed MAATs were ca. 10 °C colder than the actual MAAT of the Amazon basin. In this study we investigated this apparent offset, by comparing the concentrations and distributions of brGDGTs in Amazon River suspended particulate matter (SPM) and sediments to those in marine SPM and surface sediments. The riverine brGDGT input was evident from the elevated brGDGT concentrations in marine SPM and surface sediments close to the river mouth. The distributions of brGDGTs in marine SPM and sediments varied widely, but generally showed a higher relative abundance of methylated and cyclic brGDGTs than those in the river. Since this difference in brGDGT distribution was also found in intact polar lipid (IPL)-derived brGDGTs, which were more recently produced, the change in the marine brGDGT distribution was most likely due to marine in situ production. Consequently, the MAATs calculated based on the methylation of branched tetraethers (MBT) and the cyclisation of branched tetraethers (CBT) were lower and the CBT-derived pH values were higher than those of the Amazon basin. However, SPM and sediments from stations close to the river mouth still showed MBT/CBT values that were similar to those of the river. Therefore, we recommend caution when applying the MBT/CBT proxy, it should only be used in sediment cores that were under high river influence. The influence of riverine derived isoprenoid GDGT (isoGDGT) on the isoGDGT-based TEX86 temperature proxy was also examined in marine SPM and sediments. An input of riverine isoGDGTs from the Amazon River was apparent, but its influence on the marine TEX86 was minor since the TEX86 of SPM in the Amazon River was similar to that in the marine SPM and sediments.

Provenance of tetraether membrane lipids in a large temperate lake (Loch Lomond, UK): implications for glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT)-based palaeothermometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buckles, L. K.; Weijers, J. W. H.; Tran, X.-M.; Waldron, S.; Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.

2014-10-01

The application of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT)-based palaeoenvironmental proxies, such as the branched vs. isoprenoidal tetratether (BIT) index, TEX86 and the MBT-CBT palaeothermometer, has lately been expanded to lacustrine sediments. Given recent research identifying the production of branched, bacterial GDGTs (brGDGTs) within lakes, it is necessary to ascertain the effect of this lacustrine production on GDGT-based proxies. This study profiles a temperate, monomictic lake (Loch Lomond, UK), analysing labile intact polar GDGT lipids (IPLs) and resilient core GDGT lipids (CLs) in catchment soils, small tributary rivers, lake water and lake sediments. Loch Lomond consists of two basins bisected by the Highland Boundary Fault, resulting in a mesotrophic to oligotrophic gradient from south to north. The north basin is fjord-like, while the south basin is shallow with a lowland catchment. Besides abundant influxes of allochthonous soil- and peat-derived (CL) brGDGTs, brGDGTs are produced in a variety of settings in Loch Lomond. Rather than integrating a scattered soil signal, there is some evidence that small rivers may contribute to the brGDGT pool through addition of brGDGTs produced in situ in these streams. Three hundred days of settling particles and water column profiles of suspended particulate matter (SPM; March and September 2011) reveal brGDGT production throughout the water column, with (IPL and CL) brGDGT distributions varying by basin. In lake sediments, in situ brGDGT production affects the distributions of sedimentary brGDGTs despite high soil- and peat-derived organic matter influxes from the catchment. MBT-CBT-derived mean annual air temperature (MAAT) estimates from soil, river and lake sediments vary widely. A strong bias towards higher MAATs in the south and lower MAATs in the north basin further complicates the application of the proxy. These results emphasise that caution must be exercised when applying the MBT-CBT palaeothermometer to individual lakes in which the use of the proxy has not been validated and therefore the factors affecting its application are not well understood. Despite elevated BIT indices, (partly) due to in situ brGDGT production, reliable TEX86 lake surface temperature (LST) estimates were obtained from SPM with BIT indices up to 0.9. Lower north basin sediments yielded accurate LST estimates but require further evaluation to properly constrain the application of the TEX86 proxy.

Proxy Constraints on a Warm, Fresh Late Cretaceous Arctic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Super, J. R.; Li, H.; Pagani, M.; Chin, K.

2015-12-01

The warm Late Cretaceous is thought to have been characterized by open Arctic Ocean temperatures upwards of 15°C (Jenkyns et al., 2004). The high temperatures and low equator-to-pole temperature gradient have proven difficult to reproduce in paleoclimate models, with the role of the atmospheric hydrologic cycle in heat transport being particularly uncertain. Here, sediments, coprolites and fish teeth of Santonian-Campanian age from two high-latitude mixed terrestrial and marine sections on Devon Island in the Canadian High Arctic (Chin et al., 2008) were analyzed using a suite of organic and inorganic proxies to evaluate the temperature and salinity of Arctic seawater. Surface temperature estimates were derived from TEX86 estimates of near-shore, shallow (~100 meters depth) marine sediments (Witkowski et al., 2011) and MBT-CBT estimates from terrestrial intervals and both suggest mean annual temperatures of ~20°C, consistent with previous estimates considering the more southerly location of Devon Island. The oxygen isotope composition of non-diagenetic phosphate from vertebrate coprolites and bony fish teeth were then measured, giving values ranging from +13‰ to +19‰. Assuming the TEX86 temperatures are valid and using the temperature calibration of Puceat 2010, the δ18O values of coprolites imply Arctic Ocean seawater δ18O values between -4‰ and -10‰, implying very fresh conditions. Lastly, the δD of precipitation will be estimated from the hydrogen isotope composition of higher plant leaf waxes (C-25, C-27, C-29 and C-31 n-alkanes) from both terrestrial and marine intervals. Data are used to model the salinity of seawater and the meteoric relationship between δD and δ18O, thereby helping to evaluate the northern high-latitude meteoric water line of the Late Cretaceous.

Cooling and drying in northeast Africa across the Pliocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liddy, Hannah M.; Feakins, Sarah J.; Tierney, Jessica E.

2016-09-01

Terrestrial records suggest that Northeast Africa experienced drying during the Pliocene; however, these records are often incomplete in time and space, and questions about this shift in climate remain. Here, we use marine sediments from Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 231 in the Gulf of Aden to generate a multi-proxy organic geochemical record of northeast African climate spanning 5.3-2 Ma. This new record provides a regional perspective on climate and serves as context for the fossil record of early hominin evolution. We measured leaf wax carbon (δ13Cwax) and hydrogen (δDwax) isotopic composition and TEX86 (tetraether index of 86 carbons) to investigate past changes in vegetation, aridity, and ocean temperature, respectively. In the earliest Pliocene, we infer warm subsurface ocean temperatures from TEX86, semi-arid conditions on land and extensive C4 grasslands based on δDwax, δ13Cwax and previously published pollen. After 5 Ma, ocean temperatures gradually cooled, and at 4.3 Ma there was a transition to arid conditions on land based on δDwax and pollen. Grasslands yielded to a mid Pliocene landscape of dry shrublands. This drying appears to be an atmospheric response to cooling ocean temperatures, which may reflect changes in tropical ocean circulation, the intensification of Indian Monsoon winds or perhaps other changes associated with Pliocene cooling.

Eocene sea temperatures for the mid-latitude southwest Pacific from Mg/Ca ratios in planktonic and benthic foraminifera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Creech, John B.; Baker, Joel A.; Hollis, Christopher J.; Morgans, Hugh E. G.; Smith, Euan G. C.

2010-11-01

We have used laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to measure elemental (Mg/Ca, Al/Ca, Mn/Ca, Zn/Ca, Sr/Ca, and Ba/Ca) ratios of 13 species of variably preserved early to middle Eocene planktonic and benthic foraminifera from New Zealand. The foraminifera were obtained from Ashley Mudstone, mid-Waipara River, South Island, which was deposited at bathyal depth ( ca. 1000 m) on the northern margin of the east-facing Canterbury Basin at a paleo-latitude of ca. 55°S. LA-ICP-MS data yield trace element depth profiles through foraminifera test walls that can be used to identify and exclude zones of surficial contamination and infilling material resulting from diagenetic coatings, mineralisation and detrital sediment. Screened Mg/Ca ratios from 5 species of foraminifera are used to calculate sea temperatures from late Early to early Middle Eocene ( ca. 51 to 46.5 Ma), a time interval that spans the termination of the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO). During this time, sea surface temperatures (SST) varied from 30 to 24 °C, and bottom water temperatures (BWT) from 21 to 14 °C. Comparison of Mg/Ca sea temperatures with published δ 18O and TEX 86 temperature data from the same samples (Hollis et al., 2009) shows close correspondence, indicating that LA-ICP-MS can provide reliable Mg/Ca sea temperatures even where foraminiferal test preservation is variable. Agreement between the three proxies also implies that Mg/Ca-temperature calibrations for modern planktonic and benthic foraminifera can generally be applied to Eocene species, although some species (e.g., V. marshalli) show significant calibration differences. The Mg/Ca ratio of the Eocene ocean is constrained by our data to be 35-50% lower than the modern ocean depending on which TEX 86 - temperature calibration (Kim et al., 2008; Liu et al., 2009) - is used to compare with the Mg/Ca sea temperatures. Sea temperatures derived from δ 18O analysis of foraminifera from Waipara show amplified variability relative to the Mg/Ca and TEX 86 proxies. This amplified variability is probably a diagenetic effect although it is possible that this Eocene δ 18O record contains an ice volume component — the amplification signalling that temperature changes may have been accompanied by growth and collapse of ephemeral polar ice sheets on timescales of ca. 0.5 Myr.

Pushing open-ocean organic paleo-environmental proxies to the margin: Narragansett Bay, RI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salacup, J. M.; Herbert, T.; Prell, W. L.

2010-12-01

Estuarine sediment deposits provide an under-utilized opportunity to reconstruct high-resolution records of environmental change from the highly sensitive intersection of oceanic and terrestrial systems. Previous applications of both well-established and novel organic geochemical proxies to estuaries have met with mixed success. Compared to oceanic settings, the large dynamic range of tidal currents, water temperature, salinity, nutrients, and productivity both enrich and complicate estuarine sedimentary records. Here, we present the results of monthly samples of water-column particulate organic matter and compare them to a suite of sediment cores in an effort to elucidate how the environmental signal produced in the water-column is translated to the sediment. Specifically, we measured alkenones and glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs), the bases for the Uk’37 sea-surface temperature (SST) and C-37total primary productivity proxies, and the TEX86 SST and BIT Index proxies, respectively. Alkenones, produced by haptophyte algae, are present in most of our water-column samples; however, concentrations in many samples are too low to reliably calculate temperature. When reliable, water-column alkenones infer SSTs between 13-16°C, consistent with sediment core-top Uk’37 SST estimates. These correlate to May and Oct SSTs, coinciding with the terminations of the summer-fall and winter-spring algal blooms in Narragansett Bay. In contrast to alkenone fingerprints reported from the much lower salinity Chesapeake Bay, Narragansett Bay samples lack significant contributions of the C37:4 ketone, consistent with production by open-ocean haptophytes. Notably, sedimentary records of Uk’37-inferred SST show strong inter-core centennial-to-decadal coherence. The structure and absolute values of inferred SSTs correlate well with instrumental mean Sept-Oct air temperatures back to 1895, and contain structure consistent with the late Little Ice Age and 20th century warming. Our record indicates that the past 100 in Narragansett Bay are the warmest in at least the last 500. Water-column values of the GDGT-based BIT Index, a proxy for the delivery of terrestrial organic matter (TOM), decrease down-Bay with distance from the major rivers. However, absolute values of the index, exceeding 0.8-0.9 in the upper half of the Bay, are more consistent with soil samples than water and are hard to reconcile with high level of marine productivity. Sedimentary values of the BIT Index are also high, between ~0.4 and 0.8, and their profiles suggest that Colonization (~1700) and Industrialization (~1850) altered terrestrial sediment delivery to the Bay. Such high values of the BIT Index suggest the utility of TEX86 may be complicated by terrestrial GDGT contributions. Indeed, sedimentary values for TEX86 are highly variable and show little correlation with Uk’37 or instrumental records. Our results confirm the utility of organic geochemical proxies in estuarine settings while advocating the application of more than one. In Narragansett Bay, this approach has allowed the reconstruction of local historically and climatically important events such as the impacts of European settlement, the Industrial Revolution, and 20th century warming.

Mid-late Holocene variability of TEX86 temperature on the inner shelf of the East China Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, X.; Xing, L.; Zhang, T.; Li, L.

2017-12-01

To understand the long-term environmental evolution of the East China Sea (ECS) and adjacent areas, decadal sea surface temperature (SST) induced by TEX86 (tetraether index of tetraethers consisting of 86 carbons) index was reconstructed in Core T08 on the inner shelf of the ECS over the past 3725 years. Core-top TEXH86 temperature was 23.2 °, close to the mean annual SST 22.9 ° at Site T08. BIT (branched and isopreniod tetraether) index and GDGT-0/GDGT-5 ratio indicated that the influences of terrestrial input and methanogens were negligible on TEX86 index, respectively. During the period of 3725-2000 yr BP, TEXH86 temperature had low values, fluctuating around 20 °, which suggested the weakened Kuroshio Current (KC) or the eastward shifting of the KC axis. From 2000 to 750 yr BP, TEXH86 temperature gradually increased to 23 °, indicating enhanced KC influence on Site T08. Significant reduction of TEXH86 temperature around 400 yr BP corresponded to Little Ice Age (LIA). Spectral analysis reveals that TEXH86 temperature series exhibit 175, 80, and 68-year periodicities, consistent with the characteristic periodicities of solar activity.

Warm Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous high-latitude sea-surface temperatures from the Southern Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenkyns, H. C.; Schouten-Huibers, L.; Schouten, S.; Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.

2012-02-01

Although a division of the Phanerozoic climatic modes of the Earth into "greenhouse" and "icehouse" phases is widely accepted, whether or not polar ice developed during the relatively warm Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods is still under debate. In particular, there is a range of isotopic and biotic evidence that favours the concept of discrete "cold snaps", marked particularly by migration of certain biota towards lower latitudes. Extension of the use of the palaeotemperature proxy TEX86 back to the Middle Jurassic indicates that relatively warm sea-surface conditions (26-30 °C) existed from this interval (∼160 Ma) to the Early Cretaceous (∼115 Ma) in the Southern Ocean, with a general warming trend through the Late Jurassic followed by a general cooling trend through the Early Cretaceous. The lowest sea-surface temperatures are recorded from around the Callovian-Oxfordian boundary, an interval identified in Europe as relatively cool, but do not fall below 25 °C. The early Aptian Oceanic Anoxic Event, identified on the basis of published biostratigraphy, total organic carbon and carbon-isotope stratigraphy, records an interval with the lowest, albeit fluctuating Early Cretaceous palaeotemperatures (∼26 °C), recalling similar phenomena recorded from Europe and the tropical Pacific Ocean. Extant belemnite δ18O data, assuming an isotopic composition of waters inhabited by these fossils of -1‰ SMOW, give palaeotemperatures throughout the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous interval that are consistently lower by ∼14 °C than does TEX86 and the molluscs likely record conditions below the thermocline. The long-term, warm climatic conditions indicated by the TEX86 data would only be compatible with the existence of continental ice if appreciable areas of high altitude existed on Antarctica, and/or in other polar regions, during the Mesozoic Era.

Changing climate in a pre-impact world: a multi-proxy paleotemperature reconstruction across the last million years of the Cretaceous

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woelders, L.; Vellekoop, J.; Reichart, G. J.; de Nooijer, L. J.; Sluijs, A.; Peterse, F.; Claeys, P. F.; Speijer, R. P.

2015-12-01

Climate instability during the last million years of the Cretaceous (67-66 Ma) is still poorly documented and not well understood. One of the reasons for this is that in deep time, different proxies are likely to yield different temperatures. This is because the application of calibrations based on present day temperature proxy relationships is affected by source organism evolution, differences in ocean chemistry and non-analogue processes. Only by combining temperature estimates derived from different, independent proxies, the problems with individual proxies can be cancelled out. A quantitative, multi-proxy temperature record from the latest Cretaceous therefore may provide a better insight in climate changes across this time interval. For such a multi-proxy research, sediments are required that yield both well-preserved foraminiferal calcite as well as organic biomarkers. Very few sites are known to provide such sedimentary records, but ODP Leg 174AX Site Bass River (New Jersey Shelf) has proven to be an excellent archive for paleotemperature reconstructions for the Cretaceous and Paleogene. We here present a multi-proxy, quantitative paleotemperature reconstruction of the last million years of the Cretaceous of the Bass River core. Benthic and planktic foraminiferal Mg/Ca and δ18O were determined, as well as the organic geochemical sea surface temperature proxy TEX86. This resulted in a unique coupled surface and bottom water temperature record of the latest Cretaceous. Our data suggest a ~2-6 ˚C bottom water warming and a ~4-6 ˚C surface water warming approximately 300 kyr before the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary, followed by a cooling trend across the boundary. This warming event appears to coincide with the main phase of the Deccan Traps eruptions and therefore probably represents a global event.

An assessment of latest Cretaceous Pycnodonte vesicularis (Lamarck, 1806) shells as records for palaeoseasonality: a multi-proxy investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Winter, Niels J.; Vellekoop, Johan; Vorsselmans, Robin; Golreihan, Asefeh; Soete, Jeroen; Petersen, Sierra V.; Meyer, Kyle W.; Casadio, Silvio; Speijer, Robert P.; Claeys, Philippe

2018-06-01

In order to assess the potential of the honeycomb oyster Pycnodonte vesicularis for the reconstruction of palaeoseasonality, several specimens recovered from late Maastrichtian strata in the Neuquén Basin (Argentina) were subject to a multi-proxy investigation, involving scanning techniques and trace element and isotopic analysis. Combined CT scanning and light microscopy reveals two calcite microstructures in P. vesicularis shells (vesicular and foliated calcite). Micro-XRF analysis and cathodoluminescence microscopy show that reducing pore fluids were able to migrate through the vesicular portions of the shells (aided by bore holes) and cause recrystallization of the vesicular calcite. This renders the vesicular portions not suitable for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction. In contrast, stable isotope and trace element compositions show that the original chemical composition of the foliated calcite is well-preserved and can be used for the reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental conditions. Stable oxygen and clumped isotope thermometry on carbonate from the dense hinge of the shell yield sea water temperatures of 11°C, while previous TEX86H palaeothermometry yielded much higher temperatures. The difference is ascribed to seasonal bias in the growth of P. vesicularis, causing warm seasons to be underrepresented from the record, while TEX86H palaeothermometry seems to be biased towards warmer surface water temperatures. The multi-proxy approach employed here enables us to differentiate between well-preserved and diagenetically altered portions of the shells and provides an improved methodology for reconstructing palaeoenvironmental conditions in deep time. While establishing a chronology for these shells was complicated by growth cessations and diagenesis, cyclicity in trace elements and stable isotopes allowed for a tentative interpretation of the seasonal cycle in late Maastrichtian palaeoenvironment of the Neuquén Basin. Attempts to independently verify the seasonality in sea water temperature by Mg / Ca ratios of shell calcite are hampered by significant uncertainty due to the lack of proper transfer functions for pycnodontein oysters. Future studies of fossil ostreid bivalves should target dense, foliated calcite rather than sampling bulk or vesicular calcite. Successful application of clumped isotope thermometry on fossil bivalve calcite in this study indicates that temperature seasonality in fossil ostreid bivalves may be constrained by the sequential analysis of well-preserved foliated calcite samples using this method.

Pliocene Warm Period Upwelling in the Southern Benguela Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrick, B. F.; McClymont, E.; Felder, S.; Leng, M. J.; Rosell Mele, A.; Rueda, G.

2014-12-01

The mid-Pliocene has been proposed as a possible analogue for understanding future climate change and testing climate models. Previous work has shown that during the Pliocene the major upwelling systems were relatively warm, and thus either inactive, contracted, or upwelling warmer waters than present. Here we examine evidence from a core site located on the margins of the modern Benguela upwelling system, to test whether the upwelling cells had migrated or contracted relative to present during the Pliocene. We applied several organic geochemistry proxies and foraminiferal analyses to reconstruct the Pliocene history of ODP site 1087 (31º28'S, 15º19'E, 1374m water depth), including the UK37' index and TEX86 index (for reconstructing sea surface temperatures), chlorins (for estimating primary productivity) and planktonic foraminifera assemblages (for inferring water mass changes). These proxies show that between 3.5 and 3.0 Ma the southern Benguela region was significantly cooler than the northern Benguela region, the latter where the main upwelling cells are found today. Coupled with higher primary production, a shift in planktonic foraminifera assemblage, and an offset between the UK37' index and TEX86 index, we infer that more extensive upwelling was present in the southern Benguela region during the Pliocene. We infer that the main Benguela upwelling cells had shifted southward relative to today, as a result of changes in the local wind field. We find evidence for pronounced cooling and a shift in the planktonic foraminifera assemblage during the M2 and KM2 glacial stages, showing a sensitivity of Benguela upwelling to these short-lived climate events.

A fresh look at the Last Glacial Maximum using Paleoclimate Data Assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malevich, S. B.; Tierney, J. E.; Hakim, G. J.; Tardif, R.

2017-12-01

Quantifying climate conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum ( 21ka) can help us to understand climate responses to forcing and climate states that are poorly represented in the instrumental record. Paleoclimate proxies may be used to estimate these climate conditions, but proxies are sparsely distributed and possess uncertainties from environmental and biogeochemical processes. Alternatively, climate model simulations provide a full-field view, but may predict unrealistic climate states or states not faithful to proxy records. Here, we use data assimilation - combining climate proxy records with a theoretical understanding from climate models - to produce field reconstructions of the LGM that leverage the information from both data and models. To date, data assimilation has mainly been used to produce reconstructions of climate fields through the last millennium. We expand this approach in order to produce a climate fields for the Last Glacial Maximum using an ensemble Kalman filter assimilation. Ensemble samples were formed from output from multiple models including CCSM3, CESM2.1, and HadCM3. These model simulations are combined with marine sediment proxies for upper ocean temperature (TEX86, UK'37, Mg/Ca and δ18O of foraminifera), utilizing forward models based on a newly developed suite of Bayesian proxy system models. We also incorporate age model and radiocarbon reservoir uncertainty into our reconstructions using Bayesian age modeling software. The resulting fields show familiar patterns based on comparison with previous proxy-based reconstructions, but additionally reveal novel patterns of large-scale shifts in ocean-atmosphere dynamics, as the surface temperature data inform upon atmospheric circulation and precipitation patterns.

Exploring the potential of clumped isotope thermometry on coccolith-rich sediments as a sea surface temperature proxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drury, Anna Joy; John, Cédric M.

2016-10-01

Understanding past changes in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) is crucial; however, existing proxies for reconstructing past SSTs are hindered by unknown ancient seawater composition (foraminiferal Mg/Ca and δ18O) or reflect subsurface temperatures (TEX86) or have a limited applicable temperature range (U37k'). We examine clumped isotope (Δ47) thermometry to fossil coccolith-rich material as an SST proxy, as clumped isotopes are independent of original seawater composition and applicable to a wide temperature range and coccolithophores are widespread and dissolution resistant. The Δ47-derived temperatures from <63, <20, <10, and 2-5 μm size fractions of two equatorial Pacific late Miocene-early Pliocene sediment samples (c1; c2) range between ˜18 and 29°C, with c1 temperatures consistently above c2. Removing the >63 μm fraction removes most nonmixed layer components; however, the Δ47-derived temperatures display an unexpected slight decreasing trend with decreasing size fraction. This unexpected trend could partly arise because larger coccoliths (5-12 μm) are removed during the size fraction separation process. The c1 and <63 μm c2 Δ47-derived temperatures are comparable to concurrent U37k' SSTs. The <20, <10, and 2-5 μm c2 Δ47-derived temperatures are consistently cooler than expected. The Δ47-U37k' temperature offset is probably caused by abiotic/diagenetic calcite present in the c2 2-5 μm fraction (˜53% by area), which potentially precipitated at bottom water temperatures of ˜6°C. Our results indicate that clumped isotopes on coccolith-rich sediment fractions have potential as an SST proxy, particularly in tropical regions, providing that careful investigation of the appropriate size fraction for the region and time scale is undertaken.

Temperature record and sapropel formation during the late Pliocene in central Mediterranean: a multi-proxy approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plancq, Julien; Grossi, Vincent; Huguet, Carme; Pittet, Bernard; Rosell-Mele, Antoni; Mattioli, Emanuela

2014-05-01

The late Pliocene (Piacenzian; 3.6-2.6 Myr) in the Mediterranean region is characterized by the deposition of organic-rich sedimentary layers named sapropels. Sapropel formation has been related to the strengthening of the precessionally-controlled African monsoon, triggering enhanced primary productivity and/or improved organic matter preservation. However, the relative importance of surface-ocean productivity versus deep-water preservation for sapropel formation remains a long standing debate among the science community. Here, we used a multi-proxy approach to characterize long-term environmental conditions and to discuss sapropel formation during the late Pliocene at Punta Grande/Punta Piccola sections (southwest Sicily). Sea and air temperatures were reconstructed using all the lipid biomarker-based temperature proxies currently available: the alkenone unsaturation index (UK'37), the tetraether index (TEX86), the Long-chain Diol Index (LDI), and the degree of methylation/cyclization of branched tetraether (MBT/CBT). Results show that sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) were relatively stable throughout the late Pliocene, but that consistent increases are recorded in most sapropel layers. SST record was then compared with variations in total organic carbon proportions, lipid biomarkers contents and nannofossil assemblages. Based on these observations, two mechanisms of formation can be inferred for each sapropel. A first series of sapropels is likely due to a better preservation of organic matter, due to the development of a thermohaline stratification of the water column and to oxygen depleted bottom waters. The second series of sapropels is more likely due to enhanced primary productivity in a non-stratified water column.

Investigating the Biosynthesis of Membrane-spanning Lipids Using Model Strains of Acidobacteria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, A. S.; Chubiz, L. M.

2016-12-01

Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs), deriving from the membrane-spanning lipids of microbes, are detected in a wide range of environments including marine and lacustrine waters, sediments, and in terrestrial soils. In sediments and soils, ratios of various GDGT structures form the basis of the TEX86 proxy based on isoprenoidal GDGTs derived from archaea, and the MBT/CBT proxy based on bacterial-derived branched GDGTs (brGDGTs), which is influenced by both temperature and pH. While the relationships of the proxy values to environmental variables have been empirically calibrated, much uncertainty remains in understanding genetic and physiological factors that affect the production of these lipid structures by microbes. In this study we compare two model bacterial strains - Edaphobacter aggregans WGB-1 , which has been previously demonstrated to produce brGDGTs (Damsté et al 2011) and Edaphobacter modestus JBG-1 (a non-brGDGT producer) to gain traction into understanding brGDGT production. We have sequenced each genome, facilitating comparisons that can be used to computationally generate hypotheses for genes involved in brGDGT biosynthesis. We will also report the results of initial experiments conducted to understand how the lipid profiles of each strain vary as a function of growth phase. Through a combination of genetic approaches and physiolotical experiments, we aim to bring new understanding to brGDGTs and how proxies derived from these lipids relate to environmental variables. Damsté et al. 2011 AEM 77: 4147

Effects of growth phase on the membrane lipid composition of the thaumarchaeon Nitrosopumilus maritimus and their implications for archaeal lipid distributions in the marine environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elling, Felix J.; Könneke, Martin; Lipp, Julius S.; Becker, Kevin W.; Gagen, Emma J.; Hinrichs, Kai-Uwe

2014-09-01

The characteristic glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraether membrane lipids (GDGTs) of marine ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) are widely used as biomarkers for studying their occurrence and distribution in marine environments and for reconstructing past sea surface temperatures using the TEX86 index. Despite an increasing use of GDGT biomarkers in microbial ecology and paleoceanography, the physiological and environmental factors influencing lipid composition in AOA, in particular the cyclization of GDGTs, remain unconstrained. We investigated the effect of metabolic state on the composition of intact polar and core lipids and the resulting TEX86 paleothermometer in pure cultures of the marine AOA Nitrosopumilus maritimus as a function of growth phase. The cellular lipid content ranged from 0.9 to 1.9 fg cell-1 and increased during growth but was lower in the stationary phases, indicating changes in average cell size in response to metabolic status. The relative abundances of monoglycosidic GDGTs increased from 27% in early growth phase to 60% in late stationary phase, while monohydroxylated GDGTs increased only slightly. The proportions of characteristic hexose-phosphohexose GDGTs were up to 7-fold higher during growth than in stationary phase, suggesting that they are valuable biomarkers for the metabolically active fraction of AOA assemblages in the environment. Methoxy archaeol was identified as novel, genuine archaeal lipid of yet unknown function; it is one of the most abundant single compounds in the lipidome of N. maritimus. TEX86 values of individual intact GDGTs and total GDGTs differed substantially, were generally lower during early and late growth phases than in stationary phase, and did not reflect growth temperature. Consequently, our results strongly suggest that biosynthesis is at least partially responsible for the systematic offsets in TEX86 values between different intact polar GDGT classes observed previously in environmental samples. Nevertheless, differences in degradation rates of intact polar GDGTs may influence the TEX86 index because the intact polar lipid precursors differ for individual core GDGTs and moreover their relative abundances change with growth stage, which may result in distinct release rates of core GDGTs from their polar precursors. Overall, our findings stress the need to accurately describe the factors influencing GDGT cyclization in thaumarchaea and thus paleotemperature reconstructions.

A lacustrine GDGT-temperature calibration from the Scandinavian Arctic to Antarctic: Renewed potential for the application of GDGT-paleothermometry in lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, Emma J.; Juggins, Steve; Talbot, Helen M.; Weckström, Jan; Rosén, Peter; Ryves, David B.; Roberts, Stephen J.; Schmidt, Roland

2011-10-01

Quantitative climate reconstructions are fundamental to understand long-term trends in natural climate variability and to test climate models used to predict future climate change. Recent advances in molecular geochemistry have led to calibrations using glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs), a group of temperature-sensitive membrane lipids found in Archaea and bacteria. GDGTs have been used to construct temperature indices for oceans (TEX 86 index) and soils (MBT/CBT index). The aim of this study is to examine GDGT-temperature relationships and assess the potential of constructing a GDGT-based palaeo-thermometer for lakes. We examine GDGT-temperature relationships using core top sediments from 90 lakes across a north-south transect from the Scandinavian Arctic to Antarctica including sites from Finland, Sweden, Siberia, the UK, Austria, Turkey, Ethiopia, Uganda, Chile, South Georgia and the Antarctic Peninsula. We examine a suite of 15 GDGTs, including compounds used in the TEX 86 and MBT/CBT indices and reflecting the broad range of GDGT inputs to small lake systems. GDGTs are present in varying proportions in all lakes examined. The TEX 86 index is not applicable to our sites because of the large relative proportions of soil derived and methanogenic components. Similarly, the MBT/CBT index is also not applicable and predicts temperatures considerably lower than those measured. We examine relationships between individual GDGT compounds and temperature, pH, conductivity and water depth. Temperature accounts for a large and statistically independent fraction of variation in branched GDGT composition. We propose a GDGT-temperature regression model with high accuracy and precision ( R2 = 0.88; RMSE = 2.0 °C; RMSEP = 2.1 °C) for use in lakes based on a subset of branched GDGT compounds and highlight the potential of this new method for reconstructing past temperatures using lake sediments.

Late Oligocene to Late Miocene Antarctic Climate Reconstructions Using Molecular and Isotopic Biomarker Proxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duncan, B.; Mckay, R. M.; Bendle, J. A.; Naish, T.; Levy, R. H.; Ventura, G. T.; Moossen, H. M.; Krishnan, S.; Pagani, M.

2015-12-01

Major climate and environmental changes occurred during late Oligocene to the late Miocene when atmospheric CO2 ranged between 500 and 300ppm, indicating threshold response of Antarctic ice sheets and climate to relatively modest CO2 variations. This implies that the southern high latitudes are highly sensitive to feedbacks associated with changes in global ice sheet and sea-ice extent, as well as terrestrial and marine ecosystems. This study focuses on two key intervals during the evolution of the Antarctic Ice Sheet: (1) The Late Oligocene and the Oligocene/Miocene boundary, when the East Antarctic Ice Sheet expanded close to present day volume following an extended period of inferred warmth. (2) The Mid-Miocene Climate Optimum (MMCO ~17-15 Ma), a period of global warmth and moderately elevated CO2 (350->500 ppm) which was subsequently followed by rapid cooling at 14-13.5 Ma. Reconstructions of climate and ice sheet variability, and thus an understanding of the various feedbacks that occurred during these intervals, are hampered by a lack of temperature and hydroclimate proxy data from the southern high latitudes. We present proxy climate reconstructions using terrestrial and marine organic biomarkers that provide new insights into Antarctica's climate evolution, using Antarctic drill cores and outcrop samples from a range of depositional settings. Bacterial ether-lipids have been analysed to determine terrestrial mean annual temperatures and soil pH (via the methylation and cyclisation indexes of branched tetraethers - MBT and CBT, respectively). Tetraether-lipids of crenarchaeota found in marine sediments sampled from continental shelves around Antarctica have been used to derive sea surface temperatures using the TEX86 index. Compound specific stable isotopes on n-alkanes sourced from terrestrial plants have been analysed to investigate changes in the hydrological and carbon cycles.

Reconstructing paleoceanographic conditions during the Oligocene/Miocene Boundary using walled dinoflagellate cysts and TEX86: IODP Expedition 318, Wilkes Land, Antarctic margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bijl, Peter; Bruls, Anja; Hartman, Julian D.; Sangiorgi, Francesca; Peterse, Francien

2017-04-01

Wilkes land is potentially a sensitive sector of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS), because Wilkes subglacial basin is largely below sea level. In light of this, understanding changes in ice volume in this sector of Antarctica during past episodes of warmth may help constrain future ice sheet melt in the region. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 318 was intended to drill and recover from the Wilkes Land continental Margin to reconstruct the history of the East Antarctic ice sheet (EAIS). The integrated bio-magnetostratigraphic age model for IODP Site U1356 is quite robust for the entire stratigraphic record, but in the Oligocene-Miocene boundary interval, the details of the age model are somewhat elusive. Notably it is uncertain whether sediments dating back to the Mi-1 glaciation event, at the Oligocene-Miocene boundary, are represented in the record. This research presents a revised age model for the interval around the OMT and gives a paleoceanographic interpretation of Site U1356 based on dinocyst ecology and TEX86 biomarker proxy. The finding of the dinocyst species Edwardsiella sexispinosa provides for an additional dinocyst event, and revised the location of the OMT. Core 45R likely represents the base of the Miocene and Core 46R and Core 47R represents the late Oligocene between 23.23 to 25.1 Ma. The dinocyst ecology indicated varying intervals of mostly Protoperidinioid genera to mostly Gonyaulacoid genera, that represent high productivity conditions and oligotrophic conditions respectively. These changing ecological conditions have been related to the a changing upwelling regime along the Wilkes Land margin, which is connected to the polar wind field and positively correlated to the extent of the Antarctic ice sheets. Sea ice conditions are absent along the Wilkes Land margin throughout this part of the record, therefore deep-water formation would also have been reduced. The SST record provided by TEX86 biomarker proxy indicates a decreasing trend towards the Miocene, but does not seem to point consistently to a warmer climate state during the late Oligocene. The dinocyst and TEX86 records seem to infer a smaller than present, dynamic Antarctic ice sheet during the late Oligocene to early Miocene, yet in combination with a quite invariant state of the atmospheric pCO2 record (Zhang et al., 2013). This seems to indicate a more sensitive Antarctic ice sheet possibly related to a threshold size for a stable ice sheet. However the ice volume changes inferred from the global benthic foraminiferal δ18O record could also have been of a smaller extent. Another cause that could potentially add to the changing δ18O record, is a change in deep water source, more specifically an alternating Southern Ocean deep-water formation which is coupled to the alternating Antarctic cryosphere.

Reverse trends of TEX86 temperature in coastal areas of the East China Sea over the last 100 years: implication for global warming and regional circulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Y.; Xing, L.; Zhang, T.

2017-12-01

To reconstruct and compare the SST changes in different regions of the ECS over the last 100 years, in this study, we analyzed iGDGTs compounds and TEX86 index in two sediment cores (DH5-1 and DH6-2) from the inner shelf of the East China Sea (ECS). GDGT-0 and GDGT-5 in the two cores account for 80% of iGDGTs, significantly more abundant than the other iGDGTs compounds. It is also found that iGDGTs are mainly derived from marine Thaumarchaeota. TEXH86 temperatures varied from 17 °C to 22 °C (average 19.4 °C), showing a gradual increase in Core DH5-1 near the Changjiang River Estuary, corresponding to global warming and temperature rise in the ECS over the last 100 years. However, in Core DH6-2 further away from the Changjiang River Estuary, TEXH86 temperatures gradually decreased over the last 80 years with a range of 15.3 °C-18.3 °C, which is attributed to the strengthened near-shore Kuroshio Branch Current transporting more subsurface cold water to the ECS coastal area. In future, more sites should be investigated to confirm the range of the coastal area where the decrease in SST is caused by upwelling subsurface water.

Nitrogen cycle dynamics in the Late Cretaceous Greenhouse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Junium, Christopher K.; Meyers, Stephen R.; Arthur, Michael A.

2018-01-01

Great attention has been paid to the origin of anomalously low nitrogen isotope values during the Late Cretaceous. Nitrogen isotope values are often as low as - 3 ‰ and are typically less than + 2 ‰, even in relatively organic matter-lean sediments. Here we evaluate nitrogen isotope variability during a relatively quiescent phase of the Late Cretaceous Greenhouse, between Oceanic Anoxic Events 2 and 3, using the black shales of Demerara Rise (DR). Selection of this site allows us to isolate some of the factors that control nitrogen cycle dynamics and contribute to low nitrogen isotope values. New N-isotope measurements from ODP Site 1259 reveal δ15N values that range from + 0.2 ‰ to -3.5‰ and oscillate by 1.5‰ to 3‰ over 1.6 million years (Ma). Temporal calibration of our data using a new astronomical time scale reveals a strong ∼100 thousand year (ka) eccentricity cyclicity in δ15N. We attribute this cyclicity to oscillations in the position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) over DR that modulate upwelling intensity, chemocline depth and the degree of 15N-depletion. We also recognize a statistically significant correlation (p = 0.0022) between the TEX86 indices and δ15N, with the lowest δ15N corresponding to the highest TEX86 indices. This relationship suggests that the activity and ecology of ammonia oxidizing Thaumarchaeota and the δ15N of dissolved inorganic nitrogen utilized by primary producers are linked. We therefore interpret the observed variability in the δ15N data and TEX86 indices as primarily reflecting fluctuation of upwelling intensity and chemocline depth, and the significant inverse relationship between these data sets suggests that caution should be exercised when interpreting the TEX86 in terms of temperature in similar paleoenvironmental settings.

The Holocene Records of Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraethers From the Northern Chukchi Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Y.; Yamamoto, M.; Nam, S.; Polyak, L. V.

2013-12-01

We analyzed glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) in Cores HOTRAX 05-01 JPC5 and JPC 8, and ARA02B 01-GC in the northern Chukchi Sea. All of the three cores showed a similar changing pattern in GDGT composition during the Holocene. In the beginning of early Holocene, both isoprenoid and branched GDGT concentrations were low, and BIT and CBT were relatively high. The similar composition is found in modern sediments from the western Arctic Ocean north of 75°N, suggesting that the northern Chukchi Sea was covered by perennial sea ice. GDGT concentration increased, and BIT and CBT decreased during the early Holocene and reached the same level as those in modern sediments at 8 ka. TEX86 and CBT/MBT indices showed millennial-scale variation. We interpret that these proxies did not simply indicate temperatures but were affected by the relative contribution of different sediment sources. Millennial-scale variability likely reflected changes in sediment transport in the northern Chukchi Sea.

Neogene sea surface temperature reconstructions from the Southern McMurdo Sound and the McMurdo Ice Shelf (ANDRILL Program, Antarctica)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangiorgi, Francesca; Willmott, Veronica; Kim, Jung-Hyun; Schouten, Stefan; Brinkhuis, Henk; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.; Florindo, Fabio; Harwood, David; Naish, Tim; Powell, Ross

2010-05-01

During the austral summers 2006 and 2007 the ANtarctic DRILLing Program (ANDRILL) drilled two cores, each recovering more than 1000m of sediment from below the McMurdo Ice-Shelf (MIS, AND-1B), and sea-ice in Southern McMurdo Sound (SMS, AND-2A), respectively, revealing new information about Neogene Antarctic cryosphere evolution. Core AND-1B was drilled in a more distal location than core AND-2A. With the aim of obtaining important information for the understanding of the history of Antarctic climate and environment during selected interval of the Neogene, we applied novel organic geochemistry proxies such as TEX86 (Tetra Ether IndeX of lipids with 86 carbon atoms) using a new calibration equation specifically developed for polar areas and based on 116 surface sediment samples collected from polar oceans (Kim et al., subm.), and BIT (Branched and Isoprenoid Tetraether), to derive absolute (sea surface) temperature values and to evaluate the relative contribution of soil organic matter versus marine organic matter, respectively. We will present the state-of-the-art of the methodology applied, discussing its advantages and limitations, and the results so far obtained from the analysis of 60 samples from core AND-2A covering the Miocene Climatic Optimum (and the Mid-late Miocene transition) and of 20 pilot samples from core AND-1B covering the late Pliocene.

Global Sea Surface Temperature and Ecosystem Change Across the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veenstra, T. J. T.; Bakker, V. B.; Sangiorgi, F.; Peterse, F.; Schouten, S.; Sluijs, A.

2016-12-01

Even though the term Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO; ca. 17 to 14 Ma) has been widely used in the literature since the early 1990's, almost no early-middle Miocene sea surface temperature (SST) proxy records have been published that support climate warming across its onset. Benthic (and diagenetically altered planktic) foram δ18O records show a decrease, suggesting (deep) ocean warming and/or Antarctic ice sheet melting. However, reliable absolute SST proxy records are absent from the tropics and very scarce in temperate and polar regions. This leaves the question if the warmth of the MMCO was truly global and how its onset relates to the widely recorded positive (Monterey) carbon isotope excursion and volcanism. Finally, it remains uncertain how marine ecosystems responded to this hypothesized warming. We present organic biomarker SST proxy records (Uk'37 and TEX86) spanning the MMCO for several locations in the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean along a pole-to-pole transect, including Ocean Drilling Program Site 959 in the eastern Tropical Atlantic, ODP Site 643 in the Norwegian Sea, ODP Site 1007 on the Great Bahama Bank and Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1352 off New Zealand. Additionally, we use marine palynology (mostly dinoflagellate cysts) to assess ecosystem change at these locations. The resulting spatial reconstruction of SST change shows that Middle Miocene warming was global. Nevertheless, the records also show distinct regional variability, including relatively large warming in the Norwegian Sea and a damped signal in the southern hemisphere, suggesting pronounced changes in ocean circulation. The onset of the MMCO was marked by prominent changes in ecological and depositional setting at the studied sites, likely also related to ocean circulation changes.

Testing the Role of Microbial Ecology, Redox-Mediated Deep Water Production and Hypersalinity on TEX86: Lipids and 16s Sequences from Archaea and Bacteria in the Water Column and Sediments of Orca Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warren, C.; Romero, I.; Ellis, G.; Goddard, E.; Krishnan, S.; Nigro, L. M.; Super, J. R.; Zhang, Y.; Zhuang, G.; Hollander, D. J.; Pagani, M.

2014-12-01

Mesophilic marine archaea and bacteria are known to substantially contribute to the oceanic microbial biomass and play critical roles in global carbon, nitrogen and nutrient cycles. The Orca Basin, a 2400 meter deep bathymetric depression on the continental slope of the north-central Gulf of Mexico, is an ideal environment to examine how redox-dependent biochemical processes control the input and cycling of bacterial and archaea-derived lipid compounds from formation in near-surface water, through secondary recycling processes operating at the redox-transition in the water column, to sedimentary diagenetic processes operating in oxic to anoxic zones within the basin. The lowermost 180 meters of the Orca Basin is characterized by an anoxic, hypersaline brine that is separated from the overlying oxic seawater by a well-defined redox sequence associated with a systematic increasing in salinity from 35 - 250‰. While surface water conditions are viewed as normal marine with a seasonally productive water column, the sub-oxic to anoxic transition zones within the deep-water column and the sediment spans over 200 m allowing the unique opportunity for discrete sampling of resident organisms and lipids. Here we present 16s rRNA sequence data of Bacteria and Archaea collected parallel to GDGT lipid profiles and in situ environmental measurements from the sediment and overlying water column in the intermediate zone of the basin, where movements of chemical transition zones are preserved. We evaluated GDGTs and corresponding taxa across the surface water, chlorophyll maximum, thermocline, and the deep redox boundary, including oxygenation, denitrification, manganese, iron and sulfate reduction zones, to determine if GDGTs are being produced under these conditions and how surface-derived GDGT lipids and the TEX86 signal may be altered. The results have implications for the application of the TEX86 paleotemperature proxy.

