Manganese cycling in a eutrophic lake — Rates and pathways

The redox processes regulating transport of Mn in the water column of a eutrophic, dimictic lake (Lake Norrviken, Sweden) are interpreted based on a one-dimensional diffusion-reaction model for Mn(II). It is found that rates and rate constants for oxidation and reduction vary greatly with depth and also with time during the season of stratification. Calculated rates show that Mn(II) oxidation and reduction generally occur in narrow depth intervals (25–50 cm). This is in good agreement with measured profiles of particulate Mn (MnO _x ). Maximum oxidation rate constants (assuming first order kinetics) at each date are in the first half of the season <1 d^–1, but then increases to a rather constant value of about 25 d^–1. These high rate constants are indicative of microbiological involvement in the Mn(II) oxidation. This is further evidenced by SEM-EDS analysis showing Mn enriched particles morphologically similar toMetallogenium. Reductive dissolution of Mn oxides occurs mainly in the zone just below the zone of maximum oxidation rate. The release of Mn(II) is accompanied by production of alkalinity and CO₂. The relation between production rates of Mn(II) and alkalinity indicates that Mn oxides act as terminal electron acceptors in the bacterially mediated oxidation of organic matter. However, the Mn²⁺/CO₂ ratio is significantly lower than what is expected from this process. It is suggested that the Mn reduction is coupled to fermentation. Close coexistence of Mn reduction and oxidation at high rates, such as found in the water column of this lake, facilitates rapid and continuous regeneration of reducible Mn oxides. This gives rise to a quantitatively important mechanism of organic matter oxidation in the water column.     

Trace metals mass balances for a lake and its catchment

In this study, the size of the metal pools and the fluxes between the pools of eight trace metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cd, Al, Mn, Fe) were measured in a small, oligotrophic, dilute lake located in south-central Ontario, Canada. The lake (Plastic Lake) and it…     

Is a regional flood signal reproducible from lake sediments?

The evolution of flood activity with global warming remains uncertain. To better assess flood–climate relationships, lake sediments are increasingly being investigated because they could provide regional flood histories long enough to cover past climate changes. However, site‐specific sedimentary processes may bias flood reconstructions. The aim of this article is to investigate these effects through the reconstruction of two distinct flood records from independent, neighbouring sedimentary basins of the same lake (Lake Allos in the Mediterranean French Alps), i.e. under the same climate conditions. Understanding of sedimentary processes is crucial in order to adapt the sampling strategy and the flood‐intensity proxy to each sedimentary system and, thereby, reconstruct a complete and reliable flood history. Thanks to this detailed approach, the main trends of the regional flood variability can be reproduced; i.e. periods of high flood‐frequency, ranges of flood‐frequency values and timing of the most intense events. In detail, some differences appeared associated to the various stream capacities to erode and transport flood sediments to the lake system, implying variable sensitivity of sedimentary systems in recording floods. Comparing regional flood records based on independent sedimentary systems from similar environments could thus be a complementary approach to assessing past flood intensity. Such an approach could open particularly interesting perspectives because reconstructing the long‐term evolution of flood intensity is a key challenge in the geosciences.     

Focused groundwater discharge of phosphorus to a eutrophic seepage lake (Lake Væng, Denmark): implications for lake ecological state and restoration

A study on Lake Væng in Denmark demonstrates a high potential for loading of phosphorous via groundwater to seepage lakes. Groundwater discharges are displayed as an important source of phosphorous to a lake due to: (1) high concentrations in the aquifer just below the lake, and (2) the main flow paths through the aquifer–lakebed interface either being overland flow through a seepage face, or focused in zones with very high discharge rates. In-lake springs have measured discharge of up to 7.45 m³ per m² of lakebed per day. These findings were based on seepage meter measurements at 18 locations, stable isotope (δ¹⁸O) analyses, temperature profiles and mapping of ice cover distribution. Groundwater–lake interaction was modelled with a 2D conceptual flow model (MODFLOW) with hydrogeology interpreted from catchment multi electrode profiling, on-lake ground-penetrating radar, well logging and borehole data. Discharge was found to be much focused and opposite to expected increase away from the shoreline. The average total phosphorus concentration in discharging groundwater sampled just beneath the lakebed was 0.162 mg TP/l and thereby well over freshwater ecological thresholds (0.043–0.612, median = 0.117 mg TP/l). The study illustrates a direct link between groundwater and lake chemistry.     

