Antibiotic resistance of bacteria isolated from shrimp hatcheries and cultural ponds on Donghai Island, China

The resistance of bacteria to 12 different antibiotics was investigated in shrimp farms on Donghai Island, China. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria were found to be widespread in shrimp farms, indicating a high environmental risk. Further, significant differences were found in bacterial strains among farms (ANOVA, p < 0.05), showing resistance to antibiotics such as ampicillin, trimethoprim, compound sinomi, tetracycline, chloramphenicol and cefazolin. No significant differences in antibiotic resistance were found among 6 hatcheries evaluated in this study (ANOVA, p > 0.05), between exalted and traditional shrimp ponds (ANOVA, p > 0.05), and between cultural ponds and corresponding control water source sites (T-test, p > 0.05). In cultural ponds, no significant difference in bacterial resistance to antibiotics was found between water and sediment (T-test, p > 0.05), and antibiotic resistance of bacteria from water showed a significant positive correlation with that from sediment (p < 0.05). Therefore, our study indicates that bacterial multiple antibiotic resistance (MAR) is more widespread in shrimp hatcheries than ponds.     

Sediment and nutrient storage in a beaver engineered wetland

Beavers, primarily through the building of dams, can deliver significant geomorphic modifications and result in changes to nutrient and sediment fluxes. Research is required to understand the implications and possible benefits of widespread beaver reintroduction across Europe. This study surveyed sediment depth, extent and carbon/nitrogen content in a sequence of beaver pond and dam structures in South West England, where a pair of Eurasian beavers (Castor fiber) were introduced to a controlled 1.8 ha site in 2011. Results showed that the 13 beaver ponds subsequently created hold a total of 101.53 ± 16.24 t of sediment, equating to a normalised average of 71.40 ± 39.65 kg m². The ponds also hold 15.90 ± 2.50 t of carbon and 0.91 ± 0.15 t of nitrogen within the accumulated pond sediment. The size of beaver pond appeared to be the main control over sediment storage, with larger ponds holding a greater mass of sediment per unit area. Furthermore, position within the site appeared to play a role with the upper‐middle ponds, nearest to the intensively‐farmed headwaters of the catchment, holding a greater amount of sediment. Carbon and nitrogen concentrations in ponds showed no clear trends, but were significantly higher than in stream bed sediment upstream of the site. We estimate that >70% of sediment in the ponds is sourced from the intensively managed grassland catchment upstream, with the remainder from in situ redistribution by beaver activity. While further research is required into the long‐term storage and nutrient cycling within beaver ponds, results indicate that beaver ponds may help to mitigate the negative off‐site impacts of accelerated soil erosion and diffuse pollution from agriculturally dominated landscapes such as the intensively managed grassland in this study. © 2018 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.     

Sediment‐water Fluxes of Nutrients and Dissolved Organic Carbon in Extensive Sea Cucumber Culture Ponds

Sediment samples were collected from three seawater aquaculture ponds, and soil characteristics, sediment oxygen consumption (SOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nutrient fluxes were measured using chamber incubations at laboratory. The three ponds were each representing a specific monoculture or polyculture model of sea cucumber. Total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents in the dry sediment ranged from 0.14 to 0.26% and 0.022 to 0.037%, respectively. Total phosphorus (TP) contents in the sediment were more spatially and temporally variable. SOC ranged from 15.29 to 45.86 mmol m^–2 d^–1 and showed significant differences among the three ponds (p < 0.05). TOC, total carbon (TC) contents, and SOC of the sediment in the pond polycultured with jellyfish increased with culture time, indicating that jellyfish farming enhanced the accumulation of organic matter in the sediments to some extent. Sediment showed net nitrate and ammonium uptake in most ponds and months, and significant differences were found among months (p < 0.05). Dissolved inorganic phosphate (DIP) was released from the sediments in all ponds with low flux rates. DOC was released from the sediment in all ponds and ranged from 0.67 to 1.74 g DOC m^–2 d^–1. The results suggested that non‐artificial‐feeding sea cucumber culture ponds could not only yield valuable seafood products, but also effectively remove nutrients from the aquaculture systems and consequently alleviate nutrient loadings of the nearby coast.     

