The Southwest Atlantic intertidal burrowing crab Neohelice granulata modifies nutrient loads of phreatic waters entering coastal area

Along the coastal areas of the Southwest Atlantic estuaries and embayments, phreatic water often circulates through very extended areas (up to several hundred meters perpendicular to the coast), dominated by dense assemblages of deep burrows of the crab Neohelice granulata (formerly Chasmagnathus granulatus). This crab inhabits the intertidal area, from mudflats to marshes vegetated by species of Spartina, Sarcocornia and Juncus, generating extensive burrowing beds where burrow density may reach up to 60 burrows m⁻². Since the lower limit of the crab burrows is usually the water table, we investigated through field experiments the effect of N. granulata and their burrows on the chemical characteristics of this phreatic water. Water analysis from experimental (1) occupied burrows (with crabs), (2) unoccupied burrows (where crabs were excluded), and (3) sediment pore water show remarkable differences. Water oxygenation, and nitrate, ammonium and sulphate concentrations inside occupied burrows were higher than in the water inside unoccupied burrows or pore waters. Moreover, directed sampling of phreatic water entering and leaving the crab bed, shows that dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentration is enhanced as the water crosses the crab bed. These results may be ascribed to the fact that in the salt marsh the crabs spend most of their time within burrows, where presumably they store food (plants) and defecate. These activities generate an area of accumulation of excrements and nutrients in different decomposition states. The present work shows a novel way by which bioturbating organisms can affect nutrients exportation from salt marshes to the open waters.     

Indirect effects of the intertidal burrowing crab<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chasmagnathus granulatus</Emphasis> in the habitat use of Argentina’s South West Atlantic salt marsh birds

The burrowing crab,Chasmagnathus granulatus, is the dominant benthic macroinvertebrate of southwest Atlantic salt marshes and tidal flats, having strong ecosystem engineering effects by direct and indirect effects on soil, vegetation, invertebrates, fishes, and birds. Vegetation structure is a main component for bird habitat selection, since greater habitat complexity generates higher niche diversity. This environmental complexity can be modified by species interactions or disturbance events (i.e., by crabs), in turn modifying the associated community. The bird species of salt marshes of the southwest Atlantic are highly dependent on these ecosystems. We assessed the effects of the burrowing crab on the structure of the cordgrass,Spartina densiflora, marshes, and how these changes affected the composition and diversity of birds. This study was conducted at the Mar Chiquita Coastal Lagoon, Argentina (37°40′S, 57°23′W).S. densiflora marshes were classified within three categories: marshes without burrowing crabs, marshes with low burrow densities, and marshes with high burrow densities. We made vegetation and bird surveys during spring beforeS. densiflora produce seeds and in summer when seeds are abundant. We also manipulated inflorescence (i.e., spike) density (a variable affected by crabs) to assess the effect on bird habitat use. The highest inflorescence density ofS. densiflora and highest bird diversity were recorded at low burrow densities. Cover and height ofS. densiflora were negatively correlated with burrow density. The number of bird species and the number of red-capped wren-spinetail,Spartonoica maluroides, were negatively related with cover and height ofS. densiflora. Experiments confirmed that granivorous species used areas with higher spike densities, a variable related to crab burrow density. Burrowing crabs directly and indirectly affect the cover, height, spike density, and morphologic characteristic of seeds ofS. densiflora marshes. These effects indirectly affect the bird community that uses these marshes, being negatively related toS. maluroides and total bird abundance, and positively related to bird diversity.     

Paleoproductivity evolution off central Chile from the Last Glacial Maximum to the Early Holocene

A geochemical and paleontological reconstruction of paleoproductivity, upwelling intensity and sea surface temperature (SST) off central Chile at 35°S (GeoB3359-3) reveals marked changes from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) through the Early Holocene. Surface-water productivity was determined by the interaction between the atmospheric (the Southern Westerlies) and oceanographic (the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, ACC) systems from the LGM through early Termination I (TI). The northward shift of the climate zones during the LGM brought the ACC, as the main macronutrient source, closer to the GeoB3359-3, SST lowered, and surface water productivity and accumulation rates of biogenic components enhanced. With the poleward return of the Southern Westerlies and the ACC, the subtropical high-pressure system became the dominant atmospheric component southward till 35°S during the late TI and Early Holocene and caused surface water productivity to increase through enhanced upwelling.     

Collision of comets with meteoroids

Statistical analysis of the quantity of dust in the cometary atmosphere in relation to the direction of motion of the comet about the Sun suggests an excess of dust for the retrograde comets. This excess is analyzed in the light of Harwit's theory of the cloud of “boulders” and of Öpik's impact theory. A comparison is also made between these excesses and other cometary phenomena such as splittings and outbursts.     

