Twentieth century agricultural drainage creates more erosive rivers

Rivers in watersheds dominated by agriculture throughout the US are impaired by excess sediment, a significant portion of which comes from non‐field, near‐channel sources. Both land‐use and climate have been implicated in altering river flows and thereby increasing stream‐channel erosion and sediment loading. In the wetland‐rich landscapes of the upper Mississippi basin, 20th century crop conversions have led to an intensification of artificial drainage, which is now a critical component of modern agriculture. At the same time, much of the region has experienced increased annual rainfall. Uncertainty in separating these drivers of streamflow fuels debate between agricultural and environmental interests on responsibility and solutions for excess riverine sediment. To disentangle the effects of climate and land‐use, we compared changes in precipitation, crop conversions, and extent of drained depressional area in 21 Minnesota watersheds over the past 70 years. Watersheds with large land‐use changes had increases in seasonal and annual water yields of >50% since 1940. On average, changes in precipitation and crop evapotranspiration explained less than one‐half of the increase, with the remainder highly correlated with artificial drainage and loss of depressional areas. Rivers with increased flow have experienced channel widening of 10–40% highlighting a source of sediment seldom addressed by agricultural best management practices. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improvement of the solute transfer in a conceptual unsaturated zone scheme: a case study of the Seine River basin

For predicting the evolution of solute concentrations in groundwater and testing the impact of remediation policies, a coupling between the agronomical model STICS and the hydrogeological model MODCOU was implemented. When applied to the Seine River basin, this model accurately represents the temporal evolution of average nitrate concentrations in the aquifer, but with large local errors. We propose an improvement to the simple unsaturated zone (UZ) scheme NonsatSW used in STICS–MODCOU. The modifications are based on a comparison with the mechanistic model Metis considered as a reference as it solves Richards' equation. A more realistic saturation profile and a varying percolation rate are integrated in NonsatSW. This new model, named NonsatVG, is assessed by comparing it with NonsatSW and Metis. In an ideal case, NonsatVG generates a solute transfer and a dispersion closer to that of Metis than of NonsatSW. In real cases, without additional calibration, NonsatVG and Metis simulate better the average transfer velocities of the observed nitrate profiles. Furthermore, modifications in NonsatVG give a direct relationship between the depth of the water table and the saturation profile. We obtain, therefore, as in Metis, an evolution of the solute transfer velocity depending on the piezometric level. These dynamics are not simulated in NonsatSW. Despite a modified water transfer through the UZ, NonsatVG is also as valid as NonsatSW in the modelling of water transfer to the saturated zone. Finally, an application to the Seine basin shows that solute transfer velocities are lower with NonsatVG than with NonsatSW, but are in better agreement with literature. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long-term ecosystem monitoring at Huntington Forest: Integrating hydrology,biogeochemistry and climatic controls on watershed processes

Located in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State, Huntington Wildlife Forest (HWF) is a 6000-ha research and education facility operated by SUNY ESF (State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry) with continuous long-term monitoring (LTM) programs spanning over six decades. One of the ‘cradles’ of acid rain research in North America, HWF was in the first cohort of National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) sites beginning in 1978. HWF is currently the only location (NY-20) in New York with the full suite of NADP programs in operation, including atmospheric mercury speciation (AMNet), along with EPA CASTNET. Nearby to NY-20 at HWF, Arbutus Lake and its forested watershed have been the focus of intensive LTM since installation of v-notch weirs at the lake outlet and inlet in 1991 and 1994, respectively. Discharge at these locations has been monitored continuously at 15-min intervals since 1999. Lake outlet water chemistry samples were collected starting in 1983. Weekly sampling of water chemistry at both weirs began in 1995 and was expanded to include two headwater streams and groundwater wells in 2007. More recently, LTM programs at HWF have been augmented by participation in the PhenoCam Network since 2008, collection of high-resolution LiDAR in 2009, and installation of a precision NY Mesonet weather station in 2016. In 2018, we installed sensor networks that continuously monitor soil microclimate and snow depth. Lastly, we improved data access via a new website ( www.adk-ltm.org ) where users can create custom queries and visualize outputs.     

