Do mixing models with different input requirement yield similar streamflow source contributions? Case study: A tropical montane catchment

Hydrogeochemical based mixing models have been successfully used to investigate the composition and source identification of streamflow. The applicability of these models is limited due to the high costs associated with data collection and the hydrogeochemical analysis of water samples. Fortunately, a variety of mixing models exist, requiting different amount of data as input, and in data scarce regions it is likely that preference will be given to models with the lowest requirement of input data. An unanswered question is if models with high or low input requirement are equally accurate. To this end, the performance of two mixing models with different input requirement, the mixing model analysis (MMA) and the end-member mixing analysis (EMMA), were verified on a tropical montane headwater catchment (21.7 km²) in the Ecuadorian Andes. Nineteen hydrogeochemical tracers were measured on water samples collected weekly during 3 years in streamflow and eight potential water sources or end-members (precipitation, lake water, soil water from different horizons and springs). Results based on 6 conservative tracers, revealed that EMMA (using all tracers) and MMA (using pair-combinations out of the 6 conservative ones), identified the same end-members: rainfall, soil water and spring water., as well as, similar contribution fractions to streamflow from rainfall 21.9% and 21.4%, soil water 52.7% and 52.3%, and spring water 26.1% and 28.7%, respectively. Our findings show that a hydrogeochemical mixing model requiring a few tracers can provide similar outcomes than models demanding more tracers as input data. This underlines the value of a preliminary detailed hydrogeochemical characterization as basis to derive the most cost-efficient monitoring strategy.     

Rural Social Networks along Amazonian Rivers: Seeds,Labor and Soccer among Communities on the Napo River,Peru

Research on Amazonian communities has focussed more often on rural‐urban linkages than on links among rural communities. This is unsurprising, given the low density of population, limited intercommunity commerce, and importance of direct city‐market relations. Social relations among rural communities are also important in shaping rural livelihoods and lifeways. We report on the findings of a large‐scale census of communities in the Napo River basin in northeastern Peru (n=174). Data were gathered on intervillage crop seed acquisition and cooperative labor sharing as two key inputs in agriculture, and on intervillage soccer matches, which are integral to rural social life. We analyze the socio‐spatial networks of each practice, paying attention to settlement patterns, community ethnicity, and differential access to the uplands. We find that seeds and labor flow along soccer network lines. Rural social networks appear to be structured strongly by ethnicity (homophily) and reflect important complementarities between upland and lowland communities (weak ties).     

PALEOMAGIA: A PHP/MYSQL database of the Precambrian paleomagnetic data

Most paleomagnetic applications require a precise, rationally organized and up-todate catalogue or database of paleomagnetic results worldwide. These include reconstructions of continents, calculations of the Apparent Polar Wander Paths (APWPs) or paleolatitude drift curves, testing the Geocentric Axial Dipole (GAD) model, studies of geomagnetic paleosecular variation or reversal asymmetries, comparison of coeval results obtained from different types of rocks, estimation of inclination shallowing in sedimentary rocks and understanding the delay in remanence acquisition caused by slow cooling in large intrusions. For this purpose, various databases, such as the Global Paleomagnetic Database (GPMDB), and the Magnetics Information Consortium Database (MagIC) have been generated. This paper presents a new relational database (PALEOMAGIA) where 3278 entries of Precambrian data have been split geographically, sorted according to age and rock types and ranked using a revised version of the Van der Voo grading scheme. The latest geochronologic information is included wherever available. Significant effort has been put to the retrieval and archiving of data published in the last decade, which are virtually nonexistent in GPMDB. Here we present the database and its browser-based user interface from a scientific and a technical point of view.     

Fully probabilistic seismic risk assessment considering local site effects for the portfolio of buildings in Medellín,Colombia

A fully probabilistic seismic risk analysis using a comprehensive approach is conducted for Medellin, the second largest city of Colombia, using a building by building database constructed and complemented from aerial images, considering characteristics such as building use categories, socio-economic levels and replacement values. The seismic hazard used for the analysis corresponds to the most updated study available in the country with the same model that was included in the national building code maps definition. Spectral transfer functions are determined for each of the seismic microzonation zones in order to take into account the dynamic soil response and amplification effects in the risk analysis. Several building types are defined for the city and individual vulnerability functions are assigned to each of them. Risk results are presented in the state of the art metrics such as the loss exceedance curve, probable maximum losses for different return periods, average annual losses and risk maps. The obtained results can be classified by use and socio-economic sectors as well as by structural systems that may help the stakeholders to identify where the risk concentrates.     

