Changes in the patterns of inorganic nitrogen and TN/TP ratio and the associated mechanism of biological regulation in the shallow lakes of the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River

The changes of NH3-N, NO3-N, NO2-N and TN/TP were studied during growth and non-growth season in 33 subtropical shallow lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. There were significant positive correlations among all nutrient concentrations, and the correlations were better in growth season than in non-growth season. When TP>0.1 mgL-1, NH3-N increased sharply in non-growth season with increasing TP, and NO3-N increased in growth season but decreased in non-growth season with TP. These might be attributed to lower dissolved oxygen and low temperature in non-growth season of the hypereutrophic lakes, since nitrification is more sensitive to dissolved oxygen and temperature than antinitrification. When 0.1 mgL-1>TP>0.035 mgL-1, TN and all kinds of inorganic nitrogen were lower in growth season than in non-growth season, and phytoplank-ton might be the vital regulating factor. When TP<0.035 mgL-1, inorganic nitrogen concentrations were relatively low and NH3-N, NO2-N had significant correlations with phytoplankton, indicating that NH3-N and NO2-N might be limiting factors to phytoplankton. In addition, TN/TP went down with decline in TP concentration, and TN and inorganic nitrogen concentrations were obviously lower in growth season than in non-growth season, suggesting that decreasing nitrogen (especially NH3-N and NO3-N) was an important reason for the decreasing TN/TP in growth season. The ranges of TN/TP were closely related to trophic level in both growth and non-growth seasons, and it is apparent that in the eutrophic and hypertrophic state the TN/TP ratio was obviously lower in growth season than in non-growth season. The changes of the TN/TP ratio were closely correlated with trophic levels, and both declines of TN in the water column and TP release from the sediment were important factors for the decline of the TN/TP ratio in growth season.     

Is correlation dimension a reliable proxy for the number of dominant influencing variables for modeling risk of arsenic contamination in groundwater?

The correlation dimension (CD) of a time series provides information on the number of dominant variables present in the evolution of the underlying system dynamics. In this study, we explore, using logistic regression (LR), possible physical connections between the CD and the mathematical modeling of risk of arsenic contamination in groundwater. Our database comprises a large-scale arsenic survey conducted in Bangladesh. Following the recommendation by Hossain and Sivakumar (Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 20(1–2):66–76, 2006), who reported CD values ranging from 8 to 11 for this database, 11 variables are considered herein as indicators of the aquifer’s geochemical regime with potential influence on the arsenic concentration in groundwater. A total of 2,048 possible combinations of influencing variables are considered as candidate LR risk models to delineate the impact of the number of variables on the prediction accuracy of the model. We find that the uncertainty associated with prediction of wells as safe and unsafe by LR risk model declines systematically as the total number of influencing variables increases from 7 to 11. The sensitivity of the mean predictive performance also increases noticeably for this range. The consistent reduction in predictive uncertainty coupled with the increased sensitivity of the mean predictive behavior within the universal sample space exemplify the ability of CD to function as a proxy for the number of dominant influencing variables. Such a rapid proxy, based on non-linear dynamic concepts, appears to have considerable merit for application in current management strategies on arsenic contamination in developing countries, where both time and resources are very limited.     

Is irrigation water price an effective leverage for water management? An empirical study in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin

