Environmental factors affecting the seasonal changes of net plankton in two tropical fish ponds in India

Estimates of population size and biomass of net plankton were made in two tropical fish ponds in relation to the ecological data over a period of one year. There was a wide spatial and seasonal variation of population size and biomass of net plankton in two ponds studied. Always predominant over zooplankton, phytoplankton demonstrated three distinct annual peaks in the pond N-1 while a single peak was obtained in the pond N-2. A variable result was found in two ponds in the values of Shannon index of general diversity for phyto- and zooplankton. The seasonal changes of phytoplankton number in these ponds showed an inverse characteristic either with absolute concentration or with the rate of concentration changes of bicarbonate in the water, while the former and concentration of dissolved oxygen was positively correlated. In the multiple correlation analysis, the greatest importance of the concentration of PO₄ was indicated on the phytoplankton population as HCO ₃ ⁻ and dissolved oxygen were not considered to be included in the final regression formula in both the ponds studied but the rate of changes of HCO ₃ ⁻ , PO₄ and dissolved oxygen were influential on phytoplankton in the pond N-1.     

Sediment resuspension in two adjacent shallow coastal lakes: controlling factors and consequences on phosphate dynamics

A combination of field measurements, modelling and laboratory experiments was used to evaluate the potential impact of sediment resuspension on phosphorus (P) dynamics. The study was carried out in two adjacent shallow coastal lakes (Lake Honda and Lake Nueva) which, due to their geographic proximity (only 200 m apart), are subject to equal meteorological forcing and represent ideal systems to study how morphometry and sediment properties relate to wind events. The focusing factors (a measure of the fluxes of sediment into the water column through resuspension) estimated by comparing settling fluxes measured in surface sediment traps with those measured in bottom traps, were significantly larger (approximately 34% larger) in Lake Honda (LH; 1.18) than in Lake Nueva (LN; 0.88). Our model estimates of resuspension fluxes (E) were also ca. 40% larger in LH than in LN, in agreement with the observed focusing factors. The larger resuspension fluxes encountered in LH, in comparison with LN, can mainly be explained by differences in lake morphometry. Still, they could arise from differences in grain size distribution or in benthic algae concentration encountered in the lake sediments. By means of adsorption experiments in the laboratory, we show that resuspension events will have different effects on P-dynamics in LH and LN. While the resuspended material from LH tends to adsorb phosphate (PO₄ ³⁻), removing it from the water column, in LN the resuspended sediments tend to increase the availability of PO₄ ³⁻ in solution. These differences arise from (1) higher concentrations of PO₄ ³⁻ in water in LH compared to LN; and (2) larger PO₄ ³⁻adsorption capacity of the LH sediments as a result of the more abundant iron oxyhydroxides and clay.     

Variability of the dissolved nutrient (N,P, Si) concentrations in the Bay of Annaba in relation to the inputs of the Seybouse and Mafragh estuaries

Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), phosphate (PO₄) and silicic acid (Si(OH)₄) loads from the Seybouse and the Mafragh estuaries into the Bay of Annaba, Algeria, were assessed at three stations of the Bay over three years. The Seybouse inputs had high levels of DIN and PO₄, in contrast to the Mafragh estuary’s near-pristine inputs; Si(OH)₄ levels were low in both estuaries. The DIN:PO₄ molar ratios were over 30 in most samples and the Si(OH)₄:DIN ratio was less than 0.5 in the Seybouse waters, but nearly balanced in the Mafragh. The specific fluxes of Si–Si(OH)₄ (400–540 kg Si km⁻² yr⁻¹) were comparable in the two catchments, but those of DIN were several-fold higher in the Seybouse (373 kg N km⁻² yr⁻¹). The inner Bay affected by the Seybouse inputs had high levels of all nutrients, while the Mafragh plume and the outer marine station were less enriched.     

