Regional analysis of indirect factors affecting the recovery,degradation and deforestation in the tropical dry forests of Oaxaca,Mexico

This study evaluates the dynamics and identifies the indirect biophysical and socio‐economic factors related to the recovery, degradation and deforestation of the tropical dry forest (TDF) cover in the municipality of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico. Annual rates and transition matrices were determined to identify indirect factors; the cartographic information of 25 variables with shift points were overlaid and Generalized Linear Models (GLM) were applied. The change process with the greatest impact in TDF during the study period (1993–2011) was degradation, with 10468 ha degraded (12 per cent of the initial tropical cover); recovery of coverage was the second most important change process, with 4808 ha (5.5 per cent); and deforestation was the change process with the lowest impact, with a loss of 2800 ha (3.23 per cent). The net balance was negative, with a decrease (through land degradation and deforestation) of 8460 ha (9.75 per cent). The recovery of coverage was mainly associated with biophysical factors such as land suitability and accessibility to natural vegetation. On the other hand, deforestation and degradation of coverage were associated with both biophysical and socioeconomic factors such as land suitability, accessibility to natural vegetation, migration, marginalization, population pressure, economy, education and health. The findings of this study determined the spatial distribution of forest recovery, deforestation and degradation processes at a regional level, allowing for future researchers to focus their efforts at local and landscape levels. Also, the work allows for an approximation of the factors associated with the change processes studied, hence supporting the allocation of resources for the establishment of management, conservation, development and restoration strategies of tropical dry forests at the regional level.     

Injection of Zero‐Valent Iron into an Unconfined Aquifer Using Shear‐Thinning Fluids

Approximately 190 kg of 2 μm‐diameter zero‐valent iron (ZVI) particles were injected into a test zone in the top 2 m of an unconfined aquifer within a trichloroethene (TCE) source area. A shear‐thinning fluid was used to enhance ZVI delivery in the subsurface to a radial distance of up to 4 m from a single injection well. The ZVI particles were mixed in‐line with the injection water, shear‐thinning fluid, and a low concentration of surfactant. ZVI was observed at each of the seven monitoring wells within the targeted radius of influence during injection. Additionally, all wells within the targeted zone showed low TCE concentrations and primarily dechlorination products present 44 d after injection. These results suggest that ZVI can be directly injected into an aquifer with shear‐thinning fluids to induce dechlorination and extends the applicability of ZVI to situations where other emplacement methods may not be viable.     

Deflection of jets induced by jet–cloud and jet–galaxy interactions

The model first introduced by Raga & Cantó in which astrophysical jets are deflected on passing through an isothermal high‐density region is generalized by taking into account gravitational effects on the motion of the jet as it crosses the high‐density cloud. The problem is also generalized for relativistic jets in which gravitational effects induced by the cloud are neglected. Two further cases, classical and relativistic, are discussed for the cases in which the jet is deflected on passing through the interstellar gas of a galaxy in which a dark matter halo dominates the gravitational potential. The criteria for the stability of jets due to the formation of internal shocks are also discussed.     

Aquifer interactions with a polluted mountain river of Nicaragua

The interactions between a stream and nearby shallow aquifers were investigated in a mountain basin being polluted by mercury released during mining in central Nicaragua. Hourly data series of water levels and temperatures were analysed using cross‐correlation. Resistivity imaging was used to map the subsurface and to complement the hydrological data interpretation. The results show the complex hydrogeological conditions that characterize the region, with weathering and fractured rock as main contributors to groundwater transport. The resistivity images suggest the presence of two vertical dykes perpendicular to the stream, and zones rich in clay. The data series indicate a rapid response from the aquifers to recharge events, followed by immediate discharge on a yearly basis. Furthermore, alternating periods of stream infiltration and aquifer discharge were identified. This work demonstrates that surface water pollution is a threat to groundwater quality in the area. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vertical profiles of aeolian sand mass flux

