Sample records for lake louise winter

  1. The 2018 Lake Louise Acute Mountain Sickness Score.

    PubMed

    Roach, Robert C; Hackett, Peter H; Oelz, Oswald; Bärtsch, Peter; Luks, Andrew M; MacInnis, Martin J; Baillie, J Kenneth

    2018-03-01

    Roach, Robert C., Peter H. Hackett, Oswald Oelz, Peter Bärtsch, Andrew M. Luks, Martin J. MacInnis, J. Kenneth Baillie, and The Lake Louise AMS Score Consensus Committee. The 2018 Lake Louise Acute Mountain Sickness Score. High Alt Med Biol 19:1-4, 2018.- The Lake Louise Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) scoring system has been a useful research tool since first published in 1991. Recent studies have shown that disturbed sleep at altitude, one of the five symptoms scored for AMS, is more likely due to altitude hypoxia per se, and is not closely related to AMS. To address this issue, and also to evaluate the Lake Louise AMS score in light of decades of experience, experts in high altitude research undertook to revise the score. We here present an international consensus statement resulting from online discussions and meetings at the International Society of Mountain Medicine World Congress in Bolzano, Italy, in May 2014 and at the International Hypoxia Symposium in Lake Louise, Canada, in February 2015. The consensus group has revised the score to eliminate disturbed sleep as a questionnaire item, and has updated instructions for use of the score.

  2. Winter diet of lake herring (Coregonus artedi) in western Lake Superior

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Link, Jason; Selgeby, James H.; Hoff, Michael H.; Haskell, Craig

    1995-01-01

    Lake herring (Coregonus artedi) and zooplankton samples were simultaneously collected through the ice in the Apostle Islands region of western Lake Superior to provide information on the winter feeding ecology of lake herring. Zooplankton constituted the entire diet of the 38 lake herring collected for this study. We found no evidence of piscivory, although it has been reported by anglers. Diet selectivities were calculated using a Wilcoxon signed-ranks test and showed a preference of lake herring for larger zooplankton, especially Diaptomus sicilis, whereas the smaller copepod,Cyclops bicuspidatus thomasi, and immature copepod stages were selected against. These data document that overwintering copepods are food for a broad size range of lake herring in winter.

  3. Observations of the Winter Thermal Structure of Lake Superior

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Titze, Daniel James

    Moored thermistor strings that span the water column have been deployed at up to seven locations throughout Lake Superior from 2005 through present, producing a unique year-round record of the thermal structure of a large lake. This extensive temperature record reveals significant interannual and spatial variability in Lake Superior's winter heat content, thermocline depth, and phenology. Of particular mention is a stark contrast in thermal structure between the cold, icy winter of 2009 and the much warmer winter of 2012, during which especially strong and weak negative stratification was observed, respectively. Significant interannual and spatial variability was also observed in Lake Superior ice cover, as shown through data extracted from Ice Mapping System satellite imagery (NOAA/NESDIS 2004). When water column heat content was estimated from temperature data and analyzed in concert with lake ice-cover data, it was found that ice cover can inhibit heat flux between the lake and the atmosphere, and that spatial variability in ice cover can translate into spatial variability in end-of-winter heat content. Such variability in end-of-winter heat content is found to be preserved through the spring warming season, and is strongly correlated with variability in the timing of the onset of summer stratification, with regions that have warmer end-of-winter water columns stratifying earlier than regions with colder end-of-winter water-columns.

  4. Lake Stability and Winter-Spring Transitions: Decoupled Ice Duration and Winter Stratification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Daly, J.; Dana, S.; Neal, B.

    2016-12-01

    Ice-out is an important historical record demonstrating the impact of warmer air temperatures on lake ice. To better understand regional differences in ice-out trends, to characterize the thermal dynamics of smaller mountain lakes, and to develop baseline data for Maine's high elevations landscapes, sub-hourly water temperatures have been collected in over a dozen of Maine's mountain lakes since 2010. Both surface water and hypolimnion temperature data are recorded year-round, facilitating the determination of ice-in, ice-out, and the duration of winter stratification. The multi-year record from sites across as 250 km transect allows us to compare spatial variability related to lake morphometry and location with inter-annual variability related to local weather. All of the study lakes are large enough to stratify during the summer and mix extensively during the fall. Most years, our data show that the onset of winter stratification is nearly synchronous across the study area and is associated with cold air temperatures. Winter stratification can begin days to weeks before ice-in; the timing of ice-in shows more variability, with both elevation and basin aspect influencing the timing. Ice-out shows both the anticipated spatial and interannual variability; some years there is strong coherence between locations while other years show high variability, possibly a function of differences in snowpack. Ice-out is not always immediately followed by the end of winter stratification, there is sometimes a lag of days to weeks before the lakes mix. If the warm temperatures that lead to ice-out are followed by calm days without significant wind, the surface of some lakes begins to warm quickly maintaining the density difference and prolonging winter stratification. The longer the lag time, the stronger the density difference becomes which may also result in a very brief period of mixing in the spring prior to set-up of summer stratification. This year's El Niño event resulted

  5. Seasonal habitat selection by lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in a small Canadian shield lake: Constraints imposed by winter conditions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Blanchfield, P.J.; Tate, L.S.; Plumb, J.M.; Acolas, M.-L.; Beaty, K.G.

    2009-01-01

    The need for cold, well-oxygenated waters significantly reduces the habitat available for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) during stratification of small temperate lakes. We examined the spatial and pelagic distribution of lake trout over two consecutive summers and winters and tested whether winter increased habitat availability and access to littoral regions in a boreal shield lake in which pelagic prey fish are absent. In winter, lake trout had a narrowly defined pelagic distribution that was skewed to the upper 3 m of the water column and spatially situated in the central region of the lake. Individual core areas of use (50% Kernel utilization distributions) in winter were much reduced (75%) and spatially non-overlapping compared to summer areas, but activity levels were similar between seasons. Winter habitat selection is in contrast to observations from the stratified season, when lake trout were consistently located in much deeper waters (>6 m) and widely distributed throughout the lake. Winter distribution of lake trout appeared to be strongly influenced by ambient light levels; snow depth and day length accounted for up to 69% of the variation in daily median fish depth. More restricted habitat use during winter than summer was in contrast to our original prediction and illustrates that a different suite of factors influence lake trout distribution between these seasons. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009.

  6. Ice duration drives winter nitrate accumulation in north temperate lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Powers, Steven M; Labou, Stephanie G.; Baulch, Helen M.; Hunt, Randall J.; Lottig, Noah R.; Hampton, Stephanie E.; Stanley, Emily H.

    2017-01-01

    The duration of winter ice cover on lakes varies substantially with climate variability, and has decreased over the last several decades in many temperate lakes. However, little is known of how changes in seasonal ice cover may affect biogeochemical processes under ice. We examined winter nitrogen (N) dynamics under ice using a 30+ yr dataset from five oligotrophic/mesotrophic north temperate lakes to determine how changes in inorganic N species varied with ice duration. Nitrate accumulated during winter and was strongly related to the number of days since ice-on. Exogenous inputs accounted for less than 3% of nitrate accumulation in four of the five lakes, suggesting a paramount role of nitrification in regulating N transformation and the timing of chemical conditions under ice. Winter nitrate accumulation rates ranged from 0.15 μg N L−1 d−1 to 2.7 μg N L−1 d−1 (0.011–0.19 μM d−1), and the mean for intermediate depths was 0.94 μg N L−1 d−1(0.067 μM d−1). Given that winters with shorter ice duration (< 120 d) have become more frequent in these lakes since the late 1990s, peak winter nitrate concentrations and cumulative nitrate production under ice may be declining. As ice extent and duration change, the physical and chemical conditions supporting life will shift. This research suggests we may expect changes in the form and amount of inorganic N, and altered dissolved nitrogen : phosphorus ratios, in lakes during winters with shorter ice duration.

  7. Predicting Late Winter Dissolved Oxygen Levels in Arctic Lakes Using Morphology and Landscape Metrics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leppi, Jason C.; Arp, Christopher D.; Whitman, Matthew S.

    2016-02-01

    Overwintering habitat for Arctic freshwater fish is essential, such that understanding the distribution of winter habitat quality at the landscape-scale is warranted. Adequate dissolved oxygen (DO) is a major factor limiting habitat quality in the Arctic region where ice cover can persist for 8 months each year. Here we use a mixed-effect model developed from 20 lakes across northern Alaska to assess which morphology and landscape attributes can be used to predict regional overwintering habitat quality. Across all lakes, we found that the majority of the variations in late winter DO can be explained by lake depth and littoral area. In shallow lakes (<4 m), we found evidence that additional variables such as elevation, lake area, ice cover duration, and snow depth were associated with DO regimes. Low DO regimes were most typical of shallow lakes with large littoral areas and lakes that had high DO regimes often were lakes with limited littoral areas and deeper water. Our analysis identifies metrics that relate to late winter DO regimes in Arctic lakes that can aid managers in understanding which lakes will likely provide optimum DO for overwintering habitat. Conversely, lakes which predicted to have marginal winter DO levels may be vulnerable to disturbances that could lower DO below critical thresholds to support sensitive fish. In regions where lakes are also used by humans for industrial winter water supply, such as ice-road construction for oil and gas development, these findings will be vital for the management of resources and protection of Arctic fish.

  8. Predicting Late Winter Dissolved Oxygen Levels in Arctic Lakes Using Morphology and Landscape Metrics.

    PubMed

    Leppi, Jason C; Arp, Christopher D; Whitman, Matthew S

    2016-02-01

    Overwintering habitat for Arctic freshwater fish is essential, such that understanding the distribution of winter habitat quality at the landscape-scale is warranted. Adequate dissolved oxygen (DO) is a major factor limiting habitat quality in the Arctic region where ice cover can persist for 8 months each year. Here we use a mixed-effect model developed from 20 lakes across northern Alaska to assess which morphology and landscape attributes can be used to predict regional overwintering habitat quality. Across all lakes, we found that the majority of the variations in late winter DO can be explained by lake depth and littoral area. In shallow lakes (<4 m), we found evidence that additional variables such as elevation, lake area, ice cover duration, and snow depth were associated with DO regimes. Low DO regimes were most typical of shallow lakes with large littoral areas and lakes that had high DO regimes often were lakes with limited littoral areas and deeper water. Our analysis identifies metrics that relate to late winter DO regimes in Arctic lakes that can aid managers in understanding which lakes will likely provide optimum DO for overwintering habitat. Conversely, lakes which predicted to have marginal winter DO levels may be vulnerable to disturbances that could lower DO below critical thresholds to support sensitive fish. In regions where lakes are also used by humans for industrial winter water supply, such as ice-road construction for oil and gas development, these findings will be vital for the management of resources and protection of Arctic fish.

  9. [Population and distribution of the Siberian crane (Grus leucogeranus) wintering in the Poyang lakes over the past decade].

    PubMed

    Shan, Ji-Hong; Ma, Jian-Zhang; Li, Yan-Kuo; Qian, Fa-Wen; Tu, Xiao-Bin

    2012-08-01

    Using simultaneous land surveys, we monitored the population size and spatial distribution of wintering Siberian cranes at 64 lakes around Poyang Lake between 1998 and 2010. The results showed that 46 lakes were inhabited by wintering cranes, and in 25 of those, the number of wintering cranes accounted for more than 1% of the Siberian cranes' global population. The lakes where over 40.0% of the global population, e.g. 1 280 individuals, included Dachahu Lake in Jiujiang region, and Banghu Lake and Candouhu Lake in the Poyang Lake Nature Reserve. The average yearly population of the wintering Siberian crane in the Poyang lakes was 3 108±849, with the maximum of 4 004 individuals in winter 2002. On the whole, there was no drastic fluctuation, but population numbers have shown considerable fluctuation since 2003. We also found the Poyang Lake Nature Reserve was the major wintering area of the Siberian crane, with over 60% of Siberian cranes wintering in the reserve since 2002 (except in 2006). Most of the inhabited lakes are covered in existing nature reserves, though some lakes outside the reserve were also considerably used by Siberian cranes.

  10. The structure of winter phytoplankton in Lake Nero, Russia, a hypertrophic lake dominated by Planktothrix-like Cyanobacteria

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background The permanent dominance of Planktothrix-like сyanobacteria has been often reported for shallow eutrophic\\hypertrophic lakes in central Europe in summer\\autumn. However studies on phytoplankton growth under ice cover in nutrient-rich lakes are very scarce. Lake Nero provides a good example of the contrasting seasonal extremes in environmental conditions. Moreover, the ecosystem underwent a catastrophic transition from eutrophic to hypertrophic 2003–05, with dominance of filamentous cyanobacteria in summer\\autumn. Towards the end of the period of ice cover, there is an almost complete lack of light and oxygen but abundance in nutrients, especially ammonium nitrogen, soluble reactive phosphorus and total phosphorus in lake Nero. The aim of the present study was to describe species composition and abundance of the phytoplankton, in relation to the abiotic properties of the habitat to the end of winters 1999–2010. We were interested if Planktothrix-like сyanobacteria kept their dominant role under the ice conditions or only survived, and how did the under-ice phytoplankton community differ from year to year. Results Samples collected contained 172 algal taxa of sub-generic rank. Abundance of phytoplankton varied widely from very low to the bloom level. Cyanobacteria (Limnothrix, Pseudanabaena, Planktothrix) were present in all winter samples but did not always dominate. Favourable conditions included low winter temperature, thicker ice, almost complete lack of oxygen and high ammonium concentration. Flagellates belonging to Euglenophyta and Cryptophyta dominated in warmer winters, when phosphorus concentrations increased. Conclusion A full picture of algal succession in the lake may be obtained only if systematic winter observations are taken into account. Nearly anoxic conditions, severe light deficiency and high concentration of biogenic elements present a highly selective environment for phytoplankton. Hypertrophic water bodies of moderate zone

  11. Physical and Chemical Implications of Mid-Winter Pumping of Trunda Lakes - North Slope, Alaska

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hinzman, Larry D.; Lilly, Michael R.; Kane, Douglas L.

    2005-09-30

    Tundra lakes on the North Slope, Alaska, are an important resource for energy development and petroleum field operations. A majority of exploration activities, pipeline maintenance, and restoration activities take place on winter ice roads that depend on water availability at key times of the winter operating season. These same lakes provide important fisheries and ecosystem functions. In particular, overwintering habitat for fish is one important management concern. This study focused on the evaluation of winter water use in the current field operating areas to provide a better understanding of the current water use practices. It found that under the currentmore » water use practices, there were no measurable negative effects of winter pumping on the lakes studied and current water use management practices were appropriately conservative. The study did find many areas where improvements in the understanding of tundra lake hydrology and water usage would benefit industry, management agencies, and the protection of fisheries and ecosystems.« less

  12. Over-winter ecology of Oncorhynchus nerka in the Sawtooth Valley Lakes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Steinhart, G.B.; Wurtsbaugh, W.A.

    1996-05-01

    Included in this section of the report on limnology of Lakes in the Snake River Plain are descriptions of winter limnological conditions and kokanee growth characteristics from 1993 to 1995. The winter is usually a very harsh period for animals, and little is know about the over-winter ecology os sockeye salmon. They are active a temperatures below 4 F. The chapter discusses methods and results. 14 figs, 4 tabs.

  13. Winter severity determines functional trait composition of phytoplankton in seasonally ice-covered lakes.

    PubMed

    Özkundakci, Deniz; Gsell, Alena S; Hintze, Thomas; Täuscher, Helgard; Adrian, Rita

    2016-01-01

    How climate change will affect the community dynamics and functionality of lake ecosystems during winter is still little understood. This is also true for phytoplankton in seasonally ice-covered temperate lakes which are particularly vulnerable to the presence or absence of ice. We examined changes in pelagic phytoplankton winter community structure in a north temperate lake (Müggelsee, Germany), covering 18 winters between 1995 and 2013. We tested how phytoplankton taxa composition varied along a winter-severity gradient and to what extent winter severity shaped the functional trait composition of overwintering phytoplankton communities using multivariate statistical analyses and a functional trait-based approach. We hypothesized that overwintering phytoplankton communities are dominated by taxa with trait combinations corresponding to the prevailing winter water column conditions, using ice thickness measurements as a winter-severity indicator. Winter severity had little effect on univariate diversity indicators (taxon richness and evenness), but a strong relationship was found between the phytoplankton community structure and winter severity when taxon trait identity was taken into account. Species responses to winter severity were mediated by the key functional traits: motility, nutritional mode, and the ability to form resting stages. Accordingly, one or the other of two functional groups dominated the phytoplankton biomass during mild winters (i.e., thin or no ice cover; phototrophic taxa) or severe winters (i.e., thick ice cover; exclusively motile taxa). Based on predicted milder winters for temperate regions and a reduction in ice-cover durations, phytoplankton communities during winter can be expected to comprise taxa that have a relative advantage when the water column is well mixed (i.e., need not be motile) and light is less limiting (i.e., need not be mixotrophic). A potential implication of this result is that winter severity promotes different

  14. Ecological impacts of winter water level drawdowns on lake littoral zones: A review

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Roy, Allison

    2017-01-01

    Freshwater littoral zones harbor diverse ecological communities and serve numerous ecosystem functions that are controlled, in part, by natural water level fluctuations. However, human alteration of lake hydrologic regimes beyond natural fluctuations threaten littoral zone ecological integrity. One type of hydrologic alteration in lakes is winter water level drawdowns, which are frequently employed for hydropower, flood control, and macrophyte control, among other purposes. Here, we synthesize the abiotic and biotic responses to annual and novel winter water level drawdowns in littoral zones of lakes and reservoirs. The dewatering, freezing, and increased erosion of exposed lakebeds drive changes in the littoral zone. Shoreline-specific physicochemical conditions such as littoral slope and shoreline exposure further induce modifications. Loss of fine sediment decreases nutrient availability over time, but desiccation may promote a temporary nutrient pulse upon re-inundation. Annual winter drawdowns can decrease taxonomic richness of macrophytes and benthic invertebrates and shift assemblage composition to favor taxa with r-selected life history strategies and with functional traits resistant to direct and indirect drawdown effects. Fish assemblages, though less directly affected by winter drawdowns (except where there is critically low dissolved oxygen), experience negative effects via indirect pathways like decreased food resources and spawning habitat. We identify eight general research gaps to guide future research that could improve our understanding about the complex effects of winter drawdowns on littoral zone ecology.

  15. Changes in winter air temperatures near Lake Michigan, 1851-1993, as determined from regional lake-ice records

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Assel, R.A.; Robertson, Dale M.

    1995-01-01

    Records of freezeup and breakup dates for Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan, and Lake Mendota, Wisconsin, are among the longest ice records available near the Great Lakes, beginning in 185 1 and 1855, respectively. The timing of freezeup and breakup results from an integration of meteorological conditions (primarily air temperature) that occur before these events. Changes in the average timing of these ice-events are translated into changes in air temperature by the use of empirical and process-driven models. The timing of freezeup and breakup at the two locations represents an integration of air temperatures over slightly different seasons (months). Records from both locations indicate that the early winter period before about 1890 was - 15°C cooler than the early winter period after that time; the mean temperature has, however, remained relatively constant since about 1890. Changes in breakup dates demonstrate a similar 1.0-1 .5”C increase in late winter and early spring air temperatures about 1890. More recent average breakup dates at both locations have been earlier than during 1890-1940, indicating an additional warming of 1.2”C in March since about 1940 and a warming of 1 . 1°C in January-March since about 1980. Ice records at these sites will continue to provide an early indication of the anticipated climatic warming, not only because of the large response of ice cover to small changes in air temperature but also because these records integrate climatic conditions during the seasons (winter-spring) when most warming is forecast to occur. Future reductions in ice cover may strongly affect the winter ecology of the Great Lakes by reducing the stable environment required by various levels of the food chain. 

  16. Over-wintering of Supraglacial Lakes on the Greenland Ice Sheet from Sentinel-1 and Landsat-8 Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Benedek, C. L.; Tedesco, M.

    2015-12-01

    Supra-glacial lakes on the GrIS have become a focus of research relating to the contribution of the GrIS to sea level rise. Lakes have been observed to appear during the summer melt season. Though it appears that the quantity of water collected on the surface is small, it is thought that the fracture and drainage of these lakes delivers significant pulses of water to the ice sheet bed, influencing the dynamic movement of glaciers towards the sea. The pattern of this transport mechanism may be a central driver of its influence over dynamic losses, as the flow of the viscoelastic ice sheet will differ if the water is delivered in a short pulse or a slower constant supply. A number of studies have catalogued the traits of lakes with an aim to quantify lake areas, depths, and timing of formation and cessation using visible and near infrared remote sensing instruments mostly focused on the summer melt season. Little is known about the behaviour of the surface lakes over the winter. A recent examination of the over-wintering of surface lakes has been conducted by Koenig et al. [2015] using airborne radar. While the study is extensive in area covered, it is limited in its temporal resolution by the availability of Operation IceBridge data, typically at one pass per year. This study seeks to observe the development of lakes over the winter period. Sentinel-1A radar images are used to track the presence of surface lakes and their variation in three study sites on the Greenland ice sheet. The sites are as follows: upstream of Ryder glacier, upstream of Petermann glacier, and upstream of Jakobshavn glacier. Water masks are created based on summer Landsat-8 images following NDWIice and then compared to Sentinel images at monthly temporal resolution through the winter of 2014-2015. These radar images show persistence of liquid water through the winter in agreement with previous research as well as variation in the buried lake area over the span of the year studied.

  17. T1 and T2 mapping in myocarditis: seeing beyond the horizon of Lake Louise criteria and histopathology.

    PubMed

    Puntmann, Valentina O; Zeiher, Andreas M; Nagel, Eike

    2018-05-01

    Myocarditis and its sequelae remain an unconquered clinical problem, disproportionately affecting the young. Several hurdles beset myocarditis, including non-specific symptoms, heterogeneous clinical presentation, dynamic disease stages, underscored by an absence of an easy diagnostic test or a specific treatment. Areas covered: The current diagnostic means are poorly equipped to counter the challenge; the gold standard by invasive endomyocardial biopsy relies on availability of expert procedural and reading skill. The tissue diagnostic criteria were developed to improve readers agreement with clinical diagnosis, and not based on evidence for differential treatment or improved prognosis. The Lake-Louise Criteria represented a first step towards a non-invasive diagnosis. They require extensive imaging, which is insufficiently robust with poor diagnostic confidence and tissue pathophysiological validation; they similarly lack evidence of improved outcome by guiding clinical management. T1 and T2 mapping are a step-change, providing robust, short and quantifiable imaging application, which can veritably reflect the dynamic and heterogeneous underlying disease. Expert commentary: T1 and T2 mapping harbours a unique potential for an objective non-invasive disease recognition and treatment discovery in myocarditis. These measures should enter independently into clinical experimentation, with a high priority for outcome and therapeutic studies.

  18. Interview with Louise Lonabocker

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    von Munkwitz-Smith, Jeffrey

    2015-01-01

    This issue of "College and University" marks a transition in the Editor-in-Chief Position, with the interview of Louise Lonabocker, who has served in this capacity for the past ten years. She has also served as President of AACRAO, and in both positions, Lonabocker has been a role model for many AACRAO leaders. Lonabocker describes the…

  19. Winter navigation on the Great Lakes : a review of environmental studies

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-05-01

    In 1970, Congress authorized a three-part Great Lakes-St.Lawrence Seaway Navigation Season Extension Program. It authorized a winter navigation demonstration program, a detailed survey study of season extension feasibility and a study of insurance ra...

  20. The structure and toxicity of winter cyanobacterial bloom in a eutrophic lake of the temperate zone.

    PubMed

    Wejnerowski, Łukasz; Rzymski, Piotr; Kokociński, Mikołaj; Meriluoto, Jussi

    2018-06-22

    Winter cyanobacterial blooms have become increasingly common in eutrophic lakes advocating a need for their monitoring and risk assessment. The present study evaluated the toxicity of a winter cyanobacterial bloom in a eutrophicated freshwater lake located in Western Poland. The bloom was dominated by potentially toxic species: Planktothrix agardhii, Limnothrix redekei, and Aphanizomenon gracile. The toxin analysis revealed the presence of demethylated forms of microcystin-RR and microcystin-LR in ranges of 24.6-28.7 and 6.6-7.6 µg/L, respectively. The toxicity of sampled water was further evaluated in platelet-rich plasma isolated from healthy human subjects using lipid peroxidation and lactate dehydrogenase assays. No significant adverse effects were observed. The present study demonstrates that toxicity of some winter cyanobacterial blooms in the temperate zone, like that in Lubosińskie Lake, may not exhibit significant health risks despite microcystin production.

  1. Effects of climate change on deep-water oxygen and winter mixing in a deep lake (Lake Geneva)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwefel, Robert; Alfred, Wüest; Damien, Bouffard

    2016-04-01

    Oxygen is the most important dissolved gas for lake ecosystems. Because low oxygen concentrations are an ongoing problem in many parts of the oceans and numerous lakes, oxygen depletion processes have been intensively studied over the last decades and were mainly attributed to high nutrient loads. Recently, climate-induced changes in stratification and mixing behavior were recognized as additional thread to hypolimnetic oxygen budgets in lakes and reservoirs [Matzinger et al., 2007; Zhang et al., 2015]. Observational data of Lake Geneva, a deep perialpine lake situated between France and Switzerland showed no decreasing trend in hypoxia over the last 43 years, despite an impressive reduction in nutrient input during this period. Instead, hypoxic conditions were predominantly controlled by deep mixing end of winter and in turn by winter temperatures. To test the sensitivity of Lake Geneva on future climate change and changes in water transparency, we simulated the hydrodynamics and temperature of Lake Geneva under varying conditions for atmospheric temperature and water clarity performed with the one-dimensional model SIMSTRAT [Goudsmit, 2002]. The results show, that the stratification in lakes is only weakly affected by changes in light absorption due to varying water quality. For conditions expected for the end of the century, a decrease in the annual mean deep convective mixing of up to 45 m is predicted. Also complete mixing events over the whole lake are less likely to occur. A change in the hypolimnetic oxygen concentration of up to 20% can thus be expected in the future. These results show, that changes in deep mixing have an equally strong impact as eutrophication on the deep-water oxygen development of oligomictic lakes and have to be considered in the prediction of the future development of lakes. References: Goudsmit, G. H., H. Burchard, F. Peeters, and A. Wüest (2002), Application of k-ɛ turbulence models to enclosed basins: The role of internal

  2. 78 FR 71543 - Special Local Regulation; Tavares Winter Thunder Vintage Race Boat Regatta, Lake Dora; Tavares, FL

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-29

    ... 1625-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Tavares Winter Thunder Vintage Race Boat Regatta, Lake Dora... Tavares Winter Thunder Vintage Race Regatta, a series of high-speed boat races. The event is scheduled for... navigable waters of the United States during the Tavares Winter Thunder Vintage Race Boat Regatta. C...

  3. Limnology of Sawtooth Lakes - 1995: Effects of winter limnology and lake fertilization on potential production of Snake River sockeye salmon

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Luecke, C.; Wurtsbaugh, W.A.; Budy, P.

    1996-05-01

    This Section II of the entire report describes the results of the limnological sampling conducted on Redfish, Altras, Pettit and Stanley Lakes from October 1994 through October 1995. Included are descriptions of winter limnological conditions and kokanee growth characteristics from 1993 to 1995, limnological conditions during the spring, summer and fall of 1995, comparison of characteristics among the four lakes; fertilization of Redfish Lake in 1995; effects of fertilization and effects of annual avriations in planktivorous fish abundance. Individual chapters and their subject areas are listed in following abstracts.

  4. Arctic lake physical processes and regimes with implications for winter water availability and management in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska.

    PubMed

    Jones, Benjamin M; Arp, Christopher D; Hinkel, Kenneth M; Beck, Richard A; Schmutz, Joel A; Winston, Barry

    2009-06-01

    Lakes are dominant landforms in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA) as well as important social and ecological resources. Of recent importance is the management of these freshwater ecosystems because lakes deeper than maximum ice thickness provide an important and often sole source of liquid water for aquatic biota, villages, and industry during winter. To better understand seasonal and annual hydrodynamics in the context of lake morphometry, we analyzed lakes in two adjacent areas where winter water use is expected to increase in the near future because of industrial expansion. Landsat Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus imagery acquired between 1985 and 2007 were analyzed and compared with climate data to understand interannual variability. Measured changes in lake area extent varied by 0.6% and were significantly correlated to total precipitation in the preceding 12 months (p < 0.05). Using this relation, the modeled lake area extent from 1985 to 2007 showed no long-term trends. In addition, high-resolution aerial photography, bathymetric surveys, water-level monitoring, and lake-ice thickness measurements and growth models were used to better understand seasonal hydrodynamics, surface area-to-volume relations, winter water availability, and more permanent changes related to geomorphic change. Together, these results describe how lakes vary seasonally and annually in two critical areas of the NPRA and provide simple models to help better predict variation in lake-water supply. Our findings suggest that both overestimation and underestimation of actual available winter water volume may occur regularly, and this understanding may help better inform management strategies as future resource use expands in the NPRA.

  5. Threshold sensitivity of shallow Arctic lakes and sublake permafrost to changing winter climate

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Arp, Christopher D.; Jones, Benjamin M.; Grosse, Guido; Bondurant, Allen C.; Romanovksy, Vladimir E.; Hinkel, Kenneth M.; Parsekian, Andrew D.

    2016-01-01

    Interactions and feedbacks between abundant surface waters and permafrost fundamentally shape lowland Arctic landscapes. Sublake permafrost is maintained when the maximum ice thickness (MIT) exceeds lake depth and mean annual bed temperatures (MABTs) remain below freezing. However, declining MIT since the 1970s is likely causing talik development below shallow lakes. Here we show high-temperature sensitivity to winter ice growth at the water-sediment interface of shallow lakes based on year-round lake sensor data. Empirical model experiments suggest that shallow (1 m depth) lakes have warmed substantially over the last 30 years (2.4°C), with MABT above freezing 5 of the last 7 years. This is in comparison to slower rates of warming in deeper (3 m) lakes (0.9°C), with already well-developed taliks. Our findings indicate that permafrost below shallow lakes has already begun crossing a critical thawing threshold approximately 70 years prior to predicted terrestrial permafrost thaw in northern Alaska.

  6. Arctic lake physical processes and regimes with implications for winter water availability and management in the national petroleum reserve alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jones, Benjamin M.; Arp, C.D.; Hinkel, Kenneth M.; Beck, R.A.; Schmutz, J.A.; Winston, B.

    2009-01-01

    Lakes are dominant landforms in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPRA) as well as important social and ecological resources. Of recent importance is the management of these freshwater ecosystems because lakes deeper than maximum ice thickness provide an important and often sole source of liquid water for aquatic biota, villages, and industry during winter. To better understand seasonal and annual hydrodynamics in the context of lake morphometry, we analyzed lakes in two adjacent areas where winter water use is expected to increase in the near future because of industrial expansion. Landsat Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus imagery acquired between 1985 and 2007 were analyzed and compared with climate data to understand interannual variability. Measured changes in lake area extent varied by 0.6% and were significantly correlated to total precipitation in the preceding 12 months (p < 0.05). Using this relation, the modeled lake area extent from 1985 to 2007 showed no long-term trends. In addition, high-resolution aerial photography, bathymetric surveys, water-level monitoring, and lake-ice thickness measurements and growth models were used to better understand seasonal hydrodynamics, surface area-to-volume relations, winter water availability, and more permanent changes related to geomorphic change. Together, these results describe how lakes vary seasonally and annually in two critical areas of the NPRA and provide simple models to help better predict variation in lake-water supply. Our findings suggest that both overestimation and underestimation of actual available winter water volume may occur regularly, and this understanding may help better inform management strategies as future resource use expands in the NPRA. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

  7. Obituary: Louise May Russell, 1905-2009

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This tribute is presented in recognition of a truly remarkable woman scientist– Miss Louise May Russell. She transformed herself from a farm girl in a small town in upstate New York to a world renowned entomologist who studied aphids, psyllids, scale insects, and whiteflies. She started her scient...

  8. Beyond Black: The Louise Nevelson Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wayne, Dale

    2012-01-01

    Louise Nevelson, who is called the "architect of shadow," was a "dumpster diver" of her time, collecting found objects in the wee hours of the morning before trash pickup. Recognition evaded Nevelson until she created "Mood Garden + One" (1958), when she was almost 60 years old. In this article, students create their own assemblage using…

  9. Weather and eared grebe winter migration near the Great Salt Lake, Utah

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Augusta A.; Laird, Neil F.

    2018-03-01

    This study provides insight from the use of weather radar observations to understand the characteristics of the eared grebe migration near the Great Salt Lake (GSL) and provides unique information on weather conditions connected to these migration events. Doppler weather radar measurements from the Salt Lake City, Utah WSR-88D radar site (KMTX), along with meteorological surface and rawinsonde data, were used to identify and examine 281 eared grebe migration events across 15 winters from 1997/1998 through 2011/2012. An average of about 19 migration events occurred each winter with considerable interannual variability, as well as large variance in the spatial area and number of birds departing the GSL during each event. The migration events typically occurred during clear sky conditions in the presence of surface high pressure and colder than average surface temperatures. Migration events began 55 min after sunset, on average across the winter seasons, and in one case we demonstrate that an extended, nonstop flight was initiated of the departing eared grebes to northern Mexico. Eared grebes leaving the GSL largely flew above the freezing level with a mean northerly tailwind at flight altitude of 3.1 m s-1 and a westerly, cross-flight wind of 5.0 m s-1 while having an average flight speed at cruising altitude of 16.9 m s-1, or 61 km h-1. In addition to determining the variability of meteorological conditions during migration events across the 15 winters, atmospheric conditions during the largest migration event observed are presented and discussed.

  10. Microwave Observations of Snow-Covered Freshwater Lake Ice obtained during the Great Lakes Winter EXperiment (GLAWEX), 2017

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gunn, G. E.; Hall, D. K.; Nghiem, S. V.

    2017-12-01

    Studies observing lake ice using active microwave acquisitions suggest that the dominant scattering mechanism in ice is caused by double-bounce of the signal off vertical tubular bubble inclusions. Recent polarimetric SAR observations and target decomposition algorithms indicate single-bounce interactions may be the dominant source of returns, and in the absence of field observations, has been hypothesized to be the result of roughness at the ice-water interface on the order of incident wavelengths. This study presents in-situ physical observations of snow-covered lake ice in western Michigan and Wisconsin acquired during the Great Lakes Winter EXperiment in 2017 (GLAWEX'17). In conjunction with NASA's SnowEx airborne snow campaign in Colorado (http://snow.nasa.gov), C- (Sentinel-1, RADARSAT-2) and X-band (TerraSAR-X) synthetic aperture radar (SAR) observations were acquired coincidently to surface physical snow and ice observations. Small/large scale roughness features at the ice-water interface are quantified through auger transects and used as an input variable in lake ice backscatter models to assess the relative contributions from different scattering mechanisms.

  11. Weather and eared grebe winter migration near the Great Salt Lake, Utah.

    PubMed

    Williams, Augusta A; Laird, Neil F

    2018-03-01

    This study provides insight from the use of weather radar observations to understand the characteristics of the eared grebe migration near the Great Salt Lake (GSL) and provides unique information on weather conditions connected to these migration events. Doppler weather radar measurements from the Salt Lake City, Utah WSR-88D radar site (KMTX), along with meteorological surface and rawinsonde data, were used to identify and examine 281 eared grebe migration events across 15 winters from 1997/1998 through 2011/2012. An average of about 19 migration events occurred each winter with considerable interannual variability, as well as large variance in the spatial area and number of birds departing the GSL during each event. The migration events typically occurred during clear sky conditions in the presence of surface high pressure and colder than average surface temperatures. Migration events began 55 min after sunset, on average across the winter seasons, and in one case we demonstrate that an extended, nonstop flight was initiated of the departing eared grebes to northern Mexico. Eared grebes leaving the GSL largely flew above the freezing level with a mean northerly tailwind at flight altitude of 3.1 m s -1 and a westerly, cross-flight wind of 5.0 m s -1 while having an average flight speed at cruising altitude of 16.9 m s -1 , or 61 km h -1 . In addition to determining the variability of meteorological conditions during migration events across the 15 winters, atmospheric conditions during the largest migration event observed are presented and discussed.

  12. When a habitat freezes solid: Microorganisms over-winter within the ice column of a coastal Antarctic lake

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Foreman, C.M.; Dieser, M.; Greenwood, M.; Cory, R.M.; Laybourn-Parry, J.; Lisle, J.T.; Jaros, C.; Miller, P.L.; Chin, Y.-P.; McKnight, Diane M.

    2011-01-01

    A major impediment to understanding the biology of microorganisms inhabiting Antarctic environments is the logistical constraint of conducting field work primarily during the summer season. However, organisms that persist throughout the year encounter severe environmental changes between seasons. In an attempt to bridge this gap, we collected ice core samples from Pony Lake in early November 2004 when the lake was frozen solid to its base, providing an archive for the biological and chemical processes that occurred during winter freezeup. The ice contained bacteria and virus-like particles, while flagellated algae and ciliates over-wintered in the form of inactive cysts and spores. Both bacteria and algae were metabolically active in the ice core melt water. Bacterial production ranged from 1.8 to 37.9??gCL-1day-1. Upon encountering favorable growth conditions in the melt water, primary production ranged from 51 to 931??gCL-1day-1. Because of the strong H2S odor and the presence of closely related anaerobic organisms assigned to Pony Lake bacterial 16S rRNA gene clones, we hypothesize that the microbial assemblage was strongly affected by oxygen gradients, which ultimately restricted the majority of phylotypes to distinct strata within the ice column. This study provides evidence that the microbial community over-winters in the ice column of Pony Lake and returns to a highly active metabolic state when spring melt is initiated. ?? 2011 Federation of European Microbiological Societies.

  13. The gut microbiome of hooded cranes (Grus monacha) wintering at Shengjin Lake, China.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Guanghong; Zhou, Lizhi; Dong, Yuanqiu; Cheng, Yuanyuan; Song, Yunwei

    2017-06-01

    Gut microbes of animals play critical roles in processes such as digestion and immunity. Therefore, identifying gut microbes will shed light on understanding the annual life of animal species, particularly those that are threatened or endangered. In the present study, we conducted nucleotide sequence analyses of the 16S rRNA genes of gut microbiome of the hooded cranes (Grus monacha) wintering at Shengjin Lake, China, by Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology. We acquired 503,398 high-quality sequences and 785 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) from 15 fecal samples from different cranes, representing 22 phyla that were dominated by Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Actinobacteria. A total of 305 genera were identified that were dominated by Clostridium, Lysinibacillus, and Enterobacter. The core gut microbiome comprised 26 genera, including many probiotic species such as Clostridium, Bacillus, Cellulosilyticum, and Cellulomonas that could catabolize cellulose. The findings reported here contribute to our knowledge of the microbiology of hooded cranes and will likely advance efforts to protect waterbirds that inhabit Shengjin Lake Reserve during winter. © 2017 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  14. Salt Lake City, Utah, Winter 2001

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2001-01-01

    The 2002 Winter Olympics are hosted by Salt Lake City at several venues within the city, in nearby cities, and within the adjacent Wasatch Mountains. This simulated natural color image presents a snowy, winter view of north central Utah that includes all of the Olympic sites. The image extends from Ogden in the north, to Provo in the south; and includes the snow-capped Wasatch Mountains and the eastern part of the Great Salt Lake.

    This image was acquired on February 8, 2001 by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER will image Earth for the next 6 years to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet.

    ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18,1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. Dr. Anne Kahle at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, is the U.S. Science team leader; Bjorn Eng of JPL is the project manager. ASTER is the only high resolution imaging sensor on Terra. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, along-term research and technology program designed to examine Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere, ice and life as a total integrated system.

    The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER will provide scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands evaluation; thermal

  15. [Distribution characteristics and correlations of phosphorus in sediment and interstitial water of Nansi Lake, Shandong Province of East China in summer and winter].

