A new method of snowmelt sampling for water stable isotopes

We modified a passive capillary sampler (PCS) to collect snowmelt water for isotopic analysis. Past applications of PCSs have been to sample soil water, but the novel aspect of this study was the placement of the PCSs at the ground‐snowpack interface to collect snowmelt. We deployed arrays of PCSs at 11 sites in ten partner countries on five continents representing a range of climate and snow cover worldwide. The PCS reliably collected snowmelt at all sites and caused negligible evaporative fractionation effects in the samples. PCS is low‐cost, easy to install, and collects a representative integrated snowmelt sample throughout the melt season or at the melt event scale. Unlike snow cores, the PCS collects the water that would actually infiltrate the soil; thus, its isotopic composition is appropriate to use for tracing snowmelt water through the hydrologic cycle. The purpose of this Briefing is to show the potential advantages of PCSs and recommend guidelines for constructing and installing them based on our preliminary results from two snowmelt seasons. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Temporal stability of soil water content as affected by climate and soil hydraulic properties: a simulation study

Temporal stability of soil water content (TS SWC) is an often‐observed phenomenon, which characterization finds multiple applications. Climate and variability in soil properties are usually mentioned as factors of TS SWC, but their effects are far from clear. The objective of this work was to use SWC modeling to evaluate the effects of climate and soil hydraulic properties on the TS of soil water at different measurement schedules. We selected four representative climates found in USA and simulated the multiyear SWC dynamics for sandy loam, loam, and silty clay loam soils, all having the lognormal spatial distribution of the saturated hydraulic conductivity. The CLIMGEN and the HYDRUS6 codes were used to generate weather patterns and to simulate SWC, respectively. Four different methods were applied to select the representative location (RL). The low probability of having the same variability of mean relative differences of soil water under different climates was found in most of the cases. The probability that the variance of mean relative differences depended on sampling frequency was generally higher than 91% for the three soils. The interannual difference in mean relative differences variation from short and intensive summer campaigns was highly probable for all climates and soils. The RLs changed as climate and measurement scheduling changed, and they were less pronounced for coarse‐textured soils. The RL selection methods based solely on bias provided more consistency as compared with other methods. The TS appears to be the result of the interplay between climate, soil properties, and survey protocols. One implication of this factor interaction effect on TS SWC is that a simulation study can be useful to decide on the feasibility of including a search for TS‐based RLs for a specific site. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two‐dimensional modelling of large wood transport during flash floods

Large woody material (LWM) transported by rivers may be entrapped at critical stream geometry configurations (e.g. bridges) and therefore dramatically increase the destructive power of floods. This was the case in a Spanish mountain river where a flood event with a high degree of LWM transport took place in 1997. The aim of this study was to simulate a bridge clogging process and reconstruct the wood deposit patterns, modelling individual pieces of wood moving with the water flow and interacting among them and with the bridge. A two‐dimensional numerical model was developed to simulate the transport of LWM and its effect on hydrodynamics. Different scenarios for the wood transport rate allowed us to study the influence of inlet boundary conditions on bridge clogging. For the studied event, the scenario which best reproduced the bridge clogging effect and flood characteristics was one in which 60% of the total wood entered before the peak discharge. This dropped to 30% at the peak itself, and finally fell to 10% during the recession curve. In addition, the accumulation patterns of LWM along the reach were computed and compared with post‐event field photographs, showing that the model succeeded in predicting the deposition patterns of wood and those areas prone to form wood jams. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Video Observations of the 2006 Leonid Outburst

We carried out double station observations of the Leonid meteor shower outburst, which occurred in the morning hours of November 19, 2006. Using image-intensified cameras we recorded approximately 100 Leonid meteors. As predicted, the outburst was rich especially in fainter meteors. The activity profile shows that the peak of the outburst occurred at 4:40 ± 0:05 UT. The maximum reached flux was 0.03 meteoroids km⁻² hod⁻¹ for meteors brighter than +6.5 magnitude.     

