Effects of suspended sediments from reservoir flushing on fish and macroinvertebrates in an alpine stream

The downstream ecological consequences of two controlled “free flow” flushing operations designed to remove sediments accumulated in an alpine reservoir are described. The main objectives of the study were (a) to verify to what extent the suspended solid concentration (SSC) in the receiving water course can be controlled by flushing operations, (b) to determine the biological consequences of flushing operations, and (c) to produce technical guidelines for the future planning and monitoring of these activities. We found that the flushing of large volumes of accumulated sediment had clear effects on the stream ecosystem due to the unpredictability of short duration SSC peaks (70–80 g L⁻¹) and the high average SSC (4–5 g L⁻¹) within flushing periods. The main impacts were decreased fish densities (up to 73%) and biomass (up to 66%). A greater mortality recorded for juveniles will likely result in long-term impairment of the age-structures of future fish populations. The zoobenthic assemblages, despite exhibiting a drastic reduction in abundance following the first floods, showed substantial recovery within 3 months of the beginning of flushing operations. Regular sediment removal by yearly flushing is recommended in order to avoid SSC peaks and to facilitate the control of scouring effects caused by the water used to wash out sediments. We also recommend maximum allowable SSCs of 10 g L⁻¹ (daily average) and 5 g L⁻¹ (overall average) for flushing operations carried out in similar environmental contexts.     

Preliminary results of experiments to determine the effects of suspended sediments on the estuarine copepod Eurytemora affinis

Suspended sediment did not significantly affect Eurytemora affinis, which is the numerically dominant, late winter, early spring mesozooplankton taxon in Chesapeake Bay. In preliminary analyses of survival, broods per female and nauplii development for suspended sediment concentrations from 0 to 350 mg l⁻¹, few significant differences were observed between populations exposed to no suspended sediment, and those in 50, 100 and 350 mg l⁻¹. However, in every case, highest suspended sediment levels reduced physiological or reproductive parameters in the copepod. These results suggest that current levels of suspended sediment in the Chesapeake Bay should not reduce population success of the copepod. However, copepod production could decline at slightly higher suspended sediment concentrations resulting from urban population growth and development in the watershed, as well as at levels which are typical of several European estuaries.     

深海海底沉积物声学特性原位测量试验研究

由于实验室测试环境条件与深海海底的原位温压环境存在较大的差异,取样测量的沉积物声学参数通常偏离海底原位状态的真实值.该文利用深水型压载式沉积声学原位测量系统,在水深超过5000 m的西太平洋海域开展了沉积物声学原位测量试验,准确获取了深海底原位状态下沉积物的声速和声衰减系数,并同步采集了沉积物柱状样品.结果显示,实验室测量的沉积物声速、声衰减系数均高于原位测量结果.通过温压校正和数据—模型对比表明,实验室声速比与原位声速比存在较大的差异,难以通过温压校正模型和频散模型完全改正,这可能与深海沉积物的结构扰动有关.较之浅海沉积物,软弱的深海沉积物结构更易受到采样过程的扰动,因而深海沉积物的声学特性测量更为困难,这表明在深海海底声学研究采用原位测量技术具有必要性.该研究标志着我国海底声学研究由浅海走向深海,对推动海底声学的深入研究具有重要意义.     

深海海底沉积物声学特性原位测量试验研究

由于实验室测试环境条件与深海海底的原位温压环境存在较大的差异,取样测量的沉积物声学参数通常偏离海底原位状态的真实值.该文利用深水型压载式沉积声学原位测量系统,在水深超过5000 m的西太平洋海域开展了沉积物声学原位测量试验,准确获取了深海底原位状态下沉积物的声速和声衰减系数,并同步采集了沉积物柱状样品.结果显示,实验室测量的沉积物声速、声衰减系数均高于原位测量结果.通过温压校正和数据—模型对比表明,实验室声速比与原位声速比存在较大的差异,难以通过温压校正模型和频散模型完全改正,这可能与深海沉积物的结构扰动有关.较之浅海沉积物,软弱的深海沉积物结构更易受到采样过程的扰动,因而深海沉积物的声学特性测量更为困难,这表明在深海海底声学研究采用原位测量技术具有必要性.该研究标志着我国海底声学研究由浅海走向深海,对推动海底声学的深入研究具有重要意义.

     

Optimal systems of recording acoustic signals on objects of the cylindrical form

A problem of optimal arrangement of points of observation on surfaces of cylindrical form is considered. An accurate solution of this problem for these systems of observations is obtained. The optimal ratio of a cylinder diameter to the length of its generatrix from the standpoint of the optimal design of the experiment is determined.     

