River under anthropogenic stress: An isotope study of carbon cycling in the Vistula, Poland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wachniew, P.; Rozanski, K.

2002-01-01

Rivers play an important role in global carbon cycling as they transform and transport substantial amounts of carbon derived from the terrestrial systems to the oceans. Riverine carbon cycling is affected by anthropogenic influences on hydrology, chemistry and biology of the river and its catchment. The Vistula, one of the most mineralized rivers of the world, drains industrialized and agriculturally-used areas populated by almost 23 million inhabitants. Moreover, much of the industrial and domestic wastewaters discharged into the Vistula river are untreated or insufficiently treated. High levels of pollution have serious environmental and economical consequences. For example, they limit use of Vistula waters as a source of drinking water and for industrial purposes. Pollutants transported by the Vistula river significantly influence water quality far into the open Baltic Sea. The aim of the paper is to show how stable isotope techniques can be used to assess human impact on sources, fluxes and fate of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and other pollutants in rivers, taking the Vistula river as an example. Vistula waters were sampled over a one-year period at Krakow (upper reaches), where the anthropogenic influences are at the extreme, and at the river mouth. Two campaigns were undertaken to sample the Vistula river along its course in summer and in autumn. Analyses of river water included temperature, pH, alkalinity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, δ 13 C of dissolved inorganic carbon and stable isotope composition of water (δ 18 O and δ 2 H)

Carbon storage in the Mississippi River delta enhanced by environmental engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Michael R.; Bianchi, Thomas S.; Mohrig, David; Hutchings, Jack A.; Kenney, William F.; Kolker, Alexander S.; Curtis, Jason H.

2017-11-01

River deltas have contributed to atmospheric carbon regulation throughout Earth history, but functioning in the modern era has been impaired by reduced sediment loads, altered hydrologic regimes, increased global sea-level rise and accelerated subsidence. Delta restoration involves environmental engineering via river diversions, which utilize self-organizing processes to create prograding deltas. Here we analyse sediment cores from Wax Lake delta, a product of environmental engineering, to quantify the burial of organic carbon. We find that, despite relatively low concentrations of organic carbon measured in the cores (about 0.4%), the accumulation of about 3 T m-2 of sediment over the approximate 60 years of delta building resulted in the burial of a significant amount of organic carbon (16 kg m-2). This equates to an apparent organic carbon accumulation rate of 250 +/- 23 g m-2 yr-1, which implicitly includes losses by carbon emissions and erosion. Our estimated accumulation rate for Wax Lake delta is substantially greater than previous estimates based on the top metre of delta sediments and comparable to those of coastal mangrove and marsh habitats. The sedimentation of carbon at the Wax Lake delta demonstrates the capacity of engineered river diversions to enhance both coastal accretion and carbon burial.

Carbon dioxide and methane emissions from the Yukon River system

Science.gov (United States)

Striegl, Robert G.; Dornblaser, Mark M.; McDonald, Cory P.; Rover, Jennifer R.; Stets, Edward G.

2012-01-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions are important, but poorly quantified, components of riverine carbon (C) budgets. This is largely because the data needed for gas flux calculations are sparse and are spatially and temporally variable. Additionally, the importance of C gas emissions relative to lateral C exports is not well known because gaseous and aqueous fluxes are not commonly measured on the same rivers. We couple measurements of aqueous CO2 and CH4 partial pressures (pCO2, pCH4) and flux across the water-air interface with gas transfer models to calculate subbasin distributions of gas flux density. We then combine those flux densities with remote and direct observations of stream and river water surface area and ice duration, to calculate C gas emissions from flowing waters throughout the Yukon River basin. CO2emissions were 7.68 Tg C yr−1 (95% CI: 5.84 −10.46), averaging 750 g C m−2 yr−1 normalized to water surface area, and 9.0 g C m−2 yr−1 normalized to river basin area. River CH4 emissions totaled 55 Gg C yr−1 or 0.7% of the total mass of C emitted as CO2 plus CH4 and ∼6.4% of their combined radiative forcing. When combined with lateral inorganic plus organic C exports to below head of tide, C gas emissions comprised 50% of total C exported by the Yukon River and its tributaries. River CO2 and CH4 derive from multiple sources, including groundwater, surface water runoff, carbonate equilibrium reactions, and benthic and water column microbial processing of organic C. The exact role of each of these processes is not yet quantified in the overall river C budget.

[Study on the content and carbon isotopic composition of water dissolved inorganic carbon from rivers around Xi'an City].

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Wei; Li, Xiang-Zhong; Liu, Wei-Guo

2013-04-01

In this study, the content and isotopic compositions of water dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from four typical rivers (Chanhe, Bahe, Laohe and Heihe) around Xi'an City were studied to trace the possible sources of DIC. The results of this study showed that the content of DIC in the four rivers varied from 0.34 to 5.66 mmol x L(-1) with an average value of 1.23 mmol x L(-1). In general, the content of DIC increased from the headstream to the river mouth. The delta13C(DIC) of four rivers ranged from -13.3 per thousand to -7.2 per thousand, with an average value of -10.1 per thousand. The delta13C(DIC) values of river water were all negative (average value of -12.6 per thousand) at the headstream of four rivers, but the delta13C(DIC) values of downstream water were more positive (with an average value of -9.4 per thousand). In addition, delta13C(DIC) of river water showed relatively negative values (the average value of delta13C(DIC) was -10.5 per thousand) near the estuary of the rivers. The variation of the DIC content and its carbon isotope suggested that the DIC sources of the rivers varied from the headstream to the river mouth. The negative delta13C(DIC) value indicated that the DIC may originate from the soil CO2 at the headstream of the rivers. On the other hand, the delta13C(DIC) values of river water at the middle and lower reaches of rivers were more positive, and it showed that soil CO2 produced by respiration of the C4 plants (like corn) and soil carbonates with positive delta13C values may be imported into river water. Meanwhile, the input of pollutants with low delta13C(DIC) values may result in a decrease of delta13C(DIC) values in the rivers. The study indicated that the DIC content and carbon isotope may be used to trace the sources of DIC in rivers around Xi'an City. Our study may provide some basic information for tracing the sources of DIC of rivers in the small watershed area in the Loess Plateau of China.

The origins and behaviour of carbon in a major semi-arid river, the Murray River, Australia, as constrained by carbon isotopes and hydrochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cartwright, Ian

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → δ 13 C and concentrations of DIC in Murray River controlled by mineralisation of organic carbon and evasion. → Murray River is source of atmospheric CO 2 . → In-river processing of carbon results in difficulties in determining carbon sources. - Abstract: δ 13 C values of dissolved inorganic C (DIC), dissolved organic C (DOC), and particulate organic C (POC) together with δ 18 O and δ 2 H values of water, δ 34 S values of dissolved SO 4 , and major ion concentrations were measured in the Murray River and its tributaries between November 2005 and April 2007 to constrain the origins and behaviour of riverine C. δ 13 C DIC values in the Murray River vary between -9.5 and -4.7 per mille with a range of 13 C DIC values of the tributaries are -11.0 per mille to -5.1 per mille. DIC concentrations of the Murray River increase from ∼25 mg/L in the middle and upper reaches of the river to 45-55 mg/L in the lower reaches. However, the mass ratio of DIC as a proportion of the total dissolved solids (TDS) decreases from ∼0.6-0.7 in the headwaters to ∼0.2-0.3 in the lower reaches of the river, with similar downstream changes in DIC/Cl ratios. This precludes simple evaporative concentration of DIC and is interpreted as the river evading CO 2 ; this interpretation is consistent with pCO 2 values that are in the range 550-11,200 ppm volume (ppmv), which are far higher than those in equilibrium with the atmosphere (∼360 ppmv). The δ 13 C DIC values are similar to those that would be produced by the weathering of marine limestone (δ 13 C ∼ 0 per mille). However, the lack of marine limestones cropping out in the Murray-Darling Basin and the relatively uniform δ 13 C DIC values of the Murray River (even in upland reaches where the dominant rock types are metamorphosed silicates and granites) make this unlikely. Rather the high pCO 2 values and δ 13 C DIC values are best explained by a combination of mineralisation of low δ 13 C organic C

Changing fluxes of carbon and other solutes from the Mekong River.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Siyue; Bush, Richard T

2015-11-02

Rivers are an important aquatic conduit that connects terrestrial sources of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and other elements with oceanic reservoirs. The Mekong River, one of the world's largest rivers, is firstly examined to explore inter-annual fluxes of dissolved and particulate constituents during 1923-2011 and their associated natural or anthropogenic controls. Over this period, inter-annual fluxes of dissolved and particulate constituents decrease, while anthropogenic activities have doubled the relative abundance of SO4(2-), Cl(-) and Na(+). The estimated fluxes of solutes from the Mekong decrease as follows (Mt/y): TDS (40.4) > HCO3(-) (23.4) > Ca(2+) (6.4) > SO4(2-) (3.8) > Cl(-) (1.74)~Na(+) (1.7) ~ Si (1.67) > Mg(2+) (1.2) > K(+ 0.5). The runoff, land cover and lithological composition significantly contribute to dissolved and particulate yields globally. HCO3(-) and TDS yields are readily predicted by runoff and percent of carbonate, while TSS yield by runoff and population density. The Himalayan Rivers, including the Mekong, are a disproportionally high contributor to global riverine carbon and other solute budgets, and are of course underlined. The estimated global riverine HCO3(-) flux (Himalayan Rivers included) is 34,014 × 10(9) mol/y (0.41 Pg C/y), 3915 Mt/y for solute load, including HCO3(-), and 13,553 Mt/y for TSS. Thereby this study illustrates the importance of riverine solute delivery in global carbon cycling.

Identifying sources of dissolved organic carbon in agriculturally dominated rivers using radiocarbon age dating: Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin, California

Science.gov (United States)

Sickman, James O.; DiGiorgio, Carol L.; Davisson, M. Lee; Lucero, Delores M.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.

2010-01-01

We used radiocarbon measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to resolve sources of riverine carbon within agriculturally dominated landscapes in California. During 2003 and 2004, average Δ14C for DOC was −254‰ in agricultural drains in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, −218‰ in the San Joaquin River, −175‰ in the California State Water Project and −152‰ in the Sacramento River. The age of bulk DOC transiting the rivers of California’s Central Valley is the oldest reported for large rivers and suggests wide-spread loss of soil organic matter caused by agriculture and urbanization. Using DAX 8 adsorbent, we isolated and measured 14C concentrations in hydrophobic acid fractions (HPOA); river samples showed evidence of bomb-pulse carbon with average Δ14C of 91 and 76‰ for the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers, respectively, with older HPOA, −204‰, observed in agricultural drains. An operationally defined non-HPOA fraction of DOC was observed in the San Joaquin River with seasonally computed Δ14C values of between −275 and −687‰; the source of this aged material was hypothesized to be physically protected organic-matter in high clay-content soils and agrochemicals (i.e., radiocarbon-dead material) applied to farmlands. Mixing models suggest that the Sacramento River contributes about 50% of the DOC load in the California State Water Project, and agricultural drains contribute approximately one-third of the load. In contrast to studies showing stabilization of soil carbon pools within one or two decades following land conversion, sustained loss of soil organic matter, occurring many decades after the initial agricultural-land conversion, was observed in California’s Central Valley.

Utilizing Colored Dissolved Organic Matter to Derive Dissolved Black Carbon Export by Arctic Rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Stubbins, Aron; Spencer, Robert; Mann, Paul; Holmes, R.; McClelland, James; Niggemann, Jutta; Dittmar, Thorsten

2015-10-01

Wildfires have produced black carbon (BC) since land plants emerged. Condensed aromatic compounds, a form of BC, have accumulated to become a major component of the soil carbon pool. Condensed aromatics leach from soils into rivers, where they are termed dissolved black carbon (DBC). The transport of DBC by rivers to the sea is a major term in the global carbon and BC cycles. To estimate Arctic river DBC export, 25 samples collected from the six largest Arctic rivers (Kolyma, Lena, Mackenzie, Ob’, Yenisey and Yukon) were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and DBC. A simple, linear regression between DOC and DBC indicated that DBC accounted for 8.9 ± 0.3% DOC exported by Arctic rivers. To improve upon this estimate, an optical proxy for DBC was developed based upon the linear correlation between DBC concentrations and CDOM light absorption coefficients at 254 nm (a254). Relatively easy to measure a254 values were determined for 410 Arctic river samples between 2004 and 2010. Each of these a254 values was converted to a DBC concentration based upon the linear correlation, providing an extended record of DBC concentration. The extended DBC record was coupled with daily discharge data from the six rivers to estimate riverine DBC loads using the LOADEST modeling program. The six rivers studied cover 53% of the pan-Arctic watershed and exported 1.5 ± 0.1 million tons of DBC per year. Scaling up to the full area of the pan-Arctic watershed, we estimate that Arctic rivers carry 2.8 ± 0.3 million tons of DBC from land to the Arctic Ocean each year. This equates to ~8% of Arctic river DOC export, slightly less than indicated by the simpler DBC vs DOC correlation-based estimate. Riverine discharge is predicted to increase in a warmer Arctic. DBC export was positively correlated with river runoff, suggesting that the export of soil BC to the Arctic Ocean is likely to increase as the Arctic warms.

Utilizing Colored Dissolved Organic Matter to Derive Dissolved Black Carbon Export by Arctic Rivers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aron eStubbins

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Wildfires have produced black carbon (BC since land plants emerged. Condensed aromatic compounds, a form of BC, have accumulated to become a major component of the soil carbon pool. Condensed aromatics leach from soils into rivers, where they are termed dissolved black carbon (DBC. The transport of DBC by rivers to the sea is a major term in the global carbon and BC cycles. To estimate Arctic river DBC export, 25 samples collected from the six largest Arctic rivers (Kolyma, Lena, Mackenzie, Ob’, Yenisey and Yukon were analyzed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM, and DBC. A simple, linear regression between DOC and DBC indicated that DBC accounted for 8.9 ± 0.3% DOC exported by Arctic rivers. To improve upon this estimate, an optical proxy for DBC was developed based upon the linear correlation between DBC concentrations and CDOM light absorption coefficients at 254 nm (a254. Relatively easy to measure a254 values were determined for 410 Arctic river samples between 2004 and 2010. Each of these a254 values was converted to a DBC concentration based upon the linear correlation, providing an extended record of DBC concentration. The extended DBC record was coupled with daily discharge data from the six rivers to estimate riverine DBC loads using the LOADEST modeling program. The six rivers studied cover 53% of the pan-Arctic watershed and exported 1.5 ± 0.1 million tons of DBC per year. Scaling up to the full area of the pan-Arctic watershed, we estimate that Arctic rivers carry 2.8 ± 0.3 million tons of DBC from land to the Arctic Ocean each year. This equates to ~8% of Arctic river DOC export, slightly less than indicated by the simpler DBC vs DOC correlation-based estimate. Riverine discharge is predicted to increase in a warmer Arctic. DBC export was positively correlated with river runoff, suggesting that the export of soil BC to the Arctic Ocean is likely to increase as the Arctic warms.

River Export of Dissolved and Particulate Organic Carbon from Permafrost and Peat Deposits across the Siberian Arctic

Science.gov (United States)

Wild, B.; Andersson, A.; Bröder, L.; Vonk, J.; Hugelius, G.; McClelland, J. W.; Raymond, P. A.; Gustafsson, O.

2017-12-01

Permafrost and peat deposits of northern high latitudes store more than 1300 Pg of organic carbon. This carbon has been preserved for thousands of years by cold and moist conditions, but is now increasingly mobilized as temperatures rise. While part will be degraded to CO2 and CH4 and amplify global warming, part will be exported by rivers to the Arctic Ocean where it can be degraded or re-buried by sedimentation. We here use the four large Siberian rivers Ob, Yenisey, Lena, and Kolyma as natural integrators of carbon mobilization in their catchments. We apply isotope based source apportionments and Markov Chain Monte Carlo Simulations to quantify contributions of organic carbon from permafrost and peat deposits to organic carbon exported by these rivers. More specifically, we compare the 14C signatures of dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC, POC) sampled close to the river mouths with those of five potential carbon sources; (1) recent aquatic and (2) terrestrial primary production, (3) the active layer of permafrost soils, (4) deep Holocene deposits (including thermokarst and peat deposits) and (5) Ice Complex Deposits. 14C signatures of these endmembers were constrained based on extensive literature review. We estimate that the four rivers together exported 2.4-4.5 Tg organic carbon from permafrost and peat deposits per year. While total organic carbon export was dominated by DOC (90%), the export of organic carbon from permafrost and peat deposits was more equally distributed between DOC (56%) and POC (44%). Recent models predict that ca. 200 Pg carbon will be lost as CO2 or CH4 by 2100 (RCP8.5) from the circumarctic permafrost area, of which roughly a quarter is drained by the Ob, Yenisey, Lena, and Kolyma rivers. Our comparatively low estimates of river carbon export thus suggest limited transfer of organic carbon from permafrost and peat deposits to high latitude rivers, or its rapid degradation within rivers. Our findings highlight the importance

Deposition and Burial Efficiency of Terrestrial Organic Carbon Exported from Small Mountainous Rivers to the Continental Margin, Southwest of Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Hsu, F.; Lin, S.; Wang, C.; Huh, C.

2007-12-01

Terrestrial organic carbon exported from small mountainous river to the continental margin may play an important role in global carbon cycle and it?|s biogeochemical process. A huge amount of suspended materials from small rivers in southwestern Taiwan (104 million tons per year) could serve as major carbon source to the adjacent ocean. However, little is know concerning fate of this terrigenous organic carbon. The purpose of this study is to calculate flux of terrigenous organic carbon deposited in the continental margin, offshore southwestern Taiwan through investigating spatial variation of organic carbon content, organic carbon isotopic compositions, organic carbon deposition rate and burial efficiency. Results show that organic carbon compositions in sediment are strongly influenced by terrestrial material exported from small rivers in the region, Kaoping River, Tseng-wen River and Er-jan Rver. In addition, a major part of the terrestrial materials exported from the Kaoping River may bypass shelf region and transport directly into the deep sea (South China Sea) through the Kaoping Canyon. Organic carbon isotopic compositions with lighter carbon isotopic values are found near the Kaoping River and Tseng-wen River mouth and rapidly change from heavier to lighter values through shelf to slope. Patches of lighter organic carbon isotopic compositions with high organic carbon content are also found in areas west of Kaoping River mouth, near the Kaoshiung city. Furthermore, terrigenous organic carbons with lighter isotopic values are found in the Kaoping canyon. A total of 0.028 Mt/yr of terrestrial organic carbon was found in the study area, which represented only about 10 percent of all terrestrial organic carbon deposited in the study area. Majority (~90 percent) of the organic carbon exported from the Kaoping River maybe directly transported into the deep sea (South China Sea) and become a major source of organic carbon in the deep sea.

The origins and behaviour of carbon in a major semi-arid river, the Murray River, Australia, as constrained by carbon isotopes and hydrochemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cartwright, Ian, E-mail: ian.cartwright@monash.edu [School of Geosciences, Monash University, Clayton, Vic. 3800 (Australia)] [National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training, Flinders University, Adelaide SA 5001 (Australia)

2010-11-15

Research highlights: {yields} {delta}{sup 13}C and concentrations of DIC in Murray River controlled by mineralisation of organic carbon and evasion. {yields} Murray River is source of atmospheric CO{sub 2}. {yields} In-river processing of carbon results in difficulties in determining carbon sources. - Abstract: {delta}{sup 13}C values of dissolved inorganic C (DIC), dissolved organic C (DOC), and particulate organic C (POC) together with {delta}{sup 18}O and {delta}{sup 2}H values of water, {delta}{sup 34}S values of dissolved SO{sub 4}, and major ion concentrations were measured in the Murray River and its tributaries between November 2005 and April 2007 to constrain the origins and behaviour of riverine C. {delta}{sup 13}C{sub DIC} values in the Murray River vary between -9.5 and -4.7 per mille with a range of <3 per mille within any sampling round. {delta}{sup 13}C{sub DIC} values of the tributaries are -11.0 per mille to -5.1 per mille. DIC concentrations of the Murray River increase from {approx}25 mg/L in the middle and upper reaches of the river to 45-55 mg/L in the lower reaches. However, the mass ratio of DIC as a proportion of the total dissolved solids (TDS) decreases from {approx}0.6-0.7 in the headwaters to {approx}0.2-0.3 in the lower reaches of the river, with similar downstream changes in DIC/Cl ratios. This precludes simple evaporative concentration of DIC and is interpreted as the river evading CO{sub 2}; this interpretation is consistent with pCO{sub 2} values that are in the range 550-11,200 ppm volume (ppmv), which are far higher than those in equilibrium with the atmosphere ({approx}360 ppmv). The {delta}{sup 13}C{sub DIC} values are similar to those that would be produced by the weathering of marine limestone ({delta}{sup 13}C {approx} 0 per mille). However, the lack of marine limestones cropping out in the Murray-Darling Basin and the relatively uniform {delta}{sup 13}C{sub DIC} values of the Murray River (even in upland reaches where the

Attributes for MRB_E2RF1 Catchments by Major River Basins in the Conterminous United States: STATSGO Soil Characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Wieczorek, Michael; LaMotte, Andrew E.

2010-01-01

This tabular data set represents estimated soil variables compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment of selected Major River Basins (MRBs, Crawford and others, 2006). The variables included are cation exchange capacity, percent calcium carbonate, slope, water-table depth, soil thickness, hydrologic soil group, soil erodibility (k-factor), permeability, average water capacity, bulk density, percent organic material, percent clay, percent sand, and percent silt. The source data set is the State Soil ( STATSGO ) Geographic Database (Wolock, 1997). The MRB_E2RF1 catchments are based on a modified version of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) ERF1_2 and include enhancements to support national and regional-scale surface-water quality modeling (Nolan and others, 2002; Brakebill and others, 2011). Data were compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment for the conterminous United States covering New England and Mid-Atlantic (MRB1), South Atlantic-Gulf and Tennessee (MRB2), the Great Lakes, Ohio, Upper Mississippi, and Souris-Red-Rainy (MRB3), the Missouri (MRB4), the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf (MRB5), the Rio Grande, Colorado, and the Great basin (MRB6), the Pacific Northwest (MRB7) river basins, and California (MRB8).

Assessing dissolved carbon transport and transformation along an estuarine river with stable isotope analyses

Science.gov (United States)

He, Songjie; Xu, Y. Jun

2017-10-01

Estuaries play an important role in the dynamics of dissolved carbon from rivers to coastal oceans. However, our knowledge of dissolved carbon transport and transformation in mixing zones of the world's coastal rivers is still limited. This study aims to determine how dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and stable isotopes (δ13CDIC and δ13CDOC) change along an 88-km long estuarine river, the Calcasieu River in Louisiana, southern USA, with salinity ranging from 0.02 to 21.92. The study is expected to elucidate which processes most likely control carbon dynamics in a freshwater-saltwater mixing system, and to evaluate the net metabolism of this estuary. Between May 2015 and February 2016, water samples were collected and in-situ measurements on ambient water conditions were performed during five field trips at six sites from upstream to downstream of the Calcasieu River, which enters the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM). The DIC concentration and δ13CDIC increased rapidly with increasing salinity in the mixing zone. The average DIC concentration and δ13CDIC at the site closest to the NGOM (site 6) were 1.31 mM and -6.34‰, respectively, much higher than those at the site furthest upstream (site 1, 0.42 mM and -20.83‰). The DIC concentrations appeared to be largely influenced by conservative mixing, while high water temperature may have played a role in deviating DIC concentration from the conservative line due likely to increased respiration and decomposition. The δ13CDIC values were close to those suggested by the conservative mixing model for May, June and November, but lower than those for July and February, suggesting that an estuarine river can fluctuate from a balanced to a heterotrophic system (i.e., production/respiration (P/R) aquatic photosynthesis from carbon produced by terrestrial photosynthesis in a river-ocean continuum.

Lake Darling Flood Control Project, Souris River, North Dakota. General Project Design.

Science.gov (United States)

1983-06-01

difference between the air temperature measured at 10 feet and snow surface temperature. Td ’ - is the difference between dewpoint temperature measured at 10...to atmospheric conditions in the river reach between the outlet of the dam and the gage. f. Total dissolved solids ( TDS ) are generally considered to be...C c o o c a m m o i p - g - *tm-ett 41JI IhcaU ICI (U 4 ) flU)WwooQ- flJ ~rVlrnj M W Nfr- r- 0 r- M WMM - I# )-z .Lr n LZ n Lrr r 4r 111

Diagnostic nutrient mass balance on J. Clark Salyer National Wildlife Refuge, North Dakota

Data.gov (United States)

Department of the Interior — The Souris River, an international river originating in Canada’s Saskatchewan Province, flows south into the State of North Dakota and then back north into Canada’s...

Sources and transport of carbon and nitrogen in the River Sava watershed, a major tributary of the River Danube

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogrinc, Nives [Department of Environmental Science, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia)], E-mail: nives.ogrinc@ijs.si; Markovics, Roland; Kanduc, Tjasa [Department of Environmental Science, Jozef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Walter, Lynn M. [Department of Geological Science, University of Michigan, 1018 C. C. Little Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1063 (United States); Hamilton, Stephen K. [Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, 3700 E. Gull Lake Drive, Hickory Corners, MI 49060-9516 (United States)

2008-12-15

Carbon and nitrogen dynamics were examined throughout the River Sava watershed, a major tributary of the River Danube, in 2005 and 2006. The River Sava exported 2.1 x 10{sup 11} mol C/yr as dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and emitted 2.5 x 10{sup 10} mol C/yr as CO{sub 2} to the atmosphere. Stable carbon isotope ratios indicate that up to 42% of DIC originated from carbonate weathering and {approx}23% from degradation of organic matter. Loads of dissolved and particulate organic carbon increased with discharge and export rates were calculated to be 2.1 x 10{sup 10} mol C/yr and up to 4.1 x 10{sup 9} mol C/yr, respectively. Isotopic compositions ({delta}{sup 13}C and {delta}{sup 15}N) and C/N ratios indicated that soil organic matter was the dominant source of particulate organic matter for 59% of the samples. Eighteen percent of the samples were dominated by plankton, 12% by periodic inputs of fresh terrestrial plant detritus with C/N > 15, and about 11% of the samples were dominated by the contribution of aquatic vascular plants. Nitrate inputs were controlled by land use in the River Sava watershed. {delta}{sup 15}N{sub NO{sub 3}} values <6 per mille were found in predominantly forested watersheds, while values >6 per mille typically represented watersheds with a higher percentage of agricultural and/or urban land use. Elevated {delta}{sup 15}N{sub NO{sub 3}} values (up to +25.5 per mille) at some sites were probably due to the combined effects of low-flow and inputs from sewage and/or animal waste.

Carbon transport by the Lena River from its headwaters to the Arctic Ocean, with emphasis on fluvial input of terrestrial particulate organic carbon vs. carbon transport by coastal erosion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. P. Semiletov

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The Lena River integrates biogeochemical signals from its vast drainage basin, and the integrated signal reaches far out over the Arctic Ocean. Transformation of riverine organic carbon (OC into mineral carbon, and mineral carbon into the organic form in the Lena River watershed, can be considered to be quasi-steady-state processes. An increase in Lena discharge exerts opposite effects on total organic (TOC and total inorganic (TCO₂ carbon: TOC concentration increases, while TCO₂ concentration decreases. Significant inter-annual variability in mean values of TCO₂, TOC, and their sum (total carbon, TC has been found. This variability is determined by changes in land hydrology which cause differences in the Lena River discharge. There is a negative correlation in the Lena River between TC in September and its mean discharge in August; a time shift of about one month is required for water to travel from Yakutsk to the Laptev Sea. Total carbon entering the sea with the Lena discharge is estimated to be almost 10 Tg C yr⁻¹. The annual Lena River discharge of particulate organic carbon (POC can be as high as 0.38 Tg (moderate to high estimate. If we instead accept Lisytsin's (1994 statement that 85–95 % of total particulate matter (PM (and POC precipitates on the marginal "filter", then only about 0.03–0.04 Tg of Lena River POC reaches the Laptev Sea. The Lena's POC export would then be two orders of magnitude less than the annual input of eroded terrestrial carbon onto the shelf of the Laptev and East Siberian seas, which is estimated to be about 4 Tg. Observations support the hypothesis of a dominant role for coastal erosion (Semiletov, 1999a, b in East Siberian Arctic Shelf (ESAS sedimentation and the dynamics of the carbon/carbonate system. The Lena River is characterized by relatively high concentrations of the primary greenhouse gases, dissolved carbon dioxide (CO₂ and methane (CH

The contribution of weathering of the main Alpine rivers on the global carbon cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Donnini, Marco; Probst, Jean-Luc; Probst, Anne; Frondini, Francesco; Marchesini, Ivan; Guzzetti, Fausto

2013-04-01

On geological time-scales the carbon fluxes from the solid Earth to the atmosphere mainly result from volcanism and metamorphic-decarbonation processes, whereas the carbon fluxes from atmosphere to solid Earth mainly depend on weathering of silicates and carbonates, biogenic precipitation and removal of CaCO3 in the oceans and volcanic gases - seawater interactions. Quantifying each contribution is critical. In this work, we estimate the atmospheric CO2 uptake by weathering in the Alps, using results of the study of the dissolved loads transported by 33 main Alpine rivers. The chemical composition of river water in unpolluted areas is a good indicator of surface weathering processes (Garrels and Mackenzie, 1971; Drever, 1982; Meybeck, 1984; Tardy, 1986; Berner and Berner, 1987; Probst et al., 1994). The dissolved load of streams originates from atmospheric input, pollution, evaporite dissolution, and weathering of carbonate and silicate rocks, and the application of mass balance calculations allows quantification of the different contributions. In this work, we applied the MEGA (Major Element Geochemical Approach) geochemical code (Amiotte Suchet, 1995; Amiotte Suchet and Probst, 1996) to the chemical compositions of the selected rivers in order to quantify the atmospheric CO2 consumed by weathering in Alpine region. The drainage basins of the main Alpine rivers were sampled near the basin outlets during dry and flood seasons. The application of the MEGA geochemical consisted in several steps. First, we subtracted the rain contribution in river waters knowing the X/Cl (X = Na, K, Mg, Ca) ratios of the rain. Next, we considered that all (Na+K) came from silicate weathering. The average molar ratio Rsil = (Na+K)/(Ca+Mg) for rivers draining silicate terrains was estimated from unpolluted French stream waters draining small monolithological basins (Meybeck, 1986; 1987). For the purpose, we prepared a simplified geo-lithological map of Alps according to the lithological

Connecting the Mississippi River with Carbon Variability in the Gulf of Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Z. G.; He, R.; Fennel, K.; Cai, W. J.; Lohrenz, S. E.; Huang, W. J.; Tian, H.; Ren, W.

2016-02-01

To understand the linkage between landuse/land-cover change within the Mississippi basin and the carbon dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico, a three-dimensional coupled physical-biogeochemical model was used to the examine temporal and spatial variability of surface ocean pCO2 in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). The model is driven by realistic atmospheric forcing, open boundary conditions from a data-assimilative global ocean circulation model, and freshwater and terrestrial nutrient and carbon input from major rivers provided by the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model (DLEM). A seven-year model hindcast (2004-2010) was performed and was validated against the recently updated Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory global ocean carbon dataset. Model simulated seawater pCO2 and air-sea CO2 flux are in good agreement with in-situ measurements. An inorganic carbon budget was estimated based on the multi-year mean of the model results. Overall, the GoM is a sink of atmospheric CO2 with a flux of 0.92 × 1012 mol C yr-1, which, together with the enormous fluvial carbon input, is balanced by carbon export through the Loop Current. In a sensitivity experiment with all biological sources and sinks of carbon disabled surface pCO2 was elevated by 70 ppm, suggesting that biological uptake is the most important reason for the simulated CO2 sink. The impact from landuse and land-cover changes within the Mississippi River basin on coastal pCO2 dynamics is also discussed based on a scenario run driven by river conditions during the 1904-1910 provided by the DLEM model.

Transport and Retention of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Carbon in North America’s Largest River Swamp Basin, the Atchafalaya River Basin

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Y. Jun Xu

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Floodplains and river corridor wetlands may be effectively managed for reducing nutrients and carbon. However, our understanding is limited to the reduction potential of these natural riverine systems. This study utilized the long-term (1978–2004 river discharge and water quality records from an upriver and a downriver location of the Atchafalaya River to quantify the inflow, outflow, and inflow–outflow mass balance of total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN = organic nitrogen + ammonia nitrogen, nitrate + nitrite nitrogen (NO3 + NO2, total phosphorous (TP, and total organic carbon (TOC through the largest river swamp basin in North America. The study found that, over the past 27 years, the Atchafalaya River Basin (ARB acted as a significant sink for TKN (annual retention: 24%, TP (41%, and TOC (12%, but a source for NO3 + NO2 nitrogen (6%. On an annual basis, ARB retained 48,500 t TKN, 16,900 t TP, and 167,100 t TOC from the river water. The retention rates were closely and positively related to the river discharge with highs during the winter and spring and lows in the late summer. The higher NO3 + NO2 mass outflow occurred throughout spring and summer, indicating an active role of biological processes on nitrogen as water and air temperatures in the basin rise.

Dynamics of riverine CO2 in the Yangtze River fluvial network and their implications for carbon evasion

Science.gov (United States)

Ran, Lishan; Lu, Xi Xi; Liu, Shaoda

2017-04-01

Understanding riverine carbon dynamics is critical for not only better estimates of various carbon fluxes but also evaluating their significance in the global carbon budget. As an important pathway of global land-ocean carbon exchange, the Yangtze River has received less attention regarding its vertical carbon evasion compared with lateral transport. Using long-term water chemistry data, we calculated CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) from pH and alkalinity and examined its spatial and temporal dynamics and the impacts of environmental settings. With alkalinity ranging from 415 to > 3400 µeq L-1, the river waters were supersaturated with dissolved CO2, generally 2-20-fold the atmospheric equilibrium (i.e., 390 µatm). Changes in pCO2 were collectively controlled by carbon inputs from terrestrial ecosystems, hydrological regime, and rock weathering. High pCO2 values were observed spatially in catchments with abundant carbonate presence and seasonally in the wet season when recently fixed organic matter was exported into the river network. In-stream processing of organic matter facilitated CO2 production and sustained the high pCO2, although the alkalinity presented an apparent dilution effect with water discharge. The decreasing pCO2 from the smallest headwater streams through tributaries to the mainstem channel illustrates the significance of direct terrestrial carbon inputs in controlling riverine CO2. With a basin-wide mean pCO2 of 2662 ± 1240 µatm, substantial CO2 evasion from the Yangtze River fluvial network is expected. Future research efforts are needed to quantify the amount of CO2 evasion and assess its biogeochemical implications for watershed-scale carbon cycle. In view of the Yangtze River's relative importance in global carbon export, its CO2 evasion would be significant for global carbon budget.

Controls on the Origin and Cycling of Riverine Dissolved Inorganic Carbon in the Brazos River, Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, F.; Masiello, C. A.; Hockaday, W. C.

2008-12-01

Rivers are generally supersaturated in CO2 with respect to the atmosphere. However, there is little agreement on the sources and turnover times of excess CO2 in river waters. This is likely due to varying dominant controls on carbon sources (e.g. geologic setting, climate, land use, or human activities). In this study, we measured carbon isotopic signatures (δ13C and Δ14C) of riverine dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), as well as solid state cross polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) of particulate organic carbon (POC), to determine carbon sources fuelling respiration of the Brazos River in Texas. We found that sources of riverine CO2 varied significantly along the length of the Brazos. In the middle Brazos (between Graham and Waco), which is partially underlain by limestone, riverine DIC had average Δ14C of 74 ‰ and δ13C of -7.5 ‰, suggesting that riverine CO2 is derived almost entirely from contemporary carbon (less than 5 years old) with little evidence of carbonate input, probably due to the damming upstream of Waco. In the lower Brazos (downstream of Bryan), riverine DIC was highly depleted in 14C (average Δ14C = -148.5 ‰) and enriched in 13C (average δ13C= -9.32 ‰), indicative of the presence of old carbonate. Since there is no carbonate bedrock in contact with the river in this area, the most likely source of old carbonate is the shell used in road and building construction throughout the 19th century. Our results suggest that the effect of human activities superimposes and even surpasses the effect of natural controls (e.g. geologic setting and climate) on C cycling in the Brazos.

Temporal variability in terrestrially-derived sources of particulate organic carbon in the lower Mississippi River and its upper tributaries

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Thomas S.; Wysocki, Laura A.; Stewart, Mike; Filley, Timothy R.; McKee, Brent A.

2007-09-01

In this study, we examined the temporal changes of terrestrially-derived particulate organic carbon (POC) in the lower Mississippi River (MR) and in a very limited account, the upper tributaries (Upper MR, Ohio River, and Missouri River). We used for the first time a combination of lignin-phenols, bulk stable carbon isotopes, and compound-specific isotope analyses (CSIA) to examine POC in the lower MR and upper tributaries. A lack of correlation between POC and lignin phenol abundances ( Λ8) was likely due to dilution effects from autochthonous production in the river, which has been shown to be considerably higher than previously expected. The range of δ 13C values for p-hydroxycinnamic and ferulic acids in POC in the lower river do support that POM in the lower river does have a significant component of C 4 in addition to C 3 source materials. A strong correlation between δ 13C values of p-hydroxycinnamic, ferulic, and vanillyl phenols suggests a consistent input of C 3 and C 4 carbon to POC lignin while a lack of correlation between these same phenols and POC bulk δ 13C further indicates the considerable role of autochthonous carbon in the lower MR POC budget. Our estimates indicate an annual flux of POC of 9.3 × 10 8 kg y -1 to the Gulf of Mexico. Total lignin fluxes, based on Λ8 values of POC, were estimated to be 1.2 × 10 5 kg y -1. If we include the total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) flux (3.1 × 10 9 kg y -1) reported by [Bianchi T. S., Filley T., Dria K. and Hatcher, P. (2004) Temporal variability in sources of dissolved organic carbon in the lower Mississippi River. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta68, 959-967.], we get a total organic carbon flux of 4.0 × 10 9 kg y -1. This represents 0.82% of the annual total organic carbon supplied to the oceans by rivers (4.9 × 10 11 kg).

Urban Household Carbon Emission and Contributing Factors in the Yangtze River Delta, China

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xibao; Tan, Yan; Chen, Shuang; Yang, Guishan; Su, Weizhong

2015-01-01

Carbon reduction at the household level is an integral part of carbon mitigation. This study analyses the characteristics, effects, contributing factors and policies for urban household carbon emissions in the Yangtze River Delta of China. Primary data was collected through structured questionnaire surveys in three cities in the region – Nanjing, Ningbo, and Changzhou in 2011. The survey data was first used to estimate the magnitude of household carbon emissions in different urban contexts. It then examined how, and to what extent, each set of demographic, economic, behavioral/cognitive and spatial factors influence carbon emissions at the household level. The average of urban household carbon emissions in the region was estimated to be 5.96 tonnes CO2 in 2010. Energy consumption, daily commuting, garbage disposal and long-distance travel accounted for 51.2%, 21.3%, 16.0% and 11.5% of the total emission, respectively. Regulating rapidly growing car-holdings of urban households, stabilizing population growth, and transiting residents’ low-carbon awareness to household behavior in energy saving and other spheres of consumption in the context of rapid population aging and the growing middle income class are suggested as critical measures for carbon mitigation among urban households in the Yangtze River Delta. PMID:25884853

Badlands and the Carbon cycle: a significant source of petrogenic organic carbon in rivers and marine environments?

Science.gov (United States)

Copard, Yoann; Eyrolle-Boyer, Frederique; Radakovitch, Olivier; Poirel, Alain; Raimbault, Patrick; Lebouteiller, Caroline; Gairoard, Stéphanie; Di-Giovanni, Christian

2016-04-01

A key issue in the study of carbon biogeochemical cycle is to well constrain each carbon origin in term of fluxes between all C-reservoirs. From continental surfaces to oceans, rivers convey particulate organic carbon originate from the biomass (biospheric OC) and /or from the sedimentary rocks (petrogenic OC). Existence and importance of this petrogenic OC export to oceans was debated for several decades (see Copard et al., 2007 and ref.), but it is now assumed that 20% of the global carbon export to ocean has a geological origin (Galy et al., 2015). The main current challenge is to constrain the major contributors to this petrogenic OC flux. Amongst the expected sedimentary sources of petrogenic OC in rivers, sedimentary rocks forming badlands can be rightly considered as some viable candidates. Indeed these rocks show a strong erosion rate, may exceed 50 kt km-2 y-1 and in addition, shales, marls and argillaceous rocks, frequently forming badlands (see Nadal-Romero et al., 2011 for the Mediterranean area), contain a significant amount of petrogenic OC (frequently over 0.50 wt. %, Ronov and Yaroshevsky 1976). Our work illustrates the contribution of badlands, mainly distributed within the Durance catchment (a main tributary of the Rhône river), in the petrogenic OC export to the Mediterranean Sea. The approach is based on (i) the use of previous and new data on radiogenic carbon, (ii) bulk organic geochemistry (Rock-Eval pyrolysis), (iii) optical quantification of particulate OM (palynofacies), performed on suspended sediments from the Durance, the Rhône rivers and from small rivers draining the badlands. A mean erosion rate of badlands, previously calculated for instrumented catchments (SOERE Draix-Bléone, Graz et al., 2012) was also applied to the badlands disseminated within the Durance catchment. These different methodologies converge to a petrogenic contribution of the OC export to the Mediterranean Sea close to 30 %. Badlands from the Durance catchment

Carbon Stocks in Permafrost-Affected Soils of the Lena River Delta

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Zubrzycki, S.; Kutzbach, L.; Grosse, G.; Desyatkin, A.; Pfeiffer, E.

2012-12-01

The soil organic carbon stock (SSOC) of soils in arctic permafrost regions is known to be significant but is insufficiently investigated so far. Previous SSOC studies report mainly the gravimetric carbon (C) contents and are limited to the active layer depth at the time of sampling. Since C deposits in permafrost regions are likely to become a future C source, more detailed investigations of the presently frozen likely carbon-rich sediment and soil layers are of importance. Our investigations were performed on Samoylov Island in the southern-central part of the Lena River Delta (32,000 km2) which is the largest arctic delta and the fifth largest delta worldwide. Samoylov Island is representative for the Lena River Delta's first terrace and the active floodplains. Within this study a new portable Snow-Ice-Permafrost-Research-Establishment (SIPRE) auger was used during a spring field session to obtain 1 m deep frozen soil cores (n = 29) distributed over all known soil and vegetation units. These cores are analyzed for bulk contents of nitrogen (N) and C, ice content and bulk density (BD) and to determine the SSOC including the rarely investigated currently permanently frozen layers up to 1 m depth on Samoylov Island. Our study provides evidence for high SSOC for a depth of 1 m for the investigated area ranging between 7 kg m-2 and 48 kg m-2. Considering the spatial extent of different soil units on the two geomorphological units of Samoylov Island, the area-weighted average SSOC were 29 kg m-2 (n = 22) for the first terrace and 14 kg m-2 (n = 7) for the active floodplain. For the correspondent soil units of Turbels and Orthels in circumpolar permafrost regions a mean SSOC of 27 kg m-2 (min: 0.1 kg m-2, max: 126 kg m-2) for a depth of 1 m was reported [1]. For up-scaling solely over the soil-covered areas of the Lena River Delta, we excluded all water bodies >3,600 m2 from the geomorphological units studied (first river terrace and the active floodplains) and

Physical and Human Controls on the Carbon Composition of Organic Matter in Tropical Rivers: An Integrated Analysis of Landscape Properties and River Isotopic Composition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ballester, M. V.R.; Victoria, R. L.; Krusche, A. V. [Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Piracicaba (Brazil); Bernardes, M. [Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Neill, C.; Deegan, L. [Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA (United States); Richey, J. E. [University of Washington, Seatle, WA (United States)

2013-05-15

We applied an integrated analysis of landscape properties including soil properties, land cover and riverine isotopic composition. To evaluate physical and human controls on the carbon composition of organic matter in tropical rivers, we applied an integrated analysis of landscape properties including soil properties, land cover and riverine isotopic composition. Our main objective was to establish the relationship between basin attributes and forms, fluxes and composition of dissolved and particulate organic matter in river channels. A physical template was developed as a GIS-based comprehensive tool to support the understanding of the biogeochemistry of the surface waters of two tropical rivers: the Ji-Parana (Western Amazonia) and the Piracicaba (southeastern of Brazil). For each river we divided the basin into drainage units, organized according to river network morphology and degree of land use impact. Each sector corresponded to a sampling point where river isotopic composition was analysed. River sites and basin characteristics were calculated using datasets compiled as layers in ArcGis Geographical Information System and ERDAS-IMAGINE (Image Processing) software. Each delineated drainage area was individually characterized in terms of topography, soils, river network and land use. Carbon stable isotopic composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and particulate organic matter (POM) was determined at several sites along the main tributaries and small streams. The effects of land use on fluvial carbon composition were quantified by a linear regression analysis, relating basin cover and river isotopic composition. The results showed that relatively recent land cover changes have already had an impact on the composition of the riverine DOM and POM, indicating that, as in natural ecosystems, vegetation plays a key role in the composition of riverine organic matter in agricultural ecosystems. (author)

Carbon storage and late Holocene chronostratigraphy of a Mississippi River deltaic marsh, St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

Science.gov (United States)

Markewich, H. W.

1998-01-01

Today, the causes, results, and time scale(s) of climate change, past and potential, are the focus of much research, news coverage, and pundit speculation. Many of the US government scientific agencies have some funds earmarked for research into past and (or) future climate change (National Science and Technology Council, 1997). The Mississippi Basin Carbon Project (MBCP) is part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) effort in global change research . The project is motivated by the need to increase our understanding of the role of terrestrial carbon in the global carbon cycle, particularly in the temperate latitudes of North America. The global land area between 30 O and 60 O N is thought to be a large sink for atmospheric CO2 (IPCC, 1996). The identity of this sink is unknown, but is in part the soil and sediment that makes up the upper several meters of the Earth's surface. The MBCP focuses on the Mississippi River basin, the third largest river system in the world (fig. 1), that drains an area of 3.3 x 10 6 km 2 (1.27 x 10 6 mi 2 ). The Mississippi River basin includes more than 40 percent of the land surface, and is the home of more than one-third of the population, of the conterminous United States. Because climate, vegetation, and land use vary greatly within the Mississippi River basin, the primary terrestrial sinks for carbon need to be identified and quantified for representative parts of the basin. The primary goal of the MBCP is to quantify the interactive effects of land-use, erosion, sedimentation, and soil development on carbon storage and nutrient cycles within the Mississippi River basin. The project includes spatial analysis of a wide variety of geographic data, estimation of whole-basin and sub-basin carbon and sediment budgets, development and implementation of terrestrial carbon-cycle models, and site-specific field studies of relevant processes. Areas can be studied and compared, and estimates can be made for whole-basin carbon storage and flux.

Effets des rayonnements de haute energie sur le cristallin de la souris

CERN Document Server

Di Paola, M; Bianchi, M; Bianchi, M no 1; Baarli, J no 1; Di Paola, M no 1

1973-01-01

L'opacification du cristallin après irradiation par des neutrons et d'autres rayonnements ionisants a été largement étudiée, vu l'importance de telles recherches en radioprotection et la possibilité offerte par ce système d'analyser les effets produits par de petites doses de rayonnement. Les neutrons de haute énergie sont d'un intéret particulier pour la radioprotection près des accélérateurs et dans l'espace, mais jusqu'à présent les études ont été limitées aux neutrons d'énergie inférieur à 14 MeV. L'opacification du cristallin chez la souris, après irradiation par des neutrons de 400 MeV produits par le Synchro-Cyclotron du CERN, a été étudiée. Le valeurs d'E.B.R. ont été déterminées par comparaison avec des rayons X de 250 kV. Une breve discussion des résultats obtenus est inclue dans la présentation.

Using High Spatio-Temporal Optical Remote Sensing to Monitor Dissolved Organic Carbon in the Arctic River Yenisei

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Pierre-Alexis Herrault

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In Arctic regions, a major concern is the release of carbon from melting permafrost that could greatly exceed current human carbon emissions. Arctic rivers drain these organic-rich watersheds (Ob, Lena, Yenisei, Mackenzie, Yukon but field measurements at the outlets of these great Arctic rivers are constrained by limited accessibility of sampling sites. In particular, the highest dissolved organic carbon (DOC fluxes are observed throughout the ice breakup period that occurs over a short two to three-week period in late May or early June during the snowmelt-generated peak flow. The colored fraction of dissolved organic carbon (DOC which absorbs UV and visible light is designed as chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM. It is highly correlated to DOC in large arctic rivers and streams, allowing for remote sensing to monitor DOC concentrations from satellite imagery. High temporal and spatial resolutions remote sensing tools are highly relevant for the study of DOC fluxes in a large Arctic river. The high temporal resolution allows for correctly assessing this highly dynamic process, especially the spring freshet event (a few weeks in May. The high spatial resolution allows for assessing the spatial variability within the stream and quantifying DOC transfer during the ice break period when the access to the river is almost impossible. In this study, we develop a CDOM retrieval algorithm at a high spatial and a high temporal resolution in the Yenisei River. We used extensive DOC and DOM spectral absorbance datasets from 2014 and 2015. Twelve SPOT5 (Take5 and Landsat 8 (OLI images from 2014 and 2015 were examined for this investigation. Relationships between CDOM and spectral variables were explored using linear models (LM. Results demonstrated the capacity of a CDOM algorithm retrieval to monitor DOC fluxes in the Yenisei River during a whole open water season with a special focus on the peak flow period. Overall, future Sentinel2/Landsat8

Dynamics of organic and inorganic carbon in surface sediments of the Yellow River Estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Z.; Wang, X.; Liu, X.; Zhang, E.; Hang, F.

2017-12-01

Estuarine sediment is an important carbon reservoir thus may play an important role in the global carbon cycle. However, little is known on the dynamics of organic carbon (OC) and inorganic carbon (IC) in the surface sediment of the Yellow River Estuary, a large estuary in northern China. In this study, we applied element analyses and isotopic approach to study spatial distribution and sources of OC and IC in the Yellow River Estuary. We found that TIC concentration (6.3-20.1 g kg-1) was much higher than TOC (0.2-4.4 g kg-1) in the surface sediment. There showed a large spatial variability in TOC and TIC and their stable isotopes. Both TOC and TIC were higher to the north (2.6 and 14.5 g kg-1) than to the south (1.6 and 12.2 g kg-1), except in the southern bay where TOC and TIC reached 2.7 and 15.4 g kg-1, respectively. Generally, TOC and TIC in our study area was mainly autochthonous. The lower TOC values in the south section were due to relatively higher kinetic energy level whereas the higher values in the bay was attributable to terrigenous matters accumulation and lower kinetic energy level. However, the southern bay revealed the most negative δ13Corg and δ13Ccarb, suggesting that there might exist some transfer of OC to IC in the section. Our study points out that the dynamics of sedimentary carbon in the Yellow River Estuary is influenced by multiple and complex processes, and highlights the importance of carbonate in carbon sequstration.

[Distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon and its composition in Suaeda salsa wetland in the Yellow River delta].

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Hong-Fang; Yu, Jun-Bao; Guan, Bo

2013-01-01

Applying the method of physical fractionation, distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon and its composition in Suaeda salsa wetland in the Yellow River delta were studied. The results showed that the heavy fraction organic carbon was the dominant component of soil organic carbon in the studied region. There was a significantly positive relationship between the content of heavy fraction organic carbon, particulate organic carbon and total soil organic carbon. The ranges of soil light fraction organic carbon ratio and content were 0.008% - 0.15% and 0.10-0.40 g x kg(-1), respectively, and the range of particulate organic carbon ratio was 8.83% - 30.58%, indicating that the non-protection component of soil organic carbon was low and the carbon pool was relatively stable in Suaeda salsa wetland of the Yellow River delta.

Model predictions of long-lived storage of organic carbon in river deposits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. A. Torres

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The mass of carbon stored as organic matter in terrestrial systems is sufficiently large to play an important role in the global biogeochemical cycling of CO2 and O2. Field measurements of radiocarbon-depleted particulate organic carbon (POC in rivers suggest that terrestrial organic matter persists in surface environments over millennial (or greater timescales, but the exact mechanisms behind these long storage times remain poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we developed a numerical model for the radiocarbon content of riverine POC that accounts for both the duration of sediment storage in river deposits and the effects of POC cycling. We specifically target rivers because sediment transport influences the maximum amount of time organic matter can persist in the terrestrial realm and river catchment areas are large relative to the spatial scale of variability in biogeochemical processes.Our results show that rivers preferentially erode young deposits, which, at steady state, requires that the oldest river deposits are stored for longer than expected for a well-mixed sedimentary reservoir. This geometric relationship can be described by an exponentially tempered power-law distribution of sediment storage durations, which allows for significant aging of biospheric POC. While OC cycling partially limits the effects of sediment storage, the consistency between our model predictions and a compilation of field data highlights the important role of storage in setting the radiocarbon content of riverine POC. The results of this study imply that the controls on the terrestrial OC cycle are not limited to the factors that affect rates of primary productivity and respiration but also include the dynamics of terrestrial sedimentary systems.

Carbon dioxide effects research and assessment program: flux of organic carbon by rivers to the oceans. [Lead abstract

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

1981-04-01

Separate abstracts were prepared for the 15 papers presented in this workshop report. The state of knowledge about the role of rivers in the transport, storage and oxidation of carbon is the subject of this report. (KRM)

Chemical and carbon isotope composition of Varzeas sediments and its interactions with some Amazon basin rivers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinelli, L.A.

1986-01-01

Varzea sediment samples were collected on the banks of Amazon rivers and in the most important tributaires. The samples were taken in three different river stages. The major cations, pH, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, carbon and δ 13 C values were determined. The concentration of major basic cations - Ca,Mg,K e Na were greater in the main channel sediments than in the tributaires. Probably the differences in the substrats geology and erosion regimes of the basins account for this patterns, generally. The major basic cation, total phosphorus and carbon concentration were lower in the low Amazon Varzeas. Between the three differents sampling periods, pratically the elements concentration in Varzea sediment was constant. Finally, the datas showed that the most parts of Varzea carbon sediment had it's origin in the fine particulated organic matter transported by the Amazon river. (C.D.G.) [pt

Geochemistry of dissolved and suspended loads of the Seine River, France: anthropogenic impact, carbonate and silicate weathering

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, S.; Gaillardet, J.; Allègre, C. J.

1999-05-01

This study focuses on the chemistry of the Seine river system, one of the major rivers in Europe, and constitutes the first geochemical investigation of both suspended and dissolved loads of this river. The Seine river drains a typical Mesozoic-Cenozoic sedimentary basin: the Paris basin, constituted of limestones mixed or interbedded with terrigenous sediments derived from the paleoreliefs bordering the Mesozoic and Cenozoic seas. In the context of quantifying the global influence of carbonate and silicate weathering on atmospheric CO 2 consumption, the Seine river offers the possibility of examining weathering rates in a flat sedimentary environment, under temperate climatic conditions. One of the major problems associated with the Seine river, as with many temperate rivers, is pollution. We propose, in this paper, 2 approaches in order to correct the dissolved load of the Seine river for anthropogenic inputs and to calculate weathering rates of carbonates and silicates. The first uses the dissolved load of rivers and tries to allocate the different solutes to different sources. A mixing model, based on elemental ratios, is established and solved by an inversion technique. The second approach consists in using the suspended load geochemistry. Under steady state conditions, we show that the geochemistry of suspended sediments makes it possible to estimate the amount of solutes released during the chemical weathering of silicates, and thus to calculate weathering rates of silicates. The total dissolved load of the Seine river at Paris can be decomposed into 2% of solutes derived from natural atmospheric sources, 7% derived from anthropogenic atmospheric sources, 6% derived from agriculture, 3% derived from communal inputs, and 82% of solutes derived from rock weathering. During high floods, the contribution of atmospheric and agriculture inputs predominates. The weathering rate of carbonates is estimated to be 48 t/km 2/yr (25 mm/1000 yr). Only 10% of carbonates

Assimilation of aged organic carbon in a glacial river food web

Science.gov (United States)

Fellman, J.; Hood, E. W.; Raymond, P. A.; Bozeman, M.; Hudson, J.; Arimitsu, M.

2013-12-01

Identifying the key sources of organic carbon supporting fish and invertebrate consumers is fundamental to our understanding of stream ecosystems. Recent laboratory bioassays highlight that aged organic carbon from glacier environments is highly bioavailable to stream bacteria relative to carbon originating from ice-free areas. However, there is little evidence suggesting that this aged, bioavailable organic carbon is also a key basal carbon source for stream metazoa. We used natural abundance of Δ14C, δ13C, and δ15N to determine if fish and invertebrate consumers are subsidized by aged organic carbon in a glacial river in southeast Alaska. We collected biofilm, leaf litter, three different species of macroinvertebrates, and resident juvenile salmonids from a reference stream and two sites (one site is directly downstream of the glacial outflow and one site is upstream of the tidal estuary) on the heavily glaciated Herbert River. Key producers, fish, and invertebrate consumers in the reference stream had carbon isotope values that ranged from -26 to -30‰ for δ13C and from -12 to 53‰ for Δ14C, reflecting a food web sustained mainly on contemporary primary production. In contrast, biofilm in the two glacial sites was highly Δ14C depleted (-203 to -215‰) relative to the reference site. Although biofilm may consist of both bacteria and benthic algae utilizing carbon depleted in Δ14C, δ13C values for biofilm (-24.1‰), dissolved inorganic carbon (-5.9‰), and dissolved organic carbon (-24.0‰) suggest that biofilm consist of bacteria sustained in part by glacier-derived, aged organic carbon. Invertebrate consumers (mean Δ14C of -80.5, mean δ13C of -26.5) and fish (mean Δ14C of -63.3, mean δ13C of -25.7) in the two glacial sites had carbon isotope values similar to biofilm. These results similarly show that aged organic carbon is incorporated into the metazoan food web. Overall, our findings indicate that continued watershed deglaciation and

Transport of Water, Carbon, and Sediment Through the Yukon River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Brabets, Timothy P.; Schuster, Paul F.

2008-01-01

INTRODUCTION In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a water-quality study of the Yukon River. The Yukon River Basin (YRB), which encompasses 330,000 square miles in northwestern Canada and central Alaska (fig. 1), is one of the largest and most diverse ecosystems in North America. The Yukon River is more than 1,800 miles long and is one of the last great uncontrolled rivers in the world, and is essential to the eastern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea ecosystems, providing freshwater runoff, sediments, and nutrients (Brabets and others, 2000). Despite its remoteness, recent studies (Hinzman and others, 2005; Walvoord and Striegl, 2007) indicate the YRB is changing. These changes likely are in response to a warming trend in air temperature of 1.7i??C from 1951 to 2001 (Hartmann and Wendler, 2005). As a result of this warming trend, permafrost is thawing in the YRB, ice breakup occurs earlier on the main stem of the Yukon River and its tributaries, and timing of streamflow and movement of carbon and sediment through the basin is changing (Hinzman and others, 2005; Walvoord and Striegl, 2007). One of the most striking characteristics in the YRB is its seasonality. In the YRB, more than 75 percent of the annual streamflow runoff occurs during a five month period, May through September. This is important because streamflow determines when, where, and how much of a particular constituent will be transported. As an example, more than 95 percent of all sediment transported during an average year also occurs during this period (Brabets and others, 2000). During the other 7 months, streamflow, concentrations of sediment and other water-quality constituents are low and little or no sediment transport occurs in the Yukon River and its tributaries. Streamflow and water-quality data have been collected at more than 50 sites in the YRB (Dornblaser and Halm, 2006; Halm and Dornblaser, 2007). Five sites have been sampled more than 30 times and others have been sampled twice

The Role of Physical and Human Landscape Properties on Carbon Composition of Organic Matter in Tropical Rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Ballester, M. R.; Krusche, A. V.; Victoria, R. L.; Richey, J. E.; Deegan, L.; Neill, C.

2011-12-01

To evaluate physical and human controls organic matter carbon composition in tropical rivers, we applied an integrated analysis of landscape properties and riverine isotopic composition. Our goal was to establish the relationships between basin attributes and forms and composition of dissolved and particulate organic matter in rivers. A GIS template was developed as tool to support the understanding of the biogeochemistry of the surface waters of the Ji-Paraná (Western Amazonia) and the Piracicaba (southeastern of Brazil)rivers. Each basin was divided into drainage units, organized according to river network morphology and degree of land-use impact. The delineated drainage areas were individually characterized in terms of topography, soils and land use using data sets compiled as layers in ArcGis and ERDAS-IMAGINE software. DOM and POM carbon stable isotopic composition were determined at several sites along the main tributaries and small streams. The effects of these drivers on the fluvial carbon was quantified by a multiple linear regression analysis, relating basin characteristics and river isotopic composition. The results showed that relatively recent land cover changes have already had an impact on the composition of the riverine DOM and POM, indicating that, as in natural ecosystems, the vegetation plays a key role in the composition of the riverine organic matter in agricultural systems.

Relationships between pesticides and organic carbon fractions in sediments of the Danshui River estuary and adjacent coastal areas of Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hung, C.-C.; Gong, G.-C.; Chen, H.-Y.; Hsieh, H.-L.; Santschi, Peter H.; Wade, Terry L.; Sericano, Jose L.

2007-01-01

In order to understand the fate of pesticides in marine environments, concentrations of pesticides and different carbonaceous fractions were determined for surface sediments in the Danshui River and nearby coastal areas of Taiwan. The major compounds detected were tetrachlorobenzene, HCHs, chlordane, aldrin, DDDs, DDEs and DDTs. Total concentrations of pesticides in the sediments ranged from not detectable to 23 ng g -1 , with the maximum value detected near the discharge point of the marine outfall from the Pali sewage treatment plant. These results confirm that pesticides persist in estuarine and nearby coastal environments of the Danshui River well after their ban. Concentrations of total pesticides significantly correlate with concentrations of total organic carbon and black carbon in these sediments, suggesting that total organic carbon and black carbon regulate the distribution of trace organic pollutants in fluvial and coastal marine sediments. - Total organic carbon and black carbon regulate the distribution of trace organic pollutants in sediments of the Danshui River estuary and adjacent coastal areas of Taiwan

New views on "old" carbon in the Amazon River: Insight from the source of organic carbon eroded from the Peruvian Andes

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, K. E.; Hilton, R. G.; West, A. J.; Malhi, Y.; Gröcke, D. R.; Bryant, C. L.; Ascough, P. L.; Robles Caceres, A.; New, M.

2013-05-01

rivers play a key role in the delivery of particulate organic carbon (POC) to large river systems and the ocean. Due to the extent of its drainage area and runoff, the Amazon River is one of Earth's most important biogeochemical systems. However, the source of POC eroded from the humid region of the Eastern Andes and the input of fossil POC from sedimentary rocks (POCfossil) remains poorly constrained. Here we collected suspended sediments from the Kosñipata River during flood events to better characterize Andean POC, measuring the nitrogen to organic carbon ratio (N/C), stable carbon isotopes (δ13Corg) and radiocarbon (Δ14Corg). Δ14Corg values ranged from -711‰ to -15‰, and significant linear trends between Δ14Corg, N/C and δ13Corg suggested that this reflects the mixing of POCfossil with very young organic matter (Δ14Corg 50‰) from the terrestrial biosphere (POCnon-fossil). Using N/C and Δ14Corg in an end-member mixing analysis, we quantify the fraction of POCfossil (to within 0.1) and find that it contributes a constant proportion of the suspended sediment mass (0.37 ± 0.03%) and up to 80% of total POC. In contrast, the relative contribution of POCnon-fossil was variable, being most important during the rising limb and peak discharges of flood events. The new data shed light on published measurements of "old" POC (low Δ14Corg) in Andean-fed tributaries of the Amazon River, with their Δ14Corg and δ13Corg values consistent with variable addition of POCfossil. The findings suggest a greater persistence of Andean POC in the lowland Amazon than previously recognized.