Nutrient dynamics in water and sediment of Mediterranean ponds across a wide hydroperiod gradient

In Mediterranean ponds, summer drought enhances seasonality whose intensity varies along topographic and climatic gradients. The alternation of wet and dry periods in rain dependent ponds affects their biogeochemistry and differentiates them from ponds fed by more stable water sources, such as groundwater springs. Superimposed onto this, land use is also a very strong factor of variability. In this study we compared nutrients and organic matter concentrations, in water and in sediment, among different types of Mediterranean ponds based on the source of water, hydroperiod and land use. Forty-three ponds were sampled in Eastern Spain corresponding to five pond types: (1) permanent spring ponds in lowlands, (2) permanent spring ponds in mountains, (3) semi-permanent rain ponds, (4) temporary rain ponds with long hydroperiod and (5) temporary rain ponds with short hydroperiod.The results of this study indicate relevant differences among these pond types. The temporary rain ponds with short hydroperiod are characterized by high turbidity due to suspension of sediment particles rich in phosphorous adsorbed onto them (argillotrophic aquatic systems). They are used for watering domestic sheep that enhance sediment suspension by trampling. Total phosphorous (TP) concentrations in the water are high (like those of hypertrophic lakes), but planktonic chlorophyll a is very low and not correlated with TP, because of the low P-bioavailavility in the water. At the other extreme, we have permanent ponds in lowlands fed by groundwater springs. They are heavily loaded with nitrates due to the surrounding intensive agriculture. In these and other permanent/semipermanent ponds chlorophyll is highly correlated with TP. Sediment characteristics provide a good indication of the hydroperiod, since desiccation has important effects on biogeochemical transformations. A threshold of 5% organic matter (OM) in the sediment separates temporary ponds with a short hydroperiod from those with a long hydroperiod, and a threshold of 8% separates the later from the semi-permanent and permanent ponds. Besides OM reduction, important loss of N occurs during desiccation through mineralization, ammonia volatization and the sequential nitrification/denitrification pathway. On the other hand, the increase of organic P mineralization in dry sediments does not represent a loss of P from the system, since o-P remains adsorbed or bound onto the soil. This leads to a low TN/TP ratio in sediments in temporary ponds with short hydroperiod. These characteristics have to be taken into account when establishing pond typologies and ecological thresholds to assess water quality in these unique aquatic habitats.     

A suburban sediment budget: Coarse-grained sediment flux through hillslopes,stormwater systems and streams

Sediment in urban stormwater systems creates a significant maintenance burden, while a lack of coarse-grained bed sediment in streams limits their ecological value and geomorphic resilience. Gravel substrates, for example, provide benthic habitat yet are often scoured from the channel bed only to end up in a detention basin or treatment wetland. This dual problem of both ‘too much’ and ‘too little’ coarse-grained sediment reflects a watershed sediment budget that is profoundly altered. We developed a conceptual urban coarse-grained (>0.5 mm) sediment budget across three domains: hillslopes (urban land surfaces), the built stormwater network and stream channels. We then quantified key sources, sinks and storages for a suburban case study, using a combination of hillslope and in-channel monitoring, and interrogation of local government records. Around 36% of the sediment supplied to the stormwater network reached the catchment outlet, a level of sediment delivery much higher than observed in similar-sized natural catchments. The remainder was deposited in the sediment cascade and either stored, or extracted and removed from the catchment (e.g. material deposited in sediment ponds and gross pollutant traps). Conventional urban drainage networks are characterized by high hillslope sediment supply and low storage, resulting in efficient sediment delivery. Channel erosion, deposition in (and extraction from) pipes and channels, and floodplain deposition are small compared to sediment transport through the cascade. An understanding of the sediment budget of urban headwater catchments can provide stormwater and waterway managers with the information they need to address specific sediment problems such as sedimentation in stormwater assets and geomorphic recovery of urban streams. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of porefluid salinity on instability of sensitive marine clays: A new approach to an old problem

The geographic association between earthflow occurrence, sensitivity of the sediment and salinity of the interstitial fluid has been examined in an area of exposed marine (Champlain Sea) deposits in the Lachute region northwest of Montreal, Quebec. Mapping of earth resistivity, as a means of calculating porefluid salinity, revealed that areas of large earthflows (>20 ha) coincided with sediment of very low porefluid salinity. Earthflow scars were absent from intervening areas of higher salinity (>5 gl^?1). Mapping of the thickness of the clay deposit by seismic refraction showed, furthermore, that low porefluid salinity occurred only in areas of relatively thin (<25 m) deposits resting upon more permeable drift or rock. Finally, laboratory tests confirmed that high sensitivity was restricted to areas of low porefluid salinity. The study thus provides a geomorphological verification of the importance of ‘salt depletion’ as a prerequisite for earthflow occurrence, and, by implication, presents mapping of porefluid salinity as a method of delineating zones which should be safe from landslide retrogression in this type of sediment.     