A geomorphological study of the Sultansazliǧi lake,central Anatolia

The Sultansazlıǧı lake lies in a round-shaped deep basin in the eastern part of Central Anatolia, at the northern end of the ‘Ecemiş, Tectonic Trench’ which is the result of a left lateral horizontal fault belt crossing the Middle Taurus Mountain Chain. The Sultan Basin developed contemporaneously with the Erciyes volcanic cone and the Kayseri Tectonic Basin to the north, at the crossing point of two main fault zones, following the formation of extensive ignimbritic plateaux in the Cappadocian area. The basin was occupied from time to time by lake waters during the Pliocene, but it was open to outward drainage during the early Pleistocene and glacis-type fluvial terraces which were developed around Incesu in the north. According to geomorphological studies and detailed photogeomorphological mapping by the author, the Sultan Lake Basin became closed as the result of the development of the volcanic Aliboren barrier to the north near Incesu town and the first ‘pluvial’ lake developed in the Sultan Basin to the south. This lake is believed to have had an outflow to the north via the Aliboran lava threshold. Two sets of lake coastline traces at 1110–1125 and 1155 m were mapped and are named as Aliboran and Çalbama coastlines. There are some geomorphological arguments to correlate the Çalbama phase lake terraces and shorelines with the moraines and sandur deposits of the Last Glacial Maximum on Mt. Erciyes. It is concluded that the modern lake is not simply a relict of Pleistocene and older lakes but that its water level and coastlines are in equilibrium with modern climatic and environmental conditions.     

Effects of aridity and vegetation on plant-wax δD in modern lake sediments

We analyzed the deuterium composition of individual plant-waxes in lake sediments from 28 watersheds that span a range of precipitation D/H, vegetation types and climates. The apparent isotopic fractionation (ε_a) between plant-wax n-alkanes and precipitation differs with watershed ecosystem type and structure, and decreases with increasing regional aridity as measured by enrichment of ²H and ¹⁸O associated with evaporation of lake waters. The most negative ε_a values represent signatures least affected by aridity; these values were −125 ± 5‰ for tropical evergreen and dry forests, −130‰ for a temperate broadleaf forest, −120 ± 9‰ for the high-altitude tropical páramo (herbs, shrubs and grasses), and −98 ± 6‰ for North American montane gymnosperm forests. Minimum ε_a values reflect ecosystem-dependent differences in leaf water enrichment and soil evaporation. Slopes of lipid/lake water isotopic enrichments differ slightly with ecosystem structure (i.e. open shrublands versus forests) and overall are quite small (slopes = 0-2), indicating low sensitivity of lipid δD variations to aridity compared with coexisting lake waters. This finding provides an approach for reconstructing ancient precipitation signatures based on plant-wax δD measurements and independent proxies for lake water changes with regional aridity. To illustrate this approach, we employ paired plant-wax δD and carbonate-δ¹⁸O measurements on lake sediments to estimate the isotopic composition of Miocene precipitation on the Tibetan plateau.     

