Assessment of soil losses and siltation of the K’sob hydrological system (semiarid area—East Algeria)

Soil losses and siltation of the hydrological system (watershed–dam) of K’sob were obtained using direct and indirect methods. The Wadi K’sob watershed of 1,484 km², average slope of 0.14, and average elevation of 1,060 m is located in a semiarid climate. The average annual rainfall is 341 mm and the mean annual water discharge is 0.89 m³/s. Data from the Medjez gauging station located 6 km upstream of the dam, are the daily liquid flow and instantaneous concentrations of suspended sediments. Over a time period from 1973 to 2010, the relationship between water and sediment discharges is quantified by the equation: Q _s?=?5.6 Q ^1.31. Thus, in view of the availability data on a daily scale, the assessment of soil erodibility of the K’sob watershed was used to estimate specific soil losses of 203 t?km^?2?year^?1or 301,000 t eroded annually from the K’sob basin. The bathymetric measurements of the sediment volumes deposited in the K’sob dam, has quantified the annual siltation of 0.8 hm³, corresponding to an average erodibility of the K’sob watershed of 809 t?km^?2?year^?1. However, when adding the volume of sediment removed by the dredging operation and de-silting by the valves during heavy floods, the value of soil losses is 2,780 t?km^?2?year^?1. The indirect assessment of soil erodibility of the basin was obtained by applying two models: the quantitative geomorphological analysis (QGA) and PISA model (prediction of silting in the artificial reservoirs, in Italian: Previsioni dell’Interimento nei Serbatoi Artificiali) using physical and climatic factors in the watershed. The obtained results by QGA method underestimate specific soil losses of 524 t?km^?2?year^?1. The PISA model gives a value of 2,915 t?km^?2?year^?1, which is close to the value obtained by bathymetric measurements. This study concludes that PISA model is most suitable to estimate soil loss and siltation of the K’sob hydrological system.     

Support vector machines and feed-forward neural networks for spatial modeling of groundwater qualitative parameters

The present study attempts to model the spatial variability of three groundwater qualitative parameters in Guilan Province, northern Iran, using artificial neural networks (ANNs) and support vector machines (SVMs). Data collected from 140 observation wells for the years 2002–2014 were used. Five variables, X and Y coordinates of the observation well, distance of the observation well from the shoreline, areal average 6-month rainfall depth, and groundwater level at the day of water quality sampling, were considered as primary input variables. In addition, nine qualitative variables were also considered as auxiliary input variables. Electrical conductivity (EC), sodium concentration (Na⁺), and sulfate concentration (SO₄ ^2?) of the groundwater in the region were estimated using ANNs and SVMs with different input combinations. The results showed that both ANNs and SVMs work well when the only primary input variable is the well location. The ANN yielded an RMSE of 1.03 mEq/l for SO₄ ^2?, 1.05 mEq/l for Na⁺, and 203.17 μS/cm for EC, using the X and Y coordinates of the observation wells in the study area. In the case of SVM, these values were, respectively, 0.87, 0.87, and 176.68. Considering the auxiliary input variables (pH, EC, and the concentrations of Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Cl^?, SO₄ ^2?, and HCO₃ ^?) resulted in a significant decrease in the RMSE of both ANNs (0.22, 0.30, and 33.04) and SVMs (0.26, 0.34, and 36.23). Comparing these RMSE values with those of cokriging interpolation technique (0.59, 0.98, and 177.59) indicated that ANNs and SVMs produced more accurate estimates of the three qualitative parameters. The relative importance of auxiliary input variables was also determined using Gamma test. The output uncertainty of ANNs and SVMs were determined using p-factor and d-factor. The results showed that SVMs have less uncertainty than ANNs.     

Estimating the hydraulic properties of an aquitard from in situ pore pressure measurements

A workflow is described to estimate specific storage (S _s) and hydraulic conductivity (K) from a profile of vibrating wire piezometers embedded into a regional aquitard in Australia. The loading efficiency, compressibility and S _s were estimated from pore pressure response to atmospheric pressure changes, and K was estimated from the earliest part of the measurement record following grouting. Results indicate that S _s and K were, respectively, 8.8?×?10^?6 to 1.2?×?10^?5 m^?1 and 2?×?10^?12 m s^?1 for a claystone/siltstone, and 4.3?×?10^?6 to 9.6?×?10^?6 m^?1 and 1?×?10^?12 to 5?×?10^?12 m s^?1 for a thick mudstone. K estimates from the pore pressure response are within one order of magnitude when compared to direct measurement in a laboratory and inverse modelled flux rates determined from natural tracer profiles. Further analysis of the evolution and longevity of the properties of borehole grout (e.g. thermal and chemical effects) may help refine the estimation of formation hydraulic properties using this workflow. However, the convergence of K values illustrates the benefit of multiple lines of evidence to support aquitard characterization. An additional benefit of in situ pore pressure measurement is the generation of long-term data to constrain groundwater flow models, which provides a link between laboratory scale data and the formation scale.     

