Regional and species specific sexual reproductive patterns of three zooxanthellate scleractinian corals across the Eastern Tropical Pacific

Sexual reproduction of zooxanthellate scleractinian corals in the Eastern Tropical Pacific (ETP) is influenced by the interactive effects of regional and local oceanographic conditions, as well as a variety of other environmental factors. Differences in spatial and temporal gamete development and reproductive patterns of three widespread scleractinian corals of this region—Pocillopora damicornis (branching colony morphology, characterized as hermaphrodite broadcaster), Pavona gigantea (massive colonies, characterized as gonochoric broadcaster/sequential co‐sexually hermaphroditic) and Porites panamensis (encrusting colonies, characterized as gonochoric brooder)—were evaluated at local and regional scales across the ETP. This area extended from the Gulf of California (24°N) to the southern coast of Ecuador (–1°S), including offshore islands, using existing data pooled from prior studies. Predictive models were employed based on environmental variables: sea surface temperature, daylight hours, diffuse attenuation co‐efficient at 490 nm and photosynthetically active radiation. Datasets were extracted from satellite images ( https://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov ) and analysed using WAM_STATIST ver. 6.33® software to obtain monthly average data from each site. The spatial (region, sub‐region and site) and seasonal (wet, dry) variation in reproductive activity (% colonies with gametes) differed among the three species; significant interactions were season × sub‐region for P. damicornis, season × site (sub‐region) for P. gigantea, and season × site for P. panamensis, for which sub‐region was not considered as a factor. The predictive models also suggest that gamete production/maturation of P. damicornis and P. gigantea is influenced by local differences in sea surface temperature and daylight hours. Porites panamensis was not correlated with any environmental variable examined. Variations in local and regional reproductive developmental patterns are likely an acclimatization response by each species imposed by the timing and duration of local stressor events. This analysis has provided insights into the diverse local and regional physical drivers that affect species responses and acclimatization in sexual reproduction across the ETP.     

Impact of spectral nudging and domain size in studies of RCM response to parameter modification

The paper aims at finding an RCM configuration that facilitates studies devoted to quantifying RCM response to parameter modification. When using short integration times, the response of the time-averaged variables to RCM modification tend to be blurred by the noise originating in the lack of predictability of the instantaneous atmospheric states. Two ways of enhancing the signal-to-noise ratio are studied in this work: spectral nudging and reduction of the computational domain size. The approach followed consists in the analysis of the sensitivity of RCM-simulated seasonal averages to perturbations of two parameters controlling deep convection and stratiform condensation, perturbed one at a time. Sensitivity is analyzed within different simulation configurations obtained by varying domain size and using the spectral nudging option. For each combination of these factors multiple members of identical simulations that differ exclusively in initial conditions are also generated to provide robust estimates of the sensitivities (the signal) and sample the noise. Results show that the noise magnitude is decreased both by reduction of domain size and the spectral nudging. However, the reduction of domain size alters some sensitivity signals. When spectral nudging is used significant alterations of the signal are not found.     

Climate signal in varve thickness: Lake La Cruz (Spain), a case study

Lake La Cruz is a meromictic, karstic lake with annually laminated sediment formed by summer pulses of calcite deposition. The aim of this study was to explore the potential use of the laminated sediment from Lake La Cruz as a quantitative climate proxy, by calibrating lamina thickness against instrumental climate data. Statistical analysis of the relation between lamina thickness and the meteorological dataset indicated a high correlation between calcium carbonate lamina thickness and rainfall from December to March (r  = 0.725, P < 0.01, n = 35). Winter rainfall anomalies in the area are, in turn, highly negatively correlated with the North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAO, r = −0.832; P < 0.01; n = 53). We propose a regression model to infer past winter rainfall from calcium carbonate laminae thickness. These results highlight new possibilities for paleoenvironmental research using calcite laminated sediment records as climate proxies, especially to study past rainfall variability.     

