Long‐term monitoring of a mercury contaminated estuary (Ria de Aveiro,Portugal): the effect of weather events and management in mercury transport

The main aim of this research was to assess the mercury transport from an estuarine basin with a background of anthropogenic contamination during a spring tidal cycle (year 2009) and compare it with two previous tidal cycles (years 1994 and 1999), as part of a long‐term monitoring program. Results showed that effective mercury transport occurs both in the dissolved and particulate fractions (0.18 and 0.20 kg per tidal cycle, respectively), and despite an overall decrease in environmental contamination, results more than double previous findings on particulate transport in the system. These findings result essentially from changes in the tidal prism (net export of 2 million m³ of water), given that both dissolved and particulate concentrations did not increase over time. Hydrodynamic simulations were performed to evaluate the effect of physical disturbance (dredging) and weather events (increased freshwater flow) in these processes, and results suggest the increased freshwater flow into the system as the main forcing function for the mercury transport increment. These results highlight the importance of long‐term monitoring programs, since despite an overall improvement in local contamination levels, the enhancement of transport processes through hydrological changes increases environmental pressure away from the contamination source. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The exponential decline in saturated hydraulic conductivity with depth: a novel method for exploring its effect on water flow paths and transit time distribution

The strong vertical gradient in soil and subsoil saturated hydraulic conductivity is characteristic feature of the hydrology of catchments. Despite the potential importance of these strong gradients, they have proven difficult to model using robust physically based schemes. This has hampered the testing of hypotheses about the implications of such vertical gradients for subsurface flow paths, residence times and transit time distribution. Here we present a general semi‐analytical solution for the simulation of 2D steady‐state saturated‐unsaturated flow in hillslopes with saturated hydraulic conductivity that declines exponentially with depth. The grid‐free solution satisfies mass balance exactly over the entire saturated and unsaturated zones. The new method provides continuous solutions for head, flow and velocity in both saturated and unsaturated zones without any interpolation process as is common in discrete numerical schemes. This solution efficiently generates flow pathlines and transit time distributions in hillslopes with the assumption of depth‐varying saturated hydraulic conductivity. The model outputs reveal the pronounced effect that changing the strength of the exponential decline in saturated hydraulic conductivity has on the flow pathlines, residence time and transit time distribution. This new steady‐state model may be useful to others for posing hypotheses about how different depth functions for hydraulic conductivity influence catchment hydrological response. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Simulation of site-scale water fluxes in desert and natural oasis ecosystems of the arid region in Northwest China

The study of water fluxes is important to better understand hydrological cycles in arid regions. Data-driven machine learning models have been recently applied to water flux simulation. Previous studies have built site-scale simulation models of water fluxes for individual sites separately, requiring a large amount of data from each site and significant computation time. For arid areas, there is no consensus as to the optimal model and variable selection method to simulate water fluxes. Using data from seven flux observation sites in the arid region of Northwest China, this study compared the performance of random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), back propagation neural network (BPNN), and multiple linear regression (MLR) models in simulating water fluxes. Additionally, the study investigated inter-annual and seasonal variation in water fluxes and the dominant drivers of this variation at different sites. A universal simulation model for water flux was built using the RF approach and key variables as determined by MLR, incorporating data from all sites. Model performance of the SVM algorithm (R² = 0.25–0.90) was slightly worse than that of the RF algorithm (R² = 0.41–0.91); the BPNN algorithm performed poorly in most cases (R² = 0.15–0.88). Similarly, the MLR results were limited and unreliable (R² = 0.00–0.66). Using the universal RF model, annual water fluxes were found to be much higher than the precipitation received at each site, and natural oases showed higher fluxes than desert ecosystems. Water fluxes were highest during the growing season (May–September) and lowest during the non-growing season (October–April). Furthermore, the dominant drivers of water flux variation were various among different sites, but the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil moisture and soil temperature were important at most sites. This study provides useful insights for simulating water fluxes in desert and oasis ecosystems, understanding patterns of variation and the underlying mechanisms. Besides, these results can make a contribution as the decision-making basis to the water management in desert and oasis ecosystems.     

