Soil erosion and sediment transport in Tanzania: Part II – sedimentological evidence of phased land degradation

Soil resources in parts of Tanzania are rapidly being depleted by increased rates of soil erosion and downstream sediment transport, threatening ecosystem health, water and livelihood security in the region. However, incomplete understanding to what effect the dynamics of soil erosion and sediment transport are responding to land-use changes and climatic variability are hindering the actions needed to future-proof Tanzanian land-use practices. Complementary environmental diagnostic tools were applied to reconstruct the rates and sources of sedimentation over time in three Tanzanian river systems that have experienced changing land use and climatic conditions. Detailed historical analysis of sediment deposits revealed drastic changes in sediment yield and source contributions. Quantitative sedimentation reconstruction using radionuclide dating showed a 20-fold increase in sediment yield over the past 120 years. The observed dramatic increase in sediment yield is most likely driven by increasing land-use pressures. Deforestation, cropland expansion and increasing grazing pressures resulted into accelerating rates of sheet erosion. A regime shift after years of progressive soil degradation and convergence of surface flows resulted into a highly incised landscape, where high amounts of eroded soil from throughout the catchment are rapidly transported downstream by strongly connected ephemeral drainage networks. By integrating complementary spatial and temporal evidence bases, this study demonstrated links between land-use change, increased soil erosion and downstream sedimentation. Such evidence can guide stakeholders and policy makers in the design of targeted management interventions to safeguard future soil health and water quality.     

Distribution of lithium,beryllium, and boron in meteoritic chondrules

Abstract— The distribution of Li, Be, and B was studied by ion microprobe mass spectrometry in 36 chondrules from the Semarkona, Bishunpur, Allende, Clovis #1, and Hedjaz meteorites. Within a single chondrule, Li-Be-B concentrations can vary up to one order of magnitude. For example, in a chondrule from Hedjaz, concentrations range from 0.3 to 2.4 ppm for Li, from <0.001 to 0.17 ppm for Be, and from 0.4 to 5.5 ppm for B. Among chondrules from Semarkona and Bishunpur, clear crystal-mesostasis partitioning was observed in nine chondrules for Li, in nine chondrules for Be, and in three chondrules for B. The heterogeneities in the distribution of Li, Be, and B in chondrules from Semarkona and Bishunpur appear to be primary features that were inherited from the chondrules' precursors and not totally obscured during the chondrules' formation. A redistribution of B was nevertheless observed at the whole-rock scale for Allende (B-Al₂O₃ correlation) and Hedjaz (B–SiO₂ correlation). At the scale of bulk chondrules, a robust correlation is observed for all studied meteorites between the B/Be and the B/Li ratios, which indicates that Li and Be are much less heterogeneously distributed in chondrites than B. Mean Li, Be, and B concentrations of chondrules ([Li] ? 0.83^+0.86 ppm; [Be] ? 0.043^0.027 ppm; [B] ? 0.89^+3.71_-0.72 ppm) are consistent with those of Orgueil ([Li] ? 1.49 ppm; [Be] ? 0.0249 ppm; [B] ? 0.87 ppm), but the mean Li/Be ratio of chondrules (24.5^+6.5_-9.1) is a factor of ～4 depleted relative to Orgueil (Li/Be ratio of ～78). Such a depletion is puzzling because no correlation between Li and Na or B has been found as would be expected to result from volatilization processes during chondrule melting and cooling. As a consequence, the exact abundance of solar system Li remains an open question.     

Retention behaviour of humic substances onto mineral surfaces and consequences upon thorium (IV) mobility: case of iron oxides

The influence of humic acids (HA) on the retention of Th(IV) onto the surface of Fe oxides has been investigated. Thorium (IV) is here considered as an analogue of tetravalent radionuclides (Zr, Hf, U, Np, Pu). Hematite (α–Fe₂O₃) and gœthite (α–FeOOH) have been chosen as model phases because of their widespread presence in the earth's crust. Retention experiments were performed by batch procedure at constant ionic strength and varying pH in the range 2–10; the HA concentration varied in the range 1–100 mg l⁻¹. Compared with the former data obtained on the retention of Th(IV) with the same hematite sample free of HA, the study of a ternary system (i.e. hematite–HA–Th), clearly shows the influence of HA on the retention mechanisms of Th(IV) even in neutral to slightly alkaline medium. In particular, it is illustrated that the retention of Th(IV) onto Fe oxides closely depends upon the ratio between humic and surface (Fe oxide) sites. This ratio has to be greater than a critical value in order to impede the sorption of Th(IV).     