Strong ground-motion relations for Mexican interplate earthquakes

We derive strong ground-motion relations for horizontal components of pseudo-acceleration response spectra from Mexican interplate earthquakes at rock sites (NEHRP B class) in the forearc region. The functional form is obtained from the analytical solution of a circular finite-source model. For the regression analysis we use a recently proposed multivariate Bayesian technique. The resulting model has similar accuracy as those models derived from regional and worldwide subduction-zone databases. However, there are significant differences in the estimations computed from our model and other models. First, our results reveal that attenuation in Mexico tends to be stronger than that of worldwide relations, especially for large events. Second, our model predicts ground motions for large earthquakes at close distances to the source that are considerably larger than the estimations of global models. Lack of data in this range makes it difficult to identify the most appropriate model for this scenario. Nevertheless, according to the available data at the city of Acapulco, our model seems to estimate seismic hazard more adequately than the other models. These new relations may be useful in computing seismic hazard for the Mexican forearc region, where no similar equations had been yet proposed.     

Geomorphic monitoring and response to two dam removals: rivers Urumea and Leitzaran (Basque Country,Spain)

Dam removal has been demonstrated to be one of the most frequent and effective fluvial restoration actions but at most dam removals, especially of small dams, there has been little geomorphological monitoring. The results of the geomorphological monitoring implemented in two dams in the rivers Urumea and Leitzaran (northern Spain) are presented. The one from the River Urumea, originally 3.5 m high and impounding 500 m of river course, was removed instantaneously whereas that in the River Leitzaran, 12.5 m high, and impounding 1500 m of river course, is in its second phase of a four‐stage removal process. Changes in channel morphology, sediment size and mobility and river bed morphologies were assessed. The monitoring included several different techniques: topographical measurements of the channel, terrestrial laser scanner measurements of river bed and bars, sediment grain size and transport; all of them repeated in four (May, August, November 2011 and May 2012) and five (July and September 2013, April and August 2014 and June 2015) fieldwork campaigns in the River Urumea and River Leitzaran, respectively. Geomorphic responses of both dam removals are presented, and compared. Morphological channel adjustments occurred mainly shortly after dam removals, but with differences among the one removed instantaneously, that was immediate, whereas that conducted by stages took longer. Degradational processes were observed upstream of both dams (up to 1.2 m and 4 m in the River Urumea and River Leitzaran, respectively), but also aggradational processes (pool filling), upstream of Inturia Dam (2.85 m at least). Less evident aggradational processes were observed downstream of the dams (up to 0.37 m and 0.50 m in the River Urumea and River Leitzaran, respectively). Flood events, especially a 100 year flood registered during the monitoring period of Mendaraz Dam removal, reactivated geomorphological processes as incision and bank erosion, whereas longitudinal profile recovery, grain‐size sorting and upstream erosion took longer. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Integrated provenance analysis of a convergent retroarc foreland system: U–Pb ages,heavy minerals,Nd isotopes,and sandstone compositions of the Middle Magdalena Valley basin,northern Andes,Colombia

Sediment provenance analysis remains a powerful method for testing hypotheses on the temporal and spatial evolution of uplifted source regions, but issues such as recycling, nonunique sources, and pre- and post-depositional modifications may complicate interpretation of results from individual provenance techniques. Convergent retroarc systems commonly contain sediment sources that are sufficiently diverse (continental magmatic arc, fold–thrust belt, and stable craton) to enable explicit provenance assessments. In this paper, we combine detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology, heavy mineral identification, Nd isotopic analyses, conventional sandstone petrography, and paleocurrent measurements to reconstruct the clastic provenance history of a long-lived sedimentary basin now exposed in an intermontane zone of the northern Andean hinterland of Colombia. The Middle Magdalena Valley basin, situated between the Central Cordillera and Eastern Cordillera, contains a 5–10 km-thick succession of Upper Cretaceous to Quaternary fill. The integrated techniques show a pronounced change in provenance during the Paleocene transition from the lower to upper Lisama Formation. We interpret this as a shift from an eastern cratonic source to a western Andean source composed of magmatic-arc rocks uplifted during initial shortening of the Central Cordillera. The appearance of detrital chloritoid and a shift to more negative ε_Nd(t=0) values in middle Eocene strata of the middle La Paz Formation are attributed to shortening-related exhumation of a continental basement block (La Cira–Infantas paleohigh), now buried, along the axis of the Magdalena Valley. The diverse provenance proxies also show distinct changes during middle to late Eocene deposition of the Esmeraldas Formation that likely reflect initial rock uplift and exhumation of the fold–thrust belt defining the Eastern Cordillera. Upsection, detrital zircon U–Pb ages and heavy mineral assemblages for Oligocene and younger clastic deposits indicate that the Mesozoic sedimentary cover of the Eastern Cordillera was recycled during continued Cenozoic shortening. Our multidisciplinary provenance study refines the tectonic history of the Colombian Andes and demonstrates that uncertainties related to sediment recycling, nonunique sources, source heterogeneity, and climate in interpreting provenance data can be minimized via an integrated approach.     

