Turbulent carbon exchange in very stable conditions

Turbulent fluxes obtained using the conventional eddy covariance approach result in erratic results with large time fluctuations in extremely stable conditions. This can limit efforts to estimate components of the nocturnal energy budget and respiratory CO₂ fluxes. Well-organized fluxes that show a clear dependence on turbulent intensity were obtained when multiresolution decomposition was used to estimate turbulent exchanges. CO₂, heat and water vapour fluxes were observed at a site in the eastern Amazon basin that had been cleared for agricultural purposes. Temporal scales of the carbon transfer were determined and shown to be similar to those of latent heat, but as much as three times larger than those of sensible heat. CO₂ eddy diffusivities at the temporal scales on which most of the vertical CO₂ exchange occurs are shown to be 50 times larger than the eddy diffusivity for heat. A process associated with the vertical scale of the scalar accumulation layer is suggested to explain these different scales and turbulent diffusivities of carbon and sensible heat transfer. For an appreciable range of turbulence intensities, the observed vertical turbulent carbon exchange is insufficient to account for the locally respired CO₂ estimated independently. Evidence that shallow drainage currents may account for this is given.     

New precipitation and temperature grids for northern Patagonia: Advances in relation to global climate grids

Climate data of mean monthly temperature and total monthly precipitation compiled from different sources in northern Patagonia were interpolated to 20-km resolution grids over the period 1997–2010. This northern Patagonian climate grid (NPCG) improves upon previous gridded products in terms of its spatial resolution and number of contributing stations, since it incorporates 218 and 114 precipitation and temperature records, respectively. A geostatistical method using surface elevation from a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) as the ancillary variable was used to interpolate station data into even spaced points. The maps provided by NPCG are consistent with the broad spatial and temporal patterns of the northern Patagonian climate, showing a comprehensive representation of the latitudinal and altitudinal gradients in temperature and precipitation, as well as their related patterns of seasonality and continentality. We compared the performance of NPCG and various other datasets available to the climate community for northern Patagonia. The grids used for the comparison included those of the Global Precipitation Climatology Project, ERAInterim, Climate Research Unit (University of East Anglia), and University of Delaware. Based on three statistics that quantitatively assess the spatial coherence of gridded data against available observations (bias, MAE, and RMSE), NPCG outperforms other global grids. NPCG represents a useful tool for understanding climate variability in northern Patagonia and a valuable input for regional models of hydrological and ecological processes. Its resolution is optimal for validating data from the general circulation models and working with raster data derived from remote sensing, such as vegetation indices.     

Water-level fluctuations, emersion regimes, and variations of echinoid populations on a Caribbean reef flat

This paper examines fluctuations in water level over a Caribbean reef flat at Punta Galeta, Panamá. In an analysis of approximately ten years of records, the mean diurnal range of the tides was 24·5 cm and varied <2 cm from year to year. Daily mean water levels varied erratically over a range of approximately 30 cm. Monthly mean water levels fluctuated seasonally over a range of about 10 cm and were consistently higher than those at the regional tidal reference station at Cristóbal. On days with more wave action, water levels at Galeta increased relative to those at Cristóbal, suggesting that waves were ‘pumping’ water onto the reef flat. The monthly mean water levels at the two sites were not correlated, indicating that tidal data from conventional stations in deeper water cannot be extrapolated to reef flats, except as estimates of minimum potential water levels.Most of the reef flat was within 6 cm vertical span just below mean lower low water. The highest elevations within this range were exposed above water level for an average of 918 hours per year, as compared with 144 hours per year at the lowest elevation. Most exposures lasted less than 10 hours, with a modal duration of 3–5 hours; however, exposures longer than 12 hours occurred at nearly all elevations in all years. Exposures of the reef flat were most frequent between February and June and between August and November, a pattern apparently caused by a combination of seasonal oscillations of regional sea levels, the annual pattern of the solstitial tides, and waves generated by seasonal trade winds.The fluctuations in water levels apparently affected the abundances of some species of sea urchins on the reef flat. Populations of Lytechinus variegatus and Diadema antillarum declined or disappeared from the reef flat during seasons of repeated subaerial exposures, but recolonized the habitat in periods of higher water levels. Although they are reported to suffer heavy mortality during emersion, Echinometra lucunter and E. viridis did not exhibit reductions in abundance that were synchronous with the seasonal exposures of the reef flat.     

