Hydrology of hillslope‐wetland streams,Polar Bear Pass,Nunavut, Canada

Polar Bear Pass is a large High Arctic low‐gradient wetland (100 km²) bordered by low‐lying hills which are notched by a series of v‐shaped valleys. The spring and summer hydrology of two High Arctic hillslope‐wetland catchments, a first‐order stream, 0·2 km² Landing Strip Creek (LSC) and a larger second‐order basin, 4·2 km² Windy Creek (WC), is described here. A water balance framework was employed in 2008 to examine the movement of water from upland reaches into the low‐lying wetland. Snowcover was low in both basins (<50 mm in water equivalent units), but they both exhibited nival‐type regimes. After the main snowmelt season ended, runoff ceased in the smaller catchment (LSC), but not at the larger basin (WC) which continued to flow throughout the summer. Both basins responded to summer rains in different ways. At LSC, late‐summer continuous streamflow occurred only when rainfall satisfied the large soil moisture deficit in the upper bowl‐shaped zone of the basin. At WC, the presence of thinly thawed, ice‐rich polygonal terrain within the stream channel and in the upper reaches of the catchment likely limited infiltration in these near‐stream zones and enhanced runoff in response to both moderate and high rainfall. Subsequently, seasonal runoff ratios differed between the two sites (0·19 vs 0·68) as did the seasonal storage + residual (+16 vs ?50 mm). This suggests that the post‐snowmelt season runoff response to summer precipitation is very much modified by the unique basin characteristics (soil‐type, vegetation, ground ice) and their location within each stream order type. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the origin and tectonic significance of the intra-plate events of Grenvillian-type age in South America: A discussion

The objective of this article is to examine the available evidence of intra-plate tectonic episodes of “Grenvillian-type age”, affecting the South-American continent, assessing their possible causal correlation with the tectonic processes occurring within the orogenic belts active at their margins. For the Amazonian Craton, the active margin is represented by the Rondonian-San Ignacio and Sunsas belts. However, active margins of similar age are not recognized for the São Francisco and the Rio de La Plata Cratons, and the intra-plate events over them could be reflections of the Kibaran, Irumide or Namaqua orogenic collisions in Africa. Grenvillian-type age events over the Amazonian Craton can be described in four different aspects: shearing and tectonic reactivation along zones of weakness, cratogenic granitic magmatism, alkaline ring complexes, and pervasive regional heating in some localized regions. The first of them may reflect the compressional stresses at active margins, however the others may have different origins. Within the type-region of the K’Mudku tectono thermal episode, mylonites and pseudotachylites cut across the regional granitoid and metamorphic rocks. These shear belts developed under low-to-moderate temperature conditions, that induced resetting of K–Ar and Rb–Sr mineral ages. In the São Francisco Craton, extensional and compressional events of Grenvillian-type age are well registered by the structural features exhibited by the sedimentary rocks of the Espinhaço Supergroup. For example, in Bahia state, an Appalachian-style structure is observed, with large synclines and anticlines extending along hundreds of kilometers. The major difference between the Amazonian and the Congo-São Francisco Cratons is related to heat originated from the Earth’s interior. Amazonia exhibits very large areas heated up to 350–400 °C, where the K’Mudku thermo-tectonic episodes were detected. In addition, Amazonia comprises a large amount of cratogenic granitic intrusions, and some alkalic complexes of Mesoproterozoic age, whose origin could be attributed, at least partially, to deeper sources of heat. This is not reported for the São Francisco Craton, and also for its African counterpart, the Congo Craton. Moreover, the Grenvillian-type age intra-plate features over South America demonstrate that while many cratonic fragments were colliding to build Rodinia, rifting was already occurring in parts of the Amazonian and the Congo-São Francisco Cratons.     

Feeding dynamics of the invasive gastropod Tarebia granifera in coastal and estuarine lakes of northern KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

Gut fluorescence and carbon budget techniques were applied to Tarebia granifera (shell height 10–12 mm) at the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This snail has recently invaded a number of estuaries in northern KwaZulu-Natal, where it reaches densities of over 1000 ind. m^?2 and becomes a dominant component of the benthic community. Its rapid establishment and spread have raised concerns about potential top-down impacts on the ecosystem. This study shows that T. granifera can utilize large amounts of microphytobenthos (MPB) in addition to detritus. In situ total available MPB pigment concentrations ranged from 11.6 to 110.5 mg pigm. m^?2. T. granifera’s gut pigment content ranged from 54 to 1672 μg pigm. ind^?1. Gut evacuation rates (k) ranged from 0.36 to 0.62 h^?1 (R² range: 16.2–35.2, P < 0.05). Individual ingestion rates ranged from 6.6 to 30.4 μg pigm. ind.^?1 d^?1. T. granifera was estimated to consume from 0.5 to 35% of the total available MPB biomass per day, or 1.2–68% of the daily primary benthic production. The carbon component estimated from the gut fluorescence technique contributed 8.7–40.9% of the total gut organic carbon content. The average carbon daily ration contributed by microalgal biomass was ≈16% body carbon per day. Variability in the data was attributed to the complex feeding history of snails. Further studies are needed to validate these results and provide more information on the ecological impact of T. granifera on this wetland and other similar invaded ecosystems, both estuarine and freshwater.     