The Vigny limestones: a record of Palaeocene (Danian) tectonic-sedimentary events in the Paris Basin

Danian marine sedimentation in the Paris Basin occurred between two major erosional phases. The earlier was responsible for the stripping of presumably deposited Maastrichtian sediments and of a variable thickness of Campanian chalk. The later occurred during the late Palaeocene and resulted in the erosion of almost all Danian deposits, which are now limited to small and scattered outcrops. One of these outcrops corresponds to reefal and peri‐reefal limestones of middle to late Danian age, exposed in the quarries of Vigny (NW of Paris). Danian deposits here show intricate relations with the surrounding Campanian chalk. Danian sedimentation was contemporaneous with faulting, which generated signifiant sea‐floor relief and resulted in contrasting depositional areas: topographic highs with coralgal reefs, and depressions where calcirudite channel fill accumulated. Normal faulting occurred along WNW–ESE master faults. The generation of submarine fault scarps gave rise to various types of gravity‐driven phenomena, including the sliding and slumping of large blocks of reefal limestone and the deposition of carbonate debris flows. Along with the redeposition of the Danian carbonates, flows of fluidized and reworked Campanian chalk resulted from the peculiar physical properties of the undercompacted chalks. Erosion and faulting occurred predominantly during the Palaeocene and represent a major episode in the physiographic evolution of the Paris Basin.     

Impacts of Indian Ocean SST biases on the Indian Monsoon: as simulated in a global coupled model

In this study, the impact of the ocean–atmosphere coupling on the atmospheric mean state over the Indian Ocean and the Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) is examined in the framework of the SINTEX-F2 coupled model through forced and coupled control simulations and several sensitivity coupled experiments. During boreal winter and spring, most of the Indian Ocean biases are common in forced and coupled simulations, suggesting that the errors originate from the atmospheric model, especially a dry islands bias in the Maritime Continent. During boreal summer, the air-sea coupling decreases the ISM rainfall over South India and the monsoon strength to realistic amplitude, but at the expense of important degradations of the rainfall and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) mean states in the Indian Ocean. Strong SST biases of opposite sign are observed over the western (WIO) and eastern (EIO) tropical Indian Ocean. Rainfall amounts over the ocean (land) are systematically higher (lower) in the northern hemisphere and the south equatorial Indian Ocean rainfall band is missing in the control coupled simulation. During boreal fall, positive dipole-like errors emerge in the mean state of the coupled model, with warm and wet (cold and dry) biases in the WIO (EIO), suggesting again a significant impact of the SST errors. The exact contributions and the distinct roles of these SST errors in the seasonal mean atmospheric state of the coupled model have been further assessed with two sensitivity coupled experiments, in which the SST biases are replaced by observed climatology either in the WIO (warm bias) or EIO (cold bias). The correction of the WIO warm bias leads to a global decrease of rainfall in the monsoon region, which confirms that the WIO is an important source of moisture for the ISM. On the other hand, the correction of the EIO cold bias leads to a global improvement of precipitation and circulation mean state during summer and fall. Nevertheless, all these improvements due to SST corrections seem drastically limited by the atmosphere intrinsic biases, including prominently the unimodal oceanic position of the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Convergence Zone) during summer and the enhanced westward wind stress along the equator during fall.     

