Influence of rock mass strength on the erosion rate of alpine cliffs

Collapse of cliff faces by rockfall is a primary mode of bedrock erosion in alpine environments and exerts a first‐order control on the morphologic development of these landscapes. In this work we investigate the influence of rock mass strength on the retreat rate of alpine cliffs. To quantify rockwall competence we employed the Slope Mass Rating (SMR) geomechanical strength index, a metric that combines numerous factors contributing to the strength of a rock mass. The magnitude of cliff retreat was calculated by estimating the volume of talus at the toe of each rockwall and projecting that material back on to the cliff face, while accounting for the loss of production area as talus buries the base of the wall. Selecting sites within basins swept clean by advancing Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) glaciers allowed us to estimate the time period over which talus accumulation occurred (i.e. the production time). Dividing the magnitude of normal cliff retreat by the production time, we calculated recession rates for each site. Our study area included a portion of the Sierra Nevada between Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe. Rockwall recession rates determined for 40 alpine cliffs in this region range from 0·02 to 1·22 mm/year, with an average value of 0·28 mm/year. We found good correlation between rockwall recession rate and SMR which is best characterized by an exponential decrease in erosion rate with increasing rock mass strength. Analysis of the individual components of the SMR reveals that joint orientation (with respect to the cliff face) is the most important parameter affecting the rockwall erosion rate. The complete SMR score, however, best synthesizes the lithologic variables that contribute to the strength and erodibility of these rock slopes. Our data reveal no strong independent correlations between rockwall retreat rate and topographic attributes such as elevation, aspect, or slope angle. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trends in eutrophication research and control

Eutrophication is the natural ageing process of lakes. It is characterized by a geologically slow shift from in-lake biological production driven by allochthonous (external to the water body) loading of nutrients, to production driven by autochthonous (in-lake) processes. This shift typically is accompanied by changes in species and biotic community composition, as an aquatic ecosystem is ultimately transformed into a terrestrial biome. However, this typically slow process can be greatly accelerated by human intervention in the natural biogeochemical cycling of nutrients within a watershed; the resulting cultural eutrophication can create conditions inimical to the continued use of the water body for human-driven economic purposes. Excessive algal and rooted plant growth, degraded water quality, extensive deoxygenation of the bottom water layers and increased fish biomass accompanied by decreased harvest quality, are some features of this process. Following the Second World War, concern with cultural eutrophication achieved an intensity that spurred a significant research effort, culminating in the identification of phosphorus as the single most significant, and controllable, element involved in driving the eutrophication process. During the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, much effort was devoted to reducing phosphorus in wastewater effluents, primarily in the developed countries of the temperate zone. These efforts generally resulted in the control of eutrophication in these countries, albeit with varying degrees of success. The present effort in the temperature zone, comprising mostly developed nations, has now shifted to the control of diffuse sources of a broader spectrum of contaminants that impact human water use. In the developing countries of the inter-tropical zone, however, rapidly expanding populations, a growing industrial economy and extensive urbanization have only recently reached an intensity at which cultural eutrophication can no longer be ignored. Further, initial attempts at applying temperate zone control measures in this region have been largely unsuccessful. Modification of the temperate zone eutrophication paradigm will be needed, especially to address the differing climatic and hydrological conditions, if cultural eutrophication is to be contained in this region, where eutrophication-related diseases continue to be a primary cause of human distress.     

Hydrological response to timber harvest in northern Idaho: implications for channel scour and persistence of salmonids

The potential for forest harvest to increase snowmelt rates in maritime snow climates is well recognized. However, questions still exist about the magnitude of peak flow increases in basins larger than 10 km² and the geomorphic and biological consequences of these changes. In this study, we used observations from two nearly adjacent small basins (13 and 30 km²) in the Coeur d'Alene River basin, one with recent, relatively extensive, timber harvest, and the other with little disturbance in the last 50 years to explore changes in peak flows due to timber harvest and their potential effects on fish. Peak discharge was computed for a specific rain‐on‐snow event using a series of physical models that linked predicted values of snowmelt input to a runoff‐routing model. Predictions indicate that timber harvest caused a 25% increase in the peak flow of the modelled event and increased the frequency of events of this magnitude from a 9‐year recurrence interval to a 3·6‐year event. These changes in hydrologic regime, with larger discharges at shorter recurrence intervals, are predicted to increase the depth and frequency of streambed scour, causing up to 15% added mortality of bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) embryos. Mortality from increased scour, although not catastrophic, may have contributed to the extirpation of this species from the Coeur d'Alene basin, given the widespread timber harvest that occurred in this region. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reventador Volcano 2005: Eruptive activity inferred from seismo-acoustic observation

Reventador Volcano entered an eruptive phase in 2005 which included a wide variety of seismic and infrasonic activity. These are described and illustrated: volcano-tectonic, harmonic tremor, drumbeats, chugging and spasmodic tremor, long period and very long period events. The recording of this simultaneous activity on an array of three broadband, seismo-acoustic instruments provides detailed information of the state of the conduit and vent during this phase of volcanic eruption. Quasi-periodic tremor at Reventador is similar to that observed at other volcanoes and may be used as an indicator of vent aperture. Variations in the vibration modes of the volcano, frequency fluctuations and rapid temporal fluctuations suggest the influx of new material, choking of the vent and possible modification of the conduit geometry during explosions and effusion over a period of six weeks.     

Acoustic source characterization of impulsive Strombolian eruptions from the Mount Erebus lava lake

We invert for acoustic source volume outflux and momentum imparted to the atmosphere using an infrasonic network distributed about the erupting lava lake at Mount Erebus, Ross Island, Antarctica. By modeling these relatively simple eruptions as monopole point sources we estimate explosively ejected gas volumes that range from 1,000 m³ to 24,000 m³ for 312 lava lake eruptions recorded between January 6 and April 13, 2006. Though these volumes are compatible with bubble volumes at rupture (as estimated from explosion video records), departures from isotropic radiation are evident in the recorded acoustic wavefield for many eruptions. A point-source acoustic dipole component with arbitrary axis orientation and strength provides precise fit to the recorded infrasound. This dipole source axis, corresponding to the axis of inferred short-duration material jetting, varies significantly between events. Physical interpretation of dipole orientation as being indicative of eruptive directivity is corroborated by directional emissions of ejecta observed in Erebus eruption video footage. Although three azimuthally distributed stations are insufficient to fully characterize the eruptive acoustic source we speculate that a monopole with a minor amount of oriented dipole radiation may reasonably model the primary features of the recorded infrasound for these eruptions.     

An approach to measure parameter sensitivity in watershed hydrological modelling

Hydrological responses vary spatially and temporally according to watershed characteristics. In this study, the hydrological models that we developed earlier for the Little Miami River (LMR) and Las Vegas Wash (LVW) watersheds in the USA were used for detailed sensitivity analyses. To compare the relative sensitivities of the hydrological parameters of these two models, we used normalized root mean square error (NRMSE). By combining the NRMSE index with the flow duration curve analysis, we derived an approach to measure parameter sensitivities under different flow regimes. Results show that the parameters related to groundwater are highly sensitive in the LMR watershed, whereas the LVW watershed is primarily sensitive to near-surface and impervious parameters. The high and medium flows are more impacted by most of the parameters. The low flow regime was highly sensitive to groundwater-related parameters. Moreover, our approach is found to be useful in facilitating model development and calibration.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis

ASSOCIATE EDITOR S. Huang