Groundwater behaviour in Madeira, volcanic island (Portugal)

Madeira Island is a hot-spot originating from a mantle plume. K-Ar age determinations indicate that the emerged part of the island was generated during Post-Miocene times 6000–7000 years B.P. Groundwater occurs in perched-water bodies, spring discharge from them is high, about 3,650 l/s; in dike-impounded water and basal groundwater. Basal groundwater is exploited by tunnels (1,100 l/s) and wells (1,100 l/s). Hydraulic gradients range from 10^–4 to 10^–2 and transmissivity ranges from 1.16×10^–2 to 2.89×10^–1 m²/s, indicating the heterogeneity of the volcanic aquifers. Water mineralisation is variable, and electrical conductivity ranges from 50 to 3,300 S/cm. There is a difference between groundwater discharging from perched-water bodies (43–201 S/cm) and from basal groundwater (109–3,300 S/cm). Groundwater average pH is 7.37, with waters acid to slightly alkaline (6.13–8.4), and generally cold. Nevertheless, a few samples associated with fault zones can be classified as thermal waters.

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Resumen La Isla de Madeira tuvo origen en un punto caliente proveniente de una pluma del manto. Las dataciones K – Ar, indican que la parte emergida de la isla se formó durante en Post—Mioceno, hace unos 6000–7000 años. El agua subterránea se encuentra en acuíferos colgados, cuya descarga a través de manantiales es alta, alrededor de 3650 l/s; también como agua retenida en diques o bien como agua subterránea propiamente dicha. Esta última es explotada por túneles (1100 l/s) y pozos (1100 l/s). Los gradientes hidráulicos varían desde 10–4 hasta 10–2 y la transmisividad varía desde 1.16×10^–2 hasta 2.89×10^–1 m²/s, indicando la heterogeneidad de los acuíferos volcánicos. La mineralización de agua es variable y la conductividad eléctrica varía desde 50 mS/cm hasta 3300 mS/cm. Hay una diferencia entre el agua subterránea proveniente de acuíferos colgados (43–201 mS/cm) y aquella del acuífero principal (109–3300 mS/cm). El pH promedio para el agua subterránea es 7.37; con variación desde ácida hasta ligeramente alcalina (6.13–8.4), y es generalmente fría. Sin embargo unos pocos ejemplos asociados con zonas de falla, pueden ser clasificados como agua termal.

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Résumé Lîle de Madeira est un point chaud, provenant dun panache mantélique. Les datations par la méthode de K-Ar indiquent que la part émergée de lîle a été générée pendant le Post Miocène, il y a 6000–7000 ans. Les eaux souterraines sont cantonnées dans des aquifères perchées qui se déchargent par des sources à grands débits, avec des valeurs dapproximativement de 3500 l/s, ainsi que dans les dikes. Une importante quantité des eaux souterraine se trouve sur la forme deau de fonds, formant une nappe basale, qui est exploitée par des tunnels (1100 l/s) et par des puits (1100 l/s). Les gradients hydrauliques ont des valeurs dans lintervalle de 10^–2 à 10^–4, tandis que les transmissivités se rangent entre 1.16×10^–2 m²/s et 2.81×10^–1 m²/s, ce quindique la hétérogénéité de laquifère volcanique. La minéralisation des eaux est aussi variable avec des conductivités électriques qui se rangent ente 50 mS/cm et 3300 mS/cm. Il y a une différence entre la conductivité des eaux provenant des aquifères perchées (30–201 mS/cm) par rapport à la conductivité les eaux de la nappe basale (109–3300 mS/cm). Le pH moyen est de 7.37 avec des valeurs de 6.13 pour les eaux acides et de 8.4 pour les eaux à faible alcalinité. En général il sagit des eaux froides, mais quelques échantillons provenant des zones faillées peuvent être classifiés comme des eaux thermales.

     

Morphology and modern sedimentary deposits of the macrotidal Marapanim Estuary (Amazon,Brazil)