Vertical profiles of the horizontal mass flux of blown sand are investigated experimentally using a passive vertical array in a wind tunnel. Considering lower sampling efficiency of the sand trap in the near-bed region, this investigation is complemented by the measurements of the longitudinal profiles of mass flux made using a horizontal sand trap. The experiments were conducted with two test sands and five different stream velocities.In the upper part of the vertical profile, the measured data exhibit an exponential decay distribution with a positive deviation occurring in the near-bed region. The measured longitudinal profiles are similar to the measured vertical profiles. Linking both profiles and the modes of sand transport, it is possible that saltating sand grains give rise to the well-known exponential decay distribution of mass flux, and that creeping and reptating grains force a deviation from it. A simple equation applicable for both the vertical and the longitudinal sand mass flux variations is introduced and the parameters are estimated from experimental data.     

Narrow-band photometry of Wolf-Rayet stars and planetary nebulae

We present observational data in the (16)(9)(25)-photometric system for 11 Wolf-Rayet stars and 7 planetary nebulae. The results show anomalous (16)(9)-indices for these emission objects. Six W-R stars show possible variations in the strength of the HeII line at 6560 Å, perhaps none in the strength of the HeI line at 10830 Å. In spite of these misconstrued (16) and (9)-indices, most WC stars are separated from WN stars in the (16)(9)-array; and PN, in this diagram lie far apart from all kind of stellar objects. The results, yielded by the (25)-index, indicate that the HeI and HeII lines at 10830 Å and 10124 Å, respectively, are probably well suited for photometric examination in W-R stars, PN and other peculiar objects.Paper presented at the 11th European Regional Astronomical Meetings of the IAU on New Windows to the Universe, held 3–8 July, 1989, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain.     

Frequency and duration of historical droughts from the 16th to the 19th centuries in the Mexican Maya lands, Yucatan Peninsula

Using unprecedented catalogues of past severe drought data for the Yucatan Peninsula between 1502 and 1900 coming from historical written documentation, we identified five conspicuous time lapses with no droughts between 1577–1647, 1662–1724, 1728–1764, 1774–1799 and 1855–1880, as well as time epochs with most frequent droughts between 1800 and 1850. Moreover, the most prominent periodicity of the historical drought time series was that of ∼40 years. Using the Palmer Drought Severity Index for the Yucatan Peninsula for the period 1921–1987 we found prominent negative phases between ∼1942–1946 and 1949–1952, 1923–1924, 1928–1929, 1935–1936, 1962–1963, 1971–1972 and 1986–1987. Two prominent periodicities clearly appear at ∼5 and 10 years. Most modern and historical severe droughts lasted 1 year, and share a quasi-decadal frequency. Also, in the first 66 years of the twentieth century the frequency of occurrence of severe drought has been lower compared with the nineteenth century. Some of the major effects and impacts of the most severe droughts in the Yucatan region are examined. We also studied the relation between historical and modern droughts and several large scale climate phenomena represented by the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). Our results indicate that historical droughts and the cold phase of the AMO coincide, while the influence of the SOI is less clear. The strongest coherence between historical droughts and AMO occurred at periodicities of ∼40 years. For modern droughts the coherence of a drought indicator (the Palmer Drought Severity Index) is similar with AMO and SOI, although it seems more sustained with the AMO. They are strongest at ∼10 years and very clearly with the AMO cold phase. Concerning the solar activity proxies and historical droughts, the coherence with a record of beryllium isotope Be¹⁰, which is a good proxy of cosmic rays, is higher than with Total Solar Irradiance. We notice that the strongest coherence between historical droughts and Be¹⁰ occurs at periods ∼60–64 years. When studying modern droughts and solar activity, frequencies of ∼8 years appear, and the coherences are similar for both sunspots and cosmic rays. Comparing natural terrestrial and solar phenomena, we found that the most sustained and strongest modulation of historical drought occurrence is at ∼60–64 years and is between the historical drought series and the solar proxy Be¹⁰. For modern droughts we notice that the coherence is similar among AMO, SOI and the solar indices. We can conclude that the sea surface temperatures (AMO) and solar activity leave their signal in terms of severe droughts in the Maya lands, however in the long term, the influence of the SOI on this type of phenomenon is less clear.