Academic literature on the topic 'Estaurite'

The GREAT-ER (Geo-referenced Regional Exposure Assessment Tool for European Rivers) project team has developed and validated an accurate aquatic chemical exposure prediction tool for use within environmental risk assessment schemes. The software system GREAT-ER 1.0 calculates the distribution of predicted environmental concentrations (PECs) of consumer chemicals in surface waters, for individual river stretches as well as for entire catchments. The system uses an ARC/INFO – ArcView (® ESRI) based Geographical Information System (GIS) for data storage and visualization, combined with simple mathematical models for prediction of chemical fate. At present, the system contains information for four catchments in Yorkshire, one catchment in Italy, and two in Germany, while other river basins are being added. Great-ER 1.0 has been validated by comparing simulations with the results of an extensive monitoring campaign for two ‘down-the-drain’ chemicals, i.e. the detergent ingredients boron and Linear Alkylbenzene Sulphonate (LAS). GREAT-ER 1.0 is currently being expanded with models for the terrestrial (diffuse input), air and estaurine compartments.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
A região de Itutinga foi alvo de estudos prospectivos por parte da empresa BP mineração na década de 80, onde foram encontradas mineralizações em lentes de sulfetos metálicos (Zn-Cu-Ag-Fe) associados a rochas komatiíticas peridotíticas e basaltos toleíticos (anfibolitos) do greenstone belts, nas proximidades da fazenda São Jerônimo, enquadrando-se em um depósito do tipo VMS. A partir destas informações encontradas na literatura propôs-se estudar a estaurolita, a magnetita e a ilmenita para, a partir da determinação do seu conteúdo em zinco, indicar a aplicabilidade destes três minerais como traçadores desses tipos de depósitos. Para isso foram coletadas amostras de sedimentos de corrente e concentrados de batéia na região próxima à ocorrência, no entorno da cidade de Itutinga, e também em uma região próxima a cidade de Itumirim, já que existem semelhanças litológicas entre as duas áreas. Os sedimentos de corrente, as frações magnéticas e as frações de 0,3A (separador eletromagnético Frantz) foram enviados para análises químicas por absorção atômica e ICP-OES. Os concentrados de batéia foram descritos, separando-se cristais de estaurolita de cada amostra coletada, e analisando-os em MEV-EDS para determinação da química mineral. Os resultados dos sedimentos de corrente apontaram que os pontos da fazenda São Jerônimo (ME-03, Itutinga 51,7 ppm de Zn) e o ponto do Ribeirão Santa Cruz, (ME-06, Itumirim 36,1 ppm de Zn) foram os que apresentaram melhores resultados, indicando anomalias em zinco nas duas áreas estudadas . As estaurolitas, retiradas dos concentrados de batéia de cada ponto estudado, foram divididas em três conjuntos, de acordo com os teores de ZnO encontrados: 1 - entre 2,96% e 3,25% de ZnO em peso; 2 - entre 2,03% e 2,76% de ZnO em peso; 3 - < 1,67% de ZnO em peso, sendo comparável com outras estaurolitas encontradas em diversos depósitos de Zn do mundo, como Dry River, Austrália e Palmeirópolis Goiás. Assim, as estaurolitas apresentam bons resultados como minerais indicadores na área estudada. Em relação as magnetitas e ilmenitas estudadas, o número de amostras coletadas no presente estudo foram muito pequenas para se ter informações conclusivas sobre o papel destes minerais como traçadores. Por outro lado, os resultados das análises químicas nos concentrados de ilmenita (até 856 ppm de Zn) e nos concentrados de magnetita (até 216 ppm de Zn), indicam a disponibilidade deste metal nas áreas estudadas. Assim, é possível se detectar a presença do zinco por dois meios: através de sedimentos de corrente, através de halos de dispersão química do elemento zinco, e através dos minerais resistatos (estaurolita zincífera, magnetita e ilmenita), a partir de uma dispersão clástica do grão.
The Itutinga region was studied for BP mineration in 80s , where they found sulphide mineralization in lenses (Zn-Cu-Ag-Fe) associated with komatiitic peridotite rocks and tholeitic basalts (amphibolites) of greenstone belts, near of Fazenda São Jerônimo. With this information in the literature the propose is study the staurolite, magnetite and ilmenite for indicating the applicability of these three minerals as tracers of these types of mineralization. For this, samples of stream sediment and panning concentrates in the region near the city of Itutinga, and also in a region near the city of Itumirim. The stream current, magnetic fractions and ilmenite fractions were sent to chemistry analyses (Atomic absorption and ICP-OES), and the panning concentrates were analyzed for the separating of staurolite crystals, and sent to SEM-EDS. The stream sediments results showed that the point of Fazenda São Jerônimo (ME-03, Itutinga 51,7 ppm of Zn) and the point of Ribeirão Santa Cruz (ME-06, Itumirim 36,1 ppm of Zn) were presented the best result. The staurolite of panning concentrates were divided into three groups according to levels of ZnO matched: 1 - between 2.96% and 3.25% by weight of ZnO, 2 - from 2, 03% and 2.76% by weight of ZnO, 3 - <1.67% ZnO by weight, comparable with other staurolite found in many zinc deposits in the world, such as Dry River, Australia and Palmeirópolis Goiás. Thus, the staurolite show good results as indicator minerals in the area. With respect to magnetite and ilmenite concentrates, the number of samples collected in both areas was too small to have conclusive information. On the other hand, the results of the chemical ilmenite (up to 856 ppm Zn) and magnetite (up to 216 ppm Zn), indicate the availability of this metal in the areas studied. Thus, it is possible to detect the presence of zinc by two means: through stream sediments through chemical dispersion halos of zinc, minerals and through resistive minerals (zincian staurolite, magnetite and ilmenite), from a crystal clastic dispersion.

