Scenario Evaluator for Electrical Resistivity Survey Pre‐modeling Tool

Geophysical tools have much to offer users in environmental, water resource, and geotechnical fields; however, techniques such as electrical resistivity imaging (ERI) are often oversold and/or overinterpreted due to a lack of understanding of the limitations of the techniques, such as the appropriate depth intervals or resolution of the methods. The relationship between ERI data and resistivity is nonlinear; therefore, these limitations depend on site conditions and survey design and are best assessed through forward and inverse modeling exercises prior to field investigations. In this approach, proposed field surveys are first numerically simulated given the expected electrical properties of the site, and the resulting hypothetical data are then analyzed using inverse models. Performing ERI forward/inverse modeling, however, requires substantial expertise and can take many hours to implement. We present a new spreadsheet‐based tool, the Scenario Evaluator for Electrical Resistivity (SEER), which features a graphical user interface that allows users to manipulate a resistivity model and instantly view how that model would likely be interpreted by an ERI survey. The SEER tool is intended for use by those who wish to determine the value of including ERI to achieve project goals, and is designed to have broad utility in industry, teaching, and research.     

Assessing the significance of wet-canopy evaporation from forests during extreme rainfall events for flood mitigation in mountainous regions of the United Kingdom

There is increased interest in the potential of tree planting to help mitigate flooding using nature-based solutions or natural flood management. However, many publications based upon catchment studies conclude that, as flood magnitude increases, benefit from forest cover declines and is insignificant for extreme flood events. These conclusions conflict with estimates of evaporation loss from forest plot observations of gross rainfall, through fall and stem flow. This study explores data from existing studies to assess the magnitudes of evaporation and attempts to identify the meteorological conditions under which they would be supported. This is achieved using rainfall event data collated from publications and data archives from studies undertaken in temperate environments around the world. The meteorological conditions required to drive the observed evaporation losses are explored theoretically using the Penman–Monteith equation. The results of this theoretical analysis are compared with the prevailing meteorological conditions during large and extreme rainfall events in mountainous regions of the United Kingdom to assess the likely significance of wet canopy evaporation loss. The collated dataset showed that event Ewc losses between approximately 2 and 38% of gross rainfall (1.5 to 39.4 mm day⁻¹) have been observed during large rainfall events (up to 118 mm day⁻¹) and that there are few data for extreme events (>150 mm day⁻¹). Event data greater than 150 mm (reported separately) included similarly high percentage evaporation losses. Theoretical estimates of wet-canopy evaporation indicated that, to reproduce the losses towards the high end of these observations, relative humidity and the aerodynamic resistance for vapour transport needed to be lower than approximately 97.5% and 0.5 to 2 s m⁻¹ respectively. Surface meteorological data during large and extreme rainfall events in the United Kingdom suggest that conditions favourable for high wet-canopy evaporation are not uncommon and indicate that significant evaporation losses during large and extreme events are possible but not for all events and not at all locations. Thus the disparity with the results from catchment studies remains.     

Production of bioavailable and refractory dissolved organic matter by coastal heterotrophic microbial populations

Production of dissolved organic matter (DOM) by heterotrophic microbial communities isolated from Loch Creran (Scotland) was studied in time course incubations in which cells were re-suspended in artificial seawater amended with variable proportions of glucose, ammonium and phosphate. The incubation experiments demonstrated that microheterotrophs released part of the substrate as new DOM, with a production efficiency of 11 ± 1% for DOC, 18 ± 2% for DON and 17 ± 2% for DOP. Estimating the impact of this production in Loch Creran, showed that from 3 ± 1% (DOC) to 72 ± 16% (DOP) of DOM could originate from the heterotrophic microbial community. The produced DOM (PDOM) was both bioavailable (BDOM) and refractory (RDOM). Bioavailability as assessed by the difference between the maximum and the end DOM concentration, was generally higher than found in natural systems, with DOP (73 ± 15%, average ± SD) more bioavailable than DON (70 ± 15%), and DON than DOC (34 ± 13%).The stoichiometry of PDOM was linked to both nutrient uptake and BDOM ratios. Absorption and fluorescence of DOM increased significantly during the incubation time, indicating that microheterotrophs were also a source of coloured DOM (CDOM) and that they produce both bioavailable protein-like and refractory humic-like fluorophores.     