Dissolved black carbon along the land to ocean continuum of Paraiba do Sul River, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Marques da Silva Junior, Jomar; Dittmar, Thorsten; Niggemann, Jutta; Gomes de Almeida, Marcelo; de Rezende, Carlos Eduardo

2016-04-01

Rivers annually carry 25-28 Tg of pyrogenic dissolved organic matter (or dissolved black carbon, DBC) into the ocean, which is equivalent to about 10% of the entire land-ocean flux of dissolved organic carbon (Jaffé et al., Science 340, 345-347). Objective of this study was to identify the main processes behind the release and turnover of DBC on a riverine catchment scale. As model system we chose the land to ocean continuum of Paraíba do Sul River (Brazil), the only river system for which long-term DBC flux data exist (Dittmar, Rezende et al., Nature Geoscience 5, 618-622). The catchment was originally covered by Atlantic rain forest (mainly C3 plants) which was almost completely destroyed over the past centuries by slash-and-burn. As a result, large amounts of wood-derived charcoal reside in the soils. Today, fire-managed pasture and sugar cane (both dominated by C4 plants) cover most of the catchment. Water samples were collected at 24 sites along the main channel of the river, at 14 sites of the main tributaries and at 21 sites along the salinity gradient in the estuary and up to 35 km offshore. Sampling was performed in the wet seasons of 2013 and 2014, and the dry season of 2013. DBC was determined on a molecular level as benzenepolycarboxylic acids after nitric acid oxidation (Dittmar, Limnology and Oceanography: Methods 6, 230-235). Stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) were determined in solid phase extractable dissolved organic carbon (SPE-DOC) to distinguish C4 and C3 sources. Our results clearly show a relationship between hydrology and DBC concentrations in the river, with highest DBC concentrations in the wet season and lowest in the dry season. This relationship indicates that DBC is mainly mobilized from the upper soil horizons during heavy rainfalls. A significant correlation between DBC concentrations and δ13C-SPE-DOC indicated that most of DBC in the river system originates from C3 plants, i.e. from the historic burning event of the Atlantic rain

Impact of raized bogs on export of carbon and river water chemical composition in Western Siberia

Science.gov (United States)

Voistinova, Elena

2010-05-01

Bogs play an important role in functioning of the biosphere. Specific geochemical environment of the bogs results in formation of the special biogeochemical cycle of the elements. Processes of decay and transformation of organic material define the reductive conditions of bog water, form and migratory mobility of the chemical elements. Particular interest in recent years is aroused by the question of content and dynamics of the carbon in bog and river water according to indicated natural and climatic changes on the territory. The most important parts of the carbon balance in bog ecosystems together with processes of exhalation from deposit surface in the form of CO2 is its export with river water. The results of research carried out in scientific station "Vasyugansky" in south taiga subzone of Western Siberia showed that chemical composition of raised bog water includes high amounts of total iron (2,13 mg/l), ammonium ions (5,33 mg/l), humic and fulvic acids (5,21 mg/l and 45,8 mg/l), dissolved organic carbon (69,1 mg/l), COD (236,93 mgO/l), there are low mineralization and indicators of pH. Carbon comes in bog water in organic compounds: carboxylic acids, phenols, aromatic and paraffin hydrocarbons, organic phosphates, phthalates and other compounds. Formation of river waters composition in the Western Siberia takes place in the following context: high level of bogged river catchments (sometimes up to 70%), excess humidification and low heat provision. Basing on the results of study of hydrochemical runoff in small and medium rivers with different levels of bogged in river catchments (Chaya, Bakchar, Klyuch, Gavrilovka) it was noted that raised bog influence on river waters chemical composition shows in ion runoff decrease, organic substances runoff increase, increase of amounts of total iron, ammonium irons and water pH indicators decrease. Study of humic matters migration is very important in the context of formation of flexible complexes of humic and fulvic

Dissolved Black Carbon in the Headwaters-To Continuum of PARAÍBA do Sul River, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Marques, Jomar S. J.; Dittmar, Thorsten; Niggemann, Jutta; Almeida, Marcelo G.; Gomez-Saez, Gonzalo V.; Rezende, Carlos E.

2017-02-01

Rivers annually carry 25-28 Tg carbon in the form of pyrogenic dissolved organic matter (dissolved black carbon, DBC) into the ocean, which is equivalent to about 10% of the entire riverine land-ocean flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). The objective of this study was to identify the main processes behind the release and turnover of DBC on a riverine catchment scale. As a model system, we chose the headwater-to-ocean continuum of Paraíba do Sul River (Brazil), the only river system with long-term DBC flux data available. The catchment was originally covered by Atlantic rain forest (mainly C3 plants) which was almost completely destroyed over the past centuries by slash-and-burn. As a result, large amounts of wood-derived charcoal reside in the soils. Today, fire-managed pasture and sugar cane (both dominated by C4 plants) cover most of the catchment area. Water samples were collected along the river, at the main tributaries, and also along the salinity gradient in the estuary and up to 35 km offshore during three different seasons. DBC was determined on a molecular level as benzenepolycarboxylic acids (BPCAs). Stable carbon isotopes (δ13C) were determined in solid phase extractable DOC (SPE-DOC) to distinguish C4 and C3 sources. Our results clearly show a relationship between hydrology and DBC concentrations in the river, with highest DBC concentrations and fluxes in the wet season (flux of 770 moles .sec 1 in 2013 and 59 moles .sec 1 in 2014) and lowest in the dry season (flux of 27 moles .sec 1). This relationship indicates that DBC is mainly mobilized from the upper soil horizons during heavy rainfalls. The relationship between DBC concentrations and δ13C-SPE-DOC indicated that most of DBC in the river system originated from C3 plants, i.e. from the historic burning event of the Atlantic rain forest. A conservative mixing model could largely reproduce the observed DBC fluxes within the catchment and the land to ocean continuum. Comparably slight

Carbon sources and trophic position of the main species of fishes of Baía River, Paraná River floodplain, Brazil

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Manetta G. I.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available In order to verify the carbon source and trophic position of the main species of fishes, of the Paraná River floodplain, we analysed the proportion of stable carbon (delta13C and nitrogen (delta15N isotopes in muscle of fishes sampled in the rainy season. We analyzed adult individuals of Loricariichthys platymetopon, Schizodon borellii, Leporinus lacustris, Auchenipterus osteomystax, Iheringichthys labrosus, Leporinus friderici, and Serrasalmus marginatus. These data were compared with the results obtained by the analyzing stomach contents. The primary producers found in the Baía River were the C3 plants (riparian vegetation, macrophytes, periphyton, and phytoplankton and the C4 plants (macrophytes. The results of the contribution analysis revealed that the carbon used by the species was derived from C3 plants. According to the trophic position estimates (diet and delta15N, the species primarily consumed Loricariichthys platymetopon, Schizodon borellii, Leporinus lacustris, and Leporinus friderici and, secondarily Auchenipterus osteomystax, Iheringichthys labrosus, and Serrasalmus marginatus. There was no significant difference between the two methods utilized.

Boreal Forest Carbon Sequestration Strategies : a Case Study of the Little Red River Cree First Nation Land Tenures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krcmar, E.; Kooten, van G.C.

2005-01-01

In this paper, creation of carbon offset and emission reduction credits are examined from the perspective of the Little Red River Cree Nation (LRRCN), a forest tenure holder in northern Alberta. Carbon credits are produced under three scenarios: (1) carbon uptake in forest ecosystems, with

Dissolved carbon dynamics in the freshwater-saltwater mixing zone of a coastal river entering the Northern Gulf of Mexico

Science.gov (United States)

He, S.; Xu, Y. J.

2017-12-01

Estuaries play an important role in the dynamics of dissolved carbon from freshwater to marine systems. This study aims to determine how dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations change along an 88-km long estuarine river with salinity ranging from 0.02 to 29.50. The study is expected to elucidate which processes most likely control carbon dynamics in a freshwater-saltwater mixing system, and to evaluate the net metabolism of this estuary using mixing curves and stable isotope analyses. From November 2014 to February 2016, water samples were collected and in-situ measurements on ambient water conditions were performed during eighteen field trips at six sites from upstream to downstream of the Calcasieu River, which enters the Northern Gulf of Mexico in the southern United States. δ13CDIC and δ13CDOC were measured from May 2015 to February 2017 during five of the field trips. The DIC concentration and δ13CDIC increased rapidly with increasing salinity in the mixing zone. The DIC concentrations appeared to be largely influenced by conservative mixing. The δ13CDIC values were close to those suggested by the conservative mixing model for May 2015, June 2015 and November 2015, but lower than those for July 2015 and February 2016, suggesting that an estuarine river can fluctuate from a balanced to a heterotrophic system (i.e., production/respiration aquatic photosynthesis from carbon produced by terrestrial photosynthesis in a river-ocean continuum. These findings suggest that riverine dissolved carbon undergoes a rapid change in freshwater-saltwater mixing, and that these dynamics should be taken into account in carbon processing and budgeting in the world's estuarine systems.

Characterization of water commercial filters based on activated carbon for water treatment of the Tumbes river – Peru

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Carmen Rosa Silupú García

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Comercial activated carbon samples (A, B, C, and D used in filters for the treatment of water were characterized and evaluated in the decontamination of heavy metals present in river water and in the elimination of coliform microorganisms. The carbon samples had microporous and mesoporous structures. Surface areas of between 705 and 906 m2/g were found. The carbons samples were amorphous and the presence of antibacterial agents such as Ag, Cl, Cu, and Si was detected. It was determined that for As and Pb, whose initial concentrations in contaminated water (water of the Tumbes river-Peru were 56.7 and 224.0 μg/L, respectively, the percentage of adsorption was close to 100%. The relationship between point of zero charge pH of the activated carbons and pH of the river water during the experiments plays a determinant role in the adsorption of the analyzed elements. The antibacterial capacity was evaluated satisfactorily against the following strains of fecal gram negative bacteria: Escherichia coli (ATCC® 25922™, Salmonella typhimurium (ATCC® 14028™, and Shigella flexneri (ATCC® 12022™. This ability is based on the surface presence in the carbons of the mentioned antibacterial agents.

The terrestrial carbon inventory on the Savannah River Site: Assessing the change in Carbon pools 1951-2001.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dai, Zhaohua; Trettin, Carl, C.; Parresol, Bernard, R.

2011-11-30

The Savannah River Site (SRS) has changed from an agricultural-woodland landscape in 1951 to a forested landscape during that latter half of the twentieth century. The corresponding change in carbon (C) pools associated land use on the SRS was estimated using comprehensive inventories from 1951 and 2001 in conjunction with operational forest management and monitoring data from the site.

Sources and Reactivity of Terrestrial Organic Carbon to the Colville River Delta, Beaufort Sea, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Schreiner, K. M.; Bianchi, T. S.; Rosenheim, B. E.

2014-12-01

Terrestrial particulate organic carbon (tPOC) delivery to nearshore deltaic regions is an important mechanism of OC storage and burial, and continental margins worldwide account for approximately 90% of the carbon burial in the ocean. Increasing warming in the Arctic is leading to an acceleration of the hydrologic cycle, warming of permafrost, and broad shifts in vegetation. All of these changes are likely to affect the delivery, reactivity, and burial of tPOC in nearshore Arctic regions, making the Arctic an ideal place to study the effects of climate change on tPOC delivery. However, to date, most studies of tPOC delivery from North America to the Arctic Ocean have focused on large Arctic rivers like the Mackenzie and Yukon, and a significant portion of those watersheds lie in sub-Arctic latitudes, meaning that their tPOC delivery is likely not uniquely representative of the high Arctic tundra. Here, we focus on tPOC delivery by the Colville River, the largest North American river with a watershed that does not include sub-Arctic latitudes. Sediment samples from the river delta and nearby Simpson's Lagoon were taken in August of 2010 and subsequently fractionated by density, in order to study the delivery of both discrete and sediment-sorbed tPOC. Samples were analyzed for stable carbon isotopes, bulk radiocarbon, terrestrial biomarkers (including lignin-phenols, and other CuO reaction products), and aquatic biomarkers (algal pigments), and additionally a subset of the samples were analyzed by ramped pyrolysis-14C. Results show that tPOC delivery near the river mouth is sourced from coastal plain tundra, with additional delivery of tPOC from peat released into the lagoon from the seaward limit of the tundra by coastal erosion. Ramped pyrolysis-14C analysis also shows a clear differentiation between tPOC delivered by the river and tPOC delivered by coastal retreat in the lagoon. Additionally, a significant portion of the OC released by the Colville River is

Widespread release of old carbon across the Siberian Arctic echoed by its large rivers

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Ö. Gustafsson

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Over decadal-centennial timescales, only a few mechanisms in the carbon-climate system could cause a massive net redistribution of carbon from land and ocean systems to the atmosphere in response to climate warming. The largest such climate-vulnerable carbon pool is the old organic carbon (OC stored in Arctic permafrost (perennially frozen soils. Climate warming, both predicted and now observed to be the strongest globally in the Eurasian Arctic and Alaska, causes thaw-release of old permafrost carbon from local tundra sites. However, a central challenge for the assessment of the general vulnerability of this old OC pool is to deduce any signal integrating its release over larger scales. Here we examine radiocarbon measurements of molecular soil markers exported by the five Great Russian-Arctic Rivers (Ob, Yenisey, Lena, Indigirka and Kolyma, employed as natural integrators of carbon release processes in their watersheds. The signals held in estuarine surface sediments revealed that average radiocarbon ages of n-alkanes increased east-to-west from 6400 yr BP in Kolyma to 11 400 yr BP in Ob. This is consistent with westwards trends of both warmer climate and more degraded organic matter as indicated by the ratio of high molecular weight (HMW n-alkanoic acids to HMW n-alkanes. The dynamics of Siberian permafrost can thus be probed via the molecular-radiocarbon signal as carried by Arctic rivers. Old permafrost carbon is at present vulnerable to mobilization over continental scales. Climate-induced changes in the radiocarbon fingerprint of released permafrost carbon will likely depend on changes in both permafrost coverage and Arctic soil hydraulics.

A Cultural Resource Inventory of the Left Bank of Lake Oahe: Burleigh and Emmons Counties, North Dakota. Volume 1

Science.gov (United States)

1986-11-01

Spermophilus tridecemlineatus), several species of field mice (Peromyscus sp.), white- tailed jackrabbits (Lepus townsendii), cottontail rabbits...Montreal-based fur trade, which would monopolize the Assiniboine-Souris-Missouri River area until the 1780’s (Burpee 1927; Schweigert 1979:18

Spatial scales of carbon flow in a river food web

Science.gov (United States)

Finlay, J.C.; Khandwala, S.; Power, M.E.

2002-01-01

Spatial extents of food webs that support stream and river consumers are largely unknown, but such information is essential for basic understanding and management of lotic ecosystems. We used predictable variation in algal ??13C with water velocity, and measurements of consumer ??13C and ??15N to examine carbon flow and trophic structure in food webs of the South Fork Eel River in Northern California. Analyses of ??13C showed that the most abundant macroinvertebrate groups (collector-gatherers and scrapers) relied on algae from local sources within their riffle or shallow pool habitats. In contrast, filter-feeding invertebrates in riffles relied in part on algal production derived from upstream shallow pools. Riffle invertebrate predators also relied in part on consumers of pool-derived algal carbon. One abundant taxon drifting from shallow pools and riffles (baetid mayflies) relied on algal production derived from the habitats from which they dispersed. The trophic linkage from pool algae to riffle invertebrate predators was thus mediated through either predation on pool herbivores dispersing into riffles, or on filter feeders. Algal production in shallow pool habitats dominated the resource base of vertebrate predators in all habitats at the end of the summer. We could not distinguish between the trophic roles of riffle algae and terrestrial detritus, but both carbon sources appeared to play minor roles for vertebrate consumers. In shallow pools, small vertebrates, including three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), roach (Hesperoleucas symmetricus), and rough-skinned newts (Taricha granulosa), relied on invertebrate prey derived from local pool habitats. During the most productive summer period, growth of all size classes of steelhead and resident rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in all habitats (shallow pools, riffles, and deep unproductive pools) was largely derived from algal production in shallow pools. Preliminary data suggest that the strong

Influence of land cover on riverine dissolved organic carbon concentrations and export in the Three Rivers Headwater Region of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Xiaoliang; Liu, Guimin; Wu, Xiaodong; Smoak, Joseph M; Ye, Linlin; Xu, Haiyan; Zhao, Lin; Ding, Yongjian

2018-07-15

The Qinghai-Tibetan plateau (QTP) stores a large amount of soil organic carbon and is the headwater region for several large rivers in Asia. Therefore, it is important to understand the influence of environmental factors on river water quality and the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export in this region. We examined the water physico-chemical characteristics, DOC concentrations and export rates of 7 rivers under typical land cover types in the Three Rivers Headwater Region during August 2016. The results showed that the highest DOC concentrations were recorded in the rivers within the catchment of alpine wet meadow and meadow. These same rivers had the lowest total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations. The rivers within steppe and desert had the lowest DOC concentrations and highest TSS concentrations. The discharge rates and catchment areas were negatively correlated with DOC concentrations. The SUVA 254 values were significantly negatively correlated with DOC concentrations. The results suggest that the vegetation degradation, which may represent permafrost degradation, can lead to a decrease in DOC concentration, but increasing DOC export and soil erosion. In addition, some of the exported DOC will rapidly decompose in the river, and therefore affect the regional carbon cycle, as well as the water quality in the source water of many large Asian rivers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Organic Carbon and Trace Element Cycling in a River-Dominated Tidal Coastal Wetland System (Tampa Bay, FL, USA)

Science.gov (United States)

Moyer, R. P.; Smoak, J. M.; Engelhart, S. E.; Powell, C. E.; Chappel, A. R.; Gerlach, M. J.; Kemp, A.; Breithaupt, J. L.

2016-02-01

Tampa Bay is the largest open water, river-fed estuary in Florida (USA), and is characterized by the presence of both mangrove and salt marsh ecosystems. Both coastal wetland systems, and small rivers such as the ones draining into Tampa Bay have historically been underestimated in terms of their role in the global carbon and elemental cycles. Climate change and sea-level rise (SLR) are major threats in Tampa Bay and stand to disrupt hydrologic cycles, compromising sediment accumulation and the rate of organic carbon (OC) burial. This study evaluates organic carbon content, sediment accumulation, and carbon burial rates in salt marsh and mangrove ecosystems, along with measurements of fluxes of dissolved OC (DOC) and trace elements in the water column of the Little Manatee River (LMR) in Tampa Bay. The characterization of OC and trace elements in tidal rivers and estuaries is critical for quantitatively constraining these systems in local-to-regional scale biogeochemical budgets, and provide insight into biogeochemical processes occurring with the estuary and adjacent tidal wetlands. Material fluxes of DOC and trace elements were tied to discharge irrespective of season, and the estuarine habitats removed 15-65% of DOC prior to export to Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Thus, material is available for cycling and burial within marsh and mangrove peats, however, LMR mangrove peats have higher OC content and burial rates than adjacent salt marsh peats. Sedimentary accretion rates in LMR marshes are not currently keeping pace with SLR, thus furthering the rapid marsh-to-mangrove conversions that have been seen in Tampa Bay over the past half-century. Additionally, wetlands in Tampa Bay tend to have a lower rate of carbon burial than other Florida tidal wetlands, demonstrating their high sensitivity to climate change and SLR.

Assessing the combined influence of TOC and black carbon in soil–air partitioning of PBDEs and DPs from the Indus River Basin, Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, Usman; Mahmood, Adeel; Syed, Jabir Hussain; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Katsoyiannis, Athanasios; Jones, Kevin C.; Malik, Riffat Naseem

2015-01-01

Levels of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and dechlorane plus (DPs) were investigated in the Indus River Basin from Pakistan. Concentrations of ∑PBDEs and ∑DPs were ranged between 0.05 and 2.38 and 0.002–0.53 ng g −1 in the surface soils while 1.43–22.1 and 0.19–7.59 pg m −3 in the passive air samples, respectively. Black carbon (f BC ) and total organic carbon (f TOC ) fractions were also measured and ranged between 0.73 and 1.75 and 0.04–0.2%, respectively. The statistical analysis revealed strong influence of f BC than f TOC on the distribution of PBDEs and DPs in the Indus River Basin soils. BDE's congener profile suggested the input of penta–bromodiphenylether (DE-71) commercial formulation in the study area. Soil–air partitioning of PBDEs were investigated by employing octanol-air partition coefficients (K OA ) and black carbon-air partition coefficients (K BC−A ). The results of both models suggested the combined influence of total organic carbon (absorption) and black carbon (adsorption) in the studied area. - Highlights: • Model based calculations of black carbon-air partition coefficients for PBDEs. • Soil and air levels of PBDEs and DPs reported first time for ecologically important sites of the Indus River Basin, Pakistan. • Both, f BC and f TOC showed combined influence on soil–air partitioning of PBDEs in the Indus River Basin, Pakistan. - BC and TOC showed combined influence on soil–air partitioning of POPs i-e., PBDEs in the Indus River Basin, Pakistan

Recovery and radio-resistance in mice after external irradiation; Restauration et radio-resistance chez la souris apres irradiation externe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Guillou, S [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1965-07-01

The author presents a literature study concerning recovery from external irradiation and an analysis of experimental data (which appear to suggest the idea of a radio-resistance in animals), as well as the hypotheses put forward for explaining this phenomenon. The author then describes an experiment carried out on mice whose LD 50/30 days increased from 1005 to 1380 rads and for which it was shown that an increase occurs in the number of certain anti-bodies circulating after a low dose of {gamma} irradiation. (author) [French] L'auteur presente une etude bibliographique de la restauration apres irradiation externe et une analyse des donnees experimentales qui paraissent suggerer la notion de radioresistance chez les animaux ainsi que les hypotheses cherchant a expliquer ce phenomene. Il relate ensuite une experience realisee sur des souris dont la DL 50/30 jours est passee de 1005 a 1380 rads et dans laquelle est montree l'augmentation de certains anticorps circulant apres une faible dose d'irradiation gamma. (auteur)

Biomass Carbon Sequestration Potential by Riparian Forest in the Tarim River Watershed, Northwest China: Implication for the Mitigation of Climate Change Impact

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Tayierjiang Aishan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Carbon management in forests has become the most important agenda of the first half of the 21st century in China in the context of the mitigation of climate change impact. As the main producer of the inland river basin ecosystem in arid region of Northwest China, the desert riparian forest maintains the regional environment and also holds a great significance in regulating the regional/global carbon cycle. In this study, we estimated the total biomass, carbon storage, as well as monetary ecosystem service values of desert riparian Populus euphratica Oliv. in the lower reaches of the Tarim River based on terrestrial forest inventory data within an area of 100 ha (100 plots with sizes of 100 m × 100 m and digitized tree data within 1000 ha (with 10 m × 10 m grid using a statistical model of biomass estimation against tree height (TH and diameter at breast height (DBH data. Our results show that total estimated biomass and carbon storage of P. euphratica within the investigated area ranged from 3.00 to 4317.00 kg/ha and from 1.82 to 2158.73 kg/ha, respectively. There was a significant negative relationship (p < 0.001 between biomass productivity of these forests and distance to the river and groundwater level. Large proportions of biomass (64% of total biomass are estimated within 200 m distance to the river where groundwater is relatively favorable for vegetation growth and biomass production. However, our data demonstrated that total biomass showed a sharp decreasing trend with increasing distance to the river; above 800 m distance, less biomass and carbon storage were estimated. The total monetary value of the ecosystem service “carbon storage” provided by P. euphratica was estimated to be $6.8 × 104 USD within the investigated area, while the average monetary value was approximately $70 USD per ha, suggesting that the riparian forest ecosystem in the Tarim River Basin should be considered a relevant regional carbon sink. The findings of

Temporal and spatial distributions of sediment total organic carbon in an estuary river.

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Ouyang, Y; Zhang, J E; Ou, L-T

2006-01-01

Understanding temporal and spatial distributions of naturally occurring total organic carbon (TOC) in sediments is critical because TOC is an important feature of surface water quality. This study investigated temporal and spatial distributions of sediment TOC and its relationships to sediment contaminants in the Cedar and Ortega Rivers, Florida, USA, using three-dimensional kriging analysis and field measurement. Analysis of field data showed that large temporal changes in sediment TOC concentrations occurred in the rivers, which reflected changes in the characteristics and magnitude of inputs into the rivers during approximately the last 100 yr. The average concentration of TOC in sediments from the Cedar and Ortega Rivers was 12.7% with a maximum of 22.6% and a minimum of 2.3%. In general, more TOC accumulated at the upper 1.0 m of the sediment in the southern part of the Ortega River although the TOC sedimentation varied with locations and depths. In contrast, high concentrations of sediment contaminants, that is, total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), were found in sediments from the Cedar River. There was no correlation between TOC and PAHs or PCBs in these river sediments. This finding is in contradiction to some other studies which reported that the sorption of hydrocarbons is highly related to the organic matter content of sediments. This discrepancy occurred because of the differences in TOC and hydrocarbon source input locations. It was found that more TOC loaded into the southern part of the Ortega River, while almost all of the hydrocarbons entered into the Cedar River. This study suggested that the locations of their input sources as well as the land use patterns should also be considered when relating hydrocarbons to sediment TOC.

Comparative study of carbonic anhydrase activity in waters among different geological eco-environments of Yangtze River basin and its ecological significance.

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Nzung'a, Sila Onesmus; Pan, Weizhi; Shen, Taiming; Li, Wei; Qin, Xiaoqun; Wang, Chenwei; Zhang, Liankai; Yu, Longjiang

2018-04-01

This study provides the presence of carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity in waters of the Yangtze River basin, China, as well as the correlation of CA activity with HCO 3 - concentration and CO 2 sink flux. Different degrees of CA activity could be detected in almost all of the water samples from different geological eco-environments in all four seasons. The CA activity of water samples from karst areas was significantly higher than from non-karst areas (PP3 - concentration (r=0.672, P2 sink flux (r=0.602, P=0.076) in karst areas. This suggests that CA in waters might have a promoting effect on carbon sinks for atmospheric CO 2 in karst river basins. In conditions of similar geological type, higher CA activity was generally detected in water samples taken from areas that exhibited better eco-environments, implying that the CA activity index of waters could be used as an indicator for monitoring ecological environments and protection of river basins. These findings suggest that the role of CA in waters in the karst carbon sink potential of river basins is worthy of further in-depth studies. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The biogeochemistry of carbon across a gradient of streams and rivers within the Congo Basin

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Mann, P. J.; Spencer, R. G. M.; Dinga, B. J.; Poulsen, J. R.; Hernes, P. J.; Fiske, G.; Salter, M. E.; Wang, Z. A.; Hoering, K. A.; Six, J.; Holmes, R. M.

2014-04-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and inorganic carbon (DIC, pCO2), lignin biomarkers, and theoptical properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM) were measured in a gradient of streams and rivers within the Congo Basin, with the aim of examining how vegetation cover and hydrology influences the composition and concentration of fluvial carbon (C). Three sampling campaigns (February 2010, November 2010, and August 2011) spanning 56 sites are compared by subbasin watershed land cover type (savannah, tropical forest, and swamp) and hydrologic regime (high, intermediate, and low). Land cover properties predominately controlled the amount and quality of DOC, chromophoric DOM (CDOM) and lignin phenol concentrations (∑8) exported in streams and rivers throughout the Congo Basin. Higher DIC concentrations and changing DOM composition (lower molecular weight, less aromatic C) during periods of low hydrologic flow indicated shifting rapid overland supply pathways in wet conditions to deeper groundwater inputs during drier periods. Lower DOC concentrations in forest and swamp subbasins were apparent with increasing catchment area, indicating enhanced DOC loss with extended water residence time. Surface water pCO2 in savannah and tropical forest catchments ranged between 2,600 and 11,922 µatm, with swamp regions exhibiting extremely high pCO2 (10,598-15,802 µatm), highlighting their potential as significant pathways for water-air efflux. Our data suggest that the quantity and quality of DOM exported to streams and rivers are largely driven by terrestrial ecosystem structure and that anthropogenic land use or climate change may impact fluvial C composition and reactivity, with ramifications for regional C budgets and future climate scenarios.

Particulate and dissolved organic carbon and chlorophyll A in the Zaire river, estuary and plume

Science.gov (United States)

Cadée, G. C.

Data were collected on POC, DOC and phytoplankton in the Zaire river, estuary and plume. Mean river value for POC was 1.1 mg·l -1, 4.7% of the suspended matter. Average DOC content of the river water was 8.5 mg·l -1. These values are in accordance with the calculations of TOC input from rivers to the world's ocean. Within the estuary POC and chlorophyll decreased regularly up to a salinity of 20. Between salinities of 20 and 32 small phytoplankton bloom occurred resulting also in higher POC values. DOC mixed conservatively up to a salinity of 25; at salinities above 25, values indicate DOC production. This DOC production occurred partly in the bottom water of the canyon where low oxygen values indicated mineralization and conversion of the accumulated POC into DOC. Another area of DOC production observed inside and outside the surface waters of the plume, was partly related to autolysis and degradation of the phytoplankton bloom. This study shows that the influence of rivers on the organic carbon in the ocean will not be confined to the amount introduced directly, but that we have to add the amounts of POC and DOC resulting from enhanced phytoplankton primary production by nutrient input from rivers and by river induced upwelling.

Different controls on sedimentary organic carbon in the Bohai Sea: River mouth relocation, turbidity and eutrophication

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Yunping; Zhou, Shangzhe; Hu, Limin; Wang, Yinghui; Xiao, Wenjie

2018-04-01

The extractable lipids and bulk organic geochemical parameters in three sediment cores (M-1, M-3 and M-7) from southern, central and northern Bohai Sea were analyzed in order to reconstruct environmental changes since 1900. The C/N ratio and multiple biomarkers (e.g., C27 + C29 + C31n-alkanes, C24 + C26 + C28n-alkanols, branched versus isoprenoid tetraether index) suggest more terrigenous organic carbon (OC) inputs in southern Bohai Sea. The abrupt changes of biomarker indicators in core M-1 are generally synchronous with the Yellow River mouth relocation events (e.g., 1964, 1976 and 1996), suggesting the distance to the river mouth being an important factor for sedimentary OC dispersal in the southern Bohai Sea. However, in cores M-3 and M-7, terrigenous biomarkers (i.e., BIT) show a long-term declining trend, consistent with a continuous reduction of the Yellow River sediment load, whereas marine biomarkers such as cholesterol, brassicasterol and dinosterol dramatically increased post-1980, apparently related to human-induced eutrophication in the Bohai Sea. Our study suggests different controlling factors on sedimentary OC distribution in the southern (high turbidity) and other parts (less turbidity) of the Bohai Sea, which should be considered for interpretation of paleoenvironments and biogeochemical processes in the river dominated margins that are hotspots of the global carbon cycling.

Soil Organic Carbon Stocks in Arctic Deltaic Sediments: Investigations in the Lena River Delta.

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Zubrzycki, S.; Kutzbach, L.; Desyatkin, A.; Pfeiffer, E.-M.

2012-04-01

The soil organic carbon stock (SSOC) of deltaic sediments in arctic permafrost regions is known to be significant but is insufficiently investigated so far. Previous SSOC studies were conducted mainly in the comparatively well studied Mackenzie River Delta (area: 13,000 km2) in Canada. The few studies from other arctic delta regions report only the gravimetric carbon (C) contents and are limited to the active layer depth at the time of sampling. Since C deposits in permafrost regions are likely to become a future C source, more detailed investigations of the presently frozen likely carbon-rich sediment and soil layers in other arctic delta regions are of importance. Our investigations were performed on Samoylov Island in the southern-central part of the Lena River Delta (32,000 km2) which is the largest arctic delta and the fifth largest delta worldwide. Samoylov Island is representative for the Lena River Delta's first terrace and the active floodplains. Within this study a new portable Snow-Ice-Permafrost-Research-Establishment (SIPRE) auger was used during a spring field session to obtain 1 m deep frozen soil cores (n = 37) distributed over all known soil and vegetation units. These cores are analyzed for bulk contents of nitrogen (N) and C, ice content and bulk density (BD) and to determine the SSOC including the rarely investigated currently permanently frozen layers up to 1 m depth on Samoylov Island. Our study provides evidence for high SSOC for a depth of 1 m for the investigated area ranging between 6 kg m2 and 54 kg m2. Considering the spatial extent of different soil units on the two geomorphological units of Samoylov Island, the area-weighted average SSOC were 31 kg m2 (n = 31) for the first terrace and 15 kg m2 (n = 6) for the active floodplain. For the correspondent soil units of Turbels and Orthels in circumpolar permafrost regions, Tarnocai et al. 2009 reported a mean SSOC of 27 kg m2 (min: 0.1 kg m2, max: 126 kg m2) for a depth of 1 m. For up

Mapping Soil Carbon in the Yukon Kuskokwim River Delta Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Natali, S.; Fiske, G.; Schade, J. D.; Mann, P. J.; Holmes, R. M.; Ludwig, S.; Melton, S.; Sae-lim, N.; Jardine, L. E.; Navarro-Perez, E.

2017-12-01

Arctic river deltas are hotspots for carbon storage, occupying 10% of carbon stored in arctic permafrost. The Yukon Kuskokwim (YK) Delta, Alaska is located in the lower latitudinal range of the northern permafrost region in an area of relatively warm permafrost that is particularly vulnerable to warming climate. Active layer depths range from 50 cm on peat plateaus to >100 cm in wetland and aquatic ecosystems. The size of the soil organic carbon pool and vulnerability of the carbon in the YK Delta is a major unknown and is critically important as climate warming and increasing fire frequency may make this carbon vulnerable to transport to aquatic and marine systems and the atmosphere. To characterize the size and distribution of soil carbon pools in the YK Delta, we mapped the land cover of a 1910 km2 watershed located in a region of the YK Delta that was impacted by fire in 2015. The map product was the result of an unsupervised classification using the Weka K Means clustering algorithm implemented in Google's Earth Engine. Inputs to the classification were Worldview2 resolution optical imagery (1m), Arctic DEM (5m), and Sentinel 2 level 1C multispectral imagery, including NDVI, (10 m). We collected 100 soil cores (0-30 cm) from sites of different land cover and landscape position, including moist and dry peat plateaus, high and low intensity burned plateaus, fens, and drained lakes; 13 lake sediment cores (0-50 cm); and 20 surface permafrost cores (to 100 cm) from burned and unburned peat plateaus. Active layer and permafrost soils were analyzed for organic matter content, soil moisture content, and carbon and nitrogen pools (30 and 100 cm). Soil carbon content varied across the landscape; average carbon content values for lake sediments were 12% (5- 17% range), fens 26% (9-44%), unburned peat plateaus 41% (34-44%), burned peat plateaus 19% (7-34%). These values will be used to estimate soil carbon pools, which will be applied to the spatial extent of each

Attributes for MRB_E2RF1 Catchments by Major River Basins in the Conterminous United States: Mean Annual R-factor, 1971-2000

Science.gov (United States)

Wieczorek, Michael; LaMotte, Andrew E.

2010-01-01

This tabular data set represents the average annual R-factor, rainfall-runoff erosivity measure, compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment of selected Major River Basins (MRBs, Crawford and others, 2006). The source data are from Christopher Daly of the Spatial Climate Analysis Service, Oregon State University, and George Taylor of the Oregon Climate Service, Oregon State University (2002). The ERF1_2 catchments are based on a modified version of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) ERF1_2 and include enhancements to support national and regional-scale surface-water quality modeling (Nolan and others, 2002; Brakebill and others, 2011). Data were compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment for the conterminous United States covering New England and Mid-Atlantic (MRB1), South Atlantic-Gulf and Tennessee (MRB2), the Great Lakes, Ohio, Upper Mississippi, and Souris-Red-Rainy (MRB3), the Missouri (MRB4), the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf (MRB5), the Rio Grande, Colorado, and the Great basin (MRB6), the Pacific Northwest (MRB7) river basins, and California (MRB8).

Three decadal inputs of total organic carbon from four major coastal river basins to the summer hypoxic zone of the Northern Gulf of Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Songjie; Xu, Y Jun

2015-01-15

This study investigated long-term (1980-2009) yields and variability of total organic carbon (TOC) from four major coastal rivers in Louisiana entering the Northern Gulf of Mexico where a large-area summer hypoxic zone has been occurring since the middle 1980s. Two of these rivers drain agriculture-intensive (>40%) watersheds, while the other two rivers drain forest-pasture dominated (>50%) watersheds. The study found that these rivers discharged a total of 13.0×10(4)t TOC annually, fluctuating from 5.9×10(4) to 22.8×10(4)t. Seasonally, the rivers showed high TOC yield during the winter and early spring months, corresponding to the seasonal trend of river discharge. While river hydrology controlled TOC yields, land use has played an important role in fluxes, seasonal variations, and characteristics of TOC. The findings fill in a critical information gap of quantity and quality of organic carbon transport from coastal watersheds to one of the world's largest summer hypoxic zones. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Accumulation and Seasonal Dynamic of the Soil Organic Carbon in Wetland of the Yellow River Estuary, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xianxiang Luo

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The wetland of the Yellow River estuary is a typical new coastal wetland in northern China. It is essential to study the carbon pool and its variations for evaluating the carbon cycle process. The study results regarding the temporal-spatial distribution and influential factors of soil organic carbon in four typical wetlands belonging to the Yellow River estuary showed that there was no significant difference in the contents of the surface soil TOC to the same season among the four types of wetlands. For each type of wetlands, the TOC content in surface soils was significantly higher in October than that in both May and August. On the whole, the obvious differences in DOC contents in surface soils were not observed in the different wetland types and seasons. The peak of TOC appeared at 0–10 cm in the soil profiles. The contents of TOC and DOC were significantly higher in salsa than those in reed, suggesting that the rhizosphere effect of organic carbon in salsa was more obvious than that in reed. The results of the principal component analysis showed that the nitrogen content, salinity, bulk density, and water content were dominant influential factors for organic carbon accumulation and seasonal variation.

Designing a dynamic data driven application system for estimating real-time load of dissolved organic carbon in a river

Science.gov (United States)

Ying. Ouyang

2012-01-01

Understanding the dynamics of naturally occurring dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in a river is central to estimating surface water quality, aquatic carbon cycling, and global climate change. Currently, determination of the DOC in surface water is primarily accomplished by manually collecting samples for laboratory analysis, which requires at least 24 h. In other words...

Recovery and radio-resistance in mice after external irradiation; Restauration et radio-resistance chez la souris apres irradiation externe

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Le Guillou, S. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1965-07-01

The author presents a literature study concerning recovery from external irradiation and an analysis of experimental data (which appear to suggest the idea of a radio-resistance in animals), as well as the hypotheses put forward for explaining this phenomenon. The author then describes an experiment carried out on mice whose LD 50/30 days increased from 1005 to 1380 rads and for which it was shown that an increase occurs in the number of certain anti-bodies circulating after a low dose of {gamma} irradiation. (author) [French] L'auteur presente une etude bibliographique de la restauration apres irradiation externe et une analyse des donnees experimentales qui paraissent suggerer la notion de radioresistance chez les animaux ainsi que les hypotheses cherchant a expliquer ce phenomene. Il relate ensuite une experience realisee sur des souris dont la DL 50/30 jours est passee de 1005 a 1380 rads et dans laquelle est montree l'augmentation de certains anticorps circulant apres une faible dose d'irradiation gamma. (auteur)

Distribution and origin of suspended matter and organic carbon pools in the Tana River Basin, Kenya

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tamooh, F.; Van den Meersche, K.; Meysman, F.; Marwick, T.R.; Borges, A.V.; Merckx, R.; Dehairs, F.; Schmidt, S.; Nyunja, J.; Bouillon, S.

2012-01-01

We studied patterns in organic carbon pools and their origin in the Tana River Basin (Kenya), in February 2008 (dry season), September–November 2009 (wet season), and June–July 2010 (end of wet season), covering the full continuum from headwater streams to lowland mainstream sites. A consistent

Erosion of organic carbon in the Arctic as a geological carbon dioxide sink.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilton, Robert G; Galy, Valier; Gaillardet, Jérôme; Dellinger, Mathieu; Bryant, Charlotte; O'Regan, Matt; Gröcke, Darren R; Coxall, Helen; Bouchez, Julien; Calmels, Damien

2015-08-06

Soils of the northern high latitudes store carbon over millennial timescales (thousands of years) and contain approximately double the carbon stock of the atmosphere. Warming and associated permafrost thaw can expose soil organic carbon and result in mineralization and carbon dioxide (CO2) release. However, some of this soil organic carbon may be eroded and transferred to rivers. If it escapes degradation during river transport and is buried in marine sediments, then it can contribute to a longer-term (more than ten thousand years), geological CO2 sink. Despite this recognition, the erosional flux and fate of particulate organic carbon (POC) in large rivers at high latitudes remains poorly constrained. Here, we quantify the source of POC in the Mackenzie River, the main sediment supplier to the Arctic Ocean, and assess its flux and fate. We combine measurements of radiocarbon, stable carbon isotopes and element ratios to correct for rock-derived POC. Our samples reveal that the eroded biospheric POC has resided in the basin for millennia, with a mean radiocarbon age of 5,800 ± 800 years, much older than the POC in large tropical rivers. From the measured biospheric POC content and variability in annual sediment yield, we calculate a biospheric POC flux of 2.2(+1.3)(-0.9) teragrams of carbon per year from the Mackenzie River, which is three times the CO2 drawdown by silicate weathering in this basin. Offshore, we find evidence for efficient terrestrial organic carbon burial over the Holocene period, suggesting that erosion of organic carbon-rich, high-latitude soils may result in an important geological CO2 sink.

Post-glacial climate forcing of surface processes in the Ganges-Brahmaputra river basin and implications for carbon sequestration

Science.gov (United States)

Hein, Christopher J.; Galy, Valier; Galy, Albert; France-Lanord, Christian; Kudrass, Hermann; Schwenk, Tilmann

2017-11-01

Climate has been proposed to control both the rate of terrestrial silicate weathering and the export rate of associated sediments and terrestrial organic carbon to river-dominated margins - and thus the rate of sequestration of atmospheric CO2 in the coastal ocean - over glacial-interglacial timescales. Focused on the Ganges-Brahmaputra rivers, this study presents records of post-glacial changes in basin-scale Indian summer monsoon intensity and vegetation composition based on stable hydrogen (δD) and carbon (δ13C) isotopic compositions of terrestrial plant wax compounds preserved in the channel-levee system of the Bengal Fan. It then explores the role of these changes in controlling the provenance and degree of chemical weathering of sediments exported by these rivers, and the potential climate feedbacks through organic-carbon burial in the Bengal Fan. An observed 40‰ shift in δD and a 3-4‰ shift in both bulk organic-carbon and plant-wax δ13C values between the late glacial and mid-Holocene, followed by a return to more intermediate values during the late Holocene, correlates well with regional post-glacial paleoclimate records. Sediment provenance proxies (Sr, Nd isotopic compositions) reveal that these changes likely coincided with a subtle focusing of erosion on the southern flank of the Himalayan range during periods of greater monsoon strength and enhanced sediment discharge. However, grain-size-normalized organic-carbon concentrations in the Bengal Fan remained constant through time, despite order-of-magnitude level changes in catchment-scale monsoon precipitation and enhanced chemical weathering (recorded as a gradual increase in K/Si* and detrital carbonate content, and decrease in H2O+/Si*, proxies) throughout the study period. These findings demonstrate a partial decoupling of climate change and silicate weathering during the Holocene and that marine organic-carbon sequestration rates primary reflect rates of physical erosion and sediment export

Pre-aged soil organic carbon as a major component of the Yellow River suspended load: Regional significance and global relevance

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Shuqin; Eglinton, Timothy I.; Montluçon, Daniel B.; McIntyre, Cameron; Zhao, Meixun

2015-03-01

Large rivers connect the continents and the oceans, and corresponding material fluxes have a global impact on marine biogeochemistry. The Yellow River transports vast quantities of suspended sediments to the ocean, yet the nature of the particulate organic carbon (POC) carried by this system is not well known. The focus of this study is to characterize the sources, composition and age of suspended POC collected near the terminus of this river system, focusing on the abundance and carbon isotopic composition (13C and 14C) of specific biomarkers. The concentrations of vascular plant wax lipids (long-chain (≥C24) n-alkanes, n-fatty acids) and POC co-varied with total suspended solid (TSS) concentrations, indicating that both were controlled by the overall terrestrial sediment flux. POC exhibited relatively uniform δ13C values (-23.8 to -24.2‰), and old radiocarbon ages (4000-4640 yr). However, different biomarkers exhibited a wide range of 14C ages. Short-chain (C16, C18) fatty acid 14C ages were variable but generally the youngest organic components (from 502 yr to modern), suggesting they reflect recently biosynthesized material. Lignin phenol 14C ages were also variable and relatively young (1070 yr to modern), suggesting rapid export of carbon from terrestrial primary production. In contrast, long-chain plant wax lipids display relatively uniform and significantly older 14C ages (1500-1800 yr), likely reflecting inputs of pre-aged, mineral-associated soil OC from the Yellow River drainage basin. Even-carbon-numbered n-alkanes yielded the oldest 14C ages (up to 26 000 yr), revealing the presence of fossil (petrogenic) OC. Two isotopic mass balance approaches were explored to quantitively apportion different OC sources in Yellow River suspended sediments. Results indicate that the dominant component of POC (53-57%) is substantially pre-aged (1510-1770 yr), and likely sourced from the extensive loess-paleosol deposits outcropping within the drainage basin. Of

The dynamic of organic carbon in South Cameroon. Fluxes in a tropical river system and a lake system as a varying sink on a glacial-interglacial time scale

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giresse, P. [Laboratoire de Sedimentologie et Geochimie Marines, URA CNRS 715, Universite de Perpignan, 66860 Perpignan (France); Maley, J. [Paleoenvironnements et Palynologie, ISEM/CNRS, UMR 5554, ORSTOM, UR 12, Universite de Montpellier II, 34095 Montpellier (France)

1998-05-01

In the first attempt to estimate both (i) a bulk carbon flux in a tropical river system (mainly Sanaga River) and (ii) their palaeoenvironmental implications from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the present, this study presents a synthetic approach based on the combined use of modern evaluation of fluxes and estuarine biodegradation in the tropical river system Sanaga and nearby Douala Bay rivers, and of sedimentation rates of a well studied marine shelf and lake system (Barombi-Mbo). In the lake Barombi-Mbo, the Holocene transfer of particulate carbon (96.6x10{sup 3} t) is very close to the mass fixed presently in soil catchments (117x10{sup 3} t). A complete process of stored carbon consumption would require some 10{sup 4} years, namely the Holocene period. During the last 20,000 years, variations in the sediment organic matter can be explained by the change of the vegetation cover, particularly with the substitution of open environments by forests. The global sedimentation was slow between ca. 18,000 and 10,000 years BP and increased after 12,000 years. But the carbon sedimentation rate remains fairly constant as the carbon content is higher in the LGM deposits. Such LGM carbon concentrations are probably explained by the input of coarse debris by rough floods and by a less degraded organic matter as a result of the cooling of the climate. Today, the total transport of dissolved and particulate organic carbon of the Sanaga and Douala Bay rivers to the Guinea Gulf is estimated as 0.62 to 0.79x10{sup 6} t C yr{sup -1}. Based on 50% biodegradation at the estuarine interface, the loss of organic matter per unit of land is evaluated around 8.8 t C km{sup -2} yr{sup -1}. Marine oceanic records of the carbon sedimentation rate reflect with difficulty the major palaeoenvironmental changes according to interfering hydrodynamic factors. The greatest input of organic carbon during warm marine biozones would be balanced by higher concentrations during the LGM resulting in

Dissolved organic carbon and chromophoric dissolved organic matter properties of rivers in the USA

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Robert G. M.; Butler, Kenna D.; Aiken, George R.

2012-09-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) parameters were measured over a range of discharge in 30 U.S. rivers, covering a diverse assortment of fluvial ecosystems in terms of watershed size and landscape drained. Relationships between CDOM absorption at a range of wavelengths (a254, a350, a440) and DOC in the 30 watersheds were found to correlate strongly and positively for the majority of U.S. rivers. However, four rivers (Colorado, Colombia, Rio Grande and St. Lawrence) exhibited statistically weak relationships between CDOM absorption and DOC. These four rivers are atypical, as they either drain from the Great Lakes or experience significant impoundment of water within their watersheds, and they exhibited values for dissolved organic matter (DOM) parameters indicative of autochthonous or anthropogenic sources or photochemically degraded allochthonous DOM and thus a decoupling between CDOM and DOC. CDOM quality parameters in the 30 rivers were found to be strongly correlated to DOM compositional metrics derived via XAD fractionation, highlighting the potential for examining DOM biochemical quality from CDOM measurements. This study establishes the ability to derive DOC concentration from CDOM absorption for the majority of U.S. rivers, describes characteristics of riverine systems where such an approach is not valid, and emphasizes the possibility of examining DOM composition and thus biogeochemical function via CDOM parameters. Therefore, the usefulness of CDOM measurements, both laboratory-based analyses and in situ instrumentation, for improving spatial and temporal resolution of DOC fluxes and DOM dynamics in future studies is considerable in a range of biogeochemical studies.

Dissolved organic carbon and chromophoric dissolved organic matter properties of rivers in the USA

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Robert G.M.; Butler, Kenna D.; Aiken, George R.

2012-01-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) parameters were measured over a range of discharge in 30 U.S. rivers, covering a diverse assortment of fluvial ecosystems in terms of watershed size and landscape drained. Relationships between CDOM absorption at a range of wavelengths (a254, a350, a440) and DOC in the 30 watersheds were found to correlate strongly and positively for the majority of U.S. rivers. However, four rivers (Colorado, Colombia, Rio Grande and St. Lawrence) exhibited statistically weak relationships between CDOM absorption and DOC. These four rivers are atypical, as they either drain from the Great Lakes or experience significant impoundment of water within their watersheds, and they exhibited values for dissolved organic matter (DOM) parameters indicative of autochthonous or anthropogenic sources or photochemically degraded allochthonous DOM and thus a decoupling between CDOM and DOC. CDOM quality parameters in the 30 rivers were found to be strongly correlated to DOM compositional metrics derived via XAD fractionation, highlighting the potential for examining DOM biochemical quality from CDOM measurements. This study establishes the ability to derive DOC concentration from CDOM absorption for the majority of U.S. rivers, describes characteristics of riverine systems where such an approach is not valid, and emphasizes the possibility of examining DOM composition and thus biogeochemical function via CDOM parameters. Therefore, the usefulness of CDOM measurements, both laboratory-based analyses and in situ instrumentation, for improving spatial and temporal resolution of DOC fluxes and DOM dynamics in future studies is considerable in a range of biogeochemical studies.

Importance of Oceanian small mountainous rivers (SMRs) in global land-to-ocean output of lignin and modern biospheric carbon.

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Hongyan; Lee, Tsung-Yu; Huang, Jr-Chuan; Feng, Xiaojuan; Dai, Minhan; Kao, Shuh-Ji

2015-11-20

The land-to-ocean export of particulate organic carbon (POC) connects carbon flow from the atmosphere through land to the ocean, of which the contemporary fraction that reaches the deep sea for burial may effectively affect atmospheric CO2. In this regard, small mountainous rivers (SMRs) in Oceania, a global erosion hotspot driven by torrential typhoon rain and active earthquakes are potentially important. Here we measured typhoon lignin discharges for Taiwan SMRs. We found that the particulate lignin export in 96 hours by a single SMR amounting to ~20% of the annual export by Mississippi River. The yearly particulate lignin discharge from Taiwan Island (35,980 km(2)) is governed by the frequency and magnitude of typhoon; thus, the historical lignin export ranged widely from 1.5 to 99.7 Gg yr(-1), which resulted in a 10-100 times higher areal yield relative to non-Oceanian rivers. The lignin-derived modern POC output from Oceania region is 37 ± 21 Tg C yr(-1), account for approximately 20% of the annual modern POC export from global rivers. Coupled with the hyperpycnal pathway, the forested watersheds of SMRs in Oceania may serve as a giant factory to rapidly produce and efficiently convey modern POC into deep sea for sequestration.

The fate of river organic carbon in coastal areas: A study in the Rhône River delta using multiple isotopic (δ13C, Δ14C) and organic tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Cathalot, C.; Rabouille, C.; Tisnérat-Laborde, N.; Toussaint, F.; Kerhervé, P.; Buscail, R.; Loftis, K.; Sun, M.-Y.; Tronczynski, J.; Azoury, S.; Lansard, B.; Treignier, C.; Pastor, L.; Tesi, T.

2013-10-01

A significant fraction of the global carbon flux to the ocean occurs in River-dominated Ocean Margins (RiOMar) although large uncertainties remain in the cycle of organic matter (OM) in these systems. In particular, the OM sources and residence time have not been well clarified. Surface (0-1 cm) and sub-surface (3-4 cm) sediments and water column particles (bottom and intermediate depth) from the Rhône River delta system were collected in June 2005 and in April 2007 for a multi-proxy study. Lignin phenols, black carbon (BC), proto-kerogen/BC mixture, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), carbon stable isotope (δ13COC), and radiocarbon measurements (Δ14COC) were carried out to characterize the source of sedimentary organic material and to address degradation and transport processes. The bulk OM in the prodelta sediment appears to have a predominantly modern terrigenous origin with a significant contribution of modern vascular C3 plant detritus (Δ14COC = 27.9‰, δ13COC = -27.4‰). In contrast, the adjacent continental shelf, below the river plume, seems to be dominated by aged OM (Δ14COC = -400‰, δ13COC = -24.2‰), and shows no evidence of dilution and/or replacement by freshly produced marine carbon. Our data suggest an important contribution of black carbon (50% of OC) in the continental shelf sediments. Selective degradation processes occur along the main dispersal sediment system, promoting the loss of a modern terrestrial OM but also proto-kerogen-like OM. In addition, we hypothesize that during the transport across the shelf, a long term resuspension/deposition loop induces efficient long term degradation processes able to rework such refractory-like material until the OC is protected by the mineral matrix of particles.

Changes in sediment and organic carbon accumulation in a highly-disturbed ecosystem: The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta (California, USA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canuel, Elizabeth A.; Lerberg, Elizabeth J.; Dickhut, Rebecca M.; Kuehl, Steven A.; Bianchi, Thomas S.; Wakeham, Stuart G.

2009-01-01

We used the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta CA (Delta, hereafter) as a model system for understanding how human activities influence the delivery of sediment and total organic carbon (TOC) over the past 50-60 years. Sediment cores were collected from sites within the Delta representing the Sacramento River (SAC), the San Joaquin River (SJR), and Franks Tract (FT), a flooded agricultural tract. A variety of anthropogenic tracers including 137 Cs, total DDE (ΣDDE) and brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) congeners were used to quantify sediment accumulation rates. This information was combined with total organic carbon (TOC) profiles to quantify rates of TOC accumulation. Across the three sites, sediment and TOC accumulation rates were four to eight-fold higher prior to 1972. Changes in sediment and TOC accumulation were coincident with completion of several large reservoirs and increased agriculture and urbanization in the Delta watershed. Radiocarbon content of TOC indicated that much of the carbon delivered to the Delta is 'pre-aged' reflecting processing in the Delta watershed or during transport to the sites rather than an input of predominantly contemporary carbon (e.g., 900-1400 years BP in surface sediments and 2200 yrs BP and 3610 yrs BP at the base of the SJR and FT cores, respectively). Together, these data suggest that human activities have altered the amount and age of TOC accumulating in the Delta since the 1940s.

A biogeochemical and isotopic view of Nitrogen and Carbon in rivers of the Alto Paraíba do Sul basin, São Paulo State, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

Ravagnani, E. D. C.; Coletta, L. D.; Lins, S. R. M.; Antonio, J.; Mazzi, E. A.; Rossete, A. L. M.; Andrade, T. M. B.; Martinelli, L. A.

2014-12-01

The magnitude of potential flows of elements in tropical ecosystems is not well represented in the literature, even being very important. The Paraíba do Sul River drains the three more economically developed states in Brazil: São Paulo, Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro and its basin is considered extremely altered. Despite its economic and social importance (~ 5.3 mi inhabitants), we don't know much about carbon and nitrogen transport into its rivers and how these are affected by soil use changes. This work aimed to investigate these nutrients, using an isotopic and a biogeochemical approach, at some third order (Paraibuna, Paraitinga and Paraíba do Sul), second and first order rivers, all inserted at the Alto Paraíba do Sul Basin. In general, the low dissolved organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon, total dissolved nitrogen and inorganic N concentrations found in the first order rivers, showed the lower variation, despite changes in the soil use. Forested rivers presented higher DOC (3.3 mg.L-1) and TDN (14.2 mM) concentrations than the pasture rivers (2.6 mg.L-1 and 13.8 mM), while these presented higher DIC concentrations than those ones (90.2 mM and 71.2 mM). In third order rivers, the concentrations were also very low. Both carbon and nitrogen contents at the fine and coarse fractions of the suspended particulate material (SPM) were lower at Paraitinga and Paraiba do Sul Rivers. At the Paraibuna River, the fine fraction of SPM presented 25% of C concentration. The concentrations found at the coarse fraction were also higher at this river. The N concentrations were higher at the fine fraction and, consequently, this fraction presented higher C:N ratio. These observations allow us to say that the coarse fraction might be related to plant material, while the fine fraction is probably related to the soils. The δ13C in the SPM was lower in the Paraibuna River, probably due to the predominance of forest, while in the other ones pasture was the main soil use

Banking carbon: A review of organic carbon storage and physical factors influencing retention in floodplains and riparian ecosystems

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas A. Sutfin; Ellen E. Wohl; Kathleen A. Dwire

2016-01-01

Rivers are dynamic components of the terrestrial carbon cycle and provide important functions in ecosystem processes. Although rivers act as conveyers of carbon to the oceans, rivers also retain carbon within riparian ecosystems along floodplains, with potential for long-term (> 102 years) storage. Research in ecosystem processing emphasizes the...

Whole Watershed Quantification of Net Carbon Fluxes by Erosion and Deposition within the Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Aufdenkampe, A. K.; Karwan, D. L.; Aalto, R. E.; Marquard, J.; Yoo, K.; Wenell, B.; Chen, C.

2013-12-01

We have proposed that the rate at which fresh, carbon-free minerals are delivered to and mix with fresh organic matter determines the rate of carbon preservation at a watershed scale (Aufdenkampe et al. 2011). Although many studies have examined the role of erosion in carbon balances, none consider that fresh carbon and fresh minerals interact. We believe that this mechanism may be a dominant sequestration process in watersheds with strong anthropogenic impacts. Our hypothesis - that the rate of mixing fresh carbon with fresh, carbon-free minerals is a primary control on watershed-scale carbon sequestration - is central to our Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory project (CRB-CZO, http://www.udel.edu/czo/). The Christina River Basin spans 1440 km2 from piedmont to Atlantic coastal plain physiographic provinces in the states of Pennsylvania and Delaware, and experienced intensive deforestation and land use beginning in the colonial period of the USA. Here we present a synthesis of multi-disciplinary data from the CRB-CZO on materials as they are transported from sapprolite to topsoils to colluvium to suspended solids to floodplains, wetlands and eventually to the Delaware Bay estuary. At the heart of our analysis is a spatially-integrated, flux-weighted comparison of the organic carbon to mineral surface area ratio (OC/SA) of erosion source materials versus transported and deposited materials. Because source end-members - such as forest topsoils, farmed topsoils, gullied subsoils and stream banks - represent a wide distribution of initial, pre-erosion OC/SA, we quantify source contributions using geochemical sediment fingerprinting approaches (Walling 2005). Analytes used for sediment fingerprinting include: total mineral elemental composition (including rare earth elements), fallout radioisotope activity for common erosion tracers (beryllium-7, beryllium-10, lead-210, cesium-137), particle size distribution and mineral specific surface area, in addition

[Influence of land use change on dissolved organic carbon export in Naoli River watershed. Northeast China].

Science.gov (United States)

Yin, Xiao-min; Lyu, Xian-guo; Liu, Xing-tu; Xue, Zhen-shan

2015-12-01

The present study was conducted to evaluate the influence of land use change on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) export in Naoli River watershed, Northeast China. Seasonal variation of DOC concentrations of the river water and its relationship with land use in the whole watershed and 100 m riparian zone at the annual average scale were analyzed using the method of field sampling, laboratory analysis, GIS and statistics analysis. The results showed that the concentrations of DOC under base flow conditions in spring and summer were significantly higher than that in fall in the study watershed. The seasonal trend of DOC concentrations in wetland-watersheds was similar to that in all the sub-watersheds, while significantly different from that in non-wetland watersheds. On the annual average scale, percentage of wetland in the whole watershed and paddy field in the 100 m riparian zone had positive relationship with the DOC concentration in the river water, while percentage of forest in the whole watershed had negative relationship with it (P watershed played a significant role in the seasonal variation of DOC in river water of Naoli River watershed. Wetland in the watershed and paddy field in the 100 m riparian zone significantly promoted DOC export, while forest alleviated it. Land use change in the watershed in the past few decades dramatically changed the DOC balance of river water.

Carbonate system and nutrients in the Pearl River estuary, China: Seasonal and inter-annual variations

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, X.

2017-12-01

Located in southern China and surrounded by several metropolis, the Pearl River estuary is a large subtropical estuary under significant human perturbation. We examined the impact of sewage treatment rate on the water environmental factors. Carbonate system parameters (Dissolved inorganic carbon or DIC, Total alkalinity or TA, and pH), and nutrients were surveyed in the Pearl River estuary from 2000 to 2015. Spatially, concentrations of nutrients were high at low salinity and decreased with salinity in both wet and dry seasons although seasonal variation occurred. However, distribution patterns of DIC and TA differed in wet and dry seasons. In wet season, both DIC and TA were low at low salinity (600-1500 umol kg-1) and increased with salinity, but in dry season they were high at low salinity (3000-3500 umol kg-1) and decreased with salinity. Compared with the years before 2010, both values and distribution patterns of DIC, TA and pH were similar among the years in wet season, but they were conspicuously different in the upper estuary in dry season. Both DIC and TA were more than 1000 umol kg-1 lower than those in the years before 2010. For nutrients at low salinity, the ammonia concentration was much lower in the years after 2010 (200 vs. 400 umol kg-1 in wet season and 400 vs. 800 umol kg-1 in dry season), but nitrate concentration was slightly higher (180 vs 120 mmol kg-1 in wet season and 200 vs 180 mmol kg-1 in dry season). As a reference, carbonate system parameters and nutrients were stable among the 16 years in the adjacent northern South China Sea. The variations in biogeochemical processes induced by nutrients concentration and structure as a result of sewage discharge will be discussed in detail. The decrease in DIC, TA and nutrients in the upper Pearl River estuary after 2010 was due mainly to the improvement of sewage treatment rate and capacity.

Combined Stable Carbon Isotope and C/N Ratios as Indicators of Source and Fate of Organic Matter in the Bang Pa kong River Estuary, Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boonphakdee, Thanomsak; Kasai, Akihide; Fujiwara, Tateki; Sawangwong, Pichan; Cheevaporn, Voravit

2007-08-01

Full text: Stable carbon isotopes and C/N ratios of particulate organic matter (POM) in suspended solids and surficial sediment were used to define the spatial and temporal variability in an anthropogenic tropical river estuary, the Bang Pa kong River Estuary. Samples were taken along salinity gradients during the four different river discharges in the beginning, high river discharge and at the end of the wet season, and low river discharge during the dry season. The values of [C/N]a ratio and d13C in the river estuary revealed significant differences from those of the offshore station. Conservative behaviors of [C/N]a and d13C in the estuary during the wet season indicated major contribution of terrigenous C3 plants derived OM. By contrast, during the dry season, marine input mainly dominated OM contribution with an evidence of anthropogenic input to the estuary. These compositions of the bulk sedimentary OM were dominated by paddy rice soils and marine derived OM during the wet and dry seasons, respectively. These results show that the combined stable carbon isotopes and C/N ratios can be used to identify the source and fate of OM even in a river estuary. This tool will be useful to achieve sustainable management in coastal zone

Carbon-14 geochemistry at the Savannah River Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, Kimberly A.; Kaplan, Daniel I.

2013-01-01

Carbon-14 is among the key radionuclides driving risk at the E-Area Low-Level Waste Disposal Facility on the Savannah River Site (SRS). Much of this calculated risk is believed to be the result of having to make conservative assumptions in risk calculations because of the lack of site-specific data. The original geochemical data package (Kaplan 2006) recommended that performance assessments and composite analyses for the SRS assume that 14 C did not sorbed to sediments or cementitious materials, i.e., that C-14 K d value (solid:liquid concentration ratio) be set to 0 mL/g (Kaplan 2006). This recommendation was based primarily on the fact that no site-specific experimental work was available and the assumption that the interaction of anionic 14 C as CO 2 2- ) with similarly charged sediments or cementitious materials would be minimal. When used in reactive transport equations, the 0 mL/g Kd value results in 14 C not interacting with the solid phase and moving quickly through the porous media at the same rate as water. The objective of this study was to quantify and understand how aqueous 14 C, as dissolved carbonate, sorbs to and desorbs from SRS sediments and cementitious materials. Laboratory studies measuring the sorption of 14 C, added as a carbonate, showed unequivocally that 14 C-carbonate K d values were not equal to 0 mL/g for any of the solid phases tested, but they required several months to come to steady state. After six months of contact, the apparent K d values for a clayey sediment was 3,000 mL/g, for a sandy sediment was 10 mL/g, for a 36-year-old concrete was 30,000 mL/g, and for a reducing grout was 40 mL/g. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that (ad)sorption rates were appreciably faster than desorption rates, indicating that a kinetic sorption model, as opposed to the steady-state K d model, may be a more accurate description of the 14 C-carbonate sorption process. A second study demonstrated that the 14 C-carbonate sorbed very strongly onto the

Geomorphic Controls on Floodplain Soil Organic Carbon in the Yukon Flats, Interior Alaska, From Reach to River Basin Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Lininger, K. B.; Wohl, E.; Rose, J. R.

2018-03-01

Floodplains accumulate and store organic carbon (OC) and release OC to rivers, but studies of floodplain soil OC come from small rivers or small spatial extents on larger rivers in temperate latitudes. Warming climate is causing substantial change in geomorphic process and OC fluxes in high latitude rivers. We investigate geomorphic controls on floodplain soil OC concentrations in active-layer mineral sediment in the Yukon Flats, interior Alaska. We characterize OC along the Yukon River and four tributaries in relation to geomorphic controls at the river basin, segment, and reach scales. Average OC concentration within floodplain soil is 2.8% (median = 2.2%). Statistical analyses indicate that OC varies among river basins, among planform types along a river depending on the geomorphic unit, and among geomorphic units. OC decreases with sample depth, suggesting that most OC accumulates via autochthonous inputs from floodplain vegetation. Floodplain and river characteristics, such as grain size, soil moisture, planform, migration rate, and riverine DOC concentrations, likely influence differences among rivers. Grain size, soil moisture, and age of surface likely influence differences among geomorphic units. Mean OC concentrations vary more among geomorphic units (wetlands = 5.1% versus bars = 2.0%) than among study rivers (Dall River = 3.8% versus Teedrinjik River = 2.3%), suggesting that reach-scale geomorphic processes more strongly control the spatial distribution of OC than basin-scale processes. Investigating differences at the basin and reach scale is necessary to accurately assess the amount and distribution of floodplain soil OC, as well as the geomorphic controls on OC.

The effect of feed water dissolved organic carbon concentration and composition on organic micropollutant removal and microbial diversity in soil columns simulating river bank filtration.

