Spatial Heterogeneity Created by Burrowing Crabs Affects Human Impact on Migratory Shorebirds

We show that, as previously described, there are conflicts between areas used by people and shorebirds. However, we propose that burrowing organisms add complexity to the shorebird–human interaction that should be taken into account for management and conservation. This is because SW Atlantic mudflats are dominated by high densities (up to 60 crabs m⁻²) of a strong bioturbator, the burrowing crab Neohelice granulata (=Chasmagnathus granulatus). These crabs affect the habitat use and foraging performance of shorebird species. The two-banded plover Charadrius falklandicus feed more in burrow areas whereas the yellowlegs Tringa spp. and the white-rumped sandpiper Calidris fuscicollis tend to avoid burrow areas. We evaluated the effect of human recreational activities on shorebirds, taking into account shorebird–crab interaction, during shorebird migratory periods (November to April) of 2001, 2002, and 2003. This study was performed at the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon (37° 40′ S, Argentina). Results showed that people only rarely used the extensive soft bottom intertidals dominated by burrowing assemblages of N. granulata because the soft sediments make walking difficult. Therefore, human impact is reduced for the two-banded plover. However, for several migratory shorebirds that also avoid burrow areas, these areas act as suboptimal alternative areas when human impact is important in their preferred habitats. When human activity is low, shorebirds remain foraging in the area but they decrease their feeding intakes. The extensions of burrow areas differ among estuaries and are likely to generate between-estuaries differences as stopover sites for shorebirds. Also, other species that form large burrowing assemblages can have a similar impact on shorebird–human interactions.     

Light Requirements for Growth and Survival of Eelgrass (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Zostera marina</Emphasis> L.) in Pacific Northwest (USA) Estuaries

We developed light requirements for eelgrass in the Pacific Northwest, USA, to evaluate the effects of short- and long-term reductions in irradiance reaching eelgrass, especially related to turbidity and overwater structures. Photosynthesis-irradiance experiments and depth distribution field studies indicated that eelgrass productivity was maximum at a photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) of about 350–550 μmol quanta m⁻² s⁻¹. Winter plants had approximately threefold greater net apparent primary productivity rate at the same irradiance as summer plants. Growth studies using artificial shading as well as field monitoring of light and eelgrass growth indicated that long-term survival required at least 3 mol quanta m⁻² day⁻¹ on average during spring and summer (i.e., May-September), and that growth was saturated above about 7 mol quanta m⁻² day⁻¹. We conclude that non-light-limited growth of eelgrass in the Pacific Northwest requires an average of at least 7 mol quanta m⁻² day⁻¹ during spring and summer and that long-term survival requires a minimum average of 3 mol quanta m⁻² day⁻¹.     

高程控制测量中的混合构网法

针对目前常规水准测量在山区公路高程控制测量中的局限性,本文提出了一种三角高程与常规水准测量相结合的混合构网方法,并通过实例得出,这种方法充分利用了两者的优势,在保证成果的可靠性和精度的同时,大大提高了工作效率,缩短了生产周期。     

节理岩体卸荷强度特性的试验研究

卸荷状态工程岩体的强度特性与传统的加载岩体有本质的区别。目前对于岩石卸荷强度特性的研究比较多见,但对于含节理的岩体在卸荷应力状态下的强度特性,尤其是节理面对其强度的影响研究实属少见。本文通过岩体三轴模拟试验研究了卸荷应力状态下节理岩体的破坏特征,突出考虑了节理面性质对卸荷强度的影响,在此基础上提出了节理岩体卸荷强度准则的一般表达式并进行了对比验证。     

GPS高程拟合在煤田矿区控制中的应用

根据 GPS 高程拟合在煤田矿区控制中的应用成果,从已知点高程精度、GPS 点大地高精度、拟合似大地水准面精度3个方面,分析了 GPS 高程拟合的精度,总结了提高 GPS 高程拟合精度的方法。     

Fluid Geochemistry as Indicator of Tectonically-Related,Deep Water Circulations in the Sardinian Rift-Campidano Graben (Italy): New Insights from Environmental Isotopes

