The structure of freshwater humic substances as revealed by 13C-NMR spectroscopy

Freshwater humic substances from Lake Celyn, Gwynedd, N. Wales have been investigated by ¹³C-NMR spectroscopy. Carboxyl, aromatic, o-alkyl and alkyl resonances can be recognised. Varying pulse delay from 0.43 s to 2.5 sec has little effect on the magnitude of the signal ascribed to aromatic carbon, but there is a small nuclear Overhauser effect (1.45 at a pulse delay of 0.8 sec).The results show-that 24% of the Lake Celyn humic acid carbon is carboxyl and 40% is aromatic. The high proportion of aromatic carbon suggests the Lake Celyn humic acid is largely formed from terrestrial humic substances from the surrounding peaty watershed.     

华北北部古生代大陆地壳增生过程中的岩浆作用与成矿效应

包括前寒武纪克拉通与显生宙造山带两大构造单元的华北北部,古生代时期板块构造体制下古亚洲洋的裂解-扩展-消亡与汇聚大陆边缘的俯冲-碰撞-伸展循环构成了其大陆地壳增生与再造演化的基本图景,并形成了一系列记录这些因果演变连续过程的岩浆侵入与喷发事件。这些物质记录无疑是研究汇聚大陆边缘壳-幔作用和物质交换、大陆地壳演化与大规模成矿作用耦合关系的绝佳窗口。本文在系统总结最近几年积累的年代学和岩石地球化学资料的基础上,以一些带有特定过程印记的标志性岩浆事件为纲领,表征这些古生代岩浆作用形成过程中的地球动力学演变,揭示其所记录的华北北部大陆地壳的多阶段增生与再造演化机制,并初步探讨了有利地球动力学过程制约下的岩浆行为引起的成矿物质聚集效应。     

Large‐scale regional delineation of riparian vegetation in the arid and semi‐arid Pilbara region,WA

Multiscene Landsat 5 TM imagery, Principal Component Analysis, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index were used to produce the first region‐scale map of riparian vegetation for the Pilbara (230,000 km²), Western Australia. Riparian vegetation is an environmentally important habitat in the arid and desert climate of the Pilbara. These habitats are supported by infrequent flow events and in some locations by groundwater discharge. Our analysis suggests that riparian vegetation covers less than 4% of the Pilbara region, whereas almost 10.5% of this area is composed of groundwater dependent vegetation (GDV). GDV is often associated with open water (river pools), providing refugia for a variety of species. GDV has an extremely high ecological value and are often important Indigenous sites. This paper demonstrates how Landsat data calibrated to Top of Atmosphere reflectance can be used to delineate riparian vegetation across 16 Landsat scenes and two Universal Transverse Mercator spatial zones. The proposed method is able to delineate riparian vegetation and GDV, without the need for Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function correction. Results were validated using ground truth data from local and regional scale vegetation surveys.     

Hydrologic functioning of the deep critical zone and contributions to streamflow in a high‐elevation catchment: Testing of multiple conceptual models

High‐elevation mountain catchments are often subject to large climatic and topographic gradients. Therefore, high‐density hydrogeochemical observations are needed to understand water sources to streamflow and the temporal and spatial behaviour of flow paths. These sources and flow paths vary seasonally, which dictates short‐term storage and the flux of water in the critical zone (CZ) and affect long‐term CZ evolution. This study utilizes multiyear observations of chemical compositions and water residence times from the Santa Catalina Mountains Critical Zone Observatory, Tucson, Arizona to develop and evaluate competing conceptual models of seasonal streamflow generation. These models were tested using endmember mixing analysis, baseflow recession analysis, and tritium model “ages” of various catchment water sources. A conceptual model involving four endmembers (precipitation, soil water, shallow, and deep groundwater) provided the best match to observations. On average, precipitation contributes 39–69% (55 ± 16%), soil water contributes 25–56% (41 ± 16%), shallow groundwater contributes 1–5% (3 ± 2%), and deep groundwater contributes ~0–3% (1 ± 1%) towards annual streamflow. The mixing space comprised two principal planes formed by (a) precipitation‐soil water‐deep groundwater (dry and summer monsoon season samples) and (b) precipitation‐soil water‐shallow groundwater (winter season samples). Groundwater contribution was most important during the wet winter season. During periods of high dynamic groundwater storage and increased hydrologic connectivity (i.e., spring snowmelt), stream water was more geochemically heterogeneous, that is, geochemical heterogeneity of stream water is storage‐dependent. Endmember mixing analysis and ³H model age results indicate that only 1.4 ± 0.3% of the long‐term annual precipitation becomes deep CZ groundwater flux that influences long‐term deep CZ development through both intercatchment and intracatchment deep groundwater flows.     

