Late Quaternary lake response to climate change and anthropogenic impact: biomarker evidence from Lake Constance sediments

This study used organic matter in oligotrophic Lake Constance (southern Germany) to reconstruct lake environment and to disentangle the multiple factors, such as climate change and human impacts, which influence sedimentation in large lakes. A sediment core from Upper Lake Constance, which represents 16,000 years of Late Glacial and Holocene lake history, was analysed for organic biomarkers, hydrogen index and elements calcium, strontium, and magnesium. Magnetic susceptibility was measured to establish a high-resolution stratigraphic framework for the core and to obtain further information about changes with respect to relative allochthonous versus autochthonous sedimentation. Dinosterol—a biomarker for dinoflagellates—and calcium have low concentrations in Younger Dryas sediments and consistently high concentrations between 10,500 and 7,000 cal. years BP. These variations are attributed to changes in lake productivity, but are not reflected in the proportion of total organic carbon within the sediment. During the Younger Dryas and between 6,000 and 2,800 cal. years BP, concentrations and accumulation rates of land-plant-derived C₂₉-steroids (β-sitosterol, stigmastanol and stigmasterol), in combination with a relatively low HI, indicate periods of enhanced terrigenous input to the lake. For the Younger Dryas, higher runoff can be attributed to a cold climate, leading to decreased vegetation cover and increased erosion. After 6,000 cal. years BP, high terrestrial input may be explained by enhanced precipitation. Biomarker and HI results, in combination with archaeological studies, raise the question as to whether lakeshore settlements affected sedimentation in Upper Lake Constance between 6,000 and 2,800 cal. years BP.     

Benthic macrofauna and productivity regimes in the Barents Sea — Ecological implications in a changing Arctic

Benthic faunal assemblages were analysed from 47 stations in the central and southern parts of the Barents Sea, together with sedimentary and water column parameters, daily ice records and modelled integrated primary productivity. Sampling spanned areas influenced by Atlantic Water (AW) to those lying under Arctic Water (ArW), and included stations with mixed water masses. Ice cover suppressed water column productivity in the northern areas. Three main faunal groups were identified, based on similarity of numerical faunal composition. The northern and southern faunal groups were separated by the northernmost penetration of AW in the bottom water and the third group, the Hopen group, was influenced by modified bank water. Faunal abundances were significantly higher within the southern faunal group relative to the northern group, but the numbers of taxa present were similar. The particularly rich fauna of the Hopen group reflected sediment heterogeneity and tight pelagic–benthic coupling. These results suggest that a retreat and thinning of the ice cover in the Barents Sea likely will result in the northern parts of the Barents Sea becoming more Atlantic in character, with a higher productivity at the sea floor.     

Generalized Coarse Graining Procedures for Flow in Porous Media

This paper focuses on heterogeneous soil conductivities and on the impact their resolution has on a solution of the piezometric head equation: owing to spatial variations of the conductivity, the flow properties at larger scales differ from those found for experiments performed at smaller scales. The method of coarse graining is proposed in order to upscale the piezometric head equation on arbitrary intermediate scales. At intermediate scales large scale fluctuations of the conductivities are resolved, whereas small scale fluctuations are smoothed by a partialy spatial filtering procedure. The filtering procedure is performed in Fourier space with the aid of a low-frequency cut-off function. We derive the partially upscaled head equations. In these equations, the impact of the small scale variability is modeled by scale dependent effective conductivities which are determined by additional differential equations. Explicit results for the scale dependent conductivity values are presented in lowest order perturbation theory. The perturbation theory contributions are summed up with using a renormalisation group analysis yielding explicit results for the effective conductivity in isotropic media. Therefore, the results are also valid for highly heterogeneous media. The results are compared with numerical simulations performed by Dykaar and Kitanidis (1992). The method of coarse graining combined by a renormalisation group analysis offers a tool to derive exact and explicit expressions for resolution dependent conductivity values. It is, e.g., relevant for the interpretation of measurement data on different scales and for reduction of grid-block resolution in numerical modeling. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Volume relaxation of compacted SiO2 glass: a model for the conservation of natural diaplectic glasses

Relaxation experiments on vitreous SiO₂, densified at 900°C, 20 kbar to a permanent density of 2.36 g cm^?3 yield an activation energy of69 ± 5kcal mol^?1 in the temperature range 700–800°C. The data can be used to estimate minimum cooling rates, maximum depositional temperatures or maximum thicknesses of shock-metamorphosed rocks containing diaplectic glasses, if relaxation of a glass densified under dynamic conditions is assumed to be similar to that of statically densified glass.     