Biomarker signatures in sediment cores of Lake Urmia (NW Iran): Potential implications for paleo-climate and paleo-environment reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haghipour, Negar; Eglinton, Timothy Ian; McIntyre, Cameron; Darvishi Khatooni, Javad; Hunziker, Daniela; Mohammadi, Ali

2015-04-01

Lake Urmia, in northwest Iran, is the largest saline lake in the Middle East with a surface area of ~ 5000km2. Historical documents indicate its existence since at least 2000 years BC, and palynological investigation of a 100 m-long core suggest it contains a sedimentary record spanning the last 200 ka. Despite this potential as an archive of paleo-climate and paleo-environmental information, to date there has been no molecular organic geochemical investigation or precise dating of these sediments. As part of an exploratory study, we have analyzed material from 3 recently collected 8 m-long cores from the eastern, western and middle part of the lake, with the aim of gaining insight in to past depositional and environmental conditions from biomarker signatures preserved in Lake Urmia sediments. The main objectives are to 1) constrain major source(s) of organic matter and gain insights into carbon cycle and depositional processes from bulk isotopic (δ13Corg, 14Corg) and molecular information, 2) determine the applicability of molecular proxies (TEX86 index derived from glyceroldialkylglycerol tetraethers, GDGTs, and unsaturation index UK37 based on long chain alkenones) for paleo-temperature reconstruction and 3) reconstruct the paleo- vegetation and hydrology from compound-specific stable isotopes (δ13C and δD of n-alkanes). In select samples examined from the three cores, we find the hydrocarbon fractions are dominated by long-chain n-alkanes, with n-C29 and C31 as the dominant homologues in most of the samples. Based on the n-alkane distribution, we distinguish two main types; Type 1 mainly includes the samples deeper than ca 4 m (CPI= 10.2, ACL= 30), characteristic of a terrestrial higher plant source; Type 2 comprises mainly shallower samples (CPI =1.5, ACL = 27.3) which may suggest an increased contribution of aquatic plants. Preliminary GDGT analyses indicate low BIT values for most samples, which suggest little input of soil-derived branched-GDGTs. The fact that Urmia Lake is big and little affected by in situ production of iso-GDGTs from methanogenic Euryarchaeota makes the measured TEX86 proxy reliable. The potential for Uk37 index-based temperature reconstruction also appears feasible since the alkenone concentrations in most of the samples are sufficient. We will present these preliminary data together, compound-specific stable isotope with initial 14C results on bulk sediments.

Modeling the influence of a reduced equator-to-pole sea surface temperature gradient on the distribution of water isotopes in the Eocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speelman, E. N.; Sewall, J. O.; Noone, D. C.; Huber, M.; Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.; Reichart, G.

2009-12-01

Proxy-based climate reconstructions suggest the existence of a strongly reduced equator-to-pole temperature gradient during most of the Early Eocene. With the realization that the Eocene Arctic Ocean was covered with enormous quantities of the free floating freshwater fern Azolla, new questions related to Eocene (global) hydrological cycling facilitating these blooms arose. Changes in hydrological cycling, as a consequence of a reduced temperature gradient, are expected to be most clearly reflected in the isotopic composition (D, 18O) of precipitation. The interpretation of water isotopic records to quantitatively estimate past precipitation patterns is, however, hampered by the lack of detailed information on changes in their spatial and temporal distribution. Using the isotope-enabled global circulation model, Community Atmosphere Model v.3 (isoCAM3), relationships between water isotopes and past climates can be simulated. Here we examine the influence of a reduced meridional sea surface temperature gradient on the spatial distribution of precipitation and its isotopic composition in an Eocene setting. Overall, our combination of Eocene climate forcings, with superimposed TEX86-derived SST estimates and elevated pCO2 concentrations, produces a climate that agrees well with proxy data in locations around the globe. It shows the presence of an intensified hydrological cycle with precipitation exceeding evaporation in the Arctic region. The Eocene model runs with a significantly reduced equator-to-pole temperature gradient in a warmer more humid world predict occurrence of less depleted precipitation, with δD values ranging only between 0 and -140‰ (as opposed to the present-day range of 0 to -300‰). Combining new results obtained from compound specific isotope analyses on terrestrially derived n-alkanes extracted from Eocene sediments, and model calculations, shows that the model not only captures the main features, but reproduces isotopic values quantitatively as well. This combination of modeling outcomes and independent stable isotope records thus confirms independently the validity of the earlier, proxy-based, inferred reduced meridional temperature gradient.

Biomarker Records of Shelf Exposure in the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool for the Past 450,000 Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Windler, G.; Tierney, J. E.; Zander, P. D.; Thunell, R.

2017-12-01

The Indo-Pacific warm pool (IPWP) is a major contributor of heat and moisture to the atmosphere and has a strong influence on tropical climate. Several mechanisms are thought to be responsible for changes in IPWP climate during the Late Quaternary: precessional forcing, which alters seasonal temperatures and rainfall, and sea level changes caused by glaciations, which expose the Sunda and Sahul shelves thereby triggering changes in both atmospheric and oceanic circulation via increased albedo. The "shelf exposure" mechanism is thought to have caused a Bjerknes feedback in the Indian Ocean and predicts that the exposed shelves would have caused severe drying in the western IPWP and a cooling and shoaling of the eastern Indian Ocean thermocline. To test this hypothesis, we are analyzing a suite of proxies from marine core MD98-2152, drilled from an upwelling zone near the southern coast of Sumatra. Specifically, we use the UK'37 (alkenone) index, the TEX86 (GDGT) index, and the deuterium content of terrestrial leaf wax lipids (δDwax) as proxies for the key aspects of the predicted Bjerknes feedback: sea surface temperature (SST), sub-surface temperature (Sub-T), and aridity, respectively. The core extends 450 ka, spanning several glacial/interglacial periods. Results have indicated cooling at both the surface and the thermocline during glacial periods. Surface cooling during some transitional periods is greater than typical changes in the tropics, at times cooling as much as 5° from interglacial to glacial. Preliminary δDwax results show few changes coherent with the timing of glacial or interglacial periods, indicating influences other than the amount effect. Precessional forcing also appears to play a role.

Climatic and hydrologic perturbations in eastern North America during the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eley, Y.; Hren, M. T.; Super, J. R.

2017-12-01

The Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO, 15-17 Ma) was the warmest period of the Neogene, punctuating the long-term Cenozoic cooling trend of the last 50 million years. Temperatures during the MMCO are thought to have reached 4-5 °C higher than modern, despite relatively modest atmospheric pCO2 concentrations of 300-500 ppm. Similarity between Miocene pCO2 levels and those forecast for the next century make the MMCO a key interval for understanding the potential impacts of anthropogenic pCO2 forcing. Evaluation of the climatic drivers and environmental consequences of this transient warming event is challenging, however, due to the limited number of high resolution proxy records of temperature and hydrologic change through the MMCO, particularly from terrestrial sites. Here, we present a new organic molecular record from the Calvert Cliffs formation in Maryland, to investigate terrestrial and near-shore environmental conditions during the MMCO. We observe small-scale fluctuations of 2 °C in isoprenoidal glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) TEX86-derived sea surface temperatures (SSTs), however these are superimposed on a long-term gradual warming trend that raises SSTs by 5 °C between 16.5 Ma and 14 Ma. In contrast, the MBT'-CBT soil temperature proxy, based on terrestrially sourced branched GDGTs, suggests mean annual temperatures rose by 3 °C between 16.5 and 15.9 Ma. Over the same interval, leaf wax n-alkane hydrogen isotopes show a rapid positive shift of 40‰, which we attribute to the influence of these warmer temperatures on the condensation of precipitation. A coeval negative excursion of 2‰ in carbon isotopes is indicative of an increase in rainfall during this mid-Miocene warming. The timing of biomarker-derived terrestrial climatic and hydrologic perturbations closely match reconstructed shifts in atmospheric pCO2, illustrating the tight coupling between terrestrial environmental change and carbon cycling during the middle Miocene.

Reconstructing Holocene palaeo-environmental conditions in the Baltic: A multi-proxy comparison from the Little Belt (IODP Expedition 347, Site M0059)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotthoff, Ulrich; Andrén, Elinor; Andrén, Thomas; Ash, Jeanine; Bauersachs, Thorsten; Fanget, Anne-Sophie; Granoszewski, Wojciech; Groeneveld, Jeroen; Krupinski, Nadine; Peyron, Odile; Slomp, Caroline; Stepanova, Anna; Warnock, Jonathan; van Helmond, Niels; Expedition 347 Science Party

2016-04-01

Some of the largest marine environmental impacts from ongoing global climate change are occurring in continental shelf seas and enclosed basins, including severe oxygen depletion, intensifying stratification, and increasing temperatures. In order to predict future changes in water mass conditions, it is essential to reconstruct how these conditions have changed in the past against the background of climate changes. The brackish Baltic Sea is one of the largest semi-enclosed basins worldwide, and its sediment records provide a unique opportunity to analyse palaeo-environmental and climate change in central and northern Europe. IODP Expedition 347 recovered an exceptional set of sediment cores from the Baltic Sea which allow high-resolution reconstructions in unprecedented quality. We present a comparison of commonly-used proxies to reconstruct palaeoecosystems, -temperatures, and -salinity from IODP Site M0059 in the Little Belt over the past ˜8000 years. Our aim is to reconstruct the development of the terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the research area and the related environmental conditions, and to identify potential limitations of individual proxies. The age model for Site M0059 is based on 14Cdating, biostratigraphic correlation with neighbouring terrestrial pollen records, and sediment stratigraphy. Sedimentary organic carbon content and the bulk elemental composition have been measured, and can be used to determine the depositional environment and degree of oxygen depletion (e.g., Mo, Corg/Ptot). Pollen is used as proxy for vegetation development in the hinterland of the southern Baltic Sea and as a land/air-temperature proxy. Comparison with dinoflagellate cysts, insect remains, and green algae remains from the same samples provides a direct land-sea comparison. The application of the modern analogues technique to pollen assemblages has previously yielded precise results for late Pleistocene and Holocene datasets, including specific information on seasonality, but pollen-based reconstructions for Northern Europe may be hampered by plant migration effects. Palynomorph analyses are therefore complemented with analyses of lipid palaeothermometers, such as TEX86 and the long chain diol index (LDI), to reconstruct variations in Baltic Sea surface temperatures (SST). In addition, the MBT/CBT proxy is used to infer past changes in mean annual air temperatures (MAAT). Benthic foraminiferal δ18O and δ13C measurements (monospecific) and foraminifera and ostracod faunal assemblage analyses allow us to estimate bottom water salinity and environmental changes qualitatively and quantitatively. Low bottom water salinity (˜23 in bottom waters) and varying diagenesis in the Little Belt's organic-rich sediments complicates the application of benthic foraminiferal Mg/Ca as a palaeotemperature proxy. Reliable bottom water temperatures, however, are reconstructed using clumped isotope analyses of mollusc material. In addition, diatoms and the diol index (DI) are analysed to determine variation in salinity of the Baltic Sea's surface waters over the investigated time period. The results of this inter-proxy comparison study will be used to reconstruct gradients between different settings, e.g. how water column stratification developed, possibly if and how changes in seasonality occurred, and to identify the circumstances under which specific proxies may be affected by secondary impacts.

Reconstructing palaeo-environmental conditions in the Baltic: A multi-proxy comparison from IODP Site M0059 (Little Belt)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotthoff, Ulrich; Andrén, Thomas; Bauersachs, Thorsten; Fanget, Anne-Sophie; Granoszewski, Wojciech; Groeneveld, Jeroen; Krupinski, Nadine; Peyron, Odile; Stepanova, Anna; Cotterill, Carol

2015-04-01

Some of the largest marine environmental impacts from ongoing global climate change are occurring in continental shelf seas and enclosed basins, including severe oxygen depletion, intensifying stratification, and increasing temperatures. In order to predict future changes in water mass conditions, it is essential to reconstruct how these conditions have changed in the past. The brackish Baltic Sea is one of the largest semi-enclosed basins worldwide, and hence provides a unique opportunity to analyse past changes. IODP Expedition 347 recovered a unique set of long sediment cores from the Baltic Sea Basin which allow new high-resolution reconstructions. The application of existing and development of new proxies in such a setting is complicated, as environmental changes often occur on much faster time scales with much larger variations. Therefore, we present a comparison of commonly used proxies to reconstruct palaeoecosystems, -temperatures, and -salinity from IODP Site M0059 in the Little Belt. The age model for Site M0059 is based on 14C dating and biostratigraphic correlation with neighbouring terrestrial pollen records. The aim of our study is to reconstruct the development of the terrestrial and marine ecosystems in the research area and the related environmental conditions, and to identify potential limitations for specific proxies. Pollen is used as proxy for vegetation development in the hinterland of the southern Baltic Sea and as land/air-temperature proxies. By comparison with dinoflagellate cysts and green algae remains from the same samples, a direct land-sea comparison is provided. The application of the modern analogues technique to pollen assemblages has previously yielded precise results for late Pleistocene and Holocene datasets including specific information on seasonality, but pollen-based reconstructions for Northern Europe may be hampered by plant migration effects. Chironomid remains are used where possible as indicators for surface water conditions during the warm season. Analyses of palynomorphs and chironomids are complemented with the analysis of lipid palaeothermometers, such as TEX86 and the long chain diol index (LDI), which both allow reconstructing variation in sea surface temperatures (SST) of the Baltic Sea. In addition, the MBT/CBT proxy is used to infer past changes in mean annual air temperatures (MAAT) and the diol index (DI) to determine variation in salinity of the Baltic Sea's surface waters over the investigated time period. The low salinity (25 psu) of the Little Belt is a potential limitation for several of the used proxies, which could lead to under-estimation of paleo-temperatures. To quantitatively and qualitatively estimate the impact of salinity, δ18O measurements (monospecific) and faunal assemblage analyses are performed on benthic foraminifera as well as ostracod faunal assemblages, which are especially sensitive to bottom water salinity changes. The results of this inter-comparison study will be useful for the reconstruction of gradients between different settings, e.g. how water column stratification developed, possibly if and how changes in seasonality occurred, and to identify the circumstances under which specific proxies may be affected by secondary impacts.

Southern high-latitude terrestrial climate change during the Paleocene-Eocene derived from a marine pollen record (ODP Site 1172, East Tasman Plateau)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Contreras, L.; Pross, J.; Bijl, P. K.; O'Hara, R. B.; Raine, J. I.; Sluijs, A.; Brinkhuis, H.

2014-01-01

Reconstructing the early Paleogene climate dynamics of terrestrial settings in the high southern latitudes is important to assess the role of high-latitude physical and biogeochemical processes in the global climate system. However, whereas a number of high-quality Paleogene climate records has become available for the marine realm of the high southern latitudes over the recent past, the long-term evolution of coeval terrestrial climates and ecosystems is yet poorly known. We here explore the climate and vegetation dynamics on Tasmania from the middle Paleocene to the early Eocene (60.7-54.2 Ma) based on a sporomorph record from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1172 on the East Tasman Plateau. Our results show that three distinctly different vegetation types thrived on Tasmania under a high-precipitation regime during the middle Paleocene to early Eocene, with each type representing different temperature conditions: (i) warm-temperate forests dominated by gymnosperms that were dominant during the middle and late Paleocene; (ii) cool-temperate forests dominated by southern beech (Nothofagus) and araucarians across the middle/late Paleocene transition interval (~59.5 to ~59.0 Ma); and (iii) paratropical forests rich in ferns that were established during and in the wake of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). The transient establishment of cool-temperate forests lacking any frost-sensitive elements (i.e., palms and cycads) across the middle/late Paleocene transition interval indicates markedly cooler conditions, with the occurrence of frosts in winter, on Tasmania during that time. The integration of our sporomorph data with previously published TEX86-based sea-surface temperatures from ODP Site 1172 documents that the vegetation dynamics on Tasmania were closely linked with the temperature evolution in the Tasman sector of the Southwest Pacific region. Moreover, the comparison of our season-specific climate estimates for the sporomorph assemblages from ODP Site 1172 with the TEX86L- and TEX86H-based temperature data suggests a warm-season bias of both calibrations for the early Paleogene of the high southern latitudes.

Southern high-latitude terrestrial climate change during the Palaeocene-Eocene derived from a marine pollen record (ODP Site 1172, East Tasman Plateau)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Contreras, L.; Pross, J.; Bijl, P. K.; O'Hara, R. B.; Raine, J. I.; Sluijs, A.; Brinkhuis, H.

2014-07-01

Reconstructing the early Palaeogene climate dynamics of terrestrial settings in the high southern latitudes is important to assess the role of high-latitude physical and biogeochemical processes in the global climate system. However, whereas a number of high-quality Palaeogene climate records has become available for the marine realm of the high southern latitudes over the recent past, the long-term evolution of coeval terrestrial climates and ecosystems is yet poorly known. We here explore the climate and vegetation dynamics on Tasmania from the middle Palaeocene to the early Eocene (60.7-54.2 Ma) based on a sporomorph record from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1172 on the East Tasman Plateau. Our results show that three distinctly different vegetation types thrived on Tasmania under a high-precipitation regime during the middle Palaeocene to early Eocene, with each type representing different temperature conditions: (i) warm-temperate forests dominated by gymnosperms that were dominant during the middle and late Palaeocene (excluding the middle/late Palaeocene transition); (ii) cool-temperate forests dominated by southern beech (Nothofagus) and araucarians that transiently prevailed across the middle/late Palaeocene transition interval (~ 59.5 to ~ 59.0 Ma); and (iii) paratropical forests rich in ferns that were established during and in the wake of the Palaeocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). The transient establishment of cool-temperate forests lacking any frost-sensitive elements (i.e. palms and cycads) across the middle/late Palaeocene transition interval indicates markedly cooler conditions, with the occurrence of frosts in winter, on Tasmania during that time. The integration of our sporomorph data with previously published TEX86-based sea-surface temperatures from ODP Site 1172 documents that the vegetation dynamics on Tasmania were closely linked with the temperature evolution in the Tasman sector of the Southwest Pacific region. Moreover, the comparison of our season-specific climate estimates for the sporomorph assemblages from ODP Site 1172 with the TEX86L- and TEX86H-based temperature data suggests a warm bias of both calibrations for the early Palaeogene of the high southern latitudes.

Precession and atmospheric CO2 modulated variability of sea ice in the central Okhotsk Sea since 130,000 years ago

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo, Li; Belt, Simon T.; Lattaud, Julie; Friedrich, Tobias; Zeeden, Christian; Schouten, Stefan; Smik, Lukas; Timmermann, Axel; Cabedo-Sanz, Patricia; Huang, Jyh-Jaan; Zhou, Liping; Ou, Tsong-Hua; Chang, Yuan-Pin; Wang, Liang-Chi; Chou, Yu-Min; Shen, Chuan-Chou; Chen, Min-Te; Wei, Kuo-Yen; Song, Sheng-Rong; Fang, Tien-Hsi; Gorbarenko, Sergey A.; Wang, Wei-Lung; Lee, Teh-Quei; Elderfield, Henry; Hodell, David A.

2018-04-01

Recent reduction in high-latitude sea ice extent demonstrates that sea ice is highly sensitive to external and internal radiative forcings. In order to better understand sea ice system responses to external orbital forcing and internal oscillations on orbital timescales, here we reconstruct changes in sea ice extent and summer sea surface temperature (SSST) over the past 130,000 yrs in the central Okhotsk Sea. We applied novel organic geochemical proxies of sea ice (IP25), SSST (TEX86L) and open water marine productivity (a tri-unsaturated highly branched isoprenoid and biogenic opal) to marine sediment core MD01-2414 (53°11.77‧N, 149°34.80‧E, water depth 1123 m). To complement the proxy data, we also carried out transient Earth system model simulations and sensitivity tests to identify contributions of different climatic forcing factors. Our results show that the central Okhotsk Sea was ice-free during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5e and the early-mid Holocene, but experienced variable sea ice cover during MIS 2-4, consistent with intervals of relatively high and low SSST, respectively. Our data also show that the sea ice extent was governed by precession-dominated insolation changes during intervals of atmospheric CO2 concentrations ranging from 190 to 260 ppm. However, the proxy record and the model simulation data show that the central Okhotsk Sea was near ice-free regardless of insolation forcing throughout the penultimate interglacial, and during the Holocene, when atmospheric CO2 was above ∼260 ppm. Past sea ice conditions in the central Okhotsk Sea were therefore strongly modulated by both orbital-driven insolation and CO2-induced radiative forcing during the past glacial/interglacial cycle.

Middle Miocene environmental and climatic evolution at the Wilkes Land margin, East Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangiorgi, Francesca; Bijl, Peter; Passchier, Sandra; Salzmann, Ulrich; Schouten, Stefan; Pross, Jörg; Escutia, Carlota; Brinkhuis, Henk

2015-04-01

Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 318 successfully drilled a Middle Miocene (~ 17 - 12.5 Ma) record from the Wilkes Land Margin at Site U1356A (63°18.6138'S, 135°59.9376'E), located at the transition between the continental rise and the abyssal plain at 4003 mbsl. We present a multiproxy palynological (dinoflagellate cyst, pollen and spores), sedimentological and organic geochemical (TEX86, MBT/CBT) study, which unravels the environmental and climate variability across the Miocene Climatic Optimum (MCO, ~17-15 Ma) and the Mid Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT). Several independent lines of evidence suggest a relatively warm climate during the MCO. Dinocyst and pollen assemblage diversity at the MCO is unprecedented for a Neogene Antarctic record and indicates a temperate, sea ice-free marine environment, with woody sub-antarctic vegetation with elements of forest/shrub tundra and peat lands along the coast. These results are further confirmed by relatively warm TEX86-derived Sea Surface Temperatures and mild MBT-derived continental temperatures, and by the absence of glacially derived deposits and very few ice-rafted clasts. A generally colder but highly dynamic environment is suggested for the interval 15-12.5 Ma.

Neoglacial Antarctic sea-ice expansion driven by mid-Holocene retreat of the Ross Ice Shelf.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bendle, J. A.; Newton, K.; Mckay, R. M.; Crosta, X.; Etourneau, J.; Anya, A. B.; Seki, O.; Golledge, N. R.; Bertler, N. A. N.; Willmott, V.; Schouten, S.; Riesselman, C. R.; Masse, G.; Dunbar, R. B.

2017-12-01

Recent decades have seen expanding Antarctic sea-ice coverage, coeval with thinning West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) ice shelves and the rapid freshening of surface and bottom waters along the Antarctic margin. The mid-Holocene Neoglacial transition represents the last comparable baseline shift in sea-ice behaviour. The drivers and feedbacks involved in both the recent and Holocene events are poorly understood and characterised by large proxy-model mismatches. We present new records of compound specific fatty acid isotope analyses (δ2H-FA), highly-branched isoprenoid alkenes (HBIs) TEX86L temperatures, grain-size, mass accumulations rates (MARs) and image analyses from a 171m Holocene sediment sequence from Site U1357 (IODP leg 318). In combination with published records we reconstruct Holocene changes in glacial meltwater, sedimentary inputs and sea-ice. The early Holocene (11 to 10 ka) is characterised by large fluctuations in inputs of deglacial meltwater and sediments and seismic evidence of downlapping material from the south, suggesting a dominating influence from glacial retreat of the local outlet glaciers. From 10 to 8 ka there is decreasing meltwater inputs, an onlapping drift and advection of material from the east. After ca. 8 ka positively correlated δ2H-FA and MARs infer that pulses of glacial melt correlate to stronger easterly currents, driving erosion of material from upstream banks and that the Ross Ice Shelf (RIS) becomes a major influence. A large mid-Holocene meltwater pulse (preceded by warming TEX86L temperatures) is evident between ca. 6 to 4.5 ka, culminating in a rapid and permanent increase in sea-ice from 4.5 ka. This is coeval with cosmogenic nuclide evidence for a rapid thinning of the Antarctic ice sheet during the mid-Holocene (Hein et al., 2016). We suggest this represents a final major pulse of deglaciation from the Ross Ice Shelf, which initiates the Neoglacial, driving cool surface waters along the coast and greater sea-ice production in the Adélie and more widely. Our work provides a mechanism for rapid expansion of Antarctic sea ice with a background of a warming climate and highlights how better representation of meltwater inputs and sea ice dynamics will be fundamental to improving projections for future climate change in the Antarctic. Hein, et al,. Nat. Comms, 12511, 2016.

Direct evidence for impact winter following the Cretaceous-Paleogene bolide impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vellekoop, J.; Sluijs, A.; Smit, J.; Schouten, S.; Sinninghe Damsté, J. S.; Brinkhuis, H.

2012-12-01

The Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary, ~65.5 Ma, marks a mass-extinction event related the impact of a large asteroid on the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico. Model scenarios predict that the explosive injection of dust and sulfate aerosols into the stratosphere blocked incoming solar radiation, resulting in a cooling pulse of months to several decades, a so-called 'impact winter', but thus far, proxy records lack sufficient resolution to evaluate this hypothesis. We report on a major, short-lived drop in sea surface temperatures (SSTs) recorded in an unusually well preserved and stratigraphically expanded K/Pg boundary site in Texas, USA, based on TEX86 paleothermometry. Critically, the cooling directly post-dates impact-related tsunami deposits, and coincides with the deposition of extraterrestrial iridium representing aerosol fall out, restricting the age of the cooling to the first months to decades after impact. We interpret this cooling to reflect the first direct evidence for the "impact winter" at the K/Pg boundary. The combination of darkness and cooling must have been a key contributory element in the extinctions of many biological clades, including the dinosaurs, flying reptiles and marine reptiles.

A terrestrial Pliocene-Pleistocene temperature record from North-Western Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dearing Crampton Flood, Emily; Peterse, Francien; Munsterman, Dirk; Sinninghe Damste, Jaap

2016-04-01

The Mid-Pliocene Warm Period (MPWP) (ca 3.3 to 3.0 Ma) is the most recent geological interval that serves as an appropriate analogue to our current climate for two main reasons. Firstly, atmospheric CO2 levels were similar (400 - 450 ppmv) to present day levels. Secondly, continental configurations during the Pliocene were largely similar to the present day. The MPWP is especially interesting regarding future climate predictions as global temperatures were roughly 2 - 3 °C warmer than present, indicating that current climate may not yet be in equilibrium. Reconstructions of MPWP sea surface temperatures (SSTs) indicate SSTs were warmer than present, particularly at high latitudes (ΔSST = 2 - 6 °C). However, continental temperatures for this interval remain poorly constrained due to a lack of trustworthy proxies, and scarcity of terrestrial sedimentary archives. Here we analysed branched GDGTs (brGDGTs) in a sediment core from the Netherlands to reconstruct continental mean air temperatures (MAT) in North-Western Europe during the Early Pliocene to mid-Pleistocene. BrGDGTs are membrane lipids of organisms living predominantly in soils whose relative distributions relate with the temperature and pH of the soil in which they are biosynthesized. BrGDGTs can be delivered to coastal marine sediments by fluvially transported soil material. Due to the coastal position of the sample site, land-sea climate correlations can be studied by analysing temperature-sensitive marine biomarkers, i.e. alkenones and long chain diols, in the same sediment, and subsequently applying the Uk37', TEX86, and long chain diol index (LDI) paleothermometers. The obtained MAT record can be divided into four main events: two small 'glacial' events, the MPWP, and the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciation marking the onset of the Pleistocene, the latter being characterized by unstable and fluctuating temperatures. The glacial periods have been tentatively assigned according to the De Schepper et al. (2014) framework for Pliocene glaciations, the first being the 4 Ma glacial, and the second being the MIS M2 glacial, occurring roughly at ~ 3.4 Ma. Notably, reconstructed SSTs do not correspond to the terrestrial temperature record; TEX86-based SSTs show stable and unchanging conditions. Therefore, we propose that the SST may be affected by an influx of warm North Atlantic waters, caused by the initiation of the modern Nordic Seas circulation, which was in turn influenced by an input of cool Pacific waters through the Bering Strait at ca. 4.5 Ma. Evidence is reflected in the palynology of the core, which records an abundance of sub-tropical and thermophilic cysts (Lingulodinium machaeophorum, Melitasphaeridium choanophorum, Operculodinium? eirikianum and O. israelianum), matching those described by de Schepper et al. in the Nordic Seas (2014). Reference: De Schepper, et al., 2014, A global synthesis of the marine and terrestrial evidence for glaciation during the Pliocene Epoch. Earth-Science Reviews 135, 83-102.

Late Pliocene and Early Pleistocene Temperature Reconstructions from Paleolakes of the West Turkana and North Awash Basins, East Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castañeda, I. S.; Thompson-Munson, M.; Lupien, R.; Russell, J. M.

2015-12-01

The Hominin Sites and Paleolakes Drilling Project (HSPDP) aims to reconstruct past environments of the East African Rift Valley from locations in close proximity to some of the world's most important fossil hominin and artifact sites. In this study, we investigate sediments from the West Turkana and North Awash Basins, which were recently drilled as part of the HSPDP. The North Awash Basin contains abundant early hominin fossils and the lakebeds of the Hadar Formation (~3.6 to ~2.9 Ma) will provide a record of climate variability during the Pliocene, prior to the intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation at ~2.7 Ma. The lakebeds of the Turkana Basin are Early Pleistocene in age (~1.9 to ~1.45 Ma) and span the interval that includes some the earliest fossils of Homo rudolfensis and H. ergaster/erectus. Here we examine the organic geochemistry of West Turkana and North Awash Basin sediments and investigate the use of proxies based on isoprenoid and branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) to reconstruct temperature, including TEX86 and the methylation and cyclization (MBT and CBT) ratios and relative abundances of branched GDGTs. We also examine variability in the abundances and ratios of plant leaf waxes (n-alkanes) to provide insight into past vegetation changes on the East African landscape.

New insights into deglacial climate variability in tropical South America from molecular fossil and isotopic indicators in Lake Titicaca

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shanahan, T. M.; Hughen, K. A.; Fornace, K.; Baker, P. A.; Fritz, S. C.

2010-12-01

As one of the main centers of tropical convection, the South American Altiplano plays a crucial role in the long-term climate variability of South America. However, both the timing and the drivers of climate variability on orbital to millennial timescales remain poorly understood for this region. New data from molecular fossil (e.g., TEX86) and compound specific hydrogen isotope (D/H) analyses provide new insights into the climate evolution of this region over the last ~50 kyr. TEX86 temperature reconstructions suggest that the Altiplano warmed as early as 19- 21 kyr ago and proceeded rapidly, consistent with published evidence for an early retreat of LGM glaciers at this time at some locations. The early warming signal observed at Lake Titicaca also appears to be synchronous with continental temperature reconstructions at some sites in tropical Africa, but leads tropical SST changes by several thousands of years. Although the initiation of warming coincided with the peak in southern hemisphere summer insolation, subsequent temperature increases were accompanied by decreases in southern hemisphere insolation, suggesting a northern hemisphere driver for temperature changes in tropical South America. Preliminary D/H ratios from leaf waxes appear to support existing data suggesting that wet conditions prevailed until the late glacial/early Holocene and are broadly consistent with local southern hemisphere summer insolation forcing of the summer monsoon. These data suggest that temperature and precipitation changes during the last deglaciation were decoupled and that both local and extratropical drivers are important for controlling climate change in this region on orbital timescales.

Stability-indicating chromatographic methods for the determination of some oxicams.

PubMed

Taha, Elham Anwer; Salama, Nahla Nour; Abdel Fattah, Laila el-Said

2004-01-01

Two sensitive and selective methods were developed for the determination of some oxicams, namely, lornoxicam (LOX), tenoxicam (TEX), and meloxicam (MEX), in the presence of their alkaline degradation products. The first method is based on the thin-layer chromatographic separation of the 3 drugs from their alkaline degradation products, followed by densitometric measurement of the intact drug spots for LOX, TEX, and MEX at 380, 370, and 364 nm, respectively. The developing systems used for separation are ethyl acetate-methanol-26% ammonia (17 + 3 + 0.35, v/v/v) for LOX and TEX and chloroform-n-hexane-96.0% acetic acid (18 + 1 + 1, v/v/v) for MEX. The linear ranges were 0.25-6.0 microg/spot for LOX and TEX and 0.5-10 microg/spot for MEX, with mean recoveries of 99.80 +/- 1.32, 100.57 +/- 1.34, and 100.71 +/- 1.57%, respectively. The second method is based on the liquid chromatographic separation of the 3 drugs from their alkaline degradation products on a reversed-phase C18 column, using mobile phases of methanol-acetonitrile-acetate buffer, pH 4.6 (4.5 + 0.5 + 5.0, v/v/v) for LOX and MEX and methanol-acetonitrile-acetate buffer, pH 4.6 (1.9 + 0.1 + 3.0, v/v/v) for TEX at ambient temperature. Quantification is achieved by UV detection at 280 nm, based on peak area. The linear ranges were 0.5-20 microg/mL for LOX and TEX and 1.25-50 microg/mL for MEX, with mean recoveries of 99.81 +/- 1.01, 98.90 +/- 1.61, and 100.86 +/- 1.55%, respectively. The methods were validated according to guidelines of the International Conference on Harmonization. The developed methods were successfully applied to the determination of LOX, TEX, and MEX in bulk powder, laboratory-prepared mixtures containing different percentages of degradation products, and pharmaceutical dosage forms.

Half-precessional climate forcing of Indian Ocean monsoon dynamics on the East African equator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verschuren, D.; Sinninghe Damste, J. S.; Moernaut, J.; Kristen, I.; Fagot, M.; Blaauw, M.; Haug, G. H.; Project Members, C.

2008-12-01

The EuroCLIMATE project CHALLACEA produced a detailed multi-proxy reconstruction of the climate history of equatorial East Africa, based on the sediment record of Lake Challa, a 4.2 km2, 92-m deep crater lake on the lower East slope of Mt. Kilimanjaro (Kenya/Tanzania). Relatively stable sedimentation dynamics over the past 25,000 years resulted in a unique combination of high temporal resolution, excellent radiometric (210Pb, 14C) age control, and confidence that recording parameters of the climatic proxy signals extracted from the sediment have remained constant through time. The equatorial (3 deg. S) location of our study site in East Africa, where seasonal migration of convective activity spans the widest latitude range worldwide, produced unique information on how varying rainfall contributions from the northeasterly and southeasterly Indian Ocean monsoons shaped regional climate history. The Challa proxy records for temperature (TEX86) and moisture balance (reflection-seismic stratigraphy and the BIT index of soil bacterial input) uniquely weave together tropical climate variability at orbital and shorter time scales. The temporal pattern of reconstructed moisture balance bears the clear signature of half- precessional insolation forcing of Indian Ocean monsoon dynamics, modified by northern-latitude influence on moisture-balance variation at millennial and century time scales. During peak glacial time (but not immediately before) and the Younger Dryas, NH ice sheet influences overrode local insolation influence on monsoon intensity. After the NH ice sheets had melted and a relatively stable interglacial temperature regime developed, precession-driven summer insolation became the dominant determinant of regional moisture balance, with anti-phased patterns of Holocene hydrological change in the northern and southern (sub)tropics, and a uniquely hybrid pattern on the East African equator. In the last 2-3000 years a series of multi-century droughts with links to high latitude climate variability exerted widespread influence across the African continent. In northern and western tropical Africa these drought episodes accentuated the late- Holocene drying trend; in southern tropical Africa they mitigated or aborted the trend to increasing monsoon rainfall prescribed by SH insolation forcing.

Sea ice variations in the central Okhotsk Sea during the last two glacial-interglacial cycles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo, L.; Cabedo-Sanz, P.; Lattaud, J.; Belt, S. T.; Schouten, S.; Huang, J. J.; Timmermann, A.; Zeeden, C.; Wei, K. Y.; Shen, C. C.; Hodell, D. A.; Elderfield, H.

2016-12-01

Sea ice system as one of the critical and sensitive climate components in the Earth's climate system has experienced dramatically declination for the past few decades. Little knowledge, however, about the sea ice variations in the past orbital timescales has been obtained by paleoclimatic studies due to the lack of reliable sea ice proxy and age model constrain in the high productivity subpolar to polar regions. Here we present continuous 180,000 years subarctic northwestern Pacific sea ice and surface temperature (SST) records in the center Okhotsk Sea, the southernmost of seasonal sea ice fomration region in the Northern Hemisphere by using by using novel organic and non-destructive geochemical proxies from Site MD01-2414 (53oN, 149oE, water depth 1123 m). High resolution X-ray fluoresces scanning biogenic/terrestrial (Ba/Ti) elemental ratio represent clear glacial-interglacial cycles. Organic geochemical proxies (IP25 and TEX86) derived sea ice and SST changes in the same time resolution reveal the seasonality in the center Okhotsk Sea. Sea ice shows strong 23-kyr precession cycle control with modulation of 100-kyr eccentricity cycle during the peak interglacial periods (Marine Isotope Stage 5e and Holocene). On the other hand, SST represent global background climate change of 100-kyr cycle with very strong obliquity changes. According to the timeseries analyses, we argue that the sea ice minimum in the center of Okhotsk Sea has mainly been controlled by the local autumn insolation. SST represent annual insolation increasing due to local summer insolation and the obliquity pacing. This study firstly demonstrated clear seasonality in the same site. Further study of the relationship between sea ice and seawater thermal hisotries on the orbital timescale in the subarctic Pacific is crucial in the understanding of past major climate event, e.g. Middle Pleistocene Transition and Middle Brunhes Event.

Oceanographic and climatic evolution of the southeastern subtropical Atlantic over the last 3.5 Ma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrick, Benjamin; McClymont, Erin L.; Littler, Kate; Rosell-Melé, Antoni; Clarkson, Matthew O.; Maslin, Mark; Röhl, Ursula; Shevenell, Amelia E.; Pancost, Richard D.

2018-06-01

The southeast Atlantic Ocean is dominated by two major oceanic systems: the Benguela Upwelling System, one of the world's most productive coastal upwelling cells and the Agulhas Leakage, which is important for transferring warm salty water from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. Here, we present a multi-proxy record of marine sediments from ODP Site 1087. We reconstruct sea surface temperatures (U37K‧ and TEX86 indices), marine primary productivity (total chlorin and alkenone mass accumulation rates), and terrestrial inputs derived from southern Africa (Ti/Al and Ca/Ti via XRF scanning) to understand the evolution of the Southeast Atlantic Ocean since the late Pliocene. In the late Pliocene and early Pleistocene, ODP Site 1087 was situated within the Benguela Upwelling System, which was displaced southwards relative to present. We recognize a series of events in the proxy records at 3.3, 3.0, 2.2, 1.5, 0.9 and 0.6 Ma, which are interpreted to reflect a combination of changes in the location of major global wind and oceanic systems and local variations in the strength and/or position of the winds, which influence nutrient availability. Although there is a temporary SST cooling observed around the initiation of Northern Hemisphere glaciation (iNHG), proxy records from ODP Site 1087 show no clear climatic transition around 2.7 Ma but instead most of the changes occur before this time. This observation is significant because it has been previously suggested that there should be a change in the location and/or strength of upwelling associated with this climate transition. Rather, the main shifts at ODP Site 1087 occur at ca. 0.9 Ma and 0.6 Ma, associated with the early mid-Pleistocene transition (EMPT), with a clear loss of the previous upwelling-dominated regime. This observation raises the possibility that reorganisation of southeast Atlantic Ocean circulation towards modern conditions was tightly linked to the EMPT, but not to earlier climate transitions.

Phytoplankton assemblages and lipid biomarkers indicate sea-surface warming and sea-ice decline in the Ross Sea during Marine Isotope sub-Stage 5e

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartman, Julian D.; Sangiorgi, Francesca; Peterse, Francien; Barcena, Maria A.; Albertazzi, Sonia; Asioli, Alessandra; Giglio, Federico; Langone, Leonardo; Tateo, Fabio; Trincardi, Fabio

2016-04-01

The Marine Isotope sub-Stage 5e (~ 125 - 119 kyrs BP), the last interglacial period before the present, is believed to have been globally warmer (~ 2°C) than today. Studying this time interval might therefore provide insights into near future climate state given the ongoing climate change and global temperature increase. Of particular interest are the expected changes in polar ice cover. One important aspect of the cryosphere is sea-ice, which influences albedo, deep and surface water currents, and phytoplankton production, and thus affects the global climate system. To investigate whether changes in sea-ice cover occurred in the Southern Ocean close to Antarctica during Marine Isotope sub-Stage 5e dinoflagellate and diatom assemblages have been analyzed in core AS05-10, drilled in the continental slope off the Drygalski basin (Ross Sea) at a water depth of 2377 m. The core was drilled within the frame of the PNRA 2009/A2.01 project, an Italian project with a multidisciplinary approach, and covers the interval from Present to Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 7. The core stratigraphy is based on diatom bioevents and on the climate cyclicity provided by the variations of the diatom assemblages. For this study we focused on the interval from MIS7 to MIS5. A strong reduction of sea-ice-loving diatom taxa with respect to open water-loving diatom taxa is observed during MIS5. In general the production of phytoplankton increases at the base of MIS5 and then slowly decreases. Dinoflagellate cysts, particularly heterotrophic species, are abundant during MIS5e only. The sea surface temperature reconstruction based on the TEX86L, a proxy based on lipid biomarkers produced by Thaumarcheota, shows a 4°C temperature increase from MIS6 to MIS5e. A slightly smaller temperature increase is observed at the onset of MIS7, but this stage is barren of heterotrophic dinoflagellates. All proxies together seem to indicate that the retreat of the summer sea-ice in the Ross Sea during MIS5e was likely greater than that during MIS7.

Factors Controlling the Distribution of Archaeal Tetraethers in Terrestrial Hot Springs▿

PubMed Central

Pearson, Ann; Pi, Yundan; Zhao, Weidong; Li, WenJun; Li, Yiliang; Inskeep, William; Perevalova, Anna; Romanek, Christopher; Li, Shuguang; Zhang, Chuanlun L.

2008-01-01

Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) found in hot springs reflect the abundance and community structure of Archaea in these extreme environments. The relationships between GDGTs, archaeal communities, and physical or geochemical variables are underexamined to date and when reported often result in conflicting interpretations. Here, we examined profiles of GDGTs from pure cultures of Crenarchaeota and from terrestrial geothermal springs representing a wide distribution of locations, including Yellowstone National Park (United States), the Great Basin of Nevada and California (United States), Kamchatka (Russia), Tengchong thermal field (China), and Thailand. These samples had temperatures of 36.5 to 87°C and pH values of 3.0 to 9.2. GDGT abundances also were determined for three soil samples adjacent to some of the hot springs. Principal component analysis identified four factors that accounted for most of the variance among nine individual GDGTs, temperature, and pH. Significant correlations were observed between pH and the GDGTs crenarchaeol and GDGT-4 (four cyclopentane rings, m/z 1,294); pH correlated positively with crenarchaeol and inversely with GDGT-4. Weaker correlations were observed between temperature and the four factors. Three of the four GDGTs used in the marine TEX86 paleotemperature index (GDGT-1 to -3, but not crenarchaeol isomer) were associated with a single factor. No correlation was observed for GDGT-0 (acyclic caldarchaeol): it is effectively its own variable. The biosynthetic mechanisms and exact archaeal community structures leading to these relationships remain unknown. However, the data in general show promise for the continued development of GDGT lipid-based physiochemical proxies for archaeal evolution and for paleo-ecology or paleoclimate studies. PMID:18390673

Factors controlling the distribution of archaeal tetraethers in terrestrial hot springs.

PubMed

Pearson, Ann; Pi, Yundan; Zhao, Weidong; Li, WenJun; Li, Yiliang; Inskeep, William; Perevalova, Anna; Romanek, Christopher; Li, Shuguang; Zhang, Chuanlun L

2008-06-01

Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) found in hot springs reflect the abundance and community structure of Archaea in these extreme environments. The relationships between GDGTs, archaeal communities, and physical or geochemical variables are underexamined to date and when reported often result in conflicting interpretations. Here, we examined profiles of GDGTs from pure cultures of Crenarchaeota and from terrestrial geothermal springs representing a wide distribution of locations, including Yellowstone National Park (United States), the Great Basin of Nevada and California (United States), Kamchatka (Russia), Tengchong thermal field (China), and Thailand. These samples had temperatures of 36.5 to 87 degrees C and pH values of 3.0 to 9.2. GDGT abundances also were determined for three soil samples adjacent to some of the hot springs. Principal component analysis identified four factors that accounted for most of the variance among nine individual GDGTs, temperature, and pH. Significant correlations were observed between pH and the GDGTs crenarchaeol and GDGT-4 (four cyclopentane rings, m/z 1,294); pH correlated positively with crenarchaeol and inversely with GDGT-4. Weaker correlations were observed between temperature and the four factors. Three of the four GDGTs used in the marine TEX(86) paleotemperature index (GDGT-1 to -3, but not crenarchaeol isomer) were associated with a single factor. No correlation was observed for GDGT-0 (acyclic caldarchaeol): it is effectively its own variable. The biosynthetic mechanisms and exact archaeal community structures leading to these relationships remain unknown. However, the data in general show promise for the continued development of GDGT lipid-based physiochemical proxies for archaeal evolution and for paleo-ecology or paleoclimate studies.

Central Equatorial Pacific Sea Surface Temperatures During the Last Glacial Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteagudo, M. M.; Lynch-Stieglitz, J.; Schmidt, M. W.

2017-12-01

The state of the tropical Pacific ocean-atmosphere system during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 19,000-23,000 years BP) remains an area of uncertainty. Spatial patterns of tropical Pacific sea surface temperature (SST) offer insight into atmospheric circulation (i.e. Walker Circulation), however, few records exist for the Central Tropical Pacific (CTP). The few existing glacial CTP SST reconstructions indicate 1-2 °C of warming based on foraminiferal transfer functions (CLIMAP Project Members, 1976). In contrast, evidence from geochemical proxies (Mg/Ca, UK'37, TEX86) show 1-3.5 °C cooling in the eastern and western tropical Pacific (e.g. MARGO Project Members, 2009). In this study we present the first Mg/Ca estimates of glacial CTP SST from a meridional sediment core transect along the Line Islands Ridge (0-7°N, 156-162 °W). We use a time slice approach to establish the magnitude of glacial-interglacial SST change between the LGM (19,000-23,0000 years BP) and the Holocene (0-10,000 years BP) using Mg/Ca in the surface-dwelling foraminifera Globigerinoides ruber. Our results indicate cooling at all latitudes, ranging between 1.2-2.7 °C (Holocene-LGM SST). Northern cores (6.83-2.77 °N) exhibit a smaller glacial-interglacial SST difference than equatorial site 20BB at 1.27 °N. The data generated thus far suggest the glacial meridional SST gradient may have been steeper, possibly as a result of increased zonal winds, equatorial upwelling, or westward expansion of the Eastern Pacific Cold Tongue.