The northern Brazilian coast, east of the Amazon River is characterized by several macrotidal estuarine systems that harbor large mangrove areas with approximately 7600 km². The Marapanim Estuary is influenced by macrotidal regime with moderate waves influence. Morphologic units were investigated by using remote sensing images (i.e., Landsat-7 ETM+, RADARSAT- 1 Wide and SRTM) integrated with bathymetric data. The modern sedimentary deposits were analyzed from 67 cores collected by Vibracore and Rammkersonde systems. Analysis of morphology and surface sedimentary deposits of the Marapanim River reveal they are strongly influenced by the interaction of tidal, wave and fluvial currents. Based on these processes it was possible to recognize three distinct longitudinal facies zonation that revels the geological filling of a macrotidal estuary. The estuary mouth contain fine to medium marine sands strongly influenced by waves and tides, responsible for macrotidal sandy beaches and estuarine channel development, which are characterized by wave-ripple bedding and longitudinal cross-bedding sands. The estuary funnel is mainly influenced by tides that form wide tidal mudflats, colonized by mangroves, along the estuarine margin, with parallel laminations, lenticular bedding, root fragments and organic matter lenses. The upstream estuary contains coarse sand to gravel of fluvial origin. Massive mud with organic matter lenses, marks and roots fragments occur in the floodplain accumulates during seasonal flooding providing a slowly aggrading in the alluvial plain. This morphologic and depositional pattern show easily a tripartite zonation of a macrotidal estuary, that are in the final stage of filling.     

Downward longwave radiation estimates for clear and all-sky conditions in the Sertãozinho region of São Paulo, Brazil

The accurate estimate of the surface longwave fluxes contribution is important for the calculation of the surface radiation budget, which in turn controls all the components of the surface energy budget, such as evaporation and the sensible heat fluxes. This study evaluates the performance of the various downward longwave radiation parameterizations for clear and all-sky days applied to the Sertãozinho region in São Paulo, Brazil. Equations have been adjusted to the observations of longwave radiation. The adjusted equations were evaluated for every hour throughout the day and the results showed good fits for most of the day, except near dawn and sunset, followed by nighttime. The seasonal variation was studied by comparing the dry period against the rainy period in the dataset. The least square linear regressions resulted in coefficients equal to the coefficients found for the complete period, both in the dry period and in the rainy period. It is expected that the best fit equation to the observed data for this site be used to produce estimates in other regions of the State of São Paulo, where such information is not available.     

The convective boundary layer over pasture and forest in Amazonia

Summary The coupling between different types of surface (tropical forest or grass) and the Convective Boundary Layer (CBL) has been investigated using observational (rawinsoundings) data collected over Rondônia in southwest Amazonia. The data reported here support the notion that deforestation may modify the dynamics of the boundary layer, in particular during the dry season. In this period the sensible heat fluxes are very high over pasture, creating a CBL around 550m deeper compared to that over the forest. The measurements showed the height of the fully developed CBL for pasture to be 1650m, compared to around 1100m for forest. During the wet season the height of the CBL is lower than during the dry season and has the same height (around 1000m) for forest and pasture sites. The CBL over pasture is hotter and drier than over forest during the dry season, but during the wet season the air temperatures and humidities are similar. Comparing the CBL growth during the dry and wet season, there is evidence that the CBL properties over the forest are not dependent on the surface characteristics, but over the pasture they are.     

Eddy energy dissipation rate and puff diffusion during calms

The paper considers a puff diffusion in its inertial stage when particle separation obeys the laws of the inertial subrange and depends only on eddy energy dissipation rate . The can be determined in the surface layer by the turbulent kinetic energy equation. Similarity equations connect with diffusion measure .A simple analytical model has been deduced to estimate pollutants diffusion during calms.     

Is the meander growth in the Brazil Current system off Southeast Brazil due to baroclinic instability?

Temporally-growing frontal meandering and occasional eddy-shedding is observed in the Brazil Current (BC) as it flows adjacent to the Brazilian Coast. No study of the dynamics of this phenomenon has been conducted to date in the region between 22° S and 25°S. Within this latitude range, the flow over the intermediate continental slope is marked by a current inversion at a depth that is associated with the Intermediate Western Boundary Current (IWBC). A time series analysis of 10-current-meter mooring data was used to describe a mean vertical profile for the BC-IWBC jet and a typical meander vertical structure. The latter was obtained by an empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis that showed a single mode explaining 82% of the total variance. This mode structure decayed sharply with depth, revealing that the meandering is much more vigorous within the BC domain than it is in the IWBC region. As the spectral analysis of the mode amplitude time series revealed no significant periods, we searched for dominant wavelengths. This search was done via a spatial EOF analysis on 51 thermal front patterns derived from digitized AVHRR images. Four modes were statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. Modes 3 and 4, which together explained 18% of the total variance, are associated with 266 and 338-km vorticity waves, respectively. With this new information derived from the data, the [Johns, W.E., 1988. One-dimensional baroclinically unstable waves on the Gulf Stream potential vorticity gradient near Cape Hatteras. Dyn. Atmos. Oceans 11, 323–350] one-dimensional quasi-geostrophic model was applied to the interpolated mean BC-IWBC jet. The results indicated that the BC system is indeed baroclinically unstable and that the wavelengths depicted in the thermal front analysis are associated with the most unstable waves produced by the model. Growth rates were about 0.06 (0.05) days⁻¹for the 266-km (338-km) wave. Moreover, phase speeds for these waves were low compared to the surface BC velocity and may account for remarks in the literature about growing standing or stationary meanders off southeast Brazil. The theoretical vertical structure modes associated with these waves resembled very closely to the one obtained for the current-meter mooring EOF analysis. We interpret this agreement as a confirmation that baroclinic instability is an important mechanism in meander growth in the BC system.     

