Quadruple sulfur isotope analysis of ca. 3.5 Ga Dresser Formation: New evidence for microbial sulfate reduction in the early Archean

Multiple sulfur isotope system is a powerful new tracer for atmospheric, volcanic, and biological influences on sulfur cycles in the anoxic early Earth. Here, we report high-precision quadruple sulfur isotope analyses (³²S/³³S/³⁴S/³⁶S) of barite, pyrite in barite, and sulfides in related hydrothermal and igneous rocks occurring in the ca. 3.5 Ga Dresser Formation, Western Australia. Our results indicate that observed isotopic variations are mainly controlled by mixing of mass-dependently (MD) and non-mass-dependently fractionated (non-MD) sulfur reservoirs. Based on the quadruple sulfur isotope systematics (δ³⁴S-Δ³³S-Δ³⁶S) for these minerals, four end-member sulfur reservoirs have been recognized: (1) non-MD sulfate (δ³⁴S = −5 ± 2‰; Δ³³S = −3 ± 1‰); (2) MD sulfate (δ³⁴S = +10 ± 3‰); (3) non-MD sulfur (δ³⁴S > +6‰; Δ³³S > +4‰); and (4) igneous MD sulfur (δ³⁴S = Δ³³S = 0‰). The first and third components show a clear non-MD signatures, thus probably represent sulfate and sulfur aerosol inputs. The MD sulfate component (2) is enriched in ³⁴S (+10 ± 3‰) and may have originated from microbial and/or abiotic disproportionation of volcanic S or SO₂. Our results reconfirm that the Dresser barites contain small amounts of pyrite depleted in ³⁴S by 15-22‰ relative to the host barite. These barite-pyrite pairs exhibit a mass-dependent relationship of δ³³S/δ³⁴S with slope less than 0.512, which is consistent with that expected for microbial sulfate reduction and is significantly different from that of equilibrium fractionation (0.515). The barite-pyrite pairs also show up to 1‰ difference in Δ³⁶S values and steep Δ³⁶S/Δ³³S slopes, which deviate from the main Archean array (Δ³⁶S/Δ³³S = −0.9) and are comparable to isotope effects exhibited by sulfate reducing microbes (Δ³⁶S/Δ³³S = −5 to −11). These new lines of evidence support the existence of sulfate reducers at ca. 3.5 Ga, whereas microbial sulfur disproportionation may have been more limited than recently suggested.     

Relation between mean and variance in catch numbers of fish egg and larva

In each of six areas with various horizontal scale from 0.4 to 15.6 nautical miles, many surveys with vertical net hauls are made for sampling fish eggs and larvae. Though values ofC _A are widely spread in each area, the variances ² and the meanm of catch numbers calculated from each survey follow approximately the relation from a Poisson mixture model (PMM).

Determination of Sr/Sr mass-dependent isotopic fractionation and radiogenic isotope variation of Sr/Sr in the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation

We measured both mass-dependent isotope fractionation of δ⁸⁸Sr (⁸⁸Sr/⁸⁶Sr) and radiogenic isotopic variation of Sr (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) for the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation that deposited as a cap carbonate immediately above the Marinoan-related Nantuo Tillite. The δ⁸⁸Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr compositions showed three remarkable characteristics: (1) high radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values and gradual decrease in the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, (2) anomalously low δ⁸⁸Sr values at the lower part cap carbonate, and (3) a clear correlation between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ⁸⁸Sr values. These isotopic signatures can be explained by assuming an extreme greenhouse condition after the Marinoan glaciation. Surface seawater, mixed with a large amount of freshwater from continental crusts with high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and lighter δ⁸⁸Sr ratios, was formed during the extreme global warming after the glacial event. High atmospheric CO₂ content caused sudden precipitation of cap carbonate from the surface seawater with high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and lighter δ⁸⁸Sr ratios. Subsequently, the mixing of the underlying seawater, with unradiogenic Sr isotope compositions and normal δ⁸⁸Sr ratios, probably caused gradual decrease of the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the seawater and deposition of carbonate with normal δ⁸⁸Sr ratios. The combination of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ⁸⁸Sr isotope systematics gives us new insights on the surface evolution after the Snowball Earth.     