Science.gov (United States)

Bertelkamp, C; van der Hoek, J P; Schoutteten, K; Hulpiau, L; Vanhaecke, L; Vanden Bussche, J; Cabo, A J; Callewaert, C; Boon, N; Löwenberg, J; Singhal, N; Verliefde, A R D

2016-02-01

This study investigated organic micropollutant (OMP) biodegradation rates in laboratory-scale soil columns simulating river bank filtration (RBF) processes. The dosed OMP mixture consisted of 11 pharmaceuticals, 6 herbicides, 2 insecticides and 1 solvent. Columns were filled with soil from a RBF site and were fed with four different organic carbon fractions (hydrophilic, hydrophobic, transphilic and river water organic matter (RWOM)). Additionally, the effect of a short-term OMP/dissolved organic carbon (DOC) shock-load (e.g. quadrupling the OMP concentrations and doubling the DOC concentration) on OMP biodegradation rates was investigated to assess the resilience of RBF systems. The results obtained in this study imply that - in contrast to what is observed for managed aquifer recharge systems operating on wastewater effluent - OMP biodegradation rates are not affected by the type of organic carbon fraction fed to the soil column, in case of stable operation. No effect of a short-term DOC shock-load on OMP biodegradation rates between the different organic carbon fractions was observed. This means that the RBF site simulated in this study is resilient towards transient higher DOC concentrations in the river water. However, a temporary OMP shock-load affected OMP biodegradation rates observed for the columns fed with the river water organic matter (RWOM) and the hydrophilic fraction of the river water organic matter. These different biodegradation rates did not correlate with any of the parameters investigated in this study (cellular adenosine triphosphate (cATP), DOC removal, specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA), richness/evenness of the soil microbial population or OMP category (hydrophobicity/charge). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nutrient and carbon availability influences on denitrification in the regulated Lower Colorado River, Austin

Science.gov (United States)

Spector, J.

2016-12-01

The Lower Colorado River in Austin, Texas receives nitrogen-rich runoff and treated wastewater effluent and is subject to periodic water releases from the Longhorn Dam, which cause fluctuations in groundwater stage downstream. This research examined groundwater denitrification at the Hornsby Bend riparian area (located approximately 24 km downstream of downtown Austin) and characterized how dam-induced hyporheic exchange affects denitrification rates. Conductivity, temperature, water level, and dissolved oxygen concentrations were measured continuously throughout flood pulses for six months using dataloggers installed in a transect of seven monitoring wells on the river bank. Hourly samples were collected using an autosampler in one monitoring well (MW-5) during various flood conditions during the six month monitoring period. Water samples were analyzed for total organic carbon, total nitrogen, anions (NO3- and NO2-), NH4+ concentrations, alkalinity, and specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) to characterize dissolved organic matter. Following large flood events (up to 4 m of water level stage increase), average conductivity increased 300 µs/centimeter in MW-5 as the water level receded. Analysis of water samples indicated that NO3- reduction occurred as conductivity and alkalinity increased. In addition, NH4+ concentrations increased during high conductivity periods. Increased denitrification activity corresponded with high SUVA. High conductivity and alkalinity increase the availability of electron donors (HCO3- and CO32-) and enhances denitrification potential. Higher SUVA values indicate increased dissolved organic carbon aromaticity and corresponding NO3- reduction. Additionally, changes in dissolved organic matter lability indicate the residence times of possible reactive organic carbon in the riparian area. This study has implications for determining advantageous geochemical conditions for hyporheic zone denitrification following large flood events.

Impact of Wetland Decline on Decreasing Dissolved Organic Carbon Concentrations along the Mississippi River Continuum

OpenAIRE

Duan, Shuiwang; He, Yuxiang; Kaushal, Sujay S.; Bianchi, Thomas S.; Ward, Nicholas D.; Guo, Laodong

2017-01-01

Prior to discharging to the ocean, large rivers constantly receive inputs of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from tributaries or fringing floodplains and lose DOC via continuous in situ processing along distances that span thousands of kilometers. Current concepts predicting longitudinal changes in DOC mainly focus on in situ processing or exchange with fringing floodplain wetlands, while effects of heterogeneous watershed characteristics are generally ignored. We analyzed results from a 17-ye...

Origin and processing of terrestrial organic carbon in the Amazon system: lignin phenols in river, shelf, and fan sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Shuwen; Schefuß, Enno; Mulitza, Stefan; Chiessi, Cristiano M.; Sawakuchi, André O.; Zabel, Matthias; Baker, Paul A.; Hefter, Jens; Mollenhauer, Gesine

2017-05-01

The Amazon River transports large amounts of terrestrial organic carbon (OCterr) from the Andean and Amazon neotropical forests to the Atlantic Ocean. In order to compare the biogeochemical characteristics of OCterr in the fluvial sediments from the Amazon drainage basin and in the adjacent marine sediments, we analysed riverbed sediments from the Amazon mainstream and its main tributaries as well as marine surface sediments from the Amazon shelf and fan for total organic carbon (TOC) content, organic carbon isotopic composition (δ13CTOC), and lignin phenol compositions. TOC and lignin content exhibit positive correlations with Al / Si ratios (indicative of the sediment grain size) implying that the grain size of sediment discharged by the Amazon River plays an important role in the preservation of TOC and leads to preferential preservation of lignin phenols in fine particles. Depleted δ13CTOC values (-26.1 to -29.9 ‰) in the main tributaries consistently correspond with the dominance of C3 vegetation. Ratios of syringyl to vanillyl (S / V) and cinnamyl to vanillyl (C / V) lignin phenols suggest that non-woody angiosperm tissues are the dominant source of lignin in the Amazon basin. Although the Amazon basin hosts a rich diversity of vascular plant types, distinct regional lignin compositions are not observed. In the marine sediments, the distribution of δ13CTOC and Λ8 (sum of eight lignin phenols in organic carbon (OC), expressed as mg/100 mg OC) values implies that OCterr discharged by the Amazon River is transported north-westward by the North Brazil Current and mostly deposited on the inner shelf. The lignin compositions in offshore sediments under the influence of the Amazon plume are consistent with the riverbed samples suggesting that processing of OCterr during offshore transport does not change the encoded source information. Therefore, the lignin compositions preserved in these offshore sediments can reliably reflect the vegetation in the Amazon

Organic carbon, and major and trace element dynamic and fate in a large river subjected to poorly-regulated urban and industrial pressures (Sebou River, Morocco)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hayzoun, H. [Université de Toulon, PROTEE, EA 3819, 83957 La Garde (France); LIMOM, Faculté des Sciences Dhar El Mehraz, Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Dhar El Mehraz B.P. 1796 Atlas, Fès 30000 (Morocco); Garnier, C., E-mail: cgarnier@univ-tln.fr [Université de Toulon, PROTEE, EA 3819, 83957 La Garde (France); Durrieu, G.; Lenoble, V.; Le Poupon, C. [Université de Toulon, PROTEE, EA 3819, 83957 La Garde (France); Angeletti, B. [Centre Européen de Recherche et d' Enseignement de Géosciences de l' Environnement UMR 6635 CNRS — Aix-Marseille Université, FR ECCOREV, Europôle Méditerranéen de l' Arbois, 13545 Aix-en-Provence (France); Ouammou, A. [LIMOM, Faculté des Sciences Dhar El Mehraz, Université Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Dhar El Mehraz B.P. 1796 Atlas, Fès 30000 (Morocco); Mounier, S. [Université de Toulon, PROTEE, EA 3819, 83957 La Garde (France)

2015-01-01

An annual-basis study of the impacts of the anthropogenic inputs from Fez urban area on the water geochemistry of the Sebou and Fez Rivers was conducted mostly focusing on base flow conditions, in addition to the sampling of industrial wastewater characteristic of the various pressures in the studied environment. The measured trace metals dissolved/particulate partitioning was compared to the ones predicted using the WHAM-VII chemical speciation code. The Sebou River, upstream from Fez city, showed a weakly polluted status. Contrarily, high levels of major ions, organic carbon and trace metals were encountered in the Fez River and the Sebou River downstream the Fez inputs, due to the discharge of urban and industrial untreated and hugely polluted wastewaters. Trace metals were especially enriched in particles with levels even exceeding those recorded in surface sediments. The first group of elements (Al, Fe, Mn, Ti, U and V) showed strong inter-relationships, impoverishment in Fez particles/sediments and stable partition coefficient (Kd), linked to their lithogenic origin from Sebou watershed erosion. Conversely, most of the studied trace metals/metalloids, originated from anthropogenic sources, underwent significant changes of Kd and behaved non-conservatively in the Sebou/Fez water mixing. Dissolved/particulate partitioning was correctly assessed by WHAM-VII modeling for Cu, Pb and Zn, depicting significant differences in chemical speciation in the Fez River when compared to that in the Sebou River. The results of this study demonstrated that a lack of compliance in environmental regulations certainly explained this poor status. - Highlights: • Pristine status of the Sebou River, Morrocco's main river, upstream Fez (1 M inhabitants) • The Fez River collecting Fez's urban/industrial wastewaters is heavily polluted. • The Fez discharge into the Sebou induces an increase of contaminant levels. • Change in partitioning and chemical speciation of

Organic carbon, and major and trace element dynamic and fate in a large river subjected to poorly-regulated urban and industrial pressures (Sebou River, Morocco)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayzoun, H.; Garnier, C.; Durrieu, G.; Lenoble, V.; Le Poupon, C.; Angeletti, B.; Ouammou, A.; Mounier, S.

2015-01-01

An annual-basis study of the impacts of the anthropogenic inputs from Fez urban area on the water geochemistry of the Sebou and Fez Rivers was conducted mostly focusing on base flow conditions, in addition to the sampling of industrial wastewater characteristic of the various pressures in the studied environment. The measured trace metals dissolved/particulate partitioning was compared to the ones predicted using the WHAM-VII chemical speciation code. The Sebou River, upstream from Fez city, showed a weakly polluted status. Contrarily, high levels of major ions, organic carbon and trace metals were encountered in the Fez River and the Sebou River downstream the Fez inputs, due to the discharge of urban and industrial untreated and hugely polluted wastewaters. Trace metals were especially enriched in particles with levels even exceeding those recorded in surface sediments. The first group of elements (Al, Fe, Mn, Ti, U and V) showed strong inter-relationships, impoverishment in Fez particles/sediments and stable partition coefficient (Kd), linked to their lithogenic origin from Sebou watershed erosion. Conversely, most of the studied trace metals/metalloids, originated from anthropogenic sources, underwent significant changes of Kd and behaved non-conservatively in the Sebou/Fez water mixing. Dissolved/particulate partitioning was correctly assessed by WHAM-VII modeling for Cu, Pb and Zn, depicting significant differences in chemical speciation in the Fez River when compared to that in the Sebou River. The results of this study demonstrated that a lack of compliance in environmental regulations certainly explained this poor status. - Highlights: • Pristine status of the Sebou River, Morrocco's main river, upstream Fez (1 M inhabitants) • The Fez River collecting Fez's urban/industrial wastewaters is heavily polluted. • The Fez discharge into the Sebou induces an increase of contaminant levels. • Change in partitioning and chemical speciation of

Linking carbon and iron cycles by investigating transport, fate and mineralogy of iron-bearing colloids from peat-draining rivers - Scotland as model for high-latitude rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Deborah; Crocket, Kirsty; Brand, Tim; Stutter, Marc; Wilson, Clare; Schröder, Christian

2016-04-01

Linking carbon and iron cycles by investigating transport, fate and mineralogy of iron-bearing colloids from peat-draining rivers - Scotland as model for high-latitude rivers Wood, D.A¹, Crocket, K², Brand, T², Stutter, M³, Wilson, C¹ & Schröder, C¹ ¹Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA ²Scottish Association for Marine Science, University of the Highlands and Islands, Dunbeg, Oban, PA37 1QA ³James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH The biogeochemical iron cycle exerts significant control on the carbon cycle¹. Iron is a limiting nutrient in large areas of the world's oceans and its bioavailability controls CO2 uptake by marine photosynthesizing microorganisms. While atmospheric iron inputs to the open ocean have been extensively measured, global river inputs have likely been underestimated because most major world rivers exhibit extensive iron removal by flocculation and sedimentation during seawater mixing. Iron minerals and organic matter mutually stabilise each other², which results in a 'rusty carbon sink' in sediments³ on the one hand but may also enhance transport beyond the salinity gradient on the other. Humic-rich, high latitude rivers have a higher iron-carrying capacity⁴-⁶ but are underrepresented in iron flux calculations. The West Coast sea lochs in Scotland are fed by predominantly peatland drainage catchments, and the rivers entering the sea lochs carry a high load of organic matter. The short distance between many of these catchments and the coastal ocean facilitates source-to-sea research investigating transport, fate and mineralogy of iron-bearing colloids providing a good analogue for similar high latitude fjordic systems. We use SeaFAST+ICP-MS and Mössbauer spectroscopy to survey trace metal concentrations, with emphasis on iron concentrations, speciation and mineralogy, across salinity gradients. In combination with ultra-filtration techniques, this allows

The role of iron-sulfides on cycling of organic carbon in the St Lawrence River system: Evidence of sulfur-promoted carbon sequestration?

Science.gov (United States)

Balind, K.; Barber, A.; Gélinas, Y.

2017-12-01

The biogeochemical cycle of sulfur is intimately linked with that of carbon, as well as with that of iron through the formation of iron-sulfur complexes. Iron-sulfide minerals such as mackinawite (FeS) and greigite (Fe3S4) form below the oxic/anoxic redox boundary in marine and lacustrine sediments and soils. Reactive iron species, abundant in surface sediments, can undergo reductive dissolution leading to the formation of soluble Fe(II) which can then precipitate in the form of iron sulfur species. While sedimentary iron-oxides have been thoroughly explored in terms of their ability to sorb and sequester organic carbon (OC) (Lalonde et al.; 2012), the role of FeS in the long-term preservation of OC remains undefined. In this study, we present depth profiles for carbon, iron, and sulfur in the aqueous-phase, along with data from sequential extractions of sulfur speciation in the solid-phase collected from sediment cores from the St Lawrence River and estuarine system, demonstrating the transition from fresh to saltwater sediments. Additionally, we present synthetic iron sulfur sorption experiments using both model and natural organic molecules in order to assess the importance of FeS in sedimentary carbon storage.

Increased river alkalinization in the Eastern U.S.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaushal, Sujay S; Likens, Gene E; Utz, Ryan M; Pace, Michael L; Grese, Melissa; Yepsen, Metthea

2013-09-17

The interaction between human activities and watershed geology is accelerating long-term changes in the carbon cycle of rivers. We evaluated changes in bicarbonate alkalinity, a product of chemical weathering, and tested for long-term trends at 97 sites in the eastern United States draining over 260,000 km(2). We observed statistically significant increasing trends in alkalinity at 62 of the 97 sites, while remaining sites exhibited no significant decreasing trends. Over 50% of study sites also had statistically significant increasing trends in concentrations of calcium (another product of chemical weathering) where data were available. River alkalinization rates were significantly related to watershed carbonate lithology, acid deposition, and topography. These three variables explained ~40% of variation in river alkalinization rates. The strongest predictor of river alkalinization rates was carbonate lithology. The most rapid rates of river alkalinization occurred at sites with highest inputs of acid deposition and highest elevation. The rise of alkalinity in many rivers throughout the Eastern U.S. suggests human-accelerated chemical weathering, in addition to previously documented impacts of mining and land use. Increased river alkalinization has major environmental implications including impacts on water hardness and salinization of drinking water, alterations of air-water exchange of CO2, coastal ocean acidification, and the influence of bicarbonate availability on primary production.

On the Use of Ocean Color Remote Sensing to Measure the Transport of Dissolved Organic Carbon by the Mississippi River Plume

Science.gov (United States)

DelCastillo, Carlos E.; Miller, Richard L.

2007-01-01

We investigated the use of ocean color remote sensing to measure transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) by the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. From 2000 to 2005 we recorded surface measurements of DOC, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), salinity, and water-leaving radiances during five cruises to the Mississippi River Plume. These measurements were used to develop empirical relationships to derive CDOM, DOC, and salinity from monthly composites of SeaWiFS imagery collected from 1998 through 2005. We used river flow data and a two-end-member mixing model to derive DOC concentrations in the river end-member, river flow, and DOC transport using remote sensing data. We compared our remote sensing estimates of river flow and DOC transport with data collected by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) from 1998 through 2005. Our remote sensing estimates of river flow and DOC transport correlated well (r2 0.70) with the USGS data. Our remote sensing estimates and USGS field data showed low variability in DOC concentrations in the river end-member (7-11%), and high seasonal variability in river flow (50%). Therefore, changes in river flow control the variability in DOC transport, indicating that the remote sensing estimate of river flow is the most critical element of our DOC transport measurement. We concluded that it is possible to use this method to estimate DOC transport by other large rivers if there are data on the relationship between CDOM, DOC, and salinity in the river plume.

Seasonal dynamics of atmospheric and river inputs of black carbon, and impacts on biogeochemical cycles in Halong Bay, Vietnam

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xavier Mari

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Emissions of black carbon (BC, a product of incomplete combustion of fossil fuels, biofuels and biomass, are high in the Asia-Pacific region, yet input pathways and rates to the ocean are not well constrained. Atmospheric and riverine inputs of BC in Halong Bay (Vietnam, a hotspot of atmospheric BC, were studied at monthly intervals during one year. Climate in Halong Bay is governed by the monsoon regime, characterized by a northeast winter monsoon (dry season and southeast summer monsoon (wet season. During the dry season, atmospheric BC concentrations averaged twice those observed during the wet season. In the sea surface microlayer (SML and underlying water (ULW, concentrations of particulate BC (PBC averaged 539 and 11 μmol C L–1, respectively. Dissolved BC (DBC concentrations averaged 2.6 μmol C L–1 in both the SML and ULW. Seasonal variations indicated that PBC concentration in the SML was controlled by atmospheric deposition during the dry season, while riverine inputs controlled both PBC and DBC concentrations in ULW during the wet season. Spatiotemporal variations of PBC and DBC during the wet season suggest that river runoff was efficient in transporting PBC that had accumulated on land during the dry season, and in mobilizing and transporting DBC to the ocean. The annual river flux of PBC was about 3.8 times higher than that of DBC. The monsoon regime controls BC input to Halong Bay by favoring dry deposition of BC originating from the north during the dry season, and wet deposition and river runoff during the wet season. High PBC concentrations seem to enhance the transfer of organic carbon from dissolved to particulate phase by adsorbing dissolved organic carbon and stimulating aggregation. Such processes may impact the availability and biogeochemical cycling of other dissolved substances, including nutrients, for the coastal marine ecosystem.

Nutrient delivery to Lake Winnipeg from the Red-Assiniboine River Basin – A binational application of the SPARROW model

Science.gov (United States)

Benoy, Glenn A; Jenkinson, R. Wayne; Robertson, Dale M.; Saad, David A.

2016-01-01

Excessive phosphorus (TP) and nitrogen (TN) inputs from the Red–Assiniboine River Basin (RARB) have been linked to eutrophication of Lake Winnipeg; therefore, it is important for the management of water resources to understand where and from what sources these nutrients originate. The RARB straddles the Canada–United States border and includes portions of two provinces and three states. This study represents the first binationally focused application of SPAtially Referenced Regressions on Watershed attributes (SPARROW) models to estimate loads and sources of TP and TN by jurisdiction and basin at multiple spatial scales. Major hurdles overcome to develop these models included: (1) harmonization of geospatial data sets, particularly construction of a contiguous stream network; and (2) use of novel calibration steps to accommodate limitations in spatial variability across the model extent and in the number of calibration sites. Using nutrient inputs for a 2002 base year, a RARB TP SPARROW model was calibrated that included inputs from agriculture, forests and wetlands, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) and stream channels, and a TN model was calibrated that included inputs from agriculture, WWTPs and atmospheric deposition. At the RARB outlet, downstream from Winnipeg, Manitoba, the majority of the delivered TP and TN came from the Red River Basin (90%), followed by the Upper Assiniboine River and Souris River basins. Agriculture was the single most important TP and TN source for each major basin, province and state. In general, stream channels (historically deposited nutrients and from bank erosion) were the second most important source of TP. Performance metrics for the RARB SPARROW model are similarly robust compared to other, larger US SPARROW models making it a potentially useful tool to address questions of where nutrients originate and their relative contributions to loads delivered to Lake Winnipeg.

Terrestrial contributions to the aquatic food web in the middle Yangtze River.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jianzhu; Gu, Binhe; Huang, Jianhui; Han, Xingguo; Lin, Guanghui; Zheng, Fawen; Li, Yuncong

2014-01-01

Understanding the carbon sources supporting aquatic consumers in large rivers is essential for the protection of ecological integrity and for wildlife management. The relative importance of terrestrial and algal carbon to the aquatic food webs is still under intensive debate. The Yangtze River is the largest river in China and the third longest river in the world. The completion of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) in 2003 has significantly altered the hydrological regime of the middle Yangtze River, but its immediate impact on carbon sources supporting the river food web is unknown. In this study, potential production sources from riparian and the main river channel, and selected aquatic consumers (invertebrates and fish) at an upstream constricted-channel site (Luoqi), a midstream estuarine site (Huanghua) and a near dam limnetic site (Maoping) of the TGD were collected for stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N) and IsoSource analyses. Model estimates indicated that terrestrial plants were the dominant carbon sources supporting the consumer taxa at the three study sites. Algal production appeared to play a supplemental role in supporting consumer production. The contribution from C4 plants was more important than that of C3 plants at the upstream site while C3 plants were the more important carbon source to the consumers at the two impacted sites (Huanghua and Maoping), particularly at the midstream site. There was no trend of increase in the contribution of autochthonous production from the upstream to the downstream sites as the flow rate decreased dramatically along the main river channel due to the construction of TGD. Our findings, along with recent studies in rivers and lakes, are contradictory to studies that demonstrate the importance of algal carbon in the aquatic food web. Differences in system geomorphology, hydrology, habitat heterogeneity, and land use may account for these contradictory findings reported in various studies.

Attributes for MRB_E2RF1 Catchments by Major River Basins in the Conterminous United States: Nutrient Application (Phosphorus and Nitrogen) for Fertilizer and Manure Applied to Crops (Cropsplit), 2002

Science.gov (United States)

Wieczorek, Michael; LaMotte, Andrew E.

2010-01-01

This tabular data set represents the estimated amount of phosphorus and nitrogen fertilizers applied to selected crops for the year 2002, compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment of Major River Basins (MRBs, Crawford and others, 2006). The source data set is based on 2002 fertilizer data (Ruddy and others, 2006) and tabulated by crop type per county (Alexander and others, 2007). The MRB_E2RF1 catchments are based on a modified version of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) ERF1_2 and include enhancements to support national and regional-scale surface-water quality modeling (Nolan and others, 2002; Brakebill and others, 2011). Data were compiled for MRB_E2RF1 catchments for the conterminous United States covering New England and Mid-Atlantic (MRB1), South Atlantic-Gulf and Tennessee (MRB2), the Great Lakes, Ohio, Upper Mississippi, and Souris-Red-Rainy (MRB3), the Missouri (MRB4), the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf (MRB5), the Rio Grande, Colorado, and the Great basin (MRB6), the Pacific Northwest (MRB7) river basins, and California (MRB8).

Carbon-14 measurements and characterization of dissolved organic carbon in ground water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, E.M.

1987-01-01

Carbon-14 was measured in the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in ground water and compared with 14 C analyses of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Two field sites were used for this study; the Stripa mine in central Sweden, and the Milk River Aquifer in southern Alberta, Canada. The Stripa mine consists of a Precambrian granite dominated by fracture flow, while the Milk River Aquifer is a Cretaceous sandstone aquifer characterized by porous flow. At both field sites, 14 C analyses of the DOC provide additional information on the ground-water age. Carbon-14 was measured on both the hydrophobic and hydrophilic organic fractions of the DOC. The organic compounds in the hydrophobic and hydrophilic fractions were also characterized. The DOC may originate from kerogen in the aquifer matrix, from soil organic matter in the recharge zone, of from a combination of these two sources. Carbon-14 analyses, along with characterization of the organics, were used to determine this origin. Carbon-14 analyses of the hydrophobic fraction in the Milk River Aquifer suggest a soil origin, while 14 C analyses of the hydrophilic fraction suggest an origin within the Cretaceous sediments (kerogen) or from the shale in contact with the aquifer

Hydrodynamic Controls on Carbon Dioxide Efflux from Inland Waters

Science.gov (United States)

Long, H. E.; Waldron, S.; Hoey, T.; Newton, J.; Quemin, S.

2013-12-01

Intensive research has been undertaken on carbon dioxide efflux from lakes, estuaries and oceans, but much less attention has been given to rivers and streams, especially lower order streams. River systems are often over-saturated with carbon dioxide and so tend to act as sources of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. It has been thought that rivers act as pipes carrying this terrestrial carbon to the oceans. However, recent studies have shown that a significant amount of the carbon is reprocessed within the system in a series of transformations and losses. Fluvial evasion of carbon dioxide is now recognised to be a significant component of carbon cycles, however the factors controlling carbon dioxide efflux and its magnitude remain poorly understood and quantified. This research aims to quantify, and better understand the controls on, freshwater carbon dioxide evasion. Data are presented here from field measurements that commenced in Sept 2013 in two contrasting Scottish rivers: the River Kelvin which has a large (335 km.sq) part-urban catchment with predominantly non-peat soils and Drumtee Water, a small (9.6 km.sq) rural catchment of peat soils and agricultural land. Using a floating chamber with the headspace connected to an infrared gas analyser to measure changes in carbon dioxide concentration, efflux rates from 0.22 - 47.4 μmol CO2/m.sq/sec were measured, these close to the middle of the range of previously reported values. At one site on the River Kelvin in May 2013 an influx of -0.61 - -3.53 μmol CO2/m.sq/sec was recorded. Whereas previous research finds carbon dioxide efflux to increase with decreasing river size and a more organic-rich soil catchment, here the controls on carbon dioxide evasion are similar across the contrasting catchments. Carbon dioxide evasion shows seasonality, with maximum fluxes in the summer months being up to twice as high as the winter maxima. Linear regression demonstrates that evasion increases with increased flow velocity

Physical factors controlling carbon cycling dynamics in blackwater river-dominated and particle dominated estuaries

Science.gov (United States)

Arellano, A. R.; Bianchi, T. S.; Osburn, C. L.; D'Sa, E. J.; Oviedo-Vargas, D.; Ward, N. D.; Joshi, I.

2017-12-01

While most blue carbon habitat (wetlands, seagrass beds and mangroves) research has focused on carbon burial/stocks and habitat fragmentation of these communities, few studies have examined physical factors that control exports and losses of blue carbon sources of organic matter (OM) to adjacent coastal waters. Here, we report on spatiotemporal changes in the composition and concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate nitrogen, pCO2, δ13C-DOC, δ13C-POC, δ13C-CO2, dissolved lignin-phenols (dΣ8), particulate lignin-phenols (pΣ8) and carbon normalized dissolved and particulate lignin phenol yields (dΛ8 and pΛ8) in surface waters of the Apalachicola and Barataria bays in the Gulf of Mexico. Discriminant analysis described spatial variability along canonical axis I (24.4%) while temporal variability was explained by canonical axis II (23.2%). Apalachicola Bay was low in POC concentration and characterized by high values for pCO2, DOC, C:N, dΣ8 and (Ad:Al)V. The latter three parameters indicated a clear terrestrial source of OM at Apalachicola Bay reflecting the importance of riverine DOM inputs in this system. In contrast, Barataria Bay was characterized by high values for POC, C:V, S:V, and δ13C-POC, indicating blue-carbon sources due to a lack of direct river inputs and high prevalence of wetlands, some recently submerged. Extreme weather, such as intense precipitation events in Apalachicola Bay and enhanced northerly winds in Barataria Bay were characterized by δ13C-CO2, dΛ8, C:V (Barataria), and C:N (Apalachicola). Results indicate that such physical factors can exert strong control on OM sources and sinks across the gradient of coastal wetlands and shelf waters and lead to enhanced transfer and degradation of wetland-derived blue carbon in coastal waters.

High resolution carbon isotope of Crassostrea cuttakensis: A proxy for seasonally varying carbon dynamics in a tropical delta-estuary system

Science.gov (United States)

Sreemany, Arpita

2017-04-01

The exponential increase in the atmospheric CO2 concentration and global temperature is becoming a major threat to the existence of the mankind. It has been proposed that the ˜2 ˚ C rise in the average global temperature may lead to a point of no-return where the balance between the climate and the ecosystem collapses. Therefore, detailed understanding of the major carbon reservoirs and their mutual interactions is needed for better future climate prediction. Among all the reservoirs, ocean holds ˜90 % of the exogenic carbon and promotes long term storage in sediments. However, the majority of the sedimentary carbon is of terrestrial origin and transported through rivers, which play an important role in carbon exchange between the atmosphere, terrestrial biosphere, and oceans. The transportation of organic carbon through river does not follow a simple conveyer belt model. Various organic and inorganic reactions (i.e., organic carbon degradation, inorganic carbon precipitation, primary production, community respiration) modify the state of the carbon to form a major sub-reservoir in the river, i.e., Dissolved Inorganic Carbon (DIC). So, identifying the source/s of the DIC is crucial to understand the carbon dynamics in the river. Stable carbon isotopic composition of the DIC (δ13CDIC) has long been extensively used to reveal the dominant source/s of the DIC. The majority of the large rivers, being situated in the tropical belts, show seasonal fluctuation in the DIC sources. However, seasonal sampling in the remotest reaches of these rivers hindered our thorough understanding of the seasonally varying source/s of DIC in these rivers. Many calcifying organisms precipitate their shell carbonate in equilibrium with water and hence likely to record the δ13CDICof ambient water in their shell. In this study, a living oyster (Crassostrea cuttakensis) was collected from Matla River, which is part of the Ganges Brahmaputra river delta system, and analyzed for its stable

Landscape controls and vertical variability of soil organic carbon storage in permafrost-affected soils of the Lena River Delta

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Siewert, Matthias Benjamin; Hugelius, Gustaf; Heim, Birgit

2016-01-01

To project the future development of the soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in permafrost environments, the spatial and vertical distribution of key soil properties and their landscape controls needs to be understood. This article reports findings from the Arctic Lena River Delta where we sampled 50...... in the permafrost. The major geomorphological units of a subregion of the Lena River Delta were mapped with a land form classification using a data-fusion approach of optical satellite imagery and digital elevation data to upscale SOC storage. Landscape mean SOC storage is estimated to 19.2 ± 2.0 kg C m− 2. Our...... results show that the geomorphological setting explains more soil variability than soil taxonomy classes or vegetation cover. The soils from the oldest, Pleistocene aged, unit of the delta store the highest amount of SOC per m2 followed by the Holocene river terrace. The Pleistocene terrace affected...

Assessing wildlife benefits and carbon storage from restored and natural coastal marshes in the Nisqually River Delta: Determining marsh net ecosystem carbon balance

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Frank; Bergamaschi, Brian; Windham-Myers, Lisamarie; Woo, Isa; De La Cruz, Susan; Drexler, Judith; Byrd, Kristin; Thorne, Karen M.

2016-06-24

Working in partnership since 1996, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Nisqually Indian Tribe have restored 902 acres of tidally influenced coastal marsh in the Nisqually River Delta (NRD), making it the largest estuary-restoration project in the Pacific Northwest to date. Marsh restoration increases the capacity of the estuary to support a diversity of wildlife species. Restoration also increases carbon (C) production of marsh plant communities that support food webs for wildlife and can help mitigate climate change through long-term C storage in marsh soils.In 2015, an interdisciplinary team of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers began to study the benefits of carbon for wetland wildlife and storage in the NRD. Our primary goals are (1) to identify the relative importance of the different carbon sources that support juvenile chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) food webs and contribute to current and historic peat formation, (2) to determine the net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) in a reference marsh and a restoration marsh site, and (3) to model the sustainability of the reference and restoration marshes under projected sea-level rise conditions along with historical vegetation change. In this fact sheet, we focus on the main C sources and exchanges to determine NECB, including carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake through plant photosynthesis, the loss of CO2 through plant and soil respiration, emissions of methane (CH4), and the lateral movement or leaching loss of C in tidal waters.

A 52 Kilodalton Protein Vaccine Candidate for Francisella tularensis

Science.gov (United States)

2004-12-01

du vaccin vivant F. tularensis (LVS). Soixante pourcent (60%) des souris vaccindes ont survdcu la dose ltale multiple alors que toutes les souris non...le lysat des cellules de cultures vivantes du vaccin vivant F. tularensis. Plusieurs composants de Francisella tularensis ont dt6 identifids par cet...antiserum. Le s6rum de souris provenant de souris vaccin6es avec F. tularensis non- vivant n’a pas identifid ces composants. A partir de ces prot6ines

Terrestrial contributions to the aquatic food web in the middle Yangtze River.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianzhu Wang

Full Text Available Understanding the carbon sources supporting aquatic consumers in large rivers is essential for the protection of ecological integrity and for wildlife management. The relative importance of terrestrial and algal carbon to the aquatic food webs is still under intensive debate. The Yangtze River is the largest river in China and the third longest river in the world. The completion of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD in 2003 has significantly altered the hydrological regime of the middle Yangtze River, but its immediate impact on carbon sources supporting the river food web is unknown. In this study, potential production sources from riparian and the main river channel, and selected aquatic consumers (invertebrates and fish at an upstream constricted-channel site (Luoqi, a midstream estuarine site (Huanghua and a near dam limnetic site (Maoping of the TGD were collected for stable isotope (δ13C and δ15N and IsoSource analyses. Model estimates indicated that terrestrial plants were the dominant carbon sources supporting the consumer taxa at the three study sites. Algal production appeared to play a supplemental role in supporting consumer production. The contribution from C4 plants was more important than that of C3 plants at the upstream site while C3 plants were the more important carbon source to the consumers at the two impacted sites (Huanghua and Maoping, particularly at the midstream site. There was no trend of increase in the contribution of autochthonous production from the upstream to the downstream sites as the flow rate decreased dramatically along the main river channel due to the construction of TGD. Our findings, along with recent studies in rivers and lakes, are contradictory to studies that demonstrate the importance of algal carbon in the aquatic food web. Differences in system geomorphology, hydrology, habitat heterogeneity, and land use may account for these contradictory findings reported in various studies.

Characterizing seston in the Penobscot River Estuary.

Science.gov (United States)

Meseck, Shannon L; Li, Yaqin; Sunila, Inke; Dixon, Mark; Clark, Paul; Lipsky, Christine; Stevens, Justin R; Music, Paul; Wikfors, Gary H

2017-10-01

The Penobscot River Estuary is an important system for diadromous fish in the Northeast United States of American (USA), in part because it is home to the largest remnant population of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, in the country. Little is known about the chemical and biological characteristics of seston in the Penobscot River Estuary. This study used estuarine transects to characterize the seston during the spring when river discharge is high and diadromous fish migration peaks in the Penobscot River Estuary. To characterize the seston, samples were taken in spring 2015 for phytoplankton identification, total suspended matter (TSM), percent organic TSM, chlorophyll a, particle size (2 μm-180 μm), particulate carbon and nitrogen concentrations, and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. The estuarine profiles indicate that TSM behaved non-conservatively with a net gain in the estuary. As phytoplankton constituted only 1/1000 of the particles, the non-conservative behavior of TSM observed in the estuary was most likely not attributable to phytoplankton. Particulate carbon and nitrogen ratios and stable isotope signals indicate a strong terrestrial, allochthonous signal. The seston in the Penobscot River Estuary was dominated by non-detrital particles. During a short, two-week time period, Heterosigma akashiwo, a phytoplankton species toxic to finfish, also was detected in the estuary. A limited number of fish samples, taken after the 2015 Penobscot River Estuary bloom of H. akashiwo, indicated frequent pathological gill damage. The composition of seston, along with ichthyotoxic algae, suggest the need for further research into possible effects upon resident and migratory fish in the Penobscot River Estuary. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effect of Land Use Change on Soil Carbon Storage over the Last 40 Years in the Shi Yang River Basin, China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shurong Yang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Accounting for one quarter of China’s land area, the endorheic Shiyang River basin is a vast semi-arid to arid region in China’s northwest. Exploring the impact of changes in land use on this arid area’s carbon budget under global warming is a key component to global climate change research. Variation in the region’s soil carbon storage due to land use changes occurring between 1973 and 2012 was estimated. The results show that land use change has a significant impact on the soil carbon budget, with soil carbon storage having decreased by 3.89 Tg between 1973 and 2012. Grassland stored the greatest amount of soil carbon (114.34 Mg ha−1, whereas considerably lower carbon storage occurred in woodland (58.53 Mg ha−1, cropland (26.75 Mg ha−1 and unused land (13.47 Mg ha−1. Grasslands transformed into cropland, and woodlands degraded into grassland have substantially reduced soil carbon storage, suggesting that measures should be adopted to reverse this trend to improve soil productivity.

Paleoreconstruction of organic carbon inputs to an oxbow lake in the Mississippi River watershed: Effects of dam construction and land use change on regional inputs

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Thomas S.; Galy, Valier; Rosenheim, Brad E.; Shields, Michael; Cui, Xingquan; Van Metre, Peter C.

2015-01-01

We use a dated sediment core from Lake Whittington (USA) in the lower Mississippi River to reconstruct linkages in the carbon cycling and fluvial sediment dynamics over the past 80 years. Organic carbon (OC) sources were characterized using bulk (δ13C, ramped pyrolysis-oxidation (PyrOx) 14C, δ15N, and TN:OC ratios) and compound-specific (lignin phenols and fatty acids, including δ13C and 14C of the fatty acids) analyses. Damming of the Missouri River in the 1950s, other hydrological modifications to the river, and soil conservation measures resulted in reduced net OC export, in spite of increasing OC concentrations. Decreasing δ13C values coincided with increases in δ15N, TN:OC ratios, long-chain fatty acids, and lignin-phenol concentrations, suggesting increased inputs of soil-derived OC dominated by C3 vegetation, mainly resulting from changes in farming practices and crop distribution. However, ramped PyrOx 14C showed no discernible differences downcore in thermochemical stability, indicating a limited impact on soil OC turnover.

Paleoreconstruction of organic carbon inputs to an oxbow lake in the Mississippi River watershed: Effects of dam construction and land use change on regional inputs

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Thomas S.; Galy, Valier; Rosenheim, Brad E.; Shields, Michael; Cui, Xingqian; Van Metre, Peter

2015-10-01

We use a dated sediment core from Lake Whittington (USA) in the lower Mississippi River to reconstruct linkages in the carbon cycling and fluvial sediment dynamics over the past 80 years. Organic carbon (OC) sources were characterized using bulk (δ13C, ramped pyrolysis-oxidation (PyrOx) 14C, δ15N, and TN:OC ratios) and compound-specific (lignin phenols and fatty acids, including δ13C and 14C of the fatty acids) analyses. Damming of the Missouri River in the 1950s, other hydrological modifications to the river, and soil conservation measures resulted in reduced net OC export, in spite of increasing OC concentrations. Decreasing δ13C values coincided with increases in δ15N, TN:OC ratios, long-chain fatty acids, and lignin-phenol concentrations, suggesting increased inputs of soil-derived OC dominated by C3 vegetation, mainly resulting from changes in farming practices and crop distribution. However, ramped PyrOx 14C showed no discernible differences downcore in thermochemical stability, indicating a limited impact on soil OC turnover.

Export of dissolved carbonaceous and nitrogenous substances in rivers of the "Water Tower of Asia".

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Bin; Sillanpää, Mika; Kang, Shichang; Yan, Fangping; Li, Zhiguo; Zhang, Hongbo; Li, Chaoliu

2018-03-01

Rivers are critical links in the carbon and nitrogen cycle in aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments. Here riverine carbon and nitrogen exports in nine large rivers on the Tibetan Plateau - the "Water Tower of Asia" - were investigated in the monsoon season from 2013 to 2015. Compared with the world average, concentrations of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, 30.7mg/L) were high in river basins of the plateau due to extensive topographic relief and intensive water erosion. Low concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC, 1.16mg/L) were likely due to the low temperature and unproductive land vegetation environments. Average concentrations of riverine DIN (0.32mg/L) and DON (0.35 mg/L) on the Tibetan Plateau were close to the world average. However, despite its predominantly pristine environment, discharge from agricultural activities and urban areas of the plateau has raised riverine N export. In addition, DOC/DON ratio (C/N, ~6.5) in rivers of the Tibetan Plateau was much lower than the global average, indicating that dissolved organic carbon in the rivers of this region might be more bioavailable. Therefore, along with global warming and anthropogenic activities, increasing export of bioavailable riverine carbon and nitrogen from rivers of the Tibetan Plateau can be expected in the future, which will possibly influence the regional carbon and nitrogen cycle. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Tracking the fingerprints and combined TOC–black carbon mediated soil–air partitioning of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in the Indus River Basin of Pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, Usman; Sánchez-García, Laura; Rehman, Muhammad Yasir Abdur; Syed, Jabir Hussain; Mahmood, Adeel; Li, Jun; Zhang, Gan; Jones, Kevin C.; Malik, Riffat Naseem

2016-01-01

This study reports the first investigation of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in air and soil samples from ecologically important sites of the Indus River Basin, Pakistan. The concentrations of ∑ 39 -PCNs in air and soil were found in a range between 1–1588 pg m −3 and 0.02–23 ng g −1 while the mean TEQ values were calculated to be 5.4E −04  pg TEQ m −3 and 1.6E +01  pg TEQ g −1 , respectively. Spatially, air and soil PCN concentrations were found to be high at Rahim Yar Khan (agricultural region). Lower-medium chlorinated PCNs (sum of tri-, tetra- and penta-CNs) predominated in both air and soil, altogether constituting 87 and 86% of total PCNs in the two environmental matrices, respectively. According to the data, soil–air partitioning of PCNs was interpreted to be similarly controlled by the combined effect of black carbon and organic matter in the Indus River Basin, with no preferential implication of the recalcitrant organic form. - Highlights: • First investigation of polychlorinated naphthalenes (PCNs) in air and soil samples from the Indus River Basin. • Combustion activities were the major PCN sources in the region along with minor contributions of Halowax technical mixtures and impurities in PCBs technical mixtures. • TOC and BC showed combined influence on soil–air partitioning of PCNs in the Indus River Basin. - Combined total organic carbon–black carbon (TOC–BC) mediated soil–air partitioning was observed in ecologically significant sites of the Indus River Basin, Pakistan.

Evolution of glycaemia in the blood of mice in the presence or absence of imidazole; Evolution de la glycemie sanguine chez la souris protegee ou non par l'imidazole

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polverelli, M; Teoule, R [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Grenoble (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1969-07-01

With respect to the radioprotective properties of the heterocyclic compound, imidazole, the authors followed the action of this product on blood sugar levels of mice X irradiated with a lethal dose. The main results of this work are: probably a hypo-glycemic action of the imidazole; an abolishment of the post-irradiation hyperglycemia by imidazole; an appreciably difference between male and female towards irradiation. (author) [French] Dans le cadre de l'etude des proprietes radioprotectrices de l'imidazole, nous nous sommes attaches a suivre l'action de ce produit sur le taux de glucose sanguin de souris irradiees a dose letale. Les principaux resultats de ce travail sont les suivants: l'action probablement hypoglycemiante de l'imidazole; en tant que radioprotecteur, cet heterocycle azote supprime l'hyperglycemie consecutive a l'irradiation; une difference assez sensible entre males et femelles vis-a-vis de l'irradiation. (auteur)

Contribution of heterotrophic bacterial production to the carbon budget of the river Seine (France).

Science.gov (United States)

Servais, P; Garnier, J

1993-01-01

Bacterial activity was measured in the river Seine by two methods, (3)H-thymidine incorporation into DNA and (3)H-leucine incorporation into proteins. Both incorporation rates are characterized by low values upstream of Paris, a large increase just downstream of the outfall of the Achères treatment plant effluents, and then decreasing values further downstream. The covariation of both activities is demonstrated by the constancy of the molar ratio (leucine to thymidine incorporation rate) in the range of 6 to 8 for all the samples, except in the perturbed area where it is higher (15 to 35). These high values of molar ratio are linked to the introduction into the river of large sized bacteria ([Symbol: see text]1 µm) with higher incorporation rates per cell or biomass unit than the small autochthonous bacteria (rates of large bacteria were on average 3.7 times higher than those of small bacteria. Bacterial production was calculated with experimentally determined conversion factors (0.5 × 10(18) cells per mole of thymidine incorporated and 900 gC per mole of leucine incorporated) and by taking into account the activity of both size classes of bacteria measured through fractionation experiments (post-incubation filtration). Production estimated in the perturbed area downstream of Ach6res was very high, up to 60 µgC liter(-1)h(-1) in the summer. Carbon consumption by bacteria in the area perturbed by the Ach6res effluents was calculated assuming a growth yield of 0.2 and compared to the load of biodegradable organic matter discharged by the treatment plant. In summer, an additional supply of organic matter is required to account for the intense bacterial activity, suggesting the importance of phytoplankton production in the carbon budget.

High resolution of black carbon and organic carbon emissions in the Pearl River Delta region, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Junyu; He, Min; Shen, Xingling; Yin, Shasha; Yuan, Zibing

2012-11-01

A high-resolution regional black carbon (BC) and organic carbon (OC) emission inventory for the year 2009 was developed for the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, China, based on the collected activity data and the latest emission factors. PM(2.5), BC and OC emissions were estimated to be 303 kt, 39 kt and 31 kt, respectively. Industrial processes were major contributing sources to PM(2.5) emissions. BC emissions were mainly from mobile sources, accounting for 65.0%, while 34.1% of OC emissions were from residential combustion. The primary OC/BC ratios for individual cities in the PRD region were dependent on the levels of economic development due to differences in source characteristics, with high ratios in the less developed cities and low ratios in the central and southern developed areas. The preliminary temporal profiles were established, showing the highest OC emissions in winter and relatively constant BC emissions throughout the year. The emissions were spatially allocated into grid cells with a resolution of 3 km × 3 km. Large amounts of BC emissions were distributed over the central-southern PRD city clusters, while OC emissions exhibited a relatively even spatial distribution due to the significant biomass burning emissions from the outlying area of the PRD region. Uncertainties in carbonaceous aerosol emissions were usually higher than in other primary pollutants like SO(2), NO(x), and PM(10). One of the key uncertainty sources was the emission factor, due to the absence of direct measurements of BC and OC emission rates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Utilizing chromophoric dissolved organic matter measurements to derive export and reactivity of dissolved organic carbon exported to the Arctic Ocean: A case study of the Yukon River, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, R.G.M.; Aiken, G.R.; Butler, K.D.; Dornblaser, M.M.; Striegl, Robert G.; Hernes, P.J.

2009-01-01

The quality and quantity of dissolved organic matter (DOM) exported by Arctic rivers is known to vary with hydrology and this exported material plays a fundamental role in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon at high latitudes. We highlight the potential of optical measurements to examine DOM quality across the hydrograph in Arctic rivers. Furthermore, we establish chromophoric DOM (CDOM) relationships to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and lignin phenols in the Yukon River and model DOC and lignin loads from CDOM measurements, the former in excellent agreement with long-term DOC monitoring data. Intensive sampling across the historically under-sampled spring flush period highlights the importance of this time for total export of DOC and particularly lignin. Calculated riverine DOC loads to the Arctic Ocean show an increase from previous estimates, especially when new higher discharge data are incorporated. Increased DOC loads indicate decreased residence times for terrigenous DOM in the Arctic Ocean with important implications for the reactivity and export of this material to the Atlantic Ocean. Citation: Spencer, R. G. M., G. R. Aiken, K. D. Butler, M. M. Dornblaser, R. G. Striegl, and P. J. Hernes (2009), Utilizing chromophoric dissolved organic matter measurements to derive export and reactivity of dissolved organic carbon exported to the Arctic Ocean: A case study of the Yukon River, Alaska, Geophys. Res. Lett., 36, L06401, doi:10.1029/ 2008GL036831. Copyright 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

Carbon Transformations and Source - Sink Dynamics along a River, Marsh, Estuary, Ocean Continuum

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, I. C.; Crosswell, J.; Czapla, K.; Van Dam, B.

2017-12-01

Estuaries, the transition zone between land and the coastal ocean, are highly dynamic systems in which carbon sourced from watersheds, marshes, atmosphere, and ocean may be transformed, sequestered, or exported. The net fate of carbon in estuaries, governed by the interactions of biotic and physical drivers varying on spatial and temporal scales, is currently uncertain because of limited observational data. In this study, conducted in a temperate, microtidal, and shallow North Carolina USA estuary, carbon exchanges via river, tributary, and fringing salt marsh, air-water fluxes, sediment C accumulation, and metabolism were monitored over two-years, with sharply different amounts of rainfall. Air-water CO2 fluxes and metabolic variables were simultaneously measured in channel and shoal by conducting high-resolution surveys at dawn, dusk and the following dawn. Marsh CO2 exchanges, sediment C inputs, and lateral exports of DIC and DOC were also measured. Carbon flows between estuary regions and export to the coastal ocean were calculated by quantifying residual transport of DIC and TOC down-estuary as flows were modified by sources, sinks and internal transformations. Variation in metabolic rates, CO2, TOC and DIC exchanges were large when determined for short time and limited spatial scales. However, when scaled to annual and whole estuarine scales, variation tended to decrease because of counteracting metabolic rates and fluxes between channel and shoal or between seasons. Although overall salt marshes accumulated OC, they were a negligible source of DIC and DOC to the estuary, and net inputs of C to the marsh were mainly derived from sediment OC. These results, as observed in other observational studies of estuaries, show that riverine input, light, temperature and metabolism are major controls on carbon cycling. Comparison of our results with other types of estuaries varying in depth, latitude, and nutrification demonstrates large discrepancies underscoring the

Ground deformation monitoring using RADARSAT-2 DInSAR-MSBAS at the Aquistore CO2 storage site in Saskatchewan (Canada)

OpenAIRE

Czarnogorska, M.; Samsonov, S.; White, D.

2014-01-01

The research objectives of the Aquistore CO2 storage project are to design, adapt, and test non-seismic monitoring methods for measurement, and verification of CO2 storage, and to integrate data to determine subsurface fluid distributions, pressure changes and associated surface deformation. Aquistore site is located near Estevan in Southern Saskatchewan on the South flank of the Souris River and west of the Boundary Dam Power Station and the historical part of Estevan coal mine in s...

The role of effective discharge in the ocean delivery of particulate organic carbon by small, mountainous river systems

Science.gov (United States)

Wheatcroft, R.A.; Goni, M.A.; Hatten, J.A.; Pasternack, G.B.; Warrick, J.A.

2010-01-01

Recent research has shown that small, mountainous river systems (SMRS) account for a significant fraction of the global flux of sediment and particulate organic carbon (POC) to the ocean. The enormous number of SMRS precludes intensive studies of the sort conducted on large systems, necessitating development of a conceptual framework that permits cross-system comparison and scaling up. Herein, we introduce the geomorphic concept of effective discharge to the problem of source-to-sink POC transport. This idea recognizes that transport effectiveness is the product of discharge frequency and magnitude, wherein the latter is quantified as a power-law relationship between discharge and load (the 'rating curve'). An analytical solution for effective discharge (Qe) identifies two key variables: the standard deviation of the natural logarithm of discharge (??q), and the rating exponent of constituent i (bi Data from selected SMRS are used to show that for a given river Qe-POC transport in SMRS should exploit the conceptual framework provided herein and seek to identify how constituent-specific effective discharges vary between rivers and respond to perturbations. ?? 2010, by the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, Inc.

Attributes for MRB_E2RF1 Catchments by Major River Basins in the Conterminous United States: Normalized Atmospheric Deposition for 2002, Nitrate (NO3)

Science.gov (United States)

Wieczorek, Michael; LaMotte, Andrew E.

2010-01-01

This tabular data set represents the average normalized (wet) deposition, in kilograms per square kilometer multiplied by 100, of Nitrate (NO3) for the year 2002 compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment of the Major River Basins (MRBs, Crawford and others, 2006). Estimates of NO3 deposition are based on National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) measurements (B. Larsen, U.S. Geological Survey, written. commun., 2007). De-trending methods applied to the year 2002 are described in Alexander and others, 2001. NADP site selection met the following criteria: stations must have records from 1995 to 2002 and have a minimum of 30 observations. The MRB_E2RF1 catchments are based on a modified version of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) ERF1_2 and include enhancements to support national and regional-scale surface-water quality modeling (Nolan and others, 2002; Brakebill and others, 2011). Data were compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment for the conterminous United States covering New England and Mid-Atlantic (MRB1), South Atlantic-Gulf and Tennessee (MRB2), the Great Lakes, Ohio, Upper Mississippi, and Souris-Red-Rainy (MRB3), the Missouri (MRB4), the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf (MRB5), the Rio Grande, Colorado, and the Great basin (MRB6), the Pacific Northwest (MRB7) river basins, and California (MRB8).

Attributes for MRB_E2RF1 Catchments by Major River Basins in the Conterminous United States: Normalized Atmospheric Deposition for 2002, Total Inorganic Nitrogen

Science.gov (United States)

Wieczorek, Michael; LaMotte, Andrew E.

2010-01-01

This tabular data set represents the average normalized atmospheric (wet) deposition, in kilograms per square kilometer multiplied by 100, of Total Inorganic Nitrogen for the year 2002 compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment of selected Major River Basins (MRBs, Crawford and others, 2006). Estimates of Total Inorganic Nitrogen deposition are based on National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) measurements (B. Larsen, U.S. Geological Survey, written. commun., 2007). De-trending methods applied to the year 2002 are described in Alexander and others, 2001. NADP site selection met the following criteria: stations must have records from 1995 to 2002 and have a minimum of 30 observations. The MRB_E2RF1 catchments are based on a modified version of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) ERF1_2 and include enhancements to support national and regional-scale surface-water quality modeling (Nolan and others, 2002; Brakebill and others, 2011). Data were compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment for the conterminous United States covering New England and Mid-Atlantic (MRB1), South Atlantic-Gulf and Tennessee (MRB2), the Great Lakes, Ohio, Upper Mississippi, and Souris-Red-Rainy (MRB3), the Missouri (MRB4), the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf (MRB5), the Rio Grande, Colorado, and the Great basin (MRB6), the Pacific Northwest (MRB7) river basins, and California (MRB8).

Attributes for MRB_E2RF1 Catchments by Major River Basins in the Conterminous United States: Normalized Atmospheric Deposition for 2002, Ammonium (NH4)

Science.gov (United States)

Wieczorek, Michael; LaMotte, Andrew E.

2010-01-01

This tabular data set represents the average normalized (wet) deposition, in kilograms per square kilometer multiplied by 100, of ammonium (NH4) for the year 2002 compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment of the Major River Basins (MRBs, Crawford and others, 2006). Estimates of NH4 deposition are based on National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) measurements (B. Larsen, U.S. Geological Survey, written. commun., 2007). De-trending methods applied to the year 2002 are described in Alexander and others, 2001. NADP site selection met the following criteria: stations must have records from 1995 to 2002 and have a minimum of 30 observations. The MRB_E2RF1 catchments are based on a modified version of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (USEPA) ERF1_2 and include enhancements to support national and regional-scale surface-water quality modeling (Nolan and others, 2002; Brakebill and others, 2011). Data were compiled for every MRB_E2RF1 catchment for the conterminous United States covering New England and Mid-Atlantic (MRB1), South Atlantic-Gulf and Tennessee (MRB2), the Great Lakes, Ohio, Upper Mississippi, and Souris-Red-Rainy (MRB3), the Missouri (MRB4), the Lower Mississippi, Arkansas-White-Red, and Texas-Gulf (MRB5), the Rio Grande, Colorado, and the Great basin (MRB6), the Pacific Northwest (MRB7) river basins, and California (MRB8).

Reviews and syntheses: Anthropogenic perturbations to carbon fluxes in Asian river systems - concepts, emerging trends, and research challenges

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Ji-Hyung; Nayna, Omme K.; Begum, Most S.; Chea, Eliyan; Hartmann, Jens; Keil, Richard G.; Kumar, Sanjeev; Lu, Xixi; Ran, Lishan; Richey, Jeffrey E.; Sarma, Vedula V. S. S.; Tareq, Shafi M.; Xuan, Do Thi; Yu, Ruihong

2018-05-01

Human activities are drastically altering water and material flows in river systems across Asia. These anthropogenic perturbations have rarely been linked to the carbon (C) fluxes of Asian rivers that may account for up to 40-50 % of the global fluxes. This review aims to provide a conceptual framework for assessing the human impacts on Asian river C fluxes, along with an update on anthropogenic alterations of riverine C fluxes. Drawing on case studies conducted in three selected rivers (the Ganges, Mekong, and Yellow River) and other major Asian rivers, the review focuses on the impacts of river impoundment and pollution on CO2 outgassing from the rivers draining South, Southeast, and East Asian regions that account for the largest fraction of river discharge and C exports from Asia and Oceania. A critical examination of major conceptual models of riverine processes against observed trends suggests that to better understand altered metabolisms and C fluxes in anthropogenic land-water-scapes, or riverine landscapes modified by human activities, the traditional view of the river continuum should be complemented with concepts addressing spatial and temporal discontinuities created by human activities, such as river impoundment and pollution. Recent booms in dam construction on many large Asian rivers pose a host of environmental problems, including increased retention of sediment and associated C. A small number of studies that measured greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in dammed Asian rivers have reported contrasting impoundment effects: decreased GHG emissions from eutrophic reservoirs with enhanced primary production vs. increased emissions from the flooded vegetation and soils in the early years following dam construction or from the impounded reaches and downstream estuaries during the monsoon period. These contrasting results suggest that the rates of metabolic processes in the impounded and downstream reaches can vary greatly longitudinally over time as a

Biomarker and carbon isotope constraints (δ13C, Δ14C) on sources and cycling of particulate organic matter discharged by large Siberian rivers draining permafrost areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winterfeld, Maria

2014-08-01

Circumpolar permafrost soils store about half of the global soil organic carbon pool. These huge amounts of organic matter (OM) could accumulate due to low temperatures and water saturated soil conditions over the course of millennia. Currently most of this OM remains frozen and therefore does not take part in the active carbon cycle, making permafrost soils a globally important carbon sink. Over the last decades mean annual air temperatures in the Arctic increased stronger than the global mean and this trend is projected to continue. As a result the permafrost carbon pool is under climate pressure possibly creating a positive climate feedback due to the thaw-induced release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Arctic warming will lead to increased annual permafrost thaw depths and Arctic river runoff likely resulting in enhanced mobilization and export of old, previously frozen soil-derived OM. Consequently, the great arctic rivers play an important role in global biogeochemical cycles by connecting the large permafrost carbon pool of their hinterlands with the arctic shelf seas and the Arctic Ocean. The first part of this thesis deals with particulate organic matter (POM) from the Lena Delta and adjacent Buor Khaya Bay. The Lena River in central Siberia is one of the major pathways translocating terrestrial OM from its southernmost reaches near Lake Baikal to the coastal zone of the Laptev Sea. The permafrost soils from the Lena catchment area store huge amounts of pre-aged OM, which is expected to be remobilized due to climate warming. To characterize the composition and vegetation sources of OM discharged by the Lena River, the lignin phenol and carbon isotopic composition (δ 13 C and Δ 14 C) in total suspended matter (TSM) from surface waters, surface sediments from the Buor Khaya Bay along with soils from the Lena Delta's first (Holocene) and third terraces (Pleistocene ice complex) were analyzed. The lignin compositions of these samples are

Permafrost Organic Carbon Mobilization From the Watershed to the Colville River Delta: Evidence From 14C Ramped Pyrolysis and Lignin Biomarkers

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiaowen; Bianchi, Thomas S.; Cui, Xingqian; Rosenheim, Brad E.; Ping, Chien-Lu; Hanna, Andrea J. M.; Kanevskiy, Mikhail; Schreiner, Kathryn M.; Allison, Mead A.

2017-11-01

The deposition of terrestrial-derived permafrost particulate organic carbon (POC) has been recorded in major Arctic river deltas. However, associated transport pathways of permafrost POC from the watershed to the coast have not been well constrained. Here we utilized a combination of ramped pyrolysis-oxidation radiocarbon analysis (RPO 14C) along with lignin biomarkers, to track the linkages between soils and river and delta sediments. Surface and deep soils showed distinct RPO thermographs which may be related to degradation and organo-mineral interaction. Soil material in the bed load of the river channel was mostly derived from deep old permafrost. Both surface and deep soils were transported and deposited to the coast. Hydrodynamic sorting and barrier island protection played important roles in terrestrial-derived permafrost POC deposition near the coast. On a large scale, ice processes (e.g., ice gauging and strudel scour) and ocean currents controlled the transport and distribution of permafrost POC on the Beaufort Shelf.

Hydrogeochemical characteristics of the River Sava watershed in Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tjaša Kanduč

2007-06-01

Full Text Available The River Sava is a typical HCO3- – Ca2+ – Mg2+ River. Total alkalinity increases in the part of the watershed composed of carbonate and clastic rocks, which are less resistant to weathering processes. Ca2+/Mg2+ ratios are around 2 in the carbonate part of the watershed and increase in the watershed composed of carbonate and clastic rocks, indicating dissolution of calcite with magnesium. According to PHREEQC for Windows calculations, the River Sava and its tributaries are oversaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite. δ18OH2O and δDH2O are related to the meteorological patterns in the drainage basin. River water temperatures fluctuate annually following air temperatures.The relationship between the temperature and δ18OH2O and δDH2O values primarily reflects the strong dependenceof δ18O and δD on precipitation and evaporative enrichment in heavy oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of infiltrating water recharging the River Sava from its slopes.The δ13CDIC values are controlled by processes in the terrestrial ecosystem and stream proces-ses such as: (1 dissolution of carbonates, (2 soil derived CO2, and (3 equilibration with atmospheric CO2. Lower δ13CDIC values are observed in the spring sampling season due to abundant precipitation related to soil leaching of CO2 in the river system. From discharge and concentration measurements of sulphate and according to the drainage area of the River Sava basin, the annual sulphur fluxat the border with Croatia was estimated to be 1.4 × 107 g SO4/km2. Assuming that the sources of SO42- to the Sava are its tributaries, precipitationand other sources, the contributions of these inputs were calculated according to steady state equations and estimated to be 52 : 8 : 40 %, respectively. Other sources are attributed to human influences such as industrial pollution and oxidation of sulphides.

Insights and issues with simulating terrestrial DOC loading of Arctic river networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Kicklighter, David W; Hayes, Daniel J; McClelland, James W; Peterson, Bruce J; McGuire, A David; Melillo, Jerry M

2013-12-01

Terrestrial carbon dynamics influence the contribution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to river networks in addition to hydrology. In this study, we use a biogeochemical process model to simulate the lateral transfer of DOC from land to the Arctic Ocean via riverine transport. We estimate that, over the 20th century, the pan-Arctic watershed has contributed, on average, 32 Tg C/yr of DOC to river networks emptying into the Arctic Ocean with most of the DOC coming from the extensive area of boreal deciduous needle-leaved forests and forested wetlands in Eurasian watersheds. We also estimate that the rate of terrestrial DOC loading has been increasing by 0.037 Tg C/yr2 over the 20th century primarily as a result of climate-induced increases in water yield. These increases have been offset by decreases in terrestrial DOC loading caused by wildfires. Other environmental factors (CO2 fertilization, ozone pollution, atmospheric nitrogen deposition, timber harvest, agriculture) are estimated to have relatively small effects on terrestrial DOC loading to Arctic rivers. The effects of the various environmental factors on terrestrial carbon dynamics have both offset and enhanced concurrent effects on hydrology to influence terrestrial DOC loading and may be changing the relative importance of terrestrial carbon dynamics on this carbon flux. Improvements in simulating terrestrial DOC loading to pan-Arctic rivers in the future will require better information on the production and consumption of DOC within the soil profile, the transfer of DOC from land to headwater streams, the spatial distribution of precipitation and its temporal trends, carbon dynamics of larch-dominated ecosystems in eastern Siberia, and the role of industrial organic effluents on carbon budgets of rivers in western Russia.

Insights and issues with simulating terrestrial DOC loading of Arctic river networks

Science.gov (United States)

Kicklighter, David W.; Hayes, Daniel J.; McClelland, James W.; Peterson, Bruce J.; McGuire, A. David; Melillo, Jerry M.

2013-01-01

Terrestrial carbon dynamics influence the contribution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to river networks in addition to hydrology. In this study, we use a biogeochemical process model to simulate the lateral transfer of DOC from land to the Arctic Ocean via riverine transport. We estimate that, over the 20th century, the pan-Arctic watershed has contributed, on average, 32 Tg C/yr of DOC to river networks emptying into the Arctic Ocean with most of the DOC coming from the extensive area of boreal deciduous needle-leaved forests and forested wetlands in Eurasian watersheds. We also estimate that the rate of terrestrial DOC loading has been increasing by 0.037 Tg C/yr2 over the 20th century primarily as a result of climate-induced increases in water yield. These increases have been offset by decreases in terrestrial DOC loading caused by wildfires. Other environmental factors (CO2 fertilization, ozone pollution, atmospheric nitrogen deposition, timber harvest, agriculture) are estimated to have relatively small effects on terrestrial DOC loading to Arctic rivers. The effects of the various environmental factors on terrestrial carbon dynamics have both offset and enhanced concurrent effects on hydrology to influence terrestrial DOC loading and may be changing the relative importance of terrestrial carbon dynamics on this carbon flux. Improvements in simulating terrestrial DOC loading to pan-Arctic rivers in the future will require better information on the production and consumption of DOC within the soil profile, the transfer of DOC from land to headwater streams, the spatial distribution of precipitation and its temporal trends, carbon dynamics of larch-dominated ecosystems in eastern Siberia, and the role of industrial organic effluents on carbon budgets of rivers in western Russia.

