Dynamic of the freshwater–saltwater interface in a karstic aquifer under extraordinary recharge action: the Merida Yucatan case study

A hydraulic analysis of the interface between freshwater–saltwater behavior was done in the Merida Yucatan zone, two machines that constantly register the groundwater levels were installed, and three electric conductivity logs were taken from wells. When comparing the measured results with the ones obtained using theoretical equations developed to calculate the freshwater–saltwater interface position, it was proved that in some cases these equations can be applied, and in others not. Two effects that rule the behavior of karst aquifers in extraordinary conditions were found.     

Coastal processes and environmental hazards: the Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Venetian (Italy) littorals

The Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Venice (Italy) coastlands have experienced significant saltwater contamination of the phreatic aquifer, coastal erosion, hydrodynamic changes and relative sea level rise processes due to natural and man-induced factors. These factors expose coastal areas to morpho-hydro-geological hazards, such as soil desertification, frequency and degree of flooding, littoral erosion, and the silting of river mouths and channels. Man-made interventions and actions, such as beach mining, construction of coastal structures and exploitation of aquifers without an adequate knowledge of the hydrology setting and an adequate management program, worsen these natural hazards. Uncontrolled human activity induces environmental damage to the overall coastal plains. The coastal plains play an important role in the social/economic development of the two regions based on land use, such as agriculture, horticulture, breeding, and tourism, as well as industry. Results of investigations on saltwater contamination, sea level rise and morphological changes recently performed in these two coastal areas are presented here.     

Statistical analysis of the temporal and spatial controls on tidal signal preservation in late-Holocene tidal rhythmites, Romney Marsh, Southeast England

A hierarchical series of tidal periodicities are preserved within laminated tidal flat deposits at the barrier/back-barrier interface of Romney Marsh and the Dungeness Foreland in southeast England. The sedimentary record of the tidal signature, extracted from variations in sand layer thickness, was found to be severely truncated with neap-spring periods typically represented by five or less sand layers and possibly only alternate neap-spring periods present. Despite the low number of sand layers deposited in these higher frequency tidal cycles, semi-annual periods are clearly preserved but tend to contain less than the expected 6 months of sedimentation. Annual accumulation rates of around 0.2–0.3 m/year are indicated. Local emplacement of storm beaches is considered to have created the protected conditions suitable for tidal rhythmite preservation. Ongoing foreland progradation and infilling eventually restricted tidal inundation to the point where distinct sand laminae were no longer deposited. Here, in contrast with other systems, accommodation space was not limiting and tidal flat elevation is reflected as a more subtle control on spatial changes in the resolution of the tidal signal.     

Changes of oceanographic characteristics and the state of pollution in the Izmit bay following the earthquake of 1999

The Izmit Bay is an elongated semi-enclosed bay in the Marmara Sea. It is being increasingly polluted by both domestic and industrial waste discharge since 1970’s. A monitoring program was conducted between 1999-2000 to document the state of pollution in the bay. This includes the effect of Marmara (Izmit) earthquake (magnitude 7.4) that occurred in August 1999. A stable two-layer ecosystem exists in the bay throughout the year due to continuous inflows of the saltier Mediterranean and brackish Black Sea waters to the Marmara basin. Therefore, the principal biochemical characteristics of the bay are governed by the two-layer flow system over the basin. Dissolved oxygen (DO) is generally at a saturated levels in the surface layer which is 10 to 15 m thick, but it is depleted to 60–70 μM in the lower layer, exhibiting a steep gradient in the sharp halocline. When the earthquake occurred, great loads of industrial wastes were released into the bay surface waters, which enhanced primary production in the upper layer and thus large export of particulate organic matter to lower layer and eventually to the bottom. Accordingly, DO was consumed and anoxic condition was established even in the upper layer/halocline interface, the halocline and bottom waters of the eastern and central bay. In this period, concurrent increases were observed in phosphate and ammonia contents at the halocline and in deep waters whilst the nitrate was almost consumed via denitrification processes in the anoxic water. Recently, the industrial C, N and P loads increased by as much as 8 fold within five years (1995–2000) whilst domestic inputs increased by 50%. Total organic matter discharged to the bay increased more than double within the last 15 years. Besides, most factories in the region release toxic wastes into the bay after only partial treatment.     

Simulation-optimization approach to assess groundwater availability in Refugio County, TX

Sustainable management of groundwater resources is critical for viable development of semi-arid regions. Refugio County, TX, is predominantly a rural community that is in close proximity to two large urban areas of Corpus Christi and San Antonio. Large-scale water supply projects are being planned to export surplus water available in Refugio County to nearby growing cities. Being a coastal county with several sensitive bays and estuaries, these projects have caused concerns with regard to decreases in freshwater inflows to coastal bodies and raised the possibility of saltwater intrusion. A simulation model characterizing groundwater flow in the shallower unconfined and the deeper semi-confined formations of the Gulf coast aquifer was calibrated and evaluated. The model results were used in conjunction with a mathematical programming scheme to estimate maximum available groundwater in the county. Stakeholder concerns were incorporated as constraints, which included prevention of saltwater intrusion in the aquifer, limiting the amount of allowable drawdown in shallow aquifers, as well as maintaining current flow gradients especially near baseflow-dependent streams and rivers. For the conditions assumed in this study, the model results indicate that roughly 4.93 × 10⁷ m³ of water can be extracted in a typical year. The management model was noted to be very sensitive to the imposed saltwater intrusion constraint.     