Relationship between bedload and suspended sediment in the sand-bed Exu River,in the semi-arid region of Brazil

Abstract

Suspended sediment and bedload discharges in sand-bed rivers shape semi-arid landscapes and impact sediment delivery from these landscapes, but are still incompletely understood. Suspended sediment and bedload fluxes of the intermittent Exu River, Brazil, were sampled by direct measurements. The highest suspended sediment concentration observed was 4847.4 mg L^-1 and this value was possibly associated with the entrainment of sediment that was deposited in the preceding year. The bedload flux was well related to the stream power and the river efficiently transported all available bedload with a mean rate of 0.0047 kg m^-1 s^-1, and the percentage of bedload to suspended sediment varied between 4 and 12.72. The bed sediment of Exu River was prone to entrainment and showed a proclivity for transport. Thus, sand-bed and gravel-bed rivers of arid environments seem to exhibit the same mobility in the absence of armour layer.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis; Associate editor B. Touaibia

Citation Cantalice, J.R.B., Cunha Filho, M., Stosic, B.D., Piscoya, V.C., Guerra, S.M.S., and Singh, V.P., 2013. Relationship between bedload and suspended sediment in the sand-bed Exu River, in the semi-arid region of Brazil. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 58 (8), 1789–1802.     

New Archaeomagnetic Data from Tunisia: Dating of Two Kilns and New Archaeointensities from Three Ceramic Artifacts

Two isolated kilns of unknown age and three well‐dated artifacts from Tunisia have been investigated using archaeomagnetic techniques. Dating has been attempted for the kilns and archaeomagnetic intensities have been obtained for the artifacts. The kilns lack datable artifacts although one of them (Sidi Zahruni) could be related to a nearby late Roman site. Comparison with the SCHA.DIF.3K regional geomagnetic model suggests for both kilns two possible periods of last use, either Roman or Medieval. Three archaeomagnetic intensities were obtained for the well‐dated ceramic artifacts adding to scarce archaeomagnetic data from Africa. The new data along with recently published archaeointensities from other Tunisian sites have been compared with the regional model SCHA.DIF.3K, its updated version, and the global ARCH3k.1 geomagnetic model. The models show relatively good agreement with the new archaeointensities and with previously published intensities. The uncertainty of the experimental data tends to increase for older artifacts, and their agreement with the geomagnetic models diminishes. The observed trend of the intensity models to underestimate values in the Tunisian area for the Roman period could be overcome by adding new data from well‐dated artifacts from North African, particularly from pre‐Roman and Roman sites.     

沉积物中趋磁细菌趋磁性优势的实验研究

趋磁细菌依靠其体内生物合成的磁小体颗粒沿地球磁场定向排列和游动,称为趋磁性。沿磁场的定向排列被认为可以使磁菌更有效地到达最佳生存环境,即趋磁性对磁菌的优势所在。目前对趋磁性优势的研究大多数集中在水环境或培养液环境下,而对于自然沉积物中趋磁性优势的理解还停留在假说阶段。越来越多的研究显示,磁菌在沉积物中的行为方式与水环境中所观测到的现象差别很大,因此,对趋磁性优势的研究也需要在沉积物环境中进行。本文我们通过对比在地磁场、近零磁场和反转磁场条件下两种磁菌：球菌和杆菌（Candidatus Magnetobacterium bavaricum）的时空变化,揭示在沉积物中趋磁性对趋磁细菌的作用。结果显示趋磁性对两种磁菌存在不同的作用,M. bavaricum 在近零磁场条件下数量明显下降而在地磁场下又重新恢复,说明趋磁性优势对M. bavaricum 的积极作用,然而球菌在近零磁磁场条件下的数量和分布与地磁场条件下相似,可能说明球菌在利用趋化性和行为方式上与M. bavaricum 有很大不同。M. bavaricum 在反转磁场条件下数量减少,而球菌则接近消失,说明球菌受极向趋磁性的影响比M. bavaricum大。两种磁菌因受沉积物环境和自身趋化性的影响在趋磁性上表现不同,可能M. bavaricum存在不同的趋磁性特点。本文实验结果说明对趋磁性的理解需要立足于复杂的沉积物环境。     

Deep incision in an Aptian carbonate succession indicates major sea‐level fall in the Cretaceous

