Effects of afforestation on groundwater recharge and water budgets in the western region of Uruguay

Uruguay has stimulated the development of its forest sector since the promulgation of Forest Law N° 15 939 in December of 1987. Nevertheless, the substitution of natural grasslands with forest plantations for industrial use has raised concerns regarding hydrological processes of groundwater recharge and water consumption involving evapotranspiration. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of this substitution approach on water resources. Input data were collected from two small experimental watersheds of roughly 100–200 hectares located in western Uruguay. The watersheds are characterized by Eucalyptus Globulus ssp. Maidenni and natural grasslands for cattle use. Total rainfall, stream discharge, rainfall redistribution, soil water content and groundwater level data were collected. Groundwater recharge was estimated from water table fluctuations and from groundwater contributions to base flows. Seasonal and annual water budgets were computed from October of 2006 to September of 2014 to evaluate changes in the hydrological processes. The data show a decrease in annual specific discharge of roughly 17% for mean hydrological years and no conclusive effects on annual groundwater recharge in the forested watershed relative to the reference pasture watershed. Reduced annual specific discharge is equivalent to the mean annual interception. The computed actual annual evapotranspiration is consistent with international catchment measurements. Reduction rates vary seasonally and according to accumulated rainfall and its temporary distribution. The degree of specific discharge decline is particularly high for drier autumns and winters (32 to 28%) when the corresponding rainfall varies from 275 to 400 mm. These results are of relevance for water resources management efforts, as water uses downstream can be affected. These findings, based on a study period dominated by anomalous wet springs and summers and by dry autumns and winters, oppose earlier results based on 34 years of rainfall and discharge data drawn from Uruguayan large basins. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Small turbidite systems in a complex tectonic setting (SW Mediterranean Sea): morphology and growth patterns

Three small turbidite systems (Almeria, Sacratif, and Guadiaro), each tens of kilometres long, are developed in the complex morpho-structural setting of the northern Alboran Sea and have similar primary architectural elements (canyons, channel-levee systems, lobes). However, comparison reveals differences in the axial gradients of their canyons, depth/physiographic location, morphological framework, and lateral and longitudinal sedimentary shifts of turbidite deposition. The depositional architecture and sedimentary evolution from late Pliocene to Quaternary seems to be conditioned by number of submarine feeding sources (canyons), sea-level fluctuations and local tectonic (e.g. margin/canyon-channel gradients, faults). We group the Alboran turbidite systems into two models: mud/sand-rich submarine point-source and mud/sand-rich multiple submarine source ramp.     

Applicability of TRMM satellite precipitation in driving hydrological model for identifying flood events: a case study in the Xiangjiang River Basin,China

The spatial and temporal distribution of forest fires displays a complex pattern which strongly influences the forest landscape and the neighbouring anthropogenic development. Statistical methods developed for spatio-temporal stochastic point processes can be employed to find a structure, detect over-densities and trends in forest fire risk and address towards prevention and forecasting measures. The present study considers the Portuguese mapped burnt areas official geodatabase resulting from interpreted satellite measurements, covering the period 1990–2013. The main goal is to detect whether space and time act independently or whether, conversely, neighbouring events are also closer in time, interacting to generate clusters. To this purpose, the following statistical methods were applied: (1) the geographically weighted summary statistics, to explore how the average burned area vary locally through the investigated region; (2) the bivariate K-function, to test the space–time interaction and the spatial attraction/independency between fires of different size; and (3) the space–time kernel density, allowing elaborating smoothed density surfaces and representing over-densities of large versus medium versus small fires and on north versus south region. The proposed approach successfully allowed finding and mapping spatio-temporal patterns within this large data series. Specifically, medium fires tend to aggregate around small fires, while large fires aggregate at a larger distance and longer times, indicating that the return time following these events is longer than for small and medium fires. The density maps shows that hot spots are present almost each year in the northern region, with a higher concentration in the northern areas, while the southern half of the country counts lower surface densities of fires, which are mainly concentrated in the central period (2000–2007).     

