Evaluation of contaminants retention in soils from Viamão District, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

Adsorption is one of the most significant processes in the mobility of soluble pollutants in soils. The aim of this work is to characterize and evaluate the adsorption capacity of soils from Viamão District, Brazil. The studied ions were lead_total, copper_total, sulfate, phosphate, and potassium. The soils were mapped by remote sensing and characterized by granulometrical and mineralogical techniques. The adsorption tests were made by the contact of soil samples with aqueous solutions. The soils adsorption capacity presented the following trend: Pb_total>Cu_total≈PO ₄ ³⁻ >K⁺ ≈SO ₄ ²⁺ . Adsorption in the soils is strongly influenced by clay content. The adsorption of phosphate, copper, and lead was accentuated by the presence of organic matter. Phosphate adsorption was controlled by oxides and organic matter. Both potassium and sulfate showed insignificant adsorption in the studied soils.     

Adamantinasuchus navae: A new Gondwanan Crocodylomorpha (Mesoeucrocodylia) from the Late Cretaceous of Brazil

A new Late Cretaceous Mesoeucrocodylian from the Adamantina Formation (Bauru Basin), São Paulo State, Brazil is described. The main features of this new species are the short, high oreinirostral rostrum, the large laterally positioned orbital notches and external nares in the anteriormost portion of the rostrum. The mandible is robust and concave-shaped in relation to the skull. The dentition is highly specialized, with two prominent incisiform teeth, a hypertrophied caniniform, and seven molariform teeth. The molariform teeth are ornamented with denticles in their lingual surface and are smooth on their labial surface. The molariforms are elliptical in cross-section, presenting the largest axis in the labial-lingual direction. Such dental characteristics are unique among the terrestrial crocodylomorphs of the Gondwana.     

Chemical composition and the nitrogen-regulated trophic state of Patagonian lakes

Chemical composition and nutrient concentrations of 39 relatively poorly known Patagonian lakes (38–50°S and from 70° to 68°W) are described and analysed using principal component analysis (PCA). The general relationships between nutrients (total phosphorus, bioavailable phosphorus and dissolved inorganic nitrogen) and plankton biomass are examined.We seek to demonstrate that the extreme oligotrophy characterising many lakes and reservoirs of the Argentine Patagonian region of South America owes more to nitrogen deficiency than to a shortage of available phosphorus. The data show a range of trophic conditions with variable water chemistry characteristics.The first two axes of the PCA ordination explain most of the variance (63%). The first component of the variance in the environmental data is a trophic gradient, with positive correlations with the concentrations of nutrients (TP, SRP, DIN) and electrical conductivity and a negative correlation with transparency. For all the reservoirs considered, the calculated annual, summer and winter chlorophyll-a carrying capacities of the available phosphorus were consistently and significantly (P<0.05) in excess of observations but maximum chlorophyll-a values correlate with DIN availability. Indeed the chlorophyll-a carrying capacities, as an index of the resource-sustainable maximum biomass, of the available nitrogen gives a better predictive yield relationship than does P. Our findings are remarkable in so far as the general expectation that dinitrogen-fixing phytoplankton should thrive in the absence of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, at least to the supportive limits of the available phosphorus, is unfulfilled.     

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.     

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.     

Rapid characterisation of the extremely large landslide threatening the Rules Reservoir (Southern Spain)

Landslides - When an active landslide is first identified in an artificial reservoir, a comprehensive study has to be quickly conducted to analyse the possible hazard that it may represent to such...     

Efficient approach in modeling the shear strength of unsaturated soil using soil water retention curve

Acta Geotechnica - Currently, there are debates on the relationship between the effective stress and shear strength of unsaturated soils. Thus, it is imperative to present an efficient method that...     

Towards a better understanding of the evolution of the flood risk in Mediterranean urban areas: the case of Barcelona

This contribution explores the evolution of the flood risk in the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (MAB; Northeast Spain) from 1981 to 2015, and how it has been affected by changes in land use, population and precipitation. To complete this study, we analysed PRESSGAMA and INUNGAMA databases to look for all the information related to the floods and flash floods that have affected the chosen region. The “Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros”, a state insurance company for extraordinary risks, provided data on economic damage. The extreme precipitation trend was analysed by the Fabra Observatory and El Prat-Airport Observatory, and daily precipitation data were provided by the State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET) and the Meteorological Service of Catalonia (SMC). Population data were obtained from the Statistical Institute of Catalonia (IDESCAT). Changes in land use were estimated from the land use maps for Catalonia corresponding to 1956, 1993, 2000, 2005 and 2009. Prevention measures like rainwater tanks and improvements to the drainage system were also been considered. The specific case of Barcelona is presented, a city recognised by United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction as a model city for urban resilience to floods. The evolution of flood events in the MAB does not show any significant trend for this period. We argue that the evolution in floods can be explained, at least in part, by the lack of trend in extreme precipitation indices, and also by the improvements in flood prevention measures.     

Ra and Rn isotopes as natural tracers of submarine groundwater discharge in the patagonian coastal zone (Argentina): an initial assessment

Submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) is herein recognized as a significant pathway of material transport from land to the coastal SW Atlantic Ocean and thus, it can be a relevant factor affecting the marine biogeochemical cycles in the region. This paper focuses on the initial measurements of ²²⁶Ra, ²²⁸Ra and ²²²Rn made in Patagonia’s coastal zone of Chubut and Santa Cruz provinces (42°S–48°S, Argentina). ²²⁶Ra activity ranged from 2.9 to 73.5 dpm 100 L^?1, and ²²⁸Ra activity ranged from 11.9 to 311.0 dpm 100 L^?1 in groundwater wells. The radium activities found in Patagonia’s marine coastal regions and adjacent shelf indicate significant enrichment throughout the coastal waters. Groundwater samples presented the largest ²²²Rn activity and ranged from 2.66 to 1083 dpm L^?1. Conversely, in the coastal marine environment, the ²²²Rn activity ranged from 1.03 to 6.23 dpm L^?1. The Patagonian coastal aquifer showed a larger enrichment in ²²⁸Ra than in ²²⁶Ra, which is a typical feature for sites where SGD is dominant, probably playing a significant role in the biogeochemistry of these coastal waters.