两个相连湖泊的微生态系统——云南高原湖泊中浅水的星云湖和深水的抚仙湖研究

抚仙湖是中国云南省的一个深水湖，连接着富营养化的浅水湖－－星云湖，星云湖排放含绿藻的水进入抚仙湖。两湖位于省会昆明附近，由于地方文化、集约化农业、以及旅游业的发展，两湖已经富营养化。因为湖泊体积容量的级别差异，深水湖的富营养化几乎没被注意，抚仙湖秋季下层滞水带缺氧已经关注了20年，似乎下层滞水带是深水湖富营养化的指标或趋势。抚仙湖看起来目前情况尚好，可以说寡营养，然而，外界负荷是潜在的，且是以稳定的加速度进行的。在此对浅水湖富营养化的原因进行了讨论，包括在其它云南湖泊观察到富营养化的过程，再者，对两个连相湖的藻和蓝藻碎片的大小构成进行比照。为了与深水的抚仙湖状况进行比较，简略介绍了一个日本的深湖及其径流系统。其中，涡流和它的微生态系统，在两者中相关性很好。对于以涡流生态系统的见解判断微生态系统的深水湖富营养化问题将给予概括。     

Carbon isotopes and petrography of kerogens in ∼3.5-Ga hydrothermal silica dikes in the North Pole area, Western Australia

More than 600 specimens of ∼3.5 Ga-old hydrothermal silica dikes from the North Pole area, Pilbara craton, Western Australia, have been studied petrographically. The kerogens in 44 samples have been analyzed isotopically (C and N) and chemically (C, N, and H). The silica dikes are composed mainly of fine-grained silica (modal abundance: >97%) and are classified into two types by minor mineral assemblages: B(black)-type and G(gray)-type. The B-type silica dikes contain kerogen (0.37 to 6.72 mgC/g; average 2.44 mgC/g, n = 21) and disseminated sulfides, dominantly pyrite and Fe-poor sphalerite. In some cases, carbonate and apatite are also present. Their silica-dominated and sulfide-poor mineral assemblages suggest precipitation from low-temperature reducing hydrothermal fluid (likely 100-200°C). On the other hand, the G-type silica dikes are sulfide-free and concentrations of kerogen are relatively low (0.05 to 0.41 mgC/g; average 0.17 mgC/g, n = 13). They typically contain Fe-oxide (mainly hematite) which commonly replaces cubic pyrite and rhombic carbonate. Some G-types occur along secondary quartz veins. These textures indicate that the G-type silica dikes were formed by postdepositional metasomatism (oxidation) of the B-types, and that the B-types probably possess premetasomatic signatures. The δ¹³C values of kerogen in the B-types are −38.1 to −33.1‰ (average −35.9‰, n = 21), which are ∼4‰ lower than those of the G-types (−34.5 to −30.0‰; average −32.2‰, n = 19), and ∼6‰ lower than bedded chert (−31.2 to −29.4‰; average −30.5‰, n = 4). This indicates the preferential loss of ¹²C during the metasomatism (estimated fractionation factor: 0.9985). Considering the metasomatic effect on carbon isotopes with probably minor diagenetic and metamorphic overprints, we conclude that the original δ¹³C values of the kerogen in the silica dikes would have been heterogeneous (∼5‰) and at least some material had initial δ¹³C values of ≤ −38‰. The inferred ¹³C-depletions of organic carbon could have been produced by anaerobic chemoautotrophs such as methanogen, but not by aerobic photoautotrophs. This is consistent with the estimated physical and chemical condition of the hydrothermal fluid, which was probably habitable for anaerobic and thermophilic/hyperthermophilic chemoautotrophs. Alternatively, the organic matter may have been possibly produced by abiological reaction such as Fischer-Tropsch Type (FTT) synthesis under the hydrothermal condition. However, the estimated condition is inconsistent with the presence of the effective catalysts for the FTT reaction (i.e., Fe-Ni alloy, magnetite, and hematite). These lines of evidence suggest the possible existence of biosphere in the ∼3.5 Ga sub-seafloor hydrothermal system.     

