Sedimentation in the floodplains of the Mekong Delta,Vietnam. Part I: suspended sediment dynamics

Suspended sediment is the primary source for a sustainable agro‐ecosystem in the Mekong Delta by providing nutrient input for the subsequent cropping season. In addition, the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) plays an important role in the erosion and deposition processes in the Delta; that is, it influences the morphologic development and may counteract the deltaic subsidence and sea level rise. Despite this importance, little is known about the dynamics of suspended sediment in the floodplains of the Mekong Delta. In particular, quantitative analyses are lacking mainly because of data scarcity with respect to the inundation processes in the floodplains. In 2008, therefore, a comprehensive in situ system to monitor the dynamics of suspended sediment in a study area located in the Plain of Reeds was established, aiming at the characterization and quantification of suspended sediment dynamics in the deeply inundated parts of the Vietnamese part of the Mekong Delta. The monitoring system was equipped with seven water quality–monitoring stations. They have a robust design and autonomous power supply suitable for operation on inundated floodplains, enabling the collection of reliable data over a long period of time with a high temporal resolution. The data analysis shows that the general seasonal dynamics of suspended sediment transport in the Delta is controlled by two main mechanisms: the flood wave of the Mekong River and the tidal backwater influences from the coast. In the channel network, SSC decreases exponentially with distance from the Mekong River. The anthropogenic influence on SSC could also be identified for two periods: at the start of the floodplain inundation and at the end of the flood period, when subsequent paddy rice crops are prepared. Based on the results, we recommend an operation scheme for the sluice gates, which intends to distribute the sediment and thus the nutrients equally over the floodplain. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Ordering and composition of scapolite: Field observations and structural interpretations

Field observations, experimental and crystallographic data and thermodynamic considerations all suggest that Al-Si order-disorder is a crucial factor in explaining composition and stability of the mineral scapolite. Over the whole compositional range, scapolites have Al^IV-O-Al^IV bonds with the exception of one intermediate member with an Al/Si ratio of 1/2. Scapolites of this composition are the lowest temperature form and appear in areas with argillaceous carbonates and evaporites which have been subjected to progressive metamorphism. In similar areas without evaporites, the onset of the CO₃-scapolite stability field is approx. 150° C higher with an Al/Si ratio in the scapolite of about 5/7. This particular CO₃-scapolite is a compromise between the number of Al-O-Al bonds and the volume of the anion site occupied by CO₃. Based on field- and experimental data, temperature-composition diagrams for scapolite, plagioclase and calcite have been constructed. These diagrams may be explained in the light of contrasting Al-Si order-disorder in plagioclase and scapolite, i.e. at low temperature, plagioclase endmembers and intermediate scapolite members are stable, towards higher temperatures the ∩-shaped temperature-composition field of plagioclase and the V-shaped one of scapolite interfere in a complicated way. Electron microscopy of Al-rich scapolite, 632/n extinction rules. But these scapolites (with or without Cl-anion) show domain boundaries. We interpret them as APB's in the Al/Si ordering pattern on T₂-T₃ sites which reverses when a displacement R=1/2 [111] is applied.     

Heterogeneous response of hydrogeological systems to the Izmit and Düzce (Turkey) earthquakes of 1999

At four sites in Turkey and Armenia the physico-chemical properties of thermal and mineral waters were monitored continuously during the Izmit and Düzce earthquakes that occurred along the North Anatolian fault in August and November 1999. The epicentral distances between the moment magnitude (M_w) 7.6 Izmit earthquake and the monitoring locations were 313, 488, 1,161, and 1,395 km. At the most distant site, the specific electrical conductivity of mineral water from a flowing artesian well dropped co-seismically and postseismically by 7%. No changes were observed at the other sites, although the estimated earthquake strains and peak ground accelerations are much higher. A similar pattern was observed after the Düzce earthquake, which happened three months after the Izmit event. The response of a hydrogeological system seems to depend on the site characteristics rather than on the nature of the earthquake. A hydrogeological model for the sensitive observation site farthest from the Izmit earthquake explains the observations in terms of a changed mixing ratio between two fluid components. Passing seismic waves may trigger a local pore-pressure increase according to the mechanism of advective overpressure. The preconditions for this mechanism, free gas bubbles in the aquifer in combination with a trap for rising bubbles, is probably not fulfilled by the other groundwater systems. Electronic Publication     

SST versus Climate Change Signals in West African Rainfall: 20th-Century Variations and Future Projections