The effects of undercooling and deformation rates on the crystallization kinetics of Stromboli and Etna basalts

We have investigated the effect of undercooling and deformation on the evolution of the texture and the crystallization kinetics of remelted basaltic material from Stromboli (pumice from the March 15, 2007 paroxysmal eruption) and Etna (1992 lava flow). Isothermal crystallization experiments were conducted at different degrees of undercooling and different applied strain rate (T = 1,157–1,187 °C and $ \dot{\gamma }_{i} $ γ · i  = 4.26 s^?1 for Stromboli; T = 1,131–1,182 °C and $ \dot{\gamma }_{i} $ γ · i  = 0.53 s^?1 for Etna). Melt viscosity increased due to the decrease in temperature and the increase in crystal content. The mineralogical assemblage comprises Sp + Plg (dominant) ± Cpx with an overall crystal fraction (?) between 0.06 and 0.27, increasing with undercooling and flow conditions. Both degree of undercooling and deformation rate deeply affect the kinetics of the crystallization process. Plagioclase nucleation incubation time strongly decreases with increasing ΔT and flow, while slow diffusion-limited growth characterizes low ΔT—low deformation rate experiments. Both Stromboli (high strain rate) and Etna (low strain rate) plagioclase growth rates (G) display relative small variations with Stromboli showing higher values (4.8 ± 1.9 × 10^?9 m s^?1) compared to Etna (2.1 ± 1.6 × 10^?9 m s^?1). Plagioclase average nucleation rates J continuously increase with undercooling from 1.4 × 10⁶ to 6.7 × 10⁶ m^?3 s^?1 for Stromboli and from 3.6 × 10⁴ to 4.0 × 10⁶ m^?3 s^?1 for Etna. The extremely low value of 3.6 × 10⁴ m^?3 s^?1 recorded at the lowest undercooling experiment for Etna (ΔT = 20 °C) indicates that the crystallization process is growth-dominated and that possible effects of textural coarsening occur. G values obtained in this paper are generally one or two orders of magnitude higher compared to those obtained in the literature for equivalent undercooling conditions. Stirring of the melt, simulating magma flow or convective conditions, facilitates nucleation and growth of crystals via mechanical transportation of matter, resulting in the higher J and G observed. Any modeling pertaining to magma dynamics in the conduit (e.g., ascent rate) and lava flow emplacement (e.g., flow rate, pāhoehoe–‘a‘ā transition) should therefore take the effects of dynamic crystallization into account.     

Groundwater flow dynamics of weathered hard-rock aquifers under climate-change conditions: an illustrative example of numerical modeling through the equivalent porous media approach in the north-western Pyrenees (France)

A numerical groundwater model of the weathered crystalline aquifer of Ursuya (a major water source for the north-western Pyrenees region, south-western France) has been computed based on monitoring of hydrological, hydrodynamic and meteorological parameters over 3 years. The equivalent porous media model was used to simulate groundwater flow in the different layers of the weathered profile: from surface to depth, the weathered layer (5?·?10^?8?≤?K?≤?5?·? 10^?7 m s^?1), the transition layer (7?·?10^?8?≤?K?≤?1?·? 10^?5 m s^?1, the highest values being along major discontinuities), two fissured layers (3.5?·?10^?8?≤?K?≤?5?·?? 10^?4 m s^?1, depending on weathering profile conditions and on the existence of active fractures), and the hard-rock basement simulated with a negligible hydraulic conductivity (K = 1 10 ^?9 ). Hydrodynamic properties of these five calculation layers demonstrate both the impact of the weathering degree and of the discontinuities on the groundwater flow. The great agreement between simulated and observed hydraulic conditions allowed for validation of the methodology and its proposed use for application on analogous aquifers. With the aim of long-term management of this strategic aquifer, the model was then used to evaluate the impact of climate change on the groundwater resource. The simulations performed according to the most pessimistic climatic scenario until 2050 show a low sensitivity of the aquifer. The decreasing trend of the natural discharge is estimated at about ?360 m³ y^?1 for recharge decreasing at about ?5.6 mm y^?1 (0.8 % of annual recharge).     

