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The prevailing tectonic setting in the Gulf California suggests the presence of an undetermined number of short spreading centres with associated hydrothermal systems. However, to date, active seafloor spreading phenomena have been documented in only three of the eight tectonically active basins. Here we report heat flow values as high as 15,436 mW m−2 in two of the northernmost basins of the Gulf of California, providing evidence of intense hydrothermal activity associated with the transition from continental rifting to seafloor spreading. The mean heat flow for the Wagner and Consag basins area is 1,875 mW m−2, more than 15 times higher than the mean value for oceanic crust (105.4 mW m−2). Additional evidence for vigorous hydrothermal circulation and a shallow heat source includes intense gas discharge (CO2 and CH4), widespread low pH (average 7.7), locally high 222Rn concentrations in the bottom water and a high extent of organic matter maturation in the sediments.

The coastal marine sediments near Santa Rosalía on the eastern coast of the Baja California Peninsula (Mexico) are heavily polluted by metals due to copper mining and smelting over the past century (up to 1984). The present study compares the accumulation of metals in the brown seaweed Padina durvillaei from the central segment of the coast of Santa Rosalía (polluted by Co, Cu, Mn and Zn) and from two segments north and south of the known "hot spot". The seaweed samples were collected in May and August 2004 and June 2005 at 13 stations located along the Santa Rosalía mining region. Heavy metal concentrations were measured by instrumental neutron activation analysis (Co and Fe) directly in dried homogenized subsamples or by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (Cd, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) after complete strong acid digestion of sub-samples. The means and standard deviations of the concentrations in dry tissues of Padina durvillaei specimens for all the studied metals and stations lie in the following sequence: Cd (3.6±1.6 mg kg −1 ) < Co (6.5±6.1 mg kg −1 ) < Pb (7.8± 6.2) < Ni (9.96±5.28 mg kg −1 ) < Cu (53±38 mg kg −1 ) < Zn (63±43 mg kg −1 ) < Mn (295±269 mg kg −1 ) < Fe (2243±2325 mg kg −1 ). This increase of the average concentrations was statistically significant. Principal Component Analysis showed that Factor 1 (36.46%) displays high positive loadings for Co, Cu, Mn and Zn, reflecting the influence of local anthropogenic pollution on the seaweed composition, while Factor 2 (26.91%) is important for Co, Fe and Ni and probably corresponds to the adsorption or accumulation of terrigenous elements of the regional origin, while Factor 3, with a high positive loading for Pb and a high negative loading for Cd, is probably controlled by local and regional anthropogenic input of Pb and episodic supply of Cd by local upwellings. The results of ANOVA for each element do not show any significant differences between the average concentrations for Cd, Fe, Ni and Pb in the seaweed of the three segments, or between the central and southern segments for Cu, Mn and Zn. Cobalt contents in the seaweed from the northern and central segments are, however, significantly different from the southern segment. This indicates that element concentrations in Padina durvillaei generally do not follow the drastic increases and gradients of Cu, Co, Mn and Zn contents detected in surface sediments. The apparent contradiction could be explained by a low geochemical mobility of these metals in the polluted sediments, composed mainly of stable residues of smelter wastes, with very low content of organic matter usually driving diagenetic mobilization of some metals into interstitial waters and then to the overlying water.

To know the environment impact on a harbor of the Santa Rosalía port on the Baja California peninsula, the concentrations of metals (Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Pb, U and Zn) in harbor sediments were determined for 13 stations and compared with their average upper Earth´s crust abundance. The mean enrichment factors, calculated using Al as a normalizer, were higher than the unity for Ag, Ba, Bi, Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, U, V and Zn. Concentrations of slightly enriched Cd in the sediments are below the effect range low (ERL) sediment quality guidelines value only at three stations. The levels of Pb in the harbor sediments at four stations (1, 6, 9 and 11) are between the ERL (46.7 mg kg(-1)) and the effect range medium (ERM) (218 mg kg(-1)), and Pb content in the rest of the sediment samples is higher than the ERM, demonstrating the high extent of the anthropogenic impact of this metal on the sedimentary environment. The total concentrations of the potentially toxic elements Cu (3,390 ± 804 mg kg(-1)) and Zn (1,916 ± 749 mg kg(-1)) very strongly exceed their ERM, showing a high possibility of toxicological danger for marine biota, living inside or entering the harbor.

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