Serious water scarcity, low water-use efficiency, and over-exploitation of underground water have hindered socio-economic development and led to environmental degradation in the Heihe River basin, northwestern China. Price leveraging is an important tool in water demand management, and it is considered to be effective in promoting water conservation and improving water use efficiency on the premise that water demand is elastic. In the present study, we examine whether price is an effective and applicable instrument for restraining the increasing demand for agricultural irrigation water in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin and how will it affect farmers’ decisions on irrigation and crop structure. Specifically, the price elasticity of agricultural water demand was estimated based on the irrigation water demand function. The results show that the agricultural irrigation water price is statistically significant, but its elasticity is very low under current low water price. Price leverage cannot play a significant role in the context of the current pricing regime and farmers’ response to price increase is intrinsically weak. To create incentives for conserving water and improving irrigation efficiency, price mechanism should be accompanied with clearly defined and legally enforceable water rights, restricted water quota measures, and reform of water authorities and water-user associations. Furthermore, increases of surface irrigation water price may lead to the over-withdrawal of groundwater, consequently, effective groundwater licensing and levying must take place to limit the total volume of groundwater withdrawal. In all, improving irrigation efficiency through better management and the adoption of water-saving technologies is the ultimate way to deal with the challenges facing irrigated agriculture in the middle reaches of the Heihe River basin.     

Pluie ou neige? Dispositif de mesures pluviographiques dans les Andes de Bolivie et interprétation des enregistrements/Rainfall or snowfall? Device for measuring the precipitation phase in the Bolivian Andes and analysis of the records

Abstract

Abstract The knowledge of the precipitation phase, solid or liquid, is important in high mountains, in order to use models of water and energy balances. During an experiment led in the Bolivian Andes, a complete weather station was installed at an altitude close to 4800 m, including two raingauge recorders, the first one with added antifreeze and oil, based on weight measurement, and the other one with tipping buckets. This device allowed a realistic partition of the liquid and solid phases in this region of tropical mountains, where the observed snow pack at the ground level is strongly influenced by the extremely high solar radiation and where the snow cover is ephemeral. The automation of the ?raingauges? method, compared with several other classical methods, shows satisfactory results.     

The magnetotelluric impedance tensor through Clifford algebras: part II — a constrained stochastic heuristic method for recovering the magnetotelluric regional impedance tensor in 2D/3D case

A method for obtaining the galvanic distortion matrix is presented so that the regional impedance tensor (free of distortion) is recovered. The method is a constrained stochastic heuristic method, which consists in randomly exploring the space of the distortion parameters. Constraints are imposed on the shortest periods of the regional impedance tensor that, at these short periods, tends to be two dimensional (or one dimensional). Depending on the constraints used, two different methods to recover the regional impedance tensor in this 2D/3D case are presented. Method 1 needs to find the strike of the short periods and Method 2 applies to the measurement directions. Twist, shear and anisotropy parameters are obtained. Thus, the regional impedance tensor is recovered with the only exception being the vertical shift due to the gain, which is equal for all the components of the tensor. Examples with synthetic impedance tensors from 2D/3D models perturbed with galvanic distortion are presented to illustrate how the algorithm works. The presence of noise in data is considered and rules for proceeding are provided. The same examples perturbed by Gaussian noise together with experimental data illustrate the capabilities of the algorithm.     

Is there a great unconformity between Xiamaling and Longshan formations in the North China Craton?

The existence of a 0.3 Ga "great unconformity" between the Mesoproterozoic "Undefined System" Xiamaling Formation and the "Neoproterozoic" Longshan Formation has long been controversial.In this study,stratigraphy,sedimentology,detrital zircon dating,lithium isotope,and major and trace elements were applied to systematically analyze their relationship.Results demonstrate that coarse to fine sandstone-mudstone normal cycles with different grades and thicknesses exist from the Xiamaling to the Long...     

Identification of homogeneous regional classes for flood frequency analysis in the light of regional taxonomy / Identification de classes régionales homogènes pour l'analyse fréquentielle des crues à la lumière d'une taxinomie régionale

Abstract

The paper analyses delineation of hydrological regional classes in the light of regional taxonomy. A brief review of terminological and methodological aspects of regional taxonomy is outlined. The analysis of identification of hydrological regional classes from the point of view of the definition of the basic spatial unit, formulation of the regional taxonomic problem and evaluation of the hydrological response of the physical regional classes is then followed. A more detailed delineation of physical regional classes and a marked separation concerning their hydrological response are achieved if the basic spatial unit is defined as a small basin. Formulation of a hydrological regionalization or regional typification by means of problems defined in regional taxonomy can remove ambiguous and inconsistent features in identifying regional classes. The physical regional classes formed for the purpose of regional flood frequency analysis are considered as regional also from the hydrological point of view only if they satisfy both conditions of intra-class similarity and of inter-class dissimilarity regarding the hydrological attributes.     

