Factors determining subsidence in urbanized floodplains: evidence from MT‐InSAR in Seville (southern Spain)

Major rivers have traditionally been linked with important human settlements throughout history. The growth of cities over recent river deposits makes necessary the use of multidisciplinary approaches to characterize the evolution of drainage networks in urbanized areas. Since under‐consolidated fluvial sediments are especially sensitive to compaction, their spatial distribution, thickness, and mechanical behavior must be studied. Here, we report on subsidence in the city of Seville (Southern Spain) between 2003 and 2010, through the analysis of the results obtained with the Multi‐Temporal InSAR (MT‐InSAR) technique. In addition, the temporal evolution of the subsidence is correlated with the rainfall, the river water column and the piezometric level. Finally, we characterize the geotechnical parameters of the fluvial sediments and calculate the theoretical settlement in the most representative sectors. Deformation maps clearly indicate that the spatial extent of subsidence is controlled by the distribution of under‐consolidated fine‐grained fluvial sediments at heights comprised in the range of river level variation. This is clearly evident at the western margin of the river and the surroundings of its tributaries, and differs from rainfall results as consequence of the anthropic regulation of the river. On the other hand, this influence is not detected at the eastern margin due to the shallow presence of coarse‐grain consolidated sediments of different terrace levels. The derived results prove valuable for implementing urban planning strategies, and the InSAR technique can therefore be considered as a complementary tool to help unravel the subsidence tendency of cities located over under‐consolidated fluvial deposits. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrolytic ectoenzyme activity associated with suspended and sinking organic particles within the anoxic Cariaco Basin

Ectohydrolase activities of suspended microbiota were compared to those associated with sinking particles (sed-POM) retrieved from sediment traps deployed in the permanently anoxic Cariaco Basin. In shore-based assays, activities of aminopeptidase, β-glucosidase, chitinase and alkaline phosphatase were measured in samples obtained from oxic and anoxic depths using MUF- and MCA-labeled fluorogenic substrate analogs. Hydrolysis potentials for these enzymes in the seston varied widely over the nine cruises sampled (8 Nov 1996–3 May 2000) and among depths (15–1265 m); from <10 to over 1600 nM d^?1 hydrolysate released, generally co-varying with one another and with suspended particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate nitrogen (PN). Hydrolytic potentials, prokaryotic abundances and POC/PN concentrations in sinking debris were 400–1.3×10⁷ times higher than in comparable volumes of seawater. However when normalized to PN, hydrolytic potentials in sediment trap samples were not demonstrably higher than in Niskin bottle samples. We estimate that PN pools in sediment trap samples were turned over 2–1400 times (medians=7–26x) slower by hydrolysis than were suspended PN pools. Median prokaryotic growth rates (divisions d^?1) in sinking debris were also ～150 times slower than for bacterioplankton. Hydrolytic potentials in surface oxic waters were generally faster than in underlying anoxic waters on a volumetric basis (nM hydrolysate d^?1), but were not significantly (p>0.05) different when normalized to PN or prokaryote abundances. Alkaline phosphatase was consistently the most active ectohydrolase in both sample types, suggesting that Cariaco Basin assemblages were adapted to decomposing phosphate esters in organic polymers. However, phosphorus limitation was not evident from nutrient inventories in the water column. Results support the hypothesis that efficiencies of polymer hydrolysis in anoxic waters are not inherently lower than in oxic waters.     

Experimental shock metamorphism of terrestrial basalts: Agglutinate-like particle formation,petrology, and magnetism

Hypervelocity impacts occur on bodies throughout our solar system, and play an important role in altering the mineralogy, texture, and magnetic properties in target rocks at nanometer to planetary scales. Here we present the results of hypervelocity impact experiments conducted using a two-stage light-gas gun with 5 mm spherical copper projectiles accelerated toward basalt targets with ~6 km s⁻¹ impact velocities. Four different types of magnetite- and titanomagnetite-bearing basalts were used as targets for seven independent experiments. These laboratory impacts resulted in the formation of agglutinate-like particles similar in texture to lunar agglutinates, which are an important fraction of lunar soil. Materials recovered from the impacts were examined using a suite of complementary techniques, including optical and scanning electron microscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and high- and low-temperature magnetometry, to investigate the texture, chemistry, and magnetic properties of newly formed agglutinate-like particles and were compared to unshocked basaltic parent materials. The use of Cu-projectiles, rather than Fe- and Ni-projectiles, avoids magnetic contamination in the final shock products and enables a clearer view of the magnetic properties of impact-generated agglutinates. Agglutinate-like particles show shock features, such as melting and planar deformation features, and demonstrate shock-induced magnetic hardening (two- to seven-fold increases in the coercivity of remanence B_cr compared to the initial target materials) and decreases in low-field magnetic susceptibility and saturation magnetization.     