Mechanisms for the export of archaeal lipids down the water column in the upwelling area off Cape Blanc, North-West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebersbach, Friederike; Goldenstein, Nadine; Iversen, Morten; Mollenhauer, Gesine; Hinrichs, Kai-Uwe

2016-04-01

Transport mechanisms of microbial membrane lipids from surface waters to the seafloor are poorly understood. In particular, pelagic archaeal glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) from planktonic archaea are frequently used for reconstruction of ancient sea surface temperatures (Schouten et al. 2013). Because planktonic archaea are too small and neutrally buoyant to sink independently, transport vehicles for efficient export of fossil archaeal biomarkers to the sediment are required. The surface ocean is coupled with the deep ocean through biogenic sinking particles, a process known as the biological pump (Volk and Hoffert 1985). Two different pathways for particle formation, mainly taking place in the mesopelagic zone, are distinguished: Direct aggregation of phytoplankton blooms or grazing, resulting in phyto-detrital aggregates or reprocessed faecal material, respectively. Grazing and packaging into sinking particles is a possible export mechanism for GDGTs (Huguet et al. 2006). Moreover, it is assumed that phyto-detrital aggregates also play an important role in transporting GDGTs to the deep (Mollenhauer et al. 2015), but processes behind this pathway remain unclear. However, there are only few studies that link GDGT signals in sinking particles to the composition of the exported particulate matter (e.g. Yamamoto et al., 2012; Mollenhauer et al. 2015). Here we investigate sinking particles and suspended particulate matter (SPM) from spring blooms in 2012 and 2013 in the upwelling region in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Blanc, Mauritania. We compare for the first time material from free-floating sediment traps (100, 200 and 400 m; purely sinking particles) with sinking particles and SPM from size fractionated in-situ pump (ISP) filters (several depths between 40 and 2350 m). This setup allows to relate the signal from archaeal lipids to (i) the flux of particulate organic carbon and the particle assemblages as revealed by the characterisation of thousands of individual particles collected in gels in addition to (ii) the sinking particles and SPM present in different particle size fractions on the filters. First results show that the large size fraction carries relatively more intact lipids indicating fresh material being attached to sinking particles rather than suspended in the water column. Furthermore, the distribution of 1G-GDGTs over depths differs from that of 2G- and HPH-GDGTs which might relate to different archaeal communities at different depths. Our findings contribute to the mechanistic understanding of the export of organic molecules through the water column and support the validation of lipid-based paleoceanographic proxies. References Huguet, C., Cartes, J.E., Sinninghe Damsté, J.S., Schouten, S., 2006. Marine crenarchaeotal membrane lipids in decapods: Implications for the TEX86 paleothermometer. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 7 (11), Q11010. Mollenhauer, G., Basse, A., Kim, J.-H., Sinninghe Damsté, J.S., Fischer, G., 2015. A four-year record of UK'37- and TEX86-derived sea surface temperature estimates from sinking particles in the filamentous upwelling region off Cape Blanc, Mauritania. Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers 97, 67-79. doi:10.1016/j.dsr.2014.11.015 Schouten, S., Hopmans, E.C., Sinninghe Damsté, J.S., 2013. The organic geochemistry of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether lipids: A review. Organic Geochemistry 54, 19-61. Volk, T., Hoffert, M.I., 1985. Ocean carbon pumps: analysis of relative strengths and efficiencies in ocean-driven atmospheric CO2 changes. Geophysical Monographs 32, 99-110. Yamamoto, M., Shimamoto, A., Fukuhara, T., Tanaka, Y., Ishizaka, J., 2012. Glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers and TEX86 index in sinking particles in the western North Pacific. Organic Geochemistry 53 (0), 52-62.

Latest Cretaceous Climatic and Environmental Change in the South Atlantic Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woelders, L.; Vellekoop, J.; Smit, J.; Kroon, D.; Casadío, S.; Prámparo, M.; Dinarès-turell, J.; Peterse, F.; Sluijs, A.; Speijer, R. P.

2016-12-01

It is generally assumed that the Chicxulub impact resulted in the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary mass extinction ( 66 Ma). However, there is continuing debate about the contribution of latest Maastrichtian climate changes, possibly caused by Deccan volcanism, to this mass extinction event. This debate is complicated because of the lack of high quality latest Maastrichtian climatological and ecological reconstructions. Here we present an astronomically tuned late Maastrichtian - early Danian record of bulk carbonate δ18O, a proxy record of sea surface temperature (SST), from Southern Atlantic Ocean Drilling Program Site 1262 (Walvis Ridge) and a late Maastrichtian TEX86 sea surface temperature record from the Bajada del Jagüel site in the Neuquén Basin (Argentina). The combination of these inferred temperature records with foraminiferal and organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) data from Bajada del Jagüel allows to reconstruct environmental changes across this time interval in a mid-latitude, Southern Atlantic setting. Our results show that latest Maastrichtian warming of 2.5-4°C started gradually around 66.7 Ma, culminating in the interval between 450 to 150 kyr before the K-Pg boundary. Highest temperatures occurred 200 kyr before the K-Pg boundary. During the last 150 kyr of the Maastrichtian, the temperature trend reversed again at both sites. Benthic foraminiferal and dinocyst assemblage changes indicate that late Maastrichtian warming resulted in more humid climate conditions in the Neuquén basin, causing enhanced runoff and stratification of the water column. Vice versa, the subsequent cooling induced again a drier climate in the basin, resulting in reduced salinity stratification and better ventilation of the basin. We conclude that late Maastrichtian climate and sea level change caused distinct environmental perturbations in the Neuquén basin, although it remains uncertain to which extent late Maastrichtian climatological changes contributed directly to the K-Pg boundary mass extinction.

Warm mid-Cretaceous high-latitude sea-surface temperatures from the southern Tethys Ocean and cool high-latitude sea-surface temperatures from the Arctic Ocean: asymmetric worldwide distribution of dinoflagellates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masure, Edwige; Desmares, Delphine; Vrielynck, Bruno

2014-05-01

Dealing with 87 articles and using a Geographical Information System, Masure and Vrielynck (2009) have mapped worldwide biogeography of 38 Late Albian dinoflagellate cysts and have demonstrated Cretaceous oceanic bioclimatic belts. For comparison 30 Aptian species derived from 49 studies (Masure et al., 2013) and 49 Cenomanian species recorded from 33 articles have been encountered. Tropical, Subtropical, Boreal, Austral, bipolar and cosmopolitan species have been identified and Cretaceous dinoflagellate biomes are introduced. Asymmetric distribution of Aptian and Late Albian/Cenomanian subtropical Tethyan species, from 40°N to 70°S, demonstrates asymmetric Aptian and Late Albian/Cenomanian Sea Surface Temperature (SST) gradients with warm water masses in high latitudes of Southern Ocean. The SST gradients were stronger in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. We note that Aptian and Late Albian/Cenomanian dinoflagellates restricted to subtropical and subpolar latitudes met and mixed at 35-40°N, while they mixed from 30°S to 70°S and from 50°S to 70°S respectively in the Southern Hemisphere. Mixing belts extend on 5° in the Northern Hemisphere and along 40° (Aptian) and 20° (Late Albian/Cenomanian) in the Southern one. The board southern mixing belt of Tethyan and Austral dinoflagellates suggest co-occurrence of warm and cold currents. We record climatic changes such as the Early Aptian cooler period and Late Aptian and Albian warming through the poleward migration of species constrained to cool water masses. These species sensitive to temperature migrated from 35°N to 55°N through the shallow Greenland-Norwergian Seaway connecting the Central Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean. While Tethyan species did not migrate staying at 40°N. We suggest that the Greenland-Norwergian Seaway might has been a barrier until Late Albian/Cenomanian for oceanic Tethyan dinoflagellates stopped either by the shallow water column or temperature and salinity constraints. In the Northern Hemisphere the oceanic heat transport was stopped by continental masses located between the Tethys, Central Atlantic and Arctic Oceans while the heat transport in the Southern Hemisphere was not limited in the Tethys Ocean. Late Albian Boreal dinoflagellates inhabited the Western Interior Sea Way, with the warming and the sea level rise Late Cenomanian Tethyan species have been recorded up to 45°N. The estimation of temperatures requirements of dinoflagellates is modelled by combining the latitudinal distribution of species, with the estimated temperatures from δ18O or TEX86 ratios related to latitude. The Early Aptian subtropical dinoflagellates inhabited water masses with temperatures higher than 22°C. Late Albian subtropical dinoflagellates lived in water masses with temperatures of 24°C and tropical species in those in temperature up to 28°C. The Late Albian arctic dinoflagellates lived in water masses with temperature lower than 19°C. Biogeography of planktonic micro-organisms coupled with temperatures estimated from δ18O or TEX86 ratios increases their potential as palaeo-oceanographic proxies for a qualitative estimation of sea-surface temperatures and palaeo-biodiversity of world water masses and improves precision in biochronology. Masure E, Vrielynck B. 2009. Late Albian dinoflagellate cyst paleobiogeography as indicator of asymmetric sea surface temperature gradient on both hemispheres with southern high latitudes warmer than northern ones. Marine Micropaleontology 70, 120-133. Masure E, Aumar A-M, Vrielynck B. 2013. World palaeogeography of Aptian and Late Albian dinoflagellates cysts: Implications for sea surface temperature gradient and palaeoclimate in Lewis, JM, Marret F, Bradley L (eds). Biological and Geological Perspectives of Dinoflagellates. The Micropalaeontological Society, Special Publications. Geological Society, London, 97-125.

Thermal expansion and specific heat of La1-xTexCoO3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thakur, Rasna; Thakur, Rajesh K.; Gaur, N. K.

2018-05-01

We present the specific heat and thermal expansion of La1-xTexCoO3 family using Modified Rigid Ion Model (MRIM). The effect of Te doping on the thermal and cohesive properties have been studied by an atomistic approach. The Debye temperature of these perovskite materials is also predicted. The effect of Tellurium doping on lattice specific heat (C), thermal expansion (α) of La1-xTexCoO3 (x= 0.05-0.25) as a function of temperature (1K≤T≤1000K) is reported probably for the first time.

Linking isoprenoidal GDGT membrane lipid distributions with gene abundances of ammonia-oxidizing Thaumarchaeota and uncultured crenarchaeotal groups in the water column of a tropical lake (Lake Challa, East Africa).

PubMed

Buckles, Laura K; Villanueva, Laura; Weijers, Johan W H; Verschuren, Dirk; Damsté, Jaap S Sinninghe

2013-09-01

Stratified lakes are important reservoirs of microbial diversity and provide habitats for niche differentiation of Archaea. In this study, we used a lipid biomarker/DNA-based approach to reveal the diversity and abundance of Archaea in the water column of Lake Challa (East Africa). Concentrations of intact polar lipid (IPL) crenarchaeol, a specific biomarker of Thaumarchaeota, were enhanced (1 ng l(-1) ) at the oxycline/nitrocline. The predominance of the more labile IPL hexose-phosphohexose crenarchaeol indicated the presence of an actively living community of Thaumarchaeota. Archaeal 16S rRNA clone libraries revealed the presence of thaumarchaeotal groups 1.1a and 1.1b at and above the oxycline. In the anoxic deep water, amoA gene abundance was an order of magnitude lower than at the oxycline and high abundance (∼90 ng l(-1) ) of an IPL with the acyclic glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT-0) was evident. The predominance of archaeal 16S rRNA sequences affiliated to the uncultured crenarchaeota groups 1.2 and miscellaneous crenarchaeotic group (MCG) points to an origin of GDGT-0 from uncultured crenarchaeota. This study demonstrates the importance of thermal stratification and nutrient availability in the distribution of archaeal groups in lakes, which is relevant to constrain and validate temperature proxies based on archaeal GDGTs (i.e. TEX86 ). © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Climatic record of the Iberian peninsula from lake Moncortes' sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Min; Huguet, Carme; Rull, Valenti; Valero, Blas; Rosell-Mele, Antoni

2014-05-01

Climatic record of the Iberian peninsula from lake Moncortes' sediments Min Cao1, Carme Huguet1, Valenti Rull2, Blas L. Valero-Garces3, Antoni Rosell-Melé1,4 1Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain; 2Institut de Botanic de Barcelona (CSIC), Passeig del Migdia s/n, 08038, Barcelona, Spain, 3 Instituto Pirenaico de Ecologıa (CSIC), Avda. Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain, 4Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08010 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The continuing buildup of industrial greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and concomitant increase in global temperatures has made much of the world's society aware that decades to centuries of environmental change lie ahead, and that these will have profound economic, political and societal impacts. The Iberian Peninsula lies in the boundary between tropical and subtropical climates and seems to amplify the climatic signals form the northern hemisphere through both atmospheric and water circulation feedbacks, making it an ideal site to monitor Northern hemisphere climate changes. This extreme sensitivity to climatic changes also makes the Iberian Peninsula extremely vulnerable to future climate changes. This is why understanding sensitivity to climate change and the consequences it will have on both climate and the hydrological cycle is key to implement preventive measures. The aim of our study is to come up with a high resolution quantitative reconstruction of climate variability (temperature, production and precipitation) in the Iberian Peninsula from lake sediments. We also want to establish the relation between those changes and the ones observed in both ice cores from Greenland and paleotemperature records from marine sediments of the continental Iberian margin. For these reasons we sampled a core in Moncortes (42.3N, 0.99E), a lake of karstic origin with an average depth of 25m and an area of 0.19km2. Lake Moncortes is situated at 1065 m above sea level, has an average temperature of 10ºC (minimum 3 and maximum 16ºC) and a mean annual precipitation of 770mm. We used the MBT/CBT (Weijers et al. 2007) proxy of pH and terrestrial temperature and the TEX86 temperature proxy (Schouten et al. 2002) to estimate changes in and around the lake. Both proxies are based on the glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) of archaea (isoprenoid GDGTs) and bacteria (branched GDGTs) origin. We also measured soils surrounding the lake (Menges et al. 2013) in order to establish end-members for the proxies as well as organic matter transport. Data on n-alkane isotopes will help establish hydrographic regime changes. We observe changes in temperature and humidity consistent with those on teh northern hemisphere. J. Menges, C. Huguet, J.M. Alcañiz, S. Fietz, D. Sachse, A. Rosell-Melé Biogechemistry discussions (2013), BGD bg-2013-198. S. Schouten, E.C. Hopmans, E. Schefuss, J.S.S. Damste, Earth and Planetary Science Letters 204(2002) 265-274 J.W.H. Weijers, S. Schouten, J.S.S. Damste, Geochimica Et Cosmochimica Acta 71(2007) A1098-A1098.

Linking the North Atlantic Oscillation to Rainfall Over Northern Lake Malawi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, T. C.; Powers, L. A.; Werne, J. P.; Brown, E. T.; Castaneda, I.; Schouten, S.; Sinninghe-Damste, J.

2005-12-01

Piston and multi-cores recovered from the north basin of Lake Malawi in 1998 by the International Decade for the East African Lakes (IDEAL) have provided a rich history of climate variability spanning the past 25,000 years. As we now begin to analyze the cores recovered by the Malawi Drilling Project in early 2005, we are considering the relationships among sedimentary signals of temperature (TEX86), northerly winds associated with a southward excursion of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (per cent biogenic silica), and rainfall (terrigenous mass accumulation rate) in the well dated 1998 cores. A high-resolution record of the past 800 years suggests that rainfall in this region (10 - 12° S, 30 - 35° E) was relatively low during the Little Ice Age, when northerly winds were more prevalent, attributed to a more southerly position of the ITCZ during austral summers. The TEX86 signal of lake (surface?) temperature ranged mostly between 24 and 26°C during this period, with the coldest temperature of about 22°C around AD1680 and the warmest temperature, exceeding 27°C, in the youngest sediment sample. The cooler water temperatures coincide with periods of highest diatom productivity, consistent with the latter being due to relatively intense upwelling associated with the northerly winds. Our observation of low rainfall during periods of more southerly migration of the ITCZ is consistent with the results of McHugh and Rogers (2001), who linked rainfall in southeastern Africa to the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). During years of weak NAO, equatorial westerly transport of Atlantic moisture across Africa during austral summer is relatively intense, causing high rainfall in the East African Rift between the equator and 16° S. Conversely, when the NAO is positive, rainfall is higher south of 15° S than north of this latitude, which is consistent with a southward migration of the ITCZ. McHugh, M. J. and J. C. Rogers (2001). "North Atlantic Oscillation influence on precipitation variability around the southeast African convergence zone." Journal of Climate 14: 3631-3642.

Late Miocene - Pliocene Evolution of the Pacific Warm Pool and Cold Tongue: Implications for El Niño

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Pagani, M.

2011-12-01

The Western Pacific Warm Pool of the tropical Pacific Ocean retains the largest and warmest sea surface water body on Earth, while the eastern equatorial Pacific is characterized by strong upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich deep waters, termed the Pacific cold tongue. Evolution of the Pacific warm pool and cold tongue are important because they control the circum-Pacific climate and impact the globe via El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) teleconnections. Sea surface temperature (SST) reconstructions using a single site from the warm pool (ODP 806) and two sites from the cold tongue (ODP 846, 847) suggest that the temperature of the warm pool was "stable" throughout the Plio-Pleistocene, whereas the cold tongue was much warmer in the Pliocene and subsequently cooled. The absence of an east-west Pacific temperature gradient during the early Pliocene is the basis for the "permanent El Niño" hypothesis. However, annually-resolved fossil coral and evaporite records found 3-7 years climate variability during the Pliocene warm period and late Miocene, challenging a "permanent" or invariant climate state. Here we present a multi-proxy (TEX86, UK37, Mg/Ca), multi-site reconstruction of the late Miocene - Pliocene (ca. 12 Ma - 3 Ma) SST in the Pacific warm pool (ODP 806, ODP 769 in the Sulu Sea, ODP 1143 in the South China Sea) and the cold tongue (ODP 850, 849, 846). Our results show that the cold tongue was even warmer in the late Miocene than the Pliocene, and that the warm pool cooled 2-3°C from the late Miocene into the Pliocene - in contrast to the invariant character previously assumed. Temperature comparison between different sites suggests that the warm pool may have expanded in size in the late Miocene. Although eastern and western ends of the tropical Pacific were warmer, a persistent, but low east-west temperature gradient (~3°C) is apparent. This agrees with recent studies which have shown ENSO-related frequency of climate change in the late Miocene and early Pliocene.

Evidence for a warm ice-free environment on the high latitude Antarctic coast (78°S) during the Middle to Late Eocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, R. H.; Bohaty, S. M.; Harwood, D. M.; Sangiorgi, F.; Willmott, V.; Talarico, F.; MacLeod, K. G.

2013-12-01

Much of Antarctica's Cenozoic geological record is hidden beneath the thick ice sheets and fringing ice shelves that cover the continent. Glacial erratics of sedimentary rocks present in coastal moraines at Minna Bluff and Mount Discovery, McMurdo Sound, western Ross Sea, Antarctica contain middle and late Eocene plant and marine fossils that were deposited in a range of marine settings along the Antarctic coastline. This suite of sedimentary rocks were likely deposited at the margin of a narrow (c. 100 km wide), relatively deep (up to 1000 m) marine seaway that was bound by the proto-Transantarctic Mountains to the west and a topographic high to the east. Although these Eocene ';';McMurdo Erratics'' lack stratigraphic integrity, they are significant as they offer a rare glimpse into Antarctica's climate during global greenhouse conditions at high latitudes (c. 78°S). Fossils recovered from the rocks are diverse and include marine and terrestrial palynomorphs, diatoms, molluscs, wood, leaves and other macrofauna and flora. Geochemical temperature proxies derived from the sedimentary rocks include organic biomarkers (TEX86) and fish tooth δ18O that indicate coastal sea surface temperatures were at least 15°C in the late Middle Eocene. While rare lonestones occur in several sandstone erratics, we find no conclusive evidence for glaciation at the coast. The fossil-bearing coastal moraines also contain a suite of igneous and metamorphic erratics that are comparable to lithological units exposed in the Transantarctic Mountains between the Skelton and Mulock glaciers. This suggests that the Eocene erratics were eroded from the north-eastern portion of a large sub-glacial basin behind Minna Bluff and/or from grabens in a basement high immediately south-east of Minna Bluff. Importantly, the northeastward extension of this basement high is a target for stratigraphic drilling during the proposed ANDRILL Coulman High Project. Drilling on the Coulman High has an excellent chance of recovering correlative Eocene marine strata, providing stratigraphic context for the fossiliferous erratics and providing new constraints on polar environmental conditions under high atmospheric CO2. Studies on the erratic boulders show that organic biomarkers offer an important paleoenvironmental tool at this high southern latitude site. Biomarker data derived from the new drill cores will be integrated with other environmental proxies to estimate atmospheric and marine temperatures in order to determine the magnitude of polar amplification during high-CO2 'greenhouse' climatic conditions. These new data will improve our understanding of Earth System climate sensitivity in a warmer world.

A high-resolution Holocene Asian Monsoon record from a Tibetan lake-Peiku Co

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, M.; Ricketts, R. D.; Colman, S.; Werne, J. P.

2010-12-01

Recent studies on Tibetan lakes have demonstrated the great potential of lake sediments as archives of climate variations in this region. We present a high-resolution multi-proxy record from a closed-basin Tibetan lake—Peiku Co (4595m a.s.l., 28°55’ N, 85°35’E). A 5.5-meter-long UwiTec core (PC07-1B) provides a record extending back to ~22,000 cal years B.P., based on 14C AMS dating. Multi-proxy analyses, including high-resolution magnetic susceptibility, bulk density, elemental composition (ITRAX X-ray Fluorescence Core Scanner), and carbonate content have been carried out to compare to other paleoenvironmental records from the Tibetan Plateau. Furthermore, microbial lipids have been measured to test the applicability of GDGT-based temperature reconstructions (TEX86 and MBT/CBT). The record from Peiku Co captures the climate transition out of the last glacial period. A significant transition to warmer and wetter condition is indicated around 14,500 cal years B.P., possibly attributed to the strengthening of the summer monsoon, which is consistent with the monsoon records from Lake Qinghai. The switch to colder conditions between 12,500 and 11,500 cal years B.P. could be correlated with the Younger Dryas. The early and mid-Holocene is marked by an increase in monsoon precipitation, yet the overall trend is interrupted by two short periods of decreasing precipitation around 7000 and 5000 cal years B.P., as seen in other published records across the Asian monsoon areas. The GDGT indices are employed for temperature reconstruction. The samples from Peiku Co varied widely in BIT indices with values ranging from 0.23 to 0.88, with an average of 0.65. The high BIT values suggest this lake received significant terrestrial organic matter input, which probably respond to rainfall variations. The MBT/CBT-based temperature from the core-top is -3.2 °C, slightly higher than the measured MAAT (-4°C) on the Tibetan Plateau, but statistically the same within error of the current calibration. The core top sample yields a CBT-derived pH of 8.7, which broadly agrees with soil pH values measured on the Tibetan Plateau. Additional 210Pb and 14C dates and compound-specific isotope analyses will also be used to provide further information on the vegetation history and hydrological conditions in this area.

Mineral Wells FAA, Texas. Ft. Wolters Mineral Wells/Texas. Revised Uniform Summary of Surface Weather Observations. Part A-F

DTIC Science & Technology

1972-05-18

DIRECTION AND SPEED (FROM HOURLY OBSERVATIONS) 0394,3 FT WIILTF.R’ AAF TEX/ MINERAI . WELLS 49-65,67-70 JUI) STATION STATION AM TRANS MONTM ALL WtI4THEk...DAIA PROCESSING DIVISCJN .~USAF ETAC PSYCHROMET(RICSU M R4 ’ AIR WEATHER SERYICE/MAC 03943 FT WO1LTER$ AAF TEX/ MINERAI . WELL$ 49*63#67-70 MAR____...AAF TEX/ MINERAI . WELLS 49-65b67-70 APRI STATION STATION NAME YEARS MONTH PAGE 2 0900-1100 HOURS (L. S. T.) Temp. WET BULB TEMPERATURE DEPRESSION (F

Sources and transport of microbial tetraether membrane lipids in Karst Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jex, C.; Blyth, A. J.; McDonald, J.; Woltering, M.; Khan, S.; Baker, A.

2014-12-01

Speleothems preserve organic biomarkers, proxies for surface climate. Microbial-derived lipids, specifically glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraetheral (GDGT) lipids have been identified in cave deposits and shown to correlate well with surface air temperature using the archaea-derived isoprenoid '(i)GDGT' index of TEX86 and the bacteria derived branched '(b)GDGT' index of MBT/CBT of modern speleothems [1]. Two competing sources for GDGTs in karst systems have been suggested: 1) A soil derived microbial signal dominated by bGDGTs; and 2) An in situ signal dominated by iGDGTs, representative of archaea existing within the cave or overlying bedrock [2]. These findings are yet to be thoroughly tested by characterising the seasonal nature of GDGTs in caves to establish the source and transport pathways within these complex fractured rock systems. Here, we address this and present the results of a yearlong monitoring campaign of GDGTs within two contrasting cave sites from the Yarrangobilly Caves in Kosciuszko national park, SE Australia. The caves are located at a high altitude, semi-arid site. Harriewood cave is dominated by discrete infiltration events throughout the year. Above the cave there are thin soils consisting of loose shallow scree, steep slopes and sparse shrub vegetation. The surface above Jillabenan is characterised by thick red clays of moderate to no slope and Eucalypt dominated forest. As such, these caves provide ideal test sites to characterise the variability in GDGT signals that may be a result of non-temperature related factors, including varying inputs (groundwater vs. in situ growth) or site-specific hydrological conditions. We present data obtained from within the cave: drip waters and in situ collection of GDGTs formed on filter papers left inside the cave throughout the year, and externally sourced signals from soils and their leachates. We also identify key differences in soil pH and cave air temperatures that are best predicted by using cave specific GDGT calibrations of [1]. [1] Blyth et al. 2013. Calibrating the glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraether temperature signal in speleothems. Geochim Cosmochim Ac. 109, 312-328. [2] Blyth et al. 2014. Contrasting distributions of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (GDGTs) in speleothems and associated soils, Org Geochem, 69, 1-10.

Cretaceous honeycomb oysters (Pycnodonte vesicularis) as palaeoseasonality records: A multi-proxy study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Winter, Niels J.; Vellekoop, Johan; Vorsselmans, Robin; Golreihan, Asefeh; Petersen, Sierra V.; Meyer, Kyle W.; Speijer, Robert P.; Claeys, Philippe

2017-04-01

Pycnodonte or "honeycomb-oysters" (Bivalvia: Gryphaeidea) is an extinct genus of calcite-producing bivalves which is found in abundance in Cretaceous to Pleistocene fossil beds worldwide. As such, Pycnodonte shells could be ideal tracers of palaeoclimate through time, with the capability to reconstruct sea water conditions and palaeotemperatures in a range of palaeoenvironmental settings. Only few studies have attempted to reconstruct palaeoclimate based on Pycnodonte shells and with variable degrees of success (e.g. Videt, 2003; Huyge et al., 2015). Our study investigates the shell growth, structure and chemical characteristics of Maastrichtian Pycnodonte vesicularis from Bajada de Jaguel in Argentina and aims to rigorously test the application of multiple palaeoenvironmental proxies on the shells of several Maastrichtian Pycnodonte oysters for palaeoclimate reconstruction. The preservation state of four calcite shells was assessed by fluorescence microscopy, cathodoluminescence and micro X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) mapping. Their shell structure was investigated using a combination of XRF mapping, high-resolution color scanning and microCT scanning. Long integration time point-by-point XRF line scanning yielded high-resolution trace element profiles through the hinge of all shells. Microdrilled samples from the same locations on the shell were analyzed for trace element composition by ICP-MS and for stable carbon and oxygen isotopes by IRMS. Preservation of the calcite microstructure was found to be of sufficient quality to allow discussion of original shell porosity, annual growth increments and pristine chemical signatures of the bivalves. The combination of fluorescence and cathodoluminescence microscopy with XRF mapping and microCT scanning sheds light on the characteristic internal "honeycomb" structure of these extinct bivalves and allows comparison with that of the related extant Neopycnodonte bivalves (Wisshak et al., 2009). Furthermore, high resolution trace element and stable isotope records allow discussion of the degree to which Pycnodonte shells record their palaeoenvironment and can be used to reconstruct past sea water conditions. Preliminary results indicate that stable isotope and trace element ratios in Pynodonte shells record different seasonally changing sea water conditions in the Maastrichtian and reconstructed temperatures are consistent with results from clumped isotope analysis on the same shells and TEX86 analysis on the surrounding rocks. This multi-proxy study sheds light on the shell structure of Pycnodonte oysters, their chemical signature and growth pattern and investigates the expression of palaeoenvironmental proxies in the pristine shell calcite of these bivalves. This investigation shows the potential of using fossil Pycnodonte bivalves as a new archive for palaeoclimate reconstruction on a seasonal scale over a wide range of palaeolatitudes from the Cretaceous until the Pleistocene. References Huyghe et al. (2015) J. Geol Soc 172.5: 576-587. Videt (2003) Diss. Université Rennes 1. Wisshak, et al. (2009) Deep-Sea Res Pt I 56.3: 374-407.

The evolution of the equatorial thermocline and the early Pliocene El Padre mean state

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ford, Heather L.; Ravelo, A. Christina; Dekens, Petra S.; LaRiviere, Jonathan P.; Wara, Michael W.

2015-06-01

The tropical Pacific thermocline strength, depth, and tilt are critical to tropical mean state and variability. During the early Pliocene (~3.5 to 4.5 Ma), the Eastern Equatorial Pacific (EEP) thermocline was deeper and the cold tongue was warmer than today, which resulted in a mean state with a reduced zonal sea surface temperature gradient or El Padre. However, it is unclear whether the deep thermocline was a local feature of the EEP or a basin-wide condition with global implications. Our measurements of Mg/Ca of Globorotalia tumida in a western equatorial Pacific site indicate Pliocene subsurface temperatures warmer than today; thus, El Padre included a basin-wide thermocline that was relatively warm, deep, and weakly tilted. At ~4 Ma, thermocline steepening was coupled to cooling of the cold tongue. Since ~4 Ma, the basin-wide thermocline cooled/shoaled gradually, with implications for thermocline feedbacks in tropical dynamics and the interpretation of TEX86-derived temperatures.

Evidence for an enhanced hydrologic cycle during the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum from salinity variations on the New Jersey paleoshelf

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makarova, M.; Miller, K. G.; Wright, J. D.; Rosenthal, Y.; Babila, T. L.

2016-12-01

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) was an abrupt global warming event ( 5-8°C) associated with a massive injection of carbon indicated by the negative carbon isotopic excursion (CIE). Reconstructions of the hydrologic cycle during the PETM warming are especially important to understand the ocean-atmosphere system response to changing warming climate. It has been proposed that the PETM warming would have enhanced the hydrologic cycle, resulting in increased rainfall and river discharge. Here, we evaluate salinity changes along the New Jersey paleoshelf and their implications to changes in the hydrologic cycle during the PETM. We use two independent paleothermometers (Mg/Ca ratio of planktonic foraminifera and TEX86) to constrain temperature changes associated with planktonic foraminiferal δ18O variations, with the residual attributed to salinity changes. Our study at Millville, New Jersey coastal plain core (ODP Leg 174AX), shows a salinity decrease of at least 4 psu associated with the onset of the PETM, which is coherent with observations from other New Jersey cores. This implies freshening of surface and thermocline waters on the mid Atlantic margin and supports the hypothesis of an enhanced hydrologic cycle, the "Appalachian Amazon", with increased river runoff to the New Jersey paleoshelf during the PETM. The TEXL 86 temperature calibration provides the best temperature estimate (warming from 23 to 30°C vs. 30 to 35.5°C for TEXH 86) because it is the only one that yields realistic salinities. Use of the TEXH 86 calibration yields extremely high sea surface salinities ( 48 psu in the latest Paleocene) and is thus unsuitable for this location during the PETM.

Late Paleocene- Early Eocene paleoenvironments in the Southwest Pacific (ODP Leg 189): Revised Stratigraphy of an Antarctic PETM Record.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bijl, P. K.; Brinkhuis, H.; Sluijs, A.; Reichart, G.; Schouten, S.; Röhl, U.

2007-12-01

The Late Paleocene and Early Eocene (~60 ¡V 50 Ma) were characterized by globally warm climates. Superimposed on this general warmth, several episodes of further warming occurred (so-called hyperthermals), including the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM, ~55 Ma) and Eocene thermal maximum 2 (ETM2, ~53 Ma). While the PETM is by now well documented from Northern Hemisphere, and some equatorial locations, southern high-latitude records are still rare. Here we present high-resolution palynological, XRF, bulk organic stable carbon isotope (Ô13CTOC), and TEX86 palaeothermometry data across Upper Paleocene through Lower Eocene pro-deltaic deposits from the Southwest Pacific Ocean, at ~65¢XS palaeolatitude (ODP Site 1172). Based on a revised integrated biomagnetostratigraphic age model and Ô13CTOC stratigraphy, we identify the southernmost marginal marine PETM ever encountered. Moreover, there is every indication that ETM2 was recovered as well at Site 1172. Despite a high latitude source of the surface waters at this site, the PETM is marked by the characteristic acme of representatives of the (sub) tropical dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) Apectodinium, confirming the truly global nature of this PETM event. TEX86 values indicate that surface ocean temperatures rose from ~23¢XC to ~30¢XC during the PETM at Site 1172, hence by a similar magnitude as recorded in other PETM successions globally. Before and after the CIE, mass abundances of low salinity tolerant dinocysts are recorded, taken as indicative of increased runoff. These trends are analogous to those recorded at northern high latitudes, indicating a similar climate response at both polar regions during the PETM. Yet, some distinct differences are apparent, and are discussed.

Latest Cretaceous climatic and environmental change in the South Atlantic region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woelders, L.; Vellekoop, J.; Kroon, D.; Smit, J.; Casadío, S.; Prámparo, M. B.; Dinarès-Turell, J.; Peterse, F.; Sluijs, A.; Lenaerts, J. T. M.; Speijer, R. P.

2017-05-01

Latest Maastrichtian climate change caused by Deccan volcanism has been invoked as a cause of mass extinction at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary ( 66.0 Ma). Yet late Maastrichtian climate and ecological changes are poorly documented, in particular on the Southern Hemisphere. Here we present upper Maastrichtian-lower Danian climate and biotic records from the Bajada del Jagüel (BJ) shelf site (Neuquén Basin, Argentina), employing the TEX86 paleothermometer, marine palynology (dinoflagellate cysts), and micropaleontology (foraminifera). These records are correlated to the astronomically tuned Ocean Drilling Program Site 1262 (Walvis Ridge). Collectively, we use these records to assess climatic and ecological effects of Deccan volcanism in the Southern Atlantic region. Both the TEX86-based sea surface temperature (SST) record at BJ and the bulk carbonate δ18O-based SST record of Site 1262 show a latest Maastrichtian warming of 2.5-4°C, at 450 to 150 kyr before the K-Pg boundary, coinciding with the a large Deccan outpouring phase. Benthic foraminiferal and dinocyst assemblage changes indicate that this warming resulted in enhanced runoff and stratification of the water column, likely resulting from more humid climate conditions in the Neuquén Basin. These climate conditions could have been caused by an expanding and strengthening thermal low over the South American continent. Biotic changes in response to late Maastrichtian environmental changes are rather limited, when compared to the major turnovers observed at many K-Pg boundary sites worldwide. This suggests that environmental perturbations during the latest Maastrichtian warming event were less severe than those following the K-Pg boundary impact.

Effect of multinary substitution on electronic and transport properties of TiCoSb based half-Heusler alloys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhary, Mukesh K.; Ravindran, P.

2018-05-01

The electronic structures of TixZrx/2CoPbxTex, TixZrx/2Hfx/2CoPbxTex (x = 0.5), and the parent compound TiCoSb were investigated using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method. The thermoelectric transport properties of these alloys are calculated on the basis of semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. From the band structure calculations we show that the substitution of Zr,Hf in the Ti site and Pb and Te in the Sb site lower the band gap value and also change the indirect band (IB) gap of TiCoSb to the direct band (DB) gap. The calculated band gap of TiCoSb, TixZrx/2CoPbxTex, and TixZrx/2Hfx/2CoPbxTex are 1.04 eV (IB), 0.92 eV (DB), and 0.93 eV (DB), respectively. All these alloys follow the empirical rule of 18 valence-electron content which is essential for bringing semiconductivity in half Heusler alloys. It is shown that the substitution of Hf at the Ti site improve the ZT value (˜1.05) at room temperature, whereas there is no significant difference in ZT is found at higher temperature. Based on the calculated thermoelectric transport properties, we conclude that the appropriate concentration of Hf substitution can further improve the thermoelectric performance of TixZrx/2Hfx/2CoPbxTex.

Effect of adding Te to layered GaSe crystals to increase the van der Waals bonding force

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanabe, Tadao; Zhao, Shu; Sato, Yohei; Oyama, Yutaka

2017-10-01

The interplanar binding strength of layered GaSe1-xTex crystals was directly measured using a tensile testing machine. The GaSe1-xTex crystals were grown by a low temperature liquid phase solution method under a controlled Se vapor pressure. The stoichiometry-controlled GaSe1-xTex crystal has the ɛ-polytype structure of GaSe, where the Te atoms are substituted for some of the Se atoms in the GaSe crystal. The effect of adding Te on the bonding strength between the GaSe layers was determined from direct measurements of the van der Waals bonding energy. The bonding energy was increased from 0.023 × 106 N/m2 for GaSe to 0.16 × 106 N/m2 for GaSe1-xTex (x = 0.106).

Characterising the transport and preservation of microbial tetraether membrane lipids in Karst Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jex, C.; Blyth, A. J.; Baker, A.; Mcdonald, J. A.; Woltering, M.; Khan, S. J.

2013-12-01

Stalagmites have the potential to preserve organic biomarkers, proxies for changes in surface climate. Of particular interest is a class of microbial-derived lipids, the glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraetheral (GDGT) lipids, which have been identified in cave deposits (Yang et al. 2011). Speleothem GDGT composition has been demonstrated to correlate with surface air temperature using the achaea derived isoprenoid ';(i)GDGT' index of TEX86 and the bacteria derived branched ';(b)GDGT' index of MBT/CBT of modern speleothem samples (Blyth & Schouten, 2013), indicating considerable potential for paleo-temperature reconstructions. These studies have suggested two competing sources for GDGTs in karst systems: 1) A soil derived microbial signal dominated by bGDGTs and 2) An in situ signal dominated by iGDGTs, representative of achaea existing within the cave or overlying bedrock, which dominates the speleothem signal. These findings are yet to be thoroughly tested by characterising the seasonal and spatial nature of GDGTs within caves to establish their sources and transport pathways within these complex fractured rock systems. We address this by presenting the preliminary results of a monitoring study of GDGTs within a single cave system, in South East Australia. Harrie Wood cave in Kosciusko national park is a high altitude, semi-arid site, dominated by discrete infiltration events throughout the year. Above the cave there are thin soils consisting of loose shallow scree, steep slopes and sparse shrub vegetation. We present data obtained from waters and soils immediately above and within Harrie Wood as well as in situ collection of GDGTs formed on filter papers left inside the cave throughout the year. A second cave within the same system provides contrasting surface conditions: thick red clays of moderate to no slope and Eucalypt dominated forest. As such these caves provide ideal test sites to characterise the variability in GDGT signals that may be a result of non-temperature related factors, including varying inputs (groundwater vs. in situ growth) or site specific hydrological conditions. Blyth, A.J., Schouten, S., 2013. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 109, 312-328. Yang, H. et al. 2011. Organic Geochemistry 42, 108-115.

OH as an Alternate Tracer for Molecular Gas: Excitation Temperatures of the OH 18 cm Main Lines in W5

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Engelke, Philip D.; Allen, Ronald J.

2018-05-01

We present excitation temperatures T ex for the OH 18 cm main lines at 1665 and 1667 MHz measured directly in front of the W5 star-forming region, using observations from the Green Bank Telescope and the Very Large Array. We find unequivocally that T ex at 1665 MHz is greater than T ex at 1667 MHz. Our method exploits variations in the continuum emission from W5, and the fact that the continuum brightness temperatures T C in this nebula are close to the excitation temperatures of the OH lines in the foreground gas. The result is that an OH line can appear in emission in one location and in absorption in a neighboring location, and the value of T C where the profiles switch from emission to absorption indicates T ex. Absolute measurements of T ex for the main lines were subject to greater uncertainty because of unknown effects of geometry of the OH features. We also employed the traditional “expected profile” method for comparison with our “continuum background” method and found that the continuum background method provided more precise results and was the one to definitively show the T ex difference. Our best estimate values are {T}ex}65=6.0+/- 0.5 K, {T}ex}67=5.1+/- 0.2 K, and {T}ex}65-{T}ex}67=0.9+/- 0.5 K. The T ex values we have measured for the ISM in front of W5 are similar to those found in the quiescent ISM, indicating that proximity to massive star-forming regions does not generally result in widespread anomalous excitation of OH emission.

Na2O-Al2O3 system: Activity of Na2O in (α + β)- and (β + β)-alumina

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kale, G. M.

1992-12-01

The activity of Na2O in a biphasic mixture of (α + β)-alumina has been measured in the temperature range of 700 to 1100 K using the solid-state galvanic cell: 11663_2007_Article_BF02656462_TeX2GIFE1.gif _{(1:1)}^{Pt,CO_2 + O_2 /Na_2 CO_3 /(α + β ) - alumin a//(Y_2 O_3 )ZrO_2 //In + In_2 O_3 ,Ta,Pt} Similarly, the activity of Na2O in a (β + β’’)-alumina two-phase mixture has been measured between 700 and 1100 K employing the galvanic cell: 11663_2007_Article_BF02656462_TeX2GIFE2.gif _{(1:1)}^{Pt,CO_2 + O_2 /Na_2 CO_3 /(β + β ) - alumin a//(Y_2 O_3 )ZrO_2 //In + In_2 O_3 ,Ta,Pt} The reversible electromotive force (emf ) of both the cells was found to vary linearly with temperature over the entire temperature range of measurement. From the measured reversible emf and auxiliary thermodynamic data for In2O2, Na2O, CO2 and Na2CO3 reported in the literature, the temperature dependence of the logarithm of activity of Na2O in (α + β)-alumina is obtained: 11663_2007_Article_BF02656462_TeX2GIFE3.gif log α _{Na_2 O} (α + β ) = 1.85 - 14,750/T(K)( ± 0.015)(700 ≤slant T ≤slant 1100) For (β + β'’)-alumina, 11663_2007_Article_BF02656462_TeX2GIFE4.gif log α _{Na_2 O} (β + β ) = 3.9 - 13,000/T(K)( ± 0.015)(700 ≤slant T ≤slant 1100)

Climatic conditions governing extensive Azolla bloom during the Middle Eocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dekker, Rolande; Speelman, Eveline N.; Barke, Judith; Konijnendijk, Tiuri; Sinninge Damste, Jaap S.; Reichart, Gert-Jan

2010-05-01

Enormous amounts of intact mega- and microspores from the free floating aquatic fern Azolla were found in sediments recovered during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program expedition 302, indicating that Azolla grew and reproduced in situ in the Eocene Arctic Ocean. In general, the Early/Middle Eocene is characterized by enhanced greenhouse conditions with elevated sea surface temperatures (SSTs) in the Arctic (~10°C), while tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) were only a little warmer than today (with a mean annual temperature (MAT) of 32-34 °C) (Pearson et al., 2007). The consequently reduced temperature gradient between the equator and the poles and the presence of freshwater at the North Pole as indicated by the presence of the freshwater fern Azolla (Brinkhuis et al., 2006) provide important boundary conditions for understanding the hydrological cycle and latent heat transport during this interval. Here we reconstruct variations in SST and mean annual air temperature using the TEX86 and MBT temperature proxies for the Azolla interval. Sediments from around the Arctic Basin have been analyzed, including samples from Alaska, the Mackenzie Basin, Greenland (IODP core 913b), and Denmark. Furthermore, a high resolution sea surface temperature record for the Azolla interval has been constructed from sediment samples from the Lomonosov Ridge, showing a cyclic signal. Model experiments have shown that the here confirmed low equator-to-pole temperature gradient modulated the hydrological cycle. Since the growth of Azolla is restricted to low salinity conditions, changes in the hydrological cycle are proposed to coincide with the cyclic occurrence of Azolla throughout the interval. To confirm the overlapping presence of high quantities of Azolla and increased precipitation, changes in the hydrogen cycle are reconstructed by creating a high resolution hydrogen isotope record throughout the interval. By performing compound specific analyses (δD) on terrestrial derived n-alkanes, extracted from Eocene Arctic sediment, an assessment of the δD of incoming Arctic precipitation and humidity can be made. In addition, hydrogen isotope analyses on Azolla specific biomarker (1, ω20 diols) is used to reconstruct the δD composition of the surface waters. The results from the compound specific isotope analyses are combined with the outcomes of a coupled-atmosphere-isotope model. This model shows a reconstruction of the isotopic composition of Arctic Eocene precipitation and run-off. Data-model integration will make it possible to mechanistically link Azolla occurrences and precipitation patterns.