Climate variability during the Last Glacial Maximum in eastern Australia: evidence of two stadials?

A high‐resolution, multiproxy record encompassing the last glacial–interglacial transition is presented for Native Companion Lagoon, a coastal site in subtropical eastern Australia. Rates of aeolian sedimentation in the lake were established by trace element analyses of lacustrine sediments and used as a proxy for aridity. In conjunction with sediment moisture content, charcoal and pollen these provide a multi‐decadal record of palaeoenvironmental variability for the period 33–18 k cal. yr BP. Results indicate that the Last Glacial Maximum in eastern Australia spanned almost 10 k cal. yr, and was characterised by two distinct cold dry events at approximately 30.8 k cal. yr BP and 21.7 k cal. yr BP. Provenance of selected sediment samples by trace element geochemical fingerprinting shows that continental sourced aeolian sediments originated primarily from South Australia during these cold events and from sites in central Australia during the intervening time. Used in combination with a pollen record, the provenance of long‐travelled dust to mainland sites shows that the two cold events were characterised by frequent meridional dry southwesterly winds rather than zonal westerly airflow as previously believed. The intervening period was cool and humid, which we infer as being associated with more frequent southeasterly winds of maritime origin. These results lend support to previous research that indicates the Southern Hemisphere experienced a period of widespread climatic amelioration at the height of the last glacial known as the Antarctic Isotopic Maximum. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Relationships between magmatism and extension along the Autun–La Serre fault system in the Variscan Belt of the eastern French Massif Central

The ENE–WSW Autun Shear Zone in the northeastern part of the French Massif Central has been interpreted previously as a dextral wrench fault. New field observations and microstructural analyses document a NE–SW stretching lineation that indicates normal dextral motions along this shear zone. Further east, similar structures are observed along the La Serre Shear Zone. In both areas, a strain gradient from leucogranites with a weak preferred orientation to highly sheared mylonites supports a continuous Autun–La Serre fault system. Microstructural observations, and shape and lattice-preferred orientation document high-temperature deformation and magmatic fabrics in the Autun and La Serre granites, whereas low- to intermediate-temperature fabrics characterize the mylonitic granite. Electron microprobe monazite geochronology of the Autun and La Serre granites yields a ca. 320 Ma age for pluton emplacement, while mica ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar datings of the Autun granite yield plateau ages from 305 to 300 Ma. The ca. 300 Ma ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar ages, obtained on micas from Autun and La Serre mylonites, indicate the time of the mylonitization. The ca. 15-Ma time gap between pluton emplacement and deformation along the Autun–La Serre fault system argue against a synkinematic pluton emplacement during late orogenic to postorogenic extension of the Variscan Belt. A ductile to brittle continuum of deformation is observed along the shear zone, with Lower Permian brittle faults controlling the development of sedimentary basins. These results suggest a two-stage Late Carboniferous extension in the northeastern French Massif Central, with regional crustal melting and emplacement of the Autun and La Serre leucogranites around 320 Ma, followed, at 305–295 Ma, by ductile shearing, normal brittle faulting, and subsequent exhumation along the Autun–La Serre transtensional fault system.     