Lake Müggelsee —the use of lake water and its consequences

Lake Müggelsee (Groer Müggelsee) — the largest lake in the area of Berlin — is the main drinking water reservoir for Berlin (East), but also a center of numerous recreational activities and fishing. The use of the lake and its catchment area has continuously increase during the past decase and has caused a substantail deterioration of the lake water quality. Mass development of algae has become a limiting factor to all future utilizations of the lake. Since the beginning of this century up to the seventies the lake water has shown signs of a permanently growing eutrophication, e.g. the content of particulate matter in the lake water has nearly doubled. During and after World War II the lake quality (Secchi depth and seston content) improved remarkably due to a reduced input of nutrients.According to time series analyses of buoyant seston and meterologica elements the development of blue-green algae seems to depend more on weather conditions than on the nutrient content of the lake water.Therefore, a certain probability of blue-green algae blooms will remain, also in the case of reduced nutrient input. Phosphorous is the main cause for eutrophication. It was responsible for distinctly higher mass developments of algae during spring and autumn in the past two decades. As a consequence, comprehensive measures are to be taken to reduce phosphorus inputs into the Spree river and lake Müggelsee, e.g. by the substitution of P in detergents, construction of tertiary sewage treatment plants and a substantially reduced application of fertilizers in agriculture.     

Influence of terrestrial vegetation on leaf wax δD of Holocene lake sediments

The hydrogen isotope composition of terrestrial plant leaf wax in sediments is increasingly used as a paleoclimatic indicator. Modern calibration studies suggest that paleoclimatic interpretation of leaf wax δD values requires consideration of the differences in the apparent fractionation of hydrogen isotopes among different groups of plants. However, it is not common that paleoecological data are used to help interpret leaf wax δD profiles. Here we assess the relative importance of factors influencing millennial-scale shifts in δD values of n-alkanoic acids at Steel Lake (Minnesota, USA), an extensively studied site with independent records of vegetation composition, δD of input water to the lake, and evaporation. The δD values of the n-C₂₈ alkanoic acid (δD_C28) vary between −190 and −168‰, and do not correlate with δD of input water or the extent of evaporation. However, δD_C28 is negatively correlated with the δ¹³C values of the n-C₂₈ alkanoic acid (δ¹³C_C28). The correlation, along with pollen assemblage and carbonate δ¹³C records, suggests that Holocene shifts between forest and grassland and/or in the water use efficiency of C₃ plants influenced the stratigraphic variation in leaf wax δD. Thus, paleoecological information, such as that inferred from pollen assemblages and carbon isotopes of plant-derived compounds, may aid paleoclimatic interpretation of leaf wax δD profiles from lake sediments.     

Factors influencing thermokarst lake development in Beiluhe basin,the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Thermokarst lake is a significant indicator of permafrost degradation. However, the evaluation of thermokarst lake development is very difficult through physical mechanism analysis because the development is influenced by many factors. In the present study, the factors influencing thermokarst lake development were investigated from the perspective of frozen soil and the geographical environment. The influences of six factors on thermokarst lake development in Beiluhe basin, located in the hinterland of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, were analyzed: permafrost type, ground temperature, vegetation type, soil type, hydrogeological type, and slope. Sensitivity coefficients were calculated for these factors using statistical methods. The results show that thermokarst lake development was influenced by the analyzed factors as follows: permafrost > soil type > ground temperature > hydrogeological type. Furthermore, 80.1% of the study area was highly sensitive to thermokarst lake development. Overall, thermokarst lake development in the Beiluhe basin was thoroughly evaluated based on sensitivity factors and an established statistical evaluation method. The method detailed in this paper provides a reference for evaluating the likelihood and severity of thermokarst lake development.     

Measurement of the total nitrogen in lake sediments： Comparison and its environmental significance

Nitrogen cycle is an important bio-geochemical process in the environment. Measurement of the total nitrogen （TN） is a routine experiment in agriculture, biology and environmental sciences. The Kjeldahl method （KM） and elemental analyzer method （EA） are both commonly used to determine TN. Total nitrogen by EA is the sum of nitrate （NO3）, nitrite （NO2）, organic nitrogen and ammonia. Total nitrogen by KM （TKN） is made up of both organic nitrogen and ammonia. A comparative study focused on the two methods is conducted by analysis of TN in 97 samples from the sediment sequence of Gouchi, a salt lake in North China. KM presents a higher degree of accuracy than EA with a standard deviation of 0.007 vs. 0.024. With the presence of nitrate and/or nitrite nitrogen, however, measurement by KM is considerably lower than that by EA. Therefore, for samples from lake sediment sequences or soils in North China, KM is inapplicable to determining TN because of usually high contents of nitrous salt. Despite the inconsistency, use of both methods to the same samples makes sense in reconstructions of climatic and environmental changes from lake sediments. In Lake Gouchi, the contents of nitrate and nitrite nitrogen vary from 1.40% in the lower part of the sequence to 14.77% in the uppermost part, suggesting a gradual evolution process from a fresh water lake to the present-day salt lake.     