Pericardial tissue valves and Gore-Tex conduits as an alternative for right ventricular outflow tract replacement in children.

PubMed

Allen, Bradley S; El-Zein, Chawki; Cuneo, Betina; Cava, Joseph P; Barth, Mary Jane; Ilbawi, Michel N

2002-09-01

There is still no perfect conduit for reconstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) in children. Homografts are not always available in the appropriate size, and degenerate in a few years. This study evaluates the pericardial valve with Gore-Tex conduit as an alternative for RVOT construction. From January 1, 1993, to September 30, 1999, a pericardial tissue valve was inserted in all patients undergoing RVOT reconstruction or pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) who were large enough to accommodate a tissue valve. In patients without a native main pulmonary artery, a new technique was used to construct an RV-PA conduit out of a flat sheet of Gore-Tex, as Dacron frequently leads to stenosis. Data were collected by retrospective review, follow-up echocardiograms, and assessment by a single cardiologist. There were 48 patients, 22 undergoing a PVR alone and 26 a RV-PA valved Gore-Tex conduit. Diagnosis included tetralogy of Fallot (n = 25); truncus arteriosis (n = 9); ventricular septal defect with PA (n = 5); DORV (n = 4); D-TGA with PS (n = 2); and 1 each IAA with sub AS, VSD with PI, and PS s/p Ross procedure. Patient age ranged from 3 to 33 years and 98% were reoperations. The valve sizes ranged from 19 to 33 mm and the median hospital length of stay was 4 days. There were 2 (4.2%) perioperative and 1 (2.1%) late deaths, none related to the valve or Gore-Tex conduit. At a follow-up of 15 to 86 months (mean 43 +/- 16 months), all remaining 45 patients are New York Heart Association class I, all valves are functional, and no patient has required valve or conduit replacement or revision; more importantly, echocardiogram revealed no significant valve or conduit stenosis (mean gradient 16 +/- 8 mm Hg) and no evidence of regurgitation or structural degeneration. A pericardial tissue valve and Gore-Tex conduit provides a reliable alternative for RVOT reconstruction in pediatric patients. It is readily available, molds in the limited retrosternal space, and has outstanding intermediate results with no evidence of failure or deterioration up to 7 years after insertion.

Estimating Mixing Heights Using Microwave Temperature Profiler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nielson-Gammon, John; Powell, Christina; Mahoney, Michael; Angevine, Wayne

2008-01-01

A paper describes the Microwave Temperature Profiler (MTP) for making measurements of the planetary boundary layer thermal structure data necessary for air quality forecasting as the Mixing Layer (ML) height determines the volume in which daytime pollution is primarily concentrated. This is the first time that an airborne temperature profiler has been used to measure the mixing layer height. Normally, this is done using a radar wind profiler, which is both noisy and large. The MTP was deployed during the Texas 2000 Air Quality Study (TexAQS-2000). An objective technique was developed and tested for estimating the ML height from the MTP vertical temperature profiles. In order to calibrate the technique and evaluate the usefulness of this approach, estimates from a variety of measurements during the TexAQS-2000 were compared. Estimates of ML height were used from radiosondes, radar wind profilers, an aerosol backscatter lidar, and in-situ aircraft measurements in addition to those from the MTP.

Influence of compost covers on the efficiency of biowaste composting process.

PubMed

Marešová, Karolina; Kollárová, Mária

2010-12-01

The temperature of matured compost is an indicator of feedstock quality and also a good feedback informing about the suitability of an applied technological procedure. Two independent experiments using the technology of windrow composting at open area were conducted with the final goal to evaluate the effect of compost pile covering (in comparison with uncovered piles) on the course of composting process - behaviour of temperature over time and oxygen content. Two types of sheets were used - Top Tex permeable sheet and impermeable polyethylene sheet. The experiment I (summer months) aimed at comparison of efficiency between the Top Tex sheet cover and the uncovered compost piles, while experiment II (autumn months) compared treatments using the Top Tex sheet and polyethylene sheet by contrast. Within the experiment I the composts consisted of cattle slurry and fresh grass matter at a ratio of 1:1, in case of experiment II consisted of pig/cattle manure, fresh grass matter and chipped material at a ratio of about 1:2:1. The obtained data showed no significant differences among the cover treatments according to ANOVA. The only exception was oxygen content in pile 4 (experiment II) under Top Tex sheet, where a markedly higher oxygen content than under polyethylene sheet was measured during the whole composting period. It was the only case where statistical analysis proved a significant difference; the p-value was 0.0002. Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Reconstructing Holocene temperature and salinity variations in the western Baltic Sea region: a multi-proxy comparison from the Little Belt (IODP Expedition 347, Site M0059)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotthoff, Ulrich; Groeneveld, Jeroen; Ash, Jeanine L.; Fanget, Anne-Sophie; Quintana Krupinski, Nadine; Peyron, Odile; Stepanova, Anna; Warnock, Jonathan; Van Helmond, Niels A. G. M.; Passey, Benjamin H.; Rønø Clausen, Ole; Bennike, Ole; Andrén, Elinor; Granoszewski, Wojciech; Andrén, Thomas; Filipsson, Helena L.; Seidenkrantz, Marit-Solveig; Slomp, Caroline P.; Bauersachs, Thorsten

2017-12-01

Sediment records recovered from the Baltic Sea during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 347 provide a unique opportunity to study paleoenvironmental and climate change in central and northern Europe. Such studies contribute to a better understanding of how environmental parameters change in continental shelf seas and enclosed basins. Here we present a multi-proxy-based reconstruction of paleotemperature (both marine and terrestrial), paleosalinity, and paleoecosystem changes from the Little Belt (Site M0059) over the past ˜ 8000 years and evaluate the applicability of inorganic- and organic-based proxies in this particular setting. All salinity proxies (diatoms, aquatic palynomorphs, ostracods, diol index) show that lacustrine conditions occurred in the Little Belt until ˜ 7400 cal yr BP. A connection to the Kattegat at this time can thus be excluded, but a direct connection to the Baltic Proper may have existed. The transition to the brackish-marine conditions of the Littorina Sea stage (more saline and warmer) occurred within ˜ 200 years when the connection to the Kattegat became established after ˜ 7400 cal yr BP. The different salinity proxies used here generally show similar trends in relative changes in salinity, but often do not allow quantitative estimates of salinity. The reconstruction of water temperatures is associated with particularly large uncertainties and variations in absolute values by up to 8 °C for bottom waters and up to 16 °C for surface waters. Concerning the reconstruction of temperature using foraminiferal Mg  /  Ca ratios, contamination by authigenic coatings in the deeper intervals may have led to an overestimation of temperatures. Differences in results based on the lipid paleothermometers (long chain diol index and TEXL86) can partly be explained by the application of modern-day proxy calibrations to intervals that experienced significant changes in depositional settings: in the case of our study, the change from freshwater to marine conditions. Our study shows that particular caution has to be taken when applying and interpreting proxies in coastal environments and marginal seas, where water mass conditions can experience more rapid and larger changes than in open ocean settings. Approaches using a multitude of independent proxies may thus allow a more robust paleoenvironmental assessment.

Climate aberrations during the middle Miocene: evidence from the eastern North Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quaijtaal, W.; Donders, T.; Schouten, S.; Louwye, S.

2013-12-01

During the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum (MMCO; 17-14.5 Ma) the relatively warm climate of the Miocene reached peak temperatures. After the MMCO, the global climate started cooling through several short-lived cooling events, represented by positive oxygen isotope excursions: the Mi-events (Miocene isotope events). One of the more severe events, Mi-3, is associated with East Antarctic Ice Sheet growth and potential Northern Hemisphere ice expansion, as well as marine and terrestrial species turnover and aridification. The causes and consequences of the Mi-events are not well constrained yet. CO2 reconstructions combined with the abovementioned consequences suggest that a drawdown of CO2 and/or changes in ocean led to the changes surrounding Mi-3. A minimum node in both eccentricity and obliquity amplitude modulation, an orbital configuration creating favourable conditions for ice growth, has been suggested as a possible triggering mechanism as well. However, an exact cause cannot be pinpointed yet and more high-resolution records are needed in order to investigate the impact and order of events surrounding the Mi-events. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Leg 307 recovered such a high resolution record from the middle Miocene of the Porcupine Basin (offshore south-western Ireland). We have analyzed well-preserved palynomorphs (mainly organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs and pollen) and organic molecules for paleothermometry (e.g. TEX86 and UK'37) from site U1318. With these proxies, the development of the Mi-3 event and following Mi-4 have been reconstructed in high resolution (ca. 13 kyr), by assessing e.g. temperature, sea level, thermocline depth and productivity. A pronounced cooling can be observed at Mi-3, and to a lesser degree in Mi-4 as well, together with a sea-level fall and a turnover in the dinocyst record. Our findings also include indications of aridification and a change in wind patterns during Mi-3. This confirms the dramatic impact of the Mi-3 event, not only on the North Atlantic Ocean, but also on the continent.

Rapid short-term cooling following the Chicxulub impact at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary

PubMed Central

Vellekoop, Johan; Sluijs, Appy; Smit, Jan; Schouten, Stefan; Weijers, Johan W. H.; Sinninghe Damsté, Jaap S.; Brinkhuis, Henk

2014-01-01

The mass extinction at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary, ∼66 Ma, is thought to be caused by the impact of an asteroid at Chicxulub, present-day Mexico. Although the precise mechanisms that led to this mass extinction remain enigmatic, most postulated scenarios involve a short-lived global cooling, a so-called “impact winter” phase. Here we document a major decline in sea surface temperature during the first months to decades following the impact event, using TEX86 paleothermometry of sediments from the Brazos River section, Texas. We interpret this cold spell to reflect, to our knowledge, the first direct evidence for the effects of the formation of dust and aerosols by the impact and their injection in the stratosphere, blocking incoming solar radiation. This impact winter was likely a major driver of mass extinction because of the resulting global decimation of marine and continental photosynthesis. PMID:24821785

Effect of X-ray irradiation on the optical absorption of СdSe1-xTex nanocrystals embedded in borosilicate glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prymak, M. V.; Azhniuk, Yu. M.; Solomon, A. M.; Krasilinets, V. M.; Lopushansky, V. V.; Bodnar, I. V.; Gomonnai, A. V.; Zahn, D. R. T.

2012-07-01

The effect of X-ray irradiation on the optical absorption spectra of CdSe1-xTex nanocrystals embedded in a borosilicate matrix is studied. The observed blue shift of the absorption edge and bleaching of the confinement-related features in the spectra are related to X-ray induced negative ionization of the nanocrystals with charge transfer across the nanocrystal/matrix interface. The radiation-induced changes are observed to recover after longer post-irradiation storage at room temperature.

Long-term variations of the upper atmosphere parameters on Rome ionosonde observations and their interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perrone, Loredana; Mikhailov, Andrey; Cesaroni, Claudio; Alfonsi, Lucilla; Santis, Angelo De; Pezzopane, Michael; Scotto, Carlo

2017-09-01

A recently proposed self-consistent approach to the analysis of thermospheric and ionospheric long-term trends has been applied to Rome ionosonde summer noontime observations for the (1957-2015) period. This approach includes: (i) a method to extract ionospheric parameter long-term variations; (ii) a method to retrieve from observed foF1 neutral composition (O, O2, N2), exospheric temperature, Tex and the total solar EUV flux with λ < 1050 Å; and (iii) a combined analysis of the ionospheric and thermospheric parameter long-term variations using the theory of ionospheric F-layer formation. Atomic oxygen, [O] and [O]/[N2] ratio control foF1 and foF2 while neutral temperature, Tex controls hmF2 long-term variations. Noontime foF2 and foF1 long-term variations demonstrate a negative linear trend estimated over the (1962-2010) period which is mainly due to atomic oxygen decrease after ˜1990. A linear trend in (δhmF2)11y estimated over the (1962-2010) period is very small and insignificant reflecting the absence of any significant trend in neutral temperature. The retrieved neutral gas density, ρ atomic oxygen, [O] and exospheric temperature, Tex long-term variations are controlled by solar and geomagnetic activity, i.e. they have a natural origin. The residual trends estimated over the period of ˜5 solar cycles (1957-2015) are very small (<0.5% per decade) and statistically insignificant.

Were Semi-Arid Areas Wetter or Drier during the Pliocene?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feakins, S. J.; Liddy, H.; Tierney, J. E.

2014-12-01

Drying is projected for many semi-arid areas under global warming scenarios. The Pliocene provides a natural analog for global warmth, allowing us to test the terrestrial response to past warming. Today North East Africa (O to 12 N, 38 to 50 E) includes C3 shrubs in arid areas, C4 grasslands in semi-arid areas and C3 trees in the moister uplands. Here we take a biomarker approach to reconstructing terrestrial vegetation and hydrological changes in NE Africa during the Pliocene and develop complementary records of sea surface temperature (SST) changes in the Western Indian Ocean. We find the plant leaf wax carbon isotopic negative anomaly to be ambiguous. Woody cover interpretations suggest afforestation with C3 trees. But an alternative explanation, an increase of dry C3 shrublands, appears more likely based on drying evidence from hydrogen isotopes and pollen for an expansion of shrub taxa. Either change implies a contraction of the Miocene C4 grasslands. To explore the mechanisms for drying we look to the Western Indian Ocean and find biomarker trends show a coincident cooling (in contrast to Mg/Ca), providing a mechanism to reduce moisture supply to the continent. We are adding to the resolution and coverage of the d13C, dD, pollen and TEX86 records in order to assess whether this Pliocene scenario is robust. Specifically we are testing the hypothesis that a cooling trend in the Western Indian Ocean is coincident with a drying and C3 shrubland expansion. Our work to resolve these quite different scenarios (afforestation or aridification on land) is key, since model simulations have offered up both wetter and drier regional responses to Pliocene global warmth and questions about the direction of SST changes (warming or cooling Indian Ocean across the Pliocene) forms part of the larger present debate about the fidelity of Pliocene SST proxies.

Evidence for global cooling in the Late Cretaceous

PubMed Central

Linnert, Christian; Robinson, Stuart A.; Lees, Jackie A.; Bown, Paul R.; Pérez-Rodríguez, Irene; Petrizzo, Maria Rose; Falzoni, Francesca; Littler, Kate; Arz, José Antonio; Russell, Ernest E.

2014-01-01

The Late Cretaceous ‘greenhouse’ world witnessed a transition from one of the warmest climates of the past 140 million years to cooler conditions, yet still without significant continental ice. Low-latitude sea surface temperature (SST) records are a vital piece of evidence required to unravel the cause of Late Cretaceous cooling, but high-quality data remain illusive. Here, using an organic geochemical palaeothermometer (TEX86), we present a record of SSTs for the Campanian–Maastrichtian interval (~83–66 Ma) from hemipelagic sediments deposited on the western North Atlantic shelf. Our record reveals that the North Atlantic at 35 °N was relatively warm in the earliest Campanian, with maximum SSTs of ~35 °C, but experienced significant cooling (~7 °C) after this to <~28 °C during the Maastrichtian. The overall stratigraphic trend is remarkably similar to records of high-latitude SSTs and bottom-water temperatures, suggesting that the cooling pattern was global rather than regional and, therefore, driven predominantly by declining atmospheric pCO2 levels. PMID:24937202

Changes in methane oxidation activity and methanotrophic community composition in saline alkaline soils.

PubMed

Serrano-Silva, Nancy; Valenzuela-Encinas, César; Marsch, Rodolfo; Dendooven, Luc; Alcántara-Hernández, Rocio J

2014-05-01

The soil of the former Lake Texcoco is a saline alkaline environment where anthropogenic drainage in some areas has reduced salt content and pH. Potential methane (CH4) consumption rates were measured in three soils of the former Lake Texcoco with different electrolytic conductivity (EC) and pH, i.e. Tex-S1 a >18 years drained soil (EC 0.7 dS m(-1), pH 8.5), Tex-S2 drained for ~10 years (EC 9.0 dS m(-1), pH 10.3) and the undrained Tex-S3 (EC 84.8 dS m(-1), pH 10.3). An arable soil from Alcholoya (EC 0.7 dS m(-1), pH 6.7), located nearby Lake Texcoco was used as control. Methane oxidation in the soil Tex-S1 (lowest EC and pH) was similar to that in the arable soil from Alcholoya (32.5 and 34.7 mg CH4 kg(-1) dry soil day(-1), respectively). Meanwhile, in soils Tex-S2 and Tex-S3, the potential CH4 oxidation rates were only 15.0 and 12.8 mg CH4 kg(-1) dry soil day(-1), respectively. Differences in CH4 oxidation were also related to changes in the methane-oxidizing communities in these soils. Sequence analysis of pmoA gene showed that soils differed in the identity and number of methanotrophic phylotypes. The Alcholoya soil and Tex-S1 contained phylotypes grouped within the upland soil cluster gamma and the Jasper Ridge, California JR-2 clade. In soil Tex-S3, a phylotype related to Methylomicrobium alcaliphilum was detected.

Distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons and toluene biodegradation, Knox Street fire pits, Fort Bragg, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harden, S.L.; Landmeyer, J.E.

1996-01-01

An investigation was conducted at the Knox Street fire pits, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to monitor the distribution of toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (TEX) in soil vapor, ground water, and ground-water/vapor to evaluate if total concentrations of TEX at the site are decreasing with time, and to quantify biodegradation rates of toluene in the unsaturated and saturated zones. Soil-vapor and ground-water samples were collected around the fire pits and ground-water/vapor samples were collected along the ground-water discharge zone, Beaver Creek, on a monthly basis from June 1994 through June 1995. Concentrations of TEX compounds in these samples were determined with a field gas chro- matograph. Laboratory experiments were performed on aquifer sediment samples to measure rates of toluene biodegradation by in situ micro- organisms. Based on field gas chromatographic analytical results, contamination levels of TEX compounds in both soil vapor and ground water appear to decrease downgradient of the fire-pit source area. During the 1-year study period, the observed temporal and spatial trends in soil vapor TEX concentrations appear to reflect differences in the distribution of TEX among solid, aqueous, and gaseous phases within fuel-contaminated soils in the unsaturated zone. Soil temperature and soil moisture are two important factors which influence the distribution of TEX com- pounds among the different phases. Because of the short period of data collection, it was not possible to distinguish between seasonal fluc- tuations in soil vapor TEX concentrations and an overall net decrease in TEX concentrations at the study site. No seasonal trend was observed in total TEX concentrations for ground- water samples collected at the study site. Although the analytical results could not be used to determine if ground-water TEX concen- trations decreased during the study at a specific location, the data were used to examine rate constants of toluene biodegradation. Based on ground-water toluene concentration data, a maximum rate constant for anaerobic biodegradation of toluene in the saturated zone was estimated to be as low as 0.002 d-1 or as high as 0.026 d-1. Based on analyses of ground-water/vapor samples, toluene was the prin- cipal TEX compound identified in ground water discharging to Beaver Creek. Observed decreases in ground-water/vapor toluene concentrations during the study period may reflect a decrease in source inputs, an increase in dilution caused by higher ground-water flow, and(or) removal by biological or other physical processes. Rate constants of toluene anaerobic biodegradation determined by laboratory measurements illustrate a typical acclimation response of micro-organisms to hydrocarbon contamination in sediments collected from the site. Toluene biodegradation rate constants derived from laboratory microcosm studies ranged from 0.001 to 0.027 d-1, which is similar to the range of 0.002 to 0.026 d-1 for toluene biodegradation rate constants derived from ground-water analytical data. The close agreement of toluene biodegradation rate constants reported using both approaches offer strong evidence that toluene can be degraded at environmentally significant rates at the study site.

Temperature under the Tongue: A paleotemperature record of the Drygalksi Ice Tongue with improved chronology of ice retreat

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Subt, C.; Rosenheim, B. E.; Lee, J. I.; Yoo, K. C.; Browne, I. M.; Shevenell, A.

2017-12-01

The Ross Embayment is among the most well-studied regions in Antarctica. Despite the relative abundance of data, the style and forcing of deglaciation of the Ross Sea sector following the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 23-19 ka) is challenging due to the region's considerable size, complex geometry, and the difficulties in dating Antarctic glaciomarine sedimentary sequences. Ross Sea sediments indicate a dynamic glacial retreat in the western Ross Sea, whereas regional glacial systems may have retreated and advanced multiple times during the last deglaciation. Two marine sediment cores collected near the Drygalski Ice Tongue in the western Ross Sea during 2012 and 2015 Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) expeditions reveal a sequence of alternating diatomaceous muds and oozes interbedded with diamict, which suggest dynamic post-LGM grounded ice retreat in the Ross Sea. Dynamic retreat is hypothesized to have been driven by rising sea levels and warmer ocean waters on the continental shelf, thus a record of upper ocean temperatures should reflect this. Here we present the first post-LGM upper ocean temperature record from the Ross Sea, developed using the TEX86 (tetraether index of lipids consisting of 86 carbons) paleothermometer. To overcome the difficulties of dating these sediments using traditional methods, we apply specialized Ramped PyrOx 14C dating for sediments with high proportions of relict carbon . This technique is particularly well-suited for the post-LGM retreat sedimentary sequences from Antarctic margins because it allows for separation of autochthonous and relict material for dating. By combining organic paleothermometry and state-of-the-art chronologic techniques, we gain a more thorough understanding of upper ocean temperatures in the Ross Sea during the last deglaciation, and their implications for ice retreat.

Dynamical and Chemical Tracers in Jupiter's Troposphere and Stratosphere from the Earth-Based Infrared Juno Support Campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melin, H.; Fletcher, L. N.; Donnelly, P. T.; Greathouse, T.; Lacy, J.; Orton, G.; Giles, R.; Sinclair, J. A.; Irwin, P. G.

2017-12-01

The three-dimensional distribution of temperatures, chemical tracers and aerosol opacity in Jupiter's troposphere and stratosphere can be characterised by inverting spectra and images taken the mid-infrared. We present NASA IRTF TEXES, Gemini TEXES and VLT VISIR 5-25 µm spectral maps of Jupiter obtained in the run-up, and during the Juno mission at Jupiter, providing crucial observations in the mid-infrared, a wavelength region not covered by Juno's suite of instruments. The NASA IRTF TEXES observations form a long baseline of spectroscopic maps between 2012 and 2017, providing temporal context for Juno's observations. Using this dataset we investigate the zonal abundance distribution of acetylene and ethane, and how these change over time. Using the methane channel, we can retrieve the vertical temperature profile between 1 and 10 mbar and track a full cycle of Jupiter's equatorial stratospheric oscillation. We confirm that the acetylene abundance decreases towards the pole, whilst ethane increases towards the pole. We find that the data supports the hypothesis that acetylene is asymmetric about the equator, and varies with time in response to short-lived dynamical changes. We suggest that this asymmetry, which changes over time, is driven by stratospheric wave activity. Conversely, ethane appears to be symmetric about the equator, and does not vary with time. The stark difference between acetylene and ethane is likely linked to the two species having very different chemical life-times and vertical abundance gradients. Gemini TEXES spectral mapping in March 2017 reveals - in addition to temperatures - the spatial distribution of ammonia, phosphine and upper tropospheric aerosols at high spatial resolution. We confirm the equatorial NH3 enhancement observed by Juno, and investigate the distribution of these dynamical tracers in the vicinity of NEB hotspots, an SEB plume outbreak, and the Great Red Spot.

filltex: Automatic queries to ADS and INSPIRE databases to fill LaTex bibliography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerosa, Davide; Vallisneri, Michele

2017-05-01

filltex is a simple tool to fill LaTex reference lists with records from the ADS and INSPIRE databases. ADS and INSPIRE are the most common databases used among the theoretical physics and astronomy scientific communities, respectively. filltex automatically looks for all citation labels present in a tex document and, by means of web-scraping, downloads all the required citation records from either of the two databases. filltex significantly speeds up the LaTex scientific writing workflow, as all required actions (compile the tex file, fill the bibliography, compile the bibliography, compile the tex file again) are automated in a single command. We also provide an integration of filltex for the macOS LaTex editor TexShop.

Terrestrial spore-pollen record across the Cenomanian-Turonian hothouse episode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heimhofer, Ulrich; Wucherpfennig, Nina; Adatte, Thierry; Schouten, Stefan; Kujau, Ariane

2017-04-01

The Cenomanian-Turonian boundary interval (CTBE) witnessed major perturbations in global biogeochemical cycling, oceanography and climate expressed in the widespread deposition of organic-rich marine shales (OAE2) and a positive carbon isotope excursion (CIE). Whereas the response of marine biota has received considerable attention during the last decades, information on the dynamics of continental ecosystems during the CTBE is still lacking. Given the outstanding warm sea-surface temperatures (SSTs) reconstructed from proxy data for the CTBE, the composition of terrestrial biomes is expected to have responded to the inferred changes in climate. However, global sea-level high-stand and the widespread deposition of organic-rich shales composed almost exclusively of marine organic matter (OM) have hampered attempts to extract terrestrial palynological information from strata covering the CTBE. Here we present palynological and organic-geochemical data from a stratigraphically well-constrained marine succession from the Southern Provence Basin (SPB) located in the western Tethys domain. Carbon isotope data from both carbonate fine-fraction as well as bulk OM show a positive CIE, although of smaller amplitude compared to existing records. TEX86 data indicate very warm SSTs of up to 33°C, which is in line with previous mid-latitude temperature records. The stratigraphic distribution of particulate OM shows high amounts and a stable flux of well-preserved continental OM to the basin, supported by RockEval pyrolysis data and BIT-index. The spore-pollen assemblage is dominated by non-saccate gymnosperm pollen (Inaperturopollenites, Araucariacites, Classopollis) and by angiosperm pollen of the Normapolles group (mainly representatives of Atlantopollis and Complexiopollis). Pteridophyte spores are diverse, but quantitatively less important. With stratigraphic height, the assemblage shows a distinct change due to an up-section increase in Inaperturopollenites and paralleled by a decline in certain species of Atlantopollis (most pronounced in Atlantopollis microreticulatus). These changes occur in concert with the onset of the positive CIE (in organic carbon) and predate the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary. The integrated palynological and geochemical dataset from the SPB documents the composition of mid-latitude floral assemblages during a phase of exceptional global warmth. Despite the outstanding temperatures, a diverse and rich flora occupying various habitats in the hinterland of the SPB is observed. The prominent shift in the spore-pollen stratigraphic distribution may reflect increasing temperatures during OAE2 resulting in an impoverished hothouse flora. However, effects of sea-level fluctuations and changing oceanographic patterns may also play a role in the observed stratigraphic patterns.

Temperature Reconstruction and Biomarker Variation across the Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary, Mid-Waipara River, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, K. W.; Hollis, C. J.; Pancost, R. D.

2010-12-01

The Cretaceous-Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary marks a catastrophic global extinction event, believed to be caused by an asteroid impact in northern Yucatan. Whilst the extent of mass extinction is well documented, there is ongoing debate about the immediate and longer term climatic and environmental changes triggered by the event. The northern South Island of New Zealand has several records of the K/Pg boundary, representing a range of terrestrial and marine environments. Previous studies of terrestrial palynomorphs and siliceous microfossils from these sections suggested significant cooling and terrestrial vegetation reconfiguration in the earliest Paleocene. Extinctions or local disappearances of thermophilic taxa at the K/Pg boundary are consistent with the hypothesis of a short-lived “impact winter”. The Mid-Waipara K/Pg boundary section, north Canterbury, has been identified as suitable for organic geochemical study because sufficient organic carbon is present in the siliciclastic sediments and is thermally immature. Sediments were deposited in outer shelf to upper slope depths under a neritic watermass. New estimates of sea surface temperature variation based on TEX86 elucidate the relationship between biological and climatic changes that followed the K/Pg event. Within the 0.25 m-thick interval identified as the “fern spike” in basal Paleocene sediments in this section there is no indication of a significant change in temperature relative to the Cretaceous (22-25°C). Foraminiferal and radiolarian biostratigraphy indicates that this interval spans ~100 kyrs and includes a fern succession from colonising ground ferns to tree ferns, the latter suggesting a temperate, humid climate. The transition from ferns to a conifer-dominated pollen assemblage corresponds with a remarkable decrease in temperature recorded in the TEX86 record. These cool temperatures persist over 10 m. The dominant conifer pollen type over this interval is Phyllocladites mawsonii, indicative of cool-temperate conditions. Preliminary biostratigraphic correlation suggests that this interval is condensed, possibly truncated at the base, and may be correlated to a more expanded biogenic silica-rich interval in the pelagic K/Pg boundary sections in eastern Marlborough, northeastern South Island. These results support siliceous microfossil evidence for pronounced cooling in early Paleocene in New Zealand. Organic biomarker records provide further insight into terrestrial and marine ecological reconfiguration through the K/Pg boundary transition at Mid-Waipara River. Major reorganisations of the phytoplankton and archaeal communities are indicated by pronounced changes in sterol and tetraether distributions following the K/Pg boundary. Transient disruption of higher plants at the boundary is verified by suppression of n-alkane and triterpenoid biomarker concentrations, succeeded by a gradual recovery into the Early Paleocene. The scenario envisaged may be summarised as climate instability following the K/Pg boundary event, culminating in cool climatic conditions and a strengthened local upwelling regime leading to widespread deposition of diatom-rich siliceous sediments, lasting for around 1 Myr.

Mass production of bacterial communities adapted to the degradation of volatile organic compounds (TEX).

PubMed

Lapertot, Miléna; Seignez, Chantal; Ebrahimi, Sirous; Delorme, Sandrine; Peringer, Paul

2007-06-01

This study focuses on the mass cultivation of bacteria adapted to the degradation of a mixture composed of toluene, ethylbenzene, o-, m- and p-xylenes (TEX). For the cultivation process Substrate Pulse Batch (SPB) technique was adapted under well-automated conditions. The key parameters to be monitored were handled by LabVIEW software including, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and turbidity. Other parameters, such as biomass, ammonium or residual substrate concentrations needed offline measurements. SPB technique has been successfully tested experimentally on TEX. The overall behavior of the mixed bacterial population was observed and discussed along the cultivation process. Carbon and nitrogen limitations were shown to affect the integrity of the bacterial cells as well as their production of exopolymeric substances (EPS). Average productivity and yield values successfully reached the industrial specifications, which were 0.45 kg(DW)m(-3) d(-1) and 0.59 g(DW)g (C) (-1) , respectively. Accuracy and reproducibility of the obtained results present the controlled SPB process as a feasible technique.

Reconstruction of the South Atlantic Subtropical Dipole index for the past 12,000 years from surface temperature proxy

PubMed Central

Wainer, Ilana; Prado, Luciana Figueiredo; Khodri, Myriam; Otto-Bliesner, Bette

2014-01-01

Climate indices based on sea surface temperature (SST) can synthesize information related to physical processes that describe change and variability in continental precipitation from floods to droughts. The South Atlantic Subtropical Dipole index (SASD) is based on the distribution of SST in the South Atlantic and fits these criteria. It represents the dominant mode of variability of SST in the South Atlantic, which is modulated by changes in the position and intensity of the South Atlantic Subtropical High. Here we reconstructed an index of the South Atlantic Ocean SST (SASD-like) for the past twelve thousand years (the Holocene period) based on proxy-data. This has great scientific implications and important socio-economic ramifications because of its ability to infer variability of precipitation and moisture over South America where past climate data is limited. For the first time a reconstructed index based on proxy data on opposite sides of the SASD-like mode is able to capture, in the South Atlantic, the significant cold events in the Northern Hemisphere at 12.9−11.6 kyr BP and 8.6−8.0 ky BP. These events are related, using a transient model simulation, to precipitation changes over South America. PMID:24924600

Tropical sea surface temperature variability near the Oligocene - Miocene boundary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.; Pagani, M.

2010-12-01

The Oligocene/Miocene (O-M) boundary is characterized by a period of rapid and intense glaciation labeled Mi-1 at ~ 23.1 Ma. An abrupt 1.5‰ increase in the benthic foraminifera oxygen isotope composition that characterizes Mi-1 may indicate a (1) significant deep-water temperature decrease; (2) major ice-sheet expansion, or the combination of both. Current coarse Mg/Ca-based temperature estimations for the early Miocene suggests that deep-ocean temperatures were ~2°C warmer than Today [1, 2]. However, Mg/Ca based temperatures can also be influenced by changes in the carbonate ion concentration, vital effects, and diagenesis. In particular, recent evidence from mid-ocean ridge flank carbonate veins shows dramatic seawater Mg/Ca ratio changes during the Neogene (Mg/Ca from ~2.2 to 5.3, [3]), which further challenges the application of Mg/Ca thermometry. Owing to poor temperature constraints, current ice volume estimations for the late Oligocene/early Miocene range from 125% of the present-day East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) to a nearly complete collapse of the Antarctic glaciers [4]. Here we present tropical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) records based on TEX86 and alkenone UK37 near the O-M boundary. Sediment samples from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 926 in the Ceara Rise (tropical Atlantic) and Site 1148 in the South China Sea (tropical Pacific) were subject to lipid extraction, separation, gas chromatography, and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. TEX86-based SST indicates that the tropics were ~3-4°C warmer than today and relatively stable during Mi-1. This suggests that ice-sheet dynamics, rather than temperature, might be responsible for the observed oxygen isotope changes during the O-M boundary. Further, O-M boundary averaged temperatures recorded at site 926 is ~ 0.5°C higher relative to the late Eocene from site 925 (a nearby site [5]). Given late Oligocene benthic δ18O that suggests at least 1‰ enrichment relative to the late Eocene (e.g. ODP 1218 [2]), our records suggest major Antarctic ice build-up in the Oligocene. Additional work across high-latitude sites is necessary to evaluate how the extratropics responded to climate change during Mi-1, as well as modeling efforts to quantitatively resolve ice volume from temperature. [1] K. Billups, D.P. Schrag, Paleotemperatures and ice volume of the past 27 Myr revisited with paired Mg/Ca and 18O/16O measurements on bethic foraminifera, Paleoceanography 17(2002). [2] C.H. Lear, Y. Rosenthal, H.K. Coxall, P.A. Wilson, Late Eocene to early Miocene ice sheet dynamics and the global carbon cycle, Paleoceanography 19(2004). [3] R.M. Coggon, D.A.H. Teagle, C.E. Smith-Duque, J.C. Alt, M.J. Copper, Reconstructing past seawater Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca from Mid-Ocean Ridge flank calcium carbonate veins, Science 327(2010) 1141-1147. [4] S.F. Pekar, R.M. DeConto, High-resolution ice-volume estimates for the early Miocene: Evidence for a dynamic ice sheet in Antarctica, Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 231(2006) 101-109. [5] Z. Liu, M. Pagani, D. Zinniker, R. DeConto, M. Huber, H. Brinkhuis, S.R. Shah, R.M. Leckie, A. Pearson, Global Cooling During the Eocene-Oligocene Climate Transition, Science 323(2009) 1187-1190.

Development of a Flexible Seal for a 60 psi Cryogenic Pressure Box

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, David E.

1998-01-01

A cryogenic pressure box test facility has been designed and fabricated for use at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) to subject 5 ft x 6 ft curved panels to cryogenic temperatures and biaxial tensile loads. The cryogenic pressure box is capable of testing curved panels down to -423 F (20 K) with 54 psig maximum pressure. The key challenge in the design and fabrication of the pressure box was the development of a seal that could remain flexible at -423 F and contain 60 psi gaseous helium as the pressurization gas. A C-shaped seal was developed using a Gore-tex woven fabric. Mechanical testing of the fabric at room and elevated temperature, liquid nitrogen temperature, and liquid helium temperature demonstrated the strength and creep resistance of the material over the desired operating range. A small scale cryogenic pressure box was used to test prototype seals at cryogenic temperatures up to 60 psi. Preliminary tests indicated that excessive leakage was present through the seal. As a result, an aluminized mylar liner was placed inside the Gore-tex seal to reduce leakage through the seal. The final seal configuration resulted in minimal pressure loss during seal testing.

33 CFR 110.77 - Amistad Reservoir, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Amistad Reservoir, Tex. 110.77 Section 110.77 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.77 Amistad Reservoir, Tex. (a) Diablo East, Tex. That...

33 CFR 110.77 - Amistad Reservoir, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Amistad Reservoir, Tex. 110.77 Section 110.77 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.77 Amistad Reservoir, Tex. (a) Diablo East, Tex. That...

33 CFR 110.77 - Amistad Reservoir, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Amistad Reservoir, Tex. 110.77 Section 110.77 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.77 Amistad Reservoir, Tex. (a) Diablo East, Tex. That...

33 CFR 110.77 - Amistad Reservoir, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Amistad Reservoir, Tex. 110.77 Section 110.77 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.77 Amistad Reservoir, Tex. (a) Diablo East, Tex. That...

Glacial discharge, upwelling and productivity off the Adélie coast, Antarctica: results from a 171 m Holocene sediment core from IODP Expedition 318

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newton, Kate; Bendle, James; McKay, Robert; Albot, Anya; Moossen, Heiko; Seki, Osamu; Willmott, Veronica; Schouten, Stefan; Riesselman, Christina; Dunbar, Robert

2016-04-01

Antarctica's coastal oceans play a vital role in controlling both the global carbon cycle and climate change, through variations in primary production, ocean stratification and ice melt. Yet, the Southern Ocean remains the least studied region on Earth with respect to Holocene climate variability. The few Antarctic proximal marine sedimentary records available tend to be short, low resolution, and discontinuous. However, sediments recovered from the Adélie drift during IODP Expedition 318 present a new opportunity to study East Antarctic Holocene climatic evolution, at a resolution that facilitates direct comparison with ice-cores. A 171m core of Holocene laminated diatom ooze was recovered from site U1357, representing continuous Holocene accumulation in a climatically-sensitive coastal polynya. We present results of biomarker analyses (TEX86-L and compound specific fatty acid delta-D and delta-13C, and sterol delta-D) and grain size from throughout the Holocene, revealing the complexities of this climatically sensitive environment. Carbon isotopes are interpreted predominantly as a productivity signal via CO2 drawdown, whilst hydrogen isotopes reflect inputs of isotopically-depleted glacial meltwater from the large Mertz glacier tongue and other proximal glaciers. Both upwelling, as shown by TEX86-L and grain size, and glacial meltwater inputs, indicated by biomarker delta-D, appear to have an important control on productivity on various time scales. The latter may be forced by warm subsurface temperatures through basal melting of the Mertz glacier tongue, indicating both direct and indirect effects of upwelling on productivity. The post-glacial, Early Holocene appears to be characterized by a highly variable system, due to both strong upwelling and meltwater inputs, followed by a more stable and highly productive Middle Holocene under a warmer climate. During the Late Holocene, characterized by a sea-ice expansion, temperature-induced sea-ice melt may have become a more important control on productivity. Millennial and centennial-scale isotopic excursions are also superimposed on the long-term trend. Productivity in particularly appears to follow some cyclicity, similar to that identified in other Antarctic productivity records, which may indicate a sensitivity of the environment to solar activity. Notably, a cyclicity of 2.3 ka is significant throughout the delta-13C record, closely resembling the previously recognised 'Hallstattzeit' solar cycle. Despite the strong importance of local forcing factors on the polynya system, our data suggest that, globally recognised, rapid climate changes are recorded in the site U1357 record.

Evaluation of Solid Modeling Software for Finite Element Analysis of Woven Ceramic Matrix Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nemeth, Noel N.; Mital, Subodh; Lang, Jerry

2010-01-01

Three computer programs, used for the purpose of generating 3-D finite element models of the Repeating Unit Cell (RUC) of a textile, were examined for suitability to model woven Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs). The programs evaluated were the open-source available TexGen, the commercially available WiseTex, and the proprietary Composite Material Evaluator (COMATE). A five-harness-satin (5HS) weave for a melt-infiltrated (MI) silicon carbide matrix and silicon carbide fiber was selected as an example problem and the programs were tested for their ability to generate a finite element model of the RUC. The programs were also evaluated for ease-of-use and capability, particularly for the capability to introduce various defect types such as porosity, ply shifting, and nesting of a laminate. Overall, it was found that TexGen and WiseTex were useful for generating solid models of the tow geometry; however, there was a lack of consistency in generating well-conditioned finite element meshes of the tows and matrix. TexGen and WiseTex were both capable of allowing collective and individual shifting of tows within a ply and WiseTex also had a ply nesting capability. TexGen and WiseTex were sufficiently userfriendly and both included a Graphical User Interface (GUI). COMATE was satisfactory in generating a 5HS finite element mesh of an idealized weave geometry but COMATE lacked a GUI and was limited to only 5HS and 8HS weaves compared to the larger amount of weave selections available with TexGen and WiseTex.

33 CFR 110.77 - Amistad Reservoir, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amistad Reservoir, Tex. 110.77... ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.77 Amistad Reservoir, Tex. (a) Diablo East, Tex. That portion of the Amistad Reservoir enclosed by a line connecting the following points, excluding a 300-foot...

78 FR 21929 - TexStar Crude Oil Pipeline, LP; Notice of Filing

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-12

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. AC13-63-000] TexStar Crude Oil Pipeline, LP; Notice of Filing Take notice that on March 26, 2013, TexStar Crude Oil Pipeline, LP (TexStar) submitted to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) a request for waiver of...

77 FR 50486 - Application To Export Electric Energy; TexMex Energy, LLC

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-21

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY [OE Docket No. EA-294-B] Application To Export Electric Energy; TexMex Energy, LLC AGENCY: Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, DOE. ACTION: Notice of application. SUMMARY: TexMex Energy, LLC (TexMex) has applied to renew its authority to transmit electric energy from...

Geochemical constraints on the temperature and timing of carbonate formation and lithification in the Nankai Trough, NanTroSEIZE transect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sample, James C.; Torres, Marta E.; Fisher, Andrew; Hong, Wei-Li; Destrigneville, Christine; Defliese, William F.; Tripati, Aradhna E.

2017-02-01

Information about diagenetic processes and temperatures during burial of sediments entering the subduction zone is important for understanding changes in physical properties and seismic behavior during deformation. The geochemistry of authigenic carbonates from accretionary prisms can serve as proxies for conditions during carbonate cementation and resultant lithification. We report results from the Nankai accretionary prism recovered from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) sites C0011 and C0012 and we document continued cementation of deep sediment sections prior to subduction. Elemental and isotope data provide evidence for complex mixing of different isotopic reservoirs in pore waters contributing to carbonate chemical signatures. Carbon stable isotope values exhibit a broad range (δ13CV-PDB = +0.1‰ to -22.5‰) that corresponds to different stages of cement formation during burial. Carbonate formation temperatures from carbonate-clumped isotope geochemistry range from 16 °C to 63 °C at Site C0011 and 8.7 °C to 68 °C at Site C0012. The correspondence between the clumped-isotope temperatures and extrapolations of measured in situ temperatures indicate the carbonate is continuing to form at present. Calculated water isotopic compositions are in some cases enriched in 18O relative to measured interstitial waters suggesting a component of inherited seawater or input from clay-bound water. Low oxygen isotope values and the observed Ba/Ca ratios are also consistent with carbonate cementation at depth. Strontium isotopes of interstitial waters (87Sr/86Sr of 0.7059-0.7069) and carbonates (87Sr/86Sr of 0.70715-0.70891) support formation of carbonates from a mixture of strontium reservoirs including current interstitial waters and relic seawater contemporaneous with deposition. Collectively our data reflect mixed sources of dissolved inorganic carbon and cations that include authigenic phases driven by organic carbon and volcanic alteration reactions. Physical properties of input sediments continue to undergo modification by carbonate cementation at present. Due to ongoing recrystallization, temperatures from carbonate-clumped isotopes reflect the modern geothermal gradient and may serve as useful measures of geothermal gradients in other siliciclastic basins where carbonate cementation occurs. We conclude that clumped-isotope signatures in authigenic carbonates from accretionary prisms are important proxies for the timing and conditions of cementation in active margins. Our results highlight the importance of using multi-proxy approaches to elucidate the history of carbonate cementation, particularly to establish carbonate precipitation at depth and its potential impact on the physical and mechanical properties of the sediment prior to subduction.

Oceanographic changes in the Southern Ocean and Antarctic cryosphere dynamics during the Oligocene and Miocene: a view from offshore Wilkes Land

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangiorgi, Francesca; Bijl, Peter K.; Hartman, Julian D.; Schouten, Stefan; Brinkhuis, Henk

2016-04-01

With the ongoing increase in atmospheric CO2 and global temperatures, a fundamental scientific and societal question arises concerning the stability of the Antarctic cryosphere. Modern observational data indicate the Southern Ocean has experienced significant warming, with oceanic fronts being pushed several tenth of km closer to the continent. Moreover, basal melt of ice shelves from warming oceans is causing accelerated grounding line retreat of the Antarctic ice sheets and shelves. However, monitoring data are available for the last few decades only, which prevents the evaluation of long-term changes in ice mass balance. Studying intervals in Earth's past history, which represent the best possible analogues of (near) future conditions, becomes thus essential. The Oligocene and Miocene Epochs encompass periods with CO2 concentrations between today's and those expected for the (near) future. It has also become clear that ice-proximal oceanographic regime is a critical factor for the stability and mass balance of ice sheets. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 318 offshore Wilkes Land (East Antarctica) Site U1356 satisfies both requirements of being ice-proximal and having a relative complete, stratigraphically well-resolved Oligocene-Miocene sequence (albeit with a possible 5-Myrs gap between Late Oligocene and Early Miocene). This allows for the first time studying oceanographic changes and cryosphere dynamics in the interval ~34-13 Myrs. Thus far, ice-proximal reconstructions were hindered by the paucity of suitable sedimentary archives around Antarctica and/or poor stratigraphic constraints. We reconstructed changes in surface oceanography and seawater temperatures by means of dinoflagellate cyst assemblages and TEX86 paleothermometry. The dinocyst data suggest (summer) sea-ice occurrence at Site U1356 only for the first 1.5 Ma following the onset of full Antarctic glaciation and after the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum. In between, both dinocysts and ocean temperatures indicate generally mild conditions, with some episodic cooling and a major warming during the mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum. Our data suggest a dynamic Oligocene-Miocene icehouse, with a fundamentally different oceanographic regime, with generally higher than present-day latitudinal transport of warm waters southward. This had obvious implications for the stability of the continental cryosphere as indicated by other proxies investigated. During this talk I will focus on the Wilkes Land record, while putting it into a latitudinal perspective by using available data from other Southern Ocean sites.

