Absorption and fluorescence properties of rainwater during the cold season at a town in Western Portugal

This study aims at evaluating the variability of the optical properties of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) of rainwater during the cold season, specifically between Autumn and Winter periods. The spectroscopic characteristics of rainwater samples collected at a town (Aveiro) in western Portugal were assessed by UV-Vis absorbance and three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopies. Rainwater samples showed similar characteristics to those of natural humic substances when analysed by UV-Vis absorbance spectroscopy, but a significant difference was observed in the volume weight average (VWA) of absorbances between Autumn and Winter. In general, the EEM fluorescence spectra of the Autumn and Winter samples disclosed the presence of six fluorophores with different VWA specific fluorescence intensities: three humic-like (λ _excitation/λ _emission ≈ 230/415 nm; 290/415 nm; and 340/415 nm) and three protein-like (λ _excitation/λ _emission ≈ 230/350 nm; 280/340 nm; and 225/300 nm), but one of the humic-like peaks (≈340/415 nm) does not always appear in the EEM fluorescence spectra of the Winter samples. During the cold season, chromophoric compounds are important constituents of rainwater dissolved organic matter and the presence of these highly absorbing and fluorescing compounds may exert a determining effect in atmospheric absorption of solar radiation.     

Mediterranean Seagrass Growth and Demography Responses to Experimental Warming

We experimentally examined the effects of increased temperature on growth and demography of two Mediterranean seagrasses Posidonia oceanica and Cymodocea nodosa. Shoots of C. nodosa and seedlings and shoots of P. oceanica were kept in mesocosms for 3?months and exposed to temperatures between 25 and 32?°C encompassing the range of maximum summer seawater temperatures projected for the Mediterranean Sea during the twenty-first century. The response of P. oceanica seedlings to warming was evident with reduced growth rates, leaf formation rates and leaf biomass per shoot. Younger life stages of P. oceanica may therefore be particularly vulnerable to climate change and warming. Leaf formation rates in the shoots of P. oceanica declined with increasing temperature and the lowest population growth (?0.005?day^?1) was found at 32?°C. Temperature effects on C. nodosa were variable. Rhizome growth increased with warming (0.07?C0.09?cm?day^?1?°C of warming), whereas other indicators of plant performance (aboveground/belowground biomass, leaf biomass and population growth) appeared to be stimulated by increased temperature to a threshold temperature of around 29?C30?°C beyond which they declined. P. oceanica and C. nodosa are likely to be negatively impacted by the effects of global warming over the next century and climate change poses a significant challenge to seagrasses and may stress these key habitat-forming species that are already suffering losses from anthropogenic impacts.     

Performance evaluation of AR5-CMIP5 models for the representation of seasonal and multi-annual variability of precipitation in Brazilian hydropower sector basins under RCP8.5 scenario

ABSTRACT

Representations of precipitation from CMIP5 models over the 1950–1999 period in hydrographic basins that are relevant to the Brazilian electricity sector are evaluated in this study. The majority of ensemble members adequately represented seasonal variability, although they differed about the patterns of high-frequency interannual variation. The models did not adequately represent seasonal-scale precipitation in the southern region of Brazil. Relative to other models, the CNRM_CM5 and HadGEM2-ES models demonstrated good seasonal and interannual representation over most basins, while the global CanESM2, GFDL-ESM2M and IPSL_CM5A-LR models demonstrated relatively poor performance. The models concur on the impact of the RCP8.5 scenario in the Southeast/Midwest and South sectors over the period 2015–2044, suggesting that precipitation will decrease up to 15% in the basin supplying the Furnas hydropower plant and by 12% in the basin supplying the Itaipú plant, which represents 25% of the hydroelectric production in Brazil.     