Multi-time-scale analysis of hydrological drought forecasting using support vector regression (SVR) and artificial neural networks (ANN)

In this study, the preprocessing of the gamma test was used to select the appropriate input combination into two models including the support vector regression (SVR) model and artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict the stream flow drought index (SDI) of different timescales (i.e., 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 months) in Latian watershed, Iran, which is one of the most important sources of water for the large metropolitan Tehran. The variables used included SDI _t , SDI _t ? 1, SDI _t ? 2, SDI _t ? 3, and SDI _t ? 4 monthly delays. Two variables including SDI _t and SDI _t ? 1 with lower gamma values were identified as the most optimal combination of variables in all drought timescales. The results showed that the gamma test was able to correctly identify the right combination for the forecasting of 6, 9, and 12 months SDI using the ANN model. Also, the gamma test was considered in selecting the appropriate inputs for identifying the values of 9, 12, and 24 months SDI in SVR. The support vector machine approach showed a better efficiency in the forecast of long-term droughts compared to the artificial neural network. In total, among forecasts made for 30 scenarios, the support vector machine model only in scenario 3 of SDI₃, scenario 1 of SDI₆, and scenarios 2 and 3 of SDI₂₄ represented poorer efficiency compared to the artificial neural network (MLP layer), but in other scenarios, the results of SVR had better efficiency.     

Dynamics of carbon fluxes with responses to vegetation,meteorological and terrain factors in the south-eastern Tibetan Plateau

Tibetan Plateau (TP) is the highest and most extensive plateau in the world and has been known as the roof of the world, and it is sensitive to climate change. The researches of CO₂ fluxes (F _C) in the TP region play a significant role in understanding regional and global carbon balance and climate change. Eddy covariance flux measurements were conducted at three sites of south-eastern TP comprising Dali (DL, cropland ecosystem), LinZhi (LZ, alpine meadow ecosystem) and Wenjiang (WJ, cropland ecosystem); amongst those DL and LZ are located in plateau region, while WJ is in plain region. Dynamics of F _C and influences of vegetation, meteorological (air temperature, photosynthetically active radiation, soil temperature and soil water content) and terrain factors (altitude) were analysed on the basis of data taken during 2008. The results showed that, in the cool sub-season (March, April, October and December), carbon sink appeared even in December with fluxes of (?0.021 to ?0.05) mg CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 and carbon source only in October (0.03 ± 0.0048) mg CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 in DL and WJ site. In LZ site, carbon sink was observed in April: (?0.036 ± 0.0023) mg CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 and carbon sources in December and March (0.008–0.010 mg CO₂ m^?2 s^?1). In the hot sub-season (May–August), carbon source was observed only in May with (0.011 ± 0.0022), (0.104 ± 0.0029) and (0.036 ± 0.0017) fluxes in LZ, DL and WJ site, respectively, while carbon sinks with (?0.021 ± 0.0041), (?0.213 ± 0.0007) and (?0.110 ± 0.0015) mg CO₂ m^?2 s^?1 fluxes in LZ, DL, and WJ, respectively. Comparing with plain region (WJ), carbon sinks in plateau region (DL and LZ) lasted for a longer time, and the absorption sum was large and up to (–357.718 ± 0.0054) and (?371.111 ± 0.0039) g C m^?2 year^?1, respectively. The LZ site had the weakest carbon sink with (?178.547 ± 0.0070) g C m^?2 year^?1. Multivariate analysis of covariance showed that altitude (AL) as an independent factor explained 39.5 % of F _C (P < 0.026). F _C had a quadratic relationship with Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) (R ² ranges from 0.485 to 0.640 for three sites), an exponential relationship with soil temperature at 5-cm depth (ST ₅) at night time and a quadratic relationship with air temperature (T _a) at day time. Path analysis indicated that photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), sensible heat fluxes (H) and other factors all had direct or indirect effects on F _C in all of the three tested sites around the south-eastern TP.     