Adsorption and desorption behaviors of selected endocrine disrupting chemicals in simulated gastrointestinal fluids

An in vitro technique using simulated gastrointestinal (GI) fluids was applied to investigate the desorption of selected endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), i.e. bisphenol A (BPA) and 17 α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), from the marine sediment in the digestive environment. The results show that the GI fluids suppressed chemical adsorption and greatly increased the desorption of BPA and EE2 from the sediment. Pepsin in the gastric fluid would compete for the adsorption sites with the adsorbates, and bile salts in the intestinal fluid had a solubilization effect on the chemicals. The amount of chemical release from the sediment in different fluids followed intestinal (fed) > intestinal (fasted) > gastric > saline water. During the dynamic desorption tests, 62% and 21% of sediment-bound BPA and EE2, respectively, could be released into the simulated GI fluids. The enhanced desorption of EDCs from sediment in the digestive system would make the pollutants more bioavailable in the ecosystem.     

Modelling the long‐term sediment trap efficiency of small ponds

A numerical model (sediment trap efficiency for small ponds—STEP) is developed to simulate sediment deposition in small ponds (i.e. <1 ha) and to calculate the sediment trap efficiency (STE). The algorithms are kept simple to allow the model to simulate larger time periods (i.e. several years). Eight runs with an experimental pond were executed to test the model. The STEP model produces reasonable predictions of STE as well as the shape and magnitude of the effluent sediment concentration graph. The model efficiency of STEP for the prediction of STE equals 0·38 and the root mean square error equals 4·7%. Similar models, such as DEPOSITS and CSTRS, were inefficient in predicting the experimental results. The STEP model was used to simulate the long‐term (33 years) STE of small retention ponds in central Belgium using 10‐min rainfall data. For a typical pond (1000 m²) with a catchment area of 25 ha, annual STE can vary from 58 to 100%, with a long‐term STE of only 68%. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variability of dry sediment bulk density between and within retention ponds and its impact on the calculation of sediment yields

Monitoring sediment yields from catchments is important for assessing overall denudation rates and the impact of environmental change. One of the methods used to assess sediment yield is by quantifying sedimentation rates in reservoirs, lakes or small ponds. Before reliable sediment yield values (t ha^?1 a^?1) can be computed from such sedimentation records, the measured sediment volumes need to be converted to sediment masses using representative values of the dry sediment bulk density. In textbooks, simple relations predicting dry sediment bulk density from sediment texture, time since deposition and hydrologic condition are presented. In this study, 13 small flood retention ponds in central Belgium were sampled to reveal the variability in dry sediment bulk density and to test the commonly used relations to predict dry sediment bulk density. Dry sediment bulk density varies not only between the selected ponds (0·78–1·35 t m^?3) but also within individual ponds (coefficient of variation at 95 per cent ranges from 7 to 80 per cent). The observed variability can be attributed primarily to the hydrologic condition of the retention pond and, also, to sediment texture. The existing relations are not a reliable predictor for the observed dry bulk densities, because they are primarily based on sediment texture. Thus, when using volumetric sedimentation data from small ponds with varying hydrologic condition to predict sediment yield, existing relations predicting dry sediment bulk density cannot be applied. Instead, frequent and dense sampling of sediments is necessary to calculate a representative value of the dry sediment bulk density. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

