Climatology of summer midtropospheric perturbations in the U.S. northern plains. Part I: influence on northwest flow severe weather outbreaks

Northwest flow severe weather outbreaks (NWF outbreaks) describe a type of summer convective storm that occurs in areas of mid-level NWF in the central United States. Convective storms associated with NWF outbreaks often travel a long distance systematically along a northwest-southeast oriented track across the northern plains. Previous studies have observed that these migrating convective storms are frequently coupled with subsynoptic-scale midtropospheric perturbations (MPs) initiated over the Rocky Mountains. This study traces MPs for the decade of 1997–2006 using the North American Regional Reanalysis to examine their climatology and possible influence on NWF outbreaks. MPs are characterized by a well organized divergent circulation with persistent ascending motion at the leading edge promoting convection. The divergent circulation is further enhanced by low-level convergence along the northern terminus of the Great Plains low-level jet. The downstream propagation of MPs assists in forming the progressive feature of the associated convective storms. MPs have a maximum frequency in July, consistent with NWF outbreaks. In July and August, the fully developed North American anticyclone produces prevailing NWF over the northern plains, where up to 60% of rainfall and storm reports are linked to MPs. The movement, timing and rainfall distribution of MPs remarkably resemble those of NWF outbreaks. When encountering strong low-level jets, ascending motion and convergence of water vapor flux associated with MPs intensify considerably and precipitation is greatly enhanced. It is likely that NWF outbreaks are generated whenever MPs occur in association with strong low-level jets.     

Boulder deposition during major tsunami events

A remarkable accumulation of marine boulders located above the present spring tide level has occurred in two coastal lowlands of the Algarve (Portugal). The size‐interval of the particles studied here is seldom reported in the literature in association with extreme events of coastal inundation, thus making this study of relevance to many other coasts worldwide. The spreads of boulders extend several hundred meters inland and well beyond the present landward limit of storm activity. The marine origin of the boulders is demonstrated by well‐developed macro‐bioerosion sculpturing and in situ skeletal remains of endolithic shallow marine bivalves. The good state preservation of the fossils within the boulders indicates that abrasion during transport and redeposition was not significant. We envisage boulder deposition as having taken place during the Lisbon tsunami of ad 1755 through the simultaneous landward entrainment of coarse particles from nearshore followed by rapid shoreward suspended‐dominated transport and non‐graded redeposition that excluded significant sorting by weight or boulder dimensions. We use numerical hydrodynamic modeling of tsunami (and storm) waves to test the observational data on boulder dimensions (density, size, distribution) on the most likely processes of sediment deposition. This work demonstrates the effectiveness of the study of boulder deposits in tsunami reconstruction. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The R��o de la Plata Craton: a review of units, boundaries, ages and isotopic signature

A review of the lithostratigraphic units in the Río de la Plata Craton and of new and previously published geochronological, isotopic and geophysical data is presented. Sm?CNd T_DM model ages between 2.6 and 2.2?Ga characterize the Piedra Alta Terrane of this craton. Crystallization ages between 2.2 and 2.1?Ga for the metamorphic protoliths and 2.1?C2.0?Ga for the post-orogenic granitoids indicate juvenile crust, followed by a short period of crustal recycling. Cratonization of this terrane occurred during the late Paleoproterozoic. Younger overprinting is not observed, suggesting it had a thick and strong lithosphere in the Neoproterozoic. A similar scenario is indicated for the Tandilia Belt of Argentina. Sm?CNd T_DM model ages for the Nico Pérez Terrane show two main events of crustal growth (3.0?C2.6?and 2.3?C1.6?Ga). The crystallization ages on zircon ranges between 3.1 and 0.57?Ga, which is evidence for long-lived crustal reworking. The age for cratonization is still uncertain. In the Taquarembó Block, which is considered the prolongation of the Nico Pérez Terrane in southern Brazil, a similar scenario can be observed. These differences together with contrasting geophysical signatures support the redefinition of the Río de la Plata Craton comprising only the Piedra Alta Terrane and the Tandilia Belt. The Sarandí del Yí Shear Zone is regarded as the eastern margin of this Craton.     

Groundwater salinization in the Azores archipelago (Portugal)

Groundwater salinization in coastal regions causes severe constraints to water supply and economic losses to society worldwide. In the Azores archipelago, groundwater abstraction in wells drilled in coastal aquifers is very important for water supply, and quality problems have been reported. Therefore, a groundwater chemistry dataset from wells was compiled to study groundwater salinization in these aquifers. Waters are mainly of the Na–Cl type, presenting a slightly acidic to slightly alkaline character, with a pH between 5.63 and 8.50 (median 7.40). Electrical conductivity measurements range from 127 to 9,670 μS/cm (median 862), suggesting highly variable mineralization, with higher values observed on Santa Maria, São Miguel, Pico, Graciosa, and São Jorge islands. The major-ion composition reflects the contribution of seawater to the groundwater compositional evolution, which is essentially explained by seawater intrusion into wells. In many samples, exchange reactions of Na⁺ + K⁺ for Ca²⁺ + Mg²⁺ are associated with salinization. The seawater fraction in groundwater composition reaches a maximum of 22.5%. These results are extremely challenging to water managers in the Azores because failure to comply with national water quality regulations and with European Union groundwater directive requirements often occurs.     