Role of suspended sediments on the distribution of PCB in the Seine Estuary (France)

PCB (polychlorinated biphenyls) contamination and its relationship to SPM (suspended particulate material) have been studied in the Seine Estuary, which is heavily polluted by these persistent and hydrophobic man-made chemicals. Two sampling cruises have been performed during different freshwater discharge conditions. PCB and SPM concentrations, as well as grain-size distributions in the particulate material have been determined. Water samples have been collected at fixed positions during a tidal cycle, and along transects within the estuary.PCB concentrations vary from 2 ng 1⁻¹ in the marine zone to 250 ng 1⁻¹ within the estuary, and reach 1.3 × 10³ ng 1⁻¹ in the turbidity maximum zone. During a tidal cycle, low PCB concentrations are observed at high water, and are in the same range in February as in July. High PCB contamination is observed at low water, but PCB concentrations are about five times higher in February. SPM and PCB variations are well correlated in both periods of observations. Higher PCB contamination during February is explained by higher SPM inputs, mainly due to particles of riverine origin. The transport of PCB within the estuary depends on the quantity and the grainsize composition of suspended material, which varies according to freshwater discharge and tidal amplitude.     

Listening to the Deep: live monitoring of ocean noise and cetacean acoustic signals

The development and broad use of passive acoustic monitoring techniques have the potential to help assessing the large-scale influence of artificial noise on marine organisms and ecosystems. Deep-sea observatories have the potential to play a key role in understanding these recent acoustic changes. LIDO (Listening to the Deep Ocean Environment) is an international project that is allowing the real-time long-term monitoring of marine ambient noise as well as marine mammal sounds at cabled and standalone observatories. Here, we present the overall development of the project and the use of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) techniques to provide the scientific community with real-time data at large spatial and temporal scales. Special attention is given to the extraction and identification of high frequency cetacean echolocation signals given the relevance of detecting target species, e.g. beaked whales, in mitigation processes, e.g. during military exercises.     

An application of the synthetic emitter-array method to improve GPR signals

Methods that employ arrays of emitters are potentially useful in improving weak or ambiguous signals in ground penetrating radar (GPR) prospecting. As in the seismic case, the electromagnetic responses from the subsurface can be obtained by employing true composite sources or synthesized from single emitter responses that are acquired with variable offset, both possibilities leading to similar results. In this article, the synthetic emitter-array method is examined as a way of improving GPR signals. Modeling of transmitted wave-fronts is carried out to analyze how the targets can be illuminated so that the reflected signals are effectively reinforced. The method is applied to different targets. A methodology that simultaneously increases the signal to noise ratio and the lateral coherence of the events is examined in order to facilitate the interpretation of the GPR data. Finally, the synthetic emitter-array method is successfully applied in a case study to determine the width and depth of mud walls at the Palo Blanco archaeological site in Argentina.     

Depth profiles of lithogenic and anthropogenic mercury in the sediments from Thane Creek,Mumbai, India

Mercury（Hg） is well known as one of the most toxic elements to man.The coastal environments adjacent to industrial areas are reported to often be contaminated with mercury.Mercury becomes more toxic in the form of methylmercury（Me-Hg） which is converted from inorganic mercury in aqueous systems by microbial activity and can bio-magnify through the food chain.A simple method for the determination of total mercury and methylmercury in sediments was optimized by slightly modifying an old method using the direct mercury analyzer technique.Core sediment samples from Thane Creek,Mumbai,India were collected and analysed for total mercury and methylmercury.The Hg concentration in the creek varied between 0.54 to 16.03 μg g~（-1） while Me-Hg concentrations ranged between0.04 to 1.07 μg g~（-1）.In surface sediment,mercury concentrations ranged from 4.33 μg g~（-1） to 12.16μg g~（-1）.Total organic carbon content was found to be around 2 percent in different layers of the sediments.The enrichment factors,which indicate the extent of pollution in sediments,were estimated to range from 26 to 50 at different locations in the creek.Lithogenic and anthropogenic concentrations of mercury in the creek were also determined to compare the impact of anthropogenic and natural sources.Anthropogenic inventories were about 5-70 times more in concentration than the lithogenic in the different core sediments.     