77 FR 68118 - TexStar Transmission, LP; Notice of Petition for Rate Approval

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-15

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [ Docket No. PR13-4-000] TexStar Transmission, LP; Notice of Petition for Rate Approval Take notice that on November 2, 2012, TexStar Transmission, LP (TexStar) filed a Petition for Rate Approval pursuant to 284.123(b)(2) of the Commissions...

The Effectiveness of Texas Teacher Certification Programs as Evidenced through Pass Rates on TExES PPR 160 Exam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clouse, Scarlet

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between alternative certification pathways, specifically those offered through a university-based, post baccalaureate certification program and a regional education service center certification program. A quantitative research design was implemented and archived scores on the TExES PPR…

Estimation of heat loss from a cylindrical cavity receiver based on simultaneous energy and exergy analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madadi, Vahid; Tavakoli, Touraj; Rahimi, Amir

2015-03-01

This study undertakes the experimental and theoretical investigation of heat losses from a cylindrical cavity receiver employed in a solar parabolic dish collector. Simultaneous energy and exergy equations are used for a thermal performance analysis of the system. The effects of wind speed and its direction on convection loss has also been investigated. The effects of operational parameters, such as heat transfer fluid mass flow rate and wind speed, and structural parameters, such as receiver geometry and inclination, are investigated. The portion of radiative heat loss is less than 10%. An empirical and simplified correlation for estimating the dimensionless convective heat transfer coefficient in terms of the Re mathrm {Re} number and the average receiver wall temperature is proposed. This correlation is applicable for a wind speed range of 0.10.1 to 10 m/s. Moreover, the proposed correlation for Nu mathrm {Nu} number is validated using experimental data obtained through the experiments carried out with a conical receiver with two aperture diameters. The coefficient of determination R2 and the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) parameters were calculated, and the results show that there is a good agreement between predicted results and experimental data. R2 is greater than 0.950.95 and the NRMSE parameters is less than 0.060.06 in this analysis.

Educator Preparedness to Teach Environmental Science in Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guillory, Linus Joseph, Jr.

2012-01-01

This study assesses the environmental proficiency of Texas life science educators certified from 2003 to 2011 by analyzing their TExES 138 8-12 exam results in domains V and VI. The sample consisted of all the individuals that took and passed the TExES 138 life science 8-12 exam. During this period, approximately 41% of the individuals who took…

Sea surface salinity of the Eocene Arctic Azolla event using innovative isotope modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Speelman, E. N.; Sewall, J. O.; Noone, D.; Huber, M.; Sinninghe Damste, J. S.; Reichart, G. J.

2009-04-01

With the realization that the Eocene Arctic Ocean was covered with enormous quantities of the free floating freshwater fern Azolla, new questions regarding Eocene conditions facilitating these blooms arose. Our present research focuses on constraining the actual salinity of, and water sources for, the Eocene Arctic basin through the application of stable water isotope tracers. Precipitation pathways potentially strongly affect the final isotopic composition of water entering the Arctic Basin. Therefore we use the Community Atmosphere Model (CAM3), developed by NCAR, combined with a recently developed integrated isotope tracer code to reconstruct the isotopic composition of global Eocene precipitation and run-off patterns. We further addressed the sensitivity of the modeled hydrological cycle to changes in boundary conditions, such as pCO2, sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and sea ice formation. In this way it is possible to assess the effect of uncertainties in proxy estimates of these parameters. Overall, results of all runs with Eocene boundary conditions, including Eocene topography, bathymetry, vegetation patterns, TEX86 derived SSTs and pCO2 estimates, show the presence of an intensified hydrological cycle with precipitation exceeding evaporation in the Arctic region. Enriched, precipitation weighted, isotopic values of around -120‰ are reported for the Arctic region. Combining new results obtained from compound specific isotope analyses (δD) on terrestrially derived n-alkanes extracted from Eocene sediments, and model outcomes make it possible to verify climate reconstructions for the middle Eocene Arctic. Furthermore, recently, characteristic long-chain mid-chain ω20 hydroxy wax constituents of Azolla were found in ACEX sediments. δD values of these C32 - C36 diols provide insight into the isotopic composition of the Eocene Arctic surface water. As the isotopic signature of the runoff entering the Arctic is modelled, and the final isotopic composition of the surface waters can be deduced from the isotopic composition of the diols, we can calculate the degree of mixing between freshwater (isotopically light) and seawater (isotopically heavy) in the surface waters. This way we quantify Eocene Arctic surface water salinity, which in turn will shed light on the degree of (seasonal) mixing and stratification.

Extreme warming, photic zone euxinia and sea level rise during the Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum on the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Plain; connecting marginal marine biotic signals, nutrient cycling and ocean deoxygenation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sluijs, A.; van Roij, L.; Harrington, G. J.; Schouten, S.; Sessa, J. A.; LeVay, L. J.; Reichart, G.-J.; Slomp, C. P.

2013-12-01

The Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ~56 Ma) was a ~200 kyr episode of global warming, associated with massive injections of 13C-depleted carbon into the ocean-atmosphere system. Although climate change during the PETM is relatively well constrained, effects on marine oxygen and nutrient cycling remain largely unclear. We identify the PETM in a sediment core from the US margin of the Gulf of Mexico. Biomarker-based paleotemperature proxies (MBT/CBT and TEX86) indicate that continental air and sea surface temperatures warmed from 27-29 °C to ~35 °C, although variations in the relative abundances of terrestrial and marine biomarkers may have influenced the record. Vegetation changes as recorded from pollen assemblages supports profound warming. Lithology, relative abundances of terrestrial vs. marine palynomorphs as well as dinoflagellate cyst and biomarker assemblages indicate sea level rise during the PETM, consistent with previously recognized eustatic rise. The recognition of a maximum flooding surface during the PETM changes regional sequence stratigraphic interpretations, which allows us to exclude the previously posed hypothesis that a nearby fossil found in PETM-deposits represents the first North American primate. Within the PETM we record the biomarker isorenieratane, diagnostic of euxinic photic zone conditions. A global data compilation indicates that deoxygenation occurred in large regions of the global ocean in response to warming, hydrological change, and carbon cycle feedbacks, particularly along continental margins, analogous to modern trends. Seafloor deoxygenation and widespread anoxia likely caused phosphorus regeneration from suboxic and anoxic sediments. We argue that this fuelled shelf eutrophication, as widely recorded from microfossil studies, increasing organic carbon burial along continental margins as a negative feedback to carbon input and global warming. If properly quantified with future work, the PETM offers the opportunity to assess the biogeochemical effects of enhanced phosphorus regeneration, as well as the time-scales on which this feedback operates in view of modern and future ocean deoxygenation.

Stable carbon isotope ratios of archaeal GDGTs in the marine water column and surface sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pearson, A.; Hurley, S.; Close, H. G.; Jasper, C. E.

2016-12-01

Archaeal glycerol dibiphytanyl glycerol tetraether (GDGT) lipids are ubiquitous throughout the marine environment and are preserved in sediments and sedimentary rocks on million-year timescales. Variations in the number of ring-containing GDGT isomers in sediments correlate with differences in overlying sea surface temperatures, a relationship formalized in the TEX86 paleotemperature proxy. Ammonia-oxidizing Thaumarchaeota are believed to be the major sources of these GDGTs, implying that the greatest production and export of GDGTs from the water column should be associated with the maximum expression of ammonia monooxygenase (amoA) genes and maximum number of thaumarchaeal cells, both of which occur in the subsurface NO2- maximum near a depth of ca. 80-250 m. To examine the relationship between production and export of GDGTs from the water column, we measured the concentrations and δ13C values of GDGTs in suspended particulate matter (SPM) of the western South Atlantic Ocean and compared them to values from pure thaumarchaeal cultures and from available sediment core-tops from other locations. Thaumarchaeota are believed to fix the majority of their carbon directly from dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). However, both the SPM and core-top δ13C values in some cases are moderately more 13C-depleted than would be predicted based on the 13C content of local DIC and the previously-published biosynthetic isotope fractionation (ɛ). This indicates that the average metabolism of the planktonic archaeal community either is mixotrophic (≥ 25% organic carbon assimilation) or that the published ɛ value for the model organism Nitrosopumilus maritimus may not be representative of the total autotrophic community. In addition to this offset, δ13C values of GDGTs in SPM inversely mirror DIC profiles, with lowest values in the nitrite maximum and higher values in the deeper water column, similar to the overall trends for bulk SPM. Finally, while individual GDGTs in SPM samples have similar δ13C values, in many sediments measured to date, the isotopic composition of individual GDGTs differs. This implies that multiple sources of GDGTs are required to explain core-top 13C distributions, especially on continental margins.

The Arabidopsis THO/TREX component TEX1 functionally interacts with MOS11 and modulates mRNA export and alternative splicing events.

PubMed

Sørensen, Brian B; Ehrnsberger, Hans F; Esposito, Silvia; Pfab, Alexander; Bruckmann, Astrid; Hauptmann, Judith; Meister, Gunter; Merkl, Rainer; Schubert, Thomas; Längst, Gernot; Melzer, Michael; Grasser, Marion; Grasser, Klaus D

2017-02-01

We identify proteins that associate with the THO core complex, and show that the TEX1 and MOS11 components functionally interact, affecting mRNA export and splicing as well as plant development. TREX (TRanscription-EXport) is a multiprotein complex that plays a central role in the coordination of synthesis, processing and nuclear export of mRNAs. Using targeted proteomics, we identified proteins that associate with the THO core complex of Arabidopsis TREX. In addition to the RNA helicase UAP56 and the mRNA export factors ALY2-4 and MOS11 we detected interactions with the mRNA export complex TREX-2 and multiple spliceosomal components. Plants defective in the THO component TEX1 or in the mRNA export factor MOS11 (orthologue of human CIP29) are mildly affected. However, tex1 mos11 double-mutant plants show marked defects in vegetative and reproductive development. In tex1 plants, the levels of tasiRNAs are reduced, while miR173 levels are decreased in mos11 mutants. In nuclei of mos11 cells increased mRNA accumulation was observed, while no mRNA export defect was detected with tex1 cells. Nevertheless, in tex1 mos11 double-mutants, the mRNA export defect was clearly enhanced relative to mos11. The subnuclear distribution of TEX1 substantially overlaps with that of splicing-related SR proteins and in tex1 plants the ratio of certain alternative splicing events is altered. Our results demonstrate that Arabidopsis TEX1 and MOS11 are involved in distinct steps of the biogenesis of mRNAs and small RNAs, and that they interact regarding some aspects, but act independently in others.

Base flow (1966-2009) and streamflow gain and loss (2010) of the Brazos River from the New Mexico-Texas State line to Waco, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baldys, Stanley; Schalla, Frank E.

2012-01-01

Streamflow was measured at 66 sites from June 6–9, 2010, and at 68 sites from October 16–19, 2010, to identify reaches in the upper Brazos River Basin that were gaining or losing streamflow. Gaining reaches were identified in each of the five subbasins. The gaining reach in the Salt Fork Brazos River Basin began at USGS streamflow-gaging station 08080940 Salt Fork Brazos River at State Highway 208 near Clairemont, Tex. (site SF–6), upstream from where Duck Creek flows into the Salt Fork Brazos River and continued downstream past USGS streamflow-gaging station 08082000 Salt Fork Brazos River near Aspermont, Tex. (site SF–9), to the outlet of the basin. In the Double Mountain Fork Brazos River Basin, a gaining reach from near Post, Tex., downstream to the outlet of the basin was identified. Two gaining reaches were identified in the Clear Fork Brazos River Basin—one from near Roby, Tex., downstream to near Noodle, Tex., and second from Hawley, Tex., downstream to Nugent, Tex. Most of the North Bosque River was characterized as gaining streamflow. Streamflow gains were identified in the main stem of the Brazos River from where the Brazos River main stem forms at the confluence of the Salt Fork Brazos River and Double Mountain Fork Brazos River near Knox City, Tex., downstream to near Seymour, Tex.

Comparisons of multiple isotope systems in the aragonitic shells of cultured Arctica islandica clams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Y. W.; Aciego, S.; Wanamaker, A. D.

2014-12-01

Previous work using oxygen and stable carbon isotopes from Arctica islandica shells has shown that this archive can provide information on past seawater temperatures, carbon cycling and ocean circulation. However, relatively less attention has been devoted to other "non-traditional" isotope systems within this proxy archive. In this study, we report the boron (δ11B) and strontium isotopic values (87Sr/86Sr and δ88/86Sr) from A. islandicashells collected and cultured from the Gulf of Maine. The long-lived ocean quahog, A. islandica was collected and cultured in the Gulf of Maine for 8 months. Our high-resolution δ11B records from the experiment show 5-7‰ of increase through the culture, with low values from January to May and higher values after May. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios from both tank water and shell samples suggest that the shell material reflects ambient ocean chemistry without interferences from terrestrial sources. Although It has been suggested that stable Sr isotopic ratios (δ88/86Sr) in biogenic carbonates are influenced by the temperature of the precipitating fluid, our nearly identical δ88/86Sr data do not support this hypothesis despite a 15 °C temperature change during the experiment. Based on the in-situ measurements of culture seawater temperature, salinity and pH, and two commonly used fractionation factors (α3-4) for corals and forams, we predicted the range in shell δ11B values for the experiment. Our boron results are at the extreme ends of the two prediction lines suggesting the potential usage of the bivalve shells as seawater pH indicator. However, the wider range in δ11B in this experiment than the predictions based on other carbonate organisms (only 2 to 3‰) suggests that a species-specific fractionation factor may be required. Recent work from an additional constant temperature experiment (10 and 15 °C) in the Gulf of Maine will allow us to further evaluate temperature influences and potential vital effects on the shell boron isotope values.

Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers, U.S. Army, on Civil Works Activities 1966. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1966-01-01

Pines ), Cypress Creek, Tex. 4,336,000 Clark Hill Reservoir, Savannah River, S.C. & Ga. -------- 4,264,000 Lake Cumberland (Wolf Creek Dam), Cumberland... Plymouth Harbor, Mass ......... Rollison Channel, N.C - Texas City Channel, Tex. (40- foot)----------- Wallisville Reservoir_ Schedul Date started fiscal...Project Pat Mayse, Tex - Perry, Kans__ Perry County, Mo- Pine Creek, Okla _ Pine Flat, Calif_ Fiscal year started 1965 1964 1937 1963 1947 Proctor, Tex_

Temperature influences on diapause induction and survival in the boll weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), has been the most important pest of cotton (Gossypium spp.) wherever it occurs. Although eradication programs in the U.S. have reduced the range of this pest, the weevil remains an intractable problem in subtropical Tex...

Requirements for a reliable millennium temperature reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christiansen, Bo; Ljungqvist, Fredrik

2014-05-01

Quantitative temperature reconstructions are hampered by several problems. Proxy records are sparse which is witnessed by the fact that roughly half of all available high-resolution millennia-long proxy data have been published in the last five years. Moreover, proxies are inhomogeneously distributed around the globe and they often have coarse temporal resolution. The period of overlap between proxies and instrumental observations - the calibration period - is brief and dominated by a strong warming trend. Furthermore, proxies are often only weakly correlated to temperature and it is common that some form of screening procedure is applied to select only informative proxies. We study the influence of these limitations on the reliability of temperature reconstructions for the previous millennium. This influence depends on the spatial and temporal correlation structure of the surface temperature field. It also depends on the reconstruction methodology. We use gridded surface temperature data from GISTEMP and HadCRUT4 to investigate the geographical distribution of the spatial decorrelation length and of the temporal decorrelation time. The spatial decorrelation length varies with more than a factor of 5 with the largest values in the region dominated by the El Nino-Southern Oscillation. The temporal decorrelation time varies less with typical values of 1-2 years over land and 2-5 years over ocean. We also investigate the correlations between proxies and local temperatures (using the 91 proxies from Christiansen and Ljungqvist 2012) and between local temperatures and the NH mean temperature. These correlations have typical values around 0.3 but cover a wide range from weakly negative to larger than 0.8. The results outlined above allow us to identify regions where the effect of the lack of proxies is most important. They also inform us on the consequences of the short calibration period and on the influence of the recent trend. Finally, we demonstrate the effect of a weak proxy/temperature relationship on three different simple reconstruction methodologies. We show that the size and strength of this effect depends strongly on the chosen methodology.

248 mine, Terlingua quicksilver district, Brewster County, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yates, Robert G.; Thompson, George A.

1944-01-01

The 248 quicksilver mine is in Section 248, Block G-4, 2 miles east of Terlingua and 86 miles by dirt road from Alpine, Tex., the nearest railway shipping point (see accompanying maps). Cinnabar, the quicksilver mineral, was discovered before 1902. By 1934 there were only about 700 feet of subsurface workings, but in recent years the Esperado Mining Co., which has the property under lease, has greatly extended exploratory workings and has built a Herreshoff furnace rated at 40 tons per day. At the present time there are 1 1/3 miles of underground workings and 800 feet of surface trenches.

Index of Stations - Surface-Water Data-Collection Network of Texas, September 1999

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-01-01

07312000 Lake Kemp near Mabelle , Tex. 33°45󈧢" 99°09󈧇" R Wichita Falls 07312100 Wichita River near Mabelle , Tex. 33°45󈧨" 99°08󈧥" DQpM2 Wichita Falls...34 96°38󈧵" RQs USACE3 08063800 Waxahachie Creek near Bardwell, Tex. 32°14󈧨" 96°38󈧜" DQp Fort Worth 08064100 Chambers Creek near Rice , Tex. 32°11󈧺

Evaluation of the X-Linked High-Grade Myopia Locus (MYP1) with Cone Dysfunction and Color Vision Deficiencies

PubMed Central

Metlapally, Ravikanth; Michaelides, Michel; Bulusu, Anuradha; Li, Yi-Ju; Schwartz, Marianne; Rosenberg, Thomas; Hunt, David M.; Moore, Anthony T.; Züchner, Stephan; Rickman, Catherine Bowes; Young, Terri L.

2014-01-01

Purpose X-linked high myopia with mild cone dysfunction and color vision defects has been mapped to chromosome Xq28 (MYP1 locus). CXorf2/TEX28 is a nested, intercalated gene within the red-green opsin cone pigment gene tandem array on Xq28. The authors investigated whether TEX28 gene alterations were associated with the Xq28-linked myopia phenotype. Genomic DNA from five pedigrees (with high myopia and either protanopia or deuteranopia) that mapped to Xq28 were screened for TEX28 copy number variations (CNVs) and sequence variants. Methods To examine for CNVs, ultra-high resolution array-comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) assays were performed comparing the subject genomic DNA with control samples (two pairs from two pedigrees). Opsin or TEX28 gene-targeted quantitative real-time gene expression assays (comparative CT method) were performed to validate the array-CGH findings. All exons of TEX28, including intron/exon boundaries, were amplified and sequenced using standard techniques. Results Array-CGH findings revealed predicted duplications in affected patient samples. Although only three copies of TEX28 were previously reported within the opsin array, quantitative real-time analysis of the TEX28 targeted assay of affected male or carrier female individuals in these pedigrees revealed either fewer (one) or more (four or five) copies than did related and control unaffected individuals. Sequence analysis of TEX28 did not reveal any variants associated with the disease status. Conclusions CNVs have been proposed to play a role in disease inheritance and susceptibility as they affect gene dosage. TEX28 gene CNVs appear to be associated with the MYP1 X-linked myopia phenotypes. PMID:19098318

Prediction of lamb meat eating quality in two divergent breeds using various live animal and carcass measurements.

PubMed

Lambe, N R; Navajas, E A; Fisher, A V; Simm, G; Roehe, R; Bünger, L

2009-11-01

This study investigated how accurately taste panel sensory assessments of meat eating quality (MEQ) could be predicted in two divergent lamb breeds, using predictors measured in live animals (weights, subjective conformation assessments, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and video image analysis measurements) and carcasses (weights, MLC fat and conformation classes, pH, temperature, carcass dimensions and cross-sectional tissue dimensions), individually and in optimal combinations. Grilled muscle samples from the pelvic limb (semimembranosus) and loin (Longissimus lumborum) of 120 Texel (TEX) and 112 Scottish Blackface (SBF) lambs were assessed by a trained taste panel for texture, juiciness, flavour, abnormal flavour and overall liking. Residual correlations (adjusted for fixed effects, age and sire) between MEQ and predictor traits were low to moderate in size (<±0.42). MEQ traits predicted best by single measurements were loin flavour and overall liking for TEX (using fat area in a CT scan or subcutaneous fat depth measured post-mortem), and for SBF were leg texture (using carcass weight or temperature) and juiciness (using CT fat area or shoulder conformation score). Combining live animal and carcass measurements increased MEQ prediction accuracies, compared with using either set alone, to explain >40% of residual variation in several MEQ traits, with the highest adjusted R(2) values for leg juiciness in TEX (0.53) and leg texture in SBF (0.59). The most useful predictors of MEQ depended on breed, with measurements of fatness generally more important in the lean breed and carcass size and muscling more important in the fatter breed.

Implementation of the soil compactor analyzer into test method TEX-113-E : technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-04-01

Test method Tex-113-E prepares laboratory aggregate base test specimens with an impact hammer : compactor. These specimens are used for compaction characteristics and design tests. Although the : historical Tex-113-E required a certain amount of comp...

Exosomes from heat-stressed tumour cells inhibit tumour growth by converting regulatory T cells to Th17 cells via IL-6.

PubMed

Guo, Danfeng; Chen, Yinghu; Wang, Shoujie; Yu, Lei; Shen, Yingying; Zhong, Haijun; Yang, Yunshan

2018-05-01

Exosomes derived from heat-stressed tumour cells (HS-TEXs), which contain abundant heat shock protein (HSP) 70, strongly induce antitumour immune responses. HSP70-induced interleukin (IL)-6 promotes IL-17 expression and causes rejection of established prostate tumours. However, it remains unclear whether HS-TEXs exhibit antitumour effects by converting regulatory T cells (T regs ) into T helper type 17 (Th17) cells. In this study, we found that compared with TEXs, HS-TEXs were more potent in stimulating secretion of IL-6 from dendritic cells. In vitro, IL-6 blocked tumour cell-derived transforming growth factor beta 1-induced T reg differentiation and promoted Th17 cell differentiation. HS-TEXs exerted strong antitumour effects, converting T regs into Th17 cells with high efficiency, a process that was entirely dependent upon IL-6. Neutralization of IL-17 completely abolished the antitumour effect of TEXs, but only partially inhibited that of HS-TEXs. In addition, we found higher levels of IL-6 and IL-17 in serum from tumour patients treated with hyperthermia, and an increase in Th17 cells and a decrease in T regs was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from these patients after hyperthermia. Therefore, our results demonstrate that HS-TEXs possess a powerful capacity to convert immunosuppressive T regs into Th17 cells via IL-6, which contributes to their potent antitumour effect. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quantifying Proxy Influence in the Last Millennium Reanalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakim, G. J.; Anderson, D. N.; Emile-Geay, J.; Noone, D.; Tardif, R.

2017-12-01

We examine the influence of proxies in the climate field reconstruction known as the Last Millennium Reanalysis (Hakim et al. 2016; JGR-A). This data assimilation framework uses the CCSM4 Last Millennium simulation as an agnostic prior, proxies from the PAGES 2k Consortium (2017; Sci. Data), and an offline ensemble square-root filter for assimilation. Proxies are forward modeled using an observation model ("proxy system model") that maps from the prior space to the proxy space. We assess proxy impact using the method of Cardinali et al. (2004; QJRMS), where influence is measured in observation space; that is, at the location of observations. Influence is determined by three components: the prior at the location, the proxy at the location, and remote proxies as mediated by the spatial covariance information in the prior. Consequently, on a per-proxy basis, influence is higher for spatially isolated proxies having small error, and influence is lower for spatially dense proxies having large error. Results show that proxy influence depends strongly on the observation model. Assuming the proxies depend linearly on annual mean temperature yields the largest per-proxy influence for coral d18O and coral Sr/Ca records, and smallest influence for tree-ring width. On a global basis (summing over all proxies of a given type), tree-ring width and coral d18O have the largest influence. A seasonal model for the proxies yields very different results. In this case we model the proxies linearly on objectively determined seasonal temperature, except for tree proxies, which are fit to a bivariate model on seasonal temperature and precipitation. In this experiment, on a per-proxy basis, tree-ring density has by far the greatest influence. Total proxy influence is dominated by tree-ring width followed by tree-ring density. Compared to the results for the annual-mean observation model, the experiment where proxies are measured seasonally has more than double the total influence (sum over all proxies); this experiment also has higher verification scores when measured against other 20th century temperature reconstructions. These results underscore the importance of improving proxy system models, since they increase the amount of information available for data-assimilation-based reconstructions.

33 CFR 110.75 - Corpus Christi Bay, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Corpus Christi Bay, Tex. 110.75 Section 110.75 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.75 Corpus Christi Bay, Tex. (a) South area. Southward of...

33 CFR 110.75 - Corpus Christi Bay, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Corpus Christi Bay, Tex. 110.75 Section 110.75 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.75 Corpus Christi Bay, Tex. (a) South area. Southward of...

33 CFR 110.75 - Corpus Christi Bay, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Corpus Christi Bay, Tex. 110.75 Section 110.75 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.75 Corpus Christi Bay, Tex. (a) South area. Southward of...

33 CFR 110.75 - Corpus Christi Bay, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Corpus Christi Bay, Tex. 110.75 Section 110.75 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.75 Corpus Christi Bay, Tex. (a) South area. Southward of...

33 CFR 110.75 - Corpus Christi Bay, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Corpus Christi Bay, Tex. 110.75 Section 110.75 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY ANCHORAGES ANCHORAGE REGULATIONS Special Anchorage Areas § 110.75 Corpus Christi Bay, Tex. (a) South area. Southward of...

77 FR 12107 - RailAmerica, Inc., Palm Beach Holding, Inc., RailAmerica Transportation Corp., RailTex, Inc...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-28

...., Palm Beach Holding, Inc., RailAmerica Transportation Corp., RailTex, Inc., Fortress Investment Group, LLC, and RR Acquisition Holding, LLC--Control Exemption--Marquette Rail, LLC AGENCY: Surface...), RailTex, Inc., Fortress Investment Group, LLC (Fortress), and RR Acquisition Holding, LLC (RR...

UGC Galaxies Stronger than 25 MJy at 4.85 GHz

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Condon, J. J.; Frayer, D. T.; Broderick, J. J.

1995-11-01

UGC galaxies in the declination band +5 degrees < delta < +75 degrees were identified by position coincidence with radio sources stronger than 25 mJy on the Green Bank 4.85 GHz sky maps. Candidate identifications were confirmed or rejected with the aid of published aperture-synthesis maps (including those in the companion directory UGC20CM.DIR) and new 4.86 GHz VLA D-array maps having 15 or 18 arcsec FWHM resolution. The 4.86 GHz maps in this directory cover both confirmed identifications and candidates rejected because of confusion, low flux density, etc. For more information on this study, please see the following references: Condon, J. J., Frayer, D. T., and Broderick, J. J. 1991, AJ, 101, 362. The image(s) and related TeX file come from the NRAO CDROM "Images From the Radio Universe" (c. 1992 National Radio Astronomy Observatory, used with permission).

Smart garments for emergency operators: the ProeTEX project.

PubMed

Curone, Davide; Secco, Emanuele Lindo; Tognetti, Alessandro; Loriga, Giannicola; Dudnik, Gabriela; Risatti, Michele; Whyte, Rhys; Bonfiglio, Annalisa; Magenes, Giovanni

2010-05-01

Financed by the European Commission, a consortium of 23 European partners, consisting of universities, research institutions, industries, and organizations operating in the field of emergency management, is developing a new generation of "smart" garments for emergency-disaster personnel. Garments integrate newly developed wearable and textile solutions, such as commercial portable sensors and devices, in order to continuously monitor risks endangering rescuers' lives. The system enables detection of health-state parameters of the users (heart rate, breathing rate, body temperature, blood oxygen saturation, position, activity, and posture) and environmental variables (external temperature, presence of toxic gases, and heat flux passing through the garments), to process data and remotely transmit useful information to the operation manager. The European-integrated project, called ProeTEX (Protection e-Textiles: Micro-Nano-Structured fiber systems for Emergency-Disaster Wear) started on February, 2006 and will end on July, 2010. During this 4.5 years period, three subsequent generations of sensorized garments are being released. This paper proposes an overview of the project and gives a description of the second-generation prototypes, delivered at the end of 2008.

Oligocene-Miocene paleoceanographic changes offshore the Wilkes Land Margin, Antarctica: dinoflagellate cyst and TEX86 analyses of DSDP Site 269

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bijl, Peter; Boterblom, Wilrieke H.; Sangiorgi, Francesca; Hartman, Julian D.; Peterse, Francien

2017-04-01

Although a lot of research has been conducted to characterize the onset of Antarctic glaciation at the Eocene-Oligocene transition, little is known about the subsequent evolution and fluctuations of the size of the Antarctic Ice Sheet (AIS). The discrepancy between the conclusions of Foster and Rohling (2013) (insensitive global cryosphere between 400-650 ppmv CO2) and variations in benthic foraminiferal δ18O records (0.5-1 ‰) illustrate the uncertainty in particularly the East AIS variability during the Oligocene and Miocene. Increasing awareness of the importance of oceanographic conditions on ice sheet melt emphasize the need to directly infer ice sheet volume fluctuations from sedimentary archives close to the Antarctic margin. In this study, dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) assemblages, dinocyst-based biostratigraphy and TEX86 from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 269, offshore the Wilkes Land Margin (WLM), were used to reconstruct the paleoenvironment and paleoceanographic setting during the Oligocene and Miocene. Preliminary results are indicative of open ocean conditions, Southern Ocean fronts and high productivity waters. Furthermore, biomarker species were found, which are useful for stratigraphic dating. Research conducted at the continental rise of the WLM (Site U1356), by Bijl et al. (in prep.), has allowed for the calibration of dinocysts events of the Oligocene-Miocene Southern Ocean to the international time scale. Comparing the results of Site 269 to Site U1356 can thus provide an age constraint for this record. Correlating paleoceanographic changes between sites can provide insights into the variability of the EAIS during the Oligocene and Miocene, and will contribute to improving predictions of future changes in the Antarctic ice sheet.

33 CFR 207.187 - Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Tex.; special floodgate, lock and navigation regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Gulf Intracoastal Waterway on the Colorado River. The legend states “DO NOT PROCEED BEYOND THIS POINT... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Tex... Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Tex.; special floodgate, lock and navigation regulations. (a) Application...

33 CFR 207.187 - Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Tex.; special floodgate, lock and navigation regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Gulf Intracoastal Waterway on the Colorado River. The legend states “DO NOT PROCEED BEYOND THIS POINT... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Tex... Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, Tex.; special floodgate, lock and navigation regulations. (a) Application...

33 CFR 207.185 - Taylors Bayou, Tex., Beaumont Navigation District Lock; use, administration, and navigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Taylors Bayou, Tex., Beaumont Navigation District Lock; use, administration, and navigation. 207.185 Section 207.185 Navigation and... § 207.185 Taylors Bayou, Tex., Beaumont Navigation District Lock; use, administration, and navigation...

33 CFR 207.185 - Taylors Bayou, Tex., Beaumont Navigation District Lock; use, administration, and navigation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Taylors Bayou, Tex., Beaumont Navigation District Lock; use, administration, and navigation. 207.185 Section 207.185 Navigation and... § 207.185 Taylors Bayou, Tex., Beaumont Navigation District Lock; use, administration, and navigation...

Target-induced proximity ligation triggers recombinase polymerase amplification and transcription-mediated amplification to detect tumor-derived exosomes in nasopharyngeal carcinoma with high sensitivity.

PubMed

Liu, Wanli; Li, Jianpei; Wu, Yixian; Xing, Shan; Lai, Yanzhen; Zhang, Ge

2018-04-15

Tumor-derived exosomes (TEXs) are extracellular vesicles that are continuously released into the blood by tumor cells and carry specific surface markers of the original tumor cells. Substantial evidence has implicated TEXs as attractive diagnostic markers for cancer. However, the detection of TEXs in blood at an early tumor stage is challenging due to their very low concentration. Here, we established a method called PLA-RPA-TMA assay that allows TEXs to be detected with high sensitivity and specificity. Based on two proximity ligation assay (PLA) probes that recognize a biomarker on a TEX, we generated a unique surrogate DNA signal for the specific biomarker, which was synchronously amplified twice by recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) coupled with transcription-mediated amplification (TMA), and then the products of the RPA-TMA reaction were quantitatively detected using a gold nanoparticle-based colorimetric assay. We established proof-of-concept evidence for this approach using TEXs from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells, with a detection limit of 10 2 particles/mL, and reported the measurement of plasma Epstein-Barr virus latent membrane protein 1 (LPM1)-positive (LMP1 + , accuracy: 0.956) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-positive (EGFR + , accuracy: 0.906) TEXs as potent early diagnostic biomarkers for NPC. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

77 FR 35959 - Atlas Pipeline Mid-Continent WestTex, LLC; Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc.; Notice of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-15

... Mid-Continent WestTex, LLC; Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc.; Notice of Application Take notice that on May 30, 2012, Atlas Pipeline Mid-Continent WestTex, LLC (Atlas) and Pioneer Natural Resources..., Senior Counsel, Pioneer Natural Resources USA, Inc., 5205 North O'Connor Blvd., Suite 200, Irving, TX...

77 FR 17121 - RailAmerica, Inc., Palm Beach Rail Holding, Inc., RailAmerica Transportation Corp., RailTex, Inc...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-23

... Group, LLC, and RR Acquisition Holding, LLC--Control Exemption--Wellsboro & Corning Railroad, LLC Rail.... (RTC), RailTex, Inc. (RailTex), Fortress Investment Group, LLC (Fortress), and RR Acquisition Holding... acquire indirect control of the Wellsboro & Corning Railroad, LLC (W&C), a Class III rail carrier, through...

A Smoking Gun for Methane Hydrate Release During the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frieling, J.; Peterse, F.; Lunt, D. J.; Bohaty, S. M.; S Sinninghe Damsté, J.; Reichart, G. J.; Sluijs, A.

2016-12-01

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM; 56 Ma) was a period of rapid 4-5ºC global warming and a global negative carbon isotope excursion (CIE) of 3-4.5‰, signaling the input of at least 1500 Gt of δ13C-depleted carbon into the ocean-atmosphere system. Methane from submarine hydrates has long been proposed as a carbon source, but direct and indirect evidence is lacking. We generated a new high-resolution TEX86 and δ13C record from Ocean Drilling Program Site 959 in the eastern tropical Atlantic and find that initial warming preceded the PETM CIE by 10 kyr. Moreover, time-shifted cross-correlations on these new and published temperature-δ13C data imply that substantial (2-3 °C) warming lead 13C-depleted carbon injection by an average of 2-3 kyr globally. Finally, a data compilation shows that global burial fluxes of biogenic Ba approximately doubled across all depths of the ocean studied, which on PETM time scales can only be explained by significant Ba addition to the oceans. Submarine hydrates are Ba-rich and require warming to dissociate. The simplest explanation for the temperature lead and Ba addition to the ocean is that methane hydrate dissociated as a response to initial warming and acted as a positive carbon cycle feedback during the PETM.

The Last Millennium Reanalysis: Improvements to proxies and proxy modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tardif, R.; Hakim, G. J.; Emile-Geay, J.; Noone, D.; Anderson, D. M.

2017-12-01

The Last Millennium Reanalysis (LMR) employs a paleoclimate data assimilation (PDA) approach to produce climate field reconstructions (CFRs). Here, we focus on two key factors in PDA generated CFRs: the set of assimilated proxy records and forward models (FMs) used to estimate proxies from climate model output. In the initial configuration of the LMR [Hakim et al., 2016], the proxy dataset of [PAGES2k Consortium, 2013] was used, along with univariate linear FMs calibrated against annually-averaged 20th century temperature datasets. In an updated configuration, proxy records from the recent dataset [PAGES2k Consortium, 2017] are used, while a hierarchy of statistical FMs are tested: (1) univariate calibrated on annual temperature as in the initial configuration, (2) univariate against temperature as in (1) but calibration performed using expert-derived seasonality for individual proxy records, (3) as in (2) but expert proxy seasonality replaced by seasonal averaging determined objectively as part of the calibration process, (4) linear objective seasonal FMs as in (3) but objectively selecting relationships calibrated either on temperature or precipitation, and (5) bivariate linear models calibrated on temperature and precipitation with objectively-derived seasonality. (4) and (5) specifically aim at better representing the physical drivers of tree ring width proxies. Reconstructions generated using the CCSM4 Last Millennium simulation as an uninformed prior are evaluated against various 20th century data products. Results show the benefits of using the new proxy collection, particularly on the detrended global mean temperature and spatial patterns. The positive impact of using proper seasonality and temperature/moisture sensitivities for tree ring width records is also notable. This updated configuration will be used for the first generation of LMR-generated CFRs to be publicly released. These also provide a benchmark for future efforts aimed at evaluating the impact of additional proxy records and/or more sophisticated physically-based forward models. References: Hakim, G. J., and co-authors (2016), J. Geophys. Res. Atmos., doi:10.1002/2016JD024751 PAGES2K Consortium (2013), Nat. Geosci., doi:10.1038/ngeo1797 PAGES2k Consortium (2017), Sci. Data. doi:10.1038/sdata.2017.88

‘Caro-Tex 312’, a high yielding, orange-fruited, Habanero-type, F1 hybrid pepper

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Research Service of the U. S. Department of Agriculture and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences of Texas A&M University have released the high yielding, orange-fruited, Habanero-type, F1 hybrid pepper cultivar CaroTex-312. CaroTex-312 is the result of an F1 cross made at C...

Building Partnerships to Address Community Geoscience Priorities: A Brief History of the Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) Model and its Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finn, C.; Udu-gama, N.; Pandya, R.; Leshin, L. A.; McEntee, C.; Williams, B. M.; Goodwin, M.

2016-12-01

Increasingly, communities around the world are being challenged by extremes in climatic change and natural hazards and a lack of key natural resources. In many cases, such communities do not have access to the experts and resources they need to address these changes. While partnerships are being developed to address these challenges, there is a need to bring communities and scientists together equitably. Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX), a program powered by the American Geophysical Union (AGU), seeks to connect communities by offering them scientists that can work with them on developing effective solutions for their real-life climate change, natural hazards and/or natural resources challenges. TEX advocates community science - the notion that scientists and communities equitably work together to identify how science can advance local priorities such that it produces local impact, guides future research and generates solutions that can be shared. The concept for TEX evolved from 2011 AGU Council discussions on potential options for impacting AGU's upcoming Centennial. The concept started as a single "Grand Challenge" concept, but evolved through several trails and iterations to today's vibrant TEX program and model. The TEX process is not for every community or scientist. In order to ensure that a community can proceed through a project with a scientist, TEX has found that they often must have a mandate to work on the issue at hand. For instance, if a planning department is tasked with doing a climate vulnerability assessment, a project looking at how heat extremes affect the elderly could probably proceed without interruption from other internal community processes. In some cases, available funds acts as an impetus for a community to seek action. Yet at other times, an individual's passion to address a community challenge may be the spark required to turn ideas into action. This presentation will provide an overview of the TEX genesis within AGU, and its growth and evolution as an "internal start-up" to today's TEX program—a program with partnerships supporting over 35 US-based and international TEX projects. Finally, it will also discuss preliminary lessons learned about what it means for both community and scientists to be ready to work with one another.

Thermodynamic analyses of a biomass-coal co-gasification power generation system.

PubMed

Yan, Linbo; Yue, Guangxi; He, Boshu

2016-04-01

A novel chemical looping power generation system is presented based on the biomass-coal co-gasification with steam. The effects of different key operation parameters including biomass mass fraction (Rb), steam to carbon mole ratio (Rsc), gasification temperature (Tg) and iron to fuel mole ratio (Rif) on the system performances like energy efficiency (ηe), total energy efficiency (ηte), exergy efficiency (ηex), total exergy efficiency (ηtex) and carbon capture rate (ηcc) are analyzed. A benchmark condition is set, under which ηte, ηtex and ηcc are found to be 39.9%, 37.6% and 96.0%, respectively. Furthermore, detailed energy Sankey diagram and exergy Grassmann diagram are drawn for the entire system operating under the benchmark condition. The energy and exergy efficiencies of the units composing the system are also predicted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Continental-scale temperature covariance in proxy reconstructions and climate models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartl-Meier, Claudia; Büntgen, Ulf; Smerdon, Jason; Zorita, Eduardo; Krusic, Paul; Ljungqvist, Fredrik; Schneider, Lea; Esper, Jan

2017-04-01

Inter-continental temperature variability over the past millennium has been reported to be more coherent in climate model simulations than in multi-proxy-based reconstructions, a finding that undermines the representation of spatial variability in either of these approaches. We assess the covariance of summer temperatures among Northern Hemisphere continents by comparing tree-ring based temperature reconstructions with state-of-the-art climate model simulations over the past millennium. We find inter-continental temperature covariance to be larger in tree-ring-only reconstructions compared to those derived from multi-proxy networks, thus enhancing the agreement between proxy- and model-based spatial representations. A detailed comparison of simulated temperatures, however, reveals substantial spread among the models. Over the past millennium, inter-continental temperature correlations are driven by the cooling after major volcanic eruptions in 1257, 1452, 1601, and 1815. The coherence of these synchronizing events appears to be elevated in several climate simulations relative to their own covariance baselines and the proxy reconstructions, suggesting these models overestimate the amplitude of cooling in response to volcanic forcing at large spatial scales.

Late Cretaceous climate simulations with different CO2 levels and subarctic gateway configurations: A model-data comparison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niezgodzki, Igor; Knorr, Gregor; Lohmann, Gerrit; Tyszka, Jarosław; Markwick, Paul J.

2017-09-01

We investigate the impact of different CO2 levels and different subarctic gateway configurations on the surface temperatures during the latest Cretaceous using the Earth System Model COSMOS. The simulated temperatures are compared with the surface temperature reconstructions based on a recent compilation of the latest Cretaceous proxies. In our numerical experiments, the CO2 level ranges from 1 to 6 times the preindustrial (PI) CO2 level of 280 ppm. On a global scale, the most reasonable match between modeling and proxy data is obtained for the experiments with 3 to 5 × PI CO2 concentrations. However, the simulated low- (high-) latitude temperatures are too high (low) as compared to the proxy data. The moderate CO2 levels scenarios might be more realistic, if we take into account proxy data and the dead zone effect criterion. Furthermore, we test if the model-data discrepancies can be caused by too simplistic proxy-data interpretations. This is distinctly seen at high latitudes, where most proxies are biased toward summer temperatures. Additional sensitivity experiments with different ocean gateway configurations and constant CO2 level indicate only minor surface temperatures changes (< 1°C) on a global scale, with higher values (up to 8°C) on a regional scale. These findings imply that modeled and reconstructed temperature gradients are to a large degree only qualitatively comparable, providing challenges for the interpretation of proxy data and/or model sensitivity. With respect to the latter, our results suggest that an assessment of greenhouse worlds is best constrained by temperatures in the midlatitudes.

33 CFR 334.790 - Sabine River at Orange, Tex.; restricted area in vicinity of the Naval and Marine Corps Reserve...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Sabine River at Orange, Tex... RESTRICTED AREA REGULATIONS § 334.790 Sabine River at Orange, Tex.; restricted area in vicinity of the Naval.... Government or those duly authorized by the Commanding Officer, Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Center, Orange...

Warming, euxinia and sea level rise during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum on the Gulf Coastal Plain: implications for ocean oxygenation and nutrient cycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sluijs, A.; van Roij, L.; Harrington, G. J.; Schouten, S.; Sessa, J. A.; LeVay, L. J.; Reichart, G.-J.; Slomp, C. P.

