Effects of juniper removal and rainfall variation on tree transpiration in a semi‐arid karst: evidence of complex water storage dynamics

Brush removal is widely practiced as a tool for increasing groundwater recharge, but its efficacy depends greatly on the way in which the removed species interact with the hydrological system relative to the vegetation replacing it. We examined the effects of Ashe juniper removal in the recharge zone of the Edwards Aquifer, Texas, USA, a karst aquifer. The study was conducted in an Ashe juniper (Juniperus ashei)–live oak (Quercus fusiformis) woodland on a hill slope composed of rocky, shallow soils over fractured limestone bedrock. Ashe juniper is a native species that has been encroaching grasslands and savannas over the past century. In September 2008, a plot was cleared of 90% of its juniper trees. Tree transpiration, predawn water potentials and vegetation cover across the cleared plot and an adjacent reference site were measured from May 2009 to December 2011. Stand‐level tree transpiration from May 2009 to March 2010 was diminished by a severe summer drought in 2009, from which trees were slow to recover. Subsequently, tree transpiration was 5–10× higher in the woodland compared to the clearing. For all of 2011, also a drought year, tree transpiration in the woodland exceeded precipitation inputs, indicating a high capacity for water storage at the study site. However, site differences for oak trees were generally larger than for juniper trees. While juniper removal accounted for a 431 mm year^?1 difference in tree transpiration between sites, vegetation cover in the clearing increased from 42% to 90% over two years, suggesting that understory growth was increasingly compensating for the loss of juniper transpiration. We conclude that the removal of a relatively shallow‐rooted tree, when replaced with herbaceous vegetation and low shrubs, has little effect on deep recharge. By contrast, successive years of precipitation extremes may be more effective increasing recharge by lowering the water transport capacity of trees in the aftermath of severe drought. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Large-Eddy Atmosphere–Land-Surface Modelling over Heterogeneous Surfaces: Model Development and Comparison with Measurements

A model is developed for the large-eddy simulation (LES) of heterogeneous atmosphere and land-surface processes. This couples a LES model with a land-surface scheme. New developments are made to the land-surface scheme to ensure the adequate representation of atmosphere–land-surface transfers on the large-eddy scale. These include, (1) a multi-layer canopy scheme; (2) a method for flux estimates consistent with the large-eddy subgrid closure; and (3) an appropriate soil-layer configuration. The model is then applied to a heterogeneous region with 60-m horizontal resolution and the results are compared with ground-based and airborne measurements. The simulated sensible and latent heat fluxes are found to agree well with the eddy-correlation measurements. Good agreement is also found in the modelled and observed net radiation, ground heat flux, soil temperature and moisture. Based on the model results, we study the patterns of the sensible and latent heat fluxes, how such patterns come into existence, and how large eddies propagate and destroy land-surface signals in the atmosphere. Near the surface, the flux and land-use patterns are found to be closely correlated. In the lower boundary layer, small eddies bearing land-surface signals organize and develop into larger eddies, which carry the signals to considerably higher levels. As a result, the instantaneous flux patterns appear to be unrelated to the land-use patterns, but on average, the correlation between them is significant and persistent up to about 650 m. For a given land-surface type, the scatter of the fluxes amounts to several hundred W $\text{ m }^{-2}$ , due to (1) large-eddy randomness; (2) rapid large-eddy and surface feedback; and (3) local advection related to surface heterogeneity.     

High Resolution Simulation of the Variability of Surface Energy Balance Fluxes Across Central London with Urban Zones for Energy Partitioning

