Metal mobilization from base-metal smelting slag dumps in Sierra Almagrera (Almería,Spain)

Smelting slags associated with base-metal vein deposits of the Sierra Almagrera area (SE Spain) show high concentrations of Ag (<5–180 ppm), As (12–750 ppm), Cu (45–183 ppm), Fe (3.2–29.8%), Pb (511–2150 ppm), Sb (22–620 ppm) and Zn (639–8600 ppm). The slags are mainly composed of quartz, fayalite, barite, melilite, celsian, pyrrhotite, magnetite, galena and Zn–Pb–Fe alloys. No glassy phases were detected. The following weathering-related secondary phases were found: jarosite–natrojarosite, cotunnite, cerussite, goethite, ferrihydrite, chalcanthite, copiapite, goslarite, halotrichite and szomolnokite. The weathering of slag dumps near the Mediterranean shoreline has contaminated the soils and groundwater, which has caused concentrations in groundwater to increase to 0.64 mg/L Cu, 40 mg/L Fe, 0.6 mg/L Mn, 7.6 mg/L Zn, 5.1 mg/L Pb and 19 μg/L As. The results of laboratory leach tests showed major solubilization of Al (0.89–12.6 mg/L), Cu (>2.0 mg/L), Fe (0.22–9.8 mg/L), Mn (0.85–40.2 mg/L), Ni (0.092–2.7 mg/L), Pb (>2.0 mg/L) and Zn (>2.5 mg/L), and mobilization of Ag (0.2–31 μg/L), As (5.2–31 μg/L), Cd (1.3–36.8 μg/L) and Hg (0.2–7 μg/L). The leachates were modeled using the numerical code PHREEQC. The results suggested the dissolution of fayalite, ferrihydrite, jarosite, pyrrhotite, goethite, anglesite, goslarite, chalcanthite and cotunnite. The presence of secondary phases in the slag dumps and contaminated soils may indicate the mobilization of metals and metalloids, and help to explain the sources of groundwater contamination.     

Size Distrtibutions of the >10 MeV Solar Proton Events

As has been recognized recently, data on size (frequency) distributions for different sets of solar flare parameters are very helpful in modeling flare and acceleration processes. Relying upon a new arising paradigm of particle acceleration at different sources at/near the Sun (flares, shock waves, etc.), in this paper, we analyze long-term data (1955–1996) from several Catalogues of Solar Proton Events (SPEs). Above 1 p.f.u. (proton cm^–2 s^–1 sr^–1) of the >10 MeV protons, we have separated in all 320 events associated with identified sources (flares). Then, within this database of flare-related events, a second group (a subgroup) has been formed of the 159 events, additionally having a certain or probable sudden storm commencement (SSC) association (SSC-related events). The basic result is that the power-law slope of size distribution for the 320 flare-related events at integral energy intensities is about 1.37 ± 0.05 over the entire range of the proton intensities, from 1.0 to 10⁵ p.f.u. This slope is in general agreement with earlier analyses of integral energy distributions, but steeper than that for differential energy distributions. A second result is that the SSC-associated events have a double power-law distribution with two different exponents, near 1.00 ± 0.04 and 1.53 ± 0.03 below and above 10³ p.f.u., respectively. The longitude distributions of the proper sources for these two groups display different behaviour suggesting different origins of the two particle populations. A certain difference was also found to exist in the slopes of integral size distributions at >10 MeV and >500 MeV. This may point to a dependence of slope on the proton energy under consideration.     

Managing erosion-induced problems in NW Mediterranean urban beaches

The applicability of recommendations of the Eurosion project to define a policy to manage coastal erosion has been tested at the “beach” scale in the Mediterranean coast. Thus, a favourable sediment status has been defined for these beaches taking into account their main functions: recreation and protection. Because they act at two different seasons, this status needs to be seasonally defined. For the protection function, the favourable sediment status depends on the level of safety fixed by the manager taking into account the importance of existing infrastructures and, for recreation it depends on the use density of the beach. The concept has been formalized for beach management within a framework where benchmarking plays a crucial role to determine the need of intervention. This has been illustrated for open cell beaches where one of its boundaries can permit variations in the sediment budget and for pocket beaches that act as closed sediment cells.     