Monitoring the effects of disposal of fine sediments from maintenance dredging on suspended particulate matter concentration in the Belgian nearshore area (southern North Sea)

The impact of continuous disposal of fine-grained sediments from maintenance dredging works on the suspended particulate matter concentration in a shallow nearshore turbidity maximum was investigated during dredging experiment (port of Zeebrugge, southern North Sea). Before, during and after the experiment monitoring of SPM concentration using OBS and ADV altimetry was carried out at a location 5 km west of the disposal site. A statistical analysis, based on the concept of populations and sub-sampling, was applied to evaluate the effect. The data revealed that the SPM concentration near the bed was on average more than two times higher during the dredging experiment. The disposed material was mainly transported in the benthic layer and resulted in a long-term increase of SPM concentration and formation of fluid mud layers. The study shows that SPM concentration can be used as an indicator of environmental changes if representative time series are available.     

Luminescence dating of marine sediments from the Sea of Japan using quartz OSL and polymineral pIRIR signals of fine grains

Luminescence dating has long been used for chronological constraints on marine sediments due to the ubiquitous dating materials (quartz and feldspar grains) and its applicability over a relatively long time range. However, one of the main difficulties in luminescence dating on marine sediments is partial bleaching, which causes age overestimations. Especially, partial bleaching is typically difficult to be detected in the fine grain fraction (FG) of marine sediments. The recently developed feldspar post-IR IRSL (pIRIR) protocol can detect non-fading signals and thus avoid feldspar signal instability. In the current study, fine grains were extracted from a gravity core in the northern Sea of Japan, and the aim is to test the feasibility of using different luminescence signals with various bleaching rates to explore the bleaching conditions of fine grain fraction in marine sediments. The results suggest that the quartz OSL signal and polymineral pIRIR signals at stimulation temperatures of 150 °C and 225 °C (pIRIR₁₅₀ and pIRIR₂₂₅) of FG were well bleached prior to deposition. The OSL ages were used to establish a chronology for this sedimentary core and the resulting age-depth relationship is self-consistent and comparable with radiocarbon dates. We conclude that different luminescence signals with various bleaching rates can be used to test the bleaching conditions of fine grain fraction in marine sediments; and the luminescence dating can be applied to marine sediments with great potential.     

Applying regression analysis to calculating suspended sediment runoff: Specific features of the method

Major theoretical prerequisites for the application of regression analysis are considered as applied to calculating suspended sediment given observational data on water discharge and sediment load in rivers. A concept of sediment transport curve as a calculation model based on regression analysis is introduced. The role of the probabilistic structure of raw data in the determination of the optimal form of sediment transport curve and the potential structure of errors of regression models is discussed. The most widely used theoretical models of curves, as well as the methods and algorithms for assessing regression coefficients are analyzed. The application limits and the accuracy of the method are derived from its stochastic nature, and the most common methodological mistakes in its use are discussed.     

Contribution of the 3-D visualization of acoustic borehole signals (full waveforms) to a quick formation evaluation

Logging and continuous coring are carried out when drilling and looking for materials such as gravels, sand, and clay or in order to evaluate the fracture state of a deep site intended for waste storage. However, in some cases of non-consolidated formations, the results may be disappointing because of the borehole conditions. Full waveforms, as seismic signals, provide information about physical parameters of the grounds crossed by the sonic tool, and this information is almost independent of borehole conditions. Traditional displays in variable area or density show the wave arrival times and the frequencies with depth; for variable density, a color scale permits to see clustered instantaneous phases.In order to determine precisely and simultaneously the three signal parameters (arrival time, frequency, and amplitude) in the depth-propagation time domain, a 3-D visualization software has been developed. The “view” parameters, which give a nice display of the 3-D→2-D projection of the signals in a parallel perspectives relative to depth, are estimated on the monitor screen in an interactive way. A larger size version of the software is available for displaying in detail the acoustic signals for the whole borehole. However, this program needs a large computer, and the maximum size of the drawing depends on the computer memory available for use.The comparison between traditional and 3-D displays shows that without previous preprocessing, the 3-D visualization (1) shows the very small and continuous variations of amplitude (and, therefore, of attenuation) with depth better; and (2) can bring out interferences and “energetic peaks” by simply changing the “view” parameters. As the attenuation of the different waves is directly determined, fresh zones can be distinguished immediately from fracture zones and hard ground from soft ground. The geometry of major fracturing can be deduced directly from graphical representation; i.e. open or closed, and horizontal or oblique fractures. The calculation of their “vertical thickness” is straightfoward. Microfractures, induced by drilling or otherwise, are not detected, but microfractured rocks are detectable.     

