Late Holocene environmental conditions in Coronation Gulf,southwestern Canadian Arctic Archipelago: evidence from dinoflagellate cysts,other non‐pollen palynomorphs,and pollen

Boxcore 99LSSL‐001 (68.095° N, 114.186° W; 211 m water depth) from Coronation Gulf represents the first decadal‐scale marine palynology and late Holocene sediment record for the southwestern part of the Northwest Passage. The record was studied for organic‐walled microfossils (dinoflagellate cysts, non‐pollen palynomorphs), pollen, terrestrial spores, and sediment characteristics. ²¹⁰Pb, ¹³⁷Cs, and three accelerator mass spectrometry ¹⁴C dates constrain the chronology. Three prominent palaeoenvironmental zones were identified. During the interval AD 1470–1680 (Zone I), the climate was warmer and wetter than at present, and environmental conditions were more favourable to biological activity and northward boreal forest migration, with reduced sea‐ice and a longer open‐water (growing) season. The interval AD 1680–1940 (Zone II) records sea‐ice increase, and generally cool, polar conditions during the Little Ice Age. During AD 1940–2000 (Zone III), organic microfossils indicate an extended open‐water season and decreased sea‐ice, with suggested amelioration surpassing that of Zone I. Although more marine studies are needed to place this record into an appropriate context, the succession from ameliorated (Zone I) to cooler, sea‐ice influenced conditions (Zone II) and finally to 20th‐century warming (Zone III) corresponds well with several terrestrial climatic records from the neighbouring mainland and Victoria Island, and with lower‐resolution marine records to the west. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil cracking effects on hydrological and erosive processes: a study case in Mediterranean cultivated vertisols

Shrink–swell soils, such as those in a Mediterranean climate regime, can cause changes in terms of hydrological and erosive responses because of the changing soil water storage conditions. Only a limited number of long‐term studies have focused on the impacts on both hydrological and erosive responses and their interactions in an agricultural environment. In this context, this study aims to document the dynamics of cracks, runoff and soil erosion within a small Mediterranean cultivated catchment and to quantify the influence of crack processes on the water and sediment supplied to a reservoir located at the catchment outlet using water and sediment measurements at a cultivated field outlet as baseline. Detailed monitoring of the presence of topsoil cracks was conducted within the Kamech catchment (ORE OMERE, Tunisia), and runoff and suspended sediment loads were continuously measured over a long period of time (2005–2012) at the outlets of a field (1.32 ha) and a catchment (263 ha). Analysis of the data showed that topsoil cracks were open approximately half of the year and that the rainfall regime and water table level conditions locally control the seasonal cracking dynamics. Topsoil cracks appeared to seriously affect the generation of runoff and sediment concentrations and, consequently, sediment yields, with similar dynamics observed at the field and catchment outlets. A similar time lag in the seasonality between water and sediment delivery was observed at these two scales: although the runoff rates were globally low during the presence of topsoil cracks, most sediment transport occurred during this period associated with very high sediment concentrations. This study underlines the importance of a good prediction of runoff during the presence of cracks for reservoir siltation considerations. In this context, the prediction of cracking effects on runoff and soil erosion is a key factor for the development of effective soil and water management strategies and downstream reservoir preservation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Root‐zone moisture replenishment in a native vegetated catchment under Mediterranean climate

The root‐zone moisture replenishment mechanisms are key unknowns required to understand soil hydrological processes and water sources used by plants. Temporal patterns of root‐zone moisture replenishment reflect wetting events that contribute to plant growth and survival and to catchment water yield. In this study, stable oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of twigs and throughfall were continuously monitored to characterize the seasonal variations of the root‐zone moisture replenishment in a native vegetated catchment under Mediterranean climate in South Australia. The two studied hillslopes (the north‐facing slope [NFS] and the south‐facing slope [SFS]) had different environmental conditions with opposite aspects. The twig and throughfall samples were collected every ~20 days over 1 year on both hillslopes. The root‐zone moisture replenishment, defined as percentage of newly replenished root‐zone moisture as a complement to antecedent moisture for plant use, calculated by an isotope balance model, was about zero (±25% for the NFS and ± 15% for the SFS) at the end of the wet season (October), increased to almost 100% (±26% for the NFS and ± 29% for the SFS) after the dry season (April and May), then decreased close to zero (±24% for the NFS and ± 28% for the SFS) in the middle of the following wet season (August). This seasonal pattern of root‐zone moisture replenishment suggests that the very first rainfall events of the wet season were significant for soil moisture replenishment and supported the plants over wet and subsequent dry seasons, and that NFS completed replenishment over a longer time than SFS in the wet season and depleted the root zone moisture quicker in the dry season. The stable oxygen isotope composition of the intraevent samples and twigs further confirms that rain water in the late wet season contributed little to root‐zone moisture. This study highlights the significant role of the very first rain events in the early wet season for ecosystem and provides insights to understanding ecohydrological separation, catchment water yield, and vegetation response to climate changes.     