Can the low-Activity sun Become Dimmer at Maximum?

After analysing the ratio of sunspot to facular areas along the cycle for solar cycles 12 to 20 we propose two possibilities. One indicates a non-linear behaviour for low-activity cycles and a closer-to-linear behaviour for high-activity cycles, the other one presents a non-linear behaviour for both low- and high-activity cycles and a closer-to-linear behaviour for moderate-activity cycles. Furthermore, we also find within the cycle that during low-activity cycles the Sun becomes brighter as their magnetic activity level increases while for high-activity cycles the opposite occurs, in agreement with previous studies of solar-type stars; another possibility, however, is that when evolving from minimum to maximum both the low- and high-activity Sun may become fainter while the moderate-activity Sun brightens.     

Macrobenthic community response to copper in Shelter Island Yacht Basin, San Diego Bay, California

We examined Cu contamination effects on macrobenthic communities and Cu concentration in invertebrates within Shelter Island Yacht Basin, San Diego Bay, California. Results indicate that at some sites, Cu in sediment has exceeded a threshold for “self defense” mechanisms and highlight the potential negative impacts on benthic faunal communities where Cu accumulates and persists in sediments. At sites with elevated Cu levels in sediment, macrobenthic communities were not only less diverse but also their total biomass and body size (individual biomass) were reduced compared to sites with lower Cu. Cu concentration in tissue varied between species and within the same species, reflecting differing abilities to “regulate” their body load. The spatial complexity of Cu effects in a small marina such as SIYB emphasizes that sediment-quality criteria based solely on laboratory experiments should be used with caution, as they do not necessarily reflect the condition at the community and ecosystem levels.     

Geoacoustic character,sedimentology and chronology of a cross-shelf Holocene sediment deposit off Cabo Frio,Brazil (southwest Atlantic Ocean)

The Cabo Frio region in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeast coast of Brazil, is characterized by a local coastal upwelling system and converging littoral sediment transport systems that are deflected offshore at Cabo Frio, as a consequence of which a thick cross-shelf sediment deposit has developed over time. To investigate the evolution of this muddy deposit, geophysical, sedimentological and geochemical data from four sediment cores (3.8–4.1 m in length) recovered in water depths between 88 and 141 m were analyzed. The high-resolution seismic data show variable sediment thicknesses ranging from 1 to 20 m, comprising two sedimentary units separated by a high-impedance layer at a depth of about 10 m below the seafloor at the coring sites. According to the available age datings, the upper sedimentary unit is late Pleistocene to Holocene in age, whereas the lower unit (not dated) must, by implication, be entirely Pleistocene in age. The boomer-seismic reflection signal can be divided into three echo-types, namely transparent (inner shelf), stratified (middle shelf) and reflective (outer shelf), each type seemingly related to the local sediment composition. The upper 4 m of the upper sedimentary unit is dominated by silty sediment on the middle shelf, and by upward-fining sediments (silty sand to sandy silt) on the inner and outer shelf. The downcore trends of P-wave velocity, gamma-ray density and acoustic impedance are largely similar, but generally reversed to those of water and organic carbon contents. Total organic carbon contents increase with decreasing mean grain size, periodic fluctuations suggesting temporal changes in the regional hydrodynamics and primary productivity fuelled by the local upwelling system. The reconstruction of sedimentation rates in the course of the Holocene is based on 35 AMS age datings of organic material recovered from variable downcore depths. These range from a maximum of 13.3 cm/decade near the base of the inner shelf core (7.73–7.70 ka BP) to generally very low values (<0.11 cm/century) over the last thousand years in all cores. Over the last 6 ka there appear to have been three distinct sedimentation peaks, one between 6 and 5 ka BP, another between 4 and 3 ka PB, and one around 1 ka BP. Due to different time intervals between dates, not every peak is equally well resolved in all four cores. Based on the similar sedimentology of the inner and outer shelf cores, an essentially identical sedimentation model is proposed to have been active in both cases, albeit at different times. Thus, already during the last glacial maximum, alongshore sediment transport was deflected offshore by a change in shoreline orientation caused by the Cabo Frio structural high. The source of terrigenous material was probably a barrier-island complex that was subsequently displaced landward in the course of sea-level rise until it stabilized some 6.5 ka BP along the modern coast.     

