Sources and distribution of terrigenous organic matter delivered by the Atchafalaya River to sediments in the northern Gulf of Mexico   总被引：6，自引：0，他引：6  

Elizabeth S. Gordon 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2003,67(13):2359-2375

Suspended sediments (SS) from the Atchafalaya River (AR) and the Mississippi River and surficial sediment samples from seven shallow cross-shelf transects west of the AR in the northern Gulf of Mexico were examined using elemental (%OC, C/N), isotopic (δ¹³C, Δ¹⁴C), and terrigenous biomarker analyses. The organic matter (OM) delivered by the AR is isotopically enriched (∼−24.5‰) and relatively degraded, suggesting that soil-derived OM with a C4 signature is the predominant OM source for these SS. The shelf sediments display OC values that generally decrease seaward within each transect and westward, parallel to the coastline. A strong terrigenous C/N (29) signal is observed in sediments deposited close to the mouth of the river, but values along the remainder of the shelf fall within a narrow range (8-13), with no apparent offshore trends. Depleted stable carbon isotope (δ¹³C) values typical of C3 plant debris (−27‰) are found near the river mouth and become more enriched (−22 to −21‰) offshore. The spatial distribution of lignin in shelf sediments mirrors that of OC, with high lignin yields found inshore relative to that found offshore (water depth > 10 m).The isotopic and biomarker data indicate that at least two types of terrigenous OM are deposited within the study area. Relatively undegraded, C3 plant debris is deposited close to the mouth of the AR, whereas more degraded, isotopically enriched, soil-derived OM appears to be deposited along the remainder of the shelf. An important input from marine carbon is found at the stations offshore from the 10-m isobath. Quantification of the terrigenous component of sedimentary OM is complicated by the heterogeneous composition of the terrigenous end-member. A three-end-member mixing model is therefore required to more accurately evaluate the sources of OM deposited in the study area. The results of the mixing calculation indicate that terrigenous OM (soil-derived OM and vascular plant debris) accounts for ∼79% of the OM deposited as inshore sediments and 66% of OM deposited as offshore sediments. Importantly, the abundance of terrigenous OM is 40% higher in inshore sediments and nearly 85% higher in offshore sediments than indicated by a two-end-member mixing model. Such a result highlights the need to reevaluate the inputs and cycling of soil-derived OM in the coastal ocean.  相似文献   

Evidence for a regime shift after the 1997–1998 El Niño, based on 1995, 1998, and 2001 acoustic surveys in the Pacific Eastern Boundary Current     

Gordon Swartzman  Barbara Hickey 《Estuaries and Coasts》2003,26(4):1032-1043

Increasing physical oceanographic evidence suggests that a regime shift, which featured increased equatoward surface winds and upwelling in the Eastern Pacific Boundary Current region, occurred following the 1997–1998 El Niño. We expect the signal of this change in biota to be stronger in euphausiids than in pelagic fishes such as Pacific hake (Merluccius productus) because lower trophic levels are more responsive to changes in upwelling and primary production. We used acoustic backscatter data from acoustic surveys in summer 1995, 1998, and 2001 to explore whether significant changes in abundance and distribution of euphausiids and fishes have occurred between 1995 and 2001. Graphical and statistical results show that the density of fish schools and euphausiid patches increased significantly south of Cape Blanco between 1995 and both 1998 and 2001. North of Cape Blanco there was no consistent change in euphausiid abundance, although both fish and euphausiid distributions in 2001 appear to be significantly higher nearshore than in the other years. Pelagic fish abundance distributions appeared more closely linked to El Niño than to regime shifts, with abundance shifted much farther north in 1998, an El Niño year, than in the other years, while 1995 and 2001 fish abundance distributions are similar to each other. The regime shift appears so far to have had a stronger effect on euphausiids than on pelagic fishes. The change in euphausiid abundance and distribution between the survey years was linked, through a conceptual model, to the relative strength of the poleward flowing California undercurrent and equatorward flowing California current and to the distribution and abundance of hake.  相似文献   

