Watershed structural influences on the distributions of stream network water and solute travel times under baseflow conditions

Watershed structure influences the timing, magnitude, and spatial location of water and solute entry to stream networks. In turn, stream reach transport velocities and stream network geometry (travel distances) further influence the timing of export from watersheds. Here, we examine how watershed and stream network organization can affect travel times of water from delivery to the stream network to arrival at the watershed outlet. We analysed watershed structure and network geometry and quantified the relationship between stream discharge and solute velocity across six study watersheds (11.4 to 62.8 km²) located in the Sawtooth Mountains of central Idaho, USA. Based on these analyses, we developed stream network travel time functions for each watershed. We found that watershed structure, stream network geometry, and the variable magnitude of inputs across the network can have a pronounced affect on water travel distances and velocities within a stream network. Accordingly, a sample taken at the watershed outlet is composed of water and solutes sourced from across the watershed that experienced a range of travel times in the stream network. We suggest that understanding and quantifying stream network travel time distributions are valuable for deconvolving signals observed at watershed outlets into their spatial and temporal sources, and separating terrestrial and in‐channel hydrological, biogeochemical, and ecological influences on in‐stream observations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

PGE fractionation in seafloor hydrothermal systems: examples from mafic- and ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal fields at the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge

The distribution of platinum group elements (PGEs) in massive sulfides and hematite–magnetite±pyrite assemblages from the recently discovered basalt-hosted Turtle Pits hydrothermal field and in massive sulfides from the ultramafic-hosted Logatchev vent field both on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge was studied and compared to that from selected ancient volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS) deposits. Cu-rich samples from black smoker chimneys of both vent fields are enriched in Pd and Rh (Pd up to 227 ppb and Rh up to 149 ppb) when compared to hematite–magnetite-rich samples from Turtle Pits (Pd up to 10 ppb, Rh up to 1.9 ppb). A significant positive correlation was established between Cu and Rh in sulfide samples from Turtle Pits. PGE chondrite-normalized patterns (with a positive Rh anomaly and Pd and Au enrichment), Pd/Pt and Pd/Au ratios close to global MORB, and high values of Pd/Ir and Pt/Ir ratios indicate mafic source rock and seawater involvement in the hydrothermal system at Turtle Pits. Similarly shaped PGE chondrite-normalized patterns and high values of Pd/Pt and Pd/Ir ratios in Cu-rich sulfides at Logatchev likely reflect a similar mechanism of PGE enrichment but with involvement of ultramafic source rocks.     

Resting Stages of Plankton in Recent North Adriatic Sediments

Abstract. Plankton-derived resting stages were found in 26 sediment cores collected in the North Adriatic Sea; 46 morphotypes were identified, 38 were attributed to taxa according to their morphology and, in some hatching cases, also according to the morphology of the derived active forms. Six species of Dinophyta were recorded for the first time from the North Adriatic Sea. Each morphotype was described in detail. Twenty-nine resting stages were Dinophyta; one was a Chrysophyta; two were Tintinnina; and six were metazoans. At every site Dinophyta cysts were more abundant than Metazoa cysts. Cyst bank densities were variable, with empty forms generally more abundant than full ones; cyst concentrations were highest at the mouth of the Po River delta.     

Microbial photosynthesis in coral reef sediments (Heron Reef, Australia)

We investigated microphytobenthic photosynthesis at four stations in the coral reef sediments at Heron Reef, Australia. The microphytobenthos was dominated by diatoms, dinoflagellates and cyanobacteria, as indicated by biomarker pigment analysis. Conspicuous algae firmly attached to the sand grains (ca. 100 μm in diameter, surrounded by a hard transparent wall) were rich in peridinin, a marker pigment for dinoflagellates, but also showed a high diversity based on cyanobacterial 16S rDNA gene sequence analysis. Specimens of these algae that were buried below the photic zone exhibited an unexpected stimulation of respiration by light, resulting in an increase of local oxygen concentrations upon darkening. Net photosynthesis of the sediments varied between 1.9 and 8.5 mmol O₂ m⁻² h⁻¹ and was strongly correlated with Chl a content, which lay between 31 and 84 mg m⁻². An estimate based on our spatially limited dataset indicates that the microphytobenthic production for the entire reef is in the order of magnitude of the production estimated for corals. Photosynthesis stimulated calcification at all investigated sites (0.2–1.0 mmol Ca²⁺ m⁻² h⁻¹). The sediments of at least three stations were net calcifying. Sedimentary N₂-fixation rates (measured by acetylene reduction assays at two sites) ranged between 0.9 to 3.9 mmol N₂ m⁻² h⁻¹ and were highest in the light, indicating the importance of heterocystous cyanobacteria. In coral fingers no N₂-fixation was measurable, which stresses the importance of the sediment compartment for reef nitrogen cycling.     

