Spatio-temporal variability in debris-flow activity: a tree-ring study at Geisstriftbach (Swiss Alps) extending back to AD 1736

Past debris-flow activity on the forested cone of the Geisstriftbach torrent (St. Niklaus, Valais, Swiss Alps) was assessed from growth disturbances in old conifer trees, providing a much improved record of past events. The study of 633 tree-ring sequences sampled from 252 European larch (Larix decidua Mill.), Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and Silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.) trees allowed reconstruction of 53 debris-flow events since AD 1736. The spatial analysis of trees affected during particular events on the geomorphic map allowed for a spatial representation of individual events and a reconstruction of four flow patterns. Based on our results and Siegfried maps, we believe that before the formation of a dogleg near the cone apex in the late 1890s, debris flows preferentially used the channels located in the west-southwestern part of the Geisstriftbach cone. This study contributes to our understanding of debris-flow processes on cones and provides an example of how dendrogeomorphic techniques may help in the reconstruction and understanding of debris flows in Alpine areas.     

Using chloride and other ions to trace sewage and road salt in the Illinois Waterway

Chloride concentrations in waterways of northern USA are increasing at alarming rates and road salt is commonly assumed to be the cause. However, there are additional sources of Cl⁻ in metropolitan areas, such as treated wastewater (TWW) and water conditioning salts, which may be contributing to Cl⁻ loads entering surface waters. In this study, the potential sources of Cl⁻ and Cl⁻ loads in the Illinois River Basin from the Chicago area to the Illinois River’s confluence with the Mississippi River were investigated using halide data in stream samples and published Cl⁻ and river discharge data. The investigation showed that road salt runoff and TWW from the Chicago region dominate Cl⁻ loads in the Illinois Waterway, defined as the navigable sections of the Illinois River and two major tributaries in the Chicago region. Treated wastewater discharges at a relatively constant rate throughout the year and is the primary source of Cl⁻ and other elements such as F⁻ and B. Chloride loads are highest in the winter and early spring as a result of road salt runoff which can increase Cl⁻ concentrations by up to several hundred mg/L. Chloride concentrations decrease downstream in the Illinois Waterway due to dilution, but are always elevated relative to tributaries downriver from Chicago. The TWW component is especially noticeable downstream under low discharge conditions during summer and early autumn when surface drainage is at a minimum and agricultural drain tiles are not flowing.     

Degradation of chlorinated ethylenes by Fe0: inhibition processes and mineral precipitation

. Granular zero-valent iron was used for the treatment of groundwater pollution caused by chlorinated ethylenes, mainly TCE, cis-DCE and VC at an industrial site. The rapidly decreasing rates of de-chlorination in the initial phase were attributed to the precipitation of carbonates and the development of hydrogen by anaerobic corrosion. After 70 pore volumes, sulphate was reduced by bacteria. From this point in time, the degradation of TCE was slightly accelerated whereas the de-chlorination rates of the other chlorinated ethylenes decreased only slowly. This relative improvement was assumed to be caused by the uptake of electron-transfer-blocking hydrogen by bacteria. Because the overall trend of the degradation rates is negative we conclude that the inhibitive effect of carbonate precipitation and hydrogen formation cannot be compensated for by the positive influence of the activity of sulphate-reducing bacteria.     

500-yr. precipitation variability in Southern Taihang Mountains,China, and its linkages to ENSO and PDO

An annually resolved and absolutely dated ring-width chronology spanning 657 yrs. is constructed with Whitebark pine (Pinus bungeana Zucc.) samples from the southern Taihang Mountains, Eastern China. On the basis of a significant correlation between the tree-ring width index and observed instrumental data, precipitation in current May is reconstructed for the region since AD 1510, with predictor variables accounting for 37.9 % of the variance in precipitation data. In agreement with other drought reconstructions, notable dry spells occur in the 1630s–1650s, 1680s–1700s, and 1770s–1800s, whereas wet periods prevail in the 1530s–1570s, 1840s–1870s, and 1950s-present. Wavelet analysis reveals clear 2–8, 20–40, and 80–130 yrs cycles at the 95 % confidence level for the reconstructed series over the past 500 yrs, suggesting possible linkages with the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Correlation analysis between the tree-ring series, ENSO, and PDO index further demonstrates that precipitation is negatively correlated with PDO and ENSO in the long term.