Forest fire risk maps: a GIS open source application – a case study in Norwest of Portugal

Forest fires are widely recognized as one of the most critical events in global change. Successful fire management depends on effective fire prevention, detection, and presuppression, having an adequate fire suppression capability, and consideration of fire ecology relationships. Geographical information systems (GIS) provide tools to create, transform, and combine georeferenced variables. In Portugal, as in many other countries, it is mandatory that all the municipalities produce forest fire risk maps on an annual basis, following the rules of the Portuguese Forest Authority, a governmental association. This article presents the results of a research project aimed at producing forest fire risk maps in a GIS open source environment in Portugal. The requirements of an open source application are better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in. Three different open source desktop GIS software projects were evaluated: Quantum GIS (QGIS), generalitat valenciana, Sistema d'Informacio Geografica, and Kosmo. Taking into account the skills and experience of the authors, the main advantage of QGIS relies on the easiness and quickness in developing new plug-ins, using Python language. Therefore, this project was developed in QGIS platform and the interface was created in Python. This application incorporates seven procedures under a single toolbar. The production of the forest fire risk map comprises several steps and the production of several maps: probability, susceptibility, hazard, vulnerability, economic value, potential loss, and finally the forest fire risk map. The forest fire risk map comprises five classes: very low risk (dark green), low risk (green), medium risk (yellow), high risk (orange), and very high risk (red). This application was tested in three different municipal governments of the Norwest zone of Portugal. This application has the advantages of grouping in a unique toolbar all the procedures needed to produce forest fire risk maps and is free for the institution/user. Beyond being an open source application, this application may be faster and easier when compared with the GIS proprietary solutions that usually comprise several steps and the use of different software extensions. This work presents several contributions for the area of the GIS open source applications to forest fire risk management.     

Heavy metal concentrations and biomarkers of oxidative stress in native mussels (Mytilus edulis chilensis) from Beagle Channel coast (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of oxidative stress biomarkers of pollution in native mussels Mytilus edulis chilensis from the Beagle Channel. Spatial and seasonal variations of catalase, glutathione-S-transferase and lipid peroxidation in gills and digestive gland were analyzed in relation to environmental parameters, heavy metals in sediment and in tissue. Four sites with anthropogenic impact and a control site were selected and monitored during the four seasons of 2007. We found significant differences among sites in concentrations of dissolved nutrients and heavy metals in sediments, with the highest values recorded at sites with anthropogenic pressure. Different patterns were observed between concentrations of metals in tissues and in sediments suggesting differences in bioavailability. There were also significant differences in biomarker responses among sites, despite the strong seasonal variability. Our results showed relatively moderate levels of pollution in the study area as a result of urban influences.     

Distribution and contribution of major phytoplankton groups to carbon cycling across contrasting conditions of the subtropical northeast Atlantic Ocean

The relation between trophic regime and phytoplankton composition and function in oceanic systems is well accepted in oceanography. However, the relative dynamics and carbon cycling contributions of different phytoplankton groups across gradients of ocean richness are not fully understood. In this work we investigated phytoplankton dynamics along two transects from the NW African coastal upwelling to open-ocean waters of the north Atlantic subtropical gyre. We adopted a pigment-based approach to characterize community structure and to quantify group-specific growth and grazing rates and associated carbon fluxes. Changes in pigment cell concentration during the incubation experiments due to photoadaptation were corrected to obtain reliable rates. The oceanic region was dominated by Prochlorococcus (PRO) (45±7% of total chlorophyll a) while diatoms dominated in upwelling waters (40±37%). Phytoplankton grew faster (μ=0.78±0.26 d⁻¹) and free of nutrient limitation (μ/μ_n=0.98±0.42) in the coastal upwelling region, with all groups growing at similar rates. In oceanic waters, the growth rate of bulk phytoplankton was lower (μ=0.52±0.16 d⁻¹) and nutrient limited (μ/μ_n=0.68±0.19 d⁻¹). Diatoms (0.80±0.39 d⁻¹) and Synechococcus (SYN) (0.72±0.25 d⁻¹) grew faster than Prymnesiophyceae (PRYMN) (0.62±0.26 d⁻¹) and PRO (0.46±0.18 d⁻¹). The growth rates of PRO and SYN were moderately nutrient limited (μ/μ_n=0.81 and 0.91, respectively), while the limitation for diatoms (μ/μ_n=0.71) and PRYMN (μ/μ_n=0.37) was more severe. Microzooplankton grazing rate was higher in upwelling (0.68±0.32 d⁻¹) than in oceanic waters (0.37±0.19 d⁻¹), but represented the main loss pathway for phytoplankton in both systems (m/μ=0.90±0.32 and 0.69±0.24, respectively). Carbon flux through phytoplankton, produced and grazed, increased from offshore to coastal (∼2 to ∼200 μg C L⁻¹ d⁻¹), with diatoms dominating the flux in the upwelling region (52%) while PRYMN (40%) and PRO (30%) dominated in the open ocean.     