Evolution of glycaemia in the blood of mice in the presence or absence of imidazole; Evolution de la glycemie sanguine chez la souris protegee ou non par l'imidazole

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Polverelli, M.; Teoule, R. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Grenoble (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1969-07-01

With respect to the radioprotective properties of the heterocyclic compound, imidazole, the authors followed the action of this product on blood sugar levels of mice X irradiated with a lethal dose. The main results of this work are: probably a hypo-glycemic action of the imidazole; an abolishment of the post-irradiation hyperglycemia by imidazole; an appreciably difference between male and female towards irradiation. (author) [French] Dans le cadre de l'etude des proprietes radioprotectrices de l'imidazole, nous nous sommes attaches a suivre l'action de ce produit sur le taux de glucose sanguin de souris irradiees a dose letale. Les principaux resultats de ce travail sont les suivants: l'action probablement hypoglycemiante de l'imidazole; en tant que radioprotecteur, cet heterocycle azote supprime l'hyperglycemie consecutive a l'irradiation; une difference assez sensible entre males et femelles vis-a-vis de l'irradiation. (auteur)

Geochemical loading of suspended sediment carried by large monsoonal rivers in Burma

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, R. A.; Tipper, E.; Bird, M. I.; Oo, N.

2013-12-01

The Irrawaddy and Salween rivers of Burma drain the most rapidly exhuming region in the Himalayas, the eastern syntaxis zone. These monsoonal rivers have catchment areas of 0.413 x 106 km2 and 0.272 x 106 km2, respectively, and approximately 95% of the Irrawaddy catchment lies within Burma, while the catchment of the Salween flows through China, Thailand and Burma. They are long rivers (~2000 and ~2800 km) which have steep and narrow bedrock gorges along much of their length, and different amounts of floodplain in their lower reaches. These rivers have been less studied than other large Asian systems because of political instability in Burma and restricted access. Based on available historical data, and field work in 2005-2008, Robinson et al. (2007) estimated that the Irrawaddy is likely to be the 3rd largest river globally in terms of sediment load and when the Irrawaddy and Salween estimated fluxes are combined, they together contribute 4.6 Mt/yr of particulate organic carbon (POC) and an additional 1.1Mt/yr of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) to the ocean. When estimated yields of total organic carbon are calculated, the Irrawaddy-Salween system ranks alongside the Amazon as one of the largest yields of organic carbon, and is higher than the yield for the Ganges-Brahmaptura (Bird et al., 2008). Here we present preliminary geochemical data for water and sediment from the Irrawaddy and Salween rivers, and demonstrate the variability in elemental concentrations of water between the rivers and the summer and winter monsoon seasons, and differences in suspended sediment geochemistry as a function of water depth. The variability and magnitude of weathering products carried by such significant systems need to be quantified in order to understand their contribution to global element cycling (Tipper et al., 2006) and sedimentary depocentres. Our data highlight that further study of the geochemistry of such large rivers will significantly improve our understanding of the

Fracture assessment of Savannah River Reactor carbon steel piping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mertz, G.E.; Stoner, K.J.; Caskey, G.R.; Begley, J.A.

1991-01-01

The Savannah River Site (SRS) production reactors have been in operation since the mid-1950's. One postulated failure mechanism for the reactor piping is brittle fracture of the original A285 and A53 carbon steel piping. Material testing of archival piping determined (1) the static and dynamic tensile properties; (2) Charpy impact toughness; and (3) the static and dynamic compact tension fracture toughness properties. The nil-ductility transition temperature (NDTT), determined by Charpy impact test, is above the minimum operating temperature for some of the piping materials. A fracture assessment was performed to demonstrate that potential flaws are stable under upset loading conditions and minimum operating temperatures. A review of potential degradation mechanisms and plant operating history identified weld defects as the most likely crack initiation site for brittle fracture. Piping weld defects, as characterized by radiographic and metallographic examination, and low fracture toughness material properties were postulated at high stress locations in the piping. Normal operating loads, upset loads, and residual stresses were assumed to act on the postulated flaws. Calculated allowable flaw lengths exceed the size of observed weld defects, indicating adequate margins of safety against brittle fracture. Thus, a detailed fracture assessment was able to demonstrate that the piping systems will not fail by brittle fracture, even though the NDTT for some of the piping is above the minimum system operating temperature

Reviews and syntheses: Anthropogenic perturbations to carbon fluxes in Asian river systems – concepts, emerging trends, and research challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-H. Park

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Human activities are drastically altering water and material flows in river systems across Asia. These anthropogenic perturbations have rarely been linked to the carbon (C fluxes of Asian rivers that may account for up to 40–50 % of the global fluxes. This review aims to provide a conceptual framework for assessing the human impacts on Asian river C fluxes, along with an update on anthropogenic alterations of riverine C fluxes. Drawing on case studies conducted in three selected rivers (the Ganges, Mekong, and Yellow River and other major Asian rivers, the review focuses on the impacts of river impoundment and pollution on CO2 outgassing from the rivers draining South, Southeast, and East Asian regions that account for the largest fraction of river discharge and C exports from Asia and Oceania. A critical examination of major conceptual models of riverine processes against observed trends suggests that to better understand altered metabolisms and C fluxes in anthropogenic land-water-scapes, or riverine landscapes modified by human activities, the traditional view of the river continuum should be complemented with concepts addressing spatial and temporal discontinuities created by human activities, such as river impoundment and pollution. Recent booms in dam construction on many large Asian rivers pose a host of environmental problems, including increased retention of sediment and associated C. A small number of studies that measured greenhouse gas (GHG emissions in dammed Asian rivers have reported contrasting impoundment effects: decreased GHG emissions from eutrophic reservoirs with enhanced primary production vs. increased emissions from the flooded vegetation and soils in the early years following dam construction or from the impounded reaches and downstream estuaries during the monsoon period. These contrasting results suggest that the rates of metabolic processes in the impounded and downstream reaches can vary greatly longitudinally

Factors affecting distribution patterns of organic carbon in sediments at regional and national scales in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Qingqing; Wang, Hui; Zhang, Yiran; Lal, Rattan; Wang, Renqing; Ge, Xiuli; Liu, Jian

2017-07-14

Wetlands are an important carbon reservoir pool in terrestrial ecosystems. Light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), heavy fraction organic carbon (HFOC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were fractionated in sediment samples from the four wetlands (ZR: Zhaoniu River; ZRCW: Zhaoniu River Constructed Wetland; XR: Xinxue River; XRCW: Xinxue River Constructed Wetland). Organic carbon (OC) from rivers and coasts of China were retrieved and statistically analyzed. At regional scale, HFOC stably dominates the deposition of OC (95.4%), whereas DOC and LFOC in ZR is significantly higher than in ZRCW. Concentration of DOC is significantly higher in XRCW (30.37 mg/l) than that in XR (13.59 mg/l). DOC and HFOC notably distinguish between two sampling campaigns, and the deposition of carbon fractions are limited by low nitrogen input. At the national scale, OC attains the maximum of 2.29% at precipitation of 800 mm. OC has no significant difference among the three climate zones but significantly higher in river sediments than in coasts. Coastal OC increases from Bohai Sea (0.52%) to South Sea (0.70%) with a decrease in latitude. This study summarizes the factors affecting organic carbon storage in regional and national scale, and have constructive implications for carbon assessment, modelling, and management.

Dynamics of submarine groundwater discharge and associated fluxes of dissolved nutrients, carbon, and trace gases to the coastal zone (Okatee River estuary, South Carolina)

Science.gov (United States)

Porubsky, W.P.; Weston, N.B.; Moore, W.S.; Ruppel, C.; Joye, S.B.

2014-01-01

Multiple techniques, including thermal infrared aerial remote sensing, geophysical and geological data, geochemical characterization and radium isotopes, were used to evaluate the role of groundwater as a source of dissolved nutrients, carbon, and trace gases to the Okatee River estuary, South Carolina. Thermal infrared aerial remote sensing surveys illustrated the presence of multiple submarine groundwater discharge sites in Okatee headwaters. Significant relationships were observed between groundwater geochemical constituents and 226Ra activity in groundwater with higher 226Ra activity correlated to higher concentrations of organics, dissolved inorganic carbon, nutrients, and trace gases to the Okatee system. A system-level radium mass balance confirmed a substantial submarine groundwater discharge contribution of these constituents to the Okatee River. Diffusive benthic flux measurements and potential denitrification rate assays tracked the fate of constituents in creek bank sediments. Diffusive benthic fluxes were substantially lower than calculated radium-based submarine groundwater discharge inputs, showing that advection of groundwater-derived nutrients dominated fluxes in the system. While a considerable potential for denitrification in tidal creek bank sediments was noted, in situ denitrification rates were nitrate-limited, making intertidal sediments an inefficient nitrogen sink in this system. Groundwater geochemical data indicated significant differences in groundwater chemical composition and radium activity ratios between the eastern and western sides of the river; these likely arose from the distinct hydrological regimes observed in each area. Groundwater from the western side of the Okatee headwaters was characterized by higher concentrations of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon, dissolved organic nitrogen, inorganic nutrients and reduced metabolites and trace gases, i.e. methane and nitrous oxide, than groundwater from the eastern side

[Effects of land cover change on soil organic carbon and light fraction organic carbon at river banks of Fuzhou urban area].

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Hong-Da; Du, Zi-Xian; Yang, Yu-Sheng; Li, Xi-Bo; Zhang, Ya-Chun; Yang, Zhi-Feng

2010-03-01

By using Vario EL III element analyzer, the vertical distribution characteristics of soil organic carbon (SOC) and light-fraction organic carbon (LFOC) in the lawn, patch plantation, and reed wetland at river banks of Fuzhou urban area were studied in July 2007. For all the three land cover types, the SOC and LFOC contents were the highest in surface soil layer, and declined gradually with soil depth. Compared with reed wetland, the lawn and patch plantation had higher SOC and LFOC contents in each layer of the soil profile (0-60 cm), and the lawn had significantly higher contents of SOC and LFOC in 0-20 cm soil layer, compared with the patch plantation. After the reed wetland was converted into lawn and patch plantation, the SOC stock in the soil profile was increased by 94.8% and 72.0%, and the LFOC stock was increased by 225% and 93%, respectively. Due to the changes of plant species, plant density, and management measure, the conversion from natural wetland into human-manipulated green spaces increased the SOC and LFOC stocks in the soil profile, and improved the soil quality. Compared with the SOC, soil LFOC was more sensitive to land use/cover change, especially for those in 0-20 cm soil layer.

Anthropogenic impacts on mercury concentrations and nitrogen and carbon isotope ratios in fish muscle tissue of the Truckee River watershed, Nevada, USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sexauer Gustin, Mae; Saito, Laurel; Peacock, Mary

2005-01-01

The lower Truckee River originates at Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada (NV), USA and ends in the terminal water body, Pyramid Lake, NV. The river has minimal anthropogenic inputs of contaminants until it encounters the cities of Reno and Sparks, NV, and receives inflows from Steamboat Creek (SBC). SBC originates at Washoe Lake, NV, where there were approximately six mills that used mercury for gold and silver amalgamation in the late 1800s. Since then, mercury has been distributed down the creek to the Truckee River. In addition, SBC receives agricultural and urban nonpoint source pollution, and treated effluent from the Reno-Sparks water reclamation facility. Fish muscle tissue was collected from different species in SBC and the Truckee River and analyzed for mercury and stable isotopes. Nitrogen (?δ 15 N) and carbon (?δ 13 C) isotopic values in these tissues provide insight as to fish food resources and help to explain their relative Hg concentrations. Mercury concentrations, and ?δ 15 N and ?δ 13 C values in fish muscle from the Truckee River, collected below the SBC confluence, were significantly different than that found in fish collected upstream. Mercury concentrations in fish tissue collected below the confluence for all but three fish sampled were significantly greater (0.1 to 0.65 μg/g wet wt.) than that measured in the tissue collected above the confluence (0.02 to 0.1 μg/g). ?δ 15 N and ?δ 13 C isotopic values of fish muscle collected from the river below the confluence were higher and lower, respectively, than that measured in fish collected up river, most likely reflecting wastewater inputs. The impact of SBC inputs on muscle tissue isotope values declined down river whereas the impact due to Hg inputs showed the opposite trend

Large increase in dissolved inorganic carbon flux from the Mississippi River to Gulf of Mexico due to climatic and anthropogenic changes over the 21st century.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Wei; Tian, Hanqin; Tao, Bo; Yang, Jia; Pan, Shufen; Cai, Wei-Jun; Lohrenz, Steven E; He, Ruoying; Hopkinson, Charles S

2015-04-01

It is recognized that anthropogenic factors have had a major impact on carbon fluxes from land to the ocean during the past two centuries. However, little is known about how future changes in climate, atmospheric CO 2 , and land use may affect riverine carbon fluxes over the 21st century. Using a coupled hydrological-biogeochemical model, the Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model, this study examines potential changes in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) export from the Mississippi River basin to the Gulf of Mexico during 2010-2099 attributable to climate-related conditions (temperature and precipitation), atmospheric CO 2 , and land use change. Rates of annual DIC export are projected to increase by 65% under the high emission scenario (A2) and 35% under the low emission scenario (B1) between the 2000s and the 2090s. Climate-related changes along with rising atmospheric CO 2 together would account for over 90% of the total increase in DIC export throughout the 21st century. The predicted increase in DIC export from the Mississippi River basin would alter chemistry of the coastal ocean unless appropriate climate mitigation actions are taken in the near future.

Sources and the flux pattern of dissolved carbon in rivers of the Yenisey basin draining the Central Siberian Plateau

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prokushkin, A S; Korets, M A; Prokushkin, S G; Pokrovsky, O S; Shirokova, L S; Viers, J; Amon, R M W; Guggenberger, G; McDowell, W H

2011-01-01

Frequent measurements of dissolved organic (DOC) and inorganic (DIC) carbon concentrations in rivers during snowmelt, the entire ice-free season, and winter were made in five large watersheds (15 000–174 000 km 2 ) of the Central Siberian Plateau (Yenisey River basin). These differ in the degree of continuous permafrost coverage, mean annual air temperature, and the proportion of tundra and forest vegetation. With an annual DOC export from the catchment areas of 2.8–4.7 gC m −2 as compared to an annual DIC export of 1.0–2.8 gC m −2 , DOC was the dominant component of terrigenous C released to rivers. There was strong temporal variation in the discharge of DOC and DIC. Like for other rivers of the pan-arctic and boreal zones, snowmelt dominated annual fluxes, being 55–71% for water runoff, 64–82% for DOC and 37–41% for DIC. Likewise, DOC and DIC exhibited also a strong spatial variation in C fluxes, with both dissolved C species decreasing from south to north. The rivers of the southern part of the plateau had the largest flow-weighted DOC concentrations among those previously reported for Siberian rivers, but the smallest flow-weighted DIC concentrations. In the study area, DOC and DIC fluxes were negatively correlated with the distribution of continuous permafrost and positively correlated with mean annual air temperature. A synthesis of literature data shows similar trends from west to east, with an eastward decrease of dissolved C concentrations and an increased proportion of DOC in the total dissolved C flux. It appears that there are two contemporary limitations for river export of terrigenous C across Siberia: (1) low productivity of ecosystems with respect to potentially mobilizable organic C, slow weathering rates with concomitant small formation of bicarbonate, and/or wildfire disturbance limit the pools of organic and inorganic C that can be mobilized for transport in rivers (source-limited), and (2) mobilization of available pools of C is

Distribution and landscape controls of organic layer thickness and carbon within the Alaskan Yukon River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Pastick, Neal J.; Rigge, Matthew B.; Wylie, Bruce K.; Jorgenson, M. Torre; Rose, Joshua R.; Johnson, Kristofer D.; Ji, Lei

2014-01-01

Understanding of the organic layer thickness (OLT) and organic layer carbon (OLC) stocks in subarctic ecosystems is critical due to their importance in the global carbon cycle. Moreover, post-fire OLT provides an indicator of long-term successional trajectories and permafrost susceptibility to thaw. To these ends, we 1) mapped OLT and associated uncertainty at 30 m resolution in the Yukon River Basin (YRB), Alaska, employing decision tree models linking remotely sensed imagery with field and ancillary data, 2) converted OLT to OLC using a non-linear regression, 3) evaluate landscape controls on OLT and OLC, and 4) quantified the post-fire recovery of OLT and OLC. Areas of shallow (2 = 0.68; OLC: R2 = 0.66), where an average of 16 cm OLT and 5.3 kg/m2 OLC were consumed by fires. Strong predictors of OLT included climate, topography, near-surface permafrost distributions, soil wetness, and spectral information. Our modeling approach enabled us to produce regional maps of OLT and OLC, which will be useful in understanding risks and feedbacks associated with fires and climate feedbacks.

Carcinogenesis by Fast Neutrons Relative to X-Rays in Mice; Carcinogenese chez les Souris sous l'Effet des Neutrons Rapides et des Rayons X; Sravnitel'naya chastota vozniknoveniya rakovykh opukholej u myshej pri obluchenii bystrymi nejtronami i rentgenovskimi luchami; Accion Carcinogenica Comparada de los Neutrones Rapidos y de los Rayos X en el Raton

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cole, L. J.; Nowell, P. C. [Division of Biological and Medical Sciences, U.S. Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory, San Francisco, CA (United States); Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (United States)

1964-05-15

). Parmi les souris du Groupe I, sacrifiees 12 a 16 mois apres l'exposition, 75% presentaient des hepatomes; ce taux atteignait 92% chez les souris du Groupe II. Par contre, des tumeurs du foie se sont produites chez 14% des souris exposees seulement aux neutrons (Groupe V) et chez 2,4% des souris exposees a une dose unique (500 rad) de rayons X de 250 kVcrete. On a observe des neoplasmes du rein chez pres de 100% des souris du Groupe IV, alors que ces lesions ont ete peu frequentes chez les souris temoins. Les auteurs etudient Inverted-Exclamation-Mark ' induction de ces neoplasmes sous l'effet de l'exposition aux neutrons et leur developpement sous l'action des agent employes pour stimuler la proliferation. En ce qui concerne l'induction de neoplasmes du rein chez les souris, les donnees indiquent un coefficient de puissance d'environ 2 pour les neutrons de fission par rapport aux rayons X de 250 kV-crete. Pour ce qui est de l'apparition de lymphomes dans cette lignee, leur frequence a ete moins importante chez les souris exposees aux neutrons (11%) que chez les sujets exposes aux rayons X (29%). (author) [Spanish] Los autores sometieron ratones jovenes adultos de la variedad LAF a una exposicion subletal unica a neutrones de fision, tratandolos de la siguiente forma: Grupo I: 195 a 199 rad, seguida de una sola inyeccion subcutanea de CCl{sub 4}, un mes despues de la exposicion; Grupo II: inyeccion de CCl{sub 4} aplicada un dia antes de la irradiacion neutronica (280 y 329 rad); Grupo III: inyeccion de CCl{sub 4} sin irradiacion; Gmpo IV: nefrectomfa unilateral un dia antes de la irradiacion (320 y 328 rad); Grupo V: irradiacion neutronica exclusivamente (200 y 320 rad). Al sacrificar los sujetos entre 12 y 16 meses a contar de la irradiacion, se encontraron hepatomas en el 75% de los ratones del Grupo I y en el 92% de los del Grupo II. En cambio, los tumores hepaticos aparecieron en el 14% de los ratones que solo fueron irradiados (Grupo V) y en el 2,4% de los expuestos

Biomarker and carbon isotope constraints (δ{sup 13}C, Δ{sup 14}C) on sources and cycling of particulate organic matter discharged by large Siberian rivers draining permafrost areas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Winterfeld, Maria

2014-08-15

Circumpolar permafrost soils store about half of the global soil organic carbon pool. These huge amounts of organic matter (OM) could accumulate due to low temperatures and water saturated soil conditions over the course of millennia. Currently most of this OM remains frozen and therefore does not take part in the active carbon cycle, making permafrost soils a globally important carbon sink. Over the last decades mean annual air temperatures in the Arctic increased stronger than the global mean and this trend is projected to continue. As a result the permafrost carbon pool is under climate pressure possibly creating a positive climate feedback due to the thaw-induced release of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. Arctic warming will lead to increased annual permafrost thaw depths and Arctic river runoff likely resulting in enhanced mobilization and export of old, previously frozen soil-derived OM. Consequently, the great arctic rivers play an important role in global biogeochemical cycles by connecting the large permafrost carbon pool of their hinterlands with the arctic shelf seas and the Arctic Ocean. The first part of this thesis deals with particulate organic matter (POM) from the Lena Delta and adjacent Buor Khaya Bay. The Lena River in central Siberia is one of the major pathways translocating terrestrial OM from its southernmost reaches near Lake Baikal to the coastal zone of the Laptev Sea. The permafrost soils from the Lena catchment area store huge amounts of pre-aged OM, which is expected to be remobilized due to climate warming. To characterize the composition and vegetation sources of OM discharged by the Lena River, the lignin phenol and carbon isotopic composition (δ{sup 13}C and Δ{sup 14}C) in total suspended matter (TSM) from surface waters, surface sediments from the Buor Khaya Bay along with soils from the Lena Delta's first (Holocene) and third terraces (Pleistocene ice complex) were analyzed. The lignin compositions of these samples are

Observing Carbon Dioxide Fluxes on a Corn Field and a Native Savanna in the Colombian Orinoco River Region Using Eddy Covariance

Science.gov (United States)

Morales-Rincon, L. A.; Jimenez-Pizarro, R.; Rodríguez, N.

2016-12-01

The Orinoco River basin is expected to become Colombia's largest farming belt in the near future. Agriculture and land use change are the most important greenhouse gas (GHG) source in Colombia and one of the most important globally. At the same time, agriculture is one of the few economic sectors that is also able to act as a sink, e.g. through soil carbon storage. Emissions are largely determined by agricultural practices, thus practice identification and C flux monitoring are of paramount importance for mitigation alternative identification. During second semester of 2015, we measured CO2 fluxes over a commercial corn filed the Colombian Orinoco River Region using enclosed-path eddy covariance. The plot behaved as a CO2 sink during crop development. We found that inter-crop activities played a key role in defining whether the area acted as a net source or sink. Quantifying C fluxes at under local soil and meteorological conditions provides new high quality scientific information, which could be incorporated into a wider evaluation of agroindustry process, e.g. through the C footprint. We will also present ongoing carbon flux measurements in a native savanna and will discuss on the possibility of extrapolating our result to wider areas using process based models.

Non biodegradable and weakly adsorbing substances in the river Elbe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, U.; Wricke, B.; Sontheimer, H.

1993-01-01

The quality of the river Elbe in East Germany has been investigated in a research project subsidized by the German minstry of research and technology, iwth respect to drinking water quality and treatment using laboratory methods similar to the treatment processes in waterworks. The experiments included analysis of sum- and group-parameters before and after biological degradation and a study of adsorption on activated carbon. Comparing these results with data already published from the river Rhine in West Germany, the water of the river Elbe showed approximately double the concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), absorbable organic halogen (AOX) and ion-pair-extractable organic sulphur (IOS). Mathematical models have been used to obtain further information from these measurements about the origin of the organic substances in the river Elbe. As a consequence, an important part of the relatively high DOC-concentration in the Elbe-river is due to natural humic substances. Therefore the operation of better waste water treatment plants along the elbe-river might reduce the concentration of organic halogen and sulphur substances in particular, whereas the concentration of DOC will decrease only slightly in the future. (orig.) [de

Land Use and Climate Alter Carbon Dynamics in Watersheds of Chesapeake Bay

Science.gov (United States)

Kaushal, S.; Duan, S.; Grese, M.; Pennino, M. J.; Belt, K. T.; Findlay, S.; Groffman, P. M.; Mayer, P. M.; Murthy, S.; Blomquist, J.

2011-12-01

There have been long-term changes in the quantity of organic carbon in streams and rivers globally. Shifts in the quality of organic carbon due to environmental changes may also impact downstream ecosystem metabolism and fate and transport of contaminants. We investigated long-term impacts of land use and hydrologic variability on organic carbon transport in watersheds of the Baltimore Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site and large rivers of the Chesapeake Bay. In small and medium-sized watersheds of the Baltimore LTER site, urban land use increased organic carbon concentrations in streams several-fold compared to forest and agricultural watersheds. Enzymatic activities of stream microbes were significantly altered across watershed land use during a record wet year. During the wet year, short-term bioassays showed that bioavailable dissolved organic carbon varied seasonally, but comprised a substantial proportion of the dissolved organic carbon pool. Similarly, measurements of biochemical oxygen demand across hydrologic variability suggest that reactive organic carbon export from small and medium-sized urban watersheds during storms can be substantial. At a larger regional scale, major tributaries such as the Potomac, Susquehanna, Patuxent, and Choptank rivers also showed similar variability as smaller watersheds in quantity and quality of organic carbon based on land use and climate. There were distinct isotopic values of d13C of particulate organic matter and fluorescence excitation emission matrices for rivers influenced by different land uses. Stable isotopic values of d13C of particulate organic matter and fluorescence excitation emission matrices showed marked seasonal changes in organic matter quality during spring floods in the Potomac River at Washington D.C. Across watershed size, there appeared to be differences in seasonal cycles of organic carbon quality and this may have been based on the degree of hydrologic connectivity between watersheds and

Rainfall Variability, Wetland Persistence, and Water–Carbon Cycle Coupling in the Upper Zambezi River Basin in Southern Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren E. L. Lowman

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The Upper Zambezi River Basin (UZRB delineates a complex region of topographic, soil and rainfall gradients between the Congo rainforest and the Kalahari Desert. Satellite imagery shows permanent wetlands in low-lying convergence zones where surface–groundwater interactions are vigorous. A dynamic wetland classification based on MODIS Nadir BRDF-Adjusted Reflectance is developed to capture the inter-annual and seasonal changes in areal extent due to groundwater redistribution and rainfall variability. Simulations of the coupled water–carbon cycles of seasonal wetlands show nearly double rates of carbon uptake as compared to dry areas, at increasingly lower water-use efficiencies as the dry season progresses. Thus, wetland extent and persistence into the dry season is key to the UZRB’s carbon sink and water budget. Whereas groundwater recharge governs the expansion of wetlands in the rainy season under large-scale forcing, wetland persistence in April–June (wet–dry transition months is tied to daily morning fog and clouds, and by afternoon land–atmosphere interactions (isolated convection. Rainfall suppression in July–September results from colder temperatures, weaker regional circulations, and reduced instability in the lower troposphere, shutting off moisture recycling in the dry season despite high evapotranspiration rates. The co-organization of precipitation and wetlands reflects land–atmosphere interactions that determine wetland seasonal persistence, and the coupled water and carbon cycles.

Greenhouse gases emission from the sewage draining rivers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Beibei; Wang, Dongqi; Zhou, Jun; Meng, Weiqing; Li, Chongwei; Sun, Zongbin; Guo, Xin; Wang, Zhongliang

2018-01-15

Carbon dioxide (CO 2 ), methane (CH 4 ) and nitrous oxide (N 2 O) concentration, saturation and fluxes in rivers (Beitang drainage river, Dagu drainage rive, Duliujianhe river, Yongdingxinhe river and Nanyunhe river) of Tianjin city (Haihe watershed) were investigated during July and October in 2014, and January and April in 2015 by static headspace gas chromatography method and the two-layer model of diffusive gas exchange. The influence of environmental variables on greenhouse gases (GHGs) concentration under the disturbance of anthropogenic activities was discussed by Spearman correlative analysis and multiple stepwise regression analysis. The results showed that the concentration and fluxes of CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O were seasonally variable with >winter>fall>summer, spring>summer>winter>fall and summer>spring>winter>fall for concentrations and spring>summer>fall>winter, spring>summer>winter>fall and summer>spring>fall>winter for fluxes respectively. The GHGs concentration and saturation were higher in comprehensively polluted river sites and lower in lightly polluted river sites. The three GHGs emission fluxes in two sewage draining rivers of Tianjin were clearly higher than those of other rivers (natural rivers) and the spatial variation of CH 4 was more obvious than the others. CO 2 and N 2 O air-water interface emission fluxes of the sewage draining rivers in four seasons were about 1.20-2.41 times and 1.13-3.12 times of those in the natural rivers. The CH 4 emission fluxes of the sewage draining rivers were 3.09 times in fall to 10.87 times in spring of those in the natural rivers in different season. The wind speed, water temperature and air temperature were related to GHGs concentrations. Nitrate and nitrite (NO 3 - +NO 2 - -N) and ammonia (NH 4 + -N) were positively correlated with CO 2 concentration and CH 4 concentration; and dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration was negatively correlated with CH 4 concentration and N 2 O concentration. The effect of

Organic and inorganic carbon dynamics in a karst aquifer: Santa Fe River Sink-Rise system, north Florida, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Jin; Zimmerman, Andrew R.; Moore, Paul J.; Martin, Jonathan B.

2014-03-01

Spatiotemporal variations in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), major ions concentrations and other geochemical parameters including stable carbon isotopes of DIC (δ13CDIC), were measured in surface water and deep and shallow well water samples of the Santa Fe River Sink-Rise eogenetic karst system, north Florida, USA. Three end-member water sources were identified: one DOC-rich/DIC-poor/δ13CDIC-depleted, one DOC-poor/DIC-rich/δ13CDIC-enriched, and one enriched in major ions. Given their spatiotemporal distributions, they were presumed to represent soil water, upper aquifer groundwater, and deep aquifer water sources, respectively. Using assumed ratios of Na+, Cl, and SO42- for each end-member, a mixing model calculated the contribution of each water source to each sample. Then, chemical effects of biogeochemical reactions were calculated as the difference between those predicted by the mixing model and measured species concentrations. In general, carbonate mineral dissolution occurred throughout the Sink-Rise system, surface waters were net autotrophic and the subsurface was in metabolic balance, i.e., no net DOC or DIC production or consumption. However, there was evidence for chemolithoautotrophy, perhaps by hydrogen oxidizing microbes, at some deep aquifer sites. Mineralization of this autochthonous natural dissolved organic matter (NDOM) led to localized carbonate dissolution as did surface water-derived NDOM supplied to shallow well sites during the highest flow periods. This study demonstrates linkages between hydrology, abiotic and microbial processes and carbon dynamics and has important implications for groundwater quality, karst morphologic evolution, and hydrogeologic projects such as aquifer storage and recovery in karst systems.

Light Absorption of Brown Carbon Aerosol in the Pearl River Delta Region of China

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, X.

2015-12-01

X.F. Huang, J.F. Yuan, L.M. Cao, J. Cui, C.N. Huang, Z.J. Lan and L.Y. He Key Laboratory for Urban Habitat Environmental Science and Technology, School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, ChinaCorresponding author. Tel.: +86 755 26032532; fax: +86 755 26035332. E-mail address: huangxf@pku.edu.cn (X. F. Huang). Abstract: The strong spectral dependence of light absorption of brown carbon (BrC) aerosol has been recognized in recent decades. The Absorption Angstrom Exponent (AAE) of ambient aerosol was widely used in previous studies to attribute light absorption of brown carbon at shorter wavelengths, with a theoretical assumption that the AAE of black carbon (BC) aerosol equals to unit. In this study, the AAE method was improved by statistical extrapolation based on ambient measurements in the polluted seasons in typical urban and rural areas in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region of China. A three-wavelength photoacoustic soot spectrometer (PASS-3) and an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) were used to explore the relationship between the ambient measured AAE and the ratio of organic aerosol to BC aerosol, in order to extract the more realistic AAE by pure BC aerosol, which were found to be 0.86, 0.82 and 1.02 at 405nm and 0.70, 0.71, and 0.86 at 532nm in the campaigns of urban-winter, urban-fall, and rural-fall, respectively. Roadway tunnel experiment results further supported the effectiveness of the obtained AAE for pure BC aerosol. In addition, biomass burning experiments proved higher spectral dependence of more-BrC environment and further verified the reliability of the instruments' response. Then, the average light absorption contribution of BrC aerosol was calculated to be 11.7, 6.3 and 12.1% (with total relative uncertainty of 7.5, 6.9 and 10.0%) at 405nm and 10.0, 4.1 and 5.5% (with total relative uncertainty of 6.5, 8.6 and 15.4%) at 532nm of the three campaigns, respectively. These results indicate that the

Ca isotopes in the Ebro River Basin: mixing and lithological tracer

Science.gov (United States)

Guerrot, C.; Negrel, P. J.; Millot, R.; Petelet-Giraud, E.; Brenot, A.

2012-12-01

A large investigation of the Ebro River catchment was done in the past years regarding hydrogen, oxygen, lithium, boron, sulphur and oxygen from SO4 and strontium isotope measurements together with major and trace elements in the dissolved load of 25 river samples collected within the Ebro River Basin in Spain (Millot et al., Geophysical Research Abstracts, Vol. 14, EGU2012-2062, 2012). The Ebro River (928 km long, 85,530 km2 drainage basin) located in North-Eastern Spain rises near the Atlantic coast in the Cantabrian Mountains and flows into the western Mediterranean Sea through several large cities and agricultural, mining and industrial areas. The river is one of the largest contributors of freshwater in the Mediterranean Sea and ends in the Ebro delta, one of the most important wetlands in Europe. Bedrocks of the Ebro River Basin are mainly dominated by carbonates and evaporites from the Paleozoic and Mesozoic terrains. The Ebro river mainstream was sampled at Amposta one time per month between June 2005 and May 2006 and secondly, the Ebro River along its main course and its main tributaries were sampled during one field campaign in April 2006. The behaviour of Ca and its isotopes during water/rock interactions at the scale of a large river basin having various lithologies will be investigated in addition with Sr, S (SO4) and O (SO4) isotopes. One objective is to characterize the processes controlling the isotope signatures of a large river draining predominantly sedimentary bedrocks. The δ44Ca ratio (δ44/40 normalised to Seawater) ranged between -0.87 and -1.09‰ along the Ebro main stream, increasing towards the delta as the Ca content increase. In Amposta, the δ44Ca ratio ranged between -0.66 and -1.04‰ and tends to decrease with the increasing discharge. These variations are very similar to those given by the 87Sr/86Sr ratios and Sr contents. For the tributaries, the δ44Ca ratio ranged between -0.43 and -1.04‰ whereas the anhydrite-gypsum bedrock

Evasion of CO2 and dissolved carbon in river waters of three small catchments in an area occupied by small family farms in the eastern Amazon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Beatriz Silva da Rosa

2017-08-01

Full Text Available CO2 effluxes from streams and rivers have been hypothesized to be a critical pathway of carbon flow from the biosphere back to the atmosphere. This study was conducted in three small Amazonian catchments to evaluate carbon evasion and dynamics, where land-use change has occurred on small family-farms. Monthly field campaigns were conducted from June 2006 to May 2007 in the Cumaru (CM, Pachibá (PB and São João (SJ streams. Electrical conductivity, pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen measurements were done in situ, while water samples were collected to determine dissolved organic carbon (DOC and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC concentrations, as well as carbon dioxide partial pressures (pCO2 and CO2 evasion fluxes. Instantaneous discharge measured by a current meter was used to calculate DOC fluxes. Considering all the sites, DOC, DIC, pCO2, and CO2 flux measurements ranged as follows, respectively: 0.27 - 12.13 mg L-1; 3.5 - 38.9 mg L-1; 2,265 - 26,974 ppm; and 3.39 - 75.35 μmol m-2 s-1. DOC annual flux estimates for CM, SJ and PB were, respectively, 281, 245, and 169 kg C ha-1. CO2 evasion fluxes had an average of 22.70 ± 1.67 μmol m-2 s-1. These CO2 evasion fluxes per unit area were similar to those measured for major Amazonian rivers, thus confirming our hypothesis that small streams can evade substantial quantities of CO2. As secondary vegetation is abundant as a result of family farming management in the region, we conclude that this vegetation can be a major driver of an abundant carbon cycle.

Sources and compositional distribution of organic carbon in surface sediments from the lower Pearl River to the coastal South China Sea

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X.; Zhang, Z.; Wade, T.; Knap, A. H.; Zhang, C.

2017-12-01

The Pearl River plays an important role in transporting terrestrial organic carbon (OC) to the South China Sea (SCS). However, the sources and compositional distribution of OC in the system are poorly understood. This study focused on delineating the sources and determining the fate of surface sedimentary OC from the Feilaixia Hydro-power Station to the coastal SCS. Elemental, stable carbon/nitrogen isotope (δ13C, δ15N) and lignin-phenol analyses have been conducted. The total OC (TOC) from the up-stream sites were generally derived from vascular plants (higher C/N, and depleted δ13C) and soils. Additional input was attributed to riverine primary production (lower C/N and enriched δ13C), which was enhanced near the dam-created reservoir. The C/N and δ13C values were not significantly different among sites in the mid-stream. The estuary/coastal sites witnessed hydrodynamically sorted riverine OC, which was diluted by marine primary production (lower C/N and more enriched δ13C). The lignin concentration was the highest in the up-stream sites, remained relatively unchanged in the mid-stream sites and decreased significantly along the estuary/coastal sites, which was corroborated by variation in TOC. A comprehensive five-endmember Monte Carlo simulation suggested that previous studies had underestimated the C4 plant input by 14 ± 11% and overestimated the riverbank soil input by 21 ± 17%. Thus, our study provided valuable information for more accurate source and mass balance studies of terrestrial OC transported to the SCS, which helped to further understand the carbon cycling in the large river-ocean continuum.

A long-term comparison of carbon sequestration rates in impounded and naturally tidal freshwater marshes along the lower Waccamaw River, South Carolina

Science.gov (United States)

Drexler, Judith Z.; Krauss, Ken W.; Sasser, M. Craig; Fuller, Christopher C.; Swarzenski, Christopher M.; Powell, Amber; Swanson, Kathleen M.; Orlando, James L.

2013-01-01

Carbon storage was compared between impounded and naturally tidal freshwater marshes along the Lower Waccamaw River in South Carolina, USA. Soil cores were collected in (1) naturally tidal, (2) moist soil (impounded, seasonally drained since ~1970), and (3) deeply flooded “treatments” (impounded, flooded to ~90 cm since ~2002). Cores were analyzed for % organic carbon, % total carbon, bulk density, and 210Pb and 137Cs for dating purposes. Carbon sequestration rates ranged from 25 to 200 g C m−2 yr−1 (moist soil), 80–435 g C m−2 yr−1 (naturally tidal), and 100–250 g C m−2 yr−1 (deeply flooded). The moist soil and naturally tidal treatments were compared over a period of 40 years. The naturally tidal treatment had significantly higher carbon storage (mean = 219 g C m−2 yr−1 vs. mean = 91 g C m−2 yr−1) and four times the vertical accretion rate (mean = 0.84 cm yr−1 vs. mean = 0.21 cm yr−1) of the moist soil treatment. The results strongly suggest that the long drainage period in moist soil management limits carbon storage over time. Managers across the National Wildlife Refuge system have an opportunity to increase carbon storage by minimizing drainage in impoundments as much as practicable.

Removal of terrestrial DOC in aquatic ecosystems of a temperate river network

Science.gov (United States)

Wollheim, W.M.; Stewart, R. J.; Aiken, George R.; Butler, Kenna D.; Morse, Nathaniel B.; Salisbury, J.

2015-01-01

Surface waters play a potentially important role in the global carbon balance. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fluxes are a major transfer of terrestrial carbon to river systems, and the fate of DOC in aquatic systems is poorly constrained. We used a unique combination of spatially distributed sampling of three DOC fractions throughout a river network and modeling to quantify the net removal of terrestrial DOC during a summer base flow period. We found that aquatic reactivity of terrestrial DOC leading to net loss is low, closer to conservative chloride than to reactive nitrogen. Net removal occurred mainly from the hydrophobic organic acid fraction, while hydrophilic and transphilic acids showed no net change, indicating that partitioning of bulk DOC into different fractions is critical for understanding terrestrial DOC removal. These findings suggest that river systems may have only a modest ability to alter the amounts of terrestrial DOC delivered to coastal zones.

'invisible' DOM in hourly-resolved headwater river records from Northern Amazonia

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, R.; Bovolo, C.; Spencer, R. G.; Hernes, P. J.; Tipping, E.; Vieth-Hillebrand, A.; Chappell, N.; Lewis-Franklin, A.; Parkin, G.; Wagner, T.

2012-12-01

Global river networks annually process ~3 billion tonnes of organic carbon but only ~17% reaches the ocean. These estimates suggest rivers are not mere transportation pipes but biogeochemical reactors. Inland waters are therefore fundamental to the understanding of carbon and nutrient interactions between land and ocean. Within these global estimates, tropical rivers contribute ~two-thirds of the global dissolved organic matter flux to the ocean. Recent studies suggest that up to 50% of the CO2 outgassed from tropical rivers is derived from terrestrial organic matter and that the terrestrial-aquatic interface in river headwaters are hotspots of biochemical activity. However, to date, most tropical riverine studies focus on the main river stem or mouth and therefore the dynamics of tropical headwater organic matter cycling within the global carbon cycle are unknown. We present a geochemical and hydrological time-series (sub-hourly resolution) of river water DOC concentration, source and composition from a pristine lowland rainforest headwater of the Burro Burro River, a tributary of the Essequibo River, the 3rd largest river in S. America. We show that during and after a rainstorm event, DOC concentrations increase an order of magnitude (10 to 114mg/L) in less than 30 mins, far exceeding the entire seasonal DOC range measured in 2010 and 2011 (17-28mg/L). The source (δ13C-DOC) of DOC during the rainstorm event changes from microbial/aquatic (-21.9‰ to -25.7‰) at low/intermediate DOC concentration to C3 vegetation supply (-26.8‰ to -30.3‰) during peak DOC flushing. First radiocarbon data shows that riverine DOC is relatively young (106.8-110.9 %modern), however, tropical soils suggest a potential for organic matter to be preserved (360-1200 BP). The fundamental relationship between DOC and coloured dissolved organic matter (CDOM), measured as UV absorbance (SUVA254), holds only for low riverine DOC concentrations with proportionally high lignin contribution

Evaluation of carbon fluxes and trends (2000-2008) in the Greater Platte River Basin: a sustainability study on the potential biofuel feedstock development

Science.gov (United States)

Gu, Yingxin; Wylie, Bruce K.; Zhang, Li; Gilmanov, Tagir G.

2012-01-01

This study evaluates the carbon fluxes and trends and examines the environmental sustainability (e.g., carbon budget, source or sink) of the potential biofuel feedstock sites identified in the Greater Platte River Basin (GPRB). A 9-year (2000–2008) time series of net ecosystem production (NEP), a measure of net carbon absorption or emission by ecosystems, was used to assess the historical trends and budgets of carbon flux for grasslands in the GPRB. The spatially averaged annual NEP (ANEP) for grassland areas that are possibly suitable for biofuel expansion (productive grasslands) was 71–169 g C m−2 year−1 during 2000–2008, indicating a carbon sink (more carbon is absorbed than released) in these areas. The spatially averaged ANEP for areas not suitable for biofuel feedstock development (less productive or degraded grasslands) was −47 to 69 g C m−2 year−1 during 2000–2008, showing a weak carbon source or a weak carbon sink (carbon emitted is nearly equal to carbon absorbed). The 9-year pre-harvest cumulative ANEP was 1166 g C m−2 for the suitable areas (a strong carbon sink) and 200 g C m−2 for the non-suitable areas (a weak carbon sink). Results demonstrate and confirm that our method of dynamic modeling of ecosystem performance can successfully identify areas desirable and sustainable for future biofuel feedstock development. This study provides useful information for land managers and decision makers to make optimal land use decisions regarding biofuel feedstock development and sustainability.

[Effects of grazing disturbance on soil active organic carbon in mountain forest-arid valley ecotone in the upper reaches of Minjiang River].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Shan-Shan; Zhang, Xing-Hua; Gong, Yuan-Bo; Li, Yuan; Wang, Yan; Yin, Yan-Jie; Ma, Jin-Song; Guo, Ting

2014-02-01

Effects of grazing disturbance on the soil carbon contents and active components in the four vegetations, i.e., artificial Robinia pseudoacacia plantation, artificial poplar plantation, Berberis aggregate shrubland and grassland, were studied in the mountain forest-arid valley ecotone in the upper Minjiang River. Soil organic carbon and active component contents in 0-10 cm soil layer were greater than in 10-20 cm soil layer at each level of grazing disturbance. With increasing the grazing intensity, the total organic carbon (TOC), light fraction organic carbon (LFOC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and easily oxidized carbon (LOC) contents in 0-10 cm soil layer decreased gradually in the artificial R. pseudoacacia plantation. The LFOC content decreased, the POC content increased, and the TOC and LOC contents decreased initially and then increased with increasing the grazing intensity in the artificial poplar plantation. The POC content decreased, and the TOC, LFOC and LOC contents decreased initially and then increased with increasing the grazing intensity in the B. aggregate shrubland. The POC and TOC contents decreased, and the LFOC and LOC contents decreased initially and then increased with increasing the grazing intensity in the grassland. The decreasing ranges of LOC, LFOC and POC contents were 0.1-7.9 times more than that of TOC content. There were significant positive relationships between TOC and LOC, LFOC and POC, suggesting that the active organic carbon components could reflect the change of soil total carbon content.

Organic Carbon Delivery from a High-Arctic North American Watershed: Implications for Beaufort Sea Carbon Cycling in a Changing Climate

Science.gov (United States)

Schreiner, K. M.; Bruner, V. J.; Kessler, J. D.

2016-12-01

Riverine delivery of terrestrial organic carbon (OC) and subsequent burial in coastal margins is a significant sink for OC on Earth. The amount of fresh OC compared to old OC buried in coastal margins affects the long-term ratio of O2 to CO2 in the atmosphere. And yet, the fate of OC on marine shelves is not well known. Analysis of the fate of terrestrial OC from Arctic rivers are especially important, as half of the global soil carbon pool resides in the top few meters of Arctic permafrost soils, and much of this OC, more than twice the amount of carbon currently residing in the atmospheric CO2 pool, is thousands of years old and under threat of disturbance from a warming Arctic climate. Flux of this old, deeply-buried permafrost OC to coastal sediments has already been noted in both the Russian and Alaskan Arctic. This study focuses on OC delivered by the Colville River, a medium-sized North American Arctic river that drains the North Slope of Alaska, and has been previously shown to be an important source of extremely old OC to coastal Beaufort Sea sediments. Here we report stable carbon isotopes and radiocarbon ages of particulate OC (POC), dissolved OC (DOC), and surface sediments from the Beaufort Sea near the Colville River outflow and nearby Simpson Lagoon from samples collected in August 2015. In general, DOC ages are younger than POC ages, and both have stable isotope signatures indicative of terrestrial C3 sources. Waters with higher concentrations of DOC tend to have younger radiocarbon ages and more enriched stable isotope signatures, indicating the presence of aquatic primary production. These data represent some of the first water column radiocarbon signatures to be reported from an Arctic river the size of the Colville; while the six largest Arctic rivers have been well studied over the past few decades, much less data is available for small and medium sized Arctic rivers.

Water Quality Interaction with Alkaline Phosphatase in the Ganga River: Implications for River Health.

Science.gov (United States)

Yadav, Amita; Pandey, Jitendra

2017-07-01

Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus inputs through atmospheric deposition, surface runoff and point sources were measured in the Ganga River along a gradient of increasing human pressure. Productivity variables (chlorophyll a, gross primary productivity, biogenic silica and autotrophic index) and heterotrophy (respiration, substrate induced respiration, biological oxygen demand and fluorescein diacetate hydrolysis) showed positive relationships with these inputs. Alkaline phosphatase (AP), however, showed an opposite trend. Because AP is negatively influenced by available P, and eutrophy generates a feedback on P fertilization, the study implies that the alkaline phosphatase can be used as a high quality criterion for assessing river health.

Reconciling drainage and receiving basin signatures of the Godavari River system

Science.gov (United States)

Ojoshogu Usman, Muhammed; Kirkels, Frédérique Marie Sophie Anne; Zwart, Huub Michel; Basu, Sayak; Ponton, Camilo; Blattmann, Thomas Michael; Ploetze, Michael; Haghipour, Negar; McIntyre, Cameron; Peterse, Francien; Lupker, Maarten; Giosan, Liviu; Eglinton, Timothy Ian

2018-06-01

The modern-day Godavari River transports large amounts of sediment (170 Tg per year) and terrestrial organic carbon (OCterr; 1.5 Tg per year) from peninsular India to the Bay of Bengal. The flux and nature of OCterr is considered to have varied in response to past climate and human forcing. In order to delineate the provenance and nature of organic matter (OM) exported by the fluvial system and establish links to sedimentary records accumulating on its adjacent continental margin, the stable and radiogenic isotopic composition of bulk OC, abundance and distribution of long-chain fatty acids (LCFAs), sedimentological properties (e.g. grain size, mineral surface area, etc.) of fluvial (riverbed and riverbank) sediments and soils from the Godavari basin were analysed and these characteristics were compared to those of a sediment core retrieved from the continental slope depocenter. Results show that river sediments from the upper catchment exhibit higher total organic carbon (TOC) contents than those from the lower part of the basin. The general relationship between TOC and sedimentological parameters (i.e. mineral surface area and grain size) of the sediments suggests that sediment mineralogy, largely driven by provenance, plays an important role in the stabilization of OM during transport along the river axis, and in the preservation of OM exported by the Godavari to the Bay of Bengal. The stable carbon isotopic (δ13C) characteristics of river sediments and soils indicate that the upper mainstream and its tributaries drain catchments exhibiting more 13C enriched carbon than the lower stream, resulting from the regional vegetation gradient and/or net balance between the upper (C4-dominated plants) and lower (C3-dominated plants) catchments. The radiocarbon contents of organic carbon (Δ14COC) in deep soils and eroding riverbanks suggests these are likely sources of old or pre-aged carbon to the Godavari River that increasingly dominates the late Holocene portion of

Time series measurements of carbon fluxes from a mangrove-dominated estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Volta, C.; Ho, D. T.; Friederich, G.; Del Castillo, C. E.; Engel, V. C.; Bhat, M.

2017-12-01

Mangrove ecosystems are among the most important and productive coastal ecosystems globally, and due to their high productivity and rapid carbon cycling, these ecosystems are important modulators of carbon fluxes from the land to the ocean and between the water and the atmosphere. Therefore, they may play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle and climate. Nonetheless, to date, estimates of carbon fluxes in mangrove-dominated estuaries are associated with large uncertainties, because studies have typically focused on limited spatial and temporal scales. For the first time, continuous time series measurements of temperature, salinity, CDOM, pH and pCO2 covering both the dry and the wet seasons were made in Shark River, a tidal estuary in the largest contiguous mangrove forest in North America. The measurements were made at two permanent stations along the estuarine domain, and allowed estimates of net dissolved carbon export from the Shark River to the Gulf of Mexico, as well as the CO2 emissions to the atmosphere to be made at seasonal and annual timescales. Results reveal that, compared to the dry season, the wet season was characterized by higher dissolved carbon export and CO2 emissions, due to meteorological, hydrological, and biogeochemical processes. Additionally, an analysis of relationships between hydrodynamic control factors (i.e. water discharge and water level) in the upstream freshwater marsh and carbon fluxes in the Shark River highlighted the importance of developing good water management strategies in the future. Finally, the study estimated the social cost of carbon fluxes in the Shark River estuary as a contribution to carbon accounting in mangrove ecosystems.

Regulation causes nitrogen cycling discontinuities in Mediterranean rivers.

Science.gov (United States)

von Schiller, Daniel; Aristi, Ibon; Ponsatí, Lídia; Arroita, Maite; Acuña, Vicenç; Elosegi, Arturo; Sabater, Sergi

2016-01-01

River regulation has fundamentally altered large sections of the world's river networks. The effects of dams on the structural properties of downstream reaches are well documented, but less is known about their effect on river ecosystem processes. We investigated the effect of dams on river nutrient cycling by comparing net uptake of total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), phosphorus (TDP) and organic carbon (DOC) in river reaches located upstream and downstream from three reservoir systems in the Ebro River basin (NE Iberian Peninsula). Increased hydromorphological stability, organic matter standing stocks and ecosystem metabolism below dams enhanced the whole-reach net uptake of TDN, but not that of TDP or DOC. Upstream from dams, river reaches tended to be at biogeochemical equilibrium (uptake≈release) for all nutrients, whereas river reaches below dams acted as net sinks of TDN. Overall, our results suggest that flow regulation by dams may cause relevant N cycling discontinuities in rivers. Higher net N uptake capacity below dams could lead to reduced N export to downstream ecosystems. Incorporating these discontinuities could significantly improve predictive models of N cycling and transport in complex river networks. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Flux and Seasonality of Dissolved Organic Matter From the Northern Dvina (Severnaya Dvina) River, Russia

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, Sarah Ellen; Shorina, Natalia; Bulygina, Ekaterina; Vorobjeva, Taisya; Chupakova, Anna; Klimov, Sergey I.; Kellerman, Anne M.; Guillemette, Francois; Shiklomanov, Alexander; Podgorski, David C.; Spencer, Robert G. M.

2018-03-01

Pan-Arctic riverine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) fluxes represent a major transfer of carbon from land-to-ocean, and past scaling estimates have been predominantly derived from the six major Arctic rivers. However, smaller watersheds are constrained to northern high-latitude regions and, particularly with respect to the Eurasian Arctic, have received little attention. In this study, we evaluated the concentration of DOC and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) via optical parameters, biomarkers (lignin phenols), and ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry in the Northern Dvina River (a midsized high-latitude constrained river). Elevated DOC, lignin concentrations, and aromatic DOM indicators were observed throughout the year in comparison to the major Arctic rivers with seasonality exhibiting a clear spring freshet and also some years a secondary pulse in the autumn concurrent with the onset of freezing. Chromophoric DOM absorbance at a350 was strongly correlated to DOC and lignin across the hydrograph; however, the relationships did not fit previous models derived from the six major Arctic rivers. Updated DOC and lignin fluxes were derived for the pan-Arctic watershed by scaling from the Northern Dvina resulting in increased DOC and lignin fluxes (50 Tg yr-1 and 216 Gg yr-1, respectively) compared to past estimates. This leads to a reduction in the residence time for terrestrial carbon in the Arctic Ocean (0.5 to 1.8 years). These findings suggest that constrained northern high-latitude rivers are underrepresented in models of fluxes based from the six largest Arctic rivers with important ramifications for the export and fate of terrestrial carbon in the Arctic Ocean.

Inland Waters and the North American Carbon Cycle

Science.gov (United States)

Butman, D. E.; Striegl, R. G.; Stackpoole, S. M.; del Giorgio, P.; Prairie, Y.; Pilcher, D.; Raymond, P. A.; Alcocer, J.; Paz, F.

2016-12-01

Inland aquatic ecosystems process, store, and release carbon to the atmosphere and coastal margins. The form of this carbon is a function of terrestrial and aquatic primary and secondary production, the weathering of materials in soils and subsurface environments, the hydrologic controls on the movement of carbon from land to inland waters, and the connectivity between streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs and groundwater. The 2007 1st State of the Carbon Cycle reported fluxes for the continental United States (CONUS) only. Streams and rivers exported 30-40 Tg C yr-1 to coastal environments, and 17-25 Tg C yr-1 were buried in lake and reservoir sediments. Remarkably, the 2007 report did not quantify gas emissions, which represent over half of the total carbon fluxes through inland water in the US. Current research has shown that 71-149 Tg C yr-1 exits freshwater systems either through atmospheric emissions of carbon dioxide or as inorganic and organic carbon fluxes to the coast from the CONUS. These estimates did not include the Laurentian Great Lakes. Variation in the magnitude of these fluxes across regions of the CONUS has been linked to differences in precipitation and terrestrial net ecosystem production. Similar comprehensive assessments have not been done for Canada or Mexico. Here we provide, as part of the 2nd State of the Carbon Cycle report, estimates for the river coastal export and vertical emissions of carbon from inland waters of North America, and report major data gaps, and weaknesses in methodologies. These findings stress that strong international partnerships are needed to improve assessment, monitoring, and modeling of human impacts on the magnitude and timing of aquatic fluxes in the future.

Aged riverine particulate organic carbon in four UK catchments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, Jessica L.; Tipping, Edward; Bryant, Charlotte L.; Helliwell, Rachel C.; Toberman, Hannah; Quinton, John

2015-01-01

The riverine transport of particulate organic matter (POM) is a significant flux in the carbon cycle, and affects macronutrients and contaminants. We used radiocarbon to characterise POM at 9 riverine sites of four UK catchments (Avon, Conwy, Dee, Ribble) over a one-year period. High-discharge samples were collected on three or four occasions at each site. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) was obtained by centrifugation, and the samples were analysed for carbon isotopes. Concentrations of SPM and SPM organic carbon (OC) contents were also determined, and were found to have a significant negative correlation. For the 7 rivers draining predominantly rural catchments, PO 14 C values, expressed as percent modern carbon absolute (pMC), varied little among samplings at each site, and there was no significant difference in the average values among the sites. The overall average PO 14 C value for the 7 sites of 91.2 pMC corresponded to an average age of 680 14 C years, but this value arises from the mixing of differently-aged components, and therefore significant amounts of organic matter older than the average value are present in the samples. Although topsoil erosion is probably the major source of the riverine POM, the average PO 14 C value is appreciably lower than topsoil values (which are typically 100 pMC). This is most likely explained by inputs of older subsoil OC from bank erosion, or the preferential loss of high- 14 C topsoil organic matter by mineralisation during riverine transport. The significantly lower average PO 14 C of samples from the River Calder (76.6 pMC), can be ascribed to components containing little or no radiocarbon, derived either from industrial sources or historical coal mining, and this effect is also seen in the River Ribble, downstream of its confluence with the Calder. At the global scale, the results significantly expand available information for PO 14 C in rivers draining catchments with low erosion rates. - Highlights: �

Deforestation in Amazonia impacts riverine carbon dynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Langerwisch, Fanny; Walz, Ariane; Rammig, Anja; Tietjen, Britta; Thonicke, Kirsten; Cramer, Wolfgang

2016-12-01

Fluxes of organic and inorganic carbon within the Amazon basin are considerably controlled by annual flooding, which triggers the export of terrigenous organic material to the river and ultimately to the Atlantic Ocean. The amount of carbon imported to the river and the further conversion, transport and export of it depend on temperature, atmospheric CO2, terrestrial productivity and carbon storage, as well as discharge. Both terrestrial productivity and discharge are influenced by climate and land use change. The coupled LPJmL and RivCM model system (Langerwisch et al., 2016) has been applied to assess the combined impacts of climate and land use change on the Amazon riverine carbon dynamics. Vegetation dynamics (in LPJmL) as well as export and conversion of terrigenous carbon to and within the river (RivCM) are included. The model system has been applied for the years 1901 to 2099 under two deforestation scenarios and with climate forcing of three SRES emission scenarios, each for five climate models. We find that high deforestation (business-as-usual scenario) will strongly decrease (locally by up to 90 %) riverine particulate and dissolved organic carbon amount until the end of the current century. At the same time, increase in discharge leaves net carbon transport during the first decades of the century roughly unchanged only if a sufficient area is still forested. After 2050 the amount of transported carbon will decrease drastically. In contrast to that, increased temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration determine the amount of riverine inorganic carbon stored in the Amazon basin. Higher atmospheric CO2 concentrations increase riverine inorganic carbon amount by up to 20 % (SRES A2). The changes in riverine carbon fluxes have direct effects on carbon export, either to the atmosphere via outgassing or to the Atlantic Ocean via discharge. The outgassed carbon will increase slightly in the Amazon basin, but can be regionally reduced by up to 60 % due to

Water geochemistry of the Xijiang basin rivers, South China: Chemical weathering and CO2 consumption

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Zhifang; Liu Congqiang

2010-01-01

Research highlights: → The Xijiang River is the second largest river in China and flows through a large carbonate rock region in South China. → Sulfuric acid, which emanate from acid precipitation and the oxidation of sulfide minerals, is involved as a proton donor in weathering reactions in the Xijiang basin. → Calculated results show that the contribution of cations from rock weathering induced by sulfuric acid accounts for approximately 11.2%. → The flux of CO 2 released into the atmosphere is approximately 0.41 x 10 12 gC yr -1 produced by sulfuric acid-induced carbonate weathering in the Xijiang basin. → Sulfuric acid-induced carbonate weathering could counterbalance a significant part of the CO 2 consumed by silicate weathering. - Abstract: The Xijiang River, the mainstream of the Zhujiang (Pearl) River, which is the second largest river in China in terms of discharge, flows through a large carbonate rock region in South China. The chemical and Sr isotopic compositions of the Xijiang waters were determined during the high-flow season in order to understand the chemical weathering processes, associated CO 2 consumption and anthropogenic influences within the carbonate-dominated basin. The major ion compositions of the river waters are characterized by the dominance of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , HCO 3 - and are significantly rich in SO 4 2- . The SO 4 2- is mainly derived from the oxidation of sulfide minerals and acid precipitation caused by coal combustion. Chemical and Sr isotopic compositions of the river waters indicate that four reservoirs (carbonates, silicates, evaporites and anthropogenic inputs) contribute to the total dissolved loads. The chemical weathering rates of carbonates and silicates for the Xijiang basin are estimated to be approximately 78.5 and 7.45 ton km -2 a -1 , respectively. The total chemical weathering rate of rocks for the Xijiang basin is approximately 86.1 ton km -2 a -1 or 42 mm ka -1 , which is much higher than global mean

Geochemical composition of river loads in the Tropical Andes: first insights from the Ecuadorian Andes

Science.gov (United States)

Tenorio Poma, Gustavo; Govers, Gerard; Vanacker, Veerle; Bouillon, Steven; Álvarez, Lenín; Zhiminaicela, Santiago

2015-04-01

Processes governing the transport of total suspended material (TSM), total dissolved solids (TDS) and particulate organic carbon (POC) are currently not well known for Tropical Andean river systems. We analyzed the geochemical behavior and the budgets of the particulate and dissolved loads for several sub-catchments in the Paute River basin in the southern Ecuadorian Andes, and examined how anthropogenic activities influenced the dynamics of riverine suspended and dissolved loads. We gathered a large dataset by regularly sampling 8 rivers for their TSM, POC, and TDS. Furthermore, we determined the major elements in the dissolved load and stable isotope composition (δ13C) of both the POC, and the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). The rivers that were sampled flow through a wide range of land uses including: 3 nature conservation areas (100 - 300 Km²), an intensive grassland and arable zone (142 Km²); downstream of two cities (1611 and 443 Km²), and 2 degraded basins (286 and 2492 Km²). We described the geochemical characteristics of the river loads both qualitatively and quantitatively. Important differences in TSM, POC and TDS yields were found between rivers: the concentration of these loads increases according with human activities within the basins. For all rivers, TSM, TDS and POC concentrations were dependent on discharge. Overall, a clear relation between TSM and POC (r²=0.62) was observed in all tributaries. The C:N ratios and δ13CPOC suggest that the POC in most rivers is mainly derived from soil organic matter eroded from soils dominated by C3 vegetation (δ13CPOC < -22‰). Low Ca:Si ratios (<1)and high δ13CDIC (-9 to -4) in the Yanuncay, Tomebamba1 and Machángara, rivers suggest that weathering of silica rocks is dominant in these catchments, and that the DIC is mainly derived from the soil or atmospheric CO2. In contrast, the Ca:Si ratio was high for the Burgay and Jadán rivers (1-13), and the low δ13CDIC values (-9 to -15) suggest that

Modern sedimentary processes along the Doce river adjacent continental shelf

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Valéria da Silva Quaresma

Full Text Available In areas of the continental shelf where sediment supply is greater than the sediment dispersion capacity, an extensive terrigenous deposits and consequently submerged deltas can be formed. The Eastern Brazilian shelf is characterized by the occurrence of river feed deltas in between starving coasts. Herein, modern sedimentary processes acting along the Doce river adjacent continental shelf are investigated. The main objective was to understand the shelf sediment distribution, recognizing distinct sedimentary patterns and the major influence of river sediment discharge in the formation of shelf deposits. The study used 98 surficial samples that were analyzed for grain size, composition and bulk density. Results revealed 3 distinct sectors: south - dominated by mud fraction with a recent deposition from riverine input until 30 m deep and from this depth bioclastic sands dominate; central north - sand mud dominated, been recognized as a bypass zone of resuspended sediment during high energy events; and north - relict sands with high carbonate content. The modern sedimentation processes along the Doce river continental shelf is dominated by distinct sedimentary regimes, showing a strong fluvial influence associated with wave/wind induced sediment dispersion and a carbonate regime along the outer shelf. These regimes seem to be controlled by the distance from the river mouth and bathymetric gradients.

Input of particulate organic and dissolved inorganic carbon from the Amazon to the Atlantic Ocean

OpenAIRE

Druffel, E. R. M; Bauer, J. E; Griffin, S.

2005-01-01

We report concentrations and isotope measurements (radiocarbon and stable carbon) of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and suspended particulate organic carbon (POC) in waters collected from the mouth of the Amazon River and the North Brazil Current. Samples were collected in November 1991, when the Amazon hydrograph was at its annual minimum and the North Brazil Current had retroflected into the equatorial North Atlantic. The DIC Δ14C results revealed postbomb carbon in river and ocean waters...

Characteristics of dissolved organic matter in the Upper Klamath River, Lost River, and Klamath Straits Drain, Oregon and California

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Jami H.; Sullivan, Annett B.

2017-12-11

Concentrations of particulate organic carbon (POC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which together comprise total organic carbon, were measured in this reconnaissance study at sampling sites in the Upper Klamath River, Lost River, and Klamath Straits Drain in 2013–16. Optical absorbance and fluorescence properties of dissolved organic matter (DOM), which contains DOC, also were analyzed. Parallel factor analysis was used to decompose the optical fluorescence data into five key components for all samples. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to investigate differences in DOM source and processing among sites.At all sites in this study, average DOC concentrations were higher than average POC concentrations. The highest DOC concentrations were at sites in the Klamath Straits Drain and at Pump Plant D. Evaluation of optical properties indicated that Klamath Straits Drain DOM had a refractory, terrestrial source, likely extracted from the interaction of this water with wetland peats and irrigated soils. Pump Plant D DOM exhibited more labile characteristics, which could, for instance, indicate contributions from algal or microbial exudates. The samples from Klamath River also had more microbial or algal derived material, as indicated by PCA analysis of the optical properties. Most sites, except Pump Plant D, showed a linear relation between fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM) and DOC concentration, indicating these measurements are highly correlated (R2=0.84), and thus a continuous fDOM probe could be used to estimate DOC loads from these sites.

