Headwaters drive streamflow and lowland tracer export in a large-scale humid tropical catchment

Headwaters are generally assumed to contribute the majority of water to downstream users, but how much water, of what quality and where it is generated are rarely known in the humid tropics. Here, using monthly monitoring in the data scarce (2,370 km²) San Carlos catchment in northeastern Costa Rica, we determined runoff-area relationships linked to geochemical and isotope tracers. We established 46 monitoring sites covering the full range of climatic, land use and geological gradients in the catchment. Regression and cluster analysis revealed unique spatial patterns and hydrologically functional landscape units. These units were used for seasonal and annual Bayesian tracer mixing models to assess spatial water source contributions to the outlet. Generally, the Bayesian mixing analysis showed that the chemical and isotopic imprint at the outlet is throughout the year dominated by the adjacent lowland catchments (68%) with much less tracer influence from the headwaters. However, the headwater catchments contributed the bulk of water and tracers to the outlet during the dry season (>50%) despite covering less than half of the total catchment area. Additionally, flow volumes seemed to be linearly scaled by area maintaining a link between the headwaters and the outlet particularly during high flows of the rainy season. Stable isotopes indicated mean recharge elevations above the mean catchment altitude, which further supports that headwaters were the primary source of downstream water. Our spatially detailed “snap-shot” sampling enabled a viable alternative source of large-scale hydrological process knowledge in the humid tropics with limited data availability.     

Observations of the optical afterglow from GRB 060526 with the RTT-150 telescope

Multicolor photometric observations of the optical afterglow from GRB 060526 with the Russian-Turkish 1.5-m RTT-150 telescope (Mount Bakyrlytepe, Turkey) are presented. The afterglow light curve was measured in detail starting from about 5 h after the GRB and over five ensuing nights. In addition, upper limits were obtained on the rapid variability of the afterglow on the first night of observations and the history of afterglow color variations was measured in detail. In the time interval from 6 to 16 h after the burst, the flux gradually decreased approximately as a power law with a slope of ?1.14 ± 0.02. Subsequently, variability was observed on a time scale δt < t and the afterglow began to decay much faster. The afterglow color was approximately constant (V?R ≈ 0.5) throughout the observations, despite the flux variability. Variability time scales up to δt/t ≈ 0.0055 were observed at ΔF _ν/F _ν ≈ 0.3, which violates many constraints on the variability of the observed emission from an ultrarelativistic jet obtained by Ioka et al. (2005). We suggest explaining this variability by the fact that the shell motion is no longer ultrarelativistic at this time.     

Deep eclipses in the cataclysmic variable 1RXS J020929.0+283243

Our observations with the 1.5-m Russian-Turkish Telescope (RTT150) in October 2005 as part of the program for identifying ROSAT X-ray sources revealed deep eclipses in the cataclysmic variable 1RXS J020929.0+283243 in Triangulum. We determined the orbital period of the binary (96.26 min) and the range of its magnitude variations . Due to the favorable geometry (the orbital inclination is close to 90°), the light curve exhibits eclipses of the white dwarf by the secondary component and eclipses of the hot spot by the white dwarf itself.     

Geochemical evolution of groundwater in the Cambrian–Vendian aquifer system of the Baltic Basin

The shallowly buried marginal part of the Cambrian–Vendian confined aquifer system of the Baltic Basin is characterised by fresh and low δ¹⁸O composition water, whereas the deeply settled parts of the aquifer are characterized by typical Na–Ca–Cl basinal brines. Spatial variation in water geochemistry and stable isotope composition suggests mixing origin of the diluted water of three end-members—glacial melt water of the Weichselian Ice Age (115 000–10 000 BP), Na–Ca–Cl composition basin brine and modern meteoric water. The mixing has occurred in two stages. First, the intrusion and mixing of isotopically depleted glacial waters with basinal brines occurred during the Pleistocene glacial periods when the subglacial melt-water with high hydraulic gradient penetrated into the aquifer. The second stage of mixing takes place nowadays by intrusion of meteoric waters. The freshened water at the northern margin of the basin has acquired a partial equilibrium with the weakly cemented rock matrix of the aquifer.     

