General database for ground water site information

In most cases, analysis and modeling of flow and transport dynamics in ground water systems require long-term, high-quality, and multisource data sets. This paper discusses the structure of a multisite database (the H+ database) developed within the scope of the ERO program (French Environmental Research Observatory, http://www.ore.fr). The database provides an interface between field experimentalists and modelers, which can be used on a daily basis. The database structure enables the storage of a large number of data and data types collected from a given site or multiple-site network. The database is well suited to the integration, backup, and retrieval of data for flow and transport modeling in heterogeneous aquifers. It relies on the definition of standards and uses a templated structure, such that any type of geolocalized data obtained from wells, hydrological stations, and meteorological stations can be handled. New types of platforms other than wells, hydrological stations, and meteorological stations, and new types of experiments and/or parameters could easily be added without modifying the database structure. Thus, we propose that the database structure could be used as a template for designing databases for complex sites. An example application is the H+ database, which gathers data collected from a network of hydrogeological sites associated with the French Environmental Research Observatory.     

Basic physiological biomarkers in adult female perch (Perca fluviatilis) in a chronically polluted gradient in the Stockholm recipient (Sweden)

By measuring a battery of basic physiological biomarkers and the concentration of SigmaDDT in adult female perch (Perca fluviatilis), an assumed aquatic pollution gradient was confirmed, with the city of Stockholm (Sweden) as a point source of anthropogenic substances. The investigation included an upstream gradient, westwards through Lake M?laren (46 km), and a downstream gradient, eastwards through the Stockholm archipelago (84 km). The results indicated a severe pollution situation in central Stockholm, with poor health status of the perch: retarded growth, increased frequency of sexually immature females, low gonadosomatic index, and disturbed visceral fat metabolism. SigmaDDT, measured as a pollution indicator, was 10-28 times higher than the background in perch from the Baltic Proper. Besides the main gradient other sources of pollution also influenced the response pattern of the measured biomarkers. In particular, there were strong indications of pollution coming from the Baltic Sea.     

Opportunistic macroalgae metrics for transitional waters. Testing tools to assess ecological quality status in Portugal

Macroalgae communities constitute one of the ecological quality elements for the evaluation of the ecological quality status (EQS) of coastal and transitional waters, required to implement the WFD. While these algae are natural components of estuarine systems and play important roles in several estuarine processes, macroalgal blooms are of ecological concern because they can reduce the habitat quality. Several works are being carried out to set standard methods for monitoring macroalgae blooms, in order to develop tools to derive EQS based upon this biological quality element. The aim of this paper is to apply the methodology described by Scanlan et al. [Scanlan, C.M., Foden, J., Wells, E., Best, M.A., 2007. The monitoring of opportunistic macroalgal blooms for the water framework directive. Marine Pollution Bulletin 55, 162–171] to a series of data assembled in the south arm of the Mondego estuary (Atlantic coast of Portugal) considering two different ecological situations. Additionally, an alternative assessment method intended to be used when no biomass data are available was also tested. In general, both options captured the inter-annual variations in accordance with the system evolution. Option 2, less expensive and time-consuming, allowed an EQS evaluation with accurate results when biomass data were not available. The results suggest that sampling should be carried out from April to June.     

A universal nutrient application strategy for the bioremediation of oil-polluted beaches

Biostimulation by nutrient application is a viable technology for restoring oil-contaminated beaches. Maximizing the nutrient residence time is key for achieving a rapid cost-effective cleanup. We considered the nutrient injection strategy through a perforated pipe at the high tide line and we simulated numerically beach hydraulics, which allowed us to estimate the optimal injection flow rate of nutrient solution. Our results indicate that the optimal application is one that starts following the falling high tide and lasts for half tidal cycle. The saturated wet-front of the nutrient solution on the beach surface would move seaward with the same speed of the falling tide keeping a constant distance with the tide line. The numerical results were generalized to beaches of wide ranges of hydraulic and tidal properties using a novel dimensionless formulation for water flow and solute transport in porous media. Nomographs were presented to provide the flow rate based on four parameters: The beach slope and hydraulic conductivity, and tidal amplitude and period.     

