The journey from safe yield to sustainability

Safe-yield concepts historically focused attention on the economic and legal aspects of ground water development. Sustainability concerns have brought environmental aspects more to the forefront and have resulted in a more integrated outlook. Water resources sustainability is not a purely scientific concept, but rather a perspective that can frame scientific analysis. The evolving concept of sustainability presents a challenge to hydrologists to translate complex, and sometimes vague, socioeconomic and political questions into technical questions that can be quantified systematically. Hydrologists can contribute to sustainable water resources management by presenting the longer-term implications of ground water development as an integral part of their analyses.     

Evaluation of the 15 July 2009 Fiordland,New Zealand Tsunami in the Source Region

We undertake detailed near-field numerical modelling of the tsunami generated by the 15 July 2009 earthquake (Mw 7.8) in Fiordland, New Zealand. High resolution bathymetry and topography data at Breaksea and Dusky Sounds, and Chalky and Preservation Inlets are derived mostly from digitised New Zealand nautical charts, Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) 3 arc-second data, and General Bathymetric Chart of the Ocean (GEBCO) 30 s data. A combination of continuous and campaign Global Positioning System (GPS), satellite radar (ALOS/PALSAR InSAR images) and seismology data are used to constrain the seafloor deformation for the initial tsunami condition. This source model, derived independently of DART observations, provides an excellent fit to observed tsunami elevations recorded by DART buoy 55015. The model results in the near field show maximum tsunami elevations in the range 0.5–2.0 m inside the sounds and inlets with maximum flow speeds of 3.0 m/s. Along the open coast, maximum tsunami elevations reach 2.0 m. The high flow speeds through the inlets may change the inlet stratifications and water mass inside the sounds. Media reports and field reconnaissance data show some tsunami evidence at Cormorant Cove, Duck and Goose Coves, and Passage Point.     

Microhydrodynamics of flotation processes in the sea surface layer

The uppermost surface of the ocean forms a peculiarly important ecosystem, the sea surface microlayer (SML). Comprising the top 1–1000 μm of the ocean surface, the SML concentrates many chemical substances, particularly those that are surface active. Important economically as a nursery for fish eggs and larvae, the SML unfortunately is also especially vulnerable to pollution. Contaminants that settle out from the air, have low solubility, or attach to floatable matter tend to accumulate in the SML.Bubbles contribute prominently to the dynamics of air–sea exchanges, playing an important role in geochemical cycling of material in the upper ocean and SML. In addition to the movement of bubbles, the development of a bubble cloud interrelates with the single particle dynamics of all other bubbles and particles. In the early sixties, several in situ oceanographic techniques revealed an “unbelievably immense” number of coastal bubbles of radius 15–300 μm. The spatial and temporal variation of bubble numbers were studied; acoustical oceanographers now use bubbles as tracers to determine ocean processes near the ocean surface. Sea state and rain noises have both been definitively ascribed to the radiation from huge numbers of infant micro bubbles [The Acoustic Bubble. Academic Press, San Diego].Our research programme aims at constructing a hydrodynamic model for particle transport processes occurring at the microscale, in multi-phase flotation suspensions. Current research addresses bubble and floc microhydrodynamics as building blocks for a microscale transport model. This paper reviews sea surface transport processes in the microlayer and the lower atmosphere, and identifies those amenable to microhydrodynamic modelling and simulation. It presents preliminary simulation results including the multi-body hydrodynamic mobility functions for the modelling of “dynamic bubble filters” and floc suspensions. Hydrodynamic interactions versus spatial anisotropy and size of particle clouds are investigated.     

A natural tracer investigation of the hydrological regime of Spring Creek Springs, the largest submarine spring system in Florida