Fluid mixing as the mechanism of formation of the Dajing Cu-Sn-Ag-Pb-Zn ore deposit,Inner Mongolia

Dajing Cu-Sn-Ag-Pb-Zn ore deposit, in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, is a fissure-filling hydrothermal ore deposit. The δD values of quartz-hosted inclusion water are centered at −100%.– −130%.. The δ³⁴S values of sulfide ore minerals and δ¹³ C values of carbonate gangue minerals vary from −0.3%. to 2.6%. and from −2.9%. to −7.0%., respectively. Integrated isotopic data point to two major contributions to the mineralizing fluid that include a dominant meteoric-derived groundwater, and sulfur and carbon species from hypogene magma. Linear trends are exhibited on the gaseous H₂O versus CO₂ plot, and plots of CO, N₂, CH₄, and C₂H₆. It is shown by quantitative simulation that magma degassing cannot explain the linear trends. Hence, these linear trends are interpreted in terms of mixing of CO₂-rich magmatic fluid with meteoric-derived groundwater. The groundwater circulated in Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and absorbed CO, N₂, CH₄, C₂H₆ and radiogenic Ar from organic matter. Cooling effects resulting from mixing have caused the precipitation of ore minerals.     

Net autotrophy in a fluvial lake: the relative role of phytoplankton and floating-leaved macrophytes

This study combined water- and sediment flux measurements with mass balances of dissolved gas and inorganic matter to determine the importance of pelagic and benthic processes for whole-system metabolism in a eutrophic fluvial lake. Mass balances of dissolved O₂, inorganic carbon (DIC), nitrogen (DIN), phosphorous (SRP), particulate N (PN) and P (PP) and Chl a were calculated at a nearly monthly frequency by means of repeated sampling at the lake inlet and outlet. Simultaneously, benthic fluxes of gas and nutrients, including denitrification rates, and the biomass of the dominant pleustophyte (Trapa natans) were measured, and fluxes of O₂ and CO₂ across the water–atmosphere interface were estimated from diel changes in outlet concentrations. On an annual scale, Middle Lake exhibited CO₂ supersaturation, averaging 313% (range 86–562%), but was autotrophic with a net O₂ production (6.35 ± 2.05 mol m⁻² y⁻¹), DIC consumption (−31.18 ± 18.77 mol m⁻² y⁻¹) and net export of Chl a downstream (8.38 ± 0.95 mol C m⁻² y⁻¹). Phytoplankton was the main driver of Middle Lake metabolism, with a net primary production estimated at 33.24 mol O₂ m⁻² y⁻¹, corresponding to a sequestration of 4.18 and 0.26 mol m⁻² y⁻¹ of N and P, respectively. At peak biomass, T. natans covered about 18% of Middle Lake’s surface and fixed 2.46, 0.17 and 0.02 mol m⁻² of C, N and P, respectively. Surficial sediments were a sink for O₂ (−14.47 ± 0.65 mol O₂ m⁻² y⁻¹) and a source of DIC and NH₄ ⁺ (18.84 ± 2.80 mol DIC m⁻² y⁻¹ and 0.83 ± 0.16 mol NH₄ ⁺ m⁻² y⁻¹), and dissipated nitrate via denitrification (1.44 ± 0.11 mol NO₃ ⁻ m⁻² y⁻¹). Overall, nutrient uptake by primary producers and regeneration from sediments were a minor fraction of external loads. This work suggests that the creation of fluvial lakes can produce net autotrophic systems, with elevated rates of phytoplanktonic primary production, largely sustained by allochtonous nutrient inputs. These hypereutrophic aquatic bodies are net C sinks, although they simultaneously release CO₂ to the atmosphere.     

Sorption of Eu<Superscript>3+</Superscript>onto nano-size silica-water interfaces

The sorption of Eu species onto nano-size silica-water interfaces is investigated at pH range of 1―8.5 and the initial Eu concentrations (C_Eu) of 2×10⁻⁵, 2×10⁻⁴ and 2×10⁻³ M using fluorescence spectroscopy. The sorption rate of Eu is initially low, but significantly increases at pH > 4. For the initial C_Eu of 2×10⁻⁵, 2×10⁻⁴ and 2×10⁻³ M, the dissolved Eu species are completely sorbed onto silica-water interfaces at pH = 4.75, −5.8 and 6.6, respectively, with the respective sorption densities of −1.58×10⁻⁸, 1.58×10⁻⁷ and 1.58×10⁻⁶ mol/m². The sorbed Eu species at pH < 6 is aquo Eu³⁺, which is sorbed onto silica-water interfaces as an outer-sphere complex at pH < 5, but may be sorbed as an inner-sphere bidentate complex at 5 < pH < 6, due to the decrease of the N_H2O to −6 at pH = 6. At pH = 6 – 8, Eu(OH)²⁺, Eu(CO₃)⁺and Eu(CO₃)₂ ⁻ form in the solutions, and Eu(CO₃)⁺is dominant at pH = −7.5. These ions may be sorbed onto silica-water interfaces as inner-sphere bidentate complexes or multi-nuclear pre-cipitates.     

