Fluid flow, methane fluxes, carbonate precipitation and biogeochemical turnover in gas hydrate-bearing sediments at Hydrate Ridge, Cascadia Margin: numerical modeling and mass balances

A numerical model was applied to investigate and to quantify biogeochemical processes and methane turnover in gas hydrate-bearing surface sediments from a cold vent site situated at Hydrate Ridge, an accretionary structure located in the Cascadia Margin subduction zone. Steady state simulations were carried out to obtain a comprehensive overview on the activity in these sediments which are covered with bacterial mats and are affected by strong fluid flow from below. The model results underline the dominance of advective fluid flow that forces a large inflow of methane from below (869 μmol cm⁻² a⁻¹) inducing high oxidation rates in the surface layers. Anaerobic methane oxidation is the major process, proceeding at a depth-integrated rate of 870 μmol cm⁻² a⁻¹. A significant fraction (14%) of bicarbonate produced by anaerobic methane oxidation is removed from the fluids by precipitation of authigenic aragonite and calcite. The total rate of carbonate precipitation (120 μmol cm⁻² a⁻¹) allows for the build-up of a massive carbonate layer with a thickness of 1 m over a period of 20,000 years. Aragonite is the major carbonate mineral formed by anaerobic methane oxidation if the flow velocity of methane-charge fluids is high enough (≥10 cm a⁻¹) to maintain super-saturation with respect to this highly soluble carbonate phase. It precipitates much faster within the studied surface sediments than previously observed in abiotic laboratory experiments, suggesting microbial catalysis. The investigated station is characterized by high carbon and oxygen turnover rates (≈1000 μmol cm⁻² a⁻¹) that are well beyond the rates observed at other continental slope sites not affected by fluid venting. This underlines the strong impact of fluid venting on the benthic system, even though the flow velocity of 10 cm a⁻¹ derived by the model is relative low compared to fluid flow rates found at other cold vent sites. Non-steady state simulations using measured fluid flow velocities as forcing demonstrate a rapid respond of the sediments within a few days to changes in advective flow. Moreover, they reveal that efficient methane oxidation in these sediments prevents methane outflow into the bottom water over a wide range of fluid flow velocities (<80 cm a⁻¹). Only at flow rates exceeding approximately 100 cm a⁻¹, does dissolved methane break through the sediment surface to induce large fluxes of up to 5000 μmol CH₄ cm² a⁻¹ into the overlying bottom water.     

European lake shores in danger — concepts for a sustainable development

In Europe, when small (> 0.01 km²) lakes are considered, approximately 500,000 natural lakes occur. This considerable number points to the fact that lakeshore habitats and ecosystems are of significant importance to the total biodiversity of European landscapes, not only because of their expanse, but also because they are ecotones between land and water, which attract many kinds of wildlife, economical, cultural and recreational uses and human settlement. These very considerable stretches of shore are not currently registered, mapped or evaluated anywhere.Apart from providing habitat, the littoral biocoenosis performs a string of additional functions in the ecosystem, of which several are also of great importance to people, such as self purification, buffer zone, erosion protection and recreation scenery. In particular, the recreational function provides a main economic base for many lake areas and even whole countries in Europe. However, human interests have resulted in lake shore deterioration, such that many European lakes are now bare natural shores or retain only relics of them. Apart from the loss of the ecological functions, this also leads to a substantial loss of economic benefits. This precipitates the need for a responsible management, which can be done only on the base of a sound assessment method and a continuous monitoring of the status of lake shore areas. On a European scale, the European Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) and the Habitat Directive (92/43/EEC) provide the frame for the assessment and monitoring of the status of littoral habitats of lakes. The WFD focuses on entire surface water bodies, including their associated wetlands under influence of their natural water-level fluctuations. However, the provided set of quality elements has to be adapted for an approach specific to lake shores. Apart from quality elements indicating the natural spatial pre-requisites, biocoenotic diversity and integrity, and ecosystem function and dynamics, also quality elements representing the human pressure of land use and the social and economic value of the lake shore zone should be included in an integrated lakeshore assessment and monitoring concept.However, the application of such an integrated quality assessment scheme requires an integrated administrative counterpart, just as the WFD requires for water management aspects on a catchment scale. Only by overcoming the splitting of competence among a variety of authorities and planning corporations can an integrated approach to sustainable shore development be translated into action.     