太湖流域池塘养殖污染排放估算及其空间分布特征

池塘养殖是农业源污染的重要来源之一,尤其在水网密布、渔业发达的太湖流域,控制池塘养殖过程中氮、磷、化学需氧量等污染物的排放,对于减轻水体富营养化程度、恢复水质健康、维持地区社会经济可持续发展具有重要意义.基于野外采样、入户调查、遥感解译等多种手段,结合GIS软件技术,对太湖流域池塘养殖污染物的排放进行了估算.结果表明,20142015年太湖流域总氮、硝态氮、铵态氮、总磷、可溶性磷、COD Cr的年排放量分别为6.1×10^6、1.1×10^6、1.7×10^6、1.3×10^5、1.1×10^5和8.0×10^7 kg.其中鱼类池塘养殖排放系数分别为69.5、12.4、20.1、1.6、1.3和919.8 kg/hm 2;虾类池塘排放系数分别为3.0、0.5、0.9、0.07、0.06和39.3 kg/hm^2;蟹类池塘排放系数分别为6.4、1.2、1.9、0.2、0.1和84.9 kg/hm^2.太湖流域池塘养殖各类污染物排放分布特征为位于太湖西北部、南部和东北部的大部分地区池塘养殖污染物排放较高,位于太湖东部和太湖西南部的池塘养殖污染物排放较低.池塘养殖业发达、饲料肥料投入高、养殖密度大等是造成该流域池塘养殖污染物排放较高的主要原因.针对太湖流域池塘养殖减排治理,建议推行合理的池塘污染治理管理政策与策略,综合考虑饲料利用率与投放量、养殖面积、养殖密度、养殖生物生态混养,以及一些科学养殖管理措施和净化养殖废水的技术措施等.     

Factors controlling the temporal variability in dissolved oxygen regime of salmon spawning gravels

Dissolved oxygen (DO) plays a critical role in the development of the juvenile stages of benthic spawning fish and salmonids in particular. Factors influencing the DO regime within spawning gravels include the accumulation of fine sediment, penetration of groundwater or surface water into the gravels, thermal regime, and the consumption of oxygen by sediment and its associated organic fractions. In this field study, we quantify the DO regime within an artificial salmon redd at high temporal resolution. The environment within the redd is shown to be complex, with large variations in DO. Application of a numerical model (SIDO‐UK) enables for the first time, the quantification of the relative contributions to DO consumption from thermal regime, sediment accumulation and sediment oxygen demand. Sediment accumulation is shown to have a minor impact on DO in the redd whereas upwelling groundwater is identified as the most likely cause of the major changes in DO. Bed mobility has a minor impact on DO regime of the redd. The effects of fine sediment and oxygen supply on salmon embryo survival are estimated. Implications for river catchment management and prospects for future research are discussed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Determining soil erosion rates on semi‐arid watersheds using radioisotope‐derived sedimentation chronology

This study investigates erosion dynamics of the past 90 years in three small semi‐arid watersheds with histories of grazing and vegetation change. Activity of ¹³⁷Cs and excess ²¹⁰Pb from 18 cores collected from sedimentation ponds were measured using a gamma spectrometer. The sediment was dated using a constant rate of supply (CRS) model. This study represents the first time that reservoir sediment accumulation rates determined from fallout isotopes have been verified by direct volumetric measurements of aggradation based on topographic surveys. Measured sedimentation in the ponds ranged between 1.9 and 2.3 cm y^?1, representing average sediment delivery rates from the watersheds of between 0.6 and 2.0 t ha^?1 y^?1. These sediment delivery rates were in agreement with those established by other methods for similar catchments in the region. Past variations in sedimentation rates were identified and correlated with recorded history of anthropogenic disturbance. ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb methods are suitable for use in arid environments and can complement each other to increase reliability of erosion rate estimates. The abundance of stock ponds in southwestern USA presents an opportunity to quantify historic erosion and sediment transfer dynamics in areas that have not been well studied or instrumented. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA     

The diffusive boundary layer of sediments: oxygen microgradients over a microbial mat

Oxygen microelectrodes were used to analyze the distribution of the diffusive boundary layer (DBL) at the sediment-water interface in relation to surface topography and flow velocity. The sediment, collected from saline ponds, was covered by a microbial mat that had high oxygen consumption rate and well-defined surface structure. Diffusion through the DBL constituted an important rate limitation to the oxygen uptake of the sediment. The mean effective DBL thickness decreased from 0.59 to 0.16 mm as the flow velocity of the overlying water was increased from 0.3 to 7.7 cm s-1 (measured 1 cm above the mat). The oxygen uptake rate concurrently increased from 3.9 to 9.4 nmol cm-2 min-1. The effects of surface roughness and topography on the thickness and distribution of the DBL were studied by three-dimensional mapping of the sediment-water interface and the upper DBL boundary at 0.1-mm spatial resolution. The DBL boundary followed mat structures that had characteristic dimensions > 1/2 DBL thickness but the DBL had a dampened relief relative to the mat. The effective surface area of the sediment-water interface and of the upper DBL boundary were 31 and 14% larger, respectively, than a flat plane. Surface topography thereby increased the oxygen flux across the sediment-water interface by 49% relative to a one-dimensional diffusion flux calculated from the vertical oxygen microgradients.     