High-Resolution Climate Simulations of Oxygen Isotope Stage 3 in Europe

Oxygen isotope stage 3 (OIS 3) climate and its variations are the focus of the Stage 3 Project. The objective of the OIS 3 modeling effort is twofold: (1) to explore the importance of different boundary conditions on the climate of Europe and (2) to develop climate simulations that best reproduce the wealth of OIS 3 observations. Given the complexity of the topography and coastlines, the modeling effort is based on a “nested” General Circulation Model (GCM) and mesoscale model (RegCM2) with climate simulations for Europe on a 60-km grid spacing. The key conclusions are as follows: (1) The mesoscale model, driven by GCM output, does a reasonable job of reproducing the modern European climate. (2) OIS 3 variations in orbit, CO₂, and ice-sheet size are of little significance in explaining the observed climate variability. (3) The model results focus attention on North Atlantic sea-surface temperatures (SST) as a major factor in explaining OIS 3 climates. (4) Experiments for different SST values capture a number of systematic changes in sea-level pressure and precipitation. (5) Climate models simulate substantial European cooling and significant changes in precipitation, but they do not explain large differences between OIS 3 warm and cold episodes.     

Continental drift and the global pattern of sedimentation

The breakup of Pangaea through rifting and separation of the continents has special implications for the global pattern of sedimentation. The important initial conditions of Pangaea are area, elevation, the nature of the drainage and climate. The development of interior uplifts associated with rifting caused significant reorganization of drainage systems. Rifting and continental breakup result in unique sediment sequences on passive margins.The initial rift valleys were probably occupied by stratified fresh water lakes due to the equable Mesozoic climate, and during this phase might have accumulated about 7.5×10²¹ g of organic carbon; this would be 14% of the earth's total organic carbon concentrated on only 0.3% of the earth's surface. The sediments rich in organic carbon are expected to be typically overlain by evaporites.Sedimentation on the continental shelf is a complex interplay of thermal subsidence, sea level changes, sediment supply and isostatic adjustment.Beyond the shelf break, sedimentation rates in the world ocean appear to change significantly with time; during the Aptian-Albian, Campanian-Maastrichtian, Middle Eocene and Late Miocene-Quaternary overall sedimentation rates were about an order of magnitude higher than during the intervening periods. This variation is likely to be related to changing sediment supply responding to changes in sea level.

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Zusammenfassung Das Aufbrechen Pangaeas durch Spaltung und Separation der Kontinente hat spezielle Auswirkungen auf die globale Sedimentationsverteilung. Die bedeutenden Anfangsbedingungen Pangaeas sind Größe, Höhe, Abfluß- und Klimasituation. Die Entwicklung innerer Aufwölbungen, zusammen mit Spaltenbildung, hat eine entscheidende Reorganisation der Abflußsysteme bewirkt. Spaltung und Aufbrechen des Kontinents resultieren in einer einzigartigen Sedimentationsfolge an den passiven Rändern.Die anfänglichen Spaltungstäler waren wahrscheinlich von geschichteten Süßwasserseen eingenommen, hervorgerufen vom ausgeglichenen mesozoischen Klima. Während dieser Zeit können sich dort etwa 7,5 · 10²¹ g organischer Kohlenstoffe angesammelt haben, d. h. 14 % der weltweiten organischen Kohlenstoffe auf nur 0,3 % der Erdoberfläche. Die kohlenstoffreichen Sedimente sind typischerweise von Evaporiten überlagert.Sedimentation auf dem kontinentalen Schelf ist ein komplexes Zusammenspiel von Temperatursenkung, Wasserspiegelschwankungen, Sedimentsangebot und isostatischem Gleichgewicht.Jenseits des Schelfabhanges scheinen die Sedimentationsraten im Weltmeer signifikant mit der Zeit zu schwanken. Während des Aptiums-Albs, des Campaniums-Maastrichts, des Mittleren Eozäns und des Späten Miozän-Quartärs lagen die gesamten Sedimentationsraten um eine Größenordnung höher als in den dazwischenliegenden Zeiträumen. Diese Variation hängt wahrscheinlich mit einem geänderten Sedimentsangebot zusammen, das von Wasserspiegelschwankungen hervorgerufen wird.

