Hot Spots of Nitrification in the Elbe Estuary and Their Impact on Nitrate Regeneration

Estuaries act as an organic matter and nutrient filter in the transition between the land, rivers and the ocean. In the past, high nutrient and organic carbon load and low oxygen concentration made the Elbe River estuary (NW Europe) a sink for dissolved inorganic nitrogen. A recent reduction in loads and subsequent recovery of the estuary changed its biogeochemical function, so that nitrate is no longer removed on its transition towards the coastal North Sea. Nowadays in the estuary, nitrification appears to be a significant nitrate source. To quantify nitrification and determine actively nitrifying regions in the estuary, we measured the concentrations of ammonium, nitrite and nitrate, the dual stable isotopes of nitrate and net nitrification rates in the estuary on five cruises from August 2012 to August 2013. The nitrate concentration increased markedly downstream of the port of Hamburg in summer and spring, accompanied by a decrease of nitrate isotope values that was clearest in summer exactly at the location where nitrate concentration started to increase. Ammonium and nitrite peaked in the Hamburg port region (up to 18 and 8 μmol L^?1, respectively), and nitrification rates in this region were up to 7 μmol L^?1 day^?1. Our data show that coupled re-mineralization and nitrification are significant internal nitrate sources that almost double the estuary’s summer nitrate concentration. Furthermore, we find that the port of Hamburg is a hot spot of nitrification, whereas the maximum turbidity zone (MTZ) only plays a subordinate role in turnover of nitrate.     

The Oeschinensee rock avalanche,Bernese Alps,Switzerland: a co-seismic failure 2300 years ago?

Landslide deposits dam Lake Oeschinen (Oeschinensee), located above Kandersteg, Switzerland. However, past confusion differentiating deposits of multiple landslide events has confounded efforts to quantify the volume, age, and failure dynamics of the Oeschinensee rock avalanche. Here we combine field and remote mapping, topographic reconstruction, cosmogenic surface exposure dating, and numerical runout modeling to quantify salient parameters of the event. Differences in boulder lithology and deposit morphology reveal that the landslide body damming Oeschinensee consists of debris from both an older rock avalanche, possibly Kandertal, as well as the Oeschinensee rock avalanche. We distinguish a source volume for the Oeschinensee event of 37 Mm³, resulting in an estimated deposit volume of 46 Mm³, smaller than previous estimates that included portions of the Kandertal mass. Runout modeling revealed peak and average rock avalanche velocities of 65 and 45 m/s, respectively, and support a single-event failure scenario. ³⁶Cl surface exposure dating of deposited boulders indicates a mean age for the rock avalanche of 2.3 ± 0.2 kyr. This age coincides with the timing of a paleo-seismic event identified from lacustrine sediments in Swiss lakes, suggesting an earthquake trigger. Our results help clarify the hazard and geomorphic effects of rare, large rock avalanches in alpine settings.     

Impact of drilling mud on chemistry and microbiology of an Upper Triassic groundwater after drilling and testing an exploration well for aquifer thermal energy storage in Berlin (Germany)

After completion of an exploration well, sandstones of the Exter Formation were hydraulically tested to determine the hydraulic properties and to evaluate chemical and microbial processes caused by drilling and water production. The aim was to determine the suitability of the formation as a reservoir for aquifer thermal energy storage. The tests revealed a hydraulic conductivity of 1–2 E-5 m/s of the reservoir, resulting in a productivity index of 0.6–1 m³/h/bar. A hydraulic connection of the Exter Formation to the overlaying, artesian “Rupelbasissand” cannot be excluded. Water samples were collected for chemical and microbiological analyses. The water was similarly composed as sea water with a maximum salinity of 24.9 g/L, dominated by NaCl (15.6 g/L Cl and 7.8 g/L Na). Until the end of the tests, the water was affected by drilling mud as indicated by the high pH (8.9) and high bicarbonate concentration (359 mg/L) that both resulted from the impact of sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) additives. The high amount of dissolved organic matter (>?58 mg/L) and its molecular-weight distribution pattern indicated that residues of cellulose, an ingredient of the drilling mud, were still present at the end of the tests. Clear evidence of this contamination gave the measured uranine that was added as a tracer into the drilling mud. During fluid production, the microbial community structure and abundance changed and correlated with the content of drilling mud. Eight taxa of sulfate-reducing bacteria, key organisms in processes like bio-corrosion and bio-clogging, were identified. It can be assumed that their activity will be affected during usage of the reservoir.     

Accessing effects and signals of leakage from a CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> reservoir to a shallow freshwater aquifer by reactive transport modelling

CO₂ geological storage is a transitional technology for the mitigation of climate change. In the vicinity of potential CO₂ reservoirs in Hungary, protected freshwater aquifers used for drinking water supplies exist. Effects of disaster events of CO₂ escape and brine displacement to one of these aquifers have been studied by kinetic 1D reactive transport modelling in PHREEQC. Besides verifying that ion concentrations in the freshwater may increase up to drinking water limit values in both scenarios (CO₂ or brine leakage), total porosity of the rock is estimated. Pore volume is expected to increase at the entry point of CO₂ and to decrease at further distances, whereas it shows minor increase along the flow path for the effect of brine inflow. Additionally, electrical conductivity of water is estimated and suggested to be the best parameter to measure for cost-effective monitoring of both worst-case leakage scenarios.     