Towards a detailed distal tephrostratigraphy in the Central Mediterranean: The last 20,000 yrs record of Lago Grande di Monticchio

A detailed compilation of distal tephrostratigraphy comprising the last 20,000 yrs is given for the Central Mediterranean region. A total of 47 distinct ash layers identified in the maar lake sediments of Lago Grande di Monticchio (Basilicata, Southern Italy) are compared with proximal and distal terrestrial-marine tephra deposits in the circum-central Mediterranean region. The results of these studies provide valuable information for reconstructing the Late Pleistocene and the Holocene dispersal of pyroclastic deposits from south Italian explosive volcanoes, in particular Somma-Vesuvius, the Campi Flegrei caldera, Ischia Island and Mount Etna. Prominent tephras are discussed with respect to their reliability as dating and correlation tools in sedimentary records. Ashes from Plinian eruptions of Somma-Vesuvius (i.e. Avellino, Mercato, Greenish, Pomici di Base), for instance, are well-defined by their distribution patterns and their unique composition. The widespread Y-1 tephra from Mount Etna, on the other hand, derived most likely from two distinct Plinian events with changing wind conditions, and therefore becomes a less reliable stratigraphic marker. Statistical–numerical calculations are presented in order to discriminate between Holocene tephras from the Campi Flegrei caldera (i.e. Astroni 1–3, Agnano Monte Spina, Averno 1, Lagno Amendolare), since these ashes are characterized by an almost indistinguishable chemical fingerprint. As a highlight, numerous Campanian eruptions of proposed low-intensity have been identified in the distal site of Monticchio suggesting a revision of existing tephra dispersal maps and re-calculation of eruptive conditions. In summary, the tephra record of Monticchio is one of the key successions for linking both, terrestrial records from Central-southern Italy and marine sequences from the Tyrrhenian, Adriatic and Ionian Seas.     

Restoration of submerged vegetation in shallow eutrophic lakes – A guideline and state of the art in Germany

One of the most serious problems caused by eutrophication of shallow lakes is the disappearance of submerged macrophytes and the switch to a turbid, phytoplankton-dominated state. The reduction of external nutrient loads often does not result in a change back to the macrophyte-dominated state because stabilising mechanisms that cause resilience may delay a response. Additional internal lake restoration measures may therefore be needed to decrease the concentration of total phosphorus and increase water clarity. The re-establishment of submerged macrophytes required for a long-term stability of clear water conditions, however, may still fail, or mass developments of tall-growing species may cause nuisance for recreational use. Both cases are often not taken into account when restoration measures are planned in Germany, and existing schemes to reduce eutrophication consider the topic inadequately. Here we develop a step-by-step guideline to assess the chances of submerged macrophyte re-establishment in shallow lakes. We reviewed and rated the existing literature and case studies with special regard on (1) the impact of different internal lake restoration methods on the development of submerged macrophytes, (2) methods for the assessment of natural re-establishment, (3) requirements and methods for artificial support of submerged macrophyte development and (4) management options of macrophyte species diversity and abundance in Germany. This guideline is intended to help lake managers aiming to restore shallow lakes in Germany to critically asses and predict the potential development of submerged vegetation, taking into account the complex factors and interrelations that determine their occurrence, abundance and diversity.     

Behavior of arsenic and antimony in the surface freshwater reaches of a highly turbid estuary, the Gironde Estuary, France