    PubMed

    Li, Bao; Wang, Zhi-Qi; Wang, Qian-Suo; Cuan, Jing-Bo

    2013-06-01

    By using cylindrical sediment sampler and Peeper' s interstitial water sampler, the intact sediment and interstitial water were collected from different zones of Nansi Lake in Shandong Province in summer and winter. The distribution characteristics of the sediment phosphorus forms and of the phosphate (PO4(3-)-P) in interstitial water were analyzed, and their correlations were discussed. In the sediments of Nansi Lake, phosphorus was richer, and had a significant spatial differentiation, with an overall decreasing trend from north to south, which was related to the seriously polluted Northern Nansi Lake near Jining City. Among the phosphorous forms, inorganic phosphorus (IP) had the highest concentration, accounting for 52.3%-87.2% and 60.6%-88.3% of the total phosphorus (TP) in summer and winter, respectively. The TP concentrations in 5 cm surface sediment of four sub-lakes were all higher in summer than in winter, which could be related to the human activities such as exuberant aquaculture, more chemical fertilizers application around lake, and frequent tourism activities, etc. in summer. In vertical direction, the PO4(3-)-P concentration in interstitial water decreased after an initial increase in summer and winter, and was obviously higher in summer than in winter, suggesting that the phosphorous in sediment had a higher potential to release to the overlying water in summer. The organic phosphorus (OP) and IP in sediment had a significant correlation in summer but less correlation in winter, indicating that the transformation between sediment IP and OP was more active in summer than in winter. The iron and aluminum bound phosphorus (Fe/Al-P) and IP in sediment were significantly positively correlated with the PO4(3-)-P in interstitial water. In summer and winter, the average PO4(3-)-P concentration in interstitial water collected by Peeper' s interstitial water sampler was about 20%-50% higher than that collected by the conventional centrifugal method

  16. Differences Between the “Chinese AMS Score” and the Lake Louise Score in the Diagnosis of Acute Mountain Sickness

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Jialin; Gu, Haoran; Luo, Yongjun

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The Chinese AMS score (CAS) is used in clinical medicine and research to diagnosis acute mountain sickness (AMS). However, the Lake Louise Score (LLS) is the well-accepted standard for diagnosing AMS. The difference between the CAS and LLS questionnaires is that the CAS considers more nonspecific symptoms. The aim of the present study was to evaluate differences in AMS prevalence according to the LLS and CAS criteria. We surveyed 58 males who traveled from Chongqing (300 m) to Lhasa (3658 m) via the Qinghai-Tibet train. Cases of AMS were diagnosed using LLS and CAS questionnaires in a few railway stations at different evaluation areas along the road. We subsequently evaluated discrepancies in values related to the prevalence of AMS determined using the 2 types of questionnaires (CAS and LLS). The prevalence of CAS-diagnosed AMS indicated that the percentage of AMS cases among the 58 young men was 29.3% in Golmud, 60.3% in Tanggula, 63.8% in Lhasa, 22.4% on the first day after arrival in Lhasa, 27.6% on the second day, 24.1% on the third day, and 12.1% on the fourth day. The prevalence of LLS-diagnosed AMS in Golmud was 10.3%, 38% in Lhasa, and 6.9% on day 1, the prevalence in each station was lower than that as assessed by the CAS. Our experimental data indicate that AMS diagnoses ascertained using the CAS indicate a higher AMS prevalence than those ascertained using the LLS. Through statistical analysis, the CAS seems capable of effectively diagnosing AMS as validated by LLS (sensitivity 61.8%, specificity 92.7%). PMID:27227918

  17. Austen's Granddaughter: Louise Plummer Re(de)fines Romance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bennion, John

    2002-01-01

    Believes that young people need contemporary authors who maintain the tradition of the classics. Notes that sometimes the language of the classics seems stilted and overly formal to students. Suggests having students read contemporary and classic novels together. Explores how teachers might link the novels of Louise Plummer and Jane Austen. (SG)

  18. Lead with Green: Q&A with Louise Schaper

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Rebecca

    2010-01-01

    When Louise Schaper opened the new Fayetteville Public Library (FPL) in Arkansas in 2004, she brought the state's second LEED Silver-certified building to completion. The green building fulfilled a community expectation for sustainable innovation established through complex public dialog, and the library went on to become the "2005 LJ/Gale Library…

  19. Ecology under lake ice.

    PubMed

    Hampton, Stephanie E; Galloway, Aaron W E; Powers, Stephen M; Ozersky, Ted; Woo, Kara H; Batt, Ryan D; Labou, Stephanie G; O'Reilly, Catherine M; Sharma, Sapna; Lottig, Noah R; Stanley, Emily H; North, Rebecca L; Stockwell, Jason D; Adrian, Rita; Weyhenmeyer, Gesa A; Arvola, Lauri; Baulch, Helen M; Bertani, Isabella; Bowman, Larry L; Carey, Cayelan C; Catalan, Jordi; Colom-Montero, William; Domine, Leah M; Felip, Marisol; Granados, Ignacio; Gries, Corinna; Grossart, Hans-Peter; Haberman, Juta; Haldna, Marina; Hayden, Brian; Higgins, Scott N; Jolley, Jeff C; Kahilainen, Kimmo K; Kaup, Enn; Kehoe, Michael J; MacIntyre, Sally; Mackay, Anson W; Mariash, Heather L; McKay, Robert M; Nixdorf, Brigitte; Nõges, Peeter; Nõges, Tiina; Palmer, Michelle; Pierson, Don C; Post, David M; Pruett, Matthew J; Rautio, Milla; Read, Jordan S; Roberts, Sarah L; Rücker, Jacqueline; Sadro, Steven; Silow, Eugene A; Smith, Derek E; Sterner, Robert W; Swann, George E A; Timofeyev, Maxim A; Toro, Manuel; Twiss, Michael R; Vogt, Richard J; Watson, Susan B; Whiteford, Erika J; Xenopoulos, Marguerite A

    2017-01-01

    Winter conditions are rapidly changing in temperate ecosystems, particularly for those that experience periods of snow and ice cover. Relatively little is known of winter ecology in these systems, due to a historical research focus on summer 'growing seasons'. We executed the first global quantitative synthesis on under-ice lake ecology, including 36 abiotic and biotic variables from 42 research groups and 101 lakes, examining seasonal differences and connections as well as how seasonal differences vary with geophysical factors. Plankton were more abundant under ice than expected; mean winter values were 43.2% of summer values for chlorophyll a, 15.8% of summer phytoplankton biovolume and 25.3% of summer zooplankton density. Dissolved nitrogen concentrations were typically higher during winter, and these differences were exaggerated in smaller lakes. Lake size also influenced winter-summer patterns for dissolved organic carbon (DOC), with higher winter DOC in smaller lakes. At coarse levels of taxonomic aggregation, phytoplankton and zooplankton community composition showed few systematic differences between seasons, although literature suggests that seasonal differences are frequently lake-specific, species-specific, or occur at the level of functional group. Within the subset of lakes that had longer time series, winter influenced the subsequent summer for some nutrient variables and zooplankton biomass. © 2016 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by CNRS and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Harry and Louise and health care reform: romancing public opinion.

    PubMed

    Goldsteen, R L; Goldsteen, K; Swan, J H; Clemeña, W

    2001-12-01

    The question whether the "Harry and Louise" campaign ads, sponsored by the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA) during the 1993-1994 health care reform debate, influenced public opinion has particular relevance today since interest groups are increasingly choosing commercial-style mass media campaigns to sway public opinion about health policy issues. Our study revisits the issue of the Harry and Louise campaign's influence on public opinion, comparing the ad campaign's messages to changes in opinion about health care reform over a twenty-six-month period in Oklahoma. Looking at the overall trends just prior to the introduction of the Harry and Louise campaign, public opinion was going in the "wrong" direction, from the HIAA perspective. Moreover, public opinion continued in the wrong direction until the mid-point of the campaign. However, in either the turning point of the campaign in terms of message content and tone or in the lag period following it, public opinion reversed on each health reform issue and returned to pre-campaign levels. It appears from these findings that the campaign captured public opinion when support for issues that were unfavorable to HIAA members was increasing and turned public opinion back to pre-campaign levels. The campaign may result in many more such marriages of political interest groups and commercial advertisers for the purpose of demobilizing public support for health policy initiatives that are unfavorable to special interests.

  1. Spatial Distribution of Ammonia and its Contribution to Particulate Matter Formation in the Great Salt Lake Region in Winter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moravek, A.; Murphy, J. G.; Baasandorj, M.; Fibiger, D. L.; Franchin, A.; Goldberger, L.; McDuffie, E. E.; McKeen, S. A.; Middlebrook, A. M.; Thornton, J. A.; Womack, C.; Brown, S. S.

    2017-12-01

    Winter air pollution in urban areas is a major global concern due to increased levels of fine particulate matter (PM) affecting public health. The Great Salt Lake region regularly experiences periods of high particulate matter during winter persistent cold air pool events (PCAPs), periods of atmospheric stagnation. Previous studies have shown that ammonium nitrate is responsible for up to 70% of PM2.5 (particulate matter with a diameter less than 2.5 microns) in the Great Salt Lake region during these periods. Ammonium nitrate is formed from ammonia (NH3) and nitric acid (HNO3); therefore understanding sources of NH3 and its role in the formation of particulate matter is crucial for mitigation of air pollution in this region. In this study, we measured NH3 aboard a Twin Otter aircraft within the Utah Winter Fine Particulate Study (UWFPS) using Quantum Cascade Laser Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (QC-TILDAS). A total of 23 flights were performed in the period from 16 Jan to 12 Feb 2017 covering the Salt Lake City urban area, the Great Salt Lake and nearby valleys. The spatial distribution of NH3 during flights is presented and identifies major NH3 sources and their role in particle formation for the region. Substantial variation of NH3 was observed over the entire region with highest NH3 mixing ratios over agricultural areas and the lowest NH3 abundance over the Great Salt Lake. Regional WRF-Chem model simulations are used to compare the measurements to available NH3 emission inventories and to improve our understanding of the vertical distribution of NH3. The relative influence of the atmospheric stability for the formation of ammonium nitrate is investigated.

  2. Seasonal changes in microbial community structure and activity imply winter production is linked to summer hypoxia in a large lake.

    PubMed

    Wilhelm, Steven W; LeCleir, Gary R; Bullerjahn, George S; McKay, Robert M; Saxton, Matthew A; Twiss, Michael R; Bourbonniere, Richard A

    2014-02-01

    Carbon and nutrient cycles in large temperate lakes such as Lake Erie are primarily driven by phototrophic and heterotrophic microorganisms, although our understanding of these is often constrained to late spring through summer due to logistical constraints. During periods of > 90% ice cover in February of 2008, 2009, and 2010, we collected samples from an icebreaker for an examination of bacterial production as well as microbial community structure. In comparison with summer months (August 2002 and 2010), we tested hypotheses concerning seasonal changes in microbial community diversity and production. Bacterial production estimates were c. 2 orders of magnitude higher (volume normalized) in summer relative to winter. Our observations further demonstrate that the microbial community, including single-celled phototrophs, varied in composition between August and February. Sediment traps deployed and collected over a 3 year period (2008-2011) confirmed that carbon export was ongoing and not limiting winter production. The results support the notion that active primary producers in winter months export carbon to the sediments that is not consumed until the warmer seasons. The establishment of this linkage is a critical observation in efforts to understand the extent and severity of annual summertime formations of a zone of regional hypoxia in Lake Erie. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Southwestern willow flycatchers recaptured at wintering sites in Costa Rica

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Koronkiewicz, Thomas J.; Sogge, Mark K.

    2001-01-01

    An adult Southwestern Willow Flycatcher banded in summer 1998 at Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, was recaptured the following winter in Santa Cruz, Costa Rica, then relocated at Ash Meadows during the 1999 breeding season. Another Southwestern Willow Flycatcher banded in 1999 as a nestling at Roosevelt Lake, Arizona, was recaptured in January 2000 on its wintering grounds in Bolsen, Costa Rica. The bird was recaptured at Roosevelt Lake in summer 2000, returned to the same wintering site in Bolsen the following winter, and was relocated at Roosevelt Lake in summer 2001.

  4. Interannual and long-term changes in the trophic state of a multibasin lake: Effects of morphology, climate, winter aeration, and beaver activity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robertson, Dale M.; Rose, William; Reneau, Paul C.

    2016-01-01

    Little St. Germain Lake (LSG), a relatively pristine multibasin lake in Wisconsin, USA, was examined to determine how morphologic (internal), climatic (external), anthropogenic (winter aeration), and natural (beaver activity) factors affect the trophic state (phosphorus, P; chlorophyll, CHL; and Secchi depth, SD) of each of its basins. Basins intercepting the main flow and external P sources had highest P and CHL and shallowest SD. Internal loading in shallow, polymictic basins caused P and CHL to increase and SD to decrease as summer progressed. Winter aeration used to eliminate winterkill increased summer internal P loading and decreased water quality, while reductions in upstream beaver impoundments had little effect on water quality. Variations in air temperature and precipitation affected each basin differently. Warmer air temperatures increased productivity throughout the lake and decreased clarity in less eutrophic basins. Increased precipitation increased P in the basins intercepting the main flow but had little effect on the isolated deep West Bay. These relations are used to project effects of future climatic changes on LSG and other temperate lakes.

  5. Trace element exposure of whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) wintering in a marine lagoon (Swan Lake), northern China.

    PubMed

    Wang, Feng; Xu, Shaochun; Zhou, Yi; Wang, Pengmei; Zhang, Xiaomei

    2017-06-30

    Trace element poisoning remains a great threat to various waterfowl and waterbirds throughout the world. In this study, we determined the trace element exposure of herbivorous whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) wintering in Swan Lake (Rongcheng), an important swan protection area in northern China. A total of 70 samples including abiotic factors (seawater, sediments), food sources (seagrass, macroalgae), feathers and feces of whooper swans were collected from the marine lagoon during the winters of 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. Concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Cr, Cd, Hg and As were determined to investigate the trace element exposure of whooper swans wintering in the area. Results showed that there was an increasing trend in sediment trace element concentrations, compared with historical data. The trace element concentrations in swan feces most closely resembled those of Zostera marina leaves, especially for Cd and Cr. The Zn and Hg concentrations in the swan feces (49.57 and 0.01mg/kg, respectively) were lower than the minimum values reported in the literature for other waterfowls, waterbirds and terrestrial birds. However, the concentrations of the other five trace elements fell within the lower and mediate range of values reported for birds across the world. These results suggest that the whooper swans wintering in Swan Lake, Rongcheng are not suffering severe trace element exposure; however, with the increasing input of trace elements to the lagoon, severe adverse impacts may occur in the future, and we therefore suggest that the input of trace elements to this area should be curbed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Ecology of playa lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Haukos, David A.; Smith, Loren M.

    1992-01-01

    Between 25,000 and 30,000 playa lakes are in the playa lakes region of the southern high plains (Fig. 1). Most playas are in west Texas (about 20,000), and fewer, in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Colorado. The playa lakes region is one of the most intensively cultivated areas of North America. Dominant crops range from cotton in southern areas to cereal grains in the north. Therefore, most of the native short-grass prairie is gone, replaced by crops and, recently, grasses of the Conservation Reserve Program. Playas are the predominant wetlands and major wildlife habitat of the region.More than 115 bird species, including 20 species of waterfowl, and 10 mammal species have been documented in playas. Waterfowl nest in the area, producing up to 250,000 ducklings in wetter years. Dominant breeding and nesting species are mallards and blue-winged teals. During the very protracted breeding season, birds hatch from April through August. Several million shorebirds and waterfowl migrate through the area each spring and fall. More than 400,000 sandhill cranes migrate through and winter in the region, concentrating primarily on the larger saline lakes in the southern portion of the playa lakes region.The primary importance of the playa lakes region to waterfowl is as a wintering area. Wintering waterfowl populations in the playa lakes region range from 1 to 3 million birds, depending on fall precipitation patterns that determine the number of flooded playas. The most common wintering ducks are mallards, northern pintails, green-winged teals, and American wigeons. About 500,000 Canada geese and 100,000 lesser snow geese winter in the playa lakes region, and numbers of geese have increased annually since the early 1980’s. This chapter describes the physiography and ecology of playa lakes and their attributes that benefit waterfowl.

  7. (Re)location of Home in Louise Erdrich's "The Game of Silence"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chang, Li Ping

    2011-01-01

    Louise Erdrich is one of the most influential writers of the Native American Renaissance. Her contributions to the representation of Native American history have been great, and her masterpieces of children's literature have won her a prominent reputation. This article explores the (re)location of the concept of home in Erdrich's "The Game of…

  8. BOREAS HYD-5 Winter Surface Flux Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Harding, Richard; Hall, Forrest G. (Editor); Huemmrich, Karl Fred (Editor); Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    The BOREAS HYD-5 team collected tower flux, surface meteorological, and surface temperature data on a frozen lake (Namekus Lake) and in a mature jack pine forest in the Beartrap Creek watershed. Both sites were located in the BOREAS SSA. The objective of this study was to characterize the winter energy and water vapor fluxes, as well as related properties (such as snow density, depth, temperature, and melt) for forested and nonforested areas of the boreal forest. Data were collected on Namekus Lake in the winters of 1994 and 1996, and at Beartrap Creek in the winter of 1994 only. The data are available in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884) or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

  9. How can acute mountain sickness be quantified at moderate altitude?

    PubMed

    Roeggla, G; Roeggla, M; Podolsky, A; Wagner, A; Laggner, A N

    1996-03-01

    Reports of acute mountain sickness (AMS) at moderate altitude show a wide variability, possibly because of different investigation methods. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of investigation methods on AMS incidence. Hackett's established AMS score (a structured interview and physical examination), the new Lake Louise AMS score (a self-reported questionnaire) and oxygen saturation were determined in 99 alpinists after ascent to 2.94 km altitude. AMS incidence was 8% in Hackett's AMS score and 25% in the Lake Louise AMS score. Oxygen saturation correlated inversely with Hackett's AMS score with no significant correlation with the Lake Louise AMS score. At moderate altitude, the new Lake Louise AMS score overestimates AMS incidence considerably. Hackett's AMS score remains the gold standard for evaluating AMS incidence.

  10. How can acute mountain sickness be quantified at moderate altitude?

    PubMed Central

    Roeggla, G; Roeggla, M; Podolsky, A; Wagner, A; Laggner, A N

    1996-01-01

    Reports of acute mountain sickness (AMS) at moderate altitude show a wide variability, possibly because of different investigation methods. The aim of our study was to investigate the impact of investigation methods on AMS incidence. Hackett's established AMS score (a structured interview and physical examination), the new Lake Louise AMS score (a self-reported questionnaire) and oxygen saturation were determined in 99 alpinists after ascent to 2.94 km altitude. AMS incidence was 8% in Hackett's AMS score and 25% in the Lake Louise AMS score. Oxygen saturation correlated inversely with Hackett's AMS score with no significant correlation with the Lake Louise AMS score. At moderate altitude, the new Lake Louise AMS score overestimates AMS incidence considerably. Hackett's AMS score remains the gold standard for evaluating AMS incidence. PMID:8683517

  11. Windigo Ways: Eating and Excess in Louise Erdrich's "The Antelope Wife"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tharp, Julie

    2003-01-01

    The cautionary figure of windigo has lurked at the edges of Louise Erdrich's writing since her first collection of poems in 1984. In "The Antelope Wife" it finally emerges into full view. A windigo is defined as a cannibalistic monster set loose by human greed, envy, and jealousy. Traditional Ojibwe windigo stories usually focus on the starving…

  12. Yetta Goodman, Maxine Greene, Louise Rosenblatt, and Margaret Meek Spencer: Language, Literacy, and Politics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Denny

    2004-01-01

    Profiles of Yetta Goodman, Maxine Greene, Louise Rosenblatt, and Margaret Meek Spencer are given. They are the members of International Scholars' Forums in Literacy Studies at Hofstra, whose focus is language, literacy, politics and education.

  13. Weather Support for the 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Horel, J.; Potter, T.; Dunn, L.; Steenburgh, W. J.; Eubank, M.; Splitt, M.; Onton, D. J.

    2002-02-01

    The 2002 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games will be hosted by Salt Lake City, Utah, during February-March 2002. Adverse weather during this period may delay sporting events, while snow and ice-covered streets and highways may impede access by the athletes and spectators to the venues. While winter snowstorms and other large-scale weather systems typically have widespread impacts throughout northern Utah, hazardous winter weather is often related to local terrain features (the Wasatch Mountains and Great Salt Lake are the most prominent ones). Examples of such hazardous weather include lake-effect snowstorms, ice fog, gap winds, downslope windstorms, and low visibility over mountain passes.A weather support system has been developed to provide weather information to the athletes, games officials, spectators, and the interested public around the world. This system is managed by the Salt Lake Olympic Committee and relies upon meteorologists from the public, private, and academic sectors of the atmospheric science community. Weather forecasting duties will be led by National Weather Service forecasters and a team of private, weather forecasters organized by KSL, the Salt Lake City NBC television affiliate. Other government agencies, commercial firms, and the University of Utah are providing specialized forecasts and support services for the Olympics. The weather support system developed for the 2002 Winter Olympics is expected to provide long-term benefits to the public through improved understanding,monitoring, and prediction of winter weather in the Intermountain West.

  14. Groundwater–surface-water exchange and the geologic setting of northern Minnesota's lakes, wetlands, and streams—Modern-day relevance of Tom Winter's legacy

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rosenberry, Donald O.; Melchior, Robert C.; Jones, Perry M.; Strietz, Andrew; Barr, Kelton D.; Lee, David R.; Piegat, James J.

    2011-01-01

    Tom Winter spent nearly 50 years conducting research in earth science, and he specialized in the exchange between groundwater and surface water. Tom's highly productive career began in Minnesota. This fi eld trip revisits many of the places where Tom conducted his early research and demonstrates the continuing relevance of that research. Stops and topics include the groundwater infl uence on the record low stage of White Bear Lake, the contribution of groundwater to continually rising water levels in an abandoned open-pit iron mine, hydrogeology of the Shingobee headwaters aquatic ecosystem research site, hydrogeology of Lake Sallie, geology associated with the Pillager water gap, and the hydrogeology of Little Rock Lake.

  15. Water budgets, water quality, and analysis of nutrient loading of the Winter Park chain of lakes, central Florida, 1989-92

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Phelps, G.G.; German, E.R.

    1995-01-01

    The Winter Park chain of lakes (Lakes Maitland, Virginia, Osceola, and Mizell) has a combined area of about 900 acres, an immediate drainage area of about 3,100 acres, and mean depths ranging from 11 to 15 feet. The lakes are an important recreational resource for the surrounding communities, but there is concern about the possible effects of stormwater runoff and seepage of nutrient-enriched ground water on the quality of water in the lakes. The lakes receive water from several sources: rainfall on lake surfaces, inflow from other surface-water bodies, stormflow that enters the lakes through storm drains or by direct runoff from land adjacent to the lakes and ground-water seepage. Water leaves the lakes by evaporation, surface outflow, and ground-water outflow. Of the three, only surface outflow can be measured directly. Rainfall, surface inflow and outflow, and lake-stage data were collected from October 1, 1989, to September 30, 1992. Stormflow, evaporation and ground-water inflow and outflow were estimated for the 3 years of the study. Ground-water outflow was calculated by evaluating the rate of lake-stage decline during dry periods. Estimated ground-water outflow was compared to downward leakage rates estimated by ground-water flow models. Lateral ground-water inflow from surficial sediments was calculated as the residual of the flow budget. Flow budgets were calculated for the 3 years of the study. In water year 1992 (a year with about average rainfall), inflow consisted of rainfall, 48 inches; stormflow, 15 inches; surface inflow, 67 inches; and ground water, 40 inches. The calculated outflows were evaporation, 47 inches; surface outflow, 90 inches; and ground water, 33 inches. Water-quality data also were used to calculate nutrient budgets for the lakes. Bimonthly water samples were collected from the lakes and at surface inflow and outflow sites, and were analyzed for physical characteristics, dissolved oxygen, pH, specific conductance, major ions, the

  16. Migration patterns and wintering range of common loons breeding in the Northeastern United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kenow, K.P.; Adams, D.; Schoch, N.; Evers, D.C.; Hanson, W.; Yates, D.; Savoy, L.; Fox, T.J.; Major, A.; Kratt, R.; Ozard, J.

    2009-01-01

    A study, using satellite telemetry, was conducted to determine the precise migration patterns and wintering locations of Common Loons (Gavia immer) breeding in the northeastern United States. Transmitters were implanted in 17 loons (16 adults and one juvenile) that were captured on breeding lakes in New York, New Hampshire, and Maine during the summers of 2003, 2004, and 2005. Transmitters from ten of the birds provided adequate location data to document movement to wintering areas. Most adult loons appeared to travel non-stop from breeding lakes, or neighboring lakes (within 15 km), to the Atlantic coast. Adult loons marked in New Hampshire and Maine wintered 152 to 239 km from breeding lakes, along the Maine coast. Adult loons marked in the Adirondack Park of New York wintered along the coasts of Massachusetts (414 km from breeding lake), Rhode Island (362 km), and southern New Jersey (527 km). Most of the loons remained relatively stationary throughout the winter, but the size of individual wintering areas of adult loons ranged from 43 to 1,159 km 2, based on a 95% fixed kernel utilization distribution probability. A juvenile bird from New York made a number of stops at lakes and reservoirs en route to Long Island Sound (325 km from breeding lake). Maximum functional life of transmitters was about 12 months, providing an opportunity to document spring migration movements as well. This work provides essential information for development and implementation of regional Common Loon conservation strategies in the Northeastern U.S.

  17. Shifting balance of thermokarst lake ice regimes across the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Arp, Christopher D.; Jones, Benjamin M.; Lu, Zong; Whitman, Matthew S.

    2012-01-01

    The balance of thermokarst lakes with bedfast- and floating-ice regimes across Arctic lowlands regulates heat storage, permafrost thaw, winter-water supply, and over-wintering aquatic habitat. Using a time-series of late-winter synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery to distinguish lake ice regimes in two regions of the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska from 2003–2011, we found that 18% of the lakes had intermittent ice regimes, varying between bedfast-ice and floating-ice conditions. Comparing this dataset with a radar-based lake classification from 1980 showed that 16% of the bedfast-ice lakes had shifted to floating-ice regimes. A simulated lake ice thinning trend of 1.5 cm/yr since 1978 is believed to be the primary factor driving this form of lake change. The most profound impacts of this regime shift in Arctic lakes may be an increase in the landscape-scale thermal offset created by additional lake heat storage and its role in talik development in otherwise continuous permafrost as well as increases in over-winter aquatic habitat and winter-water supply.

  18. A late Holocene record of solar-forced atmospheric blocking variability over Northern Europe inferred from varved lake sediments of Lake Kuninkaisenlampi

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saarni, Saija; Muschitiello, Francesco; Weege, Stefanie; Brauer, Achim; Saarinen, Timo

    2016-12-01

    This study presents a new varved lake sediment sequence from Lake Kuninkaisenlampi, Eastern Finland. The record is constituted by alternations of clastic and biogenic laminae and provides a precise chronology extending back to 3607 ± 94 varve yrs. BP. The seasonality of the boreal climatic zone, with cold winters and mild summers, is reflected in the varve structure as a succession of three laminae from bottom to top, (i) a coarse to fine-grained detrital lamina marked by detrital catchment material transported by spring floods; (ii) a biogenic lamina with diatoms, plant and insect remnants reflecting biological productivity during the season of lake productivity; and (iii) a very fine amorphous organic lamina deposited during the winter stratification. The thickness of the detrital lamina in the lake reflects changes in the rate of spring snow melt in the catchment and is, therefore, considered a proxy for winter conditions. Hence, the record allows reconstructing local climate and environmental conditions on inter-annual to the multi-centennial timescales. We find that minerogenic accumulation reflected in the detrital lamina exhibits a high multi-decadal to centennial-scale spectral coherency with proxies for solar activity, such as Δ14C, and Total Solar Irradiance, suggesting a strong link between solar variability and sediment transport to the lake basin. Increased catchment erosion is observed during periods of low solar activity, which we ascribe to the development of more frequent atmospheric winter blocking circulation induced by solar-forced changes in the stratosphere. We suggest that soil frost in the catchment of Lake Kuninkaisenlampi related to more frequent winter blocking led to increased surface run-off and ultimately to increased catchment erosion during spring. We conclude that, during the past ca 3600 years, solar forcing may have modulated multi-decadal to centennial variations in sedimentation regimes in lakes from Eastern Finland and

  19. Estimating flow rates to optimize winter habitat for centrarchid fish in Mississippi River (USA) backwaters

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Barry L.; Knights, Brent C.; Barko, John W.; Gaugush, Robert F.; Soballe, David M.; James, William F.

    1998-01-01

    The backwaters of large rivers provide winter refuge for many riverine fish, but they often exhibit low dissolved oxygen levels due to high biological oxygen demand and low flows. Introducing water from the main channel can increase oxygen levels in backwaters, but can also increase current velocity and reduce temperature during winter, which may reduce habitat suitability for fish. In 1993, culverts were installed to introduce flow to the Finger Lakes, a system of six backwater lakes on the Mississippi River, about 160 km downstream from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The goal was to improve habitat for bluegills and black crappies during winter by providing dissolved oxygen concentrations >3 mg/L, current velocities <1 cm/s, and temperatures >1°C. To achieve these conditions, we used data on lake volume and oxygen demand to estimate the minimum flow required to maintain 3 mg/L of dissolved oxygen in each lake. Estimated flows ranged from 0.02 to 0.14 m3/s among lakes. Data gathered in winter 1994 after the culverts were opened, indicated that the estimated flows met habitat goals, but that thermal stratification and lake morphometry can reduce the volume of optimal habitat created.

  20. Microhabitat use and diurnal time-activity budgets of White-headed Ducks (Oxyura leucocephala Scopoli, 1769) wintering at Burdur Lake, Turkey.

    PubMed

    Nergiz, Humeyra; Tabur, Mehmet Ali; Ayvaz, Yusuf

    2013-08-01

    Diurnal time-activity budgets of White-headed Ducks were investigated with respect to sex and temporal environmental variables to document behavioral responses to winter conditions and nutritional requirements at Burdur Lake where the largest winter concentrations occur. Behaviors of males and females were recorded separately in randomly selected focal flocks during 1140 sessions. For the entire population a large proportion of time was spent resting. During the day they spent 61% of time resting, 22% feeding, 12% comfort and 5% in locomotion. Resting peaked in the middle of day while feeding was observed frequently in evening and morning. Time use did not differ significantly between sexes. However, it was detected that more time was spent feeding during windy days as wave-height increased.

  1. Wintering bald eagle trends in northern Arizona, 1975-2000

    Treesearch

    Teryl G. Grubb

    2003-01-01

    Between 1975 and 2000, 4,525 sightings of wintering bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) were recorded at Mormon Lake in northern Arizona. Numbers of wintering eagles fluctuated little in the 20 years from 1975 through 1994 (5.5 ± 3.0 mean sightings per day). However, during the winters of 1995 through 1997 local record highs of 59 to 118 eagles...

  2. Glacial Lake Lind, Wisconsin and Minnesota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, M.D.; Addis, K.L.; Ferber, L.R.; Hemstad, C.B.; Meyer, G.N.; Komai, L.T.

    1999-01-01

    Glacial Lake Lind developed in the pre-late Wisconsinan St. Croix River valley, Minnesota and Wisconsin, and lasted more than 1000 yr during the retreat of the Superior lobe at the end of the Wisconsinan glaciation. Lake Lind sediment consists primarily of red varved silt and clay, but also includes mud-flow deposits, nearshore silt (penecontemporaneously deformed in places), nearshore rippled sand, and deltaic sand. Lake Lind varved red clay is not part of glacial Lake Grantsburg, as suggested by earlier authors, because the red varves are separated from overlying glacial Lake Grantsburg silt and clay by a unit of deltaic and fluvial sand. Furthermore, varve correlations indicate that the base of the red varves is younger to the north, showing that the basin expanded as the Superior lobe retreated and was not a lake basin dammed to the southwest by the advancing Grantsburg sublobe. Varve correlations indicate that the Superior lobe retreated at a rate of about 200 m/yr. Uniform winter-clay thickness throughout most of the varve couplets suggests thermal stratification in the lake with clay trapped in the epilimnion; some clay would exit the lake at the outlet prior to winter freeze. Zones of thicker winter-clay layers, in places associated with mud-flow layers, indicate outlet incision, lake-level fall, and shoreline erosion and resuspension of lake clay. The most likely outlet for glacial Lake Lind was in the southwest part of the lake near the present site of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Nearshore sediment indicates that the lake level of glacial Lake Lind was around 280 m. The elevation of the base of the Lake Lind sediments indicates water depth was 20 to 55 m. Evidence in the southern part of the lake basin suggests that the Superior lobe readvanced at least once during the early stages of glacial Lake Lind. Lake Lind ended not by drainage but by being filled in by prograding deltas and outwash plains composed of sand derived from the retreating Superior lobe. It

  3. Short winters threaten temperate fish populations

    PubMed Central

    Farmer, Troy M.; Marschall, Elizabeth A.; Dabrowski, Konrad; Ludsin, Stuart A.

    2015-01-01

    Although climate warming is expected to benefit temperate ectotherms by lengthening the summer growing season, declines in reproductive success following short, warm winters may counter such positive effects. Here we present long-term (1973–2010) field patterns for Lake Erie yellow perch, Perca flavescens, which show that failed annual recruitment events followed short, warm winters. Subsequent laboratory experimentation and field investigations revealed how reduced reproductive success following short, warm winters underlie these observed field patterns. Following short winters, females spawn at warmer temperatures and produce smaller eggs that both hatch at lower rates and produce smaller larvae than females exposed to long winters. Our research suggests that continued climate warming can lead to unanticipated, negative effects on temperate fish populations. PMID:26173734

  4. La lectura literaria como arte de "performance": la teoria transaccional de Louise Rosenblatt y sus implicaciones pedagogicas (The Use of Literature as Performance Art: The Transactional Theory of Louise Rosenblatt and Its Pedagogical Implications).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zoreda, Margaret Lee

    This paper focuses on the work that Louise Rosenblatt and her followers in the United States have done to improve the teaching and learning of literature at all educational levels. Although these researchers have focused almost exclusively on the use of literature in the native language, the paper uses transactional theory as a basis for teaching…

  5. "Mix-Ups, Messes, Confinements, and Double-Dealings:" Transgendered Performances in Three Novels by Louise Erdrich

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Iovannone, J. James

    2009-01-01

    Louise Erdrich's early poem "The Strange People" portrays a dynamic understanding of gender echoed in many of her later fictive works. Narrated by a speaker who is half antelope, half woman, the poem details the relationship between a masculine hunter and his feminine prey. The poem suggests that gender is experienced as a wound, a site of…

  6. Physical Mechanisms of Rapid Lake Warming

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lenters, J. D.

    2016-12-01

    Recent studies have shown significant warming of inland water bodies around the world. Many lakes are warming more rapidly than the ambient surface air temperature, and this is counter to what is often expected based on the lake surface energy balance. A host of reasons have been proposed to explain these discrepancies, including changes in the onset of summer stratification, significant loss of ice cover, and concomitant changes in winter air temperature and/or summer cloud cover. A review of the literature suggests that no single physical mechanism is primarily responsible for the majority of these changes, but rather that the large heterogeneity in regional climate trends and lake geomorphometry results in a host of potential physical drivers. In this study, we discuss the variety of mechanisms that have been proposed to explain rapid lake warming and offer an assessment of the physical plausibility for each potential contributor. Lake Superior is presented as a case study to illustrate the "perfect storm" of factors that can cause a deep, dimictic lake to warm at rate that exceeds the rate of global air temperature warming by nearly an order of magnitude. In particular, we use a simple mixed-layer model to show that spatially variable trends in Lake Superior surface water temperature are determined, to first order, by variations in bathymetry and winter air temperature. Summer atmospheric conditions are often of less significance, and winter ice cover may simply be a correlate. The results highlight the importance of considering the full range of factors that can lead to trends in lake surface temperature, and that conventional wisdom may often not be the best guide.

  7. A chrysophyte-based quantitative reconstruction of winter severity from varved lake sediments in NE Poland during the past millennium and its relationship to natural climate variability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hernández-Almeida, I.; Grosjean, M.; Przybylak, R.; Tylmann, W.

    2015-08-01

    Chrysophyte cysts are recognized as powerful proxies of cold-season temperatures. In this paper we use the relationship between chrysophyte assemblages and the number of days below 4 °C (DB4 °C) in the epilimnion of a lake in northern Poland to develop a transfer function and to reconstruct winter severity in Poland for the last millennium. DB4 °C is a climate variable related to the length of the winter. Multivariate ordination techniques were used to study the distribution of chrysophytes from sediment traps of 37 low-land lakes distributed along a variety of environmental and climatic gradients in northern Poland. Of all the environmental variables measured, stepwise variable selection and individual Redundancy analyses (RDA) identified DB4 °C as the most important variable for chrysophytes, explaining a portion of variance independent of variables related to water chemistry (conductivity, chlorides, K, sulfates), which were also important. A quantitative transfer function was created to estimate DB4 °C from sedimentary assemblages using partial least square regression (PLS). The two-component model (PLS-2) had a coefficient of determination of Rcross2 = 0.58, with root mean squared error of prediction (RMSEP, based on leave-one-out) of 3.41 days. The resulting transfer function was applied to an annually-varved sediment core from Lake Żabińskie, providing a new sub-decadal quantitative reconstruction of DB4 °C with high chronological accuracy for the period AD 1000-2010. During Medieval Times (AD 1180-1440) winters were generally shorter (warmer) except for a decade with very long and severe winters around AD 1260-1270 (following the AD 1258 volcanic eruption). The 16th and 17th centuries and the beginning of the 19th century experienced very long severe winters. Comparison with other European cold-season reconstructions and atmospheric indices for this region indicates that large parts of the winter variability (reconstructed DB4 °C) is due to the

  8. Circulation and sedimentation in a tidal-influenced fjord lake: Lake McKerrow, New Zealand

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pickrill, R. A.; Irwin, J.; Shakespeare, B. S.

    1981-01-01

    Lake McKerrow is a tide-influenced fjord lake, separated from the open sea by a Holocene barrier spit. Fresh, oxygenated waters of the epilimnion overlie saline, deoxygenated waters of the hypolimnion. During winter, water from the Upper Hollyford River interflows along the pycnocline, depositing coarse silt on the steep delta and transporting finer sediment down-lake. An extensive sub-lacustrine channel system on the foreset delta slope is possibly maintained by turbidity currents. Saline waters of the hypolimnion are periodically replenished. During high tides and low lake levels saline water flows into the lake and downslope into the lake basin as a density current in a well defined channel.

  9. Trace elements in canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) wintering in Louisiana, USA, 1987-1988

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Custer, Thomas W.; Hohman, William L.

    1994-01-01

    We determined trace element concentrations in livers of canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) collected at Catahoula Lake and the Mississippi River Delta, Louisiana during, the winter of 1987–1988. Forty percent of canvasbacks wintering at Lake Catahoula had elevated concentrations of lead (>6·7 μg g−1 dry weight) in the liver; 33% had concentrations consistent with lead intoxication (>26·7 μg g−1). Based on the number of canvasbacks that winter at Lake Catahoula and the frequency of lead exposure there, more than 5% of the continental population of canvasbacks may be exposed to lead at Lake Catahoula alone. Lead concentrations in livers differed among months and were higher in males than females, but were not different in adults and immatures. Concentrations of selenium and mercury in livers of females differed among months but not by age or location. Cadmium concentrations in livers differed by age, location and month of collection, but not by sex. Frequencies and concentrations of trace elements not commonly associated with adverse effects on avian species (aluminum, arsenic, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, nickel, silver, vanadium and zinc) are presented. Except for the elevated concentrations of lead at Catahoula Lake, all trace elements were at background concentrations.

  10. Collecting winter data on U.S. Coast Guard icebreakers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oyserman, Ben O.; Woityra, William C.; Bullerjahn, George S.; Beall, Benjamin F. N.; McKay, Robert Michael L.

    2012-03-01

    Winter research and monitoring of icebound rivers, lakes, and coastal seas to date has usually involved seagoing civilian scientists leading survey efforts. However, because of poor weather conditions and a lack of safe research platforms, scientists collecting data during winter face some difficult and often insurmountable problems. To solve these problems and to further research and environmental monitoring goals, new partnerships can be formed through integrating efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) with citizen science initiatives. USCG and a research group at Ohio's Bowling Green State University are entering the third year of such a partnership, in which icebreaking operations in Lake Erie using USCG Cutter Neah Bay support volunteer data collection. With two additional USCG vessels joining the program this winter season, the partnership serves as a timely and useful model for worldwide environmental research and monitoring through citizen science and government collaboration.

  11. Characterizing seasonal and diel vertical movement and habitat use of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in Clear Lake, Maine

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zydlewski, Joseph D.; Gorsky, Dimitry; Balsey, David

    2016-01-01

    Seasonal and daily vertical activity of lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis was studied in Clear Lake, Maine (253 ha), using acoustic telemetry from November 2004 to June 2009. Twenty adult lake whitefish were tagged with acoustic tags that had either a depth sensor or both depth and temperature sensors to assess vertical habitat use at a seasonal and daily resolution. Vertical habitat selection varied seasonally and was strongly influenced by temperature. Between December and April, when the lake was covered with ice, surface temperature was below 2°C and tagged individuals occupied deep areas of the lake (∼15 m). After ice-out, fish ascended into shallow waters (∼5 m), responding to increased water temperature and possibly to greater foraging opportunity. When surface water temperatures exceeded 20°C, fish descended below the developing thermocline (∼9 m), where they remained until surface temperatures fell below 20°C; fish then ascended into shallower depths, presumably for feeding and spawning. Through the winter, fish remained in thermal habitats that were warmer than the surface temperatures; in the summer, they selected depths with thermal habitats below 15°C. Though the amplitude varied greatly across seasons, lake whitefish displayed a strong diurnal pattern of activity as measured by vertical velocities. Fish were twofold more active during spring, summer, and fall than during winter. Lake whitefish exhibited diel vertical migrations, rising in the water column during nighttime and occupying deeper waters during the day. This pattern was more pronounced in the spring and fall and far less prominent during winter and summer. The strong linkage between temperature and habitat use may limit the current range of lake whitefish and may be directly impacted by climatic change.

  12. Biotic and abiotic factors related to lake herring recruitment in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior, 1984-1998

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hoff, Michael H.

    2004-01-01

    Lake Superior lake herring (Coregonus artedi) recruitment to 13-14 months of age in the Wisconsin waters of Lake Superior varied by a factor of 5,233 during 1984-1998. Management agencies have sought models that accurately predict recruitment, but no satisfactory model had previously been developed. Lake herring recruitment was modeled to determine which factors most explained recruitment variability. The Ricker stock-recruitment model derived from only the paired stock and recruit data explained 35% of the variability in the recruitment data. The functional relationship that explained the greatest amount of recruitment variation (93%) included lake herring stock size, lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) population size, slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus) biomass, the interaction of mean daily wind speed in April (month of hatch) and lake herring stock size, and mean air temperature in April (when lake herring are 12-months old). Model results were interpreted to mean that lake herring recruitment was affected negatively by: slimy sculpin predation on lake herring ova; predation on age-0 lake herring by lake trout; and adult cannibalism on lake herring larvae, which was reduced by increased wind speed. April temperature was the variable that explained the least amount of variability in recruitment, but lake herring recruitment was positively affected by a warm April, which shortened winter and apparently reduced first-winter mortality. Stock size caused compensatory, density-dependent mortality on lake herring recruits. Management efforts appear best targeted at stock size protection, and empirical data implies that stock size in the Wisconsin waters of the lake should be maintained at 2.1-15.0 adults/ha in spring, bottom-trawl surveys.