Rainfall variability is a crucial factor in food production,water resource planning and ecosystems, especially in regions with scarce freshwaterresources. In West Africa rainfall has been subject to largedecadal and interdecadal variations during the 20th century. The most prominent feature is thereduction in rainfall amount throughout the second half of the century with somerecovery at the end. Among the conceivable mechanisms, which might inducesuch low-frequency variability in West African precipitation, this study isfocussed onsea surface temperature (SST) variations and increasing greenhouse gas (GHG)concentrations. A tool is presented to distinguish between both impacts bymeans of various climate model simulations, which are found to reproduce theobserved rainfall characteristics over West Africa reasonably well.Further, a multi-model approach is usedto evaluate the expected future greenhouse signal in West African rainfall with respect to natural variability and intermodel variations.It is found that observed SST fluctuations, forcing two different atmospheric climate models, are able to reproduce the main features ofobserved decadal rainfall anomalies in the southern part of West Africathroughout the second half of the 20th century. The seasonal response to varying SST isstrongest in summer when the region is undergoing intensive monsoondynamics. Whereas both atmospheric models simulate the observeddrought tendency,following the 1960s, there is some indication that the additional GHG forcing in one model inducessome significantly different rainfall anomalies in recent years, re-initiatingeven positive anomalies relative to the climatological mean which has alsobeen observed since the 1990s. However, thisresult is still subject to model uncertainty.Coupled climate model integrations with different climate change scenariosalsopredict that precipitation, particularly over the Guinea Coast and Sahelregion, will steadily increase into the 21st century. The model-comprehensive signal isstatistically significant with respect to natural variability and modeluncertainty, suggesting that the observed recovery of yearly rainfall overparts of West Africa might actually reflect the beginning impact of risinganthropogenic GHG. The physical mechanism, linking the radiative forcing tothe monsoonal rainfall, probably works via warming of the tropicalAtlantic Ocean.     

Climatic and geographic patterns of river runoff formation in Northern Eurasia

Siberian rivers are of global importance as they impact on the freshwater budget of the Arctic Ocean, which affects the Thermo-Haline circulation in the North Atlantic Ocean. Siberian rivers, in particular the tributaries to the larger rivers, are under-represented in the international river-regime databases. The runoff of three Russian rivers in the Central Siberian taiga (Kureyka, Karabula and Erba) is modelled to analyse the relative influence of climate. In addition three rivers (Rhine, Maas and Odra) in Western Europe are similarly assessed as a control. The results show that the role of precipitation and autocorrelation as factors in the formation of river runoff is stronger under oceanic climate conditions, increasing from the central regions of Northern Eurasia towards the Arctic Ocean in the North and the Atlantic in the West. At the same time the influence of summer temperatures is weakened. The formation of Northern Eurasian river runoff appears to be influenced by periodically thawing top horizons of permafrost soil. Time served as an indicator for land use change after inclusion of meteorological data in the models. Maas and Erba showed a significant influence of the time factor. For the Erba the onset of agricultural land use in the catchment coincides with a drop in runoff. A similar causal relationship is suggested for the Maas. Land use can change the formation of runoff, which in turn can be used as an environmental indicator for sustainable land use.     

Ecological succession, palaeoenvironmental change, and depositional sequences of Barremian–Aptian shallow-water carbonates in northern Oman

Abstract Barremian and Aptian shallow‐water carbonate facies (uppermost Lekhwair, Kharaib and Shuaiba Formations) are described from outcrops in northern Oman. Based on facies analysis and bedding pattern, three orders of depositional sequences are defined (third to fifth order) and correlated between sections. Over the course of three third‐order sequences, covering the Barremian to Lower Aptian, a third‐order depositional pattern is documented that consists of a succession of three distinct faunal assemblages: discoidal orbitolinids and calcareous algae were deposited during early transgression; microbialites and microencrusters dominate the late transgressive to early highstand facies; and a rudist‐ and miliolid‐dominated facies is typical of the highstand. This ecological succession was controlled largely by palaeoenvironmental changes, such as trophic level and clay influx, rather than sedimentological factors controlled by variations in accommodation space. Orbitolinid beds and carbonates formed by microbialites and microencrusters seem to be the shallow‐water carbonate response to global changes affecting Late Barremian to Aptian palaeoclimate and palaeoceanography.     

Vodyanitskii mud volcano,Sorokin trough,Black Sea: Geological characterization and quantification of gas bubble streams

Vodyanitskii mud volcano is located at a depth of about 2070 m in the Sorokin Trough, Black sea. It is a 500-m wide and 20-m high cone surrounded by a depression, which is typical of many mud volcanoes in the Black Sea. 75 kHz sidescan sonar show different generations of mud flows that include mud breccia, authigenic carbonates, and gas hydrates that were sampled by gravity coring. The fluids that flow through or erupt with the mud are enriched in chloride (up to ∼650 mmol L⁻¹ at ∼150-cm sediment depth) suggesting a deep source, which is similar to the fluids of the close-by Dvurechenskii mud volcano. Direct observation with the remotely operated vehicle Quest revealed gas bubbles emanating at two distinct sites at the crest of the mud volcano, which confirms earlier observations of bubble-induced hydroacoustic anomalies in echosounder records. The sediments at the main bubble emission site show a thermal anomaly with temperatures at ∼60 cm sediment depth that were 0.9 °C warmer than the bottom water. Chemical and isotopic analyses of the emanated gas revealed that it consisted primarily of methane (99.8%) and was of microbial origin (δD-CH₄ = −170.8‰ (SMOW), δ¹³C-CH₄ = −61.0‰ (V-PDB), δ¹³C-C₂H₆ = −44.0‰ (V-PDB)). The gas flux was estimated using the video observations of the ROV. Assuming that the flux is constant with time, about 0.9 ± 0.5 × 10⁶ mol of methane is released every year. This value is of the same order-of-magnitude as reported fluxes of dissolved methane released with pore water at other mud volcanoes. This suggests that bubble emanation is a significant pathway transporting methane from the sediments into the water column.