Biogeochemical conditions in sediments enriched by organic matter from net-pen fish farms in the Bolinao area, Philippines

Sedimentation and sediment metabolism was measured at eight active milkfish fish pens and at one abandoned site in the Bolinao area, Philippines in order to examine the interactions between sediment and water in this shallow coastal zone. The rates of sedimentation were high in the area due to siltation, but the activities in the fish pens also contributed to enhanced sedimentation as indicated by the difference between the abandoned and active sites. The sediment metabolism appeared to decrease with increasing rates of sedimentation indicating that the microbial activity reached a saturation level in the fish pen sediments. Anaerobic processes dominated the organic matter decomposition, and sulfate reduction rates are among the highest measured in fish farm sediments. The rates decreased with increasing organic loading despite high concentrations of sulfate (>10 mM) at all sites. Presence of methane bubbles in the sediments suggests that sulfate reduction and methanogenesis were coexisting. The sediment metabolism was significantly reduced at the abandoned site indicating that the stimulation of microbial activities is due to active fish production. The anaerobic activity remained high at the abandoned site indicating that the sediment biogeochemical conditions remain affected long time after fish production has ceased.     

Long-distance lava correlation in the Paraná volcanic province along the Serra Geral cuesta, southeastern Brazil

The capability of determining the flow-by-flow stratigraphy and the long-distance correlation of lava flows in large continental volcanic provinces leads to a considerable advance in the understanding of processes related to generation and evolution of the lavas. The Paraná volcanic province is exposed along the Serra Geral cuesta of southern Brazil in a steeply inclined, 1,000-m-high section starting 40-m above sea level. Each of the 10–20 pahoehoe flows and rhyodacite flow units has a unique chemical composition. Integrated with field stratigraphy and gamma-spectrometric measurements, this leads to the establishment of the correct stratigraphic sequence in each of three different vertical sections. The number of flows integrating the three serras is 26 (“serra” is a mountain range in Portuguese). Each serra has basaltic andesites at the base, whereas rhyodacites are intercalated with basaltic andesites at the top. Three basaltic andesite flows and one rhyodacite flow unit are correlated between Serra Umbu and Serra Boa Vista (10 km). In the Serra Faxinal, a thick (170 m) sill at the base correlates with flow 13F, whereas a dike-sill in the Graxaim quarry (24 km distance) correlates with flow 3F. One basaltic andesite and two rhyodacite flow units correlate between Serra Faxinal and Serra Umbu (50 km). The results are most significant for the understanding of large tracts of continental volcanic provinces with use of common geochemical and gamma-spectrometric techniques.     

Coupled hydromechanical‐fracture simulations of nonplanar three‐dimensional hydraulic fracture propagation

This paper presents an algorithm and a fully coupled hydromechanical‐fracture formulation for the simulation of three‐dimensional nonplanar hydraulic fracture propagation. The propagation algorithm automatically estimates the magnitude of time steps such that a regularized form of Irwin's criterion is satisfied along the predicted 3‐D fracture front at every fracture propagation step. A generalized finite element method is used for the discretization of elasticity equations governing the deformation of the rock, and a finite element method is adopted for the solution of the fluid flow equation on the basis of Poiseuille's cubic law. Adaptive mesh refinement is used for discretization error control, leading to significantly fewer degrees of freedom than available nonadaptive methods. An efficient computational scheme to handle nonlinear time‐dependent problems with adaptive mesh refinement is presented. Explicit fracture surface representations are used to avoid mapping of 3‐D solutions between generalized finite element method meshes. Examples demonstrating the accuracy, robustness, and computational efficiency of the proposed formulation, regularized Irwin's criterion, and propagation algorithm are presented.