Soil CO2 efflux along an elevation gradient in Qinghai spruce forests in the upper reaches of the Heihe River,northwest China

This study was conducted in six plots along an elevation gradient in the Qinghai spruce (Picea crassifolia Kom.) forest ecosystem of the Qilian Mountains, northwest China. Soil CO₂ efflux over bare soil (R _s) and moss covered soil (R _s+m) were investigated from June to September in 2010 and 2011 by means of an automated soil CO₂ flux system (LI-8100). The results showed that R _s ranged from 1.51 to 3.96 (mean 2.64 ± 0.72) μmol m^?2 s^?1 for 2010, and from 1.41 to 4.09 (mean 2.55 ± 0.70) μmol m^?2 s^?1 for 2011. The daily change trend of R _s resembled that of air temperature (T _a), and there was a hysteresis between R _s and soil temperature (T _s). The seasonal variations of R _s at lowlands (i.e., Plot 1, Plot 2 and Plot 3) were driven by soil moisture and temperature (T _a and T _s), while that at highlands (i.e., Plot 4, Plot 5 and Plot 6) were obviously affected by temperature. There were higher values at Plot 2 and Plot 6, which were caused by the interaction between soil moisture and temperature. In addition, soil CO₂ efflux over moss covered soil (R _s+m) was 8.83 % less than that over bare soil (R _s), indicating that moss was another factor affecting R _s. It was concluded that R _s had temporal and spatial variations and was mainly controlled by temperature and soil moisture; the main determinants differed at different elevations; moss could reduce R _s.     

Rate constants of dissolution derived from the measurements of mass balance in hydrological catchments

The experimental rate constant of dissolution of oligoclase, 1.7 × 10 ^{? 2} mol · m^?2 · s^?1 (Busenberg and Clemency, 1976), is compared with rate constants, 5.2 × 10^?15 to 6.8 × 10^?13 mol · m^?2· s^?1, derived from mass-balance measurements of sodium in hydrological catchments. The wide range of the field-based rate constants mainly reflects the uncertainty in the evaluation of the specific wetted surface of rock in aquifer. The most probable order of magnitude of the field rate constant is 10^?14 mol · m^?2· s^?1. The difference between the experimental and field rate constant is only partly caused by lower temperature and lowerP_CO2 in the aquifer. The main reason for the discrepancy is the diverse history of the mineral surfaces undergoing reaction.It is suggested that the feldspar surfaces in an aquifer are old, compared to those of feldspars utilized in laboratory experiments. They have fewer defects and are smooth. The fresh surfaces of feldspars studied in the laboratory consist of many kinks and ledges and small-area terraces which dissolve faster.The differences in rate constants derived from field data on several specific catchments indicate that the anthropogenic processes which have operated during this century in Central Europe speed up the rate of dissolution by a factor of three. Modern agricultural practices speed up the rate by a factor of five.     

The Influence of Benthic Macrofauna on the Erodibility of Intertidal Sediments with Varying mud Content in Three New Zealand Estuaries

Fine sediment inputs can alter estuarine ecosystem structure and function. However, natural variations in the processes that regulate sediment transport make it difficult to predict their fate. In this study, sediments were sampled at different times (2011–2012) from 45 points across intertidal sandflat transects in three New Zealand estuaries (Whitford, Whangamata, and Kawhia) encompassing a wide range in mud (≤63 μm) content (0–56 %) and macrofaunal community structure. Using a core-based erosion measurement device (EROMES), we calculated three distinct measures of sediment erosion potential: erosion threshold (? _c ; N m^?2), erosion rate (ER; g m^?2 s^?1), and change in erosion rate with increasing bed shear stress (m _e ; g N^?1 s^?1). Collectively, these measures characterized surface (? _c and ER) and sub-surface (m _e ) erosion. Benthic macrofauna were grouped by functional traits (size and motility) and data pooled across estuaries to determine relationships between abiotic (mud content, mean grain size) and biotic (benthic macrofauna, microbial biomass) variables and erosion measures. Results indicated that small bioturbating macrofauna (predominantly freely motile species <5 mm in size) destabilized surface sediments, explaining 23 % of the variation in ? _c (p ≤ 0.01) and 59 % of the variation in ER (p ≤ 0.01). Alternatively, mud content and mean grain size cumulatively explained 61 % of the variation in m _e (p ≤ 0.01), where increasing mud and grain size stabilized sub-surface sediments. These results highlight that the importance of biotic and abiotic predictors vary with erosion stage and that functional group classifications are a useful way to determine the impact of benthic macrofauna on sediment erodibility across communities with different species composition.     