2014-07-01

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ~ 56 Ma) was a ~ 200 kyr episode of global warming, associated with massive injections of 13C-depleted carbon into the ocean-atmosphere system. Although climate change during the PETM is relatively well constrained, effects on marine oxygen concentrations and nutrient cycling remain largely unclear. We identify the PETM in a sediment core from the US margin of the Gulf of Mexico. Biomarker-based paleotemperature proxies (methylation of branched tetraether-cyclization of branched tetraether (MBT-CBT) and TEX86) indicate that continental air and sea surface temperatures warmed from 27-29 to ~ 35 °C, although variations in the relative abundances of terrestrial and marine biomarkers may have influenced these estimates. Vegetation changes, as recorded from pollen assemblages, support this warming. The PETM is bracketed by two unconformities. It overlies Paleocene silt- and mudstones and is rich in angular (thus in situ produced; autochthonous) glauconite grains, which indicate sedimentary condensation. A drop in the relative abundance of terrestrial organic matter and changes in the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages suggest that rising sea level shifted the deposition of terrigenous material landward. This is consistent with previous findings of eustatic sea level rise during the PETM. Regionally, the attribution of the glauconite-rich unit to the PETM implicates the dating of a primate fossil, argued to represent the oldest North American specimen on record. The biomarker isorenieratene within the PETM indicates that euxinic photic zone conditions developed, likely seasonally, along the Gulf Coastal Plain. A global data compilation indicates that O2 concentrations dropped in all ocean basins in response to warming, hydrological change, and carbon cycle feedbacks. This culminated in (seasonal) anoxia along many continental margins, analogous to modern trends. Seafloor deoxygenation and widespread (seasonal) anoxia likely caused phosphorus regeneration from suboxic and anoxic sediments. We argue that this fueled shelf eutrophication, as widely recorded from microfossil studies, increasing organic carbon burial along many continental margins as a negative feedback to carbon input and global warming. If properly quantified with future work, the PETM offers the opportunity to assess the biogeochemical effects of enhanced phosphorus regeneration, as well as the timescales on which this feedback operates in view of modern and future ocean deoxygenation.

The potential of tumor-derived exosomes for noninvasive cancer monitoring

PubMed Central

Whiteside, Theresa L.

2016-01-01

Tumor-derived exosomes (TEXs) are emerging as a new type of cancer biomarker. TEXs are membrane-bound, virus-size vesicles of endocytic origin present in all body fluids of cancer patients. Based on the expanding albeit incomplete knowledge of their biogenesis, secretion by tumor cells and cancer cell-specific molecular and genetic contents, TEXs are viewed as promising, clinically-relevant surrogates of cancer progression and response to therapy. Preliminary proteomic, genetic and functional profiling of tumor cell-derived or cancer plasma-derived exosomes confirms their unique characteristics. Alterations in protein or nucleic acid profiles of exosomes in plasma of cancer patients responding to therapies appear to correlate with clinical endpoints. However, methods for TEX isolation and separation from the bulk of human plasma-derived exosomes are not yet established and their role as biomarkers remains to be confirmed. Further development and validation of TEXs as noninvasive, liquid equivalents of tumor biopsies are necessary to move this effort forward. PMID:26289602

The potential of tumor-derived exosomes for noninvasive cancer monitoring.

PubMed

Whiteside, Theresa L

2015-01-01

Tumor-derived exosomes (TEX) are emerging as a new type of cancer biomarker. TEX are membrane-bound, virus-size vesicles of endocytic origin present in all body fluids of cancer patients. Based on the expanding albeit incomplete knowledge of their biogenesis, secretion by tumor cells and cancer cell-specific molecular and genetic contents, TEX are viewed as promising, clinically-relevant surrogates of cancer progression and response to therapy. Preliminary proteomic, genetic and functional profiling of tumor cell-derived or cancer plasma-derived exosomes confirms their unique characteristics. Alterations in protein or nucleic acid profiles of exosomes in plasma of cancer patients responding to therapies appear to correlate with clinical endpoints. However, methods for TEX isolation and separation from the bulk of human plasma-derived exosomes are not yet established and their role as biomarkers remains to be confirmed. Further development and validation of TEX as noninvasive, liquid equivalents of tumor biopsies are necessary to move this effort forward.

TeX4 (X = F, Cl, Br) as Lewis acids--complexes with soft thio- and seleno-ether ligands.

PubMed

Hector, Andrew L; Jolleys, Andrew; Levason, William; Reid, Gillian

2012-08-28

TeF(4) reacts with OPR(3) (R = Me or Ph) in anhydrous CH(2)Cl(2) to give the colourless, square based pyramidal 1 : 1 complexes [TeF(4)(OPR(3))] only, in which the OPR(3) is coordinated basally in the solid state, (R = Me: d(Te-O) = 2.122(2) Å; R = Ph: d(Te-O) = 2.1849(14) Å). Variable temperature (19)F{(1)H}, (31)P{(1)H} and (125)Te{(1)H} NMR spectroscopic studies strongly suggest this is the low temperature structure in solution, although the systems are dynamic. The much softer donor ligands SMe(2) and SeMe(2) show a lower affinity for TeF(4), although unstable, yellow products with spectroscopic features consistent with [TeF(4)(EMe(2))] are obtained by the reaction of TeF(4) in neat SMe(2) or via reaction in CH(2)Cl(2) with SeMe(2). TeX(4) (X = F, Cl or Br) causes oxidation and halogenation of TeMe(2) to form X(2)TeMe(2). The Br(2)TeMe(2) hydrolyses in trace moisture to form [BrMe(2)Te-O-TeMe(2)Br], the crystal structure of which has been determined. TeX(4) (X = Cl or Br) react with the selenoethers SeMe(2), MeSe(CH(2))(3)SeMe or o-C(6)H(4)(SeMe)(2) (X = Cl) in anhydrous CH(2)Cl(2) to give the distorted octahedral monomers trans-[TeX(4)(SeMe(2))(2)], cis-[TeX(4){MeSe(CH(2))(3)SeMe}] and cis-[TeCl(4){o-C(6)H(4)(SeMe)(2)}], which have been characterised by IR, Raman and multinuclear NMR ((1)H, (77)Se{(1)H} and (125)Te{(1)H}) spectroscopy, and via X-ray structure determinations of representative examples. Tetrahydrothiophene (tht) can form both 1 : 1 and 1 : 2 Te : L complexes. For X = Br, the former has been shown to be a Br-bridged dimer, [Br(3)(tht)Te(μ-Br)(2)TeBr(3)(tht)], by crystallography with the tht ligands anti, whereas the latter are trans-octahedral monomers. Like its selenoether analogue, MeS(CH(2))(3)SMe forms distorted octahedral cis-chelates, [TeX(4){MeS(CH(2))(3)SMe}], whereas the more rigid o-C(6)H(4)(SMe)(2) unexpectedly forms a zig-zag chain polymer in the solid state, [TeCl(4){o-C(6)H(4)(SMe)(2)}](n), in which the dithioether adopts an extremely unusual bridging mode. This is in contrast to the chelating monomer, cis-[TeCl(4){o-C(6)H(4)(SeMe)(2)}], formed with the analogous selenoether and may be attributed to small differences in the ligand chelate bite angles. The wider bite angle xylyl-linked bidentates, o-C(6)H(4)(CH(2)EMe(2))(2) behave differently; the thioether forms cis-chelated [TeX(4){o-C(6)H(4)(CH(2)SMe)(2)}] confirmed crystallographically, whereas the selenoether undergoes C-Se cleavage and rearrangement on treatment with TeX(4), forming the cyclic selenonium salts, [C(9)H(11)Se](2)[TeX(6)]. The tetrathiamacrocycle, [14]aneS(4) (1,4,8,11-tetrathiacyclotetradecane), does not react cleanly with TeCl(4), but forms the very poorly soluble [TeCl(4)([14]aneS(4))](n), shown by crystallography to be a zig-zag polymer with exo-coordinated [14]aneS(4) units linked via alternate S atoms to a cis-TeCl(4) unit. Trends in the (125)Te{(1)H} NMR shifts for this series of Te(IV) halides chalcogenoether complexes are discussed.

77 FR 19925 - Upland Cotton Base Quality

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-03

...\\-inch, leaf 3, (micronaire 3.5 through 3.6 and 4.3 through 4.9, strength 25.5 through 29.4 grams per tex..., (micronaire 3.5 through 3.6 and 4.3 through 4.9, strength 25.5 through 29.4 grams per tex, length uniformity... 4, (micronaire 3.5 through 3.6 and 4.3 through 4.9, strength 25.5 through 29.4 grams per tex, length...

Is Traffic Still an Important Emitter of Monoaromatic Organic Compounds in European Urban Areas?

PubMed

Borbon, Agnès; Boynard, Anne; Salameh, Thérèse; Baudic, Alexia; Gros, Valérie; Gauduin, Julie; Perrussel, Olivier; Pallares, Cyril

2018-01-16

Trends of long-term observations and emission inventories suggest that traffic emissions will no longer dominate the concentrations of monoaromatic compounds (i.e., TEX - toluene, xylenes, and ethylbenzene) in European urban areas. But the split limit between traffic and other emission sector contributions such as solvent use remains tenuous. Here long-term observations of an extensive set of hydrocarbons, including TEX, at traffic and urban background sites in London, Paris and Strasbourg were combined to estimate the relative importance of traffic emissions on TEX in every city. When analyzing the urban enhancement emission ratios of TEX-to-benzene on a seasonal basis, two potential source signatures other than traffic could be differentiated in all cities (1) summertime evaporation from fuel and/or solvent and (2) wintertime domestic heating. However, traffic emissions still unambiguously dominate the concentration levels of TEX in every city despite the reduction of their emissions at exhaust pipe over the last two decades. Traffic explains between 60% and 96% (at ±20%) of TEX levels while it is less clear for xylenes at some locations. Our results provide a basis to evaluate regional emission inventories. The method is applicable at any urban area where speciated hydrocarbon monitoring is available.

Scientific Research for Integrated Solutions to Community Challenges: The Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Udu-gama, N.; Pandya, R.

2015-12-01

There is tremendous unmet and sometimes unrealized need for Earth and space science (ESS) expertise as part of civic decisions and local planning for climate change, natural hazards and natural resources. The Thriving Earth Exchange (TEX) helps AGU contribute that expertise to humanity in respectful, integrated ways. TEX brings ESS scientists together with local communities tackling issues of climate change, natural hazards and natural resources to co-design solutions that equitably integrate both scientific and community knowledge. To achieve this ambitious goal, TEX is partnering with organizations that are respected by and knowledgeable about communities both in the United States and internationally. Such partnerships include Rockefeller's 100 Resilient Cities Initiative, ICLEI USA, MIT's Climate Colab, among others. TEX works with these partners to approach communities who are ready to or already addressing ESS related issues. With partners, we help the communities define their goals, develop specific projects, and connect with relevant and helpful ESS scientists. We will also show how we help scientists and community leaders work productively together, and the tools we bring to support their innovation. It will highlight international examples, such as in the Pamir Mountains of Afghanistan-Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, and Ethiopia, and provide concrete examples of how these initiatives are helping TEX further expand the frontiers of collaborative research.

Tumor-derived exosomes regulate expression of immune function-related genes in human T cell subsets.

PubMed

Muller, Laurent; Mitsuhashi, Masato; Simms, Patricia; Gooding, William E; Whiteside, Theresa L

2016-02-04

Tumor cell-derived exosomes (TEX) suppress functions of immune cells. Here, changes in the gene profiles of primary human T lymphocytes exposed in vitro to exosomes were evaluated. CD4(+) Tconv, CD8(+) T or CD4(+) CD39(+) Treg were isolated from normal donors' peripheral blood and co-incubated with TEX or exosomes isolated from supernatants of cultured dendritic cells (DEX). Expression levels of 24-27 immune response-related genes in these T cells were quantified by qRT-PCR. In activated T cells, TEX and DEX up-regulated mRNA expression levels of multiple genes. Multifactorial data analysis of ΔCt values identified T cell activation and the immune cell type, but not exosome source, as factors regulating gene expression by exosomes. Treg were more sensitive to TEX-mediated effects than other T cell subsets. In Treg, TEX-mediated down-regulation of genes regulating the adenosine pathway translated into high expression of CD39 and increased adenosine production. TEX also induced up-regulation of inhibitory genes in CD4(+) Tconv, which translated into a loss of CD69 on their surface and a functional decline. Exosomes are not internalized by T cells, but signals they carry and deliver to cell surface receptors modulate gene expression and functions of human T lymphocytes.

Late Quaternary water temperature variations of the Northwest Pacific based on the lipid paleothermometers TEXH86, UK´37 and LDI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jonas, A.-S.; Schwark, L.; Bauersachs, T.

2017-07-01

The Kuroshio Current (KC) and Oyashio Current (OC) are the two major western boundary currents of the Pacific Ocean and their interplay exerts a major control on the climate evolution of the northwestern Pacific region as well as East Asia. Although millennial scale variations in the strength and flow pattern of the KC are well documented, only little is known on the long-term evolution of this ocean current and its role in affecting regional and global climate over geological time scales. Here, we present surface and thermocline temperature records covering the last two glacial-interglacial cycles of IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program) Site C0011, SE of Japan, using the lipid paleothermometers TEXH86 (tetraether index of tetraethers consisting of 86 carbon atoms), UK´37 (unsaturated ketone index) and LDI (long-chain diol index). Lower average water temperatures (20.1-20.7 °C in TEXH86, 21.6-22.0 °C in UK´37, and 20.7-21.9 °C in LDI) during marine isotope stages (MIS) 2 and 6 are considered to indicate a reduction in warm water mass export from the Western Pacific Warm Pool (WPWP) to northern mid-latitudes via the KC due to decreased subtropical gyre circulation in the North Pacific. A synchronous southward displacement of the KC/OC interfrontal zone resulted in an overall stronger influence of colder and more polar waters at Site C0011. MIS 1, 3 and 5 are characterized by generally higher water temperatures (21.7-22.1 °C in TEXH86, 23.2-24.3 °C in UK´37, and 23.1-24.3 °C in LDI), likely reflecting an increased northward transport of subtropical waters to the study site. Higher Holocene than Eemian water temperatures are attributed to a stronger KC and the formation of its short meander south of Japan, whereas a less strong KC during the Eemian likely favored the formation of the large meander path. Better correlations between the different lipid paleothermometers during cold MIS are considered to indicate more similar production seasons and habitat depths of the biological proxy sources with the latter factor likely driven by thermocline shoaling.

Thermoelectric properties of Te doped bulk Bi2Se3 system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adam, A. M.; Elshafaie, A.; Mohamed, Abd El-Moez A.; Petkov, P.; Ibrahim, E. M. M.

2018-03-01

Polycrystalline bulk samples of Bi2(Se1‑xTex)3 system with x = 0.0–0.9 were prepared by the conventional melting method. Successfully and cheaply, Se atoms were replaced by Te atoms to get Bi2Se3-Bi2Te3 or even Bi2Te3 alone. Difference of mass and size between Te and Se atoms is expected to result in interesting properties in the Bi2(Se1‑xTex)3 system. All compounds showed a metal-semiconductor conductivity transition. The electrical conduction in the pristine Bi2Se3 compound increases with the low Te doping ratio (x = 0.3) then decreases monotonically for further amounts of Te. The Seebeck coefficient of Bi2Se3 compound is positive showing up a p-type conduction. However, introducing Te content increases the n-type conduction with a decrease in the Seebeck coefficient absolute value. In addition, Bi2Se3 compound is found to exhibit relatively high room temperature power factor and figure of merit values of 2.13 μW/m.k2. In an attempt to determine the figure of merit ZT, Bi2Se3 seems to be the best for room temperature, whereas, Te addition at high values makes the system just suitable for high temperature application.

Paleoaltimetry proxies based on bacterial branched tetraether membrane lipids in soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Huan; Xiao, Wenjie; Jia, Chengling; Xie, Shucheng

2015-03-01

The MBT/CBT (Methylation Index of Branched Tetraethers/Cyclisation ratio of Branched Tetraether) proxy, a terrestrial paleothermometer based on bacterial branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (bGDGTs), was employed to indicate altimetry; however, the mechanistic control on this proxy is still ambiguous. Here, we investigated the bGDGTs' distribution and associated environmental factors along an altitude transect of Mt. Shennongjia in China in order to determine the applicability of bGDGT-based proxies to altimetry reconstruction. The MBT index exhibits only a weak correlation with estimated mean annual air temperature (MATe, estimated according to the meteorological record and lapse rate) or altitude. Likewise, MBT shows weak or no relationship with temperature or altitude at four other mountains (Mts. Meghalaya, Jianfengling, Gongga, and Rungwe). It is notable that mean annual air temperature (MAT) or altitude estimated by the MBT/CBT proxy largely relies on CBT, rather than on MBT, which was generally acknowledged. The poor relationship between MBTand MATe for Mt. Shennongjia can be ascribed to the insensitive response of bGDGT-I to temperature. Our data from this mountain imply that care should be taken if the MBT/CBT proxy is employed as an indication of paleoaltimetry. We propose that the fractional abundance of bGDGTs may be a better paleoaltimeter than the MBT/CBT proxy, because specific bGDGT subsets that might show the most sensitive response to temperature can be preferentially selected using a statistical method and used to establish local calibration. This local calibration was applied to Mt. Shennongjia and apparently improves the accuracy of temperature and altimetry reconstruction. The differential response of bGDGTs to temperature among mountains suggests that local calibrations are needed to better constrain the altimetry.

Estimation of streamflow gains and losses in the lower San Antonio River watershed, south-central Texas, 2006-10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lizarraga, Joy S.; Wehmeyer, Loren L.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the San Antonio River Authority, the Evergreen Underground Water Conservation District, and the Goliad County Groundwater Conservation District, investigated streamflow gains and losses during 2006-10 in the lower San Antonio River watershed in south-central Texas. Streamflow gains and losses were estimated using 2006-10 continuous streamflow records from 11 continuous streamflow-gaging stations, and discrete streamflow measurements made at as many as 20 locations on the San Antonio River and selected tributaries during four synoptic surveys during 2006-7. From the continuous streamflow records, the greatest streamflow gain on the lower San Antonio River occurred in the reach from Falls City, Tex., to Goliad, Tex. The greatest streamflow gain on Cibolo Creek during 2006-10 occurred in the reach from near Saint Hedwig, Tex., to Sutherland Springs, Tex. The San Antonio River between Floresville, Tex., and Falls City was the only reach that had an estimated streamflow loss during 2006-10. During all four synoptic streamflow measurement surveys, the only substantially flowing tributary reach to the main stem of the lower San Antonio River was Cibolo Creek. Along the main stem of the lower San Antonio River, verifiable gains larger than the potential measurement error were estimated in two of the four synoptic streamflow measurement surveys. These gaining reaches occurred in the two most downstream reaches of the San Antonio River between Goliad and Farm Road (FM) 2506 near Fannin, Tex., and between FM 2506 near Fannin to near McFaddin. There were verifiable gains in streamflow in Cibolo Creek, between La Vernia, Tex., and the town of Sutherland Springs during all four surveys, estimated at between 4.8 and 14 ft3/s.

Improvement of Meteorological Inputs for TexAQS-II Air Quality Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ngan, F.; Byun, D.; Kim, H.; Cheng, F.; Kim, S.; Lee, D.

2008-12-01

An air quality forecasting system (UH-AQF) for Eastern Texas, which is in operation by the Institute for Multidimensional Air Quality Studies (IMAQS) at the University of Houston, uses the Fifth-Generation PSU/NCAR Mesoscale Model MM5 model as the meteorological driver for modeling air quality with the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. While the forecasting system was successfully used for the planning and implementation of various measurement activities, evaluations of the forecasting results revealed a few systematic problems in the numerical simulations. From comparison with observations, we observe some times over-prediction of northerly winds caused by inaccurate synoptic inputs and other times too strong southerly winds caused by local sea breeze development. Discrepancies in maximum and minimum temperature are also seen for certain days. Precipitation events, as well as clouds, are simulated at the incorrect locations and times occasionally. Model simulatednrealistic thunderstorms are simulated, causing sometimes cause unrealistically strong outflows. To understand physical and chemical processes influencing air quality measures, a proper description of real world meteorological conditions is essential. The objective of this study is to generate better meteorological inputs than the AQF results to support the chemistry modeling. We utilized existing objective analysis and nudging tools in the MM5 system to develop the MUltiscale Nest-down Data Assimilation System (MUNDAS), which incorporates extensive meteorological observations available in the simulated domain for the retrospective simulation of the TexAQS-II period. With the re-simulated meteorological input, we are able to better predict ozone events during TexAQS-II period. In addition, base datasets in MM5 such as land use/land cover, vegetation fraction, soil type and sea surface temperature are updated by satellite data to represent the surface features more accurately. They are key physical parameters inputs affecting transfer of heat, momentum and soil moisture in land-surface process in MM5. Using base the accurate input datasets, we are able to have improved see the differences of predictions of ground temperatures, winds and even thunderstorm activities within boundary layer.

Noble Gas Temperature Proxy for Climate Change

EPA Science Inventory

Noble gases in groundwater appear to offer a practical approach for quantitatively determining past surface air temperatures over recharge areas for any watershed. The noble gas temperature (NGT) proxy should then permit a paleothermometry of a region over time. This terrestria...

Structural and compositional dependence of the CdTexSe1−x alloy layer photoactivity in CdTe-based solar cells

PubMed Central

Poplawsky, Jonathan D.; Guo, Wei; Paudel, Naba; Ng, Amy; More, Karren; Leonard, Donovan; Yan, Yanfa

2016-01-01

The published external quantum efficiency data of the world-record CdTe solar cell suggests that the device uses bandgap engineering, most likely with a CdTexSe1−x alloy layer to increase the short-circuit current and overall device efficiency. Here atom probe tomography, transmission electron microscopy and electron beam-induced current are used to clarify the dependence of Se content on the photoactive properties of CdTexSe1−x alloy layers in bandgap-graded CdTe solar cells. Four solar cells were prepared with 50, 100, 200 and 400 nm-thick CdSe layers to reveal the formation, growth, composition, structure and photoactivity of the CdTexSe1−x alloy with respect to the degree of Se diffusion. The results show that the CdTexSe1−x layer photoactivity is highly dependent on the crystalline structure of the alloy (zincblende versus wurtzite), which is also dependent on the Se and Te concentrations. PMID:27460872

Modeling the behavior of ionosphere above Millstone Hill during the September 21-27, 1998 storm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Jiuhou; Liu, Libo; Wan, Weixing; Zhang, Shun-Rong

2004-08-01

A theoretical ionospheric model is employed to investigate the ionospheric behavior as observed by the incoherent-scatter radar (ISR) at Millstone Hill during the September 21-27, 1998 storm. The observed NmF2 presented a significant negative phase on September 25, and a G condition (hmF2<200km) was also observed. The model results based on the standard input parameters (climatological model values) are in good agreement with the observed electron densities under quiet conditions, but there are large discrepancies during disturbed periods. The exospheric temperature Tex, neutral winds, atomic oxygen density [O] and molecular nitrogen density [N2], and solar flux are inferred from the ISR ion temperature profiles and from the electron density profiles. Our calculated results show that the maximum Tex is higher than 1700K, and an averaged decrease in [O] is a factor of 2.2 and an increase in [N2] at 300km is about 1.8 times for the disturbed day, September 25, relative to the quiet day level. Therefore, the large change of [N2]/[O] ratio gives a good explanation for the negative phase at Millstone Hill during this storm. Furthermore, at the disturbed nighttime the observations show a strong NmF2 decrease, accompanied by a significant hmF2 increase after the sudden storm commencement (SSC). Simulations are carried out based on the inferred Tex. It is found that the uplift of F2 layer during the period from sunset to post-midnight is mainly associated with the large equatorward winds, and a second rise in hmF2 after midnight results from the depleted Ne in the bottom-side of F2 layer due to the increased recombination, while the ``midnight collapse'' of hmF2 is attributed to the large-scale traveling atmospheric disturbances.

Improvement of thermophysiological stress in participants wearing protective clothing for spraying pesticide, and its application in the field.

PubMed

Hayashi, C; Tokura, H

2000-04-01

Thermoregulatory responses were compared under two experimental conditions, in the laboratory (Experiment I), and in the field (Experiment II), between two kinds of protective clothing for spraying pesticides. One was currently being used (Type A), and was composed of ready made Gore-Tex clothing, mask, polyurethane gloves and rubber boots. The other one was newly designed (Type B), and was composed of pesticide-proof clothing (100% cotton with water repellent finish), mask, Gore-Tex gloves, and special boots consisting of rubber for the feet and ankle and Gore-Tex around the legs. In addition, the head and chest were cooled by frozen gel strips fixed in the cap and undershirt. In Experiment I, five female adults took part, in a climate-chamber controlled at an ambient temperature of 28 degrees C and a relative humidity of 60%. In Experiment II, five farmers (one male and four female) were tested in an apple orchard in July, August and September. The main results are summarized as follows: (1) change of rectal temperature was inhibited more effectively in Type B in Experiment I, (2) change of heart rate tended to be lower in Type B than in Type A in both experiments, (3) salivary lactic acid concentration at the end of the first exercise was significantly higher in Type A than in Type B in Experiment I, (4) the number of contractions in the handgrip exercise which was performed immediately after the third exercise, was significantly smaller in Type A than in Type B in Experiment I, (5) subjective comfort sensation was significantly improved in Type B in Experiments I and II. Thus, it was concluded that the newly designed protective clothing could reduce thermal stress during the spraying of pesticides in an apple orchard in summer.

Warm Eocene climate enhanced petroleum generation from Cretaceous source rocks - a potential climate feedback mechanism?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kroeger, K. F.; Funnell, R. H.

2012-04-01

Surface and deep sea temperatures from late Paleocene to early Eocene until the Early Eocene climatic Optimum increased by 5 - 10° C. This change was associated with a negative δ13C trend which implies major changes in global carbon cycling and enrichment of surface systems in isotopically light carbon. The degree of change in sedimentary δ13C requires emission of >10,000 gigatonnes of isotopically light carbon into the ocean. We reveal a relationship between global warming and increased petroleum generation in sedimentary basins operating on 100 kyr to Myr time scales that may explain the observed isotope shift. We use TEX86-based surface temperature data1 to predict how change in surface temperature influences the temperature evolution and resultant petroleum generation in four southwest Pacific sedimentary basins. Models predict an up to 50% increase in oil and gas expulsion rates in response to the increase in temperatures from late Paleocene to early Eocene in the region. Such an increase in petroleum generation would have significantly increased leakage of light hydrocarbons and oil degeneration products into surface systems. We propose that our modelling results are representative of a large number of sedimentary basins world-wide and that early Eocene warming has led to a synchronization of periods of maximum petroleum generation and enhanced generation in otherwise unproductive basins through extension of the volume of source rock within the oil and gas window. Extrapolating our modelling results to hundreds of sedimentary basins worldwide suggests that globally increased leakage could have led to the release of an amount of CH4, CO2 and light petroleum components into surface systems compatible with the observed changes in δ13C. We further suggest that this is a significant feedback effect, enhancing early Eocene climate warming. 1Bijl, P. K., S. Schouten, A. Sluijs, G.-J. Reichart, J. C. Zachos, and H. Brinkhuis (2009), Early Palaeogene temperature evolution of the southwest Pacific Ocean, Nature, 461, 776-779.

Thermal stress in seven types of chemical defense ensembles during moderate exercise in hot environments. Final report, May 1991-July 1992

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bomalaski, S.H.; Hengst, R.; Constable, S.H.

United States Air Force -(USAF) personnel must perform their duties in many operational environments, including those with the potential for contamination with toxic chemical warfare (CW) agents. This study evaluated the physiological response to thermal stress in subjects performing moderate work in current and prototype chemical protective garments including the Battle Dress Overgarment (BDO)+BDU, BDO without BDU, United Kingdom (UK) undercoverall+BDU, Gore-Tex rainsuit+PJ-7 undercoverall, Marine Light Fighter Suit (MLFS), CWU77P, PJ-7 alone, and the BDU alone. Experimental conditions were dry bulb temperature of 40 deg C (104 deg F), a wet bulb temperature of 270C (80.6 deg F), and amore » black globe temperature of 450C (113 deg F). Eleven subjects walked on a treadmill at 3 mph with a 5% grade incline until rectal temperature (Tre) rose 1.5 deg C (2.7 deg F) above the starting value. Heart rate, rectal and mean skin temperature, and body heat storage were monitored continuously. Sweat evaporation and production were determined from the differences between pre- and postexperiment clothed and nude weights. Significantly longer work times, lower heart rates, lower Tmsk, and lower heat storage, were seen in the group comprised of the BDU, MLFS, CWU-77P, and PJ-7 compared to the Gore-Tex with PJ-7, UK plus BD BDO+BDU, and BDO no BDU ensembles. Suits which resulted in shorter tolerance times also caused rates of sweat production and lower % sweat evaporation than the less physiologically burdensome suits. Chemical protective ensembles, Thermal stress, Clothing, Exercise.« less

Arctic temperature and moisture trends during the past 2000 years - Progress from multiproxy-paleoclimate data compilations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaufman, Darrell; Routson, Cody; McKay, Nicholas; Beltrami, Hugo; Jaume-Santero, Fernando; Konecky, Bronwen; Saenger, Casey

2017-04-01

Instrumental climate data and climate-model projections show that Arctic-wide surface temperature and precipitation are positively correlated. Higher temperatures coincide with greater moisture by: (1) expanding the duration and source area for evaporation as sea ice retracts, (2) enhancing the poleward moisture transport, and (3) increasing the water-vapor content of the atmosphere. Higher temperature also influences evaporation rate, and therefore precipitation minus evaporation (P-E), the climate variable often sensed by paleo-hydroclimate proxies. Here, we test whether Arctic temperature and moisture also correlate on centennial timescales over the Common Era (CE). We use the new PAGES2k multiproxy-temperature dataset along with a first-pass compilation of moisture-sensitive proxy records to calculate century-scale composite timeseries, with a focus on longer records that extend back through the first millennium CE. We present a new Arctic borehole temperature reconstruction as a check on the magnitude of Little Ice Age cooling inferred from the proxy records, and we investigate the spatial pattern of centennial-scale variability. Similar to previous reconstructions, v2 of the PAGES2k proxy temperature dataset shows that, prior to the 20th century, mean annual Arctic-wide temperature decreased over the CE. The millennial-scale cooling trend is most prominent in proxy records from glacier ice, but is also registered in lake and marine sediment, and trees. In contrast, the composite of moisture-sensitive (primarily P-E) records does not exhibit a millennial-scale trend. Determining whether fluctuations in the mean state of Arctic temperature and moisture were in fact decoupled is hampered by the difficulty in detecting a significant trend within the relatively small number of spatially heterogeneous multi-proxy moisture-sensitive records. A decoupling of temperature and moisture would indicate that evaporation had a strong counterbalancing effect on precipitation and/or that shifting circulation patterns overwhelmed any multi-centennial-scale co-variability.

Carboniferous climate teleconnections archived in coupled bioapatite δ18OPO4 and 87Sr/86Sr records from the epicontinental Donets Basin, Ukraine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montañez, Isabel P.; Osleger, Dillon J.; Chen, Jitao; Wortham, Barbara E.; Stamm, Robert G.; Nemyrovska, Tamara I.; Griffin, Julie M.; Poletaev, Vladislav I.; Wardlaw, Bruce R.

2018-06-01

Reconstructions of paleo-seawater chemistry are largely inferred from biogenic records of epicontinental seas. Recent studies provide considerable evidence for large-scale spatial and temporal variability in the environmental dynamics of these semi-restricted seas that leads to the decoupling of epicontinental isotopic records from those of the open ocean. We present conodont apatite δ18OPO4 and 87Sr/86Sr records spanning 24 Myr of the late Mississippian through Pennsylvanian derived from the U-Pb calibrated cyclothemic succession of the Donets Basin, eastern Ukraine. On a 2 to 6 Myr-scale, systematic fluctuations in bioapatite δ18OPO4 and 87Sr/86Sr broadly follow major shifts in the Donets onlap-offlap history and inferred regional climate, but are distinct from contemporaneous more open-water δ18OPO4 and global seawater Sr isotope trends. A -1 to -6‰ offset in Donets δ18OPO4 values from those of more open-water conodonts and greater temporal variability in δ18OPO4 and 87Sr/86Sr records are interpreted to primarily record climatically driven changes in local environmental processes in the Donets sea. Systematic isotopic shifts associated with Myr-scale sea-level fluctuations, however, indicate an extrabasinal driver. We propose a mechanistic link to glacioeustasy through a teleconnection between high-latitude ice changes and atmospheric pCO2 and regional monsoonal circulation in the Donets region. Inferred large-magnitude changes in Donets seawater salinity and temperature, not archived in the more open-water or global contemporaneous records, indicate a modification of the global climate signal in the epicontinental sea through amplification or dampening of the climate signal by local and regional environmental processes. This finding of global climate change filtered through local processes has implications for the use of conodont δ18OPO4 and 87Sr/86Sr values as proxies of paleo-seawater composition, mean temperature, and glacioeustasy.

Carboniferous climate teleconnections archived in coupled bioapatite δ18OPO4 and 87Sr/86Sr records from the epicontinental Donets Basin, Ukraine

USGS Publications Warehouse

Montanez, Isabel P.; Osleger, Dillon J.; Chen, J.-H.; Wortham, Barbara E.; Stamm, Robert G.; Nemyrovska, Tamara I.; Griffin, Julie M.; Poletaev, Vladislav I.; Wardlaw, Bruce R.

2018-01-01

Reconstructions of paleo-seawater chemistry are largely inferred from biogenic records of epicontinental seas. Recent studies provide considerable evidence for large-scale spatial and temporal variability in the environmental dynamics of these semi-restricted seas that leads to the decoupling of epicontinental isotopic records from those of the open ocean. We present conodont apatite δ18OPO4 and 87Sr/86Sr records spanning 24 Myr of the late Mississippian through Pennsylvanian derived from the U–Pb calibrated cyclothemic succession of the Donets Basin, eastern Ukraine. On a 2 to 6 Myr-scale, systematic fluctuations in bioapatite δ18OPO4 and 87Sr/86Sr broadly follow major shifts in the Donets onlap–offlap history and inferred regional climate, but are distinct from contemporaneous more open-water δ18OPO4 and global seawater Sr isotope trends. A −1 to −6‰ offset in Donets δ18OPO4 values from those of more open-water conodonts and greater temporal variability in δ18OPO4 and 87Sr/86Sr records are interpreted to primarily record climatically driven changes in local environmental processes in the Donets sea. Systematic isotopic shifts associated with Myr-scale sea-level fluctuations, however, indicate an extrabasinal driver. We propose a mechanistic link to glacioeustasy through a teleconnection between high-latitude ice changes and atmospheric pCO2 and regional monsoonal circulation in the Donets region. Inferred large-magnitude changes in Donets seawater salinity and temperature, not archived in the more open-water or global contemporaneous records, indicate a modification of the global climate signal in the epicontinental sea through amplification or dampening of the climate signal by local and regional environmental processes. This finding of global climate change filtered through local processes has implications for the use of conodont δ18OPO4 and 87Sr/86Sr values as proxies of paleo-seawater composition, mean temperature, and glacioeustasy.

Mobilization of LINE-1 retrotransposons is restricted by Tex19.1 in mouse embryonic stem cells

PubMed Central

MacLennan, Marie; García-Cañadas, Marta; Reichmann, Judith; Khazina, Elena; Wagner, Gabriele; Playfoot, Christopher J; Salvador-Palomeque, Carmen; Mann, Abigail R; Peressini, Paula; Sanchez, Laura; Dobie, Karen; Read, David; Hung, Chao-Chun; Eskeland, Ragnhild; Meehan, Richard R; Weichenrieder, Oliver; García-Pérez, Jose Luis; Adams, Ian R

2017-01-01

Mobilization of retrotransposons to new genomic locations is a significant driver of mammalian genome evolution, but these mutagenic events can also cause genetic disorders. In humans, retrotransposon mobilization is mediated primarily by proteins encoded by LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons, which mobilize in pluripotent cells early in development. Here we show that TEX19.1, which is induced by developmentally programmed DNA hypomethylation, can directly interact with the L1-encoded protein L1-ORF1p, stimulate its polyubiquitylation and degradation, and restrict L1 mobilization. We also show that TEX19.1 likely acts, at least in part, through promoting the activity of the E3 ubiquitin ligase UBR2 towards L1-ORF1p. Moreover, loss of Tex19.1 increases L1-ORF1p levels and L1 mobilization in pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cells, implying that Tex19.1 prevents de novo retrotransposition in the pluripotent phase of the germline cycle. These data show that post-translational regulation of L1 retrotransposons plays a key role in maintaining trans-generational genome stability in mammals. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.26152.001 PMID:28806172

Lipid biomarkers in surface sediments from the Gulf of Genoa (Ligurian Sea) and their potential for palaeo-environmental reconstructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruggieri, Nicoletta; Kaiser, Jérôme; Arz, Helge W.; Hefter, Jens; Siegel, Herbert; Mollenhauer, Gesine; Lamy, Frank

2014-05-01

A series of molecular organic markers were determined in surface sediments from the Gulf of Genoa (Ligurian Sea) in order to evaluate their potential for palaeo-environmental reconstructions. The interest for the Gulf of Genoa lies in its contrasting coastal and central areas in terms of terrestrial input, oligotrophy, primary production and surface temperature gradient. Moreover, the Gulf of Genoa contains a large potential for climate reconstruction as it is one of the four major Mediterranean centres for cyclogenesis and the ultra high sedimentation rates on the shelf make this area suitable for high resolution environmental reconstruction. Initial results from sediment cores in the coastal area indeed reveal the potential for Holocene environmental reconstruction on up to decadal timescales (see Poster "Reconstruction of late Holocene flooding events in the Gulf of Genoa, Ligurian Sea" by Lamy et al.). During R/V Poseidon cruise P413 (May 2011), ca. 60 sediment cores were taken along the Ligurian shelf, continental slope, and in the basin between off Livorno and the French border. Results based on surface sediments suggest that some biomarker-based proxies are well-suited to reconstruct sea surface temperature (SST), the input of terrestrial organic material (TOM), and marine primary productivity (PP). The estimated UK'37 SST reflects very closely the autumnal mean satellite-based SST distribution, while TEXH86 SSTs correspond to summer SST at offshore sites and to winter SST for the nearshore sites. Using both SST proxies together may thus allow reconstructing past seasonality changes. Proxies for TOM input (terrestrial n-alkane and n-alkanol concentrations, BIT index) have higher values close to the major river mouths and decrease offshore suggesting that these may be used as proxy for the variability in TOM input by runoff. Interestingly, high n-alkane average chain length in the most offshore sites may result from aeolian input from northern Africa. Finally, high concentrations of crenarchaeol and isoprenoid GDGTs in the open basin illustrate the preference of Thaumarchaeota for oligotrophic waters. This study represents a major prerequisite for the future application of lipid biomarkers on sediment cores from the Gulf of Genoa.

A Giant Arctic Freshwater Pond at the end of the Early Eocene; Implications for Ocean Heat Transport and Carbon Cycling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinkhuis, H.; Schouten, S.; Collinson, M. E.; Sluijs, A.; Sinninghe-Damste, J. S.; Dickens, G. R.; Huber, M.; Cronin, T. M.; Bujak, J. P.; Stein, R.; Eldrett, J. S.; Harding, I. C.; Sangiorgi, F.

2005-12-01

In the last decades remains of the free-floating, fresh water fern Azolla have been found in unusually high abundances in basal middle Eocene (~48.5 Ma) marine sediments deposited in all Nordic seas. While generally taken to signal some `freshwater input', their source and significance were not determined. Through palynological and organic geochemical analyses of unique cores obtained from unprecedented Arctic Ocean drilling (IODP 302 - ACEX) we show that the brackish surface conditions that prevailed in the Arctic Ocean through the late Paleocene and early Eocene culminated in the deposition of laminated organic rich deposits yielding huge amounts of remains of Azolla. This, plus e.g., low diversity dinoflagellate assemblages, and concomitant low BIT values, indicates in-situ Azolla growth, and that the surface of the Arctic Ocean episodically resembled a giant fresh water pond over an interval altogether lasting ~800,000 years. The Arctic Basin thus constituted the main source of the freshwater pulses found elsewhere, reaching as far south as the southern North Sea.TEX86-derived surface temperatures were 13-14°C before and after the Azolla interval and only 10°C during the event, which may be related to obstruction of pole ward ocean heat transport and/or increased carbon burial.

Possible causes of data model discrepancy in the temperature history of the last Millennium.

PubMed

Neukom, Raphael; Schurer, Andrew P; Steiger, Nathan J; Hegerl, Gabriele C

2018-05-15

Model simulations and proxy-based reconstructions are the main tools for quantifying pre-instrumental climate variations. For some metrics such as Northern Hemisphere mean temperatures, there is remarkable agreement between models and reconstructions. For other diagnostics, such as the regional response to volcanic eruptions, or hemispheric temperature differences, substantial disagreements between data and models have been reported. Here, we assess the potential sources of these discrepancies by comparing 1000-year hemispheric temperature reconstructions based on real-world paleoclimate proxies with climate-model-based pseudoproxies. These pseudoproxy experiments (PPE) indicate that noise inherent in proxy records and the unequal spatial distribution of proxy data are the key factors in explaining the data-model differences. For example, lower inter-hemispheric correlations in reconstructions can be fully accounted for by these factors in the PPE. Noise and data sampling also partly explain the reduced amplitude of the response to external forcing in reconstructions compared to models. For other metrics, such as inter-hemispheric differences, some, although reduced, discrepancy remains. Our results suggest that improving proxy data quality and spatial coverage is the key factor to increase the quality of future climate reconstructions, while the total number of proxy records and reconstruction methodology play a smaller role.

Preliminary Evaluation of Air Quality Model Performance Utilizing Measurements at the University of Houston Moody Tower and others during the TexAQS-II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byun, D. W.; Rappenglueck, B.; Lefer, B.

2007-12-01

Accurate meteorological and photochemical modeling efforts are necessary to understand the measurements made during the Texas Air Quality Study (TexAQS-II). The main objective of the study is to understand the meteorological and chemical processes of high ozone and regional haze events in the Eastern Texas, including the Houston-Galveston metropolitan area. Real-time and retrospective meteorological and photochemical model simulations were performed to study key physical and chemical processes in the Houston Galveston Area. In particular, the Vertical Mixing Experiment (VME) at the University of Houston campus was performed on selected days during the TexAQS-II. Results of the MM5 meteorological model and CMAQ air quality model simulations were compared with the VME and other TexAQS-II measurements to understand the interaction of the boundary layer dynamics and photochemical evolution affecting Houston air quality.

Overview of the Benzene and Other Toxics Exposure (BEE-TEX) Field Study.

PubMed

Olaguer, Eduardo P

2015-01-01

The Benzene and other Toxics Exposure (BEE-TEX) field study was an experimental campaign designed to demonstrate novel methods for measuring ambient concentrations of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in real time and to attribute these concentrations to quantified releases from specific emission points in industrial facilities while operating outside facility fence lines. BEE-TEX was conducted in February 2015 at three neighboring communities in the Houston Ship Channel of Texas, where a large number of petrochemical facilities are concentrated. The novel technologies deployed during BEE-TEX included: (1) tomographic remote sensing based on differential optical absorption spectroscopy; (2) real-time broadcasting of ambient air monitoring data over the World Wide Web; (3) real-time source attribution and quantification of HAP emissions based on either tomographic or mobile measurement platforms; and (4) the use of cultured human lung cells in vitro as portable indicators of HAP exposure.

Overview of the Benzene and Other Toxics Exposure (BEE-TEX) Field Study

PubMed Central

Olaguer, Eduardo P.

2015-01-01

The Benzene and other Toxics Exposure (BEE-TEX) field study was an experimental campaign designed to demonstrate novel methods for measuring ambient concentrations of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) in real time and to attribute these concentrations to quantified releases from specific emission points in industrial facilities while operating outside facility fence lines. BEE-TEX was conducted in February 2015 at three neighboring communities in the Houston Ship Channel of Texas, where a large number of petrochemical facilities are concentrated. The novel technologies deployed during BEE-TEX included: (1) tomographic remote sensing based on differential optical absorption spectroscopy; (2) real-time broadcasting of ambient air monitoring data over the World Wide Web; (3) real-time source attribution and quantification of HAP emissions based on either tomographic or mobile measurement platforms; and (4) the use of cultured human lung cells in vitro as portable indicators of HAP exposure. PMID:26549972

19 CFR 122.24 - Landing requirements for certain aircraft arriving from areas south of U.S.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

.... Houston, Tex William P. Hobby Airport. Key West, Fla Key West International Airport. Laredo, Tex Laredo.... West Palm Beach, Fla Palm Beach International Airport. Wilmington, NC New Hanover County Airport Yuma...

19 CFR 122.24 - Landing requirements for certain aircraft arriving from areas south of U.S.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

.... Houston, Tex William P. Hobby Airport. Key West, Fla Key West International Airport. Laredo, Tex Laredo.... West Palm Beach, Fla Palm Beach International Airport. Wilmington, NC New Hanover County Airport Yuma...

19 CFR 122.24 - Landing requirements for certain aircraft arriving from areas south of U.S.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

.... Houston, Tex William P. Hobby Airport. Key West, Fla Key West International Airport. Laredo, Tex Laredo.... West Palm Beach, Fla Palm Beach International Airport. Wilmington, NC New Hanover County Airport Yuma...

19 CFR 122.24 - Landing requirements for certain aircraft arriving from areas south of U.S.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

.... Houston, Tex William P. Hobby Airport. Key West, Fla Key West International Airport. Laredo, Tex Laredo.... West Palm Beach, Fla Palm Beach International Airport. Wilmington, NC New Hanover County Airport Yuma...