The impact of technology availability on the timing and costs of emission reductions for achieving long-term climate targets

While most long-term mitigation scenario studies build on a broad portfolio of mitigation technologies, there is quite some uncertainty about the availability and reduction potential of these technologies. This study explores the impacts of technology limitations on greenhouse gas emission reductions using the integrated model IMAGE. It shows that the required short-term emission reductions to achieve long-term radiative forcing targets strongly depend on assumptions on the availability and potential of mitigation technologies. Limited availability of mitigation technologies which are relatively important in the long run implies that lower short-term emission levels are required. For instance, limited bio-energy availability reduces the optimal 2020 emission level by more than 4 GtCO₂eq in order to compensate the reduced availability of negative emissions from bioenergy and carbon capture and storage (BECCS) in the long run. On the other hand, reduced mitigation potential of options that are used in 2020 can also lead to a higher optimal level for 2020 emissions. The results also show the critical role of BECCS for achieving low radiative forcing targets in IMAGE. Without these technologies achieving these targets become much more expensive or even infeasible.     

Peat depth as a control on moss water availability under evaporative stress

Northern peatlands are a vital component of the global carbon cycle, containing large stores of soil organic carbon and acting as a long‐term carbon sink. Moss productivity is an important factor in determining whether these wetlands will retain this function under future climatic conditions. Research on unsaturated water flow in peatlands, which controls moss productivity during periods of evaporative stress, has focused on relatively deep bog systems. However, shallower peatlands and marginal connective wetlands can be essential components of many landscape mosaics. In order to better understand factors influencing moss productivity, water balance simulations using HYDRUS‐1D were run for different soil profile depths, compositions, and antecedent moisture conditions. Our results demonstrate a bimodal distribution of peatland realizations, either primarily conserving water by limiting evapotranspiration or maximizing moss productivity. For sustained periods of evaporative stress, both deep water storage and a shallow initial water table delay the onset of high vegetative stress, thus maximizing moss productivity. A total depth of sand and peat of 0.8 m is identified as the threshold above which increasing peat depth has no effect on changing vegetative stress response. In contrast, wetlands with shallow peat deposits (less than 0.5 m thick) are least able to buffer prolonged periods of evaporation due to limited labile water storage and will thus quickly experience vegetative stress and so limit evaporation and conserve water. With a predicted increase in the frequency and size of rain events in continental North America, the moss productivity of shallow wetland systems may increase, but also greater moisture availability will increase the likelihood they remain as wetlands in a changing climate.     

Manmade Vulnerability of the Cancun Beach System: The Case of Hurricane Wilma

Climate change and resultant coastal erosion and flooding have been the focus of many recent analyses. Often these studies overlook the effects of manmade modifications to the coastline which have reduced its resilience to storm events. In this investigation, we integrate previous reports, historical photo analysis, field work, and the application of numerical models to better understand the effects of Wilma, the most destructive hurricane to affect Cancun, Mexico. Huge waves (of significant height, >12 m), long mean wave periods (>12 s), devastating winds (>250 km/h), and powerful currents (>2 m/s) removed >7 million cubic meters of sand from the Cancun beach system, leaving 68% of the sub‐aerial beach as bedrock, and the rest considerably eroded. Numerical simulations show that the modifications to the barrier island imposed by tourist infrastructure have considerably increased the rigidity of the system, increasing the potential erosion of the beach under extreme conditions. If there were no structural barriers, a series of breaches could occur along the beach, allowing exchange of water and alleviating storm surge on other sections of the beach. If the effects caused by anthropogenic changes to Cancun are ignored, the analysis is inaccurate and misleading.