The use of GPR for characterizing underground weathered profiles in the sub-humid tropics

Ground penetrating radar (GPR) has been used as a tool to access information about ground subsurface features. Such information is very important for different types of studies, varying from those related to archeological research to those studying geological elements of bedrock. More recently, however, GPR has been increasingly applied to environmental studies, especially for soil research. This paper presents the results of an application of GPR for the study of weathered profiles. GPR was used to discover the degree of trustworthiness of the information on the ground subsurface through the interpretation of the results of the radar sections as well as the data collected from boreholes, which reached until 21 m. The results show a relatively high degree of details obtained by GPR, indicating the possibility of speeding up ground subsurface surveys related to geomorphological, geological, and pedological studies.     

Heavy Metal Contents in Soft-Bottom Marine Macrophytes and Sediments Along the Mediterranean Coast of Spain

Abstract. Hg, Cd, Pb and Zn concentrations were determined in sediment and in tissues of five species of soft-bottom marine macrophytes ( Posidonia oceanica, Cymodocea nodosa, Zostera noltii, Ruppia cirrhosa and Caulerpa prolifera ) along the Spanish Mediterranean coast. Levels of metals were low in most of the sampling stations and similar to those found by other authors in uncontaminated zones. Certain locations, however, showed some degree of contamination (Cambrils, Almassora, Alacant, Mar Menor and El Portús). In Santa Pola we found high contents of metals in one sample of sediment due to the high proportion of the fine fraction (particules < 63µm) and organic matter, but not in the seagrass species. Mercury and zinc concentrations in the sediment are correlated to those in at least some anatomic fractions of Posidonia oceanica, Cymodocea nodosa and Caulerpa prolifera , suggesting that these species reflect the levels of these metals in the environment. Lead contents in the alga Caulerpa prolifera are also correlated to those in the sediment, while no significant correlations were obtained for cadmium. Among the species studied, Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa seem to be better biomonitors than Caulerpa prolifera .     

Pic 2005, a field campaign to investigate low-tropospheric ozone variability in the Pyrenees

The Pic 2005 field campaign took place from 13 June to 7 July 2005 close to the high-altitude permanent atmospheric observatory Pic-du-Midi (PDM), situated at 2875 m asl in the French Pyrenees. The experimental set-up combined in situ ground-based observations at PDM with ozone lidar measurements at two lower sites in close vicinity (600 m asl/28 km away, and 2380 m asl/500 m away). Such an experimental configuration is appropriate to address the question of the vertical layering of the chemical atmosphere in a mountain area and above the plain nearby, and how this influences measurements conducted on a mountain summit under the influence of horizontal transport at regional scale, and vertical transport at local scale. Forecast tools made it possible to plan and carry out 6 one-day Intensive Observation Periods (IOPs), mostly in anticyclonic conditions favoring local thermally induced circulations, with and without local pollution in the lower troposphere.It was thus possible to document i) ozone diurnal variations at PDM; ii) correlation between ozone measurements at PDM and their counterparts at the same altitude in the free troposphere; iii) ozone variability in the vicinity of PDM.The field campaign provided direct experimental evidence that at daytime in the encountered conditions (mostly anticyclonic), PDM failed in a large extent to be representative of the troposphere above the surrounding flat areas at similar altitude. First, ozone daily averages at PDM were found lower than their free-tropospheric counterpart. Thermally induced circulations and convection pumping clean air from the rural boundary layer can account qualitatively for ozone depletion observed at PDM during daytime. However the surface measurements do not support the hypothesis of direct lifting of near-surface air masses up to PDM. Thus, mixing with free-tropospheric air, photochemistry and surface deposition in the valleys appear to be needed ingredients to account quantitatively for the observed variations (in proportions that further studies should determine). Second, ozone variability was found to be much lower at PDM than in the free troposphere—again an indication of atmospheric mixing. In particular at daytime, the PDM observatory did not allow for detection of ozone-rich layers simultaneously visible above the plain. Beyond these first results, the data set presented here paves way to detailed studies of the IOPs.     