Sources of CO{sub 2} in the Gulf of Trieste (N. Adriatic). Stable Carbon Isotope Evidence

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogrinc, N.; Zavadlav, S. [Department of Environmental Sciences, Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Turk, D. [Department of Oceanography, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada); Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Earth Institute at Columbia University, Palisades, NY (United States); Faganeli, J. [Marine Biological Station National Institute of Biology, Piran (Slovenia)

2013-07-15

In the present study the influence of freshwater intrusions on the net carbon dynamics in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea) were investigated. Carbonate mineral weathering dominates the inorganic carbon geochemical flux of the N Adriatic rivers and thus the origin of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the gulf seawater. Based on {delta}{sup 13}C{sub DIC} values and isotopic mass balance it was estimated that rivers represents about 20% of DIC in spring, while the riverine contribution in autumn is less pronounced probably due to intensive water mixing. The results, therefore, suggest that river inputs play a significant role in the carbon cycling in the Gulf of Trieste due to mixing of higher DIC riverine water with lower seawater DIC. The observed higher summer {delta}{sup 13}C{sub DIC} values were due to more pronounced photosynthetic carbon fractionation. (author)

Input of particulate organic and dissolved inorganic carbon from the Amazon to the Atlantic Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Druffel, E. R. M.; Bauer, J. E.; Griffin, S.

2005-03-01

We report concentrations and isotope measurements (radiocarbon and stable carbon) of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and suspended particulate organic carbon (POC) in waters collected from the mouth of the Amazon River and the North Brazil Current. Samples were collected in November 1991, when the Amazon hydrograph was at its annual minimum and the North Brazil Current had retroflected into the equatorial North Atlantic. The DIC Δ14C results revealed postbomb carbon in river and ocean waters, with slightly higher values at the river mouth. The low DIC δ13C signature of the river end-member (-11‰) demonstrates that about half of the DIC originated from the remineralization of terrestrially derived organic matter. A linear relationship between DIC and salinity indicates that DIC was mixed nearly conservatively in the transition zone from the river mouth to the open ocean, though there was a small amount (≤10%) of organic matter remineralization in the mesohaline region. The POC Δ14C values in the river mouth were markedly lower than those values from the western Amazon region (Hedges et al., 1986). We conclude that the dominant source of POC near the river mouth and in the inner Amazon plume during November 1991 was aged, resuspended material of significant terrestrial character derived from shelf sediments, while the outer plume contained mainly marine-derived POC.

Organic carbon dynamics in mangrove ecosystems: a review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kristensen, E.; Bouillon, S.; Dittmar, T.; Marchand, C.

2008-01-01

Our current knowledge on production, composition, transport, pathways and transformations of organic carbon in tropical mangrove environments is reviewed and discussed. Organic carbon entering mangrove foodwebs is either produced autochthonously or imported by tides and/or rivers. Mangrove litter

Hydromorphological control of nutrient cycling in complex river floodplain systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hein, T.; Bondar-Kunze, E.; Felkl, M.; Habersack, H.; Mair, M.; Pinay, G.; Tritthart, M.; Welti, N.

2009-04-01

Riparian zones and floodplains are key components within river ecosystems controlling nutrient cycling by promoting transformation processes and thus, act as biogeochemical hot spots. The intensity of these processes depends on the exchange conditions (the connectivity) with the main channel and the morphological setting of the water bodies. At the landscape scale, three interrelated principles of hydromorphological dynamics can be formulated regarding the cycling and transfer of carbon and nutrients in large rivers ecosystems: a) The mode of carbon and nutrient delivery affects ecosystem functioning; b) Increasing residence time and contact area impact nutrient transformation; c) Floods and droughts are natural events that strongly influence pathways of carbon and nutrient cycling. These three principles of hydromorphological dynamics control the nutrient uptake and retention and are linked over different temporal and spatial scales. All three factors can be strongly affected by natural disturbances or anthropogenic impacts, through a change in either the water regime or the geomorphologic setting of the river valley. Any change in natural water regimes will affect the biogeochemistry of riparian zones and floodplains as well as their ability to cycle and mitigate nutrient fluxes originating from upstream and/or upslope. Especially these areas have been altered by river regulation and land use changes over the last 200 years leading to the deterioration of the functioning of these compartments within the riverine landscape. The resulting deficits have prompted rehabilitation and restoration measures aiming to increase the spatial heterogeneity, the complexity, of these ecosystems. Yet, a more integrated approach is needed considering the present status of nutrient dynamics and the effects of restoration measures at different scales. The present paper analyses the effects of river side-arm restoration on ecosystem functions within the side-arm and highlights

Chemical composition of hot spring waters in the Oita river basins, Oita prefecture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kawano, Tamio

1988-01-30

The source of the water from Oita River comes from the Kuju and Yubu-Tsurumi Volcanos, pouring into Beppu Bay. Its drainage area is 646 km/sup 2/ with a total length of 55 km. Hot springs are exist throughout most of the basin of the main and branches of Oita River. The chemical components of the hot springs in the Ota River basin -Yufuin, Yunotaira, Nagayu, Shonai/Hazama, and Oita City - have been analyzed. The equivalent of magnesium exceeds that of calcium in the carbonate springs of the above. Ca+Mg has positive correlations with HCO/sub 3/ in these carbonate springs. The water from these springs flows into the rivers and pours into Beppu Bay. The flow rate and chemical component concentration were measured at Fudai bridge. The concentration of chemical components having an average flow rate (30 ton/sec) were calculated. (4 figs, 7 tabs, 10 refs)

Increasing Alkalinity Export from Large Russian Arctic Rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Drake, T.; Zhulidov, A. V.; Gurtovaya, T. Y.; Spencer, R. G.

2017-12-01

Riverine carbonate alkalinity (HCO3- and CO32-) sourced from chemical weathering of minerals on land represents a significant sink for atmospheric CO2 over geologic timescales. The flux of alkalinity from rivers in the Arctic depends on precipitation, permafrost extent and thaw, groundwater flow paths, and surface vegetation, all of which are changing under a warming climate. Here we show that over the past four decades, the export of alkalinity from the Ob' and Yenisei Rivers has more than doubled. The increase is likely due to a combination of increasing precipitation and permafrost thaw in the watersheds, which lengthens hydrologic flow paths and increases residence time in soils. These trends have broad implications for the rate of carbon sequestration on land and the delivery of buffering capacity to the Arctic Ocean.

Transport of plutonium by the Mississippi River system and other rivers in the southern United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, M.R.; Salter, P.F.

1987-01-01

The distribution of fallout Pu has been studied in the sediments and water of the Mississippi River and eight other rivers. Plutonium content of the sediments is related to grain size and Fe and Mn content. Rivers in human climates show relatively high organic carbon (3 to 4%) and high /sup 239,240)Pu content (36 to 131 dpm/kg) in their suspended sediments. Dissolved Pu is very low in all the rivers; distribution coefficients vary from 10 4 to 10 5 . The 238 Pu//sup 239,240/Pu ratios are low in all the river sediments (∼.06) except the Miami River in Ohio, where ratios as high as 99 were measured. The high ratios originate from the Mound Laboratory Pu processing plant at Miamisburg, Ohio, and can be traced downstream to the junction with the Ohio River. Mississippi River suspended sediment shows a continual decrease of /sup 239,240/Pu content over a 7 year time period. An exponential curve best-fit through the data predicts a half time of decrease equal to 4.3 years. The decrease in Pu content of river sediment results from several factors: cessation of atmospheric weapons testing; transport of Pu to deeper levels of soil profiles; storage of sediment in flood plains and behind dams; and dilution by erosion by older, prebomb soil material. The amount of fallout Pu now removed from the Mississippi River drainage basin to the ocean is 11% as a maximum estimate. Most the fallout Pu in the Mississippi drainage basin will remain on the continent unless there are major changes in erosion and sediment transport patterns in the basin itself. 56 references, 7 figures, 2 tables

Sediment source detection by stable isotope analysis, carbon and nitrogen content and CSSI in a small river of the Swiss Plateau

Science.gov (United States)

SchindlerWildhaber, Yael; Alewell, Christine; Birkholz, Axel

2014-05-01

Suspended sediment (SS) and organic matter in rivers can harm the fauna by affecting health and fitness of free swimming fish and by causing siltation of the riverbed. The temporal and spatial dynamics of sediment, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) during the brown trout spawning season in a small river of the Swiss Plateau were assessed and C isotopes as well as the C/N atomic ratio were used to distinguish autochthonous and allochthonous sources of organic matter in SS loads. The visual basic program IsoSource with 13Ctot and 15N as input isotopes was used to quantify the temporal and spatial sources of SS. We determined compound specific stable carbon isotopes (CSSI) in fatty acids of possible sediment source areas to the stream in addition and compared them to SS from selected high flow and low flow events. Organic matter concentrations in the infiltrated and suspended sediment were highest during low flow periods with small sediment loads and lowest during high flow periods with high sediment loads. Peak values in nitrate and dissolved organic C were measured during high flow and high rainfall, probably due to leaching from pasture and arable land. The organic matter was of allochthonous sources as indicated by the C/N atomic ratio and δ13Corg. Organic matter in SS increased from up- to downstream due to an increase in sediment delivery from pasture and arable land downstream of the river. While the major sources of SS are pasture and arable land during base flow conditions, SS from forest soils increased during heavy rain events and warmer winter periods most likely due to snow melt which triggered erosion. Preliminary results of CSSI analysis of sediment source areas and comparison to SS of selected events indicate that differences in d13C values of individual fatty acids are too small to differentiate unambiguously between sediment sources.

The river as a chemostat: fresh perspectives on dissolved organic matter flowing down the river continuum

Science.gov (United States)

Creed, Irena F.; McKnight, Diane M.; Pellerin, Brian; Green, Mark B.; Bergamaschi, Brian; Aiken, George R.; Burns, Douglas A.; Findlay, Stuart E G; Shanley, James B.; Striegl, Robert G.; Aulenbach, Brent T.; Clow, David W.; Laudon, Hjalmar; McGlynn, Brian L.; McGuire, Kevin J.; Smith, Richard A.; Stackpoole, Sarah M.

2015-01-01

A better understanding is needed of how hydrological and biogeochemical processes control dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition from headwaters downstream to large rivers. We examined a large DOM dataset from the National Water Information System of the US Geological Survey, which represents approximately 100 000 measurements of DOC concentration and DOM composition at many sites along rivers across the United States. Application of quantile regression revealed a tendency towards downstream spatial and temporal homogenization of DOC concentrations and a shift from dominance of aromatic DOM in headwaters to more aliphatic DOM downstream. The DOC concentration–discharge (C-Q) relationships at each site revealed a downstream tendency towards a slope of zero. We propose that despite complexities in river networks that have driven many revisions to the River Continuum Concept, rivers show a tendency towards chemostasis (C-Q slope of zero) because of a downstream shift from a dominance of hydrologic drivers that connect terrestrial DOM sources to streams in the headwaters towards a dominance of instream and near-stream biogeochemical processes that result in preferential losses of aromatic DOM and preferential gains of aliphatic DOM.

Effect of fractionated X-ray doses on the hemogram and the protein formula of the mouse; Action de doses fractionnees de rayons X sur l'hemogramme et la formule proteique de la souris

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alix, D; Pierotti, Th [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Grenoble (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1965-07-01

The authors have studied the action of small doses of radiation on the system of mice. Irradiations was performed at doses of 50, 100, 150 or 200 R according to groups, either, as single dose or as fractionated doses. It was established that changes begin to become evident only after total exposure of 100 R. It occurs a decrease of cellular constituents and more often than not an increase of total proteins and {gamma}-globulins. (authors) [French] Les auteurs ont etudie l'action des faibles doses de radiation sur la souris. Des irradiations furent pratiquees a des doses totales de 50, 100, 150 ou 200 R suivant les lots, soit en dose unique, soit en doses fractionnees. Ils ont constate que les modifications ne commencent a apparaitre nettement qu'apres une exposition de 100 R au total. Elles se font dans le sens de la diminution pour les elements cellulaires, le plus souvent dans le sens de l'augmentation pour les proteines totales et les {gamma}-globulines. (auteurs)

Absorption spectroscopy of colored dissolved organic carbon in Georgia (USA rivers: the impact of molecular size distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michelle McELVAINE

2003-02-01

Full Text Available Dissolved organic carbon (DOC was collected in six rivers that transect the coastal plain of Georgia in July 1999 and February 2000. DOC concentrations ranged from 4.9 to 40.7 g m-3 and from 7.1 to 40.5 g m-3, respectively. The absorption coefficient at 440 nm was highly correlated with DOC concentration, suggesting that the optical parameter may be utilized for rapid estimation of DOC in these waters. The isolated DOC was separated into fractions of operationally defined molecular size, using an ultrafiltration technique that yielded three fractions: 50 ("large" kilodalton. The smallest fraction was the most abundant (>50% in 4 rivers in July and in all rivers in February, and considerably more abundant than in previous years. The wavelength-dependent absorption of the total DOC and its fractions showed approximately uniform shape of a curve declining exponentially with the increase of wavelength. The average slope of logarithmically transformed curves was 0.0151 and 0.0159 nm-1, for the material collected in July and February, respectively and showed a dependence on DOC molecular size. In unfractionated DOC samples, the mass-specific light absorption determined at 440 nm was on average 0.33 m2 g-1 in July, and 0.26 m2 g-1 in February. The mass-specific absorption coefficient in all fractions ranged between 0.085 and 1.347 m2 g-1 in July and between 0.085 and 1.877 m2 g-1 in February, and was positively correlated with the molecular size of the measured samples. The results of the reported study clearly suggest that the specific absorption coefficient of the yellow substance is an outcome of the relative contribution of its different size fractions.

Vegetation Carbon Storage, Spatial Patterns and Response to Altitude in Lancang River Basin, Southwest China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Long Chen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Vegetation plays a very important role of carbon (C sinks in the global C cycle. With its complex terrain and diverse vegetation types, the Lancang River Basin (LRB of southwest China has huge C storage capacity. Therefore, understanding the spatial variations and controlling mechanisms of vegetation C storage is important to understand the regional C cycle. In this study, data from a forest inventory and field plots were used to estimate and map vegetation C storage distribution in the LRB, to qualify the quantitative relationships between vegetation C density and altitude at sublot and township scale, and a linear model or polynomial model was used to identify the relationship between C density and altitude at two spatial scales and two statistical scales. The results showed that a total of 300.32 Tg C was stored in the LRB, an important C sink in China. The majority of C storage was contributed by forests, notably oaks. The vegetation C storage exhibited nonlinear variation with latitudinal gradients. Altitude had tremendous influences on spatial patterns of vegetation C storage of three geomorphological types in the LRB. C storage decreased with increasing altitude at both town and sublot scales in the flat river valley (FRV region and the mid-low mountains gorge (MMG region, and first increased then decreased in the alpine gorge (AG region. This revealed that, in southwest China, altitude changes the latitudinal patterns of vegetation C storage; especially in the AG area, C density in the mid-altitude (3100 m area was higher than that of adjacent areas.

Organic Carbon Sources and their Transfer in a Gulf of Mexico Coral Reef Ecosystem under River Influence

Science.gov (United States)

Parrish, C.; Carreón-Palau, L.; del Ángel-Rodríguez, J.; Perez-Espana, H.; Aguiniga-Garcıa, S.

2016-02-01

To assess the degree to which coral reefs in a marine protected area have been influenced by terrestrial and anthropogenic organic carbon inputs we used C and N stable isotopes and lipid biomarkers in the Coral Reef System of Veracruz in the southwest Gulf of Mexico. A C and N stable isotope mixing model and a calculated fatty acid (FA) retention factor revealed the primary producer sources that fuel the coral reef food web. Then lipid classes, FA and sterol biomarkers determined production of terrestrial and marine biogenic material of nutritional quality to pelagic and benthic organisms. Finally, coprostanol determined pollutant loading from sewage in the suspended particulate matter. Results indicate that phytoplankton is the major source of essential FA for fish and that dietary energy from terrestrial sources such as mangroves are transferred to juvenile fish, while sea grass non-essential FA are transferred to the entire food web. Sea urchins may be the main consumers of brown macroalgae, while surgeon fish prefer red algae. C and N isotopic values and the C:N ratio suggest that fertilizer is the principal source of nitrogen to macroalgae. Thus nitrogen supply also favored phytoplankton and sea grass growth leading to a better nutritional condition and high retention of organic carbon in the food web members during the rainy season when river influence increases. However, the great star coral Montastrea cavernosa nutritional condition decreased significantly. The nearest river to the Reef System was polluted in the dry season; however, a dilution effect was detected in the rainy season, when some coral reefs were contaminated. In 2013, a new treatment plant started working in the area. We would suggest monitoring δ15N and the C: N ratio in macroalgae as indicators of the nitrogen input and coprostanol as an indicator of human feces pollution in order to verify the efficiency of the new treatment plant as part of the management program of the Reef System.

The impact of lateral carbon fluxes on the European carbon balance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ciais, P.; Hauglustaine, D.; Borges, A.V.; Abril, G.; Meybeck, M.; Folberth, G.; Janssens, I.A.

2008-01-01

To date, little is known about the impact of processes which cause lateral carbon fluxes over continents, and from continents to oceans on the CO 2 - and carbon budgets at local, regional and continental scales. Lateral carbon fluxes contribute to regional carbon budgets as follows: Ecosystem CO 2 sink=Ecosystem carbon accumulation + Lateral carbon fluxes. We estimated the contribution of wood and food product trade, of emission and oxidation of reduced carbon species, and of river erosion and transport as lateral carbon fluxes to the carbon balance of Europe (EU-25). The analysis is completed by new estimates of the carbon fluxes of coastal seas. We estimated that lateral transport (all processes combined) is a flux of 165 Tg C yr -1 at the scale of EU-25. The magnitude of lateral transport is thus comparable to current estimates of carbon accumulation in European forests. The main process contributing to the total lateral flux out of Europe is the flux of reduced carbon compounds, corresponding to the sum of non-CO 2 gaseous species (CH 4 , CO, hydrocarbons,... ) emitted by ecosystems and exported out of the European boundary layer by the large scale atmospheric circulation. (authors)

Aged riverine particulate organic carbon in four UK catchments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adams, Jessica L., E-mail: jesams@ceh.ac.uk [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, LA1 4AP (United Kingdom); Tipping, Edward, E-mail: et@ceh.ac.uk [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, LA1 4AP (United Kingdom); Bryant, Charlotte L., E-mail: charlotte.bryant@glasgow.ac.uk [NERC Radiocarbon Facility, East Kilbride G75 0QF, Scotland (United Kingdom); Helliwell, Rachel C., E-mail: rachel.helliwell@hutton.ac.uk [The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH Scotland (United Kingdom); Toberman, Hannah, E-mail: hannahtoberman@hotmail.com [Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster, LA1 4AP (United Kingdom); School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 3GP (United Kingdom); Quinton, John, E-mail: j.quinton@lancaster.ac.uk [Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ (United Kingdom)

2015-12-01

The riverine transport of particulate organic matter (POM) is a significant flux in the carbon cycle, and affects macronutrients and contaminants. We used radiocarbon to characterise POM at 9 riverine sites of four UK catchments (Avon, Conwy, Dee, Ribble) over a one-year period. High-discharge samples were collected on three or four occasions at each site. Suspended particulate matter (SPM) was obtained by centrifugation, and the samples were analysed for carbon isotopes. Concentrations of SPM and SPM organic carbon (OC) contents were also determined, and were found to have a significant negative correlation. For the 7 rivers draining predominantly rural catchments, PO{sup 14}C values, expressed as percent modern carbon absolute (pMC), varied little among samplings at each site, and there was no significant difference in the average values among the sites. The overall average PO{sup 14}C value for the 7 sites of 91.2 pMC corresponded to an average age of 680 {sup 14}C years, but this value arises from the mixing of differently-aged components, and therefore significant amounts of organic matter older than the average value are present in the samples. Although topsoil erosion is probably the major source of the riverine POM, the average PO{sup 14}C value is appreciably lower than topsoil values (which are typically 100 pMC). This is most likely explained by inputs of older subsoil OC from bank erosion, or the preferential loss of high-{sup 14}C topsoil organic matter by mineralisation during riverine transport. The significantly lower average PO{sup 14}C of samples from the River Calder (76.6 pMC), can be ascribed to components containing little or no radiocarbon, derived either from industrial sources or historical coal mining, and this effect is also seen in the River Ribble, downstream of its confluence with the Calder. At the global scale, the results significantly expand available information for PO{sup 14}C in rivers draining catchments with low erosion rates

Anthropogenic impact on biogenic substance distribution and bacterial community in sediment along the Yarlung Tsangpo River on Tibet Plateau, China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, C.; Peifang, W.; Wang, X.; Hou, J.; Miao, L.

2017-12-01

Lotic river system plays an important part in water-vapor transfer and biogenic substances migration and transformation. Anthropogenic activities, including wastewater discharging and river damming, have altered river ecosystem and continuum. However, as the longest alpine river in China and suffered from increasing anthropogenic activities, the Yarlung Tsangpo River has been rarely studied. Recently, more attention has also been paid to the bacteria in river sediment as they make vital contributions to the biogeochemical nutrient cycling. Here, the distribution of biogenic substances, including nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon and carbon, was explored in both water and sediment of the Yarlung Tsangpo River. By using the next generation 16S rRNA sequencing, the bacterial diversity and structure in river sediment were presented. The results indicated that the nutrient concentrations increased in densely populated sites, revealing that biogenic substance distribution corresponded with the intensity of anthropogenic activity along the river. Nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon and carbon in water and sediment were all retained by the Zangmu Dam which is the only dam in the mainstream of the river. Moreover, the river damming decreased the biomass and diversity of bacteria in sediment, but no significant alteration of community structure was observed upstream and downstream of the dam. The most dominant bacteria all along the river was Proteobacteria. Meanwhile, Verrucomicrobia and Firmicutes also dominated the community composition in upstream and downstream of the river, respectively. In addition, total organic carbon (TOC) was proved to be the most important environmental factor shaping the bacterial community in river sediment. Our study offered the preliminary insights into the biogenic substance distribution and bacterial community in sediment along an alpine river which was affected by anthropogenic activities. In the future, more studies are needed to reveal the

Eco-hydrological Responses to Soil and Water Conservation in the Jinghe River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, H.; Jia, Y.; Qiu, Y.

2011-12-01

The Jinghe River Basin is one of the most serious soil erosion areas in the Loess Plateau. Many measures of soil and water conservation were applied in the basin. Terrestrial ecosystem model BIOME-BGC and distributed hydrological model WEP-L were used to build eco-hydrological model and verified by field observation and literature values. The model was applied in the Jinghe River Basin to analyze eco-hydrological responses under the scenarios of vegetation type change due to soil and water conservation polices. Four scenarios were set under the measures of conversion of cropland to forest, forestation on bare land, forestation on slope wasteland and planting grass on bare land. Analysis results show that the soil and water conservation has significant effects on runoff and the carbon cycle in the Jinghe River Basin: the average annual runoff would decrease and the average annual NPP and carbon storage would increase. Key words: soil and water conservation; conversion of cropland to forest; eco-hydrology response; the Jinghe River Basin

Polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure in the Mid-Ohio River Valley, 1991–2012

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herrick, Robert L.; Buckholz, Jeanette; Biro, Frank M.; Calafat, Antonia M.; Ye, Xiaoyun; Xie, Changchun; Pinney, Susan M.

2017-01-01

Background: Industrial discharges of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) to the Ohio River, contaminating water systems near Parkersburg, WV, were previously associated with nearby residents' serum PFOA concentrations above US general population medians. Ohio River PFOA concentrations downstream are elevated, suggesting Mid-Ohio River Valley residents are exposed through drinking water. Objectives: Quantify PFOA and 10 other per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in Mid-Ohio River Valley resident sera collected between 1991 and 2013 and determine whether the Ohio River and Ohio River Aquifer are exposure sources. Methods: We measured eleven PFAS in 1608 sera from 931 participants. Serum PFOA concentration and water source associations were assessed using linear mixed-effects models. We estimated between-sample serum PFOA using one-compartment pharmacokinetics for participants with multiple samples. Results: In serum samples collected as early as 1991, PFOA (median = 7.6 ng/mL) was detected in 99.9% of sera; 47% had concentrations greater than US population 95th percentiles. Five other PFAS were detected in greater than 82% of samples; median other PFAS concentrations were similar to the US general population. Serum PFOA was significantly associated with water source, sampling year, age at sampling, tap water consumption, pregnancy, gravidity and breastfeeding. Serum PFOA was 40–60% lower with granular activated carbon (GAC) use. Repeated measurements and pharmacokinetics suggest serum PFOA peaked 2000–2006 for participants using water without GAC treatment; where GAC was used, serum PFOA concentrations decreased from 1991 to 2012. Conclusions: Mid-Ohio River Valley residents appear to have PFOA, but not other PFAS, serum concentrations above US population levels. Drinking water from the Ohio River and Ohio River Aquifer, primarily contaminated by industrial discharges 209–666 km upstream, is likely the primary exposure source. GAC treatment of drinking

Hydrology of the North Klondike River: carbon export, water balance and inter-annual climate influences within a sub-alpine permafrost catchment.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapp, Anthony; Clark, Ian; Macumber, Andrew; Patterson, Tim

2017-10-01

Arctic and sub-arctic watersheds are undergoing significant changes due to recent climate warming and degrading permafrost, engendering enhanced monitoring of arctic rivers. Smaller catchments provide understanding of discharge, solute flux and groundwater recharge at the process level that contributes to an understanding of how larger arctic watersheds are responding to climate change. The North Klondike River, located in west central Yukon, is a sub-alpine permafrost catchment, which maintains an active hydrological monitoring station with a record of >40 years. In addition to being able to monitor intra-annual variability, this data set allows for more complex analysis of streamflow records. Streamflow data, geochemistry and stable isotope data for 2014 show a groundwater-dominated system, predominantly recharged during periods of snowmelt. Radiocarbon is shown to be a valuable tracer of soil zone recharge processes and carbon sources. Winter groundwater baseflow contributes 20 % of total annual discharge, and accounts for up to 50 % of total river discharge during the spring and summer months. Although total stream discharge remains unchanged, mean annual groundwater baseflow has increased over the 40-year monitoring period. Wavelet analysis reveals a catchment that responds to El Niño and longer solar cycles, as well as climatic shifts such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Dedicated to Professor Peter Fritz on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

Molybdenum, vanadium, and uranium weathering in small mountainous rivers and rivers draining high-standing islands

Science.gov (United States)

Gardner, Christopher B.; Carey, Anne E.; Lyons, W. Berry; Goldsmith, Steven T.; McAdams, Brandon C.; Trierweiler, Annette M.

2017-12-01

Rivers draining high standing islands (HSIs) and small mountainous rivers (SMRs) are known to have extremely high sediment fluxes, and can also have high chemical weathering yields, which makes them potentially important contributors to the global riverine elemental flux to the ocean. This work reports on the riverine concentrations, ocean flux, and weathering yields of Molybdenum (Mo), Vanadium (V), and Uranium (U) in a large number of small but geochemically important rivers using 338 river samples from ten lithologically-diverse regions. These redox-sensitive elements are used extensively to infer paleo-redox conditions in the ocean, and Mo and V are also important rock-derived micronutrients used by microorganisms in nitrogen fixation. Unlike in large river systems, in which dissolved Mo has been attributed predominately to pyrite dissolution, Mo concentrations in these rivers did not correlate with sulfate concentrations. V was found to correlate strongly with Si in terrains dominated by silicate rocks, but this trend was not observed in primarily sedimentary regions. Many rivers exhibited much higher V/Si ratios than larger rivers, and rivers draining young Quaternary volcanic rocks in Nicaragua had much higher dissolved V concentrations (mean = 1306 nM) than previously-studied rivers. U concentrations were generally well below the global average with the exception of rivers draining primarily sedimentary lithologies containing carbonates and shales. Fluxes of U and Mo from igneous terrains of intermediate composition are lower than the global average, while fluxes of V from these regions are higher, and up to two orders of magnitude higher in the Nicaragua rivers. Weathering yields of Mo and V in most regions are above the global mean, despite lower than average concentrations measured in some of those systems, indicating that the chemical weathering of these elements are higher in these SMR watersheds than larger drainages. In regions of active boundaries

Enhanced coagulation for turbidity and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal from river Kansawati water.

Science.gov (United States)

Narayan, Sumit; Goel, Sudha

2011-01-01

The objective of this study was to determine optimum coagulant doses for turbidity and Total Organic Carbon (TOC) removal and evaluate the extent to which TOC can be removed by enhanced coagulation. Jar tests were conducted in the laboratory to determine optimum doses of alum for the removal of turbidity and Natural Organic Matter (NOM) from river water. Various other water quality parameters were measured before and after thejar tests and included: UV Absorbance (UVA) at 254 nm, microbial concentrations, TDS, conductivity, hardness, alkalinity, and pH. The optimum alum dose for removal of turbidity and TOC was 20 mg/L for the sample collected in November 2009 and 100 mg/L for the sample collected in March 2010. In both cases, the dose for enhanced coagulation was significantly higher than that for conventional coagulation. The gain in TOC removal was insignificant compared to the increase in coagulant dose required. This is usual for low TOC (TOC need to be tested to demonstrate the effectiveness of enhanced coagulation.

Organic matter dynamics in a karstic watershed: Example from Santa Fe River, Florida, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, J.; Khadka, M. B.; Martin, J. B.; Zimmerman, A. R.

2011-12-01

Organic matter (OM) dynamics in karstic watersheds can involve a range of interactions between organic and inorganic phases of carbon. These interactions include OM remineralization, which will changes its lability, increase dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations, reduce pH, and enhance carbonate mineral dissolution. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations are elevated in black-water rivers of northern Florida from both allochthonous and autochthonous sources and these rivers flow into and interact with the karstic Floridan Aquifer. One such river, the Santa Fe River, is split into upper confined and lower unconfined watersheds by the Cody Scarp, which represent the erosional edge of a regional confining unit. Water samples were collected from 8 sites across the entire Santa Fe River watershed (SFRW) during 9 sampling trips from December 2009 to May 2011 at flow conditions that ranged from 27 to 39 m3/s, with the highest flow about 45% higher than baseflow. At sites above the Cody Scarp, the river has elevated DOC concentrations, which decrease downstream, while dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and δ13C-DIC show opposite trends. At high flow, DOC concentrations progressively decrease downstream from dilution by low-DOC water discharging from the Floridan Aquifer. At low flow, the water chemistry varies little from upstream to downstream, largely because the composition of upstream water becomes similar to that of downstream water. DOC is inversely and linearly correlated with DIC and δ13C-DIC, but the slope of the correlations vary with discharge, with low flow having more negative slopes than high flow. The OM becomes more labile with distance downstream as assessed using two fluorescence indices, biological/autochthonous index (BIX) and humification index (HIX). This increase in lability suggests that DOC is produced in the river, and this production is reflected in a downstream increase in DOC flux regardless of dilution by the influx of low

Channel Control Structures for Souris River, Minot, North Dakota. Hydraulic Model Investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

1981-04-01

in good agreement with other broad - and sharp - crested weirs . 19. Early testing of the typical type I structure indicated that the size of the riprap...III structure (Figure 4) will consist of a concrete weir with a crest lo- cated 10.0 ft above the channel bottom with a 1-ft-high end sill at the end...to the channel, was effective in preventing significant head differ- ential and damage to the strucLure with overbank flow conditions. The weir crest

Anthropogenic perturbation of the carbon fluxes from land to ocean

KAUST Repository

Regnier, Pierre; Friedlingstein, Pierre; Ciais, Philippe; Mackenzie, Fred T.; Gruber, Nicolas; Janssens, Ivan A.; Laruelle, Goulven G.; Lauerwald, Ronny; Luyssaert, Sebastiaan; Andersson, Andreas J.; Arndt, Sandra; Arnosti, Carol; Borges, Alberto V.; Dale, Andrew W.; Gallego-Sala, Angela; Goddé ris, Yves; Goossens, Nicolas; Hartmann, Jens; Heinze, Christoph; Ilyina, Tatiana; Joos, Fortunat; LaRowe, Douglas E.; Leifeld, Jens; Meysman, Filip J. R.; Munhoven, Guy; Raymond, Peter A.; Spahni, Renato; Suntharalingam, Parvadha; Thullner, Martin

2013-01-01

to enhanced carbon export from soils. Most of this additional carbon input to upstream rivers is either emitted back to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (∼0.4 Pg C yr -1) or sequestered in sediments (∼0.5 Pg C yr -1) along the continuum of freshwater bodies

The enhancement of heavy metal removal from polluted river water treatment by integrated carbon-aluminium electrodes using electrochemical method

Science.gov (United States)

Yussuf, N. M.; Embong, Z.; Abdullah, S.; Masirin, M. I. M.; Tajudin, S. A. A.; Ahmad, S.; Sahari, S. K.; Anuar, A. A.; Maxwell, O.

2018-01-01

The heavy metal removal enhancement from polluted river water was investigated using two types of electrodes consist of integrated carbon-aluminium and a conventional aluminium plate electrode at laboratory-scale experiments. In the integrated electrode systems, the aluminium electrode surface was coated with carbon using mixed slurry containing carbon black, polyvinyl acetate and methanol. The electrochemical treatment was conducted on the parameter condition of 90V applied voltage, 3cm of electrode distance and 60 minutes of electrolysis operational time. Surface of both electrodes was investigated for pre and post electrolysis treatment by using SEM-EDX analytical technique. Comparison between both of the electrode configuration exhibits that more metals were accumulated on carbon integrated electrode surfaces for both anode and cathode, and more heavy metals were detected on the cathode. The atomic percentage of metals distributed on the cathode conventional electrode surface consist of Al (94.62%), Zn (1.19%), Mn (0.73%), Fe (2.81%) and Cu (0.64%), while on the anode contained O (12.08%), Al (87.63%) and Zn (0.29%). Meanwhile, cathode surface of integrated electrode was accumulated with more metals; O (75.40%), Al (21.06%), Zn (0.45%), Mn (0.22), Fe (0.29%), Cu (0.84%), Pb (0.47%), Na (0.94%), Cr (0.08%), Ni (0.02%) and Ag (0.22%), while on anode contain Al (3.48%), Fe (0.49 %), C (95.77%), and Pb (0.26%). According to this experiment, it was found that integrated carbon-aluminium electrodes have a great potential to accumulate more heavy metal species from polluted water compare to the conventional aluminium electrode. Here, heavy metal accumulation process obviously very significant on the cathode surface.

Plumbing the global carbon cycle: Integrating inland waters into the terrestrial carbon budget

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cole, J.; Prairie, Y.T.; Caraco, N.; McDowell, W.H.; Tranvil, L.; Striegl, R.G.; Duarte, C.M.; Kortelainen, P.; Downing, J.A.; Middelburg, J.J.; Melack, J.

2007-01-01

Because freshwater covers such a small fraction of the Earth’s surface area, inland freshwater ecosystems (particularly lakes, rivers, and reservoirs) have rarely been considered as potentially important quantitative components of the carbon cycle at either global or regional scales. By taking

Variations in organic carbon fluxes from Long Island Sound to the Continental Shelf

Science.gov (United States)

Vlahos, P.; Whitney, M. M.

2017-12-01

Organic carbon balances for the Long Island Sound estuary over the years 2009-2012 are presented to assess the particulate and dissolved organic carbon contributions of the estuary to the adjacent shelf waters with respect to the Delaware and Chesapeake. Observations were coupled to a hydrodynamic model (ROMS) for both seasonal and annual estimates. During stratified summer periods, LIS was consistently a net exporter of OC to the continental shelf. LIS annual net carbon export however, varied with river flow. The heterotrophic or autotrophic nature of LIS also shifted seasonally and inter-annually. During the mass balance analysis period LIS ranged between net OC import from the continental shelf and heterotrophy in the lowest river flow year (2012) and net export of OC and autotrophy in the highest flow year (2011). Analysis suggests that LIS switches from net OC import to export when the annual river inputs exceed 19 km3 yr-1. Applying these thresholds to the annual river flow record suggests that net import occurred in 15% of the last 20 years and that LIS usually is a net exporter of OC (85%). Annually averaged LIS carbon export values based on river flow conditions over the last 20 yr are estimated at 56 ± 64 x 106 km3 yr-1. Analysis also suggests that LIS shifts from net heterotrophic to net autotrophic when annual river flow exceeds 26 km3 yr-1 (35% of the last 20 yr). Net heterotrophic conditions are most common, representing 65% of the last 20 yr.

Chemical Composition of the Graphitic Black Carbon Fraction in Riverine and Marine Sediments at Submicron Scales using Carbon X-ray Spectromicroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haberstroh, P.; Brandes, J.; Gelinas, Y.; Dickens, A.; Wirick, S.; Cody, G.

2006-01-01

The chemical composition of the graphitic black carbon (GBC) fraction of marine organic matter was explored in several marine and freshwater sedimentary environments along the west coast of North America and the Pacific Ocean. Analysis by carbon x-ray absorption near edge structure (C-XANES) spectroscopy and scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) show the GBC-fraction of Stillaguamish River surface sediments to be dominated by more highly-ordered and impure forms of graphite, together forming about 80% of the GBC, with a smaller percent of an aliphatic carbon component. Eel River Margin surface sediments had very little highly-ordered graphite, and were instead dominated by amorphous carbon and to a lesser extent, impure graphite. However, the GBC of surface sediments from the Washington State Slope and the Mexico Margin were composed almost solely of amorphous carbon. Pre-anthropogenic, highly-oxidized deep-sea sediments from the open Equatorial Pacific Ocean contained over half their GBC in different forms of graphite as well as highly-aliphatic carbon, low aromatic/highly-acidic aliphatic carbon, low aromatic/highly aliphatic carbon, and amorphous forms of carbon. Our results clearly show the impact of graphite and amorphous C phases in the BC fraction in modern riverine sediments and nearby marine shelf deposits. The pre-anthropogenic Equatorial Pacific GBC fraction is remarkable in the existence of highly-ordered graphite

Variability of Ecosystem State in Rivers Containing Natural Dams: A Chemical Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Z. A.

2015-12-01

Flooding, and the resulting economic damage to roads and property, is associated with natural dams such as beaver dams or log jams. For this reason, humans often remove natural dams; however, river reaches with natural dams provide very different ecosystem services in comparison with free-flowing river reaches. Therefore, the goal of this project is to assess the differences in ecosystem state between these different river reach types in the northeastern United States. We focused on differences in basic chemistry (e.g., dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, and organic carbon) to assess the impact of natural dams on river ecosystem state. Study sites include rivers in the White Mountains and southeastern New Hampshire at locations with beaver dams, beaver ponds, beaver meadows, log jams, and free-flowing reaches. Dissolved oxygen, ORP, pH, temperature, and conductivity were measured in the field with a YSI Professional Plus meter. Water samples were collected for subsequent laboratory analysis of total organic carbon with a Shimadzu TOC-L. Preliminary results show that the chemistry of river water varies with feature type. Most significantly, dissolved oxygen concentrations are highest in free-flowing reaches and lowest in beaver ponds. Although beaver ponds are often associated with lower pH, due the increased concentration of organic acids, some beaver ponds can increase pH when compared to free-flowing reaches on the same river. Early results also show that water chemistry returns quickly to the chemistry typical of the free-flowing river reaches after being altered by a natural dam. Overall, natural dams create a river system that has more heterogeneity, and therefore has opportunities to provide more ecosystem functions, than a purely free-flowing river; this can increase the number of supported instream and riparian species. By increasing the understanding of how natural dams affect the chemistry of river water, river engineers can improve their decisions on how

Radiative Absorption by Light Absorbing Carbon: Uncertainty, Temporal and Spatial Variation in a Typical Polluted City in Yangtze River Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, D.; Zhao, Y.; Lyu, R.

2017-12-01

The optical properties of light absorbing carbon (LAC) in atmospheric aerosols, including their uncertainties, temporal change and spatial pattern were studied at suburban, urban and industrial sites in Nanjing, a typical polluted city in Yangtze River Delta (YRD). The optical properties of black carbon (BC) and the uncertainty in radiative absorption of BC were quantified combining cavity attenuated phase shift (CAPS) and thermal-optical techniques. It was found that applying a constant value from previous studies for multiple scattering factor could not well represent the actual absorption characteristics of aerosols in Nanjing. The relative deviation between calculated and measured absorption coefficient of BC was up to 56 ± 34%. A significant positive correlation (R2=0.95) was found between multiple scattering factor (C*) and the mixing state of EC (ECopt/EC) within the ECopt/EC ranged 0.43 0.92 (C*=1.64(ECopt/EC)+1.47, 0.43opt/ECcities with heavy particle pollution, since MSOC served as a surrogate for BrC and EC was measured with reliable and effective methods.

Hydrogeochemical characteristics of the River Idrijca (Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tjaša Kanduč

2008-06-01

Full Text Available The hydrogeochemical and isotope characteristics of the River Idrijca, Slovenia, where the world’s second largest mercury (Hg mine is located, were investigated. The River Idrijca, a typical steep mountain river has an HCO3- - Ca2+ - Mg2+ chemical composition. Its Ca2+/Mg2+ molar ratio indicates that dolomite weathering prevails in the watershed. The River Idrijca and its tributaries are over saturated with respect to calcite and dolomite. The pCO2 pressure is up to 13 times over atmospheric pressure and represents a source of CO2 to the atmosphere. δ18O values in river water indicate primary control from precipitation and enrichment of the heavy oxygen isotope of infiltrating water recharging the River Idrijca from its slopes.The δ13 CDIC values range from −10.8 to −6.6 ‰ and are controlled by biogeochemical processes in terrestrial environments and in the stream: 1 exchange with atmospheric CO2, 2 degradation of organic matter, 3 dissolution of carbonates, and 4 tributaries. The contributions of these inputs were calculated according to steady state equations and are estimated to be -11 %: 19 %: 31 %: 61 % in the autumn and 0 %: 6 %: 9 %: 35 % in the spring sampling seasons.

Representation of riverine DOC within a GCM: First framework for coupling soil carbon and lateral hydrology in MPI-ESM

Science.gov (United States)

Brovkin, V.; Gehlot, S.; Hagemann, S.

2017-12-01

The current state of the art General Circulation Models (GCMs) do not consider the lateral transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from land to ocean via rivers/streams and the global carbon budget is primarily evaluated based only on vertical gas exchange processes between land or ocean carbon reservoirs. In high latitudes, the permafrost plays an important role in contributing to riverine organic carbon. Moreover, the vertical gas exchange processes are active during the lateral riverine carbon transport but are not considered in the impact of thawing permafrost on global climate. The interplay between permafrost and lateral hydrology is a substantial factor impacting the organic carbon inflow to the Arctic and its associated atmospheric exchange. In this research, we propose a framework of coupling the soil carbon transport via rivers using the hydrological discharge scheme (HD-Model) of MPI-ESM (Max-Planck Institute for Meteorology Earth System Model). The soil carbon classification is based on the solubility (YASSO soil carbon pools) and their subsequent attribution to the dissolved organic carbon via runoff (fast carbon pool) and baseflow (slow carbon pool). The HD-model, which simulates the river discharge for all land areas at a resolution of 0.5 degree, will be modified with inclusion of the DOC as tracer over test areas. Evaluation of DOC transport scheme is intended at reservoir level via available site measurements. The analysis will include global river networks for organic carbon transport with focus on permafrost and high latitude areas. Decomposition of DOC en-route land to ocean via vertical gas exchange processes will be included.

Dissolved Carbon Dioxide in Tropical East Atlantic Surface Waters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, D.C.E.; Baar, H.J.W. de; Jong, E. de

1999-01-01

Variability of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and the fugacity of carbon dioxide (fCO2) is discussed for tropical East Atlantic surface waters in October–November 1993 and May–June 1994. High precipitation associated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone, river input and equatorial upwelling

Importance of boreal rivers in providing iron to marine waters.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emma S Kritzberg

Full Text Available This study reports increasing iron concentrations in rivers draining into the Baltic Sea. Given the decisive role of iron to the structure and biogeochemical function of aquatic ecosystems, this trend is likely one with far reaching consequences to the receiving system. What those consequences may be depends on the fate of the iron in estuarine mixing. We here assess the stability of riverine iron by mixing water from seven boreal rivers with artificial sea salts. The results show a gradual loss of iron from suspension with increasing salinity. However, the capacity of the different river waters to maintain iron in suspension varied greatly, i.e. between 1 and 54% of iron was in suspension at a salinity of 30. The variability was best explained by iron:organic carbon ratios in the riverine waters--the lower the ratio the more iron remained in suspension. Water with an initially low iron:organic carbon ratio could keep even higher than ambient concentrations of Fe in suspension across the salinity gradient, as shown in experiments with iron amendments. Moreover, there was a positive relationship between the molecular size of the riverine organic matter and the amount of iron in suspension. In all, the results point towards a remarkably high transport capacity of iron from boreal rivers, suggesting that increasing concentrations of iron in river mouths may result in higher concentrations of potentially bioavailable iron in the marine system.

Riverine export of dissolved organic carbon to the Gulf of Maine

Science.gov (United States)

Huntington, T. G.; Aiken, G.

2013-12-01

Land-to-sea carbon transport of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is an important part of the carbon cycle that can affect long-term carbon sequestration, satellite-derived ocean color metrics, and ocean primary productivity and biogeochemistry. Using continuous discharge data and discrete sampling we estimated DOC fluxes from rivers covering about 68% of the watershed that drains to the Gulf of Maine (GoM) for water years (October through September) 2011 and 2012. Estimates for rivers entering the GoM in the USA were made using LOADEST regression software that fits a seasonally-adjusted concentration discharge relation to the data. The basin area-weighted 95% confidence limits about the LOADEST mean fluxes averaged 8.1% for the lower limit and 8.9% for the upper limit. Estimates for rivers entering the GoM in Canada were obtained from previously published estimates. Carbon yield tends to increase from southwest (35 to 36 kg C/ha/yr) to a maximum of 76 kg C/ha/yr for the Penobscot River and then decline further to the northeast (61 kg C/ha/yr in the St. John River and 41 kg C/ha/yr in the rest of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia). The area-weighted average carbon yield for all measured basins was 54.5 kg C/ha/yr. The variation in carbon yield is most closely associated with the amount of runoff and wetland area within a river basin. Simple area-weighted extrapolation to the entire GoM basin resulted in an estimate of 9.8 x 105 metric tons C per year for the WY2011 and WY2012 period. Runoff is the dominant control on intra and inter-annual variation in DOC flux because runoff varies much more than DOC concentration at these temporal scales. Runoff is usually low during the winter, peaks in the spring during snowmelt, decreases to a minimum in late summer and increases again in the fall when transpiration decreases. DOC concentration is low during the winter and snowmelt-dominated spring period, generally increases through the summer, and peaks during the fall. DOC flux to

Characterization of labile organic carbon in coastal wetland soils of the Mississippi River deltaic plain: Relationships to carbon functionalities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dodla, Syam K. [School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State Univ. Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); Wang, Jim J., E-mail: jjwang@agcenter.lsu.edu [School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State Univ. Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States); DeLaune, Ronald D. [Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, School of the Coast and Environment, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803 (United States)

2012-10-01

Adequate characterization of labile organic carbon (LOC) is essential to the understanding of C cycling in soil. There has been very little evaluation about the nature of LOC characterizations in coastal wetlands, where soils are constantly influenced by different redox fluctuations and salt water intrusions. In this study, we characterized and compared LOC fractions in coastal wetland soils of the Mississippi River deltaic plain using four different methods including 1) aerobically mineralizable C (AMC), 2) cold water extractable C (CWEC), 3) hot water extractable C (HWEC), and 4) salt extractable C (SEC), as well as acid hydrolysable C (AHC) which includes both labile and slowly degradable organic C. Molecular organic C functional groups of these wetland soils were characterized by {sup 13}C solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The LOC and AHC increased with soil organic C (SOC) regardless of wetland soil type. The LOC estimates by four different methods were positively and significantly linearly related to each other (R{sup 2} = 0.62-0.84) and with AHC (R{sup 2} = 0.47-0.71). The various LOC fractions accounted for {<=} 4.3% of SOC whereas AHC fraction represented 16-49% of SOC. AMC was influenced positively by O/N-alkyl and carboxyl C but negatively by alkyl C, whereas CWEC and SEC fractions were influenced only positively by carboxyl C but negatively by alkyl C in SOC. On the other hand, HWEC fraction was found to be only influenced positively by carbonyl C, and AHC positively by O/N-alkyl and alkyl C but negatively by aromatic C groups in SOC. Overall these relations suggested different contributions of various molecular organic C moieties to LOC in these wetlands from those often found for upland soils. The presence of more than 50% non-acid hydrolysable C suggested the dominance of relatively stable SOC pool that would be sequestered in these Mississippi River deltaic plain coastal wetland soils. The results have important implications to the

Soil properties of mangroves in contrasting geomorphic settings within the Zambezi River Delta, Mozambique

Science.gov (United States)

Christina E. Stringer; Carl C. Trettin; Stan Zarnoch

2016-01-01

Mangroves are well-known for their numerous ecosystem services, including sequestering a significant carbon stock, with soils accounting for the largest pool. The soil carbon pool is dependent on the carbon content and bulk density. Our objective was to assess the spatial variability of mangrove soil physical and chemical properties within the Zambezi River Delta and...

Variation of particulate organic carbon and its relationship with bio-optical properties during a phytoplankton bloom in the Pearl River estuary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Guifen; Zhou Wen; Cao Wenxi; Yin Jianping; Yang Yuezhong; Sun Zhaohua; Zhang Yuanzhi; Zhao Jun

2011-01-01

Highlights: → A study about relationship between POC and optical properties during a phytoplankton bloom. → Empirical algorithms for retrieving POC concentration from optical data were developed. → Phytoplankton carbon and it's ratio to Chl-a are estimated and discussed. → Demonstrates that marine optical buoy can be a new platform for monitoring biogeochemical cycle. - Abstract: In this study, variations in the particulate organic carbon (POC) were monitored during a phytoplankton bloom event, and the corresponding changes in bio-optical properties were tracked at one station (114.29 o E, 22.06 o N) located in the Pearl River estuary. A greater than 10-fold increase in POC (112.29-1173.36 mg m -3 ) was observed during the bloom, with the chlorophyll a concentration (Chl-a) varying from 0.984 to 25.941 mg m -3 . A power law function is used to describe the relationship between POC and Chl-a, and the POC:Chl-a ratio tends to change inversely with Chl-a. Phytoplankton carbon concentration is indirectly estimated using the conceptual model proposed by , and this carbon is found to contribute 47.21% (±10.65%) to total POC. The estimated carbon-to-chlorophyll ratio of phytoplankton in diatom-dominated waters is found to be comparable with results reported in the literature. Empirical algorithms for determining the concentrations of Chl-a and POC were developed based on the relationships of these variables with the blue-to-green reflectance ratio. With these bio-optical models, the levels of particulate organic carbon and Chl-a could be predicted from the radiometric data measured by a marine optical buoy, which showed much more detailed information about the variability in biogeochemical parameters during this bloom event.

Floodplain Vegetation Productivity and Carbon Cycle Dynamics of the Middle Fork Flathead River of Northwest Montana

Science.gov (United States)

Oakins, A. J.; Kimball, J. S.; Relyea, S.; Stanford, J. A.

2005-05-01

River floodplains are vital natural features that store floodwaters, improve water quality, provide habitat, and create recreational opportunities. Recent studies have shown that strong interactions among flooding, channel and sediment movement, vegetation, and groundwater create a dynamic shifting habitat mosaic that promotes biodiversity and complex food webs. Multiple physical and environmental processes interact within these systems to influence forest productivity, including water availability, nutrient supply, soil texture, and disturbance history. This study is designed to quantify the role of groundwater depth and meteorology in determining spatial and temporal patterns of net primary productivity (NPP) within the Nyack floodplain of the Middle Fork Flathead River, Northwestern Montana. We examine three intensive field sites composed of mature, mixed deciduous and evergreen conifer forest with varying hydrologic and vegetative characteristics. We use a modified Biome-BGC ecosystem process model with field-collected data (LAI, increment growth cores, groundwater depth, vegetation sap-flow, and local meteorology) to describe the effects of floodplain groundwater dynamics on vegetation community structure, and carbon/nitrogen cycling. Initial results indicate that conifers are more sensitive than deeper-rooted deciduous species to variability in groundwater depth and meteorological conditions. Forest productivity also shows a non-linear response to groundwater depth. Sites with intermediate groundwater depths (0.2-0.5m) allow vegetation to maintain connectivity to groundwater over longer periods during the growing season, are effectively uncoupled from atmospheric constraints on photosynthesis, and generally have greater productivity. Shallow groundwater sites (<0.2m) are less productive due to the indirect effects of reduced soil aerobic decomposition and reduced plant available nitrogen.

Riverine input of organic carbon and nitrogen in water-sediment system from the Yellow River estuary reach to the coastal zone of Bohai Sea, China

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chuanyuan; Lv, Yingchun; Li, Yuanwei

2018-04-01

The temporal-spatial distribution of the carbon and nitrogen contents and their isotopic compositions of suspended matter and sediments from the Yellow River estuary reach (YRER), the estuary to the offshore area were measured to identify the source of organic matter. The higher relative abundances of suspended and sedimentary carbon and nitrogen (POC, TOC, PN and TN) in the offshore marine area compared to those of the riverine and estuarine areas may be due to the cumulative and biological activity impact. The organic matter in surface sediments of YRER, the estuary and offshore area of Bohai Sea is basically the mixture of continental derived material and marine material. The values of δ13Csed fluctuate from values indicative of a land source (- 22.50‰ ± 0.31) to those indicative of a sea source (- 22.80‰ ± 0.38), which can be attributed to the fine particle size and decrease in terrigenous inputs to the offshore marine area. Contrary to the slight increase of POC and PN during the dry season, TOC and TN contents of the surface sediments during the flood season (October) were higher than those during the dry season (April). The seasonal differences in water discharge and suspended sediment discharge of the Yellow River Estuary may result in seasonal variability in TOC, POC, TN and PN concentrations in some degree. Overall, the surface sediments in the offshore area of Bohai Sea are dominated by marine derived organic carbon, which on average, accounts for 58-82% of TOC when a two end-member mixing model is applied to the isotopic data.

The Nordic Seas carbon budget: Sources, sinks, and uncertainties

OpenAIRE

Jeansson, Emil; Olsen, Are; Eldevik, Tor; Skjelvan, Ingunn; Omar, Abdirahman M.; Lauvset, Siv K.; Nilsen, Jan Even Ø.; Bellerby, Richard G. J; Johannessen, Truls; Falck, Eva

2011-01-01

A carbon budget for the Nordic Seas is derived by combining recent inorganic carbon data from the CARINA database with relevant volume transports. Values of organic carbon in the Nordic Seas' water masses, the amount of carbon input from river runoff, and the removal through sediment burial are taken from the literature. The largest source of carbon to the Nordic Seas is the Atlantic Water that enters the area across the Greenland-Scotland Ridge; this is in particular true for the anthropogen...

Evolution of biomolecular loadings along a major river system

Science.gov (United States)

Freymond, Chantal V.; Kündig, Nicole; Stark, Courcelle; Peterse, Francien; Buggle, Björn; Lupker, Maarten; Plötze, Michael; Blattmann, Thomas M.; Filip, Florin; Giosan, Liviu; Eglinton, Timothy I.

2018-02-01

Understanding the transport history and fate of organic carbon (OC) within river systems is crucial in order to constrain the dynamics and significance of land-ocean interactions as a component of the global carbon cycle. Fluvial export and burial of terrestrial OC in marine sediments influences atmospheric CO2 over a range of timescales, while river-dominated sedimentary sequences can provide valuable archives of paleoenvironmental information. While there is abundant evidence that the association of organic matter (OM) with minerals exerts an important influence on its stability as well as hydrodynamic behavior in aquatic systems, there is a paucity of information on where such associations form and how they evolve during fluvial transport. Here, we track total organic carbon (TOC) and terrestrial biomarker concentrations (plant wax-derived long-chain fatty acids (FA), branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (brGDGTs) and lignin-derived phenols) in sediments collected along the entire course of the Danube River system in the context of sedimentological parameters. Mineral-specific surface area-normalized biomarker and TOC concentrations show a systematic decrease from the upper to the lower Danube basin. Changes in OM loading of the available mineral phase correspond to a net decrease of 70-80% of different biomolecular components. Ranges for biomarker loadings on Danube River sediments, corresponding to 0.4-1.5 μgFA/m2 for long-chain (n-C24-32) fatty acids and 17-71 ngbrGDGT/m2 for brGDGTs, are proposed as a benchmark for comparison with other systems. We propose that normalizing TOC as well as biomarker concentrations to mineral surface area provides valuable quantitative constraints on OM dynamics and organo-mineral interactions during fluvial transport from terrigenous source to oceanic sink.

Cadmium distribution in sediment profiles of the six main rivers in southern Taiwan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai Lijyur; Yu Kuangchung; Ho, S.-T.

2007-01-01

Dynamic cadmium distribution has been studied in six main rivers flowing through the largest, most highly developed and polluted area of southern Taiwan. Sediment profile samples were also analyzed for Cu, Cr, Zn, Ni, Pb, Co, Mn, Fe, carbonates, Mn-oxides, Fe-oxides and organic matter in order to characterize the geochemical environment and to identify the pollutant sources. Higher Cd concentrations (about 3.5 mg/kg) at depths of 0-10 cm have been detected in the samples of Yenshui, Ell-ren and Potzu rivers, associated to the history of industrial activity in their catchments. According to the linear correlation coefficient (r) between Cd and the geochemical components, carbonates are the primary Cd binding phase in the Ell-ren river (r = 0.85), and Cd comes from the same pollutant sources of those containing Cr, Ni, Cu and Zn (r > 0.80). Cadmium concentration in the Potzu and Peikang river sediments is probably due to waste deposits rich in Cr and Cu (0.54 < r < 0.65). In the case of the Yenshui river, there is only a weak indication that cadmium derives from waste material containing Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb (r around 0.40). On the other hand, in the Tsengwen and Chishui sediments cadmium concentrations seem to represent natural background. Generally, the Ell-ren and Yenshui rivers show strong heavy metal pollution, while no important heavy metal contamination has been found in the Tsengwen, Potzu, Chishui, and Peikang rivers

Aerial photographic water color variations from pollution in the James River

Science.gov (United States)

Bressette, W. E.

1978-01-01

A photographic flight was made over the James River on May 17, 1977. The data show that, in general, James River water has very high sunlight reflectance. In the Bailey Bay area this reflectance is drastically reduced. Also shown is a technique for normalizing off-axis variations in radiance film exposure from camera falloff and uneven sunlight conditions to the nadir value. After data normalization, a spectral analysis is performed that identifies Bailey Creek water in James River water. The spectral results when compared with laboratory spectrometer data indicate that reflectance from James River water is dominated by suspended matter, while the substance most likely responsible for reduced reflectance in Bailey Creek water is dissolved organic carbon.

[Distribution and source of particulate organic carbon and particulate nitrogen in the Yangtze River Estuary in summer 2012].

Science.gov (United States)

Xing, Jian-Wei; Xian, Wei-Wei; Sheng, Xiu-Zhen

2014-07-01

Based on the data from the cruise carried out in August 2012 in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent waters, spatial distributions of particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate nitrogen (PN) and their relationships with environmental factors were studied, and the source of POC and the contribution of phytoplankton to POC were analyzed combined with n (C)/n (N) ratio and chlorophyll a (Chl a) in the Yangtze River Estuary in summer 2012. The results showed that the concentrations of POC in the Yangtze River Estuary ranged from 0.68 mg x L(-1) to 34.80 mg x L(-1) in summer and the average content was 3.74 mg x L(-1), and PN contents varied between 0.03 mg x L(-1) and 9.13 mg x L(-1) with an average value of 0.57 mg x L(-1). Both of them presented that the concentrations in bottom layers were higher than those in the surface. POC and PN as well as total suspended matter (TSM) showed a extremel similar horizontal distribution trend that the highest values appeared in the near of the mouth and southwest of the survey waters, and decreased rapidly as toward the open seas, both of them showed higher contents in coastal zones and lower in outer sea. There was a fairly good positive linear relationship between POC and PN, which indicated that they had the same source. POC and PN expressed significantly positive correlations with TSM and chemical oxygen demand (COD), but showed relatively weak correlations with salinit and chlorophyll a, which demonstrated that terrestrial inputs had a strong influence on the distribution of POC and PN, and phytoplankton production was not the major source of organic matters in the Yangtze River Estuary. Both the n (C)/n (N) ratio and POC/Chl a analysis showed that the main source of POC was terrestrial inputs, and organic debris was the main existence form of POC. Quantitative analysis showed the biomass of phytoplankton only made an average of 2.54% contribution to POC in the Yangtze Rive Estuary in summer and non-living POC

Fate of Arsenic during Red River Water Infiltration into Aquifers beneath Hanoi, Vietnam.

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Postma, Dieke; Mai, Nguyen Thi Hoa; Lan, Vi Mai; Trang, Pham Thi Kim; Sø, Helle Ugilt; Nhan, Pham Quy; Larsen, Flemming; Viet, Pham Hung; Jakobsen, Rasmus

2017-01-17

Recharge of Red River water into arsenic-contaminated aquifers below Hanoi was investigated. The groundwater age at 40 m depth in the aquifer underlying the river was 1.3 ± 0.8 years, determined by tritium-helium dating. This corresponds to a vertical flow rate into the aquifer of 19 m/year. Electrical conductivity and partial pressure of CO 2 (P CO 2 ) indicate that water recharged from the river is present in both the sandy Holocene and gravelly Pleistocene aquifers and is also abstracted by the pumping station. Infiltrating river water becomes anoxic in the uppermost aquifer due to the oxidation of dissolved organic carbon. Further downward, sedimentary carbon oxidation causes the reduction of As-containing Fe-oxides. Because the release of arsenic by reduction of Fe-oxides is controlled by the reaction rate, arsenic entering the solution becomes highly diluted in the high water flux and contributes little to the groundwater arsenic concentration. Instead, the As concentration in the groundwater of up to 1 μM is due to equilibrium-controlled desorption of arsenic, adsorbed to the sediment before river water started to infiltrate due to municipal pumping. Calculations indicate that it will take several decades of river water infiltration to leach arsenic from the Holocene aquifer to below the World Health Organization limit of 10 μg/L.

Fate of Arsenic during Red River Water Infiltration into Aquifers beneath Hanoi, Vietnam

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Recharge of Red River water into arsenic-contaminated aquifers below Hanoi was investigated. The groundwater age at 40 m depth in the aquifer underlying the river was 1.3 ± 0.8 years, determined by tritium–helium dating. This corresponds to a vertical flow rate into the aquifer of 19 m/year. Electrical conductivity and partial pressure of CO2 (PCO2) indicate that water recharged from the river is present in both the sandy Holocene and gravelly Pleistocene aquifers and is also abstracted by the pumping station. Infiltrating river water becomes anoxic in the uppermost aquifer due to the oxidation of dissolved organic carbon. Further downward, sedimentary carbon oxidation causes the reduction of As-containing Fe-oxides. Because the release of arsenic by reduction of Fe-oxides is controlled by the reaction rate, arsenic entering the solution becomes highly diluted in the high water flux and contributes little to the groundwater arsenic concentration. Instead, the As concentration in the groundwater of up to 1 μM is due to equilibrium-controlled desorption of arsenic, adsorbed to the sediment before river water started to infiltrate due to municipal pumping. Calculations indicate that it will take several decades of river water infiltration to leach arsenic from the Holocene aquifer to below the World Health Organization limit of 10 μg/L. PMID:27958705

Soil organic carbon storage changes in coastal wetlands of the modern Yellow River Delta from 2000 to 2009

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J. Yu

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Soil carbon sequestration plays an essential role in mitigating atmospheric CO₂ increases and the subsequently global greenhouse effect. The storages and dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC of 0–30 cm soil depth in different landscape types including beaches, reservoir and pond, reed wetland, forest wetland, bush wetland, farmland, building land, bare land (severe saline land and salt field in the modern Yellow River Delta (YRD were studied based on the data of the regional survey and laboratory analysis. The landscape types were classified by the interpretation of remote sensing images of 2000 and 2009, which were calibrated by field survey results. The results revealed an increase of 10.59 km² in the modem YRD area from 2000 to 2009. The SOC density varied ranging from 0.73 kg m⁻² to 4.25 kg m⁻² at depth of 0–30 cm. There were approx. 3.559 × 10⁶ t and 3.545 × 10⁶ t SOC stored in the YRD in 2000 and 2009, respectively. The SOC storages changed greatly in beaches, bush wetland, farm land and salt field which were affected dominantly by anthropogenic activities. The area of the YRD increased greatly within 10 years, however, the small increase of SOC storage in the region was observed due to landscape changes, indicating that the modern YRD was a potential carbon sink and anthropogenic activity was a key factor for SOC change.

Carbon leaching from tropical peat soils and consequences for carbon balances

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Tim Rixen

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Drainage and deforestation turned Southeast (SE Asian peat soils into a globally important CO2 source, because both processes accelerate peat decomposition. Carbon losses through soil leaching have so far not been quantified and the underlying processes have hardly been studied. In this study, we use results derived from nine expeditions to six Sumatran rivers and a mixing model to determine leaching processes in tropical peat soils, which are heavily disturbed by drainage and deforestation. Here we show that a reduced evapotranspiration and the resulting increased freshwater discharge in addition to the supply of labile leaf litter produced by re-growing secondary forests increase leaching of carbon by ~200%. Enhanced freshwater fluxes and leaching of labile leaf litter from secondary vegetation appear to contribute 38% and 62% to the total increase, respectively. Decomposition of leached labile DOC can lead to hypoxic conditions in rivers draining disturbed peatlands. Leaching of the more refractory DOC from peat is an irrecoverable loss of soil that threatens the stability of peat-fringed coasts in SE Asia.