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Résumé La dislocation de la Pangée, par fracturation (rifting) et séparation des continents, entraîne des implications particulières en ce qui concerne les modèles de sédimentation à l'échelle du globe. Les conditions initiales importantes de la Pangée sont la surface, l'altitude, la nature du drainage et le climat. Le développement de soulèvements intérieurs en association avec les processus de fracturation (rifting) fut la cause d'une importante réorganisation du système de drainage. Sur les marges continentales passives, des séquences sédimentaires uniqes résultent de ces processus de caussure (rifting), et de dislocation.Les vallées médianes (rifts) initiales ont été probablement occupées par des lacs à eaux douces stratifiées, dues au climat égal du Mésozoique, et ont pu durant cette période accumuler environ 7.5×20²¹ g. de carbone organique; cette quantité serait l'équivalent de 14% du carbone organique total du globe, concentrés sur 0.3% de sa surface. Les sédiments riches en carbone organique sont supposés être typiquement recouverts par des dépôts évaporitiques.La sédimentation sur le plateau continental se trouve en interaction complexe avec la subsidence thermique, les fluctuations du niveau des océans, les apports en sédiments et les ajustements isostatiques.Au delà de la limite externe du plateau continental, les taux de sédimentation dans les océans semblent varier de manière importante dans le temps; durant l'Aptien-Albien, le Campanien-Maastrichtien, L'Eocène moyen et le Miocène supérieur-Quaternaire, les taux d'ensemble de sédimentation ont été environ d'un ordre de grandeur plus élevé que durant les périodes intermédiaires. Cette variation est vraisemblablement liée aux changements des apports en sédiments, en réponse aux fluctuations du niveau océanique.

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The use of coexisting calcite-ankerite solid solutions as a geothermometer

Limited solid solution of Mg and Fe²⁺ occurs in calcite coexisting with dolomiteankerite. This substitution is strongly temperature-dependent. Experimentally determined calcite compositions co-existing with a dolomite phase are available in the binary system CaCO₃-MgCO₃ between 500° C and 900° C (Harker and Tuttle, 1955). This information is extrapolated to lower temperatures and is combined with three synthetic calcite-ankerite pairs determined at 400° C, 450° C and 500° C (Rosenberg, 1967).The compositions of six naturally occurring calcites coexisting with ankerites from Sofala, N.S.W. are not accurately known, but X-ray determined compositional limits assuming firstly Mg substitution then Fe substitution yield maximum and minimum values for both possibilities. These limits are plotted on the ternary CaCO₃-MgCO₃-FeCO₃ together with the experimentally derived solvus isotherms. Assuming equilibration at constant temperature, actual compositions of these natural calcites plot along the 415° C isotherm.     

Assessing impacts of agricultural water interventions in the Kothapally watershed,Southern India

The paper describes a hydrological model for agricultural water intervention in a community watershed at Kothapally in India, developed through integrated management and a consortium approach. The impacts of various soil and water management interventions in the watershed are compared to no‐intervention during a 30‐year simulation period by application of the calibrated and validated ARCSWAT 2005 (Version 2.1.4a) modelling tool. Kothapally receives, on average, 800 mm rainfall in the monsoon period. 72% of total rainfall is converted as evaporation and transpiration (ET), 20% is stored by groundwater aquifer, and 8% exported as outflow from the watershed boundary in current water interventions. ET, groundwater recharge and outflow under no‐intervention conditions are found to be 64, 9, and 19%, respectively. Check dams helped in storing water for groundwater recharge, which can be used for irrigation, as well minimising soil loss. In situ water management practices improved the infiltration capacity and water holding capacity of the soil, which resulted in increased water availability by 10–30% and better crop yields compared to no‐intervention. Water outflows from the developed watershed were more than halved compared to no‐intervention, indicating potentially large negative downstream impacts if these systems were to be implemented on a larger scale. On the other hand, in the watershed development program, sediment loads to the streams were less than one‐tenth. It can be concluded that the hydrological impacts of large‐scale implementation of agricultural water interventions are significant. They result in improved rain‐fed agriculture and improved productivity and livelihood of farmers in upland areas while also addressing the issues of poverty, equity, and gender in watersheds. There is a need for case‐specific studies of such hydrological impacts along with other impacts in terms of equity, gender, sustainability, and development at the mesoscale. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mapping groundwater‐dependent ecosystems using remote sensing measures of vegetation and moisture dynamics

Protection of groundwater‐dependent ecosystems (GDEs) is an important criterion in sustainable groundwater management, particularly when human water consumption is in competition with environmental water demands; however, the delineation of GDEs is commonly a challenging task. The Groundwater‐dependent Ecosystem Mapping (GEM) method proposed here is based on interpretation of the land surface response to the drying process derived from combined changes in two multispectral indices, the Normalised Difference Vegetation Index and the Normalised Difference Wetness Index, both derived from Landsat imagery. The GEM method predicts three land cover classes used for delineation of potential GDEs: vegetation with permanent access to groundwater; vegetation with diminishing access to groundwater; and water bodies that can persist through a prolonged dry period. The method was applied to a study site in the Ellen Brook region of Western Australia, where a number of GDEs associated with localised groundwater, diffuse discharge zones, and riparian vegetation were known. The estimated accuracy of the method indicated a good agreement between the predicted and known GDEs; Producer's accuracy was calculated as up to 91% for some areas. The method is most applicable for mapping GDEs in regions with a distinct drying period. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.