Database of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs)–IPL project No. 179

This article summarises activities and preliminary results of the International Programme on Landslides Project no. 179 “Database of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs)”. This project is planned for 3 years (2013–2015); the main objectives of the first year are (1) to create an online database and (2) to select collaborating partners. A survey of existing and relevant documents, information and organisations has been initiated along with the creation of a website (www.glofs-database.org) and the establishment of international collaboration. The first preliminary results show regional differences in various attributes of GLOF events (e.g. triggers, chronological distribution). These differences should be taken into consideration in regionally focused methods of hazard assessment, mitigation and consequently risk management.     

A Promising style of growth velocity model of green algae and diatoms in local lake area

A serious and difficult problem confronting those water plants which use reservoirs as water resources is how to predict the time when algae bloom would happen. A series of experiments have been designed and finished after efforts of nearly one year, and achieved some important and useful regulations which can do great help to the problem. In order to study the correlation between changes of several typical indices and growth regulation, algae were cultivated in an artificial environment. The raw water of these experiments came from subsurface water at the Dashahe Reservoir in Guangdong Province, China. During the cultivating process, it strictly controlled original indexes as trophic factors, ecological factors and topographic factors, and has successfully achieved 64 sets of experiment data, which indicate some suggested conclusions. Water temperature and light intensity are the prime inducements of algae bloom when water environment is nutritionally sufficient. It has proved that original trophic status, light intensity and water temperature have important effects on algae growth velocity. It has analyzed different algae growth velocities due to different original total nitrogen and total phosphorus, as well as light intensity, and used the data of algae biomass in lag phase and log phase to study the correlation between time and algal biomass with SPSS software. Results indicated that both under different original nutritional conditions and under different light intensities, the relationship between algae biomass and time matches an exponential function very well. So, it proposes a very promising style algal growing velocity model, which can be expressed as：dDdt = kent. According to the model, original trophic status, light intensity and water temperature will affect the concrete values of variants k and n.     

Six thousand years of records of metal mining and utilization from lake sediments in central China

A sediment core from the Liangzhi Lake, Hubei Province in central China, was used to assess metal usage and accumulation in the past 6000＋ years in China. The concentrations of trace metals, including Cr, Cu, Pb, Ni and Zn, and major elements, Ca, Fe and Mg, in the ^14C-dated sediment core were analyzed. Historical trends of metal inputs to the Liangzhi Lake from 5000 B.C. to the present were recorded in the sediments, representing over 6000 years of metal mining and utilization history in China. The concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn have increased gradually since 3000 B.C., indicating the start of the Bronze Age era in ancient China, until the period 467-76 B.C. During the period of 467-76 B.C., there had been a rapid increase in the concentrations of these metals in the sediments, indicating the enormous inputs of these metals at that time. This era corresponded well with the Warring States Period （475-221 B.C.） and early Hart Dynasty （206 B.C.-220 A.D.） of China, during which copper and lead were extensively used in making bronze articles, such as vessels, tools and weapons. During 1876 A.D. to the early 1900s, there was also a significant increase in the metal concentrations, such as Cu, Ni and Pb, which could probably reflect the impact of metal emissions during the early industrial development and wars in China. The Pb isotopic analysis showed that the surface and subsurface sediments had lower ^206Pb/^207Pb, and ^208Pb/^207Pb ratios than the deeper layers, affected by mining activities both during the Bronze Age era and modem times.     