Spatio-Temporal Patterns of Submerged Macrophytes in Three Hydrologically Altered Mediterranean Coastal Lagoons

Rice cultivation in the Ebro Delta (Catalonia, Spain) has inverted the natural hydrological cycles of coastal lagoons and decreased water salinities for over 150 years. Adjustments in the water management practices—in terms of source and amount of freshwater inputs—have resulted in changes in the diversity, distribution and productivity of submerged angiosperms. Between the 1970s and late 1980s, a massive decline of the aquatic vegetation occurred in the Encanyissada–Clot and Tancada lagoons, but little information on the status is available after the recovery of macrophytes in the 1990s. Here, we evaluate the influence of salinity regimes resulting from current water management practices on the composition, distribution, seasonal abundance and flowering rates of submersed macrophytes, as well as on the occurrence of epiphyte and drift macroalgae blooms in three coastal lagoons. Our results show that Ruppia cirrhosa is the dominant species in the Encanyissada lagoon (185.97?±?29.74 g?DW?m^?2?year^?1; 12–27?‰ salinity) and the only plant species found in the Tancada lagoon (53.26?±?10.94 g?DW?m²?year^?1; 16–28?‰ salinity). Flowering of R. cirrhosa (up to 1,011?±?121 flowers?m^?2) was only observed within the Encanyissada and suggests that mesohaline summer conditions may favor these events. In contrast, low salinities in Clot lagoon (～3–12?‰) favor the development of Potamogeton pectinatus (130.53?±?13.79 g?DW?m²?year^?1) with intersperse R. cirrhosa (8.58?±?1.71 g?DW?m^?2) and mixed stands of P. pectinatus and Najas marina (up to ～57 g?DW?m^?2?year^?1) in some reduced areas. The peak biomasses observed during the study are 88 to 95 % lower than maximum values reported in the literature at similar salinities, and there is also little or no recovery in some areas compared to last reports more than 20 years ago. The main management actions to restore the natural diversity and productivity of submersed angiosperms, such as the recovering of the seagrass Zostera noltii, should be the increase of salinity during the period of rice cultivation, by reducing freshwater inputs and increasing flushing connections with the bays.     

The streamflow trend in Tangwang River basin in northeast China and its difference response to climate and land use change in sub-basins

In this study, the hydro-climatic trends (1964–2006) of Tangwang River basin (TRB) were examined using the Kendall’s test. Moreover, the impacts of climate variability and land use change on streamflow in each sub-basin were assessed using the Soil and Water Assessment Tools (SWAT) model. The results indicated that annual mean flow and peak flow showed insignificant decreasing trends (?0.14 m³ s^?1 year^?1, 1 %; ?8.67 m³ s^?1 year^?1, 40 %), while annual low flow exhibited a slightly increasing trend (0.02 m³ s^?1 year^?1, 11 %). Correspondingly, the annual precipitation for the entire basin decreased by 0.02 mm year^?2, while the annual means of daily mean, maximum and minimum temperature increased significantly by 0.07, 0.10 and 0.02 °C year^?1, respectively. On the other hand, with the implementation of “Natural Forest Protection Project” and “Grain for Green Project”, the forests in TRB totally increased by 744.5 km² (4.00 %) from 1980 to 2000. Meanwhile, the grasslands and the farmlands decreased by 378.0 km² (?1.98 %) and 311.9 km² (?1.63 %), respectively. Overall, land use changes played a more important role for the streamflow reduction than climate change for SUB1, SUB2 and SUB3, in which the primary conversions were from grassland, farmland and bare land to forests. Conversely, in SUB4, the influence of climate variability was predominant. The results obtained could be a reference for water resources planning and management under changing environment.     