Productivity and river flux variability in response to the PETM on Atlantic margin at Bass River, NJ.

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Stoll, H.; Shimizu, N.; Savain, R.; Zachos, J.; Ziveri, P.

2009-04-01

While the dramatic climate warming of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum has been well characterized, changes in the hydrological cycle and the broader biogeochemical feedbacks (weathering, nutrients, productivity) are less well constrained. Here we describe new geochemical results from a coastal section on the midlatitude Atlantic margin of the U.S. at Bass River, NJ. We measured the elemental geochemistry of coccoliths to probe the productivity of these algae in response to the changing nutrient dynamics on the shelf in the time interval preceding and during the PETM. Coccoliths extracted from the siliclastic coastal section at Bass River NJ exhibit exceptionally good preservation and negligible overgrowth compared to typical ocean carbonate-rich sediments. Analysis of individual coccoliths using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) facilitates reliable trace element measurements in this low-carbonate section. Published sequence stratigraphy and microfossil analysis have revealed several third order sea level cycles in the late Paleocene including a highstand during the PETM. Consequently we extend our paleoproductivity records far below the PETM to characterize this background variability. We recognize a pattern of generally maximum productivity during lowstands and minimal productivity during highstands. Because nutrient concentrations decrease significantly with distance from the coast, highstands reduce productivity by shifting the highest nutrient levels landward, away from the site. This is likely due to greater distance from river sources as well as reduced wave turbulence which mixes nutrients into the photic zone. This general pattern is broken during the PETM, which features high productivity despite a sea level highstand. This anomalous high productivity may reflect enhanced riverine nutrient delivery, and potentially changes in wind strength and mixing intensity. Riverine nutrient delivery could increase with higher precipitation or precipitation

Allochthonous subsidies of organic matter across a lake-river-fjord landscape in the Chilean Patagonia: Implications for marine zooplankton in inner fjord areas

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Vargas, Cristian A.; Martinez, Rodrigo A.; San Martin, Valeska; Aguayo, Mauricio; Silva, Nelson; Torres, Rodrigo

2011-03-01

Ecosystems can act as both sources and sinks of allochthonous nutrients and organic matter. In this sense, fjord ecosystems are a typical interface and buffer zone between freshwater systems, glaciated continents, and the coastal ocean. In order to evaluate the potential sources and composition of organic matter across fjord ecosystems, we characterized particulate organic matter along a lake-river-fjord corridor in the Chilean Patagonia using stable isotope (δ 13C) and lipid (fatty acid composition) biomarker analyses. Furthermore, estimates of zooplankton carbon ingestion rates and measurements of δ 13C and δ 15N in zooplankton (copepods) were used to evaluate the implications of allochthonous subsidies for copepods inhabiting inner fjord areas. Our results showed that riverine freshwater flows contributed an important amount of dissolved silicon but, scarce nitrate and phosphate to the brackish surface layer of the fjord ecosystem. Isotopic signatures of particulate organic matter from lakes and rivers were distinct from their counterparts in oceanic influenced stations. Terrestrial allochthonous sources could support around 68-86% of the particulate organic carbon in the river plume and glacier melting areas, whereas fatty acid concentrations were maximal in the surface waters of the Pascua and Baker river plumes. Estimates of carbon ingestion rates and δ 13C in copepods from the river plume areas indicated that terrestrial carbon could account for a significant percentage of the copepod body carbon (20-50%) during periods of food limitation. Particulate organic matter from the Pascua River showed a greater allochthonous contribution of terrigenous/vascular plant sources. Rivers may provide fjord ecosystems with allochthonous contributions from different sources because of the distinct vegetation coverage and land use along each river's watershed. These observations have significant implications for the management of local riverine areas in the context of

Insights into organic carbon oxidation potential during fluvial transport from laboratory and field experiments

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Scheingross, J. S.; Dellinger, M.; Eglinton, T. I.; Fuchs, M. C.; Golombek, N.; Hilton, R. G.; Hovius, N.; Lupker, M.; Repasch, M. N.; Sachse, D.; Turowski, J. M.; Vieth-Hillebrand, A.; Wittmann, H.

2017-12-01

Over geologic timescales, the exchange of organic carbon (OC) between the atmosphere, hydropshere, biosphere and geosphere can be a major control on atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. The carbon fluxes from the oxidation of rock-derived OC (a CO2 source) and erosion, transport, and burial of biospheric OC (a potential CO2 sink) during fluvial transit are approximately the same order of magnitude or larger than those from silicate weathering. Despite field data showing increasing oxidation of OC moving downstream in lowland rivers, it is unclear if losses occur primarily during active fluvial transport, where OC is in continual motion within an aerated river, or during periods of temporary storage in river floodplains which may be anoxic. The unknown location of OC oxidation (i.e., river vs. floodplain) limits our ability to mechanistically link geochemical and geomorphic processes which are required to develop models capable of predicting OC losses, constrain carbon budgets, and unravel links between climate, tectonics, and erosion. To fill this knowledge gap, we investigated OC oxidation in controlled laboratory experiments and a simplified field setting. We performed experiments in annular flumes that simulate fluvial transport without floodplain storage, allowing mixtures of OC-rich and siliciclastic sediment to be transported for distances of 1000 km. Preliminary experiments exploring both rock-derived and biospheric OC sources show minimal OC oxidation during active river transport, consistent with the idea that the majority of OC loss occurs during transient floodplain storage. These results are also consistent with new field data collected in the Rio Bermejo, Argentina, a lowland river traversing 800 km with no tributary inputs, where aged floodplain deposits have 3 to 10 times lower OC concentrations compared to modern river sediments. Together our field data and experiments support the hypothesis that oxidation of OC occurs primarily during

Pyroclastic Eruption Boosts Organic Carbon Fluxes Into Patagonian Fjords

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Mohr, Christian H.; Korup, Oliver; Ulloa, Héctor; Iroumé, Andrés.

2017-11-01

Fjords and old-growth forests store large amounts of organic carbon. Yet the role of episodic disturbances, particularly volcanic eruptions, in mobilizing organic carbon in fjord landscapes covered by temperate rainforests remains poorly quantified. To this end, we estimated how much wood and soils were flushed to nearby fjords following the 2008 eruption of Chaitén volcano in south-central Chile, where pyroclastic sediments covered >12 km2 of pristine temperate rainforest. Field-based surveys of forest biomass, soil organic content, and dead wood transport reveal that the reworking of pyroclastic sediments delivered 66,500 + 14,600/-14,500 tC of large wood to two rivers entering the nearby Patagonian fjords in less than a decade. A similar volume of wood remains in dead tree stands and buried beneath pyroclastic deposits ( 79,900 + 21,100/-16,900 tC) or stored in active river channels (5,900-10,600 tC). We estimate that bank erosion mobilized 132,300+21,700/-30,600 tC of floodplain forest soil. Eroded and reworked forest soils have been accreting on coastal river deltas at >5 mm yr-1 since the eruption. While much of the large wood is transported out of the fjord by long-shore drift, the finer fraction from eroded forest soils is likely to be buried in the fjords. We conclude that the organic carbon fluxes boosted by rivers adjusting to high pyroclastic sediment loads may remain elevated for up to a decade and that Patagonian temperate rainforests disturbed by excessive loads of pyroclastic debris can be episodic short-lived carbon sources.

Preliminary Characterization of Organic Geochemistry in the Fly-Strickland River System, Papua New Guinea

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Alin, S. R.; Aalto, R.; Remington, S. M.; Richey, J. E.

2003-12-01

The Fly-Strickland fluvial dispersal system comprises one of the largest river basins in tropical Oceania, ranking among the top 20 rivers in the world for water and sediment discharge. From the New Guinea highlands, these rivers flow >1000 km across lowland tropical floodplains to the Gulf of Papua, with an average annual depth of runoff 100 times that of the Amazon. Within the system, the Strickland has greater sediment discharge and a steeper gradient than the Fly, providing an opportunity to investigate biogeochemical differences associated with particulate flux. For eight lowland sites across the Fly-Strickland river system, we analyzed water and suspended sediment (SS) samples for an initial survey of various carbon cycle parameters. Both the Fly and Strickland Rivers were strongly supersaturated with carbon dioxide (2008-10,479 uatm CO2) and undersaturated with oxygen (1.10-5.48 mg/l O2), with the Fly having higher CO2 and lower O2 concentrations than the Strickland River. These pCO2 and O2 concentrations are comparable to and lower than (respectively) typical values in the Amazon. Measured Fly-Strickland alkalinity values fell in the range of 0.893-1.888 meq, and pH measurements were neutral to slightly alkaline (6.916-7.852). In a sample from a sediment-impoverished tributary from Lake Murray to the Strickland (Herbert R.), pH was neutral (7.060), and alkalinity and pCO2 had their lowest observed values at 0.234 meq and 1407 uatm, respectively. Nutrient concentrations were generally higher in the Strickland ([NO3]=3.36+/-0.69 uM, [PO4]=0.09+/-0.10 uM, and [Si(OH)4]=176.6+/-41.7 uM) than in the Fly River ([NO3]=1.09+/-0.04 uM, [PO4]=0.01+/-0.01 uM, and [Si(OH)4]=110.6+/-4.8 uM). NO3 and PO4 concentrations in the Fly-Strickland river system were lower than in the Amazon, and silicate was comparable. SS concentrations were higher in the Strickland than in the Fly (49.4-231.1 mg/l vs. 19.5-59.6 mg/l). Coarse particulates were organic-poor in the Fly and

Temporal-spatial variation of DOC concentration, UV absorbance and the flux estimation in the Lower Dagu River, China

Science.gov (United States)

Xi, Min; Kong, Fanlong; Li, Yue; Kong, Fanting

2017-12-01

Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is an important component for both carbon cycle and energy balance. The concentration, UV absorbance, and export flux of DOC in the natural environment dominate many important transport processes. To better understand the temporal and spatial variation of DOC, 7 sites along the Lower Dagu River were chosen to conduct a comprehensive measurement from March 2013 to February 2014. Specifically, water samples were collected from the Lower Dagu River between the 26th and 29th of every month during the experimental period. The DOC concentration (CDOC) and UV absorbance were analyzed using a total organic carbon analyzer and the ultraviolet-visible absorption spectrum, and the DOC export flux was estimated with a simple empirical model. The results showed that the CDOC of the Lower Dagu River varied from 1.32 to 12.56 mg/L, consistent with global rivers. The CDOC and UV absorbance showed significant spatial variation in the Dagu River during the experiential period because of the upstream natural processes and human activities in the watershed. The spatial variation is mainly due to dam or reservoir constructions, riverside ecological environment changes, and non-point source or wastewater discharge. The seasonal variation of CDOC was mainly related to the source of water DOC, river runoff, and temperature, and the UV absorbance and humification degree of DOC had no obvious differences among months ( P<0.05). UV absorbance was applied to test the CDOC in Lower Dagu River using wave lengths of 254 and 280 nm. The results revealed that the annual DOC export flux varied from 1.6 to 3.76 × 105 g C/km2/yr in a complete hydrological year, significantly lower than the global average. It is worth mentioning that the DOC export flux was mainly concentrated in summer (˜90% of all-year flux in July and August), since the runoff in the Dagu River took place frequently in summer. These observations implied environment change could bring the temporal

Virioplankton Assemblage Structure in the Lower River and Ocean Continuum of the Amazon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silva, Bruno S. de O.; Coutinho, Felipe H.; Gregoracci, Gustavo B.; Leomil, Luciana; de Oliveira, Louisi S.; Fróes, Adriana; Tschoeke, Diogo; Soares, Ana Carolina; Cabral, Anderson S.; Ward, Nicholas D.; Richey, Jeffrey E.; Krusche, Alex V.; Yager, Patricia L.; de Rezende, Carlos Eduardo; Thompson, Cristiane C.; Thompson, Fabiano L.; Imperiale, Michael J.

2017-10-04

The Amazon River watershed and its associated plume comprise a vast continental and oceanic area. The microbial activities along this continuum contribute substantially to global carbon and nutrient cycling, and yet there is a dearth of information on the diversity, abundance, and possible roles of viruses in this globally important river. The aim of this study was to elucidate the diversity and structure of virus assemblages of the Amazon River-ocean continuum. Environmental viral DNA sequences were obtained for 12 locations along the river’s lower reach (n= 5) and plume (n= 7). Sequence assembly yielded 29,358 scaffolds, encoding 82,546 viral proteins, with 15 new complete viral genomes. Despite the spatial connectivity mediated by the river, virome analyses and physical-chemical water parameters clearly distinguished river and plume ecosystems. Bacteriophages were ubiquitous in the continuum and were more abundant in the transition region. Eukaryotic viruses occurred mostly in the river, while the plume had more viruses of autotrophic organisms (Prochlorococcus,Synechococcus) and heterotrophic bacteria (Pelagibacter). The viral familiesMicroviridaeandMyoviridaewere the most abundant and occurred throughout the continuum. The major functions of the genes in the continuum involved viral structures and life cycles, and viruses from plume locations and Tapajós River showed the highest levels of functional diversity. The distribution patterns of the viral assemblages were defined not only by the occurrence of possible hosts but also by water physical and chemical parameters, especially salinity. The findings presented here help to improve understanding of the possible roles of viruses in the organic matter cycle along the river-ocean continuum.

IMPORTANCEThe Amazon River forms a vast plume in the

Quantifying hyporheic exchange dynamics in a highly regulated large river reach.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hammond, Glenn Edward; Zhou, T; Huang, M; Hou, Z; Bao, J; Arntzen, E; Mackley, R; Harding, S; Titzler, S; Murray, C; Perkins, W; Chen, X; Stegen, J; Thorne, P; Zachara, J

2017-03-01

Hyporheic exchange is an important mechanism taking place in riverbanks and riverbed sediments, where river water and shallow groundwater mix and interact with each other. The direction, magnitude, and residence time of the hyporheic flux that penetrates the river bed are critical for biogeochemical processes such as carbon and nitrogen cycling, and biodegradation of organic contaminants. Many approaches including field measurements and numerical methods have been developed to quantify the hyporheic exchanges in relatively small rivers. However, the spatial and temporal distributions of hyporheic exchanges in a large, regulated river reach remain less explored due to the large spatial domains, complexity of geomorphologic features and subsurface properties, and the great pressure gradient variations at the riverbed created by dam operations.

Characterisation of Fe-bearing particles and colloids in the Lena River basin, NE Russia

Science.gov (United States)

Hirst, Catherine; Andersson, Per S.; Shaw, Samuel; Burke, Ian T.; Kutscher, Liselott; Murphy, Melissa J.; Maximov, Trofim; Pokrovsky, Oleg S.; Mörth, Carl-Magnus; Porcelli, Don

2017-09-01

Rivers are significant contributors of Fe to the ocean. However, the characteristics of chemically reactive Fe remain poorly constrained, especially in large Arctic rivers, which drain landscapes highly susceptible to climate change and carbon cycle alteration. The aim of this study was a detailed characterisation (size, mineralogy, and speciation) of riverine Fe-bearing particles (>0.22 μm) and colloids (1 kDa-0.22 μm) and their association with organic carbon (OC), in the Lena River and tributaries, which drain a catchment almost entirely underlain by permafrost. Samples from the main channel and tributaries representing watersheds that span a wide range in topography and lithology were taken after the spring flood in June 2013 and summer baseflow in July 2012. Fe-bearing particles were identified, using Transmission Electron Microscopy, as large (200 nm-1 μm) aggregates of smaller (20-30 nm) spherical colloids of chemically-reactive ferrihydrite. In contrast, there were also large (500 nm-1 μm) aggregates of clay (illite) particles and smaller (100-200 nm) iron oxide particles (dominantly hematite) that contain poorly reactive Fe. TEM imaging and Scanning Transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) indicated that the ferrihydrite is present as discrete particles within networks of amorphous particulate organic carbon (POC) and attached to the surface of primary produced organic matter and clay particles. Together, these larger particles act as the main carriers of nanoscale ferrihydrite in the Lena River basin. The chemically reactive ferrihydrite accounts for on average 70 ± 15% of the total suspended Fe in the Lena River and tributaries. These observations place important constraints on Fe and OC cycling in the Lena River catchment area and Fe-bearing particle transport to the Arctic Ocean.

Dissolved organic matter dynamics in the oligo/meso-haline zone of wetland-influenced coastal rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Maie, Nagamitsu; Sekiguchi, Satoshi; Watanabe, Akira; Tsutsuki, Kiyoshi; Yamashita, Youhei; Melling, Lulie; Cawley, Kaelin M.; Shima, Eikichi; Jaffé, Rudolf

2014-08-01

Wetlands are key components in the global carbon cycle and export significant amounts of terrestrial carbon to the coastal oceans in the form of dissolved organic carbon (DOC). Conservative behavior along the salinity gradient of DOC and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) has often been observed in estuaries from their freshwater end-member (salinity = 0) to the ocean (salinity = 35). While the oligo/meso-haline (salinity DOC and CDOM optical properties determined by UV absorbance at 254 nm (A254) and excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) along the lower salinity range (salinity DOC and A254 was observed, while these parameters showed similar conservative behavior for the third. Three distinct EEM-PARAFAC models established for each of the rivers provided similar spectroscopic characteristics except for some unique fluorescence features observed for the Judan River. The distribution patterns of PARAFAC components suggested that the inputs from plankton and/or submerged aquatic vegetation can be important in the Bekanbeushi River. Further, DOM photo-products formed in the estuarine lake were also found to be transported upstream. In the Harney River, whereas upriver-derived terrestrial humic-like components were mostly distributed conservatively, some of these components were also derived from mangrove inputs in the oligo/meso-haline zone. Interestingly, fluorescence intensities of some terrestrial humic-like components increased with salinity for the Judan River possibly due to changes in the dissociation state of acidic functional groups and/or increase in the fluorescence quantum yield along the salinity gradient. The protein-like and microbial humic-like components were distributed differently between three wetland rivers, implying that interplay between loss to microbial degradation and inputs from diverse sources are different for the three wetland-influenced rivers. The results presented here

Martian Cryogenic Carbonate Formation: Stable Isotope Variations Observed in Laboratory Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Socki, Richard A.; Niles, Paul B.; Sun, Tao; Fu, Qi; Romanek, Christopher S.; Gibson, Everett K. Jr.

2014-01-01

The history of water on Mars is tied to the formation of carbonates through atmospheric CO2 and its control of the climate history of the planet. Carbonate mineral formation under modern martian atmospheric conditions could be a critical factor in controlling the martian climate in a means similar to the rock weathering cycle on Earth. The combination of evidence for liquid water on the martian surface and cold surface conditions suggest fluid freezing could be very common on the surface of Mars. Cryogenic calcite forms easily from freezing solutions when carbon dioxide degasses quickly from Ca-bicarbonate-rich water, a process that has been observed in some terrestrial settings such as arctic permafrost cave deposits, lake beds of the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, and in aufeis (river icings) from rivers of N.E. Alaska. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted that simulated cryogenic carbonate formation on Mars in order to understand their isotopic systematics. The results indicate that carbonates grown under martian conditions show variable enrichments from starting bicarbonate fluids in both carbon and oxygen isotopes beyond equilibrium values.

FINAL TECHNICAL REPORT-THE ECOLOGY AND GENOMICS OF CO2 FIXATIION IN OCEANIC RIVER PLUMES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

PAUL, JOHN H

2013-06-21

Oceanic river plumes represent some of the most productive environments on Earth. As major conduits for freshwater and nutrients into the coastal ocean, their impact on water column ecosystems extend for up to a thousand km into oligotrophic oceans. Upon entry into the oceans rivers are tremendous sources of CO2 and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). Yet owing to increased light transmissivity from sediment deposition coupled with the influx of nutrients, dramatic CO2 drawdown occurs, and plumes rapidly become sinks for CO2. Using state-of-the-art gene expression technology, we have examined the molecular biodiversity of CO2 fixation in the Mississippi River Plume (MRP; two research cruises) and the Orinoco River Plume (ORP; one cruise). When the MRP extends far into the Gulf because of entrainment with the Loop Current, MRP production (carbon fixation) can account for up to 41% of the surface production in the Gulf of Mexico. Nearer-shore plume stations (“high plume,” salinity< 32 ppt) had tremendous CO2 drawdown that was correlated to heterokont (principally diatom) carbon fixation gene expression. The principal form of nitrogen for this production based upon 15N studies was urea, believed to be from anthropogenic origin (fertilizer) from the MRP watershed. Intermediate plume environments (salinity 34 ppt) were characterized by high levels of Synechococcuus carbon fixation that was fueled by regenerated ammonium. Non-plume stations were characterized by high light Prochlorococcus carbon fixation gene expression that was positively correlated with dissolved CO2 concentrations. Although data from the ORP cruise is still being analyzed, some similarities and striking differences were found between the ORP and MRP. High levels of heterokont carbon fixation gene expression that correlated with CO2 drawdown were observed in the high plume, yet the magnitude of this phenomenon was far below that of the MRP, most likely due to the lower levels of anthropogenic

Isotope geochemistry and fluxes of carbon and organic matter in tropical small mountainous river systems and adjacent coastal waters of the Caribbean

Science.gov (United States)

Moyer, Ryan; Bauer, James; Grottoli, Andrea

2012-01-01

Recent studies have shown that small mountainous rivers (SMRs) may act as sources of aged and/or refractory carbon (C) to the coastal ocean, which may increase organic C burial at sea and subsidize coastal food webs and heterotrophy. However, the characteristics and spatial and temporal variability of C and organic matter (OM) exported from tropical SMR systems remain poorly constrained. To address this, the abundance and isotopic character (δ13C and Δ14C) of the three major C pools were measured in two Puerto Rico SMRs with catchments dominated by different land uses (agricultural vs. non-agricultural recovering forest). The abundance and character of C pools in associated estuaries and adjacent coastal waters were also examined. Riverine dissolved and particulate organic C (DOC and POC, respectively) concentrations were highly variable with respect to land use and sampling month, while dissolved inorganic C (DIC) was significantly higher at all times in the agricultural catchment. In both systems, riverine DOC and POC ranged from modern to highly aged (2,340 years before present), while DIC was always modern. The agricultural river and irrigation canals contained very old DOC (1,184 and 2,340 years before present, respectively), which is consistent with findings in temperate SMRs and indicates that these tropical SMRs provide a source of aged DOC to the ocean. During months of high river discharge, OM in estuarine and coastal waters had C isotope signatures reflective of direct terrestrial input, indicating that relatively unaltered OM is transported to the coastal ocean at these times. This is also consistent with findings in temperate SMRs and indicates that C transported to the coastal ocean by SMRs may differ from that of larger rivers because it is exported from smaller catchments that have steeper terrains and fewer land-use types.

Reconstruction of a high-resolution late holocene arctic paleoclimate record from Colville River delta sediments.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schreiner, Kathryn Melissa; Lowry, Thomas Stephen

2013-10-01

This work was partially supported by the Sandia National Laboratories, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) fellowship program in conjunction with Texas A&M University (TAMU). The research described herein is the work of Kathryn M. Schreiner (Katie) and her advisor, Thomas S. Bianchi and represents a concise description of Katies dissertation that was submitted to the TAMU Office of Graduate Studies in May 2013 in partial fulfillment of her doctorate of philosophy degree. High Arctic permafrost soils contain a massive amount of organic carbon, accounting for twice as much carbon as what is currently stored as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. However, with current warming trends this sink is in danger of thawing and potentially releasing large amounts of carbon as both carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. It is difficult to make predictions about the future of this sink without knowing how it has reacted to past temperature and climate changes. This project investigated long term, fine scale particulate organic carbon (POC) delivery by the high-Arctic Colville River into Simpsons Lagoon in the near-shore Beaufort Sea. Modern POC was determined to be a mixture of three sources (riverine soils, coastal erosion, and marine). Downcore POC measurements were performed in a core close to the Colville River output and a core close to intense coastal erosion. Inputs of the three major sources were found to vary throughout the last two millennia, and in the Colville River core covary significantly with Alaskan temperature reconstructions.

Short term variations in particulate matter in Mahi river estuary

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Bhosle, N.B.; Rokade, M.A.; Zingde, M.D.

The particulate matter (PM) collected from Mahi River Estuary was analysed for organic carbon (POC), nitrogen (PON), and chlorophyll a (Chl a). The concentration of PM, POC, PON and Chl a showed short term variations. Average surface concentration...

Haemocytic leukemia in Prince Edward Island (PEI) soft shell clam (Mya arenaria): Spatial distribution in agriculturally impacted estuaries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muttray, Annette; Reinisch, Carol; Miller, Jason; Ernst, William; Gillis, Patricia; Losier, Melanie; Sherry, James

2012-01-01

Intensive farming of potatoes in Prince Edward Island (PEI) relies on the repeated and widespread application of fertilizers and pesticides. In PEI the main potato farming areas are in close proximity and drain directly to estuaries. Runoff from high agricultural activity watersheds could impact benthic organism health in the depositional zone of downstream estuaries. The estuarine filter feeder Mya arenaria (soft-shell clam) could be particularly vulnerable to both particle-adsorbed and water soluble contaminants. M. arenaria is susceptible to haemocytic leukemia. In May 2009, we established that heavily proliferated leukemia (HPL) prevalence was generally higher in PEI estuaries located downstream of high intensity potato farming (Dunk and Wilmot estuaries) watersheds than in estuaries downstream of lower intensity areas. Using Mab-1E10 based immunocytochemistry we observed that leukemic haemocytes from the Dunk and Wilmot estuaries were 1E10 negative whereas those from the Ox/Sheep estuary (low potato farming intensity) were 1E10 positive. The expression of genes in the p53 tumour suppressor pathway enabled us to differentiate groups of leukemic and normal M. arenaria, validating our diagnoses. In October 2009, we confirmed that HPL prevalence was elevated in the Dunk and Wilmot estuaries compared to reference (Souris River). Moreover, leukemia prevalence declined with distance from the river mouths along transects through the Dunk and Wilmot estuaries. The pesticides ß-endosulfan and α-endosulfan were detected in surface sediments from the Dunk and Wilmot estuaries, but not in sediments from either the Souris River or several other lower intensity potato farming watersheds. Our study provides evidence of an association between intensity of potato farming and prevalence of clam leukemia at downstream estuaries in PEI. - Highlights: ► We examined leukemia prevalence in PEI clams Mya arenaria. ► Prevalence was generally higher downstream of high intensity

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter export from U.S. rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Robert G. M.; Aiken, George R.; Dornblaser, Mark M.; Butler, Kenna D.; Holmes, R. Max; Fiske, Greg; Mann, Paul J.; Stubbins, Aron

2013-04-01

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) fluxes and yields from 15 major U.S. rivers draining an assortment of terrestrial biomes are presented. A robust relationship between CDOM and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loads is established (e.g., a350 versus DOC; r2 = 0.96, p CDOM yields are also correlated to watershed percent wetland (e.g. a350; r2 = 0.81, p CDOM export from ungauged watersheds. A large variation in CDOM yields was found across the rivers. The two rivers in the north-eastern U.S. (Androscoggin and Penobscot), the Edisto draining into the South Atlantic Bight, and some rivers draining into the Gulf of Mexico (Atchafalaya and Mobile) exhibit the highest CDOM yields, linked to extensive wetlands in these watersheds. If the Edisto CDOM yield is representative of other rivers draining into the South Atlantic Bight, this would result in a CDOM load equivalent to that of the Mississippi from a region of approximately 10% of the Mississippi watershed, indicating the importance of certain regions with respect to the role of terrigenous CDOM in ocean color budgets.

Export of fine particulate organic carbon from redwood-dominated catchments

Science.gov (United States)

Madej, Mary Ann

2015-01-01

Recently, researchers have recognized the significant role of small mountainous river systems in the transport of carbon from terrestrial environments to the ocean, and the scale of such studies have ranged from channel bed units to continents. In temperate zones, these mountain river systems commonly drain catchments that are largely forested. However, the magnitude of carbon export from rivers draining old-growth redwood forests has not been evaluated to date. Old-growth redwood stands support some of the largest quantities of biomass in the world, up to 350 000 Mg of stem biomass km-2 and soil organic carbon can reach 46 800 Mg km-2. In north coastal California, suspended sediment samples were collected at three gaging stations for two to four years on streams draining old-growth redwood forests. Carbon content, determined through loss-on-ignition tests, was strongly correlated with turbidity, and continuous turbidity records from the gaging stations were used to estimate annual carbon exports of 1 · 6 to 4 · 2 Mg km-2 yr-1. These values, representing 13 to 33% of the suspended sediment load, are some of the highest percentages reported in the global literature. The fraction of organic carbon as part of the suspended sediment load decreased with discharge, but reached an asymptote of 5 to 10% at flows 10 to 20 times the mean annual flows. Although larger rivers in this region exhibit high sediment yields (up to 3600 Mg km-2 yr-1), mainly attributed to high rates of uplift, mass movement, and timber harvest, the small pristine streams in this study have sediment yields of only 8 to 100 Mg km-2 yr-1. Because the current extent of old-growth redwood stands is less than 5% of its pre-European-settlement distribution, the present organic carbon signature in suspended sediment loads in this region is likely different from that in the early 20th century. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public

Application of carbon isotope stratigraphy to late miocene shallow marine sediments, new zealand.

Science.gov (United States)

Loutit, T S; Kennett, J P

1979-06-15

A distinct (0.5 per mil) carbon-13/carbon-12 isotopic shift in the light direction has been identified in a shallow marine sedimentary sequence of Late Miocene age at Blind River, New Zealand, and correlated with a similar shift in Late Miocene Deep Sea Drilling Project sequences throughout the Indo-Pacific. A dated piston core provides an age for the shift of 6.2 +/- 0.1 million years. Correlations based on the carbon isotopic change require a revision of the previously established magnetostratigraphy at Blind River. The carbon shift at Blind River occurs between 6.2 and 6.3 +/- 0.1 million years before present. A new chronology provides an age for the evolutionary first appearance datum of Globorotalia conomiozea at 6.1 +/- 0.1 million years, the beginning of a distinct latest Miocene cooling event associated with the Kapitean stage at 6.2 +/- 0.1 million years, and the beginning of a distinct shallowing of water depths at 6.1 +/- 0.1 million years. The Miocene-Pliocene boundary as recognized in New Zealand is now dated at 5.3 +/- 0.1 million years. Extension of carbon isotope stratigraphy to other shallow Late Miocene sequences should provide an important datum for international correlation of Late Miocene shallow and deep marine sequences.

Nutrients and carbon fluxes in the estuaries of major rivers flowing into the tropical Atlantic

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moacyr Cunha De Araujo

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Knowledge of the seasonal variability of river discharge and the concentration of nutrients in the estuary waters of large rivers flowing into the tropical Atlantic contributes to a better understanding of the biogeochemical processes that occur in adjacent coastal and ocean systems. The monthly averaged variations of the physical and biogeochemical contributions of the Orinoco, Amazon, São Francisco, Paraíba do Sul (South America, Volta, Niger and Congo (Africa Rivers are estimated from models or observations. The results indicate that these rivers deliver approximately 0.1 Pg C yr-1 in its dissolved organic (DOC 0.046 Pg C yr-1 and inorganic (DIC 0.053 Pg C yr-1 forms combined. These values represent 27.3% of the global DOC and 13.2% of the global DIC delivered by rivers into the world’s oceans. Estimations of the air-sea CO2 fluxes indicate a slightly higher atmospheric liberation for the African systems compared with the South American estuaries (+10.67 mmol m-2 day-1 and +5.48 mmol m-2 day-1, respectively. During the high river discharge periods, the fluxes remained positive in all of the analyzed systems (average +128 mmol m-2 day-1, except at the mouth of the Orinoco River, which continued to act as a sink for CO2. During the periods of low river discharges, the mean CO2 efflux decreased to +5.29 mmol m-2 day-1. The updated and detailed review presented here contributes to the accurate quantification of CO2 input into the atmosphere and to ongoing studies on the oceanic modeling of biogeochemical cycles in the tropical Atlantic.

A Synoptic Assessment of the Amazon River-Ocean Continuum during Boreal Autumn: From Physics to Plankton Communities and Carbon Flux

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moacyr Araujo

2017-07-01

Full Text Available The Amazon generates the world's largest offshore river plume, which covers extensive areas of the tropical Atlantic. The data and samples in this study were obtained during the oceanographic cruise Camadas Finas III in October 2012 along the Amazon River-Ocean Continuum (AROC. The cruise occurred during boreal autumn, when the river plume reaches its maximum eastward extent. In this study, we examine the links between physics, biogeochemistry and plankton community structure along the AROC. Hydrographic results showed very different conditions, ranging from shallow well-mixed coastal waters to offshore areas, where low salinity Amazonian waters mix with open ocean waters. Nutrients, mainly NO3− and SiO2−, were highly depleted in coastal regions, and the magnitude of primary production was greater than that of respiration (negative apparent oxygen utilization. In terms of phytoplankton groups, diatoms dominated the region from the river mouth to the edge of the area affected by the North Brazil Current (NBC retroflection (with chlorophyll a concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 0.94 mg m−3. The North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC region, east of retroflection, is fully oligotrophic and the most representative groups are Cyanobacteria and dinoflagellates. Additionally, in this region, blooms of cyanophyte species were associated with diatoms and Mesozooplankton (copepods. A total of 178 zooplankton taxa were observed in this area, with Copepoda being the most diverse and abundant group. Two different zooplankton communities were identified: a low-diversity, high-abundance coastal community and a high-diversity, low-abundance oceanic community offshore. The CO2 fugacity (fCO2sw, calculated from total alkalinity (1,450 < TA < 2,394 μmol kg−1 and dissolved inorganic carbon (1,303 < DIC < 2,062 μmol kg−1 measurements, confirms that the Amazon River plume is a sink of atmospheric CO2 in areas with salinities <35 psu, whereas, in regions

The effect of activated carbon on partitioning, desorption, and biouptake of native polychlorinated biphenyls in four freshwater sediments.

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Sun, Xueli; Ghosh, Upal

2008-11-01

The present study evaluated the effect of activated carbon amendment in four freshwater sediments from the Great Lakes (North America) areas of concern with a wide range of sediment geochemical characteristics (0.83-5.1% total organic carbon) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations (0.33-84.7 microg/g). The work focused on understanding the impact of activated carbon amendment on PCB aqueous partitioning, PCB desorption characteristics, and PCB biouptake in a freshwater oligochaete (Lumbriculus variegatus). The results showed that PCB aqueous equilibrium concentrations, rapid desorption fractions, and biouptake by the oligochaete were reduced after activated carbon amendment. Addition of activated carbon at a dose of 0.5-fold native organic carbon reduced PCB bioaccumulation by 42% for Niagara River sediment, 85% for Grasse River sediment, 74% for Milwaukee River sediment 1, and 70% for Milwaukee River sediment 2. A linear relationship was observed between log biota-sediment accumulation factor and the first 6-h desorption fractions for each PCB homologue for treated and untreated sediments. Water-lipid bioconcentration factors for PCB congeners were largely conserved after amendment with activated carbon. Our present results suggest that at steady state, changes in the aqueous PCB concentrations can be used to predict changes in PCB bioaccumulation in deposit-feeding organisms. Thus, use of advanced pore-water measurement techniques, such as solid-phase extraction passive samplers, may be suitable for long-term monitoring of treatment performance.

14C as a tool for evaluating riverine POC sources and erosion of the Zhujiang (Pearl River) drainage basin, South China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei Xiuguo; Yi Weixi; Shen Chengde; Yechieli, Yoseph; Li Ningli; Ding Ping; Wang Ning; Liu Kexin

2010-01-01

Radiocarbon can serve as a powerful tool for identifying sources of organic carbon and evaluating the erosion intensity in river drainage basins. In this paper we present 14 C-AMS measurements of particulate organic carbon (POC) collected from the three major tributaries of the Zhujiang (Pearl River) system: the Xijiang (Western River), Beijiang (Northern River) and Dongjiang (Eastern River) rivers. Furthermore, we discuss the distribution of POC 14 C apparent ages and the related watersheds erosion of these rivers. Results yield Δ 14 C values of -425 per mille to -65 per mille which indicate that the 14 C apparent ages of suspended POC in the entire area are in the range of 540-4445 years. The POC apparent ages from Xijiang are mostly between 2000 and 4000 years, while in Dongjiang they mostly range from 540 to 1010 years. These 14 C apparent ages indicate that the watershed erosion of the Xijiang is more severe than that of the Dongjiang. This is in agreement with other data showing deeper erosion in Xijiang due to human activities.

Understanding Single-Thread Meandering Rivers with High Sinuosity on Mars through Chemical Precipitation Experiments

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Lim, Y.; Kim, W.

2015-12-01

Meandering rivers are extremely ubiquitous on Earth, yet it is only recently that single-thread experimental channels with low sinuosity have been created. In these recent experiments, as well as in natural rivers, vegetation plays a crucial role in maintaining a meandering pattern by adding cohesion to the bank and inhibiting erosion. The ancient, highly sinuous channels found on Mars are enigmatic because presumably vegetation did not exist on ancient Mars. Under the hypothesis that Martian meandering rivers formed by chemical precipitation on levees and flood plain deposits, we conducted carbonate flume experiments to investigate the formation and evolution of a single-thread meander pattern without vegetation. The flow recirculating in the flume is designed to accelerate chemical reactions - dissolution of limestone using CO2 gas to produce artificial spring water and precipitation of carbonates to increase cohesion- with precise control of water discharge, sediment discharge, and temperature. Preliminary experiments successfully created a single-thread meandering pattern through chemical processes. Carbonate deposits focused along the channel sides improved the bank stability and made them resistant to erosion, which led to a stream confined in a narrow path. The experimental channels showed lateral migration of the bend through cut bank and point bar deposits; intermittent floods created overbank flow and encouraged cut bank erosion, which enhanced lateral migration of the channel, while increase in sediment supply improved lateral point bar deposition, which balanced erosion and deposition rates. This mechanism may be applied to terrestrial single-thread and/or meandering rivers with little to no vegetation or before its introduction to Earth and also provide the link between meandering river records on Mars to changes in Martian surface conditions.

Seasonal variation of organic matter concentration and characteristics in the Maji ya Chai River (Tanzania): Impact on treatability by ultrafiltration

KAUST Repository

Aschermann, Geert; Jeihanipour, Azam; Shen, Junjie; Mkongo, Godfrey; Dramas, Laure; Croue, Jean-Philippe; Schä fer, Andrea

2016-01-01

The Tanzanian river Maji ya Chai was sampled monthly during one year. The composition of NOM in Maji ya Chai River is influenced strongly by precipitation. Total organic carbon (TOC), specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA

Alluvial Mountain Meadow Source-Sink Dynamics: Land-Cover Effects on Water and Fluvial Carbon Export

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Weiss, T.; Covino, T. P.; Wohl, E.; Rhoades, C.; Fegel, T.; Clow, D. W.

2017-12-01

Fluvial networks of historically glaciated mountain landscapes alternate between confined and unconfined valley segments. In low-gradient unconfined reaches, river-connected wet meadows commonly establish, and have been recognized as important locations of long-term water, carbon, and nutrient storage. Among connected meadow floodplains, sink-source behavior shifts as a function of flow state; storing water at high flows (snowmelt) and contributing toward higher late-season baseflows. Despite these benefits, historical and contemporary land-use practices often result in the simplification of wet meadow systems, leading to reduced river-floodplain connectivity, lower water-tables and reductions in hydrologic buffering capacity. In this study, we are exploring hydrologic-carbon relationships across a gradient of valley confinement and river-floodplain connectivity (connected, n=3; disconnected, n=4) within the Colorado Rockies. Our approach includes hydrologic analysis, fluorometric assays, water chemistry, instream metabolic measures, and land-cover assessment to examine patterns between land-form, carbon quantity and quality, and stream ecosystem productivity. Between different meadow types, preliminary results suggest differences between instream productivity, carbon qualities, and hydrologic-carbon sink-source dynamics across the season. These data and analyses will provide insight into water, carbon and nutrient flux dynamics as a function of land-cover in mountain headwaters.

Hydrochemical evidence for mixing of river water and groundwater during high-flow conditions, lower Suwannee River basin, Florida, USA

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Crandall, C.A.; Katz, B.G.; Hirten, J.J.

1999-01-01

Karstic aquifers are highly susceptible to rapid infiltration of river water, particularly during periods of high flow. Following a period of sustained rainfall in the Suwannee River basin, Florida, USA, the stage of the Suwannee River rose from 3.0 to 5.88 m above mean sea level in April 1996 and discharge peaked at 360 m3/s. During these high-flow conditions, water from the Suwannee River migrated directly into the karstic Upper Floridan aquifer, the main source of water supply for the area. Changes in the chemical composition of groundwater were quantified using naturally occurring geochemical tracers and mass-balance modeling techniques. Mixing of river water with groundwater was indicated by a decrease in the concentrations of calcium, silica, and 222Rn; and by an increase in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), tannic acid, and chloride, compared to low-flow conditions in water from a nearby monitoring well, Wingate Sink, and Little River Springs. The proportion (fraction) of river water in groundwater ranged from 0.13 to 0.65 at Wingate Sink and from 0.5 to 0.99 at well W-17258, based on binary mixing models using various tracers. The effectiveness of a natural tracer in quantifying mixing of river water and groundwater was related to differences in tracer concentration of the two end members and how conservatively the tracer reacted in the mixed water. Solutes with similar concentrations in the two end-member waters (Na, Mg, K, Cl, SO4, SiO2) were not as effective tracers for quantifying mixing of river water and groundwater as those with larger differences in end-member concentrations (Ca, tannic acid, DOC, 222Rn, HCO3). ?? Springer-Verlag.

Watershed scale spatial variability in dissolved and total organic and inorganic carbon in contrasting UK catchments

Science.gov (United States)

Cumberland, S.; Baker, A.; Hudson, N. J.

2006-12-01

Approximately 800 organic and inorganic carbon analyses have been undertaken from watershed scale and regional scale spatial surveys in various British catchments. These include (1) a small (urban catchment (Ouseburn, N England); (2) a headwater, lowland agricultural catchment (River Tern, C England) (3) a large UK catchment (River Tyne, ~3000 sq-km) and (4) a spatial survey of ~300 analyses from rivers from SW England (~1700 sq-km). Results demonstrate that: (1) the majority of organic and inorganic carbon is in the dissolved (DOC and DIC) fractions; (2) that with the exception of peat rich headwaters, DIC concentration is always greater than DOC; (3) In the rural River Tern, riverine DOC and DIC are shown to follow a simple end- member mixing between DIC (DOC) rich (poor) ground waters and DOC (DIC) rich (poor) riparian wetlands for all sample sites. (4) In the urbanized Ouseburn catchment, although many sample sites also show this same mixing trend, some tributaries follow a pollutant trend of simultaneous increases in both DOC and DIC. The Ouseburn is part of the larger Tyne catchment: this larger catchment follows the simple groundwater DIC- soil water DOC end member mixing model, with the exception of the urban catchments which exhibit an elevated DIC compared to rural sites. (5) Urbanization is demonstrated to increase DIC compared to equivalent rural catchments; this DIC has potential sources including diffuse source inputs from the dissolution of concrete, point sources such as trade effluents and landfill leachates, and bedrock derived carbonates relocated to the soil dissolution zone by urban development. (6) DIC in rural SW England demonstrates that spatial variability in DIC can be attributed to variations in geology; but that DIC concentrations in the SW England rivers dataset are typically lower than the urbanized Tyne catchments despite the presence of carbonate bedrock in many of the sample catchments in the SW England dataset. (7) Recent

Beaver-mediated lateral hydrologic connectivity, fluvial carbon and nutrient flux, and aquatic ecosystem metabolism

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Wegener, Pam; Covino, Tim; Wohl, Ellen

2017-06-01

River networks that drain mountain landscapes alternate between narrow and wide valley segments. Within the wide segments, beaver activity can facilitate the development and maintenance of complex, multithread planform. Because the narrow segments have limited ability to retain water, carbon, and nutrients, the wide, multithread segments are likely important locations of retention. We evaluated hydrologic dynamics, nutrient flux, and aquatic ecosystem metabolism along two adjacent segments of a river network in the Rocky Mountains, Colorado: (1) a wide, multithread segment with beaver activity; and, (2) an adjacent (directly upstream) narrow, single-thread segment without beaver activity. We used a mass balance approach to determine the water, carbon, and nutrient source-sink behavior of each river segment across a range of flows. While the single-thread segment was consistently a source of water, carbon, and nitrogen, the beaver impacted multithread segment exhibited variable source-sink dynamics as a function of flow. Specifically, the multithread segment was a sink for water, carbon, and nutrients during high flows, and subsequently became a source as flows decreased. Shifts in river-floodplain hydrologic connectivity across flows related to higher and more variable aquatic ecosystem metabolism rates along the multithread relative to the single-thread segment. Our data suggest that beaver activity in wide valleys can create a physically complex hydrologic environment that can enhance hydrologic and biogeochemical buffering, and promote high rates of aquatic ecosystem metabolism. Given the widespread removal of beaver, determining the cumulative effects of these changes is a critical next step in restoring function in altered river networks.

Partitioning of trace metals in the chemical fractions of bed-load sediments of Nahr-Ibrahim river, Lebanon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korfali, Samira I.; Davies, Brian E.

1999-01-01

Full text.Sediments are the ultimate sink of trace elements. The total metal analysis may only give information concerning possible enrichment of metals. The analysis of metal partitioning in the different chemical components of sediments (exchangeable, carbonate, easily reducible, moderately reducible, organic and residual); give a detailed information on the way in which these metals are bound to sediments, their mobilization capacity and their ability to affect water quality under different environmental conditions. The studied river basin is dominated by limestone formation, the enrichment of metals in the carbonate sediment fraction is a high probability. The objective of the study was to determine the percentage of the total metal content (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Pb) in the six chemical fractions of the bed load sediments of Nahr-Ibrahim river during the dry season and verify the role of carbonate for metal sediment deposition. Bed load sediments were sampled at five locations 13Km stretch, upstream from river mouth at two dates, August and October 1996. the dried samples were sieved into three mechanical fractions (1180-250 μm, 250-75 μm and <75 μm). A sequential chemical extraction was carried on each sized sample sediment, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu and Pb were determined on the extracts by AAS. The reported data showed that Fe in mainly in the residual fraction, Mn in the residual and carbonate fraction, Zn in the residual, carbonate and Fe oxide fraction, Cu in the residual, carbonate and organic fraction, Pb in the carbonate fraction. The carbonate fraction in sediments played the major common role for metal sediment deposition

Utilization of ancient permafrost carbon in headwaters of Arctic fluvial networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mann, Paul J.; Eglinton, Timothy I.; McIntyre, Cameron P.; Zimov, Nikita; Davydova, Anna; Vonk, Jorien E.; Holmes, Robert M.; Spencer, Robert G M

2015-01-01

Northern high-latitude rivers are major conduits of carbon from land to coastal seas and the Arctic Ocean. Arctic warming is promoting terrestrial permafrost thaw and shifting hydrologic flowpaths, leading to fluvial mobilization of ancient carbon stores. Here we describe 14 C and 13 C

Endogenic carbonate sedimentation in Bear Lake, Utah and Idaho, over the last two glacial-interglacial cycles

Science.gov (United States)

Dean, W.E.

2009-01-01

Sediments deposited over the past 220,000 years in Bear Lake, Utah and Idaho, are predominantly calcareous silty clay, with calcite as the dominant carbonate mineral. The abundance of siliciclastic sediment indicates that the Bear River usually was connected to Bear Lake. However, three marl intervals containing more than 50% CaCO3 were deposited during the Holocene and the last two interglacial intervals, equivalent to marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 5 and 7, indicating times when the Bear River was not connected to the lake. Aragonite is the dominant mineral in two of these three high-carbonate intervals. The high-carbonate, aragonitic intervals coincide with warm interglacial continental climates and warm Pacific sea-surface temperatures. Aragonite also is the dominant mineral in a carbonate-cemented microbialite mound that formed in the southwestern part of the lake over the last several thousand years. The history of carbonate sedimentation in Bear Lake is documented through the study of isotopic ratios of oxygen, carbon, and strontium, organic carbon content, CaCO3 content, X-ray diffraction mineralogy, and HCl-leach chemistry on samples from sediment traps, gravity cores, piston cores, drill cores, and microbialites. Sediment-trap studies show that the carbonate mineral that precipitates in the surface waters of the lake today is high-Mg calcite. The lake began to precipitate high-Mg calcite sometime in the mid-twentieth century after the artificial diversion of Bear River into Bear Lake that began in 1911. This diversion drastically reduced the salinity and Mg2+:Ca2+ of the lake water and changed the primary carbonate precipitate from aragonite to high-Mg calcite. However, sediment-trap and core studies show that aragonite is the dominant mineral accumulating on the lake floor today, even though it is not precipitating in surface waters. The isotopic studies show that this aragonite is derived from reworking and redistribution of shallow-water sediment

Sedimentary processes and depositional environments of the Horn River Shale in British Columbia, Canada

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Yoon, Seok-Hoon; Koh, Chang-Seong; Joe, Young-Jin; Woo, Ju-Hwan; Lee, Hyun-Suk

2017-04-01

The Horn River Basin in the northeastern British Columbia, Canada, is one of the largest unconventional gas accumulations in North America. It consists mainly of Devonian shales (Horn River Formation) and is stratigraphically divided into three members, the Muskwa, Otterpark and Evie in descending order. This study focuses on sedimentary processes and depositional environments of the Horn River shale based on sedimentary facies analysis aided by well-log mineralogy (ECS) and total organic carbon (TOC) data. The shale formation consists dominantly of siliceous minerals (quartz, feldspar and mica) and subordinate clay mineral and carbonate materials, and TOC ranging from 1.0 to 7.6%. Based on sedimentary structures and micro texture, three sedimentary facies were classified: homogeneous mudstone (HM), indistinctly laminated mudstone (ILM), and planar laminated mudstone (PLM). Integrated interpretation of the sedimentary facies, lithology and TOC suggests that depositional environment of the Horn River shale was an anoxic quiescent basin plain and base-of-slope off carbonate platform or reef. In this deeper marine setting, organic-rich facies HM and ILM, dominant in the Muskwa (the upper part of the Horn River Formation) and Evie (the lower part of the Horn River Formation) members, may have been emplaced by pelagic to hemipelagic sedimentation on the anoxic sea floor with infrequent effects of low-density gravity flows (turbidity currents or nepheloid flows). In the other hand, facies PLM typifying the Otterpark Member (the middle part of the Horn River Formation) suggests more frequent inflow of bottom-hugging turbidity currents punctuating the hemipelagic settling of the background sedimentation process. The stratigraphic change of sedimentary facies and TOC content in the Horn River Formation is most appropriately interpreted to have been caused by the relative sea-level change, that is, lower TOC and frequent signal of turbidity current during the sea

Carbonate Mineral Formation on Mars: Clues from Stable Isotope Variation Seen in Cryogenic Laboratory Studies of Carbonate Salts

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Socki, Richard; Niles, Paul B.; Sun, Tao; Fu, Qi; Romanek, Christopher S.; Gibson, Everett K.

2013-01-01

The geologic history of water on the planet Mars is intimately connected to the formation of carbonate minerals through atmospheric CO2 and its control of the climate history of Mars. Carbonate mineral formation under modern martian atmospheric conditions could be a critical factor in controlling the martian climate in a means similar to the rock weathering cycle on Earth. The combination of evidence for liquid water on the martian surface and cold surface conditions suggest fluid freezing could be very common on the surface of Mars. Cryogenic calcite forms readily when a rise in pH occurs as a result of carbon dioxide degassing quickly from freezing Ca-bicarbonate-rich water solutions. This is a process that has been observed in some terrestrial settings such as arctic permafrost cave deposits, lakebeds of the Dry Valleys of Antarctica, and in aufeis (river icings) from rivers of N.E. Alaska. We report here the results of a series of laboratory experiments that were conducted to simulate potential cryogenic carbonate formation on the planet Mars. These results indicate that carbonates grown under martian conditions (controlled atmospheric pressure and temperature) show enrichments from starting bicarbonate fluids in both carbon and oxygen isotopes beyond equilibrium values with average delta13C(DIC-CARB) values of 20.5%0 which exceed the expected equilibrium fractionation factor of [10(sup 3) ln alpha = 13%0] at 0 degC. Oxygen isotopes showed a smaller enrichment with delta18O(H2O-CARB) values of 35.5%0, slightly exceeding the equilibrium fractionation factor of [10(sup 3) ln alpha = 34%0 ] at 0degC. Large kinetic carbon isotope effects during carbonate precipitation could substantially affect the carbon isotope evolution of CO2 on Mars allowing for more efficient removal of 13C from the Noachian atmosphere enriched by atmospheric loss. This mechanism would be consistent with the observations of large carbon isotope variations in martian materials despite the

The Missing Link: the Role of Floodplain Tie Channels in Connecting Off River Water Bodies to Lowland Rivers

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Rowland, J. C.; Dietrich, W. E.; Day, G.

2005-05-01

Along lowland river systems across the globe the exchange of water, sediment, carbon, nutrients and biota between main stem rivers and off-river water bodies (ORWB) is facilitated by the presence of stable secondary channels referred to here as tie channels. Sixty five percent of the ORWB along the middle Fly River in Papua New Guinea connect to the river through such channels. A similar percentage of the 37 ORWB located between Baton Rouge and Memphis on the lower Mississippi River at one time were linked to the river by tie or batture (as they are locally known) channels. Levee construction and other alterations aimed at flood control or navigation on the Mississippi have left only a handful of lakes connected to the river, of these, most are heavily altered by dredging or other modifications. Tie channels were also once common along major tributaries to the Mississippi, such as the Red River. In the much less disturbed Alaskan environment, tie channels are still common, especially along Birch Creek and the Koyukuk and Black rivers. Our studies on the Mississippi River, in Alaska and in Papua New Guinea indicate that tie channels possess a common channel form that is stable and self-maintaining for hundreds to possibly a thousand years. Tie channels exhibit narrow width to depth ratios (~ 5.5) and consistently scale in cross-sectional dimensions to the size of the lake into which they flow. Variations in river and lake stage drive flow bi-directionally through tie channels. A local high or sill in the bed of tie channels controls the degree and duration of connection between the river and ORWB, with many lakes becoming isolated during periods of low stage. The life-span of a tie channel depends on the rate of sediment loading to the ORWB. Our research indicates that this rate directly corresponds to the sediment loading in the main stem river. Along the Fly River, for example, a 5 to 7 fold increase in the river sediment load has resulted increases of 6 to 17

Sources and fluxes of inorganic carbon in a deep, oligotrophic lake (Loch Ness, Scotland)

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, R. I.; Grey, J.; Quarmby, Christopher; Sleep, Darren

2001-12-01

The main river inflows to Loch Ness and several depths in the water column within the loch were sampled over an annual cycle. The carbon isotope composition of total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from the samples was determined as well as that of phytoplankton from the loch. Values of δ13C for DIC in the rivers indicated that this DIC was derived from soil respiration in the catchment and achieved only partial equilibrium with the atmosphere during river transport. Riverine loading accounted for most of the DIC in Loch Ness, and the great depth of the loch relative to its surface area allows only limited exchange with the atmosphere. Despite the low productivity in Loch Ness, DIC concentrations in the low alkalinity water are appreciably influenced by plankton metabolism, and seasonal fluctuations in δ13C of DIC and phytoplankton revealed the particular impact of photosynthetic carbon fixation on DIC. However, the photosynthetic depletion of DIC during summer does not offset the riverine loading sufficiently to prevent the loch waters being supersaturated with CO2 throughout the year. Annual efflux of CO2 from Loch Ness is estimated to be 253 × 106 mol yr-1, of which around one quarter may be due to net heterotrophic mineralization within the loch of organic carbon of terrestrial origin. The remainder is attributable to inorganic carbon input to the lake via river inflow and derived from prior mineralization of soil organic matter within the drainage area. This annual efflux of CO2 can represent around 6% of net ecosystem production in the catchment.

Carbon Bioavailability in a High Arctic Fjord Influenced by Glacial Meltwater, NE Greenland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria L. Paulsen

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The land-to-ocean flux of organic carbon is increasing in glacierized regions in response to increasing temperatures in the Arctic (Hood et al., 2015. In order to understand the response of the coastal ecosystem metabolism to the organic carbon input it is essential to determine the bioavailability of the different carbon sources in the system. We quantified the bacterial turnover of organic carbon in a high Arctic fjord system (Young Sound, NE Greenland during the ice-free period (July-October 2014 and assessed the quality and quantity of the 3 major organic carbon sources; (1 local phytoplankton production (2 runoff from land-terminating glaciers and a lowland river and (3 inflow from the ocean shelf. We found that despite relatively low concentrations of DOC in the rivers, the bioavailability of the river–DOC was significantly higher than in the fjord, and characterized by high cell-specific bacterial production and low C:N ratios. In contrast, the DOC source entering via inflow of coastal shelf waters had high DOC concentrations with high C:N and low specific bacterial production. The phytoplankton production in the fjord could not sustain the bacterial carbon demand, but was still the major source of organic carbon for bacterial growth. We assessed the bacterial community composition and found that communities were specific for the different water types i.e., the bacterial community of the coastal inflow water could be traced mainly in the subsurface water, while the glacial river community strongly dominated the surface water in the fjord.

Greenhouse gases emissions in rivers of the Tibetan Plateau.

Science.gov (United States)

Qu, Bin; Aho, Kelly Sue; Li, Chaoliu; Kang, Shichang; Sillanpää, Mika; Yan, Fangping; Raymond, Peter A

2017-11-29

Greenhouse gases (GHGs) emissions from streams are important to regional biogeochemical budgets. This study is one of the first to incorporate stream GHGs (CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O) concentrations and emissions in rivers of the Tibetan Plateau. With one-time sampling from 32 sites in rivers of the plateau, we found that most of the rivers were supersaturated with CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O during the study period. Medians of partial pressures of CO 2 (pCO 2 ), pCH 4 and pN 2 O were presented 864 μatm, 6.3 μatm, and 0.25 μatm respectively. Based on a scaling model of the flux of gas, the calculated fluxes of CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O (3,452 mg-C m 2 d -1 , 26.7 mg-C m 2 d -1 and 0.18 mg-N m 2 d -1 , respectively) in rivers of the Tibetan Plateau were found comparable with most other rivers in the world; and it was revealed that the evasion rates of CO 2 and CH 4 in tributaries of the rivers of the plateau were higher than those in the mainstream despite its high altitude. Furthermore, concentrations of GHGs in the studied rivers were related to dissolved carbon and nitrogen, indicating that riverine dissolved components could be used to scale GHGs envision in rivers of the Tibetan Plateau.

River water infiltration enhances denitrification efficiency in riparian groundwater.

Science.gov (United States)

Trauth, Nico; Musolff, Andreas; Knöller, Kay; Kaden, Ute S; Keller, Toralf; Werban, Ulrike; Fleckenstein, Jan H

2018-03-01

Nitrate contamination in ground- and surface water is a persistent problem in countries with intense agriculture. The transition zone between rivers and their riparian aquifers, where river water and groundwater interact, may play an important role in mediating nitrate exports, as it can facilitate intensive denitrification, which permanently removes nitrate from the aquatic system. However, the in-situ factors controlling riparian denitrification are not fully understood, as they are often strongly linked and their effects superimpose each other. In this study, we present the evaluation of hydrochemical and isotopic data from a 2-year sampling period of river water and groundwater in the riparian zone along a 3rd order river in Central Germany. Based on bi- and multivariate statistics (Spearman's rank correlation and partial least squares regression) we can show, that highest rates for oxygen consumption and denitrification in the riparian aquifer occur where the fraction of infiltrated river water and at the same time groundwater temperature, are high. River discharge and depth to groundwater are additional explanatory variables for those reaction rates, but of minor importance. Our data and analyses suggest that at locations in the riparian aquifer, which show significant river water infiltration, heterotrophic microbial reactions in the riparian zone may be fueled by bioavailable organic carbon derived from the river water. We conclude that interactions between rivers and riparian groundwater are likely to be a key control of nitrate removal and should be considered as a measure to mitigate high nitrate exports from agricultural catchments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isotopic tracers for net primary productivity for a terrestrial ecosystem: a case study of the Volta River basin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayford, E.K.; Odamtten, G.T.; Enu-Kwesi, L.

2006-01-01

The coupling effect of vapour release and CO2 uptake during photosynthesis plays an important role in the carbon and hydrologic cycles. The water use efficiency (WUE) for transpiration was used in calculating the net primary productivity (NPP) for terrestrial ecosystem. Three parameters were used in calculating the water and carbon balance of the River Volta watershed. These are 1) stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen, 2) long-term data on precipitation and evapotranspiration, and 3) stoichiometric relations of water and carbon. Results indicate that soils in the watershed annually respire 0.199 Pg C, and that the NPP is +0.029 Pg C yr-1. This implies an annual change in CO2 to the atmosphere within the watershed. Annually, River Volta watershed receives about 380 km3 of rainfall; approximately 50 per cent of which is returned to the atmosphere through plant transpiration. Associated with annual transpiration flux is a carbon flux of 0.170 x 1015 g C yr-1 or 428 g C m-2 yr-1 from the terrestrial ecosystem. Modeled estimates of heterotrophic soil respiration exceeds slightly the estimated NPP values, implying that carbon flux to and from the Volta river watershed is close to being in balance. In other words, the watershed releases annually more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere than it takes. Apart from the terrestrial carbon flux, the balance of photosynthesis and respiration in the Volta lake was also examined. The lake was found to release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere although the magnitude of the flux is smaller than that of the terrestrial ecosystem. (au)

Landscape elements and river chemistry as affected by river regulation – a 3-D perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Smedberg

2009-09-01

Full Text Available We tested the hypothesis whether individual land classes within a river catchment contribute equally to river loading with dissolved constituents or whether some land classes act as "hot spots" to river loading and if so, are these land classes especially affected by hydrological alterations. The amount of land covered by forests and wetlands and the average soil depth (throughout this paper soil refers to everything overlying bedrock i.e. regolith of a river catchment explain 58–93% of the variability in total organic carbon (TOC and dissolved silicate (DSi concentrations for 22 river catchments in Northern Sweden. For the heavily regulated Luleälven, with 7 studied sub-catchments, only 3% of the headwater areas have been inundated by reservoirs, some 10% of the soils and aggregated forest and wetland areas have been lost due to damming and further hydrological alteration such as bypassing entire sub-catchments by headrace tunnels. However, looking at individual forest classes, our estimates indicate that some 37% of the deciduous forests have been inundated by the four major reservoirs built in the Luleälven headwaters. These deciduous forest and wetlands formerly growing on top of alluvial deposits along the river corridors forming the riparian zone play a vital role in loading river water with dissolved constituents, especially DSi. A digital elevation model draped with land classes and soil depths which highlights that topography of various land classes acting as hot spots is critical in determining water residence time in soils and biogeochemical fluxes. Thus, headwater areas of the Luleälven appear to be most sensitive to hydrological alterations due to the thin soil cover (on average 2.7–4.5 m and only patchy appearance of forest and wetlands that were significantly perturbed. Hydrological alterations of these relatively small headwater areas significantly impacts downstream flux of dissolved constituents and their delivery to

Geomorphic analysis of the river response to sedimentation downstream of Mount Rainier, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Czuba, Jonathan A.; Magirl, Christopher S.; Czuba, Christiana R.; Curran, Christopher A.; Johnson, Kenneth H.; Olsen, Theresa D.; Kimball, Halley K.; Gish, Casey C.

2012-01-01

from the mountain indicates that rockfalls, glaciers, debris flows, and main-stem flooding act sequentially to deliver sediment from Mount Rainier to river reaches in the Puget Lowland over decadal time scales. Greater-than-normal runoff was associated with cool phases of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation. Streamflow-gaging station data from four unregulated rivers directly draining Mount Rainier indicated no statistically significant trends of increasing peak flows over the course of the 20th century. The total sediment load of the upper Nisqually River from 1945 to 2011 was determined to be 1,200,000±180,000 tonnes/yr. The suspended-sediment load in the lower Puyallup River at Puyallup, Washington, was 860,000±300,000 tonnes/yr between 1978 and 1994, but the long-term load for the Puyallup River likely is about 1,000,000±400,000 tonnes/yr. Using a coarse-resolution bedload transport relation, the long-term average bedload was estimated to be about 30,000 tonnes/yr in the lower White River near Auburn, Washington, which was four times greater than bedload in the Puyallup River and an order of magnitude greater than bedload in the Carbon River. Analyses indicate a general increase in the sediment loads in Mount Rainier rivers in the 1990s and 2000s relative to the time period from the 1960s to 1980s. Data are insufficient, however, to determine definitively if post-1990 increases in sediment production and transport from Mount Rainier represent a statistically significant increase relative to sediment-load values typical from Mount Rainier during the entire 20th century. One-dimensional river-hydraulic and sediment-transport models simulated the entrainment, transport, attrition, and deposition of bed material. Simulations showed that bed-material loads were largest for the Nisqually River and smallest for the Carbon River. The models were used to simulate how increases in sediment supply to rivers transport through the river systems and affect lowland reaches. For

In Situ Stoichiometry in a Large River: Continuous Measurement of Doc, NO3 and PO4 in the Sacramento River

Science.gov (United States)

Downing, B. D.; Pellerin, B. A.; Bergamaschi, B. A.; Saraceno, J.