  13. Comparison of Prokaryotic Diversity in Cold, Oligotrophic Remote Lakes of Chilean Patagonia.

    PubMed

    Aguayo, Paulina; González, Paulina; Campos, Víctor; Maugeri, Teresa L; Papale, Maria; Gugliandolo, Concetta; Martinez, Miguel A

    2017-05-01

    The prokaryotic abundance and diversity in three cold, oligotrophic Patagonian lakes (Témpanos, Las Torres and Mercedes) in the northern region Aysén (Chile) were compared in winter and summer using 16S rRNA fluorescence in situ hybridization and PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis technique. Prokaryotic abundances, numerically dominated by Bacteria, were quite similar in the three lakes, but higher in sediments than in waters, and they were also higher in summer than in winter. The relative contribution of Archaea was greater in waters than in sediments, and in winter rather than in summer. Despite the phylogenetic analysis indicated that most sequences were affiliated to a few taxonomic groups, mainly referred to Proteobacteria (consisting of Beta-, Alpha- and Gammaproteobacteria) and Euryarchaeota (mainly related to uncultured methanogens), their relative abundances differed in each sample, resulting in different bacterial and archaeal assemblages. In winter, the abundance of the dominant bacterial phylotypes were mainly regulated by the increasing levels of total organic carbon in waters. Archaeal abundance and richness appeared mostly influenced by pH in winter and total nitrogen content in summer. The prokaryotic community composition at Témpanos lake, located most northerly and closer to a glacier, greatly differed in respect to the other two lakes. In this lake was detected the highest bacterial diversity, being Betaproteobacteria the most abundant group, whereas Alphaproteobacteria were distinctive of Mercedes. Archaeal community associated with sediments was mainly represent by members related to the order of Methanosarcinales at Mercedes and Las Torres lakes, and by Crenarchaeota at Témpanos lake. Our results indicate that the proximity to the glacier and the seasonality shape the composition of the prokaryotic communities in these remote lakes. These results may be used as baseline information to follow the microbial community responses to

  14. Wintering ecology of adult North American ospreys

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Washburn, Brian E.; Martell, Mark S.; Bierregaard, Richard O.; Henny, Charles J.; Dorr, Brian S.; Olexa, Thomas J.

    2014-01-01

    North American Ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) typically migrate long distances to their wintering grounds in the tropics. Beyond the general distribution of their wintering range (i.e., the Caribbean, South America, and Central America), very little is known about the wintering ecology of these birds. We used satellite telemetry to determine the duration of wintering period, to examine the characteristics of wintering areas used by Ospreys, and to quantify space use and activity patterns of wintering Ospreys. Adult Ospreys migrated to wintering sites and exhibited high wintering site fidelity among years. Overall, Ospreys wintered on river systems (50.6%) more than on lakes (19.0%), and use of coastal areas was (30.4%) intermediate. Ospreys remained on their wintering grounds for an average of 154 d for males and 167 d for females. Locations of wintering Ospreys obtained via GPS-capable satellite telemetry suggest these birds move infrequently and their movements are very localized (i.e., 2 and 1.4 km2, respectively. Overall, our findings suggest wintering adult North American Ospreys are very sedentary, demonstrating a pattern of limited daily movements and high fidelity to a few select locations (presumably roosts). We suggest this wintering strategy might be effective for reducing the risk of mortality and maximizing energy conservation.

  15. Final Results From the Circumarctic Lakes Observation Network (CALON) Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hinkel, K. M.; Arp, C. D.; Eisner, W. R.; Frey, K. E.; Grosse, G.; Jones, B. M.; Kim, C.; Lenters, J. D.; Liu, H.; Townsend-Small, A.

    2015-12-01

    Since 2012, the physical and biogeochemical properties of ~60 lakes in northern Alaska have been investigated under CALON, a project to document landscape-scale variability of Arctic lakes in permafrost terrain. The network has ten nodes along two latitudinal transects extending inland 200 km from the Arctic Ocean. A meteorological station is deployed at each node and six representative lakes instrumented and continuously monitored, with winter and summer visits for synoptic assessment of lake conditions. Over the 4-year period, winter and summer climatology varied to create a rich range of lake responses over a short period. For example, winter 2012-13 was very cold with a thin snowpack producing thick ice across the region. Subsequent years had relatively warm winters, yet regionally variable snow resulted in differing gradients of ice thickness. Ice-out timing was unusually late in 2014 and unusually early in 2015. Lakes are typically well-mixed and largely isothermal, with minor thermal stratification occurring in deeper lakes during calm, sunny periods in summer. Lake water temperature records and morphometric data were used to estimate the ground thermal condition beneath 28 lakes. Application of a thermal equilibrium steady-state model suggests a talik penetrating the permafrost under many larger lakes, but lake geochemical data do not indicate a significant contribution of subpermafrost groundwater. Biogeochemical data reveal distinct spatial and seasonal variability in chlorophyll biomass, chromophoric dissolved organic carbon (CDOM), and major cations/anions. Generally, waters sampled beneath ice in April had distinctly higher concentrations of inorganic solutes and methane compared with August. Chlorophyll concentrations and CDOM absorption were higher in April, suggesting significant biological/biogeochemical activity under lake ice. Lakes are a positive source of methane in summer, and some also emit nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide. As part of the

  16. Tracking Dramatic Changes at Hawaii's Only Alpine Lake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patrick, Matthew R.; Delparte, Donna

    2014-04-01

    Lake Waiau is a small lake (normally 100 meters in diameter) just below the summit of Mauna Kea Volcano (elevation of 4207 meters) on the island of Hawaii. The only alpine lake in the Hawaiian Islands, it is fed mainly by sporadic winter storms that drop snow in the otherwise arid summit region.

  17. Hydrology, water quality, and phosphorus loading of Little St Germain Lake, Vilas County, Wisconsin

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Robertson, Dale M.; Rose, William J.

    2000-01-01

    The lake was monitored in detail again during 1991-94 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as part of a cooperative study with the Lake District. This study demonstrated water-quality variation among the basins of Little St. Germain Lake and extensive areas of winter anoxia (absence of oxygen). Further in-depth studies were then conducted during 1994-2000 to define the extent of winter anoxia, refine the hydrologic and phosphorus budgets of the lake, quantify the effects of annual drawdowns, and provide information needed to develop a comprehensive lake-management plan. This report presents the results of the studies since 1991.

  18. ALBEDO MODELS FOR SNOW AND ICE ON A FRESHWATER LAKE. (R824801)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Abstract

    Snow and ice albedo measurements were taken over a freshwater lake in Minnesota for three months during the winter of 1996¯1997 for use in a winter lake water quality model. The mean albedo of new snow was measured as 0.83±0.028, while the...

  19. Changing land use and its impact on the habitat suitability for wintering Anseriformes in China's Poyang Lake region.

    PubMed

    Tang, Xuguang; Li, Hengpeng; Xu, Xibao; Yang, Guishan; Liu, Guihua; Li, Xinyan; Chen, Dongqiang

    2016-07-01

    As an internationally important wetland for migratory waterbirds, China's Poyang Lake region has experienced substantial changes in land use during the past two decades owing to climate change and anthropogenic disturbances. Recent dam constructions on the Yangtze River and its tributaries for agriculture and hydroelectric power exert strong effects on the hydrological regimes of this lake. However, few studies have investigated how the land-use changes through time affect the habitat suitability for wintering Anseriformes-the largest community in this region. Thus, it is necessary to timely monitor changes in the habitat quality and understand the potential factors that alter it. In this study, three periods (1995, 2005 and 2014) of typical environmental indicators that have direct impacts on foraging and resting for the Anserformes, including proximity to water (density of lakes, rivers and ponds), human disturbances (density of residences and various road networks), preferred land cover types and food availability (NDVI), are integrated to develop a habitat suitability index model for habitat mapping. The results indicate that long-term lake shrinkage in low-water periods led to greatly expanded wetlands in these years, which provided more suitable habitat for migratory waterfowl. The amount of highly suitable habitat in 2014 was nearly twice as much as in 1995. Recent survey data from 1997 to 2013 also revealed an increase in the population size, and confirmed the improvement of habitat suitability in the Poyang Lake region. Spatial analysis revealed that land use changes contributed most to the improved habitat coverage between 1995 and 2014. However, the relative significances of these transformations for highly suitable and moderately suitable habitats are strikingly different. Increases in wetland and paddy field area are the main reasons for explaining these improvements, respectively. The framework model proposed in this study will help governments to

  20. Unrestricted Territory: Gender, Two Spirits, and Louise Erdrich's "The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keenan, Deirdre

    2006-01-01

    In this article, the author examines Louise Erdrich's representation of Father Damien in "The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse" in the context of mainstream attitudes about transgender identities and Native American gender systems. In this context, Erdrich's novel provides a theory and practice of gender identity formation that…

  1. Dragon Lake, Siberia

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    Nicknamed 'Dragon Lake,' this body of water is formed by the Bratskove Reservoir, built along the Angara river in southern Siberia, near the city of Bratsk. This image was acquired in winter, when the lake is frozen. This image was acquired by Landsat 7's Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) sensor on December 19, 1999. This is a natural color composite image made using blue, green, and red wavelengths. Image provided by the USGS EROS Data Center Satellite Systems Branch

  2. Understanding girls' enrollment at Louise's Farm School: A qualitative case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nowak, Ashley E. P.

    This thesis presents a qualitative case study of enrollment and retention considerations at Louise's Farm School (LFS) in Palmer, Alaska, with a focus on how gender is performed in this domain. Interviews with 25 students, 12 parents, and 14 instructors revealed the enrollment decision-making process, identifying constraints to and enablers of girls' participation. Findings included three primary factors as greatly influencing girls' enrollment: (1) mothers' backgrounds; (2) mothers' knowledge of and the misperceptions regarding outcomes of LFS programing; and (3) girls' interest in LFS curriculum. Findings also exposed differences in mothers' and instructors' expectations for the educative development of girls and boys, suggesting that there is greater pressure on girls to perform academically while boys are expected to need greater space for physical expression.

  3. Thermal, chemical, and optical properties of Crater Lake, Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Larson, G.L.; Hoffman, R.L.; McIntire, D.C.; Buktenica, M.W.; Girdner, S.F.

    2007-01-01

    Crater Lake covers the floor of the Mount Mazama caldera that formed 7700 years ago. The lake has a surface area of 53 km2 and a maximum depth of 594 m. There is no outlet stream and surface inflow is limited to small streams and springs. Owing to its great volume and heat, the lake is not covered by snow and ice in winter unlike other lakes in the Cascade Range. The lake is isothermal in winter except for a slight increase in temperature in the deep lake from hyperadiabatic processes and inflow of hydrothermal fluids. During winter and spring the water column mixes to a depth of about 200-250 m from wind energy and convection. Circulation of the deep lake occurs periodically in winter and spring when cold, near-surface waters sink to the lake bottom; a process that results in the upwelling of nutrients, especially nitrate-N, into the upper strata of the lake. Thermal stratification occurs in late summer and fall. The maximum thickness of the epilimnion is about 20 m and the metalimnion extends to a depth of about 100 m. Thus, most of the lake volume is a cold hypolimnion. The year-round near-bottom temperature is about 3.5??C. Overall, hydrothermal fluids define and temporally maintain the basic water quality characteristics of the lake (e.g., pH, alkalinity and conductivity). Total phosphorus and orthophosphate-P concentrations are fairly uniform throughout the water column, where as total Kjeldahl-N and ammonia-N are highest in concentration in the upper lake. Concentrations of nitrate-N increase with depth below 200 m. No long-term changes in water quality have been detected. Secchi disk (20-cm) clarity varied seasonally and annually, but was typically highest in June and lowest in August. During the current study, August Secchi disk clarity readings averaged about 30 m. The maximum individual clarity reading was 41.5 m in June 1997. The lowest reading was 18.1 m in July 1995. From 1896 (white-dinner plate) to 2003, the average August Secchi disk reading was

  4. The winter season - Northern Great Plains

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lambeth, David O.; Faanes, Craig A.

    1981-01-01

    This winter was hardly a winter by usual standards. At Grand Forks six record highs were set in February, a month which averaged 11°F above normal, and a -20° reading was not recorded the entire season for the first time in 50 years. Fort Peck Lake in Montana finally iced over February 12, only to begin reopening three days later (CMC). Temperatures reached into the 70s in South Dakota and that state was "powdery dry" as a result of the driest weather in 37 years (EMS, DLB). Across the Region, snow cover was either absent or inconsequential.

  5. Breaking the Ice--And Winter's Spell--At Twin Buttes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keown, Duane

    1979-01-01

    During the month of February, eighth and ninth graders at a university school in Wyoming participate in a winter lake study. Descriptions are given of various measurement techniques related to water quality studies. (SA)

  6. Lake Ice Cover of Shallow Lakes and Climate Interactions in Arctic Regions (1950-2011): SAR Data Analysis and Numerical Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Surdu, C.; Duguay, C.; Brown, L.; Fernàndez-Prieto, D.; Samuelsson, P.

    2012-12-01

    Lake ice cover is highly correlated with climatic conditions and has, therefore, been demonstrated to be an essential indicator of climate variability and change. Recent studies have shown that the duration of the lake ice cover has decreased, mainly as a consequence of earlier thaw dates in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere over the last 50 years, mainly as a feedback to increased winter and spring air temperature. In response to projected air temperature and winter precipitation changes by climate models until the end of the 21st century, the timing, duration, and thickness of ice cover on Arctic lakes are expected to be impacted. This, in turn, will likely alter the energy, water, and bio-geochemical cycling in various regions of the Arctic. In the case of shallow tundra lakes, many of which are less than 3-m deep, warmer climate conditions could result in a smaller fraction of lakes that fully freeze to the bottom at the time of maximum winter ice thickness since thinner ice covers are predicted to develop. Shallow thermokarst lakes of the coastal plain of northern Alaska, and of other similar Arctic regions, have likely been experiencing changes in seasonal ice phenology and thickness over the last few decades but these have not yet been comprehensively documented. Analysis of a 20-year time series of ERS-1/2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data and numerical lake ice modeling were employed to determine the response of ice cover (thickness, freezing to bed, and phenology) on shallow lakes of the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) to climate conditions over the last three decades. New downscaled data specific to the Arctic domain (at a resolution of 0.44 degrees using ERA Interim Reanalysis as boundary condition) produced by the Rossby Centre Regional Atmospheric Climate Model (RCA4) was used to drive the Canadian Lake Ice Model (CLIMo) for the period 1950-2011. In order to assess and integrate the SAR-derived observed changes into a longer historical context, and

  7. Lake whitefish diet, condition, and energy density in Lake Champlain and the lower four Great Lakes following dreissenid invasions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Herbst, Seth J.; Marsden, J. Ellen; Lantry, Brian F.

    2013-01-01

    Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis support some of the most valuable commercial freshwater fisheries in North America. Recent growth and condition decreases in Lake Whitefish populations in the Great Lakes have been attributed to the invasion of the dreissenid mussels, zebra mussels Dreissena polymorpha and quagga mussels D. bugensis, and the subsequent collapse of the amphipod, Diporeia, a once-abundant high energy prey source. Since 1993, Lake Champlain has also experienced the invasion and proliferation of zebra mussels, but in contrast to the Great Lakes, Diporeia were not historically abundant. We compared the diet, condition, and energy density of Lake Whitefish from Lake Champlain after the dreissenid mussel invasion to values for those of Lake Whitefish from Lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Lake Whitefish were collected using gill nets and bottom trawls, and their diets were quantified seasonally. Condition was estimated using Fulton's condition factor (K) and by determining energy density. In contrast to Lake Whitefish from some of the Great Lakes, those from Lake Champlain Lake Whitefish did not show a dietary shift towards dreissenid mussels, but instead fed primarily on fish eggs in spring, Mysis diluviana in summer, and gastropods and sphaeriids in fall and winter. Along with these dietary differences, the condition and energy density of Lake Whitefish from Lake Champlain were high compared with those of Lake Whitefish from Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario after the dreissenid invasion, and were similar to Lake Whitefish from Lake Erie; fish from Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario consumed dreissenids, whereas fish from Lake Erie did not. Our comparisons of Lake Whitefish populations in Lake Champlain to those in the Great Lakes indicate that diet and condition of Lake Champlain Lake Whitefish were not negatively affected by the dreissenid mussel invasion.

  8. Climatic forcing of carbon-oxygen isotopic covariance in temperate-region marl lakes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Drummond, C. N.; Patterson, W. P.; Walker, J. C.

    1995-01-01

    Carbon and oxygen stable isotopic compositions of lacustrine carbonate from a southeastern Michigan marl lake display linear covariance over a range of 4.0% Peedee belemnite (PDB) in oxygen and 3.9% (PDB) in carbon. Mechanisms of delta 13 C-delta 18 O coupling conventionally attributed to lake closure in arid-region basins are inapplicable to hydrologically open lake systems. Thus, an alternative explanation of isotopic covariance in temperate region dimictic marl lakes is required. We propose that isotopic covariance is a direct record of change in regional climate. In short-residence-time temperate-region lake basins, summer meteoric precipitation is enriched in 18O relative to winter values, and summer organic productivity enriches epilimnic dissolved inorganic carbon in 13C. Thus, climate change toward longer summers and/or shorter winters could result in greater proportions of warm-month meteoric precipitation, longer durations of warm-month productivity, and net long-term enrichment in carbonate 18O and 13C. Isotopic covariance observed in the Michigan marl lake cores is interpreted to reflect postglacial warming from 10 to 3 ka followed by cooler mean annual temperature, a shift toward greater proportions of seasonal summer precipitation, a shortening of the winter season, or some combination of these three factors.

  9. Arctic sea ice decline contributes to thinning lake ice trend in northern Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Alexeev, Vladimir; Arp, Christopher D.; Jones, Benjamin M.; Cai, Lei

    2016-01-01

    Field measurements, satellite observations, and models document a thinning trend in seasonal Arctic lake ice growth, causing a shift from bedfast to floating ice conditions. September sea ice concentrations in the Arctic Ocean since 1991 correlate well (r = +0.69,p < 0.001) to this lake regime shift. To understand how and to what extent sea ice affects lakes, we conducted model experiments to simulate winters with years of high (1991/92) and low (2007/08) sea ice extent for which we also had field measurements and satellite imagery characterizing lake ice conditions. A lake ice growth model forced with Weather Research and Forecasting model output produced a 7% decrease in lake ice growth when 2007/08 sea ice was imposed on 1991/92 climatology and a 9% increase in lake ice growth for the opposing experiment. Here, we clearly link early winter 'ocean-effect' snowfall and warming to reduced lake ice growth. Future reductions in sea ice extent will alter hydrological, biogeochemical, and habitat functioning of Arctic lakes and cause sub-lake permafrost thaw.

  10. Responses of bluegills and black crappies to dissolved oxygen, temperature, and current in backwater lakes of the upper Mississippi River during winter

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Knights, B.C.; Johnson, B.L.; Sandheinrich, M.B.

    1995-01-01

    We conducted a radiotelemetry study to examine the effects of dissolved oxygen (DO), water temperature, and current velocity on winter habitat selection by bluegills Lepomis macrochirus and black crappies Pomoxis nigromaculatus in the Finger Lakes backwater complex, Pool 5, on the upper Mississippi River. When DO was above 2 mg/L, both species selected areas with water temperature greater than 1 degree C and undetectable current. As dissolved oxygen concentrations fell below 2 mg/L, fish moved to areas with higher DO, despite water temperatures of 1 degree C and lower and current velocities of 1 cm/s. Areas with water temperature less than 1 degree C and current velocity greater than 1 cm/s were avoided. To incorporate the winter habitat requirements of bluegills and black crappies into habitat restoration projects, we recommend designs that allow the inflow of oxygenated water to maintain adequate DO without substantially decreasing temperature and increasing current velocity.

  11. pXRF analyses of Louise Herreshoff's paintings in relation to CdS and other pigment degradation issues

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Uffelman, Erich S.; Hobbs, Patricia A.; Barisas, Derek A. G.; Mass, Jennifer L.

    2013-04-01

    Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (pXRF) was used to survey 33 works in Washington and Lee University's collection of Louise Herreshoff's paintings. This work was done both to support a condition assessment of the paintings and their pigments and to determine which paintings might be appropriate for further study in the context of ongoing key synchrotron research into the degradation mechanisms of cadmium sulfide yellow pigment (CdS).

  12. Persistent Ice on Lake Superior

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Though North America is a full month into astronomical spring, the Great Lakes have been slow to give up on winter. As of April 22, 2014, the Great Lakes were 33.9 percent ice covered. The lake they call Superior dominated the pack. In the early afternoon on April 20, 2014, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this natural-color image of Lake Superior, which straddles the United States–Canada border. At the time Aqua passed over, the lake was 63.5 percent ice covered, according to the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (GLERL). Averaged across Lake Superior, ice was 22.6 centimeters (8.9 inches) thick; it was as much as twice that thickness in some locations. GLERL researcher George Leshkevich affirmed that ice cover this spring is significantly above normal. For comparison, Lake Superior had 3.6 percent ice cover on April 20, 2013; in 2012, ice was completely gone by April 12. In the last winter that ice cover grew so thick on Lake Superior (2009), it reached 93.7 percent on March 2 but was down to 6.7 percent by April 21. Average water temperatures on all of the Great Lakes have been rising over the past 30 to 40 years and ice cover has generally been shrinking. (Lake Superior ice was down about 79 percent since the 1970s.) But chilled by persistent polar air masses throughout the 2013-14 winter, ice cover reached 88.4 percent on February 13 and 92.2 percent on March 6, 2014, the second highest level in four decades of record-keeping. Air temperatures in the Great Lakes region were well below normal for March, and the cool pattern is being reinforced along the coasts because the water is absorbing less sunlight and warming less than in typical spring conditions. The graph below, based on data from Environment Canada, shows the 2014 conditions for all of the Great Lakes in mid-April compared to the past 33 years. Lake Superior ice cover got as high as 95.3 percent on March 19. By April 22, it was

  13. Snowmelt Timing as a Determinant of Lake Inflow Mixing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roberts, D. C.; Forrest, A. L.; Sahoo, G. B.; Hook, S. J.; Schladow, S. G.

    2018-02-01

    Snowmelt is a significant source of carbon, nutrient, and sediment loads to many mountain lakes. The mixing conditions of snowmelt inflows, which are heavily dependent on the interplay between snowmelt and lake thermal regime, dictate the fate of these loads within lakes and their ultimate impact on lake ecosystems. We use five decades of data from Lake Tahoe, a 600 year residence-time lake where snowmelt has little influence on lake temperature, to characterize the snowmelt mixing response to a range of climate conditions. Using stream discharge and lake profile data (1968-2017), we find that the proportion of annual snowmelt entering the lake prior to the onset of stratification increases as annual snowpack decreases, ranging from about 50% in heavy-snow years to close to 90% in warm, dry years. Accordingly, in 8 recent years (2010-2017) where hourly inflow buoyancy and discharge could be quantified, we find that decreased snowpack similarly increases the proportion of annual snowmelt entering the lake at weak to positive buoyancy. These responses are due to the stronger effect of winter precipitation conditions on streamflow timing and temperature than on lake stratification, and point toward increased nearshore and near-surface mixing of inflows in low-snowpack years. The response of inflow mixing conditions to snowpack is apparent when isolating temperature effects on snowpack. Snowpack levels are decreasing due to warming temperatures during winter precipitation. Thus, our findings suggest that climate change may lead to increased deposition of inflow loads in the ecologically dynamic littoral zone of high-residence time, snowmelt-fed lakes.

  14. Future volcanic lake research: revealing secrets from poorly studied lakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rouwet, D.; Tassi, F.; Mora-Amador, R. A.

    2012-04-01

    Volcanic lake research boosted after the 1986 Lake Nyos lethal gas burst, a limnic rather than volcanic event. This led to the formation of the IAVCEI-Commission on Volcanic Lakes, which grew out into a multi-disciplinary scientific community since the 1990's. At Lake Nyos, a degassing pipe is functional since 2001, and two additional pipes were added in 2011, aimed to prevent further limnic eruption events. There are between 150 and 200 volcanic lakes on Earth. Some acidic crater lakes topping active magmatic-hydrothermal systems are monitored continuously or discontinuously. Such detailed studies have shown their usefulness in volcanic surveillance (e.g. Ruapehu, Yugama-Kusatsu-Shiran, Poás). Others are "Nyos-type" lakes, with possible gas accumulation in bottom waters and thus potentially hazardous. "Nyos-type" lakes tend to remain stably stratified in tropical and sub-tropical climates (meromictic), leading to long-term gas build-up and thus higher potential risk. In temperate climates, such lakes tend to turn over in winter (monomictic), and thus liberating its gas charge yearly. We line out research strategies for the different types of lakes. We believe a complementary, multi-disciplinary approach (geochemistry, geophysics, limnology, biology, statistics, etc.) will lead to new insights and ideas, which can be the base for future following-up and monitoring. After 25 years of pioneering studies on rather few lakes, the scientific community should be challenged to study the many poorly studied volcanic lakes, in order to better constrain the related hazard, based on probabilistic approaches.

  15. Climatological observations and predicted sublimation rates at Lake Hoare, Antarctica.

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Clow, G.D.; McKay, C.P.; Simmons, G.M.; Wharton, R.A.

    1988-01-01

    In December 1985, an automated meteorological station was established at Lake Hoare in the dry valley region of Antarctica. Here, we report on the first year-round observations available for any site in Taylor Valley. This dataset augments the year-round data obtained at Lake Vanda (Wright Valley) by winter-over crews during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The mean annual solar flux at Lake Hoare was 92 W m-2 during 1986, the mean air temperature -17.3 degrees C, and the mean 3-m wind speed 3.3 m s-1. The local climate is controlled by the wind regime during the 4-month sunless winter and by seasonal and diurnal variations in the incident solar flux during the remainder of the year. Temperature increases of 20 degrees-30 degrees C are frequently observed during the winter due to strong fo??hn winds descending from the Polar Plateau. A model incorporating nonsteady molecular diffusion into Kolmogorov-scale eddies in the interfacial layer and similarity-theory flux-profiles in the surface sublayer, is used to determine the rate of ice sublimation from the acquired meteorological data. Despite the frequent occurrence of strong winter fo??hns, the bulk of the annual ablation occurs during the summer due to elevated temperatures and persistent moderate winds. The annual ablation from Lake Hoare is estimated to have been 35.0 +/- 6.3 cm for 1986.

  16. Overview of the limnology of Crater Lake

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Larson, Gary L.

    1996-01-01

    Crater Lake occupies the collapsed caldera of volcanic Mount Mazama in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. It is the deepest lake (589 m) in the United States and the 7th deepest lake in the world. The water column mixes to a depth of about 200 m in winter and spring from wind energy and cooling. The deep lake is mixed in winter and early spring each year when relatively cold water near the surface sinks and exchanges positions with water in the deep basins of the lake. The lake becomes thermally stratified in summer and early fall. The metalimnion extends to a depth of about 100 m; thus most of the water column is a cold hypolimnion. Secchi disk clarity measurements typically are in the upper-20-m range to the low-30-m range in summer and early fall. Concentrations of nutrients are low, although conductivity is relatively high owing to the inflow of hydrothermal fluids. Total chlorophyll is low in concentration, but typically maximal at a depth of 120 m during periods of thermal stratification. Primary production also is low, with the maximum levels occurring between the depth of 40 and 80 m. Phytoplankton taxa are spatially segregated from each other within the water column to a depth of 200 m in summer and early fall. The same generalization applies to the zooplankton taxa. Water level, clarity, concentrations of total chlorophyll, primary production, and abundances of zooplankton and introduced kokanee salmon exhibit long-term fluctuations. Based primarily on a recent 10-year study of the lake, the lake is considered to be pristine, except for the consequences of fish introductions.

  17. ERTS-1 views the Great Lakes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lyons, W. A.; Pease, S. R.

    1973-01-01

    The meteorological content of ERTS images, particularly mesoscale effects of the Great Lakes and air pollution dispersion is summarized. Summertime lake breeze frontal clouds and various winter lake-effect convection patterns and snow squalls are revealed in great detail. A clear-cut spiral vortex over southern Lake Michigan is related to a record early snow storm in the Chicago area. Marked cloud changes induced by orographic and frictional effects on Lake Michigan's lee shore snow squalls are seen. The most important finding, however, is a clear-cut example of alterations in cumulus convection by anthropogenic condensation and/or ice nuclei from northern Indiana steel mills during a snow squall situation. Jet aircraft condensation trails are also found with surprising frequency.

  18. Modeling salinization and recovery of road salt-impacted lakes in temperate regions based on long-term monitoring of Lake George, New York (USA) and its drainage basin.

    PubMed

    Sutherland, J W; Norton, S A; Short, J W; Navitsky, C

    2018-05-08

    Road salt mitigates winter highway icing but accumulates in watershed soils and receiving waters, affecting soil chemistry and physical, biological, and ecological processes. Despite efforts to reduce salt loading in watersheds, accumulated cations and Cl - continue to impact tributaries and lakes, and the recovery process is not well understood. Lake George, New York (USA) is typical of many temperate lakes at risk for elevated Cl - concentrations from winter deicing; the lake salt concentration increased by ~3.4% year -1 since 1980. Here, we evaluated the ionic composition in Finkle Brook, a major watershed draining to Lake George, studied intermittently since 1970 and typical of other salt-impacted Lake George tributaries. Salt loading in the Lake George basin since the 1940s displaced cations from exchange sites in basin soils; these desorbed cations follow a simple ion-exchange model, with lower sodium and higher calcium, magnesium and potassium fluxes in runoff. Reduced salt application in the Finkle Brook watershed during the low-snow winter of 2015-2016 led to a 30-40% decline of Cl - and base cations in the tributary, implying a Cl - soil half-life of 1-2 years. We developed a conceptual model that describes cation behavior in runoff from a watershed that received road salt loading over a long period of time, and then recovery following reduced salt loading. Next, we developed a dynamic model estimating time to steady-state for Cl - in Lake George with road salt loading starting in 1940, calibrating the model with tributary runoff and lake chemistry data from 1970 and 1980, respectively, and forecasting Cl - concentrations in Lake George based on various scenarios of salt loading and soil retention of Cl - . Our Lake George models are readily adaptable to other temperate lakes with drainage basins where road salt is applied during freezing conditions and paved roads cover a portion of the watershed. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Long-Term Variability of Satellite Lake Surface Water Temperatures in the Great Lakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gierach, M. M.; Matsumoto, K.; Holt, B.; McKinney, P. J.; Tokos, K.

    2014-12-01

    The Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth that approximately 37 million people depend upon for fresh drinking water, food, flood and drought mitigation, and natural resources that support industry, jobs, shipping and tourism. Recent reports have stated (e.g., the National Climate Assessment) that climate change can impact and exacerbate a range of risks to the Great Lakes, including changes in the range and distribution of certain fish species, increased invasive species and harmful algal blooms, declining beach health, and lengthened commercial navigation season. In this study, we will examine the impact of climate change on the Laurentian Great Lakes through investigation of long-term lake surface water temperatures (LSWT). We will use the ATSR Reprocessing for Climate: Lake Surface Water Temperature & Ice Cover (ARC-Lake) product over the period 1995-2012 to investigate individual and interlake variability. Specifically, we will quantify the seasonal amplitude of LSWTs, the first and last appearances of the 4°C isotherm (i.e., an important identifier of the seasonal evolution of the lakes denoting winter and summer stratification), and interpret these quantities in the context of global interannual climate variability such as ENSO.

  20. Satellite monitoring of dramatic changes at Hawai'i's only alpine lake: Lake Waiau on Mauna Kea volcano

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Patrick, Matthew R.; Kauahikaua, James P.

    2015-01-01

    Lake Waiau is a small, typically 100-meter-long lake, located near the summit of Mauna Kea volcano, on the Island of Hawaiʻi. It is Hawaiʻi’s only alpine lake and is considered sacred in Hawaiian cultural tradition. Over the past few years, the lake has diminished in size, and, by October 2013, surface water had almost completely disappeared from the lake. In this study, we use high-resolution satellite images and aerial photographs to document recent changes at the lake. Based on our reconstructions covering the past 200 years, the historical lake surface area has typically ranged from 5,000 to 7,000 square meters, but in 2010 a dramatic plunge in lake area ensued. The lake area rebounded significantly in early 2014, following heavy winter storms. This near disappearance of the lake, judging from analysis of visitor photographs and field reports, appears to be highly unusual, if not unprecedented, in the historical record. The unusually low water levels in the lake are consistent with a recent severe drought in Hawaiʻi.

  1. Overview of the limnology of crater lake

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Larson, G.L.

    1996-01-01

    Crater Lake occupies the collapsed caldera of volcanic Mount Mazama in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon. It is the deepest lake (589 m) in the United States and the 7th deepest lake in the world. The water column mixes to a depth of about 200 m in winter and spring from wind energy and cooling. The deep lake is mixed in winter and early spring each year when relatively cold water near the surface sinks and exchanges positions with water in the deep basins of the lake. The lake becomes thermally stratified in summer and early fall. The metalimnion extends to a depth of about 100 m; thus most of the water column is a cold hypolimnion. Secchi disk clarity measurements typically are in the upper-20-m range to the low-30-m range in summer and early fall. Concentrations of nutrients are low, although conductivity is relatively high owing to the inflow of hydrothermal fluids. Total chlorophyll is low in concentration, but typically maximal at a depth of 120 m during periods of thermal stratification. Primary production also is low, with the maximum levels occurring between the depth of 40 and 80 m. Phytoplankton taxa are spatially segregated from each other within the water column to a depth of 200 m in summer and early fall. The same generalization applies to the Zooplankton taxa. Water level, clarity, concentrations of total chlorophyll, primary production, and abundances of zooplankton and introduced kokanee salmon exhibit long-term fluctuations. Based primarily on a recent 10-year study of the lake, the lake is considered to be pristine, except for the consequences of fish introductions. ?? 1996 by the Northwest Scientific Association. All rights reserved.

  2. Mid-to-Late Holocene Hydrologic Variability in the Southeastern Mojave Desert Using Sediments from Ford Lake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mayer, S. A.; Kirby, M. E.; Anderson, W. T., Jr.; Stout, C.; Palermo, J. A.

    2015-12-01

    The focal point of most lacustrine studies in the Mojave National Preserve (MNP) to date has been on lakes fed by the Mojave River. The source of the Mojave River is found on the northern flank of the San Bernardino Mountains. Consequently, the lakes that receive these waters are predominantly responding to the winter-only coastal southwest United States climate (e.g., Kirby et al., 2015 - Silver Lake); to a lesser degree, these lakes are also influenced by the Mojave's bimodal winter/summer climate. Ford Lake, located in the southeastern Mojave Desert is a small closed basin lake with its drainage basin located exclusively within the Mojave Desert. Therefore, sediment collected from Ford Lake contains a 100% Mojave-only climate signal. A 2.18 m sediment core was collected from the lake's depocenter in May 2015. Sediment analyses at 1 cm contiguous intervals include: magnetic susceptibility (MS), percent total organic matter, percent total carbonate content, and grain size analysis; C:N ratios, C and N isotope (δ13C and δ15N) analyses, and macrofossil counts are determined at 2 cm intervals. The site's age model is based on accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon ages from discrete organic macrofossils or bulk organic carbon. To deconvolve the coastal climate, winter-only signal from the Mojave-only climate signal the data from Ford Lake will be compared to one Mojave River fed lake (Silver) and several southern California lakes (Lower Bear, Lake Elsinore, Dry Lake, and Zaca Lake). Our results will be analyzed in the context of climate forcings such as insolation and ocean - atmosphere dynamics.

  3. The History of Winter: teachers as scientists

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koenig, L.; Courville, Z.; Wasilewski, P. J.; Gow, T.; Bender, K. J.

    2013-12-01

    The History of Winter (HOW) is a NASA Goddard Space Flight Center-funded teacher enrichment program that was started by Dr. Peter Wasilewski (NASA), Dr. Robert Gabrys (NASA) and Dr. Tony Gow (Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, or CRREL) in 2001 and continues with support and involvement of scientists from both the NASA Cryospheric Sciences Laboratory and CREEL. The program brings educators mostly from middle and high schools but also from state parks, community colleges and other institutions from across the US to the Northwood School (a small, private boarding school) in Lake Placid, NY for one week to learn about several facets of winter, polar, and snow research, including the science and history of polar ice core research, lake ice formation and structure, snow pack science, winter ecology, and remote sensing including current and future NASA cryospheric missions. The program receives support from the Northwood School staff to facilitate the program. The goal of the program is to create 'teachers as scientists' which is achieved through several hands-on field experiences in which the teachers have the opportunity to work with polar researchers from NASA, CRREL and partner Universities to dig and sample snow pits, make ice thin sections from lake ice, make snow shelters, and observe under-ice lake ecology. The hands-on work allows the teachers to use the same tools and techniques used in polar research while simultaneously introducing science concepts and activities to support their classroom work. The ultimate goal of the program is to provide the classroom teachers with the opportunity to learn about current and timely cryospheric research as well as to engage in real fieldwork experiences. The enthusiasm generated during the week-long program is translated into classroom activities with guidance from scientists, teachers and educational professionals. The opportunity to engage with polar researchers, both young investigators and renowned

  4. Increased piscivory by lake whitefish in Lake Huron

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pothoven, Steven A.; Madenjian, Charles P.

    2013-01-01

    We evaluated the diet of Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis in Lake Huron during 2002–2011 to determine the importance of Round Goby Neogobius melanostomus and other fish as prey items. Lake Whitefish that had reached approximately 400 mm in length incorporated fish into their diets. The overall percentage of adult Lake Whitefish in Lake Huron that had eaten fish increased from 10% in 2002–2006 to 20% in 2007–2011, with a corresponding decrease in the frequency of Lake Whitefish that ate Dreissena spp. from 52% to 33%. During 2002–2006, Round Goby (wet mass, 38%), sculpins (Cottidae) (34%), and Ninespine Stickleback Pungitius pungitius (18%) were the primary fish eaten, whereas Round Goby accounted for 92% of the fish eaten in 2007–2011. Overall, Round Goby were found in the fewest Lake Whitefish stomachs in the north region of Lake Huron (6%) and in the most in the central (23%) and south (19%) regions of the lake. In the central region, Round Goby were eaten during all seasons that were sampled (spring through fall). In the south region, Round Goby were eaten only in the winter and spring but not in the summer when Dreissena spp. and spiny water flea Bythotrephes longimanus dominated the diet. Based on the 2007–2011 diet composition, an individual Lake Whitefish would need to have increased their consumption relative to that in 1983–1994 by 6% in the north region, 12% in the central region, and 41% in the southern region in order to achieve the same growth that was observed before dreissenid mussels arrived. However, Lake Whitefish weight adjusted for length only increased by 2% between 2002–2006 and 2007–2011 in the central region, decreased by 4% in the northern region, and remained constant in the southern region. This suggests that a shift toward more frequent piscivory does not necessarily improve the condition of a generalist feeder like Lake Whitefish.

  5. Habitat coupling in a large lake system: delivery of an energy subsidy by an offshore planktivore to the nearshore zone of Lake Superior

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stockwell, Jason D.; Yule, Daniel L.; Hrabik, Thomas R.; Sierszen, Michael E.; Isaac, Edmund J.

    2014-01-01

    1. We hypothesised that the autumn spawning migration of Lake Superior cisco (Coregonus artedi) provides a resource subsidy, in the form of energy-rich cisco eggs, from the offshore pelagic to the nearshore benthic community over winter, when alternate prey production is likely to be low. 2. We tested this hypothesis using fish and macroinvertebrate surveys, fish population demographics, diet and stable isotope analyses, and bioenergetics modelling. 3. The benthic, congeneric lake whitefish (C. clupeaformis) was a clear beneficiary of cisco spawning. Cisco eggs represented 16% of lake whitefish annual consumption in terms of biomass, but 34% of energy (because of their high energy density: >10 kJ g wet mass−1). Stable isotope analyses were consistent with these results and suggest that other nearshore fish species may also rely on cisco eggs. 4. The lipid content of lake whitefish liver almost doubled from 26 to 49% between November and March, while that of muscle increased from 14 to 26% over the same period, suggesting lake whitefish were building, rather than depleting, lipid reserves during winter. 5. In the other Laurentian Great Lakes, where cisco populations remain very low and rehabilitation efforts are underway, the offshore-to-nearshore ecological link apparent in Lake Superior has been replaced by non-native planktivorous species. These non-native species spawn in spring have smaller eggs and shorter incubation periods. The rehabilitation of cisco in these systems should reinstate the onshore subsidy as it has in Lake Superior.

