Density structure and tritium-helium age of deep hypolimnetic water in the northern basin of Lake Lugano

Long-term stratification of the deep hypolimnetic waters of the northern basin of Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano) has resulted in a lack of deep-water renewal which has persisted for decades. Tritium-helium age measurements reveal that deep water has not been in contact with the atmosphere since the 1960s. Higher primary production associated with the significant increase in phosphorus concentration which occurred at this time resulted in greater autochthonous gross sedimentation rates, increasing the rate of mineralization and, consequently, the rate of release of dissolved solids (mainly HCO ₃ ^- and Ca²⁺) into the deep hypolimnion. This gave rise to an intensification of the stratification and to a consequent reduction in the vertical exchange of hypolimnetic water layers. Today, the density stabilizing effect of ion release due to mineralization in the deep water is four to five times greater than the destabilizing effect of the geothermal heat flux from the earth's interior. It is known from laboratory experiments that such small density gradient ratios are likely to give rise to double-diffusive instabilities. However, even rudimentary mass balance calculations of biogeochemical components indicate that shear-induced turbulence, most likely generated by bottom currents, mixes far more efficiently than double diffusion. In the future, the biogenic density stratification is likely to persist in the deep water, unless the upward ion flux, driven by primary production, decreases by a factor of four to five.     

The role of sediments in the phosphorus cycle in Lake Lugano. II. Seasonal and spatial variability of microbiological processes at the sediment-water interface

P, Fe, Mn, and S species were analyzed in water samples from the sediment-water interface collected at four seasonally different times during the course of a year at two sampling sites in the southern basin of Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano). The results reveal the strong influence of the biogeochemical processes in the sediment on the chemical composition of the lake water above. Consumption of oxygen and nitrate under oxic to microoxic conditions in the water column as well as sequential release of reduced manganese and iron under anoxic conditions was observed as a direct or indirect consequence of microbially mediated degradation of organic matter. The seasonal pattern observed for the release and the retainment of dissolved reduced iron and manganese correlates well with the one for dissolved phosphate. Iron, manganese and phosphorus cycling are coupled tightly in these sediments. Both sediment types act as sinks for hydrogen sulfide and sulfate. An inner-sedimentary sulfur cycle is proposed to couple iron, manganese and phosphorus cycling with the degradation of organic matter. Nutrient cycling at the sediment-water interface might thus be driven by a microbially regulated electron pumping mechanism. The results contribute to a better understanding of the role of sediment processes in the lake's internal phosphorus cycle and its seasonal dynamics.     

Seasonal changes of microbial populations in the sediments of the basins of Lugano and Agno

This research was carried out with the aim to explore the heterotrophic microbial population of two sediments in different oxic conditions of the Lake of Lugano (Lago di Lugano). The values of the viable bacterial counts found in our sediment samples were typical for an eutrophic lake.The increase in the proportion of anaerobic to aerobic bacteria at 30 °C observed in the sediment samples of Agno may reflect the depletion of oxygen concentrations in the water column.The generaAeromonas, Pseudomonas, Bacillus andClostridium, as well as strains belonging to the Coryneform-group, represented the major taxonomic groups of heterotrophic bacterial communities in the water-sediment interface.     

Hydrodynamics of Lake Lugano

The hydrodynamic processes in the Lake of Lugano (Lago di Lugano) have been the object of three major measuring campaigns. The first during summer 1979 in the North Basin, the second in the autumn of 1984 in the South Basin and the last in 1989 again in the North Basin. It is expected that analysis of the collected data in conjunction with theoretical concepts will yield conclusive findings on the driving forces and hydrodynamics of the lake. Numerical models have been applied to the lake and the results have been compared to the measurements. Some models calculate the periods and distributions of amplitude, as well as surface velocities and internal seiches. Other models calculate wind-induced water circulation. Evidence is given to the peculiarities of the North Basin and the difficulties related with the depth-width ratio and with its deep chemical stratification.     

The role of sediments in the phosphorus cycle in Lake Lugano. I. Geochemical approach

The bottom sediment from three coring stations in Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano) show major differences in their role in the P-cycles related to their geochemistry and characteristics of sedimentation. In the northern basin, the deepest sediment may be considered practically inactive, due to a permanently reduced condition at the sediment-water interface. In the southern basin, the sediments are active with respect to P-recycling with strong seasonal variations. One of the sites (Figino) behaves as a sink for P due to a high iron content and an important rate of detrital sedimentation.     

