Vegetation and peat accumulation steer Holocene tidal–fluvial basin filling and overbank sedimentation along the Old Rhine River,The Netherlands

In the transformation from tidal systems to freshwater coastal landscapes, plants act as eco-engineering species that reduce hydrodynamics and trap sediment, but nature and timing of the mechanisms of land creation along estuaries remains unclear. This article focuses on the Old Rhine estuary (The Netherlands) to show the importance of vegetation in coastal landscape evolution, predominantly regarding tidal basin filling and overbank morphology. This estuary hosted the main outflow channel of the river Rhine between ca 6500 to 2000 cal bp , and was constrained by peat during most of its existence. This study reconstructs its geological evolution, by correlating newly integrated geological data and new field records to varying conditions. Numerical modelling was performed to test the inferred mechanisms. It was found that floodbasin vegetation and resulting organic accumulation strongly accelerated back-barrier infill, by minimizing tidal influence. After tidal and wave transport had already sufficiently filled the back-barrier basin, reed rapidly expanded from its edges under brackish conditions, as shown by diatom analysis and datings. Reed growth provided a positive infilling feedback by reducing tidal flow and tidal prism, accelerating basin infilling. New radiocarbon dates show that large-scale crevassing along the Old Rhine River – driven by tidal backwater effect – only started as nutrient-rich river water transformed the floodbasin into an Alder carr in a next phase of estuary evolution. Such less dense vegetation promotes crevassing as sediments are more easily transported into the floodbasin. As river discharge increased and estuary mouth infilling progressed, crevasse activity diminished around 3800 to 3000 cal bp , likely due to a reduced tidal backwater effect. The insights from this data-rich Holocene study showcase the dominant role that vegetation may have in the long-term evolution of coastal wetlands. It provides clues for effective use of vegetation in vulnerable wetland landscapes to steer sedimentation patterns to strategically adapt to rising water levels.     

基于时间序列雷达干涉测量的钱塘江海塘形变分析

形变监测是海塘安全运行的重要组成部分。本文利用杭州地区2006年—2010年获取的31景EnvisatASAR影像,根据MTInSAR(Multi-Temporal In SAR)方法,综合提取PS(Persistent Scatterer)和DS(Distributed Scatterer)点,得到密集的钱塘江海塘形变的In SAR测量结果。与28个点的水准数据对比表明,两者的平均误差为0.436 mm,最大误差为5.016 mm,验证了In SAR技术毫米级的测量精度和准确性。通过这两种数据的时间序列分析发现,海塘的沉降在空间上具有连续性,其空间分布呈现为单峰下沉曲线;在时间上,则具有明显的线性变化规律,并伴随有短时间范围的小幅度波动。     

Acidification of Lower St. Lawrence Estuary Bottom Waters

Accumulation of metabolic CO₂ can acidify marine waters above and beyond the ongoing acidification of the ocean by anthropogenic CO₂. The impact of respiration on carbonate chemistry and pH is most acute in hypoxic and anoxic basins, where metabolic CO₂ accumulates to high concentrations. The bottom waters of the Lower St. Lawrence Estuary (LSLE), where persistently severe hypoxia has developed over the last 80 years, is one such case. We have reconstructed the evolution of pH in the bottom waters from historical and recent data, and from first principles relating the stoichiometry of CO₂ produced to oxygen consumed during microbial degradation of organic matter. Based on the value of the atmospheric partial pressure of CO₂ that best reproduces the preformed dissolved inorganic carbon concentration in the bottom waters, we estimate the average ventilation age of the bottom waters to be 16?±?3 years. The pH of the bottom waters has decreased by 0.2 to 0.3 over the last 75 years, which is four to six times greater than can be attributed to the uptake of anthropogenic CO₂. The pH decrease is accompanied by a decline in the saturation state with respect to both calcite and aragonite. As of 2007, bottom waters in the LSLE are slightly supersaturated with respect to calcite (Ω_c?≈?1.06?±?0.04) but are strongly undersaturated with respect to aragonite (Ω_a?≈?0.67?±?0.03).

