Seasonal variation of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript> tide

The seasonal cycle of the main lunar tidal constituent M ₂ is studied globally by an analysis of a high-resolution ocean circulation and tide model (STORMTIDE) simulation, of 19 years of satellite altimeter data, and of multiyear tide-gauge records. The barotropic seasonal tidal variability is dominant in coastal and polar regions with relative changes of the tidal amplitude of 5–10 %. A comparison with the observations shows that the ocean circulation and tide model captures the seasonal pattern of the M ₂ tide reasonably well. There are two main processes leading to the seasonal variability in the barotropic tide: First, seasonal changes in stratification on the continental shelf affect the vertical profile of eddy viscosity and, in turn, the vertical current profile. Second, the frictional effect between sea-ice and the surface ocean layer leads to seasonally varying tidal transport. We estimate from the model simulation that the M ₂ tidal energy dissipation at the sea surface varies seasonally in the Arctic (ocean regions north of 60°N) between 2 and 34 GW, whereas in the Southern Ocean, it varies between 0.5 and 2 GW. The M ₂ internal tide is mainly affected by stratification, and the induced modified phase speed of the internal waves leads to amplitude differences in the surface tide signal of 0.005–0.0150 m. The seasonal signals of the M ₂ surface tide are large compared to the accuracy demands of satellite altimetry and gravity observations and emphasize the importance to consider seasonal tidal variability in the correction processes of satellite data.     

M<Subscript>2</Subscript> tidal dynamics in Bohai and Yellow Seas: a hybrid data assimilative modeling study

A high-resolution hybrid data assimilative (DA) modeling system is adapted to study the M₂ barotropic tidal characteristics and dynamics in the Bohai and Yellow Seas. In situ data include tidal harmonics extracted from both coastal sea level and bottom pressure observations. The hybrid DA system consists of both forward and inverse models. The former is three-dimensional, finite-difference, nonlinear Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS). The latter is a three-dimensional, linearized, frequency-domain, finite-element model TRUXTON. The DA system assimilates in situ observations via the inversion of the barotropic tidal open boundary conditions (OBCs). Model skill is evaluated by comparing misfits between the observed and modeled tidal harmonics. The assimilation scheme is found effective and efficient in correcting the tidal OBCs, which in turn improves ROMS tidal solutions. Up to 50% reduction of model/data misfits is achieved after data assimilation. M₂ co-tidal maps constructed from the posterior (data assimilative) ROMS solutions agree well with observational analysis of (Fang et al. 2004). Detailed analyses on tidal mixing, residual current, energy flux, dissipation, and momentum term balance dynamics are performed for M₂ constituent, revealing complex M₂ tidal characteristics in the study region and the important role of coastal geometry and topography in affecting regional tidal dynamics.     

Measuring streambank erosion due to ground water seepage: correlation to bank pore water pressure,precipitation and stream stage

Limited information exists on one of the mechanisms governing sediment input to streams: streambank erosion by ground water seepage. The objective of this research was to demonstrate the importance of streambank composition and stratigraphy in controlling seepage flow and to quantify correlation of seepage flow/erosion with precipitation, stream stage and soil pore water pressure. The streambank site was located in Northern Mississippi in the Goodwin Creek watershed. Soil samples from layers on the streambank face suggested less than an order of magnitude difference in vertical hydraulic conductivity (K_s) with depth, but differences between lateral K_s of a concretion layer and the vertical K_s of the underlying layers contributed to the propensity for lateral flow. Goodwin Creek seeps were not similar to other seeps reported in the literature, in that eroded sediment originated from layers underneath the primary seepage layer. Subsurface flow and sediment load, quantified using 50 cm wide collection pans, were dependent on the type of seep: intermittent low‐flow (LF) seeps (flow rates typically less than 0·05 L min^?1), persistent high‐flow (HF) seeps (average flow rate of 0·39 L min^?1) and buried seeps, which eroded unconsolidated bank material from previous bank failures. The timing of LF seeps correlated to river stage and precipitation. The HF seeps at Goodwin Creek began after rainfall events resulted in the adjacent streambank reaching near saturation (i.e. soil pore water pressures greater than ?5 kPa). Seep discharge from HF seeps reached a maximum of 1·0 L min^?1 and sediment concentrations commonly approached 100 g L^?1. Buried seeps were intermittent but exhibited the most significant erosion rates (738 g min^?1) and sediment concentrations (989 g L^?1). In cases where perched water table conditions exist and persistent HF seeps occur, seepage erosion and bank collapse of streambank sediment may be significant. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effect of geometry and tidal forcing on hydrodynamics and net sediment transport in semi-enclosed tidal basins