Measurements of the wall pressure spectra on a full-scale experimental towed array

Turbulent wall pressure data acquired during tests of a full-scale experimental towed array over a range of tow speeds in straight tows and turns is presented. The experimental towed array contained a linear array of sensors mounted at the fluid–solid interface to measure the spectra of the wall pressure fluctuations due to the cylindrical turbulent boundary layer. The physics are dominated by the growth of a thick, high Reynolds number turbulent boundary layer at arc length Reynolds numbers as high as 9×10⁸. The measured wavenumber-frequency spectra, autospectra, cross-spectral decay and convection velocities are presented. A well-defined convective ridge exists in the wavenumber-frequency spectra obtained during straight tows and turns. Turns give rise to a complicated fluid–structure interaction problem, but do not lead to the separation of the turbulent boundary layer. As the array moves through a turn, flow-induced vibrations of the array are shown to dominate the spectra at low frequencies, with more rapid decay in the measured coherence occurring at higher frequencies. The use of tow speed as a velocity scale is shown to collapse autospectra and convection velocities.     

Aggregation of riverine colloidal iron in estuaries: A new kinetic study using stopped-flow mixing

The kinetics of aggregation of riverine colloidal iron have been examined using a stopped-flow technique which probes the first few seconds of mixing between river and sea water end members. A significant fraction, up to 80%, of the colloidal iron is aggregated during the first 1–2 s of mixing, indicating that the aggregation process is much faster than previously thought. Most of the aggregation induced by seawater results from the divalent cations Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺, with the overall ionic strength having little influence. At equal concentrations of 27 mM, the rate of aggregation by alkaline earth cations increased with ionic size Mg²⁺ < Ca²⁺ < Sr²⁺ < Ba²⁺. The aggregation rates were indifferent to the anion (Cl⁻ or SO₄²⁻) present. Very high aggregation rates were also induced by the common water treatment coagulant Al₂(SO₄)₃ at concentrations in the range 20–30 µM Al(III), several orders of magnitude lower that those used for the seawater cations. Our results support the view that specific chemical interactions between the cations and the colloid particle surface, rather than simple electrical effects, control the colloid stability.     

Evolution of boundary‐layer aerosol particles due to in‐cloud chemical reactions during the 2nd Lagrangian experiment of ACE‐2

The second Aerosol Characterisation Experiment (ACE‐2) was aimed at investigating the physical, chemical and radiative properties of aerosol and their evolution in the North Atlantic region. In the 2nd "Lagrangian" experiment, an air mass was tracked over a 30‐h period during conditions of extensive stratocumulus cover. Boundary‐layer measurements of the aerosol size distribution obtained with a passive cavity aerosol spectrometer probe (PCASP) during the experiment show a gradual growth in size of particles in the 0.1–0.2 μm diameter mode. Simultaneously, SO₂ concentrations were found to decrease sharply from 800 to 20 ppt. The fraction of sulphate in aerosol ionic mass increased from 0.68±0.07 to 0.82±0.09 for small particles (diameter below 1.7 μm) and from 0.21±0.04 to 0.34±0.03 for large particles (diameter above 1.7 μm). The measurements were compared with a multicyclic parcel model of gas phase diffusion into cloud droplets and aqueous phase chemical reactions. The model was able to broadly reproduce the observed transformation in the aerosol spectra and the timescale for the transformation of SO₂ to sulphate aerosol. The modelled SO₂ concentration in the boundary layer fell to below half its initial value over a 6.5‐h time period due to a combination of the entrainment of cleaner tropospheric air and cloud chemical reactions. NH₃ and HCl gas were also found to play an important rôle in cloud processing in the model.     

A provisional map of forest types for the British Isles 5000 years ago

The distributions of seven woodland types, plus unforested areas, are mapped for the British Isles at 5000 BP. The map was compiled using data of modern soil distribution, present-day ecological preferences of the tree taxa present, and the pollen record.     

Multiproxy late Holocene peat records from Ireland: towards a regional palaeoclimate curve

Two new peat‐based climate records from Ireland covering the late Holocene are presented. The sequences are dated by a strong chronological framework formed by AMS radiocarbon dates and SCPs. Three proxy indicators (testate amoebae, macrofossils and humification) have been determined allowing the limitations and strengths of each to be identified and utilised to provide a bog surface wetness (BSW) record for both sites. Age–depth models take into account the potential for accumulation rates to vary with bog vegetation. The records from each site have been used to derive a combined BSW record that displays changes to a wetter/cooler climate from ca. AD 30 (1920 BP), ca. AD 310 (1640 BP), ca. AD 805 (1145 BP), ca. AD 1040 (910 BP) and ca. AD 1300 (650 BP). Changes follow closely those identified in a northern Britain composite BSW record and largely correspond with lake‐level data in central France suggesting the main changes in water balance were coherent over a large region. Correspondence with increases in IRD and slower Iceland‐Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW) suggests that these changes were related to oceanic forcing influencing the track of dominant westerly air flow over Ireland. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.