Simulating the surface waters of the Amazon River basin: impacts of new river geomorphic and flow parameterizations

This paper describes the impacts of new river geomorphic and flow parameterizations on the simulated surface waters dynamics of the Amazon River basin. Three major improvements to a hydrologic model are presented: (1) the river flow velocity equation is expanded to be dependent on river sinuosity and friction in addition to gradient forces; (2) equations defining the morphological characteristics of the river, such as river height, width and bankfull volume, are derived from 31 622 measurements of river morphology and applied within the model; (3) 1 km resolution topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) are used to provide physically based fractional flooding of grid cells from a statistical representation of sub‐grid‐scale floodplain morphology. The discharge and floodplain inundation of the Amazon River is simulated for the period 1968–1998, validated against observations, and compared with results from a previous version of the model. These modifications result in considerable improvement in the simulations of the hydrological features of the Amazon River system. The major impact is that the average wet‐season flooded area on the Amazon mainstem for the period 1983–1988 is now within 5% of satellite‐derived estimates of flooded area, whereas the previous model overestimates the flooded area by about 80%. The improvements are a consequence of the new empirical river geomorphologic functions and the SRTM topography. The new formulation of the flow velocity equation results in increased river velocity on the mainstem and major tributaries and a better correlation between the mean monthly simulated and observed discharge. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemical and isotopic assessment in volcanic thermal waters: Cases of Ischia (Italy) and São Miguel (Azores,Portugal)

Isotopic fractionation of ¹⁰B/¹¹B provides a sound tool for identifying hydrogeochemical processes in complex areas, owing to its ability to discriminate between various scenarios. In addition, the occurrence of boron as a minor element in areas of active volcanism allows its use in comparison with concentrations of other conservative or non‐conservative ions. This allows the detection of water mixtures of diverse origin and temperature, deep or shallow, including fresh water, seawater and even brines. This tool was applied in studies of the volcanic islands of Ischia and São Miguel, across widely differing geographical and climatic contexts. Five groups of waters have been identified in Ischia Island: marine, transition, hot carbonated, cold carbonated and fresh waters. For São Miguel Island the identified groups are cold carbonic, hot carbonic, boiling and acidic boiling waters. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial and long-term temporal variation of meiobenthic-hyperbenthic copepods in Lake Pontchartrain,Louisiana

The distribution and abundance of the meiobenthic-hyperbenthic copepods of Lake Pontchartrain (a large, 1630 km², shallow, mean depth of 3·7m, brackish, 0·3–5‰, lake in Southeastern Louisiana) were characterized monthly from August 1978 to August 1979. Ten stations, all with water depth > 2m, were established and sampled quantitatively by removing four benthic subsamples (containing as much as 25 cm overlying water) from replicated box cores. Averaged across stations over time, total copepod densities ranged from 31–89 × 10 cm^?2. A total of only 15 copepod species were identified from benthic samples; 8 harpacticoids, 4 cyclopoids and 3 calanoids. The copepod assemblage in Pontchartrain differs from all other known benthic assemblages in that the species composition is dominated by species which are often associated with the water column; true infaunal species are rare or found in reduced abundance. Four species comprised 90% of all individuals collected. All four are epibenthic or commonly collected as zooplankton and include Scottolana canadensis which comprised 47% of all individuals collected, Halicyclops fosteri which dominated fall collections, Acartia tonsa and Pseudobradya sp. Burrowing species were largely restricted to the more saline eastern stations. The rarity of burrowing species might be related to low salinity, however the highly unstable bottom in Pontchartrain with silty-clayey sediments commonly resuspended into the water column, may also influence burrowers. Cluster analysis reveals diffuse seasonal grouping of stations for all seasons except fall, with spatial groupings from the central and western sides. Physical processes appear to dictate the community structure of benthic-hyperbenthic copepods in Lake Pontchartrain.     

DISSOLVED OXYGEN DISTRIBUTION AND O_2 FLUXES ACROSS THE SEA-AIR INTERFACE IN EAST CHINA SEA WATERS

This study on the sectional and vertical distribution of dissolved oxygen (DO) and the O_2 fluxes acrossthe sea-air interface in East China Sea (ESC) waters shows that the waters were in steady state and thatthe difference of DO was great in upper and bottom waters in Apr. 1994; but that seawater mixingwas strong and the difference of DO was small in upper and bettom waters in Oct. 1994. The above con-dusions were specially obvious in continental shelf waters under 100m. The DO maximum in subsurfacelayer waters appeared only at several stations and in general the DO in the waters decreased with depth.The horizontal distributions of O_2 fluxes across the sea-air interface appeared in stripes in Leg 9404 whenmost regions covend were supersaturated with O_2. seawater to air flux wn large, and that on section No.1was 1.594 L/m~2·d. The horizontal distribution of O_2 fluxes across the sea-air interface appeared lumpy inLeg 9410, when most regions covered were unsaturated with O_2. O_2 was dissolved from air     