Polarization changes with time during solar microwave impulsive bursts

The evolution with time of circular polarization (t) from solar bursts at 7 GHz presents, in the majority of cases, a polarization degree peak before the maximum flux time. The subsequent evolution of (t) is continuous and usually increasing. The changes could be caused by superimposed polarization effects, due to the fast emissive electrons (dominant in the first phase), and to the propagation effects caused by the coronal condensation where the event occurred (dominant in the second phase). In an approximate approach, (t) is connected to the movement of the source in the second phase, being qualitatively sound, but limited to the lack of knowledge on acceleration processes and on magnetic field topology in the active region where the flares take place.     

The origin of Himalayan anatexis and inverted metamorphism: Models and constraints

The key to comprehending the tectonic evolution of the Himalaya is to understand the relationships between large-scale faulting, anatexis, and inverted metamorphism. The great number and variety of mechanisms that have been proposed to explain some or all of these features reflects the fact that fundamental constraints on such models have been slow in coming. Recent developments, most notably in geophysical imaging and geochronology, have been key to coalescing the results of varied Himalayan investigations into constraints with which to test proposed evolutionary models. These models fall into four general types: (1) the inverted metamorphic sequences within the footwall of the Himalayan thrust and adjacent hanging wall anatexis are spatially and temporally related by thrusting; (2) thrusting results from anatexis; (3) anatexis results from normal faulting; and (4) apparent inverted metamorphism in the footwall of the Himalayan thrust is produced by underplating of right-way-up metamorphic sequences. We review a number of models and find that many are inconsistent with available constraints, most notably the recognition that the exposed crustal melts and inverted metamorphic sequences not temporally related. The generalization that appears to best explain the observed distribution of crustal melts and inverted metamorphic sequences is that, due to specific petrological and tectonic controls, episodic magmatism and out-of-sequence thrusting developed during continuous convergence juxtaposing allochthonous igneous and metamorphic rocks. This coincidental juxtaposition has proven to be something of a red herring, unduly influencing attention toward finding a causal relationship between anatexis and inverted metamorphism.     

The effect of Southwestern Atlantic burrowing crabs on habitat use and foraging activity of migratory shorebirds

Southwestern Atlantic estuaries (Southern Brazil to Northern Patagonia, Argentina) are characterized by the presence of an intertidal burrowing crab Chasmagnathus granulata. This crab species is an important bioturbator which lives in large assemblages and excavates semi-permanent burrows that affect sediment characteristics. Our observations showed that distribution of the crabs in the Mar Chiquita coastal lagoon, Argentina (37°45′S, 57°26′W) affected habitat use and feeding success of migratory shorebirds. During the migratory season the two-banded plover (Charadrius falklandicus) foraged more frequently inside crab beds, and yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes and T. melanoleuca) fed more freqeuntly outside crab beds. Focal observations on the feeding behavior of the white-rumped sandpiper (Calidris fuscicollis) and the two-banded plover inside and outside crab beds showed that the plover was a visual searcher and captured more prey inside crab beds, and the white-rumped sandpiper was a tactile feeder. Although consumption rates (prey min^?1) did not differ between sites, their efficiency (prey probe^?1) inside crab beds was less. These differences were probably related to changes in sediment characteristics and prey behavior, which vary with crab activity. Burrowing crabs alter the suitability of intertidal habitats used by shorebirds in southwestern Atlantic estuaries. We believe that the same process could be occurring with other burrowing curstaceans such as thalassinidean shrimps in other estuaries of the world and could have important implications for management of flats for shorebirds. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY090 00007     

Estimation of rainfall from infrared‐microwave satellite data for basin‐scale hydrologic modelling

