Wind erosion at the dry-up bottom of Aiby Lake-- A case study on the source of air dust

Clay-rich deposits are usually considered as hard materials to be eroded by wind.Data from both surface monitoring and field survey at the dry-up bottom of Aiby Lake present thatclay-rich lacustrine deposits are easily broken down and eroded away by wind in the seasonalalternation process under the natural arid environment, and are the significant source of air dust.The surface of the clay-rich deposits is broken and softened by the freezing-and-thawing action inwinter season and/or by salt and alkali action with precipitation. Impact of wind-input particles andplow of plant branches with wind force drive the clay-rich sediments moving. Wind picks up theclay pebbles and repeats the impaction further-ward onto the dry-up surface. Tremendous finematerials, including soft salts, are contributed to air dust, and transported in long distance.     

Phosphorus transport to the bottom of Lake Constance

Despite decreasing nutrient loading of Lake Constance over the past few years, annual sedimentation rates of dry matter remained nearly constant at a level of about 1000 gm^–2y^–1. The phosphorus content in settling material varied between 0.13 and 0.22% of dry weight. Phosphorus was transported to the lake bottom mainly by POM and by coprecipitation with authigenically formed calcite (estimated from results of laboratory studies). Adsorption to sinking particles of allochthonous origin was of minor importance. The effect of a self-cleaning mechanism is discussed with regard to continuously declining contents of dissolved phosphorus in Lake Constance since 1981, due to external sanitation measures in the drainage area.     

Wind erosion characteristics of Sahelian surface types

The assessment of wind erosion magnitudes for a given area requires knowledge of wind erosion susceptibilities of the dominant local surface types. Relative wind erosion potentials of surfaces can hardly be compared under field conditions, as each erosion event is unique in terms of duration, intensity and extent. The objective of this study was to determine and compare relative wind erosion potentials of the most representative surface types over a transect comprising most parts of southwestern Niger. For this purpose, mobile wind tunnel experiments were run on 26 dominant surface types. The effects of surface disturbance were additionally determined for 13 of these surfaces. The results, namely measurements of wind fields and mass fluxes, can be classified according to specific surface characteristics. Three basic surface groups with similar emission behaviour and aerodynamic characteristics were identified: (1) sand surfaces, (2) rough stone surfaces and (3) flat crusted surfaces. Sand surfaces feature a turbulent zone close to the surface due to the development of a saltation layer. Their surface roughness is medium to high, as a consequence of the loss of kinetic energy of the wind field to saltating particles. Sand surfaces show the highest mass fluxes due to the abundance of loose particles, but also fairly high PM10 fluxes, as potential dust particles are not contained in stable crusts or aggregates. Rough stone surfaces, due to their fragmented and irregular surface, feature the highest surface roughness and the most intense turbulence. They are among the weakest emitters but, due to their relatively high share of potential dust particles, PM10 emissions are still average. Flat crusted surfaces, in contrast, show low turbulence and the lowest surface roughness. This group of surfaces shows rather heterogeneous mass fluxes, which range from moderate to almost zero, although the share of PM10 particles is always relatively high. Topsoil disturbance always results in higher total and PM10 emissions on sand surfaces and also on flat crusted surfaces. Stone surfaces regularly exhibit a decrease in emission after disturbance, which can possibly be attributed to a reorganization which protects finer particles from entrainment. The results are comparable with field studies of natural erosion events and similar wind tunnel field campaigns. The broad range of tested surfaces and the standardized methodology are a precondition for the future regionalization of the experimental point data. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tectonic erosion at trenches

Tectonic erosion of inner trench slopes of some arc systems has been suggested as a viable process. The discontinuity and truncation of structures along the coastline from Mexico to Chile demands a process by which continental crust is removed, but marine geologic and geophysical evidence indicates that accretion rather than erosion is presently occurring in those trenches. A more plausible process is the rifting of continental margins along the trend of the arc systems as an effect of oblique sucduction. This process can be observed in the Baja California region. Tectonic erosion in oceanic trenches, as the Tonga trench, is precluded by the steady growth of the inner slope area. Geologic and geophysical data from these regions implies the accretion of oceanic basement.     