The parameterization of surface heat-flux variability in urban areas relies on adequate representation of surface characteristics. Given the horizontal resolutions (e.g. $\approx $ 0.1–1 km) currently used in numerical weather prediction (NWP) models, properties of the urban surface (e.g. vegetated/built surfaces, street-canyon geometries) often have large spatial variability. Here, a new approach based on Urban Zones to characterize Energy partitioning (UZE) is tested within a NWP model (Weather Research and Forecasting model; WRF v3.2.1) for Greater London. The urban land-surface scheme is the Noah/Single-Layer Urban Canopy Model (SLUCM). Detailed surface information (horizontal resolution 1 km) in central London shows that the UZE offers better characterization of surface properties and their variability compared to default WRF-SLUCM input parameters. In situ observations of the surface energy fluxes and near-surface meteorological variables are used to select the radiation and turbulence parameterization schemes and to evaluate the land-surface scheme and choice of surface parameters. For radiative fluxes, improved performance (e.g. $>$ 25 W m $^{-2}$ root-mean-square error reduction for the net radiation) is attained with UZE parameters compared to the WRF v3.2.1 default for all three methods from the simplest to the most detailed. The UZE-based spatial fluxes reproduce a priori expectations of greater energy storage and less evaporation in the dense city centre compared to the residential surroundings. Problems in Noah/SLUCM partitioning of energy between the daytime turbulent fluxes are identified with the overestimation of the turbulent sensible heat and underestimation of the turbulent latent heat fluxes.     

Igneous and shock processes affecting chassignite amphibole evaluated using chlorine/water partitioning and hydrogen isotopes

Amphibole in chassignite melt inclusions provides valuable information about the volatile content of the original interstitial magma, but also shock and postshock processes. We have analyzed amphibole and other phases from NWA 2737 melt inclusions, and we evaluate these data along with published values to constrain the crystallization Cl and H₂O content of phases in chassignite melt inclusions and the effects of shock on these amphibole grains. Using a model for the Cl/OH exchange between amphibole and melt, we estimate primary crystallization OH contents of chassignite amphiboles. SIMS analysis shows that amphibole from NWA 2737 currently has 0.15 wt% H₂O. It has lost ~0.6 wt% H₂O from an initial 0.7–0.8 wt% H₂O due to intense shock. Chassigny amphibole had on average 0.3–0.4 wt% H₂O and suffered little net loss of H₂O due to shock. NWA 2737 amphibole has δD ≈ +3700‰; it absorbed Martian atmosphere‐derived heavy H in the aftermath of shock. Chassigny amphibole, with δD ≤ +1900‰, incorporated less heavy H. Low H₂O/Cl ratios are inferred for the primitive chassignite magma, which had significant effects on melting and crystallization. Volatiles released by the degassing of Martian magma were more Cl‐rich than on Earth, resulting in the high Cl content of Martian surface materials.     

Clay mineralogy of a red clay–loess sequence from Lingtai, the Chinese Loess Plateau

The Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) comprises an extensive record of eolian deposition that contains important information about climate change. The objective of this study is to investigate if mineralogy can provide more insight into the long-term evolution of the East Asian monsoon. Comparisons between mineralogy and other paleoclimatic records (grain size and magnetic susceptibility) from the CLP have been made to evaluate the efficacy of mineralogy as a paleoclimatic tool.Here we present data from a mineralogical study of a red clay–loess sequence at Lingtai, central Chinese Loess Plateau. Changes related to source area(s), transport processes and weathering regime over time are recorded in mineral variation.Higher average concentrations of kaolinite, chlorite and quartz in the red clay, together with abrupt changes in relative mineral abundances across the red clay–loess boundary suggest a change of source area at 2.6 Ma. From 2.6 Ma to about 1.7 Ma the summer monsoon influence increases, destroying chlorite and contributing fine illite particles to the sediment. At around 1.7 Ma the mineralogy becomes relatively constant, suggesting that the monsoon was fairly stable during this period. At 0.7–0.5 Ma an increase of both summer monsoon and winter monsoon activity is inferred from illite, kaolinite, chlorite and plagioclase concentrations. Over the last 0.5 Ma mineralogy suggests an aridification of source area(s) as chlorite and plagioclase concentrations increase where illite concentration decreases. The last major change occurred around 0.07 Ma and indicates reducing summer monsoon influence as chlorite and quartz concentrations increase and illite concentration, as well as the < 2 μm size fraction, decreases. The mineralogical trends and differences between loess and paleosols units suggest different source areas in the last 0.5 Ma.     

