Metal concentrations, fluxes, inventories and chronologies in sediments from Sepetiba and Ribeira Bays: A comparative study

Three sediment cores were sampled at Sepetiba Bay and four cores at Ribeira Bay, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Sediment accumulation rates and chronologies were obtained from ²¹⁰Pb activity-depth profiles. Sediment accumulation rates in Ribera Bay ranged from 1.2 mm y⁻¹ in the inner bay to 2.6 mm y⁻¹ close to its entrance. In Sepetiba Bay two sediment accumulation rates were observed: a lower rate of 0.35 cm y⁻¹ before the 1960s and 0.76 cm y⁻¹ since then. The cause of this change is due to the construction of the Santa Cecília impoundment (1955) that brings water from the Paraíba do Sul Basin into the Guandu River, which increased its flow from the original 20 m³ s⁻¹ to 160 m³ s⁻¹. Concentration of 44 elements was obtained by ICP-MS after total dissolution of samples from two selected cores. The relative differences between the concentrations of crustal elements, such as Al, Fe and Ti are only about 20% (p < 0.05). Cd and Zn are 15 and four times larger in Sepetiba Bay than in Ribeira Bay, respectively. Other major and minor elements show lower statistically significant differences. The enrichment factors and metal inventories show that Sepetiba Bay can be considered polluted with Bi, Cd, Cr, Cu, Sb and Zn. Particularly, Cd and Zn present concentrations three and four times higher than the Brazilian existing limits.     

Relatively short-term correlation among deformation,degassing, and seismicity: a case study from Concepción volcano,Nicaragua

Concepción is a frequently active composite volcano in Nicaragua, and is located on Ometepe Island, within Lake Nicaragua. Significant eruptive activity took place at this volcano between March and May 2010, consisting of ash and gas explosions (VEI 1–2). We compare geodetic baseline changes observed with global positioning system (GPS), sulfur dioxide flux (SO₂), and seismic amplitude (SAM) data collected at Concepción during April – June, 2010, and February – April, 2011. Time series analysis reveals a remarkable correlation among the data sets during 2010, when the volcano was erupting. In contrast, the volcano was at its background level of activity in 2011 and the statistical correlation among the time series is not significant for this period. We explain the emergence of correlation among the time series during eruptive activity through modeling of the GPS data with emplacement of a magma column in an open conduit. In the model, magma rose in the conduit, between May 5 and 14, 2010, from a shallow reservoir located at ～ 1.8 km depth. Later, between May 24 and 31, 2010, the top of the magma column descended to almost 600 m depth, corresponding to the cessation of eruptive activity. Thus, cross-correlation and an integrated analysis of these geophysical time series on a timescale of days helps to reveal the dynamics of the magma plumbing system operating below Concepción volcano.     

First Results of DSD Measurement by Videodistrometer in the Czech Republic in 1998-1999

The first results of the almost one year drop size distribution (DSD) measurement in the Czech Republic are summarised in this study. The ESA-ESTEC 2D videodistrometer was used to measure the rain drop parameters. The average DSD is shown to be of the gamma type. One minute DSDs were evaluated to test the accuracy of analytical DSD models. Parameters of gamma distribution and exponential distribution functions were evaluated for the whole data set as well as for the various rain rate intervals. Regression technique and the method of moments were applied to estimate the parameters of DSD. It is shown that the parameter value strongly depends on the method of computation as well as on the rain type. Its average value is about 0.59 for the average (smooth) one minute DSD while an average value of un-smoothed DSD is 11.0 (moment method) or 5.4 (regression technique). The Joss's shape parameter and the Tokay-Short's parameter CS estimating roughly the rain type are also discussed (if CS>1, the event should be convective). The tendency of increasing numerical value of the CS parameter with the increasing rain rate was observed (the DSDs were distributed into classes respecting the rain rate value) and thus the idea of the convectivity occurrence bounded with the higher CS parameter value was supported. The study also compares the parameters of the average DSD with the averages of parameter values of all 4 183 one minute DSDs.     

Extra-tropical atmospheric response to ENSO in the CMIP5 models

The seasonal mean extra-tropical atmospheric response to El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is assessed in the historical and pre-industrial control CMIP5 simulations. This analysis considers two types of El Niño events, characterized by positive sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies in either the central equatorial Pacific (CP) or eastern equatorial Pacific (EP), as well as EP and CP La Niña events, characterized by negative SST anomalies in the same two regions. Seasonal mean geopotential height anomalies in key regions typify the magnitude and structure of the disruption of the Walker circulation cell in the tropical Pacific, upper tropospheric ENSO teleconnections and the polar stratospheric response. In the CMIP5 ensembles, the magnitude of the Walker cell disruption is correlated with the strength of the mid-latitude responses in the upper troposphere i.e., the North Pacific and South Pacific lows strengthen during El Niño events. The simulated responses to El Niño and La Niña have opposite sign. The seasonal mean extra-tropical, upper tropospheric responses to EP and CP events are indistinguishable. The ENSO responses in the MERRA reanalysis lie within the model scatter of the historical simulations. Similar responses are simulated in the pre-industrial and historical CMIP5 simulations. Overall, there is a weak correlation between the strength of the tropical response to ENSO and the strength of the polar stratospheric response. ENSO-related polar stratospheric variability is best simulated in the “high-top” subset of models with a well-resolved stratosphere.