Magnetostratigraphy and paleomagnetism of early and middle Miocene synorogenic strata: basement partitioning and minor block rotation in Argentine broken foreland

Magnetostratigraphic and paleomagnetic studies on early Andean synorogenic strata (Del Crestón Fm.), in the Famatina Belt (28.7°S, 67.5°W) clarify details of chronology that permit calculation of sedimentation rates within the broken foreland of west Argentina. The Del Crestón Fm represents the first record of broken foreland sedimentation within the southern Central Andean belt and the earliest retroarc volcanic rocks exposed several hundred kilometers from the trench. Twenty-five out of 49 sites collected along the succession presented a primary remanence, as determined through positive fold and reversal tests. Correlation of the local magnetic polarity section with the global polarity time scale indicates that the sedimentation of Del Crestón Fm started at ~16.7 Ma and continued until ~14.5 Ma. The youngest strata are represented by conglomerates bearing abundant Lower Paleozoic granite boulders indicating unroofing of the crystalline basement within the NW Sierras Pampeanas. This result supports the hypothesis of an early broken foreland stage at these latitudes of the Andes, with involvement of the basement in deformation and coeval retroarc volcanism, common attributes of flat-subduction regimes. A mean site paleomagnetic direction of Dec: 6.3°, Inc: ?43.6° (α95: 8.0°, N = 24) confirm our earlier intrepretation that the central part of the Famatina Belt within the Sierras Pampeanas did not undergo large vertical axes rotations since the Middle Miocene.     

Nursery Habitat Shifts in an Estuarine Ecosystem<Emphasis Type="Bold">:</Emphasis> Patterns of Use by Sympatric Catfish Species

The seasonal and spatial distribution (density and biomass) of five size classes of two catfish species (Cathorops spixii and Cathorops agassizii) were studied along an estuarine ecocline to test the relative importance of the nursery function of each habitat. Seasonal vs. area interactions were significant for all size classes of both species. During the early rainy season, the middle estuary is an important nursery habitat for juveniles of both species. When environmental conditions change during the late rainy season, the C. spixii primary nursery habitat shifts to the lower estuary. During this period, juveniles of C. agassizii remain in the middle estuary. Another important ecological area is the upper estuary, which becomes a breeding, spawning and hatchery area during the late dry season for both species. The nursery function of habitats shifts according to the seasonal fluctuation of salinity and dissolved oxygen, and each species responds differently to this change.     

Geochemical and stable isotopic evolution of the Guarani Aquifer System in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

The purpose of this report is to explain geochemical and stable isotopes trends in the Brazilian unit of the Guarani Aquifer System (Botucatu and Piramboia aquifers) in S?o Paulo State, Brazil. Trends of dissolved species concentrations and geochemical modeling indicated a significant role of cation exchange and dissolution of carbonates in downgradient evolution of groundwater chemistry. Loss of calcium by the exchange for sodium drives dissolution of carbonates and results in Na–HCO₃ type of groundwater. The cation-exchange front moves downgradient at probably much slower rate compared to the velocity of groundwater flow and at present is located near to the cities of Sert?ozinho and águas de Santa Barbara (wells PZ-34 and PZ-148, respectively) in a shallow confined area, 50–70 km from the recharge zone. Part of the sodium probably enters the Guarani Aquifer System. together with chloride and sulfate from the underlying Piramboia Formation by diffusion related to the dissolution of evaporates like halite and gypsum. High concentrations of fluorine (up to 13.3 mg/L) can be explained by dissolution of mineral fluoride also driven by cation exchange. However, it is unclear if the dissolution takes place directly in the Guarani Aquifer System or in the overlying basaltic Serra Geral Formation. There is depletion in δ ²H and δ ¹⁸O values in groundwater downgradient. Values of δ ¹³C(DIC) are enriched downgradient, indicating dissolution of calcite under closed system conditions. Values of δ ¹³C(DIC) in deep geothermal wells are very high (>–6.0‰) and probably indicate isotopic exchange with carbonates with δ ¹³C about –3.0‰. Future work should be based on evaluation of vertical fluxes and potential for penetration of contamination to the Guarani Aquifer System. Electronic Publication     

Estimating sand concentrations using ADCP-based acoustic inversion in a large fluvial system characterized by bi-modal suspended-sediment distributions

Quantifying sediment flux within rivers is a challenge for many disciplines due, mainly, to difficulties inherent to traditional sediment sampling methods. These methods are operationally complex, high cost, and high risk. Additionally, the resulting data provide a low spatial and temporal resolution estimate of the total sediment flux, which has impeded advances in the understanding of the hydro-geomorphic characteristics of rivers. Acoustic technologies have been recognized as a leading tool for increasing the resolution of sediment data by relating their echo intensity level measurements to suspended sediment. Further effort is required to robustly test and develop these techniques across a wide range of conditions found in natural river systems. This article aims to evaluate the application of acoustic inversion techniques using commercially available, down-looking acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) in quantifying suspended sediment in a large sand bed river with varying bi-modal particle size distributions, wash load and suspended-sand ratios, and water stages. To achieve this objective, suspended sediment was physically sampled along the Paraná River, Argentina, under various hydro-sedimentological regimes. Two ADCPs emitting different sound frequencies were used to simultaneously profile echo intensity level within the water column. Using the sonar equation, calibrations were determined between suspended-sand concentrations and acoustic backscatter to solve the inverse problem. The study also analyzed the roles played by each term of the sonar equation, such as ADCP frequency, power supply, instrument constants, and particle size distributions typically found in sand bed rivers, on sediment attenuation and backscatter. Calibrations were successfully developed between corrected backscatter and suspended-sand concentrations for all sites and ADCP frequencies, resulting in mean suspended-sand concentration estimates within about 40% of the mean sampled concentrations. Noise values, calculated using the sonar equation and sediment sample characteristics, were fairly constant across evaluations, suggesting that they could be applied to other sand bed rivers. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Single Particle Characterisation of the Aerosol in the Marine Boundary Layer and Free Troposphere over Tenerife, NE Atlantic, during ACE-2