Effects of Land Use on the Climate of the United States   总被引：14，自引：0，他引：14  

Gordon B. Bonan 《Climatic change》1997,37(3):449-486

Land use practices have replaced much of the natural needleleaf evergreen, broadleaf deciduous, and mixed forests of the Eastern United States with crops. To a lesser extent, the natural grasslands in the Central United States have also been replaced with crops. Simulations with a land surface process model coupled to an atmospheric general circulation model show that the climate of the United States with modern vegetation is significantly different from that with natural vegetation. Three important climate signals caused by modern vegetation are: (1) 1 °C cooling over the Eastern United States and 1 °C warming over the Western United States in spring; (2) summer cooling of up to 2 °C over a wide region of the Central United States; and (3) moistening of the near-surface atmosphere by 0.5 to 1.5 g kg^-1over much of the United States in spring and summer. Although individual months show large, statistically significant differences in precipitation due to land-use practices, these differences average out over the course of the 3-month seasons. These changes in surface temperature and moisture extend well into the atmosphere, up to 500 mb, and affect the boundary layer and atmospheric circulation. The altered climate is due to reduced surface roughness, reduced leaf and stem area index, reduced stomatal resistance, and increased surface albedo with modern vegetation compared to natural vegetation. The climate change caused by land use practices is comparable to other well known anthropogenic climate forcings. For example, it would take 100 to 175 years at the current, observed rate of summer warming over the United States to offset the cooling from deforestation. The summer sulfate aerosol forcing completely offsets the greenhouse forcing over the Eastern United States. Similarly, the climatic effect of North American deforestation, with extensive summer cooling, further offsets the greenhouse forcing.  相似文献   

ASPRS annual conference 2004: Mountains of data – peak decisions     

Gordon Petrie 《The Photogrammetric Record》2004,19(108):403-407

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Web-cam’s potential for collaborative activities in the Earth sciences     

Benjamin J. Kadlec  David A. Yuen  Xili L. Yang  Evan F. Bollig  Yunsong Wang  Gordon Erlebacher  Maxwell Rudolph 《Visual Geosciences》2004,9(1):61

We report here our experiences from using easily acquired web-cam components for collaborative ventures in the Earth sciences. We have used a variety of hardware and different software. We demonstrate from various locations in the U.S.A. the feasibility of using web-cam in multitudinous activities, relevant for conducting research and knowledge dissemination. We summarize the quality of the connections from the various combinations of communicating parties. Today, web-cams can be utilized as an economical and viable means of point-to-point communication in the Earth science community. Greater bandwidth is sorely needed for activities such as multi-party conferencing on the present internet network. We propose that web-cam can be readily deployed as a web-service for facilitating collaborative research over the GRID infrastructure, using the middleware Narada-Brokering. Web-cam will play an important role in the emerging field of geoinformatics.  相似文献   

Soft X-ray spectroscopic studies of the reaction of fractured pyrite surfaces with Cr(VI)-containing aqueous solutions     

Colin S. Doyle  Tom Kendelewicz  Gordon E. Brown Jr 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2004,68(21):4287-4299

We have used synchrotron-based soft X-ray core-level photoemission and adsorption spectroscopies to study the reaction of aqueous sodium chromate solutions with freshly fractured pyrite surfaces. Pyrite surfaces were reacted with 50 μM sodium chromate solution at pH 7 for reaction times between 1 min and 37 hr. Additional experiments were performed at pH 2 and pH 4 with 50 μM sodium chromate solutions and at pH 7 with 5 mM solutions. At chromate concentrations of 50 μM, all chromium present on the pyrite surface was in the form of Cr(III), while at 5 mM, both Cr(III) and Cr(VI) were present at the pyrite surface. Minor quantities of oxidized sulfur species (sulfate, sulfite, and zero-valent sulfur) were identified as reaction products on the pyrite surface. The amount of oxidized sulfur species observed on the surface was greater when pyrite was reacted with 5 mM Cr(VI) solutions because the rate of chromium deposition exceeded the rate of dissolution of pyrite oxidation products, effectively trapping Cr(VI) and oxidized sulfur species in an overlayer of iron(III)-containing Cr(III)-hydroxide. This work shows that pyrite, an extremely cheap and readily available waste material, may be suitable for the removal of hexavalent chromium from acidic to circumneutral waste streams. The reduced chromium ultimately forms a coating on the pyrite surface, which passivates the pyrite surface towards further oxidation.  相似文献   

Structuring subjectivities? Using Q methodology in human geography   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Sally Eden  rew Donaldson  Gordon Walker 《Area》2005,37(4):413-422

This paper presents a critical and reflexive account of using Q methodology in human geography. Q methodology has a long pedigree in psychological, political and sociological research, but is only recently beginning to be used by human geographers. We discuss, in particular, the parts of the process(es) of Q methodology that are often glossed over in the literature, through reflecting on our learning in using Q within a project examining the use and production of environmental science by NGOs. We conclude that Q may be a useful supplement to existing methods in human geography, as long as it is used creatively and reflexively and with full awareness of its interpretative dimensions.  相似文献   

Groundwater control of mangrove surface elevation: Shrink and swell varies with soil depth     

Kevin R. T. Whelan  Thomas J. Smith  Donald R. Cahoon  James C. Lynch  Gordon H. Anderson 《Estuaries and Coasts》2005,28(6):833-843