A new three-stage evolution model for millimeter to centimeter wavelength outbursts in BL Lacertae

The multi-frequency light curves of BL Lacertae during 1997.5 – 1999.5 have been modeled by four outbursts,each having a 3-stage evolution in the (S m,νm) plane with distinct rising–plateau–decaying phases.It is shown that the observed light curves can be well fitted for the eight frequencies from 350GHz to 4.8GHz.The main characteristics of the model-fitting are: (1) the outbursts are found to have very flat spectra with an optically thin spectral index α (defined as Sν∝ν-α) of about 0.15.This is consisten...     

THE INVERSE DUST TAIL MODEL: APPLICATION TO FADING COXMET TABUR 1996Q1

that the comet nucleus disactivation was due either to seasonal effects, putting all active areas in permanently night sides, or to the complete end of the whole nucleus surface activity (possibly due either to nucleus mantling, or to the end of the ice reservoir) . Dust tail models are powerful tools to obtain information on the time evolution of the physical properties of the dust grains released along its orbit by an active cornet. Moreover, the observation techniques required to obtain the necessary high- quality input data are widely available, being based on CCD detectors coupled to wide field telescopes (or simple telephoto lenses for the brightest comets ). In this paper, we discuss the most advanced version of these models, the so called inverse tail model, which allows us to fit the observed tail and to obtain most of the required physical outputs by means of automatic inversion procedures, and we apply it to the peculiar dust tail of C/1996Q1. After a normal brightness incraease, Comet Tabur     

纳米比亚陆架沉积物中大硫细菌的致密布居

Ｔｈｉｏｐｌｏｃａ属的丝状聚集硝酸盐的硫细菌在智利和秘鲁海岸形成了湿重达１２０ｇ／ｍ２的广泛分布。与南美大陆架相类似，纳米比亚外陆架具含高浮游生物生产力和缺氧底层水的强上升海流。在沿纳米比亚海岸寻找Ｔｈｉｏｐｌｏｃａ的过程中，我们在１９９７年４月乘Ｒ／ＶＰｅｔｅｒｋｏｔｔｓｏｖ船的一次航行中，从约１００ｍ水深处采集了沉积物样品。Ｔｈｉｏｐｌｏｃａ及与其关系密切的Ｂｅｇｇｉａｔｏａ是存在的，但数量极少。相反，我们发现了以高达４７ｇ／ｍ２生物量出现的先前没有描述过的硫细菌的大量存在。这些大细菌呈串珍…     

Near Real－Time Calculation of Ionospheric Electric Fields and Currents Using GEDAS

This paper presents the recent progress in our project of estimating near real-time electric fields and currents in the ionosphere through our computer system called the Geospace Environment Data Analysis System (GEDAS). We show a new technique in which data from ground magnetometers are collected by the system and used as input for the KRM and AMIE programs to calculate the distribution of ionospheric electric fields and currents, as well as of other ionospheric parameters, such as electric potential patterns. One of the goals of this project is to specify ionospheric processes. Examples of the near real-time calculation and the data flow of our scheme are presented.     

Trophic ecology of the sea urchin Spatangus purpureus elucidated from gonad fatty acids composition analysis

Irregular sea urchins such as the spatangoid Spatangus purpureus are important bioturbators that contribute to natural biogenic disturbance and the functioning of biogeochemical cycles in soft sediments. In the coastal waters of the Balearic Islands S. purpureus occurs in soft red algal beds, and can reach high densities. The diet of S. purpureus is unknown and it is particularly difficult to analyze the stomach contents of this group; therefore, we analyzed the fatty acid (FA) composition of the gonads and potential food resources in order to assess the trophic relationships of this species. The FA profiles of the gonads of S. purpureus agree well with the FA composition of the potential trophic resources (algae and sediment) and reveals changes between localities with different available resources. Three polyunsaturated FAs mainly contributes in the composition in the S. purpureus gonads: eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3) and arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6), both abundant in the macroalgal material, and palmitoleic acid (C16:1n-7), which is characteristic of sediment samples. Trophic markers of bacterial input and carnivorous feeding were significantly more abundant in sea urchins caught on bottoms with less vegetation. The current study demonstrates that the FA content of S. purpureus gonads is a useful marker of diet, as differences in the profiles reflected the variations in detritus composition. The results of this study show that this species has omnivorous feeding behavior; however, viewed in conjunction with available abundance data the results suggest that phytodetritus found within algal beds is an important carbon source for this species.