Spatial variation in organic matter utilization by benthic communities from Yura River–Estuary to offshore of Tango Sea,Japan

We investigated the distribution of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N of organic matter among benthic communities from the upper estuary of Yura River to offshore of Tango Sea, Japan, to determine spatial variation in utilization of organic matter by benthic communities. The δ¹³C values of benthic animals ranged from −27 to −15‰ in the upper estuary, −21 to −15‰ in the lower estuary, −20 to −16‰ in the shallow coast (5–10 m depths), −18 to −16‰ in the deep coast (30–60 m depths) and −19 to −15‰ in offshore (100–150 m depths) stations. Adapting the dual isotope values to mixing models, we estimated the relative contributions of potential food sources to the benthos diet. Phytoplankton and macroalgae that intruded the estuary in summer were utilized as alternative food aside from the terrestrial-origin organic matter assimilated by the estuarine benthic consumers. Resuspended benthic microalgae were important source of energy in the shallow coastal stations, while abundant supply of phytodetritus fueled the deep coastal and offshore benthic food webs. Spatial difference in the diet of benthic communities depends largely on the shifts in the primary carbon source. Thus, benthic communities are important link of autochthonous/allochthonous production and secondary production in the continuous river–estuary–marine system.     

Hillslope soil water flowpaths and the dynamics of roadside soil cation pools influenced by road deicers

Over the past 60 years, road deicers (i.e. road salt) have been applied to roadways in high latitudes to improve road conditions in winter weather. However, the dissolution of road deicers in highway runoff creates waters with high concentrations of sodium, which can mobilize soil metals via soil cation‐exchange reactions. While several studies have detailed the interactions of road salt‐rich solutions and surface and ground waters, less attention has been given to how local hydrologic flowpaths can impact the delivery of these solutions to near‐road soils. Between 2013 and 2014, soil water samples were collected from a roadside transect of lysimeter nests in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (USA). Soil water samples were analysed for metal concentrations and resulting data used to examine cation dynamics. While patterns in soil water calcium and magnesium concentrations follow patterns in soil water sodium concentrations, additional processes influence patterns in soil water potassium concentrations. Specifically, we observe the highest calcium and magnesium concentrations in the deepest lysimeters, suggesting divalent cations are mobilized to, and potentially accumulate in, deeper soil horizons. In contrast, soil water potassium concentrations do not follow this pattern. Additionally, in all examined elements (Ca, Mg, K, Na, and Cl), the timing of concentration peaks appears be influenced by a combination of both distance from the roadside and sampling depth. These relationships not only suggest that multiple soil water flowpaths interact with our study transect but also confirm that road salt plumes persist and migrate following the road salting season. Characterizing the interactions of sodium‐rich solutions and roadside soil cation pools clarifies our understanding of metal dynamics in the roadside environment. A deeper understanding of these processes is necessary to effectively restore and manage watersheds as high total dissolved solid solutions (e.g. road deicing melt, unconventional natural gas brines, and marginal irrigation water) continue to influence hydrological systems. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Community volunteer assessment of recreational water quality in the Hutt River,Wellington

ABSTRACT

Water is an important component of many recreational opportunities and New Zealand invests significant resources in recreational water quality (RWQ) monitoring to assess risks to public health. However, monitoring primarily focuses on microbiological hazards and RWQ is considerably broader than this. The goal of this study was to take a comprehensive approach to evaluating RWQ while exploring the potential for greater public involvement in monitoring. A popular river swimming site was co-monitored weekly by volunteers and a council field officer. The attributes monitored–water temperature, visual clarity, benthic cyanobacteria and filamentous periphyton cover, E. coli and rubbish–were identified from a volunteer workshop. There was good concordance between volunteer and council data suggesting that volunteer measurements can be considered reliable. This highlights the potential for volunteers, with professional support, including training and quality assurance, to extend council RWQ surveillance to additional monitoring sites while improving public engagement on water management.     

Introduction to Focus Section: Feminist Research and Knowledge Production in Geography

Over the past two decades, feminist geographers have contributed in critical ways to thinking on the conduct, complications, and consequences of feminist research. The robust existing body of work is testament to the foundational import of these contributions, but the articles in this Focus Section suggest that there are still important things to argue, talk about, and reflect on with regard to the epistemological aspects of doing feminist geography. These six articles bring together real-life examples of complex issues that feminist researchers in geography face today, with the overarching aim of sparking discussions about the relationship between feminist research and knowledge production. Specifically, the articles expand key concepts facilitating reflexive processes and offer new tools for feminist researchers. This Introduction reviews the existing literature pertaining to both of these goals, and summarizes and situates the articles that follow.     