Delimiting a saline water zone in Quaternary fluvial–alluvial deposits using transient electromagnetic: a case study in Punata,Bolivia

The semiarid Punata alluvial fan is located in the central part of Bolivia. The main activity of this region is the extensive agriculture, and groundwater is the main water supply. Local villagers who use groundwater reported that in some places groundwater has a salty taste. In order to investigate the origin of this problem, several TEM soundings were performed in the study area, and they were complemented with ERT surveys. The results show top layers with resistivity values ranging from 30 to 200 Ωm and a bottom layer with resistivity values ranging from 1 to 20 Ωm, which might be interpreted as the main aquifer and a layer with high clay content, respectively. Between the top and bottom layer, a transition zone with saline water has been identified, with resistivity values ranging from 0.1 to 1 Ωm. The origin of this closed-basin brine might be a product of the evaporation of paleolakes during the lower Pliocene, where saline clays were deposited. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of TEM sounding for mapping very low resistivity zones such as saline water.     

High-resolution monitoring of water temperature and oxygen concentration in Lake Murten (Switzerland)

Lake Murten is located in the Lake District in western Switzerland and so far, it has been poorly investigated. The Environmental Service of Fribourg (SEn) has monitored this lake once a month for several years by water profiles (water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity) at its deepest part. The SEn identified the stratification of water masses as one of the main causes for oxygen consumption in the hypolimnion. In the present study, a Lander System was deployed in Lake Murten from April to September 2015 at 20 m depth at the northwestern part of the lake to monitor water temperature and dissolved oxygen at higher resolution (30 s interval). These records were compared with time series of atmospheric parameters like atmospheric temperature, wind speed and precipitation. A clear correlation of lake temperatures with wind speed was observed during the Spring and Autumn. The water mass stratification evolved through the season and reached its peak during Summer, preventing surface turbulences to reach the deeper part (20 m) of the water column and to partially oxygenate the metalimnion.     

A review of remote sensing methods for glacier mass balance determination

Airborne and satellite remote sensing is the only practical approach for deriving a wide area, regional assessment of glacier mass balance. A number of remote sensing approaches are possible for inferring the mass balance from some sort of proxy estimate. Here, we review the key methods relevant, in particular to Andean glaciers, discussing their strengths and weaknesses, and data sets that could be more fully exploited. We also consider future satellite missions that will provide advances in our observational capabilities. The methods discussed include observation of elevation changes, estimation of ice flux, repeat measurement of changes in spatial extent, snowline elevation and accumulation–ablation area ratio estimation. The methods are illustrated utilising a comprehensive review of results obtained from a number of studies of South American glaciers, focusing specifically on the Patagonian Icefields. In particular, we present some new results from Glaciar Chico, Southern Patagonian Icefield, Chile, where a variety of different satellite and in-situ data have been combined to estimate mass balance using a geodetic or elevation change approach over about a 25 yr period.     

Analysis of optical light curves for the components of the gravitationally lensed quasar SBS 1520+530 based on observations with the 1.5-m RTT-150 telescope in 2001–2005

We present the R _c-band light curves for components A and B of the gravitationally lensed quasar SBS 1520+530 obtained during 2001–2005 with the 1.5-m Russian-Turkish Telescope (RTT-150) at the TUBITAK National Observatory (Turkey). Based on an analysis of the data for the period 2001–2002, we have estimated the time delay of the brightness fluctuations between components A and B of the quasar to be 128 days. This time delay agrees with its previously published values for the periods 1999–2001 and 2003–2004. Using all of the published data on the brightnesses of components A and B of SBS 1520+530 for the 6-year period, we have found at least two microlensing events. One event has the pattern of a long-term linear trend; the duration of the other event is several hundred days.     

Simulation of the hydrogeologic effects of oil-shale mining on the neighbouring wetland water balance: case study in north-eastern Estonia

The water balance of wetlands plays an integral role in their function. Developments adjacent to wetlands can affect their water balance through impacts on groundwater flow and increased discharge in the area, and they can cause lowering of the wetland water table. A 430 km² area was selected for groundwater modelling to asses the effect of underground mining on the water balance of wetlands in north-eastern Estonia. A nature conservation area (encompassing Selisoo bog) is within 3 km of an underground oil-shale mine. Two future mining scenarios with different areal extents of mining were modeled and compared to the present situation. Results show that the vertical hydraulic conductivity of the subsurface is of critical importance to potential wetland dewatering as a result of mining. Significant impact on the Selisoo bog water balance will be caused by the approaching mine but there will be only minor additional impacts from mining directly below the bog. The major impact will arise before that stage, when the underground mine extension reaches the border of the nature conservation area; since the restriction of activities in this area relates to the ground surface, the conservation area’s border is not sufficiently protective in relation to underground development.