A new depth-averaged exploratory model has been developed to investigate the hydrodynamics and the tidally averaged sediment transport in a semi-enclosed tidal basin. This model comprises the two-dimensional (2DH) dynamics in a tidal basin that consists of a channel of arbitrary length, flanked by tidal flats, in which the water motion is being driven by an asymmetric tidal forcing at the seaward side. The equations are discretized in space by means of the finite element method and solved in the frequency domain. In this study, the lateral variations of the tidal asymmetry and the tidally averaged sediment transport are analyzed, as well as their sensitivity to changes in basin geometry and external overtides. The Coriolis force is taken into account. It is found that the length of the tidal basin and, to a lesser extent, the tidal flat area and the convergence length determine the behaviour of the tidally averaged velocity and the overtides and consequently control the strength and the direction of the tidally averaged sediment transport. Furthermore, the externally prescribed overtides can have a major influence on tidal asymmetry in the basin, depending on their amplitude and phase. Finally, for sufficiently wide tidal basins, the Coriolis force generates significant lateral dynamics.     

Deep pore water profiles reflect enhanced microbial activity towards tidal flat margins

Microbial activity in permeable tidal flat margin sediments is enhanced by two main processes. First, organic matter is supplied by rapid sedimentation at prograding tidal flat margins. Second, surface and deep pore water advection lead to a replenishment of the dissolved organic matter and sulfate pools. Increasing microbial activity towards the low water line is reflected in sulfate and methane profiles as well as in total cell numbers, sulfate reduction rates, and remineralization products. The impact of high sedimentation rates on pore water biogeochemistry is confirmed by inverse modeling reproducing the depth profiles obtained by measurements. In central parts of the tidal flats, low sedimentation rates and pore water flow velocities limit microbial activity despite the high availability of electron acceptors for microbial respiration such as sulfate. Therefore, tidal flat margins with high microbial activity are of special importance for budgeting biogeochemical cycling in tidal flat areas.     

Trace metal dynamics in the water column and pore waters in a temperate tidal system: response to the fate of algae-derived organic matter

Tidal and seasonal behaviour of the redox-sensitive trace metals Mn, Fe, Mo, U, and V have been investigated in the open-water column and shallow pore waters of the backbarrier tidal flats of the island of Spiekeroog (Southern North Sea) in 2002 and 2007. The purpose was to study the response of trace metal cycles on algae blooms, which are assumed to cause significant changes in the redox state of the entire ecosystem. Trace metal data were complemented by measurements of nutrients and enumeration of algae cells in 2007. Generally, Mn and V show a tidal cyclicity in the water column with maximum values during low tide which is most pronounced in summer due to elevated microbial activity in the sediments. Mo and U behave almost conservatively throughout the year with slightly increasing levels towards high tide. Exceptions are observed for both metals after summer algae blooms. Thus, the seasonal behaviour of the trace metals appear to be significantly influenced by productivity in the water column as the occurrence of algae blooms is associated with an intense release of organic matter (e.g. transparent exopolymer particles, TEP) thereby forming larger organic-rich aggregates. Along with elevated temperatures in summer, the deposition of such aggregates favours microbial activity within the surface sediments and release of DOC, nutrients and trace metals (Mn, Mo and V) during the degradation of the aggregates. Additionally, pronounced reducing conditions lead to the reduction of Mn(IV)-oxides and Fe(III)-(oxihydr)oxides, thereby releasing formerly scavenged compounds as V and phosphate. Therefore, pore-water profiles show significant enrichments in trace metals especially from July to September. Finally, the trace metals are released to the open water column via draining pore waters (esp. Mo, Mn, and V) and/or fixed in the sediment as sulphides (Fe, Mo) and bound to organic matter (U). Non-conservative behaviour of Mo in oxygenated seawater, first observed in the investigation area by Dellwig et al. (Geochim Cosmochim Acta 71:2745–2761, 2007a), was shown to be a recurrent phenomenon which is closely coupled to bacterial activity after the breakdown of algae blooms. In addition to the postulated fixation of Mo in oxygen-depleted micro-zones of the aggregates or by freshly formed organic matter, a direct removal of Mo from the water column by reduced sediment surfaces may also play an important role.     