The dynamic model Seemod applied to the Southern Basin of Lake Lugano

The dynamic model Seemod developed at the EAWAG (Imboden and Gächter, 1978) and modified by Bührer (Ambühl and Bührer, 1984), was adapted to the South Basin of the Lake of Lugano (Lago di Lugano). The model can predict the evolution of the state of the lake, described by the concentrations of dissolved phosphorus, dissolved oxygen particulate phosphorus and organic particulate carbon, in function of phosphorus load and taking into account physical and biochemical initial- and boundary conditions. The model parameters were chosen through measurements and calibrations by short runs. A 10-year-long simulation was done, starting from the data of 1980, and its results agree quite well with the measurements. Then some 15-year-long simulations were done, which corresponded to different scenarios related to a progressive linking up of sewage systems to water treatment plants. The model predicts that a satisfactory water quality level can only be reached by reducing the total phosphorus input to less than 25 t/a.     

Solute transfer across the sediment surface of a eutrophic lake: I. Porewater profiles from dialysis samplers

Porewater profiles often are used to identify and quantify important biogeochemical processes occurring in lake sediments. In this study, multiple porewater profiles were obtained from two eutrophic Swiss lakes using porewater equilibrators (peepers) in order to examine spatial and seasonal trends in biogeochemical processes. Variability in profile shapes and concentrations was small on spatial scales of a few meters, but the uncertainty in calculated diffusive fluxes across the sediment surface was, on average, 35%. Focusing of Fe and Mn oxides toward the lake center resulted in systematic increases in porewater concentrations and diffusive fluxes of Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺ with increasing water depth; these fluxes are postulated to be regulated by the pH-dependent dissolution of reduced-metal phases. Despite higher concentrations of inorganic carbon, NH ₄ ⁺ , Si and P in pelagic compared to littoral sites, diffusive fluxes of these substances across the sediment surface increased only slightly or not at all with increasing water depth. Porewater profiles did reveal temporal changes in Fe²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ that were an indirect result of the large, seasonal changes in seston deposition, but no clear seasonal variations were found in diffusive fluxes of nutrients across the sediment surface. The intense mineralization occurring at the sediment surface was not reflected in the porewater profiles nor in the calculated diffusive fluxes. Calculated diffusive fluxes across the sediment surface resulted from decomposition occurring primarily in the top 5–7 cm of sediment. Diffusive fluxes from this subsurface mineralization were equal to the solute release from mineralization occurring at the sediment-water interface. Buried organic matter acts as a memory of previous lake conditons; it will require at least a decade before reductions in nutrient inputs to lakes fully reduce the diffusive fluxes into the lake from the buried reservoir of organic matter.     

Impact of different forcing factors on N:P balance in a semi-enclosed bay: The Gulf of Trieste (North Adriatic Sea)

The availability and partition of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in inorganic and organic compartments, as well as their stoichiometric ratio, are influenced by both physical and biological forcing factors. On this basis, the temporal and spatial dynamics in N:P atomic ratios in different compartments may provide information on the functioning of marine ecosystems. Here we explore the relative importance of water temperature, river inputs, wind mixing, stratification, ingression of nutrient-depleted Eastern Adriatic Current and phytoplankton biomass on concentrations and ratios between nitrogen and phosphorus in a semi-enclosed bay (the Gulf of Trieste), using data from monitoring programs carried out during 8 years. Water samples are first classified in 6 water types based on N:P ratios in different components, and then relationships between water type space-time distribution and a set of forcing factors is sought. Results show that the gulf is characterised by relatively stable N:P ratios in all compartments (about 23-26), always exceeding the classical Redfield ratio. In the surface layer, however, nitrogen and phosphorus dynamics are decoupled because of river input and plankton productivity, and a significant spatial and temporal variability is observed in terms of stoichiometric balance, nutrient concentrations and partition among the different pools. Deviations from stable N:P ratios follow a seasonal evolution. In spring, continental inputs alter inorganic nutrient compartments (N:P up to 115); later on, during the seasonal succession of biological processes (e.g. late spring phytoplankton blooms, summer increase in microbial activities and autumn phytoplankton blooms), a change is also seen in the organic dissolved and particulate pools. Multivariate statistical analysis suggests that, among the considered forcing factors, the most relevant in modulating the N:P stoichiometry in the Gulf of Trieste are river inputs and ingression of the Eastern Adriatic Current (acting in opposite directions) along with phytoplankton dynamics. During the whole period, besides variations in N:P stoichiometry, in the Gulf of Trieste dissolved organic matter represents the largest pool of N and P, which can provide a source of nutrients for the planktonic community alternative to inorganic nutrient.     