Carbon Dioxide Fluxes and Their Environmental Control in a Reclaimed Coastal Wetland in the Yangtze Estuary

Large areas of natural coastal wetlands have suffered severely from human-driven damages or conversions (e.g., land reclamations), but coastal carbon flux responses in reclaimed wetlands are largely unknown. The lack of knowledge of the environmental control mechanisms of carbon fluxes also limits the carbon budget management of reclaimed wetlands. The net ecosystem exchange (NEE) in a coastal wetland at Dongtan of Chongming Island in the Yangtze estuary was monitored throughout 2012 using the eddy covariance technique more than 14 years after this wetland was reclaimed using dykes to stop tidal flooding. The driving biophysical variables of NEE were also examined. The results showed that NEE displayed marked diurnal and seasonal variations. The monthly mean NEE showed that this ecosystem functioned as a CO₂ sink during 9 months of the year, with a maximum value in September (?101.2 g C m^?2) and a minimum value in November (?8.2 g C m^?2). The annual CO₂ balance of the reclaimed coastal wetland was ?558.4 g C m^?2 year^?1. The ratio of ecosystem respiration (ER) to gross primary production (GPP) was 0.57, which suggests that 57 % of the organic carbon assimilated by wetland plants was consumed by plant respiration and soil heterotrophic respiration. Stepwise multiple linear regressions suggested that temperature and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) were the two dominant micrometeorological variables driving seasonal variations in NEE, while soil moisture (M _s) and soil salinity (PS_s) played minor roles. For the entire year, PAR and daytime NEE were significantly correlated, as well as temperature and nighttime NEE. These nonlinear relationships varied seasonally: the maximum ecosystem photosynthetic rate (A _max), apparent quantum yield (?), and Q ₁₀ reached their peak values during summer (17.09 μmol CO₂?m^?2 s^?1), autumn (0.13 μmol CO₂?μmol^?1 photon), and spring (2.16), respectively. Exceptionally high M _s or PS_s values indirectly restricted ecosystem CO₂ fixation capacity by reducing the PAR sensitivity of the NEE. The leaf area index (LAI) and live aboveground biomass (AGB_L) were significantly correlated with NEE during the growing season. Although the annual net CO₂ fixation rate of the coastal reclaimed wetland was distinctly lower than the unreclaimed coastal wetland in the same region, it was quite high relative to many inland freshwater wetlands and estuarine/coastal wetlands located at latitudes higher than this site. Thus, it is concluded that although the net CO₂ fixation capacity of the coastal wetland was reduced by land reclamation, it can still perform as an important CO₂ sink.     

Analysis of low-flow characteristics for catchments in Dongjiang Basin, China

Low-flow indices have been determined from long-term daily streamflow data for 13 catchments in Dongjiang Basin in southern China. The Brutsaert-Nieber method was applied to estimate catchment-scale effective groundwater parameters; representative values were 4.5?×?10^?4 m² s^?1 for the hydraulic diffusivity; 3.19?×?10^?5 m² s^?1/2 for the hydraulic desorptivity; 2.27?×?10^?4 m s^?1 for the hydraulic conductivity; and 0.2617 for the drainable porosity. The response constants correlate well with the total stream length and catchment area. Solutions of the linearised Boussinesq equation were used to guide the development of regional multivariate regression models for estimating low-flow indices from the catchment-scale effective parameters. Results showed that these catchments exhibit similar low-flow characteristics. The 7-day lowest average streamflows with return periods of 10 and 2 years (7Q10 and 7Q2) are highly correlated with the catchment-scale response constants. The low-flow ratio Q95/Q50 (ratio of daily streamflow exceeded 95 and 50% of the time, respectively) varied between 0.3 and 0.5, indicating a high proportion of groundwater in the streamflow. The advantage of the regional regression model is its conceptual basis and use of the catchment-scale effective parameters. The method has the potential to be applied to ungauged catchments for estimating low-flow statistics from stream length and catchment area.     

Estimation of soil organic carbon storage and its fractions in a small karst watershed

With few available soil organic carbon (SOC) profiles and the heterogeneity of those that do exist, the estimation of SOC pools in karst areas is highly uncertain. Based on the spatial heterogeneity of SOC content of 23,536 samples in a karst watershed, a modified estimation method was determined for SOC storage that exclusively applies to karst areas. The method is a “soil-type method” based on revised calculation indexes for SOC storage. In the present study, the organic carbon contents of different soil types varied greatly, but generally decreased with increasing soil depth. The organic carbon content decreased nearly linearly to a depth of 0–50 cm and then varied at depths of 50–100 cm. Because of the large spatial variability in the karst area, we were able to determine that influences of the different indexes on the estimation of SOC storage decreased as follows: soil thickness > boulder content > rock fragment content > SOC content > bulk density. Using the modified formula, the SOC content in the Houzhai watershed in Puding was estimated to range from 3.53 to 5.44 kg m^?2, with an average value of 1.24 kg m^?2 to a depth of 20 cm, and from 4.44 to 14.50 kg m^?2, with an average value of 12.12 kg m^?2 to a depth of 100 cm. The total SOC content was estimated at 5.39 × 10⁵ t.     