Sea surface temperature anomalies driven by oceanic local forcing in the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence

Sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly events in the Brazil-Malvinas Confluence (BMC) were investigated through wavelet analysis and numerical modeling. Wavelet analysis was applied to recognize the main spectral signals of SST anomaly events in the BMC and in the Drake Passage as a first attempt to link middle and high latitudes. The numerical modeling approach was used to clarify the local oceanic dynamics that drive these anomalies. Wavelet analysis pointed to the 8–12-year band as the most energetic band representing remote forcing between high to middle latitudes. Other frequencies observed in the BMC wavelet analysis indicate that part of its variability could also be forced by low-latitude events, such as El Niño. Numerical experiments carried out for the years of 1964 and 1992 (cold and warm El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phases) revealed two distinct behaviors that produced negative and positive sea surface temperature anomalies on the BMC region. The first behavior is caused by northward cold flow, Río de la Plata runoff, and upwelling processes. The second behavior is driven by a southward excursion of the Brazil Current (BC) front, alterations in Río de la Plata discharge rates, and most likely by air-sea interactions. Both episodes are characterized by uncoupled behavior between the surface and deeper layers.     

Pegmatite Emplacement in the Seridó Belt, Northeastern Brazil: Late Stage Kinematics of the Brasiliano Orogen

Geometric and kinematic analysis was performed in an area located in the central part of the Seridó Belt (NE Brazil), where supracrustal rocks affected by polyphase deformation are well exposed. The first event recognized in this area (and regionally known as the D₂ deformation) is characterized by top to the south thrust tectonics while a second one (D₃ deformation) is marked by upright folds, strike-slip or transpressive shear zones and the development of flower structures. Major pegmatite swarms were emplaced during and late as regards the second event (dated ca. 580 Ma), being part of the Brasiliano orogeny; similar dyke swarms are known from the Nigerian Shield. These pegmatite swarms provide reliable kinematic markers of the late evolutionary stage of the Neoproterozoic Trans-Sahara-Borborema collisional belt. Mineralogical, geometric and kinematic features support two stages of pegmatite emplacement during the strike-slip event: (i) older, syn-D₃ homogeneous pegmatites intruded mostly along lithological and structural discontinuities, such as foliation surfaces; (ii) late, D₃ heterogeneous pegmatites were emplaced along tension gashes and other dilation structures. The heterogeneous pegmatites are economically more important, being exploited for precious metals and stones, as well as industrial minerals.     

Two Brazilian archaeological sites investigated by GPR: Serrano and Morro Grande

The application of the ground penetrating radar (GPR) at two archaeological sites, Serrano and Morro Grande, situated in Araruama County, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, aids the study of a prehistoric indigenous culture, associated with the “Tupinambá” that inhabited the region during prehistoric times.The archaeological remains of the study area are mainly characterized by pottery artifacts for several uses, including funerary urns, which were buried within layers of sand and clay. Several profiles were acquired using a RAMAC system, with a 200 and 400 MHz frequency antennae. At the Serrano site, the profiles were acquired around some partially exposed pottery shards, due to sand exploitation. The resultant profiles provided a response model to guide the interpretation of new profiles acquired at other sites in the area, which present similar characteristics.The results showed the great importance of the dielectric permittivity contrast which exists between the targets and the host media, in order for possibly significant features to be identified in radar data.     

Seismic fragility curves of as-built single-span masonry arch bridges

Masonry arch bridges are crucial elements in the railway transportation network throughout Europe. Although significant advances in seismic risk assessment of various bridge types have been made by developing fragility curves of generalized classes of structures, there are no comparable tools for masonry arch structures. In this context, this paper presents the construction of seismic fragility curves of single-span masonry bridges according to the limit analysis method. An iterative procedure is implemented to define the capacity curve of the equivalent single degree of freedom system through non-linear kinematic analysis. The process involves determination of the collapse mechanism, calculation of the limit load multiplier, and definition of the thrust line. The intrinsic variability of the seismic action is incorporated with the use of different sets of elastic spectra compatible with EC 8 Type-1 spectrum for various types of soil, with peak ground acceleration varying over the range 0.05–1.5 g. The fragility curves of the generalized classes of single-span masonry bridges are finally obtained from the effective ranges of the main geometric and material parameters affecting arch bridge capacity.