Monitoring Large-Scale Tests for Nuclear Waste Disposal

Two large-scale “in situ” demonstration experiments and their instrumentation are described. The first test (FEBEX Experiment) involves the hydration of a compacted bentonite barrier under the combined effect of an inner source of heat and an outer water flow from the confining saturated granite rock. In the second case, the progressive de-saturation of Opalinus clay induced by maintained ventilation of an unlined tunnel is analyzed. The paper shows the performance of different sensors (capacitive cells, psychrometers, TDR’s) and a comparison of fill behaviour with modelling results. The long term performance of some instruments could also be evaluated specially in the case of FEBEX test. Capacitive sensors provide relative humidity data during long transient periods characterised by very large variations of suction within the bentonite.     

Community and Population Responses of the Macroinfauna to Physical Factors over a Range of Exposed Sandy Beaches in South-central Chile

Ten exposed sandy sites covering a range from reflective to dissipative beaches were sampled in south-central Chile to evaluate: (1) spatial changes in species richness, abundance and biomass of the intertidal macroinfauna in response to changes in mean grain size, beach face slope and beach type, and (2) spatial changes in abundance, biomass and body sizes of the most abundant species in response to changes in the physical factors. The number of species, abundance and biomass per beach in general decreased with increasing particle size and beach face slope (steeper beaches) and increased from reflective to dissipative conditions. The best fit for number of species was with Dean's parameter, a measure of beach type, whereas for abundance and biomass the best fits were found with particle size. The isopod Excirolana braziliensis and the anomuran Emerita analoga increased in abundance and biomass towards dissipative conditions, whereas Excirolana hirsuticauda showed the opposite trend in biomass and was significantly larger in beaches with steeper profiles. It is concluded that responses to changes in beach type are more pronounced at community level than within species populations.     

Atmospheric forcing of the eastern tropical Pacific: A review

The increase in marine, land surface, atmospheric and satellite data during recent decades has led to an improved understanding of the air–sea interaction processes in the eastern tropical Pacific. This is also thanks to extensive diagnoses from conceptual and coupled ocean–atmosphere numerical models. In this paper, mean fields of atmospheric variables, such as incoming solar radiation, sea level pressure, winds, wind stress curl, precipitation, evaporation, and surface energy fluxes, are derived from global atmospheric data sets in order to examine the dominant features of the low level atmospheric circulations of the region. The seasonal march of the atmospheric circulations is presented to depict the role of radiative forcing on atmospheric perturbations, especially those dominating the atmosphere at low levels.In the tropics, the trade winds constitute an important north–south energy and moisture exchange mechanism (as part of the low level branch of the Hadley circulation), that determines to a large extent the precipitation distribution in the region, i.e., that associated with the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Monsoonal circulations also play an important role in determining the warm season precipitation distribution over the eastern tropical Pacific through a large variety of air–sea–land interaction mechanisms. Westward traveling waves, tropical cyclones, low latitude cold air intrusions, and other synoptic and mesoscale perturbations associated with the ITCZ are also important elements that modulate the annual rainfall cycle. The low-level jets of the Gulf of California, the Intra-Americas Sea (Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea) and Chocó, Colombia are prominent features of the eastern tropical Pacific low-level circulations related to sub-regional and regional scale precipitation patterns. Observations show that the Intra-Americas Low-Level Jet intensity varies with El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phases, however its origin and role in the westward propagation and development of disturbances that may hit the eastern tropical Pacific, such as easterly waves and tropical cyclones, are still unclear. Changes in the intensity of the trade winds in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico (associated with eastern tropical Pacific wind jets) exert an important control on precipitation by means of wind–topography interactions. Gaps in the mountains of southern Mexico and Central America allow strong wind jets to pass over the continent imprinting a unique signal in sea surface temperatures and ocean dynamics of the eastern tropical Pacific.The warm pools of the Americas constitute an important source of moisture for the North American Monsoon System. The northeastern tropical Pacific is a region of intense cyclogenetic activity, just west of the coast of Mesoamerica. Over the oceanic regions, large-scale properties of key variables such as precipitation, moisture, surface energy fluxes and wind stress curl are still uncertain, which inhibits a more comprehensive view of the region and stresses the importance of regional field experiments. Progress has been substantial in the understanding of the ocean and atmospheric dynamics of the eastern tropical Pacific, however, recent observational evidence such as that of a shallow meridional circulation cell in that region, in contrast to the classic concept of the Hadley-type deep meridional circulation, suggests that more in situ observations to validate theories are still necessary.This paper is part of a comprehensive review of the oceanography of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.     