Measurements of hadronic B decays to excited-charm mesons, observation of a new charm resonance and construction of a silicon vertex detector for CLEO II.V

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Timothy Knight

We describe measurements of the branching ratios B(B --->D*+p- p-total) =(29.2+/-4.5+/-3.8+/-3.1) ×10-4 B(B- --> D*+p- p -non- res)=( 9.7+/-3.6+/-1.5+/-1.9)× 10- 4 B(B---> D1(2420) 0p-) B(D1( 2420)0--> D*+p- )= (6.9+1.8-1.4 +/-1.1+/-0.4)× 10-4 B(B---> D01( j= / )p- ) B(D01 (j= /) -->D* +p-) = ( 10.6+/-1.9+/-1.7+/-2.3)× 10-4 B(B---> D*2( 2460)0p- )B(D *2( 2460)0--> D*+p- )= (3.1+/- 0.84+/-0.46+/-0.28)×10 -4, using data collected by the CLEO II detector. These measurements provide the first observation of the D01(j=/) with a mass and width of 2.461+0.053- 0.049GeV and 290+110 - 91MeV respectively. The mixing angles between the partial waves and strong phase shifts among the resonances are also measured assuming one possible parameterization of the amplitude. A method allowing full reconstruction of the signal without reconstruction of the D meson in the final state is used. The measurements are extracted using an four-dimensional, unbinned, maximum- likelihood fit to the distributions of the D*+p- mass and the decay angles. The primary element of the CLEO II.V upgrade was the installation of a three-layer Silicon Vertexing Detector. The design and construction of this detector are described in detail.

A prospective study on the effectiveness of cotton versus waterproof cast padding in maintaining the reduction of pediatric distal forearm fractures.

PubMed

Robert, Christopher E; Jiang, Jimmy J; Khoury, Joseph G

2011-03-01

Distal forearm fractures, one of the most common fractures seen in the pediatric population, are regularly treated by closed reduction and casting. Our study investigates the effectiveness of Gore-Tex-lined casting in maintaining the reduction of 100% displaced distal forearm fractures compared with traditional cotton-lined casts. We screened all patients from February 2007 to July 2009 who presented to Children's Hospital in Birmingham, AL with a distal radius fracture. Only patients with 100% displaced distal radius fractures were eligible to be assigned to either the cotton-lined or Gore-Tex-lined cast groups. Power analysis was performed to identify an adequate patient sample size. The mean maximum change between initial post-reduction x-rays and follow-up x-rays for anterior-posterior (AP) angulation, AP displacement, lateral angulation, and lateral displacement of the radius were calculated for both cotton and Gore-Tex groups. The rate of subsequent intervention and/or unacceptable results for each group was also analyzed. Seven hundred and twenty-two patients were treated with distal radius fractures at our hospital with 59 patients eligible for inclusion in our study. Thirty-six of our patients were treated with cotton-lined casts, and 23 patients were treated with Gore-Tex-lined cast. The mean maximum change in AP angulation, AP displacement, lateral angulation, and lateral displacement of the radius after initial reduction was 9.2 degrees, 6.9%, 13.9 degrees, and 13.6%, respectively, for the cotton-lined cast group and 7.7 degrees, 6.1%, 14.6 degrees, and 9.6%, respectively, for the Gore-Tex-lined cast group. There were no statistical differences between the means of the 4 measurements (P=0.33, 0.69, 0.73, and 0.10, respectively). There were also no significant differences between groups for final AP and lateral angulation and displacement. Subgroup analysis showed no significant differences in all measurements between cotton and Gore-Tex groups. Gore-Tex and cotton-lined casts are equally effective in their ability to maintain the reduction of 100% displaced distal forearm fractures. Thus, Gore-Tex-lined casts can be offered to pediatric patients immediately after closed reduction of distal radius fractures of any severity. Therapeutic level II.

Production and Engineering Methods for CARB-TEX (Trade Name) Batteries in Fork Lift Trucks

DTIC Science & Technology

1974-12-01

Temperature Batteries Tellurium Tetra Chloride Battery Pilot Line TO ABSTRACT (Contfinue on reverse side !I mvc.esy mid Identify by block number) This...chloride -1- as the electrolyte, and a tellurium tetrachloride additive. The porous carbon cathode is an aggregation of active carbon particles which have...energy storage using the Helmholtz double-layer princi- ple. However, after treating the carbon with the tellurium tetrachloride additve, the carbon

Was the Little Ice Age more or less El Niño-like than the Mediaeval Climate Anomaly? Evidence from hydrological and temperature proxy data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henke, L. M. K.; Lambert, F. H.; Charman, D. J.

2015-11-01

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), an ocean-atmosphere coupled oscillation over the equatorial Pacific, is the most important source of global climate variability on inter-annual time scales. It has substantial environmental and socio-economic consequences such as devastation of South American fish populations and increased forest fires in Indonesia. The instrumental ENSO record is too short for analysing long-term trends and variability, hence proxy data is used to extend the record. However, different proxy sources have produced varying reconstructions of ENSO, with some evidence for a temperature-precipitation divergence in ENSO trends over the past millennium, in particular during the Mediaeval Climate Anomaly (MCA; AD 800-1300) and the Little Ice Age (LIA; AD 1400-1850). This throws into question the stability of the modern ENSO system and its links to the global climate, which has implications for future projections. Here we use a new statistical approach using EOF-based weighting to create two new large-scale ENSO reconstructions derived independently from precipitation proxies and temperature proxies respectively. The method is developed and validated using pseudoproxy experiments that address the effects of proxy dating error, resolution and noise to improve uncertainty estimations. The precipitation ENSO reconstruction displays a significantly more El Niño-like state during the LIA than the MCA, while the temperature reconstruction shows no significant difference. The trends shown in the precipitation ENSO reconstruction are relatively robust to variations in the precipitation EOF pattern. However, the temperature reconstruction suffers significantly from a lack of high-quality, favourably located proxy records, which limits its ability to capture the large-scale ENSO signal. Further expansion of the palaeo-database and improvements to instrumental, satellite and model representations of ENSO are needed to fully resolve the discrepancies found among proxy records.

Intrareef variations in Li/Mg and Sr/Ca sea surface temperature proxies in the Caribbean reef-building coral Siderastrea siderea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fowell, Sara E.; Sandford, Kate; Stewart, Joseph A.; Castillo, Karl D.; Ries, Justin B.; Foster, Gavin L.

2016-10-01

Caribbean sea surface temperatures (SSTs) have increased at a rate of 0.2°C per decade since 1971, a rate double that of the mean global change. Recent investigations of the coral Siderastrea siderea on the Belize Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS) have demonstrated that warming over the last 30 years has had a detrimental impact on calcification. Instrumental temperature records in this region are sparse, making it necessary to reconstruct longer SST records indirectly through geochemical temperature proxies. Here we investigate the skeletal Sr/Ca and Li/Mg ratios of S. siderea from two distinct reef zones (forereef and backreef) of the MBRS. Our field calibrations of S. siderea show that Li/Mg and Sr/Ca ratios are well correlated with temperature, although both ratios are 3 times more sensitive to temperature change in the forereef than in the backreef. These differences suggest that a secondary parameter also influences these SST proxies, highlighting the importance for site- and species-specific SST calibrations. Application of these paleothermometers to downcore samples reveals highly uncertain reconstructed temperatures in backreef coral, but well-matched reconstructed temperatures in forereef coral, both between Sr/Ca-SSTs and Li/Mg-SSTs, and in comparison to the Hadley Centre Sea Ice and Sea Surface Temperature record. Reconstructions generated from a combined Sr/Ca and Li/Mg multiproxy calibration improve the precision of these SST reconstructions. This result confirms that there are circumstances in which both Li/Mg and Sr/Ca are reliable as stand-alone and combined proxies of sea surface temperature. However, the results also highlight that high-precision, site-specific calibrations remain critical for reconstructing accurate SSTs from coral-based elemental proxies.

Expression Analysis of Stress-Related Genes in Kernels of Different Maize (Zea mays L.) Inbred Lines with Different Resistance to Aflatoxin Contamination

PubMed Central

Jiang, Tingbo; Zhou, Boru; Luo, Meng; Abbas, Hamed K.; Kemerait, Robert; Lee, Robert Dewey; Scully, Brian T.; Guo, Baozhu

2011-01-01

This research examined the expression patterns of 94 stress-related genes in seven maize inbred lines with differential expressions of resistance to aflatoxin contamination. The objective was to develop a set of genes/probes associated with resistance to A. flavus and/or aflatoxin contamination. Ninety four genes were selected from previous gene expression studies with abiotic stress to test the differential expression in maize lines, A638, B73, Lo964, Lo1016, Mo17, Mp313E, and Tex6, using real-time RT-PCR. Based on the relative-expression levels, the seven maize inbred lines clustered into two different groups. One group included B73, Lo1016 and Mo17, which had higher levels of aflatoxin contamination and lower levels of overall gene expression. The second group which included Tex6, Mp313E, Lo964 and A638 had lower levels of aflatoxin contamination and higher overall levels of gene expressions. A total of six “cross-talking” genes were identified between the two groups, which are highly expressed in the resistant Group 2 but down-regulated in susceptible Group 1. When further subjected to drought stress, Tex6 expressed more genes up-regulated and B73 has fewer genes up-regulated. The transcript patterns and interactions measured in these experiments indicate that the resistant mechanism is an interconnected process involving many gene products and transcriptional regulators, as well as various host interactions with environmental factors, particularly, drought and high temperature. PMID:22069724

Gulf Stream Temperature, Salinity and Transport During the Last Millennium

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-02-01

their relationship to 9 one another and to proxies of solar variability. Chapter 3 addresses the temperature and salinity components of the...Florida Current 618Oc varied coherently with proxies of atmospheric radiocarbon at low frequencies over 10 the last 5,000 years, suggesting a link...cooling that began around 1000 A.D. models and proxies used. This two-stage character of the LIA is not apparent in the Florida margin cores. 6.4

7 CFR 351.7 - Regulations governing importation by mail of plant material for immediate export.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., Brownsville, Tex., Hoboken, N.J., Honolulu, Hawaii, Jamaica, L.I., N.Y., Laredo, Tex., Miami, Fla., New Orleans, La., San Francisco, Calif., San Juan, P.R., San Pedro, Calif., or Seattle, Wash., as may be...

Benthic Foraminifera Clumped Isotope Calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piasecki, A.; Marchitto, T. M., Jr.; Bernasconi, S. M.; Grauel, A. L.; Tisserand, A. A.; Meckler, N.

2017-12-01

Due to the widespread spatial and temporal distribution of benthic foraminifera within ocean sediments, they are a commonly used for reconstructing past ocean temperatures and environmental conditions. Many foraminifera-based proxies, however, require calibration schemes that are species specific, which becomes complicated in deep time due to extinct species. Furthermore, calibrations often depend on seawater chemistry being stable and/or constrained, which is not always the case over significant climate state changes like the Eocene Oligocene Transition. Here we study the effect of varying benthic foraminifera species using the clumped isotope proxy for temperature. The benefit of this proxy is that it is independent of seawater chemistry, whereas the downside is that it requires a relatively large sample amounts. Due to recent advancements in sample processing that reduce the sample weight by a factor of 10, clumped isotopes can now be applied to a range paleoceanographic questions. First however, we need to prove that, unlike for other proxies, there are no interspecies differences with clumped isotopes, as is predicted by first principles modeling. We used a range of surface sediment samples covering a temperature range of 1-20°C from the Pacific, Mediterranean, Bahamas, and the Atlantic, and measured the clumped isotope composition of 11 different species of benthic foraminifera. We find that there are indeed no discernible species-specific differences within the sample set. In addition, the samples have the same temperature response to the proxy as inorganic carbonate samples over the same temperature range. As a result, we can now apply this proxy to a wide range of samples and foraminifera species from different ocean basins with different ocean chemistry and be confident that observed signals reflect variations in temperature.

Thienopyrazine-based low-bandgap polymers for flexible polymer solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sensfuss, S.; Blankenburg, L.; Schache, H.; Shokhovets, S.; Erb, T.; Konkin, A.; Herasimovich, A.; Scheinert, S.; Shahid, M.; Sell, S.; Klemm, E.

2010-09-01

The optical gaps of the low-bandgap PPVs (PM-20, PM-19, PM-18) are decreased down to 1.6-1.7 eV compared with that of MDMO-PPV (2.2 eV). The best lateral hole mobility was determined to be 2.1 × 10-3 cm2/V s (PM-18) in field effect transistors and exceeds that of MDMO-PPV (poly-[ 2-methoxy-5-(3'^'.7'^'-dimethyloctyloxy)-1.4-phenylenevinylene], 8.5 × 10-4 cm2/V s). This allows to reduce the PCBM ([6.6]-phenyl-C61(71)-butanoic acid methyl ester) content in solar cell devices down to 1:2 w/w giving a better η_AM1.5 than for MDMO-PPV:[60]-PCBM cells (PM-19:[60]-PCBM 2.32% on ITO-PET, 2.86% on ITO glass). The charge transfer to PCBM as acceptor occurs quite normally and shows an effective charge separation using light-induced spin resonance spectroscopy (LESR). The [70]-PCBM-bullet signals are shifted to lower field related to those of [60]-PCBM-bullet and overlap more with the polaron signal of PM-19. The LESR g-factor components of [70]-PCBM-bullet are reported for the first time. The external quantum efficiency peak values achieve up to 42% at 350-400 nm and 26% at 640 nm (PM-19:[60]-PCBM).

Photodynamic therapy trials with lutetium texaphyrin (Lu-Tex) in patients with locally recurrent breast cancer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Renschler, Markus F.; Yuen, Alan R.; Panella, Timothy J.; Wieman, Thomas J.; Dougherty, Shona; Esserman, Laura; Panjehpour, Masoud; Taber, Scott W.; Fingar, Victor H.; Lowe, Elizabeth; Engel, Julie S.; Lum, Bert; Woodburn, Kathryn W.; Cheong, Wai-Fung; Miller, Richard A.

1998-05-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) of locally recurrent breast cancer has been limited to treatment of small lesions because of non- selective necrosis of adjacent normal tissues in the treatment field. Lutetium Texaphyrin (PCI-0123, Lu-Tex) is a photosensitizer with improved tumor localization that is activated by 732 nm light, which can penetrate through larger tumors. We have evaluated Lu-Tex in a Phase I trial and in an ongoing Phase II trial in women with locally recurrent breast cancer with large tumors who have failed radiation therapy. Patients received Lu-Tex intravenously by rapid infusion 3 hours before illumination of cutaneous or subcutaneous lesions. In Phase I, Lu-Tex doses were escalated from 0.6 to 7.2 mg/kg in 7 cohorts. Sixteen patients with locally recurrent breast cancer lesions were treated. Dose limiting toxicities above 5.5 mg/kg were pain in the treatment field during therapy, and dysesthesias in light exposed areas. No necrosis of normal tissues in the treated field was noticed. Responses were observed in 60% of evaluable patients [n equals 15, 27% complete remission (CR), 33% partial remission (PR)], with 63% of lesions responding (n equals 73: 45% CR, 18% PR). In Phase II, 25 patients have been studied to date, receiving two treatments ranging from 1.0 to 3.0 mg/kg at a 21 day interval. Treatment fields up to 480 cm2 in size were treated successfully and activity has been observed. Patients have experienced pain at the treatment site but no tissue necrosis. These studies demonstrate the feasibility of Lu-Tex PDT to large chest wall areas in women who have failed radiation therapy for the treatment of locally recurrent breast cancer. Treatment conditions are currently being optimized in the ongoing Phase II trials.

Simulation of the effects of different inflows on hydrologic conditions in Lake Houston with a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model, Houston, Texas, 2009–10

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rendon, Samuel H.; Lee, Michael T.

2015-12-08

Lake Houston, an important water resource for the Houston, Texas, area, receives inflows from seven major tributaries that compose the San Jacinto River Basin upstream from the reservoir. The effects of different inflows from the watersheds drained by these tributaries on the residence time of water in Lake Houston and closely associated physical and chemical properties including lake elevation, salinity, and water temperature are not well known. Accordingly, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the City of Houston, developed a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of Lake Houston as a tool for evaluating the effects of different inflows on residence time of water in the lake and associated physical and chemical properties. The Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC), a grid-based, surface-water modeling package for simulating three-dimensional circulation, mass transport, sediments, and biogeochemical processes, was used to develop the model of Lake Houston. The Lake Houston EFDC model was developed and calibrated by using 2009 data and verified by using 2010 data. Three statistics (mean error, root mean square error, and the Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient) were used to evaluate how well the Lake Houston EFDC model simulated lake elevation, salinity, and water temperature. The residence time of water in reservoirs is associated with various physical and chemical properties (including lake elevation, salinity, and water temperature). Simulated and measured lake-elevation values were compared at USGS reservoir station 08072000 Lake Houston near Sheldon, Tex. The accuracy of simulated salinity and water temperature values was assessed by using the salinity (computed from measured specific conductance) and water temperature at two USGS monitoring stations: 295826095082200 Lake Houston south Union Pacific Railroad Bridge near Houston, Tex., and 295554095093401 Lake Houston at mouth of Jack’s Ditch near Houston, Tex. Specific conductance and water temperature were measured at as many as four different depths at each of the two monitoring stations during 2009 and then used for assessing the accuracy of simulated values of salinity and water temperature during 2010. The performance evaluation statistics indicate that the model performed satisfactorily. The calibrated model was used to simulate two possible inflow scenarios to evaluate the changes in the residence time of water in Lake Houston. The two scenarios tested were an increased inflow of approximately 300 cubic feet per second for 1 month (May 2010) from two watersheds: the West Fork San Jacinto River and Luce Bayou. These scenarios were chosen to mimic the effects of possible small releases or diversions of water from outside the San Jacinto River Basin into the basin (or directly into the lake) on the residence time of water in Lake Houston. During the time of increased inflow for the two scenarios tested, maximum residence time decreased slightly from approximately 106 to 97 days.

Examining Mathematics Teacher Content Knowledge: Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Esprivalo Harrell, Pamela; Eddy, Colleen McLean

2012-01-01

This study examines mathematics teacher content knowledge in terms of state and national policymaker recommendations, college coursework and the Mathematics Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES) score. Results indicate differences between state and national policy recommendations and college degrees in mathematics. A statistically…

IER-297 CED-2: Final Design for Thermal/Epithermal eXperiments with Jemima Plates with Polyethylene and Hafnium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, A. J.; Percher, C. M.; Zywiec, W. J.

This report presents the final design (CED-2) for IER-297, and focuses on 15 critical configurations using highly enriched uranium (HEU) Jemima plates moderated by polyethylene with and without hafnium diluent. The goal of the U.S. Nuclear Criticality Safety Program’s Thermal/Epithermal eXperiments (TEX) is to design and conduct new critical experiments to address high priority nuclear data needs from the nuclear criticality safety and nuclear data communities, with special emphasis on intermediate energy (0.625 eV – 100 keV) assemblies that can be easily modified to include various high priority diluent materials. The TEX (IER 184) CED-1 Report [1], completed in 2012,more » demonstrated the feasibility of meeting the TEX goals with two existing NCSP fissile assets, plutonium Zero Power Physics Reactor (ZPPR) plates and highly enriched uranium (HEU) Jemima plates. The first set of TEX experiments will focus on using the plutonium ZPPR plates with polyethylene moderator and tantalum diluents.« less

Spring temperature responses of oaks are synchronous with North Atlantic conditions during the last deglaciation

Treesearch

Steven L. Voelker; Paul-Emile Noirot-Cosson; Michael C. Stambaugh; Erin R. McMurry; Frederick C. Meinzer; Barbara Lachenburch; Richard P. Guyette

2012-01-01

Paleoclimate proxies based on the measurement of xylem cell anatomy have rarely been developed across the temperature range of a species or applied to wood predating the most recent millennium. Here we describe wood anatomy-based proxies for spring temperatures in central North America from modern bur oaks (Quercus macrocarpa Michx.). The strong...

Application of LA-MC-ICP-MS for analysis of Sr isotope ratios in speleothems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Michael; Scholz, Denis; Wassenburg, Jasper A.; Jochum, Klaus Peter; Breitenbach, Sebastian

2017-04-01

Speleothems are well established climate archives. In order to reconstruct past climate variability, several geochemical proxies, such as δ13C and δ18O as well as trace elements are available. Since several factors influence each individual proxy, robust interpretation is often hampered. This calls for multi-proxy approaches involving additional isotope systems that can help to delineate the role of different sources of water within the epikarst and changes in soil composition. Sr isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr) have been shown to provide useful information about water residence time and water mixing in the host rock. Furthermore, Sr isotopes are not fractionated during calcite precipitation, implying that the 87Sr/86Sr ratio of the speleothem provides a direct record of the drip water. While most speleothem studies applying Sr isotopes used the TIMS methodology, LA-MC-ICP-MS has been utilized for several other archives, such as otoliths and teeth. This method provides the advantage of faster data acquisition, higher spatial resolution, larger sample throughput and the absence of chemical treatment prior to analysis. Here we present the first LA-MC-ICP-MS Sr isotope data for speleothems. The analytical uncertainty of our LA-MC-ICP-MS Sr data is in a similar range as for other carbonate materials. The results of different ablation techniques (i.e. line scan and spots) are reproducible within error, implying that the application of this technique on speleothems is possible. In addition, several comparative measurements of different carbonate reference materials (i.e. MACS-3, JCt-1, JCp-1), such as tests with standard bracketing and comparison of the 87Sr/86Sr ratios with nanosecond laser ablation system and a state-of-the-art femtosecond laser ablation system, show the robustness of the method. We applied the method to samples from Morocco (Grotte de Piste) and India (Mawmluh Cave). Our results show only very small changes in the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of both speleothems. However, one speleothem from Mawmluh Cave shows a slight increase of 87Sr/86Sr within the error, which is reproducible with line scans and spots.

Improving lab compaction specifications for flexible bases within the Texas DOT.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-04-01

In Test Methods Tex-113-E and Tex-114-E, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) employs an impact hammer method of sample compaction for laboratory preparation of road base and subgrade materials for testing. In this third and final report do...

Recent Seismicity in Texas and Research Design and Progress of the TexNet-CISR Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hennings, P.; Savvaidis, A.; Rathje, E.; Olson, J. E.; DeShon, H. R.; Datta-Gupta, A.; Eichhubl, P.; Nicot, J. P.; Kahlor, L. A.

2017-12-01

The recent increase in the rate of seismicity in Texas has prompted the establishment of an interdisciplinary, interinstitutional collaboration led by the Texas Bureau of Economic Geology which includes the TexNet Seismic Monitoring and Research project as funded by The State of Texas (roughly 2/3rds of our funding) and the industry-funded Center for Integrated Seismicity Research (CISR) (1/3 of funding). TexNet is monitoring and cataloging seismicity across Texas using a new backbone seismic network, investigating site-specific earthquake sequences by deploying temporary seismic monitoring stations, and conducting reservoir modeling studies. CISR expands TexNet research into the interdisciplinary realm to more thoroughly study the factors that contribute to seismicity, characterize the associated hazard and risk, develop strategies for mitigation and management, and develop methods of effective communication for all stakeholders. The TexNet-CISR research portfolio has 6 themes: seismicity monitoring, seismology, geologic and hydrologic description, geomechanics and reservoir modeling, seismic hazard and risk assessment, and seismic risk social science. Twenty+ specific research projects span and connect these themes. We will provide a synopsis of research progress including recent seismicity trends in Texas; Fort Worth Basin integrated studies including geological modeling and fault characterization, fluid injection data syntheses, and reservoir and geomechanical modeling; regional ground shaking characterization and mapping, infrastructure vulnerability assessment; and social science topics of public perception and information seeking behavior.

Proxy-to-proxy calibration: Increasing the temporal resolution of quantitative climate reconstructions

PubMed Central

von Gunten, Lucien; D'Andrea, William J.; Bradley, Raymond S.; Huang, Yongsong

2012-01-01

High-resolution paleoclimate reconstructions are often restricted by the difficulties of sampling geologic archives in great detail and the analytical costs of processing large numbers of samples. Using sediments from Lake Braya Sø, Greenland, we introduce a new method that provides a quantitative high-resolution paleoclimate record by combining measurements of the alkenone unsaturation index () with non-destructive scanning reflectance spectroscopic measurements in the visible range (VIS-RS). The proxy-to-proxy (PTP) method exploits two distinct calibrations: the in situ calibration of to lake water temperature and the calibration of scanning VIS-RS data to down core data. Using this approach, we produced a quantitative temperature record that is longer and has 5 times higher sampling resolution than the original time series, thereby allowing detection of temperature variability in frequency bands characteristic of the AMO over the past 7,000 years. PMID:22934132

76 FR 22747 - RailAmerica, Inc., Palm Beach Holdings, Inc., RailAmerica Transportation Corp., RailTex, Inc...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-22

...., Palm Beach Holdings, Inc., RailAmerica Transportation Corp., RailTex, Inc., Fortress Investment Group, LLC, and RR Acquisition Holding, LLC--Continuance in Control Exemption-- Conecuh Valley Railway, LLC...), Fortress Investment Group, LLC (Fortress), and RR Acquisition Holding, LLC (RR Acquisition) (collectively...

7 CFR 351.3 - Procedure on arrival.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... from further plant quarantine examination and endorse his decision thereon; or (b) Divert it to the Plant Quarantine Station at Washington, DC, Brownsville, Tex., Hoboken, N.J., Honolulu, Hawaii, Jamaica, L.I., N.Y., Laredo, Tex., Miami, Fla., New Orleans, La., San Francisco, Calif., San Juan, P.R., San...

76 FR 2446 - City of Temple, Tex.-Acquisition Exemption-Georgetown Railroad Company

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-13

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Surface Transportation Board [Docket No. FD 35446] City of Temple...: Notice instituting proceeding; request for comments. SUMMARY: On December 15, 2010, the City of Temple... Exemption--City of Temple, Tex., FD 35447 (STB served Dec. 10, 2010). The Board seeks comments from...

Construction of improved temperature-sensitive and mobilizable vectors and their use for constructing mutations in the adhesin-encoding acm gene of poorly transformable clinical Enterococcus faecium strains.

PubMed

Nallapareddy, Sreedhar R; Singh, Kavindra V; Murray, Barbara E

2006-01-01

Inactivation by allelic exchange in clinical isolates of the emerging nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecium has been hindered by lack of efficient tools, and, in this study, transformation of clinical isolates was found to be particularly problematic. For this reason, a vector for allelic replacement (pTEX5500ts) was constructed that includes (i) the pWV01-based gram-positive repAts replication region, which is known to confer a high degree of temperature intolerance, (ii) Escherichia coli oriR from pUC18, (iii) two extended multiple-cloning sites located upstream and downstream of one of the marker genes for efficient cloning of flanking regions for double-crossover mutagenesis, (iv) transcriptional terminator sites to terminate undesired readthrough, and (v) a synthetic extended promoter region containing the cat gene for allelic exchange and a high-level gentamicin resistance gene, aph(2'')-Id, to distinguish double-crossover recombination, both of which are functional in gram-positive and gram-negative backgrounds. To demonstrate the functionality of this vector, the vector was used to construct an acm (encoding an adhesin to collagen from E. faecium) deletion mutant of a poorly transformable multidrug-resistant E. faecium endocarditis isolate, TX0082. The acm-deleted strain, TX6051 (TX0082Deltaacm), was shown to lack Acm on its surface, which resulted in the abolishment of the collagen adherence phenotype observed in TX0082. A mobilizable derivative (pTEX5501ts) that contains oriT of Tn916 to facilitate conjugative transfer from the transformable E. faecalis strain JH2Sm::Tn916 to E. faecium was also constructed. Using this vector, the acm gene of a nonelectroporable E. faecium wound isolate was successfully interrupted. Thus, pTEX5500ts and its mobilizable derivative demonstrated their roles as important tools by helping to create the first reported allelic replacement in E. faecium; the constructed this acm deletion mutant will be useful for assessing the role of acm in E. faecium pathogenesis using animal models.

Evaluation of clumped isotope paleotemperatures across carbon isotope excursions from lacustrine strata of the Aptian Xiagou Formation, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suarez, M. B.; Gonzalez, L. A.; Ludvigson, G. A.; You, H.

2014-12-01

Carbon cycle perturbations associated with Ocean Anoxic Event 1a have been implicated in global climate and environmental changes in the Early Aptian, in particular evidence for high sea surface temperatures (SST) and carbonate platform drowning. Records of environmental changes in the terrestrial realm remain sparse. This study provides additional data on clumped isotope derived temperatures (T(Δ47)) from lacustrine carbonates of the Xiagou Formation, Gansu Province, China. In addition, Vitrinite reflectance and the Rock-Eval parameter Tmax were used to evaluate the potential for 13C-18O bonds in the carbonates to have experienced reordering. Clumped isotope derived temperatures range from 28.8 °C to 45.9°C. Vitrinite reflectance values range from 0.67 to 0.72 and Tmax ranges from 429 °C to 443 °C. The warmest temperature, derived from a very fine-grained calcareous sandstone, is at the upper limit of known modern Earth surface temperatures, and prompts concern that the T(Δ47) may be shifted to warmer temperatures as a result of burial diagenesis. Vitrinite reflectance and Tmax values indicate the samples have reached early maturity for oil generation (oil window from 60 °C to 150°C), so may have reached the lower end of temperatures for bond reordering to have occurred (~100 °C for ~100 million years). Despite this, the T(Δ47) are consistent with summer temperatures in a warm Cretaceous. In addition, temperature variations are similar to TEX86 records, especially from SST of the tropical Pacific. Two temperature increases and decreases occur, with the first peak in temperature occurring at the negative carbon isotope excursion (C3) associated with the initiation of the Selli Event (OAE1a). This study provides evidence that climate variations occurring during the Selli Event were experienced in terrestrial environments, and provides maximum summer temperatures for this part of the Asian continent during the Cretaceous. While it was intended that thermal maturity parameters such as vitrinite reflectance and Tmax would help to rule out alteration due to burial diagenesis, the results are somewhat ambiguous. More rigorous data will be needed in future studies to screen clumped isotope samples for burial diagenesis.

Sensitivity of Pliocene Arctic climate to orbital forcing, atmospheric CO2 and sea ice albedo parameterisation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Howell, Fergus W.; Haywood, Alan M.; Dowsett, Harry J.; Pickering, Steven J.

2016-01-01

With varying CO2, orbit and sea ice albedo values we are able to reproduce proxy temperature records that lean towards modest levels of high latitude warming, but other proxy data showing greater warming remain beyond the reach of our model. This highlights the importance of additional proxy records at high latitudes and ongoing efforts to compare proxy signals between sites.

78 FR 25262 - TexStar Transmission, LP; TEAK Texana Transmission Company, LP; Notice of Filings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-30

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket Nos. PR13-16-002; PR13-17-002; Not Consolidated] TexStar Transmission, LP; TEAK Texana Transmission Company, LP; Notice of Filings Take notice that on April 23, 2013, the applicants listed above submitted an amendment to the December...

TEX-SIS FOLLOW-UP: Student Follow-up Management Information System. Activities Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tarrant County Junior Coll. District, Ft. Worth, TX.

Project FOLLOW-UP was conducted to develop, test, and validate a statewide management information system for follow-up of Texas public junior and community college students. This activities manual provides an overview of the resultant student information system (TEX-SIS) and its characteristics. Seven subsystems comprise SIS, each with its own…

Translanguaging, TexMex, and Bilingual Pedagogy: Emergent Bilinguals Learning through the Vernacular

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sayer, Peter

2013-01-01

This article presents an ethnographic study of how bilingual teachers and children use their home language, TexMex, to mediate academic content and standard languages. From the premise that TESOL educators can benefit from a fuller understanding of students' linguistic repertoires, the study describes language practices in a second-grade classroom…

Fatigue behaviour of core-spun yarns containing filament by means of cyclic dynamic loading

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esin, S.; Osman, B.

2017-10-01

The behaviour of yarns under dynamic loading is important that leads to understand the growth characteristics which is exposed to repetitive loadings during usage of fabric made from these yarns. Fabric growth is undesirable property that originated from low resilience characteristics of fabric. In this study, the effects of the filament fineness and yarn linear density on fatigue behaviour of rigid-core spun yarns were determined. Cotton covered yarns containing different filament fineness of polyester (PET) draw textured yarns (DTY) (100d/36f, 100d/96f, 100d/144f, 100d/192f and 100d/333f) and yarn linear densities (37 tex, 30 tex, 25 tex and 21 tex) were manufactured by using a modified ring spinning system at the same spinning parameters. Repetitive loads were applied for 25 cycles at levels between 0.1 and 3 N. Dynamic modulus and dynamic strain of yarn samples were analyzed statistically. Results showed that filament fineness and yarn linear density have significance effect on dynamic modulus and dynamic strain after cyclic loading.

Investigation of land subsidence in the Houston-Galveston region of Texas by using the Global Positioning System and interferometric synthetic aperture radar, 1993-2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bawden, Gerald W.; Johnson, Michaela R.; Kasmarek, Mark C.; Brandt, Justin; Middleton, Clifton S.

2012-01-01

The interferograms show that the area of historical subsidence in downtown Houston along the Houston Ship Channel has stabilized and that recent subsidence occurs farther west and north of Galveston Bay. Three areas of recent subsidence were delineated along a broad arcuate (bowshaped) feature from Spring, Tex., southwest to Cypress, Tex., and south to Sugar Land, Tex., with subsidence rates ranging from 15 millimeters per year (mm/yr) to greater than 60 mm/yr. Multiyear interferograms near Seabrook, Tex., within the historical subsidence area and nearby Galveston Bay, show several fringes of subsidence (approximately 85 millimeters from January 1996 to December 1997) in the area; however it is difficult to determine the subsidence magnitude near Seabrook because many of the InSAR fringes were truncated or ill-defined. Horizontal and vertical GPS data throughout the area support the InSAR measured subsidence rates and extent. The subsidence rates for a few GPS stations northwest of Houston began to decrease in 2007, which may indicate that subsidence may be decreasing in these areas.

Perceptions of successful cues to action and opportunities to augment behavioral triggers in diabetes self-management: qualitative analysis of a mobile intervention for low-income Latinos with diabetes.

PubMed

Burner, Elizabeth R; Menchine, Michael D; Kubicek, Katrina; Robles, Marisela; Arora, Sanjay

2014-01-29

The increasing prevalence of diabetes and the associated cost of managing this complicated disease have a significant impact on public health outcomes and health expenditures, especially among resource-poor Latino patients. Mobile health (mHealth) may be the solution to reaching this group and improving their health. In this qualitative study, we examined nuances of motivation, intention, and triggers to action effected by TExT-MED (Trial to Examine Text Messaging for Emergency Department patient with Diabetes), an mHealth intervention tailored to low-income, urban Latinos with diabetes. TExT-MED is a fully-automated, text message-based program designed to increase knowledge, self-efficacy, and subsequent disease management and glycemic control. We conducted 5 focus group interviews with 24 people who participated in TExT-MED. We employed a modified grounded theory analytic approach-an iterative process of coding and immersion in the data used to recognize the patterns and links between concepts voiced by the participants. We coded data to identify themes of participant experiences, motivations, and responses to the program. We organized themes into a theory of TExT-MED's action. Participants enjoyed their experience with TExT-MED and believed it improved their diabetes management. Through analysis of the transcripts, we identified that the strengths of the program were messages that cued specific behaviors such as medication reminders and challenge messages. Our analysis also revealed that increasing personalization of message delivery and content could augment these cues. This in-depth qualitative analysis of TExT-MED shows that low-income Latino patients will accept text messages as a behavioral intervention. This mHealth intervention acts as a behavioral trigger rather than an education platform. Personalization is an opportunity to enhance these cues to action and further research should be conducted on the ideal forms of personalization.

Perceptions of Successful Cues to Action and Opportunities to Augment Behavioral Triggers in Diabetes Self-Management: Qualitative Analysis of a Mobile Intervention for Low-Income Latinos With Diabetes

PubMed Central

Menchine, Michael D; Kubicek, Katrina; Robles, Marisela; Arora, Sanjay

2014-01-01

Background The increasing prevalence of diabetes and the associated cost of managing this complicated disease have a significant impact on public health outcomes and health expenditures, especially among resource-poor Latino patients. Mobile health (mHealth) may be the solution to reaching this group and improving their health. Objective In this qualitative study, we examined nuances of motivation, intention, and triggers to action effected by TExT-MED (Trial to Examine Text Messaging for Emergency Department patient with Diabetes), an mHealth intervention tailored to low-income, urban Latinos with diabetes. TExT-MED is a fully-automated, text message-based program designed to increase knowledge, self-efficacy, and subsequent disease management and glycemic control. Methods We conducted 5 focus group interviews with 24 people who participated in TExT-MED. We employed a modified grounded theory analytic approach—an iterative process of coding and immersion in the data used to recognize the patterns and links between concepts voiced by the participants. We coded data to identify themes of participant experiences, motivations, and responses to the program. We organized themes into a theory of TExT-MED’s action. Results Participants enjoyed their experience with TExT-MED and believed it improved their diabetes management. Through analysis of the transcripts, we identified that the strengths of the program were messages that cued specific behaviors such as medication reminders and challenge messages. Our analysis also revealed that increasing personalization of message delivery and content could augment these cues. Conclusions This in-depth qualitative analysis of TExT-MED shows that low-income Latino patients will accept text messages as a behavioral intervention. This mHealth intervention acts as a behavioral trigger rather than an education platform. Personalization is an opportunity to enhance these cues to action and further research should be conducted on the ideal forms of personalization. PMID:24476784

Multiscale combination of climate model simulations and proxy records over the last millennium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xin; Xing, Pei; Luo, Yong; Nie, Suping; Zhao, Zongci; Huang, Jianbin; Tian, Qinhua

2018-05-01

To highlight the compatibility of climate model simulation and proxy reconstruction at different timescales, a timescale separation merging method combining proxy records and climate model simulations is presented. Annual mean surface temperature anomalies for the last millennium (851-2005 AD) at various scales over the land of the Northern Hemisphere were reconstructed with 2° × 2° spatial resolution, using an optimal interpolation (OI) algorithm. All target series were decomposed using an ensemble empirical mode decomposition method followed by power spectral analysis. Four typical components were obtained at inter-annual, decadal, multidecadal, and centennial timescales. A total of 323 temperature-sensitive proxy chronologies were incorporated after screening for each component. By scaling the proxy components using variance matching and applying a localized OI algorithm to all four components point by point, we obtained merged surface temperatures. Independent validation indicates that the most significant improvement was for components at the inter-annual scale, but this became less evident with increasing timescales. In mid-latitude land areas, 10-30% of grids were significantly corrected at the inter-annual scale. By assimilating the proxy records, the merged results reduced the gap in response to volcanic forcing between a pure reconstruction and simulation. Difficulty remained in verifying the centennial information and quantifying corresponding uncertainties, so additional effort should be devoted to this aspect in future research.

Environmental reconstructions of the upper 500 m of the southern Indian Ocean over the last 40 ka using Radiolarian (Protista) proxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rogers, John; De Deckker, Patrick

2011-04-01

In 2007, we demonstrated that radiolarians are proxies for a wide range of oceanic physico-chemical properties from the surface to depths of up to 500 m below sea level. In this study, our results are refined and Correspondence Analysis (CA) scores derived from census counts of radiolarian subfossils from southern Indian Ocean core-tops are correlated with the physico-chemical properties of the region obtained from the 2005 World Ocean Database. Calibration and regression techniques are employed to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental conditions spanning the last 40 ka for four Indian Ocean cores MD88-769 [46°04'S 90°06'E], MD88-770 [46°01'S 96°27'E], MD94-102 [43°30'S 79°50'E], and MD94-103 [45°35'S 86°31'E], all from close to the Southeast Indian Ridge. For the first time, reconstructions of temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and the silicate, nitrate, and phosphate concentrations for a range of water depths are proved possible. Changes of the oceanic environment and the movement of water masses over the last 40 ka, as suggested by these reconstructions, are discussed. During Marine Isotope Stages 2 and 3 (MIS-2 and MIS-3), the water column at some of the core sites has similar characteristics to the waters south of the Polar Front today. At the MIS-1/MIS-2 transition, the development of the Subantarctic Mode Water is apparent. Temperature reconstructions include evidence of the Antarctic Cold Reversal and the Holocene Optimum.

From Student Follow-Up Responses to a Statewide Supply/Demand Analysis of Educational Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Toni

The Texas Student Follow-up Information System (Tex-SIS) for comprehensive postsecondary follow-up and the supply/demand analysis work of the Texas 1202 Commission, Office of Postsecondary Education Planning, together may provide a valuable prototype for other states and perhaps even for a national system of data collection and analysis. Tex-SIS…

77 FR 74179 - TexStar Transmission, LP; TEAK Texana Transmission Company, LP; Notice of Baseline Filings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-13

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PR13-16-000; Docket No. PR13-17-000; Not Consolidated] TexStar Transmission, LP; TEAK Texana Transmission Company, LP; Notice of Baseline Filings Take notice that on December 6, 2012, the applicants listed above submitted a baseline...

78 FR 22872 - TexStar Transmission, LP; TEAK Texana Transmission Company, LP; Notice of Filings

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-17

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. PR13-16-001; Docket No. PR13-17-001; Not Consolidated] TexStar Transmission, LP; TEAK Texana Transmission Company, LP; Notice of Filings Take notice that on April 5, 2013, the applicants listed above submitted an amendment to the...

TEX-SIS FOLLOW-UP: Student Follow-up Management Information System. Procedures Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tarrant County Junior Coll. District, Ft. Worth, TX.

Project FOLLOW-UP was conducted to develop, test, and validate a statewide management information system for follow-up of Texas public junior and community college students. The results of this project was a student information system (TEX-SIS) consisting of seven subsystems: (1) Student's Educational Intent, (2) Nonreturning Student Follow-up,…

TEX-SIS FOLLOW-UP: Student Follow-up Management Information System. Data Processing Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tarrant County Junior Coll. District, Ft. Worth, TX.

Project FOLLOW-UP was conducted to develop, test, and validate a statewide management information system for follow-up of Texas public junior and community college students. The result of this project was a student information system (TEX-SIS) consisting of seven subsystems: (1) Student's Educational Intent, (2) Nonreturning Student Follow-up, (3)…

33 CFR 208.22 - Twin Buttes Dam and Reservoir, Middle and South Concho Rivers, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... the reservoir level; number of river outlet works gates in operation with their respective openings... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Twin Buttes Dam and Reservoir... and Reservoir, Middle and South Concho Rivers, Tex. The Bureau of Reclamation, or its designated agent...

33 CFR 208.22 - Twin Buttes Dam and Reservoir, Middle and South Concho Rivers, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the reservoir level; number of river outlet works gates in operation with their respective openings... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Twin Buttes Dam and Reservoir... and Reservoir, Middle and South Concho Rivers, Tex. The Bureau of Reclamation, or its designated agent...

Making Materials Based on TeX and CAS/DGS--Reports on CADGME 2012 Conference Working Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaneko, Masataka; Yamashita, Satoshi; Kitahara, Kiyoshi; Maeda, Yoshifumi; Usui, Hisashi; Takato, Setsuo

2014-01-01

TeX has become one of the most popular tools for editing teaching materials or textbooks in collegiate mathematics education, since it enables usual mathematics teachers to easily produce high-quality mathematical documents. Its capabilities for visualization and computation are fairly limited, so that many teachers simultaneously use various…

TEX-SIS Occ/Tec Non-Returning Student Follow-Up, Volume 1, Number 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gose, Frank

In 1981, selected data about nonreturning occupational/technical students were collected at Yavapai College using the TEX-SIS follow-up system, which was developed by the Texas Education Agency and Texas Coordinating Board for Universities and Colleges. A sample of 449 students was selected from the approximately 900 students who had enrolled in…

LARCMACS: A TEX macro set for typesetting NASA reports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Woessner, Linda H.; Mccaskill, Mary K.

1988-01-01

This LARCMACS user's manual describes the February 1988 version of LARCMACS, the TEX macro set used by the Technical Editing Branch (TEB) at NASA Langley Research Center. These macros were developed by the authors to facilitate the typesetting of NASA formal reports. They are also useful, however, for informal NASA reports and other technical documents such as meeting papers. LARCMACS are distributed by TEB for the convenience of the Langley TEX user community. LARCMACS contain macros for obtaining the standard double-column format for NASA reports, for typesetting tables in the ruled format traditional in NASA reports, and for typesetting difficult mathematical expressions. Each macro is described and numerous examples are included. Definitions of the LARCMACS macros are also included.

Observations of the Nocturnal Boundary Layer and Morning Transitional Periods in Houston, Texas during the TexAQS II Campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, B. M.; Clements, C. B.; Rappenglueck, B.

2007-12-01

High-temporal resolution tethersonde profiles taken during the TexAQS II field campaign in Houston were used to study the overnight development and progression of the nocturnal boundary layer (NBL) and the evolution of the convective boundary layer after sunrise. The measurements were made at the University of Houston campus, located approximately 4 km southeast of the downtown Houston central business district, and consisted of vertical profiles of potential temperature, water vapor mixing ratio, wind speed, wind direction, and ozone concentration. Profile heights averaged 250 m AGL with a few reaching 400 m AGL. Profiles were taken at approximately 30 min intervals throughout 4 nights during Intensive Observational Periods (IOPs), including both the evening and morning transitional periods. Tethersonde experiments also were performed during several additional morning break-up periods during the campaign. Preliminary results from the overnight experiments of Sept 7-8 and Sept 14-15, 2006 showed different NBL evolutions. Sept 7-8 exhibited a stronger and deeper inversion compared with Sept 14-15 when the inversion was weak with a fairly constant height throughout the night. The Sept 7-8 profiles showed elevated bluff-like structures in the virtual potential temperature profiles between 0300-0400 CDT, indicating neutral stability within the 40-90 m AGL level. And, just before sunrise a neutral layer with constant potential temperature developed between the surface and 75 m AGL reflecting horizontal cold air advection. Further analyses will be presented for other vertical profiles taken during the campaign, including the additional overnight profiles as well as the profiles taken during the morning transition to the convective boundary layer.

