Evaluation of vertical variations in hydraulic conductivity in unconsolidated sediments

Detailed information on vertical variations in hydraulic conductivity (K) is essential to describe the dynamics of groundwater movement at contaminated sites or as input data used for modeling. K values in high vertical resolution should be determined because K tends to be more continuous in the horizontal than in the vertical direction. To determine K in shallow unconsolidated sediments and in the vertical direction, the recently developed direct-push injection logger can be used. The information obtained by this method serves as a proxy for K and has to be calibrated to obtain quantitative K values of measured vertical profiles. In this study, we performed direct-push soil sampling, sieve analyses and direct-push slug tests to obtain K values in vertical high resolution. Using the results of direct-push slug tests, quantitative K values obtained by the direct-push injection logger could be determined successfully. The results of sieve analyses provided lower accordance with the logs due to the inherent limitations of the sieving method.     

A Paddock to reef monitoring and modelling framework for the Great Barrier Reef: Paddock and catchment component

Targets for improvements in water quality entering the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) have been set through the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Plan). To measure and report on progress towards the targets set a program has been established that combines monitoring and modelling at paddock through to catchment and reef scales; the Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting Program (Paddock to Reef Program). This program aims to provide evidence of links between land management activities, water quality and reef health. Five lines of evidence are used: the effectiveness of management practices to improve water quality; the prevalence of management practice adoption and change in catchment indicators; long-term monitoring of catchment water quality; paddock & catchment modelling to provide a relative assessment of progress towards meeting targets; and finally marine monitoring of GBR water quality and reef ecosystem health. This paper outlines the first four lines of evidence.     

Environmental impacts of dredging and other sediment disturbances on corals: A review

A review of published literature on the sensitivity of corals to turbidity and sedimentation is presented, with an emphasis on the effects of dredging. The risks and severity of impact from dredging (and other sediment disturbances) on corals are primarily related to the intensity, duration and frequency of exposure to increased turbidity and sedimentation. The sensitivity of a coral reef to dredging impacts and its ability to recover depend on the antecedent ecological conditions of the reef, its resilience and the ambient conditions normally experienced. Effects of sediment stress have so far been investigated in 89 coral species (～10% of all known reef-building corals). Results of these investigations have provided a generic understanding of tolerance levels, response mechanisms, adaptations and threshold levels of corals to the effects of natural and anthropogenic sediment disturbances. Coral polyps undergo stress from high suspended-sediment concentrations and the subsequent effects on light attenuation which affect their algal symbionts. Minimum light requirements of corals range from <1% to as much as 60% of surface irradiance. Reported tolerance limits of coral reef systems for chronic suspended-sediment concentrations range from <10mgL(-1) in pristine offshore reef areas to >100mgL(-1) in marginal nearshore reefs. Some individual coral species can tolerate short-term exposure (days) to suspended-sediment concentrations as high as 1000mgL(-1) while others show mortality after exposure (weeks) to concentrations as low as 30mgL(-1). The duration that corals can survive high turbidities ranges from several days (sensitive species) to at least 5-6weeks (tolerant species). Increased sedimentation can cause smothering and burial of coral polyps, shading, tissue necrosis and population explosions of bacteria in coral mucus. Fine sediments tend to have greater effects on corals than coarse sediments. Turbidity and sedimentation also reduce the recruitment, survival and settlement of coral larvae. Maximum sedimentation rates that can be tolerated by different corals range from <10mgcm(-2)d(-1) to >400mgcm(-2)d(-1). The durations that corals can survive high sedimentation rates range from <24h for sensitive species to a few weeks (>4weeks of high sedimentation or >14days complete burial) for very tolerant species. Hypotheses to explain substantial differences in sensitivity between different coral species include the growth form of coral colonies and the size of the coral polyp or calyx. The validity of these hypotheses was tested on the basis of 77 published studies on the effects of turbidity and sedimentation on 89 coral species. The results of this analysis reveal a significant relationship of coral sensitivity to turbidity and sedimentation with growth form, but not with calyx size. Some of the variation in sensitivities reported in the literature may have been caused by differences in the type and particle size of sediments applied in experiments. The ability of many corals (in varying degrees) to actively reject sediment through polyp inflation, mucus production, ciliary and tentacular action (at considerable energetic cost), as well as intraspecific morphological variation and the mobility of free-living mushroom corals, further contribute to the observed differences. Given the wide range of sensitivity levels among coral species and in baseline water quality conditions among reefs, meaningful criteria to limit the extent and turbidity of dredging plumes and their effects on corals will always require site-specific evaluations, taking into account the species assemblage present at the site and the natural variability of local background turbidity and sedimentation.     

Setting new thermal standards for transitional and coastal (TraC) waters

The construction of a new generation of coastal power stations in the UK and other western European countries has highlighted the absence of robust standards for thermal discharges to transitional and coastal waters. The proposed discharge volumes are greater than hitherto, yet there has been little independent critical examination of their potential impact, whilst much of the existing guidance has been adapted from freshwater practice. This review considers the available knowledge on the tolerance and behaviour of fish and other marine biota to heated effluents. Appropriate ways are suggested of grouping fish species to reflect their sensitivity to thermal effects. The plethora of existing standards are considered and their validity assessed in a framework of predicted seawater temperature rise. Those species or groups of organisms most likely to be affected are identified and finally specific recommendations for thermal standards consistent with long term sustainability are proposed.     