  6. Seasonal Variation in Abundance and Diversity of Bacterial Methanotrophs in Five Temperate Lakes

    PubMed Central

    Samad, Md Sainur; Bertilsson, Stefan

    2017-01-01

    Lakes are significant sources of methane (CH4) to the atmosphere. Within these systems, methanotrophs consume CH4 and act as a potential biofilter mitigating the emission of this potent greenhouse gas. However, it is still not well understood how spatial and temporal variation in environmental parameters influence the abundance, diversity, and community structure of methanotrophs in lakes. To address this gap in knowledge, we collected water samples from three depths (surface, middle, and bottom) representing oxic to suboxic or anoxic zones of five different Swedish lakes in winter (ice-covered) and summer. Methanotroph abundance was determined by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction and a comparison to environmental variables showed that temperature, season as well as depth, phosphate concentration, dissolved oxygen, and CH4 explained the observed variation in methanotroph abundance. Due to minimal differences in methane concentrations (0.19 and 0.29 μM for summer and winter, respectively), only a weak and even negative correlation was observed between CH4 and methanotrophs, which was possibly due to usage of CH4. Methanotrophs were present at concentrations ranging from 105 to 106 copies/l throughout the oxic (surface) and suboxic/anoxic (bottom) water mass of the lakes, but always contributed less than 1.3% to the total microbial community. Relative methanotroph abundance was significantly higher in winter than in summer and consistently increased with depth in the lakes. Phylogenetic analysis of pmoA genes in two clone libraries from two of the ice-covered lakes (Ekoln and Ramsen) separated the methanotrophs into five distinct clusters of Methylobacter sp. (Type I). Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the pmoA gene further revealed significant differences in methanotrophic communities between lakes as well as between winter and summer while there were no significant differences between water layers. The study provides new

  7. Semi-automated Digital Imaging and Processing System for Measuring Lake Ice Thickness

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Preetpal

    Canada is home to thousands of freshwater lakes and rivers. Apart from being sources of infinite natural beauty, rivers and lakes are an important source of water, food and transportation. The northern hemisphere of Canada experiences extreme cold temperatures in the winter resulting in a freeze up of regional lakes and rivers. Frozen lakes and rivers tend to offer unique opportunities in terms of wildlife harvesting and winter transportation. Ice roads built on frozen rivers and lakes are vital supply lines for industrial operations in the remote north. Monitoring the ice freeze-up and break-up dates annually can help predict regional climatic changes. Lake ice impacts a variety of physical, ecological and economic processes. The construction and maintenance of a winter road can cost millions of dollars annually. A good understanding of ice mechanics is required to build and deem an ice road safe. A crucial factor in calculating load bearing capacity of ice sheets is the thickness of ice. Construction costs are mainly attributed to producing and maintaining a specific thickness and density of ice that can support different loads. Climate change is leading to warmer temperatures causing the ice to thin faster. At a certain point, a winter road may not be thick enough to support travel and transportation. There is considerable interest in monitoring winter road conditions given the high construction and maintenance costs involved. Remote sensing technologies such as Synthetic Aperture Radar have been successfully utilized to study the extent of ice covers and record freeze-up and break-up dates of ice on lakes and rivers across the north. Ice road builders often used Ultrasound equipment to measure ice thickness. However, an automated monitoring system, based on machine vision and image processing technology, which can measure ice thickness on lakes has not been thought of. Machine vision and image processing techniques have successfully been used in manufacturing

  8. Analysis of the mixing processes in the subtropical Advancetown Lake, Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bertone, Edoardo; Stewart, Rodney A.; Zhang, Hong; O'Halloran, Kelvin

    2015-03-01

    This paper presents an extensive investigation of the mixing processes occurring in the subtropical monomictic Advancetown Lake, which is the main water body supplying the Gold Coast City in Australia. Meteorological, chemical and physical data were collected from weather stations, laboratory analysis of grab samples and an in-situ Vertical Profiling System (VPS), for the period 2008-2012. This comprehensive, high frequency dataset was utilised to develop a one-dimensional model of the vertical transport and mixing processes occurring along the water column. Multivariate analysis revealed that air temperature and rain forecasts enabled a reliable prediction of the strength of the lake stratification. Vertical diffusion is the main process driving vertical mixing, particularly during winter circulation. However, a high reservoir volume and warm winters can limit the degree of winter mixing, causing only partial circulation to occur, as was the case in 2013. This research study provides a comprehensive approach for understanding and predicting mixing processes for similar lakes, whenever high-frequency data are available from VPS or other autonomous water monitoring systems.

  9. Modeling the impediment of methane ebullition bubbles by seasonal lake ice

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Greene, S.; Walter Anthony, K. M.; Archer, D.

    Microbial methane (CH 4) ebullition (bubbling) from anoxic lake sediments comprises a globally significant flux to the atmosphere, but ebullition bubbles in temperate and polar lakes can be trapped by winter ice cover and later released during spring thaw. This "ice-bubble storage" (IBS) constitutes a novel mode of CH 4 emission. Before bubbles are encapsulated by downward-growing ice, some of their CH 4 dissolves into the lake water, where it may be subject to oxidation. We present field characterization and a model of the annual CH 4 cycle in Goldstream Lake, a thermokarst (thaw) lake in interior Alaska. We findmore » that summertime ebullition dominates annual CH 4 emissions to the atmosphere. Eighty percent of CH 4 in bubbles trapped by ice dissolves into the lake water column in winter, and about half of that is oxidized. The ice growth rate and the magnitude of the CH 4 ebullition flux are important controlling factors of bubble dissolution. Seven percent of annual ebullition CH 4 is trapped as IBS and later emitted as ice melts. In a future warmer climate, there will likely be less seasonal ice cover, less IBS, less CH 4 dissolution from trapped bubbles, and greater CH 4 emissions from northern lakes.« less

  10. Modeling the impediment of methane ebullition bubbles by seasonal lake ice

    DOE PAGES

    Greene, S.; Walter Anthony, K. M.; Archer, D.; ...

    2014-12-08

    Microbial methane (CH 4) ebullition (bubbling) from anoxic lake sediments comprises a globally significant flux to the atmosphere, but ebullition bubbles in temperate and polar lakes can be trapped by winter ice cover and later released during spring thaw. This "ice-bubble storage" (IBS) constitutes a novel mode of CH 4 emission. Before bubbles are encapsulated by downward-growing ice, some of their CH 4 dissolves into the lake water, where it may be subject to oxidation. We present field characterization and a model of the annual CH 4 cycle in Goldstream Lake, a thermokarst (thaw) lake in interior Alaska. We findmore » that summertime ebullition dominates annual CH 4 emissions to the atmosphere. Eighty percent of CH 4 in bubbles trapped by ice dissolves into the lake water column in winter, and about half of that is oxidized. The ice growth rate and the magnitude of the CH 4 ebullition flux are important controlling factors of bubble dissolution. Seven percent of annual ebullition CH 4 is trapped as IBS and later emitted as ice melts. In a future warmer climate, there will likely be less seasonal ice cover, less IBS, less CH 4 dissolution from trapped bubbles, and greater CH 4 emissions from northern lakes.« less

  11. Spawning habitat unsuitability: an impediment to cisco rehabilitation in Lake Michigan?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Madenjian, Charles P.; Rutherford, Edward S.; Blouin, Marc A.; Sederberg, Bryan J.; Elliott, Jeff R.

    2011-01-01

    The cisco Coregonus artedi was one of the most important native prey fishes in Lake Michigan and in the other four Laurentian Great Lakes. Most of the cisco spawning in Lake Michigan was believed to have occurred in Green Bay. The cisco population in Lake Michigan collapsed during the 1950s, and the collapse was attributed in part to habitat degradation within Green Bay. Winter water quality surveys of lower Green Bay during the 1950s and 1960s indicated that the bottom dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration was less than 2 mg/L throughout much of the lower bay, and most cisco eggs would not successfully hatch at such low DO concentrations. To determine present-day spawning habitat suitability in lower Green Bay, we compared cisco egg survival in lower Green Bay with survival at a reference site (St. Marys River, Michigan–Ontario) during 2009. We also conducted winter water quality surveys in lower Green Bay and the St. Marys River during 2009 and 2010. Cisco egg survival in lower Green Bay averaged 65.3%, which was remarkably similar to and not significantly different from the mean at the St. Marys River site (64.0%). Moreover, the lowest bottom DO concentrations recorded during the winter surveys were 11.2 mg/L in lower Green Bay and 12.7 mg/L in the St. Marys River. These relatively high DO concentrations would not be expected to have any negative effect on cisco egg survival. We conclude that winter water quality conditions in lower Green Bay were suitable for successful hatching of cisco eggs and that water quality during the egg incubation period did not represent an impediment to cisco rehabilitation in Lake Michigan. Our approach to determining spawning habitat suitability for coregonids would be applicable to other aquatic systems.

  12. Effects of hydrological regime on development of Carex wet meadows in East Dongting Lake, a Ramsar Wetland for wintering waterbirds

    PubMed Central

    Jing, Lei; Lu, Cai; Xia, Yan; Shi, Linlu; Zuo, Aojie; Lei, Jialing; Zhang, Hong; Lei, Guangchun; Wen, Li

    2017-01-01

    Wet meadows are one of the most important ecological components in floodplain, and are among the most dynamic ecosystems. Understanding the development of wet meadows and contributing environmental factors can provide better support for wetland management. Carex meadows in East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve (EDLNNR) provide vital wintering ground for thousands of migratory waterbirds, and their ecological functions are under threated due to hydrological alternation. We measured wet meadow expansion in EDLNNR from 1989 to 2014, and explored its responses to hydrological and climatic factors within the generalised additive models (GAM) framework. We found an overall expansion of wet meadows over the study period. However, in contrast to many previous studies, our results showed that water level fluctuations at the hydrologic indicator site had only limited impacts on their development. Instead, sampling year, timing of water level recession, and local rainfall exerted significant effects. The effects of sampling year reflected the changes in sedimentation within Dongting Lake; and effects of timing of water withdrawal might be explained by the life history of the dominant sedge species. Our study suggested that the impacts of large scale hydrological alternation on vegetation may operate indirectly through its effects on sediment balance. PMID:28165508

  13. How Do Plants and Animals Prepare for Winter?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Larm, Brooke

    2017-01-01

    This article describes how a farm-based class in the Great Lakes region investigated how plants and animals prepare for winter. Two groups of children, ranging in ages from three to five years old, had a farm, pasture, gardens, forest, and a pond available for exploration. A low teacher-to-child ratio was maintained, with one teacher to…

  14. Seasonal Daphnia biomass in winterkill and nonwinterkill glacial lakes of South Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Isermann, D.A.; Chipps, S.R.; Brown, M.L.

    2004-01-01

    We compared the seasonal biomass (??g dry weight/L) and body size of Daphnia pulex populations between South Dakota lakes that experienced nearly complete winterkill (n = 2) and those that did not experience fish winterkill the previous winter (n = 2). In spring (March-May), D. pulex biomass was substantially lower in winterkill lakes (0.4-1.9 ??g/L) than in nonwinterkill lakes (13.8-129.4 ??g/L). In summer months (June-July), D. pulex biomass increased in all lakes but was generally higher in winterkill lakes (332.1-469. 3 ??g/L) than in nonwinterkill lakes (88.6-204.2 ??g/L). By September, D. pulex biomass was substantially higher in winterkill lakes (243.8 ??g/L) than in nonwinterkill lakes (1.0 ??g/L). The mean size of D. pulex increased significantly from March to August in winterkill lakes but not in nonwinterkill lakes. The seasonal differences in D. pulex biomass and size may have been related to size-selective predation by planktivorous fishes because the ratio of spine length to body length in D. pulex was significantly lower in winterkill lakes (mean, 0.34) than in nonwinterkill lakes (mean, 0.43). Moreover, seasonal patterns in chlorophyll-a biomass were inversely related to D. pulex biomass. The production and subsequent hatching of resting eggs may be important for recolonization of Daphnia populations after severe winter conditions. The survival and growth of zooplanktivorous fish that are stocked to repopulate winterkill lakes may be increased by delaying stocking until Daphnia populations recover from severe winterkill.

  15. Early observations on an emerging Great Lakes invader Hemimysis anomala in Lake Ontario

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Walsh, Maureen G.; Lantry, Brian F.; Boscarino, Brent; Bowen, Kelly; Gerlofsma, Jocelyn; Schaner, Ted; Back, Richard; Questel, Jennifer; Smythe, A. Garry; Cap, Roberta; Goehle, Michael; Young, Bryan; Chalupnicki, Marc A.; Johnson, James H.; McKenna, James E.

    2010-01-01

    Hemimysis anomala, a Ponto-Caspian littoral mysid, is an emerging Great Lakes invader that was discovered in Lakes Michigan and Ontario in 2006. Similar to the native mysid Mysis diluviana, Hemimysis exhibits a diel vertical migration pattern but generally inhabits shallower and warmer waters than M. diluviana. Because basic information on the distribution, habitat use, and biology of Hemimysis in the Great Lakes is scarce, the potential for food web disruption by Hemimysis cannot easily be predicted. Preliminary observations indicate widespread invasion of Hemimysis in Lake Ontario. In this study, we confirm the presence of Hemimysis at sites spanning the northern and southern shores of Lake Ontario and the presence of the individuals during winter months. In one horizontal tow in November 2007, over 26,000 individuals were collected with a length range of 4.4 to 9.0. mm and an average caloric density of 611. cal/g wet weight. The most effective methods for sampling Hemimysis were horizontal tows with either a zooplankton net in the water column or a benthic sled near the lake bottom. Although more quantitative data on the life history and distribution of this species is necessary, our preliminary observations support the prediction that the potential for Hemimysis to impact the nearshore food web in Lake Ontario appears high.

  16. Distribution of non-breeding great lakes piping plovers (Charadrius melodus) along Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines: Ten years of band sightings

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stucker, J.H.; Cuthbert, F.J.; Winn, Brad; Noel, B.L.; Maddock, S.B.; Leary, P.R.; Cordes, J.; Wemmer, L.C.

    2010-01-01

    In 1993, a mark-recapture effort was initiated to band annually all Great Lakes Piping Plover nesting adults and offspring. With voluntary reporting by observers, >430 sightings of 154 individually-marked Great Lakes banded birds were documented on the wintering grounds during 19952005. This paper reports non-breeding distribution and site-fidelity and identifies Critical Habitat units used by this population during the winter. Information obtained through banded bird sightings indicates that the winter range of Great Lakes Piping Plovers extends from North Carolina to Texas, and the Bahamas, with the majority (75%) of reported individuals wintering in Georgia and Florida. About 95% of sightings were near or within federally-designated winter Critical Habitat for Piping Plovers. Within season (52%) and between-year (62%) site fidelity was documented for resightings within 3.5 km of initial sighting. Although breeding pairs do not winter in close association, there is some evidence to suggest that offspring winter closer to the male rather than the female parent (P-value = 0.03), and adult males and females appear to exhibit latitudinal segregation (P-value < 0.001). Females reach the winter grounds before males, arriving in July and staying through April (???9 months) or 75% of the annual cycle. The study is the first to identify winter distribution for the Great Lakes Piping Plover population. The significant proportion of the annual cycle spent on the wintering grounds emphasizes the importance of habitat protection during the non-breeding season for this federally-listed population.

  17. Depth, ice thickness, and ice-out timing cause divergent hydrologic responses among Arctic lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Arp, Christopher D.; Jones, Benjamin M.; Liljedahl, Anna K.; Hinkel, Kenneth M.; Welker, Jeffery A.

    2015-01-01

    Lakes are prevalent in the Arctic and thus play a key role in regional hydrology. Since many Arctic lakes are shallow and ice grows thick (historically 2-m or greater), seasonal ice commonly freezes to the lake bed (bedfast ice) by winter's end. Bedfast ice fundamentally alters lake energy balance and melt-out processes compared to deeper lakes that exceed the maximum ice thickness (floating ice) and maintain perennial liquid water below floating ice. Our analysis of lakes in northern Alaska indicated that ice-out of bedfast ice lakes occurred on average 17 days earlier (22-June) than ice-out on adjacent floating ice lakes (9-July). Earlier ice-free conditions in bedfast ice lakes caused higher open-water evaporation, 28% on average, relative to floating ice lakes and this divergence increased in lakes closer to the coast and in cooler summers. Water isotopes (18O and 2H) indicated similar differences in evaporation between these lake types. Our analysis suggests that ice regimes created by the combination of lake depth relative to ice thickness and associated ice-out timing currently cause a strong hydrologic divergence among Arctic lakes. Thus understanding the distribution and dynamics of lakes by ice regime is essential for predicting regional hydrology. An observed regime shift in lakes to floating ice conditions due to thinner ice growth may initially offset lake drying because of lower evaporative loss from this lake type. This potential negative feedback caused by winter processes occurs in spite of an overall projected increase in evapotranspiration as the Arctic climate warms.

  18. The role of the Asian winter monsoon in the rapid propagation of abrupt climate changes during the last deglaciation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chu, Guoqiang; Sun, Qing; Zhu, Qingzeng; Shan, Yabing; Shang, Wenyu; Ling, Yuan; Su, Youliang; Xie, Manman; Wang, Xishen; Liu, Jiaqi

    2017-12-01

    High-resolution temperature records spanning the last deglaciation from low latitudes are scarce; however, they are important for understanding the rapid propagation of abrupt climate events throughout the Northern Hemisphere and the tropics. Here, we present a branched GDGTs-based temperature reconstruction from the sediments of Maar Lake Huguangyan in tropical China. The record reveals that the mean temperature during the Oldest Dryas was 17.8 °C, which was followed by a two-step increase of 2-3 °C to the Bølling-Allerød, a decrease to 19.8 °C during the Younger Dryas, and a rapid warming at the onset of the Holocene. The Oldest Dryas was about 2 °C warmer than the Younger Dryas. The reconstructed temperature was weighted towards the wintertime since the lake is monomictic and the mixing process in winter supplies nutrients from the lake bottom to the entire water column, greatly promoting biological productivity. In addition, the winter-biased temperature changes observed in the study are more distinctive than the summer-biased temperature records from extra-tropical regions of East Asia. This implies that the temperature decreases during abrupt climatic events were mainly a winter phenomenon. Within the limits of the dating uncertainties, the broadly similar pattern of winter-weighted temperature change observed in both tropical Lake Huguangyan and in Greenland ice cores indicates the occurrence of tightly-coupled interactions between high latitude ice sheets and land areas in the tropics. We suggest that the winter monsoon (especially cold surges) could play an important role in the rapid transmission of the temperature signal from the Arctic to the tropics.

  19. Sensitivity of Great Lakes Ice Cover to Air Temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Austin, J. A.; Titze, D.

    2016-12-01

    Ice cover is shown to exhibit a strong linear sensitivity to air temperature. Upwards of 70% of ice cover variability on all of the Great Lakes can be explained in terms of air temperature, alone, and nearly 90% of ice cover variability can be explained in some lakes. Ice cover sensitivity to air temperature is high, and a difference in seasonally-averaged (Dec-May) air temperature on the order of 1°C to 2°C can be the difference between a low-ice year and a moderate- to high- ice year. The total amount of seasonal ice cover is most influenced by air temperatures during the meteorological winter, contemporaneous with the time of ice formation. Air temperature conditions during the pre-winter conditioning period and during the spring melting period were found to have less of an impact on seasonal ice cover. This is likely due to the fact that there is a negative feedback mechanism when heat loss goes toward cooling the lake, but a positive feedback mechanism when heat loss goes toward ice formation. Ice cover sensitivity relationships were compared between shallow coastal regions of the Great Lakes and similarly shallow smaller, inland lakes. It was found that the sensitivity to air temperature is similar between these coastal regions and smaller lakes, but that the absolute amount of ice that forms varies significantly between small lakes and the Great Lakes, and amongst the Great Lakes themselves. The Lake Superior application of the ROMS three-dimensional hydrodynamic numerical model verifies a deterministic linear relationship between air temperature and ice cover, which is also strongest around the period of ice formation. When the Lake Superior bathymetry is experimentally adjusted by a constant vertical multiplier, average lake depth is shown to have a nonlinear relationship with seasonal ice cover, and this nonlinearity may be associated with a nonlinear increase in the lake-wide volume of the surface mixed layer.

  20. 21st century projections of snowfall and winter severity across central-eastern North America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Notaro, M.; Lorenz, D. J.; Hoving, C.; Schummer, M.

    2014-12-01

    Statistically downscaled climate projections from nine global climate models (GCMs) are used to force a snow accumulation and ablation model (SNOW-17) across the central-eastern North American Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) to develop high-resolution projections of snowfall, snow depth, and winter severity index (WSI) by the mid- and late 21st century. Here, we use projections of a cumulative WSI (CWSI) known to influence autumn-winter waterfowl migration to demonstrate the utility of SNOW-17 results. The application of statistically downscaled climate data and a snow model leads to a better representation of lake processes in the Great Lakes Basin, topographic effects in the Appalachian Mountains, and spatial patterns of climatological snowfall, compared to the original GCMs. Annual mean snowfall is simulated to decline across the region, particularly in early winter (December-January), leading to a delay in the mean onset of the snow season. Due to a warming-induced acceleration of snowmelt, the percentage loss in snow depth exceeds that of snowfall. Across the Plains and Prairie Potholes LCC and Upper Midwest and Great Lakes LCC, daily snowfall events are projected to become less common, but more intense. The greatest reductions in the number of days per year with a present snowpack are expected close to the historical position of the -5°C isotherm in DJFM, around 44°N. The CWSI is projected to decline substantially during December-January, leading to increased likelihood of delays in timing and intensity of autumn-winter waterfowl migrations.

  1. Linkage between Three Gorges Dam impacts and the dramatic recessions in China’s largest freshwater lake, Poyang Lake

    PubMed Central

    Mei, Xuefei; Dai, Zhijun; Du, Jinzhou; Chen, Jiyu

    2015-01-01

    Despite comprising a small portion of the earth’s surface, lakes are vitally important for global ecosystem cycling. However, lake systems worldwide are extremely fragile, and many are shrinking due to changing climate and anthropogenic activities. Here, we show that Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, has experienced a dramatic and prolonged recession, which began in late September of 2003. We further demonstrate that abnormally low levels appear during October, 28 days ahead of the normal initiation of the dry season, which greatly imperiled the lake’s wetland areas and function as an ecosystem for wintering waterbirds. An increase in the river-lake water level gradient induced by the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) altered the lake balance by inducing greater discharge into the Changjiang River, which is probably responsible for the current lake shrinkage. Occasional episodes of arid climate, as well as local sand mining, will aggravate the lake recession crisis. Although impacts of TGD on the Poyang Lake recession can be overruled by episodic extreme droughts, we argue that the average contributions of precipitation variation, human activities in the Poyang Lake catchment and TGD regulation to the Poyang Lake recession can be quantified as 39.1%, 4.6% and 56.3%, respectively. PMID:26657816

  2. Linkage between Three Gorges Dam impacts and the dramatic recessions in China’s largest freshwater lake, Poyang Lake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mei, Xuefei; Dai, Zhijun; Du, Jinzhou; Chen, Jiyu

    2015-12-01

    Despite comprising a small portion of the earth’s surface, lakes are vitally important for global ecosystem cycling. However, lake systems worldwide are extremely fragile, and many are shrinking due to changing climate and anthropogenic activities. Here, we show that Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, has experienced a dramatic and prolonged recession, which began in late September of 2003. We further demonstrate that abnormally low levels appear during October, 28 days ahead of the normal initiation of the dry season, which greatly imperiled the lake’s wetland areas and function as an ecosystem for wintering waterbirds. An increase in the river-lake water level gradient induced by the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) altered the lake balance by inducing greater discharge into the Changjiang River, which is probably responsible for the current lake shrinkage. Occasional episodes of arid climate, as well as local sand mining, will aggravate the lake recession crisis. Although impacts of TGD on the Poyang Lake recession can be overruled by episodic extreme droughts, we argue that the average contributions of precipitation variation, human activities in the Poyang Lake catchment and TGD regulation to the Poyang Lake recession can be quantified as 39.1%, 4.6% and 56.3%, respectively.

  3. Projected Influences of Changes in Weather Severity on Autumn-Winter Distributions of Dabbling Ducks in the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways during the Twenty-First Century.

    PubMed

    Notaro, Michael; Schummer, Michael; Zhong, Yafang; Vavrus, Stephen; Van Den Elsen, Lena; Coluccy, John; Hoving, Christopher

    2016-01-01

    Projected changes in the relative abundance and timing of autumn-winter migration are assessed for seven dabbling duck species across the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways for the mid- and late 21st century. Species-specific observed relationships are established between cumulative weather severity in autumn-winter and duck population rate of change. Dynamically downscaled projections of weather severity are developed using a high-resolution regional climate model, interactively coupled to a one-dimensional lake model to represent the Great Lakes and associated lake-effect snowfall. Based on the observed relationships and downscaled climate projections of rising air temperatures and reduced snow cover, delayed autumn-winter migration is expected for all species, with the least delays for the Northern Pintail and the greatest delays for the Mallard. Indeed, the Mallard, the most common and widespread duck in North America, may overwinter in the Great Lakes region by the late 21st century. This highlights the importance of protecting and restoring wetlands across the mid-latitudes of North America, including the Great Lakes Basin, because dabbling ducks are likely to spend more time there, which would impact existing wetlands through increased foraging pressure. Furthermore, inconsistency in the timing and intensity of the traditional autumn-winter migration of dabbling ducks in the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways could have social and economic consequences to communities to the south, where hunting and birdwatching would be affected.

  4. Lake Granbury and Lake Whitney Assessment Initiative Final Scientific/Technical Report Summary

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Harris, B. L.; Roelke, Daniel; Brooks, Bryan

    A team of Texas AgriLife Research, Baylor University and University of Texas at Arlington researchers studied the biology and ecology of Prymnesium parvum (golden algae) in Texas lakes using a three-fold approach that involved system-wide monitoring, experimentation at the microcosm and mesocosm scales, and mathematical modeling. The following are conclusions, to date, regarding this organism's ecology and potential strategies for mitigation of blooms by this organism. In-lake monitoring revealed that golden algae are present throughout the year, even in lakes where blooms do not occur. Compilation of our field monitoring data with data collected by Texas Parks and Wildlife andmore » Brazos River Authority (a period spanning a decade) revealed that inflow and salinity variables affect bloom formations. Thresholds for algae populations vary per lake, likely due to adaptations to local conditions, and also to variations in lake-basin morphometry, especially the presence of coves that may serve as hydraulic storage zones for P. parvum populations. More specifically, our in-lake monitoring showed that the highly toxic bloom that occurred in Lake Granbury in the winter of 2006/2007 was eliminated by increased river inflow events. The bloom was flushed from the system. The lower salinities that resulted contributed to golden algae not blooming in the following years. However, flushing is not an absolute requirement for bloom termination. Laboratory experiments have shown that growth of golden algae can occur at salinities ~1-2 psu but only when temperatures are also low. This helps to explain why blooms are possible during winter months in Texas lakes. Our in-lake experiments in Lake Whitney and Lake Waco, as well as our laboratory experiments, revealed that cyanobacteria, or some other bacteria capable of producing algicides, were able to prevent golden algae from blooming. Identification of this organism is a high priority as it may be a key to managing golden algae

  5. Ethnography with Love and "Duende": The Promise of Ethnography in a Democratic Society (On Receiving The CAE 2016 George and Louise Spindler Award)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilmore, Perry

    2017-01-01

    This article is a slightly edited version of my invited award talk, delivered just days after the presidential election, when I received the George and Louise Spindler Award at the annual business meeting of the Council on Anthropology and Education, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, November 2016. In those first days after the election we were all…

  6. Heavy metals seasonal variability and distribution in Lake Qaroun sediments, El-Fayoum, Egypt

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Redwan, Mostafa; Elhaddad, Engy

    2017-10-01

    This study was carried out to investigate the seasonal variability and distribution of heavy metals ;HMs; (Fe, Mn, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and V) in the bottom sediments of Lake Qaroun, in Egypt. The samples were collected from 10 sites in summer and winter seasons in 2015. Total metals concentrations were measured using inductively coupled plasma spectrometer. Multivariate techniques were applied to analyse the distribution and potential source of heavy metals. The mean seasonal concentrations follow a descending order of Fe > Mn > V > Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu > Co > Pb. The mean concentrations of HMs in sediments during summer were higher than the concentrations during winter and above the average world shale values, except for Pb, suggesting potential adverse toxicity to aquatic organisms. All metals showed enrichment during summer and winter at sites S3 and S5 in the southeastern parts of the lake due to the heavy discharge of contaminants from El-Bats and El-Wadi drains. Principal component analysis results suggested two principal components controlling HMs variability in sediments, which accounted for 63.9% (factor 1: Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb and V), 15.9% (factor 2: Mn and Fe) during summer, and 76.7% (factor 1: Fe, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Pb and V), 13.8% (factor 2: Mn) during winter of the total variance. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) showed some pollution risk at the southeastern and southern parts (sites S3 and S5). Dilution during winter, concentration during summer, impact of non-point sources from different agricultural, industrial, municipal sewage and fish farms in the southern part of Lake Qaroun, adsorption and salt dissolution reactions and lithogenic sources are the main controlling factors for HMs in the study area. Monitoring of contaminant discharge at Lake Qaroun should be introduced for future remediation and management strategies.

  7. Winter distribution and survival of a high-desert breeding population of canvasbacks

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kruse, K.L.; Lovvorn, J.R.; Takekawa, John Y.; MacKay, J.

    2003-01-01

    The southernmost major breeding area of Canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) is located at the Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Nevada, in the high desert of the western Great Basin. We determined winter distributions, recovery rates, and survival for Canvasbacks banded in Nevada from March to November, 1968–2000. Winter recovery distributions did not differ by sex or age, but differed between direct recoveries (same year as banding) and indirect recoveries (after year of banding), indicating variable site use between years. Of direct band returns (October–March), 92% were from the Pacific Flyway and 56% were from California alone. In California, recovery distributions shifted from southern California and the San Francisco Bay estuary in the 1970s to the Central Valley in the 1980s and 1990s. In the 1990s, there were no recoveries in San Francisco Bay, historically the major wintering area for Canvasbacks in the Pacific Flyway. Adult and juvenile survival decreased by 24% between the 1980s and 1990s. Ruby Lake Canvasbacks exhibited weaker fidelity to wintering sites than Canvasbacks wintering on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Moreover, no major concentrations occurred during fall migration, unlike patterns in eastern North America. Shifts in distribution and survival may correspond to effects of El Niño weather on habitat conditions in Nevada and San Francisco Bay, and to major improvements in water delivery and wetland restoration in the Central Valley. Canvasbacks that use widely distributed and variable habitats may be good indicators of the effects of changing climate and water-use practices on waterbirds throughout this arid region.

  8. Backscatter from ice growing on shallow tundra lakes near Barrow, Alaska, winter 1991-1992

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jeffries, M. O.; Wakabayashi, H.; Weeks, W. F.; Morris, K.

    1993-01-01

    The timing of freeze-up and break-up of Arctic lake ice is a potentially useful environmental indicator that could be monitored using SAR. In order to do this, it is important to understand how the properties and structure of the ice during its growth and decay affect radar backscatter and thus lake ice SAR signatures. The availability of radiometrically and geometrically calibrated digital SAR data time series from the Alaska SAR Facility has made it possible for the first time to quantify lake ice backscatter intensity (sigma(sup o)) variations. This has been done for ice growing on shallow tundra lakes near Barrow, NW Alaska, from initial growth in September 1991 until thawing and decay in June 1992. Field and laboratory observations and measurements of the lake ice were made in late April 1992. The field investigations of the coastal lakes near Barrow confirmed previous findings that, (1) ice frozen to the lake bottom had a dark signature in SAR images, indicating weak backscatter, while, (2) ice that was floating had a bright signature, indicating strong backscatter. At all sites, regardless of whether the ice was grounded or floating, there was a layer of clear, inclusion-free ice overlaying a layer of ice with dense concentrations of vertically oriented tubular bubbles. At some sites, there was a third layer of porous, snow-ice overlaying the clear ice.

  9. Ice fishing by wintering Bald Eagles in Arizona

    Treesearch

    Teryl G. Grubb; Roy G. Lopez

    1997-01-01

    Northern Arizona winters vary within and between years with occasional heavy snows (up to 0.6 m) and extreme cold (overnight lows -18 to -29°C) interspersed with dry periods, mild temperatures (daytime highs reaching 10°C), and general loss of snow cover at all but highest elevations. Lakes in the area may freeze and thaw partially or totally several times during a...

  10. Spatio-temporal Distribution and Chemical Speciation of Iron and Manganese in Sediments from Lake Aha, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Feng; Hu, Jiwei; Qin, Fanxin; Jiang, Cuihong; Huang, Xianfei; Deng, Jiajun; Li, Cunxiong

    2010-11-01

    This paper reports an investigation on pollution and potential risk on elements of iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) in sediments from Lake Aha, which is a drinking-water source for Guiyang City, the capital of Guizhou Province in southwestern China. In the present research, chemical speciation of Fe and Mn in sediments from the lake was studied based on the sequential extraction procedure developed by Tessier et al.. The results obtained from the study are as follows. The average values of total Fe were 47617 mg/kg and 70325 mg/kg in sediments from the lake in summer and winter respectively, and its speciation consisted mainly of residual and Fe-Mn oxides fractions. The amounts of total Fe and the distribution of its speciation in the sediments should be affected by effluents from a large quantity of deserted coal mines in the lake basin in summer and winter. The average values of total Mn were 7996 mg/kg and 1753 mg/kg in summer and winter respectively, and its speciation is primarily comprised of carbonate and Fe-Mn oxides fractions. The amounts of total Mn and its distribution in different fractions in the sediments were believed to be primarily influenced by effluents from those deserted coal mines in summer and by the condition of redox interface in winter.

  11. Inorganic Contaminant Concentrations and Body Condition in Wintering Waterfowl from Great Salt Lake, Utah

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vest, J.; Conover, M.; Perschon, C.; Luft, J.

    2006-12-01

    The Great Salt Lake (GSL) is the fourth largest terminal lake in the world and is an important region for migratory and breeding waterbirds. Because the GSL is a closed basin, contaminants associated with industrial and urban development may accumulate in this system. Recently, water and sediment samples from the GSL revealed high concentrations of Hg and Se and methylmercury concentrations in GSL water samples were among the highest ever recorded in surface water by the USGS Mercury Laboratory. Thus, GSL waterbirds are likely exposed to these contaminants and elevated contaminant concentrations may adversely affect survival and reproduction in waterfowl. Our objectives were to 1) estimate mercury (Hg), selenium (Se), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn) concentrations in wintering waterfowl from GSL and, 2) evaluate relationships between measures of waterfowl body condition and internal organ masses (hereafter body condition) with trace metal concentrations. We collected common goldeneye (COGO), northern shoveler (NSHO), and American green-winged teal (AGWT) from the GSL during early winter. We used ICP-MS to analyze liver and muscle tissue samples for contaminant concentrations. We developed species specific regression models for each of 5 condition indices, including ingesta-free plucked body mass (IFPBM), abdominal fat mass, spleen, liver, and pancreas masses. Independent variables were comprised of Hg, Se, Cd, Cu, and Zn and we included sex and age as covariates in each regression. We used Akaike's Information Criterion adjusted for small sample size to select best and competing models. Subsequently, we used partial correlations to depict inverse relationships identified in competing models. Hg concentrations in COGO and NSHO muscle tissue generally exceeded or approached the 1 ppm wet weight (ww) threshold considered unsafe for human consumption in fish and game. Hg concentrations in liver tissue exceeded or were among the highest reported in published

  12. Instability of Water Quality of a Shallow, Polymictic, Flow-Through Lake.

    PubMed

    Ferencz, Beata; Dawidek, Jarosław; Toporowska, Magdalena

    2018-01-01

    This paper describes catchment processes that favor the trophic instability of a shallow polymictic lake, in which a shift from eutrophy to hypertrophy occurs rapidly. In the lake, in 2007, the winter discharge maximum and an intensive precipitation (monthly sums exceeded 60 mm) in a vegetation season were observed. In 2007, the cyanobacterial blooms disappeared and the water trophy decreased. Total phosphorus (TP) was the main factor determining the high trophic status of the lake. The TP retention resulted from a quick flow of two inflows: QI1 (r = 0.64) and QI2 (0.56), and the base flow of tributary 1 (0.62). A significant negative correlation between TP and precipitation ( r  = - 0.54) was observed. Both the surface and the groundwater inflow of I4 showed a positive correlation with the retention of PO 4 ( r  = 0.67 and r  = 0.60, respectively), whereas the outlet discharge determined RNO 3 ( r  = 0.57). The trophy of Lake Syczyńskie was determined by the relationship between nutrient input and export, expressed as the ionic retention, Carlson's trophic state index (TSI), and phytoplankton abundance. The results showed that many factors influence the stability of water quality in small, polymictic lakes. However, in the studied lake, intense precipitation and winter discharge maxima (particularly base flow) prevented summer cyanobacterial blooms.

  13. Vertical structure and horizontal variations in the cycling of methane in the sediment of Lake Onego, Russia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, Camille; Perga, Marie-Elodie; Frossard, Victor; Pasche, Natacha; Hofmann, Hilmar; Ariztegui, Daniel; Dubois, Nathalie; Belkina, Natalya; Lyautey, Emilie

    2017-04-01

    Lake Onego, the second largest lake in Europe, is a dystrophic, seasonally ice-covered lake in Karelia, Russia. Like most winter-covered lakes, its study has largely been limited to the summer period. However, it is well known that methane production is still ongoing in lake sediments during winter, potentially resulting in accumulation and major release upon thawing. Within the "Life Under The Ice" research project, our objectives were to assess winter contribution to the annual methane flux in Lake Onego, and to understand conditions and factors influencing methane cycling. During two on-ice field campaigns in March 2015 and 2016, sediment cores were retrieved at different sites of Petrozavodsk Bay, located in the north-western part of the lake. DNA and RNA were extracted from these cores to investigate the functional structure of microbial communities. Genes involved in methanogenesis, anaerobic and aerobic methane oxidations were quantified along with the concentrations and isotopic ratio of methane in the sediment pore water. Incubations, fingerprinting and sequencing of mcrA genes were also realized. Vertically, the sediment is structured in a deep anoxic zone (below 10 cm) where mcrA gene and transcript copies increased implying methanogenesis, a transitional zone (5-8 cm) hosting methanotrophic organisms (Cand. Methanoperedens) able to oxidize the diffusing methane anaerobically by coupling nitrate reduction (Haroon et al., 2013), and a shallower oxic zone where methanotrophs were detected (pmoA gene and transcripts) and where methane concentrations drop below detection limit. Sediment cores were also collected at three sites along a transect from the mouth of the river Shuya (the major inflow to the bay) to the open lake. Functional assemblage close to the river mouth had higher diversity and higher potential production rates and consumption of methane than further in the lake. However, the methane produced was almost completely consumed regardless of the

  14. Modes of supraglacial lake drainage and dynamic ice sheet response

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Das, S. B.; Behn, M. D.; Joughin, I. R.

    2011-12-01

    We investigate modes of supraglacial lake drainage using geophysical, ground, and remote sensing observations over the western margin of the Greenland ice sheet. Lakes exhibit a characteristic life cycle defined by a pre-drainage, drainage, and post-drainage phase. In the pre-drainage phase winter snow fills pre-existing cracks and stream channels, efficiently blocking past drainage conduits. As temperatures increase in the spring, surface melting commences, initially saturating the snow pack and subsequently forming a surface network of streams that fills the lake basins. Basins continue to fill until lake drainage commences, which for individual lakes occurs at different times depending on the previous winter snow accumulation and summer temperatures. Three styles of drainage behavior have been observed: (1) no drainage, (2) slow drainage over the side into an adjacent pre-existing crack, and (3) rapid drainage through a new crack formed beneath the lake basin. Moreover, from year-to-year individual lakes exhibit different drainage behaviors. Lakes that drain slowly often utilize the same outflow channel for multiple years, creating dramatic canyons in the ice. Ultimately, these surface channels are advected out of the lake basin and a new channel forms. In the post-drainage phase, melt water continues to access the bed typically through a small conduit (e.g. moulin) formed near a local topographic minimum along the main drainage crack, draining the lake catchment throughout the remainder of the melt season. This melt water input to the bed leads to continued basal lubrication and enhanced ice flow compared to background velocities. Lakes that do not completely drain freeze over to form a surface ice layer that persists into the following year. Our results show that supraglacial lakes show a spectrum of drainage behaviors and that these styles of drainage lead to varying rates and timing of surface meltwater delivery to the bed resulting in different dynamic ice

  15. Climatic and limnologic setting of Bear Lake, Utah and Idaho

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Dean, W.E.; Wurtsbaugh, W.A.; Lamarra, V.A.

    2009-01-01

    Bear Lake is a large alkaline lake on a high plateau on the Utah-Idaho border. The Bear River was partly diverted into the lake in the early twentieth century so that Bear Lake could serve as a reservoir to supply water for hydropower and irrigation downstream, which continues today. The northern Rocky Mountain region is within the belt of the strongest of the westerly winds that transport moisture during the winter and spring over coastal mountain ranges and into the Great Basin and Rocky Mountains. As a result of this dominant winter precipitation pattern, most of the water entering the lake is from snowmelt, but with net evaporation. The dominant solutes in the lake water are Ca 2+, Mg2+, and HCO32-, derived from Paleozoic carbonate rocks in the Bear River Range west of the lake. The lake is saturated with calcite, aragonite, and dolomite at all depths, and produces vast amounts of carbonate minerals. The chemistry of the lake has changed considerably over the past 100 years as a result of the diversion of Bear River. The net effect of the diversion was to dilute the lake water, especially the Mg2+ concentration. Bear Lake is oligotrophic and coprecipitation of phosphate with CaCO3 helps to keep productivity low. However, algal growth is colimited by nitrogen availability. Phytoplankton densities are low, with a mean summer chlorophyll a concentration of 0.4 mg L-1. Phytoplankton are dominated by diatoms, but they have not been studied extensively (but see Moser and Kimball, this volume). Zooplankton densities usually are low (<10 L-1) and highly seasonal, dominated by calanoid copepods and cladocera. Benthic invertebrate densities are extremely low; chironomid larvae are dominant at depths <30 m, and are partially replaced with ostracodes and oligochaetes in deeper water. The ostracode species in water depths >10 m are all endemic. Bear Lake has 13 species of fi sh, four of which are endemic. Copyright ?? 2009 The Geological Society of America.

