Interactions between deep-water gravity flows and active salt tectonics

Behavior of sediment gravity flows can be influenced by seafloor topography associated with salt structures; this can modify the depositional architecture of deep-water sedimentary systems. Typically, salt-influenced deep-water successions are poorly imaged in seismic reflection data, and exhumed systems are rare, hence the detailed sedimentology and stratigraphic architecture of these systems remains poorly understood. The exhumed Triassic (Keuper) Bakio and Guernica salt bodies in the Basque–Cantabrian Basin, Spain, were active during deep-water sedimentation. The salt diapirs grew reactively, then passively, during the Aptian–Albian, and are flanked by deep-water carbonate (Aptian–earliest Albian Urgonian Group) and siliciclastic (middle Albian–Cenomanian Black Flysch Group) successions. The study compares the depositional systems in two salt-influenced minibasins, confined (Sollube basin) and partially confined (Jata basin) by actively growing salt diapirs, comparable to salt-influenced minibasins in the subsurface. The presence of a well-exposed halokinetic sequence, with progressive rotation of bedding, beds that pinch out towards topography, soft-sediment deformation, variable paleocurrents, and intercalated debrites indicate that salt grew during deposition. Overall, the Black Flysch Group coarsens and thickens upwards in response to regional axial progradation, which is modulated by laterally derived debrites from halokinetic slopes. The variation in type and number of debrites in the Sollube and Jata basins indicates that the basins had different tectonostratigraphic histories despite their proximity. In the Sollube basin, the routing systems were confined between the two salt structures, eventually depositing amalgamated sandstones in the basin axis. Different facies and architectures are observed in the Jata basin due to partial confinement. Exposed minibasins are individualized, and facies vary both spatially and temporally in agreement with observations from subsurface salt-influenced basins. Salt-related, active topography and the degree of confinement are shown to be important modifiers of depositional systems, resulting in facies variability, remobilization of deposits, and channelization of flows. The findings are directly applicable to the exploration and development of subsurface energy reservoirs in salt basins globally, enabling better prediction of depositional architecture in areas where seismic imaging is challenging

Metarhizium brunneum Blastospore Pathogenesis in Aedes aegypti Larvae: Attack on Several Fronts Accelerates Mortality

Aedes aegypti is the vector of a wide range of diseases (e.g. yellow fever, dengue, Chikungunya and Zika) which impact on over half the world's population. Entomopathogenic fungi such as Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana have been found to be highly efficacious in killing mosquito larvae but only now are the underlying mechanisms for pathogenesis being elucidated. Recently it was shown that conidia of M. anisopliae caused stress induced mortality in Ae. aegypti larvae, a different mode of pathogenicity to that normally seen in terrestrial hosts. Blastospores constitute a different form of inoculum produced by this fungus when cultured in liquid media and although blastospores are generally considered to be more virulent than conidia no evidence has been presented to explain why. In our study, using a range of biochemical, molecular and microscopy methods, the infection process of Metarhizium brunneum (formerly M. anisopliae) ARSEF 4556 blastospores was investigated. It appears that the blastospores, unlike conidia, readily adhere to and penetrate mosquito larval cuticle. The blastospores are readily ingested by the larvae but unlike the conidia are able infect the insect through the gut and rapidly invade the haemocoel. The fact that pathogenicity related genes were upregulated in blastospores exposed to larvae prior to invasion, suggests the fungus was detecting host derived cues. Similarly, immune and defence genes were upregulated in the host prior to infection suggesting mosquitoes were also able to detect pathogen-derived cues. The hydrophilic blastospores produce copious mucilage, which probably facilitates adhesion to the host but do not appear to depend on production of Pr1, a cuticle degrading subtilisin protease, for penetration since protease inhibitors did not significantly alter blastospore virulence. The fact the blastospores have multiple routes of entry (cuticle and gut) may explain why this form of the inoculum killed Ae. aegypti larvae in a relatively short time (12-24hrs), significantly quicker than when larvae were exposed to conidia. This study shows that selecting the appropriate form of inoculum is important for efficacious control of disease vectors such as Ae. aegypti

Changing environments during the Middle-Upper Palaeolithic transition in the eastern Cantabrian Region (Spain): direct evidence from stable isotope studies on ungulate bones

Environmental change has been proposed as a factor that contributed to the extinction of the Neanderthals in Europe during MIS3. Currently, the different local environmental conditions experienced at the time when Anatomically Modern Humans (AMH) met Neanderthals are not well known. In the Western Pyrenees, particularly, in the eastern end of the Cantabrian coast of the Iberian Peninsula, extensive evidence of Neanderthal and subsequent AMH activity exists, making it an ideal area in which to explore the palaeoenvironments experienced and resources exploited by both human species during the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition. Red deer and horse were analysed using bone collagen stable isotope analysis to reconstruct environmental conditions across the transition. A shift in the ecological niche of horses after the Mousterian demonstrates a change in environment, towards more open vegetation, linked to wider climatic change. In the Mousterian, Aurignacian and Gravettian, high inter-individual nitrogen ranges were observed in both herbivores. This could indicate that these individuals were procured from areas isotopically different in nitrogen. Differences in sulphur values between sites suggest some variability in the hunting locations exploited, reflecting the human use of different parts of the landscape. An alternative and complementary explanation proposed is that there were climatic fluctuations within the time of formation of these archaeological levels, as observed in pollen, marine and ice cores.This research was funded by the European Commission through a Marie Curie Career Integration Grant (FP7- PEOPLE-2012-CIG-322112), by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (HAR2012-33956 and Ramon y Cajal-2011-00695), the University of Cantabria and Campus International to ABMA. Radiocarbon dating at ORAU was funded by MINECO-HAR2012-33956 project. J.J was supported initially by the FP7- PEOPLE-2012-CIG-322112 and later by a Marie Curie Individual Fellowship (H2020-MSCA-IF-2014-656122). Laboratory work, associated research expenses and isotopic analysis were kindly funded by the Max Planck Society to M.R

