Development of a River Macrophyte Index (RMI) for assessing river ecological status

We present the process of developing a macrophyte based index (River Macrophyte Index – RMI) for assessing river ecological status, that would be applicable for rivers with moderate to high water alkalinity, flowing over low slope terrain. A reference value and boundary values were determined for five ecological classes. The relation between the developed index and two existing indices, the Reference Index (RI) and the Trophic Index of Macrophytes (TIM), and selected environmental variables was established. The RMI is based on species composition and abundance from 208 sampling sites being in reference or good hydromorphological conditions and differing in the catchment land use. The percentage of natural areas in the sub-catchment was used for classifying macrophyte taxa into 5 ecological groups. 65 plant taxa, of which 47 were identified as indicator taxa, were included in the analysis. To assess the ecological status of a river site, the presence of at least 3 indicator taxa is necessary, otherwise the assessment is considered inconclusive. RMI is expected to indicate multiple pressures on the river, including trophic level. The developed index and RI and TIM indices differed in relation to slope, distance to source and catchment size.     

Hydrocarbons in the White Sea: Their inflow and transformation in the marine environment in different regions

Literary data have been used to assess the inflow of petroleum hydrocarbons (with river runoff, precipitation, wastewaters, sea transport, and at ice thawing) into different regions of the White Sea. The hydroecological CNPSi-model was used as an instrument to reproduce the annual dynamics of hydrocarbon concentrations at their parallel inflow and subsequent transformation in the waters of the nine White Sea regions (the bays of Kandalaksha, Onega, Dvina, and Mezen; the Solovetskie Islands; the deep-water part: Bassein, Gorlo, Voronka, and Chupa Bay). The calculations were based on normal annual values of monthly variations of water temperature, light intensity, and transparency, the morphometric parameters of the regions (water areas, mean depths, and water volumes) and water exchange between the regions and with the Barents Sea (calculated by a hydrodynamic model). The calculated concentrations of hydrocarbons, the biomasses and activity characteristics of hydrocarbon-oxidizing bacteria have been analyzed (their values were estimated for the 2-m surface water layer). The results of calculations were used to evaluate hydrocarbon balances for regions and the sea as a whole. The calculations demonstrate the balanced character of hydrocarbon fluxes, the balance discrepancy for the regions being <0.1–16.1%.     

Model description of electron concentration in the middle ionosphere

The results of comparison of model calculations of the electron concentration N at ionospheric heights of 120–200 km to the experimental data obtained at a series of geographic points at various levels of solar activity in various seasons of the year in quiet and disturbed conditions are presented and discussed. The calculations are performed using the semiempirical model (SEM) developed by the authors and giving in a general form the relation of N to characteristics of the thermospheric neutral gas and the solar activity index. The data presented in the paper show that the calculations with the SEM in question in the majority of cases agree well with experiment (the difference between them is 10–20%). The authors believe that the results of the comparative analysis presented in the paper manifest a high degree of universality of the discussed SEM.     

Macrophyte-based bioindication in rivers - A comparative evaluation of the reference index (RI) and the trophic index of macrophytes (TIM)

Submerged macrophyte vegetation has been mapped in four calcareous groundwater-fed streams in Bavaria (southern Germany) in order to compare and assess two different methods of river bioindication. The first one, the trophic index of macrophytes (TIM), is a tool to assess the trophic status of running waters. In contrast, the reference index (RI) is an ecological index which evaluates the difference between a reference community and the actual submerged vegetation, depending on the river type, as required by the Water Framework Directive. Water nutrient concentrations were measured once at selected sites in all water courses.The TIM reflects water phosphorus concentrations, accounting also for nutrients enrichment in the sediment, and is not influenced by shading, depth, substrate and flow velocity of the water course. The TIM is very sensitive to small variations in P concentration when the P level is low, while the index tends to a maximum as soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and total phosphorus (Ptot) exceed a certain value.The RI indicates river ecological status which is not only influenced by trophic status but by every factor leading to a deviation of the actual macrophyte community from the reference community. In the investigated rivers the RI indicated reduced flow velocity caused by milldams and shading by riparian vegetation, in addition to trophic status.In rivers that are at the boundary between two different river types, classification of river type can play a crucial role for river status assessment. Incorrect classification of river type can lead to both, a “too good” and “too bad” assessment.     