The Dynamics of Benthic Respiration at a Mid-Shelf Station Off Oregon

Mid-shelf sediments off the Oregon coast are characterized as fine sands that trap and remineralize phytodetritus leading to the consumption of significant quantities of dissolved oxygen. Sediment oxygen consumption (SOC) can be delayed from seasonal organic matter inputs because of a transient buildup of reduced constituents during periods of quiescent physical processes. Between 2009 and 2013, benthic oxygen exchange rates were measured using the noninvasive eddy covariance (EC) method five separate times at a single 80-m station. Ancillary measurements included in situ microprofiles of oxygen at the sediment–water interface, and concentration profiles of pore water nutrients and trace metals, and solid-phase organic C and sulfide minerals from cores. Sediment cores were also incubated to derive anaerobic respiration rates. The EC measurements were made during spring, summer, and fall conditions, and they produced average benthic oxygen flux estimates that varied between ?2 and ?15 mmol m^?2 d^?1. The EC oxygen fluxes were most highly correlated with bottom-sensed, significant wave heights (H _s). The relationship with H _s was used with an annual record of deepwater swell heights to predict an integrated oxygen consumption rate for the mid-shelf of 1.5 mol m^?2 for the upwelling season (May–September) and 6.8 mol m^?2 y^?1. The annual prediction requires that SOC rates are enhanced in the winter because of sand filtering and pore water advection under large waves, and it counters budgets that assume a dominance of organic matter export from the shelf. Refined budgets will require winter flux measurements and observations from cross-shelf transects over multiple years.     

Evaluation of sediment yield and soil loss by the MPSIAC model using GIS at Golestan watershed, northeast of Iran

Watershed degradation due to soil erosion and sedimentation is considered to be one of the major environmental problems in Iran. In order to address the critical conditions of watershed degradation in arid and semiarid regions, a study based on the Modified Pacific Southwest Inter-Agency Committee (MPSIAC) model was carried out at Golestan watershed, northeast of Iran. The model information layers comprising nine effective factors in erosion and sedimentation at the watershed site were obtained by digitalization and spatial interpolation of the basic information data in a GIS program. These factors are geology, soil, climate, runoff, topography, land cover, land use, channel, and upland erosion. The source data for the model were obtained from available records on rainfall and river discharge and sediment, topography, land use, geology, and soil maps as well as field surveys and laboratory analysis. The results of the MPSIAC model indicated that 60.75 % (194.4 km²) and 54.97 % (175.9 km²) of the total watershed area were classified in the heavy sedimentation and erosion classes, and the total basin sediment yield and erosion were calculated as 4,171.1 and 17,813.4 m³ km^?2 year^?1, respectively. In the sensitivity analysis, it was found that the most sensitive parameters of the model in order of importance were topography (slope), land cover and use, runoff, and channel erosion (R ²?=?0.92–0.94), while geology, climate (rainfall), soil, and upland erosion factors were found to have moderate effect to the model output (R ²?=?0.74–0.59).     

Phosphorus biological cycle in the different Suaeda salsa marshes of the Yellow River estuary, China

Much uncertainty exists in the phosphorus (P) cycle in the marshes of the intertidal zone. This study explored the P cycling in the two Suaeda salsa marshes [middle S. salsa marsh (MSM) and low S. salsa marsh (LSM)] of the Yellow River estuary during April 2008 to November 2009. Results showed seasonal fluctuations and vertical distributions of P in different S. salsa marsh soils, and variations in P content in different parts of plants due to water and salinity status. The N/P ratios of the different S. salsa were 9.87 ± 1.23 and 15.73 ± 1.77, respectively, indicating that plant growth in MSM was limited by N, while that in LSM was limited by both N and P. The S. salsa litter in MSM released P to the environment throughout the year, while that in LSM immobilized P from the environment at all times. The P absorption coefficients of S. salsa in MSM and LSM were very low (0.0010 and 0.0001, respectively), while the biological cycle coefficients were high (0.739 and 0.812, respectively). The P turnovers among compartments of MSM and LSM showed that the uptake amounts of roots were 0.4275 and 0.0469 g m^?2 year^?1 and the values of aboveground parts were 1.1702 and 0.1833 g m^?2 year^?1, the re-translocation quantities from aboveground parts to roots were 0.8544 and 0.1452 g m^?2 year^?1, the translocation amounts from roots to soil were 0.0137 and 0.0012 g m^?2 year^?1, the translocation quantities from aboveground living bodies to litter were 0.3157 and 0.0381 g m^?2 year^?1, and the annual return quantities from litter to soil were less than 0.0626 and ?0.0728 g m^?2 year^?1 (minus represented immobilization), respectively. P was an important limiting factor in S. salsa marshes, especially in LSM. S. salsa was seemingly well adapted to the low-nutrient condition and the vulnerable habitat, and the nutrient enrichment due to the import of N and P from the Yellow River estuary would be a potential threat to the S. salsa marshes.     

