Hydrological trends and the evolution of catchment research in the Alptal valley,central Switzerland

When the observation of small headwater catchments in the pre-Alpine Alptal valley (central Switzerland) started in the late 1960s, the researchers were mainly interested in questions related to floods and forest management. Investigations of geomorphological processes in the steep torrent channels followed in the 1980s, along with detailed observations of biogeochemical and ecohydrological processes in individual forest stands. More recently, research in the Alptal has addressed the impacts of climate change on water supply and runoff generation. In this article, we describe, for the first time, the evolution of catchment research at Alptal, and present new analyses of long-term trends and short-term hydrologic behaviour. Hydrometeorological time series from the past 50 years show substantial interannual variability, but only minimal long-term trends, except for the ~2°C increase in mean annual air temperature over the 50-year period, and a corresponding shift towards earlier snowmelt. Similar to previous studies in larger Alpine catchments, the decadal variations in mean annual runoff in Alptal's small research catchments reflect the long-term variability in annual precipitation. In the Alptal valley, the most evident hydrological trends were observed in late spring and are related to the substantial change in the duration of the snow cover. Streamflow and water quality are highly variable within and between hydrological events, suggesting rapid shifts in flow pathways and mixing, as well as changing connectivity of runoff-generating areas. This overview illustrates how catchment research in the Alptal has evolved in response to changing societal concerns and emerging scientific questions.     

The SFR and IMF of the galactic disk

There is a long term dynamical heating of stellar populations with age observed in the age – velocity dispersion – relation (AVR). This effect allows a determination of the star formation history SFR(t) from local kinematical data of main sequence stars. Using a self-consistent disk model for the vertical structure of the disk, we find from the kinematics of the stars in the solar neighbourhood that the SFR shows a moderate star burst about 10 Gyr ago followed by a continuous decline to the present day value consistent with the observed number of OB stars. The gravitational potential of the gas component and of the Dark Matter Halo is included and the effect of chemical enrichment, finite lifetime of the stars and mass loss of the stellar component are taken into account. The scale heights for main sequence stars together with the SFR is then used to determine constistently the IMF from the observed local luminosity function. The main new result is that the power law break in the present day mass function (PDMF) around 1 M _⊙ is entirely due to evolutionary effects of the disk and does not appear in the IMF. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Anhydrite-bearing rocks from the Rožná district (Moldanubian zone,Czech Republic): high-grade metamorphosed exhalites?

Several types of anhydrite-bearing rocks have been found in the amphibolite-facies metamorphosed rocks at the north-eastern margin of the Moldanubian Zone. Anhydrite either forms monomineralic bands up to 40 cm thick, or occurs in the form of disseminated grains in surrounding calc-silicate gneiss together with feldspar, scapolite, amphibole, pyroxene, epidote and pyrite. The isotopic composition of sulphur ('³⁴S=30.6 to 32.3‰) and strontium (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.70797 to 0.70781) in anhydrite may indicate a marine source of sulphate. The isotopic ratio of strontium is in the same range as that of metamorphosed strata-bound barite-sulphide ores, which have been previously described in the same area. The '³⁴S values of coexisting pyrite range from 21.4 to 22.5‰, the (³⁴S_{anhydrite-pyrite} corresponding to the metamorphic temperature of 600 to 660 °C. In contrast to many submarine-exhalative deposits, the oxygen isotopic compositions of anhydrite ('¹⁸O=9.3 to 10.2‰) are lighter than that of barite ('¹⁸O=10.4 to 13.8‰). This indicates that the both minerals are not in isotopic equilibrium. Therefore, it is probable that anhydrite and barite from the Ro—ná district were deposited from fluids that contained different proportions of seawater and hydrothermal fluids or from hydrothermal fluids that underwent variable extent of oxygen isotope exchange with seafloor rocks. The '¹³C values in calcite ('¹³C=-17.2 to -18.7‰) from anhydrite-bearing rock are lower than those in distant marbles. As graphite is absent in anhydrite- and calcite-bearing rocks, impoverishment in the ¹³C isotope cannot be attributed to the graphite-carbonate isotopic exchange during metamorphism. It is proposed that low '¹³C values in carbonates are caused by pre-metamorphic oxidation of organic matter in course of hydrothermal processes. Anhydrite and anhydrite-bearing calc-silicate gneiss from the north-eastern part of the Moldanubian Zone are interpreted to be the high-grade metamorphosed analogue of anhydrite-rich exhalites commonly found in submarine-exhalative hydrothermal deposits.     

Management and development of river basins in north bengal using remote sensing techniques

River basin management and development are most important for utilising and conserving the water resources in any region where the average annual rainfall is highly fluctuating, the North Bengal is one of such region. Though there are a large number of rivers having a large catchment area in the hills and carry a huge amount of water during rainy season but they are completely dry in winter and summer. The upper part of majority of river basins arc highly sensitive to water erosion and land slides due to deforestation, intensive cultivation, increased settlements in sloping and erosion prone areas. So, floods in the rainy season and droughts in summer months are frequent features in North Bengal. In view of this proper management and effective conservation of land and water resources is necessary to develop the region. An integrated river basin management consisting soil conservation, afforestation, flood control, and adoption of suitable cropping pattern is essential for economic development of North Bengal.     