A strain-induced freshwater pump in the Liverpool Bay ROFI

Liverpool Bay is a region of freshwater influence which receives significant freshwater loading from a number of major English and Welsh rivers. Strong tidal current flow interacts with a persistent freshwater-induced horizontal density gradient to produce strain-induced periodic stratification (SIPS). Recent work (Palmer in Ocean Dyn 60:219–226, 2010; Verspecht et al. in Geophys Res Lett 37:L18602, 2010) has identified significant modification to tidal ellipses in Liverpool Bay during stratification due to an associated reduction in pycnocline eddy viscosity. Palmer (Ocean Dyn 60:219–226, 2010) identified that this modification results in asymmetry in flow in the upper and lower layers capable of permanently transporting freshwater away from the Welsh coastline via a SIPS pumping mechanism. Observational data from a new set of observations from the Irish Sea Observatory site B confirm these results; the measured residual flow is 4.0 cm s⁻¹ to the north in the surface mixed layer and 2.4 cm s⁻¹ to the south in the bottom mixed layer. A realistically forced 3D hydrodynamic ocean model POLCOMS succeeds in reproducing many of the characteristics of flow and vertical density structure at site B and is used to estimate the transport of water through a transect WT that runs parallel with the Welsh coast. Model results show that SIPS is the dominant steady state, occurring for 78.2% of the time whilst enduring stratification exists only 21.0% of the year and enduring mixed periods, <1%. SIPS produces a persistent offshore flow of freshened surface water throughout the year. The estimated net flux of water in the surface mixed layer is 327 km³ year ⁻¹, of which 281 km³ year⁻¹ is attributable to SIPS periods. Whilst the freshwater component of this flux is small, the net flux of freshwater through WT during SIPS is significant, the model estimates 1.69 km³ year⁻¹ of freshwater to be transported away from the coast attributable to SIPS periods equivalent to 23% of annual average river flow from the four catchment areas feeding Liverpool Bay. The results show SIPS pumping to be an important process in determining the fate of freshwater and associated loads entering Liverpool Bay.     

Carbon and hydrogen isotopic characteristics of natural gases from the Luliang and Baoshan basins in Yunnan Province, China

The Luliang and Baoshan basins are two small ba- sins in Yunnan Province. In the recent ten years or so, there have been found a number of natural gas pools of commercial importance in the two basins. Although the gas pools are small in size, the natural …     

Black carbon aerosols and their radiative properties in the Pearl River Delta region

The climatic and environmental effects of atmospheric aerosols are a hot topic in global science community, and radiative properties of the aerosols are one of the important parameters in assessing climatic change. Here we studied the black carbon concentration and absorption coefficient measured with aethalometers, scattering coefficient measured with nephelometers, and single scattering albedo derived at an atmospheric composition watch station in Guangzhou from 2004 to 2007. Our main results are as follows. The data of black carbon concentration and absorption coefficients measured with instruments cannot be directly used until they are measured in parallel with internationally accepted instruments for comparison, calibration, and reduction. After evaluation of the data, the result shows that the monthly mean of BC concentration varies 3.1–14.8 μg·m⁻³ and the concentration decreases by about 1 μg·m⁻³ in average over the four years; It is higher in the dry season with a multi-year mean of 8.9 μg/m³ and lower in the rainy season with a multi-year mean of 8.0 μg·m⁻³; The extreme maximum of monthly mean concentration occurred in December 2004 and extreme minimum in July 2007, and a 4-year mean is 8.4 μg·m⁻³. It is also shown that monthly mean scattering coefficient derived varies 129 −565 Mm⁻¹, monthly mean absorption coefficient 32–139 Mm⁻¹, and monthly mean single scattering albedo 0.71–0.91, with annual mean values of 0.80, 0.82, 0.79 and 0.84 for 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, respectively. Three instruments were used to take simultaneous measurements of BC in PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM₁ and the results showed that PM_2.5 took up about 90% of PM₁₀ and PM₁ accounted for about 68% of PM_2.5, and BC aerosols are mainly present in fine particulates. The variability of BC concentrations is quite consistent between the Nancun station (141 m above sea level) and the Panyu station (13 m above sea level), which are 8 km apart from each other. The concentration in higher altitude station (Panyu) is consistently lower than the lower altitude station (Nancun), and the difference of annual mean is about 4 μg·m⁻³. Supported by Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. U0733004, 40375002, 40418008, 40775011), National High Technology R & D Program of China (Grant Nos. 2006AA06A306 and 2006AA06A308) and National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2005CB422207)     

