Dissolved and particulate trace metal fluxes through the central English Channel, and the influence of coastal gyres

Measurements of dissolved Cd, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn have been made on a seasonal basis at five stations on a north–south transect across the central English Channel between Cherbourg and the Isle of Wight. Vertical and horizontal distributions of dissolved Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn are relatively uniform except for sampling sites near the English coast. Dissolved Mn and Co show increased concentrations in the English coastal waters, and for Mn the seasonal trend in concentration follows the pattern seen in the Strait of Dover with higher values in the late summer. Ni and Cu are higher in concentration on the English side, which reflects mainly riverine sources. Measurements were also made of particulate forms of the metals above plus particulate Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Sr and Ti. Water column concentrations of particulate metals broadly follow the distribution of suspended particulate matter, with highest concentrations near the UK coast. Trace metal concentrations have been integrated with modelled data on fluxes of water to provide estimates of fluxes for these elements into the eastern Channel, and an initial comparison is made with data for fluxes of metals through the Strait of Dover obtained during an earlier study. A major influence on the fluxes of particulate metals through the Isle of Wight-Cherbourg transect is the gyre system to the South east to the Isle of Wight, which has important east to west as well as west to east transport components. For those elements where the dissolved form of the metal dominates, the large flow of water in the central Channel waters leads to major fluxes of the metals towards the east and the Strait of Dover. However, the high suspended particulate matter loadings in the coastal waters and impact of the gyre system lead to net east to west fluxes of particulate Al, Fe, Mn and Ti. Comparison of these fluxes with data on the net west to east transport of these materials through the Strait of Dover infers that there must be a significant supply of these particulate metals to the eastern Channel.     

The fate of suspended sediment and particulate organic carbon in transit through the channels of a river catchment

Particulate organic matter (POM) transiting through rivers could be lost to overbank storage, stored in‐channel, added to by erosion or autochthonous production, or turned over to release greenhouse gases to the atmosphere (either while in the water column or while stored in the channel). In the UK, a net loss of POM across catchments has been recorded, and the aim here was to investigate the balances of processes acting on the POM. This study considered records of suspended sediment and POM flux in comparison to stream flow, velocity, stream power, and residence time for the River Trent (English Midlands, 8,231 km²). We show that for the lower two thirds (106 km) of the River Trent, 2% is lost to overbank storage; 10% is lost to the atmosphere in the water column; and 31% is turned over while in temporary storage. Permanent in‐channel storage is negligible, and for the lower course of the river, material stored in‐channel will have a residence time of the order of hundreds of days between the last flood hydrograph of one winter and the first winter storm of the next winter (usually in the same calendar year). When considered at the scale of the UK, 1% POM in transit would be lost to overbank sedimentation; 5% turned over in the water column, and 14% turned over while in temporary storage. In the upper third of the study river channel, there is insufficient stream power to transport sediment and so in‐channel storage or in‐channel turnover over to the atmosphere dominate. The in‐channel processes of the River Trent do not conform to that expected for river channels as the headwaters are not eroding or transporting sediment. Therefore, the source of sediment must be lower down the channel network.     

Dynamics of suspended sediment transport and yield in a large agricultural catchment,southwest France

The dynamics of suspended sediment transport were monitored continuously in a large agricultural catchment in southwest France from January 2007 to March 2009. The objective of this paper is to analyse the temporal variability in suspended sediment transport and yield in that catchment. Analyses were also undertaken to assess the relationships between precipitation, discharge and suspended sediment transport, and to interpret sediment delivery processes using suspended sediment‐discharge hysteresis patterns. During the study period, we analysed 17 flood events, with high resolution suspended sediment data derived from continuous turbidity and automatic sampling. The results revealed strong seasonal, annual and inter‐annual variability in suspended sediment transport. Sediment was strongly transported during spring, when frequent flood events of high magnitude and intensity occurred. Annual sediment transport in 2007 yielded 16 614 tonnes, representing 15 t km^?2 (85% of annual load transport during floods for 16% of annual duration), while the 2008 sediment yield was 77 960 tonnes, representing 70 t km^?2 (95% of annual load transport during floods for 20% of annual duration). Analysis of the relationships between precipitation, discharge and suspended sediment transport showed that there were significant correlations between total precipitation, peak discharge, total water yield, flood intensity and sediment variables during the flood events, but no relationship with antecedent conditions. Flood events were classified in relation to suspended sediment concentration (SSC)–discharge hysteretic loops, complemented with temporal dynamics of SSC–discharge ranges during rising and falling flow. The hysteretic shapes obtained for all flood events reflected the distribution of probable sediment sources throughout the catchment. Regarding the sediment transport during all flood events, clockwise hysteretic loops represented 68% from river deposited sediments and nearby source areas, anticlockwise 29% from distant source areas, and simultaneity of SSC and discharge 3%. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Model based analysis of lateral and vertical soil carbon fluxes induced by soil redistribution processes in a small agricultural catchment