Circulation and fine-sediment dynamics in the Amazon Macrotidal Mangrove Coast

The Amazon Macrotidal Mangrove Coast (AMMC) is a large (~7500 km²) contiguous mangrove fringe eastwards from the Amazon River mouth. It encompasses dozens of interconnected bays intercalated with mangrove peninsulas. Mud accumulates on the mangrove flats, whereas the bed of the bays and channels is generally sandy. In this study we investigated the circulation, sediment transport and deposition in a central site at one of these mangrove peninsulas. The study was undertaken during the dry period, when there is no influence of the Amazon River plume and minimum local freshwater inflow. Current and suspended-sediment concentration were monitored in a feeder channel on the mangrove flat along a ~1000 m section oriented along the peninsula axis. Sediment deposition was also measured on the flat. Our results show there was a strong exchange between the neighboring bays. Channel currents were flood dominant, reaching up to >1 m s⁻¹, with residual water and sediment transport westwards. Suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the channel was directly related to velocity magnitude, ranging between 50 and 350 mg L⁻¹. The flat was flooded in a way that indicated the tidal wave evolves westwards, nearly parallel to the AMMC shoreline. Currents on the flats were much slower than those in the channel and showed slight ebb dominance. However, SSC was higher during the flood than ebb, clearly indicating settling during the current deceleration and limited erosion during the following ebb–flow acceleration. The net sediment transport across the section was 60 tons westwards for the period of the experiment (~4 days). The mean deposition rate was 0.006 kg m⁻² s⁻¹ (or 1.4 kg m⁻² per tide), which was higher than rates from other reported assessments in mangroves. The set of results indicate very large internal sediment reworking in the AMMC. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling profile shape evolution for accreting tidal flats composed of mud and sand: A case study of the central Jiangsu coast, China

The evolution of the shore-normal profile shape of accreting tidal flats is controlled mainly by tidally induced mud and sand transport. To understand the evolution processes, a model is developed to simulate the tidal flat profile changes in response to spring-neap tidal cycles. The model treats both sand and mud transport patterns over the tidal flats and adopts an algorithm to deal with the areas near the high water (HW) level on springs. The model is applied to an accreting tidal flat on the central Jiangsu coast, to investigate the relationship between the equilibrium profile shape of the tidal flat and the various influencing factors (e.g. initial profile shape of tidal flat, tidal range and sediment supply). Based on the modeling results the following conclusions are derived: (1) the accreting tidal flat tends to be convex in profile shape when it reaches an equilibrium state; (2) sediment supply is a key factor affecting the width and accretion-erosion status of the tidal flat; (3) filling the area close to high water (HW) on spring tides is essential for reproducing the shape evolution and the morphodynamic behavior of tidal flats; (4) after an equilibrium shape is formed, a tidal flat with abundant sediment supply can steadily prograde to seaward, at the same time maintaining the equilibrium shape; and (5) the modeled width and the slope of the tidal flat are consistent with those of the central Jiangsu coast when the parameters adopted in the model are appropriate for the local conditions.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance <Emphasis Type="Italic">T</Emphasis><Subscript>2</Subscript> spectrum: multifractal characteristics and pore structure evaluation

Pore structure characteristics are important to oil and gas exploration in complex low-permeability reservoirs. Using multifractal theory and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), we studied the pore structure of low-permeability sandstone rocks from the 4th Member (E_S4) of the Shahejie Formation in the south slope of the Dongying Sag. We used the existing pore structure data from petrophysics, core slices, and mercury injection tests to classify the pore structure into three categories and five subcategories. Then, the T₂ spectra of samples with different pore structures were interpolated, and the one- and three-dimensional fractal dimensions and the multifractal spectrum were obtained. Parameters α (intensity of singularity) and f (α) (density of distribution) were extracted from the multifractal spectra. The differences in the three fractal dimensions suggest that the pore structure types correlate with α and f (α). The results calculated based on the multifractal spectrum is consistent with that of the core slices and mercury injection. Finally, the proposed method was applied to an actual logging profile to evaluate the pore structure of low-permeability sandstone reservoirs.     