He,Ne and Ar isotopic composition of Fe-Mn crusts from the western and central Pacific Ocean and implications for their genesis

The noble gas nuclide abundances and isotopic ratios of the upmost layer of Fe-Mn crusts from the western and central Pacific Ocean have been determined. The results indicate that the He and Ar nu- clide abundances and isotopic ratios can be classified into two types: low 3He/4He type and high 3He/4He type. The low 3He/4He type is characterized by high 4He abundances of 191×10-9 cm3·STP·g-1 on average, with variable 4He, 20Ne and 40Ar abundances in the range (42.8―421)×10-9 cm3·STP·g-1, (5.40―141)×10-9 cm3·STP·g-1, and (773―10976)×10-9 cm3·STP·g-1, respectively. The high 3He/4He samples are characterized by low 4He abundances of 11.7×10-9 cm3·STP·g-1 on average, with 4He, 20Ne and 40Ar abundances in the range of (7.57―17.4)×10-9 cm3·STP·g-1, (10.4―25.5)×10-9 cm3·STP·g-1 and (5354―9050)×10-9 cm3·STP·g-1, respectively. The low 3He/4He samples have 3He/4He ratios (with R/RA ratios of 2.04―2.92) which are lower than those of MORB (R/RA=8±1) and 40Ar/36Ar ratios (447―543) which are higher than those of air (295.5). The high 3He/4He samples have 3He/4He ratios (with R/RA ratios of 10.4―12.0) slightly higher than those of MORB (R/RA=8±1) and 40Ar/36Ar ratios (293―299) very similar to those of air (295.5). The Ne isotopic ratios (20Ne/22Ne and 21Ne/22Ne ratios of 10.3―10.9 and 0.02774―0.03039, respectively) and the 38Ar/36Ar ratios (0.1886―0.1963) have narrow ranges which are very similar to those of air (the 20Ne/22Ne, 21Ne/22Ne, 38Ar/36Ar ratios of 9.80, 0.029 and 0.187, respectively), and cannot be differentiated into different groups. The noble gas nuclide abundances and isotopic ratios, together with their regional variability, suggest that the noble gases in the Fe-Mn crusts originate primarily from the lower mantle. The low 3He/4He type and high 3He/4He type samples have noble gas characteristics similar to those of HIMU (High U/Pb Mantle)- and EM (Enriched Mantle)-type mantle material, respectively. The low 3He/4He type samples with HIMU-type noble gas isotopic ratios occur in the Magellan Seamounts, Marcus-Wake Seamounts, Marshall Island Chain and the Mid-Pacific Sea- mounts whereas the high 3He/4He type samples with EM-type noble gas isotopic ratios occur in the Line Island Chain. This difference in noble gas characteristics of these crust types implies that the MagellanSeamounts, Marcus-Wake Seamounts, Marshall Is- land Chain, and the Mid-Pacific Seamounts originated from HIMU-type lower mantle material whereas the Line Island Chain originated from EM-type lower mantle material. This finding is consistent with varia- tions in the Pb-isotope and trace element signatures in the seamount lavas. Differences in the mantlesource may therefore be responsible for variations in the noble gas abundances and isotopic ratios in the Fe-Mn crusts. Mantle degassing appears to be the principal factor controlling noble gas isotopic abundances in Fe-Mn crusts. Decay of radioactive isotopes has a negligible influence on the nuclide abundances and isotopic ratios of noble gases in these crusts on the timescale of their formation.     