Relationships Between Community Structure of the Intertidal Macroinfauna and Sandy Beach Characteristics Along the Chilean Coast

Abstract. Eight sandy beaches were seasonally sampled along the coast of Chile, from ca. 21 to 42° S (about 3000 km) to study the relationship between community structure of the intertidal macroinfauna and beach characteristics. Sediment samples (0.1 m², 30 cm deep) were collected (July – September 1998 and December 1998 – January 1999) with plastic cylinders at 15 equally spaced levels along three replicated transects extending from above the drift line to the swash zone. The sediment was sieved through a 1 mm mesh and the organisms collected stored in 5 % formalin. To define beach types, Dean's parameter (Ω) was calculated from wave heights and periods, and fall velocity of sand particles from the swash zone. Crustaceans (mainly peracarids) were the most diverse group with 14 species, followed by polychaetes with 5 species. The talitrid amphipod Orchestoidea tuberculata , the cirolanid isopods Excirolana braziliensis and E. hirsuticauda and the anomuran decapod Emerita analoga were the most widely distributed and common species. Regression analyses between species richness, abundance and biomass of the whole macroinfauna versus sediment characteristics, beach face slopes and morphodynamic beach states showed no significant relationships. Thus, macroinfaunal community characteristics did not increase linearly from lower intermediate to higher intermediate or dissipative beach states as had been found before in Chile or in other coasts. A comparative analysis with data from sandy beaches of other world regions showed that the number of species inhabiting Chilean sandy beaches was generally lower, whereas total population abundances were generally higher compared with values reported elsewhere.     

Spatial and temporal variability of microplankton and detritus, and their export to the shelf sediments in the upwelling area off Concepción, Chile (∼36°S), during 2002-2005

Seasonal variations in diversity and biomass of diatoms, tintinnids, and dinoflagellates and the contribution of microplankton and faecal material to the vertical flux of particulates were investigated at one time series station T (station 18) between 2002 and 2005 and at a grid of stations during November 2004 in the coastal and oceanic area off Concepción (36°S), Chile. The variations were analysed in relation to water column temperature, dissolved oxygen, nutrient concentration, offshore Ekman transport, and chlorophyll-a concentration. Abundance was estimated as cell numbers per litre and biomass in terms of biovolume and carbon units.A sharp decrease with depth was observed in the abundance of both phytoplankton and microzooplankton during the whole annual cycle; over 70% of their abundance was concentrated in the upper 10 m of the water column. Also, a clear seasonality in microplankton distribution was observed at station T, with maxima for diatoms, tintinnids, and dinoflagellates every summer (centred on January) from 2002 to 2005.On the grid of stations, the maximum integrated (0-50 m) micro-phytoplankton abundances (>1 × 10⁹ cells m⁻²) occurred at the coastal stations, an area directly influenced by upwelling. A similar spatial distribution was observed for the integrated (0-200 m) faecal carbon (with values up to 632 mg C m⁻²). Tintinnids were distributed in all the first 300 miles from the coast and dinoflagellates were more abundant in oceanic waters.At station T, the average POC export production (below 50 m depth) was 16.6% (SD = 17%; range 2-67%; n = 16). The biological-mediated fluxes of carbon between the upper productive layer and the sediments of the continental shelf off Concepción depend upon key groups of phytoplankton (Thalassiosira spp., Chaetoceros spp.) and zooplankton (euphausiids) through the export of either cells or faecal material, respectively.     

Applied hydrodynamic wave-resistance computation by Fourier transform

An applied Fourier transform computation for the hydrodynamic wave-resistance coefficient is shown, oriented to potential flows with a free surface and infinity depth. The presence of a ship-like body is simulated by its equivalent pressure disturbance imposed on the un-perturbed free surface, where a linearized free surface condition is used. The wave-resistance coefficient is obtained from the wave-height downstream. Two examples with closed solutions are considered: a submerged dipole, as a test-case, and a parabolic pressure distribution of compact support. In the three dimensional case, a dispersion relation is included which is a key resource for an inexpensive computation of the wave pattern far downstream like fifteen ship-lengths.     