Adaptation of the ionospheric radio channel parameters to the current conditions using observations of the signals of reference radio stations

A method of adaptation of the ionospheric channel parameters to the current conditions is proposed. The observational data on the temporal behavior of signals of radio stations with known location and set of working frequencies (the so-called reference stations) are used as information describing the current state of the channel. A facility that makes possible to determine by simple means the moments of radio rises and declines on the reference paths has been created. A technique that relates for these instants working frequencies of the stations with maximum usable frequencies of the paths has been developed. By means of an approximate solution of the inverse problem using the method of characteristics for the calculation of radiowave propagation and the monthly average semiempirical model of the ionosphere, the height profile of electron density in a certain spatial region is refined. The efficiency of the proposed method of adaptation of the ionospheric channel parameters using the data of vertical sounding is assessed and the expediency of practical application of such adaptation is shown.     

张家口地震台和兴隆地震台地脉动信号初步分析

选取河北省张家口和兴隆2个台站的数字化地震仪连续1年,每日02～03时的地脉动记录,计算功率谱和自相关函数。结果发现兴隆台脉动谱中有4个比较突出的峰值,分别为0．3Hz、3Hz、8Hz、15Hz,张家口台只有3个峰值0．3Hz、3Hz、15Hz。兴隆台UD向的自相关函数呈现出一种比较典型的“红噪声”形态,EW向则呈现出负相关特征,认为可能是只作用于水平向的倾斜脉动的影响。小幅度的仪器干扰信号无论从脉冲标定还是地震波形中都很难发现的,而对脉动进行谱分析则很容易分辨。兴隆台和张家口台地脉动卓越周期时间曲线,基本集中在0．3秒,比较稳定。     

The effect of the new Massachusetts Bay sewage outfall on the concentrations of metals and bacterial spores in nearby bottom and suspended sediments

Since the new outfall for Boston's treated sewage effluent began operation on September 6, 2000, no change has been observed in concentrations of silver or Clostridium perfringens spores (an ecologically benign tracer of sewage), in bottom sediments at a site 2.5 km west of the outfall. In suspended sediment samples collected with a time-series sediment trap located 1.3 km south of the outfall, silver and C. perfringens spores increased by 38% and 103%, respectively, in post-outfall samples while chromium, copper, and zinc showed no change. All metal concentrations in sediments are <50% of warning levels established by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority. An 11-year data set of bottom sediment characteristics collected three times per year prior to outfall startup provides perspective for the interpretation of post-outfall data. A greater than twofold increase in concentrations of sewage tracers (silver and C. perfringens) was observed in muddy sediments following the exceptional storm of December 11-16, 1992 that presumably moved contaminated inshore sediment offshore.     

A general integrated ecotoxicological method for marine sediment quality assessment: application to sediments from littoral ecosystems on Southern Spain's Atlantic coast

In the last few decades, several integrated methods for marine sediment quality evaluation have been developed and applied to many coastal sites. This paper describes the development of a general integrated method based on the determination of organic and inorganic sediment contamination, lethal and sublethal toxicity assessments, in situ benthonic community structure alteration and bioaccumulation of contaminants. The proposed method was applied to sediments from Southern Spain's Atlantic coast where six rivers (Guadiana, Carreras, Piedras, Tinto, Odiel and Guadalquivir) drain pollutants from various anthropogenic sources. A series of experiments was conducted to determine the characteristics of the sediments: granulometry, organic matter content, etc. (1); metal contamination of sediments and Chamelea gallina (bivalves widely distributed in the area studied) (2); lethal and sublethal toxicity by a series of biological tests (3); and macrofauna distribution at the 16 stations included in the study (4). Ratio-to-reference values (RTR) calculated for each parameter were used to determine the organic and inorganic contamination indices, the lethal and sublethal toxicity indices, the index of bioavailability of metals in the organisms analyzed and the macrobenthic alteration index. The data were plotted on six-axis plots to describe better the relations between the physical, chemical and biological properties studied. A general integrated sediment quality index (ISQI) was determined and used as an indicator of pollution-induced degradation. The ISQI values summarize the main characteristics of the environmental situation at each sampling point and can be used for purposes of comparison.     

Influence of morphological changes on suspended sediment dynamics in a macrotidal estuary: diachronic analysis in the Seine Estuary (France) from 1960 to 2010

Ocean Dynamics - Estuaries are subject to extensive morphological changes through human activities, such as deepening and narrowing via dredging and channelization. The estuary sediment load,...