Impact‐induced microbial endolithic habitats

Abstract— Asteroid and comet impacts on Earth are commonly viewed as agents of ecosystem destruction, be it on local or global scales. However, for some microbial communities, impacts may represent an opportunity for habitat formation as some substrates are rendered more suitable for colonization when processed by impacts. We describe how heavily shocked gneissic crystalline basement rocks exposed at the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Nunavut, Arctic Canada, are hosts to endolithic photosynthetic microorganisms in significantly greater abundance than lesser‐shocked or unshocked gneisses. Two factors contribute to this enhancement: (a) increased porosity due to impact fracturing and differential mineral vaporization, and (b) increased translucence due to the selective vaporization of opaque mineral phases. Using biological ultraviolet radiation dosimetry, and by measuring the concentrations of photoprotective compounds, we demonstrate that a covering of 0.8 mm of shocked gneiss can provide substantial protection from ultraviolet radiation, reducing the inactivation of Bacillus subtilis spores by 2 orders of magnitude. The colonisation of the shocked habitat represents a potential mechanism for pioneer microorganisms to invade an impact structure in the earliest stages of post‐impact primary succession. The communities are analogous to the endolithic communities associated with sedimentary rocks in Antarctica, but because they occur in shocked crystalline rocks, they illustrate a mechanism for the creation of microbial habitats on planetary surfaces that do not have exposed sedimentary units. This might have been the case on early Earth. The data have implications for the microhabitats in which biological signatures might be sought on Mars.     

Deep‐water dunes on drowned isolated carbonate terraces (Mozambique Channel,south‐west Indian Ocean)

Subaqueous sand dunes are common bedforms on continental shelves dominated by tidal and geostrophic currents. However, much less is known about sand dunes in deep‐marine settings that are affected by strong bottom currents. In this study, dune fields were identified on drowned isolated carbonate platforms in the Mozambique Channel (south‐west Indian Ocean). The acquired data include multibeam bathymetry, multi‐channel high‐resolution seismic reflection data, sea floor imagery, a sediment sample and current measurements from a moored current meter and hull‐mounted acoustic Doppler current profiler. The dunes are located at water depths ranging from 200 to 600 m on the slope terraces of a modern atoll (Bassas da India Atoll) and within small depressions formed during tectonic deformation of drowned carbonate platforms (Sakalaves Seamount and Jaguar Bank). Dunes are composed of bioclastic medium size sand, and are large to very large, with wavelengths of 40 to 350 m and heights of 0·9 to 9·0 m. Dune migration seems to be unidirectional in each dune field, suggesting a continuous import and export of bioclastic sand, with little sand being recycled. Oceanic currents are very intense in the Mozambique Channel and may be able to erode submerged carbonates, generating carbonate sand at great depths. A mooring located at 463 m water depth on the Hall Bank (30 km west of the Jaguar Bank) showed vigorous bottom currents, with mean speeds of 14 cm sec^?1 and maximum speeds of 57 cm sec^?1, compatible with sand dune formation. The intensity of currents is highly variable and is related to tidal processes (high‐frequency variability) and to anticyclonic eddies near the seamounts (low‐frequency variability). This study contributes to a better understanding of the formation of dunes in deep‐marine settings and provides valuable information about carbonate preservation after drowning, and the impact of bottom currents on sediment distribution and sea floor morphology.     

An external–internal mode coupling for a 3D hydrodynamical model for applications at regional scale (MARS)

This paper presents a 3D model in sigma coordinates. Although the principles it is based on have been established for some time, some original aspects for this type of 3D mode splitting model are presented here. The model was designed to simulate flows in various coastal areas from the regional scale down to the inshore scale of small bays or estuaries where circulation is generally driven by a mix of processes. The processes to be modeled enable simplifications of the Navier–Stokes equations on the classic Boussinesq and hydrostatic hypotheses. These equations are transformed within a sigma framework to make free surface processing easier. The main point of our demonstration focuses on the original aspect of the coupling between barotropic and baroclinic modes especially designed for ADI. It explains how full consistency of the transport calculated within the 2D and 3D equation sets was obtained. Lastly, we describe the physical processes simulated on a realistic configuration at a regional scale in the Bay of Biscay.     

Spatial and seasonal distribution of bacterial physiological groups in two reservoirs with different trophic levels

The spatial and seasonal distribution of the viable heterotrophic population and three heterotrophic physiological groups, i.e. ammonifyers, nitrate reducers and sulphate reducers, were studied in two reservoirs in the province of Vizcaya (Spain). Using indicative parameters, both reservoirs were classified as warm monomictics, one hypereutrophic and the other mesotrophic. A direct relation between the size of the bacterial populations and the trophic levels of the reservoirs was observed. Likewise, the distributions of the bacterial populations in the water column are basically different. In the hypereutrophic lake there is a direct relationship between the bacterial distribution and the physical-chemical environment of the reservoir that cannot be observed in the mesotrophic lake.