Propagation of seasonal temperature signals into an aquifer upon bank infiltration

Infiltrating river water carries the temperature signal of the river into the adjacent aquifer. While the diurnal temperature fluctuations are strongly dampened, the seasonal fluctuations are much less attenuated and can be followed into the aquifer over longer distances. In one-dimensional model with uniform properties, this signal is propagated with a retarded velocity, and its amplitude decreases exponentially with distance. Therefore, time shifts in seasonal temperature signals between rivers and groundwater observation points may be used to estimate infiltration rates and near-river groundwater velocities. As demonstrated in this study, however, the interpretation is nonunique under realistic conditions. We analyze a synthetic test case of a two-dimensional cross section perpendicular to a losing stream, accounting for multi-dimensional flow due to a partially penetrating channel, convective-conductive heat transport within the aquifer, and heat exchange with the underlying aquitard and the land surface. We compare different conceptual simplifications of the domain in order to elaborate on the importance of different system elements. We find that temperature propagation within the shallow aquifer can be highly influenced by conduction through the unsaturated zone and into the underlying aquitard. In contrast, regional groundwater recharge has no major effect on the simulated results. In our setup, multi-dimensionality of the flow field is important only close to the river. We conclude that over-simplistic analytical models can introduce substantial errors if vertical heat exchange at the aquifer boundaries is not accounted for. This has to be considered when using seasonal temperature fluctuations as a natural tracer for bank infiltration.     

How well do sediment indicators record past climate? An evaluation using annually laminated sediments

The reliability of paleoclimatic inferences from lake-sediment records rests on the understanding of how various sediment indicators respond to environmental changes. Despite the recent proliferation of paleoclimatic records, only a limited number of studies have rigorously evaluated potential indicators by comparing lake-sediment records with instrumental weather data. We analyzed annually laminated sediments of the past 100 years from a lake in north-central Minnesota for a suite of variables commonly used for climatic reconstructions. Results were compared with time series of climatic or climate-derived variables, as well as with indices of climate modes thought to influence the regional climate of the midwestern United States. The oxygen-isotopic composition of calcite (δ¹⁸O_c) shows trends similar to those of effective moisture (as measured by precipitation [P] minus actual evapotranspiration [AET], P-AET, and the Palmer Drought Severity Index [PDSI]), with high δ¹⁸O_c values generally corresponding to low P-AET and low PDSI. δ¹⁸O_c also exhibits striking correspondence with the index of Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) but it lags behind PDO by 3 years. Elevated δ¹⁸O_c values during the warm PDO phase probably reflect warm and dry climatic conditions in the midwestern US, especially during winter months. The carbon-isotopic composition of calcite (δ¹³C_c) shows some similarity with δ¹⁸O_c but also displays stratigraphic patterns resembling those of lake-productivity indicators, including biogenic silica, inverse of inorganic carbon, ratio of organic carbon to nitrogen, and to a lesser extent, organic carbon. δ¹³C_c is correlated with mean annual air temperature (MAAT) and the index of Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), probably because elevated MAAT stimulates the rate of algal carbon uptake, lengthens growing season, and/or enhances CO₂ degassing. Varves are typically thicker during periods of lower δ¹⁸O_c and higher P-AET (or PDSI) values, because wet climatic conditions probably increase nutrient availability and lake productivity. Gray-scale intensity does not co-vary with any of the above climatic variables or climate-mode indices. These results demonstrate the utility of lake-sediment analyses for reconstructing temperature, drought, and large-scale climatic modes at Steel Lake. However, application to down-core reconstructions may be compromised by a number of factors, including the site specificity and non-stationarity of such relationships.     

The redistribution functionR IV

In this paper we address comments made in a recent paper by Hubený and Heinzel (1986). By use of an identity which they report, the photon redistribution function appropriate for scattering transitions between two radiation broadened atomic levels is derived using the simpler Voigt functions. The behaviour of the redistribution function relative to complete redistribution is then examined. It is important to note that the conclusions originally arrived at by McKenna (1984a) are reinforced by this examination. In particular, for most scattering angles, there exists a significant cohrently scattered component of the redistribution function, and the deviations from complete redistribution are large over most outgoing frequencies for a given incoming frequency.     

The Kuroshio Extension and its recirculation gyres

This paper reports on the strength and structure of the Kuroshio Extension and its recirculation gyres. In the time average, quasi-permanent recirculation gyres are found to the north and south of the Kuroshio Extension jet. The characteristics of these recirculations gyres are determined from the combined observations from the Kuroshio Extension System Study (KESS) field program (June 2004–June 2006) and include current meters, pressure and current recording inverted echo sounders, and subsurface floats. The position and strength of the recirculation gyres simulated by a high-resolution numerical model are found to be consistent with the observations. The circulation pattern that is revealed is of a complex system of multiple recirculation gyres that are embedded in the crests and troughs of the quasi-permanent meanders of the Kuroshio Extension. At the location of the KESS array, the Kuroshio Extension jet and its recirculation gyres transport of about 114 Sv. This represents a 2.7-fold increase in the transport of the current compared to the Kuroshio's transport at Cape Ashizuri before it separates from the coast and flows eastward into the open ocean. This enhancement in the current's transport comes from the development of the flanking recirculation gyres. Estimates from an array of inverted echo sounders and a high-resolution ocean general circulation model are of similar magnitude.     

Timing eclipses of the Galilean moons with a CCD photometer

The use of an Optec SSP/Lynxx (tradename) CCD imaging photometer for the recording of the Galilean satellite phenomena, with software supplied by Mallama (1992) is described. An example data set (for lo) and least squares reduction is presented.