台风影响下巢湖风浪特征研究

基于实测和数值模拟方法分析了台风“摩羯”和“温比亚”过境巢湖流域时的影响.台风“摩羯”和“温比亚”过境时,在巢湖产生较大的风速和风浪过程,其中对东巢湖的影响最大,中巢湖次之,西巢湖最小.东巢湖、中巢湖、西巢湖在台风“摩羯”过境时出现了0.68、0.67和0.48 m的最大有效波高和2.25、2.33和1.95 s的最大平均波周期;而台风“温比亚”过境时则最大有效波高可达1.50、1.47和1.18 m,最大平均波周期可达2.99、3.04和2.74 s.影响较大的区域位于东巢湖与中巢湖连接的湖心水域,总体对东巢湖的影响最为显著,中巢湖次之,西巢湖最小.不同湖区湖心水域由于水深、风区长度大,往往是出现最大风浪强度的区域.     

Bioindication of water and bottom sediment pollution in the Kondopozhskaya Bay of Lake Onega

The situation in the Kondopozhskaya Bay of Onega Lake, polluted by wastewater of a pulp-and-paper mill is considered. The dynamics of wastewater input over 80 years is analyzed; the rate of such input varied widely in this period because of changes in cellulose production processes. A close correlation was found to exist between the characteristics of the state of aquatic organism communities and the environmental physicochemical characteristics. The pollution indices of water mass and the bed are evaluated, including biological and physicochemical data. Those indices can be used to identify polluted zones of water and bottom sediments in Onega Lake subject to the discharge of wastewaters from pulp-and-paper mill.     

Microbial community of the oxidized layer of Lake Baikal bottom sediments in the Selenga mouth

The distribution and abundance of some groups of saprophytic microorganisms in bottom sediments of Selenga Delta area were investigated. The species composition of 57 strains of the genus Pseudomonas was determined. The distribution of Actinomycetes in sediments was found to be uneven, they were represented by the genera Streptomyces and Micromonospora. Formation of the microbial community in bottom sediments of the investigated area is influenced by the Selenga River.Translated from Vodnye Resursy, Vol. 32, No. 2, 2005, pp. 227–231.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Parfenova, Pavlova, Terkina, Suslova, Kostornova, Nikulina, Sinyukovich, Sorokovikova.     

Wind erosion of Mancos Shale badland ridges by sudden drops in pressure

One process of erosion of Mancos Shale badlands near Hanksville, Utah, appears to be caused by nearly instantaneous drops in air pressure accompanying gusts of wind. A series of sharp-crested bedrock ridges trend nearly perpendicular to the strong, gusty southwesterly winds that precede cold fronts passing through the area. The Bernoulli effect, resulting from the explosive onset of wind gusts in which the wind over the ridges can accelerate from 7 to 14 m s⁻¹, can cause nearly instantaneous pressure drops of 1·27 mmHg. This provides a unit lifting force of 0·01697 N. Since the average gravitational force acting on a unit area of the crust is only 0·00883 N, this force is sufficient to lift the crust, exposing the underlying weathered shale chips to further wind erosion. Soils susceptible to this type of erosion consist of polygonally cracked surface crust averaging 1·2 cm thick overlying a porous subsoil of silt-sized shale chips. The arid environment permits complete soil drying between weather fronts, greatly reducing the cohesion that would occur if the soil were moist. The pressure drops, and the erosion caused by them, were observed on the lee side of bedrock ridges about 10 m high, within 1 m of the ridge crest. Landforms resulting from this process are micro-cirque forms located near the ridge crests. Continued development of micro-cirques eventually forms cliffs on the lee sides of the ridges. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The distribution and transformation of oil hydrocarbons in Onega Lake bottom sediments

The distribution of oil hydrocarbons in bottom sediments of Onega Lake was examined. Their qualitative and quantitative composition was examined by methods of IR-spectroscopy and chromatography-mass spectrometry. The background concentrations of oil hydrocarbons in bottom sediments are evaluated and the polluted area is determined. The major regularities in oil hydrocarbon transformations under natural conditions and anthropogenic impact are identified. The quantitative development of the bacterial groups that take part in the transformation of complex organic substances and oil product derivatives in the case of emergency pollution of Petrozavodsk Bay water area by oil products is demonstrated.     

