Influence of Mussel Culture on the Vertical Export of Phytoplankton Carbon in a Coastal Upwelling Embayment (Ría de Vigo,NW Iberia)

The goal of this paper is to find out whether suspended mussel culture affects the vertical fluxes of biogenic particles in the Ría de Vigo on a seasonal scale. With this aim, vertical fluxes of particulate organic carbon (POC) and the magnitude and composition of vertical export of phytoplankton carbon (Cphyto) collected in sediment traps were examined by comparing data obtained inside a mussel farming area (RaS) with those found at a reference station (ReS) not affected by mussels. Our results indicate that mussel farming has a strong impact on sedimentation fluxes under the rafts, not only increasing POC flux but also altering the magnitude and composition of Cphyto fluxes. Average POC flux at RaS (2564?±?1936 mg m^?2 day^?1) was four times higher than at ReS (731?±?276 mg m^?2 day^?1), and much of this increase was due to biodeposit fluxes (Cbiodep) which accounted for large proportion of POC flux (35–60 %). Indeed, because of this high Cbiodep flux, only a small proportion of the POC flux was due to Cphyto flux (3–12 %). At the same time, we observed an increased sedimentation of phytoplankton cells at RaS that could be explained by a combination of mechanisms: less energetic hydrodynamic conditions under mussel rafts, ballast effect by sinking mussel feces, and diatom aggregates. Moreover, mussel farming also altered the quality of the Cphyto flux by removing part of the predatory pressure of zooplankton and thus matching diatom composition in water column and sediment traps.     

Fish,Macroinvertebrate and Epifaunal Communities in Shallow Coastal Lagoons with Varying Seagrass Cover of the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Coastal lagoons are ubiquitous along coastlines worldwide. Here, we compare the abundance of epifauna, seagrass-associated macroinvertebrates, and small fish across a gradient of seagrass cover in shallow coastal lagoons of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Two of the lagoons had little or no seagrass cover (0–18.8 %), and four had high cover (83.8–97.5 %). All of the lagoons were partially covered with fringing marsh. We hypothesized that, due to habitat redundancy between seagrass beds and fringing marshes, seagrass-associated fish and macroinvertebrates would not be largely reduced despite the large differences in seagrass cover among the lagoons. Our results support this hypothesis. For most sampling dates, we did not find significant differences in fish and macroinvertebrate abundance among the lagoons and, when we did, several highly vegetated lagoons did not have larger abundances than sparsely vegetated lagoons. The extreme shallowness of the lagoons studied (<1 m) may also provide further protection from large predatory fishes in the absence of seagrasses. Our results also suggest that marsh detritus, by providing habitat for epifauna and helping maintain prey availability, may further temper reductions in seagrass-associated fishes and macroinvertebrates following seagrass decline. The results highlight the importance of marsh-bordered, shallow lagoons as habitat for small fish and macroinvertebrates regardless of seagrass cover. This study contributes to the characterization of habitat redundancy in coastal ecosystems and pinpoints the importance of considering all habitats in concert for the proper understanding and management of coastal ecosystems.     

Order classification of river watershed divides based on processing digital elevation models

The principles and the algorithm of order classification of river watershed divides are outlined. It is shown that a formal application of any available order classification procedures for river watershed divides is not theoretically grounded as well as being impractical, because the physical mechanisms for formation of watershed divide network are different from those operating in the river network. We have formulated the basic principle of determining the watershed divides order on the basis of a serial sequence of sections constituting the travel path of an arbitrary water drop from the watershed divide to the outlet section of the basin. It is suggested that the order N should be assigned to the section of the watershed divide belonging to the full divide line of the N-order basin only if the travel path from it to the N-order stream is “full” in the topological sense, i.e. includes sections of all orders, from 1 to N. Also, we present a variant of determining the order on the basis of so-called higher-order triplets, incomplete sequences of sections of three neighboring orders along the travel path, with the higher of them determining the watershed divide order. The use of triplets is a subjective procedure of generalization that eliminates the influence of recent random erosional incisions on the forms of stable high-order watersheds. We outline the variants of the technique for identifying the network of watershed divides and calculating their orders, based on processing the digital elevation models (DEM) through the use of standard GIS ArcMap tools. Results are obtained in the form of a correlated classification of river and watershed networks which are rationally interpreted and hold promise for investigating the structure, functioning and evolution of river systems. The study revealed the existence of formation “cores” of river systems, i.e. regions within which the system reaches a higher stream order and which are bounded by watersheds of the same order.     