Sensitivity of the Earth’s middle atmosphere to short-term solar variability and its dependence on the choice of solar irradiance data set

We simulate the time evolution of the neutral and charged species in the terrestrial middle atmosphere using a 1-D radiative-convective model with interactive neutral and ion chemistry driven by four different sets of daily spectral solar irradiance (SSI) available in the literature for the year 2000. Obtained daily time series of ozone, hydroxyl and electron densities are used to calculate their sensitivity to the short-term SSI variability at 205 nm. All applied SSI data sets possess 27-day solar rotation cycle; however, its amplitude and phase as well as the correlation between considered SSI time series differ among data sets leading to the different behavior of the atmospheric response. Contrary, the ozone and hydroxyl sensitivities to the SSI changes during solar rotation cycle are almost identical for all applied SSI data sets in the stratosphere. In the mesosphere, the difference in correlation between SSI in Herzberg continuum and Lyman-α line in considered SSI data sets leads to substantial scatter of the sensitivity estimates based on 205 nm. Our results show that for the sensitivity analysis in the stratosphere based on the SSI at 205 nm any considered SSI data sets can be applied. For the mesosphere, where the sensitivity strongly varies among applied SSI data sets more robust results can be obtained using the sensitivity calculations based on the SSI in Lyman-α line.     

Verifying the body tide at the Canary Islands using tidal gravimetry observations

Gravity tide records from El Hierro, Tenerife and Lanzarote Islands (Canarian Archipelago) have been analyzed and compared to the theoretical body tide model (DDW) of Dehant el al. (1999). The use of more stringent criterion of tidal analysis using VAV program allowed us to reduce the error bars by a factor of two of the gravimetric factors at Tenerife and Lanzarote compared with previous published values. Also, the calibration values have been revisited at those sites. Precise ocean tide loading (OTL) corrections based on up-to-date global ocean models and improved regional ocean model have been obtained for the main tidal harmonics O₁, K₁, M₂, S₂. We also point out the importance of using the most accurate coastline definition for OTL calculations in the Canaries. The remaining observational errors depend on the accuracy of the calibration of the gravimeters and/or on the length of the observed data series. Finally, the comparison of the tidal observations with the theoretical body tide models has been done with an accuracy level of 0.1% at El Hierro, 0.4% at Tenerife and 0.5% at Lanzarote.     

基于有限差分正演的带地形三维大地电磁反演方法

本研究实现了一套基于有限差分（FD）方法的大地电磁测深数据带地形三维反演算法及代码.其中,在大地电磁场正演数值模拟方面,开发了起伏地形条件下基于交错网格剖分、有限差分方法的大地电磁测深三维正演代码;在满足平面波场假设的前提下,使用长方体网格剖分模拟三维起伏地形,实现了带地形三维正演计算;并设计理论模型进行试算,经试算结果与前人的有限元法计算结果对比,验证了所研发的带地形三维正演计算的正确性与可靠性.在反演方面,本研究基于非线性共轭梯度方法编写了大地电磁测深带地形三维反演代码,试验了不同的共轭梯度搜索因子β,避免了目标函数对海森矩阵（参数二次导数矩阵）的显式计算和存储,初步实现了大地电磁资料的带地形三维反演.最后,对一系列理论模型进行正演计算,利用其生成的合成数据模拟实测数据进行反演,并与现有的不带地形大地电磁测深三维反演结果比较,检验了所研发的带地形三维反演计算的可靠性与稳定性.     

Towards a lower mantle reference temperature and composition

We aim to constrain the lower mantle geotherm and average composition from 1D seismic models and experimental mineralogy data, explicitly accounting for possible sources of uncertainty. We employ an isentropic third-order Birch-Murnaghan equation of state, which is in excellent agreement with recent ab initio calculations of density and bulk modulus for Mg-perovskite. Furthermore, ab initio and experimental data are reasonably consistent with each other. Modelling the shear modulus is not as straightforward, but is needed because density and the bulk modulus alone do not sufficiently constrain temperature and composition. To correctly predict ab initio calculations for the shear modulus of Mg-perovskite, we needed to prescribe a cross-derivative at zero pressure, which we determined by trial and errors. Unless this ad hoc cross-derivative is confirmed by further experimental results, there seems to be an inconsistency between ab initio and experimental data. Purely experimental data most likely require a non-adiabatic temperature profile, but it is difficult to infer the number and location(s) of the non-adiabatic increase(s). If ab initio data are used, at least one thermal boundary layer seems reasonable, but its location depends on the modelling of the iron content. A strong chemical density contrast in the mid-mantle (≥2%) is not supported by ab initio data, but is possible with experimental data. Other major sources of uncertainty are the trade-off between thermal and compositional effects, the possible influence of aluminium perovskite, and poorly understood frequency effects.     