     

Reduced rates of primary production in the Columbia River Estuary following the eruption of Mt Saint Helens on 18 May 1980

The eruption of Mt Saint Helens on 18 May 1980 resulted in a massive increase in suspended particulate material in the Columbia River Estuary, producing a substantial increase in light attenuation. Since photosynthesis in the estuarine water column is partly controlled by the depth of light penetration in the water, photosynthesis was reduced by about 75% during the period of increased turbidity. It took about five weeks for the estuary to clear. Although primary production within the estuarine water column was greatly diminished during this period, the flux of particulate carbon through the estuary was high, and the total production we estimate to have been lost amounted to only about 2% of the total particulate carbon flux just after the eruption. That the high levels of turbidity in the estuary did not induce a severe fall in the phytoplankton population is evidence that phytoplankton biomass concentrations in the Columbia River Estuary are mostly a function of import from the Columbia River, rather than a function of in situ production.     

Assessing surface water quality of the Yangtze Estuary with genotoxicity data

The present study investigated the genotoxicity of the surface water samples from the Yangtze Estuary with the Ames test in three seasons. Several important chemical parameters, such as COD inorganic nitrogen, active phosphate and heavy metals, were also analyzed at the same time. According the results, surface water samples from the south branch and a few of samples at the seaward end of the Yangtze Estuary show positive genotoxicity in some seasons. Chemical analysis revealed that the Yangtze Estuary was seriously polluted by inorganic nitrogen and by active phosphate. However, chemical parameters could not demonstrate the spatial variation of water quality of the estuary, and they could not assess adverse effects of chemicals in mixtures as well. Therefore, it is recommended that genotoxicity data, mutation rate of the Salmonella typhimurium strain TA98 at the dose of 1 l per plate, be taken as a new parameter assessing surface water quality of the Yangtze Estuary. Our studies also suggested that genetic toxicology assays, such as the Ames test, could be applied as a routine measure to monitoring marine environment in China. The paper proposes a development of the National Seawater Quality Standard of China.     

Sediment disturbance off the Tagus Estuary, Western Portugal: chronic contamination, sewage outfall operation and runoff events

Sediment disturbance patterns in the coastal area off the Tagus Estuary (Portugal) have been assessed using a set of combined techniques. The potential sources of disturbance in the area include chronic contamination of the fine sediments originating from the estuary, a local input from a long-sea sewage outfall and occasional high runoff episodes following torrential rain. The Sediment Quality Triad approach, combining environmental chemistry (namely organic contaminants), macrofaunal benthic communities and laboratory sediment toxicity assays, was performed on sediment samples from 20 sites. The samples were collected before the outfall commenced operation and four years after commissioning, in order to evaluate the relative magnitudes of the three potential sources of disturbance. The sediment contamination created by the estuary was identified as the most important cause of reduced sediment quality, as disturbance in all three components of the Sediment Quality Triad were only found in a site located near the estuary.     

Organic carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes in the intertidal sediments from the Yangtze Estuary, China

The natural isotopic compositions and C/N elemental ratios of sedimentary organic matter were determined in the intertidal flat of the Yangtze Estuary. The results showed that the ratios of carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes were respectively −29.8‰ to − 26.0‰ and 1.6‰–5.5‰ in the flood season (July), while they were −27.3‰ to − 25.6‰ and 1.7‰–7.8‰ in the dry season (February), respectively. The δ¹³C signatures were remarkably higher in July than in February, and gradually increased from the freshwater areas to the brackish areas. In contrast, there were relatively complex seasonal and spatial changes in stable nitrogen isotopes. It was also reflected that δ¹⁵N and C/N compositions had been obviously modified by organic matter diagenesis and biological processing, and could not be used to trace the sources of organic matter at the study area. In addition, it was considered that the mixing inputs of terrigenous and marine materials generally dominated sedimentary organic matter in the intertidal flat. The contribution of terrigenous inputs to sedimentary organic matter was roughly estimated according to the mixing balance model of stable carbon isotopes.     