Transformation of arsenic compounds in modern intertidal sediments of Iriomote Island, Japan

The arsenic accumulation process in intertidal sediments of Iriomote Island, Japan, is analyzed as a naturally balanced arsenic-fixation system. Major and minor element chemistry is analyzed by X-ray fluorescence photometry, mineralogy is investigated by X-ray diffractometry, and four arsenic compounds are characterized by hydrogen-generated atomic absorption photometry. It is found that arsenic is accumulated by iron hydroxides/oxides precipitated following the decomposition of humic acids in the shallower sediment, and is subsequently incorporated into iron sulfide minerals at depth. The arsenic is immobile during incorporation into arsenic-bearing phases, suggesting that arsenic is unlikely to be released into the porewater under natural conditions in early diagenesis. The formation and decomposition of arsenic-bearing organic compounds appear to be associated with the formation and decomposition of arsenic in oxyhydroxides/oxides, suggesting that microbial activity may play an important role in controlling the behavior of arsenic and arsenic-bearing phases in the sediment column.     

A study on the impact of asymmetric components around tropical cyclone center on the accuracy of bogus data and the track forecast

Summary The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has used a tropical cyclone bogus insertion procedure to produce correctlypositioned, cyclone-like vortices within the initial analyses and to track the vortices throughout the model forecasts. The TC bogus soundings are constructed from a standard axisymmetric vortices for well developed tropical cyclones based on a few manually-analyzed parameters such as storm position, central pressure and radius of gale force wind. Mainly because of such an axi-symmetric property of JMA TC bogus data, which is likely to remove the steering flow from the central core region of TC, all the JMA models have a noticeable slow-start bias error and also northward drifting blas error in TC movement. In order to investigate the impact of asymmetric wind components on the TC track forecast, an experimental analysis-forecast cycle is conducted using the JMA global spectral model, in which asymmetric components extracted from the first guess fields are added to the axisymmetric TC bogus. It is found from the experiment that both the slow-start bias error and northward bias error can be reduced by introducing the asymmetric components into the TC bogus. Besides the impact study, a statistical verification study of the bogus data was also made against real data such as sonde data and superiority of the preparation method of asymmetric components was proved.With 9 Figures     

Are C1 chondrites chemically fractionated? a trace element study

Six C1 chondrite samples and a C2 xenolith from the Plainview H5 chondrite were analyzed by radiochemical neutron activation for the elements Ag, Au, Bi, Br, Cd, Ce, Cs, Eu, Ge, In, Ir, Lu, Nd, Ni, Os, Pd, Pt, Rb, Re, Sb, Se, Sn, Tb, Te, Tl, Yb, and Zn. The data were combined with 9 earlier analyses from this laboratory and examined for evidence of chemical fractionation in C1 chondrites.A number of elements (Br, Rb, Cs, Au, Re, Os, Ni, Pd, Sb, Bi, In, Te) show small but correlated variations. Those of the first 8 probably reflect hydrothermal alteration in the meteorite parent body, whereas those of Sb, Bi, In, and Te may at least in part involve nebular processes. Br and Au show systematic abundance differences from meteorite to meteorite, which suggests hydrothermal transport on a kilometer scale. The remaining elements vary from sample to sample, suggesting transport on a centimeter scale.There is no conclusive evidence for nebular fractionation affecting C1 's. Though C1 chondrites have lower $\text{Zr}\text{Hf}$ and $\text{Ir}\text{Re}$ ratios than do other chondrite classes, these ratios vary in other classes, suggesting that those classes rather than C1's are fractionated. Three fractionation-prone REE—Ce, Eu, and Yb have essentially the same relative abundances in C1's and all other chondrite classes, and hence apparently are not fractionated in C1's. We did not confirm the large Tb and Yb variations in C1's reported by other workers.We present revised mean C1 abundances for 35 elements, based on the new data and a critical selection of literature data. Changes are generally less than 10%, except for Br, Rb, Ag, Sb, Te, Au, and the REE.The Plainview C2 xenolith has normal trace element abundances, except for 3 elements falling appreciably above the C2 range: Rb, Cs, and Bi. Hydrothermal alteration may be the reason for all 3, though nebular fractionation remains a possibility for Bi.