MSFC Stream Model Preliminary Results: Modeling Recent Leonid and Perseid Encounters

The cometary meteoroid ejection model of Jones and Brown [Physics, Chemistry, and Dynamics of Interplanetary Dust, ASP Conference Series 104 (1996b) 137] was used to simulate ejection from comets 55P/Tempel-Tuttle during the last 12 revolutions, and the last 9 apparitions of 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Using cometary ephemerides generated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL) HORIZONS Solar System Data and Ephemeris Computation Service, two independent ejection schemes were simulated. In the first case, ejection was simulated in 1 h time steps along the comet’s orbit while it was within 2.5 AU of the Sun. In the second case, ejection was simulated to occur at the hour the comet reached perihelion. A 4th order variable step-size Runge–Kutta integrator was then used to integrate meteoroid position and velocity forward in time, accounting for the effects of radiation pressure, Poynting–Robertson drag, and the gravitational forces of the planets, which were computed using JPL’s DE406 planetary ephemerides. An impact parameter (IP) was computed for each particle approaching the Earth to create a flux profile, and the results compared to observations of the 1998 and 1999 Leonid showers, and the 1993 and 2004 Perseids.     

Clues to starburst evolution: The tale of dense gas

The dense gas tracers HNC and CN prove to be detectable in sensitive single dish studies of infrared luminous starburst galaxies. Their line intensity with respect to both the standard tracer of molecular gas, CO, and the dense, starforming component, HCN, varies significantly. This opens a new, extinction-free window into the investigation of the properties and the evolutionary stage of starbursts. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The most acidified Austrian lake in comparison to a neutralized mining lake

This study investigated two mining lakes located in the north of Lower Austria. These lakes arose 45 years ago when open cast lignite mining ceased. The lakes are separated by a 7-m wide dam. Due to the oxidation of pyrite, both lakes have been acidified and exhibit iron, sulphate, and heavy metal concentrations several orders of magnitude higher than in circumneutral lakes. The water column of both lakes is divided into two layers by a pronounced chemocline. The smaller mining lake (AML), with pH close to of 2.6, is the most acidic lake in Austria, whereas flooding with stream water and by drainage from the surrounding fields neutralized the adjacent larger pit lake. The goal of our study was to investigate the effect of flooding on its physical, chemical and biological properties, in comparison to the pristine AML. Even relative to other extremely acidic lakes, the flora and fauna in the AML was reduced and composed of only two flagellate, one ciliate, and one rotifer species. The simplified pelagic food web in the mixolimnion consisted of heterotrophic bacteria, the mixotrophic flagellates Chlamydomonas acidophila and Ochromonas sp., the ciliate Oxytricha sp., and the rotifer Cephalodella sp. The latter two are as yet undescribed new species. The heliozoan Actinophrys sp. that may act as top predator occurred only in low abundance. The euglenid Lepocinclis buetschlii formed a stable deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM) at 7 m depth. Highest cell numbers of L. buetschlii in the DCM exceeded 10⁸ L^?1. The neutralized mining lake harboured higher plankton diversity similar to that of natural circumneutral lakes. A peak of at least 16 different phytoplankton taxa was observed during summer. The zooplankton consisted of several copepod species, daphnids and other cladocerans, and at least six different rotifer species. Several fish species occurred in the neutralized lake. Although the effect of non-permanent flooding was largely sustainable, interannual fluctuations of the pH affected the plankton community and reduced its species diversity.     

Numerical modeling and inverse parameter estimation of the large-scale mass movement Gradenbach in Carinthia (Austria)

This paper deals with the inverse problem of using time-displacement monitoring data to determine the material parameters of a numerical model of a large-scale mass movement. A finite element model for simulating the mechanical behavior is presented for the Gradenbach landslide in Carinthia, Austria. Particular attention is paid to the calibration of the constitutive relationships, which represent a prerequisite for a realistic quantitative analysis. After a short introduction to the concept of model-parameter identification, this paper demonstrates how to apply the proposed model identification strategy to determine model parameters for the Gradenbach example. The impact of the amount of reference data available for the inverse model-parameter analysis is evaluated by means of artificial reference data. Subsequently, the numerical model is calibrated using field measurement data. The results obtained are presented, and the benefits and drawbacks of the proposed concept are evaluated.