Grain-size distribution,morphoscopy and elemental chemistry of suspended sediments of Pindari Glacier,Kumaon Himalaya,India

Abstract

Suspended sediment concentrations in the meltwater of Pindari Glacier were determined at regular intervals in four ablation seasons. The late ablation periods (September 1994 and October 1995) were characterized by a reduced level of sediment concentration, while the sampling periods of early ablation (May 1994 and July 1995) showed very high concentrations of suspended sediment in the meltwater. Grain size distribution shows the dominance of medium and coarse silt fractions of the mean size of the suspended sediments between 4.35 and 5.82 ø. Clay size constitutes about 7% of the total size population. The majority of the samples are poorly sorted, symmetrically to finely skewed and mesokurtic in nature. The grain shows texture of mechanical and chemical origin, in which mechanical texture is predominant on most of the grains. It was observed that the grains were mostly subangular to subrounded in shape with variable size ranges. Bulk sediment chemistry consists mostly (>70%) of the five elements, Si, Al, K, Fe and Mg. Iron (Fe) and Mn are dominant heavy metals and sediments show the elemental abundance in the order of Fe > Mn > Zn > Cu > Ni > Pb. The Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) of suspended sediments (57) is relatively higher than in the case of average unweathered upper continental crust (~50) indicating a higher degree of weathering due to glacier grinding and crushing action. Quartz is the most dominant mineral, followed by mica, illite, feldspar and kaolinite.     

An evaluation of sediment rating curves for estimating suspended sediment concentrations for subsequent flux calculations

In the absence of actual suspended sediment concentration (SSC) measurements, hydrologists have used sediment rating (sediment transport) curves to estimate (predict) SSCs for subsequent flux calculations. Various evaluations of the sediment rating‐curve method were made using data from long‐term, daily sediment‐measuring sites within large (>1 000 000 km²), medium (<1 000 000 to >1000 km²), and small (<1000 km²) river basins in the USA and Europe relative to the estimation of suspended sediment fluxes. The evaluations address such issues as the accuracy of flux estimations for various levels of temporal resolution as well as the impact of sampling frequency on the magnitude of flux estimation errors. The sediment rating‐curve method tends to underpredict high, and overpredict low SSCs. As such, the range of errors associated with concomitant flux estimates for relatively short time‐frames (e.g. daily, weekly) are likely to be substantially larger than those associated with longer time‐frames (e.g. quarterly, annually) because the over‐ and underpredictions do not have sufficient time to balance each other. Hence, when error limits must be kept under ±20%, temporal resolution probably should be limited to quarterly or greater. The evaluations indicate that over periods of 20 or more years, errors of <1% can be achieved using a single sediment rating curve based on data spanning the entire period. However, somewhat better estimates for the entire period, and markedly better annual estimates within the period, can be obtained if individual annual sediment rating curves are used instead. Relatively accurate (errors <±20%) annual suspended sediment fluxes can be obtained from hydrologically based monthly measurements/samples. For 5‐year periods or longer, similar results can be obtained from measurements/samples collected once every 2 months. In either case, hydrologically based sampling, as opposed to calendar‐based sampling is likely to limit the magnitude of flux estimation errors. Published in 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

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

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

Evidence for ecosystem engineering in a lentic habitat by tadpoles of the western toad

A number of aquatic organisms have demonstrated an ability to modulate sediment deposition in tropical and temperate stream systems, but little is known about the impact of similar benthic grazing processes in temperate pond systems. Using exclosure experiments in mesocosms, we used tadpoles of the western toad (Anaxyrus boreas) to investigate two questions: (1) can grazing activities of tadpoles of the western toad in ponds reduce sediment accrual on grazing surfaces (e.g. via bioturbation or ingestion); and (2) do these grazing activities contribute to enhanced periphyton biomass and chlorophyll a content of benthic matter. Mesocosms received pulses of fine sediment weekly over 8 weeks to simulate allochthonous surface inputs following rainstorms. Accumulated sediment and periphyton matter on exposed and grazing-restricted substrate surfaces were measured weekly. Tadpole grazing activity significantly reduced the standing stock of periphyton on open grazing surfaces by 80% in controls. Under sediment-additions, tadpoles effectively removed settled particulate matter from exposed grazing surfaces, but no corresponding increase in periphyton biomass was observed. These results suggest that tadpoles can impact the dynamics of sediment distribution in ponds as well as streams, providing support for a role as “ecosystem engineers” in these habitats.     