Wind tunnel tests of the dynamic processes that control wind erosion of a sand bed

Aeolian sand transport is a complicated process that is affected by many factors (e.g. wind velocity, sand particle size, surface microtopography). Under different experimental conditions, erosion processes will therefore produce different results. In this study, we conducted a series of wind tunnel experiments across a range of wind velocities capable of entraining sand particles (8.0, 10.0, 12.0, and 14.0 m s^-1) to study the dynamic changes of the shear velocity, aerodynamic roughness length, and sand transport. We found that the shear velocity and aerodynamic roughness length are not constant; rather, they change dynamically over time, and the rules that describe their changes depend on the free-stream air velocity. For wind tunnel experiments without feeding sand into the airflow, the sand bed elevation decreases with increasing erosion time, and this change significantly affected the values of shear velocity and aerodynamic roughness length. A Gaussian distribution function described the relationships between the sand transport rate (q_T) and the duration of wind erosion (T). It is therefore necessary for modelers to consider both deflation of the bed and the time scale used when calculating sand transport or erosion rates. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Variability of interrill erosion at low slopes

Numerous models and risk assessments have been developed in order to estimate soil erosion from agricultural land, with some including estimates of nutrient and contaminant transfer. Many of these models have a slope term as a control over particle transfer, with increased transfer associated with increased slopes. This is based on data collected over a wide range of slopes and using relatively small soil flumes and physical principals, i.e. the role of gravity in splash transport and flow. This study uses laboratory rainfall simulation on a large soil flume to investigate interrill soil erosion of a silt loam under a rainfall intensity of 47 mm h^?1 on 3%, 6% and 9% slopes, which are representative of agricultural land in much of northwest Europe. The results show: (1) wide variation in runoff and sediment concentration data from replicate experiments, which indicates the complexities in interrill soil erosion processes; and (2) that at low slopes processes related to surface area connectivity, soil saturation, flow patterns and water depth may dominant over those related to gravity. Consequently, this questions the use of risk assessments and soil erosion models with a dominant slope term when assessing soil erosion from agricultural land at low slopes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Pollution of bottom sediments in Petrozavodsk Bay of Lake Onega with oil products

The results of hydrochemical studies of Petrozavodsk Bay of Lake Onega carried out during 2001–2004 were analyzed. Due consideration was given to the pollution of bottom sediments with oil products and to the trend in pollution variations. The present condition of bottom sediments of the bay and the consequences of their pollution were assessed.     

Hydrocarbons of bottom sediments at the Shtokman Field in the Barents Sea

Hydrocarbon samples taken from bottom sediments of the Barents Sea in summer 2010 in two grounds near the Shtokman Gas Condensate Field were studied. The concentration of hydrocarbons was found to increase with sampling depth along with a decrease in C_org concentration. The composition of alkanes had mixed genesis: autochthonous homologues (n-C₁₆-C₁₇) dominated in the low-molecular domain, while oil ones dominated in the high-molecular domain; light polyarenes dominated in the composition of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The seepage of hydrocarbons from the sedimentary stratum and their transformation in the surface layer of bottom sediments are considered as their major source. The relatively low hydrocarbon concentrations converted to dry mass and in the composition of C_org are supposed to be due to a decrease in the intensity of fluid flows, since the hydrocarbon reservoirs of the Shtokman Field are firmly capped by an impermeable stratum of mostly clay rocks.     

History of the Limnological Institutes at Lake Constance

This contribution tells the history of the limnological institutes, which were founded at the shores of Lake Constance. The history starts in the late 19th century examining the scientific and personal background of two institutes, the “Anstalt für Bodenseeforschung” in Konstanz-Staad (no longer existing) and the “Institut für Seenforschung und Seenbewirtschaftung” in Langenargen, both founded in 1919/1920. It follows the turbulent history of the institutes during the early 20th century, the 3rd Reich, and the Federal Republic of Germany and examines their competition until their unification in 1970. A third institute, the precursor of the current Limnological Institute of the University of Konstanz was founded in 1948 in the small Black Forest village Falkau, and moved to Konstanz in 1970. In addition, the role of leading limnologists of their time, e.g. Max Auerbach, Reinhard Demoll, Hans-Joachim Elster and August Thienemann in founding and shaping these institutes is described.     

三峡工程对鄱阳湖冲淤的影响和预测

泥沙淤积是制约湖泊功能的重要因素。三峡工程运行后增减下泄流量,将使鄱阳湖的泥沙交换和淤积作用发生变化。本文根据鄱阳湖的沉积特点,利用典型年的水文过程对库区增减下泄流量时的冲淤变化进行了预测,指出直接的影响不大,但洲滩发展和束狭入江断面的负效应须有所警惕。     

铁路重力式桥墩墩底局部加密纵筋高度研究

为研究墩底加密纵筋高度对铁路重力式桥墩抗震性能的影响,提出加密纵筋高度的确定原则,推导纵筋加密高度计算公式.设计5个不同加密纵筋类型的桥墩,通过数值分析研究桥墩的滞回曲线和骨架曲线,对比分析墩底加密纵筋后桥墩的抗震性能.研究结果表明:墩底局部加密纵向钢筋可有效提高桥墩的承载能力;桥墩抗震设计验算时截面配筋率可取墩底纵筋加密后的截面配筋率;数值分析结果验证纵筋加密高度计算公式的合理性.研究成果可为铁路重力式桥墩抗震设计提供有价值的参考.     