Watershed and ocean controls of salt marsh extent and resilience

The formation and evolution of tidal platforms are controlled by the feedbacks between hydrodynamics, geomorphology, vegetation, and sediment transport. Previous work mainly addresses dynamics at the scale of individual marsh platforms. Here, we develop a process-based model to investigate salt marsh depositional/erosional dynamics and resilience to environmental change at the scale of tidal basins. We evaluate how inputs of water and sediment from river and ocean sources interact, how losses of sediment to the ocean depend on this interaction, and how erosional/depositional dynamics are coupled to these exchanges. Model experiments consider a wide range of watershed, basin, and oceanic characteristics, represented by river discharge and suspended sediment concentration, basin dimensions, tidal range, and ocean sediment concentration. In some scenarios, the vertical accretion of a tidal flat can be greater than the rate of sea level rise. Under these conditions, vertical depositional dynamics can lead to transitions between tidal flat and salt marsh equilibrium states. This type of transition occurs much more rapidly than transitions occurring through horizontal marsh expansion or retreat. In addition, our analyses reveal that river inputs can affect the existence and extent of marsh/tidal flat equilibria by both directly providing suspended sediment (favoring marshes) and by modulating water exchanges with the ocean, thereby indirectly affecting the ocean sediment input to the system (favoring either marshes or tidal flats depending on the ratio of the river and ocean water inputs and their sediment concentrations). The model proposed has the goal of clarifying the roles of the main dynamic processes at play, rather than of predicting the evolution of a particular tidal system. Our model results most directly reflect micro- and meso-tidal environments but also have implications for macro-tidal settings. The model-based analyses presented extend our theoretical understanding of marsh dynamics to a greater range of intertidal environments. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Denitrification in Chongming east tidal flat sediment, Yangtze estuary, China

From July 2003 to July 2004, samples were collected on Chongming Island east tidal flat every two months. The research showed that the nitrous oxide (N2O) production rate was very low in the water, Chongming east tidal flat (CM) sediment was the N2O source of the water. Sediment N2O natural production rate was between -0.08 and 1.74 μmolN·m-2·h-1. N2O natural production rate was higher in the summer. The difference of the N2O natural production rate in the different tidal flats, the correlation between the N2O natural production rate and the denitrification rate, and those with the temperature and DO indicate that middle tidal flat sediment denitrification was the main process of the N2O production, while in the low tidal flat sediment, the production of the N2O came from several processes of the nitrogen cycling. Tidal flat sediment denitrification reaction was stronger in summer and winter but relatively lower in the late autumn and early spring. Seasonal change of the sediment denitrification rate was wide, from 1.12 to 33.34 μmolN·m-2·h-1. Temperature, DO and the coactions of them had the prominent effect on the tidal flat sediment denitrification.     

Characteristics of <Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> in surface water of the Bering Abyssal Plain and their effects on carbon cycle in the

Characteristics of the pCO₂ distribution in surface water of the Bering Abyssal Plain and their relationships with the ambient hydrological conditions were discussed using variations of the partial pressure of CO₂ in surface water of the Bering Abyssal Plain and the Chukchi Sea. Data in this study are from a field investigation during the First Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition in 1999. Compared to the high productivity in the Bering Continental Shelf, much lower levels of chlorophyll a were observed in the Bering Abyssal Plain. The effect of hydrological factors on the pCO₂ distribution in surface seawater of the Plain in summer has become a major driving force and dominated over biological factors. The Plain also presents a High Nutrient Low Chlorophyll (HNLC). In addition, the pCO₂ distribution in the Bering Abyssal Plain has also been found to be influenced from the Bering Slope Current which would transform to the Anadyr Current when it inflows northwestward over the Plain. The Anadyr Current would bring a high nutrient water to the western Arctic Ocean where local nutrients are almost depleted in the surface water during the summer time. Resupplying nutrients would stimulate the growth of phytoplankton and enhance capacity of absorbing atmospheric CO₂ in the surface water. Otherwise, in the Bering Sea the dissolved inorganic carbon brought from freshwater are not deposited down to the deep sea water but most of them would be transported into the western Arctic Ocean by the Alaska Coastal Current to form a carbon sink there. Therefore, the two carbon sinks in the western Arctic Ocean, one carried by the Anadyr Current and another by the Alaska Costal Current, will implicate the western Arctic Ocean in global change.     