This work presents results from a nearly two-year monitoring of the hydrologic dynamics of the largest submarine spring system in Florida, Spring Creek Springs. During the summer of 2007 this spring system was observed to have significantly reduced flow due to persistent drought conditions. Our examination of the springs revealed that the salinity of the springs' waters had increased significantly, from 4 in 2004 to 33 in July 2007 with anomalous high radon (²²²Rn, t_1/2=3.8 days) in surface water concentrations indicating substantial saltwater intrusion into the local aquifer. During our investigation from August 2007 to May 2009 we deployed on an almost monthly basis a continuous radon-in-water measurement system and monitored the salinity fluctuations in the discharge area. To evaluate the springs' freshwater flux we developed three different models: two of them are based on water velocity measurements and either salinity or ²²²Rn in the associated surface waters as groundwater tracers. The third approach used only salinity changes within the spring area. The three models showed good agreement and the results confirmed that the hydrologic regime of the system is strongly correlated to local precipitation and water table fluctuations with higher discharges after major rain events and very low, even reverse flow during prolong droughts. High flow spring conditions were observed twice during our study, in the early spring and mid-late summer of 2008. However the freshwater spring flux during our observation period never reached that reported from a 1970s value of 4.9×10⁶ m³/day. The maximum spring flow was estimated at about 3.0×10⁶ m³/day after heavy precipitation in February-March 2008. As a result of this storm (total of 173 mm) the salinity in the spring area dropped from about 27 to 2 in only two days. The radon-in-water concentrations dramatically increased in parallel, from about 330 Bq/m³ to about 6600 Bq/m³. Such a rapid response suggests a direct connection between the deep and the surficial aquifers.     

Environmental change in grasslands: Assessment using models

Modeling studies and observed data suggest that plant production, species distribution, disturbance regimes, grassland biome boundaries and secondary production (i.e., animal productivity) could be affected by potential changes in climate and by changes in land use practices. There are many studies in which computer models have been used to assess the impact of climate changes on grassland ecosystems. A global assessment of climate change impacts suggest that some grassland ecosystems will have higher plant production (humid temperate grasslands) while the production of extreme continental steppes (e.g., more arid regions of the temperate grasslands of North America and Eurasia) could be reduced substantially. All of the grassland systems studied are projected to lose soil carbon, with the greatest losses in the extreme continental grassland systems. There are large differences in the projected changes in plant production for some regions, while alterations in soil C are relatively similar over a range of climate change projections drawn from various General Circulation Models (GCM's). The potential impact of climatic change on cattle weight gains is unclear. The results of modeling studies also suggest that the direct impact of increased atmospheric CO₂ on photosynthesis and water use in grasslands must be considered since these direct impacts could be as large as those due to climatic changes. In addition to its direct effects on photosynthesis and water use, elevated CO₂ concentrations lower N content and reduce digestibility of the forage.     

RURAL ADDRESSING AND COMPUTER MAPPING IN NEW MEXICO

Specifying the location of a rural residence is a common geographic problem. Most addressing systems are designed for urban areas and are not applicable to rural areas. The mile marker addressing system meets all of the requirements for a rural addressing system. With the addition of computer mapping techniques, rural addressing can be done efficiently and can provide the basis for a county's computer mapping system. Projects in New Mexico provide several examples of computerized rural addressing projects.     

The impacts over time of marine protected areas: A null model

A dynamic one-dimensional model of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) along a coastline has been developed to investigate their impact on fish stocks and landings over time. The model is basically a cellular automaton implemented with a spreadsheet and is used to trace stocks and landings from the initiation of the MPA for several years under a set of three different scenarios for the allocation of fishing effort. In all cases landings decline as soon as part of the coastline is protected, but in every case they recover to their original level and above. The time it takes for landings to recover ranges from four to nine years and with two small MPAs (several small) the recovery is faster than with one large one of the same spatial extent (single large). These results indicate that although fishery closures through an MPA will undoubtedly have an immediate adverse impact on the fishing industry, the chances of full recovery after several years are good, and both the fishery and the fish stocks will benefit in the long run. Further, our model provides a null model on the impacts over time of MPAs that may iteratively be compared with real cases that have biological and social variables.     

Initial results and progress of the Mississippi delta sediment pore water pressure experiment

Abstract

This report describes the instrumentation, initial results, and progress of an experiment designed to measure and monitor submarine sediment pore water and hydrostatic pressures in a selected area of the Mississippi Delta. The experiment also is intended to monitor significant pressure perturbations during active storm periods. Initial analysis of the data revealed excess pore water pressures in the silty clay sediment at selected depths below the mudline. Continuous monitoring of the pore water and hydrostatic pressures was expected to reveal important information regarding sediment pore water pressure variations as a function of the geological processes active in the Mississippi Delta.