Soil redistribution on arable land significantly affects lateral and vertical soil carbon (C) fluxes (caused by C formation and mineralization) and soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. Whether this serves as a (C) sink or source to the atmosphere is a controversial issue. In this study, the SPEROS‐C model was modified to analyse erosion induced lateral and vertical soil C fluxes and their effects upon SOC stocks in a small agricultural catchment (4·2 ha). The model was applied for the period between 1950 and 2007 covering 30 years of conventional tillage (1950–1979) followed by 28 years of conservation tillage (1980–2007). In general, modelled and measured SOC stocks are in good agreement for three observed soil layers. The overall balance (1950–2007) of erosion induced lateral and vertical C fluxes results in a C loss of ?4·4 g C m^–2 a^–1 at our test site. Land management has a significant impact on the erosion induced C fluxes, leading to a predominance of lateral C export under conventional and of vertical C exchange between soil and atmosphere under conservation agriculture. Overall, the application of the soil conservation practices, with enhanced C inputs by cover crops and decreased erosion, significantly reduced the modelled erosion induced C loss of the test site. Increasing C inputs alone, without a reduction of erosion rates, did not result in a reduction of erosion induced C losses. Moreover, our results show that the potential erosion induced C loss is very sensitive to the representation of erosion rates (long‐term steady state versus event driven). A first estimate suggests that C losses are very sensitive to magnitude and frequency of erosion events. If long‐term averages are dominated by large magnitude events modelled erosion induced C losses in the catchment were significantly reduced. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterization of subsurface fluxes at the plot scale during flash floods in the Valescure catchment,France

This study focuses on a 10-m² plot within a granitic hillslope in Cevennes mountainous area in France, in order to study infiltration and subsurface hydrological processes during heavy rainfalls and flash floods. The monitoring device included water content at several depths (0–70 cm for the shallow soil water; 0–10 m for the deep water) during both intense artificial and natural rainfall events, chemical and physical tracers, time-lapse electrical resistivity tomography. During the most intense events, the infiltrated water was estimated to be some hundreds of millimetres, which largely exceeds the topsoil capacity (≤40 cm deep in most of the cases). The weathered/fractured rock area below the soil clearly has an active role in the water storage and sub-surface flow dynamics. Vertical flow was dominant in the first 0–10 m, and lateral flow was effective at 8–10 m depth, at the top of the saturated area. The speed of the vertical flow was estimated between 1 and 10 m/hr, whereas it was estimated between 0.1 and 1 m/hr for the lateral flow. The interpretation of the experiments might lead to a local pattern of the 2D-hydrological processes and profile properties, which could be generic for most of the mountainous catchments under Mediterranean climate. It suggests that fast triggering of floods at the catchment scale cannot be explained by a mass transfer within the hillslope, but should be due to a pressure wave propagation through the bedrock fractures, which allows exfiltration of the water downstream the hillslope.     

An overview of hydrometeorological datasets from a small agricultural catchment (Nučice) in the Czech Republic

We introduce the freely available web-based Water in an Agricultural Landscape—NUčice Database (WALNUD) dataset that includes both hydrological and meteorological records at the Nučice experimental catchment (0.53 km²), which is representative of an intensively farmed landscape in the Czech Republic. The Nučice experimental catchment was established in 2011 for the observation of rainfall–runoff processes, soil erosion processes, and water balance of a cultivated landscape. The average altitude is 401 m a.s.l., the mean land slope is 3.9%, and the climate is humid continental (mean annual temperature 7.9°C, annual precipitation 630 mm). The catchment is drained by an artificially straightened stream and consists of three fields covering over 95% of the area which are managed by two different farmers. The typical crops are winter wheat, rapeseed, and alfalfa. The installed equipment includes a standard meteorological station, several rain gauges distributed across the basin, and a flume with an H-type facing that is used to monitor stream discharge, water turbidity, and basic water quality indicators. Additionally, the groundwater level and soil water content at various depths near the stream are recorded. Recently, large-scale soil moisture monitoring efforts have been introduced with the installation of two cosmic-ray neutron sensors for soil moisture monitoring. The datasets consist of observed variables (e.g. measured precipitation, air temperature, stream discharge, and soil moisture) and are available online for public use. The cross-seasonal, open access datasets at this small-scale agricultural catchment will benefit not only hydrologists but also local farmers.     