Determination of the freshwater budget of tidal flats from measurements near a tidal inlet

The freshwater budget of a tidal flat area is evaluated from long-term hydrographic time series from an observation pole positioned in a tidal channel in the Hörnum Basin (Germany). For each tidal cycle, the freshwater budget is calculated from the total imported and exported water volumes and the corresponding mean densities. The variability of the budget on a tidal scale is characterised by a period of twice the tidal period, exhibiting a minimum when the tidal flats are dry around daylight hours during the foregoing low tide, and a maximum when low tide occurs at night; enhanced evaporation on the flats at daylight hours is identified as the driving process. On the average over one year, while winter observations are missing, the freshwater budget is negative for the years 2002–2005 and positive only for 2006. The interannual mean is negative and amounts to a freshwater loss of about 2 mm day⁻¹, although the large-scale climate in this region is humid. The results demonstrate that the bulk parametrisations for the latent and sensible heat flux between the ocean and the atmosphere must not be applied for the tidelands.     

Sudden enhancement of sedimentation flux of <Superscript>210</Superscript>Pb<Subscript>ex</Subscript> as an indicator of lake productivity as exemplified by Lake Chenghai

The fundamental assumption of ²¹⁰Pb sediment dating is the stable flux of ²¹⁰Pb_ex, which was derived from atmosphere and then transferred into sediments via lake water. When the sedimentation rate is relatively constant, the ²¹⁰Pb_ex activity in sediments will be exponentially reduced with sedimentation age. ²¹⁰Pb_ex in lake water is incorporated into sediments mainly via organic particulates. If the sedimentation flux of organic matter in lake water is suddenly increased, ²¹⁰Pb_ex will be significantly deposited and then transferred into sediments. On the one hand such sudden purification effect is obviously unfit for the fundamental assumption of ²¹⁰Pb dating; on the other hand, the sudden enhancement of ²¹⁰Pb_ex flux would be indicative of the conspicuous variation of primary productivity of lake water. This problem will be discussed in accordance with the variation trend of ²¹⁰Pb_ex in the vertical profile of recent sediments of Lake Chenghai, Yunnan Province. The sediment core was collected from the deep-water area of Lake Chenghai in June 1997. The vertical profile of ¹³⁷Cs activity is characterized by a tree-peak pattern. This profile gave reliable ages, and also showed the stability of sediment accumulation in the recent ten years. The vertical profile of ²¹⁰Pb_ex activity displays a specific distribution of peaks, and is similar to the vertical profile of C_org. This phenomenon seems to be related to the mechanism of constraining the transfer of ²¹⁰Pb_ex into lake sediments. The average atomic ratios of H_org/C_org and C_org/N_org in Lake Chenghai sediments are 5.51 and 7.04, respectively, indicating that the organic matter was predominantly derived from the remains of endogenic algae. In terms of the three-stage evolutionary characteristics of organic matter in sediments, i.e., “deposition-de-composition-accumulation”, the sedimentation fluxes (F(C_org)) of organic carbon (C_org) since 1970 were calculated by modeling. The sedimentation fluxes of ²¹⁰Pb_ex (F(²¹⁰Pb_ex)) in different years display good synchronous relations with the sedimentation flux of organic carbon (F(C_org)), especially in the years of 1972–1974 and 1986–1989. The variation of F(C_org) led to the variation of F(²¹⁰Pb_ex); the variation of F(²¹⁰Pb_ex) reflects, to some extent, the historical variation of lake productivity.     

