Factors affecting spatial and temporal variability in material exchange between the Southern Everglades wetlands and Florida Bay (USA)

Physical and biological processes controlling spatial and temporal variations in material concentration and exchange between the Southern Everglades wetlands and Florida Bay were studied for 2.5 years in three of the five major creek systems draining the watershed. Daily total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) fluxes were measured for 2 years in Taylor River, and ten 10-day intensive studies were conducted in this creek to estimate the seasonal flux of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), total organic carbon (TOC), and suspended matter. Four 10-day studies were conducted simultaneously in Taylor, McCormick, and Trout Creeks to study the spatial variation in concentration and flux. The annual fluxes of TOC, TN, and TP from the Southern Everglades were estimated from regression equations. The Southern Everglades watershed, a 460-km² area that includes Taylor Slough and the area south of the C-111 canal, exported 7.1 g C m⁻², 0.46 g N m⁻², and 0.007 g P m⁻², annually. Everglades P flux is three to four orders of magnitude lower than published flux estimates from wetlands influenced by terrigenous sedimentary inputs. These low P flux values reflect both the inherently low P content of Everglades surface water and the efficiency of Everglades carbonate sediments and biota in conserving and recycling this limiting nutrient. The seasonal variation of freshwater input to the watershed was responsible for major temporal variations in N, P, and C export to Florida Bay; approximately 99% of the export occurred during the rainy season. Wind-driven forcing was most important during the later stages of the dry season when low freshwater head coincided with southerly winds, resulting in a net import of water and materials into the wetlands. We also observed an east to west decrease in TN:TP ratio from 212:1 to 127:1. Major spatial gradients in N:P ratios and nutrient concentration and flux among the creek were consistent with the westward decrease in surface water runoff from the P-limited Everglades and increased advection of relatively P-rich Gulf of Mexico (GOM) waters into Florida Bay. Comparison of measured nutrient flux from Everglades surface water inputs from this study with published estimates of other sources of nutrients to Florida Bay (i.e. atmospheric deposition, anthropogenic inputs from the Florida Keys, advection from the GOM) show that Everglades runoff represents only 2% of N inputs and 0.5% of P input to Florida Bay.     

The Removal of Dissolved Metals by Hydroxysulphate Precipitates during Oxidation and Neutralization of Acid Mine Waters, Iberian Pyrite Belt

This study examines the removal of dissolved metals during the oxidation and neutralization of five acid mine drainage (AMD) waters from La Zarza, Lomero, Esperanza, Corta Atalaya and Poderosa mines (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Huelva, Spain). These waters were selected to cover the spectrum of pH (2.2–3.5) and chemical composition (e.g., 319–2,103 mg/L Fe; 2.85–33.3 g/L SO₄⁼) of the IPB mine waters. The experiments were conducted in the laboratory to simulate the geochemical evolution previously recognized in the field. This evolution includes two stages: (1) oxidation of dissolved Fe(II) followed by hydrolysis and precipitation of Fe(III), and (2) progressive pH increase during mixing with fresh waters. Fe(III) precipitates at pH < 3.5 (stages 1 and 2) in the form of schwertmannite, whereas Al precipitates during stage 2 at pH 5.0 in the form of several hydroxysulphates of variable composition (hydrobasaluminite, basaluminite, aluminite). During these stages, trace elements are totally or partially sorbed and/or coprecipitated at different rates depending basically on pH, as well as on the activity of the SO₄⁼ anion (which determines the speciation of metals). The general trend for the metals which are chiefly present as aqueous free cations (Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺) is a progressive sorption at increasing pH. On the other hand, As and V (mainly present as anionic species) are completely scavenged during the oxidation stage at pH < 3.5. In waters with high activities (> 10⁻¹) of the SO ₄⁼ ion, some elements like Al, Zn, Cd, Pb and U can also form anionic bisulphate complexes and be significantly sorbed at pH < 5. The removal rates at pH 7.0 range from around 100% for As, V, Cu and U, and 60–80% for Pb, to less than 20% for Zn, Co, Ni and Mn. These processes of metal removal represent a significant mechanism of natural attenuation in the IPB.     