Early Cenozoic Mega Thrusting in the Qiangtang Block of the Northern Tibetan Plateau

Recent mapping and seismic survey reveal that intensive compression during the Early Cenozoic in the Qiangtang block of the central Tibetan Plateau formed an extensive complex of thrust sheets that moved relatively southward along several generally north-dipping great thrust systems. Those at the borders of the ~450 km wide block show it overrides the Lhasa block to the south and is overridden by the Hohxil-Bayanhar block to the north. The systems are mostly thin-skinned imbricate thrusts with associated folding. The thrust sheets are chiefly floored by Jurassic limestone that apparently slid over Triassic sandstone and shale, which is locally included, and ramped upward and over Paleocene-Eocene red-beds. Some central thrusts scooped deeper and carried up Paleozoic metamorphic rock, Permian carbonate and granite to form a central uplift that divides the Qiangtang block into two parts. These systems and their associated structures are unconformably overlain by little deformed Late Eocene-Oligocene volcanic rock or capped by Miocene lake beds. A thrust system in the northern part of the block, as well as one in the northern part of the adjacent Lhasa block, dip to the south and appear to be due to secondary adjustments within the thrust sheets. The relative southward displacement across this Early Cenozoic mega thrust system is in excess of 150 km in the Qiangtang block, and the average southward slip-rate of the southern Qiangtang thrusts ranged from 5.6 mm to 7.4 mm/a during the Late Eocene-Oligocene. This Early Cenozoic thrusting ended before the Early Miocene and was followed by Late Cenozoic crustal extension and strike-slip faulting within the Qiangtang block. The revelation and understanding of these thrust systems are very important for the evaluation of the petroleum resources of the region.     

Multi-spacecraft investigation of space turbulence: Lessons from Cluster and input to the Cross-Scale mission

Investigating space plasma turbulence from single-point measurements is known to be characterized by unavoidable ambiguities in disentangling temporal and spatial variations. Solving this problem has been one of the major goals of the Cluster mission. For that purpose multipoint measurements techniques, such as the k-filtering, have been developed. Such techniques combine several time series recorded simultaneously at different points in space to estimate the corresponding energy density in the wavenumber space. Here we apply the technique to both simulated and Cluster magnetometer data in the solar wind (SW) and investigate the errors and limitations that arise due to the separation of the spacecraft and the quality of the tetrahedral configuration. Specifically, we provide an estimation of the minimum and maximum scales that can be accurately measured given a specific distance between the satellites and show the importance of the geometry of the tetrahedron and the relationship of that geometry to spatial aliasing. We also present recent results on characterizing small scale SW turbulence and provide scientific arguments supporting the need of new magnetometers having better sensitivity than the existing ones. Throughout the paper we emphasize technical challenges and their solutions that can be considered for a better preparation of the Cross-Scale mission.     

Chandra X-ray observations of two unusual BAL quasars

We report sensitive Chandra X-ray non-detections of two unusual, luminous Iron Low-Ionization Broad Absorption Line Quasars (FeLoBALs). The observations do detect a non-BAL, wide-binary companion quasar to one of the FeLoBAL quasars. We combine X-ray-derived column density lower limits (assuming solar metallicity) with column densities measured from ultraviolet spectra and CLOUDY photoionization simulations to explore whether constant-density slabs at broad-line region densities can match the physical parameters of these two BAL outflows, and find that they cannot. In the “overlapping-trough” object SDSS J0300+0048, we measure the column density of the X-ray absorbing gas to be N_H ? 1.8 × 10²⁴ cm^?2. From the presence of Fe ii UV78 absorption but lack of Fe ii UV195/UV196 absorption, we infer the density in that part of the absorbing region to be n_e ? 10⁶ cm^?3. We do find that a slab of gas at that density might be able to explain this object’s absorption. In the Fe iii-dominant object SDSS J2215–0045, the X-ray absorbing column density of N_H ? 3.4 × 10²⁴ cm^?2 is consistent with the Fe iii-derived N_H ? 2 × 10²² cm^?2 provided the ionization parameter is log U > 1.0 for both the n_e = 10¹¹ cm^?3 and n_e = 10¹² cm^?3 scenarios considered (such densities are required to produce Fe iii absorption without Fe iiabsorption). However, the velocity width of the absorption rules out its being concentrated in a single slab at these densities. Instead, this object’s spectrum can be explained by a low density, high ionization and high temperature disk wind that encounters and ablates higher density, lower ionization Fe iii-emitting clumps.