The use of potential groundwater resources from numerical models of selected hydrogeological structures near Wrocław

Przeprowadzone prace miały na celu ocenę możliwości zaopatrzenia aglomeracji Wrocławia w wodę dobrej jakości ze zbiorników wód podziemnych. Badania skoncentrowano na GZWP wydzielonych w otoczeniu miasta. Wykonane numeryczne modele potwierdziły, że zasoby zbiorników kenozoicznych są odpowiednie, by lokalizować w nich duże ujęcia, które w znaczący sposób uzupełniłyby istniejący system zaopatrzenia mieszkańców. Zasoby dyspozycyjne wód podziemnych badanych obszarów oceniono na poziomie ok. 170 tys. m3/d. Oprócz stwierdzenia znaczących zasobów GZWP 322 i formalnie nieistniejącego GZWP 321-E w optymalizacji modelowej wykazano możliwość ujęcia 15 tys. m(3)/d ze struktury bogdaszowickiej, włączonej do wschodniej części GZWP 319, na zachód od Wrocławia. Moduł odnawialności infiltracyjnej obliczono na 3,0 1/s km(2) .The aim of the research was to evaluate capability of giving furtherance to the water supply system in the Wrocław agglomeration from groundwater reservoirs. They focused on MGWBs in the vicinity of the city. Numerical model calculations prove that groundwater resources of Cenozoic structures are appropriate for localising large intakes to significantly support the Wrocław water supply system. Disposal groundwater resources in the study areas were evaluated at -170 000 m3/d. Apart from indicating the groundwater resources in the MGWB 322 and the formally cancelled MG WB 321 -E, it was also shown the possibility of extraction of 15 000 m(3)/d from the Bogdaszowice structure included in the MGWB 319. Recharge from infiltration was evaluated at 3.0 1/s km(2)

Protection of balneology resources and planning of land use as exemplified by peat of Kołobrzeg

This article presents results of analysis and findings incorporated in „Contextual analysis of the economic development of Kolobrzeg” allowing for a variety of economic activity and investments in the mining area of Mirocice, with the consideration of their potential impact on water in peatlands. The analysis incorporates description of the natural resources, exisiting and planned development of these resources and areas within its vicinity, as well as potential impact from exisiting facilities and current plans for development. The facilities have been assigned three possible levels of risk to water in peatlands: potentially high, potentially low and no risk. The areas dedicated to storage and production functions pose a potnetially high level of risk. Aside from their direct impact, they will also indirectly dirve higtened traffic by heavy trucks as well as heavy loads carried by rail. The areas dedicated to mulifamily living units, especially when accompanied by well designed infrastructure and not too densly populated, pose a potentially low level of risk. The green areas, excluded from other urban or economic development, pose no risk to water in peatlands. The current state of research around water in peatlands and its surrounding areas is insufficient. Appropriate preservation of water in peatlands necessaitates interedsciplinary research and regular monitoring which will outline the current state of the peatlands’ resources, point out actual risks and provide direction for preservation of these natural resources. Finally, this work also highlights social conflicts that emerged during our research

Processes involved in the formation of soft sediment deformations related to tidal bore passage.

International audienc

Sedimentary and structural record of the Albian growth of the Bakio salt diapir (the Basque Country, northern Spain)

However salt has a viscous rheology, overburden rocks adjacent to salt diapirs have a brittle rheology. Evidence of deformation within the overburden has been described from diapirs worldwide. Gravity-driven deposits are also present along the flanks of several diapirs. The well-known example from the La Popa Basin in northern Mexico shows that such deposits may be organized into halokinetic sequences. This leads to several questions: (i) How does diapir growth contribute to overburden deformation? (ii) Are halokinetic sequence models valid for other areas beyond the La Popa Basin. The Bakio diapir and its well-exposed overburden in Basque Country, Spain provides key elements to address these questions. The Bakio diapir consists of Triassic red clays and gypsum and is flanked by synkinematic middle to upper Albian units that thin towards the diapir. The elongate diapir parallels the Gaztelugatxe normal fault to the NE: both strike NE-SW and probably formed together during the middle Albian, as synkinematic units onlap the fault scarp. The diapir is interpreted as a reactive diapir in response to middle Albian motion on the Gaztelugatxe fault. The rate of salt rise is estimated to be about 500mMyr(-1) during this passive stage. During Late Albian, the diapir evolved passively as the Gaztelugatxe fault became inactive. Synkinematic units thinning towards the diapir, major unconformities, slumps and other gravity-driven deposits demonstrate that most deformation related to diapir growth occurred at the sea floor. Halokinetic sequences composed of alternating breccias and fine-grained turbidites recorded cyclic episodes of diapir flank destabilization. This work provides insights into drape fold and halokinetic sequence models and offers a new simple method for estimating rates of diapir growth. This method may be useful for outcrop studies where biostratigraphical data are available and for other passive diapirs worldwide