Soil gas radon concentrations along the Ganos Fault (GF)

In this study, soil radon levels have been measured for the first time across the Ganos fault (GF), which is known as the western part of the North Anatolian Fault Zone. LR 115 Type 2 Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (time integrated) have been applied to determine soil gas radon levels, and the survey was performed in 16 stations along the fault line. The results showed that soil gas radon concentrations and variation of concentration levels are comparable high along the fault line. It is also observed that in the middle of the Ganos Fault, fairly elevated radon levels were detected. These can be related to the activity of the fault lines. It is confirmed that the study area has a very active tectonic structure and is great location for analyzing radon variations.     

Detecting Clay Minerals in Hydrothermal Alteration Areas with Integration of ASTER Image and Spectral Data in Kösedag-Zara (Sivas), Turkey

Remote sensing technology and its terrestrial components are more useful than classical geological investigation in mineral exploration and mapping the hydrothermal alteration areas and help to investigate larger areas in short time. Intrusive and volcanic rocks, namely Kösedag syenite and Karatas volcanics in Kösedag (Zara) area shows argillic alteration zones. Two different test area were chosen and sampled for mineralogical studies. XRD-CF investigations showed that kaolinite and illite are the dominant clay minerals in test areas of A and B respectively. The spectroradiometer measurements were carried out 5 times on different surfaces of clayey samples with self-illuminated contact-probe lens within the wavelength range of 350-2500 nm. The spectroradiometer measurements used as endmember were resampled to ASTER short wave infrared (SWIR) bandwidths. Band ratio, principal component and decorrelation stretching analysis were performed to visualize the distribution of clay minerals. In spectral classification method, matched filtering (MF) was used for integrating the satellite image and spectroradiometer measurement data. It was concluded that co-interpretations of the band ratio, principal component, decorrelation stretching analysis, MF results and geological map are very useful in determining, classifying and mapping of the argillic alteration zones related to hydrothermal processes on ASTER image and they seem to be very useful to identify the target areas for mineral exploration.     

Automatic detection of earthquake-induced ground failure effects through Faster R-CNN deep learning-based object detection using satellite images

Natural Hazards - The seismically induced ground failure is defined as any earthquake-generated process that leads to deformations within a soil medium, which in turn results in permanent...     

The investigation of flood risk perception as a quantitative analysis from socio-demographic perspective

The priority of flood management planning is physical victimization and focuses on taking structural measures. Although this approach is an accurate approach, more information is needed in implementing efficient precautionary and planning decisions. It is an indisputable fact that the existence of nothing that is not sustainable in nature cannot continue. Hence, it is necessary to implement a planning decision suitable for the structure of the population living in the region so that the continuity of the policies to be carried out against natural hazards of hydrometeorological origin such as a flood is ensured. How the socio-demographic structures affect the flood risk perception of 245 people living in the city center of Bayburt is examined in this study. It is the first research conducted for the province of Bayburt for this perspective. The participants were asked to fill a questionnaire containing 24 items and consisting of 2 sections. T test and one-way ANOVA (one-way analysis of variance) statistical methods were used to ascertain the difference between the responses of the participants to the questionnaire, based on their demographic structure. As the result of the study, significant differences were observed between the expressions depicting flood risk perception and the participant's age, income levels and educational background. In addition, it has been noted that there is a positive relationship between education and income levels and flood risk perception.

     

Effect of disturbed zone thickness on rock slope stability

Natural Hazards - Cut slope surfaces are affected by excavation activities and weathering agents. Disturbances on the surface can penetrate down to a certain depth. Slope stability analyses made on...     

9000 years of changes in peat organic matter composition in Store Mosse (Sweden) traced using FTIR-ATR

Store Mosse (the ‘Great Bog’ in Swedish) is one of the most extensive bog complexes in southern Sweden (~77 km²), where pioneering palaeoenvironmental research has been carried out since the early 20th century. This includes, for example, vegetation changes, carbon and nitrogen dynamics, peat decomposition, atmospheric metal pollution, mineral dust deposition, dendrochronology, and tephrochronology. Even though organic matter (OM) represents the bulk of the peat mass and its compositional change has the potential to provide crucial ecological information on bog responses to environmental factors, peat OM molecular composition has not been addressed in detail. Here, a 568-cm-deep peat sequence was studied at high resolution, by attenuated reflectance Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) in the mid-infrared region (4000–400 cm^–1). Principal components analysis was performed on selected absorbances and change-point modelling was applied to the records to determine the timing of changes. Four components accounted for peat composition: (i) depletion/accumulation of labile (i.e. carbohydrates) and recalcitrant (i.e. lignin and other aromatics, aliphatics, organic acids and some N compounds) compounds, due to peat decomposition; (ii) variations in N compounds and carbohydrates; (iii) residual variation of lignin and organic acids; and (iv) residual variation of aliphatic structures. Peat decomposition showed two main patterns: a long-term trend highly correlated to peat age (r = 0.87), and a short-term trend, which showed five main phases of increased decomposition (at ~8.4–8.1, ~7.0–5.6, ~3.5–3.1, ~2.7–2.1 and ~1.6–1.3 ka) – mostly corresponding to drier climate and its effect on bog hydrology. The high peat accumulation event (~5.6–3.9 ka), described in earlier studies, is characterized by the lowest degree of peat decomposition of the whole record. Given that FTIR-ATR is a quick, non-destructive, cost-effective technique, our results indicate that it can be applied in a systematic way (including multicore studies) to peat research and provide relevant information on the evolution of peatlands.