Gas,dust and molecules in the Galaxy

The relative abundances of cool neutral hydrogen, carbon monoxide and formaldehyde are studied using all the available observational data in the literature. The obtained mean valuesN _{H 1}/ ,N _{H 1}/N _CO,N _CO/ are approximately constant in the dark clouds of the solar neighbourhood and in the distant molecular clouds.The observed correlationsN _CO,A _v and ,A _v show that formaldehyde can also be used as an indicator of molecular hydrogen. The ratioN H₁/A _v depends on densities and decays considerably in the ranges of visual absorptions in which the molecules become detectable (A _v 2 mg); an average of /N _{H 1}10 is calculated for the dense dark clouds.Indications of systematic temperature gradiens T/A _v are found for formaldehyde and neutral hydrogen inside the dark clouds, and qualitative comparisons are made with theoretical quantum mechanics calculations.The observed carbon monoxide and formaldehyde abundances, the free electron layer in the Galaxy, the distribution of neutral hydrogen in different states are only compatible if an ionization rate of 10^–16 is accepted, provided presumably by 2 MeV protons of cosmic radiation.Three main states for neutral hydrogen and dust are identified from different kinds of observational data (21 cm line in emission, absorption in galactic radio sources and self-absorption in the hot gas background): (1) a homogeneous intercloud stratum of tenuous gas and dust with a galactic halfwidth of 350 pc and mean parametersn _H=0.2 atom cm^–3, spin temperatureT _s 10000 K andn _d 0.3 mg kpc^–1; (2) cool gas and dust concentrated in spiral features with a galactic half-width of less than 100 pc, probably forming clouds with diffuse and indefinite limits, with mean parametersn _H2 atom cm^–3,T _s <1100 K (probable average,T _s =135 K) andn _d 3 mg kpc^–1; (3) dense gas and dust clouds with a mean diameter of 7 pc and mean parametersn _H700 atom cm^–3 (90% in a molecular state),T _s 63 K andn _d 1 mg pc^–1 on which molecules as CO and H₂CO are formed.The application of the Jeans criteria for gravitational instability shows that the dense clouds are gravitationally bound while the gas in the intermediate state (2) can be protected against collapse by the total internal energy in the medium increasing due to cosmic rays and the magnetic field in the Galaxy.The observed velocity halfwidths and galacticZ-halfwidths in states (1) and (2) are compatible with a total mass density in the galactic layer of 90M pc^–2 (gas plus stars) according to the barometric equation.The relative abundancesN _{H 1}/N _CO, calculated from C¹²O and C¹³O data and comparisons with studies in the 21 cm emission line, show that the antenna temperatureT _A ⁺ in the 2.6 mm line of C¹²O is a good indicator of the cool gas densities in the Galaxy. The possible application of this for studies in galactic structure is discussed and hypothetical distributions of carbon monoxide in the zones outside the galactic planeB=0° are presented.From a synthesis based on the results obtained, a cycle is postulated for the neutral hydrogen in the Galaxy: condensation and cooling of gas molecular formation gravitational collapse and star formation gas dissipation and heating by cosmic rays and UV radiation.     