In the framework of the 2nd Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-2), in June and July 1997, size segregated samples were collected for single particle analysis on the island of Tenerife, in both the marine boundary layer (MBL) and the free troposphere (FT), to study the characteristics of the North Atlantic aerosol. A systematic assessment was made of the aerosol under background conditions and when the environment was perturbed by European emissions and/or Saharan dust. The aerosol particles were analysed by automated and manual SEM-EDX, followed by cluster analysis to identify the different particle types and their abundance. Basing on back trajectory calculations, particle numbers and volume concentrations, different periods can be identified regarding the origin of the sampled air masses. In the FT, the air masses were classified as clean Atlantic, Saharan dust from Africa or pollution from Europe. In the MBL, air masses were classified as clean, polluted or perturbed by emissions from Europe. For both the FT and MBL samples, the main changes in chemical composition were observed between the fine and coarse mode aerosol. The FT fine mode aerosol is dominated by S-poor aluminosilicates (62%) in the event of the dust samples or sulphates, carbonaceous particles (20%) and S-rich aluminosilicates (46%) in the polluted samples. For the larger fractions, a strong decreasing trend was observed for the sulphates (less than 20%) and carbonaceous particles (10%) in the polluted samples. The MBL fine mode was completely dominated by S-rich particles (polluted 55% and perturbed 59%), and to a lesser extent, carbonaceous and aged sea salt particles. In the coarse mode, the polluted air mass is dominated by sea salt particles (62%). Contrary to the fine fraction, the polluted air mass in the coarse fraction contained 5.3% of S-rich particles. The combined interpretation of the data from the analysis of size-fractioned particles and the calculated backward trajectories for air masses coming from Europe, Africa and the Atlantic, results in better insights on aerosol chemistry, especially for the comparison of the particle composition in the FT and the MBL.     

Architecture and development of the alluvial sediments of the Upper Jurassic Tordillo Formation in the Cañada Ancha Valley, northern Neuquén Basin, Argentina

The Upper Jurassic Tordillo Formation at Cañada Ancha area, northern Neuquén Basin, Argentina, comprises a multi-stage suit of predominantly alluvial sediments that is heterolithic in nature. In that suit, several lithofacies, architectural elements, and bounding surfaces of different order have been identified and their lateral and vertical distribution characterized. This analysis allowed the differentiation of 3 main units (lower, middle and upper), 20 subunits (C-1 to C-20), and the characterization of their alluvial styles.The lower unit (which comprises subunits C-1 to C-4) is mainly formed by fine- to medium-grained sandstones, which become medium- to coarse-grained towards the top. These sandstones characterize settings ranging from floodplains with isolated, unconfined flows, to more complex, vertically stacked, multi-storey sheet sandstones of braided fluvial systems. The middle unit (C-5 to C-10) is dominated by pale brown-grey fine-to coarse-grained sands and medium size subangular to angular conglomerates, which reflect amalgamated complexes of sandstone sheets and downstream accretion macroforms. Remarkably, this alluvial sedimentation was episodically punctuated by volcaniclastic flows. The upper unit (C-11 to C-20) consists of finer sediments, mainly pink to white fine-to medium grained sandstones and red to green siltstones. Towards the top, bioturbation becomes important, and also the presence of volcanosedimentary flows is noticeable. Fluvial settings include braided sheet sandstones with waning flood deposits evolving to isolated high-sinuosity fluvial systems, with flash flood deposits. At the top of this unit, facies may suggest marine influence.Vertical changes in the fluvial style result from both climatic and tectonic controls. A semiarid to arid climate and the active tectonism linked to the eastward migration of the Andean volcanic arc determined major bounding surfaces, fluvial style evolution and the presence of the volcano-sedimentary deposits. Different stages of high and low subsidence rates has been deduced from the vertical stacking of sediments.     

Influence of environmental variability on distribution and relative abundance of baleen whales (suborder Mysticeti) in the Gulf of California

The Gulf of California (GC) is one of the most productive seas in the Pacific Ocean because of several oceanographic phenomena that support many marine mammal species, particularly of the cetacean order. The environmental variability of the GC was analysed during the cold and warm periods of 2005 and 2006 and its effects on the distribution and relative abundance of baleen whales using sea surface temperature (SST) and chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentration. Satellite image analysis allowed us to detect important differences in both Chl a concentration and SST including cold to warm periods, even between the two cold periods and between the two warm periods. The cold periods had the highest number of whales: 99 individuals in 2005 and 183 in 2006, which were distributed along the entire gulf. Fewer animals were recorded in the warm period: 46 individuals in 2005 and 30 in 2006, which were mainly distributed in the northern part of the gulf. We concluded that SST influenced the relative abundance of baleen whales while Chl a concentration influenced their distribution.