Phosphorus fractionation and release characteristics of sediment in the Saemangeum Reservoir for seasonal change

Periodical algal blooms result in deposition and release of phosphorus (P) from the sediment into the water. Therefore, during seasonal changes when algal particles begin to settle to the bottom, understanding the behavior and distribution characteristics of the P in sediment is the most important key to manage the water quality of the Saemangeum Reservoir. In this study, the variation of water quality and sediment composition including chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and P was investigated to determine the interaction between water and sediment. The study focused primarily on algal particle sedimentation that affects the P release and mineralization of sediment. The Chl-a concentration in water showed a sharp decline in October when the algae began to die in the fall, and afterward the concentration of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and total P (TP) in the sediment increased due to the sedimentation of decaying algal particles in November. During the same period of time, the readily bio-available P (RAP) in the sediment showed a drastic increase in the upper region where the Chl-a concentration of water was high. In sequence, the high RAP zone shifted from the upper region to the lower region in the early winter. The RAP shift was considered to be derived from the physical flow of the overlying water from which the decomposing algae settled on the surface of the sediment. The Saemangeum Reservoir was constructed recently; therefore, all the types of inorganic P fractions except soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) that exist on the bottom surface of the lake and the marsh's sediment layer were not sufficient to significantly influence the overlying water. On the other hand, the released P from the algae was distinct and sensitive to the seasonal change. In conclusion, the algal particle sedimentation was important to control eutrophication rather than P release from the mineralized inorganic P of the sediment surface layer in the Seamangeum Reservoir.     

天山天池水体季节性分层特征

于2014年6-10月,对高山深水湖泊天山天池水温、电导率、溶解氧、p H值、叶绿素a浓度和蓝绿藻细胞密度进行垂直剖面的连续监测,通过对其季节动态和垂直分层结构的分析,探讨天池水体季节性分层特征.天池出现明显水温分层的时间短(6-9月),夏季温跃层变化范围为2~18 m,而秋季温跃层不断下移,10月在18 m水深以下;受水温分层影响,天池水体溶解氧浓度、电导率、p H值、叶绿素a浓度和蓝绿藻细胞密度在垂直剖面表现出明显的季节性分层,尤其是夏季水温分层影响溶解氧浓度、叶绿素a浓度和蓝绿藻细胞密度在水体中的分布,对天池水质变化产生重要影响.天池浅水层(水深小于10 m)溶解氧浓度较高(大于8 mg/L),而深水层(水深超过18 m)溶解氧浓度9月接近4 mg/L,季节性缺氧导致底泥营养盐向上扩散,对水体水质产生不利影响.所以,应在夏、秋季节加强水质监测,以防止天池水华发生;天池叶绿素a浓度与蓝绿藻细胞密度的垂直剖面变化趋势相似,均随水深增加呈先增加后减小的趋势,但叶绿素a浓度在2~12 m水深处较高,蓝绿藻细胞密度在5~15 m水深处较高,表明5~15 m深度适合藻类生长,同时,电导率、p H值的垂直变化也说明藻类的生长情况,这为监测天池水体富营养化取样和分析提供依据.     

Aquatic system response to climatic and human changes: Productivity,bottom water oxygen status,and sapropel formation in Lake Lugano over the last 10 000 years

The Holocene record of Lake Lugano (southern basin: surface area 20.3 km², maximum depth 87 m) comprising organic carbon-rich sediments (sapropels), is divided into eight intervals based on radiocarbon- and varve-dating. The content of organic carbon, inorganic carbon, and biogenic silica, as well as the benthic remains of ostracods and oligochaetes, are converted into accumulation rates and benthic abundances in order to assess past production rates and bottom water oxygen status, respectively. The results suggest three periods of distinct palaeolimnological character: (i) low primary production combined with shifts between aerobic and anaerobic profundal conditions (prior to ca. 3000 BC), (ii) moderate rates of production combined with a relatively high profundal oxygen content (after ca. 1500 BC), and (iii), high production rates (460 g C m^–2 a^–1) combined with anaerobic profundal conditions (present eutrophic state). Corresponding organic carbon contents in the sediments are: up to 5% (i), 4% (ii), and 8% (iii). Until the beginning of this century, the flux of autochthonous sediments to the lake floor correlated with the fluctuations in the allochthonous sediment accumulation rate, indicating that catchment erosion largely controlled lacustrine production during the Holocene history of Lake Lugano. Pollen data show catchment-vegetational transformations at ca. 3500 BC (change from fir to beech forests), at 1400 BC (onset of cereal vegetation) and at ca. A.D. 450 (strong increase in various cultural plants). The first two changes had a relatively large imprint on lacustrine sedimentation. At ca. 3500 BP, erosion increase in the catchment was triggered by vegetation changes in the mountain zone above ca. 1000 m a. s. l., which may have been induced by climatic and human alteration (drop in the treeline altitude). Maximum catchment erosion occurred at ca. 1400 BC which was clearly dominated by human cultivation during the Bronze Age. More oxygenated profundal conditions in the lake after ca. 3000 BC are possibly related to a better mixing of the lake waters during the winter season by increased wind activity.     