  16. High-Frequency Observations of Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Reveal Under-Ice Convection in a Large Lake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Bernard; Young, Joelle; Brown, Laura; Wells, Mathew

    2017-12-01

    Detailed observations of thermal structure over an entire winter in a large lake reveal the presence of large (10-20 m) overturns under the ice, driven by diurnal solar heating. Convection can occur in the early winter, but the most vigorous convection occurred near the end of winter. Both periods are when our lake ice model suggest thinner ice that would have been transparent. This under-ice convection led to a deepening of the mixed layer over time, consistent with previous short-term studies. During periods of vigorous convection under the ice at the end of winter, the dissolved oxygen had become supersaturated from the surface to 23 m below the surface, suggesting abundant algal growth. Analysis of our high-frequency observations over the entire winter of 2015 using the Thorpe-scale method quantified the scale of mixing. Furthermore, it revealed that changes in oxygen concentrations are closely related to the intensity of mixing.

  17. Projected Influences of Changes in Weather Severity on Autumn-Winter Distributions of Dabbling Ducks in the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways during the Twenty-First Century

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Notaro, Michael; Schummer, Michael; Zhong, Yafang

    Projected changes in the relative abundance and timing of autumn-winter migration are assessed for seven dabbling duck species across the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways for the mid- and late 21 st century. Species-specific observed relationships are established between cumulative weather severity in autumn-winter and duck population rate of change. Dynamically downscaled projections of weather severity are developed using a high-resolution regional climate model, interactively coupled to a one-dimensional lake model to represent the Great Lakes and associated lake-effect snowfall. Based on the observed relationships and downscaled climate projections of rising air temperatures and reduced snow cover, delayed autumn-winter migration ismore » expected for all species, with the least delays for the Northern Pintail and the greatest delays for the Mallard. Indeed, the Mallard, the most common and widespread duck in North America, may overwinter in the Great Lakes region by the late 21 st century. This highlights the importance of protecting and restoring wetlands across the mid-latitudes of North America, including the Great Lakes Basin, because dabbling ducks are likely to spend more time there, which would impact existing wetlands through increased foraging pressure. Furthermore, inconsistency in the timing and intensity of the traditional autumn-winter migration of dabbling ducks in the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways could have social and economic consequences to communities to the south, where hunting and birdwatching would be affected.« less

  18. Projected Influences of Changes in Weather Severity on Autumn-Winter Distributions of Dabbling Ducks in the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways during the Twenty-First Century

    DOE PAGES

    Notaro, Michael; Schummer, Michael; Zhong, Yafang; ...

    2016-12-13

    Projected changes in the relative abundance and timing of autumn-winter migration are assessed for seven dabbling duck species across the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways for the mid- and late 21 st century. Species-specific observed relationships are established between cumulative weather severity in autumn-winter and duck population rate of change. Dynamically downscaled projections of weather severity are developed using a high-resolution regional climate model, interactively coupled to a one-dimensional lake model to represent the Great Lakes and associated lake-effect snowfall. Based on the observed relationships and downscaled climate projections of rising air temperatures and reduced snow cover, delayed autumn-winter migration ismore » expected for all species, with the least delays for the Northern Pintail and the greatest delays for the Mallard. Indeed, the Mallard, the most common and widespread duck in North America, may overwinter in the Great Lakes region by the late 21 st century. This highlights the importance of protecting and restoring wetlands across the mid-latitudes of North America, including the Great Lakes Basin, because dabbling ducks are likely to spend more time there, which would impact existing wetlands through increased foraging pressure. Furthermore, inconsistency in the timing and intensity of the traditional autumn-winter migration of dabbling ducks in the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyways could have social and economic consequences to communities to the south, where hunting and birdwatching would be affected.« less

  19. Response of ice cover on shallow Arctic lakes to contemporary climate conditions: Numerical modeling and remote sensing data analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duguay, C.; Surdu, C.; Brown, L.; Samuelsson, P.

    2012-04-01

    Lake ice cover has been shown to be a robust indicator of climate variability and change. Recent studies have demonstrated that break-up dates, in particular, have been occurring earlier in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere over the last 50 years in response to warmer climatic conditions in the winter and spring seasons. The impacts of trends in air temperature and winter precipitation over the last five decades and those projected by global climate models will affect the timing and duration of ice cover (and ice thickness) on Arctic lakes. This will likely, in turn, have an important feedback effect on energy, water, and biogeochemical cycling in various regions of the Arctic. In the case of shallow tundra lakes, many of which are less than 3-m deep, warmer climate conditions could result in a smaller fraction of lakes that freeze to their bed in winter since thinner ice covers are expected to develop. Shallow lakes of the coastal plain of northern Alaska, and other similar regions of the Arctic, have likely been experiencing changes in seasonal ice thickness (and phenology) over the last few decades but these have not yet been documented. This paper presents results from a numerical lake ice modeling experiment and the analysis of ERS-1/2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data to elucidate the response of ice cover (thickness, freezing to bed, and phenology) on shallow lakes of the North Slope of Alaska (NSA)to climate conditions over the last three decades. New downscaled data specific for the Arctic domain (at a resolution of 0.44 degrees using ERA Interim Reanalysis as boundary condition) produced by the Rossby Centre regional atmospheric model (RCA4) was used to force the Canadian Lake Ice Model (CLIMo) for the period 1979-2010. Output from CLIMo included freeze-up and break-up dates as well as ice thickness on a daily basis. ERS-1/2 data was used to map areas of shallow lakes that freeze to bed and when this happens (timing) in winter for the period 1991

  20. Salt Lake City, Utah

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    Salt Lake City, Utah, will host the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. The city is located on the southeastern shore of the Great Salt Lake and sits to the west of the Wasatch Mountains, which rise more than 3,500 meters (10,000 feet) above sea level. The city was first settled in 1847 by pioneers seeking relief from religious persecution. Today Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah, is home to more than 170,000 residents. This true-color image of Salt Lake City was acquired by the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), flying aboard Landsat 7, on May 26, 2000. The southeastern tip of the Great Salt Lake is visible in the upper left of the image. The furrowed green and brown landscape running north-south is a portion of the Wasatch Mountains, some of which are snow-capped (white pixels). The greyish pixels in the center of the image show the developed areas of the city. A number of water reservoirs can be seen east of the mountain range. Salt Lake City International Airport is visible on the northwestern edge of the city. About 20 miles south of the airport is the Bingham Canyon Copper Mine (tan pixels), the world's largest open pit excavation. See also this MODIS image of Utah. Image courtesy NASA Landsat7 Science Team and USGS Eros Data Center

  1. Migration of Tundra Swans (Cygnus columbianus) Wintering in Japan Using Satellite Tracking: Identification of the Eastern Palearctic Flyway.

    PubMed

    Chen, Wenbo; Doko, Tomoko; Fujita, Go; Hijikata, Naoya; Tokita, Ken-Ichi; Uchida, Kiyoshi; Konishi, Kan; Hiraoka, Emiko; Higuchi, Hiroyoshi

    2016-02-01

    Migration through the Eastern Palearctic (EP) flyway by tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) has not been thoroughly documented. We satellite-tracked the migration of 16 tundra swans that winter in Japan. The objectives of this study were 1) to show the migration pattern of the EP flyway of tundra swans; 2) to compare this pattern with the migration pattern of whooper swans; and 3) to identify stopover sites that are important for these swans' conservation. Tundra swans were captured at Kutcharo Lake, Hokkaido, in 2009-2012 and satellite-tracked. A new method called the "MATCHED (Migratory Analytical Time Change Easy Detection) method" was developed. Based on median, the spring migration began on 18 April and ended on 27 May. Autumn migration began on 9 September and ended on 2 November. The median duration of the spring and autumn migrations were 48 and 50 days, respectively. The mean duration at one stopover site was 5.5 days and 6.8 days for the spring and autumn migrations, respectively. The number of stopover sites was 3.0 and 2.5 for the spring and autumn migrations, respectively. The mean travel distances for the spring and autumn migrations were 6471 and 6331 km, respectively. Seven migration routes passing Sakhalin, the Amur River, and/or Kamchatka were identified. There were 15, 32, and eight wintering, stopover, and breeding sites, respectively. The migration routes and staging areas of tundra swans partially overlap with those of whooper swans, whose migration patterns have been previously documented. The migration patterns of these two swan species that winter in Japan confirm the importance of the Amur River, Udyl' Lake, Shchastya Bay, Aniva Bay, zaliv Chayvo Lake, zal Piltun Lake, zaliv Baykal Lake, Kolyma River, Buyunda River, Sen-kyuyel' Lake, and northern coastal areas of the Sea of Okhotsk.

  2. Quantification of the CO2 emitted from volcanic lakes in Pico Island (Azores)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Andrade, César; Cruz, José; Viveiros, Fátima; Branco, Rafael

    2017-04-01

    This study shows the results of the diffuse CO2 degassing surveys performed in lakes from Pico volcanic Island (Azores archipelago, Portugal). Detailed flux measurements using the accumulation chamber method were made at six lakes (Capitão, Caiado, Paul, Rosada, Peixinho and Negra) during two field campaigns, respectively, in winter (February 2016) and late summer (September 2016). Pico is the second largest island of the Azores archipelago with an area of 444.8 km2; the oldest volcanic unit is dated from about 300,000 years ago. The edification of Pico was mainly due to Hawaiian and Strombolian type volcanic activity, resulting in pahoehoe and aa lava flows of basaltic nature, as well as scoria and spatter cones. Three main volcanic complexes are identified in the island, namely (1) the so-called Montanha Volcanic Complex, corresponding to a central volcano located in the western side of the island that reaches a maximum altitude of 2351 m, (2) the São Roque-Piedade Volcanic Complex, and (3) the Topo-Lajes Volcanic Complex, this last one corresponding to the remnants of a shield volcano located in the south coast. The studied lakes are spread along the São Roque-Piedade Volcanic Complex at altitudes between 785 m and 898 m. Three are associated with depressions of undifferentiated origin (Caiado, Peixinho, Negra), two with depressions of tectonic origin (Capitão, Paul), while Rosada lake is located inside a scoria cone crater. The lakes surface areas vary between 1.25x10-2 and 5.38x10-2 km2, and the water column maximum depth is 7.9 m (3.5-7.9 m). The water storage ranges between 3.6x104 to 9.1x104 m3, and the estimated residence time does not exceed 1.8x10-1 years. A total of 1579 CO2 flux measurements were made during both surveys (868 in summer and 711 in the winter campaign), namely 518 in Caiado lake (293; 225), 358 in Paul (195; 163), 279 in Capitão (150, 129), 200 in Rosada (106, 94), 171 in Peixinho (71, 100) and 53 measurements in Negra lake. Negra

  3. Conditions to generate Steam Fog Occurred around the Chungju Lake in the South Korea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Byungwoo, J.

    2017-12-01

    We have collected the field observation data of the steam fog occurred around the Chungju Lake in the South Korea for 3 years(2014 2016) and analyzed conditions in which the steam fog occurred. The Chungju Lake is an artificial lake made by the Chungju Dam with a water storage of 2.7 billion tons, which is the second largest in South Korea. The Chungju Dam have discharged water of the average 2.2 million tons downstream to produce electricity per day. The drainage water heats downstream of the Chungju dam and the air above water surface of downstream of that. When the warm, humid air above the downstream water mixed with cold air mass, it caused "steam fog" around the downstream of Chungju lake regardless of amount of the discharged water. The condition that promote the generation of steam fog in autumn and winter is as follows: (1) cloudless night with light winds below 1.5 m/s. (2) The differences between the temperature of discharged water from the Chungju Dam and the air temperature above the discharged water varied from 3° to 15° in autumn, from 15° to 20° in winter respectively. (3) When stream fog was generated, sensible heat flux ranged in autumn from 5 to 15 W/m2, in winter from 15 to 20 W/m2 respectively. Latent heat flux ranged in autumn from 15 to 20 W/m2, in winter from 10 to 15 W/m2 respectively.

  4. Comparison of sea level pressure reconstructions from western North American tree rings with a proxy record of winter severity in Japan

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Gordon, G.A.; Lough, J.M.; Fritts, H.C.

    Reconstructions of winter (December-February) sea level pressure (SLP) from western North American tree-ring chronologies are compared with a proxy record of winter severity in Japan derived from the historically documented freeze dates of Lake Suwa. The SLP reconstructions extend from 1602 to 1961 and freeze dates from 1443 to 1954. The instrumental and reconstructed SLP for the 20th century reveal two distinct circulation regimes (teleconnection patterns) over the North Pacific that appear to be associated with severe and mild winters and, consequently, with early and late freezing of the lake. The reconstructed SLPO anomaly map for severe winters prior tomore » 1683 shows a pattern similar to those in the instrumental and reconstructed records of the 20th century. The analysis reveals that the reliability of the reconstruction may vary with the configuration of the actual SLP pattern as the mild winter pattern is not as well reconstructed as the severe winter pattern. That result illustrates the importance of testing the reliability of a reconstruction within the context of the intended interpretation. This analysis demonstrates how different types of proxy climate data can be compared and verified.« less

  5. Delayed flood recession in central Yangtze floodplains can cause significant food shortages for wintering geese: results of inundation experiment.

    PubMed

    Guan, Lei; Wen, Li; Feng, Duoduo; Zhang, Hong; Lei, Guangchun

    2014-12-01

    Carex meadows are critical habitat for wintering geese in the floodplains of the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River, China. These meadows follow a growth cycle closely tied to the seasonal hydrological fluctuation: as water levels recede in the fall, exposed mudflats provide habitat for Carex spp. growth. The seasonal growth of Carex overlaps the arrival of wintering geese and provides an important food source for the migrants. Recent alterations to the Yangtze's hydrology, however, have disrupted the synchronous relationship between water levels, Carex growth and wintering geese at Dongting Lake. In October 2012, we carried out an outdoor mesocosm experiment to investigate potential impacts of delayed water recession on the germination and growth of Carex heterolepis, the dominant Carex species at Dongting Lake, to understand how changes in hydrology might impact wintering goose habitat. Results showed that the delayed flood recession exerted significant impact on the first growth cycle of Carex growth. Prolonged inundation significantly lowered the intrinsic growth rate (P = 0.03) and maximum growth rates (P = 0.02). It also took significantly longer time to reach the peak growth rate (P = 0.04 and 0.05 for number of shoot and biomass, respectively). As a result, biomass accumulation was reduced by 45, 62 and 90 % for 10-day, 20-day and 30-day inundation treatments, respectively. These results indicate a severe risk of food shortage for wintering geese when water recession delayed. This potential risk should be taken into consideration when operating any hydrological control structures that alter the flood regimes in Dongting Lake.

  6. Dynamics of biogeochemical sulfur cycling in Mono Lake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Phillips, A. A.; Fairbanks, D.; Wells, M.; Fullerton, K. M.; Bao, R.; Johnson, H.; Speth, D. R.; Stamps, B. W.; Miller, L.; Sessions, A. L.

    2017-12-01

    Mono Lake, California is a closed-basin soda lake (pH 9.8) with high sulfate (120mM), and is an ideal natural laboratory for studying microbial sulfur cycling. Mono Lake is typically thermally stratified in summer while mixing completely in winter. However, large snowmelt inputs may induce salinity stratification that persists for up to five years, causing meromixis. During the California drought of 2014-16, the lake has mixed thoroughly each winter, but the abundant 2017 snowmelt may usher in a multi-year stratification. This natural experiment provides an opportunity to investigate the temporal relationship between microbial sulfur cycling and lake biogeochemistry. We analyzed water samples from five depths at two stations in May of 2017, before the onset of meromixis. Water column sulfate isotope values were generally constant with depth, centering at a δ34SVCDT of 17.39 ± 0.06‰. Organic sulfur isotopes were consistently lighter than lake sulfate, with a δ34SVCDT of 15.59 ± 0.56‰. This significant offset between organic and inorganic sulfur contradicts the minimal isotope effect associated with sulfate assimilation. Sediment push core organic values were further depleted, ranging between δ34SVCDT of -8.94‰ and +0.23‰, implying rapid turnover of Mono Lake sulfur pools. Both lipid biomarkers and 16S rRNA gene amplicons identify Picocystis salinarum, a unicellular green alga, as the dominant member of the microbial community. However, bacterial biomarkers and 16S rRNA genes point to microbes capable of sulfur cycling. We found that dsrA increased with depth (R2 = 0.9008, p < 0.05). Phylogenetic analysis clustered dsrA with reversible dissimilatory sulfite reductases, suggesting sulfide oxidation rather than sulfate reduction. These findings are only partially consistent with a previous observation of Mono Lake from 2012, which identified a zoned assemblage of sulfate reducers and sulfide oxidizers after >1 year of stratification. We saw no evidence in

  7. Variability in the combustion-derived fraction of urban humidity in Salt Lake City winter estimated from stable water vapor isotopes and its relationship to atmospheric stability and inversion structure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiorella, R.; Bares, R.; Lin, J. C.; Strong, C.; Bowen, G. J.

    2017-12-01

    Water released from the combustion of fossil fuels, while a negligible part of the global hydrological cycle, may be a significant contributor to urban humidity as fossil fuel emissions are strongly concentrated in space and time. The fraction of urban humidity comprised of combustion-derived vapor (CDV) cannot be observed through humidity measurements alone. However, the distinct stable isotopic composition of CDV, which arises from the reaction of 18O-enriched atmospheric O2 with 2H-depleted organic molecules, represents a promising method to apportion observed humidity between CDV and advected vapor. We apply stable water vapor isotopes to investigate variability in CDV amount and its relationship to atmospheric conditions in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Salt Lake Valley experiences several periods of atmospheric stratification during winter known as cold air pools, during which concentrations of CDV and pollutants can be markedly elevated due to reduced atmospheric mixing. Therefore, the SLV during winter is an ideal place to investigate variability in CDV fraction across a spectrum of boundary layer conditions, ranging from well-mixed to very stable. We present water vapor isotope data from four winters (2013-2017) from the top of a 30 m building on the University of Utah (U of U) Campus. Additionally, we present water vapor isotope data from the summit of Hidden Peak from the 2016-2017 winter, 25 km SE and 2000 m above the U of U site. The Hidden Peak site is consistently above the cold air pool emplaced in the SLV during stable events. We find the expression of the CDV signal in the valley is related to the atmospheric structure of the cold air pools in the SLV, and that the fraction of CDV inferred in the valley is likely related to the mixing height within the cold air pool. Furthermore, we find that patterns between the Hidden Peak and U of U sites during inversion events may record the large-scale atmospheric dynamics promoting emplacement of the cold air

  8. Lake Generated Microseisms at Yellowstone Lake as a Record of Ice Phenology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohd Mokhdhari, A. A.; Koper, K. D.; Burlacu, R.

    2017-12-01

    It has recently been shown that wave action in lakes produces microseisms, which generate noise peaks in the period range of 0.8-1.2 s as recorded by nearby seismic stations. Such noise peaks have been observed at seven seismic stations (H17A, LKWY, B208, B944, YTP, YLA, and YLT) located within 2 km of the Yellowstone Lake shoreline. Initial work using 2016 data shows that the variations in the microseism signals at Yellowstone Lake correspond with the freezing and thawing of lake ice: the seismic noise occurs more frequently in the spring, summer, and fall, and less commonly in the winter. If this can be confirmed, then lake-generated microseisms could provide a consistent measure of the freezing and melting dates of high-latitude lakes in remote areas. The seismic data would then be useful in assessing the effects of climate change on the ice phenology of those lakes. In this work, we analyze continuous seismic data recorded by the seven seismic stations around Yellowstone Lake for the years of 1995 to 2016. We generate probability distribution functions of power spectral density for each station to observe the broad elevation of energy near a period of 1 s. The time dependence of this 1-s seismic noise energy is analyzed by extracting the power spectral density at 1 s from every processed hour. The seismic observations are compared to direct measurements of the dates of ice-out and freeze-up as reported by rangers at Yellowstone National Park. We examine how accurate the seismic data are in recording the freezing and melting of Yellowstone Lake, and how the accuracy changes as a function of the number of stations used. We also examine how sensitive the results are to the particular range of periods that are analyzed.

  9. Coast Guard Assists with Mapping of Great Lakes Ice

    NASA Image and Video Library

    1976-11-21

    A group of Coast Guard seamen leave their ship to verify ice formations on the Great Lakes as part of an joint effort with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The regular winter freezing of large portions of the Great Lakes stalled the shipping industry. Lewis began working on two complementary systems to monitor the ice. The Side Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR) system used microwaves to measure the ice distribution and electromagnetic systems used noise modulation to determine the thickness of the ice. The images were then transferred via satellite to the Coast Guard station. The Coast Guard then transmitted the pertinent images by VHF to the ship captains to help them select the best route. The Great Lakes ice mapping devices were first tested on NASA aircraft during the winter of 1972 and 1973. The pulsed radar system was transferred to the Coast Guard’s C-130 aircraft for the 1975 and 1976 winter. The SLAR was installed in the rear cargo door, and the small S-band antenna was mounted to the underside of the aircraft. Coast Guard flights began in January 1975 at an altitude of 11,000 feet. Early in the program, teams of guardsmen and NASA researchers frequently set out in boats to take samples and measurements of the ice in order to verify the radar information.

  10. Occurrence, spatiotemporal distribution, and ecological risks of steroids in a large shallow Chinese lake, Lake Taihu.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Li-Jun; Zhang, Bei-Bei; Zhao, Yong-Gang; Wu, Qinglong L

    2016-07-01

    Steroids have been frequently detected in surface waters, and might pose adverse effects on aquatic organisms. However, little information is available regarding the occurrence and spatiotemporal distribution of steroids in lake environments. In addition to pollution sources, the occurrence and spatiotemporal distribution of steroids in lake environments might be related to lake types (shallow or deep), lake hydrodynamics, and sorption-desorption processes in the water-sediment systems. In this study, the occurrence, spatiotemporal distribution, and ecological risks of 36 steroids in a large shallow lake were evaluated by investigating surface water and sediment samples at 32 sites in Lake Taihu over two seasons. Twelve and 15 analytes were detected in aqueous and sedimentary phases, respectively, with total concentrations ranging from 0.86 to 116ng/L (water) and from 0.82 to 16.2ng/g (sediment, dry weight). Temporal variations of steroid concentrations in the water and sediments were statistically significant, with higher concentrations in winter. High concentrations of steroids were found in the seriously polluted bays rather than in the pelagic zone of the lake. Strong lake currents might mix pelagic waters, resulting in similar concentrations of steroids in the pelagic zone. Mass balance analysis showed that sediments in shallow lakes are in general an important sink for steroids. Steroids in the surface water and sediments of Lake Taihu might pose potential risks to aquatic organisms. Overall, our study indicated that the concentrations and spatiotemporal distribution of steroids in the large shallow lake are influenced simultaneously by pollution sources and lake hydrodynamics. Steroids in the large shallow Lake Taihu showed clear temporal and spatial variations and lake sediments may be a potential sink of steroids. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Circumpolar patterns of ground-fast lake ice and landscape development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bartsch, Annett; Pointner, Georg; Leibmann, Marina; Dvornikov, Yuri; Khomutov, Artem

    2017-04-01

    Shallow lakes in the Arctic are often associated with thermokarst processes which are characteristic for permafrost environments. They partially or completely freeze-up during winter time what can be observed from space using Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. Spatial patterns of ground-fast and floating ice relate to geomorphological and hydrological processes, but no circumpolar account of this phenomenon is currently available due to challenges when dealing with the varying observation geometry typical for SAR. An approach using ENVISAT ASAR Wide Swath data (approximately 120 m resolution) has been developed supported by bathymetric measurements in Siberia and eventually applied across the entire Arctic for late winter 2008. In total about 2 Million lake objects have been analyzed considering the boundaries of the Last Glacial Maximum, permafrost zones and soil organic carbon content. Distinct patterns of ground-fast lake ice fraction can be found across the Arctic. Clusters of variable fractions of ground-fast ice occur especially in Yedoma regions of Eastern Siberia and Alaska. This reflects the nature of thaw lake dynamics. Analyses of lake depth measurements from several sites (Alaskan North Slope, Richards Island in Canada, Yamal Peninsula and Lena Delta) suggest that the used method yields the potential to utilize ground-fast lake ice information over larger areas with respect to landscape development, but results need to be treated with care, specifically for larger lakes and along river courses. A combination of general lake features and ground-fast ice fraction may lead to an advanced understanding of landscape patterns and development. Ground-fast ice fraction information may support to some extent the identification of landscape units, for example areas of adjacent lakes with similar patterns (terraces) or areas with mixed ground-fast fractions which indicate different lake development stages. This work was supported by the Austrian Science Fund

  12. Hellsgate Big Game Winter Range Wildlife Mitigation Project : Annual Report 2008.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Whitney, Richard P.; Berger, Matthew T.; Rushing, Samuel

    The Hellsgate Big Game Winter Range Wildlife Mitigation Project (Hellsgate Project) was proposed by the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation (CTCR) as partial mitigation for hydropower's share of the wildlife losses resulting from Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams. At present, the Hellsgate Project protects and manages 57,418 acres (approximately 90 miles2) for the biological requirements of managed wildlife species; most are located on or near the Columbia River (Lake Rufus Woods and Lake Roosevelt) and surrounded by Tribal land. To date we have acquired about 34,597 habitat units (HUs) towards a total 35,819 HUs lost from original inundationmore » due to hydropower development. In addition to the remaining 1,237 HUs left unmitigated, 600 HUs from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife that were traded to the Colville Tribes and 10 secure nesting islands are also yet to be mitigated. This annual report for 2008 describes the management activities of the Hellsgate Big Game Winter Range Wildlife Mitigation Project (Hellsgate Project) during the past year.« less

  13. The regional climate model REMO (v2015) coupled with the 1-D freshwater lake model FLake (v1): Fenno-Scandinavian climate and lakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pietikäinen, Joni-Pekka; Markkanen, Tiina; Sieck, Kevin; Jacob, Daniela; Korhonen, Johanna; Räisänen, Petri; Gao, Yao; Ahola, Jaakko; Korhonen, Hannele; Laaksonen, Ari; Kaurola, Jussi

    2018-04-01

    The regional climate model REMO was coupled with the FLake lake model to include an interactive treatment of lakes. Using this new version, the Fenno-Scandinavian climate and lake characteristics were studied in a set of 35-year hindcast simulations. Additionally, sensitivity tests related to the parameterization of snow albedo were conducted. Our results show that overall the new model version improves the representation of the Fenno-Scandinavian climate in terms of 2 m temperature and precipitation, but the downside is that an existing wintertime cold bias in the model is enhanced. The lake surface water temperature, ice depth and ice season length were analyzed in detail for 10 Finnish, 4 Swedish and 2 Russian lakes and 1 Estonian lake. The results show that the model can reproduce these characteristics with reasonably high accuracy. The cold bias during winter causes overestimation of ice layer thickness, for example, at several of the studied lakes, but overall the values from the model are realistic and represent the lake physics well in a long-term simulation. We also analyzed the snow depth on ice from 10 Finnish lakes and vertical temperature profiles from 5 Finnish lakes and the model results are realistic.

  14. Near-shore talik development beneath shallow water in expanding thermokarst lakes, Old Crow Flats, Yukon

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roy-Leveillee, Pascale; Burn, Christopher R.

    2017-05-01

    It is generally assumed that permafrost is preserved beneath shallow lakes and ponds in the Western North American Arctic where water depth is less than about two thirds of the late-winter lake ice thickness. Here we present field observations of talik development beneath water as shallow as 0.2 m despite a lake ice thickness of 1.5 m, in Old Crow Flats (OCF), YT. Conditions leading to the initiation and development of taliks beneath shallow water were investigated with field measurements of shore erosion rates, bathymetry, ice thickness, snow accumulation, and lake bottom temperature near the shores of two expanding lakes in OCF. The sensitivity of talik development to variations in lake bottom thermal regime was then investigated numerically. Where ice reached the lake bottom, talik development was controlled by the ratio of freezing degree days to thawing degree days at the lake bottom (FDDlb/TDDlb). In some cases, spatial variations in on-ice snow depth had a minimal effect on annual mean lake bottom temperature (Tlb) but caused sufficient variations in FDDlb/TDDlb to influence talik development. Where Tlb was close to but greater than 0°C simulations indicated that the thermal offset allowed permafrost aggradation to occur under certain conditions, resulting in irregular near-shore talik geometries. The results highlight the sensitivity of permafrost to small changes in lake bottom thermal conditions where the water column freezes through in early winter and indicate the occurrence of permafrost degradation beneath very shallow water in the near-shore zone of Arctic ponds and lakes.

  15. Hydrologic modification to improve habitat in riverine lakes: Management objectives, experimental approach, and initial conditions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Barry L.; Barko, John W.; Gerasimov, Yuri; James, William F.; Litvinov, Alexander; Naimo, Teresa J.; Wiener, James G.; Gaugush, Robert F.; Rogala, James T.; Rogers, Sara J.; Schoettger, R.A.

    1996-01-01

    The Finger Lakes habitat-rehabilitation project is intended to improve physical and chemical conditions for fish in six connected back water lakes in Navigation Pool 5 of the upper Missouri River. The primary management objective is to improve water temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration and current velocity during winter for bluegills, Lepomis macrochirus, and black crappies, Pomoxis nigromaculatus, two of the primary sport fishes in the lakes. The lakes will be hydrologically altered by Installing culverts to Introduce controlled flows of oxygenated water into four lakes, and an existing unregulated culvert on a fifth lake will be equipped with a control gate to regulate inflow. These habitat modifications constitute a manipulative field experiment that will compare pre-project (1991 to summer 1993) and post-project (fall 1993 to 1996) conditions in the lakes, including hydrology, chemistry, rooted vegetation, and fish and macroinvertebrate communities. Initial data indicate that the Finger Lakes differ in water chemistry, hydrology, and macrophyte abundance. Macroinvertebrate communities also differed among lakes: species diversity was highest in lakes with dense aquatic macrophytes. The system seems to support a single fish community, although some species concentrated in individual lakes at different times. The introduction of similar flows into five of the lakes will probably reduce the existing physical and chemical differences among lakes. However, our ability to predict the effects of hydrologic modification on fish populations is limited by uncertainties concerning both the interactions of temperature, oxygen and current in winter and the biological responses of primary and secondary producers. Results from this study should provide guidance for similar habitat-rehabilitation projects in large rivers.

  16. Identification of nitrate sources in Taihu Lake and its major inflow rivers in China, using δ(15)N-NO(3)(-) and δ(18)O-NO(3)(-) values.

    PubMed

    Chen, Zi-Xiang; Liu, Guang; Liu, Wei-Guo; Lam, Michael H W; Liu, Gui-Jian; Yin, Xue-Bin

    2012-01-01

    In the present study, δ(15)N and δ(18)O-NO(3)(-) values, as well as concentrations of some major ion tracers were determined in seasonal water samples from Taihu Lake and major watersheds to investigate the temporal and spatial variations of nitrate sources and assess the underlying nitrogen (N) biogeochemistry process. The results lead to the conclusion that the nitrate concentrations in Taihu Lake are lower in summer than that in winter due to the dilution effect of wet deposition. In winter, sewage and manure were the primary nitrate sources in major inflow rivers and North Taihu Lake (NTL), while nitrate sources in East Taihu Lake (ETL) probably derived from soil organic N. In summer, atmospheric deposition and sewage/manure inputs appear to play an important role in controlling the distribution of nitrates in the whole lake. The δ(18)O-NO(3)(-) values suggest that the nitrate produced from microbial nitrification is another major nitrate source during both winter and summer months. The variations in isotopic values in nitrate suggest denitrification enriched the heavier isotopes of nitrate in NTL in winter and in ETL in summer.

  17. Multiple climate regimes in an idealized lake-ice-atmosphere model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sugiyama, Noriyuki; Kravtsov, Sergey; Roebber, Paul

    2018-01-01

    In recent decades, the Laurentian Great Lakes have undergone rapid surface warming with the summertime trends substantially exceeding the warming rates of surrounding land. Warming of the deepest (Lake Superior) was the strongest, and that of the shallowest (Lake Erie)—the weakest of all lakes. To investigate the dynamics of accelerated lake warming, we considered single-column and multi-column thermodynamic lake-ice models coupled to an idealized two-layer atmosphere. The variable temperature of the upper atmospheric layer—a proxy for the large-scale atmospheric forcing—consisted, in the most general case, of a linear trend mimicking the global warming and atmospheric interannual variability, both on top of the prescribed seasonal cycle of the upper-air temperature. The atmospheric boundary layer of the coupled model exchanged heat with the lake and exhibited lateral diffusive heat transports between the adjacent atmospheric columns. In simpler single-column models, we find that, for a certain range of periodic atmospheric forcing, each lake possesses two stable equilibrium seasonal cycles, which we call "regimes"—with and without lake-ice occurrence in winter and with corresponding cold and warm temperatures in the following summer, respectively, all under an identical seasonally varying external forcing. Deeper lakes exhibit larger differences in their summertime surface water temperature between the warm and cold regimes, due to their larger thermal and dynamical inertia. The regime behavior of multi-column coupled models is similar but more complex, and in some cases, they admit more than two stable equilibrium seasonal cycles, with varying degrees of wintertime ice-cover. The simulated lake response to climate change in the presence of the atmospheric noise rationalizes the observed accelerated warming of the lakes, the correlation between wintertime ice cover and next summer's lake-surface temperature, as well as higher warming trends of the

  18. Heterotrophic bacterioplankton control on organic and inorganic carbon cycle in stratified and non-stratified lakes of NW Russia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shirokova, Liudmila; Vorobjeva, Taissia; Zabelina, Svetlana; Moreva, Olga; Klimov, Sergey; Shorina, Natalja; Chupakov, Artem; Pokrovsky, Oleg; Audry, Stephan; Viers, Jerome

    2010-05-01

    Lakes of boreal zone regulate the fate of dissolved carbon, nutrients and trace metals during their transport from the watershed to the ocean. Study of primary production - mineralization processes in the context of carbon biogeochemical cycle allows determination of the rate and mechanisms of phytoplankton biomass production and its degradation via aquatic heterotrophic bacteria. In particular, comparative study of vertical distribution of Dissolved Organic Carbon (DOC) in stratified and non-stratified lakes allows establishing the link between biological and chemical aspects of the carbon cycle which, in turns, determines an environmental stability and recovering potential of the entire ecosystem. In order to better understand the biogeochemical mechanisms that control dissolved organic and inorganic carbon migration in surface boreal waters, we studied in 2007-2009 two strongly stratified lakes (15-20 m deep) and two shallow lakes (2-4 m deep) in the Arkhangelsk region (NW Russia, White Sea basin). We conducted natural experiments of the lake water incubation for measurements of the intensity of production/mineralization processes and we determined vertical concentration of DOC during four basic hydrological seasons (winter and summer stratification, and spring and autumn lake overturn). Our seasonal studies of production/mineralization processes demonstrated high intensity of organic matter formation during summer period and significant retard of these processes during winter stagnation. During spring period, there is a strong increase of bacterial destruction of the allochtonous organic matter that is being delivered to the lake via terrigenous input. During autumn overturn, there is a decrease of the activity of phytoplankton, and the degradation of dead biomass by active bacterial community. Organic matter destruction processes are the most active in Svyatoe lake, whereas in the Beloe lake, the rate of organic matter production is significantly higher than

  19. Encouraging self-development. Profile: Louise Lassonde.

    PubMed

    Rowley, J

    1992-01-01

    A profile of Louise Lassonde, population advisor to the UN Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) portrays her ethnic and educational background, her interests, and achievements. She was born a French Canadian near Montreal and earned a degree in anthropology with an emphasis on the ancient cultures of Peru. A second degree was earned in sociology and a Ph.D. in demography. In her investigations, it was discovered that there were few remnants of the old Indian culture remaining in the Andean highlands; Quechua and Spanish languages were learned in the process. Her professional responsibilities have included university teaching in development and demography in Montreal, development assistance work in Burundi, Rwanda, and eastern Zaire as regional director for a Canadian nongovernmental organization, and consultancy activities for UNICEF and UNFPA. As a consultant, she was engaged in studying women and their ways of generating income and improving the quality of their lives. In 1989, her position was as country director to Togo and Benin within the UN Population Fund followed by a position in the UNCED secretariat in Geneva. Her field experience has contributed to a view that time is precious and that there is accountability for action or inaction. A little bit of effort can go a long way, i.e., improved management and information and good will. The assumption is that people have the will and desire to improve their own and their families as long as there is hope and freedom from a discouraging atmosphere. Lack of understanding can create tremendous barriers. The example is given of a man presenting with malaria at an African health center and not being treated because of his tribal affiliation; he died when medicine was within reach. Support must be provided in terms of health and education so that people can set the targets for themselves and develop creative solutions compatible with their own cultures. Her positive approach is visible in her insistence

  20. Distribution and diversity of microbial communities in meromictic soda Lake Doroninskoe (Transbaikalia, Russia) during winter

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matyugina, Evgeniya; Belkova, Natalia

    2015-11-01

    Meromictic soda and saline lakes are unique ecosystems characterized by the stability of physical, chemical and biological parameters, and they are distributed all over the world. Lakes located in regions with average annual negative air temperature are of particular interest because of the presence of two periods with intensive and dynamic processes: the so-called biological summer and the long ice season with the biological spring. Soda Lake Doroninskoe is located in Eastern Transbaikalia (51°14'N, 112°14'E) in the permafrost zone in an extreme continental climate, and is covered by ice for seven months per year. The structure and diversity of the microbial communities throughout the water column of the lake was studied by 16S rRNA gene amplicon metasequencing. Different species with specific functions were found to dominate at different depths. Metabolically flexible bacteria with a capacity to switch between anoxygenic photosynthesis and aerobic chemotrophic metabolism dominate in soda Lake Doroninskoe.

  1. Using Snow Fences to Augument Fresh Water Supplies in Shallow Arctic Lakes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Stuefer, Svetlana

    2013-03-31

    This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) to address environmental research questions specifically related to Alaska's oil and gas natural resources development. The focus of this project was on the environmental issues associated with allocation of water resources for construction of ice roads and ice pads. Earlier NETL projects showed that oil and gas exploration activities in the U.S. Arctic require large amounts of water for ice road and ice pad construction. Traditionally, lakes have been the source of freshwater for this purpose. The distinctive hydrological regime of northern lakes, caused bymore » the presence of ice cover and permafrost, exerts influence on lake water availability in winter. Lakes are covered with ice from October to June, and there is often no water recharge of lakes until snowmelt in early June. After snowmelt, water volumes in the lakes decrease throughout the summer, when water loss due to evaporation is considerably greater than water gained from rainfall. This balance switches in August, when air temperature drops, evaporation decreases, and rain (or snow) is more likely to occur. Some of the summer surface storage deficit in the active layer and surface water bodies (lakes, ponds, wetlands) is recharged during this time. However, if the surface storage deficit is not replenished (for example, precipitation in the fall is low and near‐surface soils are dry), lake recharge is directly affected, and water availability for the following winter is reduced. In this study, we used snow fences to augment fresh water supplies in shallow arctic lakes despite unfavorable natural conditions. We implemented snow‐control practices to enhance snowdrift accumulation (greater snow water equivalent), which led to increased meltwater production and an extended melting season that resulted in lake recharge despite low precipitation during the years of the experiment. For three years

  2. Integrating Climate Change into Great Lakes Protection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hedman, S.

    2012-12-01

    Climate change is now recognized as one of the greatest threats to the Great Lakes. Projected climate change impacts to the Great Lakes include increases in surface water and air temperature; decreases in ice cover; shorter winters, early spring, and longer summers; increased frequency of intense storms; more precipitation falling as rain in the winter; less snowfall; and variations in water levels, among other effects. Changing climate conditions may compromise efforts to protect and restore the Great Lakes ecosystem and may lead to irrevocable impacts on the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of the Great Lakes. Examples of such potential impacts include the transformation of coastal wetlands into terrestrial ecosystems; reduced fisheries; increased beach erosion; change in forest species composition as species migrate northward; potential increase in toxic substance concentrations; potential increases in the frequency and extent of algal blooms; degraded water quality; and a potential increase in invasive species. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, signed into law by President Obama in 2010, represents the commitment of the federal government to protect, restore, and maintain the Great Lakes ecosystem. The GLRI Action Plan, issued in February 2010, identifies five focus areas: - Toxic Substances and Areas of Concern - Invasive Species - Nearshore Health and Nonpoint Source Pollution - Habitat and Wildlife Protection and Restoration - Accountability, Education, Monitoring, Evaluation, Communication, and Partnerships The Action Plan recognizes that the projected impacts of climate change on the Great Lakes have implications across all focus areas and encourages incorporation of climate change considerations into GLRI projects and programs as appropriate. Under the GLRI, EPA has funded climate change-related work by states, tribes, federal agencies, academics and NGOs through competitive grants, state and tribal capacity grants, and Interagency

  3. Climate of a high altitude lake basin and lake-atmosphere interactions - observations and atmospheric modelling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maussion, F.; Kropacek, J.; Finkelnburg, R.; Scherer, D.

