Assessment of the hydrological status of Doñana dune ponds: a natural World Heritage Site under threat

ABSTRACT

The hydrological response of shallow ponds to groundwater withdrawal has been of growing concern in the Doñana National Park (southern Spain) in recent decades. This study examines the role of groundwater in maintaining the hydroperiod (i.e. the hydrological regime) in the park’s main dune ponds, by quantifying the groundwater fluxes to/from them. The hydrological characterization was performed by applying different methodologies. Daily hydrological balances registered in the ponds revealed groundwater contributions ranging from 80% of the total water inflows (i.e. groundwater discharge) to a net groundwater recharge from the ponds to the aquifer, and enabled the studied water bodies to be classified as discharge or recharge systems. The recharge systems must have been influenced by the lowering of piezometric levels due to groundwater extraction for urban supply in a nearby coastal resort.     

Efficiency of Pleurotus florida Laccase on Decolorization and Detoxification of the Reactive Dye Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) under Optimized Conditions

Laccase from the white‐rot fungus Pleurotus florida, produced under solid‐state fermentation conditions, was used for the decolorization of reactive dye Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR). RBBR was decolorized up to 46% by P. florida laccase alone in 10 min. In the presence of N‐hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT), the rate of decolorization was enhanced 1.56‐fold. Central composite design of response surface methodology with four variables namely, dye, enzyme, redox mediator concentrations, and time at five levels was applied to optimize the RBBR decolorization. The predicted optimum level of variables for maximum RBBR decolorization (87%) was found to be 52.90 mg L^?1 (RBBR), 1.87 U mL^?1 (laccase), 0.85 mM (HBT), and 7.17 min (time), respectively. The validation results showed that the experimental value of RBBR decolorization (82%) was close to the predicted one. The disappearance of C–N and C–X groups, and a small shift in N–H groups in Fourier‐transform infra red (FTIR) spectroscopy confirms the degradation of RBBR chromophore by laccase enzyme. The phytotoxicity of RBBR was considerably reduced after the treatment with laccase. RBBR decolorization kinetics; K_m and V_max were calculated to be 145.82 mg L^?1 and 24.86 mg L^?1 min, respectively.     

Fluid-driven low-grade metamorphism in polydeformed rocks of Avalonia (Arisaig Group, Nova Scotia, Canada)

The Lower Silurian??Lower Devonian Arisaig Group (Antigonish Highlands) in the Canadian Appalachians is a sequence of shallow marine strata deposited after the accretion of Avalonia to Baltica during the closure of the Iapetus Ocean. Deformation of the strata is widely attributed to the Devonian Acadian orogeny and produced shallowly plunging regional folds and a cleavage of varying penetrativity. Phyllosilicate minerals from the finest-grained rocks exhibit very low-grade (diagenetic-anchizone) metamorphic conditions. X-ray diffraction study reveals that the sampled rocks contain quartz, K-white mica, chlorite, and feldspars; illite?Csmectite and chlorite?Csmectite mixed-layers are common but Na?CK mica and kaolinite occur only in some samples. The identification of illite?Csmectite mixed-layers in diagenetic samples, with Kübler Index >0.50 ??°2?? and the highly heterogeneous b-cell dimension of the K-white micas are in agreement with the variable chemical composition of dioctahedral micas, which present low illitic substitution and variable phengitic content. The spatial variation in the above crystal-chemical parameters was plotted along a NW?CSE composite cross section across the regional folds. No correlation was found between the metamorphic conditions and either the stratigraphic depth or the strain values measured by phyllosilicates orientation analyses, as a function of the penetrativity of the cleavage. However, the metamorphic grade generally increases towards the Hollow Fault, and is highest in samples located within a 1?km corridor from the fault surface. Incipient cleavage is observed in the anchizonal samples located in the vicinity of the Hollow Fault and in some of the diagenetic samples, indicating cleavage development under low temperatures (<200?oC). These relationships, together with regional syntheses, suggest low-grade metamorphism post-dated regional folding and was coeval with Late Carboniferous dextral movement along the Hollow Fault. Fluid circulation associated with movement along this major fault may be the driving mechanism for the increasing metamorphism towards it.     

A comparison of SO<Subscript>2</Subscript> retrieval techniques using mini-UV spectrometers and ASTER imagery at Lascar volcano,Chile

The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) is a useful tool for detecting low quantities of sulfur dioxide at passively degassing volcanoes such as Lascar volcano, Chile. Two mini-UV spectrometers (MUSes) were used to make transects of Lascar volcano’s sulfur dioxide plume on December 7, 2004, during a coordinated overpass of ASTER. SO₂ burdens were retrieved using the thermal infrared channels of the acquired ASTER image. This allowed for a direct comparison between the two methods in order to validate the ASTER SO₂ retrieval. The results were extremely encouraging with ASTER deriving SO₂ fluxes within the range of fluxes obtained by the MUSe.     

Climate Variability in NW Spain and its Relationship with Water Balance and Streamflow in a Small Headwater Catchment: Preliminary Results

This paper presents preliminary results from an analysis of hydrological variability of a catchment located in Galicia (NW Spain), with particular focus on the effects of climate variability (temperature and precipitation), using daily streamflow data for the period October 2004 to September 2009. The climate variability has been studied by means of data obtained in a meteorological station on the area. The analysis is based on the examination of statistical parameters, flow duration characteristics, baseflow separation and the relationship between measured streamflow and precipitation. The results show that daily, monthly and annual streamflow are highly variable in this catchment. At seasonal scale about 65% of the water flows in winter (33%) and spring (32%) months, although with significant differences between years. This seasonality essentially relates to distribution and characteristics of precipitation episodes. However, there is not a narrow relationship between precipitation and streamflow, because soil moisture conditions have an important role in the hydrological behaviour of the catchment. The baseflow contribution to total streamflow is quite high, with baseflow index values above 0.69, which is consistent with the characteristics of the study area, such as geology (dominated by schist), soils (Umbrisols and Cambisols), vegetation cover (over 65% forest area) and precipitation characteristics (heavy, long duration and low intensity). The flow duration analysis also reveals that the flow regime is dominated by baseflow, recording high flow peaks during a limited period of the year. The study reveals that the major cause of streamflow variability in this catchment is related to precipitation distribution and soil moisture conditions. The results suggest that the Corbeira stream undergoes a reduction in low streamflows and an increase in the frequency of high flows, hence producing an increase in the risks associated with these changes.     

Gravity,Mean Sea Surface,and Bathymetry Models Comparison in the Canary Islands

In geodetic and oceanographic studies generally, some reference surfaces are needed. These surfaces must represent as much as possible the gravity field of the Earth and the height/bathymetry systems. In the last years, several gravimetric, bathymetric, and mean sea surface models have appeared. Analyzing them it is possible to see that there are significant discrepancies between the models provided by different authors or organizations; there are also differences between the models and data obtained by independent measurements. We present the analysis of such differences and determine the most representative choice of models, in our opinion, for the Canary Islands region.