Diffusion and solubility of hydrogen and water in periclase

Cylinders of synthetic periclase single crystals were annealed at 0.15–0.5 GPa and 900–1200 °C under water-saturated conditions for 45 min to 72 h. Infrared spectra measured on the quenched products show bands at 3,297 and 3,312 cm^?1 indicating V _OH ^? centers (OH-defect stretching vibrations in a half-compensated cation vacancy) in the MgO structure as a result of proton diffusion into the crystal. For completely equilibrated specimens, the OH-defect concentration, expressed as H₂O equivalent, was calculated to 3.5 wt ppm H₂O at 1,200 °C and 0.5 GPa based on the calibration method of Libowitzky and Rossmann (Am Min 82:1111–1115, 1997). This value was confirmed via Raman spectroscopy, which shows OH-defect-related bands at identical wavenumbers and yields an H₂O equivalent concentration of about 9 wt ppm using the quantification scheme of Thomas et al. (Am Min 93:1550–1557, 2008), revised by Mrosko et al. (Am Mineral 96:1748–1759, 2011). Results of both independent methods give an overall OH-defect concentration range of 3.5–9 (+4.5/?2.6) ppm H₂O. Proton diffusion follows an Arrhenius law with an activation energy E _a = 280 ± 64 kJ mol^?1 and the logarithm of the pre-exponential factor logD_o (m² s^?1) = ?2.4 ± 1.9. IR spectra taken close to the rims of MgO crystals that were exposed to water-saturated conditions at 1,200 °C and 0.5 GPa for 24 h show an additional band at 3,697 cm^?1, which is related to brucite precipitates. This may be explained by diffusion of molecular water into the periclase, and its reaction with the host crystal during quenching. Diffusion of molecular water may be described by logD_H2O (m² s^?1) = ?14.1 ± 0.4 (2σ) at 1,200 °C and 0.5 GPa, which is ~ 2 orders of magnitude slower than proton diffusion at identical P-T conditions.     

Quantifying land use influences on event-based flow frequency,timing, magnitude,and rate of change in an urbanizing watershed of the central USA

There is a need for research that advances understanding of flow alterations in contemporary watersheds where natural and anthropogenic interactions can confound mitigation efforts. Event-based flow frequency, timing, magnitude, and rate of change were quantified at five-site nested gauging sites in a representative mixed-land-use watershed of the central USA. Statistically independent storms were paired by site (n = 111 × 5 sites) to test for significant differences in event-based rainfall and flow response variables (n = 17) between gauging sites. Increased frequency of small peak flow events (i.e., 64 more events less than 4.0 m³ s^?1) was observed at the rural–urban interface of the watershed. Differences in flow response were apparent during drier periods when small rainfall events resulted in increased flow response at urban sites in the lower reaches. Relationships between rainfall and peak flow were stronger with decreased pasture/crop land use and increased urban land use by approximately 20%. Event-based total rainfall explained 40–68% of the variance in peak flow (p < 0.001). Coefficients of determination (r²) were negatively correlated with pasture/crop land use (r² = 0.92; p = 0.007; n = 5) and positively correlated with urban land use (r² = 0.90; p = 0.008; n = 5). Significant differences in flow metrics were observed between rural and urban sites (p < 0.05; n = 111) that were not explained by differences in rainfall variables and drainage area. An urban influence on flow timing was observed using median time lag to peak centroid and time of maximum precipitation to peak flow. Results highlight the need to establish manageable flow targets in rapidly urbanizing mixed-land-use watersheds.