闽江河口湿地典型植物群落及交错带植硅体碳分布特征研究

湿地既是"碳汇"也是"碳源",研究发现,碳可以被长久稳定地封存在植硅体内,不同植物的植硅体封存碳的能力有明显差异。选取闽江河口鳝鱼滩湿地芦苇群落、短叶茳芏群落、互花米草群落及交错带为研究对象,研究这3种植物植硅体碳(Phytolith-Occluded Carbon,简称PhytOC)含量和储量的空间变化特征和影响因素,探讨PhytOC含量在纯群落和交错带的差异,为研究植物竞争和碳循环过程提供依据。结果表明:受水文条件、植物生长和空间扩展等影响,闽江河口湿地植物PhytOC含量整体表现为近岸区高于近海区,PhytOC储量表现为纯群落高于交错带。PhytOC含量依次表现为芦苇纯群落(4.14 mg/g) > 交错带芦苇(3.67 mg/g) > 与芦苇交错的短叶茳芏(3.08 mg/g) > 互花米草纯群落(2.70 mg/g) > 与互花米草交错的短叶茳芏(1.96 mg/g) > 交错带互花米草(1.86 mg/g) > 短叶茳芏纯群落(1.75 mg/g)。短叶茳芏与芦苇相互扩展中短叶茳芏植物整体及各器官PhytOC含量均升高,而与互花米草相互扩展时短叶茳芏除了根系、茎以外各器官PhytOC含量均下降。3种植物各器官在交错带中PhytOC储量分配比明显不同于纯群落,根系PhytOC储量的分配比上升,提高了根系竞争力。芦苇、短叶茳芏、互花米草通过植硅体封存的碳储量分别占植物碳储量的0.27%、0.15%和0.07%,但植物间的扩展过程影响了植物的PhytOC储量,其中短叶茳芏与互花米草形成的交错带中短叶茳芏下降幅度最高(56.29%),互花米草下降幅度最低(26.15%)。由此可见,植物的空间扩展对植物PhytOC含量、储量以及在不同器官的分配比都有一定的影响,短叶茳芏在与芦苇和互花米草竞争时分别采取不同的PhytOC分配机制。     

基于MODIS的长江口表层水体盐度时空分异

长江河口地处海陆交汇地区,其海表盐度受到长江流域、东海和三角洲社会经济活动的复合影响。水体盐度直观反映了河口区域冲淡水分布,对于研究淡水羽状锋、长江物质输送与河口环境变化等具有重要意义。本文分别对枯季和洪季的长江口盐度实测数据,以及中分辨率成像光谱仪（moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer,MODIS）遥感反射率与反射率的比值进行拟合回归分析,建立长江口表层盐度反演经验模型,得到枯季的相关系数和均方根误差（root-mean-square error,RMSE）分别为-0.930 3、0.45‰,洪季的相关系数和RMSE分别为-0.818 5、0.88‰;并分析模型在时间尺度上的适用性。利用该盐度反演模型对长江口2007-2016年的表层盐度进行反演,结合大通站记录的长江径流量观测资料,分析长江口表层水体盐度的时空变化规律。结果表明：长江口表层盐度受径流量影响较大,空间上呈自西向东递增趋势,具有季节性分异;枯季近岸盐度较高,高盐度海水可以到达长江口南北支分叉122.5°E附近;洪季冲淡水影响范围广,高盐度海水聚集在123°E以东、31°N以南,长江口北部出现低盐区域;2007-2016年间枯季大通站流量呈上升趋势,平均盐度为29.27‰,总体呈降低趋势,洪季大通站流量呈降低趋势,平均盐度为27.10‰,呈上升趋势,盐度和径流量在年际变化中存在良好的负相关关系。     

长江口及邻近海域底层水体低氧物理机制的研究进展

人类活动和自然因素共同但有区别的作用引起了长江口及邻近海域富营养化,造成夏季底层水体低氧现象加剧,成为近海生态健康恶化的重要征兆。本文梳理了国内外学者在该海域低氧研究中获得的重要认识,分析了底层水体溶解氧的潮周期尺度、事件尺度和年际尺度的变化特征,重点从层化与物质输运角度,介绍了长江冲淡水、台湾暖流、海洋锋面、风和潮等过程影响底层水体中氧气消耗或补充的机制,揭示了本海域主要低氧现象分别位于长江口和浙江近海的特征,对比了两处低氧区形成与演变的异同机制。目前,对低氧形成机制的定性认识和多尺度变化特征的了解已经有较好的基础,未来需要从多学科交叉角度加强现场试验和定量研究,掌握低氧的长期演变趋势,研发底层水体低氧的预测预警技术,支撑我国河口近海的生态预警监测工作。