A comprehensive factor model of growth velocity of green algae and diatoms in local lake area

With rapid development of our society and economy in these years, more and more nutrients flow into those water bodies, providing an excellent base for the various algal blooming breaking out very suddenly, only if environmental conditions are suitable. For water treatment plants using those eutrophication resources as raw water, the existing water quality models or eutrophication models cannot provide much in time and real-time help with a short-term to monitor a special local water area＇s quality of water source. In order to study the correlation between changes of several typical indices and growth regulation, algae were cultivated in an artificial environment. The raw water used in these experiments came from subsurface water at the Dashahe Reservoir in Guangdong Province, China. During the cultivating process, it strictly controlled original indices as trophic factors, ecological factors and topographic factors, and has successfully achieved 64 sets of experiment data, which indicate some suggested conclusions. It has achieved some regulations which can describe how certain factors influence algae growth biomass and velocity, including nutrition factors, ecological factors, and topographic factors. From several interrelated studies, it is known that algae growth velocity is affected mostly by initial trophic status, light intensity and water temperature. In this research, with the help of SPSS software to explore regression analyses, it is proposed that algae growth velocity model should be depicted as a comprehensive model and expressed as： dDdt = kent.     

Late Pleistocene lake and glaciation evolution on the northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau: a review

Late Pleistocene paleoclimatic history on northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) has been reconstructed mainly from lake sediments; however, data regarding dry–wet climate changes reported in this region are still not clear and controversial. Based on shoreline features and highstand lacustrine sediments around lakes on the QTP, high lake level histories in this paper were summarized and compared with paleoclimatic records from lake sediments, ice core and glaciation evolution surrounding mountains on the NE QTP during late Pleistocene. The results indicate that periods of high lake level occurred at MIS 5, MIS 3 and early-middle Holocene and most likely corresponding to warm and wet climate periods, while periods of low lake level existed in intervening intervals, corresponding to cold and dry climate periods, which most likely coincide with glacial advances surrounding high mountains. With an exception, no wide glacial advance in study area was found during MIS 3, possibly suggesting that effective moisture is lower than that in the other region of NE QTP in this period.     

Microbial production and photobleaching of CDOM in an estuarine brackish lake on Chongming Island, Shanghai

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter （CDOM）, one of the important components in freshwater and seawater ecosystems, plays a role in underwater light absorption and primary productivity. The Lake Beihu was a part of the North Branch of the Yangtze （Changjiang） River estuary in the past, but now the Lake Beihu has become the biggest manmade brackish lake in East China. The lake is a unique brackish ecosystem, however, little study deals with the fate of CDOM in it and whether this type of lake ecosystem will face eutrophication problem. This paper focuses on the transformation of CDOM, and the impact of microbe and light in the Lake Beihu. Microbial production and natural photobleaching simulative experiment was done on water samples from the Lake Beihu, yielding the following results. Water samples were collected from the Lake Beihu in May 2006. The filtrates through Whatman GF/F filters and polycarbonate membranes （μm） were exposed to microbe and microbe plus light condition, respectively. Three-dimensional excitation emission matrix （3-DEEM） fluorescence spectra were analyzed. It was shown that the amount of CDOM increased with time in the microbe exposure experiment, which means that microbes may play an important role in the production of CDOM instead of degrading CDOM. The .productivity was enhanced with increasing temperature, e.g. the value of UV260 increased by 62.4% in 4.5 days at 30℃, 26.9% at 20℃, 5.0% at 10℃. In addition, photobleaching was observed in the study as other papers reported. With the impact of microbes, the fluorescence signal of fulvic acid became stronger as the time went by. At 30℃, the fulvic acid fluorescence, which was expressed by QSU, increased by 35%-39%.     

Kinetics of metal ion sorption on lake sediments — approaches to the analysis of experimental data

Two different mathematical techniques have been used to analyse data obtained from a set of experiments in which a range of radiotracers were sorbed onto two contrasting lake sediments. The advantages and disadvantages of the two techniques have been evaluated. Both approaches to the analysis were capable of providing rate parameters which can be used to determine the mobility and rate of removal of trace species from the water column. However, the values of the parameters were often different, depending upon which approach was used and, in some cases, even the number of sorption processes identified was method dependent.