Water level variability and trends in Lake Constance in the light of the 1999 centennial flood

The extreme flood of Lake Constance in 1999 focused attention on the variability of annual lake levels. The year 1999 not only brought one of the highest floods of the last 180 years but also one of the earliest in the season. The 1999 extreme event was caused by heavy rainfall in the alpine and pre-alpine regions. The influence of precipitation in the two distinct regional catchments on lake level variations can be quantified by correlation analysis. The long-term variations in lake level and precipitation show similar patterns. This is seen through the use of spectral analysis, which gives similar bands of spectral densities for precipitation and lake level time series. It can be concluded from the comparison of these results with the analysis of climate change patterns in northern Europe, i.e. the index of the North Atlantic Oscillation, that the regional effects on lake level variations are more pronounced than those of global climate change.     

Elastic properties of pyrope

Brillouin spectroscopy was used to measure the single crystal elastic properties of a pure synthetic pyrope and a natural garnet containing 89.9 mol% of the pyrope end member (Mg₃Al₂Si₃O₁₂). The elastic moduli, c _ij , of the two samples are entirely consistent and agree with previous estimates of the elastic properties of pyrope based upon the moduli of solid solutions. Our results indicate that the elastic moduli of pyrope end-member are c ₁₁=296.2±0.5, c ₁₂=111.1±0.6, c ₄₄=91.6±0.3, K_s=172.8±0.3, =92.0±0.2, all in units of GPa. These results differ by several percent from those reported previously for synthetic pyrope, but are based upon a much larger data set. Although the hydrous components of the two samples from the present study are substantially different, representing both dry and saturated samples, we find no discernable effect of structurally bound water on the elastic properties. This is due to the small absolute solubility of water in pyrope, as compared with other garnets such as grossular.     

The 20°C isotherm depth and sea level in the western equatorial pacific

A high correlation exists between the 20°C isotherm depth at the north equatorial countercurrent trough of dynamic topography and the monthly mean sea level at Truk Island. The meridional topography of the main thermocline depth can be used to monitor the strength of the equatorial currents, in the same manner as dynamic heights and sea levels at oceanic islands are used.     

Die Bilanz des Längstransportes in der Brandungszone

Zusammenfassung Für den in der Brandungszone unter dem Einfluß der Brandungsenergie und der Brandungsströmungen küstenparallel verlaufenden Materialstrom wird unter Verwendung integraler Größen die Bilanzgleichung aufgestellt. Es zeigt sich, daß der Materialstrom und damit die An- und Ablandung längs der Küste eindeutig durch die Verteilung der Brandungsenergie und die Größe der Brandungsströmung bestimmt wird. Anhand von fünf Beispielen werden die Anwendung der Methode erläutert und typische Vorgänge an der Küste erklärt.

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The balance of littoral transport in the surf zone

Summary By means of integrals the balance equation is set up for the drift of material which under the influence of the surf energy and the longshore current in the surf zone is flowing parallel to the coast. This equation plainly represents the material drift and, hence, accretion and erosion along the coast as a function of the distribution of the surf energy and the strength of the longshore current. Finally, five examples are presented showing how to apply the method and explaining typical shore processes.

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Le bilan du transport des matériaux le long de la côte dans la zone du déferlement

Résumé Au moyen d'intégrales on a établi l'équation de bilan pour le courant des matériaux qui, sous l'influence de l'énergie et des courants de déferlement, est dirigé en sens parallèle à la côte dans la zone du déferlement. Cette équation représente nettement les courants des matériaux dirigés vers le large et vers la plage en fonction de la répartition de l'énergie et de la puissance du courant de déferlement. Enfin, cinq exemples sont présentés pour exposer l'application de la méthode et pour expliquer des procès typiques rencontrés sur les côtes.

     

Modeling business interruption impacts due to disrupted highway network of Shifang by the Wenchuan earthquake

Natural Hazards - A highway network plays an important role in sustaining business operations in a regional economy. However, in the event of catastrophic earthquakes, a highway network is very...