First observations in a high rocky-shore community after the Erika oil spill (December 1999, Brittany,France)

The high mediolittoral rocky-shore community on the island of Groix (Brittany, France), was studied for the year immediately following the Erika oil spill (12/12/1999). The macrofaunal assemblages of three habitats (exposed bedrock, crevices, boulders) under three situations (non-impacted, impacted and not washed, impacted and washed) were monitored monthly. The assemblage of each habitat showed specific responses to the impacts and initiated various patterns of succession: the bed rock assemblage changed in terms of abundance but no species-richness variations occurred; in the crevices richness variations occurred both in the disappearance of some species and the immigration of opportunistic ones; the boulder assemblage lost many species and remained unstructured one year after the oil spill. These first results of this most recent oil spill in Europe, raised the question of the relative importance of habitat-species and species interactions on the community structure.     

A mass balance approach to quantifying Pb storage and fluxes in an upland catchment of the Peak District,north‐central England

A mass balance model of the main Pb stores and fluxes for a typical organic‐rich upland catchment in the Peak District, UK, has been produced. The model, based on the Howden reservoir catchment, reveals that the majority of Pb in the catchment is stored within the soil (approximately 8·63 t km^?2). Soil Pb levels are extremely high and can only be explained as the result of centuries of atmospheric Pb deposition from surrounding urban–industrial conurbations, and mining and smelting activity within the Peak District National Park. The atmospheric Pb flux onto the Howden catchment is approximately 107 kg a^?1. The aquatic Pb flux is estimated at between 29·9 and 71·7 kg a^?1; thus, at present, catchment soils are acting as a sink for Pb pollution. The Howden reservoir acts as a secondary store for Pb eroded and leached from catchment soils, with approximately 80% re‐deposited in its sediments. It is estimated that 2·3% of the catchment soil Pb pool has been retained in the reservoir sediments over its 91 year lifespan. Although the catchment is currently acting as a Pb sink, the rate of change in the soil Pb pool is very small. Future change in climate or deposition chemistry could, however, transform catchment soils into a significant source of Pb to the aquatic environment and water supply. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of snowpack removal on energy balance,melt and runoff in a small supraglacial catchment

Modelling melt and runoff from snow‐ and ice‐covered catchments is important for water resource and hazard management and for the scientific study of glacier hydrology, dynamics and hydrochemistry. In this paper, a distributed, physically based model is used to determine the effects of the up‐glacier retreat of the snowline on spatial and temporal patterns of melt and water routing across a small (0·11 km²) supraglacial catchment on Haut Glacier d'Arolla, Switzerland. The melt model uses energy‐balance theory and accounts for the effects of slope angle, slope aspect and shading on the net radiation fluxes, and the effects of atmospheric stability on the turbulent fluxes. The water routing model uses simplified snow and open‐channel hydrology theory and accounts for the delaying effects of vertical and horizontal water flow through snow and across ice. The performance of the melt model is tested against hourly measurements of ablation in the catchment. Calculated and measured ablation rates show a high correlation (r² = 0·74) but some minor systematic discrepancies in the short term (hours). These probably result from the freezing of surface water at night, the melting of the frozen layer in the morning, and subsurface melting during the afternoon. The performance of the coupled melt/routing model is tested against hourly discharge variations measured in the supraglacial stream at the catchment outlet. Calculated and measured runoff variations show a high correlation (r² = 0·62). Five periods of anomalously high measured discharge that were not predicted by the model were associated with moulin overflow events. The radiation and turbulent fluxes contribute c. 86% and c. 14% of the total melt energy respectively. These proportions do not change significantly as the surface turns from snow to ice, because increases in the outgoing shortwave radiation flux (owing to lower albedo) happen to be accompanied by decreases in the incoming shortwave radiation flux (owing to lower solar incidence angles) and increases in the turbulent fluxes (owing to higher air temperatures and vapour pressures). Model sensitivity experiments reveal that the net effect of snow pack removal is to increase daily mean discharges by c. 50%, increase daily maximum discharges by >300%, decrease daily minimum discharges by c. 100%, increase daily discharge amplitudes by >1000%, and decrease the lag between peak melt rates and peak discharges from c. 3 h to c. 50 min. These changes have important implications for the development of subglacial drainage systems. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Dissolved nitrous oxide (N2O) dynamics in agricultural field drains and headwater streams in an intensive arable catchment