Physics and Seismic Modeling for Monitoring CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Storage

We present a new petro-elastical and numerical-simulation methodology to compute synthetic seismograms for reservoirs subject to CO₂ sequestration. The petro-elastical equations model the seismic properties of reservoir rocks saturated with CO₂, methane, oil and brine. The gas properties are obtained from the van der Waals equation and we take into account the absorption of gas by oil and brine, as a function of the in situ pore pressure and temperature. The dry-rock bulk and shear moduli can be obtained either by calibration from real data or by using rock-physics models based on the Hertz-Mindlin and Hashin-Shtrikman theories. Mesoscopic attenuation due to fluids effects is quantified by using White's model of patchy saturation, and the wet-rock velocities are calculated with Gassmann equations by using an effective fluid modulus to describe the velocities predicted by White's model. The simulations are performed with a poro-viscoelastic modeling code based on Biot's theory, where viscoelasticity is described by generalizing the solid/fluid coupling modulus to a relaxation function. Using the pseudo-spectral method, which allows general material variability, a complete and accurate characterization of the reservoir can be obtained. A simulation, that considers the Utsira sand of the North Sea, illustrates the methodology.     

Morphological controls in sandy estuaries: the influence of tidal flats and bathymetry on sediment transport

The morphodynamics of shallow, vertically well-mixed estuaries, characterised by tidal flats and deeper channels, have been investigated. This paper examines what contributes to flood/ebb-dominant sediment transport in localised regions through a 2D model study (using the TELEMAC modelling system). The Dyfi Estuary in Wales, UK has been used as a case study and, together with idealised estuary shapes, shows that shallow water depths lead to flood dominance in the inner estuary whilst tidal flats and deep channels cause ebb dominance in the outer estuary. For medium sands and with an artificially ‘flattened’ bathymetry (i.e. no tidal flats), the net sediment transport switches from ebb-dominant to flood-dominant where the parameter a/h (local tidal amplitude ÷ local tidally averaged water depth) exceeds 1.2. Sea level rise will reduce this critical value of a/h and also reduce the ebb-directed sediment transport significantly, leading to a flood-dominated estuarine system. A similar pattern, albeit with greater transport, was simulated with tidal flats included and also with a reduced grain size. This suggests that analogous classifications for flood/ebb asymmetry of the tide in estuaries as a whole may not represent the local sediment transport in sufficient detail. Through the Dyfi simulations, the above criterion involving a/h is shown to be complicated further by augmented flow past a spit at the estuary mouth which gives rise to a self-maintaining scour hole. Simulations of one year of bed evolution in an idealised flat-bottomed estuary, including tidal flow past a spit, recreate the flood/ebb dominance on either side of the spit and the formation of a scour hole in between. The erosion rate at the centre of the hole is reduced as the hole deepens, suggesting the establishment of a self-maintaining equilibrium state.     

Modeling the preservation potential of tidal flat sedimentary records,Jiangsu coast,eastern China

A forward modeling approach is proposed to simulate the preservation potential of tidal flat deposits. The preservation potential is expressed as a function of net deposition rate and a factor that represents the vertical flux of suspended load, or seabed lowering during erosion periods associated with bedload transport. The model takes into account a number of geometric parameters of a tidal flat sediment system and sediment dynamic processes. The former includes high water level, total sediment supply, the annual rate of the supply, the ratio of mud to bilk sediment in the supply, the bed slope of the tidal flat profile, as well as the slope of the stratigraphic boundary; the latter includes spring-neap cycles of tidal water level changes, boundary layer processes, resuspension of fine-grained sediments, bedload transport due to tidal currents, and bed elevation changes in response to sediment movement. Using this model, numerical experiments are carried out for a tidal flat system on the Jiangsu coast, eastern China, with the input data being derived from literature and from a series of sediment cores collected along an onshore–offshore transect. The results show that the preservation potential is highest over the upper part of the inter-tidal zone and in the lower part of the sub-tidal zone, and lowest near mean sea level and at low water on springs. The preservation potential tends to decrease with the advancement of the shoreline. The bed slope, tidal current direction and resuspension intensity influence the spatial distributions of the preservation potential. An implication of these results is that the temporal resolution of the tidal flat record depends upon the location and depth within the deposit; this should be taken into account in the interpretation of sedimentary records. Further studies are required to improve the model, on the hydrodynamic processes associated with extremely shallow water depths, sediment dynamic modeling of bed slope and profile shape, and the combined action of tides and waves for sediment transport on tidal flats.     