Explosion craters associated with shallow submarine gas venting off Panarea island, Italy

Explosions of hot water, steam, and gas are common periodic events of subaerial geothermal systems. These highly destructive events may cause loss of life and substantial damage to infrastructure, especially in densely populated areas and where geothermal systems are actively exploited for energy. We report on the occurrence of a large number of explosion craters associated with the offshore venting of gas and thermal waters at the volcanic island of Panarea, Italy, demonstrating that violent explosions similar to those observed on land also are common in the shallow submarine environment. With diameters ranging from 5 to over 100?m, the observed circular seafloor depressions record a history of major gas explosions caused by frequent perturbation of the submarine geothermal system over the past 10,000?years. Estimates of the total gas flux indicate that the Panarea geothermal system released over 70?Mt of CO₂ over this period of time, suggesting that CO₂ venting at submerged arc volcanoes contributes significantly to the global atmospheric budget of this greenhouse gas. The findings at Panarea highlight that shallow submarine gas explosions represent a previously unrecognized volcanic hazard around populated volcanic islands that needs to be taken into account in the development of risk management strategies.     

Phytoplankton,protozooplankton and nutrient dynamics in the Bornholm Basin (Baltic Sea) in 2002–2003 during the German GLOBEC Project

From March 2002 to until April 2003 we investigated the seasonal nutrient and phytoplankton dynamics in the central Bornholm Basin (Baltic Sea) within the framework of the German GLOBEC Project. We choose a nested approach consisting of vertical fluorescence profiles, phytoplankton counts and nutrient analyses. The Fluoroprobe (MultiProbe, BBE Moldaenke) is capable of distinguishing four algal groups (Cryptophyceae, Cyanophyceae, Chlorophyceae, Bacillariophyceae + Dinophyceae). Winter nutrient concentrations were about 5 μM NO₃ and 0.5 μM PO₄ in the central Basin. The spring phytoplankton bloom was dominated by the diatom Skeletonema sp. and reached a maximum of about 270 μg C/l before the onset of the seasonal stratification. Protozooplankton was dominated by the Mesodinium rubrum (a phototrophic ciliate = Myrionecta rubra) and reached a maximum biomass of about 200–300 μg C/l about 2 weeks after the demise of the diatom spring bloom. During summer, the water column was stratified and a subsurface maximum developed near the thermocline consisting of Bacillariophyceae, Cryptophycea and other phototrophic flagellates. Phytoplankton and protozooplankton biomass was generally low. Nutrient concentrations point towards a nitrogen limitation during this period. The stratification period ended during September and surface nutrient concentrations increased again. Protozooplankton reached a second maximum during September. With the Fluoroprobe small scale structures in the plankton community could be detected like a subsurface Cryptophyceae maximum near the thermocline that however, could not be confirmed by cell counts. The chlorophyll a estimate of the Fluoroprobe was in good agreement with the phytoplankton biomass estimated from counts. We conclude that only by combining modern sensing technology with microscopy, the small-scale dynamics and taxonomic spectrum of the plankton can be fully captured.     

Cold-seep-driven carbonate deposits at the Central American forearc: contrasting evolution and timing in escarpment and mound settings

Continuous surface cores of cold-seep carbonates were recovered offshore Pacific Nicaragua and Costa Rica from 800 to 1,500-m water depths (Meteor 66/3) in order to decipher their evolution and methane enriched fluid emanation in contrasting geological settings. Cores from the mounds Iguana, Perezoso, Baula V and from the Jaco Scarp escarpment were used for a multi-method approach. For both settings aragonite was revealed as dominant authigenic carbonate phase in vein fillings and matrix cementation, followed by Mg-calcite as second most abundant. This common precipitation process of CaCO₃ polymorphs could be ascribed as indirectly driven by chemical changes of the advecting pore water due to anaerobic oxidation of methane. A more direct influence of seep-related microbial activity on the authigenic mineral assemblage in both settings is probably reflected by the observed minor amounts of dolomite and a dolomite-like CaMg carbonate (MgCO₃ ~ 42 %). δ¹³C data of Jaco Scarp samples are significantly lower (?43 to ?56 ‰ PDB) than for mound samples (?22 to ?36 ‰ PDB), indicating differences in fluid composition and origin. Noteworthy, δ¹⁸O values of Scarp samples correlate most closely with the ocean signature at their time of formation. Documenting the archive potential, a high resolution case study of a mound core implies at least 40 changes in fluid supply within a time interval of approximately 14 ky. As most striking difference, the age data indicate a late-stage downward-progressing cementation front for all three mound cap structures (approx. 2–5 cm/ky), but a significantly faster upward carbonate buildup in the bulging sediments on top of the scarp environment (approx. 120 cm/ky). The latter data set leads to the hypothesis of chemoherm carbonate emplacement in accord with reported sedimentation rates until decompression of the advective fluid system, probably caused by the Jaco Scarp landslide and dating this to approximately 13,000 years ago.     