2011-12-01

Studying controls on geochemical processes in rivers and streams is difficult because concentration and composition often changes rapidly in response to physical and biological forcings. Understanding biogeochemical dynamics in rivers will improve current understanding of the role of watershed sources to carbon cycling, river and stream ecology, and loads to estuaries and oceans. Continuous measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrate (NO3-) and soluble reactive phosphate (SRP) concentrations are now possible, along with some information about DOC composition. In situ sensors designed to measure these constituents provide high frequency, real-time data that can elucidate hydrologic and biogeochemical controls which are difficult to detect using more traditional sampling approaches. Here we present a coupled approach, using in situ optical instrumentation with discharge measurements to provide quantitative estimates of constituent loads to investigate C, NO3- and SRP sources and processing in the Sacramento River, CA, USA. Continuous measurement of DOC concentration was conducted by use of a miniature in situ fluorometer (Turner Designs Cyclops) designed to measure chromophoric dissolved organic matter fluorescence (FDOM) over the course of an entire year. Nitrate was measured concurrently using a Satlantic SUNA and phosphate was measured using a WETLabs model Cycle-P instrument for a two week period in July 2011. Continuous measurement from these instruments paired with continuous measurement of physical water quality variables such as temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity, were used to investigate physical and chemical dynamics of DOC, NO3-, SRP over varying time scales. Deploying these instruments at pre-existing USGS discharge gages allowed for calculation of instantaneous and integrated constituent fluxes, as well as filling in gaps in our understanding biogeochemical processes and transport. Results from the study

Climate change increases riverine carbon outgassing, while export to the ocean remains uncertain

Science.gov (United States)

Langerwisch, F.; Walz, A.; Rammig, A.; Tietjen, B.; Thonicke, K.; Cramer, W.

2016-07-01

Any regular interaction of land and river during flooding affects carbon pools within the terrestrial system, riverine carbon and carbon exported from the system. In the Amazon basin carbon fluxes are considerably influenced by annual flooding, during which terrigenous organic material is imported to the river. The Amazon basin therefore represents an excellent example of a tightly coupled terrestrial-riverine system. The processes of generation, conversion and transport of organic carbon in such a coupled terrigenous-riverine system strongly interact and are climate-sensitive, yet their functioning is rarely considered in Earth system models and their response to climate change is still largely unknown. To quantify regional and global carbon budgets and climate change effects on carbon pools and carbon fluxes, it is important to account for the coupling between the land, the river, the ocean and the atmosphere. We developed the RIVerine Carbon Model (RivCM), which is directly coupled to the well-established dynamic vegetation and hydrology model LPJmL, in order to account for this large-scale coupling. We evaluate RivCM with observational data and show that some of the values are reproduced quite well by the model, while we see large deviations for other variables. This is mainly caused by some simplifications we assumed. Our evaluation shows that it is possible to reproduce large-scale carbon transport across a river system but that this involves large uncertainties. Acknowledging these uncertainties, we estimate the potential changes in riverine carbon by applying RivCM for climate forcing from five climate models and three CO2 emission scenarios (Special Report on Emissions Scenarios, SRES). We find that climate change causes a doubling of riverine organic carbon in the southern and western basin while reducing it by 20 % in the eastern and northern parts. In contrast, the amount of riverine inorganic carbon shows a 2- to 3-fold increase in the entire basin

The CO2 system in rivers of the Australian Victorian Alps: CO2 evasion in relation to system metabolism and rock weathering on multi-annual time scales

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagedorn, Benjamin; Cartwright, Ian

2010-01-01

The patterns of dissolved inorganic C (DIC) and aqueous CO 2 in rivers and estuaries sampled during summer and winter in the Australian Victorian Alps were examined. Together with historical (1978-1990) geochemical data, this study provides, for the first time, a multi-annual coverage of the linkage between CO 2 release via wetland evasion and CO 2 consumption via combined carbonate and aluminosilicate weathering. δ 13 C values imply that carbonate weathering contributes ∼36% of the DIC in the rivers although carbonates comprise less than 5% of the study area. Baseflow/interflow flushing of respired C3 plant detritus accounts for ∼50% and atmospheric precipitation accounts for ∼14% of the DIC. The influence of in river respiration and photosynthesis on the DIC concentrations is negligible. River waters are supersaturated with CO 2 and evade ∼27.7 x 10 6 mol/km 2 /a to ∼70.9 x 10 6 mol/km 2 /a CO 2 to the atmosphere with the highest values in the low runoff rivers. This is slightly higher than the global average reflecting higher gas transfer velocities due to high wind speeds. Evaded CO 2 is not balanced by CO 2 consumption via combined carbonate and aluminosilicate weathering which implies that chemical weathering does not significantly neutralize respiration derived H 2 CO 3 . The results of this study have implications for global assessments of chemical weathering yields in river systems draining passive margin terrains as high respiration derived DIC concentrations are not directly connected to high carbonate and aluminosilicate weathering rates.

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter export from U.S. rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Spencer, Robert G. M.; Aiken, George R.; Dornblaser, Mark M.; Butler, Kenna D.; Holmes, R. Max; Fiske, Greg; Mann, Paul J.; Stubbins, Aron

2013-01-01

Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) fluxes and yields from 15 major U.S. rivers draining an assortment of terrestrial biomes are presented. A robust relationship between CDOM and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) loads is established (e.g., a350 versus DOC; r2 = 0.96, p CDOM yields are also correlated to watershed percent wetland (e.g. a350; r2 = 0.81, p CDOM export from ungauged watersheds. A large variation in CDOM yields was found across the rivers. The two rivers in the north-eastern U.S. (Androscoggin and Penobscot), the Edisto draining into the South Atlantic Bight, and some rivers draining into the Gulf of Mexico (Atchafalaya and Mobile) exhibit the highest CDOM yields, linked to extensive wetlands in these watersheds. If the Edisto CDOM yield is representative of other rivers draining into the South Atlantic Bight, this would result in a CDOM load equivalent to that of the Mississippi from a region of approximately 10% of the Mississippi watershed, indicating the importance of certain regions with respect to the role of terrigenous CDOM in ocean color budgets.

Growth and persistence of pathogens on granular activated carbon filters.

Science.gov (United States)

Camper, A K; LeChevallier, M W; Broadaway, S C; McFeters, G A

1985-01-01

Three enteric pathogens Yersinia enterocolitica O:8, Salmonella typhimurium, and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, were examined for their ability to colonize granular activated carbon (GAC) in pure cultures and in the presence of autochthonous river water organisms. All three organisms readily colonized sterile GAC and maintained populations of ca. 10(5) to 10(7) CFU g-1 for 14 days when suspended in sterile river water. Exposure of pathogen biofilms on GAC to unsterile river water resulted in a gradual decline in pathogens on the carbon (0.08 to 0.14 log day-1). When pathogens were introduced to sterile GAC in the presence of heterotrophic plate count organisms, they attached at levels similar to those in the pure cultures and then decreased (0.10 to 0.22 log day-1). When added with heterotrophic plate count bacteria to GAC supporting a mature biofilm of native river water bacteria, they attached at a lower level (1.0 X 10(4) to 4.6 X 10(4) CFU g-1) and decreased at a more rapid rate (0.11 to 0.70 log day-1). PMID:3911903

Quantifying and predicting historical and future patterns of carbon fluxes from the North American Continent to Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, H.; Zhang, B.; Xu, R.; Yang, J.; Yao, Y.; Pan, S.; Lohrenz, S. E.; Cai, W. J.; He, R.; Najjar, R. G.; Friedrichs, M. A. M.; Hofmann, E. E.

2017-12-01

Carbon export through river channels to coastal waters is a fundamental component of the global carbon cycle. Changes in the terrestrial environment, both natural (e.g., climatic change, enriched CO2 concentration, and elevated ozone concentration) and anthropogenic (e.g, deforestation, cropland expansion, and urbanization) have greatly altered carbon production, stocks, decomposition, movement and export from land to river and ocean systems. However, the magnitude and spatiotemporal patterns of lateral carbon fluxes from land to oceans and the underlying mechanisms responsible for these fluxes remain far from certain. Here we applied a process-based land model with explicit representation of carbon processes in stream and rivers (Dynamic Land Ecosystem Model: DLEM 2.0) to examine how changes in climate, land use, atmospheric CO2, and nitrogen deposition have affected the carbon fluxes from North American continent to Ocean during 1980-2015. Our simulated results indicated that terrestrial carbon export shows substantially spatial and temporal variability. Of the five sub-regions (Arctic coast, Pacific coast, Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic coast, and Great lakes), the Arctic sub-region provides the highest DOC flux, whereas the Gulf of Mexico sub-region provided the highest DIC flux. However, terrestrial carbon export to the arctic oceans showed increasing trends for both DOC and DIC, whereas DOC and DIC export to the Gulf of Mexico decreased in the recent decades. Future pattern of riverine carbon fluxes would be largely dependent on the climate change and land use scenarios.

Adaptive Management of Return Flows: Lessons from a Case Study in Environmental Water Delivery to a Floodplain River

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfenden, Benjamin J.; Wassens, Skye M.; Jenkins, Kim M.; Baldwin, Darren S.; Kobayashi, Tsuyoshi; Maguire, James

2018-03-01

For many floodplain rivers, reinstating wetland connectivity is necessary for ecosystems to recover from decades of regulation. Environmental return flows (the managed delivery of wetland water to an adjacent river) can be used strategically to facilitate natural ecosystem connectivity, enabling the transfer of nutrients, energy, and biota from wetland habitats to the river. Using an informal adaptive management framework, we delivered return flows from a forested wetland complex into a large lowland river in south-eastern Australia. We hypothesized that return flows would (a) increase river nutrient concentrations; (b) reduce wetland nutrient concentrations; (c) increase rates of ecosystem metabolism through the addition of potentially limiting nutrients, causing related increases in the concentration of water column chlorophyll-a; and (d) increase the density and species richness of microinvertebrates in riverine benthic habitats. Our monitoring results demonstrated a small increase in the concentrations of several key nutrients but no evidence for significant ecological responses was found. Although return flows can be delivered from forested floodplain areas without risking hypoxic blackwater events, returning nutrient and carbon-rich water to increase riverine productivity is limited by the achievable scale of return flows. Nevertheless, using return flows to flush carbon from floodplains may be a useful management tool to reduce carbon loads, preparing floodplains for subsequent releases (e.g., mitigating the risk of hypoxic blackwater events). In this example, adaptive management benefited from a semi-formal collaboration between science and management that allowed for prompt decision-making.

Do Regional Aerosols Contribute to the Riverine Export of Dissolved Black Carbon?

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, M. W.; Quine, T. A.; de Rezende, C. E.; Dittmar, T.; Johnson, B.; Manecki, M.; Marques, J. S. J.; de Aragão, L. E. O. C.

2017-11-01

The fate of black carbon (BC), a stable form of thermally altered organic carbon produced during biomass and fuel combustion, remains an area of uncertainty in the global carbon cycle. The transfer of photosynthetically derived BC into extremely long-term oceanic storage is of particular significance and rivers are the key linkage between terrestrial sources and oceanic stores. Significant fluvial fluxes of dissolved BC to oceans result from the slow release of BC from degrading charcoal stocks; however, these fluvial fluxes may also include undetermined contributions of aerosol BC, produced by biomass and fossil fuel combustion, which are deposited in river catchments following atmospheric transport. By investigation of the Paraíba do Sul River catchment in Southeast Brazil we show that aerosol deposits can be substantial contributors to fluvial fluxes of BC. We derived spatial distributions of BC stocks within the catchment associated with soil charcoal and with aerosol from both open biomass burning and fuel combustion. We then modeled the fluvial concentrations of dissolved BC (DBC) in scenarios with varying rates of export from each stock. We analyzed the ability of each scenario to reproduce the variability in DBC concentrations measured in four data sets of river water samples collected between 2010 and 2014 and found that the best performing scenarios included a 5-18% (135-486 Mg DBC year-1) aerosol contribution. Our results suggest that aerosol deposits of BC in river catchments have a shorter residence time in catchments than charcoal BC and, therefore, contribute disproportionately (with respect to stock magnitude) toward fluvial fluxes of BC.

Geochemical fingerprints and controls in the sediments of an urban river: River Manzanares, Madrid (Spain)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miguel, Eduardo de; Charlesworth, Susanne; Ordonez, Almudena; Seijas, Eduardo

2005-01-01

The geochemical fingerprint of sediment retrieved from the banks of the River Manzanares as it passes through the City of Madrid is presented here. The river collects the effluent water from several Waste Water Treatment (WWT) plants in and around the city, such that, at low flows, up to 60% of the flow has been treated. A total of 18 bank-sediment cores were collected along the course of the river, down to its confluence with the Jarama river, to the south-east of Madrid. Trace and major elements in each sample were extracted following a double protocol: (a) 'Total' digestion with HNO 3 , HClO 4 and HF; (b) 'Weak' digestion with sodium acetate buffered to pH=5 with acetic acid, under constant stirring. The digests thus obtained were subsequently analysed by ICP-AES, except for Hg which was extracted with aqua regia and sodium chloride-hydroxylamine sulfate, and analysed by Cold Vapour-AAS. X-ray diffraction was additionally employed to determine the mineralogical composition of the samples. Uni- and multivariate analyses of the chemical data reveal the influence of Madrid on the geochemistry of Manzanares' sediments, clearly manifested by a marked increase in the concentration of typically 'urban' elements Ag, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn, downstream of the intersection of the river with the city's perimeter. The highest concentrations of these elements appear to be associated with illegal or accidental dumping of waste materials, and with the uncontrolled incorporation of untreated urban runoff to the river. The natural matrix of the sediment is characterised by fairly constant concentrations of Ce, La and Y, whereas changes in the lithology intersected by the river cause corresponding variations in Ca-Mg and Al-Na contents. In the final stretch of the river, the presence of carbonate materials seems to exert a strong geochemical control on the amount of Zn and, to a lesser extent, Cu immobilised in the sediments. This fact suggests that a variable but significant

A Preliminary Assessment of Sources of Nitrate in Springwaters, Suwannee River Basin, Florida

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Katz, Brian G; Hornsby, H. D

1998-01-01

... contamination in the middle Suwannee River region. In July and August 1997, water samples were collected and analyzed from six springs and two wells for major ions, nutrients, and dissolved organic carbon...

Seasonal changes in particulate and dissolved organic matter composition and quality in the Lena River Delta

Science.gov (United States)

Mollenhauer, G.; Winterfeld, M.; Hefter, J.; Bodenstab, L.; Morgenstern, A.; Eulenburg, A.; Heim, B.; Koch, B.; Schefuss, E.; Moerth, C. M.; Rethemeyer, J.

2016-12-01

Arctic rivers are known to export large quantities of carbon by discharge of dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC, POC), and in a warming and progressively moister Arctic, these exports may increase resulting in a reduction of arctic continental carbon stocks. These rivers have highly variable discharge rates with a pronounced maximum during the spring freshet associated with highest concentrations of DOC and POC. Most studies investigating the isotopic composition and quality of carbon exported by Arctic rivers rely on samples taken in summer during base flow, which is due to the logistical challenges associated with sampling in the remote Arctic permafrost regions. Here we present a record of δ13C and Δ14C of DOC and POC collected between late May during the freshet and late August 2014 in the Lena River Delta. POC Δ14C shows an initial trend towards older values in the spring samples, which is reversed in summer, associated with a shift towards more depleted δ13C values. We interpret this aging trend as reflecting progressive thawing throughout the ice-free season, resulting in mobilization of progressively older carbon from deeper thawed layers. The summer reversal indicates admixture of aquatic organic matter. DOC Δ14C, in contrast, remains at relatively modern levels with rather constant δ13C values throughout the sampling period. We furthermore analysed the biomarker composition of Lena Delta particulate OM collected in spring and summer. From spring to summer, we observe trends in abundance of individual leaf-wax derived biomarkers indicating higher abundance of algal biomass in the summer particles. Trends in soil microbial biomarkers and compound-specific δD of leaf-wax lipids suggest a shift in sources towards higher contributions from the southern catchment in summer. DOC composition investigated with FT-ICR-MS changes from spring with higher abundances of compounds with high H/C and low O/C ratios to late summer, when fewer compounds

Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks of Baird Mountains Quadrangle, Alaska

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dumoulin, J.A.; Harris, A.G.

1985-04-01

Lower Paleozoic carbonate rocks in the Baird Mountains quadrangle form a relatively thin (about 550 m), chiefly shallow-water succession that has been imbricately thrust and metamorphosed to lower greenschist facies. Middle and Upper Cambrian rocks - the first reported from the western Brooks Range - occur in the northeastern quarter of the quadrangle, south of Angayukaqsraq (formerly Hub) Mountain. They consist of marble grading upward into thin-bedded marble/dolostone couplets and contain pelagiellid mollusks, acetretid brachiopods, and agnostid trilobites. Sedimentologic features and the Pelagiellas indicate a shallow-water depositional environment. Overlying these rocks are Lower and Middle Ordovician marble and phyllite containing graptolites and conodonts of midshelf to basinal aspect. Upper Ordovician rocks in this area are bioturbated to laminated dolostone containing warm, shallow-water conodonts. In the Omar and Squirrel Rivers areas to the west, the Lower Ordovician carbonate rocks show striking differences in lithofacies, biofacies, and thickness. Here they are mainly dolostone with locally well-developed fenestral fabric and evaporite molds, and bioturbated to laminated orange- and gray-weathering dolomitic marble. Upper Silurian dolostone, found near Angayukaqsraq Mountain and on the central Squirrel River, contains locally abundant corals and stronmatoporoids. Devonian carbonate rocks are widely distributed in the Baird Mountains quadrangle; at least two distinct sequences have been identified. In the Omar area, Lower and Middle Devonian dolostone and marble are locally cherty and rich in megafossils. In the north-central (Nakolik River) area, Middle and Upper Devonian marble is interlayered with planar to cross-laminated quartz-carbonate metasandstone and phyllite.

Efficient gas exchange between a boreal river and the atmosphere

Science.gov (United States)

Huotari, Jussi; Haapanala, Sami; Pumpanen, Jukka; Vesala, Timo; Ojala, Anne

2013-11-01

largest uncertainties in accurately resolving the role of rivers and streams in carbon cycling stem from difficulties in determining gas exchange between water and the atmosphere. So far, estimates for river-atmosphere gas exchange have lacked direct ecosystem-scale flux measurements not disturbing gas exchange across the air-water interface. We conducted the first direct riverine gas exchange measurements with eddy covariance in tandem with continuous surface water CO2 measurements in a large boreal river for 30 days. Our measured gas transfer velocity was, on average, 20.8 cm h-1, which is clearly higher than the model estimates based on river channel morphology and water velocity, whereas our floating chambers gave comparable values at 17.3 cm h-1. These results demonstrate that present estimates for riverine CO2 emissions are very likely too low. This result is also relevant to any other gases emitted, as their diffusive exchange rates are similarly proportional to gas transfer velocity.

Human impact on the historical change of CO2 degassing flux in River Changjiang

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhang Jing

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract The impact of water quality changes in River Changjiang (formally known as the Yangtze River on dissolved CO2 and silicate concentrations and seasonal carbon flux in the past several decades (1960s–2000 was evaluated, based on monitoring data from hydrographic gauge. It was found that dissolved CO2 and silicate in Changjiang decreased dramatically during this decades, as opposed to a marked increase in nutrient (e.g. NO3- concentrations. Our analyses revealed that dissolved CO2 in Changjiang was over-saturated with the atmosphere CO2, and its concentration had showed a declining trend since the 1960s, despite that fluvial DIC flux had maintained stable. Analysis results also suggested that the decrease in dissolved CO2 concentration was attributed to changes on the riverine trophic level and river damming activities in the Changjiang drainage basin. Due to the economic innovation (e.g. agriculture and industry development across the Changjiang watershed, fertilizers application and river regulations have significantly altered the original state of the river. Its ecosystem and hydrological condition have been evolving toward the "lacustrine/reservoir" autotrophic type prevailing with plankton. Accordingly, average CO2 diffusing flux to the atmosphere from the river had been reduced by three-fourth from the 1960s to 1990s, with the flux value being down to 14.2 mol.m-2.yr-1 in the 1990s. For a rough estimate, approximately 15.3 Mt of carbon was degassed annually into the atmosphere from the entire Changjiang drainage basin in the 1990s.

Influence of the permafrost boundary on dissolved organic matter characteristics in rivers within the Boreal and Taiga plains of western Canada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olefeldt, D; Turetsky, M R; Persson, A

2014-01-01

Catchment export of terrestrial dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its downstream degradation in aquatic ecosystems are important components of landscape scale carbon balances. In order to assess the influence of peatland permafrost on river DOM characteristics, we sampled 65 rivers along a 900 km transect crossing into the southern discontinuous permafrost zone on the Boreal and Tundra Plains of western Canada. Catchment peatland cover and catchment location north or south of the permafrost boundary were found together to have strong influences on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations and DOM chemical composition. River DOC concentrations increased with catchment peatland cover, but were consistently lower for catchments north of the permafrost boundary. In contrast, protein fluorescence (PARAFAC analysis), was unrelated to catchment peatland cover but increased significantly in rivers north of the permafrost boundary. Humic and fulvic acid contribution to DOM fluorescence was lower in rivers draining catchments with large lakes than in other rivers, consistent with extensive photodegradation, but humic and fulvic acid fluorescence were also lower in rivers north of the permafrost boundary than in rivers to the south. We hypothesize that shifts in river DOM characteristics when crossing the permafrost boundary are related to the influence of permafrost on peatland hydrological connectivity to stream networks, peatland DOM characteristics and differences in DOM degradation within aquatic ecosystems. (paper)

Thermodynamic Cconstraints on Coupled Carbonate-Pyrite Weathering Dynamics and Carbon Fluxes

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Winnick, M.; Maher, K.

2017-12-01

Chemical weathering within the critical zone regulates global biogeochemical cycles, atmospheric composition, and the supply of key nutrients to terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Recent studies suggest that thermodynamic limits on solute production act as a first-order control on global chemical weathering rates; however, few studies have addressed the factors that set these thermodynamic limits in natural systems. In this presentation, we investigate the effects of soil CO2 concentrations and pyrite oxidation rates on carbonate dissolution and associated carbon fluxes in the East River watershed in Colorado, using concentration-discharge relationships and thermodynamic constraints. Within the shallow subsurface, soil respiration rates and moisture content determine the extent of carbonic acid-promoted carbonate dissolution through their modulation of soil pCO2 and the balance of open- v. closed-system weathering processes. At greater depths, pyrite oxidation generates sulfuric acid, which alters the approach to equilibrium of infiltrating waters. Through comparisons of concentration-discharge data and reactive transport model simulations, we explore the conditions that determine whether sulfuric acid reacts to dissolve additional carbonate mineral or instead reacts with alkalinity already in solution - the balance of which determines watershed carbon flux budgets. Our study highlights the importance of interactions between the chemical structure of the critical zone and the hydrologic regulation of flowpaths in determining concentration-discharge relationships and overall carbon fluxes.

Radionuclides as natural tracers of the interaction between groundwater and surface water in the River Andarax, Spain.

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Navarro-Martinez, Francisco; Salas Garcia, Alejandro; Sánchez-Martos, Francisco; Baeza Espasa, Antonio; Molina Sánchez, Luis; Rodríguez Perulero, Antonio

2017-12-01

The identification of specific aquifers that supply water to river systems is fundamental to understanding the dynamics of the rivers' hydrochemistry, particularly in arid and semiarid environments where river flow may be discontinuous. There are multiple methods to identify the source of river water. In this study of the River Andarax, in the Southeast of Spain, an analysis of natural tracers (physico-chemical parameters, uranium, radium and radon) in surface water and groundwater indicates that chemical parameters and uranium clearly identify the areas where there is groundwater-surface water interaction. The concentration of uranium found in the river defines two areas: the headwaters with U concentrations of 2 μg L -1 and the lower reaches, with U of 6 μg L -1 . Furthermore, variation in the 234 U/ 238 U isotopic ratio allowed us to detect the influence that groundwater from the carbonate aquifer has on surface water in the headwaters of the river, where the saline content is lower and the water has a calcium bicarbonate facies. The concentration of 226 Ra and 222 Rn are low in the surface waters: aquifer on the surface waters. The results of this study indicate the utility in the use of physico-chemical and radiological data conjointly as tracers of groundwater-surface water interaction in semiarid areas where the lithology of aquifers is diverse (carbonate and detritic) and where evaporitic rocks are present. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dissolved Organic Matter Composition and Export from U.S. Rivers

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Aiken, G.; Butman, D. E.; Spencer, R. G.; Raymond, P.

2012-12-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) chemistry and flux are potentially useful indicators of watershed characteristics, climate influences on watershed hydrology and soils, and changes associated with water and land resource management. Organic source materials, watershed geochemistry, oxidative processes and hydrology strongly influence the nature and reactivity of DOM in aquatic systems. The molecules that comprise DOM, in turn, control a number of environmental processes important for ecosystem function including light penetration and photochemistry, microbial activity, mineral dissolution/precipitation, and the transport and reactivity of hydrophobic compounds and metals. In particular, aromatic molecules derived from higher plants exert strong controls on aquatic photochemistry, and on the transport and biogeochemistry of metals. Assessment of DOM composition and transport, therefore, can provide a basis for understanding watershed processes and biogeochemistry of rivers and streams. Here we present results of a multi-year study designed to assess the seasonal and spatial variability of DOM quantity and quality for 15 large North American river basins. Samples were collected from the mouths of the rivers using a sampling program designed to capture hydrologic and seasonal variability of DOM export. DOM concentrations and composition, based on DOM fractionation on XAD resins, chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) parameters (ultraviolet /visible absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy), specific compound analyses, and DO14C content varied greatly both between sites and seasonally within a given site. DOM in these rivers exhibited a wide range of concentration and carbon specific ultra-violet absorbance at 254 nm (SUVA254), an optical measurement that is an indicator of DOM aromatic carbon content. In almost all systems, CDOM optical parameters correlated strongly with DOC concentration and hydrophobic organic acid (HPOA) content (aquatic humic substances). In

Characteristics of GHG flux from water-air interface along a reclaimed water intake area of the Chaobai River in Shunyi, Beijing

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He, Baonan; He, Jiangtao; Wang, Jian; Li, Jie; Wang, Fei

2018-01-01

To understand greenhouse gas (GHG) flux in reclaimed water intake area impact on urban climate, 'static chamber' method was used to investigate the spatio-diurnal variations and the influence factors of GHG fluxes at water-air interface from Jian River to Chaobai River. Results showed that the average fluxes of CO2 from the Jian River and the Chaobai River were 73.46 mg(m2·h)-1 and -64.75 mg(m2·h)-1, respectively. CO2 was emitted the most in the Jian River, but it was absorbed from the atmosphere in the Chaobai River. Unary linear regression analyses demonstrated that Chlorophyll a (Chl a) and pH variation controlled the carbon source and sink from the Jian River to the Chaobai River. The diurnal variation of CO2 fluxes was higher at night than in the daytime in the Jian River, and it was the inverse in the Chaobai River, which highly correlated with dissociative CO2 and HCO3- transformation to CO32-. The average fluxes of CH4 from the Jian River and Chaobai River were 0.973 mg(m2·h)-1 and 5.556 mg(m2·h)-1, respectively, which increased along the water flow direction. Unary and multiple linear regression analyses demonstrated that Chl a and total organic carbon (TOC) controlled the increase of CH4 along the flow direction. The diurnal variation of CH4 fluxes was slightly higher in the daytime than at night due to the effect of water temperature.

Assessing Methane Fluxes in a Small Run-of-River Reservoir: The Importance of Adjacent Marshland

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McGinnis, D. F.; Flury, S.; Fietzek, P.; Bilsley, N. A.; Bodmer, P.; Premke, K.; Maeck, A.; Lorke, A.; Schmidt, M.

2013-12-01

We investigate methane (CH4) emissions from a small run-of-river impoundment, the Schwentine River in Kiel, Germany. Small dammed rivers, while important regions for carbon transformation, are presently not considered in the terrestrial carbon budget and are under-represented in CH4 emission studies. Using state-of-the-art monitoring techniques, we determine that 1) the CH4 emissions well-exceed those reported for temperate reservoirs and 2) the hydrodynamic linkage to bordering marshland (consisting of reed belts, sidebays and creeks) is an important CH4 source for Schwentine River CH4. During our study, the Schwentine River discharged into the Kieler Fjord at 3 - 12 m3/s. CH4 measurements included 1) a moored sensor near the dam discharge, 2) discrete water sampling, and 3) real time surface flux measurements with floating chambers. We observed that the CH4 concentration increased nearly linearly from 2.5 km upstream towards the dam. The CH4 concentration near the dam discharge was logged and reported every 30 minutes nearly continuously from 11 July - 28 Sept 2011, and varied from 500 μmol/L to 2,200 μmol/L. Surprisingly, the CH4 mass discharge from the dam - ranging from 4 to 20 kg/day - increased with both temperature and flowrate, suggesting a flow-dependent CH4 source. We found that the bordering and numerous inundated reed belts, sidebays and small creeks, had significantly elevated CH4 concentrations. These marshland regions are relatively productive and quiescent compared to the main river, and trap organic and particulate matter, leading to enhanced CH4 production. As the river flowrate increases, the lateral exchange with these adjacent areas also increases. Using the CH4 concentration time series, measured surface diffusive and ebullition fluxes, and sediment CH4 porewater profiles, we estimate the relative contributions of CH4 in the main branch due to 1) sediment diffusion, 2) dissolution from sediment CH4 bubble release, and 3) lateral fluxes from

Dynamics and sources of reduced sulfur, humic substances and dissolved organic carbon in a temperate river system affected by agricultural practices.

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Marie, Lauriane; Pernet-Coudrier, Benoît; Waeles, Matthieu; Gabon, Marine; Riso, Ricardo

2015-12-15

Although reduced organic sulfur substances (RSS) as well as humic substances (HS) are widely suspected to play a role in, for example, metal speciation or used as a model of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in laboratory studies, reports of their quantification in natural waters are scarce. We have examined the dynamics and sources of reduced sulfur, HS and DOC over an annual cycle in a river system affected by agricultural practices. The new differential pulse cathodic stripping voltammetry was successfully applied to measure glutathione-like compounds (GSHs), thioacetamide-like compounds (TAs) and the liquid chromatography coupled to organic detector to analyze HS and DOC at high frequency in the Penzé River (NW France). The streamflow-concentration patterns, principal components analysis and flux analysis allowed discrimination of the source of each organic compound type. Surprisingly, the two RSS and HS detected in all samples, displayed different behavior. As previously shown, manuring practice is the main source of DOC and HS in this watershed where agricultural activity is predominant. The HS were then transferred to the river systems via runoff, particularly during the spring and autumn floods, which are responsible of >60% of the annual flux. TAs had a clear groundwater source and may be formed underground, whereas GSHs displayed two sources: one aquagenic in spring and summer probably linked to the primary productivity and a second, which may be related to bacterial degradation. High sampling frequency allowed a more accurate assessment of the flux values which were 280 tC y(-1) for DOC representing 20 kg C ha(-1) y(-1). HS, TAs and GSHs fluxes represented 60, 13, and 4% of the total annual DOC export, respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using high frequency CDOM hyperspectral absorption to fingerprint river water sources

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Beckler, J. S.; Kirkpatrick, G. J.; Dixon, L. K.; Milbrandt, E. C.

2016-12-01

Quantifying riverine carbon transfer from land to sea is complicated by variability in dissolved organic carbon (DOC), closely-related dissolved organic matter (DOM) and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) concentrations, as well as in the composition of the freshwater end members of multiple drainage basins and seasons. Discrete measurements in estuaries have difficulty resolving convoluted upstream watershed dynamics. Optical measurements, however, can provide more continuous data regarding the molecular composition and concentration of the CDOM as it relates to river flow, tidal mixing, and salinity and may be used to fingerprint source waters. For the first time, long-term, hyperspectral CDOM measurements were obtained on filtered Caloosahatchee River estuarine waters using an in situ, long-pathlength spectrophotometric instrument, the Optical Phytoplankton Discriminator (OPD). Through a collaborative monitoring effort among partners within the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS), ancillary measurements of fluorescent DOM (FDOM) and water quality parameters were also obtained from co-located instrumentation at high frequency. Optical properties demonstrated both short-term (hourly) tidal variations and long-term (daily - weekly) variations corresponding to changes in riverine flow and salinity. The optical properties of the river waters are demonstrated to be a dilution-adjusted linear combination of the optical properties of the source waters comprising the overall composition (e.g. Lake Okeechobee, watershed drainage basins, Gulf of Mexico). Overall, these techniques are promising as a tool to more accurately constrain the carbon flux to the ocean and to predict the optical quality of coastal waters.

Quantifying Km-scale Hydrological Exchange Flows under Dynamic Flows and Their Influences on River Corridor Biogeochemistry

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Chen, X.; Song, X.; Shuai, P.; Hammond, G. E.; Ren, H.; Zachara, J. M.

2017-12-01

Hydrologic exchange flows (HEFs) in rivers play vital roles in watershed ecological and biogeochemical functions due to their strong capacity to attenuate contaminants and process significant quantities of carbon and nutrients. While most of existing HEF studies focus on headwater systems with the assumption of steady-state flow, there is lack of understanding of large-scale HEFs in high-order regulated rivers that experience high-frequency stage fluctuations. The large variability of HEFs is a result of interactions between spatial heterogeneity in hydrogeologic properties and temporal variation in river discharge induced by natural or anthropogenic perturbations. Our 9-year spatially distributed dataset (water elevation, specific conductance, and temperature) combined with mechanistic hydrobiogeochemical simulations have revealed complex spatial and temporal dynamics in km-scale HEFs and their significant impacts on contaminant plume mobility and hyporheic biogeochemical processes along the Hanford Reach. Extended multidirectional flow behaviors of unconfined, river corridor groundwater were observed hundreds of meters inland from the river shore resulting from discharge-dependent HEFs. An appropriately sized modeling domain to capture the impact of regional groundwater flow as well as knowledge of subsurface structures controlling intra-aquifer hydrologic connectivity were essential to realistically model transient storage in this large-scale river corridor. This work showed that both river water and mobile groundwater contaminants could serve as effective tracers of HEFs, thus providing valuable information for evaluating and validating the HEF models. Multimodal residence time distributions with long tails were resulted from the mixture of long and short exchange pathways, which consequently impact the carbon and nutrient cycling within the river corridor. Improved understanding of HEFs using integrated observational and modeling approaches sheds light on

Modeling the potential distribution of the invasive golden mussel Limnoperna fortunei in the Upper Paraguay River system using limnological variables

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MD Oliveira

Full Text Available The invasive golden mussel, Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857, was introduced into the La Plata River estuary and quickly expanded upstream to the North, into the Paraguay and Paraná rivers. An ecological niche modeling approach, based on limnological variables, was used to predict the expansion of the golden mussel in the Paraguay River and its tributaries. We used three approaches to predict the geographic distribution: 1 the spatial distribution of calcium concentration and the saturation index for calcium carbonate (calcite; 2 the Genetic Algorithm for Rule-Set Production (GARP model; and the 3 Maximum Entropy Method (Maxent model. Other limnological variables such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and Total Suspended Solids (TSS were used in the latter two cases. Important tributaries of the Paraguay River such as the Cuiabá and Miranda/Aquidauana rivers exhibit high risk of invasion, while lower risk was observed in the chemically dilute waters of the middle basin where shell calcification may be limited by low calcium concentrations and carbonate mineral undersaturation.

Estimation of pollutant source contribution to the Pampanga River Basin using carbon and nitrogen isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castaneda, Solidad S.; Sta Maria, Efren J.; Ramirez, Jennyvi D.; Collado, Mario B.; Samar, Edna D.

2013-01-01

This study assessed and estimated the percentage contribution of potential pollution sources in Pampanga River Basin using carbon and nitrogen isotopes as environmental tracers. The δ 13 C and δ 15 N values were determined in particulate organic matter, surface sediment, and plant tissue samples from point and non-point sources from several land use areas, namely domestic, croplands, livestock, fishery and forestry. Investigations were conducted in the wet and dry seasons (2012 and 2013). Some N sources do not have unique δ 15 N and there is overlapping among different N- sources type. δ 13 C data from the N sources provided an additional dimension which distinguished animal manure, human waste (septic and sewage), leaf litter, and synthetic fertilizer. Characterization of the non-point N-sources based on the isotopic fingerprints obtained from the point sources revealed that domestic, cropland, livestock, and fishery, influenced the isotopic composition of the materials but domestic and cropland land use provided the most significant influence. Livestock also contributed to a lesser extent. Isotope mixing model revealed that cropland sources generally contributed the most to pollutant loading during the wet season, from 22% to 98%, while domestic waste contributed higher in the dry season, from 55% to 65%. (author)

Aquatic carbon cycling in the conterminous United States and implications for terrestrial carbon accounting.

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Butman, David; Stackpoole, Sarah; Stets, Edward; McDonald, Cory P; Clow, David W; Striegl, Robert G

2016-01-05

Inland water ecosystems dynamically process, transport, and sequester carbon. However, the transport of carbon through aquatic environments has not been quantitatively integrated in the context of terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we present the first integrated assessment, to our knowledge, of freshwater carbon fluxes for the conterminous United States, where 106 (range: 71-149) teragrams of carbon per year (TgC⋅y(-1)) is exported downstream or emitted to the atmosphere and sedimentation stores 21 (range: 9-65) TgC⋅y(-1) in lakes and reservoirs. We show that there is significant regional variation in aquatic carbon flux, but verify that emission across stream and river surfaces represents the dominant flux at 69 (range: 36-110) TgC⋅y(-1) or 65% of the total aquatic carbon flux for the conterminous United States. Comparing our results with the output of a suite of terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs), we suggest that within the current modeling framework, calculations of net ecosystem production (NEP) defined as terrestrial only may be overestimated by as much as 27%. However, the internal production and mineralization of carbon in freshwaters remain to be quantified and would reduce the effect of including aquatic carbon fluxes within calculations of terrestrial NEP. Reconciliation of carbon mass-flux interactions between terrestrial and aquatic carbon sources and sinks will require significant additional research and modeling capacity.

Aquatic carbon cycling in the conterminous United States and implications for terrestrial carbon accounting

Science.gov (United States)

Butman, David; Stackpoole, Sarah; Stets, Edward; McDonald, Cory P.; Clow, David W.; Striegl, Robert G.

2016-01-01

Inland water ecosystems dynamically process, transport, and sequester carbon. However, the transport of carbon through aquatic environments has not been quantitatively integrated in the context of terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we present the first integrated assessment, to our knowledge, of freshwater carbon fluxes for the conterminous United States, where 106 (range: 71–149) teragrams of carbon per year (TgC⋅y−1) is exported downstream or emitted to the atmosphere and sedimentation stores 21 (range: 9–65) TgC⋅y−1 in lakes and reservoirs. We show that there is significant regional variation in aquatic carbon flux, but verify that emission across stream and river surfaces represents the dominant flux at 69 (range: 36–110) TgC⋅y−1 or 65% of the total aquatic carbon flux for the conterminous United States. Comparing our results with the output of a suite of terrestrial biosphere models (TBMs), we suggest that within the current modeling framework, calculations of net ecosystem production (NEP) defined as terrestrial only may be overestimated by as much as 27%. However, the internal production and mineralization of carbon in freshwaters remain to be quantified and would reduce the effect of including aquatic carbon fluxes within calculations of terrestrial NEP. Reconciliation of carbon mass–flux interactions between terrestrial and aquatic carbon sources and sinks will require significant additional research and modeling capacity. PMID:26699473

Hydrochemical evaluation of the influences of mining activities on river water chemistry in central northern Mongolia.

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Batsaikhan, Bayartungalag; Kwon, Jang-Soon; Kim, Kyoung-Ho; Lee, Young-Joon; Lee, Jeong-Ho; Badarch, Mendbayar; Yun, Seong-Taek

2017-01-01

Although metallic mineral resources are most important in the economy of Mongolia, mining activities with improper management may result in the pollution of stream waters, posing a threat to aquatic ecosystems and humans. In this study, aiming to evaluate potential impacts of metallic mining activities on the quality of a transboundary river (Selenge) in central northern Mongolia, we performed hydrochemical investigations of rivers (Tuul, Khangal, Orkhon, Haraa, and Selenge). Hydrochemical analysis of river waters indicates that, while major dissolved ions originate from natural weathering (especially, dissolution of carbonate minerals) within watersheds, they are also influenced by mining activities. The water quality problem arising from very high turbidity is one of the major environmental concerns and is caused by suspended particles (mainly, sediment and soil particles) from diverse erosion processes, including erosion of river banks along the meandering river system, erosion of soils owing to overgrazing by livestock, and erosion by human activities, such as mining and agriculture. In particular, after passing through the Zaamar gold mining area, due to the disturbance of sediments and soils by placer gold mining, the Tuul River water becomes very turbid (up to 742 Nephelometric Turbidity Unit (NTU)). The Zaamar area is also the contamination source of the Tuul and Orkhon rivers by Al, Fe, and Mn, especially during the mining season. The hydrochemistry of the Khangal River is influenced by heavy metal (especially, Mn, Al, Cd, and As)-loaded mine drainage that originates from a huge tailing dam of the Erdenet porphyry Cu-Mo mine, as evidenced by δ 34 S values of dissolved sulfate (0.2 to 3.8 ‰). These two contaminated rivers (Tuul and Khangal) merge into the Orkhon River that flows to the Selenge River near the boundary between Mongolia and Russia and then eventually flows into Lake Baikal. Because water quality problems due to mining can be critical

Relationship of photosynthetic carbon fixation with environmental changes in the Jiulong River estuary of the South China Sea, with special reference to the effects of solar UV radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Gang; Gao Kunshan; Yuan Dongxing; Zheng Ying; Yang Guiyuan

2011-01-01

Highlights: → C-fixation is the highest in turbidity front, though UV resulted in higher inhibition. → Increased availability of CO 2 appeared to stimulate photosynthetic machinery. → Osmotic stress made phytoplankton more sensitive to UV. - Abstract: Phytoplankton cells in estuary waters usually experience drastic changes in chemical and physical environments due to mixing of fresh and seawaters. In order to see their photosynthetic performance in such dynamic waters, we measured the photosynthetic carbon fixation by natural phytoplankton assemblages in the Jiulong River estuary of the South China Sea during April 24-26 and July 24-26 of 2008, and investigated its relationship with environmental changes in the presence or the absence of UV radiation. Phytoplankton biomass (Chl a) decreased sharply from the river-mouth to seawards (17.3-2.1 μg L -1 ), with the dominant species changed from chlorophytes to diatoms. The photosynthetic rate based on Chl a at noon time under PAR-alone increased from 1.9 μg C (μg Chl a) -1 L -1 in low salinity zone (SSS -1 L -1 in turbidity front (SSS within 10-20), and then decreased to 2.1 μg C (μg Chl a) -1 L -1 in mixohaline zone (SSS > 20); accordingly, the carbon fixation per volume of seawater increased from 12.8 to 149 μg C L -1 h -1 , and decreased to 14.3 μg C L -1 h -1 . Solar UVR caused the inhibition of carbon fixation in surface water of all the investigated zones, by 39% in turbidity area and 7-10% in freshwater or mixohaline zones. In the turbidity zone, higher availability of CO 2 could have enhanced the photosynthetic performance; while osmotic stress might be responsible for the higher sensitivity of phytoplankton assemblages to solar UV radiation.

Influences of riverine and upwelling waters on the coastal carbonate system off Central Chile and their ocean acidification implications

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas, Cristian A.; Contreras, Paulina Y.; Pérez, Claudia A.; Sobarzo, Marcus; Saldías, Gonzalo S.; Salisbury, Joe

2016-06-01

A combined data set, combining data from field campaigns and oceanographic cruises, was used to ascertain the influence of both river discharges and upwelling processes, covering spatial and temporal variation in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and aragonite saturation state. This work was conducted in one of the most productive river-influenced upwelling areas in the South Pacific coasts (36°S). Additionally, further work was also conducted to ascertain the contribution of different DIC sources, influencing the dynamics of DIC along the land-ocean range. Six sampling campaigns were conducted across seven stations at the Biobío River basin, covering approximately 200 km. Three research cruises were undertaken simultaneously, covering the adjacent continental shelf, including 12 sampling stations for hydrographic measurements. Additionally, six stations were also sampled for chemical analyses, covering summer, winter, and spring conditions over 2010 and 2011. Our results evidenced that seaward extent of the river plume was more evident during the winter field campaign, when highest riverine DIC fluxes were observed. The carbonate system along the river-ocean continuum was very heterogeneous varying over spatial and temporal scales. High DIC and pCO2 were observed in river areas with larger anthropogenic effects. CO2 supersaturation at the river plume was observed during all campaigns due to the influence of low pH river waters in winter/spring and high-pCO2 upwelling waters in summer. δ13CDIC evidenced that main DIC sources along the river and river plume corresponded to the respiration of terrestrial organic matter. We have linked this natural process to the carbonate saturation on the adjacent river-influenced coastal area, suggesting that Ωaragonite undersaturation in surface/subsurface waters is largely modulated by the influence of both river discharge and coastal upwelling events in this productive coastal area. Conditions of low Ωaragonite might impact

Relationship between fluvial clastic sediment and source rock abundance in Rapti river basin of central Nepal Himalayas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tamrakar Naresh Kazi; Shresth Madhusudan Bhakta

2008-01-01

Many tributaries from carbonate sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks of the Lesser Himalayan and clastic sedimentary rocks of the Sub-Himalayan Ranges carry gravelly sediments to the Rapti River. River bar sediments were analyzed for composition and texture to evaluate downstream changes in properties, and to establish relationship between proportion of clasts and the abundance of rock types in the source areas. Percent quartzite clast or granite clast increases whereas that of carbonate, schist or slate decreases along downstream. The largest grain size decreases downstream, whereas fatness index and sphericity tend to increase. Despite of little diminish in relative abundance of rock types in source areas along the river, the relative proportion of corresponding clast type shows rapid reduction (e.g. slate or phyllite or carbonate clasts) or rapid enhancement (e.g. granite clast). The relationships of quartzite clast and schist clasts with their corresponding source rocks are statistically significant suggesting that these clasts can provide clue to source rock abundance. About 85 to 94% of the gravel clasts represent rock types of the Lesser Himalayan Range suggesting that this range has been contributing enormous amount of sediments.

Methane emissions from a human-dominated lowland coastal river network (Shanghai, China)

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Wang, D.; Yu, Z.

2017-12-01

Evasion of methane (CH4) in streams and rivers play a critical role in global carbon (C) cycle, offsetting the C uptake by terrestrial ecosystems. However, little is known about CH4 emissions from lowland coastal rivers profoundly modified by anthropogenic perturbations. Here, we report results from a long-term, large-scale study of CH4 partial pressures (pCH4) and evasion rates in the Shanghai river network. The spatiotemporal variability of pCH4 was examined along a land-use gradient and the annual CH4 evasion were estimated to assess its role in regional C budget. During the study period, the median pCH4 from 87 surveyed rivers was 241 μatm. CH4 was oversaturated throughout the river network, CH4 hotpots were concentrated in the small urban rivers and highly discharge-dependent. The annual median fCH4 for each site ranged from 3.1 mg C•m-2•d-1 to 296.6 mg C•m-2•d-1. The annual CH4 evasion were 105 Gg CO2-eq•yr-1 and 96 Gg CO2-eq•yr-1 for the entire river network and the mainland rivers, respectively. Given the rapid urbanization in global coastal areas, more research is needed to quantify the role of lowland coastal rivers as a major landscape C source in global C budget.

Multidecadal increases in the Yukon River Basin of chemical fluxes as indicators of changing flowpaths, groundwater, and permafrost

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Toohey, Ryan C; Herman-Mercer, Nicole M.; Schuster, Paul F.; Mutter, Edda A.; Koch, Joshua C.

2016-01-01

The Yukon River Basin, underlain by discontinuous permafrost, has experienced a warming climate over the last century that has altered air temperature, precipitation, and permafrost. We investigated a water chemistry database from 1982 to 2014 for the Yukon River and its major tributary, the Tanana River. Significant increases of Ca, Mg, and Na annual flux were found in both rivers. Additionally, SO4 and P annual flux increased in the Yukon River. No annual trends were observed for dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from 2001 to 2014. In the Yukon River, Mg and SO4 flux increased throughout the year, while some of the most positive trends for Ca, Mg, Na, SO4, and P flux occurred during the fall and winter months. Both rivers exhibited positive monthly DOC flux trends for summer (Yukon River) and winter (Tanana River). These trends suggest increased active layer expansion, weathering, and sulfide oxidation due to permafrost degradation throughout the Yukon River Basin.

Dynamic behaviour of river colloidal and dissolved organic matter through cross-flow ultrafiltration system.

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Wilding, Andrew; Liu, Ruixia; Zhou, John L

2005-07-01

Through cross-flow filtration (CFF) with a 1-kDa regenerated cellulose Pellicon 2 module, the ultrafiltration characteristics of river organic matter from Longford Stream, UK, were investigated. The concentration of organic carbon (OC) in the retentate in the Longford Stream samples increased substantially with the concentration factor (cf), reaching approximately 40 mg/L at cf 15. The results of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and colloidal organic carbon (COC) analysis, tracking the isolation of colloids from river waters, show that 2 mg/L of COC was present in those samples and good OC mass balance (77-101%) was achieved. Fluorescence measurements were carried out for the investigation of retentate and permeate behaviour of coloured dissolved organic materials (CDOM). The concentrations of CDOM in both the retentate and permeate increased with increasing cf, although CDOM were significantly more concentrated in the retentate. The permeation model expressing the correlation between log[CDOM] in the permeate and logcf was able to describe the permeation behaviour of CDOM in the river water with regression coefficients (r(2)) of 0.94 and 0.98. Dry weight analysis indicated that the levels of organic colloidal particles were from 49 to 71%, and between 29 and 51% of colloidal particles present were inorganic. COC as a percentage of DOC was found to be 10-16% for Longford Stream samples.

Abundance, stable isotopic composition, and export fluxes of DOC, POC, and DIC from the Lower Mississippi River during 2006–2008

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Yihua; Guo, Laodong; Wang, Xuri; Aiken, George R.

2015-01-01

Sources, abundance, isotopic compositions, and export fluxes of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), dissolved and colloidal organic carbon (DOC and COC), and particulate organic carbon (POC), and their response to hydrologic regimes were examined through monthly sampling from the Lower Mississippi River during 2006–2008. DIC was the most abundant carbon species, followed by POC and DOC. Concentration and δ13C of DIC decreased with increasing river discharge, while those of DOC remained fairly stable. COC comprised 61 ± 3% of the bulk DOC with similar δ13C abundances but higher percentages of hydrophobic organic acids than DOC, suggesting its aromatic and diagenetically younger status. POC showed peak concentrations during medium flooding events and at the rising limb of large flooding events. While δ13C-POC increased, δ15N of particulate nitrogen decreased with increasing discharge. Overall, the differences in δ13C between DOC or DIC and POC show an inverse correlation with river discharge. The higher input of soil organic matter and respired CO2 during wet seasons was likely the main driver for the convergence of δ13C between DIC and DOC or POC, whereas enhanced in situ primary production and respiration during dry seasons might be responsible for their isotopic divergence. Carbon export fluxes from the Mississippi River were estimated to be 13.6 Tg C yr−1 for DIC, 1.88 Tg C yr−1 for DOC, and 2.30 Tg C yr−1 for POC during 2006–2008. The discharge-normalized DIC yield decreased during wet seasons, while those of POC and DOC increased and remained constant, respectively, implying variable responses in carbon export to the increasing discharge.

Impact of the Pb and Zn ore mining industry on the pollution of the Biała Przemsza River, Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Jabłońska-Czapla, Magdalena; Nocoń, Katarzyna; Szopa, Sebastian; Łyko, Aleksandra

2016-05-01

The development of mining and metallurgic industries of Pb and Zn ores in the Biała Przemsza catchment area has had a strong influence on the condition of the surface water and bottom sediments. In the following study, total contents of metals and metalloids were researched in the water and bottom sediment samples from the Biała Przemsza River. The samples were collected monthly in 2014 at five sampling points along the river. The research helped to determine correlations between the parameters and components of the water environment (metals/metalloids, cations/anions, pH, Eh, conductivity, carbon (TOC, IC, TC), and suspension). The contents of metals and metalloids were determined with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), whereas anions and cations were investigated with ion chromatography (IC). The simplified Community Bureau of Reference (BCR) three-step sequential chemical extraction was performed on Biała Przemsza River bottom sediments collected in April, July, and October. At its lower course, the Biała Przemsza River water did not meet the Polish surface water quality standards. The Biała Przemsza River water is mainly loaded with metals. Toxic concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Zn were observed at sampling points in Okradzionów and Sławków. The toxic Tl concentration was exceeded (2-6 μg/L) at three sampling points. The Biała Przemsza River bottom sediments were composed mostly of medium and fine sand. The BCR extraction of the bottom sediments demonstrated that Cd and Zn were bound to cations/anions and carbonates loosely adsorbed on the bottom sediments in spring and summer. Such a situation was observed at all the sampling points, except for BP3 in Okradzionów. The organic carbon concentration increased along the river course.

Punctuated sediment discharge during early Pliocene birth of the Colorado River: Evidence from regional stratigraphy, sedimentology, and paleontology

Science.gov (United States)

Dorsey, Rebecca J.; O’Connell, Brennan; McDougall-Reid, Kristin; Homan, Mindy B.

2018-01-01

The Colorado River in the southwestern U.S. provides an excellent natural laboratory for studying the origins of a continent-scale river system, because deposits that formed prior to and during river initiation are well exposed in the lower river valley and nearby basinal sink. This paper presents a synthesis of regional stratigraphy, sedimentology, and micropaleontology from the southern Bouse Formation and similar-age deposits in the western Salton Trough, which we use to interpret processes that controlled the birth and early evolution of the Colorado River. The southern Bouse Formation is divided into three laterally persistent members: basal carbonate, siliciclastic, and upper bioclastic members. Basal carbonate accumulated in a tide-dominated marine embayment during a rise of relative sea level between ~ 6.3 and 5.4 Ma, prior to arrival of the Colorado River. The transition to green claystone records initial rapid influx of river water and its distal clay wash load into the subtidal marine embayment at ~ 5.4–5.3 Ma. This was followed by rapid southward progradation of the Colorado River delta, establishment of the earliest through-flowing river, and deposition of river-derived turbidites in the western Salton Trough (Wind Caves paleocanyon) between ~ 5.3 and 5.1 Ma. Early delta progradation was followed by regional shut-down of river sand output between ~ 5.1 and 4.8 Ma that resulted in deposition of marine clay in the Salton Trough, retreat of the delta, and re-flooding of the lower river valley by shallow marine water that deposited the Bouse upper bioclastic member. Resumption of sediment discharge at ~ 4.8 Ma drove massive progradation of fluvial-deltaic deposits back down the river valley into the northern Gulf and Salton Trough.These results provide evidence for a discontinuous, start-stop-start history of sand output during initiation of the Colorado River that is not predicted by existing models for this system. The underlying controls on

Evidence for the assimilation of ancient glacier organic carbon in a proglacial stream food web

Science.gov (United States)

Fellman, Jason; Hood, Eran; Raymond, Peter A.; Hudson, J.H.; Bozeman, Maura; Arimitsu, Mayumi L.

2015-01-01

We used natural abundance δ13C, δ15N, and Δ14C to compare trophic linkages between potential carbon sources (leaf litter, epilithic biofilm, and particulate organic matter) and consumers (aquatic macroinvertebrates and fish) in a nonglacial stream and two reaches of the heavily glaciated Herbert River. We tested the hypothesis that proglacial stream food webs are sustained by organic carbon released from glacial ecosystems. Carbon sources and consumers in the nonglacial stream had carbon isotope values that ranged from -30‰ to -25‰ for δ13C and from -14‰ to 53‰ for Δ14C reflecting a food web sustained mainly on contemporary primary production. In contrast, biofilm in the two glacial stream sites was highly Δ14C-depleted (-215‰ to 175‰) relative to the nonglacial stream consistent with the assimilation of ancient glacier organic carbon. IsoSource modeling showed that in upper Herbert River, macroinvertebrates (Δ14C = -171‰ to 22‰) and juvenile salmonids (Δ14C = −102‰ to 17‰) reflected a feeding history of both biofilm (~ 56%) and leaf litter (~ 40%). We estimate that in upper Herbert River on average 36% of the carbon incorporated into consumer biomass is derived from the glacier ecosystem. Thus, 14C-depleted glacial organic carbon was likely transferred to higher trophic levels through a feeding history of bacterial uptake of dissolved organic carbon and subsequent consumption of 14C-depleted biofilm by invertebrates and ultimately fish. Our findings show that the metazoan food web is sustained in part by glacial organic carbon such that future changes in glacial runoff could influence the stability and trophic structure of proglacial aquatic ecosystems.

Organic matter sources, fluxes and greenhouse gas exchange in the Oubangui River (Congo River basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Bouillon

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The Oubangui is a major tributary of the Congo River, draining an area of ~500 000 km² mainly consisting of wooded savannahs. Here, we report results of a one year long, 2-weekly sampling campaign in Bangui (Central African Republic since March 2010 for a suite of physico-chemical and biogeochemical characteristics, including total suspended matter (TSM, bulk concentration and stable isotope composition of particulate organic carbon (POC and δ¹³C_POC, particulate nitrogen (PN and δ¹⁵N_PN, dissolved organic carbon (DOC and δ¹³C_DOC, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC and δ¹³C_DIC, dissolved greenhouse gases (CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O, and dissolved lignin composition. δ¹³C signatures of both POC and DOC showed strong seasonal variations (−30.6 to −25.8‰, and −31.8 to −27.1‰, respectively, but their different timing indicates that the origins of POC and DOC may vary strongly over the hydrograph and are largely uncoupled, differing up to 6‰ in δ¹³C signatures. Dissolved lignin characteristics (carbon-normalised yields, cinnamyl:vanillyl phenol ratios, and vanillic acid to vanillin ratios showed marked differences between high and low discharge conditions, consistent with major seasonal variations in the sources of dissolved organic matter. We observed a strong seasonality in pCO₂, ranging between 470 ± 203 ppm for Q < 1000 m³ s⁻¹ (n=10 to a maximum of 3750 ppm during the first stage of the rising discharge. The low POC/PN ratios, high %POC and low and variable δ¹³C_POC signatures during low flow conditions suggest that the majority of the POC pool during this period consists of in situ produced phytoplankton, consistent with concurrent pCO₂ (partial pressure of CO₂ values only slightly

Comment on Origin of Groundwater Discharge at Fall River Springs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rose, T

2006-10-20

that the large volume cold springs associated with the Cascade Volcanoes commonly contain dissolved CO{sub 2} that originated from the volcanoes. This volcanic CO{sub 2} component is readily identified from carbon-14 measurements of the water. Carbon-14 analyses of the Fall River samples indicate that at least 27% of the dissolved inorganic carbon in the springs was derived from a volcanic CO{sub 2} source. Such a large volcanic CO{sub 2} flux requires that the groundwater supplying flow to the Fall River Springs must originate from a volcano where magma degassing is actively occurring. Given the hydrogeologic configuration of the Fall River aquifer system, it appears that the Medicine Lake Volcano is the only likely source of the volcanic CO{sub 2}. These data independently confirm the Medicine Lake highlands as a significant recharge source for the Fall River Springs. Moreover, these data indicate that groundwater recharge occurring on Medicine Lake Volcano must interact with a CO{sub 2} volatile phase derived from the geothermal system beneath the volcano. The lack of hot springs on Medicine Lake Volcano suggests that the geothermal system underlying the volcano is relatively tightly sealed. Nevertheless, it is probable that the geothermal fluid originates from precipitation falling on the volcanic edifice. This is the same water that supplies an important fraction of the Fall River Spring discharge. The source of the geothermal fluid can be evaluated using stable isotopes. The oxygen isotope signature of the geothermal fluid may have been modified by high temperature oxygen isotope exchange with the surrounding rock, but the hydrogen isotope signature should still be diagnostic of the origin of the fluid. Although the geothermal system appears to be largely decoupled from the shallow groundwater system that supplies the Fall River Springs, it is uncertain what impact the development of the geothermal system as an energy resource would have on groundwater

Long-term dynamics of dissolved organic carbon: implications for drinking water supply.

Science.gov (United States)

Ledesma, José L J; Köhler, Stephan J; Futter, Martyn N

2012-08-15

Surface waters are the main source of drinking water in many regions. Increasing organic carbon concentrations are a cause for concern in Nordic countries since both dissolved and particulate organic carbon can transport contaminants and adversely affect drinking water treatment processes. We present a long-term study of dynamics of total (particulate and dissolved) organic carbon (TOC) concentrations in the River Fyris. This river supplies drinking water to approximately 200000 people in Uppsala, Sweden. The River Fyris is a main tributary to Lake Mälaren, which supplies drinking water to approximately 2 million people in the greater Stockholm area. Utilities responsible for drinking water supply in both Uppsala and Stockholm have expressed concerns about possible increases in TOC. We evaluate organic carbon dynamics within the Fyris catchment by calculating areal mass exports using observed TOC concentrations and modeled flows and by modeling dissolved organic carbon (as a proxy for TOC) using the dynamic, process based INCA-C model. Exports of TOC from the catchment ranged from 0.8 to 5.8 g m(-2) year(-1) in the period 1995-2010. The variation in annual exports was related to climatic variability which influenced seasonality and amount of runoff. Exports and discharge uncoupled at the end of 2008. A dramatic increase in TOC concentrations was observed in 2009, which gradually declined in 2010-2011. INCA-C successfully reproduced the intra- and inter-annual variation in concentrations during 1996-2008 and 2010-2011 but failed to capture the anomalous increase in 2009. We evaluated a number of hypotheses to explain the anomaly in 2009 TOC values, ultimately none proved satisfactory. We draw two main conclusions: there is at least one unknown or unmeasured process controlling or influencing surface water TOC and INCA-C can be used as part of the decision-making process for current and future use of rivers for drinking water supply. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B

Modeling biogeochemical processes in sediments from the Rhône River prodelta area (NW Mediterranean Sea

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Pastor

2011-05-01

Full Text Available In situ oxygen microprofiles, sediment organic carbon content, and pore-water concentrations of nitrate, ammonium, iron, manganese, and sulfides obtained in sediments from the Rhône River prodelta and its adjacent continental shelf were used to constrain a numerical diagenetic model. Results showed that (1 the organic matter from the Rhône River is composed of a fraction of fresh material associated to high first-order degradation rate constants (11–33 yr⁻¹; (2 the burial efficiency (burial/input ratio in the Rhône prodelta (within 3 km of the river outlet can be up to 80 %, and decreases to ~20 % on the adjacent continental shelf 10–15 km further offshore; (3 there is a large contribution of anoxic processes to total mineralization in sediments near the river mouth, certainly due to large inputs of fresh organic material combined with high sedimentation rates; (4 diagenetic by-products originally produced during anoxic organic matter mineralization are almost entirely precipitated (>97 % and buried in the sediment, which leads to (5 a low contribution of the re-oxidation of reduced products to total oxygen consumption. Consequently, total carbon mineralization rates as based on oxygen consumption rates and using Redfield stoichiometry can be largely underestimated in such River-dominated Ocean Margins (RiOMar environments.

Nitrous oxide production kinetics during nitrate reduction in river sediments.

Science.gov (United States)

Laverman, Anniet M; Garnier, Josette A; Mounier, Emmanuelle M; Roose-Amsaleg, Céline L

2010-03-01

A significant amount of nitrogen entering river basins is denitrified in riparian zones. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of nitrate and carbon concentrations on the kinetic parameters of nitrate reduction as well as nitrous oxide emissions in river sediments in a tributary of the Marne (the Seine basin, France). In order to determine these rates, we used flow-through reactors (FTRs) and slurry incubations; flow-through reactors allow determination of rates on intact sediment slices under controlled conditions compared to sediment homogenization in the often used slurry technique. Maximum nitrate reduction rates (R(m)) ranged between 3.0 and 7.1microg Ng(-1)h(-1), and affinity constant (K(m)) ranged from 7.4 to 30.7mg N-NO(3)(-)L(-1). These values were higher in slurry incubations with an R(m) of 37.9microg Ng(-1)h(-1) and a K(m) of 104mg N-NO(3)(-)L(-1). Nitrous oxide production rates did not follow Michaelis-Menten kinetics, and we deduced a rate constant with an average of 0.7 and 5.4ng Ng(-1)h(-1) for FTR and slurry experiments respectively. The addition of carbon (as acetate) showed that carbon was not limiting nitrate reduction rates in these sediments. Similar rates were obtained for FTR and slurries with carbon addition, confirming the hypothesis that homogenization increases rates due to release of and increasing access to carbon in slurries. Nitrous oxide production rates in FTR with carbon additions were low and represented less than 0.01% of the nitrate reduction rates and were even negligible in slurries. Maximum nitrate reduction rates revealed seasonality with high potential rates in fall and winter and low rates in late spring and summer. Under optimal conditions (anoxia, non-limiting nitrate and carbon), nitrous oxide emission rates were low, but significant (0.01% of the nitrate reduction rates). Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

River water pollution condition in upper part of Brantas River and Bengawan Solo River

Science.gov (United States)

Roosmini, D.; Septiono, M. A.; Putri, N. E.; Shabrina, H. M.; Salami, I. R. S.; Ariesyady, H. D.

2018-01-01

Wastewater and solid waste from both domestic and industry have been known to give burden on river water quality. Most of river water quality problem in Indonesia has start in the upper part of river due to anthropogenic activities, due to inappropriate land use management including the poor wastewater infrastructure. Base on Upper Citarum River Water pollution problem, it is interesting to study the other main river in Java Island. Bengawan Solo River and Brantas River were chosen as the sample in this study. Parameters assessed in this study are as follows: TSS, TDS, pH, DO, and hexavalent chromium. The status of river water quality are assess using STORET method. Based on (five) parameters, STORET value showed that in Brantas River, Pagerluyung monitoring point had the worst quality relatively compared to other monitoring point in Brantas River with exceeding copper, lead and tin compared to the stream standard in East Java Provincial Regulation No. 2 in 2008. Brantas River was categorized as lightly polluted river based on monitoring period 2011-2015 in 5 monitoring points, namely Pendem, Sengguruh, Kademangan, Meritjan and Kertosono.

