Spring water table depth mediates within-site variation of soil temperature in groundwater-fed mires

Groundwater-dependent ecosystems represent globally rare edaphic islands of scattered distribution, often forming areas of regionally unique environmental conditions. A stable groundwater supply is a key parameter defining their ecological specificity, promoting also soil thermal buffering. Still, a limited number of studies dealt with the importance of water temperature in mire ecosystems and virtually no data exist on within-site variation in the temperature buffer effect. Three temperature dataloggers, placed in patches potentially differing in groundwater supply, were installed in each of 19 Western Carpathian spring mire sites from May 2019 to July 2020. Spring source plots statistically differed in water temperature parameters from the plots located towards the spring mire margin, which did not significantly differ from one another. At the majority of sites, the temperature values changed gradually from spring source to mire margins, fitting the pattern expected in the groundwater temperature buffering scenario. Dataloggers placed in the spring sources were the most distinctive from the others in thermal buffering parameters in conditional principal component analysis. The difference between the spring source and its margin was on average 3.25 °C for 95th percentile of the recorded water temperature data points (i.e. warm extremes) and 1.91 °C for 5th percentile (i.e. cold extremes). This suggests that if the temperature at spring source area is considered, thermal buffering within a site may mitigate mainly warm extremes. Thus, our data may provide an important baseline for predictions of possibly upcoming changes in spring mire hydrology caused by climate change. Both warming and precipitation decrease can give rise to the loss or substantial reduction of buffering effect if the contrasting parameters now recorded at the central part shift to those found towards the margins of groundwater-fed areas.     

Provenance implications of Th–U–Pb electron microprobe ages from detrital monazite in the Carboniferous Upper Silesia Coal Basin, Poland

This paper reports the results of CHIME (chemical Th–U–Pb isochron method) dating of detrital monazites from Carboniferous sandstones in the Upper Silesia Coal Basin (USCB). A total of 4739 spots on 863 monazite grains were analyzed from samples of sandstone derived from six stratigraphic units in the sedimentary sequence. Age distributions were identified in detrital monazites from the USCB sequence and correlated with specific dated domains in potential source areas. Most monazites in all samples yielded ca. 300–320 Ma (Variscan) ages; however, eo-Variscan, Caledonian and Cadomian ages were also obtained. The predominant ages are comparable to reported ages of certain tectonostratigraphic domains in the polyorogenic Bohemian Massif (BM), which suggests that various crystalline lithologies in the BM were the dominant sources of USCB sediments.     

Compositional variations of zirconolite from the Evate apatite deposit (Mozambique) as an indicator of magmatic-hydrothermal conditions during post-orogenic collapse of Gondwana

Mineralogy and Petrology - Zirconolite is documented from the Evate apatite-magnetite-carbonate deposit in the circular Monapo Klippe (eastern Mozambique)—a relic of Neoproterozoic nappe...     

Deciphering interaction of regional aquifers in Southern Tunisia using hydrochemistry and isotopic tools

Groundwater is the most important source of water supply in southern Tunisia. Previous hydrogeologic and isotopic studies carried out in this region revealed the existence of two major aquifer systems: the “Complex Terminal” (CT) and the “Continental Intercalaire” (CI). Turonian carbonates constitute one of the major aquifer levels of the CT multilayered aquifer. It extends over most of southern Tunisia, and its hydrodynamic regime is largely influenced by tectonics, lithology and recharge conditions. Forty-eight groundwater samples from the CI and Turonian aquifers were collected between January and April 2004 for chemical and isotopic analyses. Hydrochemistry and isotopic tools were combined to get an insight into the processes controlling chemical composition of groundwater and wide-scale interaction of these two aquifer systems. Analysis of the dissolved constituents revealed that several processes control the observed chemical composition: (i) incongruent dissolution of carbonate minerals, (ii) dissolution of evaporitic minerals, and (iii) cation exchange. Dissolution alone cannot account for the observed high supersaturation states of groundwater with respect to calcite and dolomite. The observed supersaturation is most probably linked to geogenic CO₂ entering water-bearing horizons of the CT and CI aquifers via deep tectonic faults and discontinuities and subsequent degassing in the exploitation wells. Presence of geogenic CO₂ in the investigated region was confirmed by C isotope data of the DIC reservoir. The radiocarbon content of the Turonian samples varied between 9.5 and 43 pmc. For CI samples generally lower values were recorded, between 3.8 and 22.5 pmc. Stable isotope composition of Turonian groundwater samples varied from −8.3 to −5.3‰ for δ¹⁸O and from −60 to −25‰ for δ²H. The corresponding ranges of δ values for the Continental Intercalaire samples were from −8.9‰ to −6.9‰ for δ¹⁸O and from −68.2‰ to −45.7‰ for δ²H. Stable isotope composition of groundwater representing CT and CI aquifers provide strong evidence for regional interaction between both systems.     

Timing of glacier advances and climate in the High Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians) during the Last Glacial Maximum

During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), long valley glaciers developed on the northern and southern sides of the High Tatra Mountains, Poland and Slovakia. Chlorine-36 exposure dating of moraine boulders suggests two major phases of moraine stabilization, at 26–21 ka (LGM I — maximum) and at 18 ka (LGM II). The dates suggest a significantly earlier maximum advance on the southern side of the range. Reconstructing the geometry of four glaciers in the Sucha Woda, Pańszczyca, Mlynicka and Velicka valleys allowed determining their equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) at 1460, 1460, 1650 and 1700 m asl, respectively. Based on a positive degree-day model, the mass balance and climatic parameter anomaly (temperature and precipitation) has been constrained for LGM I advance. Modeling results indicate slightly different conditions between northern and southern slopes. The N–S ELA gradient finds confirmation in slightly higher temperature (at least 1 °C) or lower precipitation (15%) on the south-facing glaciers during LGM I. The precipitation distribution over the High Tatra Mountains indicates potentially different LGM atmospheric circulation than at the present day, with reduced northwesterly inflow and increased southerly and westerly inflows of moist air masses.