The principal objective of this thesis was to gain an understanding of the movement patterns of spotted grunter Pomadasys commersonnii, an estuarine-dependent fishery species, in the turbid, freshwater dominated Great Fish Estuary. Both manual and automated telemetry methods were used to monitor the movements of spotted grunter during two separate studies conducted in summer and spring 2003 and 2004. Acoustic transmitters were surgically implanted into twenty spotted grunter with lengths between 263 and 387 mm TL in the first study and twenty spotted grunter ranging between 362 and 698 mm TL in the second study. The specific objectives were to gain an understanding of (i) the time spent in the estuarine environment (ii) the space use and home range size, and (iii) the abiotic factors governing the movement patterns of spotted grunter in the estuary. The nursery function of estuarine environments was highlighted in this study as adolescent spotted grunter spent a significantly larger proportion of their time in the estuary than adult fish (p < 0.0001; R² = 0.62). The increased frequency of sea trips, with the onset of sexual maturity, provided testimony of the end of the estuarinedependent phase of their life-cycle. Although considered to be predominantly marine, the adult spotted grunter in the Great Fish Estuary utilised the estuary for considerable periods. Adults are thought to frequent estuaries to forage, seek shelter and to possibly rid themselves of parasites. During this study, the number of sea trips made by tagged fish ranged from 0 to 53, and the duration ranged from 6 hours to 28 days. The tidal phase and time of day had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on the sea trips undertaken by fish. Most tagged spotted grunter left the estuary during the night (84%) on the outgoing tide, and most returned in the evening (77%) during the incoming tide. Sea temperature (p < 0.0001; R² = 0.34), barometric pressure (p = 0.004; R² = 0.19) and wind (p = 0.01) had a significant effect on the number of spotted grunter recorded in the estuary. Spotted grunter were more prone to return to the estuary after high barometric pressure, when low sea temperatures (upwelling events) prevailed. There was a significant positive relationship between home range size and fish length (p = 0.004; R² = 0.20). Small spotted grunter (< 450 mm TL) appeared to be highly resident, with a small home range (mean size = 129 167 m²), that was generally confined to a single core area. Larger individuals (> 450 mm TL) occupied larger home ranges (mean size = 218 435 m²) with numerous core areas. The home ranges of small and large spotted grunter overlapped considerably yielding evidence of two high use areas, situated 1.2 km and 7 km from the mouth of the Great Fish Estuary. Tagged spotted grunter were located in a wide range of salinity, turbidity and temperature, but were found to avoid temperatures below 16 ºC. The daily change in environmental variables (salinity, temperature and turbidity) had a significant effect on the change in fish position in the estuary (p < 0.0001; R² = 0.38). The distribution of tagged spotted grunter, particularly the larger individuals, in the Great Fish Estuary was influenced by the tidal phase (p < 0.05); they moved upriver on the incoming tide and downriver on the outgoing tide. This study provides an understanding of the movement patterns of spotted grunter in the estuary and between the estuarine and marine environments. Consequently, it provides information that will assist in the design of a management plan to promote sustainability of this important fishery species. The techniques used and developed in this study also have direct application for further studies on other important estuarinedependent fishery species.

Ecosystem services are benefits humans receive as a function of natural processes. Many current studies seek to express these benefits as an economic value per unit of habitat type without quantifying the ecological functions that allow for the provision of ecosystem services. This study is designed to model each habitat type in an effort to explicitly link the major estuarine habitat types of Mustang Island (oyster reefs, seagrass meadows, and intertidal salt marsh) to their contribution to Nitrogen cycling services. First, a dynamic biomass model of each foundational species was created using Simile, a declarative modeling framework. Second, a monthly snapshot of Nitrogen captured in living biomass was used to quantify the contribution of each species to the Nitrogen cycling services. Finally, the amount of Nitrogen captured in living biomass was valued using a replacement cost approach. An effort was also made to link the provision of recreational fishing services provided by each aforementioned habitat type by partitioning travel costs and license sales weighted by the density of fish found in each habitat type. It was found that oyster reefs of Mustang Island contribute $173,000 yr^-1, seagrass meadows contribute $12,054,095 yr^-1, and intertidal salt marshes contribute $5,242,755 yr^-1 in potential Nitrogen cycling services. The total value of recreational fishing services within the study site was calculated to be $83.8 million dollars yr^-1. A portion of the total value was then attributed to each habitat type: Marsh edge: $2 million; Seagrass meadows: $81 million; and Oyster: $81,000 thousand. These efforts have been made to translate ecological function into economic benefit to improve communication among a wide variety of stakeholders that are more likely to understand economic value. Further refinement of both the models and the economic data necessary to support them, will have the potential to improve the applicability and results of these tools. These results, and the modeling framework through which they are calculated, provide a platform to evaluate management relevant scenarios in a simple, flexible manner that may be adjusted and transferred to other study sites given appropriate local data.