The CO{sub 2} system in rivers of the Australian Victorian Alps: CO{sub 2} evasion in relation to system metabolism and rock weathering on multi-annual time scales

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hagedorn, Benjamin, E-mail: khagedor@hawaii.edu [School of Geosciences, Monash University, Melbourne Vic. 3800 (Australia); Cartwright, Ian [School of Geosciences, Monash University, Melbourne Vic. 3800 (Australia)

2010-06-15

The patterns of dissolved inorganic C (DIC) and aqueous CO{sub 2} in rivers and estuaries sampled during summer and winter in the Australian Victorian Alps were examined. Together with historical (1978-1990) geochemical data, this study provides, for the first time, a multi-annual coverage of the linkage between CO{sub 2} release via wetland evasion and CO{sub 2} consumption via combined carbonate and aluminosilicate weathering. {delta}{sup 13}C values imply that carbonate weathering contributes {approx}36% of the DIC in the rivers although carbonates comprise less than 5% of the study area. Baseflow/interflow flushing of respired C3 plant detritus accounts for {approx}50% and atmospheric precipitation accounts for {approx}14% of the DIC. The influence of in river respiration and photosynthesis on the DIC concentrations is negligible. River waters are supersaturated with CO{sub 2} and evade {approx}27.7 x 10{sup 6} mol/km{sup 2}/a to {approx}70.9 x 10{sup 6} mol/km{sup 2}/a CO{sub 2} to the atmosphere with the highest values in the low runoff rivers. This is slightly higher than the global average reflecting higher gas transfer velocities due to high wind speeds. Evaded CO{sub 2} is not balanced by CO{sub 2} consumption via combined carbonate and aluminosilicate weathering which implies that chemical weathering does not significantly neutralize respiration derived H{sub 2}CO{sub 3}. The results of this study have implications for global assessments of chemical weathering yields in river systems draining passive margin terrains as high respiration derived DIC concentrations are not directly connected to high carbonate and aluminosilicate weathering rates.

A passive collection system for whole size fractions in river suspended solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeshi Matsunaga; Takahiro Nakanishi; Mariko Atarashi-Andoh; Erina Takeuchi; Katsunori Tsuduki; Syusaku Nishimura; Jun Koarashi; Shigeyoshi Otosaka; Tsutomu Sato; Seiya Nagao

2015-01-01

In order to solve difficulties in collection of river suspended solids (SS) such as frequent observations during stochastic rainfall events, a simple passive collection system of SS has been developed. It is composed of sequentially connected two large-scale filter vessels. A portion of river water flows down into the filter vessels utilizing a natural drop of streambed. The system enable us to carry out long-term, unmanned SS collection. It is also compatible with dissolved component collection. Its performance was validated in a forested catchment by applying to radiocesium and stable carbon transport. (author)

Environmental monitoring of Columbia River sediments: Grain-size distribution and contaminant association

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blanton, M.L.; Gardiner, W.W.; Dirkes, R.L.

1995-04-01

Based on the results of this study and literature review, the following conclusions can be made: Sediment grain size and TOC (total organic carbon) influence contaminant fate and transport (in general, sediments with higher TOC content and finer grain-size distribution can have higher contaminant burdens than sediments from a given river section that have less TOC and greater amounts of coarse-grained sediments). Physiochemical sediment characteristics are highly variable among monitoring sites along the Columbia River. Sediment grain characterization and TOC analysis should be included in interpretations of sediment-monitoring data.

Environmental monitoring of Columbia River sediments: Grain-size distribution and contaminant association

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanton, M.L.; Gardiner, W.W.; Dirkes, R.L.

1995-04-01

Based on the results of this study and literature review, the following conclusions can be made: Sediment grain size and TOC (total organic carbon) influence contaminant fate and transport (in general, sediments with higher TOC content and finer grain-size distribution can have higher contaminant burdens than sediments from a given river section that have less TOC and greater amounts of coarse-grained sediments). Physiochemical sediment characteristics are highly variable among monitoring sites along the Columbia River. Sediment grain characterization and TOC analysis should be included in interpretations of sediment-monitoring data

Strontium concentrations and isotope ratios in a forest-river system in the South Qinling Mts., China.

Science.gov (United States)

Bu, Hongmei; Song, Xianfang; Zhang, Quanfa; Burford, Michele A

2016-04-15

The concentrations of dissolved strontium (Sr) and isotope ratios ((87)Sr/(86)Sr) in rainwater, river water, and water from forest soil are measured to investigate the contributions of these sources to a river during base flow conditions in the relatively pristine South Qinling Mountains, China. Dissolved Sr concentrations and (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios vary significantly between different water types (p water samples including Ca(2+), Mg(2+), EC, and TDS (p water chemistry in the river water. Using the three-source mixing model, atmospheric inputs, carbonate, and silicate weathering contribute 74%, 20%, and 6% respectively to the dissolved Sr in the river water. This research has provided new insights into the contribution of sources of Sr to a river system in a mountainous catchment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydrologic Connectivity Estimated throughout the Nation's River Corridors

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, J. W.; Gomez-Velez, J. D.

2015-12-01

Hydrologic connectivity is a key concept that integrates longitudinal transport in rivers with vertical and lateral exchanges between rivers and hyporheic zones, riparian wetlands, floodplains, and ponded aquatic ecosystems. Desirable levels of connectivity are thought to be associated with rivers that are well-connected longitudinally while also being well connected vertically and laterally with marginal waters where carbon and nutrients are efficiently transformed, and where aquatic organisms feed, or are reared, or take refuge during floods. But what is the proper balance between longitudinal and vertical and lateral connectivity? We took a step towards quantifying hydrologic connectivity using the model NEXSS (Gomez-Velez and Harvey, 2014, GRL) applied throughout the nation's rivers. NEXSS simulates vertical and lateral connectivity and compares it with longitudinal transport along the river's main axis. It uses as inputs measured network topology for first to eighth order channels, river hydraulic geometry, sediment grain size, bedform types and sizes, estimated hydraulic conductivity of sediments, and estimates of reaction rates such as denitrification. Results indicate that hyporheic flow is large enough to exchange a river's entire volume many times within a river network, which increases biogeochemical opportunities for nutrient processing and attenuation of contaminants. Also, the analysis demonstrated why and where (i.e., in which physiographic regions of the nation) are hyporheic flow and solute reactions the greatest. The cumulative influence of hydrologic connectivity on water quality is expressed by a dimensionless index of reaction significance. Our quantification of hydrologic connectivity adds a physical basis that supports water quality modeling, and also supports scientifically based prioritization of management actions (e.g. stream restoration) and may support other types of actions (e.g. legislative actions) to help conserve healthy functional

Changes in the Carbon Cycle of Amazon Ecosystems During the 2010 Drought

Science.gov (United States)

Potter, Christophera; Klooster, Steven; Hiatt, Cyrus; Genovese, Vanessa; Castilla-Rubino, Juan Carlos

2011-01-01

Satellite remote sensing was combined with the NASA-CASA carbon cycle simulation model to evaluate the impact of the 2010 drought (July through September) throughout tropical South America. Results indicated that net primary production (NPP) in Amazon forest areas declined by an average of 7% in 2010 compared to 2008. This represented a loss of vegetation CO2 uptake and potential Amazon rainforest growth of nearly 0.5 Pg C in 2010. The largest overall decline in ecosystem carbon gains by land cover type was predicted for closed broadleaf forest areas of the Amazon River basin, including a large fraction of regularly flooded forest areas. Model results support the hypothesis that soil and dead wood carbon decomposition fluxes of CO2 to the atmosphere were elevated during the drought period of 2010 in periodically flooded forest areas, compared to forests outside the main river floodplains.

Changes in the carbon cycle of Amazon ecosystems during the 2010 drought

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potter, Christopher; Klooster, Steven; Hiatt, Cyrus; Genovese, Vanessa; Castilla-Rubio, Juan Carlos

2011-01-01

Satellite remote sensing was combined with the NASA-CASA (Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach) carbon cycle simulation model to evaluate the impact of the 2010 drought (July through September) throughout tropical South America. Results indicated that net primary production in Amazon forest areas declined by an average of 7% in 2010 compared to 2008. This represented a loss of vegetation CO 2 uptake and potential Amazon rainforest growth of nearly 0.5 Pg C in 2010. The largest overall decline in ecosystem carbon gains by land cover type was predicted for closed broadleaf forest areas of the Amazon river basin, including a large fraction of regularly flooded forest areas. Model results support the hypothesis that soil and dead wood carbon decomposition fluxes of CO 2 to the atmosphere were elevated during the drought period of 2010 in periodically flooded forest areas, compared to those for forests outside the main river floodplains.

ORCHIDEE-SOM: modeling soil organic carbon (SOC) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) dynamics along vertical soil profiles in Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Camino-Serrano, Marta; Guenet, Bertrand; Luyssaert, Sebastiaan; Ciais, Philippe; Bastrikov, Vladislav; De Vos, Bruno; Gielen, Bert; Gleixner, Gerd; Jornet-Puig, Albert; Kaiser, Klaus; Kothawala, Dolly; Lauerwald, Ronny; Peñuelas, Josep; Schrumpf, Marion; Vicca, Sara; Vuichard, Nicolas; Walmsley, David; Janssens, Ivan A.

2018-03-01

Current land surface models (LSMs) typically represent soils in a very simplistic way, assuming soil organic carbon (SOC) as a bulk, and thus impeding a correct representation of deep soil carbon dynamics. Moreover, LSMs generally neglect the production and export of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from soils to rivers, leading to overestimations of the potential carbon sequestration on land. This common oversimplified processing of SOC in LSMs is partly responsible for the large uncertainty in the predictions of the soil carbon response to climate change. In this study, we present a new soil carbon module called ORCHIDEE-SOM, embedded within the land surface model ORCHIDEE, which is able to reproduce the DOC and SOC dynamics in a vertically discretized soil to 2 m. The model includes processes of biological production and consumption of SOC and DOC, DOC adsorption on and desorption from soil minerals, diffusion of SOC and DOC, and DOC transport with water through and out of the soils to rivers. We evaluated ORCHIDEE-SOM against observations of DOC concentrations and SOC stocks from four European sites with different vegetation covers: a coniferous forest, a deciduous forest, a grassland, and a cropland. The model was able to reproduce the SOC stocks along their vertical profiles at the four sites and the DOC concentrations within the range of measurements, with the exception of the DOC concentrations in the upper soil horizon at the coniferous forest. However, the model was not able to fully capture the temporal dynamics of DOC concentrations. Further model improvements should focus on a plant- and depth-dependent parameterization of the new input model parameters, such as the turnover times of DOC and the microbial carbon use efficiency. We suggest that this new soil module, when parameterized for global simulations, will improve the representation of the global carbon cycle in LSMs, thus helping to constrain the predictions of the future SOC response to global

Tracking suspended particle transport via radium isotopes (226Ra and 228Ra) through the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint River system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peterson, Richard N.; Burnett, William C.; Opsahl, Stephen P.; Santos, Isaac R.; Misra, Sambuddha; Froelich, Philip N.

2013-01-01

Suspended particles in rivers can carry metals, nutrients, and pollutants downstream which can become bioactive in estuaries and coastal marine waters. In river systems with multiple sources of both suspended particles and contamination sources, it is important to assess the hydrologic conditions under which contaminated particles can be delivered to downstream ecosystems. The Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint (ACF) River system in the southeastern United States represents an ideal system to study these hydrologic impacts on particle transport through a heavily-impacted river (the Chattahoochee River) and one much less impacted by anthropogenic activities (the Flint River). We demonstrate here the utility of natural radioisotopes as tracers of suspended particles through the ACF system, where particles contaminated with arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) have been shown to be contributed from coal-fired power plants along the Chattahoochee River, and have elevated concentrations in the surficial sediments of the Apalachicola Bay Delta. Radium isotopes ( 228 Ra and 226 Ra) on suspended particles should vary throughout the different geologic provinces of this river system, allowing differentiation of the relative contributions of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers to the suspended load delivered to Lake Seminole, the Apalachicola River, and ultimately to Apalachicola Bay. We also use various geochemical proxies ( 40 K, organic carbon, and calcium) to assess the relative composition of suspended particles (lithogenic, organic, and carbonate fractions, respectively) under a range of hydrologic conditions. During low (base) flow conditions, the Flint River contributed 70% of the suspended particle load to both the Apalachicola River and the bay, whereas the Chattahoochee River became the dominant source during higher discharge, contributing 80% of the suspended load to the Apalachicola River and 62% of the particles entering the estuary. Neither of these hydrologic

[Seasonal changes of optical absorption properties of river and lake in East Liaohe River basin, Northeast China].

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yan Yan; Su, Dong Hui; Shao, Tian Tian

2017-06-18

The absorption characteristics of optically active constituents (OACs) in water column are important optical properties and basic parameters of establishing the inverse analysis model. Comparative analyses about seasonal variability of the optical absorption characteristics (phytoplankton, non-algal particles and chromophoric dissolved organic matter absorption characteristics) and water quality status of East Liaohe River basin were conducted based on the water samples in Erlong-hu Reservoir collected in June, September and October of 2011 and samples in East Liaohe River in October of 2012. The results demonstrated that the eutrophication status of Erlonghu Reservoir was lower in June, eutrophic in September and moderately eutrophic in October. Some of the sampling points of the East Liaohe River belonged to the middle trophic level and the other part belonged to the eutrophic level. The absorption coefficient of each component of water increased with increasing nutrient level. Besides, the absorption spectra of total suspended particulate of Erlonghu Reservoir in June and October were similar to that of non-algal particles, and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) contributed most to the total absorption of water. The absorption spectra of total suspended particulate matter in September were similar to that of phytoplankton and phytoplankton was the dominant contributor to the total absorption. For samples of Erlonghu Reservoir in June and September, a ph (440) and total phosphorus (TP) were correlated closely with each other. Significant correlation between a ph (440) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) of Erlonghu Reservoir in June was observed, while a d (440) was only correlated with Chla. There were positive correlations between a ph (675) and Chla, Carlson index (TLI) in Erlonghu Reservoir (September) and East Liaohe River. Obvious differences of water optical properties were found between river and lake located in the East Liaohe River basin as

Heavy metal fractions and ecological risk assessment in sediments from urban, rural and reclamation-affected rivers of the Pearl River Estuary, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guangliang; Bai, Junhong; Xiao, Rong; Zhao, Qingqing; Jia, Jia; Cui, Baoshan; Liu, Xinhui

2017-10-01

Rapid urbanization and reclamation processes in coastal areas have resulted in serious pollution to the aquatic environment. Less is known on the geochemical fractions and ecological risks in river sediment under various human activities pressures, which is essential for addressing the connections between heavy metal pollution and anthropogenic influences. River sediments were collected from different landscapes (i.e., urban, rural and reclamation areas) to investigate the impacts of urbanization and reclamation on the metallic pollution levels and ecological risks in the Pear River Estuary of China. Results showed that Cd, Zn and Cu with high total contents and geoaccumulation index (I geo ) were the primary metals in the Peal River sediments. Generally, urban river sediments, especially the surface sediment layer (0-10 cm), exhibited higher metallic pollution levels. As for geochemical fractions, reducible and residual fractions were the dominant forms for six determined metals. And the percentage of heavy metals bound to Fe-Mn oxides decreased with increasing soil depth but the reverse tendency was observed for residual fractions. Compared with rural river sediments, heavy metals were highly associated with the exchangeable and carbonate fractions in both urban and reclamation-affected river sediments, suggesting that anthropogenic activities mainly increased the active forms of metals. Approximately 80% of Cd existed in the non-residual fraction and posed medium to high ecological risk according to the risk assessment code (RAC) values. The redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that both urbanization and reclamation processes would cause similar metallic characteristics, and sediment organic matter (SOC) might be the prominent influencing factor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Concentrations and annual fluxes of sediment-associated chemical constituents from conterminous US coastal rivers using bed sediment data

Science.gov (United States)

Horowitz, Arthur J.; Stephens, Verlin C.; Elrick, Kent A.; Smith, James J.

2012-01-01

Coastal rivers represent a significant pathway for the delivery of natural and anthropogenic sediment-associated chemical constituents to the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the conterminous USA. This study entails an accounting segment using published average annual suspended sediment fluxes with published sediment-associated chemical constituent concentrations for (1) baseline, (2) land-use distributions, (3) population density, and (4) worldwide means to estimate concentrations/annual fluxes for trace/major elements and total phosphorus, total organic and inorganic carbon, total nitrogen, and sulphur, for 131 coastal river basins. In addition, it entails a sampling and subsequent chemical analysis segment that provides a level of ‘ground truth’ for the calculated values, as well as generating baselines for sediment-associated concentrations/fluxes against which future changes can be evaluated. Currently, between 260 and 270 Mt of suspended sediment are discharged annually from the conterminous USA; about 69% is discharged from Gulf rivers (n = 36), about 24% from Pacific rivers (n = 42), and about 7% from Atlantic rivers (n = 54). Elevated sediment-associated chemical concentrations relative to baseline levels occur in the reverse order of sediment discharges:Atlantic rivers (49%)>Pacific rivers (40%)>Gulf rivers (23%). Elevated trace element concentrations (e.g. Cu, Hg, Pb, Zn) frequently occur in association with present/former industrial areas and/or urban centres, particularly along the northeast Atlantic coast. Elevated carbon and nutrient concentrations occur along both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts but are dominated by rivers in the urban northeast and by southeastern and Gulf coast (Florida) ‘blackwater’ streams. Elevated Ca, Mg, K, and Na distributions tend to reflect local petrology, whereas elevated Ti, S, Fe, and Al concentrations are ubiquitous, possibly because they have substantial natural as well as anthropogenic sources

Effect of water flux and sediment discharge of the Yangtze River on PAHs sedimentation in the estuary.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Rufeng; Feng, Chenghong; Wang, Dongxin; He, Maozhi; Hu, Lijuan; Shen, Zhenyao

2016-12-01

Historical distribution characteristics of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their carriers (i.e., organic matter and mineral particles) in the sediment cores of the Yangtze Estuary were investigated, with emphasis laid on the role of the Yangtze River. Grain size component of sediments (clay, silt, and sand) and organic carbon (black carbon and total organic carbon) in the sediment cores were markedly affected by water flux and sediment discharge of the Yangtze River. Qualitative and quantitative analysis results showed that sands and black carbon acted as the main carriers of PAHs. The sedimentation of two-ring to three-ring PAHs in the estuary had significant correlations with water flux and sediment discharge of the Yangtze River. The relative lower level of the four-ring and five-ring to six-ring PAHs concentrations appeared around the year 2003 and remained for the following several years. This time period accorded well with the water impoundment time of the Three Gorges Reservoir. The decreased level of two-ring to three-ring PAHs occurred in the year 1994, and the peak points around the year 2009 indicated that PAHs sedimentation in the estuary also had close relationship to severe drought and flood in the catchments. The findings presented in this paper could provide references for assessing the impacts of water flux and sediment discharge on the historical deposition of PAHs and their carriers in the Yangtze Estuary.

Haemocytic leukemia in Prince Edward Island (PEI) soft shell clam (Mya arenaria): Spatial distribution in agriculturally impacted estuaries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muttray, Annette, E-mail: amuttray@rescan.com [Environment Canada, Water Science and Technology Directorate, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, Canada L7R 4A6 (Canada); Reinisch, Carol, E-mail: creinisch@mbl.edu [Visiting Scientist Environment Canada, Water Science and Technology Directorate, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, Canada L7R 4A6 (Canada); Miller, Jason, E-mail: j.miller@ec.gc.ca [Environment Canada, Water Science and Technology Directorate, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, Canada L7R 4A6 (Canada); Ernst, William, E-mail: bill.ernst@ec.gc.ca [Environment Canada, Water Science and Technology Directorate, 45 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth, NS, Canada B2Y 2N6 (Canada); Gillis, Patricia, E-mail: patty.gillis@ec.gc.ca [Environment Canada, Water Science and Technology Directorate, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, Canada L7R 4A6 (Canada); Losier, Melanie, E-mail: melanie.losier@ec.gc.ca [Environment Canada, Atlantic Laboratory for Environmental Testing, Environmental Science Centre, P.O. Box 23005 Moncton, NB, Canada E1A 6S8 (Canada); Sherry, James, E-mail: jim.sherry@ec.gc.ca [Environment Canada, Water Science and Technology Directorate, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, Canada L7R 4A6 (Canada)

2012-05-01

Intensive farming of potatoes in Prince Edward Island (PEI) relies on the repeated and widespread application of fertilizers and pesticides. In PEI the main potato farming areas are in close proximity and drain directly to estuaries. Runoff from high agricultural activity watersheds could impact benthic organism health in the depositional zone of downstream estuaries. The estuarine filter feeder Mya arenaria (soft-shell clam) could be particularly vulnerable to both particle-adsorbed and water soluble contaminants. M. arenaria is susceptible to haemocytic leukemia. In May 2009, we established that heavily proliferated leukemia (HPL) prevalence was generally higher in PEI estuaries located downstream of high intensity potato farming (Dunk and Wilmot estuaries) watersheds than in estuaries downstream of lower intensity areas. Using Mab-1E10 based immunocytochemistry we observed that leukemic haemocytes from the Dunk and Wilmot estuaries were 1E10 negative whereas those from the Ox/Sheep estuary (low potato farming intensity) were 1E10 positive. The expression of genes in the p53 tumour suppressor pathway enabled us to differentiate groups of leukemic and normal M. arenaria, validating our diagnoses. In October 2009, we confirmed that HPL prevalence was elevated in the Dunk and Wilmot estuaries compared to reference (Souris River). Moreover, leukemia prevalence declined with distance from the river mouths along transects through the Dunk and Wilmot estuaries. The pesticides ss-endosulfan and {alpha}-endosulfan were detected in surface sediments from the Dunk and Wilmot estuaries, but not in sediments from either the Souris River or several other lower intensity potato farming watersheds. Our study provides evidence of an association between intensity of potato farming and prevalence of clam leukemia at downstream estuaries in PEI. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We examined leukemia prevalence in PEI clams Mya arenaria. Black

Multimolecular tracers of terrestrial carbon transfer across the pan-Arctic: 14C characteristics of sedimentary carbon components and their environmental controls

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Xiaojuan; Gustafsson, Örjan; Holmes, R. Max; Vonk, Jorien E.; van Dongen, Bart E.; Semiletov, Igor P.; Dudarev, Oleg V.; Yunker, Mark B.; Macdonald, Robie W.; Wacker, Lukas; Montluçon, Daniel B.; Eglinton, Timothy I.

2015-11-01

Distinguishing the sources, ages, and fate of various terrestrial organic carbon (OC) pools mobilized from heterogeneous Arctic landscapes is key to assessing climatic impacts on the fluvial release of carbon from permafrost. Through molecular 14C measurements, including novel analyses of suberin- and/or cutin-derived diacids (DAs) and hydroxy fatty acids (FAs), we compared the radiocarbon characteristics of a comprehensive suite of terrestrial markers (including plant wax lipids, cutin, suberin, lignin, and hydroxy phenols) in the sedimentary particles from nine major arctic and subarctic rivers in order to establish a benchmark assessment of the mobilization patterns of terrestrial OC pools across the pan-Arctic. Terrestrial lipids, including suberin-derived longer-chain DAs (C24,26,28), plant wax FAs (C24,26,28), and n-alkanes (C27,29,31), incorporated significant inputs of aged carbon, presumably from deeper soil horizons. Mobilization and translocation of these "old" terrestrial carbon components was dependent on nonlinear processes associated with permafrost distributions. By contrast, shorter-chain (C16,18) DAs and lignin phenols (as well as hydroxy phenols in rivers outside eastern Eurasian Arctic) were much more enriched in 14C, suggesting incorporation of relatively young carbon supplied by runoff processes from recent vegetation debris and surface layers. Furthermore, the radiocarbon content of terrestrial markers is heavily influenced by specific OC sources and degradation status. Overall, multitracer molecular 14C analysis sheds new light on the mobilization of terrestrial OC from arctic watersheds. Our findings of distinct ages for various terrestrial carbon components may aid in elucidating fate of different terrestrial OC pools in the face of increasing arctic permafrost thaw.

[Effect of hydrochemistry characteristics under impact of human activity: a case study in the upper reaches of the Xijiang River basin].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Shil; Sun, Ping-an; Du, Wen-yue; He, Shi-yi; Li, Rui

2015-01-01

In this paper, observation and sampling were taken three times a month in a hydrological year for three typical sections of the middle and upper reaches of the Xijiang River basin, based on the data of hydrochemistry and flow, the article mainly discusses the evolution process of hydrochemistry in river under natural process and impact of human activity. Hydrochemical characteristics of 116. samples were analyzed in the study area. The hydrochemistry type in the middle and upper reaches of the Xijiang River basin belonged to HCO3- -Ca2+ type, and the chemical weathering type mainly came from carbonate rock weathering. Ca2+ and HCO3- were the main cations and anions, which reflected that hydrochemical characteristics of river in karst area mainly affected by the dissolution of carbonate rock. Na, Mg2, Ca2+ and Cl- mainly affected by natural conditions, the impact of human activity was little. K+, NO3-, SO4(2-) and HCO3- were affected by human activity in different degrees, and it showed different influence ways. This study had an important significance for the change of river hydrochemistry, water quality characteristics, and the effect on substance transported fluxes in the downstream of Pearl River and water quality protection in South China Monsoon Area.

Punctuated Sediment Discharge during Early Pliocene Birth of the Colorado River: Evidence from Regional Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Paleontology

Science.gov (United States)

Dorsey, Rebecca J.; O'Connell, Brennan; McDougall, Kristin; Homan, Mindy B.

2018-01-01

The Colorado River in the southwestern U.S. provides an excellent natural laboratory for studying the origins of a continent-scale river system, because deposits that formed prior to and during river initiation are well exposed in the lower river valley and nearby basinal sink. This paper presents a synthesis of regional stratigraphy, sedimentology, and micropaleontology from the southern Bouse Formation and similar-age deposits in the western Salton Trough, which we use to interpret processes that controlled the birth and early evolution of the Colorado River. The southern Bouse Formation is divided into three laterally persistent members: basal carbonate, siliciclastic, and upper bioclastic members. Basal carbonate accumulated in a tide-dominated marine embayment during a rise of relative sea level between 6.3 and 5.4 Ma, prior to arrival of the Colorado River. The transition to green claystone records initial rapid influx of river water and its distal clay wash load into the subtidal marine embayment at 5.4-5.3 Ma. This was followed by rapid southward progradation of the Colorado River delta, establishment of the earliest through-flowing river, and deposition of river-derived turbidites in the western Salton Trough (Wind Caves paleocanyon) between 5.3 and 5.1 Ma. Early delta progradation was followed by regional shut-down of river sand output between 5.1 and 4.8 Ma that resulted in deposition of marine clay in the Salton Trough, retreat of the delta, and re-flooding of the lower river valley by shallow marine water that deposited the Bouse upper bioclastic member. Resumption of sediment discharge at 4.8 Ma drove massive progradation of fluvial-deltaic deposits back down the river valley into the northern Gulf and Salton Trough. These results provide evidence for a discontinuous, start-stop-start history of sand output during initiation of the Colorado River that is not predicted by existing models for this system. The underlying controls on punctuated sediment

A Carbon Flux Super Site. New Insights and Innovative Atmosphere-Terrestrial Carbon Exchange Measurements and Modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leclerc, Monique Y. [The University of Georgia Research Foundation, Athens, GA (United States)

2014-11-17

This final report presents the main activities and results of the project “A Carbon Flux Super Site: New Insights and Innovative Atmosphere-Terrestrial Carbon Exchange Measurements and Modeling” from 10/1/2006 to 9/30/2014. It describes the new AmeriFlux tower site (Aiken) at Savanna River Site (SC) and instrumentation, long term eddy-covariance, sodar, microbarograph, soil and other measurements at the site, and intensive field campaigns of tracer experiment at the Carbon Flux Super Site, SC, in 2009 and at ARM-CF site, Lamont, OK, and experiments in Plains, GA. The main results on tracer experiment and modeling, on low-level jet characteristics and their impact on fluxes, on gravity waves and their influence on eddy fluxes, and other results are briefly described in the report.

River inputs and organic matter fluxes in the northern Bay of Bengal: Fatty acids

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Reemtsma, T.; Ittekkot, V.; Bartsch, M.; Nair, R.R

) 55-71 55 Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam \\[RA\\] River inputs and organic matter fluxes in the northern Bay of Bengal: fatty acids T. Reemtsma a, V. Ittekkot a, M. Bartsch a and R.R. Nair b alnstitut fiir Biogeochemie und Meereschemie..., R.R., 1993. River inputs and organic matter fluxes in the northern Bay of Bengal: fatty acids. Chem. Geol., 103: 55-71. Total particulate matter flux and organic carbon and fatty acid fluxes associated with settling particles collected during...

River-corridor habitat dynamics, Lower Missouri River

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobson, Robert B.

2010-01-01

Intensive management of the Missouri River for navigation, flood control, and power generation has resulted in substantial physical changes to the river corridor. Historically, the Missouri River was characterized by a shifting, multithread channel and abundant unvegetated sandbars. The shifting channel provided a wide variety of hydraulic environments and large areas of connected and unconnected off-channel water bodies.Beginning in the early 1800s and continuing to the present, the channel of the Lower Missouri River (downstream from Sioux City, Iowa) has been trained into a fast, deep, single-thread channel to stabilize banks and maintain commercial navigation. Wing dikes now concentrate the flow, and revetments and levees keep the channel in place and disconnect it from the flood plain. In addition, reservoir regulation of the Missouri River upstream of Yankton, South Dakota, has substantially changed the annual hydrograph, sediment loads, temperature regime, and nutrient budgets.While changes to the Missouri River have resulted in broad social and economic benefits, they have also been associated with loss of river-corridor habitats and diminished populations of native fish and wildlife species. Today, Missouri River stakeholders are seeking ways to restore some natural ecosystem benefits of the Lower Missouri River without compromising traditional economic uses of the river and flood plain.

Organic carbon in the sediments of the lower reaches of Periar River

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Devi, K.S.; Venugopal, P.; Sankaranarayanan, V.N.

reaches of Periyar River an area in Cochin Backwater, India which is polluted from different sources were studied for one year during 1981. Variations in colour and texture of sediments were brought about by changes in the grain size and state of oxidation...

The exchange of inorganic carbon on the Canadian Beaufort Shelf

Science.gov (United States)

Mol, Jacoba; Thomas, Helmuth; Hu, Xianmin; Myers, Paul G.

2017-04-01

The Mackenzie Shelf in the southeastern Beaufort Sea is an area that has experienced large changes in the past several decades as warming, sea-ice loss, and increased river discharge have altered carbon cycling. Upwelling and downwelling events are common on the shelf, caused by strong, fluctuating along-shore winds and resulting cross-shelf Ekman transport. Downwelling carries inorganic carbon and other remineralization products off the shelf and into the deep basin for possible long-term storage in the world oceans. Upwelling carries water high in dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and nutrients from the Pacific-origin upper halocline layer (UHL) onto the shelf. Profiles of DIC and total alkalinity (TA) taken in August and September of 2014 are used to investigate the cycling of inorganic carbon on the Mackenzie Shelf. The along-shore and cross-shelf transport of inorganic carbon is quantified using velocity field output from a simulation of the Arctic and Northern Hemisphere Atlantic (ANHA4) configuration of the Nucleus of European Modelling of the Ocean (NEMO) model. A strong upwelling event prior to sampling on the Mackenzie Shelf is analyzed and the resulting influence on the carbonate system, including the saturation state of aragonite and pH levels, is investigated. TA and δ18O are used to examine water mass distributions in the study area and analyze the influence of Pacific Water, Mackenzie River freshwater, and sea-ice melt on carbon dynamics and air-sea fluxes of CO2 in the surface mixed layer. Understanding carbon transfer in this seasonally dynamic environment is key in order to quantify the importance of Arctic shelf regions to the global carbon cycle and to provide a basis for understanding how its role will respond to the aforementioned changes in the regional marine system.

A proposal of conceptual model for Pertuso Spring discharge evaluation in the Upper Valley of Aniene River

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe Sappa

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The Upper Aniene River basin is part of a large karst aquifer, which interacts with the river, and represents the most important water resource in the southeast part of Latium Region, Central Italy, used for drinking, agriculture and hydroelectric supplies. This work provides hydrogeochemical data and their interpretations for 1 spring and 2 cross section of Aniene River, monitored from July 2014 to December 2015, in the Upper Valley of Aniene River, to identify flow paths and hydrogeochemical processes governing groundwater-surface water interactions in this region. These activities deal with the Environmental Monitoring Plan made for the catchment work project of the Pertuso Spring, in the Upper Valley of Aniene River, which is going to be exploited to supply an important drinking water network in the South part of Rome district. Discharge measurements and hydrogeochemical data were analyzed to develop a conceptual model of aquifer-river interaction, with the aim of achieving proper management and protection of this important hydrogeological system. All groundwater samples are characterized as Ca-HCO3 type. Geochemical modeling and saturation index computation of the water samples show that groundwater and surface water chemistry in the study area was evolved through the interaction with carbonate minerals. All groundwater samples were undersaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite, however some of the Aniene River samples were saturated with respect to dolomite. The analysis of Mg2+/Ca2+ ratios indicates that the dissolution of carbonate minerals is important for groundwater and surface water chemistry, depending on the hydrological processes, which control the groundwater residence time and chemical equilibria in the aquifer.

Does river restoration affect diurnal and seasonal changes to surface water quality? A study along the Thur River, Switzerland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chittoor Viswanathan, Vidhya; Molson, John; Schirmer, Mario

2015-01-01

Changes in river water quality were investigated along the lower reach of the Thur River, Switzerland, following river restoration and a summer storm event. River restoration and hydrological storm events can each cause dramatic changes to water quality by affecting various bio-geochemical processes in the river, but have to date not been well documented, especially in combination. Evaluating the success of river restoration is often restricted in large catchments due to a lack of high frequency water quality data, which are needed for process understanding. These challenges were addressed in this study by measuring water quality parameters including dissolved oxygen (DO), temperature, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), nitrate and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) with a high temporal frequency (15 min–1 h) over selected time scales. In addition, the stable isotopes of water (δD and δ 18 O-H 2 O) as well as those of nitrate (δ 15 N-NO 3 − and δ 18 O-NO 3 − ) were measured to follow changes in water quality in response to the hydrological changes in the river. To compare the spatial distribution of pre- and post-restoration water quality, the sampling stations were chosen upstream and downstream of the restored section. The diurnal and seasonal changes were monitored by conducting 24-hour campaigns in three seasons (winter, summer and autumn) in 2012 and 2013. The amplitude of the diurnal changes of the various observed parameters showed significant seasonal and spatial variability. Biological processes — mainly photosynthesis and respiration — were found to be the major drivers of these diurnal cycles. During low flow in autumn, a reduction of nitrate (attributed to assimilation by autotrophs) in the pre-dawn period and a production of DOC during the daytime (attributed to photosynthesis) were observed downstream of the restored site. Further, a summer storm event was found to override the influence of these biological processes that control the diurnal

Assessment of denitrification process in lower Ishikari river system, Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Jha, Pawan Kumar; Minagawa, Masao

2013-11-01

Sediment denitrification rate and its role in removal of dissolved nitrate load in lower Ishikari river system were examined. Denitrification rate were measured using acetylene inhibition technique on the sediment samples collected during August 2009-July 2010. The denitrification rate varied from 0.001 to 1.9 μg Ng(-1) DM h(-1) with an average value of 0.21 μg Ng(-1) DM h(-1) in lower Ishikari river system. Denitrification rate showed positive correlation with dissolved nitrate concentration in the river basin, indicating overlying water column supplied nitrate for the sediment denitrification processes. Nutrient enrichment experiments result showed that denitrification rate increased significantly with addition of nitrate in case of samples collected from Barato Lake however no such increase was observed in the samples collected from Ishikari river main channel and its major tributaries indicating that factors other than substrate concentration such as population of denitrifier and hydrological properties of stream channel including channel depth and flow velocity may affects the denitrification rate in lower Ishikari river system. Denitrification rate showed no significant increase with the addition of labile carbon (glucose), indicating that sediment samples had sufficient organic matter to sustain denitrification activity. The result of nutrient spiraling model indicates that in- stream denitrification process removes on an average 5%d(-1) of dissolve nitrate load in Ishikari river. This study was carried out to fill the gap present in the availability of riverine denitrification rate measurement and its role in nitrogen budget from Japanese rivers characterize by small river length and high flow rate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Centennial-scale records of total organic carbon in sediment cores from the South Yellow Sea, China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Qing; Lin, Jia; Hong, Yuehui; Yuan, Lirong; Liu, Jinzhong; Xu, Xiaoming; Wang, Jianghai

2018-01-01

Global carbon cycling is a significant factor that controls climate change. The centennial-scale variations in total organic carbon (TOC) contents and its sources in marginal sea sediments may reflect the influence of human activities on global climate change. In this study, two fine-grained sediment cores from the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass of the South Yellow Sea were used to systematically determine TOC contents and stable carbon isotope ratios. These results were combined with previous data of black carbon and 210Pb dating from which we reconstructed the centennial-scale initial sequences of TOC, terrigenous TOC (TOCter) and marine autogenous TOC (TOCmar) after selecting suitable models to correct the measured TOC (TOCcor). These sequences showed that the TOCter decreased with time in the both cores while the TOCmar increased, particularly the rapid growth in core H43 since the late 1960s. According to the correlation between the Huanghe (Yellow) River discharge and the TOCcor, TOCter, or TOCmar, we found that the TOCter in the two cores mainly derived from the Huanghe River and was transported by it, and that higher Huanghe River discharge could strengthen the decomposition of TOCmar. The newly obtained initial TOC sequences provide important insights into the interaction between human activities and natural processes.

Changes in the carbon cycle of Amazon ecosystems during the 2010 drought

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Potter, Christopher [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA (United States); Klooster, Steven; Hiatt, Cyrus; Genovese, Vanessa [California State University Monterey Bay, Seaside, CA (United States); Castilla-Rubio, Juan Carlos, E-mail: chris.potter@nasa.gov [Planetary Skin Institute, Silicon Valley, CA (United States)

2011-07-15

Satellite remote sensing was combined with the NASA-CASA (Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach) carbon cycle simulation model to evaluate the impact of the 2010 drought (July through September) throughout tropical South America. Results indicated that net primary production in Amazon forest areas declined by an average of 7% in 2010 compared to 2008. This represented a loss of vegetation CO{sub 2} uptake and potential Amazon rainforest growth of nearly 0.5 Pg C in 2010. The largest overall decline in ecosystem carbon gains by land cover type was predicted for closed broadleaf forest areas of the Amazon river basin, including a large fraction of regularly flooded forest areas. Model results support the hypothesis that soil and dead wood carbon decomposition fluxes of CO{sub 2} to the atmosphere were elevated during the drought period of 2010 in periodically flooded forest areas, compared to those for forests outside the main river floodplains.

Zinc and Its Isotopes in the Loire River Basin, France

Science.gov (United States)

Millot, R.; Desaulty, A. M.; Bourrain, X.

2014-12-01

The contribution of human activities such as industries, agriculture and domestic inputs, becomes more and more significant in the chemical composition of the dissolved load of rivers. Human factors act as a supplementary key process. Therefore the mass-balance for the budget of catchments and river basins include anthropogenic disturbances. The Loire River in central France is approximately 1010 km long and drains an area of 117,800 km2. In the upper basin, the bedrock is old plutonic rock overlain by much younger volcanic rocks. The intermediate basin includes three major tributaries flowing into the Loire River from the left bank: the Cher, the Indre and the Vienne rivers; the main stream flows westward and its valley stretches toward the Atlantic Ocean. Here, the Loire River drains the sedimentary series of the Paris Basin, mainly carbonate deposits. The lower Loire basin drains pre-Mesozoic basement of the Armorican Massif and its overlying Mesozoic to Cenozoic sedimentary deposits. The Loire River is one of the main European riverine inputs to the Atlantic ocean. Here we are reporting concentration and isotope data for Zn in river waters and suspended sediments from the Loire River Basin. In addition, we also report concentration and isotope data for the different industrial sources within the Loire Basin, as well as data for biota samples such as mussels and oysters from the Bay of Biscay and North Brittany. These organisms are known to be natural accumulators of metal pollutants. Zinc isotopic compositions are rather homogeneous in river waters with δ66Zn values ranging from 0.21 to 0.39‰. This range of variation is very different from anthropogenic signature (industrial and/or agriculture release) that displays δ66Zn values between 0.02 to 0.14‰. This result is in agreement with a geogenic origin and the low Zn concentrations in the Loire River Basin (from 0.8 to 6 µg/L).

Landscape-scale food webs of fish nursery habitat along a river-coast mixing zone

Science.gov (United States)

We used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis to study connections between allochthonous energy use and ecological connectivity of fish larvae in a complex coastal mosaic. We quantified fish larvae support by autochthonous and allochthonous material in three coastal river-w...

Carbon and nitrogen fluxes in the North Indian Ocean

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Naqvi, S.W.A.; Naik, H.; DeSouza, W.; Narvekar, P.V.; Paropkari, A.L.; Bange, H.W.

, the reverse is probably true for the burial. Notwithstanding these uncertainties, it seems reasonable to conclude that the POC delivery by rivers substantially exceeds sedimentary organic carbon burial in the NEIO. In spite of the higher sedimentation... in the NEIO has been reported to range from 0.3 to 2.5 (average 1.4) Tg N yr -1 (Schäfer et al., 1993). This is slightly higher than the DIN delivery by rivers. Rate of N 2 -fixation in the NEIO has not been measured so far. However, it is probably much...

Satellite Derived Water Quality Observations Are Related to River Discharge and Nitrogen Loads in Pensacola Bay, Florida

OpenAIRE

John C. Lehrter; John C. Lehrter; Chengfeng Le

2017-01-01

Relationships between satellite-derived water quality variables and river discharges, concentrations and loads of nutrients, organic carbon, and sediments were investigated over a 9-year period (2003–2011) in Pensacola Bay, Florida, USA. These analyses were conducted to better understand which river forcing factors were the primary drivers of estuarine variability in several water quality variables. Remote sensing reflectance time-series data were retrieved from the MEdium Resolution Imaging ...

Seasonal variability of the inorganic carbon system in a large coastal plain estuary

Science.gov (United States)

Joesoef, Andrew; Kirchman, David L.; Sommerfield, Christopher K.; Cai, Wei-Jun

2017-11-01

Carbonate geochemistry research in large estuarine systems is limited. More work is needed to understand how changes in land-use activity influence watershed export of organic and inorganic carbon, acids, and nutrients to the coastal ocean. To investigate the seasonal variation of the inorganic carbon system in the Delaware Estuary, one of the largest estuaries along the US east coast, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), total alkalinity (TA), and pH were measured along the estuary from June 2013 to April 2015. In addition, DIC, TA, and pH were periodically measured from March to October 2015 in the nontidal freshwater Delaware, Schuylkill, and Christina rivers over a range of discharge conditions. There were strong negative relationships between river TA and discharge, suggesting that changes in HCO3- concentrations reflect dilution of weathering products in the drainage basin. The ratio of DIC to TA, an understudied but important property, was high (1.11) during high discharge and low (0.94) during low discharge, reflecting additional DIC input in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2), most likely from terrestrial organic matter decomposition, rather than bicarbonate (HCO3-) inputs due to drainage basin weathering processes. This is also a result of CO2 loss to the atmosphere due to rapid water transit during the wet season. Our data further show that elevated DIC in the Schuylkill River is substantially different than that in the Delaware River. Thus, tributary contributions must be considered when attributing estuarine DIC sources to the internal carbon cycle versus external processes such as drainage basin mineralogy, weathering intensity, and discharge patterns. Long-term records in the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers indicate shifts toward higher alkalinity in estuarine waters over time, as has been found in other estuaries worldwide. Annual DIC input flux to the estuary and export flux to the coastal ocean are estimated to be 15.7 ± 8.2 × 109 mol C yr-1 and 16

Seasonal variability of the inorganic carbon system in a large coastal plain estuary

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Joesoef

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Carbonate geochemistry research in large estuarine systems is limited. More work is needed to understand how changes in land-use activity influence watershed export of organic and inorganic carbon, acids, and nutrients to the coastal ocean. To investigate the seasonal variation of the inorganic carbon system in the Delaware Estuary, one of the largest estuaries along the US east coast, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC, total alkalinity (TA, and pH were measured along the estuary from June 2013 to April 2015. In addition, DIC, TA, and pH were periodically measured from March to October 2015 in the nontidal freshwater Delaware, Schuylkill, and Christina rivers over a range of discharge conditions. There were strong negative relationships between river TA and discharge, suggesting that changes in HCO3− concentrations reflect dilution of weathering products in the drainage basin. The ratio of DIC to TA, an understudied but important property, was high (1.11 during high discharge and low (0.94 during low discharge, reflecting additional DIC input in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2, most likely from terrestrial organic matter decomposition, rather than bicarbonate (HCO3− inputs due to drainage basin weathering processes. This is also a result of CO2 loss to the atmosphere due to rapid water transit during the wet season. Our data further show that elevated DIC in the Schuylkill River is substantially different than that in the Delaware River. Thus, tributary contributions must be considered when attributing estuarine DIC sources to the internal carbon cycle versus external processes such as drainage basin mineralogy, weathering intensity, and discharge patterns. Long-term records in the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers indicate shifts toward higher alkalinity in estuarine waters over time, as has been found in other estuaries worldwide. Annual DIC input flux to the estuary and export flux to the coastal ocean are estimated to be 15.7 ± 8.2�

Enhanced transfer of terrestrially derived carbon to the atmosphere in a flooding event

Science.gov (United States)

Bianchi, Thomas S.; Garcia-Tigreros, Fenix; Yvon-Lewis, Shari A.; Shields, Michael; Mills, Heath J.; Butman, David; Osburn, Christopher; Raymond, Peter A.; Shank, G. Christopher; DiMarco, Steven F.; Walker, Nan; Kiel Reese, Brandi; Mullins-Perry, Ruth; Quigg, Antonietta; Aiken, George R.; Grossman, Ethan L.

2013-01-01

Rising CO2 concentration in the atmosphere, global climate change, and the sustainability of the Earth's biosphere are great societal concerns for the 21st century. Global climate change has, in part, resulted in a higher frequency of flooding events, which allow for greater exchange between soil/plant litter and aquatic carbon pools. Here we demonstrate that the summer 2011 flood in the Mississippi River basin, caused by extreme precipitation events, resulted in a “flushing” of terrestrially derived dissolved organic carbon (TDOC) to the northern Gulf of Mexico. Data from the lower Atchafalaya and Mississippi rivers showed that the DOC flux to the northern Gulf of Mexico during this flood was significantly higher than in previous years. We also show that consumption of radiocarbon-modern TDOC by bacteria in floodwaters in the lower Atchafalaya River and along the adjacent shelf contributed to northern Gulf shelf waters changing from a net sink to a net source of CO2 to the atmosphere in June and August 2011. This work shows that enhanced flooding, which may or may not be caused by climate change, can result in rapid losses of stored carbon in soils to the atmosphere via processes in aquatic ecosystems.

Concentration-Discharge Relationships, Nested Reaction Fronts, and the Balance of Oxidative and Acid-Base Weathering Fluxes in an Alpine Catchment, East River, Colorado

Science.gov (United States)

Winnick, M.; Carroll, R. W. H.; Williams, K. H.; Maxwell, R. M.; Maher, K.

2016-12-01

Although important for solute production and transport, the varied interactions between biogeochemical processes and subsurface hydrology remain poorly characterized. We investigate these couplings in the headwaters of the East River, CO, a high-elevation shale-dominated catchment system in the Rocky Mountains, using concentration-discharge (C-Q) relationships for major cations, anions, and organic carbon. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) displays a positive C-Q relationship with well-defined clockwise hysteresis, indicating the mobilization and depletion of DOC in the upper soil horizons and highlighting the importance of shallow flowpaths through the snowmelt period. Cation and anion concentrations demonstrate that carbonate weathering, which dominates solute fluxes, is promoted by both carbonic acid and sulfuric acid derived from oxidation of pyrite in the shale bedrock. Sulfuric acid weathering in the deep subsurface dominates during base flow conditions when waters have infiltrated below the hypothesized pyrite oxidation front, whereas carbonic acid weathering plays a dominant role during the snowmelt period as a result of shallow flowpaths. Differential C-Q relationships between solutes suggest that infiltrating waters approach calcite saturation before reaching the pyrite oxidation front, after which sulfuric acid reduces carbonate alkalinity. This increase in CO2(aq) at the expense of HCO3- results in outgassing of CO2 when waters equilibrate to surface conditions, and reduces the export of carbon and alkalinity from the East River by roughly 33% annually. Future changes in snowmelt dynamics that control the balance of carbonic and sulfuric acid weathering therefore have the capacity to substantially alter the cycling of carbon in the East River catchment. Ultimately, we demonstrate that differential C-Q relationships between major solutes can provide unique insights into the complex subsurface flow and biogeochemical dynamics that operate at catchment scales.

Carbon 14

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-03-01

Carbon 14 is one of the most abundant radionuclides of natural and artificial origin in the environment. The aim of this conference day organized by the French society of radioprotection (SFRP) was to take stock of our knowledge about this radionuclide (origins, production, measurement, management, effects on health..): state-of-the-art of 14 C metrology; dating use of 14 C; 14 C management and monitoring of the Hague site environment; Electricite de France (EdF) and 14 C; radiological and sanitary impact of 14 C contamination at the Ganagobie site (Haute-Provence, France); metabolism and biological effects of 14 C; 14 C behaviour in the marine environment near Cogema-La Hague plant; distribution of 14 C activities in waters, mud and sediments of the Loire river estuary; dynamical modeling of transfers in the aquatic and terrestrial environment of 14 C released by nuclear power plants in normal operation: human dose calculation using the Calvados model and application to the Loire river; 14 C distribution in continents; modeling of 14 C transfers in the terrestrial environment from atmospheric sources. (J.S.)

Satellite Derived Water Quality Observations Are Related to River Discharge and Nitrogen Loads in Pensacola Bay, Florida

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John C. Lehrter

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Relationships between satellite-derived water quality variables and river discharges, concentrations and loads of nutrients, organic carbon, and sediments were investigated over a 9-year period (2003–2011 in Pensacola Bay, Florida, USA. These analyses were conducted to better understand which river forcing factors were the primary drivers of estuarine variability in several water quality variables. Remote sensing reflectance time-series data were retrieved from the MEdium Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MERIS and used to calculate monthly and annual estuarine time-series of chlorophyll a (Chla, colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM, and total suspended sediments (TSS. Monthly MERIS Chla varied from 2.0 mg m−3 in the lower region of the bay to 17.2 mg m−3 in the upper bay. MERIS CDOM and TSS exhibited similar patterns with ranges of 0.51–2.67 (m−1 and 0.11–8.9 (g m−3. Variations in the MERIS-derived monthly and annual Chla, CDOM, and TSS time-series were significantly related to monthly and annual river discharge and loads of nitrogen, organic carbon, and suspended sediments from the Escambia and Yellow rivers. Multiple regression models based on river loads (independent variables and MERIS Chla, CDOM, or TSS (dependent variables explained significant fractions of the variability (up to 62% at monthly and annual scales. The most significant independent variables in the regressions were river nitrogen loads, which were associated with increased MERIS Chla, CDOM, and TSS concentrations, and river suspended sediment loads, which were associated with decreased concentrations. In contrast, MERIS water quality variations were not significantly related to river total phosphorus loads. The spatially synoptic, nine-year satellite record expanded upon the spatial extent of past field studies to reveal previously unseen system-wide responses to river discharge and loading variation. The results indicated that variations in Pensacola Bay Chla

Pulsed Irradiation Studies in Mice, Rats and Dogs; Etudes sur l'Exposition de la Souris, du Rat et du Chien a des Rayonnements Pulses; Impul'snoe obluchenie myshej, krys i sobak; Estudios sobre la Irradiacion Pulsante de Ratones, Ratas y Perros

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ainsworth, E. J.; Leong, G. F.; Kendall, K.; Alpen, E. L.; Albright, M. L. [US Naval Radiological Defense Laboratory. San Francisco, CA (United States)

1964-05-15

rayonnements emis par un reacteur TRIGA pour une etude comparative des taux de mortalite (DL{sup 30}{sub 50}) chez la souris et chez le chien exposes a des debits de dose moderes (40 ou 100 rad/min pour la souris et 23 rad/min pour le chien) ou a un rayonnement puise avec un debit de dose eleve ( Tilde-Operator 10{sup 6} rad/min pour la souris et Tilde-Operator 2,0 * 10{sup 5} rad/min pour le chien). Chez la souris, la DL{sup 30}{sub 50} pour des animaux exposes a des debits moderes de 40 rad/min (neutrons) ou de 100 rad/min (rayons gamma) n'etait pas significativement differente de la DL{sup 30}{sub 50} dans le cas d'une exposition au meme rayonnement puise. De meme, chez le chien, a la suite d'expositions aux neutrons seulement, on n'a pas constate de difference significative entre la DL{sup 30}{sub 50} pour les groupes exposes a 23 rad/min et la DL{sup 30}{sub 50} pour ceux qui avaient ete exposes a un rayonnement puise avec des debits de dose superieurs a 1,5 x 10{sup 5} rad/min. Les auteurs ont effectue d'autres etudes pour determiner si la guerison des radiolesions chez la souris, evaluee par la methode, est influencee par le debit de dose qui provoque la lesion subletale initiale. Ils ont compare les guerisons constatees 5 j et 14 j apres irradiation chez des groupes d'animaux exposes a des debits de 40 rad/min et de 9 x 10{sup 4} rad/min; ils ont constate que le degre de guerison ne dependait pas du debit de dose. (author) [Spanish] La radioletalidad en funcion de la dosis ha sido objeto de muchos estudios en el intervalo comprendido entre 1 rad/min hasta algunos centenares de rad/min, pero se poseen relativamente pocos datos acerca de las consecuencias biologicas de la exposicion a intensidades del orden de 10{sup 5} a 10{sup 6} rad/min. Los autores emplearon radiaciones emitidas por un reactor TRIGA para efectuar un estudio comparado de las reacciones de mortalidad aguda (DL{sup 30}{sub 50}) en ratones y perros irradiados con intensidades moderadas (40 o 100 rad

Selection of a carbon-14 fixation form

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheele, R.D.; Burger, L.L.

1982-09-01

This report summarizes work on the selection of a disposal form for carbon-14 produced during the production of nuclear power. Carbon compounds were screened on the basis of solubility, thermal stability, resistance to oxidation, cost and availability, compatibility with the selected disposal matrix, leach resistance when incorporated in concrete, and compatibility with capture technologies. Carbonates are the products of the various technologies presently considered for carbon-14 capture. The alkaline earth carbonates exhibit the greatest thermal stabilities, lowest solubilities, lowest raw material cost, and greatest raw material availabilities. When reactions with cement and its impurities are considered, calcium and strontium carbonates are the only alkaline earth carbonates resistant to hydrolysis and reaction with sulfate. Leaching tests of barium, calcium, lead, potassium, and strontium carbonates in concrete showed calcium carbonate concrete to be slightly superior to the other alkaline earth carbonates, and greatly superior to a soluble carbonate, potassium carbonate, and lead carbonate. None of the additives to the concrete reduced the carbonate leaching. Acidic CO 2 -containing waters were found to greatly increase carbonate leaching from concrete. Sea water was found to leach less carbon from carbonate concretes than either distilled water or Columbia River water, which showed nearly equivalent leaching. Based on our work, calcium, barium, and strontium carbonates in concrete are the most suitable waste forms for carbon-14, with calcium carbonate concrete slightly superior to the others. If the waste form is to be exposed to natural waters, sea water will have the lowest leach rate. 6 figures, 7 tables

Optical Characterisation of Suspended Particles in the Mackenzie River Plume (Canadian Arctic Ocean) and Implications for Ocean Colour Remote Sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Doxaran, D.; Ehn, J.; Belanger, S.; Matsuoka, A.; Hooker, S.; Babin, M.

2012-01-01

Climate change significantly impacts Arctic shelf regions in terms of air temperature, ultraviolet radiation, melting of sea ice, precipitation, thawing of permafrost and coastal erosion. Direct consequences have been observed on the increasing Arctic river flow and a large amount of organic carbon sequestered in soils at high latitudes since the last glacial maximum can be expected to be delivered to the Arctic Ocean during the coming decade. Monitoring the fluxes and fate of this terrigenous organic carbon is problematic in such sparsely populated regions unless remote sensing techniques can be developed and proved to be operational. The main objective of this study is to develop an ocean colour algorithm to operationally monitor dynamics of suspended particulate matter (SPM) on the Mackenzie River continental shelf (Canadian Arctic Ocean) using satellite imagery. The water optical properties are documented across the study area and related to concentrations of SPM and particulate organic carbon (POC). Robust SPM and POC : SPM proxies are identified, such as the light backscattering and attenuation coefficients, and relationships are established between these optical and biogeochemical parameters. Following a semi-analytical approach, a regional SPM quantification relationship is obtained for the inversion of the water reflectance signal into SPM concentration. This relationship is reproduced based on independent field optical measurements. It is successfully applied to a selection of MODIS satellite data which allow estimating fluxes at the river mouth and monitoring the extension and dynamics of the Mackenzie River surface plume in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Good agreement is obtained with field observations representative of the whole water column in the river delta zone where terrigenous SPM is mainly constrained (out of short periods of maximum river outflow). Most of the seaward export of SPM is observed to occur within the west side of the river mouth. Future

Determination of mercury and copper in water samples by activation analysis using preconcentration on emission spectroscopic carbon powder

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagatsuka, Sumiko; Tanizaki, Yoshiyuki

1978-01-01

A simple preconcentration procedure for mercury and copper was examined in the activation analysis of water samples. The preconcentration using pure activated carbon has been reported in several papers. The authors found that the carbon powder for emission spectroscopic analysis showed the high purity equivalent to pure activated carbon. The influence of various parameters in adsorption conditions was studied by radioactive tracers 197 Hg and 64 Cu. It was confirmed that 100% of these elements were adsorbed on carbon powders as pyrrolidine dithiocarbonate complexes at an acidity of pH 6 - 8, the temperature of 50 0 C and the stirring time of 30 minutes. This method was applied to the activation analysis of the river water samples taken from the upper stream area of the Arakawa river and the ground water samples taken from the wells of the environs of Tokyo Megalopolis. The carbon powders which adsorbed these elements were filtered, dried and analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The Hg concentrations of 0.01 - 0.1 ppb in river water and 0.03 - 1.4 ppb in ground water were obtained as well as the Cu concentrations of 0.3 - 3.0 ppb in ground water. The limits of determination of this method are 0.01 ppb Hg and 0.2 ppb Cu in the case of 1.1 sample of fresh water. (auth.)

Map-based prediction of organic carbon in headwater streams improved by downstream observations from the river outlet

Science.gov (United States)

Temnerud, J.; von Brömssen, C.; Fölster, J.; Buffam, I.; Andersson, J.-O.; Nyberg, L.; Bishop, K.

2016-01-01

In spite of the great abundance and ecological importance of headwater streams, managers are usually limited by a lack of information about water chemistry in these headwaters. In this study we test whether river outlet chemistry can be used as an additional source of information to improve the prediction of the chemistry of upstream headwaters (size interquartile range (IQR)) of headwater stream TOC for a given catchment, based on a large number of candidate variables including sub-catchment characteristics from GIS, and measured river chemistry at the catchment outlet. The best candidate variables from the PLS models were then used in hierarchical linear mixed models (MM) to model TOC in individual headwater streams. Three predictor variables were consistently selected for the MM calibration sets: (1) proportion of forested wetlands in the sub-catchment (positively correlated with headwater stream TOC), (2) proportion of lake surface cover in the sub-catchment (negatively correlated with headwater stream TOC), and (3) river outlet TOC (positively correlated with headwater stream TOC). Including river outlet TOC improved predictions, with 5-15 % lower prediction errors than when using map information alone. Thus, data on water chemistry measured at river outlets offer information which can complement GIS-based modelling of headwater stream chemistry.

Variation of the isotopic composition of dissolved organic carbon during the runoff cycle in the Amazon River and the floodplains

Science.gov (United States)

Albéric, Patrick; Pérez, Marcela A. P.; Moreira-Turcq, Patricia; Benedetti, Marc F.; Bouillon, Steven; Abril, Gwenaël

2018-01-01

Given the relative scarcity of stable isotope data on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the Amazon Basin, we hypothesized that the variability in DOC sources may be underestimated in such major river basins. To explore the links between the mainstem and tributaries and the floodplain, particular efforts were made during five distinct cruises at different stages of the hydrograph between October 2008 and January 2011, to document the spatial and temporal variation of DOC concentrations and δ13C-DOC in the central Amazon River system (Brazil). Based on more than 200 data, the spatial and temporal variability of δ13C-DOC values was found to be larger than previously reported in the same area. Although a small range of variation was observed throughout the hydrological cycle in the upper reach of the studied section (-29.2 to -29.5‰ in the Rio Negro and -28.7 to -29.0‰ in the Rio Solimões), a much larger one (-28.0 to -34.6‰) was found in the lower reach of the river, as the proportion of open lakes increased downstream in the floodplains. The low variability in the upper reaches suggests constant and homogeneous DOC sources from upland soils and flooded forest, while lower δ13C-DOC values recorded in the lower reach mainstem at high and falling waters can be attributed to a greater export of plankton-derived 13C-depleted DOC from flooded lakes. Noteworthy are the higher δ13C-DOC values measured in the Rio Madeira and the associated flooded lakes (-26.5 to -28.8‰), which may reflect the imprint from upland headwaters and a weaker density of flooded forest in the watershed. The higher δ13C-DOC values observed in the lower reach during low waters are still not fully understood. Floating meadows principally consisting of C4 macrophytes were found to increase δ13C-DOC values by ∼1.5‰ in their vicinity, but this impact was no longer noticeable at distances of ∼10 m from the plant rafts. This rather modest 13C-enrichment suggests rapid decomposition and

Hydrological Controls on Dissolved Organic Matter Quality and Export in a Coastal River System in Southeastern USA

Science.gov (United States)

Bhattacharya, R.; Osburn, C. L.

2017-12-01

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) exported from river catchments can influence the biogeochemical processes in coastal environments with implications for water quality and carbon budget. High flow conditions are responsible for most DOM export ("pulses") from watersheds, and these events reduce DOM transformation and production by "shunting" DOM from river networks into coastal waters: the Pulse-Shunt Concept (PSC). Subsequently, the source and quality of DOM is also expected to change as a function of river flow. Here, we used stream dissolved organic carbon concentrations ([DOC]) along with DOM optical properties, such as absorbance at 350 nm (a350) and fluorescence excitation and emission matrices modeled by parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), to characterize DOM source, quality and fluxes under variable flow conditions for the Neuse River, a coastal river system in the southeastern US. Observations were made at a flow gauged station above head of tide periodically between Aug 2011 and Feb 2013, which captured low flow periods in summer and several high flow events including Hurricane Irene. [DOC] and a350 were correlated and varied positively with river flow, implying that a large portion of the DOM was colored, humic and flow-mobilized. During high flow conditions, PARAFAC results demonstrated the higher influx of terrestrial humic DOM, and lower in-stream phytoplankton production or microbial degradation. However, during low flow, DOM transformation and production increased in response to higher residence times and elevated productivity. Further, 70% of the DOC was exported by above average flows, where 3-4 fold increases in DOC fluxes were observed during episodic events, consistent with PSC. These results imply that storms dramatically affects DOM export to coastal waters, whereby high river flow caused by episodic events primarily shunt terrestrial DOM to coastal waters, whereas low flow promotes in-stream DOM transformation and amendment with microbial DOM.

Connecting tropical river DOM and POM to the landscape with lignin

Science.gov (United States)

Hernes, Peter J.; Dyda, Rachael Y.; McDowell, William H.

2017-12-01

Tropical rivers account for two thirds of global fluxes of terrigenous organic matter to the oceans, yet because of their remote locations relative to most industrialized countries, they are poorly studied compared to temperate and even Arctic rivers. Further, most tropical river research has focused on large rivers like the Amazon or Congo, yet more than half of organic matter fluxes from tropical rivers comes from much smaller rivers. This study focuses on two such rivers in the Luquillo Experimental Forest of Puerto Rico, namely the Rio Mameyes and Rio Icacos, and uses time-series measurements of lignin biomarkers to put them in context with much bigger tropical rivers in the literature. Although lignin concentrations and carbon-normalized yields offer some distinction between mountainous vs. floodplain tropical river reaches, compositional differences appear to offer greater potential, including S:V vs. C:V plots that may capture the poorly-studied influence of palm trees, and (Ad:Al)s vs. (Ad:Al)v plots that may reflect differences in underlying mineralogy and degradation in soils. Even though dissolved and particulate lignin ultimately come from the same vegetation sources, comparison of dissolved and particulate lignin parameters within the two Puerto Rican rivers indicate that the pathways by which they end up in the same parcel of river water are largely decoupled. Across several particulate lignin studies in tropical rivers, mineral composition and concentration appears to exert a strong control on particulate lignin compositions and concentrations. Finally, the time-series nature of this study allows for new ways of analyzing dissolved lignin endmember compositions and degradation within the catchment. Plots of dissolved lignin parameters vs. lignin concentration reveal both the composition of "fresh" DOM that is likely mobilized from organic-rich soil surface layers along with the extent and trajectory of degradation of that signature that is possible