Shelf-Ocean material exchange influencing the Atlantic chemical composition off NW Iberian margin since the last glaciation

Rivers are the main conduit of sediment to the shelf. The basin geology, the drainage area and the discharge rate are the major factors that determine their sediment load (Milliman and Syvistski, 1992). Besides suspended particles, dissolved components may also give some information on the eroded crust. Sr isotopes in carbonate shells of biological organisms have been used to study, in the geological record, the influence exerted by the chemical weathering of the continental crust on the seawater composition (Macdougall, 1991). In this work, Sr isotope ratios obtained in tests of foraminifera representing the last 40 ka are presented and discussed in the scope of the palaeogeographical evolution of NW Iberia. This work aims to present and discuss the results of Sr isotope analyses (performed, by TIMS, in the Isotope Geology Laboratory of the University of Aveiro) of tests of two species of foraminifera, from nine samples taken along the OMEX core KC 024-19 (181 cm; 42°08’98’’N, 10°29´96’’W, and 2765m), collected in the Galicia Bank area, off Galicia. Taking into account that Sr contained in the carbonate tests is usually considered as preserving the signature of the contemporaneous seawater, one planktonic species (Globigerina bulloides) and one benthic species (Cibicides wuellerstorfi) were selected in order to try to detect Sr isotope variations both through time and between two different levels of the water column. The core age model, which records the last 40 ka, is based on a combination of oxygen isotope stratigraphy, eight AMS 14C datings and the synchronisation of the last four Heinrich Events in the Iberian Margin sedimentary records. As a whole, the obtained 87Sr/86Sr ratios vary between 0.709209 and 0.709108, with a mean 2σ error of 0.000025. These values lie within the range of modern marine Sr isotope ratios (0.70910-0.70922), as previously defined using analyses of both seawater and marine carbonates (see compilation by Faure and Mensing, 2005). Despite their small variation, the 87Sr/86Sr ratios obtained in G. bulloides seem to indicate that Sr dissolved in seawater at the KC 024-19 core site became slightly less radiogenic after the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). This decrease is concomitant with diminishing amounts of the detrital components in the sediments (Fig. 1). Therefore, both the composition of dissolved Sr, as revealed by results on tests of planktonic foraminifera, and the proportions of suspended terrigenous particulate material arriving at the KC 024-19 site point to a decreasing importance of the contribution of the erosion of the Iberian Variscan crust since the Last Glacial Maximum and in the Holocene. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios measured in tests of benthic foraminifera (C. wuellerstorfi) are more erratic and no correlation can be established with palaeogeographical/palaeoclimatic constraints. The difference between the behaviour of Sr compositions in G. bulloides and C. wuellerstorfi may indicate that whilst the planktonic foraminifera should reproduce very closely the seawater composition, the benthic organisms should, in addition to the major role of seawater, also be affected by some sort of interaction with the sediments. As such, planktonic foraminifera are probably more reliable indicators of seawater composition in studies involving very small periods and corresponding very slight variations of the 87Sr/86Sr ratios. Taking into account that G. bulloides is a common planktonic species (living mostly in the first 50m of the water column), whose tests seem to be in equilibrium with sea water composition, variations in its 87Sr/86Sr ratios can be related with changes in the chemical composition of the water of the Atlantic Ocean off NW Iberian Margin. The highest 87Sr/86Sr values are contemporaneous with a period of low sea level (about -140 m; Dias et al., 2000) during the LGM. According to Dias et al. (2000) at 18 ka BP the shoreline was close to the shelf break. The summital parts of the Gerês and Estrela mountains were covered by local glaciers and close to the coast freezing occurred frequently. The river catchments, which extended far to the shelf, received more rainfall due to a longer, compared to present day conditions, wet season, which promoted both physical and chemical weathering. Higher pluviosity combined with the effect of spring ice melting maintained high river discharge and consequently caused very important sediment supply to the coastal zone. The extremely narrow shelf was a very energetic environment due to sea bottom inclination and very limited long wave refraction. Therefore, at that time, a long wet season and very competent rivers should have caused important erosion of the Variscan basement in NW Iberia. Additionally, then, the shoreline was much closer to the KC 024-19 site. The combination of all these factors favoured an important deposition of terrigenous sediments and the local slight enrichment in radiogenic Sr of the seawater. With sea level rise, after the deglaciation and during the Holocene, the river estuaries became progressively far away from the shelf break. Their competence of transport also became progressively reduced and the offshore transport of detrital sediments became progressively lower. Conversely the biogenic carbonate proportion in the sediments increased, due to lower dilution by the terrigenous particles. Simultaneously, the values of 87Sr/86Sr in the seawater at the KC 024-19 site became lower, as a consequence of a complete homogenization with the ocean global composition, which was now more effective with the increasing distance towards shoreline

Polarisation measurements with a CdTe pixel array detector for Laue hard X-ray focusing telescopes