This study reports on the behavior of two redox-sensitive elements, As and Sb, along the turbidity gradient in the freshwater reaches of the turbid Gironde Estuary. During a 17-month survey, surface water and suspended particulate matter (SPM) were sampled monthly at six sites representing both fluvial branches of the Gironde Estuary. Additionally, two longitudinal high resolution profiles were sampled along the fluvial estuary of the Garonne Branch during two contrasted seasons, i.e. with and without the presence of the maximum turbidity zone (MTZ). Seasonal variability and spatial distribution of dissolved (<0.2 μm; <0.02 μm) and particulate As, Sb and Fe were measured and combined with SPM data to understand metalloid behavior in the estuarine freshwater turbidity gradient.At the two main fluvial entries of the Gironde Estuary, dissolved As and Sb concentrations showed strong (by a factor of 2–4) seasonal variations, that were only partly controlled by discharge-related dilution. Seasonal addition of dissolved As and Sb was attributed to the degradation of particulate As and Sb carrier phases in bottom sediment and/or in the adjacent aquifers, rather than release from SPM. In the surface freshwater reaches of the Gironde Estuary, Sb behaved conservatively under all hydrological conditions. In contrast, As was strongly reactive in the presence of the MTZ, with opposite behaviors in the two fluvial branches of the estuary: in the Garonne Branch As was removed from the dissolved phase, whereas in the Dordogne Branch As was added. Redistribution of As between the dissolved and the particulate phases along the turbidity gradient in estuarine freshwater only affected the <0.02 μm fraction, as the 0.02–0.2 μm fraction remained constant (300 ng L⁻¹ in September 2005). Accordingly, As removal seemed to be decoupled from concomitant “colloidal” (0.02–0.2 μm) Fe flocculation in the turbidity gradient. The contrasting behavior of dissolved As in the fluvial estuaries of the Garonne and Dordogne Branches was attributed to sorption processes during equilibration of river-borne dissolved As with estuarine SPM forming the MTZ. This equilibrium, described by a distinct distribution coefficient K_d(As)  11,000 L kg⁻¹ in the MTZ, resulted in either As release (desorption; Dordogne Branch) or removal (adsorption; Garonne Branch) in the respective fluvial estuaries. A mixing experiment under controlled laboratory conditions tended to support that equilibration between the dissolved phase and MTZ particles may induce both As release and removal in the estuarine freshwater reaches, with As distribution evolving towards a distinct K_d value for increasing SPM concentrations. The long-term survey allowed estimating annual (2004) dissolved fluxes of As and, for the first time Sb, at the main fluvial entries of the Gironde Estuary at 30.7 t a⁻¹ and 3.2 t a⁻¹ (Garonne River) and at 8.0 t a⁻¹ and 2.3 t a⁻¹ (Dordogne River), respectively.     

Fluid variability in 2 GPa eclogites as an indicator of fluid behavior during subduction

Fluid activity ratios calculated between millimeter- to centimeter-scale layers in banded mafic eclogites from the Tauern Window, Austria, indicate that variations in a _{H 2 O} existed between layers during equilibration at P approximately equal to 2GPa and T approximately equal to 625°C, whereas a _{CO 2} was nearly constant between the same layers. Model calculations in the system H₂O–CO₂–NaCl show that these results are consistent with the existence of different saturated saline brines, carbonic fluids, or immiscible pairs of both in different layers. The data cannot be explained by the exisience of water-rich fluids in all layers. The model fluid compositions agree with fluid inclusion compositions from eclogite-stage veins and segregations that contain (1) saline brines (up to 39 equivalent wt. % NaCl) with up to six silicate, oxide, and carbonate daughter phases, and (2) carbonic fluids. The formation of crystalline segregations from fluid-filled pockets or hydrofractures indicates high fluid pressures at 2 GPa; the record of fluid variability in the banded eclogite host rocks, however, implies that fluid transport was limited to local flow along individual layers and that there was no large-scale mixing of fluids during devolatilization at depths of 60–70 km. The lack of evidence for fluid mixing may, in part, reflect variations in wetting behavior of fluids of different composition; nonwetting fluids (water-rich or carbonic) would be confined to intergranular pore spaces and would be essentially immobile, whereas wetting fluids (saline brines) could migrate more easily along an interconnected fluid network. The heterogeneous distribution of chemically distinct fluids may influence chemical transport processes during subduction by affecting mineral-fluid element partitioning and by altering the migration properties of the fluid phase(s) in the downgoing slab.     

Long-core profiles of137Cs,134Cs,60Co and210Pb in sediment near the Rhône River (Northwestern Mediterranean Sea)

Various anthropogenic radionuclides and²¹⁰Pb were analyzed in a 4.3-m-long core, sampled near the Rhône River mouth in March 1991, to evaluate the extent of industrial releases that accumulate in this area. The whole core was significantly marked by radionuclide inputs from the nuclear facilities located along the river (¹³⁷Cs,¹³⁴Cs,⁶⁰Co). Irregular profiles in natural and artificial radionuclides should be related to variations in their respective inputs from the Rhône River to the Mediterranean Sea. Minimum concentrations were found during high flow periods. Using both the¹³⁷Cs/¹³⁴Cs profile in the core and the range of this ratio in Rhône waters, mean apparent accumulation rates were estimated to range between 37 cm yr^?1 and 48 cm yr^?1. This core would then represent a sedimentary record over a 7–10 year period. However, the presence of a signal from the Chernobyl accident, which occurred on April 26, 1986, was not clearly observed in the core. Inventories of both artificial and natural radionuclides were greater than expected from atmospheric inputs. The increased sedimentation occurring in close vicinity to the mouth of the Rhône River is thus responsible for trapping of elements transported by the river to the Mediterranean Sea. In this area, inventories of artificial radionuclides are well in excess of aerial deposition from Chernobyl and atmospheric weapons tests and are linked primarily to industrial releases.