Seasonal and interannual behaviour of groundwater catchment boundaries in a Chalk aquifer

Groundwater catchment boundaries and their associated groundwater catchment areas are typically assumed to be fixed on a seasonal basis. We investigated whether this was true for a highly permeable carbonate aquifer in England, the Berkshire and Marlborough Downs Chalk aquifer, using both borehole hydrograph data and a physics‐based distributed regional groundwater model. Borehole hydrograph data time series were used to construct a monthly interpolated water table surface, from which was then derived a monthly groundwater catchment boundary. Results from field data showed that the mean annual variation in groundwater catchment area was about 20% of the mean groundwater catchment area, but interannual variation can be very large, with the largest estimated catchment size being approximately 80% greater than the smallest. The flow in the river was also dependent on the groundwater catchment area. Model results corroborated those based on field data. These findings have significant implications for issues such as definition of source protection zones, recharge estimates based on water balance calculations and integrated conceptual modelling of surface water and groundwater systems. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

3D models of slow motions in the Earth’s crust and upper mantle in the source zones of seismically active regions and their comparison with highly accurate observational data: II. Results of numerical calculations

In the first part of the paper, a new method was developed for solving the inverse problem of coseismic and postseismic deformations in the real (imperfectly elastic, radially and horizontally heterogeneous, self-gravitating) Earth with hydrostatic initial stresses from highly accurate modern satellite data. The method is based on the decomposition of the sought parameters in the orthogonalized basis. The method was suggested for estimating the ambiguity of the solution of the inverse problem for coseismic and postseismic deformations. For obtaining this estimate, the orthogonal complement is constructed to the n-dimensional space spanned by the system of functional derivatives of the residuals in the system of n observed and model data on the coseismic and postseismic displacements at a variety of sites on the ground surface with small variations in the models. Below, we present the results of the numerical modeling of the elastic displacements of the ground surface, which were based on calculating Green’s functions of the real Earth for the plane dislocation surface and different orientations of the displacement vector as described in part I of the paper. The calculations were conducted for the model of a horizontally homogeneous but radially heterogeneous selfgravitating Earth with hydrostatic initial stresses and the mantle rheology described by the Lomnitz logarithmic creep function according to (M. Molodenskii, 2014). We compare our results with the previous numerical calculations (Okado, 1985; 1992) for the simplest model of a perfectly elastic nongravitating homogeneous Earth. It is shown that with the source depths starting from the first hundreds of kilometers and with magnitudes of about 8.0 and higher, the discrepancies significantly exceed the errors of the observations and should therefore be taken into account. We present the examples of the numerical calculations of the creep function of the crust and upper mantle for the coseismic deformations. We also demonstrate the results of estimating the ambiguity of the models of postseismic deformations in the vicinity of the source of the Great Tohoku earthquake of March 11, 2011, which were obtained by the method of orthogonalization described in the first part of the paper.     

The effect of bidirectional flow on tidal channel planforms

Salt marsh tidal channels are highly sinuous. For this project, ?eld surveys and aerial photographs were used to characterize the planform of tidal channels at China Camp Marsh in the San Francisco Bay, California. To model the planform evolution, we assume that the topographic curvature of the channel centreline is a key element driving meander migration. Extraction of curvature data from a planimetric survey, however, presents certain problems because simple calculations based on equally distanced points on the channel axis produce numerical noise that pollutes the ?nal curvature data. We found that a spline interpolation and a polynomial ?t to the survey data provided us with a robust means of calculating channel curvature. The curvature calculations, combined with data from numerous cross‐sections along the tidal channel, were used to parameterize a computer model. With this model, based on recent theoretical work, the relationship between planform shape and meander migration as well as the consequences of bidirectional ?ow on planform evolution have been investigated. Bank failure in vegetated salt marsh channels is characterized by slump blocks that persist in the channel for several years. It is therefore possible to identify reaches of active bank erosion and test model predictions. Our results suggest that the geometry and evolution of meanders at China Camp Marsh, California, re?ect the ebb‐dominated regime. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing Surface Water Quality Based on Indicator Zoobenthos Species