The infrared‐microwave rainfall algorithm (IMRA) was developed for retrieving spatial rainfall from infrared (IR) brightness temperatures (TBs) of satellite sensors to provide supplementary information to the rainfall field, and to decrease the traditional dependency on limited rain gauge data that are point measurements. In IMRA, a SLOPE technique (ST) was developed for discriminating rain/no‐rain pixels through IR image cloud‐top temperature gradient, and 243K as the IR threshold temperature for minimum detectable rainfall rate. IMRA also allows for the adjustment of rainfall derived from IR‐TB using microwave (MW) TBs. In this study, IMRA rainfall estimates were assessed on hourly and daily basis for different spatial scales (4, 12, 20, and 100 km) using NCEP stage IV gauge‐adjusted radar rainfall data, and daily rain gauge data. IMRA was assessed in terms of the accuracy of the rainfall estimates and the basin streamflow simulated by the hydrologic model, Sacramento soil moisture accounting (SAC‐SMA), driven by the rainfall data. The results show that the ST option of IMRA gave accurate satellite rainfall estimates for both light and heavy rainfall systems while the Hessian technique only gave accurate estimates for the convective systems. At daily time step, there was no improvement in IR‐satellite rainfall estimates adjusted with MW TBs. The basin‐scale streamflow simulated by SAC‐SMA driven by satellite rainfall data was marginally better than when SAC‐SMA was driven by rain gauge data, and was similar to the case using radar data, reflecting the potential applications of satellite rainfall in basin‐scale hydrologic modelling. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Seasonal variability of primary production in a fjord ecosystem of the Chilean Patagonia: Implications for the transfer of carbon within pelagic food webs

We characterized the seasonal cycle of productivity in Reloncaví Fjord (41°30′S), Chilean Patagonia. Seasonal surveys that included measurements of gross primary production, community respiration, bacterioplankton secondary production, and sedimentation rates along the fjord were combined with continuous records of water-column temperature variability and wind forcing, as well as satellite-derived data on regional patterns of wind stress, sea surface temperatures, and surface chlorophyll concentrations. The hydrography and perhaps fjord productivity respond to the timing and intensity of wind forcing over a larger region. Seasonal changes in the direction and intensity of winds, along with a late-winter improvement in light conditions, may determine the timing of phytoplankton blooms and potentially modulate productivity cycles in the region.Depth-integrated gross primary production estimates were higher (0.4–3.8 g C m^?2 d^?1) in the productive season (October, February, and May), and lower (0.1–0.2 g C m^?2 d^?1) in the non-productive season (August). These seasonal changes were also reflected in community respiration and bacterioplankton production rates, which ranged, respectively, from 0.3 to 4.8 g C m^?2 d^?1 and 0.05 to 0.4 g C m^?2 d^?1 during the productive and non-productive seasons and from 0.05 to 0.6 g C m^?2 d^?1 and 0.05 to 0.2 g C m^?2 d^?1 during the same two periods. We found a strong, significant correlation between gross primary production and community respiration (Spearman, r=0.95; p<0.001; n=12), which suggests a high degree of coupling between the synthesis of organic matter and its usage by the planktonic community. Similarly, strong correlations were found between bacterioplankton secondary production and both gross primary production (Spearman, r=0.7, p<0.05, n=9) and community respiration (Spearman, r=0.8, p<0.05, n=9), indicating that bacterioplankton may be processing an important fraction (8–59%) of the organic matter produced by phytoplankton in Reloncaví Fjord. In winter, bacterial carbon utilization as a percentage of gross primary production was >100%, suggesting the use of allochthonous carbon sources by bacterioplankton when the levels of gross primary production are low. Low primary production rates were associated with a greater contribution of small cells to autotrophic biomass, highlighting the importance of small-sized plankton and bacteria for carbon cycling and fluxes during the less productive winter months. Fecal pellet sedimentation was minimal during this period, also suggesting that most of the locally produced organic carbon is recycled within the microbial loop. During the productive season, on the other hand, the area exhibited a great potential to export organic matter, be it to higher trophic levels or vertically towards the bottom.     

Impact of including surface currents on simulation of Indian Ocean variability with the POAMA coupled model

Impacts on the coupled variability of the Indo-Pacific by including the effects of surface currents on surface stress are explored in four extended integrations of an experimental version of the Bureau of Meteorology??s coupled seasonal forecast model POAMA. The first pair of simulations differs only in their treatment of momentum coupling: one version includes the effects of surface currents on the surface stress computation and the other does not. The version that includes the effect of surface currents has less mean-state bias in the equatorial Pacific cold tongue but produces relatively weak coupled variability in the Tropics, especially that related to the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) and El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The version without the effects of surface currents has greater bias in the Pacific cold tongue but stronger IOD and ENSO variability. In order to diagnose the role of changes in local coupling from changes in remote forcing by ENSO for causing changes in IOD variability, a second set of simulations is conducted where effects of surface currents are included only in the Indian Ocean and only in the Pacific Ocean. IOD variability is found to be equally reduced by inclusion of the local effects of surface currents in the Indian Ocean and by the reduction of ENSO variability as a result of including effects of surface currents in the Pacific. Some implications of these results for predictability of the IOD and its dependence on ENSO, and for ocean subsurface data assimilation are discussed.