Indirect nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions produced by nitrogen (N) leaching into surface water and groundwater bodies are poorly understood in comparison to direct N₂O emissions from soils. In this study, dissolved N₂O concentrations were measured weekly in both lowland headwater streams and subsurface agricultural field drain discharges over a 2‐year period (2013–2015) in an intensive arable catchment, Norfolk, UK. All field drain and stream water samples were found to have dissolved N₂O concentrations higher than the water–air equilibrium concentration, illustrating that all sites were acting as a net source of N₂O emissions to the atmosphere. Soil texture was found to significantly influence field drain N₂O dynamics, with mean concentrations from drains in clay loam soils (5.3 μg N L^?1) being greater than drains in sandy loam soils (4.0 μg N L^?1). Soil texture also impacted upon the relationships between field drain N₂O concentrations and other water quality parameters (pH, flow rate, and nitrate (NO₃) and nitrite (NO₂) concentrations), highlighting possible differences in N₂O production mechanisms in different soil types. Catchment antecedent moisture conditions influenced the storm event mobilisation of N₂O in both field drains and streams, with the greatest concentration increases recorded during precipitation events preceded by prolonged wet conditions. N₂O concentrations also varied seasonally, with the lowest mean concentrations typically occurring during the summer months (JJA). Nitrogen fertiliser application rates and different soil inversion regimes were found to have no effect on dissolved N₂O concentrations, whereas higher N₂O concentrations recorded in field drains under a winter cover crop compared to fallow fields revealed cover crops are an ineffective greenhouse gas emission mitigation strategy. Overall, this study highlights the complex interactions governing the dynamics of dissolved N₂O concentrations in field drains and headwater streams in a lowland intensive agricultural catchment.     

Before and after riparian management: sediment and nutrient exports from a small agricultural catchment, Western Australia

Riparian vegetation can trap sediment and nutrients sourced from hillslopes and reduce stream bank erosion. This study presents results from a 10-year stream monitoring program (1991–2000), in a 6 km² agricultural catchment near Albany, Western Australia. After 6 years, a 1.7 km stream reach was fenced, planted with eucalyptus species and managed independently from the adjacent paddocks. Streamflow, nutrient and sediment concentration data were collected at the downstream end of the fenced riparian area, so there are data for before and after improved riparian management. Suspended sediment (SS) concentrations fell dramatically following improved riparian management; the median event mean concentration (EMC) dropped from 147 to 9.9 mg l⁻¹. Maximum SS concentrations dropped by an order of magnitude. As a result, sediment exports from the catchment decreased following improved riparian management, from over 100 to less than 10 kg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Observations suggest that this was the result of reduced bank erosion and increased channel stability. Riparian management had limited impact on total phosphorus (TP) concentrations or loads, but contributed to a change in phosphorus (P) form. Before improved riparian management, around half of the P was transported attached to sediment, but after, the median filterable reactive P (FRP) to TP ratio increased to 0.75. In addition, the median FRP EMC increased by 60% and the raw median FRP concentration increased from 0.18 to 0.35 mg l⁻¹. These results suggest that there was a change in the dominant P form, from TP to FRP. Changes in total nitrogen (TN) following improved riparian management were less clear. There were reductions in TN concentrations at high flows, but little change in the loads or EMC. This study demonstrates the benefits of riparian management in reducing stream bank erosion, but suggests that in catchments with sandy, low P sorption soils, there may be limitations on the effectiveness of riparian buffers for reducing P and N exports.     