We measured monthly soil surface elevation change and determined its relationship to groundwater changes at a mangrove forest site along Shark River, Everglades National Park, Florida. We combined the use of an original design, surface elevation table with new rod-surface elevation tables to separately track changes in the mid zone (0–4 m), the shallow root zone (0–0.35 m), and the full sediment profile (0–6 m) in response to site hydrology (daily river stage and daily groundwater piezometric pressure). We calculated expansion and contraction for each of the four constituent soil zones (surface [accretion and erosion; above 0 m], shallow zone [0–0.35 m], middle zone [0.35–4 m], and bottom zone [4–6]) that comprise the entire soil column. Changes in groundwater pressure correlated strongly, with changes in soil elevation for the entire profile (Adjusted R² = 0.90); this relationship was not proportional to the depth of the soil profile sampled. The change in thickness of the bottom soil zone accounted for the majority (R² = 0.63) of the entire soil profile expansion and contraction. The influence of hydrology on specific soil zones and absolute elevation change must be considered when evaluating the effect of disturbances, sea level rise, and water management decisions on coastal wetland systems.  相似文献   

Uranyl adsorption onto montmorillonite: Evaluation of binding sites and carbonate complexation   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

Jeffrey G. Catalano  Gordon E. Brown Jr. 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2005,69(12):2995-3005

The fate and transport of uranium in contaminated soils and sediments may be affected by adsorption onto the surface of minerals such as montmorillonite. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy has been used to investigate the adsorption of uranyl (UO₂²⁺) onto Wyoming montmorillonite. At low pH (∼4) and low ionic strength (10⁻³ M), uranyl has an EXAFS spectrum indistinguishable from the aqueous uranyl cation, indicating binding via cation exchange. At near-neutral pH (∼7) and high ionic strength (1 M), the equatorial oxygen shell of uranyl is split, indicating inner-sphere binding to edge sites. Linear-combination fitting of the spectra of samples reacted under conditions where both types of binding are possible reveals that cation exchange at low ionic strengths on SWy-2 may be more important than predicted by past surface complexation models of U(VI) adsorption on related montmorillonites. Analysis of the binding site on the edges of montmorillonite suggests that U(VI) sorbs preferentially to [Fe(O,OH)₆] octahedral sites over [Al(O,OH)₆] sites. When bound to edge sites, U(VI) occurs as uranyl-carbonato ternary surface complexes in systems equilibrated with atmospheric CO₂. Polymeric surface complexes were not observed under any of the conditions studied. Current surface complexation models of uranyl sorption on clay minerals may need to be reevaluated to account for the possible increased importance of cation exchange reactions at low ionic strengths, the presence of reactive octahedral iron surface sites, and the formation of uranyl-carbonato ternary surface complexes. Considering the adsorption mechanisms observed in this study, future studies of U(VI) transport in the environment should consider how uranium retardation will be affected by changes in key solution parameters, such as pH, ionic strength, exchangeable cation composition, and the presence or absence of CO₂.  相似文献   

Multi‐year water balance assessment of a newly constructed wetland,Fort McMurray,Alberta          下载免费PDF全文

Erin M. Nicholls  Sean K. Carey  Elyn R. Humphreys  M. Graham Clark  Gordon B. Drewitt 《水文研究》2016,30(16):2739-2753

Oil sands mining in Alberta transforms the boreal landscape of forests and wetlands into open pits, tailings ponds and overburden piles. Whereas reclamation efforts have primarily focused on upland forests, rebuilding wetland systems has recently become a motivation for research. Wetland creation and sustainability in this region is complicated by the sub‐humid climate and salinity of underlying mining material. In 2012, Syncrude Canada Ltd. completed the construction of the Sandhill Fen Watershed (SFW), a 52‐ha upland‐wetland system to evaluate wetland reclamation strategies on soft tailings. SFW includes an active pumping system, upland hummocks, a fen wetland and underdrains. To evaluate the influence of management practices on the hydrology of the system, this study reports the water balance from January 2013 to December 2014, the first 2 years after commissioning. A semi‐distributed approach was taken to examine the fluxes and stores of water in uplands and lowlands. Natural and artificial inputs and outputs were measured using a series of precipitation gauges and pumps, and evapotranspiration was quantified using three eddy covariance towers. A series of near surface wells recorded water table position. Both 2013 and 2014 were normal rainfall years, with 2013 having more and 2014 less snow than normal. In 2013, inflow/outflow from pumping was the predominant hydrological fluxes, resulting in considerable variability in water table position and storage changes throughout the summer. In 2014, the artificial addition of water was negligible, yet the water table remained near the surface in lowland locations, suggesting that wetland conditions could be maintained under current conditions. Evapotranspiration rates between uplands and lowlands were similar between years and sites, ranging from 2.2 ± 1.8 to 2.5 ± 1.2 mm/day and were largely controlled by climate. These rates were less than nearby older upland systems, suggesting that water balance partitioning will change as vegetation develops. Comparison between years and with natural systems provides insight on how management practices influence hydrologic dynamics and the overall water balance of the SFW. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献