Emission of fine organic aerosol from traditional charcoal broiling in China

The indoor PM_2.5 aerosol samples for charcoal broiling source under Chinese traditional charbroiling and the ambient fine aerosols samples (PM_2.5) were collected in Beijing to investigate the characteristics of the charcoal broiling source and its impact on the fine organic aerosols in the atmosphere. The concentrations of 20 species of the trace organic compounds, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), fatty acids, levoglucosan, and cholesterol in PM_2.5 were identified and quantified by GC/MS. The total PAHs and fatty acids emitted from charcoal broiling to PM_2.5 were 8.97 and 87,000 ng mg⁻¹ respectively. The concentrations of the light molecular weight (LMW) 3- and 4-ring PAHs were much higher than those of the high molecular weight (HMW) 5- and 6-ring PAHs. Fatty acids were the most abundant species in source profile, accounting for over 90% of all identified organic compounds. More polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acids) than the saturated fatty acid (stearic acids) emitted in the cooking. Charcoal broiling is a minor source of PAHs compared to the source of biomass burning. Comparing the ratios of levoglucosan/fatty acid and levoglucosan/cholesterol in the charcoal broiling samples to the ambient samples, it is evident that meat cooking is an important source of fatty acids, but a less important source of cholesterol. Cooking, as one of the source of fine organic particles, plus other anthropogenic sources would be related to the formation of the severe haze occurred and spread over the urban atmosphere in most of the cities of China in the past several years.     

Magnetostratigraphy and environmental magnetism in a Pleistocene sedimentary sequence, Marcos Paz, Argentina

The deterioration of groundwater quality, particularly due to salinization, because of the overexploitation of groundwater in the Lower Central Plain of Thailand remains a major concern. With increasing demand for water there is a growing need for sustainable management of the resource, which would benefit from an improved understanding of the sources of chloride contamination. Thus, a hydrochemical and isotopic study was carried out to chemically characterize groundwater and to investigate possible sources of salinization, and in particular of chloride contamination, in the multi-layered Bangkok aquifer system. Groundwater samples were taken from four topmost aquifers (Bangkok, Phra Pradaeng, Nakhon Luang, and Nonthaburi). Additionally, short-term rainwater sampling, as well as river and seawater sampling was performed and later analyzed for ionic composition and stable water isotopes. Ionic and isotopic data indicate at least three different recharge sources for groundwater. The major recharge source is rainwater. The influence of seawater is limited to the coastal region and tidally influenced areas of the two main rivers (Chao Phraya and Tha Chin). Bromide data also suggest the influence of saline water in deeper aquifers due to trapped water. Most importantly, although the influence of seawater on groundwater is recognizable, the surrounding geology contributes a significant number of dissolved ions detected in the groundwater.     

新疆哈密拗陷北部早侏罗世地层及其孢粉组合

哈密拗陷北部下侏罗统按其岩性、化石组合和地震波组等特征自下而上分为八道湾组和三工河组.根据两组所产的孢粉化石,建立了两个孢粉组合Osmundacidites Apiculatisporis Cycadopites组合和Cyathidites Pinuspollenites Cycadopites组合.根据孢粉组合特征及其对比,探讨了八道湾组和三工河组的地质时代.     

Two types of hyperthermal events in the Mesozoic-Cenozoic: Environmental impacts,biotic effects,and driving mechanisms