Coping with uncertainty: Neolithic life in the Dhar Tichitt-Walata,Mauritania, (ca. 4000–2300 BP)

The sandstone escarpment of the Dhar Tichitt in South-Central Mauritania was inhabited by Neolithic agropastoral communities for approximately one and half millennium during the Late Holocene, from ca. 4000 to 2300 BP. The absence of prior evidence of human settlement points to the influx of mobile herders moving away from the “drying” Sahara towards more humid lower latitudes. These herders took advantage of the peculiarities of the local geology and environment and succeeded in domesticating bulrush millet – Pennisetum sp. The emerging agropastoral subsistence complex had conflicting and/or complementary requirements depending on circumstances. In the long run, the social adjustment to the new subsistence complex, shifting site location strategies, nested settlement patterns and the rise of more encompassing polities appear to have been used to cope with climatic hazards in this relatively circumscribed area. An intense arid spell in the middle of the first millennium BC triggered the collapse of the whole Neolithic agropastoral system and the abandonment of the areas. These regions, resettled by sparse oasis-dwellers populations and iron-using communities starting from the first half of the first millennium AD, became part of the famous Ghana “empire”, the earliest state in West African history.     

Die Zählung von Protozoen und kleinen Metazoen im Belebtschlamm

Summary: A method for the estimation of the abundance of protozoa and small metazoa in activated sludge is described. 5 × 10 μl of activated sludge are counted in vivo microscopically using a Thoma-Counting-Chamber and a magnification of 100: 1. The efficiency of this counting method was tested by “recovery” experiments. 46–100% of the ciliates (mean 85 %, n = 165 countings) were recovered. A positive correlation between body size and percentage of recovery could be found. Preliminary experiments showed that the method is suitable for nematodes (recovery 95 %, n = 10), rotators (recovery 84 %, n = 10) and testate amoebae (recovery 78 %, n = 10), too. The described method is independent of the sludge-structure, is easy to handle and is an acceptable compromise between time spent and necessary degree of accuracy.     

Impact of a sea breeze on the boundary-layer dynamics and the atmospheric stratification in a coastal area of the North Sea

In-situ sodar and lidar measurements were coupled with numerical simulations for studying a sea-breeze event in a flat coastal area of the North Sea. The study’s aims included the recognition of the dynamics of a sea-breeze structure, and its effects on the lower troposphere stratification and the three-dimensional (3D) pollutant distribution. A sea breeze was observed with ground-based remote sensing instruments and analysed by means of numerical simulations using the 3D non-hydrostatic atmospheric model Meso-NH. The vertical structure of the lower troposphere was experimentally determined from the lidar and sodar measurements, while numerical simulations focused on the propagation of the sea breeze inland. The sea-breeze front, the headwind, the thermal internal boundary layer, the gravity current and the sea-breeze circulation were observed and analysed. The development of a late stratification was also observed by the lidar and simulated by the model, suggesting the formation of a stable multilayered structure. The transport of passive tracers inside the sea breeze and their redistribution above the gravity current was simulated too. Numerical modelling showed that local pollutants may travel backward to the sea above the gravity current at relatively low speed due to the shearing between the landward gravity current and the seaward synoptic wind. Such dynamic conditions may enhance an accumulation of pollutants above coastal industrial areas.     

Backscatter calibration of high-frequency multibeam echosounder using a reference single-beam system,on natural seafloor

The calibration of multibeam echosounders for backscatter measurements can be conducted efficiently and accurately using data from surveys over a reference natural area, implying appropriate measurements of the local absolute values of backscatter. Such a shallow area (20-m mean depth) has been defined and qualified in the Bay of Brest (France), and chosen as a reference area for multibeam systems operating at 200 and 300 kHz. The absolute reflectivity over the area was measured using a calibrated single-beam fishery echosounder (Simrad EK60) tilted at incidence angles varying between 0° and 60° with a step of 3°. This reference backscatter level is then compared to the average backscatter values obtained by a multibeam echosounder (here a Kongsberg EM 2040-D) at a close frequency and measured as a function of angle; the difference gives the angular bias applicable to the multibeam system for recorded level calibration. The method is validated by checking the single- and multibeam data obtained on other areas with sediment types different from the reference area.