Long-term snow and weather observations at Weissfluhjoch and its relation to other high-altitude observatories in the Alps

Snow and weather observations at Weissfluhjoch were initiated in 1936, when a research team set a snow stake and started digging snow pits on a plateau located at 2,540?m asl above Davos, Switzerland. This was the beginning of what is now the longest series of daily snow depth, new snow height and bi-monthly snow water equivalent measurements from a high-altitude research station. Our investigations reveal that the snow depth at Weissfluhjoch with regard to the evolution and inter-annual variability represents a good proxy for the entire Swiss Alps. In order to set the snow and weather observations from Weissfluhjoch in a broader context, this paper also shows some comparisons with measurements from five other high-altitude observatories in the European Alps. The results show a surprisingly uniform warming of 0.8°C during the last three decades at the six investigated mountain stations. The long-term snow measurements reveal no change in mid-winter, but decreasing trends (especially since the 1980s) for the solid precipitation ratio, snow fall, snow water equivalent and snow depth during the melt season due to a strong temperature increase of 2.5°C in the spring and summer months of the last three decades.     

Simulated decadal oscillations of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation in a cold climate state

The significance of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) for regional and hemispheric climate change requires a complete understanding using fully coupled climate models. Here we present a persistent, decadal oscillation in a coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation model. While the present study is limited by the lack of comparisons with paleo-proxy records, the purpose is to reveal a new theoretically interesting solution found in the fully-coupled climate model. The model exhibits two multi-century-long stable states with one dominated by decadal MOC oscillations. The oscillations involve an interaction between anomalous advective transport of salt and surface density in the North Atlantic subpolar gyre. Their time scale is fundamentally determined by the advection. In addition, there is a link between the MOC oscillations and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO)-like sea level pressure anomalies. The analysis suggests an interaction between the NAO and an anomalous subpolar gyre circulation in which sea ice near and south of the Labrador Sea plays an important role in generating a large local thermal anomaly and a meridional temperature gradient. The latter induces a positive feedback via synoptic eddy activity in the atmosphere. In addition, the oscillation only appears when the Nordic Sea is completely covered by sea ice in winter, and deep convection is active only near the Irminger Sea. Such conditions are provided by a substantially colder North Atlantic climate than today.     

Moisture sorption behaviour of salt mixtures in porous stone

Moisture in stone material is the key factor for all stone deterioration processes and also in weathering of cultural heritage. With additional presence of salts in the material the situation gets even more critical. While the properties of pure salts with moisture are well known, knowledge about the interaction of salt mixtures with moisture is still poor. In different approaches the reactions of salt-contaminated stone material on changing moisture were tested in the laboratory. Experiments with different solutions in the Na-Mg-SO₄-NO₃-H₂O system revealed interesting new results on the moisture behaviour of salt-contaminated samples. Theoretical considerations and computer simulations are helpful to interpret the data obtained, but are not yet sufficient to explain the real processes acting on site at the monuments. More encouraging to this fact are complementary studies on visible efflorescences in the same salt system. It is shown how by experimental approaches the understanding on salt-induced stone deterioration is strongly complemented.     

Landscape variations in stream water SO4 and δSSO4 in a boreal stream network

Despite reduced anthropogenic deposition during the last decades, deposition sulphate may still play an important role in the biogeochemical cycles of S and many catchments may act as net sources of S that may remain for several decades. The aim of this study is to elucidate the temporal and spatial dynamics of both SO₄²⁻ and δ³⁴S_SO4 in stream water from catchments with varying percentage of wetland and forest coverage and to determine their relative importance for catchment losses of S. Stream water samples were collected from 15 subcatchments ranging in size from 3 to 6780 ha, in a boreal stream network, northern Sweden. In forested catchments (<2% wetland cover) S-SO₄²⁻ concentrations in stream water averaged 1.7 mg L⁻¹ whereas in wetland dominated catchments (>30% wetland cover) the concentrations averaged 0.3 mg L⁻¹. A significant negative relationship was observed between S-SO₄²⁻ and percentage wetland coverage (r² = 0.77, p < 0.001) and the annual export of stream water SO₄²⁻ and wetland coverage (r² = 0.76, p < 0.001). The percentage forest coverage was on the other hand positively related to stream water SO₄²⁻ concentrations and the annual export of stream water SO₄²⁻ (r² = 0.77 and r² = 0.79, respectively). The annual average δ³⁴S_SO4 value in wetland dominated streams was +7.6‰ and in streams of forested catchments +6.7‰. At spring flood the δ³⁴S_SO4 values decreased in all streams by 1‰ to 5‰. The δ³⁴S_SO4 values in all streams were higher than the δ³⁴S_SO4 value of +4.7‰ in precipitation (snow). The export of S ranged from 0.5 kg S ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (wetland headwater stream) to 3.8 kg S ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (forested headwater stream). With an average S deposition in open field of 1.3 kg S ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ (2002-2006) the mass balance results in a net export of S from all catchments, except in catchments with >30% wetland. The high temporal and spatial resolution of this study demonstrates that the reducing environments of wetlands play a key role for the biogeochemistry of S in boreal landscapes and are net sinks of S. Forested areas, on the other hand were net sources of S.     

Objectives of fisheries management: case studies from the UK, France, Spain and Denmark

The main objectives of fisheries management are generally similar throughout the world. These are often stated in policy documents such as the Common Fisheries Policy and the Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. However, at the local level often the key objectives of management are more detailed, characterised by both the overriding management structure and the status and type of fishery concerned. In this paper, we consider case study fisheries from the UK, France, Spain and Denmark to compare some of the various types of fisheries and fisheries management systems that exist in the European Union. From this, we define the key objectives for each management system.     

High spatial-resolution monitoring to investigate nitrate export and its drivers in a mesoscale river catchment along an anthropogenic land-cover gradient

Nitrate monitoring is commonly conducted with low-spatial resolution, only at the outlet or at a small number of selected locations. As a result, the information about spatial variations in nitrate export and its drivers is scarce. In this study, we present results of high-spatial resolution monitoring conducted between 2012 and 2017 in 65 sub-catchments in an Alpine mesoscale river catchment characterized by a land-use gradient. We combined stable isotope techniques with Bayesian mixing models and geostatistical methods to investigate nitrate export and its main drivers, namely, microbial N turnover processes, land use and hydrological conditions. In the investigated sub-catchments, mean values of NO₃⁻ concentrations and its isotope signatures (δ¹⁵N_NO3 and δ¹⁸O_NO3) varied from 2.6 to 26.7 mg L⁻¹, from −1.3‰ to 13.1‰, and from −0.4‰ to 10.1‰, respectively. In this study, land use was an important driver for nitrate export. Very strong and strong positive correlations were found between percentages of agricultural land cover and δ¹⁵N_NO3, and NO₃⁻ concentration, respectively. Mean proportional contributions of NO₃⁻ sources varied spatially and seasonally, and followed land-use patterns. The mean contribution of manure and sewage was much higher in the catchments characterized by a high percentage of agricultural and urban land cover comparing to forested sub-catchments. Specific NO₃⁻ loads were strongly correlated with specific discharge and moderately correlated with NO₃⁻ concentrations. The nitrate isotope and concentration analysis results suggest that nitrate from external sources is stored and accumulated in soil storage pools. Nitrification of reduced nitrogen species in those pools plays the most important role for the N-dynamics in the Erlauf river catchment. Consequently, nitrification of reduced N sources was the main nitrate source except for a number of sub-catchments dominated by agricultural land use. In the Erlauf catchment, denitrification plays only a minor role in controlling NO₃⁻ export on a regional scale.