Incremental distributed modelling investigation in a small agricultural catchment: 2. Erosion and phosphorus transport

Distributed physically based erosion and phosphorus (P) transport models, run by the overland flow model described in Taskinen and Bruen (2006. Hydrological Processes 20 : this issue), are described. In the erosion model, the additional components to the basic model were the outflow of the particles by infiltration and a new model component, i.e. deposition when rainfall stops. Two ways of calculating the shielding factor due to the flow depth were compared. The P transport model had both dissolved P (DP) and particulate P (PP) components. The processes included in the DP model were desorption from the soil surface, advection, storage in the overland flow and infiltration. The PP model accounted for advection, storage in the flow, infiltration, detachment from the soil surface by flow and rainfall and deposition both when transport capacity of suspended solids (SS) is exceeded and when rainfall ceases. When the models were developed and validated in small agricultural fields of cohesive soil types in southern Finland, comparisons were made between corresponding processes and the significance of added components were estimated in order to find out whether increased model complexity improves the model performance. The sedigraphs were found to follow the dynamics of rainfall, emphasizing the importance of the rainfall splash component. The basic model was too slow to react to changes in rainfall and flow rates, but infiltration and deposition that acts during the cessation in rainfall improved the model significantly by enabling the modelled SS to fall sharply enough. The shielding effect of flow depth from the splash detachment was found to play a significant role. Transport capacity should also be included in erosion models when they are applied to cohesive soils. In this study, the Yalin method worked well. A strong correlation was obvious between the measured SS and total P concentrations, indicating that the main form of P in runoff is PP. This emphasizes the importance of a good sediment transport model in P transport modelling. The submodel used for DP desorption from the soil surface produced plausible results without any calibration. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Estimation of mass and energy balance of glaciers using a distributed energy balance model over the Chandra river basin (Western Himalaya)

The ongoing glacier shrinking in the Himalayan region causes a significant threat to freshwater sustainability and associated future runoff. However, data on the spatial climatic contribution of glacier retreat is scanty in this region. To investigate the spatially distributed glacier surface energy and mass fluxes, a two-dimensional mass balance model was developed and applied to the selected glaciers of the Chandra basin, in the Upper Indus Basin, Western Himalaya. This model is driven by the remote sensing data and meteorological variables measured in the vicinity of the Chandra basin for six hydrological years (October 2013 to September 2019). The modelled variables were calibrated/validated with the in-situ observation from the Himansh station in the Chandra basin. We have derived air temperature (T_a ) spatially using the multivariate statistical approach, which indicates a relative error of 0.02–0.05°C with the observed data. Additionally, the relative error between the modelled and observed radiation fluxes was <10.0 W m⁻². Our study revealed that the Chandra basin glaciers have been losing its mass with a mean annual mass balance of −0.59 ± 0.12 m w.e. a⁻¹ for the six hydrological years. Results illustrated that the mean surface melt rate of the selected glaciers ranged from −5.1 to −2.5 m w.e. a⁻¹ that lies between 4500 and 5000 m a.s.l. The study revealed that the net radiation (R_N) contributes ~75% in total energy (F_M ) during the melt season while sensible heat (H_S) , latent heat (H_l) , and ground heat (H_G) fluxes shared 15%, 8%, and 2%, respectively. Sensitivity analysis of the energy balance components suggested that the mass balance is highly sensitive to albedo and surface radiations in the study area. Overall, the proposed model performed well for glacier-wide energy and mass balance estimation and confirms the utility of remote sensing data, which may help in reducing data scarcity in the upper reaches of the Himalayan region.     

Incremental distributed modelling investigation in a small agricultural catchment: 1. Overland flow with comparison with the unit hydrograph model

A distributed overland flow model is presented and the test results compared with those of the unit hydrograph (UH) model. Infiltration excess in the overland model was calculated using both a modified Green and Ampt (G–A) method and a more complicated method that keeps track of the soil moisture content. The two‐dimensional partial differential flow equations with kinematic flow approximation were solved using both backward‐central explicit and implicit finite‐difference schemes. Moreover, a baseflow component was added to the flow model. Each part of the model was built by replacing a process by a parallel process or by adding a completely new component. When the model was developed and validated in small agricultural fields in southern Finland, comparisons were made between corresponding processes and the significance of added components were estimated in order to find out whether increased model complexity improves the model performance. Apart from the basic model, all the other distributed models outperformed the UH approach. The implicit scheme was clearly more accurate than the explicit scheme, and the baseflow component improved the results significantly. There was no major difference between the performances of the infiltration models, but the G–A method was more stable and much faster. The approaches that were best in the calibration were also the best in the verification. The full distributed model provides a potential method for running water‐quality models and testing their different processes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phosphorus mass balance in a highly eutrophic semi-enclosed inlet near a big metropolis: a small inlet can contribute towards particulate organic matter production