Light is an active contributor to the vital effects of coral skeleton proxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juillet-Leclerc, Anne; Reynaud, Stéphanie; Dissard, Delphine; Tisserand, Guillaume; Ferrier-Pagès, Christine

2014-09-01

Symbiotic colonies of the coral Acropora sp. were cultured in a factorial design of three temperatures (21, 25 and 28 °C) and two light intensities (200 and 400 μmol photon m-2 s-1), under constant conditions. A temperature of 25 °C and a light intensity of 200 μmol photon m-2 s-1 was the starting culture condition. Metabolic (photosynthesis, respiration, calcification and surface expansion rate) and geochemical measurements (δ18O, δ13C, Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca) were conducted on 6 colonies for each experimental condition. Metabolic measurements confirmed that respiration, photosynthesis, calcification and surface expansion rate responded to the combined effect of temperature and light. Under each light intensity, mean calcification rate was linearly correlated with mean photosynthetic activity. Geochemical measurements were also influenced by temperature and, to a lesser degree, by light. All geochemical proxies measured on 6 nubbins showed a wide scattering of values, regardless of the environmental condition. Compared to the other proxies, δ18O exhibited a different behavior. It was the only proxy exhibiting temperature tracer behavior. However, while mean values of Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca and δ13C were well correlated, the correlation between the later and mean δ18O differed with light level. This suggests that both skeleton deposition and temperature oxygen fractionation differs according to light intensity. Overall, the effect of light on geochemical values seems to compromise the use of proxy calibrations solely based on temperature influence. Under high light conditions, the great amplitude shown by individual net photosynthesis is directly proportional to the highly variable zooxanthellae density. As light is affecting all of the proxies, we thus assume that the strong geochemical variability observed could be explained by various algae densities, each nubbin responding according to its zooxanthellae amount. Accordingly, we suggest that each symbiosome (the assemblage of few corallites with their symbionts) presents its own vital effect influence over time. Therefore, at a bulk sample scale, light could be considered as one of the major causes of what is commonly referred to as the 'vital effect'. The meaning of δ18O calibration versus temperature established from distinct colonies differs from calibration calculated from samples collected following the growth axis of a single coral head. Finally, in order to quantitatively reconstruct climatic condition, we suggest a new paradigm based on the statistical treatment of the combination of time-series information from several proxies, all measured on the same sample from a continuous symbiosome.

Is Recent Warming Unprecedented in the Common Era? Insights from PAGES2k data and the Last Millennium Reanalysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erb, M. P.; Emile-Geay, J.; McKay, N.; Hakim, G. J.; Steig, E. J.; Anchukaitis, K. J.

2017-12-01

Paleoclimate observations provide a critical context for 20th century warming by putting recent climate change into a longer-term perspective. Previous work (e.g. IPCC AR3-5) has claimed that recent decades are exceptional in the context of past centuries, though these statements are usually accompanied by large uncertainties and little spatial detail. Here we leverage a recent multiproxy compilation (PAGES2k Consortium, 2017) to revisit this long-standing question. We do so via two complementary approaches. The first approach compares multi-decadal averages and trends in PAGES2k proxy records, which include trees, corals, ice cores, and more. Numerous proxy records reveal that late 20th century values are extreme compared to the remainder of the recorded period, although considerable variability exists in the signals preserved in individual records. The second approach uses the same PAGES2k data blended with climate model output to produce an optimal analysis: the Last Millennium Reanalysis (LMR; Hakim et al., 2016). Unlike proxy data, LMR is spatially-complete and explicitly models uncertainty in proxy records, resulting in objective error estimates. The LMR results show that for nearly every region of the world, late 20th century temperatures exceed temperatures in previous multi-decadal periods during the Common Era, and 20th century warming rates exceed rates in previous centuries. An uncertainty with the present analyses concerns the interpretation of proxy records. PAGES2k included only records that are primarily sensitive to temperature, but many proxies may be influenced by secondary non-temperature effects. Additionally, the issue of seasonality is important as, for example, many temperature-sensitive tree ring chronologies in the Northern Hemisphere respond to summer or growing season temperature rather than annual-means. These uncertainties will be further explored. References Hakim, G. J., et al., 2016: The last millennium climate reanalysis project: Framework and first results. Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres, 121(12), 6745-6764. http://doi.org/10.1002/2016JD024751 PAGES2k Consortium, 2017: A global multiproxy database for temperature reconstructions of the Common Era. Scientific Data, 1-33. http://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.88

Transport properties of nonelectrolyte liquid mixtures—V. Viscosity coefficients for binary mixtures of benzene plus alkanes at saturation pressure from 283 to 393 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dymond, J. H.; Young, K. J.

1981-09-01

Viscosity coefficient measurements at saturation pressure are reported for benzene + n-hexane, benzene + n-octane, benzene + n-decane, benzene + n-dodecane, benzene + n-hexadecane, and benzene + cyclohexane at temperatures from 283 to 393 K. The characteristic parameter G in the Grunberg and Nissan equation 10765_2004_Article_BF00504187_TeX2GIFE1.gif ell nη = x_1 ell nη _1 + x_2 ell nη _2 + x_1 x_2 G is found to be both composition and temperature dependent for benzene + n-alkane mixtures, but it is independent of composition for the system benzene + cyclohexane.

Reconstructing temperatures from lake sediments in northern Europe: what do the biological proxies really tell us?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cunningham, Laura; Holmes, Naomi; Bigler, Christian; Dadal, Anna; Bergman, Jonas; Eriksson, Lars; Brooks, Stephen; Langdon, Pete; Caseldine, Chris

2010-05-01

Over the past two decades considerable effort has been devoted to quantitatively reconstructing temperatures from biological proxies preserved in lake sediments, via transfer functions. Such transfer functions typically consist of modern sediment samples, collected over a broad environmental gradient. Correlations between the biological communities and environmental parameters observed over these broad gradients are assumed to be equally valid temporally. The predictive ability of such spatially based transfer functions has traditionally been assessed by comparisons of measured and inferred temperatures within the calibration sets, with little validation against historical data. Although statistical techniques such as bootstrapping may improve error estimation, this approach remains partly a circular argument. This raises the question of how reliable such reconstructions are for inferring past changes in temperature? In order to address this question, we used transfer functions to reconstruct July temperatures from diatoms and chironomids from several locations across northern Europe. The transfer functions used showed good internal calibration statistics (r2 = 0.66 - 0.91). The diatom and chironomid inferred July air temperatures were compared to local observational records. As the sediment records were non-annual, all data were first smoothed using a 15 yr moving average filter. None of the five biologically-inferred temperature records were correlated with the local meteorological records. Furthermore, diatom inferred temperatures did not agree with chironomid inferred temperatures from the same cores from the same sites. In an attempt to understand this poor performance the biological proxy data was compressed using principal component analysis (PCA), and the PCA axes compared to the local meteorological data. These analyses clearly demonstrated that July temperatures were not correlated with the biological data at these locations. Some correlations were observed between the biological proxies and autumn and spring temperatures, although this varied slightly between sites and proxies. For example, chironomid data from Iceland was most strongly correlated with temperatures in February, March and April whilst in northern Sweden, the chironomid data was most strongly correlated with temperatures in March, April and May. It is suggested that the biological data at these sites may be responding to changes in the length of the ice-free period or hydrological regimes (including snow melt), rather than temperature per se. Our findings demonstrate the need to validate inferred temperatures against local meteorological data. Where such validation cannot be undertaken, inferred temperature reconstructions should be treated cautiously.

Assessment of the Coral Temperature Proxies for Orbicella faveolata in the Southwestern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vara, M. A.; DeLong, K. L.; Herrmann, A. D.; Ouellette, G., Jr.; Richey, J. N.

2017-12-01

Coral Sr/Ca is a robust proxy of sea surface temperature (SST); however, discrepancies in the Sr/Ca-SST relationship among colonies of the same species may reduce confidence in absolute temperature reconstructions. Furthermore, terrestrial carbonate weathering can provide local sources of Sr and/or Ca to coastal waters that may disrupt the temperature-based coral Sr/Ca signal. Thus other trace metal SST proxies have been suggested to circumvent these issues (Li/Ca, Li/Mg, and Sr-U). Coral Ba/Ca has been used as a proxy for runoff and coastal upwelling, and therefore may be used to identify intervals when these processes overprint the Sr/Ca-SST signal. This study tests multiple coral SST proxies using reproducibility assessments to determine the best performing SST proxy. We conduct these assessments with cores recovered in 1991 by the U.S. Geological Survey from five Orbicella faveolata colonies from three reefs offshore of Veracruz, Mexico (19.06°N, 96.93°W) in water depths varying from 3 to 12 m. Previous studies found micromilling the complex skeletal structure of O. faveolata challenging and that monthly resolution may not recover full seasonal cycles. We use a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer to simultaneously sample this coral's structure at weekly intervals spanning 8 years for Li/Ca, Li/Mg, Sr-U, Sr/Ca, and Ba/Ca. Here we found coral Li/Ca means and seasonal variations are similar among colonies thus this proxy may capture absolute temperature and SST variability. Similar to previous research with Porites corals, Li/Ca in these O. faveolata corals decreases with increases in SST with similar slopes and intercepts. During the last 10 years of these corals' lives, coral Sr/Ca analysis reveals a mean shift among colonies suggesting an external source could have disrupted the Sr/Ca signal, possibly seasonal runoff and/or winter upwelling common to Veracruz waters. Coral Ba/Ca analyses reveals elevated values in winters that coincide with increases in coral Sr/Ca in the deeper colony suggesting upwelling is occurring at that location. However, the coral Ba/Ca does not coincide with increase coral Sr/Ca in the shallower coral indicating no direct influence from runoff. Coral Li/Mg and Sr-U do not show substantial seasonal variations as expected with a coral-SST proxy.

Isotopic composition of ice core air reveals abrupt Antarctic warming during and after Heinrich Event 1a

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgan, J. D.; Bereiter, B.; Baggenstos, D.; Kawamura, K.; Shackleton, S. A.; Severinghaus, J. P.

2017-12-01

Antarctic temperature variations during Heinrich events, as recorded by δ18O­ice­, generally show more gradual changes than the abrupt warmings seen in Greenland ice. However, quantitative temperature interpretation of the water isotope temperature proxy is difficult as the relationship between δ18Oice and temperature is not constant through time. Fortunately, ice cores offer a second temperature proxy based on trapped gases. During times of surface warming, thermal fractionation of gases in the column of unconsolidated snow (firn) on top of the ice sheet results in isotopically heavier nitrogen (N2) and argon (Ar) being trapped in the ice core bubbles. During times of surface cooling, isotopically lighter gases are trapped. Measurements of δ15N and δ40Ar can therefore be used, in combination with a model for the height of the column of firn, to quantitatively reconstruct surface temperatures. In the WAIS Divide Ice Core, the two temperature proxies show a brief disagreement during Heinrich Stadial 1. Despite δ18Oice recording relatively constant temperature, the nitrogen and argon isotopes imply an abrupt warming between 16 and 15.8 kyr BP, manifest as an abrupt 1.25oC increase in the firn temperature gradient. To our knowledge, this would be the first evidence that such abrupt climate change has been recorded in an Antarctic climate proxy. If confirmed by more detailed studies, this event may represent warming due to an extreme southward shift of the Earth's thermal equator (and the southern hemisphere westerly wind belt), caused by the 16.1 ka Heinrich Event.

Validation of a proxy for estrogen receptor status in breast cancer patients using dispensing data.

PubMed

Srasuebkul, Preeyaporn; Dobbins, Timothy A; Pearson, Sallie-Anne

2014-06-01

To assess the performance of a proxy for estrogen receptor (ER) status in breast cancer patients using dispensing data. We derived our proxy using 167 patients. ER+ patients had evidence of at least one dispensing record for hormone therapy during the lookback period, irrespective of diagnosis date and ER- had no dispensing records for hormone therapy during the period. We validated the proxy against our gold standard, ER status from pathology reports or medical records. We assessed the proxy's performance using three lookback periods: 4.5 years, 2 years, 1 year. More than half of our cohort (62%) were >50 years, 54% had stage III/IV breast cancer at recruitment, (46%) were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and 23% were diagnosed before 2006. Sensitivity and specificity were high for the 4.5 year lookback period (93%, 95% CI: 86-96%; and 95%: 83-99%), respectively) and remained high for the 2-year lookback period (91%: 84-95%; and 95%: 83-99%). Sensitivity decreased (83%: 75.2-89%) but specificity remained high (95%: 83-99%) using the 1-year lookback period and the period is long enough to allow sufficient time for hormone therapy to be dispensed. Our proxy accurately infers ER status in studies of breast cancer treatment based on secondary health data. The proxy is most robust with a minimum lookback period of 2 years. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Bridging the spectral divide: a case study with PAGES2k, the CESM Last Millennium Ensemble and proxy system models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, F.; Emile-Geay, J.; Ault, T.; McKay, N.; Dee, S.

2017-12-01

A grand challenge for paleoclimatology is to constrain climate model behavior on timescales longer than the instrumental record. Of particular interest is the spectrum of temperature as sensed by climate proxies. The "continuum" of climate variability [Huybers & Curry, Nature 2006] is often characterized by its scaling exponent β , where the spectral density S and the frequency f satisfy the power law S ∝ f-β . Recent studies have voiced concern that climate models underestimate scaling behavior compared to proxies [Laepple & Huybers, PNAS 2014]. Part of this discrepancy is known to lie in the complex processes whereby proxies transform climate signals [Dee et al, EPSL in press], yet many questions remain open. Here we leverage a recent multiproxy compilation [PAGES 2k Consortium, Sci Data 2017] to characterize scaling behavior over the Common Era using an interpolation-free method [Kirchner & Neal, PNAS 2013]. Proxy spectra are compared to spectra derived from the CESM Last Millennium Ensemble [Otto-Bliesner et al, BAMS 2016], using: (a) a naive model where proxies are assumed linearly related to annual temperature vs (b) proxy system models [Evans et al, QSR 2013] of varying complexity. Scaling behavior varies considerably by archive: on average the strongest centennial slopes are observed for lake sediments (β =1.2), while the smallest are observed for glacier ice (β =0.24). Results confirm that the CESM Last Millennium simulation (LM) exhibits decadal-centennial scaling closer to proxy spectra than the pre-industrial control run (PI): the latter shows a "blue" spectrum (β <0), while the former and the proxies display redder spectra (β >0), suggesting that forcings are essential to reduce the spectral divide. Yet, even with forcings, LM spectra are flatter than the proxy spectra. Subsequent work will investigate the roles of seasonal sensitivity (trees, foraminifera, alkenones), multivariate influences (corals, trees), detrending (trees) and post-depositional processes (ice cores, lake & marine sediments) on spectral discrepancies, and clarify whether CESM's temperature spectra truly exhibit a scaling deficiency, or whether the spectral divide is an artifact of imperfect data-model comparisons using naive assumptions.

Mid-Piacensian mean annual sea surface temperature: an analysis for data-model comparisons

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dowsett, Harry J.; Robinson, Marci M.; Foley, Kevin M.; Stoll, Danielle K.

2010-01-01

Numerical models of the global climate system are the primary tools used to understand and project climate disruptions in the form of future global warming. The Pliocene has been identified as the closest, albeit imperfect, analog to climate conditions expected for the end of this century, making an independent data set of Pliocene conditions necessary for ground truthing model results. Because most climate model output is produced in the form ofmean annual conditions, we present a derivative of the USGS PRISM3 Global Climate Reconstruction which integrates multiple proxies of sea surface temperature (SST) into single surface temperature anomalies. We analyze temperature estimates from faunal and floral assemblage data,Mg/Ca values and alkenone unsaturation indices to arrive at a single mean annual SST anomaly (Pliocene minus modern) best describing each PRISM site, understanding that multiple proxies should not necessarily show concordance. The power of themultiple proxy approach lies within its diversity, as no two proxies measure the same environmental variable. This data set can be used to verify climate model output, to serve as a starting point for model inter-comparisons, and for quantifying uncertainty in Pliocene model prediction in perturbed physics ensembles.

Risk and Protective Factors among High School Students on the US/Mexico Border

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almodovar, Adriana; Tomaka, Joe; Thompson, Sharon; Mckinnon, Sarah; O'Rourke, Kathleen

2006-01-01

Objective: To study risk and protective factors for alcohol-related problems among high schools students in El Paso, Tex. Methods: A total of 1366 high school students from 16 different high schools in El Paso, Tex, participated in an anonymous questionnaire regarding alcohol use and alcohol-related behaviors. The sample was 70% Hispanic. Results:…

The Antiaircraft Journal. Volume 92, Number 3, May-June 1949

DTIC Science & Technology

1949-06-01

Ft. Sill, Okla. Daley, Edward J., to 4051st STU Det Arty Sch, Ft. Sill, Okla. Dalton, Joseph R., to Marianas- Bonins Comd, Guam. Darden, Harry 1., to...AAA and GM Br, Ft. Bliss, Tex. Edwards, Dave W., to 4052d ASU AAA and GM Cen, Ft. Bliss, Tex. Eiler, Donald 1., to US Army Caribbean, Quarry Heights

33 CFR 208.19 - Marshall Ford Dam and Reservoir (Mansfield Dam and Lake Travis), Colorado River, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Marshall Ford Dam and Reservoir... Marshall Ford Dam and Reservoir (Mansfield Dam and Lake Travis), Colorado River, Tex. The Secretary of the... and Reservoir in the interest of flood control as follows: (a) Water Control Plan—(1) General...

33 CFR 208.19 - Marshall Ford Dam and Reservoir (Mansfield Dam and Lake Travis), Colorado River, Tex.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Marshall Ford Dam and Reservoir... Marshall Ford Dam and Reservoir (Mansfield Dam and Lake Travis), Colorado River, Tex. The Secretary of the... and Reservoir in the interest of flood control as follows: (a) Water Control Plan—(1) General...

'Caro-Tex 312’ – An F1 Hybrid, High Yielding, Multiple Disease Resistant, Orange Habanero Pepper Cultivar

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Texas A&M University and the USDA-ARS U.S. Vegetable Laboratory in Charleston, SC, have developed a new, F1 hybrid Habanero pepper cultivar. ‘Caro-Tex 312’ produces a large, orange-fruited Habanero pepper with typical shape and high pungency. It also possesses unique yield, early maturity and dise...

Reconstruction of spatio-temporal temperature from sparse historical records using robust probabilistic principal component regression

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tipton, John; Hooten, Mevin B.; Goring, Simon

2017-01-01

Scientific records of temperature and precipitation have been kept for several hundred years, but for many areas, only a shorter record exists. To understand climate change, there is a need for rigorous statistical reconstructions of the paleoclimate using proxy data. Paleoclimate proxy data are often sparse, noisy, indirect measurements of the climate process of interest, making each proxy uniquely challenging to model statistically. We reconstruct spatially explicit temperature surfaces from sparse and noisy measurements recorded at historical United States military forts and other observer stations from 1820 to 1894. One common method for reconstructing the paleoclimate from proxy data is principal component regression (PCR). With PCR, one learns a statistical relationship between the paleoclimate proxy data and a set of climate observations that are used as patterns for potential reconstruction scenarios. We explore PCR in a Bayesian hierarchical framework, extending classical PCR in a variety of ways. First, we model the latent principal components probabilistically, accounting for measurement error in the observational data. Next, we extend our method to better accommodate outliers that occur in the proxy data. Finally, we explore alternatives to the truncation of lower-order principal components using different regularization techniques. One fundamental challenge in paleoclimate reconstruction efforts is the lack of out-of-sample data for predictive validation. Cross-validation is of potential value, but is computationally expensive and potentially sensitive to outliers in sparse data scenarios. To overcome the limitations that a lack of out-of-sample records presents, we test our methods using a simulation study, applying proper scoring rules including a computationally efficient approximation to leave-one-out cross-validation using the log score to validate model performance. The result of our analysis is a spatially explicit reconstruction of spatio-temporal temperature from a very sparse historical record.

ZnS-Based ZnSTe:N/n-ZnS Light-Emitting Diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ichino, Kunio; Kojima, Takahiro; Obata, Shunsuke; Kuroyanagi, Takuma; Nakazawa, Shoichi; Kashiyama, Shota

2013-11-01

ZnS1-xTex:N/n-ZnS diodes have been fabricated in an attempt to convert ZnS into p-type by Te incorporation and the resulting upward shift of the valence band maximum. The diodes exhibit clear rectification in the current-voltage characteristic and a peak of the electron-beam-induced current at the ZnS1-xTex:N/n-ZnS interface. Furthermore, a ZnS0.85Te0.15:N/n-ZnS diode exhibits blue-green electroluminescence due to self-activated emission in n-ZnS at 290 K under a forward current. These results suggest p-type conduction in ZnS1-xTex:N, and thus the LED operation of a ZnS-based pn-junction.

Psychometric evaluation and wording effects on the Chinese version of the parent-proxy Kid-KINDL.

PubMed

Lee, Chih-Ting; Lin, Chung-Ying; Tsai, Meng-Che; Strong, Carol; Lin, Yi-Ching

2016-09-05

The pediatric quality of life (QoL) questionnaire, the child-rated Kid-KINDL, has wording effects. However, no studies have examined for its parallel questionnaire, the parent-proxy Kid-KINDL. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties and wording effects of the parent-proxy Kid-KINDL. Parents with 8- to 12-year-old children (n = 247) completed the parent-proxy Kid-KINDL, 83 of them completed it again 7-14 days later, and 241 of their children completed the child-rated Kid-KINDL. Internal consistency was examined using Cronbach's α; test-retest reliability and concurrent validity, using Pearson correlation coefficients (r); construct validity and wording effects, using confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs). The internal consistency of the parent-proxy Kid-KINDL total score was acceptable (α = .86). Test-retest reliability (r = .33-.60) and concurrent validity (r = .27-.42) were acceptable or nearly acceptable for all subscales and the total score. The CFA models simultaneously accounting for QoL traits and wording effects had satisfactory fit indices, and outperformed the model accounting only for QoL traits. However, four subscales had unsatisfactory internal consistency, which might be attributable to wording effects. When children are unable to complete a QoL questionnaire, the parent-proxy Kid-KINDL can substitute with all due cautions to wording effects and inconsistent reliability among different raters.

Salinity controls on Na incorporation in Red Sea planktonic foraminifera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mezger, E. M.; de Nooijer, L. J.; Boer, W.; Brummer, G. J. A.; Reichart, G. J.

2016-12-01

Whereas several well-established proxies are available for reconstructing past temperatures, salinity remains challenging to assess. Reconstructions based on the combination of (in)organic temperature proxies and foraminiferal stable oxygen isotopes result in relatively large uncertainties, which may be reduced by application of a direct salinity proxy. Cultured benthic and planktonic foraminifera showed that Na incorporation in foraminiferal shell calcite provides a potential independent proxy for salinity. Here we present the first field calibration of such a potential proxy. Living planktonic foraminiferal specimens from the Red Sea surface waters were collected and analyzed for their Na/Ca content using laser ablation quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Using the Red Sea as a natural laboratory, the calibration covers a broad range of salinities over a steep gradient within the same water mass. For both Globigerinoides ruber and Globigerinoides sacculifer calcite Na/Ca increases with salinity, albeit with a relatively large intraspecimen and interspecimen variability. The field-based calibration is similar for both species from a salinity of 36.8 up to 39.6, while values for G. sacculifer deviate from this trend in the northernmost transect. It is hypothesized that the foraminifera in the northernmost part of the Red Sea are (partly) expatriated and hence should be excluded from the Na/Ca-salinity calibration. Incorporation of Na in foraminiferal calcite therefore provides a potential proxy for salinity, although species-specific calibrations are still required and more research on the effect of temperature is needed.

The use of Sphagnum cellulose oxygen isotope ratios in ombrotrophic peatlands as a proxy for paleoclimate.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, M.; Pendall, E.; Jackson, S.; Booth, R. K.; Nichols, J. E.; Huang, Y.

2006-12-01

Developing proxies for discerning paleoclimate that are independent of the pollen record can provide insight into various aspects of climate variability and improve confidence in the interpretation of climate-vegetation interactions. To date, proxies including plant macrofossils, humification indices, testate amoebae, and ratios of n-alkane abundances have been used to infer past climate variability from temperate ombrotrophic peatlands in upper Midwestern North America. These proxies are used to infer past changes in surface-moisture conditions, which in ombrotrophic peatlands is primarily a function of precipitation and temperature. This study investigates the potential uses of stable oxygen isotopes to complement hydrologic proxies. δ18O of surface water and Sphagnum moss cellulose from bogs throughout North America indicates a correlation between average growing season temperatures and δ18O-values. The existence of a modern temperature signal in moss cellulose suggests that δ18O-derived records will not only complement paleohydrological records, but also help assess relative changes in precipitation and temperature. Humification and testate amoebae data from two cores taken from Minden and Irwin Smith Bogs in central and northeastern Michigan have recorded several extreme drought events during the Holocene, including one at 1000 YBP. Comparison of δ18O-values of picked Sphagnum remains to down-core humification and testate amoebae data suggest good temporal correspondence, with the δ18O-values around 1000 YBP indicating a warmer growing season.

Oligocene sea water temperatures offshore Wilkes Land (Antarctica) indicate warm and stable glacial-interglacial variation and show no 'late Oligocene warming'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartman, Julian; Bijl, Peter; Peterse, Francien; Schouten, Stefan; Salabarnada, Ariadna; Bohaty, Steven; Escutia, Carlota; Brinkhuis, Henk; Sangiorgi, Francesca

2017-04-01

At present, warming of the waters below the Antarctic ice shelves is a major contributor to the instability of the Antarctic cryosphere. In order to get insight into future melt behavior of the Antarctic ice sheet, it is important to look at past warm periods that can serve as an analogue for the future. The Oligocene ( 34-23 Ma) is a period within the range of CO2 concentrations predicted by the latest IPCC report for the coming century and is characterized by a very dynamic Antarctic ice sheet, as suggested by benthic δ18O records from ice-distal sites. We suspect that, like today, environmental changes in the Southern Ocean are in part responsible for this dynamicity. To gain more insight into this, we have reconstructed sea water temperatures (SWT) based on Thaumarchaeotal lipids (TEX86) for the Oligocene record obtained from the ice-proximal Site U1356 (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program), offshore Wilkes Land. Part of our record shows a strong coupling between the lithology and SWT, which we attribute to glacial-interglacial variation. Our data shows that both glacial and interglacial temperatures are relatively warm throughout the Oligocene: 14°C and 18°C respectively, which is consistent with previously published estimates based on UK'37 and clumped isotopes for the early Oligocene. Our SST records show only a minor decline between 30 and 24 Ma, and thus show no evidence for a 'late Oligocene warming' as was suggested based on benthic δ18O records from low latitudes. Instead, the discrepancy between our SST trend and the δ18O trend suggests that the late-Oligocene benthic δ18O decrease is likely related to a decline in ice volume. After 24 Ma, however, glacial-interglacial temperature variation appears to increase. In particular, some large temperature drops occur, one of which can be related to the Mi-1 event and a major expansion of the Antarctic ice sheet.

Bidirectional lift of the anterior midcheek with Gore-Tex cable sutures.

PubMed

Sasaki, Gordon H; Oberg, Kerby C; Kim, E Yoonah

2003-01-01

The reader is presumed to have a broad understanding of the anatomy of the anterior midface. After reading this article, the participant should be able to: Physicians may earn 1 hour of Category 1 CME credit by successfully completing the examination on the basis of material covered in this article. The examination begins on page 257. We have previously described a technique of anterior midface soft tissue repositioning using 2 cable sutures directed only in a superolateral direction. This technique achieves a more normal distribution of subcutaneous fat laterally over the malar bag prominence but does little to overcome central and medial hollowness in the palpebromalar and tear-trough areas. We describe an alteration of our original technique that introduces a vertical lift of the anterior midface soft tissue utilizing Gore-Tex, (W.L. Gore & Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) cable sutures while elevating the preperiosteal soft tissue. We used a transconjunctival approach to expose the postseptal fat, orbital rim, and arcus marginalis. Subperiosteal dissection over the orbital rim was performed to prepare a pocket for the malar fat pads. Using 6.5-cm Keith needles, we placed a braided suture medially, lateral to the location of the infraorbital nerve and foramen, and maneuvered it through the soft tissue until all signs of dimpling at the nasolabial line or upward distortion of the upper lip were removed. A Gore-Tex graft was introduced and seated in a cupped configuration that anchored the caudal fat pad at the nasolabial line. The medial fat pad and vascular pedicle were transposed over the orbital rim into the predissected pocket; the central fat pad was also fashioned into a pedicle and moved into its pocket. The Gore-Tex sutures were tightened, elevating the supraperiosteal soft tissue vertically. A second set of Gore-Tex sutures elevated the anterior midface soft tissue toward the deep temporal fascia. Between 1999 and 2002, 197 patients underwent bidirectional anterior midface lift with Gore-Tex sutures, combined with ancillary procedures. Use of the Gore-Tex cable sutures enabled improvement in the periorbitum, midcheek, and neck, as well as a more harmonious facial appearance in all patients, with few complications. The bidirectional cable-suture technique is simple, effective, and safe. It provides secure fixation and filling of the nasojugal hollow and improvement of the malar eminence. It is less effective in the periorbitum and does not seem to correct the recalcitrant nasolabial fold.

Foraminifera Models to Interrogate Ostensible Proxy-Model Discrepancies During Late Pliocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobs, P.; Dowsett, H. J.; de Mutsert, K.

2017-12-01

Planktic foraminifera faunal assemblages have been used in the reconstruction of past oceanic states (e.g. the Last Glacial Maximum, the mid-Piacenzian Warm Period). However these reconstruction efforts have typically relied on inverse modeling using transfer functions or the modern analog technique, which by design seek to translate foraminifera into one or two target oceanic variables, primarily sea surface temperature (SST). These reconstructed SST data have then been used to test the performance of climate models, and discrepancies have been attributed to shortcomings in climate model processes and/or boundary conditions. More recently forward proxy models or proxy system models have been used to leverage the multivariate nature of proxy relationships to their environment, and to "bring models into proxy space". Here we construct ecological models of key planktic foraminifera taxa, calibrated and validated with World Ocean Atlas (WO13) oceanographic data. Multiple modeling methods (e.g. multilayer perceptron neural networks, Mahalanobis distance, logistic regression, and maximum entropy) are investigated to ensure robust results. The resulting models are then driven by a Late Pliocene climate model simulation with biogeochemical as well as temperature variables. Similarities and differences with previous model-proxy comparisons (e.g. PlioMIP) are discussed.

Tex Tax I, II and III. Teacher's Guide [and] Student Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Judith K.

This unit introduces the American tax system to elementary school students in grades 3-5. It is presented in three sections, all of which are built around the story of Tex Tax leaving the ranch and going to the city for the first time. Section one centers on taxation at federal, state, and local levels. The student learns to distinguish between…

75 FR 55351 - Notice of Filing of Settlement Agreement Pursuant to Comprehensive Environmental Response...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-09-10

..., 2010, a proposed Settlement Agreement in In re Asarco, LLC, No. 05-21207 (Bankr. S.D. Tex.) was filed... either e-mailed to [email protected]gov or mailed to P.O. Box 7611, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC 20044-7611, and should refer to In re Asarco, LLC, No. 05-21207 (Bankr. S.D. Tex.), Department...

Figure Text Extraction in Biomedical Literature

PubMed Central

Kim, Daehyun; Yu, Hong

2011-01-01

Background Figures are ubiquitous in biomedical full-text articles, and they represent important biomedical knowledge. However, the sheer volume of biomedical publications has made it necessary to develop computational approaches for accessing figures. Therefore, we are developing the Biomedical Figure Search engine (http://figuresearch.askHERMES.org) to allow bioscientists to access figures efficiently. Since text frequently appears in figures, automatically extracting such text may assist the task of mining information from figures. Little research, however, has been conducted exploring text extraction from biomedical figures. Methodology We first evaluated an off-the-shelf Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool on its ability to extract text from figures appearing in biomedical full-text articles. We then developed a Figure Text Extraction Tool (FigTExT) to improve the performance of the OCR tool for figure text extraction through the use of three innovative components: image preprocessing, character recognition, and text correction. We first developed image preprocessing to enhance image quality and to improve text localization. Then we adapted the off-the-shelf OCR tool on the improved text localization for character recognition. Finally, we developed and evaluated a novel text correction framework by taking advantage of figure-specific lexicons. Results/Conclusions The evaluation on 382 figures (9,643 figure texts in total) randomly selected from PubMed Central full-text articles shows that FigTExT performed with 84% precision, 98% recall, and 90% F1-score for text localization and with 62.5% precision, 51.0% recall and 56.2% F1-score for figure text extraction. When limiting figure texts to those judged by domain experts to be important content, FigTExT performed with 87.3% precision, 68.8% recall, and 77% F1-score. FigTExT significantly improved the performance of the off-the-shelf OCR tool we used, which on its own performed with 36.6% precision, 19.3% recall, and 25.3% F1-score for text extraction. In addition, our results show that FigTExT can extract texts that do not appear in figure captions or other associated text, further suggesting the potential utility of FigTExT for improving figure search. PMID:21249186

Figure text extraction in biomedical literature.

PubMed

Kim, Daehyun; Yu, Hong

2011-01-13

Figures are ubiquitous in biomedical full-text articles, and they represent important biomedical knowledge. However, the sheer volume of biomedical publications has made it necessary to develop computational approaches for accessing figures. Therefore, we are developing the Biomedical Figure Search engine (http://figuresearch.askHERMES.org) to allow bioscientists to access figures efficiently. Since text frequently appears in figures, automatically extracting such text may assist the task of mining information from figures. Little research, however, has been conducted exploring text extraction from biomedical figures. We first evaluated an off-the-shelf Optical Character Recognition (OCR) tool on its ability to extract text from figures appearing in biomedical full-text articles. We then developed a Figure Text Extraction Tool (FigTExT) to improve the performance of the OCR tool for figure text extraction through the use of three innovative components: image preprocessing, character recognition, and text correction. We first developed image preprocessing to enhance image quality and to improve text localization. Then we adapted the off-the-shelf OCR tool on the improved text localization for character recognition. Finally, we developed and evaluated a novel text correction framework by taking advantage of figure-specific lexicons. The evaluation on 382 figures (9,643 figure texts in total) randomly selected from PubMed Central full-text articles shows that FigTExT performed with 84% precision, 98% recall, and 90% F1-score for text localization and with 62.5% precision, 51.0% recall and 56.2% F1-score for figure text extraction. When limiting figure texts to those judged by domain experts to be important content, FigTExT performed with 87.3% precision, 68.8% recall, and 77% F1-score. FigTExT significantly improved the performance of the off-the-shelf OCR tool we used, which on its own performed with 36.6% precision, 19.3% recall, and 25.3% F1-score for text extraction. In addition, our results show that FigTExT can extract texts that do not appear in figure captions or other associated text, further suggesting the potential utility of FigTExT for improving figure search.

Coupled high-resolution marine and terrestrial records of carbon and hydrologic cycles variations during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tipple, Brett J.; Pagani, Mark; Krishnan, Srinath; Dirghangi, Sitindra S.; Galeotti, Simone; Agnini, Claudia; Giusberti, Luca; Rio, Domenico

2011-11-01

The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum is characterized by a massive perturbation of the global carbon cycle reflected in a large, negative carbon isotope excursion associated with rapid global warming and changes in the hydrologic system. The magnitude of the carbon isotope excursion from terrestrial carbonates and organic carbon is generally larger relative to marine carbonates. However, high-resolution marine and terrestrial isotopic records from the same locality for direct comparison are limited. Here we present coupled carbon isotope records from terrestrial biomarkers (δ 13C n-alkane ), marine bulk carbonates (δ 13C carbonate), and bulk organic carbon (δ 13C organic) from the continuous sedimentary record of the Forada section in northern Italy in order to evaluate the magnitude and phase relationships between terrestrial and marine environments. Consistent with previous reports, we find that the carbon isotope excursion established from δ 13C n-alkane values is more negative than those established from δ 13C carbonate and δ 13C organic values. In contrast to the majority of PETM records, all Forada δ 13C records show a sharp 13C-enrichment immediately following the onset of the carbon isotope excursion. Further, the terrestrial δ 13C n-alkane record lags δ 13C carbonate/δ 13C organic trends by ~ 4-5 kyr—offsets that reflect the long residence time of soil organic carbon. Hydrogen isotope records from higher-plant leaf waxes (δD n-alkane ) and sea-surface temperatures (TEX 86) were established to assess hydrologic and ocean temperature trends. We find δD n-alkane values trend more positive, associated with higher temperatures prior to the onset of the carbon isotope excursion, and conclude that regional changes in the hydrologic cycle likely occurred before the onset of the carbon isotope anomaly.

Evaluation of PMIP2 and PMIP3 simulations of mid-Holocene climate in the Indo-Pacific, Australasian and Southern Ocean regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ackerley, Duncan; Reeves, Jessica; Barr, Cameron; Bostock, Helen; Fitzsimmons, Kathryn; Fletcher, Michael-Shawn; Gouramanis, Chris; McGregor, Helen; Mooney, Scott; Phipps, Steven J.; Tibby, John; Tyler, Jonathan

2017-11-01

This study uses the simplified patterns of temperature and effective precipitation approach from the Australian component of the international palaeoclimate synthesis effort (INTegration of Ice core, MArine and TErrestrial records - OZ-INTIMATE) to compare atmosphere-ocean general circulation model (AOGCM) simulations and proxy reconstructions. The approach is used in order to identify important properties (e.g. circulation and precipitation) of past climatic states from the models and proxies, which is a primary objective of the Southern Hemisphere Assessment of PalaeoEnvironment (SHAPE) initiative. The AOGCM data are taken from the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project (PMIP) mid-Holocene (ca. 6000 years before present, 6 ka) and pre-industrial control (ca. 1750 CE, 0 ka) experiments. The synthesis presented here shows that the models and proxies agree on the differences in climate state for 6 ka relative to 0 ka, when they are insolation driven. The largest uncertainty between the models and the proxies occurs over the Indo-Pacific Warm Pool (IPWP). The analysis shows that the lower temperatures in the Pacific at around 6 ka in the models may be the result of an enhancement of an existing systematic error. It is therefore difficult to decipher which one of the proxies and/or the models is correct. This study also shows that a reduction in the Equator-to-pole temperature difference in the Southern Hemisphere causes the mid-latitude westerly wind strength to reduce in the models; however, the simulated rainfall actually increases over the southern temperate zone of Australia as a result of higher convective precipitation. Such a mechanism (increased convection) may be useful for resolving disparities between different regional proxy records and model simulations. Finally, after assessing the available datasets (model and proxy), opportunities for better model-proxy integrated research are discussed.

Calcium Isotopes in Foraminifera Shells: Evaluation for Paleo-temperature Reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paytan, A.; Revello, C. A.; Bullen, T. D.

2002-12-01

The Ca stable isotope ratio of foraminifera shells has been suggested as a potential paleo-temperature proxy and has recently been applied in several studies to reconstruct glacial interglacial fluctuations in seawater temperatures. The major advantage of using Ca isotopes for paleo-temperature reconstruction is the relatively long residence time of Ca in the ocean. Thus, no spatial or temporal change in the Ca isotopic composition of seawater is expected over time scales much shorter than a million years. Moreover, since Ca is a major constituent of carbonate, and an isotopic ratio rather than an element concentration or element-element ratio (e.g. Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca) is measured, the Ca isotope proxy is much less likely to be affected by post depositional diagenetic alteration. However, preliminary results indicate that kinetic effects might largely control the Ca isotope fractionation involved in calcite shell formation. Before this new and exciting proxy can be utilized routinely, a better understanding of the parameters controlling Ca isotope fractionation in carbonate minerals in general and in foraminifera and other carbonate-secreting organisms is required. We have measured the Ca stable isotope ratio of several foraminifera species from core top sediments from two well-studied sites to determine the inter-species and within-species variability in Ca isotopes. We assess the effects of water temperature, calcification rate, and vital effects on the Ca stable isotope ratio of modern foraminifera and evaluate the potential of this proxy for paleo-temperature reconstruction.

Shell architecture: a novel proxy for paleotemperature reconstructions?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milano, Stefania; Nehrke, Gernot; Wanamaker, Alan D., Jr.; Witbaard, Rob; Schöne, Bernd R.

2017-04-01

Mollusk shells are unique high-resolution paleoenvironmental archives. Their geochemical properties, such as oxygen isotope composition (δ18Oshell) and element-to-calcium ratios, are routinely used to estimate past environmental conditions. However, the existing proxies have certain drawbacks that can affect paleoreconstruction robustness. For instance, the estimation of water temperature of brackish and near-shore environments can be biased by the interdependency of δ18Oshell from multiple environmental variables (water temperature and δ18Owater). Likely, the environmental signature can be masked by physiological processes responsible for the incorporation of trace elements into the shell. The present study evaluated the use of shell structural properties as alternative environmental proxies. The sensitivity of shell architecture at µm and nm-scale to the environment was tested. In particular, the relationship between water temperature and microstructure formation was investigated. To enable the detection of potential structural changes, the shells of the marine bivalves Cerastoderma edule and Arctica islandica were analyzed with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), nanoindentation and Confocal Raman Microscopy (CRM). These techniques allow a quantitative approach to the microstructural analysis. Our results show that water temperature induces a clear response in shell microstructure. A significant alteration in the morphometric characteristics and crystallographic orientation of the structural units was observed. Our pilot study suggests that shell architecture records environmental information and it has potential to be used as novel temperature proxy in near-shore and open ocean habitats.

Quantifying the effect of diagenetic recrystallization on the Mg isotopic composition of marine carbonates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chanda, Piyali; Fantle, Matthew S.

2017-05-01

The Mg and Sr isotopic compositions (δ26Mg and 87Sr/86Sr) of pore fluids and bulk carbonates from Ocean Drilling Project Site 1171 (South Tasman Rise; 2148.2 m water depth) are reported, in order to evaluate the potential of diagenesis to alter carbonate-based geochemical proxies in an open marine system. Given the trace amounts of Mg in marine carbonates relative to coexisting pore fluids, diagenesis can alter carbonate δ26Mg, a promising proxy for seawater δ26Mg that may help elucidate long-term changes in the global Mg cycle. Constraints on the effect of diagenetic recrystallization on carbonate δ26Mg are therefore critical for accurate proxy interpretations. This study provides context for assessing the fidelity of geochemical proxy-reconstructions using the primary components (i.e., foraminiferal tests and nannofossils) of bulk carbonate sediments. We find that pore fluid δ26Mg values (on the DSM3 scale) at Site 1171 increase systematically with depth (from -0.72‰ to -0.39‰ in the upper ∼260 m), while the δ26Mg of bulk carbonates decrease systematically with depth (from -2.23‰ to -5.00‰ in the upper ∼260 m). This variability is ascribed primarily to carbonate recrystallization, with a small proportion of the variability due to down-hole changes in nannofossil and foraminiferal species composition. The inferred effect of diagenesis on bulk carbonate δ26Mg correlates with down-core changes in Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca, Na/Ca, and 87Sr/86Sr. A depositional reactive-transport model is employed to validate the hypothesis that calcite recrystallization in this system can generate sizeable shifts in carbonate δ26Mg. Model fits to the data suggest a fractionation factor and a partition coefficient that are consistent with previous work, assuming calcite recrystallization rates of ⩽7%/Ma constrained by Sr geochemistry. In addition, either partial dissolution or a distinctly different previous diagenetic regime must be invoked in order to explain aspects of the elemental chemistry and 87Sr/86Sr of relatively deep sediments from Holes A and C. This study indicates that the dynamics of a given sedimentary system can significantly alter bulk carbonate geochemistry, and presents a framework for considering the potential impact of such alteration on picked archives such as foraminiferal tests and nannofossils. Ultimately, this study contributes to the development of δ26Mg as a proxy for seawater δ26Mg by quantifying the susceptibility of carbonate δ26Mg to diagenetic alteration, particularly in sediments in open marine systems. This study suggests that because of the sensitivity of carbonate δ26Mg to diagenetic recrystallization, it can, in certain systems, be used to quantify the impact of diagenesis on carbonate-based geochemical proxies.

Fidelity of the Sr/Ca proxy in recording ocean temperature in the western Atlantic coral Siderastrea siderea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuffner, Ilsa B.; Roberts, Kelsey E.; Flannery, Jennifer A.; Morrison, Jennifer M.; Richey, Julie N.

2017-01-01

Massive corals provide a useful archive of environmental variability, but careful testing of geochemical proxies in corals is necessary to validate the relationship between each proxy and environmental parameter throughout the full range of conditions experienced by the recording organisms. Here we use samples from a coral-growth study to test the hypothesis that Sr/Ca in the coral Siderastrea siderea accurately records sea-surface temperature (SST) in the subtropics (Florida, USA) along 350 km of reef tract. We test calcification rate, measured via buoyant weight, and linear extension (LE) rate, estimated with Alizarin Red-S staining, as predictors of variance in the Sr/Ca records of 39 individual S. siderea corals grown at four outer-reef locations next to in-situ temperature loggers during two, year-long periods. We found that corals with calcification rates < 1.7 mg cm-2 d-1 or < 1.7 mm yr-1 LE returned spuriously high Sr/Ca values, leading to a cold-bias in Sr/Ca-based SST estimates. The threshold-type response curves suggest that extension rate can be used as a quality-control indicator during sample and drill-path selection when using long cores for SST paleoreconstruction. For our corals that passed this quality control step, the Sr/Ca-SST proxy performed well in estimating mean annual temperature across three sites spanning 350 km of the Florida reef tract. However, there was some evidence that extreme temperature stress in 2010 (cold snap) and 2011 (SST above coral-bleaching threshold) may have caused the corals not to record the temperature extremes. Known stress events could be avoided during modern calibrations of paleoproxies.