Polarimetry is an area of high energy astrophysics which is still relatively unexplored, even though it is recognized that this type of measurement could drastically increase our knowledge of the physics and geometry of high energy sources. For this reason, in the context of the design of a Gamma-Ray Imager based on new hard-X and soft gamma ray focusing optics for the next ESA Cosmic Vision call for proposals (Cosmic Vision 2015-2025), it is important that this capability should be implemented in the principal on-board instrumentation. For the particular case of wide band-pass Laue optics we propose a focal plane based on a thick pixelated CdTe detector operating with high efficiency between 60-600 keV. The high segmentation of this type of detector (1-2 mm pixel size) and the good energy resolution (a few keV FWHM at 500 keV) will allow high sensitivity polarisation measurements (a few % for a 10 mCrab source in 106s) to be performed. We have evaluated the modulation Q factors and minimum detectable polarisation through the use of Monte Carlo simulations (based on the GEANT 4 toolkit) for on and off-axis sources with power law emission spectra using the point spread function of a Laue lens in a feasible configuration.Comment: 10 pages, 6 pages. Accepted for publication in Experimental Astronom

The Levi-Civita spacetime

We consider two exact solutions of Einstein's field equations corresponding to a cylinder of dust with net zero angular momentum. In one of the cases, the dust distribution is homogeneous, whereas in the other, the angular velocity of dust particles is constant [1]. For both solutions we studied the junction conditions to the exterior static vacuum Levi-Civita spacetime. From this study we find an upper limit for the energy density per unit length $\sigma$ of the source equal ${1\over 2}$ for the first case and ${1\over 4}$ for the second one. Thus the homogeneous cluster provides another example [2] where the range of $\sigma$ is extended beyond the limit value ${1\over 4}$ previously found in the literature [3,4]. Using the Cartan Scalars technics we show that the Levi-Civita spacetime gets an extra symmetry for $\sigma={1\over 2}$ or ${1\over 4}$. We also find that the cluster of homogeneous dust has a superior limit for its radius, depending on the constant volumetric energy density $\rho_0$

Lorentz-violating effects in the Bose-Einstein condensation of an ideal bosonic gas

We have studied the effects of Lorentz-violation in the Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) of an ideal boson gas, by assessing both the nonrelativistic and ultrarelativistic limits. Our model describes a massive complex scalar field coupled to a CPT-even and Lorentz-violating background. We irst analyze the nonrelativistic case, at this level by using experimental data, we obtain upper-bounds for some LIV parameters. In the sequel, we have constructed the partition function for the relativistic ideal boson gas which to be able of a consistent description requires the imposition of severe restrictions on some LIV coefficients. In both cases, we have demonstrated that the LIV contributions are contained in an overall factor, which multiplies almost all thermodynamical properties. An exception is the fraction of the condensed particles.Comment: 7 pages Latex2e. To be published in Modern Physics Letters

Potencial de terras para irrigação na Bacia do Tucano-BA.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar o potencial de terras para irrigação numa área de aproximadamente 26.162 km2 na Bacia do Tucano, Estado da Bahia. A base das interpretações foi o levantamento de solos realizado pela Embrapa na escala de 1:1.000.000. A metodologia utilizada foi a do Bureau of Reclamation (BUREC) com simplificações. As terras consideradas irrigáveis foram enquadradas nas classes 2 e 3. As da classe 2 ocupam 641,39 km2, isto é, cerca de 2,46 % da área total. Nesta classe são encontrados principalmente Cambissolos e Vertissolos. As terras da classe 3 ocupam 9.180,97 km2, cerca de 35,08 % da área total. Estão representadas principalmente por Latossolos e Argissolos. A maior parte das terras são consideradas não irrigáveis (classe 6) e ocupam 16.339,91 km2, cerca de 62,46 % da área total

Transferência de tecnologias agropecuárias: fator de competitividade na microrregião de Petrolina-PE.

Este artigo identifica os principais mecanismos de transferência de tecnologias, conhecimentos e inovações agropecuárias geradas e/ou adaptadas pela Embrapa Semi-Árido, na microrregião de Petrolina, para cadeia produtiva da fruticultura irrigada, na perspectiva empresarial e da agricultura familiar. No plano metodológico, utiliza o modelo de triângulo de Sábato que prioriza essas transferências como resultado da articulação cooperativa entre empresários / produtores, governo e centros de pesquisa. Identifica os arranjos institucionais elegidos pela Embrapa para proceder essa atividade dentro da fruticultura irrigada das empresas e da agricultura famniliar. Finaliza mostrando a diferenciação de modelos institucionais de transferência e as práticas que são adotadas para esses dois segmentos desse agronegócio.1 CD-ROM

Desenvolvimento de Cryptolaemus montrouzieri (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) alimentado com ovos de Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae).

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desenvolvimento de C. montrouzieri criado em uma dieta composta apenas por ovos de C. capitata para possibilitar um método de criação desta joaninha com baixo custo, de modo a obter este inimigo natural em quantidades suficientes para utilização em programas de manejo integrado de pragas