Holocene hydrological reconstructions from stable isotopes and paleolimnology, Cordillera Real, Bolivia

Multiproxy analyses of sediment cores from Lago Taypi Chaka Kkota (LTCK) Cordillera Real, Bolivia, provide a record of drier conditions following late Pleistocene deglaciation culminating in pronounced aridity between 6.2 and 2.3 ka B.P. Today LTCK is a glacial-fed lake that is relatively insensitive to changes in P–E because it is largely buffered from dry season draw-down through the year-round supply of glacial meltwater. This was not the case during the middle to late Holocene when glaciers were absent from the watershed. Lake-water δ¹⁸O values inferred from δ¹⁸O analysis of sediment cellulose range from −12.9 to −5.3‰ and average −8.7‰ between 6.2 and 2.3 ka B.P. Modern lake-water δ¹⁸O from LTCK averages −14.8‰ which is compatible with the δ¹⁸O_lw value of −14.3‰ for the surface sediment cellulose. Analyses of δ¹⁸O from modern surface waters in 23 lakes that span the range from glacial-fed to closed basin vary from −16.6 to −2.5‰. This approximates the magnitude of the down-core shift in δ¹⁸O_lw values in LTCK during the middle to late Holocene from −12.9 to −5.3‰. Strong paleohydrologic change during the middle Holocene is also evident in diatom assemblages that consist of shallow-water, non-glacial periphytic taxa and bulk organic δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N that show increases likely resulting from degradation of lacustrine organic matter periodically exposed to subaerial conditions. Neoglaciation began after 2.3 ka B.P. as indicated by changes in the composition of the sediments, lower δ¹⁸O values, and a return to diatom assemblages characteristic of the glacial sediments that formed during the Late Pleistocene. Collectively, these data indicate that the past 2.3 ka B.P. have been the wettest interval during the Holocene. Millennial-scale shifts in the paleohydrologic record of LTCK during the early to middle Holocene conform to other regional paleoclimatic time-series, including Lake Titicaca and Nevado Sajama, and may be driven by insolation and resultant changes in atmospheric circulation and moisture supply. In contrast, an apparent 1200-year lag in the onset of wetter conditions at LTCK (2.3 ka B.P.) compared to Lake Titicaca (3.5 ka B.P.) provides evidence for variable sub-regional hydrologic response to climate change during the middle to late Holocene.     

Contributors to the frequency of intense climate disasters in Asia-Pacific countries

With record breaking heat waves, dryness, and floods in several parts of the world in recent years the question arises whether and to what extent the hazard of hydrometeorological extreme weather events has changed, and if changes can be attributed to specific causes. The methodology of probabilistic event attribution allows to evaluate such potential changes in the occurence probabilities of particular types of extreme events. We show that such a probabilistic assessment not only provides information on changing hazards in hydrometerological events but also permits statements about multivariate combinations of hydrometeorological variables. Hence attribution studies could be targeted specifically towards relevant impacts in particular sectors, if different suitable multivariate proxies are used. We demonstrate our methodology by using combinations of temperature, precipitation and humidity in the large ensemble of climate simulations within the weather@home project in order to derive impact-relevant quantities such as a seasonal water balance and heat stress imposed on the human body. Finally, we estimate the hazard probabilities of those events in South-East Europe, a region that has recently experienced severe summer dryness (2012) in combination with multiple heat waves.     

Fingerprinting TCE in a bedrock aquifer using compound-specific isotope analysis

A dual isotope approach based on compound-specific isotope analysis (CSIA) of carbon (C) and chlorine (Cl) was used to identify sources of persistent trichloroethylene (TCE) that caused the shut-down in 1994 of a municipal well in an extensive fractured dolostone aquifer beneath Guelph, Ontario. Several nearby industrial properties have known subsurface TCE contamination; however, only one has created a comprehensive monitoring network in the bedrock. The impacted municipal well and many monitoring wells were sampled for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), inorganic parameters, and CSIA. A wide range in isotope values was observed at the study site. The TCE varies between -35.6‰ and -21.8‰ and from 1.6‰ to 3.2‰ for δ(13) C and δ(37) Cl, respectively. In case of cis-1,2-dichloroethene, the isotope values range between -36.3‰ and -18.9‰ and from 2.4‰ to 4.7‰ for δ(13) C and δ(37) Cl, respectively. The dual isotope approach represented by a plot of δ(13) C vs. δ(37) Cl shows the municipal well samples grouped in a domain clearly separate from all other samples from the property with the comprehensive well network. The CSIA results collected under non-pumping and short-term pumping conditions thus indicate that this particular property, which has been studied intensively for several years, is not a substantial contributor of the TCE presently in the municipal well under non-pumping conditions. This case study demonstrates that CSIA signatures would have been useful much earlier in the quest to examine sources of the TCE in the municipal well if bedrock monitoring wells had been located at several depths beneath each of the potential TCE-contributing properties. Moreover, the CSIA results show that microbial reductive dechlorination of TCE occurs in some parts of the bedrock aquifer. At this site, the use of CSIA for C and Cl in combination with analyses of VOC and redox parameters proved to be important due to the complexity introduced by biodegradation in the complex fractured rock aquifer. It is highly recommended to revisit the study when the municipal well is back into full operation.     