Hydrological characterization of dammed rivers in the NW Mediterranean region

Water scarcity and climatic variability in the Mediterranean region have traditionally required the construction of dams to guarantee water supply for irrigation, industrial and urban uses and hydropower production. Reservoirs affect the hydrology of the river downstream, but the magnitude and persistence of these effects are still poorly unknown. Understanding the magnitude of these effects is the objective of this paper, in which we analyse the flow regimes of twelve rivers located in the NW Mediterranean region. Different temporal scales (daily, monthly and annual) are used for the analysis and also to estimate flow variables associated with flow magnitude, frequency, duration and variability. It is shown that dams alter the hydrological regime of most of the studied rivers, with special influence on monthly flows and flood magnitude and frequency. The most altered rivers (Muga and Siurana, NE Iberian Peninsula) experience a complete overturn in their flow regime with, for instance, flood reduction reaching up to 76% for the 2‐year flood event. Other rivers showed lower changes in hydrology (e.g. Orb and Têt). Annual runoff showed a pattern of decrease in all the studied rivers (regulated and non‐regulated) indicating that besides dams (i.e. reservoir evaporation), other factors likely affect water yield. A general recovery downstream from dams is also observed at all temporal scales, mainly because of the inflow from tributaries. Although dams have a clear impact on the hydrology of Mediterranean rivers, water withdrawals and diversions for irrigation and other consumptive uses also affected the hydrological patterns. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Early‐middle Holocene land snail shell stable isotope record from Grotta di Latronico 3 (southern Italy)

This paper compares stable isotope (δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C) records of early–middle Holocene land snail shells from the archaeological deposits of Grotta di Latronico 3 (LTR3; southern Italy) with modern shell isotopic data. No substantial interspecific variability was observed in shell δ¹⁸O (δ¹⁸Os) of modern specimens (Pomatias elegans, Cornu aspersum, Eobania vermiculata, Helix ligata and Marmorana fuscolabiata). In contrast, interspecific shell δ¹³C (δ¹³Cs) variability was significant, probably due to different feeding behaviour among species. The δ¹⁸Os values of living land snails suggest that species hibernate for a long period during colder months, so that the signal of ¹⁸O‐depleted winter rainfall in their δ¹⁸Os is lost. This suggests that δ¹⁸Os and δ¹³Cs values of Pomatias elegans from this archaeological succession provide valuable clues for seasonal (spring–autumn) climatic conditions during the early–middle Holocene. The δ¹⁸Os values of fossil specimens are significantly lower than in modern shells and in agreement with other palaeoclimatic records, suggesting a substantial increase of precipitation and/or persistent changes in air mass source trajectories over this region between ca. 8.8 cal ka BP and 6.2–6.7 ka ago. The δ¹³Cs trend suggests a transition from a slightly ¹³C‐enriched to a ¹³C‐depleted diet between early and middle Holocene compared to present conditions. We postulate that this δ¹³Cs trend might reflect changes in the C3 vegetation community, potentially combined with other environmental factors such as regional moisture increase and the progressive decrease of atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

西北太平洋气候和海洋环境变化对柔鱼空间分布的影响

Ommastrephes bartramii is an ecologically dependent species and has great commercial values among the AsiaPacific countries. This squid widely inhabits the North Pacific, one of the most dynamic marine environments in the world, subjecting to multi-scale climatic events such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation(PDO). Commercial fishery data from the Chinese squid-jigging fleets during 1995–2011 are used to evaluate the influences of climatic and oceanic environmental variations on the spatial distribution of O. bartramii. Significant interannual and seasonal variability are observed in the longitudinal and latitudinal gravity centers(LONG and LATG) of fishing ground of O. bartramii. The LATG mainly occurred in the waters with the suitable ranges of environmental variables estimated by the generalized additive model. The apparent north-south spatial shift in the annual LATG appeares to be associated with the PDO phenomenon and is closely related to the sea surface temperature(SST)and sea surface height(SSH) on the fishing ground, whereas the mixed layer depth(MLD) might contribute limited impacts to the distribution pattern of O. bartramii. The warm PDO regimes tend to yield cold SST and low SSH, resulting in a southward shift of LATG, while the cold PDO phases provid warm SST and elevated SSH,resulting in a northward shift of LATG. A regression model is developed to help understand and predict the fishing ground distributions of O. bartramii and improve the fishery management.     