Pathways of marine debris derived from trajectories of Lagrangian drifters

Global set of trajectories of satellite-tracked Lagrangian drifters is used to study the dynamics of marine debris. A probabilistic model is developed to eliminate the bias in spatial distribution of drifter data due to heterogeneous deployments. Model experiments, simulating long-term evolution of initially homogeneous drifter array, reveal five main sites of drifter aggregation, located in the subtropics and maintained by converging Ekman currents. The paper characterizes the geography and structure of the collection regions and discusses factors that determine their dynamics. A new scale R(c)=(4k/|D|)(?) is introduced to characterize tracer distribution under competing effects of horizontal divergence D and diffusion k. Existence and locations of all five accumulation zones have been recently confirmed by direct measurements of microplastic at the sea surface.     

Spectral expressions for modelling the gravitational field of the Earth’s crust density structure

We derive expressions for computing the gravitational field (potential and its radial derivative) generated by an arbitrary homogeneous or laterally varying density contrast layer with a variable depth and thickness based on methods for a spherical harmonic analysis and synthesis of gravity field. The newly derived expressions are utilised in the gravimetric forward modelling of major known density structures within the Earth’s crust (excluding the ocean density contrast) beneath the geoid surface. The gravitational field quantities due to the sediments and crust components density contrasts, shown in numerical examples, are computed using the 2 × 2 arc-deg discrete data from the global crustal model CRUST2.0. These density contrasts are defined relative to the adopted value of the reference crustal density of 2670 kgm⁻³. All computations are realised globally on a 1 × 1 arc-deg geographical grid at the Earth’s surface. The maxima of the gravitational signal due to the sediments density contrast are mainly along continental shelf regions with the largest sedimentary deposits. The corresponding maxima due to the consolidated crust components density contrast are over areas of the largest continental crustal thickness with variable geological structure.     

Modelling the bulk flow of a bedrock‐constrained,multi‐channel reach of the Mekong River,Siphandone, southern Laos

The general nature of bulk flow within bedrock single‐channel reaches has been considered by several studies recently. However, the flow structure of a bedrock‐constrained, large river with a multiple channel network has not been investigated previously. The multiple channel network of the Siphandone wetlands in Laos, a section of the Mekong River, was modelled using a steady one‐dimensional hydraulic model. The river network is characterized by a spatially‐varying channel‐form leading to significant changes in the bulk flow properties between and along the channels. The challenge to model the bulk flow in such a remote region was the lack of ideal boundary conditions. The flow models considered both low flow, high inbank and overbank flows and were calibrated using SPOT satellite sensor imagery and limited field data concerning water levels. The application of the model highlighted flow characteristics of a large multi‐channel network and also further indicated the field data that would be required to properly characterize the flow field empirically. Important results included the observation that adjacent channels within the network had different water surface slopes for the same moments in time; thus calibration data for modelling similar systems needs to account for these significant local differences. Further, the in‐channel hydraulic roughness coefficient strongly varied from one cross‐section to the next (Manning's ‘n’ range: 0·01 to 0·10). These differences were amplified during low flow but persisted in muted form during high discharges. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface lowering of limestone pavement as determined by cosmogenic (36Cl) analysis

Determination of the rate and total amount of limestone pavement surface lowering is a critical issue in developing models of regional landscape change in limestone terrain. Erratic‐capped pedestals have frequently been used for this purpose but problems concerning definition and measurement of pedestal height, and the absence of a secure timeframe for erratic emplacement, have resulted in conflicting interpretations. We have used cosmogenic (³⁶Cl) to establish the emplacement age of erratic boulders and the total amount of pavement surface lowering at sites in northwest England. Since erratic emplacement at 17.9 ka the limestone pavement has been lowered by 22–45 cm (average: 33 ± 10 cm), assuming lowering was continuous. Although indicating some spatial heterogeneity, the results contrast with earlier reported values based on the measurement of pedestal heights and inferred age for deglaciation. We consider that changes in climate and the character and duration of regolith covers to have been important influences in promoting surface lowering. It is argued that nivation (chemical and mechanical snow‐related processes) associated with several cool/cold periods is likely to have played an important role in surface lowering. Complicating factors associated with surface lowering (thickness and longevity of snow and regolith covers) are identified but as yet cannot be quantified. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Slow, but steady: dispersal of freshwater molluscs

Molluscs are the proverbial examples of slow movement. In this review, dispersal distances and speed were assessed from literature data. Active upstream movement can occur both individually and in groups; and depends on traits such as size, sex and reproductive status, and on external factors such as flow velocity, temperature, sediment structure, and food availability. The potential for active dispersal follows the sequence Pulmonata ≥ Prosobranchia > Bivalvia, although data for Pulmonata originated from short-term experiments that likely overestimated dispersal capabilities. Active upstream movement may be 0.3 to 1.0 km per year for most snails and is probably well below 0.1 km per year for bivalves. Natural passive upstream dispersal increases the range 10-fold (snails) to 100-fold (bivalves), and anthropogenic vectors can increase upstream dispersal more than 100-fold (snails) to 1000-fold (bivalves). Three km seems to be the maximal within-stream distance at which many species display regular population mixing, and at which re-colonisation or successful restoration can be expected within 3–10 years. Lateral dispersal between unconnected water bodies is passive and mostly known from observational reports, but potential distances depend on vectors, climate and geomorphology. In general, active dispersal seems insufficient to furnish a compensatory mechanism, e.g., for the rate of projected climate change. We provide an overview on dispersal strategies in the light of applied issues. More rigorous field surveys and an integration of different approaches (such as mark-recapture, genetic) to quantify distances and probabilities of lateral dispersal are needed to predict species distributions across space and time.     

Simultaneous estimation of shape factor and depth of subsurface cavities from residual gravity anomalies using feed-forward back-propagation neural networks

We develop a new method of using feed-forward back-propagation (FFBP) neural networks to simultaneously estimate shape factor and depth of gravity anomalies. The advantages compared to neural network methods are the following: no pre-assumptions are made on source shape, the FFBP neural network estimates both depth and shape factor of source bodies and, once trained, works well for any new data in the training space, without repeating the initial calculations.