Assessing a bioremediation strategy in a shallow coastal system affected by a fish farm culture--application of GIS and shellfish dynamic models in the Rio San Pedro, SW Spain

An integrated multi-trophic aquaculture assessment for Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) aquaculture as a bioremediation strategy in areas impacted by fish farm effluents in Rio San Pedro was assessed by combining geographic information system with carrying capacity models. Sites of 0.44 km(2) were evaluated considering constraints; physical factors, growth and survival factors, environmental quality factors, water and sediment quality criteria, factor suitability ranges, and Multi-Criteria Evaluation. Isleta and Flamenco are promising sites for oyster production, and Dorada is of marginal interest. Carbon and nitrogen removal from the water by algae and through detritus filtration was estimated. The biodeposition of organic material from longline leases was found to have little negative impact on sediment. The eutrophication results indicate that phytoplankton removal had a positive impact on water quality at the Dorada. This case study quantified the direct profitability and bioremediative environmental service advantages that fish-shellfish farms can have relative to fish monocultures.     

Evolution of phytoplankton cultures after ultraviolet light treatment

Introducing invasive species in new environments through ballast water is a specific problem of contamination and has recently become one of the main concerns of Maritime Organizations. Ultraviolet-C radiation (UV-C) is a technological alternative to prevent this maritime pollution. This study addresses the effect of UV-C on different phytoplankton cultures and also the ability to recover following exposure to damage. A UV-C low-pressure lamp irradiates the cultures. The distance from the source and the thickness of the layer prevent part of the energy from reaching the culture and the disinfective process is diminished. Some cultures such as Chlorella autotrophica and Chaetoceros calcitrans can easily recover from UV-C damage. However, Phaeocystis globosa does not have this ability. C. calcitrans forms cysts and exhibits two different behaviours depending on the dose applied.     

Ficus benjamina leaves as indicator of atmospheric pollution: a reconaissance study

We present a diagnostic study to evaluate the suitability of Ficus benjamina tree leaves as a captor of heavy metal particles from atmospheric dusts in urban areas. Leaf samples were taken at 16 localities within three areas in Morelia, state of Michoacán (Mexico??s medium size city, 830000 inhabitants). Measurements of magnetic susceptibility were conducted to determine the magnetic enhancement using samples from green, relatively unpolluted area, as a reference. The samples collected at areas with heavy traffic (main avenues) yielded values almost ten times higher than the values obtained for the unpolluted reference. Isothermal Remanent Magnetization curves are proportional to the degree of pollution. Associations of almost pure magnetite with heavy metals were revealed by scanning electron microscope.     

The 5,660?yBP Boquerón explosive eruption, Teide–Pico Viejo complex, Tenerife

Quantitative hazard assessments of active volcanoes require an accurate knowledge of the past eruptive activity in terms of eruption dynamics and the stratified products of eruption. Teide–Pico Viejo (TPV) is one of the largest volcanic complexes in Europe, but the associated eruptive history has only been constrained based on very general stratigraphic and geochronological data. In particular, recent studies have shown that explosive activity has been significantly more frequently common than previously thought. Our study contributes to characterization of explosive activity of TPV by describing for the first time the subplinian eruption of El Boquerón (5,660?yBP), a satellite dome located on the northern slope of the Pico Viejo stratovolcano. Stratigraphic data suggest complex shifting from effusive phases with lava flows to highly explosive phase that generated a relatively thick and widespread pumice fallout deposit. This explosive phase is classified as a subplinian eruption of VEI 3 that lasted for about 9–15?h and produced a plume with a height of up to 9?km above sea level (i.e. 7?km above the vent; MER of 6.9–8.2?×?10⁵?kg/s). The tephra deposit (minimum bulk volume of 4–6?×?10⁷?m³) was dispersed to the NE by up to 10?m/s winds. A similar eruption today would significantly impact the economy of Tenerife (e.g. tourism and aviation), with major consequences mainly for the communities around the Icod Valley, and to a minor extent, the Orotava Valley. This vulnerability shows that a better knowledge of the past explosive history of TPV and an accurate estimate of future potentials to generate violent eruptions is required in order to quantify and mitigate the associated volcanic risk.