Long‐term relative sea‐level cycles (0·5 to 6 Myr) have yet to be fully understood for the Cretaceous. During the Aptian, in the northern Maestrat Basin (Eastern Iberian Peninsula), fault‐controlled subsidence created depositional space, but eustasy governed changes in depositional trends. Relative sea‐level history was reconstructed by sequence stratigraphic analysis. Two forced regressive stages of relative sea‐level were recognized within three depositional sequences. The first stage is late Early Aptian age (intra Dufrenoyia furcata Zone) and is characterized by foreshore to upper shoreface sedimentary wedges, which occur detached from a highstand carbonate platform, and were deposited above basin marls. The amplitude of relative sea‐level drop was in the order of tens of metres, with a duration of <1 Myr. The second stage of relative sea‐level fall occurred within the Late Aptian and is recorded by an incised valley that, when restored to its pre‐contractional attitude, was >2 km wide and cut ≥115 m down into the underlying Aptian succession. With the subsequent transgression, the incision was backfilled with peritidal to shallow subtidal deposits. The changes in depositional trends, lithofacies evolution and geometric relation of the stratigraphic units characterized are similar to those observed in coeval rocks within the Maestrat Basin, as well as in other correlative basins elsewhere. The pace and magnitude of the two relative sea‐level drops identified fall within the glacio‐eustatic domain. In the Maestrat Basin, terrestrial palynological studies provide evidence that the late Early and Late Aptian climate was cooler than the earliest part of the Early Aptian and the Albian Stage, which were characterized by warmer environmental conditions. The outcrops documented here are significant because they preserve the results of Aptian long‐term sea‐level trends that are often only recognizable on larger scales (i.e. seismic), such as for the Arabian Plate.     

Evaluation of the recharge processes and impacts of irrigation on groundwater using CFCs and radiogenic isotopes in the Silao-Romita basin, Mexico

The recharge processes in the overexploited aquifer of the Silao Romita basin, central Mexico, were investigated by means of gaseous tracers (chlorofluorocarbons, CFCs) and radioactive isotopes (C-14, tritium). CFC concentrations varied between 0.06 and 12 pmol/l (CFC-11), 0.03 and 1.7 pmol/l (CFC-12), and <0.01 and 0.23 pmol/l (CFC-113). CFC concentrations are controlled by irrigation return flow which became apparent by the comparison with tritium. Tritium activities ranged from 0 to 3.5 TU. The calculated mean residence times of 70 to more than 300 years are considerably lower than the ages estimated based on the CFCs data. These data showed that CFCs were not appropriate for groundwater dating in this particular area but the CFCs were suitable as a qualitative measure of the magnitude of irrigation return flow which proved to be a significant source of recharge in the irrigated areas. Radiocarbon activities were in the range of 6–109 pmC. Carbon-13 values varied between –11.9 and –7.2‰ VPDB. Modelling of carbon isotopes with NETPATH along a plausible flow path reveals considerable influences of exchange with soil CO₂ and carbonate dissolution. Radiocarbon data indicate, at least in one case, the existence of groundwaters with residence times of more than 10,000 years.     

Kriging with external drift for functional data for air quality monitoring

Functional data featured by a spatial dependence structure occur in many environmental sciences when curves are observed, for example, along time or along depth. Recently, some methods allowing for the prediction of a curve at an unmonitored site have been developed. However, the existing methods do not allow to include in a model exogenous variables that, for example, bring meteorology information in modeling air pollutant concentrations. In order to introduce exogenous variables, potentially observed as curves as well, we propose to extend the so-called kriging with external drift—or regression kriging—to the case of functional data by means of a three-step procedure involving functional modeling for the trend and spatial interpolation of functional residuals. A cross-validation analysis allows to choose smoothing parameters and a preferable kriging predictor for the functional residuals. Our case study considers daily PM₁₀ concentrations measured from October 2005 to March 2006 by the monitoring network of Piemonte region (Italy), with the trend defined by meteorological time-varying covariates and orographical constant-in-time variables. The performance of the proposed methodology is evaluated by predicting PM₁₀ concentration curves on 10 validation sites, even with simulated realistic datasets on a larger number of spatial sites. In this application the proposed methodology represents an alternative to spatio-temporal modeling but it can be applied more generally to spatially dependent functional data whose domain is not a time interval.