    2012-04-01

    Large lakes and inland water bodies have a significant influence on their local climate. The hydrometeorological effect of inland water bodies is varying greatly between seasons, years and contrasting climatic conditions. It is generally hypothesised that the cool air above the lake will inhibit convection in summer; conversely, the relatively warm lake in late-autumn will initiate convective instability that may generate strong snowfalls. In this study we focus on the lake Nam Co (2'000 sq.km, 4700 m a.s.l). Located in a transition zone between the continental climate of Central Asia and the Indian Monsoon system, the Nam Co lake is covered by ice from mid-January to end of April and reaches surface temperatures of 13 °C in summer. We address three main research questions: (i) what is the influence of the Nam Co lake on local meteorological variables over the course of the year, (ii) what is the impact of the timing of the lake freezing on late-autumn and winter precipitation fields and (iii) how will the influence of the lake evolve in the context of a changing climate? In order to answer these questions, we combine satellite observations of lake surface temperatures from the ARC-Lake product and atmospheric modelling using the WRF model. The spatio-temporal variability of temperature, wind and precipitation fields during the last decade are analyzed using high-resolution (up to 2 km) simulations. The positive impact of the assimilation of the lake surface temperatures for the initialization of the model is analysed and discussed, as well as the combined influences of the large scale (westerlies, monsoon) and local (orographic) forcings. Our results are of relevance for any regional climate or hydrological modelling study and bring new insights in our understanding of the complex hydrometeorological processes taking place on the Tibetan Plateau.

  4. Movement of parasitic-phase sea lampreys in Lakes Huron and Michigan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, Bernard R.; Elliott, Oliver R.

    1953-01-01

    A program of tagging was carrie dout in the waters of northern Lake Huron during the fall and winter of 1951-52 in order to supplement the small amount of information available on movement of sea lampreys during their parasitic phase. A total of 219 parasitic-phase sea lampreys were tagged and released at three localities. Of this number 38 or 17.2 percent were recovered. One tag was recovered near North Manitou Island, Lake Michigan. The remaining 37 were take in Lake Huron or in streams tributary to that lake. The dispersal of tagged lampreys throughout Lake Huron was wide. Five marked individuals were taken in the southern part of the lake over 150 miles from the point of tagging; 4 of these 5 were captured in Canadian waters. The marked lampreys exhibited no distinct pattern of migration other than a tendency toward a general southeasterly movement in Lake Huron.

  5. Under-ice availability of phytoplankton lipids is key to freshwater zooplankton winter survival.

    PubMed

    Grosbois, Guillaume; Mariash, Heather; Schneider, Tobias; Rautio, Milla

    2017-09-14

    Shortening winter ice-cover duration in lakes highlights an urgent need for research focused on under-ice ecosystem dynamics and their contributions to whole-ecosystem processes. Low temperature, reduced light and consequent changes in autotrophic and heterotrophic resources alter the diet for long-lived consumers, with consequences on their metabolism in winter. We show in a survival experiment that the copepod Leptodiaptomus minutus in a boreal lake does not survive five months under the ice without food. We then report seasonal changes in phytoplankton, terrestrial and bacterial fatty acid (FA) biomarkers in seston and in four zooplankton species for an entire year. Phytoplankton FA were highly available in seston (2.6 µg L -1 ) throughout the first month under the ice. Copepods accumulated them in high quantities (44.8 µg mg dry weight -1 ), building lipid reserves that comprised up to 76% of body mass. Terrestrial and bacterial FA were accumulated only in low quantities (<2.5 µg mg dry weight -1 ). The results highlight the importance of algal FA reserve accumulation for winter survival as a key ecological process in the annual life cycle of the freshwater plankton community with likely consequences to the overall annual production of aquatic FA for higher trophic levels and ultimately for human consumption.

  6. Aircraft measurements to characterize polluted winter boundary layers: Overview of twin otter flights during the Utah Winter Fine Particulate Matter Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brown, S. S.; Baasandorj, M.; Franchin, A.; Middlebrook, A. M.; Goldberger, L.; Thornton, J. A.; Dube, W. P.; McDuffie, E. E.; Womack, C.; Fibiger, D. L.; Moravek, A.; Clark, J. C.; Murphy, J. G.; Mitchell, R.

    2017-12-01

    Winter air pollution is a significant public health concern. In many regions of the U.S., Europe and Asia, wintertime particulate matter concentrations exceed national and / or international air quality standards. Winter air pollution also represents a scientific challenge because these events occur during stagnation events in shallow, vertically stratified boundary layers whose composition is difficult to probe from surface level measurements. Chemical processes responsible for the conversion of primary emissions to secondary pollutants such as ammonium nitrate aerosol vary with height above ground level. Sources of oxidants are poorly understood and may result from both local chemical production and mixing between shallow inversion layers and background air. During the Utah Winter Fine Particulate Study (UWFPS) in January - February 2017, the NOAA twin otter executed 23 research flights with a payload designed to characterize the formation of ammonium nitrate aerosol in three mountain valleys of northern Utah (Salt Lake, Cache, and Utah). These valleys are subject to periodic episodes of winter aerosol pollution well in excess of U.S. national ambient air quality standards. This presentation will describe the measurement strategy of the twin otter flights to address the specific features of aerosol pollution within winter boundary layer of this region. This strategy is relevant to understanding the broader issue of winter air pollution in other regions and potentially to the design of future studies. The presentation will summarize findings from UWFPS related to boundary layer structure, emissions and chemical processes responsible for ammonium nitrate aerosol in this region.

  7. Seasonal Thermal Dynamics of Three High Elevation Lakes in the Trinity Alps Wilderness, California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barnes, J. M.; Huggett, B. W.

    2012-12-01

    High elevation lakes experience isothermal equilibrium, often called turnover, twice a year: preceding the onset of winter ice cover and following the melt of spring ice cover. The dynamics and evolution of the thermal regime are a function of meteorological forcings (air temperature, wind speed), climate (variable onset of winter and spring), and topographic constraints (access to direct insolation). We have deployed numerous water and air temperature sensors in Emerald, Sapphire and Echo lakes in the Trinity Alps Wilderness of northern California over two hydrologic years in an attempt to determine the onset of turnover events, the duration of turnover and the ice-free season, and to characterize the evolution of the thermocline and its stability over time. Our findings detail thermocline structures in all lakes that vary on hourly to weekly timescales. We also report on our techniques to develop bathymetric maps for each lake and how the use of off-the-shelf technologies and robust GIS analysis can allow the collection of heretofore uncollected baseline data for remote, mountainous regions.

  8. Winter temperature conditions (1670-2010) reconstructed from varved sediments, western Canadian High Arctic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amann, Benjamin; Lamoureux, Scott F.; Boreux, Maxime P.

    2017-09-01

    Advances in paleoclimatology from the Arctic have provided insights into long-term climate conditions. However, while past annual and summer temperature have received considerable research attention, comparatively little is known about winter paleoclimate. Arctic winter is of special interest as it is the season with the highest sensitivity to climate change, and because it differs substantially from summer and annual measures. Therefore, information about past changes in winter climate is key to improve our knowledge of past forced climate variability and to reduce uncertainty in climate projections. In this context, Arctic lakes with snowmelt-fed catchments are excellent potential winter climate archives. They respond strongly to snowmelt-induced runoff, and indirectly to winter temperature and snowfall conditions. To date, only a few well-calibrated lake sediment records exist, which appear to reflect site-specific responses with differing reconstructions. This limits the possibility to resolve large-scale winter climate change prior the instrumental period. Here, we present a well-calibrated quantitative temperature and snowfall record for the extended winter season (November through March; NDJFM) from Chevalier Bay (Melville Island, NWT, Canadian Arctic) back to CE 1670. The coastal embayment has a large catchment influenced by nival terrestrial processes, which leads to high sedimentation rates and annual sedimentary structures (varves). Using detailed microstratigraphic analysis from two sediment cores and supported by μ-XRF data, we separated the nival sedimentary units (spring snowmelt) from the rainfall units (summer) and identified subaqueous slumps. Statistical correlation analysis between the proxy data and monthly climate variables reveals that the thickness of the nival units can be used to predict winter temperature (r = 0.71, pc < 0.01, 5-yr filter) and snowfall (r = 0.65, pc < 0.01, 5-yr filter) for the western Canadian High Arctic over the last

  9. Discovery of lake-effect clouds on Titan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brown, M.E.; Schaller, E.L.; Roe, H.G.; Chen, C.; Roberts, J.; Brown, R.H.; Baines, K.H.; Clark, R.N.

    2009-01-01

    Images from instruments on Cassini as well as from telescopes on the ground reveal the presence of sporadic small-scale cloud activity in the cold late-winter north polar region of Saturn's large moon Titan. These clouds lie underneath the previously discovered uniform polar cloud attributed to a quiescent ethane cloud at ???40 km and appear confined to the same latitudes as those of the largest known hydrocarbon lakes at the north pole of Titan. The physical properties of these clouds suggest that they are due to methane convection and condensation. Such convection could be caused by a process in some ways analogous to terrestrial lake-effect clouds. The lakes on Titan could be a key connection between the surface and the meteorological cycle. ?? 2009 by the American Geophysical Union.

  10. Predicted effects of proposed new regulation plans on sedge/grass meadows of Lake Ontario

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilcox, D.A.; Xie, Y.

    2008-01-01

    Previously described models for predicting the percent of Lake Ontario wetlands that would be occupied by sedge/grass-dominated meadow marsh were used to test four proposed new plans for regulation of lake levels and to make comparisons with the current plan and unregulated conditions. The models for drowned river mouth, barrier beach, open embayment, and protected embayment wetlands assessed responses to lake levels that would be generated by each plan under net total supplies modified from those that occurred from1900 to 2000. In years when reduced supplies would allow meadow marsh regeneration, simulated unregulated lake levels produced the most meadow marsh in all wetland geomorphic types; current Plan 1958DD produced the least. Overall predicted percent meadow marsh under the test plans decreased in the order B+, 2007, D+, and A+, and the latter three plans produced rather similar results in many cases. Lower percentages of meadow marsh under some plans were due to insufficient low lake levels that could allow soils to dry and restrict invasion by cattails, as well as lack of periodic high lake levels that could kill invading upland plants. An assessment of seasonal lake-level characteristics demonstrated that Plan 2007 would reduce mean winter lake levels by 13 cm or more than Plan B+ and springtime lake levels by more than 10 cm. These seasonal differences could result in less winter habitat for muskrats and reduced access to spring spawning habitats for fish such as northern pike. Our model results provide important information for use in the process of selecting a new regulation plan for Lake Ontario.

  11. Large-Scale Antecedent Conditions Associated with 2014-2015 Winter Onset over North America and mid-Winter Storminess Along the North Atlantic Coast

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bosart, L. F.; Papin, P. P.; Bentley, A. M.; Benjamin, M.; Winters, A. C.

    2015-12-01

    Winter 2014-2015 was marked by the coldest November weather in 35 years east of the Rockies and record-breaking snowstorms and cold from the eastern Great Lakes to Atlantic Canada in January and February 2015. Record-breaking warmth prevailed across the Intermountain West and Rockies beneath a persistent upper-level ridge. Winter began with a series of arctic air mass surges that culminated in an epic lake-effect snowstorm occurred over western New York before Thanksgiving and was followed by a series of snow and ice storms that disrupted Thanksgiving holiday travel widely. Winter briefly abated in part of December, but returned with a vengeance between mid-January and mid-February 2015 when multiple extreme weather events that featured record-breaking monthly and seasonal snowfalls and record-breaking daily minimum temperatures were observed. This presentation will show how: (1) the recurvature and extratropical transition (ET) of Supertyphoon (STY) Nuri in the western Pacific in early November 2014, and its subsequent explosive reintensification as an extratropical cyclone (EC), disrupted the North Pacific jet stream and downstream Northern Hemisphere (NH) circulation, produced high-latitude ridging and the formation of an omega block over western North America, triggered downstream baroclinic development and the formation of a deep trough over eastern North America, and ushered in winter 2014-2015, (2) the ET/EC of STY Nuri increased subsequent week two predictability over the North Pacific and North America in association with diabatically influenced high-latitude ridge building, and (3) the amplification of the large-scale NH flow pattern beginning in January 2015 resulted in the formation of persistent high-amplitude ridges over northeastern Russia, Alaska, western North America, and the North Atlantic while deep troughs formed over the eastern North Pacific and eastern North America. This persistent amplified flow pattern supported the occurrence of frequent

  12. Toward an annual estimate of methane emissions from Lake Erie

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fernandez, J.; Townsend-Small, A.

    2017-12-01

    Lake Erie is the shallowest, warmest, and most eutrophic of all of the North American Great Lakes. The central basin of Lake Erie exhibits seasonally hypoxic bottom waters, which contributes to biological methane (CH4) production. Leaks from extensive natural gas wells and pipelines in Canadian waters are a potential source of thermogenic CH4 to the lake. The shallow western basin lacks water column hypoxia, but experiences increasingly frequent algal blooms and hypoxic sediments. Our past research, focused on the central basin, indicated that Lake Erie is a positive source of CH4 during late summer (August - September), emitting 1.3 ± 0.6 × 105 kg CH4-C day. Here, we present a seasonal dataset of CH4 fluxes measured throughout a 16-month period starting in the spring of 2015 and ending late summer in 2016 to estimate an annual lake wide CH4 emission. Our results indicate that the western basin experienced the greatest CH4 emissions, and the highest rates of CH4 flux co-occur with the highest rates of nutrient loading and largest algal blooms near the mouth of the Maumee River. Winter CH4 fluxes were minimal and similar throughout the lake, indicating that natural gas wells are a minimal source of CH4 emissions. Emissions were highest in August and tapered off through the fall and winter, rising again in spring. The estimated annual CH4 emission in Lake Erie was 4.41 × 107 kg CH4-C yr-1. We compared this to other CH4 sources in Michigan and Ohio in the USEPA Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program Database, and found that Lake Erie is second largest emitter of CH4 in Ohio (a landfill in Cincinnati is a larger source), and the largest in Michigan. Recent work has shown that eutrophication in lakes such as Lake Erie may be on the rise due to climate change induced increases in precipitation. If so, these large CH4 emissions may have positive feedback consequences to climate warming. Therefore, more research is needed to indicate whether or not these CH4 emissions are

  13. Anaglyph, Salt Lake City, Utah

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    The 2002 Winter Olympics are hosted by Salt Lake City at several venues within the city, in nearby cities, and within the adjacent Wasatch Mountains. This anaglyph image provides a stereoscopic map view of north central Utah that includes all of these Olympic sites. In the south, next to Utah Lake, Provo hosts the ice hockey competition. In the north, northeast of the Great Salt Lake, Ogden hosts curling and the nearby Snowbasin ski area hosts the downhill events. In between, southeast of the Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake City hosts the Olympic Village and the various skating events. Further east, across the Wasatch Mountains, the Park City ski resort hosts the bobsled, ski jumping, and snowboarding events. The Winter Olympics are always hosted in mountainous terrain. This view shows the dramatic landscape that makes the Salt Lake City region a world-class center for winter sports.

    The stereoscopic effect of this anaglyph was created by first draping a Landsat satellite image over a Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model and then generating two differing perspectives, one for each eye. When viewed through special glasses, the result is a vertically exaggerated view of Earth's surface in its full three dimensions. Anaglyph glasses cover the left eye with a red filter and cover the right eye with a blue filter.

    Landsat has been providing visible and infrared views of the Earth since 1972. SRTM elevation data matches the 30-meter (98-foot) resolution of most Landsat images and will substantially help in analyzing the large and growing Landsat image archive, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

    Elevation data used in this image was acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM

  14. Notable increases in nutrient concentrations in a shallow lake during seasonal ice growth.

    PubMed

    Fang, Yang; Changyou, Li; Leppäranta, Matti; Xiaonghong, Shi; Shengnan, Zhao; Chengfu, Zhang

    2016-12-01

    Nutrients may be eliminated from ice when liquid water is freezing, resulting in enhanced concentrations in the unfrozen water. The nutrients diluted from the ice may contribute to accumulated concentrations in sediment during winter and an increased risk of algae blooms during the following spring and summer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of ice cover on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations in the water and sediment of a shallow lake, through an examination of Ulansuhai Lake, northern China, from the period of open water to ice season in 2011-2013. The N and P concentrations were between two and five times higher, and between two and eight times higher, than in unfrozen lakes, respectively. As the ice thickness grew, contents of total N and total P showed C-shaped profiles in the ice, and were lower in the middle layer and higher in the bottom and surface layers. Most of the nutrients were released from the ice to liquid water. The results confirm that ice can cause the nutrient concentrations in water and sediment during winter to increase dramatically, thereby significantly impacting on processes in the water environment of shallow lakes.

  15. Long-term limnological data from the larger lakes of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Theriot, E.C.; Fritz, S.C.; Gresswell, Robert E.

    1997-01-01

    Long-term limnological data from the four largest lakes in Yellowstone National Park (Yellowstone, Lewis, Shoshone, Heart) are used to characterize their limnology and patterns of temporal and spatial variability. Heart Lake has distinctively high concentrations of dissolved materials, apparently reflecting high thermal inputs. Shoshone and Lewis lakes have the highest total SiO2 concentrations (averaging over 23.5 mg L-1), apparently as a result of the rhyolitic drainage basins. Within Yellowstone Lake spatial variability is low and ephemeral for most measured variables, except that the Southeast Arm has lower average Na concentrations. Seasonal variation is evident for Secchi transparency, pH, and total-SiO2 and probably reflects seasonal changes in phytoplankton biomass and productivity. Total dissolved solids (TDS) and total-SiO2 generally show a gradual decline from the mid-1970s through mid-1980s, followed by a sharp increase. Ratios of Kjeldahl-N to total-PO4 (KN:TP) suggest that the lakes, especially Shoshone, are often nitrogen limited. Kjeldahl-N is positively correlated with winter precipitation, but TP and total-SiO2 are counterintuitively negatively correlated with precipitation. We speculate that increased winter precipitation, rather than watershed fires, increases N-loading which, in turn, leads to increased demand for TP and total SiO2.

  16. Monitoring climate signal transfer into the varved lake sediments of Lake Czechowskie, Poland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Groß-Schmölders, Miriam; Ott, Florian; Brykała, Dariusz; Gierszewski, Piotr; Kaszubski, Michał; Kienel, Ulrike; Brauer, Achim

    2015-04-01

    In 2012 we started a monitoring program at Lake Czechowskie, Poland, because the lake comprises a long Holocene time series of calcite varves until recent times. The aim of the program is to understand how environmental and climatic conditions influence the hydrological conditions and, ultimately, the sediment deposition processes of the lake. Lake Czechowskie is located in the north of Poland in the Pomeranian Lake District and is part of the national park Tuchola Forest. The landscape and the lake is formed by the glacier retreat after the last glaciation (Weichselian). Lake Czechowskie is a typical hardwater lake and has a length of 1.4 km, an average width of 600 m and a lake surface area of ca 4 km. The maximum depth of 32 m is reached in a rather small hollow in the eastern part of the lake. Two different types of sediment traps provide sediment samples with monthly resolution from different water depths (12m, 26m). In addition, hydrological data including water temperature in different depths, water inflow, throughflow and outflow and the depth of visibility are measured. These data allow to describe strength and duration of lake mixing in spring and autumn and its influence on sedimentation. The sediment samples were analyzed with respect to their dry weight (used to calculate mean daily sediment flux), their inorganic and organic carbon contents, the stable C- and O-isotopes of organic matter and calcite as well as N-isotopes of organic matter. For selected samples dominant diatom taxa are determined. Our first results demonstrate the strong influence of the long winter with ice cover until April in 2013 on the sedimentation. A rapid warming in only 9 days starting on April 9th from -0,3 C° to 15,2 C° resulted in fast ice break-up and a short but intensive lake mixing. In consequence of this short mixing period a strong algal bloom especially of Fragilaria and Crysophycea commenced in April and had its maximum in May. This bloom further induced biogenic

  17. Sedimentology of the saline lakes of the Cariboo Plateau, Interior British Columbia, Canada

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Renaut, Robin W.; Long, Peter R.

    1989-10-01

    There are several hundred saline lakes in Interior British Columbia, including muddy siliciclastic playas, saline playas, perennial lakes (including meromictic sulphate lakes), and ephemeral lakes, some with permanent salts. The lake waters have highly variable compositions, with Na-CO 3-Cl, Na-CO 3-(SO 4)-Cl, Mg-Na-SO 4 and Na-Mg-SO 4, the dominant types of brine. On the Cariboo Plateau, where they are most abundant, the saline lakes are small, shallow, and occupy depressions within glacial and glacio-fluvial deposits. Most are groundwater-fed. The region is characterized by extremely cold winters and short hot summers. Dense coniferous forest mantles much of the plateau and surrounds most of the lakes. Most basins comprise three main subenvironments—hillslope, mudflat (saline and dry) and lake (ephemeral or perennial). Fluvial sediments are of little significance. Mudflats are primarily a zone of extensive interstitial carbonate precipitation from shallow groundwaters, including abundant magnesite and hydromagnesite. The amount of carbonate formed varies with groundwater composition. Some mudflats are carbonate-dominated; others are predominantly siliciclastic with only highly soluble interstitial salts forming. Sedimentary structures are disrupted by carbonate precipitation and displacive salt crystallization. Springs and ephemeral seepages are locally present. Microbial mats form extensively along many littoral zones and around springs; laminates are preserved in some cores. Efflorescent salt crusts cover saline mudflats around most lakes and playas. Subaqueous salts (including natron, epsomite, bloedite, mirabilite) are precipitated during late summer, autumn and winter in several hypersaline lakes, some by evaporative concentration, others by brine cooling and freeze-out. Several hypersaline, ephemeral lakes have an unusual "spotted" morphology, with hundreds of individual brine pools within carbonate-siliciclastic muds. Most recent sedimentation in the

  18. Spatiotemporal patterns of precipitation extremes in the Poyang Lake basin, China: Changing properties and causes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiao, M.

    2016-12-01

    Under the background of climate change, extensive attentions have been paid on the increased extreme precipitation from the public and government. To analyze the influences of large-scale climate indices on the precipitation extremes, the spatiotemporal patterns of precipitation extremes in the Poyang Lake basin have been investigated using the Bayesian hierarchical method. The seasonal maximum one-day precipitation amount (Rx1day) was used to represent the seasonal precipitation extremes. Results indicated that spring Rx1day was affected by El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a positive ENSO event in the same year tends to decrease the spring Rx1day in the northern part of Poyang Lake Basin while increase the spring Rx1day in southeastern Poyang Lake Basin, a positive NAO events in the same year tends to increase the spring Rx1day in the southwest and northwest part of Poyang Lake basin while decrease the spring Rx1day in the eastern part of Poyang Lake basin; summer Rx1day was affected by Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), positive IOD events in the same year tend to increase the summer Rx1day of northern Poyang Lake basin while decrease summer Rx1day of southern Poyang Lake basin; autumn Rx1day was affected by ENSO, positive ENSO events in the same year tend to mainly increase the autumn Rx1day in the west part of Poyang Lake basin; winter Rx1day was mainly affected by the NAO, positive NAO events in the same year tend to mainly increase the winter Rx1day of southern Poyang Lake basin, while positive NAO events in the previous year tend to mainly increase the winter Rx1day in the central and northeast part of Poyang Lake basin. It is considered that the region with the negative vertical velocity is dominated by more precipitation and vice versa. Furthermore, field patterns of 500 hPa vertical velocity anomalies related to each climate index have further corroborated the influences of climate indices on the seasonal Rx1day, and

  19. The influence of ice on southern Lake Michigan coastal erosion

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barnes, P.W.; Kempema, E.W.; Reimnitz, E.; McCormick, M.

    1994-01-01

    Coastal ice does not protect the coast but enhances erosion by displacing severe winter wave energy from the beach to the shoreface and by entraining and transporting sediment alongshore and offshore. Three aspects of winter ice in Lake Michigan were studied over a 3-year period and found to have an important influence on coastal sediment dynamics and the coastal sediment budget: (1) the influence of coastal ice on shoreface morphology, (2) the transport of littoral sediments by ice, and (3) the formation of anchor and underwater ice as a frequent and important event entraining and transporting sediment. The nearshore ice complex contains a sediment load (0.2 - 1.2 t/m of coast) that is roughly equivalent to the average amount of sand eroded from the coastal bluffs and to the amount of sand ice- rafted offshore to the deep lake basin each year. -from Authors

  20. Geographic and seasonal variation of dissolved methane and aerobic methane oxidation in Alaskan lakes

    DOE PAGES

    Martinez-Cruz, K.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A.; Walter Anthony, K.; ...

    2015-08-04

    Methanotrophic bacteria play an important role oxidizing a significant fraction of methane (CH 4) produced in lakes. Aerobic CH 4 oxidation depends mainly on lake CH 4 and oxygen (O 2) concentrations, in such a manner that higher MO rates are usually found at the oxic/anoxic interface, where both molecules are present. MO also depends on temperature, and via methanogenesis, on organic carbon input to lakes, including from thawing permafrost in thermokarst (thaw)-affected lakes. Given the large variability in these environmental factors, CH 4 oxidation is expected to be subject to large seasonal and geographic variations, which have been scarcelymore » reported in the literature. In the present study, we measured CH 4 oxidation rates in 30 Alaskan lakes along a north-south latitudinal transect during winter and summer with a new field laser spectroscopy method. Additionally, we measured dissolved CH 4 and O 2 concentrations. Here, we found that in the winter, aerobic CH 4 oxidation was mainly controlled by the dissolved O 2 concentration, while in the summer it was controlled primarily by the CH 4 concentration, which was scarce compared to dissolved O 2. The permafrost environment of the lakes was identified as another key factor. Thermokarst (thaw) lakes formed in yedoma-type permafrost had significantly higher CH 4 oxidation rates compared to other thermokarst and non-thermokarst lakes formed in non-yedoma permafrost environments. As thermokarst lakes formed in yedoma-type permafrost have been identified to receive large quantities of terrestrial organic carbon from thaw and subsidence of the surrounding landscape into the lake, confirming the strong coupling between terrestrial and aquatic habitats and its influence on CH 4 cycling.« less

  1. Geographic and seasonal variation of dissolved methane and aerobic methane oxidation in Alaskan lakes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Martinez-Cruz, K.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A.; Walter Anthony, K.

    Methanotrophic bacteria play an important role oxidizing a significant fraction of methane (CH 4) produced in lakes. Aerobic CH 4 oxidation depends mainly on lake CH 4 and oxygen (O 2) concentrations, in such a manner that higher MO rates are usually found at the oxic/anoxic interface, where both molecules are present. MO also depends on temperature, and via methanogenesis, on organic carbon input to lakes, including from thawing permafrost in thermokarst (thaw)-affected lakes. Given the large variability in these environmental factors, CH 4 oxidation is expected to be subject to large seasonal and geographic variations, which have been scarcelymore » reported in the literature. In the present study, we measured CH 4 oxidation rates in 30 Alaskan lakes along a north-south latitudinal transect during winter and summer with a new field laser spectroscopy method. Additionally, we measured dissolved CH 4 and O 2 concentrations. Here, we found that in the winter, aerobic CH 4 oxidation was mainly controlled by the dissolved O 2 concentration, while in the summer it was controlled primarily by the CH 4 concentration, which was scarce compared to dissolved O 2. The permafrost environment of the lakes was identified as another key factor. Thermokarst (thaw) lakes formed in yedoma-type permafrost had significantly higher CH 4 oxidation rates compared to other thermokarst and non-thermokarst lakes formed in non-yedoma permafrost environments. As thermokarst lakes formed in yedoma-type permafrost have been identified to receive large quantities of terrestrial organic carbon from thaw and subsidence of the surrounding landscape into the lake, confirming the strong coupling between terrestrial and aquatic habitats and its influence on CH 4 cycling.« less

  2. Life Under the Ice: Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Rates of Water Column and Sediment Respiration in 5 Alaskan Arctic Lakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadro, S.; MacIntyre, S.

    2014-12-01

    Alaskan arctic lakes lay covered by up to three meters of ice and snow for approximately two-thirds of the year, yet comparatively little is known about their ecosystem metabolism during this period. We combined the use of free-water measurements of dissolved oxygen (DO) and the laboratory incubation of sediment cores to characterize spatial and temporal patterns in the ecosystem respiration (ER) of five arctic lakes spanning a gradient in size from 1 to 150 ha. Seasonal rates of ER throughout the water column ranged from < 0.001 to 0.034 mg L-1 h-1; sediment ER ranged from mg 6.1 m-2 h-1 to 50.7 mg m-2 h-1. Although there were significant differences in sediment ER among lakes, average water column ER did not differ significantly. Seasonal patterns of DO draw down were most often linear. However, within the water column above the deepest basin of each lake, rates were higher during autumn - winter than winter - spring, with the lowest rates typically found in the upper 70% of the water column and the highest rates near the bottom. ER measured near the bottom along the slope of lake basins was lower than that at the center of lake basins and closer in magnitude to water column ER. Spatial patters in free-water rates were reflected by sediment ER, which was 21 - 66 % higher in cores collected from the deepest point of lake basins than in sediments collected at shallower locations found at the margin of basins. These observations suggest that two mechanisms operating in tandem account for the higher apparent rates of DO drawdown found within lake basins during the winter. Higher local rates of sediment ER and, similar to observations in other lakes, the transport of DO depleted waters from lake margins to deep basins. Together they contribute to the formation of hypoxia in the deeper basins of lakes and the concentration of other respiratory products, with important implications for energy flow within lakes and carbon budgets across the arctic.

  3. Climate change projections for lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) recruitment in the 1836 Treaty Waters of the Upper Great Lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lynch, Abigail J.; Taylor, William W.; Beard, T. Douglas; Lofgren, Brent M.

    2015-01-01

    Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is an ecologically, culturally, and economically important species in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Lake whitefish have been a staple food source for thousands of years and, since 1980, have supported the most economically valuable (annual catch value ≈ US$16.6 million) and productive (annual harvest ≈ 7 million kg) commercial fishery in the upper Great Lakes (Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior). Climate changes, specifically changes in temperature, wind, and ice cover, are expected to impact the ecology, production dynamics, and value of this fishery because the success of recruitment to the fishery has been linked with these climatic variables. We used linear regression to determine the relationship between fall and spring air temperature indices, fall wind speed, winter ice cover, and lake whitefish recruitment in 13 management units located in the 1836 Treaty Waters of the Upper Great Lakes ceded by the Ottawa and Chippewa nations, a culturally and commercially important region for the lake whitefish fishery. In eight of the 13 management units evaluated, models including one or more climate variables (temperature, wind, ice cover) explained significantly more variation in recruitment than models with only the stock–recruitment relationship, using corrected Akaike's Information Criterion comparisons (ΔAICc > 3). Isolating the climate–recruitment relationship and projecting recruitment with the Coupled Hydrosphere-Atmosphere Research Model (CHARM) indicated the potential for increased lake whitefish recruitment in the majority of the 1836 Treaty Waters management units. These results can inform adaptive management strategies by providing anticipated implications of climate on lake whitefish recruitment.

  4. Quantifying the Impacts of Outlet Control Structures on Lake Hydrology and Ecology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Budd, B. M.; Kendall, A. D.; Martin, S. L.; Hyndman, D. W.

    2012-12-01

    There have been limited studies of the impacts of lake level control structures on stream ecology and lake property erosion. We examine the influence of historical lake level management strategies on Higgins Lake in Michigan, which is regionally known for recreation, fisheries, and scenery. Lake control structures have potentially increased shoreline erosion and seasonally-reduced flow through the outlets, likely impacting fish habitat. Concerns over these issues spurred local land owners to seek a study on the possible hydrologic and ecological impacts of the removal or modification of the control structure. Bathymetry maps are fundamental to understanding and managing lake ecosystems. From the 1930's through the 1950's, these maps were developed for thousands of Michigan inland lakes using soundings lowered through holes cut in winter lake ice. Increased land use change and alterations of lake outlets have likely modified erosion and sedimentation rates of these lake systems. Our research includes bathymetry surveys of Higgins Lake using an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and side-scan sonar. The new higher-resolution bathymetry serves as the basis for simulating impacts of potential changes in lake management, on a verity of inpoint including shoreline position and fish habitat.

  5. Effects of internal loading on phosphorus distribution in the Taihu Lake driven by wind waves and lake currents.

    PubMed

    Huang, Lei; Fang, Hongwei; He, Guojian; Jiang, Helong; Wang, Changhui

    2016-12-01

    Wind-driven sediment resuspension exerts significant effects on the P behavior in shallow lake ecosystems. In this study, a comprehensive dynamic phosphorus (P) model that integrates hydrodynamic, wind wave and sediment transport is proposed to assess the importance of internal P cycling due to sediment resuspension on water column P levels. The primary contribution of the model is detailed modeling and rigorous coupling of sediment and P dynamics. The proposed model is applied to predict the P behavior in the shallow Taihu Lake, which is the third largest lake in China, and quantitatively estimate the effects of wind waves and lake currents on P release and distribution. Both the prevailing southeast winds in summer and northwest winds in winter are applied for the simulation, and different wind speeds of 5 m/s and 10 m/s are also considered. Results show that sediment resuspension and the resulting P release have a dominant effect on P levels in Taihu Lake, and likely similar shallow lakes. Wind-driven waves at higher wind speeds significantly enhance sediment resuspension and suspended sediment concentration (SSC). Total P concentration in the water column is also increased but not in proportion to the SSC. The different lake circulations resulting from the different prevailing wind directions also affect the distribution of suspended sediment and P around the lake ultimately influencing where eutrophication is likely to occur. The proposed model demonstrates that internal cycling in the lake is a dominant factor in the lake P and must be considered when trying to manage water quality in this and similar lakes. The model is used to demonstrate the potential effectiveness of remediation of an area where historical releases have led to P accumulation on overall lake quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Dynamics of suspended sediment plumes in Lake Ontario

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pluhowski, E. J. (Principal Investigator)

    1974-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. Although turbidity plumes in Lake Ontario are usually not visible during the winter, meteorologic and hydrologic events may combine to ensure their detection. The clearly defined Niagara River plume of January 25, 1974, was the result of turbid water entering the river at its source near the eastern end of Lake Erie. A persistent southwest wind mild temperature resulted in a pile-up of ice free but turbid water at the source of the Niagara River where the highly colored water entered the river. Upon discharge into Lake Ontario, the Niagara River water appears several shades lighter in tone than the ambient lake water. On February 12, 1974, eastward moving ice floes along the Ontario shoreline were forced to move around the hydraulic barrier created by the Niagara River jet. As a result the Niagara River plume was clearly portrayed by a halo-like band of slush ice borne by wind-driven nearshore currents.

  7. The importance of terrestrial carbon in supporting molluscs in the wetlands of Poyang Lake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Huan; Yu, Xiubo; Wang, Yuyu; Xu, Jun

    2017-07-01

    Allochthonous organic matter plays an important role in nutrient cycling and energy mobilization in freshwater ecosystems. However, the subsidies of this carbon source in floodplain ecosystems have not yet well understood. We used a Bayesian mixing model and stable isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) of primary food resources and dominant molluscs species, to estimate the relative importance of allochthonous carbon sources for consumers in a representative sub-lake of Poyang Lake during a prolonged dry season. Our study inferred that terrestrial-derived carbon from Carex spp. could be the primary contributor to snails and mussels in Dahuchi Lake. The mean percentage of allochthonous food resources accounted for 35%-50% of the C incorporated by these consumers. Seston was another important energy sources for benthic consumers. However, during the winter and low water-level period, benthic algae and submerged vegetation contributed less carbon to benthic consumers. Our data highlighted the importance of terrestrial organic carbon to benthic consumers in the wetlands of Poyang Lake during the prolonged dry period. Further, our results provided a perspective that linkages between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems might be facilitated by wintering geese via their droppings.

  8. Record low lake ice thickness and bedfast ice extent on Alaska's Arctic Coastal Plain in 2017 exemplify the value of monitoring freshwater ice to understand sea-ice forcing and predict permafrost dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arp, C. D.; Alexeev, V. A.; Bondurant, A. C.; Creighton, A.; Engram, M. J.; Jones, B. M.; Parsekian, A.

    2017-12-01

    The winter of 2016/2017 was exceptionally warm and snowy along the coast of Arctic Alaska partly due to low fall sea ice extent. Based on several decades of field measurements, we documented a new record low maximum ice thickness (MIT) for lakes on the Barrow Peninsula, averaging 1.2 m. This is in comparison to a long-term average MIT of 1.7 m stretching back to 1962 with a maximum of 2.1 m in 1970 and previous minimum of 1.3 m in 2014. The relevance of thinner lake ice in arctic coastal lowlands, where thermokarst lakes cover greater than 20% of the land area, is that permafrost below lakes with bedfast ice is typically preserved. Lakes deeper than the MIT warm and thaw sub-lake permafrost forming taliks. Remote sensing analysis using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a valuable tool for scaling the field observations of MIT to the entire freshwater landscape to map bedfast ice. A new, long-term time-series of late winter multi-platform SAR from 1992 to 2016 shows a large dynamic range of bedfast ice extent, 29% of lake area or 6% of the total land area over this period, and adding 2017 to this record is expected to extend this range further. Empirical models of lake mean annual bed temperature suggest that permafrost begins to thaw at depths less than 60% of MIT. Based on this information and knowledge of average lake ice growth trajectories, we suggest that future SAR analysis of lake ice should focus on mid-winter (January) to evaluate the extent of bedfast ice and corresponding zones of sub-lake permafrost thaw. Tracking changes in these areas from year to year in mid-winter may provide the best landscape-scale evaluation of changing permafrost conditions in lake-rich arctic lowlands. Because observed changes in MIT coupled with mid-winter bedfast ice extent provide much information on permafrost stability, we suggest that these measurements can serve as Essential Climate Variables (EVCs) to indicate past and future changes in lake-rich arctic regions. The

  9. Carbon dioxide partial pressure and 13C content of north temperate and boreal lakes at spring ice melt

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Striegl, Robert G.; Kortelainen, Pirkko; Chanton, J.P.; Wickland, K.P.; Bugna, G.C.; Rantakari, M.

    2001-01-01

    Carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulates under lake ice in winter and degasses to the atmosphere after ice melt. This large springtime CO2 pulse is not typically considered in surface-atmosphere flux estimates, because most field studies have not sampled through ice during late winter. Measured CO2 partial pressure (pCO2) of lake surface water ranged from 8.6 to 4,290 Pa (85-4,230 ??atm) in 234 north temperate and boreal lakes prior to ice melt during 1998 and 1999. Only four lakes had surface pCO2 less than or equal to atmospheric pCO2, whereas 75% had pCO2 >5 times atmospheric. The ??13CDIC (DIC = ??CO2) of 142 of the lakes ranged from -26.28??? to +0.95.???. Lakes with the greatest pCO2 also had the lightest ??13CDIC, which indicates respiration as their primary CO2 source. Finnish lakes that received large amounts of dissolved organic carbon from surrounding peatlands had the greatest pCO2. Lakes set in noncarbonate till and bedrock in Minnesota and Wisconsin had the smallest pCO2 and the heaviest ??13CDIC, which indicates atmospheric and/or mineral sources of C for those lakes. Potential emissions for the period after ice melt were 2.36 ?? 1.44 mol CO2 m-2 for lakes with average pCO2 values and were as large as 13.7 ?? 8.4 mol CO2 m-2 for lakes with high pCO2 values.

  10. Microbial life under ice: Metagenome diversity and in situ activity of Verrucomicrobia in seasonally ice-covered lakes.

    PubMed

    Tran, Patricia; Ramachandran, Arthi; Khawasek, Ola; Beisner, Beatrix E; Rautio, Milla; Huot, Yannick; Walsh, David A

    2018-06-19

    Northern lakes are ice-covered for a large part of the year, yet our understanding of microbial diversity and activity during winter lags behind that of the ice-free period. In this study, we investigated under-ice diversity and metabolism of Verrucomicrobia in seasonally ice-covered lakes in temperate and boreal regions of Quebec, Canada using 16S rRNA sequencing, metagenomics and metatranscriptomics. Verrucomicrobia, particularly the V1, V3 and V4 subdivisions, were abundant during ice-covered periods. A diversity of Verrucomicrobia genomes were reconstructed from Quebec lake metagenomes. Several genomes were associated with the ice-covered period and were represented in winter metatranscriptomes, supporting the notion that Verrucomicrobia are metabolically active under ice. Verrucomicrobia transcriptome analysis revealed a range of metabolisms potentially occurring under ice, including carbohydrate degradation, glycolate utilization, scavenging of chlorophyll degradation products, and urea use. Genes for aerobic sulfur and hydrogen oxidation were expressed, suggesting chemolithotrophy may be an adaptation to conditions where labile carbon may be limited. The expression of genes for flagella biosynthesis and chemotaxis was detected, suggesting Verrucomicrobia may be actively sensing and responding to winter nutrient pulses, such as phytoplankton blooms. These results increase our understanding on the diversity and metabolic processes occurring under ice in northern lakes ecosystems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Effects of body size, condition, and lipid content on the survival of juvenile lake herring during rapid cooling events

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pangle, K.L.; Sutton, T.M.; Kinnunen, R.E.; Hoff, M.H.