滨海湿地生态旅游资源评价研究

在研究旅游资源评价与湿地资源评价已有成果的基础上,提出滨海湿地生态旅游资源评价及评价指标选取的基本原则,并从客观实际出发,应用层次分析法(AHP),从生态环境、旅游资源和旅游开发三方面着手,构建了滨海湿地生态旅游资源评价体系,并据此进行计算机处理、排序和检验,提出滨海湿地生态旅游资源等级指标及赋分标准,为科学评价滨海湿地生态旅游资源提供依据.     

Natural and anthropogenic aquatic environmental changes reconstructed by paleolimnological analyses in Lake Kitaura,central Japan

In order to assess the recent anthropogenic environmental changes in Lake Kitaura, central Japan, changes during the past few centuries were reconstructed from results of radiometric and tephrochlonological age determination, magnetic susceptibility measurements, total organic carbon analyses, total nitrogen analyses and fossil diatom analyses on a sediment core from the lake. A total of six major and sub-zones are recognized according to the diatom fossil assemblages, and we discuss aquatic environmental change in Lake Kitaura mainly based on these diatom assemblage change. Zone Ia and Zone Ib (older than AD 1707) are marine to brackish. In Zone IIa (AD␣1707–AD 1836), most of the brackish diatoms disappeared, and were replaced by freshwater species indicating a decrease in salinity. We interpret the salinity decrease in Zone I–IIa as a sea-level fall during the Little Ice Age. The salinity of the lake decreased to near freshwater conditions in Zone IIb (AD 1836–AD 1970), which could arise from alteration in River Tone or development of a sandspit in the mouth of River Tone in addition to sea-level change. In Zone IIIa (AD 1970–AD 1987), the diatom assemblage indicates a freshwater environment, and sedimentation rates increase rapidly. These changes reflect sedimentary environment change and an ecosystem transition due to the construction of the tide gate. In Zone IIIb (AD 1987–AD 2002), the diatom flux (valves cm⁻² y⁻¹) increased and species composition changed. The changes in Zone IIIb show a good agreement with limnological monitoring data gathered from the lake. These paleolimnological data suggest that the recent human-induced changes of the aquatic environment of the lake after the 1970s exceed rates during the period concerned in this study.     

Developing a high-resolution climatology for the Central California coastal region

This work presents a procedure for developing a high-resolution, regional climatology estimate, named RClimo, off the coast of central California. This high-resolution climatology may provide an alternative way to initialize numerical nowcast/forecast exercises in coastal regions. The methodology includes two primary steps: (1) averaging available data on a high-resolution grid and (2) objective interpolating the resulting average profiles onto a regular grid. The first step involves the computation of averages over density layers in the vertical and allowing for data gaps in the horizontal if data are unavailable at a high resolution. The OA in the second step uses anisotropic correlation length scales derived from the data themselves and an averaging radius to preserve the scales and variability of the synoptic fields.     

中国东南沿海中-新生代玄武岩微量元素和Nd-Sr-Pb同位素研究

本文对中国东南沿海不含幔源包体的中生代玄武岩和含幔源包体的新生代玄武岩进行了微量元素和Nd-Sr-Pb同位素对比研究。中生代玄武岩呈Ta、Nb和Hf负异常,低Ce/Pb、Nb/U比值和高La/Nb比值,与岛弧火山岩和陆壳岩石的微量元素特征相类似,说明在岩浆生成和上升过程中,幔源组分受到了陆壳组分的混染。新生代玄武岩呈Ta、Nb正异常和Pb负异常,高Ce/Pb、Nb/U比值和低La/Nb比值,与海岛玄武岩(OIB)相类似,Nd-Sr同位素成分与夏威夷玄武岩类似,因而它们未受明显的陆壳混染。143Nd/144Nd与206Pb/204Pb之间的负相关关系和87Sr/86Sr与206Pb/204Pb之间的正相关关系说明本区新生代玄武岩起源于中等亏损程度的软流圈地幔,并与EMII富集地幔组分发生了混合。     

Delivery of upper-basin sediment to the lower neuse river,North Carolina,U.S.A.

Extensive storage of upper-basin Piedmont sediment and apparent low sediment supply to streams in lower-basin Coastal Plain areas generates questions as to the source of alluvium in lower reaches of rivers of the U.S. Atlantic drainage. This was investigated on the Neuse River, North Carolina, using a mineralogical indicator of sediment source areas. The utility of mica flakes for discriminating between Piedmont and non-Piedmont sources of sediment in the lower Coastal Plain reaches of the Neuse was established on the basis of an examination of the U.S. National Soils Database and of 26 soil surveys of the North Carolina Coastal Plain. From the Neuse River estuary to 48 km upstream there are no mica flakes in floodplain soils or in river bank and channel shelf sediments. Mica flakes become more common upstream. This suggests that a very small proportion of the sediment eroded in the Piedmont portion of the watershed is delivered to the river mouth. The small amounts which presumably do reach the lower Coastal Plain are so diluted by Coastal Plain-derived alluvium that no Piedmont origin can be discerned. This demonstrates a dominantly Coastal Plain source and underscores the importance of storage and discontinuous transport in fluvial sediment systems. More importantly, results suggest that upper- and lower-basin sediment dynamics are not only non-linearly related, but may be virtually decoupled.