Terrigenous loading into enclosed water bodies has been blamed for eutrophic conditions marked by massive algal growth and subsequent hypoxia due to decomposition of dead algal cells. This study aims to describe the eutrophication and hypoxia processes in a semi-enclosed water body lying near a big metropolis. Phosphorus mass balance in a small inlet, Ohko Inlet, located at the head of Hiroshima Bay, Japan, was quantified using a numerical model. Dissolved inorganic phosphorous inflow from Kaita Bay next to the inlet was five times higher than that from terrigenous load, which may cause an enhancement of primary production. Therefore, it was concluded that not only the reduction of material load from the land and the suppression of benthic flux are needed, but also reducing the inflow of high phosphorus and oxygen depleted water from Kaita Bay will form a collective alternative measure to remediate the environmental condition of the inlet.     

Impact of gently dipping discontinuities on basement aquifer recharge: An example from Ploemeur (Brittany,France)

Classically, geological surveys of water resources in hard-rock aquifers are made from aerial photographs or geophysical techniques that basically permit to detect vertical features. On the other hand, aquifers only linked to vertical structures are very limited in space and offer in most cases very poor water resources. In the present case, we do show that an outstanding aquifer in Brittany is linked to a geological context associated with low-angle faults possibly directly connected with vertical feeders. In particular, we show through a high-resolution gravimetric survey that the highly fractured contact between granite and micaschists, which constitutes the main path for groundwater flow, is a gently dipping structure. Combined gravimetric, magnetic and geological data allowed us to establish the overall aquifer geometry by running a three-dimensional forward model. In addition, details about the shape of the contact have been obtained using an iterative scheme based on the method of Oldenburg (1974). The gravimetric model confirms the presence of sub-vertical faults that may constitute important drains for the aquifer recharge. Thus, the geological context associated with exceptional water resources for this crystalline aquifer is characterized by a sub-horizontal to gently dipping contact between granite and micaschists. Only such a geological context can allow sufficient recharge to provide the main water supply for a town of 18,000 inhabitants at an average rate of about a billion of cubic meter per year since 1991. Thus, instead of looking for possible vertical structures like in classical hard-rock hydrogeology, it appears much more efficient to detect sub-horizontal permeable fractures and faults for providing consistent water resources.     

Denitrification in a hyporheic riparian zone controlled by river regulation in the Seine river basin (France)

The purpose of this paper is to study denitrification and the conditions for its development in a hyporheic zone. The study site is the riparian zone of a former branch of the Seine River, where the river stage is kept almost constant during the year by hydraulic regulation. Hydrological and geochemical surveys were performed by monitoring four wells, ten shorter piezometers and the river over a 15‐month period. The water fluxes originating from the chalky hillsides and the river converge in a zone parallel to the river that acts as a drainage flow path through the floodplain. The riparian zone between this flow path and the river shows an important depletion of nitrate during the summer and autumn period, which cannot be explained by a simple mixing of waters coming from the river and the chalky hillsides. It can be attributed to denitrification as it occurs when oxygen concentration is below 2 mg l^?1, and goes along with a consumption of dissolved organic carbon and a decrease of redox potential. The river completely controls these hydro‐geochemical conditions. It also keeps the wetness of the riparian zone almost constant, which allowed us to isolate the high temperatures in summer and autumn as an important triggering factor for denitrification through its influence on the reaction rate and oxygen deficits. We also found a small isotopic enrichment of nitrate, suggesting that denitrification occurs after diffusion of nitrate through the sediment and riparian zone matrix, which is consistent with the hyporheic functioning of the study site. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Phosphorus mass balance in a highly eutrophic semi-enclosed inlet near a big metropolis: A small inlet can contribute towards particulate organic matter production

Terrigenous loading into enclosed water bodies has been blamed for eutrophic conditions marked by massive algal growth and subsequent hypoxia due to decomposition of dead algal cells. This study aims to describe the eutrophication and hypoxia processes in a semi-enclosed water body lying near a big metropolis. Phosphorus mass balance in a small inlet, Ohko Inlet, located at the head of Hiroshima Bay, Japan, was quantified using a numerical model. Dissolved inorganic phosphorous inflow from Kaita Bay next to the inlet was five times higher than that from terrigenous load, which may cause an enhancement of primary production. Therefore, it was concluded that not only the reduction of material load from the land and the suppression of benthic flux are needed, but also reducing the inflow of high phosphorus and oxygen depleted water from Kaita Bay will form a collective alternative measure to remediate the environmental condition of the inlet.