Assessing land use/cover changes: a nationwide multidate spatial database for Mexico

A nationwide multidate GIS database was generated in order to carry out the quantification and spatial characterization of land use/cover changes (LUCC) in Mexico. Existing cartography on land use/cover at a 1:250,000 scale was revised to select compatible inputs regarding the scale, the classification scheme and the mapping method. Digital maps from three different dates (the late 1970s, 1993 and 2000) were revised, evaluated, corrected and integrated into a GIS database. In order to improve the reliability of the database, an attempt was made to assess the accuracy of the digitalisation procedure and to detect and correct unlikely changes due to thematic errors in the maps. Digital maps were overlaid in order to generate LUCC maps, transition matrices and to calculate rates of conversion. Based upon this database, rates of deforestation between 1976 and 2000 were evaluated as 0.25 and 0.76% per year for temperate and tropical forests, respectively.     

The palaeoenvironmental and palaeohydrological evolution of Padul Peat Bog (Granada, Spain) over one million years, from elemental, isotopic and molecular organic geochemical proxies

The elemental (concentration of organic carbon, atomic H/C and C/N ratios), isotopic (δ¹³C values of organic matter) and molecular (predominant n-alkane chain length and carbon preference index (CPI)) organic components were measured for 600 samples taken from a 107-m long core from the Padul Basin (Andalusia, Spain). The record runs from the Lower Pleistocene (ca. 1 Ma B.P.) to the mid-Holocene (ca. 4.5 ka B.P.) with, in general, little diagenesis (removal of components). Two markedly different hydrogeological scenarios were interpreted: (1) From ca. 1 Ma to ca. 400 ka B.P. run-off recharge was significant and water depths were greater (lacustrine scenario). From ca. 400 to 4.5 ka B.P., the Padul Basin became a peat bog s.s. with the major water input coming from groundwater inflow. From ca. 400 to ca. 180 ka B.P. alternating episodes with either predominant grasses, trees or aquatic macrophytes which were linked to wet/dry phases, took place. An important deglaciation episode has been interpreted to occur between ca. 180 and 170 ka B.P. The global climatic changes occurring from ca. 170 to 25 ka B.P. were not recorded in the proxies, though they do show important variations linked to the Last Glacial Maximum and the beginning of the Holocene (ca. 25–10 ka B.P.): (2) Cold phases coexisting with dry periods produced the recession of forests and the development of grasses. After these periods, as both temperature and precipitation increased, forests expanded and the water level, linked to thaw, rose, especially at ca. 20 ka B.P. Few changes occurred during the Holocene, although there were short alternations between wet and dry episodes. Overall, the techniques applied proved to be excellent palaeoenvironmental proxies for studying the basin’s palaeoclimatological and palaeohydrological evolution.     

Quantitative morphometric analysis of the Jama River profile in a tectonically active margin (Northwestern Ecuador)

The longitudinal profile of a river channel can be described in function of mathematical expressions. The logarithmic fit is the most used method to describe the relative equilibrium of a channel elevation profile. Rivers showing zones of high channel gradient and convex-upward profiles can be evaluated in function of the offset distance with respect to the logarithmic curve. The Jama River profile has been constructed using differential GPS data for the downstream reach and 4-m-grid DEM data base for the remaining headward profile. The resulting longitudinal profile shows a prominent knickpoint of about 80 m in elevation characterized by sharp local convexity. The offset distance in vertical direction from the logarithmic plot is interpreted as the successive accumulation of multiple uplift episodes associated with the Jama Fault System activity. The horizontal offset is suggested to represent the remaining retreated distance for the upstream propagation of the Jama knickpoint. The highly resistant Cretaceous rocks outcropping along the Jama knickpoint reach acts as an inflection point between two subprofiles that show well-fitted logarithmic curves, thereby representing a temporary partitioned equilibrium along the Jama River profile.     

Petrology of Philippine geothermal systems and the application of alteration mineralogy to their assessment

Philippine geothermal systems occur in the vicinity of large Holocene calc-alkaline volcanic complexes. Wells drilled in these areas encountered multiple intrusions; the latest dikes are the subsurface manifestations of the youngest heat source. Commonly, at least two hydrothermal regimes are juxtaposed in a single area, with the latest being in equilibrium with the present temperature and chemical regime.Alteration by neutral-pH water is pervasive and abundant. A contact-metamorphic aureole also occurs near intrusives. Alteration due to acid-sulfate fluids is generally confined to permeable structures. Neutral-pH alteration is divided into four zones on the basis of key clay minerals, and two subzones are defined by calc-silicates. These are the smectite (ambient to 180°C), transition (180–230°C), illite (230–320°C) and biotite (270–340°C) zones. Subzones are defined by epidote (250–340°C) and amphibole (280–340°C). The four main zones of acid alteration are: kaolinite (ambient to 120°C), dickite ± kaolinite (120–200°C), dickite ± pyrophyllite (200–250°C), and pyrophyllite ± illite (230–320°C). Where relict high-temperature alteration reaches the surface, the area being drilled is usually the outflow zone of the present system.These hydrothermal mineral assemblages are used: (1) as geothermometers; (2) to assist in determining the depth at which the production casing will be set during drilling; (3) to estimate fluid pH and other chemical parameters; (4) to predict possible corrosion and scaling tendencies of the fluids; (5) as a measure of permeability and possible cold water influx into wells; (6) as a guide to field hydrology; and (7) to estimate roughly the thickness of the eroded overburden.     