A deeper understanding of hyperthermal events in the Earth's history can provide an important scientific basis for understanding and coping with global warming in the Anthropocene. Two types of hyperthermal events are classified based on the characteristics of the carbon isotope excursion(CIE) of the five representative hyperthermal events in the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. The first type is overall characterized by negative CIEs(NCHE) and represented by the Permian-Triassic boundary event(PTB, ～252 Ma), the early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event(TOAE, ～183 Ma), and the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum event(PETM, ～56 Ma). The second type is overall characterized by positive CIEs(PCHE) and represented by the early Aptian oceanic anoxic event(OAE1 a, ～120 Ma) and the latest Cenomanian oceanic anoxic event(OAE2, ～94 Ma).Hyperthermal events of negative CIEs(NCHE), lead to dramatic changes in temperature, sedimentation, and biodiversity. These events caused frequent occurrence of terrestrial wildfires, extreme droughts, acid rain, destruction of ozone layer, metal poisoning(such as mercury), changes in terrestrial water system, and carbonate platform demise, ocean acidification, ocean anoxia in marine settings, and various degree extinction of terrestrial and marine life, especially in shallow marine. In contrast,hyperthermal events of positive CIEs(PCHE), result in rapid warming of seawater and widespread oceanic anoxia, large-scale burial of organic matter and associated black shale deposition, which exerted more significant impacts on deep-water marine life,but little impacts on shallow sea and terrestrial life. While PCHEs were triggered by volcanism associated with LIPs in deep-sea environment, the released heat and nutrient were buffered by seawater due to their eruption in the deep sea, thus exerted more significant impacts on deep-marine biota than on shallow marine and terrestrial biota. This work enriches the study of hyperthermal events in geological history, not only for the understanding of hyperthermal events themselves, large igneous provinces, marine and terrestrial environment changes, mass extinctions, but also for providing a new method to identify the types of hyperthermal events and the inference of their driving mechanism based on the characteristics of carbon isotopic excursions and geological records.     

Statistical approach of the influence of petrography in mechanical properties and durability of granitic stones

The influence of petrographic features on the strength of granitic stones is a wide studied topic which finds different correlations depending on the research and the granite type. The aim of this article was to provide an accurate statistical analysis in which the amount of analysed data did not imply any doubt about the representativity of the samples and the accuracy of the results. The focused principal component analysis was used because it allows to explain a determinate property in relation to several variables. In addition, the expression of the results was done as a simple and graphical representation that allowed to interpret the results in a global way. Data of texture, mineralogy and strength of 12 granites were obtained in this study and were completed by those of more than 100 granites obtained from the literature. The durability of the twelve granite characterized was also assessed. A thermal fatigue test was carried out in 5?×?5?×?5 cm cubes revealing that the thermal expansion experimented by the different minerals was enough to produce variations in the crack network even if temperature was lower than the microfissuration threshold.     

陆相页岩岩石学研究方法——以鄂尔多斯盆地东南部下寺湾地区长7、长9段为例

为得出一套适合陆相页岩气储层岩石学研究方法,加快页岩气研究进展,解决页岩气测试技术、评价方法及参考标准的不统一性,采用野外岩心描述、薄片分析、扫描电镜分析及X-衍射相结合的测试手段,参考DB61/577-2013《页岩气井岩样分析测试方法》标准,对鄂尔多斯盆地东南部下寺湾地区长7、长9段页岩岩石学进行分析测试,测试结果表明,下寺湾地区长7、长9段页岩气储层岩性复杂,黏土矿物含量高,石英、碳酸盐等脆性矿物含量少,常规测试方法难以进行精细研究,为此,增加了对测试样品的预处理以及设备的选用,形成一套陆相岩石学研究体系:岩心描述法,薄片鉴定法,扫描电子显微镜与能谱结合法,X射线衍射分析法。     

On the Origin of the 1999 Leonid Storm as Deduced from Photographic Observations

Photographic multi-station observations of 18 Leonid meteorsobtained by the Spanish Photographic Meteor Network are presented. For each meteoroidthe radiant position, trajectory data and orbital parameters are discussed and compared totheoretical radiant positions and orbital elements of particles ejected from 55P/Tempel–Tuttle in 1899.We discuss the role of mean velocity imprecision in the dispersion of some orbital parameters,specially the semimajor axis. Finally, by applying the dust trail theory we have adjusted the1999 Leonidstorm orbits to a defined semimajor axis value to test the quality of photographic observations.