Large-Scale Temperature Changes across the Southern Andes: 20th-Century Variations in the Context of the Past 400 Years

Long-term trends of temperature variations across the southern Andes (37–55° S) are examined using a combination of instrumental and tree-ring records. A critical appraisal of surface air temperature from station records is presented for southern South America during the 20th century. For the interval 1930–1990, three major patterns in temperature trends are identified. Stations along the Pacific coast between 37 and 43° S are characterized by negative trends in mean annual temperature with a marked cooling period from 1950 to the mid-1970s. A clear warming trend is observed in the southern stations (south of 46°S), which intensifies at higher latitudes. No temperature trends are detected for the stations on the Atlantic coast north of 45° S. In contrast to higher latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere where annual changes in temperature are dominated by winter trends, both positive and negative trends in southern South America are due to mostly changes in summer (December to February) temperatures. Changes in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) around 1976 are felt in summer temperatures at most stations in the Pacific domain, starting a period with increased temperature across the southern Andes and at higher latitudes.Tree-ring records from upper-treeline were used to reconstruct past temperature fluctuations for the two dominant patterns over the southern Andes. These reconstructions extend back to 1640 and are based on composite tree-ring chronologies that were processed to retain as much low-frequency variance as possible. The resulting reconstructions for the northern and southern sectors of the southern Andes explain 55% and 45% ofthe temperature variance over the interval 1930–1989, respectively. Cross-spectral analysis of actual and reconstructed temperatures over the common interval 1930–1989, indicates that most of the explained varianceis at periods >10 years in length. At periods >15 years, the squaredcoherency between actual and reconstructed temperatures ranges between 0.6 and 0.95 for both reconstructions. Consequently, these reconstructions are especially useful for studying multi-decennial temperature variations in the South American sector of the Southern Hemisphere over the past 360 years. As a result, it is possible to show that the temperatures during the 20thcentury have been anomalously warm across the southern Andes. The mean annual temperatures for the northern and southern sectors during the interval 1900–1990 are 0.53 °C and 0.86 °C above the1640–1899 means, respectively. These findings placed the current warming in a longer historical perspective, and add new support for the existence of unprecedented 20th century warming over much of the globe. The rate of temperature increase from 1850 to 1920 was the highest over the past 360 years, a common feature observed in several proxy records from higher latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere.Local temperature regimes are affected by changes in planetary circulation, with in turn are linked to global sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies. Therefore, we explored how temperature variations in the southern Andes since 1856 are related to large-scale SSTs on the South Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans. Spatial correlation patterns between the reconstructions and SSTs show that temperature variations in the northern sector of the southern Andes are strongly connected with SST anomalies in the tropical and subtropical Pacific. This spatial correlation pattern resembles the spatial signature of the PDO mode of SST variability over the South Pacific and is connected with the Pacific-South American (PSA) atmospheric pattern in the Southern Hemisphere. In contrast, temperature variations in the southern sector of the southern Andes are significantly correlated with SST anomalies over most of the South Atlantic, and in less degree, over the subtropical Pacific. This spatial correlation field regressed against SST resembles the `Global Warming' mode of SST variability, which in turn, is linked to the leading mode of circulation in the Southern Hemisphere. Certainly, part of the temperature signal present in the reconstructions can be expressed as a linear combination of four orthogonal modes of SST variability. Rotated empirical orthogonal function analysis, performed on SST across the South Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans, indicate that four discrete modes of SST variability explain a third, approximately, of total variance in temperature fluctuations across the southern Andes.