Mathematical aspects of predicting water quality class based on data of hydrobiological analysis with the use of pattern recognition are considered. A series of calculations of indicator valences of zoobenthos was performed using saprobic analysis by the M. Zelinka–P. Marvan method based on the occurrence of aquatic animals in different types of water bodies. Models using nonlinear optimization methods for the recognition of water quality classes by zoobenthos are proposed. Detailed comparative analysis is made for the results obtained from the observational data on small rivers in the Samara region.     

利用DEMETER卫星数据分析汶川地震前的电离层异常

DEMETER卫星由法国于2004年6月发射,高度约为665 km,圆轨道且经过极区,其主要目的是研究与地震有关的电离层异常.2008年5月12日6∶28（世界时）在四川省汶川县（31.02°N, 103.37°E）发生了M_s8.0级的特大地震.本文分析了在震前一周内DEMETER卫星观测到的电离层异常.这些异常主要包括：（1）卫星在震前4天和5天经过震中附近时,记录到电子浓度、电子温度和氧离子浓度出现剧烈变化（变化率均超过20%）;（2）在震前3天和7天,卫星探测到增强的电磁辐射.同时利用ELF频段（0~1250 Hz）的三分量电场和磁场数据,对异常电磁辐射作了进一步的分析（计算了电场功率谱、磁场功率谱、波矢方向和极化特性等）.另外,考查了观测期间的地磁指数,由此得出观测到的异常现象不大可能由地磁活动引起.最后,对震前出现的这些电离层异常的可能的物理机理进行了讨论.     

Seismotectonic deformations and recent tectonics of the Tien Shan

Seismotectonic strains (STSs) are calculated on the basis of the catalog of focal mechanisms of earthquakes including more than 5000 events compiled at the Institute of Seismology, National Academy of Sciences of the Kyrgyz Republic, in order to investigate deformation processes in the Tien Shan (38°–44°N, 68°–80°E). A modern approach to STS classification based on the identification of 11 deformation settings (including four main, two extreme, and five transitional settings) is applied for constructing STS maps. Areal distributions of the Lode-Nadai coefficient, vertical component, and angle of the stress-state type are obtained. The results of the calculations are verified by comparing them with STS calculations using focal mechanisms of 116 strong earthquakes from the centroid moment tensor catalog of Harvard University that occurred in the studied region in 1976–2003.     

Trophieindikation in Fließgewässern mit Hilfe des TIM (Trophie‐Index Makrophyten) – Erprobung eines neu entwickelten Index im Inninger Bach

Indicating the Trophic State of Running Waters by Using TIM (Trophic Index of Macrophytes) – Exemplary Implementation of a New Index in the River Inninger Bach The river Inninger Bach represents the outflow of the lake Wörthsee (Bavaria). The mean pH of the calcareous river has a value of ca. 8 during the vegetation period, the mean conductivity is about 350 to 400 μS/cm. The macrophyte vegetation of the river course was mapped and the nutrient concentrations of both the water body and the sediment were measured. In every mapping section the Trophic Index of Macrophytes (TIM) was calculated. By cluster analysis the mapping sections were grouped into three zones which differed in macrophyte vegetation. These differences are not associated with varying nutrient concentrations but are mainly due to differences in the degree of shading. In spite of the characterisation of the lake Wörthsee as oligo‐mesotrophic the river Inninger Bach, which represents the outflow of the lake Wörthsee, is classified as meso‐eutrophic by the Trophic Index of Macrophytes TIM. The increased trophic state of the river compared to the lake is caused by the river Krebsbach, a small tributary flowing into the river Inninger Bach only a short stretch downstream of its outflow of the lake Wörthsee. The river Krebsbach shows a total phosphorus concentration of about 56 μg/L P. The input of diaspores of submerged macrophytes both from the oligo‐mesotrophic lake Wörthsee and the eutrophic river Krebsbach leads to a submerged vegetation comprising species with different optima in regard to the trophic situation. This is one of the main reasons why many values of the TIM have to be labeled as “not sure”.     