Sulfide and iron control on mercury speciation in anoxic estuarine sediment slurries

In order to understand the role of sulfate and Fe(III) reduction processes in the net production of monomethylmercury (MMHg), we amended anoxic sediment slurries collected from the Venice Lagoon, Italy, with inorganic Hg and either potential electron acceptors or metabolic byproducts of sulfate and Fe(III) reduction processes, gradually changing their concentrations. Addition of sulfide (final concentration: 0.2–6.3 mM) resulted in an exponential decrease in the sulfate reduction rate and MMHg concentration with increasing concentrations of sulfide. Based on this result, we argue that the concentration of dissolved sulfide is a critical factor controlling the sulfate reduction rate, and in turn, the net MMHg production at steady state. Addition of either Fe(II) (added concentration: 0–6.1 mM) or Fe(III) (added concentration: 0–3.5 mM) resulted in similar trends in the MMHg concentration, an increase with low levels of Fe additions and a subsequent decrease with high levels of Fe additions. The limited availability of dissolved Hg, associated with sulfide removal by precipitation of FeS, appears to inhibit the net MMHg production in high levels of Fe additions. There was a noticeable reduction in the net MMHg production in Fe(III)-amended slurries as compared to Fe(II)-amended ones, which could be caused by a decrease in the sulfate reduction rate. This agrees with the results of Hg methylation assays using the enrichment cultures of anaerobic bacteria: whereas the enrichment cultures of sulfate reducers showed significant production of MMHg (4.6% of amended Hg), those of Fe(III), Mn(IV), and nitrate reducers showed no production of MMHg. It appears that enhanced Fe(III)-reduction activities suppress the formation of MMHg in high sulfate estuarine sediments.     

Petroleum-related hydrocarbons in deep and subsurface sediments from South-Western Barents Sea

Subsurface sediments from a pockmark area in South-Western Barents Sea have been earlier found to contain elevated levels of petroleum-related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. This work describes a comprehensive analysis of various biomarkers, including the highly source-specific hopanes, in a 4.5?m long gravity core from the same area, together with subsurface sediment samples from other areas in the region without pockmarks present ("background samples"). A clear difference between the pockmark gravity core and the background sediment cores was found, both with regard to genesis and the level of transformation of organic matter. A number of indicator parameters, such as methylphenanthrene index (MPI-1), point towards a significantly higher maturity of hydrocarbons in the pockmark core throughout its length as compared to the other sampled locations. Higher contents of microbial hopanoids (hopenes) may indicate the former presence of petroleum. These findings confirm the hypothesis of a natural hydrocarbon source in the deeper strata present in the studied location with pockmarks.     

Remote sensing of Mercury's magnetospheric plasma environment via energetic neutral atoms imaging

The potentiality of exploring the plasma dynamical behavior of Mercury via energetic neutral atom (ENA) analysis is briefly discussed. The analysis of the Hermean ENA would give clues to the global magnetospheric configuration, clarifying crucial issues like the existence of radiation belts. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of ENA imaging in the Hermean environment, an empirical model of the equatorial proton distributions, originally developed for the Earth's magnetosphere, is here modified in order to be applicable to the expected conditions, according to the present knowledge of the planet. Simulations of the ENA radiation are then presented and discussed. It is shown that the simulated radiation is significantly high, especially when pointing the field of view towards the Hermean surface. The way of determining the proton flux distributions and the cross-tail electric field characteristics by using the ENA signal is discussed. Finally, a preliminary design of an ENA detector suitable for the ESA mission to Mercury ‘BepiColombo’ is proposed and discussed.     

The first cuckoo in winter: Phenology,recording, credibility and meaning in Britain

Biological recording is a long-established feature of amateur natural history in Britain. Phenology (the recording of seasonal events) in particular has provided scientists with important long-term data sets. These data are of increasing interest as indicators of climate change and its impacts. Most scientists treat the data as the object of interest, while less attention has been paid to the two-way process of knowledge creation, and the significance of the inner, personal part of that. Phenological recording provides an interesting window on this because it is relatively straightforward (and therefore involves a wider range of people than more technically demanding recording), and because it is linked to the climate change discourse (and therefore connected with emotional and moral framings of the situation). This paper describes the rise of popular phenology in the UK and explores these dynamically related aspects of knowledge creation by drawing on accounts in the media and by participants. It concludes that reflexivity and credibility are important aspects of both personal and interpersonal meaning-making, and suggests that attention to both subjective integration of data, and the scale of local cultures of knowledge, are important in understanding the potential for connecting networks of citizen science. Phenology therefore appears to have a particular role to play in public understanding of climate change, which extends beyond the merely extractive collection of data to a more deeply integrated connection between observation and meaning.     

The 1.10- and 1.18-μm nightside windows of Venus observed by SPICAV-IR aboard Venus Express

Observations of the 1.10- and 1.18-μm nightside windows by the SPICAV-IR instrument aboard Venus Express were analyzed to characterize the various sources of gaseous opacity and determine the H₂O mole fraction in the lower atmosphere of Venus. We showed that the line profile model of Afanasenko and Rodin (Afanasenko, T.S., Rodin, A.V. [2007]. Astron. Lett. 33, 203–210) underestimates the CO₂ absorption in the high-wavelength wing of the 1.18-μm window and we derived an empirical lineshape that matches this wing well. An additional continuum opacity is required to reproduce the variation of the 1.10- and 1.18-μm radiances with surface elevation as observed by the VIRTIS-M instrument aboard Venus Express. A constant absorption coefficient of 0.7 ± 0.2 × 10⁻⁹ cm⁻¹ am⁻² best reproduces the observed variation. We compared spectra calculated with different CO₂ and H₂O line lists. We found that the CDSD line list lacks the 5ν₁ + ν₃ series of CO₂ bands, which provide significant opacity in Venus’ deep atmosphere, and we have constructed a composite line list that best reproduces the observations. We also showed for the first time that HDO brings significant absorption at 1140–1190 nm. Using the best representation of the atmospheric opacity we could reach, we retrieved a water vapor mole fraction of ppmv, pertaining to the altitude range 5–25 km. Combined with previous measurements in the 1.74- and 2.3-μm windows, this result provides strong evidence for a uniform H₂O profile below 40 km, in agreement with chemical models.