Prograde and retrograde fluid-rock interaction in calc-silicates northwest of the Idaho batholith: stable isotopic evidence

Carbon and oxygen isotopic analyses of silicate and carbonate minerals indicate that isotopic compositions in metasediments of the Wallace Formation (Belt Supergroup) exposed northwest of the Idaho batholith have been affected by both prograde and retrograde fluid-rock interaction. Silicates retain isotopic fractionations that reflect equilibration at peak metamorphic temperatures. In contrast, calcite oxygen isotopic compositions range from δ¹⁸O(Calcite)=+2.3 to +18.6‰ SMOW (standard mean oceanic water) and indicate that some calcites have exchanged with low-δ¹⁸O meteorichydrothermal fluids. Values of Δ¹⁸O (Quartz-Calcite) as large as +15.5 clearly indicate that the isotopic depletion of these calcites postdates the peak of regional metamorphism. Carbon isotopic compositions of ¹⁸O-depleted calcites are not significantly shifted relative to δ¹³C values in undepleted calcites, suggesting that the retrograde fluid was carbon-poor. Petrographically, retrograde fluid-rock interaction is associated with the occurrence of fine-grained, highly-luminescent calcite overgrowths on less-luminescent, metamorphic calcites, slight to moderate argillic alteration, and pseudomorphing of scapolite porphyroblasts by fine-grained albite. Retrograde isotopic depletions may be related to shallow meteoric-hydrothermal fluid flow developed around the Idaho batholith after intrusion and rapid uplift of the terrane. Peak metamorphic isotopic compositions in the Wallace Formation reflect mineralogically heterogeneous protolith compositions and isotopic fractionation due to devolatilization and/or infiltration. Variability in oxygen isotopic compositions on the order of 4–6‰ within the same rock type can be attributed to the combined effects of inherited isotopic compositions and isotopic shifts resulting from prograde devolatilization. Isotopic and compositional heterogeneity on the scale of mm to m precludes generalization of isotopic gradients on a regional scale. The isotopic data presented here, and metamorphic fluid compositions determined in previous studies, are best reconciled with heterogeneous bulk compositions, dominantly channelized prograde and retrograde fluid flow, and locally low fluid-rock ratios.     

Bioremediation of heavily hydrocarbon-contaminated drilling wastes by composting

Oil-based drilling cuttings comprise a large and hazardous waste stream generated by oil and gas wells drilling operations. Oil-based cuttings are muddy materials with high contents of salts and hydrocarbons. Composting strategies have shown to be effective in the biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons, and it offers numerous advantages in comparison with other bioremediation methods. In order to assess the effectiveness of drilling cuttings bioremediation by composting with food and garden wastes, an experiment was conducted in 60-L reactors for 151 days. Four treatments were carried out: only oil-based cuttings, two proportions (in a volume basis) of organic wastes to drilling cuttings (33 and 75 %) and only organic wastes (as a traditional composting reference), with pine-tree woodchips as bulking agent. High degradation percentages of total hydrocarbons (≈82 %), n-alkanes (≈96 %) and the 16 USEPA-listed polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (≈93 %) were reached in the treatment with 75 % of organic wastes, and applying 33 % of organic wastes was not more effective than not applying organic wastes for the drilling cuttings hydrocarbons biodegradation. Furthermore, in the treatment with 75 % of organic wastes, alkanes half-life and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons half-life were about 10 times and four times lower, respectively, than those in the treatment with 33 % of organic wastes. Possibly, lower hydrocarbons and salts initial concentrations (i.e., lower toxicity), higher microbial counts, adequate nutrient proportions and water content supported a high biological activity with a consequent elevated biodegradation rate in the treatment with 75 % of organic wastes.