西北印度洋中脊玄武岩源区地幔特征

利用全球岩石地球化学数据库(Pet DB)中有关卡尔斯伯格洋脊(CR)、北中印度洋脊(NCIR)及南中印度洋脊(SCIR)玄武岩的微量元素及同位素组成数据,分析了玄武岩的元素地球化学特征及其沿脊轴的变化,旨在探讨玄武岩源区地幔的(不)均一性及岩浆作用过程的差异。初步研究结果表明:CR、NCIR及SCIR玄武岩组成相近,仅在个别脊段表现有微量稀土元素和同位素组成上的差异,玄武岩整体与N-MORB组成特征相近,与先前通常认为的典型印度洋中脊玄武岩不同。玄武质岩浆主要源自尖晶石二辉橄榄岩地幔的熔融,岩浆源区主要由两个地幔端元构成,即以亏损型地幔(DMM)为主(69%),其次为富集型地幔(EMⅡ,27%)。富集组分可能源自古老陆壳物质的混染。自CR经NCIR到SCIR整个印度洋中脊西北分支玄武岩的Sr、Nd及Pb同位素组成表现出均一性,表明岩浆源区地幔组成相近。在SCIR 19°S附近脊段岩浆源区地幔存在有不均一性,有EMⅡ型地幔端元混入的迹象。在CR 3.5°N附近脊段,玄武岩明显富集K、Ba、La及U等微量元素,但由于缺少同位素数据,源区地幔特征有待进一步研究。在上述研究成果的基础上,提出了该区大比例尺的调查填图及密集采样和精细室内分析是CR深入研究的基础,同时加强Sr、Nd、Pb及Re、Os、Be等同位素分析测试,可提供揭示CR地幔不均一性的可靠依据,而厘清印度洋型地幔对CR的影响程度则有助于深入认识地幔不均一性的成因及地幔动力学过程。     

Chronology of the Mediterranean sea-level highstand during the Last Interglacial: a critical review of the U/Th-dated deposits

Relative sea-level (RSL) evolution during Marine Isotopic Stage (MIS) 5 in the Mediterranean basin is still not fully understood despite a plethora of morphological, stratigraphic and geochronological studies carried out on highstand deposits of this area. In this review we assembled a database of 323 U/Th-dated samples (e.g. corals, molluscs, speleothems) which were used to chronologically constrain RSL evolution within MIS 5. The application of strict geochemical criteria to the U/Th samples indicates that only ~33% of data available for the Mediterranean Sea can be considered ‘reliable’. Most of these data (~65%) refer to the MIS 5e highstand, while only ~17% could be related to the MIS 5a. No attribution to MIS 5c can be unequivocally supported. Nevertheless, the resulting framework does not allow us to define a satisfactory RSL trend during the MIS 5e highstand and subsequent MIS 5 substages. Overall, the proposed selection of reliable/unreliable data would be useful for detecting areas where MIS 5 substage attributions are not supported by confident U/Th chronological data and thus the related reconstructions need to be revised. In this regard, the resulting framework calls for a reappraisal and re-examination of the Mediterranean records with advanced geochronological methodologies.     

亚欧典型热浪过程的大气环流对比分析

使用探空站实测资料、国家气象中心500 hPa位势高度和NCEP/NCAR再分析资料,分析了中国西北和江南地区以及欧洲、印度发生的典型热浪过程及其形成热浪的大气环流系统。结果表明:西风带高压脊和副热带高压的同位相“南北叠加”(表明高压宽广)和低层高压与上层高压的同位相“上下叠加”(表明高压深厚),以及下沉运动和感热、潜热中心的分布,是中国西北和欧洲热浪形成的大气环流原因;而中国江南和印度的热浪,则与副热带高压的异常强大和夏季风活动有关。