热带太平洋次表层三维海温距平场的EOF分析

应用太平洋次表层海温距平资料构造了一个立体的西低东高的四级阶梯模型,使用EOF方法对此模型进行时空分解,重点讨论了分解结果与ENSO循环的关系,并对Nino 3距平指数进行试预报,结果表明,用 EOF分解的第一主分量代表暖池-厄尔尼诺(拉尼娜)模态,第二主分量代表次表层温度距平的东西运移模态,厄尔尼诺事件正是东西运移模态突变的结果.时滞相关分析估算,一次ENSO循环的平均周期约为41个月,厄尔尼诺、拉尼娜模态与温度距平的东西运移模态的位相差平均约为9.7个月.应用逐步回归方法得到超前Nino 3距平指数3、6和12个月的3个预报方程.预报结果表明,第一、第二时间系数对Nino 3距平指数均具有一定的预报价值,预报时效可达1 a左右.     

A global wave parameter database for geophysical applications. Part 1: Wave-current–turbulence interaction parameters for the open ocean based on traditional parameterizations

Ocean surface mixing and drift are influenced by the mixed layer depth, buoyancy fluxes and currents below the mixed layer. Drift and mixing are also functions of the surface Stokes drift U_ss, volume Stokes transport T_S, a wave breaking height scale H_swg, and the flux of energy from waves to ocean turbulence Φ_oc. Here we describe a global database of these parameters, estimated from a well-validated numerical wave model, that uses traditional forms of the wave generation and dissipation parameterizations, and covers the years 2003–2007. Compared to previous studies, the present work has the advantage of being consistent with the known physical processes that regulate the wave field and the air–sea fluxes, and also consistent with a very large number of in situ and satellite observations of wave parameters. Consequently, some of our estimates differ significantly from previous estimates. In particular, we find that the mean global integral of Φ_oc is 68 TW, and the yearly mean value of T_S is typically 10–30% of the Ekman transport, except in well-defined regions where it can reach 60%. We also have refined our previous estimates of U_ss by using a better treatment of the high frequency part of the wave spectrum. In the open ocean, U_ss  0.013U₁₀, where U₁₀ is the wind speed at 10 m height.     

基于HYCOM再分析数据研究琉球海流的形成与起源

The origin of the Ryukyu Current(RC) and the formation of its subsurface velocity core were investigated using a 23-year(1993–2015) global Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model(HYCOM) dataset. The volume transport of the RC comes from the Kuroshio eastward branch(KEB) east of Taiwan and part of the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre(pNPSG). From the surface to 2 000 m depth, the KEB(p-NPSG) transport contributes 41.5%(58.5%) to the mean total RC transport. The KEB originally forms the subsurface velocity core of the RC east of Taiwan due to blockage of the subsurface Kuroshio by the Ilan Ridge(sill depth: 700 m). Above 700 m, the Kuroshio can enter the East China Sea(ECS) over the Ilan Ridge, meanwhile, the blocked Kuroshio below 700 m turns to the right and flows along the Ryukyu Islands. With the RC flowing northeastward, the p-NPSG contribution strengthens the subsurface maximum structure of the RC owing to the blockage of the Ryukyu Ridge. In the surface layer, the pNPSG cannot form a stable northeastward current due to frequent disturbance by mesoscale eddies and water exchange through the gaps(with net volume transport into ECS) between the Ryukyu Islands.     

Fluid fluxes during low-temperature alteration: implications of multi-style alteration assemblages from the Welsh Borderland,UK

Localized (domainal) low-temperature alteration may indicate variations in the chemistry of alteration fluids and/or discrete fluid flow paths during metamorphism. Occurrences of epidote- and pumpellyite-dominated domains are often used as evidence for large fluxes of Ca-rich fluids. However, comparative studies of two domainal alteration styles from basaltic to andesitic lavas and volcaniclastic rocks at Builth Wells, Wales, UK suggest that such interpretations cannot be applied universally. Here, only one set of domains can be attributed to large fluxes of Ca-rich fluids. In contrast, the second set of domains formed where the host rock supplied the necessary Ca, and fluid/rock ratios were relatively low. These domains are hosted by rocks which show a Caledonian regional metamorphic imprint, characterized by the alteration assemblage albite+chlorite+titanite±prehnite±pumpellyite±calcite±muscovite±quartz (considered to have formed at c. 200°C and ≤2.5 kbar). Type 1 domains lie along fluid channelways, such as veins. Pumpellyite is the dominant secondary mineral, but the alteration assemblage is variable with pumpellyite±prehnite±calcite±titanite±chlorite (±quartz). The domains formed at temperatures of 130–230°C during Ordovician hydrothermal activity, before the peak of regional metamorphism. In contrast, Type 2 domains are not associated with obvious fluid channelways. A central prehnite-dominated zone typically has a rim with the assemblage pumpellyite+calcite±prehnite±chlorite±titanite±K-rich phyllosilicate. These domains probably formed from pelitic xenoliths which contained a volcaniclastic component at temperatures of 130–230°C and at relatively low fluid/rock ratios. However, the timing of domain formation is uncertain. Pyrobitumen, in veins and disseminated throughout the rock, may have influenced the formation of both types of domain by stabilizing pumpellyite in preference to epidote and causing metamorphic calcite formation through the release of CO₂ to the alteration fluids. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