The Fate of Chernobyl137Cs in Lake Lugano

A rapid removal of Chernobyl¹³⁷Cs from a number of large lakes has been previously reported. Our measurements of¹³⁷Cs in water, sediments and pore water in the mono- and meromictic basins of Lake Lugano (Lago di Lugano) reveal generally slower half-removal times of 1.2 and 6.7 yrs, respectively. In the seasonally anoxic southern basin, this is most probably related to an intensive recycling of¹³⁷Cs between water and sediments. In the permanently stratified northern basin the removal rate is much slower due to an important inventory build up in the deep anoxic part of the basin.     

A coupled physical-biochemical lake model for forecasting water quality

A new one-dimensional numerical model that includes physical and biochemical processes has been developed. The biochemical processes, influenced by the lake dynamics, are required for forecasting water quality. The model is used to investigate the effects of different internal restoration measures, such as artificial mixing, input of oxygen and drainage of deep water.The model is applied to the Northern Basin of Lake Lugano, a Swiss-Italian border lake. The lake is highly eutrophic and chemically stratified throughout the year. The model was calibrated over one year and validated over a period of several years. The results agree well with the measured data. The coupled model reproduces the observed depth dependency of conductivity even during long simulation times. Due to the predominant mixing, decoupled physical models cannot maintain such gradients. The forecasting capabilities of the model are demonstrated for different case studies. The impact of restoration measures on water quality is rather small. Best results are achieved by reducing the external nutrient loading. Caution is recommended for internal measures as these have to be studied in greater detail.     

Chemistry and trophic evolution of Lake Lugano in relation to nutrient budget

Chemical studies performed in the last 50 years on the northern and southern basins of Lago di Lugano are reviewed and discussed in relation to the phosphorus and nitrogen loads from the drainage area.Both basins became eutrophic in the fifties as a consequence of the dense population and industrial activity in the drainage area; the effect of these was aggravated by the meromictic condition of the layer below 100 m in the northern basin.The reduction of phosphorus loads in progress since 1976 has resulted in a significant improvement in the chemical and biological condition of the southern basin and the upper 100 m of water in the northern basin. On the other hand, the balance between dissolved oxygen and reducing substances in the northern basin is shifting toward a decrease of the net oxygen concentration, partly as a consequence of the unusually dry conditions of the last three years.A reduction in phosphorus load down to 18 and 22 t a^–1 in the northern and southern basins respectively is still necessary in order to reduce the lake phosphorus concentration to 30–35 µg O l^–1.     

西南峡谷型水库的季节性分层与水质的突发性恶化

选择西南云贵高原乌江流域的百花湖水库进行了气象、水温度和水化学(DO、FeⅡ和MnⅡ)的连续监测(13个月).结果表明,由于气候等原因,百花湖水库的水体在夏季形成分层,但是没有典型分层湖泊的温跃层变化,这种水体温度结构可以在4-10月保持稳定;这种"不显著的"温度分层结构,有效限制了上下水团的混合,形成显著的水体溶解氧分层,氧化/还原界面可达到水深8m左右.20世纪90年代初以来,贵州多座水库频繁出现的季节性水质恶化现象,与水库水体混合期(多为夏末初秋),水体分层结构失稳有关.上下层水体的垂直交替,使下层水体中的还原性物质带入上层湖水,造成表层水体缺氧和表观浑浊,鱼类窒息死亡.在百花湖水库的研究表明,西南地区深水水库,可以在夏季出现一定的水体温度分层结构,并导致显著的水体水化学(如溶解氧)分层,进而影响水库水环境质量.     