Moment inequality and complete convergence of moving average processes under asymptotically linear negative quadrant dependence assumptions

Let {Y, Y _i , −∞ < i < ∞} be a doubly infinite sequence of identically distributed and asymptotically linear negative quadrant dependence random variables, {a _i , −∞ < i < ∞} an absolutely summable sequence of real numbers. We are inspired by Wang et al. (Econometric Theory 18:119–139, 2002) and Salvadori (Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 17:116–140, 2003). And Salvadori (Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 17:116–140, 2003) have obtained Linear combinations of order statistics to estimate the quantiles of generalized pareto and extreme values distributions. In this paper, we prove the complete convergence of under some suitable conditions. The results obtained improve and generalize the results of Li et al. (1992) and Zhang (1996). The results obtained extend those for negative associated sequences and ρ^*-mixing sequences. CIC Number O211, AMS (2000) Subject Classification 60F15, 60G50 Research supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China     

Upper mantle P wave velocity structure of the northern part of China and Mongolia

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Risk of nitrate leaching from two soils amended with biosolids

High concentrations of N and P in biosolids are one of the strongest appeals for their agronomic use. However, it is essential to understand the fate of N in soils treated with biosolids for both plant nutrition and managing the environmental risk of NO ₃ ⁻ -N leaching. This work aims to evaluate the risk of nitrate leaching from a sandy Podosol soil and from a clay Ferrosol soil, each one amended at the range 0.5–8.0 dry Mg/ha rates of freshly tertiary sewage sludge, composted sludge, limed sludge, heating-dried sludge and solar-irradiated sludge. Results showed that for similar biosolids application rates NO ₃ ⁻ -N accumulated up to 3 times as much in the Ferrosol than in Podosol soil. However, there was a fixed 20% NO ₃ ⁻ -N loss from the 20 cm amended-Ferrosol topsoil, whilst the N-nitrified expected to leach down from 20 cm amended-Podosol topsoil layer ranged from 42% to 76% of the accumulated NO ₃ ⁻ -N, depending on the biosolid type. After all, NO ₃ ⁻ -N expected to leach from Podosol soil ranged from 0.6 (heating-dried sludge) to 3.9 times (limed sludge) relative to Ferrosol soil at similar biosolid application rates. Nevertheless, the risk of NO ₃ ⁻ -N groundwater contamination caused by biosolids applied at 0.5−8.0 dry Mg/ha rates could be considered very low. Published in Russian in Vodnye Resursy, 2006, Vol. 33, No. 4, pp. 492–503.     

Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes of the Early Paleozoic maficultramafic dykes and basalts from South Qinling belt and their implications for mantle composition

Late Early Paleozoic mafic-ultramafic dykes and volcanic rocks from the South Qinling belt are char- acterized by εNd( t ) = 3.28― 5.02, (87Sr/86Sr)i= 0.70341― 0.70555, (206Pb/204Pb)i = 17.256― 18.993, (207Pb/204Pb)i= 15.505―15.642, (208Pb/204Pb)i=37.125―38.968, ?8/4=21.18―774.43, ?7/4=8.11―18.82. These charac- teristics suggest that they derived from a Middle Neoproterozoic mantle with isotopic compositions of mixed HIMU, EMII and minor EMI components. We interpret that these rocks were melting products of depleted mantle modified by subducted ancient oceanic crust and continental margin sediments along the northern margin of Yangtze block during Early Neoproterozoic.     

Nitrogen compounds in the surface and subsurface waters of Karelia

Materials of long-term studies of the concentration and distribution of N forms (NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, NO₂⁻, N_org) in precipitation, surface water and groundwater are generalized. Precipitation was found to be the main source of N compounds input into these waters. The effect of anthropogenic factors is local and does not influence the concentration and distribution of N forms in most water bodies that serve as wastewater recipients. The N forms dominating in precipitation are NO₃⁻ and N H₄⁺; N_org dominates in most surface water bodies, and NO₃⁻ dominates in groundwater. The median concentrations of N_tot in clear surface and subsurface waters are similar. The obtained characteristics of the concentrations and distribution of N forms in natural waters of Karelia can be used for other water bodies in the humid zone.