The influence of silicate melt composition on distribution of siderophile elements among metal and silicate liquids

Liquid metal-liquid silicate partitioning of Fe, Ni, Co, P, Ge, W and Mo among a carbon-saturated metal and a variety of silicate melts (magnesian-tholeiitic-siliceous-aluminous-aluminosiliceous basalts) depends modestly to strongly upon silicate melt structure and composition. Low valency siderophile elements, Fe, Ni and Co, show a modest influence of silicate melt composition on partitioning. Germanium shows a moderate but consistent preference for the depolymerized magnesian melt. High valency siderophile elements, P, Mo, and W, show more than an order of magnitude decrease in metal-silicate partition coefficients as the silicate melt becomes more depolymerized. Detailed inspection of our and other published W data shows that polymerization state, temperature and pressure are more important controls on W partitioning than oxidation state. For this to be true for a high and variable valence element implies a secondary role in general for oxidation state, even though some role must be present. Equilibrium core segregation through a magma ocean of ‘ultrabasic’ composition can provide a resolution to the ‘excess’ abundances of Ge, P, W and Mo in the mantle, but the mantle composition alone cannot explain the excess abundances of nickel and cobalt in chondritic proportions.     

Dynamics of an active rock glacier (Ötztal Alps, Austria)

The rock glacier Innere Ölgrube, located in a small side valley of the Kauner Valley (Ötztal Alps, Austria), consists of two separate, tongue-shaped rock glaciers lying next to each other. Investigations indicate that both rock glaciers contain a core of massive ice. During winter, the temperature at the base of the snow cover (BTS) is significantly lower at the active rock glacier than on permafrost-free ground adjacent to the rock glacier. Discharge is characterized by strong seasonal and diurnal variations, and is strongly controlled by the local weather conditions. Water temperature of the rock glacier springs remains constantly low, mostly below 1°C during the whole melt season. The morphology of the rock glaciers and the presence of meltwater lakes in their rooting zones as well as the high surface flow velocities of >1 m/yr point to a glacial origin. The northern rock glacier, which is bounded by lateral moraines, evolved from the debris-covered tongue of a small glacier of the Little Ice Age with its last highstand around A.D. 1850. Due to the global warming in the following decades, the upper parts of the steep and debris-free ice glacier melted, whereas the debris-covered glacier tongue transformed into an active rock glacier. Due to this evolution and due to the downslope movement, the northern rock glacier, although still active, at present is cut off from its ice and debris supply. The southern rock glacier has developed approximately during the same period from a debris-covered cirque glacier at the foot of the Wannetspitze massif.     

Spatiotemporal variability in hydrochemistry of shallow groundwater in a small pre‐alpine catchment: The importance of landscape elements

Topography and landscape characteristics affect the storage and release of water and, thus, groundwater dynamics and chemistry. Quantification of catchment scale variability in groundwater chemistry and groundwater dynamics may therefore help to delineate different groundwater types and improve our understanding of which parts of the catchment contribute to streamflow. We sampled shallow groundwater from 34 to 47 wells and streamflow at seven locations in a 20‐ha steep mountainous catchment in the Swiss pre‐Alps, during nine baseflow snapshot campaigns. The spatial variability in electrical conductivity, stable water isotopic composition, and major and trace ion concentrations was large and for almost all parameters larger than the temporal variability. Concentrations of copper, zinc, and lead were highest at sites that were relatively dry, whereas concentrations of manganese and iron were highest at sites that had persistent shallow groundwater levels. The major cation and anion concentrations were only weakly correlated to individual topographic or hydrodynamic characteristics. However, we could distinguish four shallow groundwater types based on differences from the catchment average concentrations: riparian zone‐like groundwater, hillslopes and areas with small upslope contributing areas, deeper groundwater, and sites characterized by high magnesium and sulfate concentrations that likely reflect different bedrock material. Baseflow was not an equal mixture of the different groundwater types. For the majority of the campaigns, baseflow chemistry most strongly resembled riparian‐like groundwater for all but one subcatchment. However, the similarity to the hillslope‐type groundwater was larger shortly after snowmelt, reflecting differences in hydrologic connectivity. We expect that similar groundwater types can be found in other catchments with steep hillslopes and wet areas with shallow groundwater levels and recommend sampling of groundwater from all landscape elements to understand groundwater chemistry and groundwater contributions to streamflow.     