水源水库季节性分层及悬浮物行为对铁锰迁移的影响——以辽宁省碧流河水库为例

铁和锰是氧化还原敏感的元素,水源水库热分层引起的底层水体缺氧造成了沉积物中铁和锰的释放,对城市供水造成了极大的影响.以往鲜有悬浮物行为对铁和锰在水库水-沉积物界面迁移影响的研究,于2014年2月-2015年2月对碧流河水库深水区的水、悬浮物以及沉积物铁和锰的垂向分布特征进行综合调查分析,并进一步分析铁和锰的季节性变化规律及悬浮物行为对其的影响.Spearman相关分析结果表明铁浓度与总悬浮固体、总氮和总磷的相关性较大;锰浓度与总悬浮固体、溶解氧、pH和总氮的相关性较大.进一步讨论分析表明碧流河水库的热分层、底层缺氧以及沉积物再悬浮是影响铁和锰浓度的重要因素,水库铁和锰的季节变化规律存在差异.分层期溶解态的锰在底层累积,平均浓度达到0.18 mg/L,而沉积物中溶解态的铁释放很少.混合期水库的中上层锰浓度升高,达到了0.07 mg/L.沉积物的再悬浮是水库底层水体中铁的主要来源,底层颗粒态铁的平均浓度约为0.3 mg/L.絮凝的颗粒物以及其吸附的锰在水库长期悬浮,难以沉积到水库底部,使得悬浮物中Mn的含量显著高于表层沉积物,约为沉积物的7倍.建议应在碧流河水库采用分层取水、水库曝气以及联合供水等措施,以减少铁和锰的浓度升高对供水产生的影响,保障大连市城市供水安全.     

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity of Lake Lugano sediment composition

The concentrations of eighteen elements (Al, C, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, N, Ni, P, Pb, S, Si, Ti, and Zn) in 76 sediment samples collected in Lake Lugano in 1973 and in 83 samples collected in 1985 were measured and used to draw distribution maps. The chemical compositions of sediments from the three lake subbasins were statistically compared, and used to describe the state of the lake at two time-points twelve years apart. The results obtained seem to be consistent with the available information about the recent evolution of Lake Lugano; both phosphorus and nitrogen are statistically higher in the 1985 samples than in those of 1973, confirming the reported tendency of the lake to evolve towards higher trophic conditions in this period of time. For both metals and mobile elements, the differences between the two sampling years and the literature data reflect fluctuations in the normal geochemical supply from the catchment basin, rather than significant contamination phenomena. However, elements like Ni, Cr, Zn, Pb and Cu tend to be more abundant in the most recent layers of the sediments, so further studies are needed to assess whether potentially hazardous conditions will evolve in the future.The work was performed at the EEC — Environment Institute, Joint Research Centre, I-21020 Ispra (Varese) Italy     

Chemical characterization of porewaters in an intertidal mudflat of the Seine estuary: relationship to erosion-deposition cycles

A seasonal field study was carried out in the Seine estuary to determine the chemistry of sediment porewaters using the 'peeper' technique and changes in the elevation of the mudflats using the 'Altus' technique. This approach allowed us to evaluate the release of nutrients and to link these releases to the sediment hydrodynamics. Our results show that nutrient and organic matter cycling in a Seine estuary mudflat exhibits a seasonal behaviour, which is mainly influenced by variations in hydrodynamics. Sediments, rich organic matter, were input during floods and they were mineralized during summer and autumn, releasing nutrients and dissolved organic carbon into the sediment porewaters. The nutrient release, including ammonium, is mainly linked to the mineralization of organic matter, while the release of phosphate is delayed. The delay could be the result of phosphate association with organic matter and/or its co-precipitation with calcium and iron.     

Short-term and seasonal variation in metabolic balance in Liverpool Bay

Regions of freshwater influence (ROFIs) are dynamic areas within the coastal seas that experience cycles of stability driven by density gradients and the spring-neap tidal cycle. As a result, pulses of biological production may occur on a more frequent timescale than the classic seasonal cycle. Net community production (NCP) rates and chlorophyll a concentration are presented from a site within the ROFI of Liverpool Bay and compared to similar measurements made at a site outside the ROFI during 2009. The influence of water column stability on biological production in the ROFI was also investigated using high-frequency observations from a Cefas Smartbuoy. Both sites were autotrophic from spring to autumn before becoming heterotrophic over winter. NCP at the inshore site was estimated to range from 30.8 to 50.4 gC m⁻² year⁻¹. A linear relationship detected between chlorophyll a and NCP from both sites was used to estimate metabolic balance over 1 year at the ROFI site using high-resolution chlorophyll a concentrations from the Smartbuoy but was found to poorly replicate NCP rates compared to those derived from dissolved oxygen fluxes. There was no clear biological response to periods of stratification within the ROFI, and it is proposed that changes in light attenuation in the Liverpool Bay ROFI, driven not only by stratification but also by fluctuations in riverine sediment load, most likely play an important role in controlling phytoplankton growth in this region.