Geochemical evidence of the renewal of volcanic activity inferred from CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> soil and SO<Subscript>2</Subscript> plume fluxes: the 2007 Stromboli eruption (Italy)

On 27 February 2007, a new eruption occurred on Stromboli which lasted until 2 April. It was characterized by effusive activity on the Sciara del Fuoco and by a paroxysmal event (15 March). This crisis represented an opportunity for us to refine the model that had been developed previously (2002–2003 eruption) and to improve our understanding of the relationship between the magmatic dynamics of the volcano and the geochemical variations in the fluids. In particular, the evaluation of the dynamic equilibrium between the volatiles (CO₂ and SO₂) released from the magma and the corresponding fluids discharged from the summit area allowed us to evaluate the level of criticality of the volcanic activity. One of the major accomplishments of this study is a 4-year database of summit soil CO₂ flux on the basis of which we define the thresholds (low–medium–high) for this parameter that are empirically based on the natural volcanological evolution of Stromboli. The SO₂ fluxes of the degassing plume and the CO₂ fluxes emitted from the soil at Pizzo Sopra la Fossa are also presented. It is noteworthy that geochemical signals of volcanic unrest have been clearly identified before, during and after the effusive activity. These signals were found almost simultaneously in the degassing plume (SO₂ flux) and in soil degassing (CO₂ flux) at the summit, although the two degassing processes are shown to be clearly different. The interpretation of the results will be useful for future volcanic surveillance at Stromboli.     

Soil H<Subscript>2</Subscript> and CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Surveys at Several Active Faults in Japan

Soil H₂ and CO₂ surveys were carried out along seven active faults and around the aftershock region of the 2000 Tottori-ken Seibu earthquake in Japan. Diffuse CO₂ effluxes were also measured along one fault and around the 2000 aftershock region. The results show highly variable H₂ concentration in space and time and it seems that the maximum H₂ concentration at each active fault correlates with fault activity as exemplified by the time of the latest big earthquakes. Even though observed H₂ concentrations in four faults were markedly lower than those collected previously in the latter half of the 1970s, it is evident that the higher H₂ concentrations in this study are due to the addition of the fault gases. Comparing the chemical composition of trapped gases (H₂: 5–20% and CO₂/H₂: 0.5–12) in fractured rocks of drill cores bored at the Nojima fault, a soil gas sample with the highest H₂ concentration showed large amounts of the trapped fault gas, diluted with atmospheric component. The profile experiment across a fracture zone at the Yamasaki fault showed higher H₂ concentrations and lower CO₂/H₂ ratios as was observed in soil gas from the fracture zone. A few days after the 2000 Tottori-kei Seibu earthquake, no CO₂ effluxes related to the occurrence of earthquakes were observed at the aftershock region. However, only above the epicenter zone, relatively high H₂ concentrations in soil gases were observed.     

Seasonal dynamics of CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> fluxes from subtropical plantation coniferous ecosystem

As one component of ChinaFLUX, the measurement of CO₂ flux using eddy covariance over subtropical planted coniferous ecosystem in Qianyanzhou was conducted for a long term. This paper discusses the seasonal dynamics of net ecosystem exchange (NEE), ecosystem respiration (RE) and gross ecosystem exchange (GEE) between the coniferous ecosystem and atmosphere along 2003 and 2004. The variations of NEE, RE and GEE show obvious seasonal variabilities and correlate to each other, i.e. lower in winter and drought season, but higher in summer; light, temperature and soil water content are the main factors determining NEE; air temperature and water vapor pressure deficit (VPD) influence NEE with stronger influence from VPD. Under the proper light condition, drought stress could decrease the temperature range for carbon capture in planted coniferous, air temperature and precipitation controlled RE; The NEE, RE, and GEE for planted coniferous in Qianyanzhou are ?387.2 g C·m^?2 a^?1, 1223.3 g C·m^?2 a^?1, ?1610.4 g C·m^?2 a^?1 in 2003 and ?423.8 g C·m^?2 a^?1, 1442.0 g C·m^?2 a^?1, ?1865.8 g C·m^?2 a^?1 in 2004, respectively, which suggest the intensive ability of plantation coniferous forest on carbon absorbing in Qianyanzhou.