Long-range precipitation forecasts using paleoclimate reconstructions in the western United States

Long-range precipitation forecasts are useful when managing water supplies.Oceanicatmospheric oscillations have been shown to influence precipitation.Due to a longer cycle of some of the oscillations,a short instrumental record is a limitation in using them for long-range precipitation forecasts.The influence of oscillations over precipitation is observable within paleoclimate reconstructions;however,there have been no attempts to utilize these reconstructions in precipitation forecasting.A data-driven model,KStar,is used for obtaining long-range precipitation forecasts by extending the period of record through the use of reconstructions of oscillations.KStar is a nearest neighbor algorithm with an entropy-based distance function.Oceanic-atmospheric oscillation reconstructions include the El Nino-Southern Oscillation(ENSO),the Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO),the North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO),and the Atlantic Multi-decadal Oscillation(AMO).Precipitation is forecasted for 20 climate divisions in the western United States.A 10-year moving average is applied to aid in the identification of oscillation phases.A lead time approach is used to simulate a one-year forecast,with a 10-fold cross-validation technique to test the models.Reconstructions are used from 1658-1899,while the observed record is used from 1900-2007.The model is evaluated using mean absolute error(MAE),root mean squared error(RMSE),RMSE-observations standard deviation ratio(RSR),Pearson’s correlation coefficient(R),NashSutcliffe coefficient of efficiency(NSE),and linear error in probability space(LEPS) skill score(SK).The role of individual and coupled oscillations is evaluated by dropping oscillations in the model.The results indicate ’good’ precipitation estimates using the KStar model.This modeling technique is expected to be useful for long-term water resources planning and management.     

Sources and formation conditions of ferromanganese mineralization of the Bureya and Khanka massifs,Russian Far East

The geochemical features of typical representatives of ferromanganese deposits are studied in the eastern Bureya and Khanka massifs (Russian Far East). Based on the major-, trace-, and rare-earth element distribution, the hydrothermal–sedimentary (with hydrogenic component) nature of their mineralization is established and the geodynamic setting and depth of ore formation are estimated. The differences in the depth and redox conditions of ore formation resulted in the metallogenic zonation of the Khingan block (Bureya Massif), which is expressed in a westward change in ore composition from the magnetite ores of the Kosten’ga–Kimkan zone to the hematite–magnetite and iron–manganese ores of the South Khingan zone. The conclusions about the participation of hydrothermal sources in the formation of ore mineralization of the studied deposits and the specifics of their localization require revision of the strategy of exploration and evaluation of ferromanganese ores in the southern Far East.     

Tectonics and metallogeny of the junction zone between the North Asian craton and Pacific tectonic belt

The tectonics and metallogeny of the junction zone between the North Asian craton and Pacific tectonic belt are considered. This zone is characterized by a wide variety of structures superposed on the metamorphic basement, which was formed in the course of a multistage geologic development of the craton from the Precambrian to the Cenozoic. They are related to the craton evolution and its response to the collision and subduction processes in the adjacent orogenic belt, processes in the passive and active continental margins, and plume magmatism. The geological structure of the region includes blocks of metamorphic rocks of the Aldan–Stanovoi shield, Paleoproterozoic volcanogenic troughs, Mesoproterozoic–Neoproterozoic and Early Paleozoic structures of the platform cover, Late Paleozoic volcanic and terrigenous troughs, structures of the Late Mesozoic Okhotsk–Chukotka volcanic belt of the active continental margin, and Late Cretaceous riftogenic structures formed in response to plume magmatism. In total, six metallogenic epochs are recognized in the development of ore mineralization: Archean–Early Paleoproterozoic, Late Paleoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic, Late Paleozoic, and Late Mesozoic. The minerageny of the junction zone between the craton and Pacific belt is highly diversified, being characterized by distinct evolution in time and space. Each development stage features its own set of mineral resources.     

Uncertainty in dam safety risk analysis

The character and importance of uncertainty in dam safety risk analysis drives how risk assessments are used in practice. The current interpretation of uncertainty is that, in addition to the aleatory risk which arises from presumed uncertainty in the world, it comprises the epistemic aspects of irresolution in a model or forecast, specifically model and parameter uncertainty. This is true in part but it is not all there is to uncertainty in risk analysis. The physics of hazards and of failure may be poorly understood, which goes beyond uncertainty in its conventional sense. There may be alternative scenarios of future conditions, for example non-stationarity in the environment, which cannot easily be forecast. There may also be deep uncertainties of the type associated with climate change. These are situations in which analysts do not know or do not agree on the system characterisation relating actions to consequences or on the probability distributions for key parameters. All of these facets are part of the uncertainty in risk analysis with which we must deal.