Spatial assimilation and its discontents: Asian ethnic neighborhood change in California

This study investigates the geographic and compositional dynamics of ethnic neighborhoods over time among the fastest growing racial group in California, Asian Americans. I conduct spatial analysis of Census data from 2000 and 2010 to represent changes in ethnic neighborhood boundaries and their associated structural and demographic characteristics. First, I document changing ethnic neighborhood patterns among four Asian national origin groups—Chinese, Filipino, Korean, and Vietnamese Americans. Second, I synthesize this information, assessing the theoretical implications of these changes by describing indications of spatial assimilation, ethnic stratification, and resurgent ethnicity among ethnic neighborhoods and the potential repercussions for the successful incorporation of both immigrant and native-born Asian Americans. Overall, this paper demonstrates that Asian ethnic neighborhood dynamics are far from monolithic and that different spatial incorporation processes manifest both within and between groups.     

Rapid crystallization of the Animikie Red Ace Pegmatite,Florence county,northeastern Wisconsin: inclusion microthermometry and conductive-cooling modeling

We evaluated the crystallization regime of a zoned pegmatite dike and the degree of magma undercooling at the onset of crystallization by analyzing coeval fluid and melt inclusion assemblages. The liquidus temperature of the pegmatite magma was ~720°C, based on re-melting of crystallized-melt inclusions in heating experiments. The magma crystallized sequentially starting with a thin border zone, which formed in less than one day at an average temperature of ~480°C based on primary fluid inclusions, meaning 240°C undercooling. The primary inclusions from the outer zones were postdated by secondary inclusions trapped between 580 and 720°C, representing fluid exsolved from hotter, still crystallizing inner pegmatite units. The huge temperature contrast between the pegmatite’s inner and outer zones was simulated by conductive-heat numerical modeling. A 2.5 m wide dike emplaced in 220°C rocks cools entirely to <400°C in less than 50 days. Unidirectional and skeletal textures also indicate rapid, disequilibrium crystallization.     

The Global Earthquake Vulnerability Estimation System (GEVES): an approach for earthquake risk assessment for insurance applications

For the insurance and reinsurance industries, earthquake loss estimation is crucial not only to adequately price its product but also to manage the accumulation risk in the face of the ever-increasing exposure in highly seismic regions. Changes in the built environment and a continuously evolving earthquake science make it a necessity for the industry to constantly refine earthquake loss estimation models. In particular, it has been recognized for a long time that the vulnerability of buildings to ground shaking is a key parameter in any earthquake risk model. Current methods tend either to rely on the limited historical damage and loss data or on the numerical simulation of the response of individual buildings to the ground-shaking produced by earthquakes. Although both methods have their advantages and pitfalls, we are proposing here a simple solution, using transparent input data, that can be realistically used for the needs of the insurance and reinsurance industry, whether detailed information about the insured structures is available or not. The resulting product is known as GEVES (Global Earthquake Vulnerability Estimation System). It is primarily intended for evaluating the mean damage ratio (MDR) suffered by a portfolio of buildings classified by use, under the action of a given earthquake scenario (i.e. an earthquake of given size at a given distance from the portfolio of buildings). A key assumption was that macroseismic intensity rather than spectral displacement would be the basis of loss estimation. The paper describes the model with emphasis on its structure and the justification for the assumptions made. In addition to a new set of earthquake vulnerability functions, the paper also provides recommendations on some aspects of the earthquake hazard, in particular about how to define macroseismic intensity at the site of interest, for a given earthquake scenario. This paper also discusses validation of the GEVES model against calculated vulnerability approaches, and the treatment of uncertainty within the model.     

The isotope hydrology of the Muskoka River Watershed,Ontario, Canada

Stable isotope tracers of δ¹⁸O and δ²H are increasingly being applied in the study of water cycling in regional-scale watersheds in which human activities, like river regulation, are important influences. In 2015, δ¹⁸O and δ²H were integrated into a water quality survey in the Muskoka River Watershed with the aim to provide new regional-scale characterization of isotope hydrology in the 5,100-km² watershed located on the Canadian Shield in central Ontario, Canada. The forest dominated region includes ~78,000 ha of lakes, 42 water control structures, and 11 generating stations, categorized as “run of river.” Within the watershed, stable isotope tracers have long been integrated into hydrologic process studies of both headwater catchments and lakes. Here, monthly surveys of δ¹⁸O and δ²H in river flow were conducted in the watershed between April 2015 and November 2016 (173 surface water samples from 10 river stations). Temporal patterns of stable isotopes in river water reflect seasonal influences of snowmelt and summer-time evaporative fractionation. Spatial patterns, including differences observed during extreme flood levels experienced in the spring of 2016, reflect variation in source contributions to river flow (e.g., snowmelt or groundwater versus evaporatively enriched lake storage), suggesting more local influences (e.g., glacial outwash deposits). Evidence of combined influences of source mixing and evaporative fractionation could, in future, support application of tracer-enabled hydrological modelling, estimation of mean transit times and, as such, contribute to studies of water quality and water resources in the region.