    2005-01-01

    Juvenile lake herring Coregonus artedi were exposed to rapid cooling events during two laboratory experiments to determine the effects of body size, physiological condition, and lipid content on survival. The first experiment was conducted at the onset of winter, exposing small (50 to 85 mm) and large (85 to 129 mm) fish to a decline in water temperature from 12 to 2??C at a rate of 1??C/hr. During this experiment, both large and small individuals exposed to a rapid cooling event experienced no mortality or abnormal behaviors. Separate fish were then maintained under thermal and photoperiod regimes that mimicked those in Lake Superior from October through May. Fish in each size class were maintained at two feeding treatments: Artemia ad libitum and no food. At the completion of the winter period, these lake herring were subjected to the same rapid cooling event conducted in the first experiment. During the experiment, lake herring exhibited no mortality or abnormal behaviors despite treatment-dependent differences in condition and lipid content. Our results indicate that mortality due to rapid cooling events does not appear to contribute to the recruitment variability observed for juvenile lake herring in Lake Superior.

  12. Great Lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Edsall, Thomas A.; Mac, Michael J.; Opler, Paul A.; Puckett Haecker, Catherine E.; Doran, Peter D.

    1998-01-01

    The Great Lakes region, as defined here, includes the Great Lakes and their drainage basins in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. The region also includes the portions of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the 21 northernmost counties of Illinois that lie in the Mississippi River drainage basin, outside the floodplain of the river. The region spans about 9º of latitude and 20º of longitude and lies roughly halfway between the equator and the North Pole in a lowland corridor that extends from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic Ocean.The Great Lakes are the most prominent natural feature of the region (Fig. 1). They have a combined surface area of about 245,000 square kilometers and are among the largest, deepest lakes in the world. They are the largest single aggregation of fresh water on the planet (excluding the polar ice caps) and are the only glacial feature on Earth visible from the surface of the moon (The Nature Conservancy 1994a).The Great Lakes moderate the region’s climate, which presently ranges from subarctic in the north to humid continental warm in the south (Fig. 2), reflecting the movement of major weather masses from the north and south (U.S. Department of the Interior 1970; Eichenlaub 1979). The lakes act as heat sinks in summer and heat sources in winter and are major reservoirs that help humidify much of the region. They also create local precipitation belts in areas where air masses are pushed across the lakes by prevailing winds, pick up moisture from the lake surface, and then drop that moisture over land on the other side of the lake. The mean annual frost-free period—a general measure of the growing-season length for plants and some cold-blooded animals—varies from 60 days at higher elevations in the north to 160 days in lakeshore areas in the south. The climate influences the general distribution of wild plants and animals in the region and also influences the activities and distribution of the human

  13. Geo- and Biogeochemical Processes in a Heliothermal Hypersaline Lake

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Zachara, John M.; Moran, James J.; Resch, Charles T.

    heat exchange, and lower winter lake temperatures. Solubility calculations indicated seasonal biogenic and thermogenic aragonite precipitation in the upper and lower mixolimnion, but the absence of calcareous sediments at depth suggested dissolution and recycling during winter months. Carbon concentrations were high in Hot Lake (e.g., 0 to 450 mg/L for both DOC and DIC) and increased with depth. DIC concentrations were variable and influenced by calcium carbonate precipitation, but DOC concentrations remained constant except in the monimolimnion where mass loss by anaerobic microbial processes was implied. Biogenic reduced solutes originating in monimolimnion (H2S and CH4) appeared to be biologically oxidized in the metalimnion as they were not observed in more shallow lake waters. Multi-year solute inventory calculations indicated that Hot Lake is a stable, albeit seasonally and annually dynamic feature, with inorganic solutes cycled between lake waters and sediments depending on annual recharge, temperature, and lake water dilution state. Hot Lake with its extreme geochemical and thermal regime functions as analogue of early earth and extraterrestrial life environments.« less

  14. Estimating Spring Condensation on the Great Lakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meyer, A.; Welp, L.

    2017-12-01

    The Laurentian Great Lakes region provides opportunities for shipping, recreation, and consumptive water use to a large part of the United States and Canada. Water levels in the lakes fluctuate yearly, but attempts to model the system are inadequate because the water and energy budgets are still not fully understood. For example, water levels in the Great Lakes experienced a 15-year low period ending in 2013, the recovery of which has been attributed partially to decreased evaporation and increased precipitation and runoff. Unlike precipitation, the exchange of water vapor between the lake and the atmosphere through evaporation or condensation is difficult to measure directly. However, estimates have been constructed using off-shore eddy covariance direct measurements of latent heat fluxes, remote sensing observations, and a small network of monitoring buoys. When the lake surface temperature is colder than air temperature as it is in spring, condensation is larger than evaporation. This is a relatively small component of the net annual water budget of the lakes, but the total amount of condensation may be important for seasonal energy fluxes and atmospheric deposition of pollutants and nutrients to the lakes. Seasonal energy fluxes determine, and are influenced by, ice cover, water and air temperatures, and evaporation in the Great Lakes. We aim to quantify the amount of spring condensation on the Great Lakes using the National Center for Atmospheric Prediction North American Regional Reanalysis (NCEP NARR) Data for Winter 2013 to Spring 2017 and compare the condensation values of spring seasons following high volume, high duration and low volume, low duration ice cover.

  15. Patterns of lake occupancy by fish indicate different adaptations to life in a harsh Arctic environment

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Haynes, Trevor B.; Rosenberger, Amanda E.; Lindberg, Mark S.; Whitman, Matthew; Schmutz, Joel A.

    2014-01-01

    Based on these patterns, we propose an overall model of primary controls on the distribution of fish on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. Harsh conditions, including lake freezing, limit occupancy in winter through extinction events while lake occupancy in spring and summer is driven by directional migration (large-bodied species) and undirected dispersal (small-bodied species).

  16. Sea/Lake Water Air Conditioning at Naval Facilities.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-05-01

    ECONOMICS AT TWO FACILITIES ......... ................... 2 Facilities ........... .......................... 2 Computer Models...of an operational test at Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA) Winter Harbor, Me., and the economics of Navywide application. In FY76 an assessment of... economics of Navywide application of sea/lake water AC indicated that cost and energy savings at the sites of some Naval facilities are possible, depending

  17. Seasonal changes in the spatial distribution of phytoplankton in small, temperate-zone lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Cloern, J.E.; Alpine, A.E.; Cole, B.E.; Heller, T.

    1992-01-01

    Sampling across two N Minnesota small lakes shows that phytoplankton patchiness is greatly enhanced during winter ice-cover relative to the open-water seasons of exposure to wind stress and rapid turbulent mixing. -Authors

  18. Habitat Suitability Index Models: American black duck (wintering)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lewis, James C.; Garrison, Russell L.

    1984-01-01

    INTRODUCTION The American black duck, commonly known as the black duck, is migratory and has a wide geographic range. American black ducks breed from Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, west to the Mississippi River and north through the eastern Canadian boreal forest (Bellrose 1976). The winter range extends from the Rio Grande River on the Texas coast, northeast to Lake Michigan, east to Nova Scotia, south to Florida, and west to Texas (Wright 1954). American black ducks arrive on their wintering habitats between September and early December and remain there until February to April (Bellrose 1976). Their preferred habitat varies considerably through the wintering range. Habitat use appears related to food availability, freedom from disturbance, weather, and often upon the presence of large bodies of open water. These interrelated elements are essential for meeting the energy demands and other nutritional requirements of black ducks in response to the rigors of cold weather and migration. In the Atlantic Flyway, winter populations of American black ducks concentrate in marine and estuarine wetlands (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 1979). They use salt marshes and small tidal bays for feeding and loafing areas. In wintering areas north of Chesapeake Bay, American black ducks frequently feed on tidal flats and rest in emergent wetlands or on ice-free bays, rivers, and coastal reservoirs. In the Chesapeake bay area, migrant and wintering American black ducks occupy a wide variety of habitats (Stewart 1962). They strongly favor brackish bays with extensive adjacent agricultural lands. Estuarine bays, coastal salt marshes, tidal fresh marshes, and adjacent impoundments receive high usage. American black ducks also concentrate in forested wetlands in and adjacent to estuaries in the South Atlantic Flyway, especially in Virginia and North Carolina.

  19. Ikaite precipitation by mixing of shoreline springs and lake water, Mono Lake, California, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bischoff, James L.; Stine, Scott; Rosenbauer, Robert J.; Fitzpatrick, John A.; Stafford, Thomas W., Jr.

    1993-08-01

    Metastable ikaite (CaCO 3·6H 2O) forms abundantly during winter months along the south shoreline of Mono Lake where shoreline springs mix with lake water. Ikaite precipitates because of its decreased solubility at low temperature and because of orthophosphate-ion inhibition of calcite and aragonite. During the spring some of the ikaite is transformed to anhydrous CaCO 3 and is incorporated into tufa, but most is dispersed by wave action into the lake where it reacts to form gaylussite (Na 2Ca(CO 3) 2· 5H 2O). Spring waters have low pH values, are dominantly Ca-Na-HCO 3, have low radiocarbon activities, and are mixtures of deep-seated geothermal and cold groundwaters. Chemical modeling reveals that precipitation of CaCO 3 can occur over a broad range of mixtures of spring and lake water with a maximum production occurring at 96% spring water and 4% lake water. Under these conditions all the Ca and a significant fraction of the CO 3 of the precipitate is spring supplied. A radiocarbon age of 19,580 years obtained on a natural ikaite sample supports this conclusion. With the springs supplying a large and probably variable portion of the carbonate, and with apparent 14C age of the carbonate varying from spring to spring, tufa of similar actual antiquity may yield significantly different 14C dates, making tufa at this location unsuitable for absolute age dating by the radiocarbon method.

  20. Ikaite precipitation by mixing of shoreline springs and lake water, Mono Lake, California, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bischoff, J.L.; Stine, S.; Rosenbauer, R.J.; Fitzpatrick, J.A.; Stafford, Thomas W.

    1993-01-01

    Metastable ikaite (CaCO3??6H2O) forms abundantly during winter months along the south shoreline of Mono Lake where shoreline springs mix with lake water. Ikaite precipitates because of its decreased solubility at low temperature and because of orthophosphate-ion inhibition of calcite and aragonite. During the spring some of the ikaite is transformed to anhydrous CaCO3 and is incorporated into tufa, but most is dispersed by wave action into the lake where it reacts to form gaylussite (Na2Ca(CO3)2?? 5H2O). Spring waters have low pH values, are dominantly Ca-Na-HCO3, have low radiocarbon activities, and are mixtures of deep-seated geothermal and cold groundwaters. Chemical modeling reveals that precipitation of CaCO3 can occur over a broad range of mixtures of spring and lake water with a maximum production occurring at 96% spring water and 4% lake water. Under these conditions all the Ca and a significant fraction of the CO3 of the precipitate is spring supplied. A radiocarbon age of 19,580 years obtained on a natural ikaite sample supports this conclusion. With the springs supplying a large and probably variable portion of the carbonate, and with apparent 14C age of the carbonate varying from spring to spring, tufa of similar actual antiquity may yield significantly different 14C dates, making tufa at this location unsuitable for absolute age dating by the radiocarbon method. ?? 1993.

  1. Forecasting Winter Storms in the Sierra: A Social Science Perspective in Keeping the Public Safe without Negatively Impacting the Local Tourism Industry

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Milne, R.; Wallmann, J.; Myrick, D. T.

    2010-12-01

    The National Weather Service Office in Reno is responsible for issuing Blizzard Warnings, Winter Storm Warnings, and Winter Weather Advisories for the Sierra, including the Lake Tahoe Basin and heavily traveled routes such as Interstate 80, Highway 395 and Highway 50. These forecast products prepare motorists for harsh travel conditions as well as those venturing into the backcountry, which are essential to the NWS mission of saving lives and property. During the winter season, millions of people from around the world visit the numerous world class ski resorts in the Sierra and the Lake Tahoe Basin, which is vital to the local economy. This situation creates a challenging decision for the forecasters to provide appropriate wording in winter statements to keep the public safe, without significantly impacting the local tourism-based economy. Numerous text and graphical products, including online weather briefings, are utilized by NWS Reno to highlight hazards in ensuring the public, businesses, and other government agencies are prepared for winter storms and take appropriate safety measures. The effectiveness of these product types will be explored, with past snowstorms used as examples to show how forecasters determine which type of text or graphical product is most appropriate to convey the hazardous weather threats.

  2. Geo- and biogeochemical processes in a heliothermal hypersaline lake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zachara, John M.; Moran, James J.; Resch, Charles T.; Lindemann, Stephen R.; Felmy, Andrew R.; Bowden, Mark E.; Cory, Alexandra B.; Fredrickson, James K.

    2016-05-01

    Water chemical variations were investigated over three annual hydrologic cycles in hypersaline, heliothermal, meromictic Hot Lake in north-central Washington State, USA. The lake contains diverse biota with dramatic zonation related to salinity and redox state. Water samples were collected at 10-cm depth intervals through the shallow lake (2.4 m) during 2012-2014, with comprehensive monitoring performed in 2013. Inorganic salt species, dissolved carbon forms (DOC, DIC), oxygen, sulfide, and methane were analyzed in lake water samples. Depth sonde measurements of pH and temperature were also performed to track their seasonal variations. A bathymetric survey of the lake was conducted to enable lake water volume and solute inventory calculations. Sediment cores were collected at low water and analyzed by X-ray diffraction to investigate sediment mineralogy. The primary dissolved salt in Hot Lake water was Mg2+-SO42- whereas sediments were dominated by gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O). Lake water concentrations increased with depth, reaching saturation with epsomite (MgSO4·7H2O) that was exposed at lake bottom. At maximum volume in spring, Hot Lake exhibited a relatively dilute mixolimnion; a lower saline metalimnion with stratified oxygenic and anoxygenic photosynthetic microbiological communities; and a stable, hypersaline monimolimnion, separated from above layers by a chemocline, containing high levels of sulfide and methane. The thickness of the mixolimnion regulates a heliothermal effect that creates temperatures in excess of 60 °C in the underlying metalimnion and monimolimnion. The mixolimnion was dynamic in volume and actively mixed. It displayed large pH variations, in-situ calcium carbonate precipitation, and large evaporative volume losses. The depletion of this layer by fall allowed deeper mixing into the metalimnion, more rapid heat exchange, and lower winter lake temperatures. Solubility calculations indicate seasonal biogenic and thermogenic aragonite

  3. Methane Emissions from Small Lakes: Dynamics and Distribution Patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Encinas Fernández, J. M.; Peeters, F.; Hofmann, H.

    2014-12-01

    The dynamics of dissolved methane were measured during three years in five small lakes with different surface areas and maximum water depth. We analyze and compare the horizontal and vertical distribution of dissolved methane within these lakes during different time periods: the stratified period in summer, the autumn overturn, the winter mixing period, and the period from spring to summer stratification. The horizontal distributions of dissolved methane within the lakes suggest that the relation between surface area and maximum water-depth is a key factor determining the heterogeneity of methane concentrations in the surface water. During most of the year littoral zones are the main source of the methane that is emitted to the atmosphere except for the overturn periods. The vertical distributions of temperature and dissolved oxygen within the different seasons affect the vertical distribution of dissolved methane and thus the methane budget within lakes. Anoxic conditions in the hypolimnion and the intense mixing during overturn periods are key factors for the overall annual methane emissions from lakes.

  4. Reconstructing Heat Fluxes Over Lake Erie During the Lake Effect Snow Event of November 2014

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fitzpatrick, L.; Fujisaki-Manome, A.; Gronewold, A.; Anderson, E. J.; Spence, C.; Chen, J.; Shao, C.; Posselt, D. J.; Wright, D. M.; Lofgren, B. M.; Schwab, D. J.

    2017-12-01

    The extreme North American winter storm of November 2014 triggered a record lake effect snowfall (LES) event in southwest New York. This study examined the evaporation from Lake Erie during the record lake effect snowfall event, November 17th-20th, 2014, by reconstructing heat fluxes and evaporation rates over Lake Erie using the unstructured grid, Finite-Volume Community Ocean Model (FVCOM). Nine different model runs were conducted using combinations of three different flux algorithms: the Met Flux Algorithm (COARE), a method routinely used at NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (SOLAR), and the Los Alamos Sea Ice Model (CICE); and three different meteorological forcings: the Climate Forecast System version 2 Operational Analysis (CFSv2), Interpolated observations (Interp), and the High Resolution Rapid Refresh (HRRR). A few non-FVCOM model outputs were also included in the evaporation analysis from an atmospheric reanalysis (CFSv2) and the large lake thermodynamic model (LLTM). Model-simulated water temperature and meteorological forcing data (wind direction and air temperature) were validated with buoy data at three locations in Lake Erie. The simulated sensible and latent heat fluxes were validated with the eddy covariance measurements at two offshore sites; Long Point Lighthouse in north central Lake Erie and Toledo water crib intake in western Lake Erie. The evaluation showed a significant increase in heat fluxes over three days, with the peak on the 18th of November. Snow water equivalent data from the National Snow Analyses at the National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center showed a spike in water content on the 20th of November, two days after the peak heat fluxes. The ensemble runs presented a variation in spatial pattern of evaporation, lake-wide average evaporation, and resulting cooling of the lake. Overall, the evaporation tended to be larger in deep water than shallow water near the shore. The lake-wide average evaporations

  5. Migration and winter distributions of canvasbacks staging on the Upper Mississippi River

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Serie, J.R.; Trauger, D.L.; Sharp, D.E.

    1983-01-01

    Fall and winter distribution patterns of canvasbacks (Aythya valisineria) staging on the upper Mississippi River near LaCrosse, Wisconsin (navigational Pools 7 and 8) and Keokuk, Iowa (Pool 19) were studied during 1973-77. Sightings and recoveries obtained from 1,488 color-marked males during 1973-75 and 3,789 banded males and females during 1973-77 suggested 2 principal migration corridors: 1 extending eastward from Pools 7 and 8 to the eastern Great Lakes and southeast to the Mid-Atlantic Region and another southward from Pools 7 and 8 to the lower Mississippi Valley, Gulf Coast, and east Texas regions. These discrete populations stage concurrently on Pools 7 and 8 during the fall, but winter in different areas of the Atlantic, Mississippi, and Central flyways. Populations staging on Pool 19 were not discrete from those staging on Pools 7 and 8. A continual turnover of birds passing through these staging areas was indicated. Canvasbacks wintering in the Mississippi and Central flyways were widely dispersed among a variety of habitats, whereas canvasbacks wintering in the Atlantic Flyway were concentrated in a few traditional habitats. Canvasbacks exhibited strong fidelity to wintering areas. Distribution patterns and population attributes of canvasbacks during fall and winter may be explained by the predictability of natural foods and their ability to exploit these foods.

  6. Wintering area DDE source to migratory white-faced ibis revealed by satellite telemetry and prey sampling.

    PubMed

    Yates, Michael A; Fuller, Mark R; Henny, Charles J; Seegar, William S; Garcia, Jaqueline

    2010-01-01

    Locations of contaminant exposure for nesting migratory species are difficult to fully understand because of possible additional sources encountered during migration or on the wintering grounds. A portion of the migratory white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) nesting at Carson Lake, Nevada continues to be exposed to dichloro-diphenyldichloro-ethylene (DDE) with no change, which is unusual, observed in egg concentrations between 1985 and 2000. About 45-63% of the earliest nesting segment shows reduced reproductive success correlated with elevated egg concentrations of >4 microg/g wet weight (ww). Local prey (primarily earthworms) near nests contained little DDE so we tracked the migration and wintering movements of 20 adult males during 2000-2004 to determine the possible source. At various wintering sites, we found a correlation (r (2) = 0.518, P = 0.0125, N = 11) between DDE in earthworm composites and DDE in blood plasma of white-faced ibis wintering there, although the plasma was collected on their breeding grounds soon after arrival. The main source of DDE was wintering areas in the Mexicali Valley of Baja California Norte, Mexico, and probably the adjacent Imperial Valley, California, USA. This unusual continuing DDE problem for white-faced ibis is associated with: the long-term persistence in soil of DDE; the earthworms' ability to bioconcentrate DDE from soil; the proclivity of white-faced ibis to feed on earthworms in agricultural fields; the species's extreme sensitivity to DDE in their eggs; and perhaps its life history strategy of being a "capital breeder". We suggest surveying and sampling white-faced ibis eggs at nesting colonies, especially at Carson Lake, to monitor the continuing influence of DDE.

  7. Wintering area DDE source to migratory white-faced ibis revealed by satellite telemetry and prey sampling

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yates, M.A.; Fuller, M.R.; Henny, C.J.; Seegar, W.S.; Garcia, Jorge H.

    2010-01-01

    Locations of contaminant exposure for nesting migratory species are difficult to fully understand because of possible additional sources encountered during migration or on the wintering grounds. A portion of the migratory white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi) nesting at Carson Lake, Nevada continues to be exposed to dichloro-diphenyldichloro-ethylene (DDE) with no change, which is unusual, observed in egg concentrations between 1985 and 2000. About 45-63% of the earliest nesting segment shows reduced reproductive success correlated with elevated egg concentrations of >4 ??g/g wet weight (ww). Local prey (primarily earthworms) near nests contained little DDE so we tracked the migration and wintering movements of 20 adult males during 2000-2004 to determine the possible source. At various wintering sites, we found a correlation (r 2 = 0.518, P = 0.0125, N = 11) between DDE in earthworm composites and DDE in blood plasma of white-faced ibis wintering there, although the plasma was collected on their breeding grounds soon after arrival. The main source of DDE was wintering areas in the Mexicali Valley of Baja California Norte, Mexico, and probably the adjacent Imperial Valley, California, USA. This unusual continuing DDE problem for white-faced ibis is associated with: the long-term persistence in soil of DDE; the earthworms' ability to bioconcentrate DDE from soil; the proclivity of white-faced ibis to feed on earthworms in agricultural fields; the species's extreme sensitivity to DDE in their eggs; and perhaps its life history strategy of being a "capital breeder". We suggest surveying and sampling white-faced ibis eggs at nesting colonies, especially at Carson Lake, to monitor the continuing influence of DDE. ?? 2009 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

  8. Observing a catastrophic thermokarst lake drainage in northern Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jones, Benjamin M.; Arp, Christopher D.

    2015-01-01

    The formation and drainage of thermokarst lakes have reshaped ice-rich permafrost lowlands in the Arctic throughout the Holocene. North of Teshekpuk Lake, on the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska, thermokarst lakes presently occupy 22.5% of the landscape, and drained thermokarst lake basins occupy 61.8%. Analysis of remotely sensed imagery indicates that nine lakes (>10 ha) have drained in the 1,750 km2 study area between 1955 and 2014. The most recent lake drainage was observed using in situ data loggers providing information on the duration and magnitude of the event, and a nearby weather station provided information on the environmental conditions preceding the lake drainage. Lake 195 (L195), an 80 ha thermokarst lake with an estimated water volume of ~872,000 m3, catastrophically drained on 05 July 2014. Abundant winter snowfall and heavy early summer precipitation resulted in elevated lake water levels that likely promoted bank overtopping, thermo-erosion along an ice-wedge network, and formation of a 9 m wide, 2 m deep, and 70 m long drainage gully. The lake emptied in 36 hours, with 75% of the water volume loss occurring in the first ten hours. The observed peak discharge of the resultant flood was 25 m3/s, which is similar to that in northern Alaska river basins whose areas are more than two orders of magnitude larger. Our findings support the catastrophic nature of sudden lake drainage events and the mechanistic hypotheses developed by J. Ross Mackay.

  9. Winter Fish Populations in Probable Locations of Air Bubblers in the St. Marys River-Lake Superior Area

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-09-01

    Lawrence Seaway Navigation Season Extension, Draft Main Report and Environmental Statement. Detroit, Michigan. Potential effects on fish were discussed...to keep channels ice free for winter vessel passage. The stucies were Jone to determine base line ecological conditions and the effects of the...Subjects were: "Ecological effects of air bub- blers in the winter, a partially annotated bibliography" and "Annotated bibliography on winter fish and

  10. Recruitment variability of alewives in Lake Michigan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Madenjian, C.P.; Hook, T.O.; Rutherford, E.S.; Mason, D.M.; Croley, T.E.; Szalai, E.B.; Bence, J.R.

    2005-01-01

    We used a long-term series of observations on alewife Alosa pseudoharengus abundance that was based on fall bottom-trawl catches to assess the importance of various abiotic and biotic factors on alewife recruitment in Lake Michigan during 1962–2002. We first fit a basic Ricker spawner–recruit model to the lakewide biomass estimates of age-3 recruits and the corresponding spawning stock size; we then fit models for all possible combinations of the following four external variables added to the basic model: an index of salmonine predation on an alewife year-class, an index for the spring–summer water temperatures experienced by alewives during their first year in the lake, an index of the severity of the first winter experienced by alewives in the lake, and an index of lake productivity during an alewife year-class's second year in the lake. Based on an information criterion, the best model for alewife recruitment included indices of salmonine predation and spring–summer water temperatures as external variables. Our analysis corroborated the contention that a decline in alewife abundance during the 1970s and early 1980s in Lake Michigan was driven by salmonine predation. Furthermore, our findings indicated that the extraordinarily warm water temperatures during the spring and summer of 1998 probably led to a moderately high recruitment of age-3 alewives in 2001, despite abundant salmonines.

  11. Response of North American freshwater lakes to simulated future climates

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hostetler, S.W.; Small, E.E.

    1999-01-01

    We apply a physically based lake model to assess the response of North American lakes to future climate conditions as portrayed by the transient trace-gas simulations conducted with the Max Planck Institute (ECHAM4) and the Canadian Climate Center (CGCM1) atmosphere-ocean general circulation models (A/OGCMs). To quantify spatial patterns of lake responses (temperature, mixing, ice cover, evaporation) we ran the lake model for theoretical lakes of specified area, depth, and transparency over a uniformly spaced (50 km) grid. The simulations were conducted for two 10-year periods that represent present climatic conditions and those around the time of CO2 doubling. Although the climate model output produces simulated lake responses that differ in specific regional details, there is broad agreement with regard to the direction and area of change. In particular, lake temperatures are generally warmer in the future as a result of warmer climatic conditions and a substantial loss (> 100 days/yr) of winter ice cover. Simulated summer lake temperatures are higher than 30??C ever the Midwest and south, suggesting the potential for future disturbance of existing aquatic ecosystems. Overall increases in lake evaporation combine with disparate changes in A/OGCM precipitation to produce future changes in net moisture (precipitation minus evaporation) that are of less fidelity than those of lake temperature.

  12. What caused the decline of China's largest freshwater lake? Attribution analysis on Poyang Lake water level variations in recent years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ye, Xuchun; Xu, Chong-Yu; Zhang, Qi

    2017-04-01

    In recent years, dramatic decline of water level of the Poyang Lake, China's largest freshwater lake, has raised wide concerns about the water security and wetland ecosystem. This remarkable hydrological change coincided with several factors like the initial operation of the Three Gorges Dam (TGD) in 2003, the big change of lake bottom topography due to extensive sand mining in the lake since 2000, and also climate change and other human activities in the Yangtze River basin may add to this complexity. Questions raised to what extent that the lake hydrological changes is caused by climate change and/or human activities. In this study, quantitative assessment was conducted to clarify the magnitude and mechanism of specific influencing factors on recent lake decline (2003-2014), with reference to the period of 1980-1999. The attempts were achieved through the reconstruction of lake water level scenarios by the framework of neural network. Major result indicates that the effect of lake bottom topography change due to sand mining activities has became the dominant factor for the recent lake decline, especially in winter season with low water level. However, the effect of TGD regulation shows strong seasonal features, its effect can accounts for 33%-42% of the average water level decline across the lake during the impoundment period of September-October. In addition, the effect of climate change and other human activities over the Yangtze River basin needs to be highly addressed, which is particularly prominent on reducing lake water level during the summer flood season and autumn recession period. The result also revealed that due to different mechanism, the responses of the lake water level to the three influencing factors are not consistent and show great spatial and temporal differences.

  13. Hydroclimatic variability in the Lake Mondsee region and its relationships with large-scale climate anomaly patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rimbu, Norel; Ionita, Monica; Swierczynski, Tina; Brauer, Achim; Kämpf, Lucas; Czymzik, Markus

    2017-04-01

    Flood triggered detrital layers in varved sediments of Lake Mondsee, located at the northern fringe of the European Alps (47°48'N,13°23'E), provide an important archive of regional hydroclimatic variability during the mid- to late Holocene. To improve the interpretation of the flood layer record in terms of large-scale climate variability, we investigate the relationships between observational hydrological records from the region, like the Mondsee lake level, the runoff of the lake's main inflow Griesler Ache, with observed precipitation and global climate patterns. The lake level shows a strong positive linear trend during the observational period in all seasons. Additionally, lake level presents important interannual to multidecadal variations. These variations are associated with distinct seasonal atmospheric circulation patterns. A pronounced anomalous anticyclonic center over the Iberian Peninsula is associated with high lake levels values during winter. This center moves southwestward during spring, summer and autumn. In the same time, a cyclonic anomaly center is recorded over central and western Europe. This anomalous circulation extends southwestward from winter to autumn. Similar atmospheric circulation patterns are associated with river runoff and precipitation variability from the region. High lake levels are associated with positive local precipitation anomalies in all seasons as well as with negative local temperature anomalies during spring, summer and autumn. A correlation analysis reveals that lake level, runoff and precipitation variability is related to large-scale sea surface temperature anomaly patterns in all seasons suggesting a possible impact of large-scale climatic modes, like the North Atlantic Oscillation and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation on hydroclimatic variability in the Lake Mondsee region. The results presented in this study can be used for a more robust interpretation of the long flood layer record from Lake Mondsee sediments

  14. Fugitive dust emissions from paved road travel in the Lake Tahoe basin.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Dongzi; Kuhns, Hampden D; Brown, Scott; Gillies, John A; Etyemezian, Vicken; Gertler, Alan W

    2009-10-01

    The clarity of water in Lake Tahoe has declined substantially over the past 40 yr. Causes of the degradation include nitrogen and phosphorous fertilization of the lake waters and increasing amounts of inorganic fine sediment that can scatter light. Atmospheric deposition is a major source of fine sediment. A year-round monitoring study of road dust emissions around the lake was completed in 2007 using the Testing Re-entrained Aerosol Kinetic Emissions from Roads (TRAKER) system developed at the Desert Research Institute (DRI). Results of this study found that, compared with the summer season, road dust emissions increased by a factor of 5 in winter, on average, and about a factor of 10 when traction control material was applied to the roads after snow events. For winter and summer, road dust emission factors (grams coarse particulate matter [PM10] per vehicle kilometer traveled [g/vkt]) showed a decreasing trend with the travel speed of the road. The highest emission factors were observed on very low traffic volume roads on the west side of the lake. These roads were composed of either a 3/8-in. gravel material or had degraded asphalt. The principle factors influencing road dust emissions in the basin are season, vehicle speed (or road type), road condition, road grade, and proximity to other high-emitting roads. Combined with a traffic volume model, an analysis of the total emissions from the road sections surveyed indicated that urban areas (in particular South Lake Tahoe) had the highest emitting roads in the basin.

  15. Contrasted effects of climate change on temperate large lakes oxygen-depletion (Lakes Geneva, Bourget, Annecy)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jenny, Jean-Philippe; Arnaud, Fabien; Dorioz, Jean-Marcel; Alric, Benjamin; Sabatier, Pierre; Perga, Marie-Elodie

    2013-04-01

    Among manifestations of the entry in a new geological era -The Anthropocene- marked by the fingerprinting of human activities in global ecology, the development of persistent zones of oxygen-depletion particularly threatens aquatic ecosystems. This results in a loss of fisheries, a loss of biodiversity, an alteration of food-webs and even, in extreme cases, mass mortality of fauna1. Whereas hypoxia -defined as dissolved oxygen ≤2 mg/l- has long been considered as a consequence of the sole eutrophication, recent studies showed it also depends on climate change. Despite basic processes of oxygen-depletion are well-known, till now no study evaluated the contrasted effects of climate changes on a long-term perspective. Here we show that climate change paced fluctuation of hypoxia in 3 large lakes (Lake Geneva, Lake Bourget and Lake Annecy) that were previously disturbed by unprecedented nutrient input. Our approach couples century-scale paleo-reconstruction of 1) hypoxia, 2) flood regime and 3) nutrient level, thanks to an exceptional 80 sediment core data collection taken in three large lakes (Geneva, Bourget, Annecy), and monitoring data. Our results show that volume of hypoxia can be annually estimated according to varve records through large lakes. Quantitative additive models were then used to identify and hierarchy environmental forcings on hypoxia. Flood regime and air temperatures hence appeared as significant forcing factors of hypolimnetic hypoxia. Noticeably, their effects are highly contrasted between lakes, depending on specific lake morphology and local hydrological regime. We hence show that greater is the lake specific river discharge the more is the control of winter mixing and the lower is the control of thermal stratification on oxygen depletion. Our study confirms that the perturbation of food web due to nutrient input led to a higher vulnerability of aquatic ecosystems to climate change. We further show specific hydrological regime play a crucial

  16. Monitoring water phase dynamics in winter clouds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Campos, Edwin F.; Ware, Randolph; Joe, Paul; Hudak, David

    2014-10-01

    This work presents observations of water phase dynamics that demonstrate the theoretical Wegener-Bergeron-Findeisen concepts in mixed-phase winter storms. The work analyzes vertical profiles of air vapor pressure, and equilibrium vapor pressure over liquid water and ice. Based only on the magnitude ranking of these vapor pressures, we identified conditions where liquid droplets and ice particles grow or deplete simultaneously, as well as the conditions where droplets evaporate and ice particles grow by vapor diffusion. The method is applied to ground-based remote-sensing observations during two snowstorms, using two distinct microwave profiling radiometers operating in different climatic regions (North American Central High Plains and Great Lakes). The results are compared with independent microwave radiometer retrievals of vertically integrated liquid water, cloud-base estimates from a co-located ceilometer, reflectivity factor and Doppler velocity observations by nearby vertically pointing radars, and radiometer estimates of liquid water layers aloft. This work thus makes a positive contribution toward monitoring and nowcasting the evolution of supercooled droplets in winter clouds.

  17. Monitoring water phase dynamics in winter clouds

    DOE PAGES

    Campos, Edwin F.; Ware, Randolph; Joe, Paul; ...

    2014-10-01

    This work presents observations of water phase dynamics that demonstrate the theoretical Wegener–Bergeron–Findeisen concepts in mixed-phase winter storms. The work analyzes vertical profiles of air vapor pressure, and equilibrium vapor pressure over liquid water and ice. Based only on the magnitude ranking of these vapor pressures, we identified conditions where liquid droplets and ice particles grow or deplete simultaneously, as well as the conditions where droplets evaporate and ice particles grow by vapor diffusion. The method is applied to ground-based remote-sensing observations during two snowstorms, using two distinct microwave profiling radiometers operating in different climatic regions (North American Central Highmore » Plains and Great Lakes). The results are compared with independent microwave radiometer retrievals of vertically integrated liquid water, cloud-base estimates from a co-located ceilometer, reflectivity factor and Doppler velocity observations by nearby vertically pointing radars, and radiometer estimates of liquid water layers aloft. This work thus makes a positive contribution toward monitoring and now casting the evolution of supercooled droplets in winter clouds.« less

  18. The Argentinean network for the assessment and monitoring of Pampean shallow-lakes (PAMPA2)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zagarese, H. E.

    2012-12-01

    transparency. Species composition within the microbial plankton community is remarkable stable. But some important features vary seasonally. Although the microbial plankton biomass is higher around the summer solstice (SS), its phosphorous content per unit biomass is higher around the winter solstice (WS), which results in an unanticipated bimodal pattern of phosphorous concentration, with maxima occurring around the spring and fall equinoxes. Many optical characteristics also vary seasonally and suggest that, as a whole, the microbial plankton community is more autotrophic around the WS, and more heterotrophic around the SS. Life table experiments, using dominant zooplankton grazers (rotifers), indicated that the microbial food quality is higher in winter than in summer. Incoming solar radiation and temperature account for much of the lake seasonal dynamics. Shallow-lakes, such Laguna Chascomús are well suited for long-term studies and the emplacement of automated sensors. Despite the high system complexity, many processes are remarkable repeatable and reproducible at mesocosm-scales. Long-term time series of lake and weather variables will provide a strong basement for understanding climate variability, such as the cyclic changes in precipitation, which greatly affects lake depth; and the seemingly stochastic cold weather periods, producing massive winter fish kill events.

  19. Lake Tahoe Ca-Nv USA to Climate Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sahoo, G. B.; Schladow, S. G.; Reuter, J. E.; Coats, R. N.

    2011-12-01

    Observational studies indicate that climate at Lake Tahoe (CA-NV) basin is changing at faster rate. The impact of climate change on the lake was investigated using a suite of models and bias-corrected downscaled climate dataset generated from global circulation models. Our results indicate an increase of air temperature, a shift of snow to rainfall, a decrease of wind speed, and an onset of earlier snowmelt during the 21st Century. Combined, these changes could affect lake dynamics, ecosystems, water supply, and the winter recreational sport industry. The lake may fail to mix completely by the middle of this Century due to lake warming. Under this condition bottom dissolved oxygen would not be replenished leading to the significant release of bio-stimulatory ammonium-nitrogen and soluble phosphorus from the sediment. Both these nutrients are known to cause increased algal growth in the lake and would likely result in major changes to the lake's water quality and food web. Lake warming also increases water loss through evaporation, resulting in less available water for downstream domestic supply, agriculture, and recreation. Population growth and increased human demand for water will compound severity of problems in water quantity and quality. Thus, watershed planning and management should assess vulnerability to climatic variations through the application of basin-wide hydro-climatology, watershed soils, and lake response models to (1) improve drought, flood, and forest-fire forecasting, (2) assess hydrological trends, (3) estimate the potential effects of climate change on surface runoff and pollutant loads, and (4) evaluate response from various adaptation strategies.

  20. Lake Qinghai Drilling Project: Evolution History of Lake Qinghai and East Asian Monsoon Changes since the Late Miocene

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    An, Z.; Colman, S.

    2007-12-01

    As a closed continental lake on the north-east margin of the Tibetan Plateau, Lake Qinghai is sensitive to climate variations as well as the environmental effects of Plateau growth/uplift. Supported by Chinese funding agencies and ICDP, onshore and offshore lake cores were drilled in 2005. We compare our preliminary chronostratigraphic, sedimentologic, and geochemical results with climatic records from the Loess Plateau, South China Sea, Arctic and global oceans, and we discuss the evolution of Lake Qinghai at different time scales since the late Miocene. Lake Qinghai is shown to have intimate linkages with the warm/moist East Asian summer monsoon, the cold/dry East Asian winter monsoon, and the growth/uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Magnetostratigraphic studies of the onshore drill cores indicate that thick greenish clays were deposited during Late Miocene, suggesting the initial formation of the Qinghai Lake basin. Consistent with proxies from the Loess Plateau and the South China Sea, they imply summer-monsoon strengthening and inland intrusion. These changes may be related to a growth event of the Tibetan Plateau at 10-8 Ma, which led to the uplift of Qinghai Nanshan, formation of faulted lake basins, and enhanced summer monsoon circulation. From 6 to 4.6Ma eolian red clays in the core indicate lake basin dessication, as Loess Plateau dust flux increased with the strengthening of the winter monsoon and coincident with intense Arctic ice rafting at 6-5 Ma. From 4.6 to 3.5 Ma thick greenish clays were deposited as modern Lake Qinghai formed. Significantly increased fluxes of TOC, C/N and total sediment might be related to uplift of Qinghai Nanshan and basin subsidence at that time, and they are coeval with the increasing strength of East Asian monsoon during early Pliocene. At 3.5-2.6 Ma, continued strengthening of the East Asian summer monsoon, inland aridification, and increases in global ice volume suggest another growth event of the Tibetan Plateau. Shallow

  1. Analysis of ERS 1 synthetic aperture radar data of frozen lakes in northern Montana and implications for climate studies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hall, Dorothy K.; Fagre, Daniel B.; Klasner, Fritz; Linebaugh, Gregg; Liston, Glen E.

    1994-01-01

    Lakes that freeze each winter are good indicators of regional climate change if key parameters, such as freeze-up and breakup date and maximum ice thickness, are measured over a decade-scale time frame. Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite data have proven to be especially useful for measurement of climatologically significant parameters characteristic of frozen lakes. In this paper, five lakes in Glacier National Park, Montana, have been studied both in the field and using Earth Remote-Sensing Satellite (ERS) 1 SAR data during the 1992-1993 winter. The lakes are characterized by clear ice, sometimes with tubular or rounded bubbles, and often with a layer of snow ice on top of the clear ice. They are also often snow covered. Freeze-up is detected quite easily using ERS 1 SAR data as soon as a thin layer of ice forms. The effect of snow ice on the backscatter is thought to be significant but is, as yet, undetermined. On the five lakes studied, relative backscatter was found to increase with ice thickness until a maximum was reached in February. Breakup, an often ill-defined occurrence, is difficult to detect because surface water causes the SAR signal to be absorbed, thus masking the ice below. Comparison of the bubble structure of thaw lakes in northern Alaska with lakes in northern Montana has shown that the ice structure is quite different, and this difference may contribute to differential SAR signature evolution in the lakes of the two areas.

  2. Stereo Pair, Salt Lake City, Utah

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    The 2002 Winter Olympics are hosted by Salt Lake City at several venues within the city, in nearby cities, and within the adjacent Wasatch Mountains. This image pair provides a stereoscopic map view of north central Utah that includes all of these Olympic sites. In the south, next to Utah Lake, Provo hosts the ice hockey competition. In the north, northeast of the Great Salt Lake, Ogden hosts curling and the nearby Snowbasin ski area hosts the downhill events. In between, southeast of the Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake City hosts the Olympic Village and the various skating events. Further east, across the Wasatch Mountains, the Park City ski resort hosts the bobsled, ski jumping, and snowboarding events. The Winter Olympics are always hosted in mountainous terrain. This view shows the dramatic landscape that makes the Salt Lake City region a world-class center for winter sports.