Galvanic interactions between galena–sphalerite and their reactivity

The galvanic effect between the main associated mineralogical phases in a mineral sphalerite concentrate was evaluated using an alternative methodology. Comparative voltammetric studies were performed between high purity galena mineral (94.65%) and sphalerite concentrate (content of 78.11% sphalerite, ZnS; 13.64% galena, PbS; 0.57% chalcopyrite, CuFeS₂; 0.41% cadmium sulfide, CdS; and 0.11% arsenopyrite, FeAsS) using carbon paste electrodes (CPE) in order to identify galvanic interactions that affect their reactivity. The electrolyte was an aqueous solution of 0.1 M NaNO₃ (pH 6.5). The results showed that, in sphalerite concentrate, the electrochemical reactivity of the galena was diminished and displaced to more positive potentials with respect to the high purity galena mineral response. This behavior can be attributed to the galvanic protection offered by the sphalerite on the galena, thereby avoiding its free oxidation. On the other hand, sphalerite oxidation was diminished by the formation of a passive products film that is dissolved to more positive potentials which provokes oxidation of other minerals like CuFeS₂, (Zn,Cd)S and FeAsS present in a minor proportion in the sphalerite concentrate.     

Carbonatation processes at the El Berrocal natural analogue granitic system (Spain): inferences from mineralogical and stable isotope studies

The El Berrocal granite/U-bearing quartz vein system has been studied as a natural analogue of a high-level radioactive waste repository. The main objective is to understand the geochemical behaviour of natural radionuclides occurring under natural conditions. In this framework, the carbonatation processes have been studied from a mineralogical and isotopic ( and ) point of view, since carbonate anions are powerful complexing agents for U(VI) under both low-temperature hydrothermal and environmental conditions. The carbonatation processes in the system are identified by the presence of secondary ankerite, with minor calcite, scattered in the hydrothermally altered granite, and Mn calcite in fracture filling materials. The isotopic signatures of these carbonates lead us to conclude that ankerite and calcite from the former were formed at the end of the same hydrothermal process that altered the granite, at a temperature range of between 72° and 61°C for ankerite, and between 52° and 35°C for calcite. The effect of edaphic CO₂ on both carbonates, greater on calcite than on ankerite, is demonstrated. Calcites from fracture fillings are, at least, binary mixtures, in different proportions, of hydrothermal calcite, formed between 25° and <100°C, and supergenic calcite, formed at ≤25°C. According to their signatures, the effect of edaphic CO₂ in both calcites is also evident. It is assumed that: (i) hydrothermal calcite from fracture fillings and ankerite from the hydrothermally altered granite are the result of the same hydrothermal process, their chemical differences being due to the intensity of the water/rock interaction which was stronger in the altered granite than in the fractures; and (ii) all of these carbonatation processes are responsible for ancient and recent migration/retention of uranium observed in the hydrothermally altered granite and fracture fillings.     

Sea-level rise research and dialogue in North Carolina: Creating windows for policy change

Coastal areas are among the world's most vulnerable landscapes to impacts related to climate change, including inundation from sea-level rise (SLR), increased exposure to shoreline erosion, and greater frequency and intensity of storms. The status of research on the physical, ecological, and socio-economic effects of vulnerability to SLR and progress toward planning for its consequences varies from region to region worldwide. Here, we synthesize the results of three decades of SLR research and the development of coastal management policies in North Carolina, USA. We identify the major factors responsible for opening new policy ‘windows’ that address SLR, including how stakeholders have developed an increased understanding of the risks, the extent of public dialogue about potential response strategies, and advances in political receptivity to policy change. Research and policy progress in North Carolina continue to provide a model for other regions to help guide and evaluate the development of coastal policies.