The EC funded Geochemical Seismic Zonation program (EEC GSZ Project 1996–1998) chose Sardinia as a low-seismicity site, in which the relationships between fluid geochemistry and seismo-tectonics had to be investigated and results compared with outcomes from other selected high-seismicity sites. A first article, examining the role of fault segmentation and seismic quiescence on the geochemical composition of groundwaters and gases, has already been presented (Angelone et al. 2005). This article deals with environmental isotopes which, together with selected hydrochemical data, give hints on tectonically-related fluid circulations. Four water-dominated hydrothermal systems were considered, all located along regional fault systems and discharging groundwaters belonging to the Na–HCO₃ and Na–Cl facies. In the considered systems, groundwater circulation takes place, principally, in the Palaeozoic Crystalline Basement (PCB), with the exception of the Logudoro system, where hydrological circuits develop in the Mesozoic Carbonate Platform (MCP). The high CO₂ contents, the non-attainment of fluid-rock equilibrium and the large lithological variability prevent the construction of a unique hydrogeological–geochemical conceptual model. In this case, stable isotopes provide a useful tool to describe the origin of fluids and their subterranean movements. Stable isotopes of water, integrated with hydrochemical data, indicate that fluids are derived from three main end members. The dominant component is a relatively recent local meteoric water; the second one is marine water; and the third one is a fossil freshwater, depleted in heavy isotopes with respect to modern rains. The latter end member entered the aquifer system in the past, when climatic conditions were greatly different from today. At least two circulation systems can be recognised, namely a shallow cold system and a deep hydrothermal system, as well as two distinct hydrological processes: (1) gravity-controlled descent of cold water towards greater depths and (2) convection linked to a thermal gradient, causing deep fluids to rise up from the hydrothermal reservoir towards the surface. The highly variable δ¹³C_TDIC values suggest the presence of two distinct CO₂ sources, namely, a biogenic one and a thermogenic one. The relation between the isotopic compositions of CO₂ and He indicates an increased mantle signature in uprising CO₂-rich fluids.     

Dynamic data integration for structural modeling: model screening approach using a distance-based model parameterization

This paper proposes a novel history-matching method where reservoir structure is inverted from dynamic fluid flow response. The proposed workflow consists of searching for models that match production history from a large set of prior structural model realizations. This prior set represents the reservoir structural uncertainty because of interpretation uncertainty on seismic sections. To make such a search effective, we introduce a parameter space defined with a “similarity distance” for accommodating this large set of realizations. The inverse solutions are found using a stochastic search method. Realistic reservoir examples are presented to prove the applicability of the proposed method.     

Geochemical Eccentricity of Ground Water Allied to Weathering of Basalts from the Deccan Volcanic Province,India: Insinuation on CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Consumption

Analyses of 72 samples from Upper Panjhara basin in the northern part of Deccan Plateau, India, indicate that geochemical incongruity of groundwater is largely a function of mineral composition of the basaltic lithology. Higher proportion of alkaline earth elements to total cations and HCO₃>Cl + SO₄ reflect weathering of primary silicates as chief source of ions. Inputs of Cl, SO₄, and NO₃ are related to rainfall and localized anthropogenic factors. Groundwater from recharge area representing Ca + Mg–HCO₃ type progressively evolves to Ca + Na–HCO₃ and Na–Ca–HCO₃ class along flow direction replicates the role of cation exchange and precipitation processes. While the post-monsoon chemistry is controlled by silicate mineral dissolution + cation exchange reactions, pre-monsoon variability is attributable chiefly to precipitation reactions + anthropogenic factors. Positive correlations between Mg vs HCO₃ and Ca + Mg vs HCO₃ supports selective dissolution of olivine and pyroxene as dominant process in post-monsoon followed by dissolution of plagioclase feldspar and secondary carbonates. The pre-monsoon data however, points toward the dissolution of plagioclase and precipitation of CaCO₃ supported by improved correlation coefficients between Na + Ca vs HCO₃ and negative correlation of Ca vs HCO₃, respectively. It is proposed that the eccentricity in the composition of groundwater from the Panjhara basin is a function of selective dissolution of olivine > pyroxene followed by plagioclase feldspar. The data suggest siallitization (L < R and R _k) as dominant mechanism of chemical weathering of basalts, stimulating monosiallitic (kaolinite) and bisiallitic (montmorillonite) products. The chemical denudation rates for Panjhara basin worked out separately for the ground and surface water component range from 6.98 to 36.65 tons/km²/yr, respectively. The values of the CO₂ consumption rates range between 0.18 × 10⁶ mol//km²/yr (groundwater) and 0.9 × 10⁶ mol/km²/yr (surface water), which indicates that the groundwater forms a considerable fraction of CO₂ consumption, an inference, that is, not taken into contemplation in most of the studies.     

Numerical simulation of a stratigraphic model

A multi-lithology diffusive stratigraphic model is considered, which simulates at large scales in space and time the infill of sedimentary basins governed by the interaction between tectonics displacements, eustatic variations, sediment supply, and sediment transport laws. The model accounts for the mass conservation of each sediment lithology resulting in a mixed parabolic, hyperbolic system of partial differential equations (PDEs) for the lithology concentrations and the sediment thickness. It also takes into account a limit on the rock alteration velocity modeled as a unilaterality constraint. To obtain a robust, fast, and accurate simulation, fully and semi-implicit finite volume discre tization schemes are derived for which the existence of stable solutions is proved. Then, the set of nonlinear equations is solved using a Newton algorithm adapted to the unilaterality constraint, and preconditioning strategies are defined for the solution of the linear system at each Newton iteration. They are based on an algebraic approximate decoupling of the sediment thickness and the concentration variables as well as on a proper preconditioning of each variable. These algorithms are studied and compared in terms of robustness, scalability, and efficiency on two real basin test cases.