Species composition and dietary relationships in a brackish shallow water fish assemblage in the Bothnian Sea,Sweden

A nearshore fish assemblage inhabiting a shallow bay in the southern Bothnian Sea, Sweden, with demanding environmental conditions (c. 5‰; >15°C during 4 months 1980 and 1 month 1981) was studied during a two-year period, in 1980 and 1981. Seasonal distribution patterns, dietary relationships, and growth rates were studied in Pungitius pungitius (L.), Pomatoschistus minutus (Pallas.), Gasterosteus aculeatus (L.), Phoxinus phoxinus (L.), Pomatoschistus microps (Krøyer) and Gobius niger L. The structure of the juvenile populations changed both over seasons and years but the adult populations remained constant. Lower water temperature, fewer individuals, lower and delayed fish growth, and lower interspecific food overlaps were found in 1981 compared to 1980. Few significant correlations were found in both years between the following community parameters: diversity, niche width, food overlap, and the proportion of each species in the fish assemblage.According to these results it is suggested that food competition and resource partitioning were of minor importance for the structuring of the fish community in the present area. Rather, the extreme salinity and the fluctuations in temperature regulated the fish populations. One may conclude that the populations of juveniles were more influenced by short-term changes in the environment than those of the adults.     

浙江近岸海域贝类中重金属和贝毒污染状况研究

在浙江近岸海域采集了青蛤(Cyclina sinensis)、毛蚶(Scapharca subcrenata)、厚壳贻贝(Mytilus coruscus)、缢蛏(Sinonovacula constricta)、泥螺(Bullacta exarata)、菲律宾蛤仔(Ruditapes philippi-narum)、文蛤(Meretrix meretrix)、僧帽牡蛎(Ostrea cucullata)和栉孔扇贝(Chlamys farreri)共9种贝类计29份样品,检测其中重金属汞、砷、铜、铅、锌、镉以及麻痹性贝毒和腹泻性贝毒.结果表明,瑞安毛蚶、瑞安栉孔扇贝中有麻痹性贝类毒素检出,嵊泗文蛤、毛蚶和乐清牡蛎中存在重金属超标的情况;牡蛎对汞、铜、锌、镉有较强的富集能力.     

Environmental influence on phytoplankton communities in the northern Benguela ecosystem

An investigation of surface phytoplankton communities was undertaken on the shelf of the northern Benguela upwelling ecosystem during austral autumn (May) and spring (September), along latitudinal transects at 20° S and 23° S, from 2 to 70 nautical miles offshore, as well as on a zigzag grid located between these transects. Microscopic identification of the phytoplankton and CHEMTAX analysis of pigment biomarkers were used to characterise the community composition. During May 2014, warmer, more-saline water with a shallower upper mixed layer corresponding to periods of less-intense offshore Ekman transport was encountered on the shelf. Satellite imagery indicated high phytoplankton biomass extending for a considerable distance from the coast, and CHEMTAX indicated diatoms as dominant at most of the stations (52–92%), although dinoflagellates were dominant at some inshore localities (57–74%). Species of Chaetoceros, Bacteriastrum and Cylindrotheca were the most abundant, with abundance of the Pseudo-nitzschia ‘seriata-group’ being particularly high at a number of stations. In September 2014, more-intense wind-forcing resulted in a deeper upper mixed layer and stronger upwelling of colder, less-saline water. Elevated phytoplankton biomass was confined close to the coast, where diatoms accounted for most of the population (54–87%), whereas small flagellates, such as prasinophytes, haptophytes and cryptophytes, as well as the cyanobacterium Synechococcus, dominated the communities (58–90%) farther from the coast. It is hypothesised that stronger upwelling and deeper vertical mixing in September of that year were not conducive for widespread diatom growth, and that small flagellates populated the water column by being entrained from offshore onto the shelf in the upwelled water that moved in towards the coast.     

浙江南部近岸海域春季口虾蛄(Oratosquilla oratoria)生物量的时空分布

根据2011年春季(4月、5月、6月)对浙江南部近岸海域进行的共3个航次的底拖网渔业资源调查资料,对该海域口虾蛄(Oratosquilla oratoria)生物量的时空分布进行了分析。结果表明,4—6月,在月间分布上口虾蛄的生物量呈逐月下降的趋势,但各月间不存在显著性差异;在空间分布上大多数站位的生物量均较低(<150kg/km2);生物量重心位于27°33′N—27°55′N、121°20′E—121°38′E之间海域。各月相对高生物量(>150kg/km2)的空间分布与该月底温与底盐的变化相关。另外,随着月平均底盐特别是平均底温的升高,口虾蛄呈现逐月由较深海域向较浅海域移动的趋势。