The porosity trend and pore sizes of the rocks in the continental crust of the earth: Evidence from experimental data on permeability

The depth trends of permeability are constructed from the measurements of the tight rocks typical of the basement of the continental crust at temperatures up to 600°C and pressures up to 200 MPa. It is established that the permeability decreases with depth. The statistical processing of the experimental data yielded the generalized dependence logk = ?12.6-3.23H ^0.223. The method is suggested and, based on the experimental data on permeability, the estimates are obtained for the effective diameters of the pore channels and effective porosity at the PT parameters corresponding to the in situ deep zones of the continental crust. It is found that porosity decreases with depth, while distinct depth dependence of the pore sizes is not observed. The dependence of porosity on the depth is approximated by the relationship logφ = ?0.65–0.1H + 0.0019H ². The porosity is estimated at a few percent for a depth of 10 km with a decline to 0.01–0.1% at 35 km. The estimates of porosity retrieved from the experimental data agree with the theoretical calculations based on the present-day ideas of the structure of the discrete media and with the results of magnetotelluric sounding. Thus, according to three independent estimates, the porosity of the rocks of the continental crust decreases with depth. At the same time, in both the intermediate and lower crust there are intervals where the porosity values suggest the presence of fluid-saturated horizons at these depths.     

Total Solar Irradiance Observations

The record of total solar irradiance (TSI) during the past 35?years has overlapping observations from space which can be merged to a composite, and three are available, namely the PMOD, the ACRIM and the IRMB composites. There are important differences between them, which are discussed in detail in order to find the best representation of solar variability during the last three cycles, for the following discussions of solar irradiance variability. Moreover, the absolute value of TSI from TIM on SORCE is 1,361?Wm^?2, substantially lower than the value 1,365?Wm^?2, which was observed by the classical radiometers. New results from specific experiments are now available, which are discussed in order to define the value to be used in, e.g., climate models. The most important issue regarding the recent TSI records is the low value observed during the minimum in 2009, which is 25% of a typical cycle amplitude lower than the value in 1996. The validity of this low value has been confirmed by comparing all existing TSI observations during cycle 23. On the other hand, activity indices, such as the sunspot number, the 10.7-cm radio flux (F10.7), the CaII and MgII indices and also the Ly-α irradiance or the frequency changes in low-order p modes, show a much smaller decreases relative to their respective typical cycle amplitude. It is most likely that an increasing contrast of the facular and network elements with decreasing magnetic field is responsible for this discrepancy. The value of TSI at minima is correlated with the open magnetic field of the Sun, B _R,?at minima. Using B _R at minima, interpolated linearly in between as a fourth component of a proxy model based on the photometric sunspot index and on the MgII index improves the explanation of the variance of TSI over the full period of the last three solar cycles to 84.7%. Results from other models are also discussed.     

Evaluation of Pt and Au pressure scales based on MgO absolute pressure scale

The equations of state (EOSs) of MgO produced by two independent scale-free methods, (1) the simultaneous elastic wave velocity and in situ synchrotron X-ray measurements (Kono et al., 2010; Li et al., 2006) and (2) the first-principles calculations (Wu et al., 2008), agree well with each other to at least 150 GPa and 2000 K. Furthermore, the EOS from first-principles calculations also agrees well with shock wave data, another pressure-scale-free data. These agreements strongly support that these EOSs provide reliable absolute pressure scales. Here we evaluate Au and Pt EOSs based on the EOS of Wu et al. (2008) using the simultaneously measured volume data of MgO, Au, and Pt from the literature. The primary pressure scales developed by Tange et al. (2009) and Yokoo et al. (2009) using only pressure-scale-free experimental data of MgO, Au, and Pt produce internal consistent pressure and agree with EOS of Wu et al. (2008). The Au EOS by Tsuchiya (2003) works well at room temperature but underestimates pressure at high temperature. The Au EOS by Fei et al. (2007) can well describe thermal pressure. The EOSs of Pt by Holmes et al. (1989) and Ono et al. (2011) work well at both room temperature and high temperature. The results also suggest that the discrepancy between bulk modulus of iron from experiments (Mao et al., 1990) and those from Earth’s core (Dziewonski and Anderson, 1981) is not originated from the overestimation of pressure by the EOS of Holmes et al. (1989). At high pressure and temperature, pressure uncertainty resulted from volume error becomes similarly important as the accuracy of the pressure scale.