Is Mongolia's groundwater increasing or decreasing? The case of the Kherlen River basin / Les eaux souterraines de Mongolie s'accroissent ou décroissent-elles? Cas du bassin versant la Rivière Kherlen

Abstract

The average area-wide underground terrestrial water storage in the Kherlen River basin, a relatively pristine area in eastern Mongolia where human impacts have been minimal so far, has undergone a marked decline in the past decade; nevertheless, there is no evidence that any unusual or systematic long-term storage change has taken place over the past half century. This result follows from an analysis of daily streamflow records measured at three gauging stations on the river, namely at Baganuur, Undurkhaan and Choibalsaan. This absence of a clear trend in long-term groundwater storage is generally consistent with findings in previous studies regarding trends of other components of the hydrological cycle in Mongolia and neighbouring regions at similar latitudes, namely in northern Inner Mongolia to the east and Xinjiang to the west, and even further in the same direction in the adjacent areas of southern Central Asia of the Russian Federation and of Kazakhstan.     

Dreissena polymorpha (Bivalvia: Dreissenidae) in the Neva Estuary (eastern Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea): is it a biofilter or source for pollution?

The zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha, a ponto-caspian byssate bivalve, forms permanent dense populations along the shoreline in the northern part of the inner Neva Estuary. Its total biomass along a 17 km transect reached 4980 tons (mean 1060 g m(-2)) in 2000 and 6510 tons (mean 1385 g m(-2)) in 2001. Being persistent and abundant, the zebra mussel populations played an important role in benthic-pelagic coupling in inner Neva River Estuary. The D. polymorpha population released up to 514 kg day(-1) of dissolved inorganic phosphorus and was, therefore, a major source of bioavailable nutrients in the area. Mussel beds were also efficient biofilters and precipitate 15,020 kg day(-1) of particulate organic matter during the warm season. About 50% of precipitated matter had a relatively long retention time, being utilized within zebra mussel populations, while the rest was deposited as faeces and pseudofaeces and served as a source for organic pollution to the eastern Gulf of Finland.     

Are artificial neural network techniques relevant for the estimation of longitudinal dispersion coefficient in rivers? / Les techniques de réseaux de neurones artificiels sont-elles pertinentes pour estimer le coefficient de dispersion longitudinale en rivières?

Abstract

Abstract Accurate application of the longitudinal dispersion model requires that specially designed experimental studies are performed in the river reach under consideration. Such studies are usually very expensive, so in order to quantify the longitudinal dispersion coefficient, as an alternative approach, various researchers have proposed numerous empirical formulae based on hydraulic and morphometric characteristics. The results are presented of the application of artificial neural networks as a parameter estimation technique. Five different cases were considered with the network trained for different arrangements of input nodes, such as channel depth, channel width, cross-sectionally averaged water velocity, shear velocity and sinuosity index. In the case where the sinuosity index is included as an input node, the results turned out to be better than those presented by other authors.     

Multiple interpretive errors? Indeed. Reply to: Climate effects of the 74 ka Toba super-eruption: Multiple interpretive errors in ‘A high-precision 40Ar/39Ar age for the Young Toba Tuff and dating of ultra-distal tephra’ by Michael Haslam

We would like to thank Michael Haslam (Haslam et al., 2013) for his interest in our recent contribution on the dating of the Young Toba Tuff/Tephra (YTT) (Mark et al., 2013). However, we point out errors made by Haslam, using this opportunity to clarify and expand on our discussion while also re-emphasising the important points from our study that have been overlooked.