Radiocarbon age inversions and progression: source and causes in Late Holocene sediments from Lake Chapala,western Mexico

The results of eight radiocarbon datings of Lake Chapala sediments (site T46) are presented, the age inversions (AI) observed and their age progression discussed. As deduced from some AIs and the ²¹⁰Pb activity (site CHP4), the bioturbation zone in the lake varies over a depth of 5–25 cm. The linear sedimentation rates (LSRs) calculated from ¹⁴C ages do not match the LSR calculated from unsupported ²¹⁰Pb activity for the upper sediments. This demonstrates the usefulness of dating sediments with complementary radiometric techniques such as short-lived isotope counting (SLIC), i.e., ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs. This approach leads to the following conclusions: (1) The incorporation of detrital particles with ancient carbon into the sedimentary column of the lake occurred by a combination of: (a) the presence of outcrops of hydrothermal petroleum with ages >40 ka (ka = thousands of years) in the lake, and (b) mass transport due to the presence of two elongated gyre circulation patterns integrated by cyclonic circulation (counterclockwise) in the north portion of the lake and anticyclonic circulation in the southern part. (2) Consequently, the ¹⁴C ages of shallow lake sediments have geologic ages one order of magnitude greater compared to their ages determined by the ²¹⁰Pb method. (3) A bioturbation mechanism is not necessary to explain the ¹⁴C AI in the top 70 cm and from 110 to 150 cm depth of the sediments. (4) According to the biological proxies data for the last 600 years B.P., the paleoclimate at Lake Chapala has changed from sub-humid to dry environmental conditions, and eutrophication has increased over the past 100 years due to local input from ongoing agricultural activities.     

Unusual Emissions at Various Energies Prior to the Impulsive Phase of the Large Solar Flare and Coronal Mass Ejection of 4 November 2003

The GOES X28 flare of 4 November 2003 was the largest ever recorded in its class. It produced the first evidence for two spectrally separated emission components, one at microwaves and the other in the THz range of frequencies. We analyzed the pre-flare phase of this large flare, twenty?minutes before the onset of the major impulsive burst. This period is characterized by unusual activity in X-rays, sub-THz frequencies, H??, and microwaves. The CME onset occurred before the onset of the large burst by about 6?min. It was preceded by pulsations of 3??C?5?s periods at sub-THz frequencies together with X-ray and microwave enhancements. The sub-THz pulsations faded out as impulsive bursts were detected at 100??C?300?keV and 7?GHz, close to the time of the first H?? brightening and the CME onset. The activities detected prior to and at the CME onset were located nearly 2?arcmin south of the following large flare, suggesting they were separate events. This unusual activity brings new clues to understanding the complex energy buildup mechanisms prior to the CME onset, occurring at a distinct location and well before the major flare that exploded afterwards.     

Nutrients and Abiotic Stress Interact to Control Ergot Plant Disease in a SW Atlantic Salt Marsh

Over the last decades, human activities have strongly affected ecosystems, with pervasive increases in nutrient loadings, abiotic stress, and altered herbivore pressure. The evaluation of how those environmental factors interact to influence plant–pathogen interactions under natural conditions becomes essential to fully understand the ecology of diseases and anticipate the possible effects of global change on natural and agricultural systems. In a SW Atlantic salt marsh, we performed a field factorial experiment to evaluate the effect of herbivory, salinity, and nutrient availability, three main limiting factors for salt marsh plant growth, on the infection of the fungus Claviceps purpurea (ergot) upon the cordgrass Spartina densiflora. Results show that herbivory has no effect but both nutrients and salinity increase fungal infection. The combined effect of salinity and nutrients is not additive but interactive. Salinity stress increases infection at ambient nutrient levels but in combination with fertilizer it buffers the higher infection produced by increased nutrient availability. Since both, nitrogen availability and salinity are factors predicted to globally increase due to human impact on ecosystems, this interaction between environmental factors and ergot infection can have strong effects on natural and productive agricultural systems.     

Amphibole in vermiculite mined in Argentina. Morphology, quantitative and chemical studies on the different phases of production and their environmental impact

Vermiculites with impurities of amphibole, a dry fine residue and calcined materials from three deposits in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, were studied. From a commercial perspective, amphiboles are considered as “asbestos”, a group of silicate minerals with strong and flexible fibres that are heat resistant and chemically inert, and thus well suited for heat insulation. These fibrous particles have provoked controversies about the toxicity impact on human health and the development of diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis or lung cancer. Their commercialization and exploitation are currently prohibited. The sampled minerals were identified with a petrographic microscope, chemical analyses, SEM and XRD. It was concluded that amphibole minerals are present in all the deposits studied and in every phase of plant production, but not all of them have asbestiform characteristics.