Suspended sediment transport in the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean): Impact of extreme storms and floods

In situ observations were combined with 3D modeling to gain understanding of and to quantify the suspended sediment transport in the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean Sea). The outputs of a hydrodynamic–sediment transport coupled model were compared to near-bottom current and suspended sediment concentration measurements collected at the head of seven submarine canyons and at a shallow shelf site, over a 6-month period (November 2003–May 2004). The comparisons provide a reasonable validation of the model that reproduces the observed spatial and time variations. The study period was marked by an unusual occurrence of marine storms and high river inputs. The major water and sediment discharges were supplied by the Rhone, the largest Mediterranean river, during an exceptional flood accompanying a severe marine storm in early December 2003. A second major storm, with moderate flooding, occurred in February 2004. The estimate of river input during the studied period was 5.9 Mt. Our study reveals (i) that most of the particulate matter delivered by the Rhone was entrapped on the prodelta, and (ii) that marine storms played a crucial role on the sediment dispersal on the shelf and the off-shelf export. The marine storms occurring in early December 2003 and late February 2004 resuspended a very large amount of shelf sediment (>8 Mt). Erosion was controlled by waves on the inner shelf and by energetic currents on the outer shelf. Sediment deposition took place in the middle part of the shelf, between 50 and 100 m depth. Resuspended sediments and river-borne particles were transported to the southwestern end of the shelf by a cyclonic circulation induced by these onshore winds and exported towards the Catalan shelf and into the Cap de Creus Canyon which incises the slope close to the shore. Export taking place mostly during marine storms was estimated to reach 9.1 Mt during the study period.     

Factors influencing the removal of fine non-cohesive sediment by vortex settling basin at small river abstraction works

Diverted sediment causes a wide range of problems at small diversion works.The difference in water levels between low flows and floods,low investment capital and presence of cohesive sediment and fine non-cohesive sediment coupled with a requirement for a high level of supply assurance makes the design of such hydraulic structures complex.Vortex settling basins(VSBs)offer a promising alternative to conventional settling structures or hydro-cyclones.In the current study,parameters affecting the trapping of particles>75 mm were numerically investigated using ANSYS Fluent and were validated by physical modeling.It was established that the inlet velocity needs to be maintained at 0.26 m/s,the underflow to inflow ratio should be between 0.05 and 0.10,the cylinder height to cylinder diameter ratio should be greater than 0.5,and the positioning of the inlet pipe to cylinder height ratio should be greater than 0.7,with a cone of slope ratio of 2:1(V:H)and the cylinder diameter to inlet diameter ratio should be 8.2.These parameters form the basic design guidelines for VSB use at small diversion works(<100 L/s duty capacity).     

Evidences of the Blake and Iceland Basin magnetic excursions in southeastern Iberia and chronological implications for the Padul sedimentary record

The Padul-15-05 sediment core provides an exceptional perspective of the paleoenvironmental and climate change in the Western Mediterranean region for the last ca. 200 kyr. However, even though a robust chronology mainly relying on radiometric dating is available for the last 50 ka, the chronology for the older sediments is not yet fully resolved. Ages for the bottom part of the core (>21 m) were previously inferred from amino-acid racemization dating and sediment accumulation rates. In this work, we provide a more accurate chronology for the older part (>100 kyr) of the Padul-15-05 sediment core record based on the recognition of past Earth's magnetic excursions. We identify an interval prone of reversed polarity samples close to MIS-5e/5 d transition that we correlate to the Blake geomagnetic excursion (116.5 kyr–112 kyr). In addition, we identify an interval of low inclinations and two reversed samples that we interpret as the Iceland Basin geomagnetic excursion (192.7 kyr–187.7 kyr: wide scenario of VGP <40°). Our new results, which include IRM acquisition curves that contribute to understand the magnetic mineralogy, enhances the robustness of the age model for the Padul-15-05 sedimentary sequence by adding an independent age dataset with new accurate tie-points. Our refined age control together with the available paleoenvironmental and paleoclimate multiproxy data provide insightful information to unveil the response of the western Mediterranean environments to regional environmental and climate change.