Lake sedimentary processes and vegetation changes over the last 45k cal a bp in the uplands of south-eastern Amazonia

This study addresses paleoclimate influences in a southern Amazonia ecotone based on multiproxy records from lakes of the Carajás region during the last 45k cal a bp. Wet and cool environmental conditions marked the initial deposition in shallow depressions with detrital sediments and high weathering rates until 40k cal a bp. Concomitantly, forest and C3 canga plants, along with cool-adapted taxa, developed; however, short drier episodes enabled expansion of C4 plants and diagenetic formation of siderite. A massive event of siderite formation occurred approximately 30k cal a bp under strong drier conditions. Afterwards, wet and cool environmental conditions returned and persisted until the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The LGM was marked by lake-level lowstands and subaerial exposure. The transition from the LGM to the Holocene is marked by the onset of oscillations in temperature and humidity, with an expansion of forest and canga plants. Cool taxa were present for the last time in the Carajás region ~ 9.5–9k cal a bp. After 10k cal a bp , shallow lakes became upland swamps due to natural infilling processes, but the current vegetation types and structures of the plateaus were acquired only after 3k cal a bp under wetter climatic conditions.     

Fish,Macroinvertebrate and Epifaunal Communities in Shallow Coastal Lagoons with Varying Seagrass Cover of the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Coastal lagoons are ubiquitous along coastlines worldwide. Here, we compare the abundance of epifauna, seagrass-associated macroinvertebrates, and small fish across a gradient of seagrass cover in shallow coastal lagoons of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Two of the lagoons had little or no seagrass cover (0–18.8 %), and four had high cover (83.8–97.5 %). All of the lagoons were partially covered with fringing marsh. We hypothesized that, due to habitat redundancy between seagrass beds and fringing marshes, seagrass-associated fish and macroinvertebrates would not be largely reduced despite the large differences in seagrass cover among the lagoons. Our results support this hypothesis. For most sampling dates, we did not find significant differences in fish and macroinvertebrate abundance among the lagoons and, when we did, several highly vegetated lagoons did not have larger abundances than sparsely vegetated lagoons. The extreme shallowness of the lagoons studied (<1 m) may also provide further protection from large predatory fishes in the absence of seagrasses. Our results also suggest that marsh detritus, by providing habitat for epifauna and helping maintain prey availability, may further temper reductions in seagrass-associated fishes and macroinvertebrates following seagrass decline. The results highlight the importance of marsh-bordered, shallow lagoons as habitat for small fish and macroinvertebrates regardless of seagrass cover. This study contributes to the characterization of habitat redundancy in coastal ecosystems and pinpoints the importance of considering all habitats in concert for the proper understanding and management of coastal ecosystems.     

Composition of barian mica in multiphase solid inclusions from orogenic garnet peridotites as evidence of mantle metasomatism in a subduction zone setting

Multiphase solid inclusions in minerals formed at ultra-high-pressure (UHP) provide evidence for the presence of fluids during deep subduction. This study focuses on barian mica, which is a common phase in multiphase solid inclusions enclosed in garnet from mantle-derived UHP garnet peridotites in the Saxothuringian basement of the northern Bohemian Massif. The documented compositional variability and substitution trends provide constraints on crystallization medium of the barian mica and allow making inferences on its source. Barian mica in the multiphase solid inclusions belongs to trioctahedral micas and represents a solid solution of phlogopite KMg₃(Si₃Al)O₁₀(OH)₂, kinoshitalite BaMg₃(Al₂Si₂)O₁₀(OH)₂ and ferrokinoshitalite BaFe₃(Al₂Si₂)O₁₀(OH)₂. In addition to Ba (0.24–0.67 apfu), mica is significantly enriched in Mg (X_Mg ~ 0.85 to 0.95), Cr (0.03–0.43 apfu) and Cl (0.04–0.34 apfu). The substitution vector involving Ba in the I-site which describes the observed chemical variability can be expressed as BaFe^IVAlClK_?1Mg_?1Si_?1(OH)_?1. A minor amount of Cr and ^VIAl enters octahedral sites following a substitution vector ^VI(Cr,Al)₂□^VI(Mg,Fe)_?3 towards chromphyllite and muscovite. As demonstrated by variable Ba and Cl contents positively correlating with Fe, barian mica composition is partly controlled by its crystal structure. Textural evidence shows that barian mica, together with other minerals in multiphase solid inclusions, crystallized from fluids trapped during garnet growth. The unusual chemical composition of mica reflects the mixing of two distinct sources: (1) an internal source, i.e. the host peridotite and its garnet, providing Mg, Fe, Al, Cr, and (2) an external source, represented by crustal-derived subduction-zone fluids supplying Ba, K and Cl. At UHP–UHT conditions recorded by the associated diamond-bearing metasediments (c. 1100 °C and 4.5 GPa) located above the second critical point in the pelitic system, the produced subduction-zone fluids transporting the elements into the overlying mantle wedge had a solute-rich composition with properties of a hydrous melt. The occurrence of barian mica with a specific chemistry in barium-poor mantle rocks demonstrates the importance of its thorough chemical characterization.