Influence of Temporal Variations in River Discharge, pH, Alkalinity and Ca on the Speciation and Concentration of Heavy Metals in Some Mining Polluted Rivers

Dissolved (dialysis in situ) and total concentrations ofCu, Zn, Cd and Al in eight mining polluted rivers in the Røros area, central Norway, were determinedby atomic absorption spectrometry (flame and graphite furnace) and compared to pH, Caconcentration and alkalinity through seasonal variations in river discharge. Totalconcentrations of the metals were highest during early spring flood and during summer andautumn rain episodes. Dissolved concentrations also increased as the spring floodproceeded, but small discharge peaks within this 2 month period as well as a considerableautumn flood episode appeared to lower rather than to raise the dissolved metal concentrations.Consequently the dissolved fractions of Zn, Cd and Al showed a significant negative correlationwith river discharge, and were low at the discharge peaks. Possibly high sediment concentrationsoccurring at high flood conditions more than counteracted desorption induced by pHdecrease, and led to decreased dissolved fractions through adsorption. Cu speciationon the other hand seemed to be more closely linked to pH. Alkalinity and Ca concentration,both assumed to protect aquatic life from metal pollution, were significantly lowerduring episodes with high Cu and Al total concentrations.     

Simulations of strong ground motion in SW Iberia for the 1969 February 28 (Ms= 8.0) and the 1755 November 1 (M∼ 8.5) earthquakes – II. Strong ground motion simulations

This is the second paper of a series of two concerning strong ground motion in SW Iberia due to earthquakes originating from the adjacent Atlantic area. The aim of this paper is to use the velocity model that was proposed and validated in the companion paper for seismic intensity modelling of the 1969 ( M _s= 8.0) and 1755 ( M = 8.5–8.7) earthquakes.
First, we propose a regression to convert simulated values of Peak Ground Velocity (PGV) into Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) in SW Iberia, and using this regression, we build synthetic isoseismal maps for a large ( M _s= 8.0) earthquake that occurred in 1969. Based on information on the seismic source provided by various authors, we show that the velocity model effectively reproduces macroseismic observations in the whole region. We also confirm that seismic intensity distribution is very sensitive to a small number of source parameters: rupture directivity, fault strike and fault dimensions. Then, we extrapolate the method to the case of the great ( M = 8.5–8.7) 1755 earthquake, for a series of hypotheses recently proposed by three authors about the location of the epicentral region. The model involving a subduction-related rupture in the Gulf of Cádiz results in excessive ground motion in northern Morocco, suggesting that the source of the 1755 earthquake should be located further west. A rupture along the western coast of Portugal, compatible with an activation of the passive western Iberian margin, would imply a relatively low average slip, which, alone, would could not account for the large tsunami observed in the whole northern Atlantic ocean. A seismic source located below the Gorringe Bank seems the most likely since it is more efficient in reproducing the distribution of high intensities in SW Iberia due to the 1755 earthquake.     

Entropy‐based equation to assess hillslope sediment production

A new equation to assess hillslope sediment production, based on physical and probabilistic approaches, is presented. The equation, which allows the computation of the delivery ratio for every event, considers the physical variables of travel distance, stream power, settling velocity and gross erosion. The probability density function that arises from the new formulation is solved using the principle of maximum entropy. Based on data from five watersheds in both tropical and temperate zones, the new delivery parameter K_v is calibrated and associated with vegetation cover and conservation practice. The proposed equation is rationally based in relation to parameter K_v. The entropy‐based equation was applied to assess sediment yield in two other experimental watersheds, showing good predictability for the set (mean absolute error of 20·8%). No systematic error was found in the analysed data. The entropy‐based equation showed good predictability for long‐term sets of data and for high‐erosivity events, but did not perform well for the low‐erosivity ones. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Finding regions of influence on SO2 and SO= 4 daily concentration measurements at four sites in Spain

Contamination by the pollutants SO₂ and SO⁼₄ was analyzed for the 1989–1992 period at four regional stations in Spain under the auspices of the EMEP-BAPMON program. The evolution of the time series of the daily pollution has also been assessed, and high mean concentrations at La Cartuja and Logroño observed, with values of 3.8 and 4.5 g m⁻³ for SO₂, respectively. Maximum annual concentrations were recorded in 1989, when SO₂ reached values of 6.24, 5.39, 5.71, and 9.30 g m⁻³ for the stations of La Cartuja, San Pablo de los Montes, Roquetas, and Logroño, respectively. This work attempts to establish a relationship between the concentrations of the pollutants - both SO₂ gas and SO⁼₄ aerosol - and the zones of emission or persistence of these long-range transported pollutants. In this way, those regions showing a greater impact on the air quality in each season have been determined. To achieve this, the trajectories of the air masses carrying away the pollution to each of the receiving stations were considered and followed by a sectorial analysis. Nonparametric statistical methods were implemented to contrast the chemical homogeneity among the different sectors. The criterion that several homogeneous sectors form a chemically homogeneous region was used. To improve this sectorial analysis, we have proposed a new technique based on the Potential-Source-Contribution Function (PSCF). Starting out from a set of specified regions, considered to be chemically homogeneous domains, it is possible to determine the likelihood that an air mass with particular characteristics (e.g., that a value of the daily concentration higher than the mean recorded at the station has been obtained) will arrive at a given station after having crossed one of the previously defined regions. Using this technique, it is possible to determine the source regions through which the air masses circulate and bring high pollution concentrations to the studied stations. Thanks to the PSCF, these statistical methods offer, through a sectorial analysis, the possibility to pass from a qualitative to a more quantitative view.     

Remanent magnetism of anorganic and organic substances and its exploitation in treating historical problems

Summary Properties of the thermoremanent magnetization of various archaeological materials (baked-clay objects, samples from old trees, bones and stones) were investigated with the purpose to assess the possibility of their use for the determination of the earth's magnetic field in the historical past and to apply the data for solving some practical problems. It turns out that most of those materials yield magnetic values that can be used for making the radiocarbon dating method more accurate, for determining the degree of burning and for direct archaeomagnetic dating. The new conclusions also contribute to the knowledge of changes in the earth's magnetic field in the past.     

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