DAYTIME HEAT BALANCE FOR ESTIMATING NON-RADIATIVE FLUXES OF LAKE BANYOLES,SPAIN

Combining a six-term heat balance equation and a seasonal thermocline model, a new equation to calculate non- radiative fluxes of Lake Banyoles has been determined. Mean daily measurements of global solar radiation, downward longwave radiation, wind speed, air temperature and water surface temperature were used as input data and lake temperature as the calculated output data of the model. To calibrate performance of the new equation, calculated lake temperature was compared with measured lake temperature during both the mixing and the stratified period of the lake. The new coefficients in the wind function to calculate the non-radiative fluxes at the water surface were assumed to depend on the variability of the wind speed, the air temperature of the study area and the surface temperature of the lake. In addition, the results were used to estimate the heat balance of the air–water interface of Lake Banyoles over a period of two years. The processes that have been taken into account are shortwave and longwave radiation, back-radiation emitted by the lake, sensible and latent heat and throughflow.     

MELTWATER FLUXES AT AN ARCTIC FOREST-TUNDRA SITE

Models of surface energy balance and snow metamorphism are utilized to predict the energy and meltwater fluxes at an Arctic site in the forest–tundra transition zone of north-western Canada. The surface energy balance during the melt period is modelled using an hourly bulk aerodynamic approach. Once a snowcover becomes patchy, advection from the bare patches to the snow-covered areas results in a large spatial variation in basin snowmelt. In order to illustrate the importance of small-scale, horizontal advection, a simple parameterization scheme using sensible heat fluxes from snow free areas was tested. This scheme estimates the maximum horizontal advection of sensible heat from the bare patches to the snow-covered areas. Calculated melt was routed through the measured snowcover in each landscape type using a variable flow path, meltwater percolation model. This allowed the determination of the spatial variability in the timing and magnitude of meltwater release for runoff. Model results indicate that the initial release of meltwater first occurred on the shallow upland tundra sites, but meltwater release did not occur until nearly two weeks later on the deep drift snowcovers. During these early periods of melt, not all meltwater is available for runoff. Instead, there is a period when some snowpacks are only partially contributing to runoff, and the spatial variation of runoff contribution corresponds to landscape type. Comparisons of melt with and without advection suggests that advection is an important process controlling the timing of basin snowmelt.     

长江口滨岸湿地无机氮界面交换通量量算

基于3年长江口滨岸湿地沉积物－水界面无机氮季节性交换通量连续实测数据,建立无机氮界面交换通量空间插值模型与量算模型,对无机氮界面交换通量季节性空间分布特征、滨岸湿地不同岸段无机氮季节性界面交换总通量量算等研究。结果表明：修正GIDS插值模型在无机氮界面交换通量空间插值预测过程中精度明显优于IDS方法,而略优于普通Kriging方法;长江口滨岸湿地沉积物－水界面无机氮交换通量空间分布在不同季节表现出复杂的空间分异特征;利用修正GIDS插值模型对长江口滨岸湿地无机氮交换通量进行空间插值过程中,为提高通量量算模型精度,应采用1.2'×1.2'的空间尺度为最佳;长江口滨岸湿地无机氮界面交换总通量量算表明,长江口滨岸湿地在春季向水体释放无机氮,是水体无机氮的释放源,释放量为1.33×10⁴ t,夏季、秋季和冬季表现为净化水体中无机氮,是水体无机氮的吸收汇,分别净化无机氮量为4.36×10⁴ t、6.81×10⁴ t和2.24×10⁴ t,全年总体表现为净化水体中无机氮,净化量为12.1×10⁴ t;长江口多年水体中无机氮通量多项式拟合分析得出,2002~2004年3年长江口水体中无机氮通量平均值为52.6×10⁴ t,滨岸湿地对长江口水体中无机氮的年均净化率达23.0%。