Biomonitoring of Element Deposition Using Mosses in the 2000 French Survey: Identifying Sources and Spatial Trends

In the year 2000, the elemental composition of mosses collected from 528 French sites has been studied as part of the 2000 European Moss Survey. Five moss species were collected: Scleropodium purum (56%), Pleurozium schreberi (18%), Hypnum cupressiforme (18%), Thuidium tamariscinum (4.5%.) and Hylocomium splendens (3.5%). Mosses were kept whole for analysis, including green and brownish parts. Summary statistics on element concentrations (Al, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Sr, V and Zn), and comparisons made with data from the other 27 participating European countries are shown here. The sources of these elements are identified using calculations of enrichment factors (EF) and principal component analysis (PCA). Finally, the spatial distribution in France of 10 elements is also shown, using maps underscoring areas showing highest concentration levels for each metal.     

Vertical earthquake response of megawatt‐sized wind turbine with soil‐structure interaction effects

The dynamic response of a wind turbine on monopile is studied under horizontal and vertical earthquake excitations. The analyses are carried out using the finite element program SAP2000. The finite element model of the structure is verified against the results of shake table tests, and the earthquake response of the soil model is verified against analytical solutions of the steady‐state response of homogeneous strata. The focus of the analyses in this paper is the vertical earthquake response of wind turbines including the soil‐structure interaction effects. The analyses are carried out for both a non‐homogeneous stratum and a deep soil using the three‐step method. In addition, a procedure is implemented which allows one to perform coupled soil‐structure interaction analyses by properly tuning the damping in the tower structure. The analyses show amplification of the ground surface acceleration to the top of the tower by a factor of two. These accelerations are capable of causing damage in the turbine and the tower structure, or malfunctioning of the turbine after the earthquake; therefore, vertical earthquake excitation is considered a potential critical loading in design of wind turbines even in low‐to‐moderate seismic areas. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Source,transport and deposition of atmospheric phosphorus over the Northwestern Mediterranean

Atmospheric concentrations and total deposition (wet+dry) of phosphorus were measured over the northwestern Mediterranean between april 1985 and march 1988. A seasonal cycle of both atmospheric concentrations and total deposition is observed, the higher values being recorded during the dry season. Air-mass trajectory analyses allow an identification of the major sources of atmospheric phosphorus: soil-derived dust from desert areas of north Africa and anthropogenic emissions from european countries. The impact of the atmospheric input as a source of phosphorus for surface Mediterrancan waters is tentatively assessed on both annual and seasonal time scales. The results suggest that the atmospheric input of phosphorus could be significant to Mediterranean oligotrophic zones, especially during summer when phosphorus input from deeper waters into the photic layer is minimum.     

Origins of atmospheric particulate matter over the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean

During the ANT VII/1 cruise of the RV Polarstern from Bremerhaven (Germany) to Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), atmospheric particulate matter was collected by bulk filtration with a time step of 36 hours. Elemental analyses were performed in order to determine atmospheric aerosol concentrations of Al, Si, P, S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, and Zn over the North Sea, the Channel, and the North and South Atlantic. The slight and continuous moving in latitude, associated with the large variability in concentration levels and chemical composition, allow us to point out the relative influence of the major sources of particulate matter: desert soil-dust in the tropical North Atlantic, anthropogenic emissions in the North Sea and the Channel, and biomass burning and continental biogenic activity in the tropical South Atlantic.     

Groundwater level trends and recharge event characterization using historical observed data in semi-arid Chile

ABSTRACT

Groundwater is an important resource in semi-arid Chile to meet local social, economic and environmental water demands. Historical ground water level (GWL) data (1986–2014) in the Coquimbo Region were analysed to characterize short and long-term alluvial aquifer dynamics. Long-term trends were assessed using a seasonal Mann-Kendall trend test, which indicated that more than 80% of the time series exhibit a negative trend. Short-term analysis using cross-correlation provided information on recharge origin and its spatial pattern. Runoff and GWL are highly correlated depending on elevation, signifying that stream to aquifer flow is an important recharge process at higher altitudes. Long-term recharge behaviour was characterized using time-frequency wavelet power spectra. The results show significant amplitude of the 5-year recharge period for GWL, which is driven by a 5-year El Niño index periodicity. Such results provide key information of the spatiotemporal functioning of aquifers.     

The missing Myopus: plugging the gaps in Late Pleistocene small mammal identification in western Europe with geometric morphometrics

Lemmus and Myopus are two lemming species with distinct habitat requirements but which show very similar dental morphologies. They are thus extremely difficult to distinguish from one another in the fossil record on the basis of their dental remains, leading to poor understanding of the palaeobiogeographical evolution of Myopus as well as inaccurate palaeoenvrionmental reconstructions. Currently, the presence of Myopus in the fossil register from the Pleistocene is still debated and no firm occurrence of this lemming in western Europe has yet been confirmed for the Late Pleistocene. In this paper, we used geometric morphometrics on modern material to establish morphological differences between Lemmus and Myopus teeth (first lower and third upper molars). Morphological data were then used to build a robust linear discriminant model able to confidently classify isolated teeth of these two genera, and finally, linear discriminant models were used on fossil remains of Lemmus/Myopus from two Late Pleistocene archaeological/palaeontological sites (Grotte des Gorges and Gully Cave). This study demonstrates, for the first time, the presence of Myopus schisticolor in west European Late Pleistocene sites between the end of Marine Isotope Stage 3 and the beginning of the Holocene, during climatic events that favoured the development of taiga forest of birch and pine in these regions.     

SLRS‐5 Elemental Concentrations of Thirty‐Three Uncertified Elements Deduced from SLRS‐5/SLRS‐4 Ratios

The fifth version of natural river water certified reference material, SLRS‐5 (National Research Council – Conseil National de Recherches Canada), is commonly used to control the quality of major and trace element measurements. Concentrations of silicon and thirty‐one uncertified trace elements have been reported for the certified reference material SLRS‐4, but they are not yet available for SLRS‐5. Here, SLRS‐5/SLRS‐4 ratios were deduced from SLRS‐5 and SLRS‐4 measurements by inductively coupled plasma‐atomic emission spectrometry and high‐resolution inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry for certified elements and thirty‐five uncertified elements (rare earth elements, B, Bi, Br, Cs, Ga, Ge, Hf, Li, Nb, P, Pd, Rb, Rh, S, Sc, Si, Sn, Th, Ti, Tl, Y). Both reference materials were measured directly one after the other, so that calculated elemental ratios would not be notably influenced either by calibration uncertainties or by eventual long‐term instrumental drift. The computed ratios are in good agreement with those deduced from the certified values. We also report concentrations for thirty‐three uncertified elements in SLRS‐5 by combining the measured SLRS‐5/SLRS‐4 ratios and the published SLRS‐4 values. The resulting new data set provides target SLRS‐5 values, which will be useful in quality control procedures.