Search results for "feature"
showing 10 items of 4091 documents
The role of inorganic and organic nutrients on the development of phytoplankton along a transect from the Daugava River mouth to the Open Baltic, in …
2003
Abstract The importance of dissolved silicate (DSi), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), dissolved organic nitrogen (DON), phosphate and dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) on algal growth is analysed for the Gulf of Riga and the adjacent open Baltic Sea. The results of three cruises (May, June, and July, 1999) along a transect across the Gulf of Riga from the entrance to the Daugava River to the open Baltic are presented. Nutrient-limitation was identified on the basis of available nutrient concentrations and stoichiometric analysis. In spring, phosphate appeared to be the algal-growth-potential-limiting nutrient at the entrance of the Daugava River, DSi in the central Gulf, and DIN at the …
Hydrology is reflected in the functioning and community composition of methanotrophs in the littoral wetland of a boreal lake
2010
In lake ecosystems a major proportion of methane (CH4) emissions originate from the littoral zone, which can have a great spatial variability in hydrology, soil quality and vegetation. Hitherto, spatial heterogeneity and the effects it has on functioning and diversity of methanotrophs in littoral wetlands have been poorly understood. A diagnostic microarray based on the particulate methane monooxygenase gene coupled with geostatistics was used to analyse spatial patterns of methanotrophs in the littoral wetland of a eutrophic boreal lake (Lake Kevaton, Eastern Finland). The wetland had a hydrology gradient with a mean water table varying from −8 to −25 cm. The wettest area, comprising the h…
The effect of patchy distribution ofStipa tenacissimaL. on runoff and erosion
1997
In south-east Spain, a semi-arid area,Stipa tenacissima(alphagrass) covers large natural and semi-natural areas with a mosaic of tussocks and bare zones. However, little knowledge exists about the influence of these patterns on runoff and erosion. In order to understand the hydrological and erosional behaviour of the vegetated (herbs andalphagrass) and bare zones, rainfall simulation experiments were carried out at three sites in south-east Spain. The experiments showed that surface runoff and erosion is negligible in the tussock and quite high in the bare areas. High infiltration rates and deep wetting fronts were measured in the vegetated patches, and lower infiltration rates and shallowe…
Measurements of rill and gully erosion in Sicily
2011
This article reports the results of a field investigation aimed to characterize the morphology of both rills monitored at Sparacia experimental area and two ephemeral gullies (EGs) located in the Tremamargi basin, Sicily, Italy. At first, the available literature data together with the measurements carried out in this investigation were used to show that the EG length is a key parameter for the estimation of the eroded volume. Then, the comparison among the pairs length and volume corresponding to measured rills, EGs and gullies showed that the exponent of the power relationship is independent of the channelized erosion type (rill, EG and gully), while a different scale factor has to be use…
A copula-based approach for assessing flood protection overtopping associated with a seasonal flood forecast in Niamey, West Africa
2016
Flood is one of the most important natural disasters that cause huge loss of life and properties every year around the world. Moreover, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies pointed out that floods were by far the greatest cause of homelessness. In West Africa, many countries are damaged from flooding almost every season. Thus, this study aimed to set a seasonal flood forecast model and carried out an evaluation of the level of risk associated with each seasonal forecast. HEC-RAS (Hydrologic Engineering Centers River Analysis System) was used to develop a hydro-dynamical model of Niger river on a 160km reach (80km upstream to 80kmdownstream of Niamey), the…
Historical morphogenesis of the Turia River coastal flood plain in the Mediterranean littoral of Spain
2011
Abstract The cross-referencing of sedimentological, stratigraphic, geoarchaeological and radiocarbon data enables us to establish the geomorphologic evolution of the Late Holocene coastal flood plain of the Turia River. The Holocene marine transgression formed a coastal barrier lagoon environment in the coastal plain. During the Late Holocene, increased sediments supplied to the low reach of the river promoted: (a): the progradation of deltaic coastal sandy ridges on the coastline and (b): the aggradation of the floodplain on top of the sedimentary sequence. Four phases are clearly recognised in the geoarchaeological record of the flood plain. (1): High magnitude flooding events (2800 BP to…
Evaluation of the environmental impact of volcanic emissions from the chemistry of rainwater: Mount Etna area (Sicily)
2001
Abstract The S, halogen and NO 3 contents of rainwater samples from the Etnean area were studied in order to define the environmental impact of plume emissions on the local environment. Samples, collected on a network of 11 bulk rain gauges, show significant variability in anion content, which can be ascribed to different meteorological and environmental conditions at each sampling site and to a variable distance from the different source areas. Data analysis suggests that S, F, Cl and Br are mainly magma-derived, whereas NO 3 mainly originates from anthropogenic sources. Samples collected from sites close to craters display considerable temporal variability, with increased anion concentrat…
Total (fumarolic + diffuse soil) CO2 output from Furnas volcano
2015
Furnas volcano, in São Miguel island (Azores), being the surface expression of rising hydrothermal steam, is the site of intense carbon dioxide (CO2) release by diffuse degassing and fumaroles. While the diffusive CO2 output has long (since the early 1990s) been characterized by soil CO2 surveys, no information is presently available on the fumarolic CO2 output. Here, we performed (in August 2014) a study in which soil CO2 degassing survey was combined for the first time with the measurement of the fumarolic CO2 flux. The results were achieved by using a GasFinder 2.0 tunable diode laser. Our measurements were performed in two degassing sites at Furnas volcano (Furnas Lake and Furnas Villag…
Natural and anthropogenic factors affecting groundwater quality of an active volcano (Mt. Etna, Italy)
2003
Abstract New geochemical data on dissolved major and minor constituents in 276 groundwater samples from Etna aquifers reveal the main processes responsible for their geochemical evolution and mineralisation. This topic is of particular interest in the light of the progressive depletion of water resources and groundwater quality in the area. Multivariate statistical analysis reveal 3 sources of solutes: (a) the leaching of the host basalt, driven by the dissolution of magma-derived CO2; (b) mixing processes with saline brines rising from the sedimentary basement below Etna; (c) contamination from agricultural and urban wastewaters. The last process, highlighted by increased concentrations of…
From Slope Morphometry to Morphogenetic Processes: An Integrated Approach of Field Survey, Geographic Information System Morphometric Analysis and St…
2015
Calanchi (singular: calanco) represent a typical example of badlands in the Italian peninsula, which rapidly evolve on clayey terrains such as the widespread Pliocene–Pleistocene marine clays. The present study aimed at investigating the role of the slope morphometry on the typology and distribution of morphogenetic processes in a calanchi area located in southern Italy. The research included detailed geomorphological surveying as well as morphometric and statistical analyses. The study area was first subdivided into individual hydrographic units (HUs), for which field survey allowed to identify the dominant denudation processes, their intensity and the distribution of the associated landfo…