Meadow fragmentation and reproductive output of the SE Asian seagrass Enhalus acoroides

Flower and fruit production of the abundant, tall, long-lived, dioecious, surface-pollinating seagrass species Enhalus acoroides (L.) Royle were estimated at seven sites in the reef flats off Bolinao (NW Luzon, The Philippines) featuring different fragmentation of the seagrass meadows. Fragmentation of the seagrass meadow was quantified as cover of E. acoroides and all seagrass species present in 20×20 m plots. E. acoroides and overall seagrass cover were correlated positively. The proportion of female flowers of E. acoroides that developed a fruit increased sharply as overall seagrass cover was around 50%. Apparent sex ratio bore no relationship with overall seagrass cover. This threshold-type of relationship suggests that fragmentation of seagrass meadows can have a major effect on the reproductive output of this species. A possible mechanism underlying these results would be a non-linear increase of the efficiency of trapping the surface-dispersed pollen with increasing seagrass canopy density. This provides the first evidence based on real data that fragmentation can affect the population dynamics of seagrass species.     

Effects of crab–halophytic plant interactions on creek growth in a S.W. Atlantic salt marsh: A Cellular Automata model

The Bahía Blanca Estuary (38° 50′ S, and 62° 30′ W) presents salt marshes where interactions between the local flora (Sarcocornia perennis) and fauna (Chasmagnathus granulatus) generate some kind of salt pans that alter the normal water circulation and condition its flow and course towards tidal creeks. The crab–vegetation dynamics in the salt marsh presents variations that cannot be quantified in a reasonable period of time. The interaction between S. perennis plant and C. granulatus crab is based on simple laws, but its result is a complex biological mechanism that causes an erosive process on the salt marsh and favors the formation of tidal creeks. To study it, a Cellular Automata model is proposed, based on the laws deduced from the observation of these phenomena in the field, and then verified with measurable data within macroscale time units. Therefore, the objective of this article is to model how the interaction between C. granulatus and S. perennis modifies the landscape of the salt marsh and influences the path of tidal creeks. The model copies the basic laws that rule the problem based on purely biological factors.The Cellular Automata model proved capable of reproducing the effects of the interaction between plants and crabs in the salt marsh. A study of the water drainage of the basins showed that this interaction does indeed modify the development of tidal creeks. Model dynamics would likewise follow different laws, which would provide a different formula for the probability of patch dilation. The patch shape can be obtained changing the pattern that dilates.     

Presence of Hippidion at two sites of western Argentina: Diet composition and contribution to the study of the extinction of Pleistocene megafauna

The composition of Hippidion diet, and possible changes that could relate to its extinction, were evaluated in the Argentinean-Chilean Central Andes, a Neotropical environment characterized by arid to semiarid conditions (Andean hot and cold deserts). Microhistological analyses were made on feces of Hippidion found at Los Morrillos (31°43′S–68°42′W, 3000 m a.s.l.) and Gruta del Indio (34°35′S, 68°22′W, 660 m a.s.l.). At Gruta del Indio the diet of Hippidion was based mainly on woody species. At Los Morrillos, it was based on herbaceous species.This flexibility in diet composition could be a relative adaptive advantage allowing a longer permanence of this species in comparison to others recorded in the region (such as Megatheriumand Mylodon). Nevertheless, this advantage was not enough to guarantee its survival during the Holocene. Extinction could have been affected by diverse agents, such as growing aridification of the area, increasing competition with other species (mainly Lama guanicoe), and human presence, along with a relatively low population density (as expected from the limited presence of Hippidion at the archaeological and palaeontological sites of South America. At Gruta del Indio significant changes in the diet of Hippidion corresponding to different intervals of the period 31,000–9000 ¹⁴C BP are not evident. Given this evidence for similar diets for Hippidion throughout the late Quaternary, other factors need to be considered to explain the extinction of this horse.     

Zoogeographical affinities and the use of vertebrates in Xochicalco (Morelos, Mexico)

Xochicalco is a Mesoamerican locality that developed after the fall of Teotihuacan, and became one of the most important urban, ceremonial and military communities of its time. Chronologically, it is situated in the Epiclassic period (700–900 A.D.) and its buildings show a marked hierarchical distribution. The site is located in the current State of Morelos (Mexico), embedded in the Mexican Transition Zone between the two major American zoogeographic regions: Nearctic and Neotropic. The animal remains identified show a mixed assemblage from both regions. With the aim of exploring the relationship between the zoogeographical affinities of identified fauna and differential uses due to the hierarchical distribution of the site, the data were processed using two multivariate analyses in order to find the animals that characterize each social level. This comparison shows that some animals are common to all the social levels, suggesting easy availability, while a few others, mainly from the Neotropic area, were associated only with the elite places suggesting their quality as social markers. This approach offers an initial hypothesis about the different cultural attitudes toward the animals in a Mesoamerican locality, little studied, showing a positive relationship between the zoogeographic affinity and the social hierarchy.