The compatibility of erosion data at different temporal scales

Soil erosion processes have been studied intensively throughout the last decades and rates have been measured at the plot scale as well as at larger scales. However, the relevance of this knowledge for the modelling of long-term landscape evolution remains a topic of considerable debate. Some authors state that measurements of current rates are irrelevant to landscape evolution over a longer time span, as they are inconsistent with some fundamental characteristics of landscapes, such as the fact that the long-term sediment delivery ratio needs to be equal to 1 and that extrapolation of current rates would imply that all soils in Europe should have disappeared by now (e.g. Parsons, A.J., Wainwright, J., Brazier, R.E., Powell, D.M., 2006. Is sediment delivery a fallacy? Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 31, 1325–1328). In this study, we investigate if and to what extent estimates of long-term erosion rates are consistent with information obtained over much shorter time spans for the Loam Belt of Belgium.In a first step, observed short-term and long-term patterns in the Belgian loess area are compared statistically by classifying the study area into landscape element classes and comparing average erosion values per class. This analysis shows that the erosion intensities on the two temporal scales are of the same order of magnitude for each landscape element class. Next, the spatially distributed model WaTEM LT (Water and Tillage Erosion Model Long Term) is calibrated based on the available short-term data by optimising average erosion values for the same landscape element classes. Finally, the calibrated model is used to simulate long-term landform evolution, and is validated using long-term data based on soil profile truncation. We found that the model allows simulating landscape evolution on a millennial time scale using information derived from short-term erosion and deposition data. However, it is important that land use is taken into account for the calibration in order to obtain realistic patterns on a longer time scale. Our analysis shows that, at least for the study area considered, data obtained on erosion and deposition rates over various temporal scales have the same orders of magnitude, thereby demonstrating that measurements of current rates of processes can be highly relevant for interpreting long-term landscape evolution.     

Maximized erosion at the last glacial maximum revealed by thermoluminescence thermochronometry

Increased erosion rates during the last 2 Myr of Earth history are commonly associated with widespread glaciation and global cooling. However, whether erosion rates actually increased during that period of time remains debated. This is in part because the respective role of fluvial and glacial erosion is difficult to assess, and because many existing techniques used to estimate erosion rates may be affected by averaging biases that may produce increased erosion rates towards the present. Here, we apply thermoluminescence thermochronometry to granitic bedrock samples of the southern-central Chilean Andes, a region which experienced a full transition from glacial-humid to fluvial-dry conditions during the Quaternary. Inverse modelling of the thermochronological data enables us to extract unbiased time series of erosion rates during the last ∼100 kyr. We find that erosion rates were systematically higher during around the last glacial maximum than at present, with differences exceeding an order of magnitude. Our findings indicate that glacial erosion is probably more efficient than fluvial erosion and imply that erosion has remained transient during the Quaternary.     

Soil erosion at three experimental sites in the ­Mediterranean

The results of erosion studies carried out at three representative sites in the European Mediterranean basin are discussed. The objectives of the study are to clarify the underlying processes affecting soil erosion and to quantify erosion and runoff in the framework of mitigation of land degradation. The study was carried out at three instrumented field stations using similar layouts and experimental set-ups and harmonized field procedures. Runoff and sediment yield from bounded plots were measured for different types of land use for longer periods. The runoff and sediment values were found to be relatively low, and showed average annual values between 2·0 and 8·9 1 m⁻² for runoff, and between 20·2 and 28·1 g m⁻² for sediment yield. The results show that the individual plot response on an event basis shows no relationship between runoff and sediment yield for two of the three sites. On an annual average basis a significant relationship is found between the runoff and sediment yield. Significant differences were observed between different types of land use, especially between semi-natural vegetation, burned and abandoned field cover types on the one hand, and agricultural fields on the other hand. The runoff and erosion values were lowest for the semi-natural fields. It was found that in non-cultivated fields the bounded plots might suffer from depletion of available sediment. It can be concluded that erosion figures are very low for the sites studied, and that the maintenance of semi-natural vegetation may help in the prevention of runoff generation and erosion. It can be concluded that the use of bounded plots may not be as ideal as might be expected from its wide application. In some cases open plots, especially under semi-natural land use, may produce much better results, especially when measuring over longer periods. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.