    This stereoscopic image was generated by draping a Landsat satellite image over a Shuttle Radar Topography Mission digital elevation model. Two differing perspectives were then calculated, one for each eye. They can be seen in 3-D by viewing the left image with the right eye and the right image with the left eye (cross-eyed viewing or by downloading and printing the image pair and viewing them with a stereoscope. When stereoscopically merged, the result is a vertically exaggerated view of Earth's surface in its full three dimensions.

    Landsat has been providing visible and infrared views of the Earth since 1972. SRTM elevation data matches the 30-meter (98-foot) resolution of most Landsat images and will substantially help in analyzing the large and growing Landsat image archive, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

    Elevation data used in this image was acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture

  3. Limnology of Big Lake, south-central Alaska, 1983-84

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Woods, Paul F.

    1992-01-01

    The limnological characteristics and trophic state of Big Lake in south-central Alaska were determined from the results of an intensive study during 1983-84. The study was begun in response to concern over the potential for eutrophication of Big Lake, which has experienced substantial residential development and recreational use because of its proximity to Anchorage. The east and west basins of the 1,213 square-hectometer lake were each visited 36 times during the 2-year study to obtain a wide variety of physical, chemical, and biological data. During 1984, an estimate was made of the lake's annual primary production. Big Lake was classified as oligotrophic on the basis of its annual mean values for total phosphorus (9.5 micrograms per liter), total nitrogen (209 micrograms per liter), chlorophyll-a (2.5 micrograms per liter), secchi-disc transparency (6.3 meters), and its mean daily integral primary production of 81.1 milligrams of carbon fixed per square meter. The lake was, however, uncharacteristic of oligotrophic lakes in that a severe dissolved-oxygen deficit developed within the hypolimnion during summer stratification and under winter ice cover. The summer dissolved-oxygen deficit resulted from the combination of strong and persistent thermal stratification, which developed within 1 week of the melting of the lake's ice cover in May, and the failure of the spring circulation to fully reaerate the hypolimnion. The autumn circulation did reaerate the entire water column, but the ensuing 6 months of ice and snow cover prevented atmospheric reaeration of the water column and led to development of the winter dissolved-oxygen deficit. The anoxic conditions that eventually developed near the lake bottom allowed the release of nutrients from the bottom sediments and facilitated ammonification reactions. These processes yielded hypolimnetic concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, which were much larger than the oligotrophic concentrations measured

  4. Significant seasonal variations of microbial community in an acid mine drainage lake in Anhui Province, China.

    PubMed

    Hao, Chunbo; Wei, Pengfei; Pei, Lixin; Du, Zerui; Zhang, Yi; Lu, Yanchun; Dong, Hailiang

    2017-04-01

    Acid mine drainage (AMD),characterized by strong acidity and high metal concentrations, generates from the oxidative dissolution of metal sulfides, and acidophiles can accelerate the process significantly. Despite extensive research in microbial diversity and community composition, little is known about seasonal variations of microbial community structure (especially micro eukaryotes) in response to environmental conditions in AMD ecosystem. To this end, AMD samples were collected from Nanshan AMD lake, Anhui Province, China, over a full seasonal cycle from 2013 to 2014, and water chemistry and microbial composition were studied. pH of lake water was stable (∼3.0) across the sampling period, while the concentrations of ions varied dramatically. The highest metal concentrations in the lake were found for Mg and Al, not commonly found Fe. Unexpectedly, ultrahigh concentration of chlorophyll a was measured in the extremely acidic lake, reaching 226.43-280.95 μg/L in winter, even higher than those in most eutrophic freshwater lakes. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic communities showed a strong seasonal variation. Among the prokaryotes, "Ferrovum", a chemolithotrophic iron-oxidizing bacterium was predominant in most sampling seasons, although it was a minor member prior to September, 2012. Fe 2+ was the initial geochemical factor that drove the variation of the prokaryotic community. The eukaryotic community was simple but varied more drastically than the prokaryotic community. Photoautotrophic algae (primary producers) formed a food web with protozoa or flagellate (top consumers) across all four seasons, and temperature appeared to be responsible for the observed seasonal variation. Ochromonas and Chlamydomonas (responsible for high algal bloom in winter) occurred in autumn/summer and winter/spring seasons, respectively, because of their distinct growth temperatures. The closest phylogenetic relationship between Chlamydomonas species in the lake and those in Arctic

  5. Studies of quaternary saline lakes-II. Isotopic and compositional changes during desiccation of the brines in Owens Lake, California, 1969-1971

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Friedman, I.; Smith, G.I.; Hardcastle, Kenneth G.

    1976-01-01

    Owens Lake is an alkaline salt lake in a closed basin in southeast California. It is normally nearly dry, but in early 1969, an abnormal runoff from the Sierra Nevada flooded it to a maximum depth of 2??4 m. By late summer of 1971, the lake was again nearly dry and the dissolved salts recrystallized. Changes in the chemistry, pH, and deuterium content were monitored during desiccation. During flooding, salts (mostly trona, halite, and burkeite) dissolved slowly from the lake floor. Their concentration in the lake waters increased as evaporation removed water and salts again crystallized, but winter temperatures caused precipitation of some salts and the following summer warming caused their solution, resulting in seasonal variations in the concentration patterns of some ions. The pH values (9??4-10??4) changed with time but showed no detectable diurnal pattern. The deuterium concentration increased during evaporation and appeared to be in equilibrium with vapor leaving the lake according to the Rayleigh equation. The effective ??(D/H in liquid/D/H in vapor) decreased as salinity increased; the earliest measured value was 1??069 [as total dissolved solids (TDS) of lake waters changed from 136,200 to 250,400 mg/1]and the last value (calc.) was 1??025 (as TDS changed from 450,000 to 470,300 mg/1). Deuterium exchange with the atmosphere was apparently small except during late desiccation stages when the isotopic contrast became great. Eventually, atmospheric exchange, combined with decreasing ?? and lake size and increasing salinity, stopped further deuterium concentration in the lake. The maximum contrast between atmospheric vapor and lake deuterium contents was about 110%. ?? 1976.

  6. Spatial and temporal variation in distribution of larval lake whitefish in eastern Lake Ontario: signs of recovery?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    McKenna, J.E.; Johnson, J. H.

    2009-01-01

    The lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) is one of the native Lake Ontario fishes that declined severely over the past century. Recent evidence of larval lake whitefish production in a historic spawning area (Chaumont Bay) might signal a recovery of this species in New York waters. We surveyed coastal and open water areas to evaluate densities and estimate total abundance of larval lake whitefish in Chaumont Bay. Other historic spawning areas and embayments with appropriate spawning and nursery habitat were also surveyed, but only a few larvae were found outside of Chaumont Bay. Lake whitefish larvae were found in every embayment sampled within Chaumont Bay, with larval densities of nearly 600/1000 m2 in some samples. Greatest abundances occurred in the northern sectors and near the mouth of the bay. Open water densities were generally less than half that of nearshore sites. The total bay-wide estimate for 2005 was approximately 644,000 lake whitefish larvae, but dropped to 230,000–400,000 in 2006 and 2007, respectively. Mean larval growth rates (0.36 mm/day) did not differ by year, but were consistently higher in early May than in late April. Lake whitefish production in Chaumont Bay is encouraging for this species, but the cause and persistence of the decline after 2005 can be determined only by continued monitoring. Other possible bottlenecks of survival may exist at juvenile and adult stages and could significantly affect recruitment dynamics. This species is sensitive to normal climatic fluctuations and increased variability associated with global climatic change could make winter nursery conditions unfavorable for this species.

  7. A Study of the Severity of the Midwestern Winters of 1977 and 1978 Using Heating Degree Days Determined from Both Measured and Wind Chill Temperatures.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dare, Patricia M.

    1981-07-01

    The winters of 1976-77 and 1977-78 were severe by virtually any standard. In this study, heating degree day (NDD) accumulations for these two winters as well as for the 1941-70 normals are examined at 31 National Weather Service stations in Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and Kentucky. In addition, a modified heating degree day (MHDD) based on wind chill temperature is accumulated. In both cases, the winter is defined as consisting of the months of December, January, and February. Three-month and one-month accumulations are plotted and analyzed to gain a view of spatial and temporal distributions of both HDD and MUDD. Both parameters are shown to be influenced markedly by the presence of the Great Lakes, an influence that diminishes as an extensive ice cover forms on the lakes. The winter of 1976-77 is found to have greater accumulations of both HDD and MI4DD. A comparative ratio also is calculated in order to give an impression of the extent to which the wind's influence is felt. The ratio values show that for 1976-77 the inclusion of wind data gives the impression of a more intense winter than would be given by temperature data alone. However, the reverse is true for 1977-78; the inclusion of wind data gives the impression of a less intense winter.

  8. Lake Ice Detection in Low-Resolution Optical Satellite Images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tom, M.; Kälin, U.; Sütterlin, M.; Baltsavias, E.; Schindler, K.

    2018-05-01

    Monitoring and analyzing the (decreasing) trends in lake freezing provides important information for climate research. Multi-temporal satellite images are a natural data source to survey ice on lakes. In this paper, we describe a method for lake ice monitoring, which uses low spatial resolution (250 m-1000 m) satellite images to determine whether a lake is frozen or not. We report results on four selected lakes in Switzerland: Sihl, Sils, Silvaplana and St. Moritz. These lakes have different properties regarding area, altitude, surrounding topography and freezing frequency, describing cases of medium to high difficulty. Digitized Open Street Map (OSM) lake outlines are back-projected on to the image space after generalization. As a pre-processing step, the absolute geolocation error of the lake outlines is corrected by matching the projected outlines to the images. We define the lake ice detection as a two-class (frozen, non-frozen) semantic segmentation problem. Several spectral channels of the multi-spectral satellite data are used, both reflective and emissive (thermal). Only the cloud-free (clean) pixels which lie completely inside the lake are analyzed. The most useful channels to solve the problem are selected with xgboost and visual analysis of histograms of reference data, while the classification is done with non-linear support vector machine (SVM). We show experimentally that this straight-forward approach works well with both MODIS and VIIRS satellite imagery. Moreover, we show that the algorithm produces consistent results when tested on data from multiple winters.

  9. Seasonal distribution, aggregation, and habitat selection of common carp in Clear Lake, Iowa

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Penne, C.R.; Pierce, C.L.

    2008-01-01

    The common carp Cyprinus carpio is widely distributed and frequently considered a nuisance species outside its native range. Common carp are abundant in Clear Lake, Iowa, where their presence is both a symptom of degradation and an impediment to improving water quality and the sport fishery. We used radiotelemetry to quantify seasonal distribution, aggregation, and habitat selection of adult and subadult common carp in Clear Lake during 2005-2006 in an effort to guide future control strategies. Over a 22-month period, we recorded 1,951 locations of 54 adults and 60 subadults implanted with radio transmitters. Adults demonstrated a clear tendency to aggregate in an offshore area during the late fall and winter and in shallow, vegetated areas before and during spring spawning. Late-fall and winter aggregations were estimated to include a larger percentage of the tracked adults than spring aggregations. Subadults aggregated in shallow, vegetated areas during the spring and early summer. Our study, when considered in combination with previous research, suggests repeatable patterns of distribution, aggregation, and habitat selection that should facilitate common carp reduction programs in Clear Lake and similar systems. ?? Copyright by the American Fisheries Society 2008.

  10. Effects of pulsed turbidity and vessel traffic on lake herring eggs and larvae

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Savino, Jacqueline F.; Blouin, Marc A.; Davis, Bruce M.; Hudson, Patrick L.; Todd, Thomas N.; Fleischer, Guy W.

    1994-01-01

    Proposals to extend commercial shipping in the St. Marys River (connecting Lakes Superior and Huron) to include winter months have raised concerns regarding its effect on lake herring (Coregonus artedi). Because lake herring spawn in fall and their eggs overwinter in the river and hatch in spring, their hatching success could be impacted by early opening of the locks in spring. Our laboratory studies showed that under the range of turbidities expected in the river due to vessel traffic, lake herring eggs hatched and larvae fed adequately. Field incubation studies produced about 75% survival and 70% hatching success of lake herring eggs at two of three study sites. Collections in the river throughout the month following ice-out showed that sufficient plankton of appropriate size were available to ensure growth and survival of larval lake herring. We did not detect any negative impacts on the early life stages of lake herring as a result of sedimentation in the laboratory or field. However, detailing the spawning sites of lake herring and defining the normal survival-to-hatch in these areas are necessary before making accurate predictions of the effects of early season vessel traffic on lake herring hatching success.

  11. The Dynamics of Laurentian Great Lakes Surface Energy Budgets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Spence, C.; Blanken, P.; Lenters, J. D.; Gronewold, A.; Kerkez, B.; Xue, P.; Froelich, N.

    2015-12-01

    The Laurentian Great Lakes constitute the largest freshwater surface in the world and are a valuable North American natural and socio-economic resource. In response to calls for improved monitoring and research on the energy and water budgets of the lakes, there has been a growing ensemble of in situ measurements - including offshore eddy flux towers, buoy-based sensors, and vessel-based platforms -deployed through an ongoing, bi-national collaboration known as the Great Lakes Evaporation Network (GLEN). The objective of GLEN is to reduce uncertainty in Great Lakes seasonal and 6-month water level forecasts, as well as climate change projections of the surface energy balance and water level fluctuations. Although It remains challenging to quantify and scale energy budgets and fluxes over such large water bodies, this presentation will report on recent successes in three areas: First, in estimating evaporation rates over each of the Great Lakes; Second, defining evaporation variability among the lakes, especially in winter and; Third, explaining the interaction between ice cover, water temperature, and evaporation across a variety of temporal and spatial scales. Research gaps remain, particularly those related to spatial variability and scaling of turbulent fluxes, so the presentation will also describe how this will be addressed with enhanced instrument and platform arrays.

  12. Evidence for insolation and Pacific forcing of late glacial through Holocene climate in the Central Mojave Desert (Silver Lake, CA)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirby, Matthew E.; Knell, Edward J.; Anderson, William T.; Lachniet, Matthew S.; Palermo, Jennifer; Eeg, Holly; Lucero, Ricardo; Murrieta, Rosa; Arevalo, Andrea; Silveira, Emily; Hiner, Christine A.

    2015-09-01

    Silver Lake is the modern terminal playa of the Mojave River in southern California (USA). As a result, it is well located to record both influences from the winter precipitation dominated San Bernardino Mountains - the source of the Mojave River - and from the late summer to early fall North American monsoon at Silver Lake. Here, we present various physical, chemical and biological data from a new radiocarbon-dated, 8.2 m sediment core taken from Silver Lake that spans modern through 14.8 cal ka BP. Texturally, the core varies between sandy clay, clayey sand, and sand-silt-clay, often with abrupt sedimentological transitions. These grain-size changes are used to divide the core into six lake status intervals over the past 14.8 cal ka BP. Notable intervals include a dry Younger Dryas chronozone, a wet early Holocene terminating 7.8 - 7.4 cal ka BP, a distinct mid-Holocene arid interval, and a late Holocene return to ephemeral lake conditions. A comparison to potential climatic forcings implicates a combination of changing summer - winter insolation and tropical and N Pacific sea-surface temperature dynamics as the primary drivers of Holocene climate in the central Mojave Desert.

  13. Lakes as a Source of Short-Period (0.5-2 s) Microseisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Yan; Koper, Keith D.; Burlacu, Relu

    2017-10-01

    We identify and document microseisms produced by wave action in six lakes: The Great Slave Lake, Lake Ontario, Yellowstone Lake, Dianchi Lake, Fuxian Lake, and Erhai Lake. The lakes span more than 2 orders of magnitude in size (areas of 210-27,000 km2) and sample a range of climatic and tectonic regimes in Canada, the U.S., and China. Lake-generated microseisms create spectral peaks at periods near 1 s and are often polarized as Rayleigh waves propagating away from the lake. In contrast to ocean-generated microseisms, lake-generated microseisms are only observed within about 25-30 km of the shoreline. This is consistent with the well-known high attenuation of short-period Rayleigh waves (Rg). It is unclear if lake-generated microseisms are produced by a linear shoaling process, analogous to primary ocean microseisms, or a nonlinear wave-wave interaction process, analogous to secondary ocean microseisms. If they are mainly produced by shoaling, lake-generated microseisms might provide a spatially integrated measure of shoreline erosion. Regardless of the source mechanism, lake-generated microseisms appear to provide a record of ice phenology for lakes that freeze in the winter. Such data could contribute to assessing the effects of climate change on high-latitude lakes in remote areas. Finally, it is likely that lake-generated microseisms are useful for imaging the geological structure of the shallow crust, information that is important for quantifying seismic hazard and can be difficult to obtain in urban areas where active source imaging is not feasible.

  14. Lakes as a Source of Short-Period (0.5-2 sec) Microseisms

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koper, K. D.; Xu, Y.; Burlacu, R.

    2017-12-01

    We identify and document microseisms produced by wave action in six lakes: The Great Slave Lake, Lake Ontario, Yellowstone Lake, Dianchi Lake, Fuxian Lake, and Erhai Lake. The lakes span more than two orders of magnitude in size (areas of 210-27,000 km2) and sample a range of climatic and tectonic regimes in Canada, the U.S., and China. Lake generated microseisms create spectral peaks at periods near 1 s and are often polarized as Rayleigh waves propagating away from the lake. In contrast to ocean generated microseisms, lake generated microseisms are only observed within about 25-30 km of the shoreline. This is consistent with the well-known high attenuation of short-period Rayleigh waves (Rg). It is unclear if lake generated microseisms are produced by a linear shoaling process, analogous to primary ocean microseisms, or a non-linear wave-wave interaction process, analogous to secondary ocean microseisms. If they are mainly produced by shoaling, lake generated microseisms might provide a spatially integrated measure of shoreline erosion. From our preliminary results, lake generated microseisms appear to provide a record of ice phenology for lakes that freeze in the winter. Such data could contribute to assessing the effects of climate change on high-latitude lakes in remote areas. Finally, it is likely that lake generated microseisms are useful for imaging the geological structure of the shallow crust—information that is important for quantifying seismic hazard and can be difficult to obtain in urban areas where active source imaging is not feasible.

  15. Second-Year Results from the Circumarctic Lakes Observation Network (CALON) Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hinkel, K. M.; Arp, C. D.; Beck, R. A.; Eisner, W. R.; Frey, K. E.; Gaglioti, B.; Grosse, G.; Jones, B. M.; Kim, C.; Lenters, J. D.; Liu, H.; Townsend-Small, A.

    2013-12-01

    Beginning in April 2012, over 55 lakes in northern Alaska were instrumented as the initial phase of CALON, a project designed to document landscape-scale variability in physical and biogeochemical processes of Arctic lakes developed atop permafrost. The current network has nine observation nodes along two latitudinal transects that extend from the Arctic Ocean south 200 km to the foothills of the Brooks Range. At each node, six representative lakes of differing area and depth were instrumented at different intensity levels, and a suite of instruments were deployed to collect field measurements on lake physiochemistry, lake-surface and terrestrial climatology, and lake bed and permafrost temperature. Each April, sensors measuring water temperature and water depth are deployed through the ice and water samples are collected. Sensors are downloaded from lakes and meteorological stations in August, recording a timeline of lake regimes and events from ice decay to the summertime energy and water balance. In general, lake ice thickness increased with latitude. In 2012, ice on deeper (>2 m) lakes was about 1.4 m thick in the Arctic Foothills and 1.7 m thick near the Arctic Ocean coast. Lake ice thickness was about 20 cm thicker in winter 2013 although winter temperatures were several degrees warmer than the previous year; this is likely due to a thinner snow cover in 2013. Lake ice elevations agree with this general trend, showing higher absolute elevation in April 2013 compared to 2012 for most of the surveyed lakes. Regionally, ice-off occurs 2-4 weeks later on lakes near the coast, although there is significant inter-lake variability related to lake depth. Following ice-off, rapid lake warming occurs and water temperature varies synchronously in response to synoptic weather variations and associated changes in net radiation and turbulent heat fluxes. Average mid-summer (July) lake temperatures spanned a relatively wide range in 2012 from 7°C to 18°C, with higher

  16. [Spatial distribution of COD and the correlations with other parameters in the northern region of Lake Taihu].

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yun-lin; Yang, Long-yuan; Qin, Bo-qiang; Gao, Guang; Luo, Lian-cong; Zhu, Guang-wei; Liu, Ming-liang

    2008-06-01

    Spatial variation of chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration was documented and significant correlations between COD concentration and chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) absorption, fluorescence, DOC concentration were found based on a cruise sampling in the northern region of Lake Taihu in summer including 42 samplings. The possible source of COD was also discussed using every two cruise samplings in summer and winter, respectively. The COD concentration ranged from 3.77 to 7.96 mg x L(-1) with a mean value of (5.90 +/- 1.54) mg x L(-1). The mean COD concentrations in Meiliang Bay and the central lake basin were (6.93 +/- 0.89) mg x L(-1) and (4.21 +/- 0.49) mg x L(-1) respectively. A significant spatial difference was found between Meiliang Bay and the central lake basin in COD concentration, CDOM absorption coefficient, fluorescence, DOC and phytoplankton pigment concentrations, decreasing from the river mouth to inner bay, outer bay and the central lake basin. Significant correlations between COD concentration and CDOM absorption, fluorescence, DOC concentration, suggested that COD concentration could be estimated and organic pollution could be assessed using CDOM absorption retrieved from remote sensing images. Significant and positive correlation was found between COD concentration and chlorophyll a concentration in summer. However, the correlation was weak or no correlation was found in winter. Furthermore, a significant higher COD concentration was found in summer than in winter (p < 0.001). Our results indicated that degradation of phytoplankton blooms was the main source of COD in summer, except for river terrestrial input.

  17. Methane emission from high-latitude (>50N) lakes: Annual cycle of climatological emissions using satellite-derived lake-ice phenology and freeze-thaw dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matthews, E.; Romanski, J.; Du, J.; Watts, J. D.

    2017-12-01

    the modest, short-lived but annual uptick in atmospheric methane concentrations in late winter/early spring may be associated with these bursts of methane from lakes.

  18. Potential effects of climate change on inland glacial lakes and implications for lake-dependent biota in Wisconsin: final report April 2013

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Meyer, Michael W.; Walker, John F.; Kenow, Kevin P.; Rasmussen, Paul W.; Garrison, Paul J.; Hanson, Paul C.; Hunt, Randall J.

    2013-01-01

    F statewide, and an increase in precipitation of 1”–2”. However, summer precipitation in the northern part of the state is expected to be less and winter precipitation will be greater. By the end of the 21st century, the magnitude of changes in temperature and precipitation are expected to intensify. Such climatic changes have altered, and would further alter hydrological, chemical, and physical properties of inland lakes. Lake-dependent wildlife sensitive to changes in water quality, are particularly susceptible to lake quality-associated habitat changes and are likely to suffer restrictions to current breeding distributions under some climate change scenarios. We have selected the common loon (Gavia immer) to serve as a sentinel lake-dependent piscivorous species to be used in the development of a template for linking primary lake-dependent biota endpoints (e.g., decline in productivity and/or breeding range contraction) to important lake quality indicators. In the current project, we evaluate how changes in freshwater habitat quality (specifically lake clarity) may impact common loon lake occupancy in Wisconsin under detailed climate-change scenarios. In addition, we employ simple land-use/land cover and habitat scenarios to illustrate the potential interaction of climate and land-use/land cover effects. The methods employed here provide a template for studies where integration of physical and biotic models is used to project future conditions under various climate and land use change scenarios. Findings presented here project the future conditions of lakes and loons within an important watershed in northern Wisconsin – of importance to water resource managers and state citizens alike.

  19. The Varve Record of Puyehue Lake (Meridional Chile), AD 1412-2002 .

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boes, X.; Arnaud, F.; Fagel, N.

    2004-12-01

    Puyehue Lake is located in the Southern Volcanic Zone of Chile (Southern Lake District, 40°S). This monomictic lake is under the influence of the oceanic winter polar front (WPF) and constitutes a powerful sedimentary archive for paleoenvironmental reconstruction. The underflow (PUI) and interflow (PUII) coring sites were selected by a high resolution seismic survey (RUG). The sedimentation is driven by the annual blooms of diatoms in association with thermal lake cycles. For each site, one short core (50-60 cm) is analyzed by continuous cover of thin sections for varve counting and chronology for the AD 1412-2002 time window. The varve chronology is constrained by 210Pb,137Cs sedimentation rate estimates, and by the AD 1960 Valdivia'seismite. The sediment laminations are especially emphasized by the continuous grey-scale measurements from thin sections. Detrital clayey material characterizes the dark levels, and biogenic diatom mud defines the light levels. Varve counting is derived from the occurrence of light layers, i.e. formed at the end of winter after nutrient turn-over. In both cores, the grey-scale is influenced by instantaneous tephra layers related to the regional volcanic activity (Puyehue and Cordon Caulle volcanoes). For instance, in PUII, we identify major historical eruptions (AD 1921, 1837, 1790, 1564, and 1544) in accordance with the varve age model. In addition, we measure the total varve thickness. Lower than 500 µm until AD 1780, the varve thickness gradually increases by a factor of four in PUII. The first period suggests a decrease of lake productivity, in agreement with a cooling. The age fits with the end of Little Ice Age in Southern America. Between AD 1780-2002, the thicker varves could be driven by a reinforcement of the WPF since the 19e century. Our local observations require further investigations to be extrapolated over regional or global scale.

  20. Tributaries affect the thermal response of lakes to climate change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Råman Vinnå, Love; Wüest, Alfred; Zappa, Massimiliano; Fink, Gabriel; Bouffard, Damien

    2018-01-01

    Thermal responses of inland waters to climate change varies on global and regional scales. The extent of warming is determined by system-specific characteristics such as fluvial input. Here we examine the impact of ongoing climate change on two alpine tributaries, the Aare River and the Rhône River, and their respective downstream peri-alpine lakes: Lake Biel and Lake Geneva. We propagate regional atmospheric temperature effects into river discharge projections. These, together with anthropogenic heat sources, are in turn incorporated into simple and efficient deterministic models that predict future water temperatures, river-borne suspended sediment concentration (SSC), lake stratification and river intrusion depth/volume in the lakes. Climate-induced shifts in river discharge regimes, including seasonal flow variations, act as positive and negative feedbacks in influencing river water temperature and SSC. Differences in temperature and heating regimes between rivers and lakes in turn result in large seasonal shifts in warming of downstream lakes. The extent of this repressive effect on warming is controlled by the lakes hydraulic residence time. Previous studies suggest that climate change will diminish deep-water oxygen renewal in lakes. We find that climate-related seasonal variations in river temperatures and SSC shift deep penetrating river intrusions from summer towards winter. Thus potentially counteracting the otherwise negative effects associated with climate change on deep-water oxygen content. Our findings provide a template for evaluating the response of similar hydrologic systems to on-going climate change.

  1. Changing Waters: Are Climate-Driven Changes in Discharge Regimes Increasing Eutrophication Risk in the Great Lakes Basin?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Van Meter, K. J.; Basu, N. B.

    2017-12-01

    In recent decades, the Great Lakes Basin (GLB) has experienced increasing precipitation, warming temperatures, and earlier spring thaws. During this same period, the region has been plagued by problems of water quality, with Lake Erie, in particular, experiencing a re-emergence of major eutrophication events, including an increased incidence of Harmful Algal Blooms. Although the prevailing paradigm is that eutrophication of inland waters is directly correlated with total phosphorus (P) inputs, recent decades have seen a decrease in the total P being delivered to the lakes from contributing watersheds. This apparent disconnect between inputs and outputs, i.e. decreasing P inputs but increased eutrophication, has led some to speculate that loading of total P is an insufficient metric of eutrophication risk and that increasing ratios of soluble reactive P (SRP) in relation to the total P (TP) entering inland water bodies may be a more important driver of algal growth. We hypothesize that changes in seasonal discharge patterns may be contributing to changes in the forms of P being delivered to the lakes, potentially due to changes in delivery pathways-for example surface pathways are more dominant in spring snowmelt, while shallow subsurface and tile pathways are more dominant during winter freeze-thaw events. To test this hypothesis, we have utilized data from more than 200 gaging stations across the GLB to explore the influences of climate and changing hydrologic patterns on biogeochemical processing and transport within the GLB. More specifically, we have asked the following questions: 1) How are discharge patterns changing across the GLB? 2) Are SRP:TP ratios increasing in subwatersheds of the GLB, and what are the spatial patterns in these changes? 3) Are climate-related changes in seasonality, e.g. earlier snowmelt, decreasing snowfall, longer growing seasons, linked to increased ratios of bioavailable P? Our results suggest that changes in precipitation as well

  2. Seasonal and Latitudinal Variations in Dissolved Methane from 42 Lakes along a North-South Transect in Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sepulveda-Jauregui, A.; Walter Anthony, K. M.; Martinez-Cruz, K. C.; Anthony, P.; Thalasso, F.

    2013-12-01

    Armando Sepulveda-Jauregui,* Katey M. Walter Anthony,* Karla Martinez-Cruz,* ** Peter Anthony,* and Frederic Thalasso**. * Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska. ** Biotechnology and Bioengineering Department, Cinvestav, Mexico city, D. F., Mexico. Northern lakes are important reservoirs and sources to the atmosphere of methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas. It is estimated that northern lakes (> 55 °N) contribute about 20% of the total global lake methane emissions, and that emissions from these lakes will increase with climate warming. Temperature rise enhances methane production directly by providing the kinetic energy to methanogenesis, and indirectly by supplying organic matter from thawing permafrost. Warmer lakes also store less methane since methane's solubility is inversely related to temperature. Alaskan lakes are located in three well-differentiated permafrost classes: yedoma permafrost with high labile carbon stocks, non-yedoma permafrost with lower carbon stocks, and areas without permafrost, also with generally lower carbon stocks. We sampled dissolved methane from 42 Alaskan lakes located in these permafrost cover classes along a north-south Alaska transect from Prudhoe Bay to the Kenai Peninsula during open-water conditions in summer 2011. We sampled 26 of these lakes in April, toward the end of the winter ice-covered period. Our results indicated that the largest dissolved methane concentrations occurred in interior Alaska thermokarst lakes formed in yedoma-type permafrost during winter and summer, with maximal concentrations of 17.19 and 12.76 mg L-1 respectively. In these lakes, emission of dissolved gases as diffusion during summer and storage release in spring were 18.4% and 17.4% of the annual emission budget, while ebullition (64.2 %) comprised the rest. Dissolved oxygen was inversely correlated with dissolved methane concentrations in both seasons; the

  3. Quantifying the Urban and Rural Nutrient Fluxes to Lake Erie Using a Paired Watershed Approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hopkins, M.; Beck, M.; Rossi, E.; Luh, N.; Allen-King, R. M.; Lowry, C.

    2016-12-01

    Excess nutrients have a detrimental impact on the water quality of Lake Erie, specifically nitrate and phosphate, which can lead to toxic algae blooms. Algae blooms have negatively impacted Lake Erie, which is the main source of drinking water for many coastal Great Lake communities. In 2014 the city of Toledo, Ohio was forced to shut down its water treatment plant due to these toxic algae blooms. The objective of this research is to quantify surface water nutrient fluxes to the eastern basin of Lake Erie using a paired watershed approach. Three different western New York watersheds that feed Lake Erie were chosen based on land use and areal extent: one small urban, one small rural, and one large rural. These paired watersheds were chosen to represent a range of sources of potential nutrient loading to the lake. Biweekly water samples were taken from the streams during the 2015-2016 winter to summer seasonal transition to quantify springtime snow melt effects on nutrient fluxes. These results were compared to the previous year samples, collected over the summer of 2015, which represented wetter conditions. Phosphorous levels were assessed using the ascorbic acid colorimetric assay, while nitrate was analyzed by anion-exchange chromatography. Stream gaging was used to obtain flow measurements and establish a rating curve, which was incorporated to quantify seasonal nutrient fluxes entering the lake. Patterns in the nutrient levels show higher level of nutrients in the rural watersheds with a decrease in concentration over the winter to spring transition. However, nutrient patterns in the urban stream show relatively constant patters of nutrient flux, which is independent of seasonal transition or stream discharge. A comparison of wet and dry seasons shows higher nutrient concentrations during summers with greater rainfall. By identifying the largest contributors of each nutrient, we can better allocate limited attenuation resources.

  4. Atlantic forcing of Western Mediterranean winter rain minima during the last 12,000 years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zielhofer, Christoph; Fletcher, William J.; Mischke, Steffen; De Batist, Marc; Campbell, Jennifer F. E.; Joannin, Sebastien; Tjallingii, Rik; El Hamouti, Najib; Junginger, Annett; Stele, Andreas; Bussmann, Jens; Schneider, Birgit; Lauer, Tobias; Spitzer, Katrin; Strupler, Michael; Brachert, Thomas; Mikdad, Abdeslam

    2017-02-01

    The limited availability of high-resolution continuous archives, insufficient chronological control, and complex hydro-climatic forcing mechanisms lead to many uncertainties in palaeo-hydrological reconstructions for the Western Mediterranean. In this study we present a newly recovered 19.63 m long core from Lake Sidi Ali in the North African Middle Atlas, a transition zone of Atlantic, Western Mediterranean and Saharan air mass trajectories. With a multi-proxy approach based on magnetic susceptibility, carbonate and total organic C content, core-scanning and quantitative XRF, stable isotopes of ostracod shells, charcoal counts, Cedrus pollen abundance, and a first set of diatom data, we reconstruct Western Mediterranean hydro-climatic variability, seasonality and forcing mechanisms during the last 12,000 yr. A robust chronological model based on AMS 14C dated pollen concentrates supports our high-resolution multi-proxy study. Long-term trends reveal low lake levels at the end of the Younger Dryas, during the mid-Holocene interval 6.6 to 5.4 cal ka BP, and during the last 3000 years. In contrast, lake levels are mostly high during the Early and Mid-Holocene. The record also shows sub-millennial- to centennial-scale decreases in Western Mediterranean winter rain at 11.4, 10.3, 9.2, 8.2, 7.2, 6.6, 6.0, 5.4, 5.0, 4.4, 3.5, 2.9, 2.2, 1.9, 1.7, 1.5, 1.0, 0.7, and 0.2 cal ka BP. Early Holocene winter rain minima are in phase with cooling events and millennial-scale meltwater discharges in the sub-polar North Atlantic. Our proxy parameters do not show so far a clear impact of Saharan air masses on Mediterranean hydro-climate in North Africa. However, a significant hydro-climatic shift at the end of the African Humid Period (∼5 ka) indicates a change in climate forcing mechanisms. The Late Holocene climate variability in the Middle Atlas features a multi-centennial-scale NAO-type pattern, with Atlantic cooling and Western Mediterranean winter rain maxima generally

  5. Holocene seasonal variability inferred from multiple proxy records from Crevice Lake, Yellowstone National Park, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Whitlock, Cathy; Dean, Walter E.; Fritz, Sherilyn C.; Stevens, Lora R.; Stone, Jeffery R.; Power, Mitchell J.; Rosenbaum, Joseph R.; Pierce, Kenneth L.; Bracht-Flyr, Brandi B.

    2012-01-01

    A 9400-yr-old record from Crevice Lake, a semi-closed alkaline lake in northern Yellowstone National Park, was analyzed for pollen, charcoal, geochemistry, mineralogy, diatoms, and stable isotopes to develop a nuanced understanding of Holocene environmental history in a region of northern Rocky Mountains that receives both summer and winter precipitation. The limited surface area, conical bathymetry, and deep water (> 31 m) of Crevice Lake create oxygen-deficient conditions in the hypolimnion and preserve annually laminated sediment (varves) for much of the record. Pollen data indicate that the watershed supported a closed Pinus-dominated forest and low fire frequency prior to 8200 cal yr BP, followed by open parkland until 2600 cal yr BP, and open mixed-conifer forest thereafter. Fire activity shifted from infrequent stand-replacing fires initially to frequent surface fires in the middle Holocene and stand-replacing events in recent centuries. Low values of δ18O suggest high winter precipitation in the early Holocene, followed by steadily drier conditions after 8500 cal yr BP. Carbonate-rich sediments before 5000 cal yr BP imply warmer summer conditions than after 5000 cal yr BP. High values of molybdenum (Mo), uranium (U), and sulfur (S) indicate anoxic bottom-waters before 8000 cal yr BP, between 4400 and 3900 cal yr BP, and after 2400 cal yr BP. The diatom record indicates extensive water-column mixing in spring and early summer through much of the Holocene, but a period between 2200 and 800 cal yr BP had strong summer stratification, phosphate limitation, and oxygen-deficient bottom waters. Together, the proxy data suggest wet winters, protracted springs, and warm effectively wet summers in the early Holocene and less snowpack, cool springs, warm dry summers in the middle Holocene. In the late Holocene, the region and lake experienced extreme changes in winter, spring, and summer conditions, with particularly short springs and dry summers and winters during

  6. Spatiotemporal climatic, hydrological, and environmental variations based on records of annually laminated lake sediments from northern Poland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tylmann, W.; Blanke, L.; Kinder, M.; Loewe, T.; Mayr, C.; Ohlendorf, C.; Zolitschka, B.

    2009-12-01

    In northern Poland there is the unique opportunity to compare varved lake sediment records with distinct climatic trends along a 700 km long W-E transect. Annually laminated Holocene sediment sequences from Lake Lubinskie, Lake Suminko, Lake Lazduny, and Lake Szurpily were cored for high-resolution multiproxy climate and environmental reconstruction in the framework of the Polish-German project “Northern Polish Lake Research” (NORPOLAR). First results from a 139 cm long gravity core of Lake Lazduny (53°51.4’N, 21°57.3’E) document deposition of an organic (mean organic matter: 13.9%; mean biogenic opal: 9.8%) and highly carbonaceous gyttja (mean calcite content: 61.6%). The finely laminated sediment consists of biochemical varves. Pale spring/summer layers composed of autochthonous carbonates alternate with dark fall/winter layers made of organic and minerogenic detritus. The established chronology for the last 1500 calendar-years is based on thin section analysis supported by independent radiometric dating (C-14, Pb-210). Sedimentological, geochemical and stable isotope analyses were carried out with a decadal temporal resolution. Additionally, non-destructive and high-resolution XRF scanning data reveal a rhythmic variation in the Ca content that reflects seasonal calcite deposition. Redox-sensitive elements like Fe, Mn and S are interpreted to be the response to mean winter temperatures: colder winter temperatures → extended lake ice cover → intensification of meromixis → increased Fe/Mn ratio. In turn, these parameters can be linked to NAO (North Atlantic Oscillation) variability, because a negative NAO is related to colder and drier conditions in northeastern Europe. Climate variability is also mirrored by the δ13C record of the endogenic calcite fraction. In mid-latitude lakes calcite precipitation is dominated by productivity-controlled consumption of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) pool. Thus the δ13C record potentially provides a

  7. American woodcock winter distribution and fidelity to wintering areas

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Diefenbach, D.R.; Derleth, E.L.; Vander Haegen, W. Matthew; Nichols, J.D.; Hines, J.E.

    1990-01-01

    We examined winter distribution and fidelity to wintering areas for the American Woodcock (Scolopax minor), which exhibits reversed, sexual size dimorphism. Band-recovery data revealed no difference in winter distributions of different age/sex classes for woodcock from the same breeding ares. Similarly, band recoveries from woodcock banded on wintering grounds revealed no difference in fidelity to wintering sites. Males may winter north of a latitude that is optimal for survival based on physiological considerations, but they gain a reproductive advantage if they are among the first to arrive on the breeding grounds. This may explain our results, which indicate males and females have similar distribution patterns during winter.

  8. Estimated flood flows in the Lake Tahoe basin, California and Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Crompton, E. James; Hess, Glen W.; Williams, Rhea P.

    2002-01-01

    Lake Tahoe, the largest alpine lake in North America, covers about 192 square miles (mi2) of the 506-mi2 Lake Tahoe Basin, which straddles the border between California and Nevada (Fig. 1). In cooperation with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates the flood frequencies of the streams that enter the lake. Information about potential flooding of these streams is used by NDOT in the design and construction of roads and highways in the Nevada portion of the basin. The stream-monitoring network in the Lake Tahoe Basin is part of the Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program (LTIMP), which combines the monitoring and research efforts of various Federal, State, and regional agencies, including both USGS and NDOT. The altitude in the basin varies from 6,223 feet (ft) at the lake's natural rim to over 10,000 ft along the basin's crest. Precipitation ranges from 40 inches per year (in/yr) on the eastern side to 90 in/yr on the western side (Crippen and Pavelka, 1970). Most of the precipitation comes during the winter months as snow. Precipitation that falls from June through September accounts for less than 20 percent of the annual total.

  9. Trends in ice formation at Lake Neusiedl since 1931 and large-scale oscillation patterns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soja, Anna-Maria; Maracek, Karl; Soja, Gerhard

    2013-04-01

    Ice formation at Lake Neusiedl (Neusiedler See, Fertitó), a shallow steppe lake (area 320 km2, mean depth 1.2 m) at the border of Austria/Hungary, is of ecological and economic importance. Ice sailing and skating help to keep a touristic off-season alive. Reed harvest to maintain the ecological function of the reed belt (178 km2) is facilitated when lake surface is frozen. Changes in ice formation were analysed in the frame of the EULAKES-project (European Lakes under Environmental Stressors, www.eulakes.eu), financed by the Central Europe Programme of the EU. Data records of ice-on, ice duration and ice-off at Lake Neusiedl starting with the year 1931, and air temperature (nearby monitoring station Eisenstadt - Sopron (HISTALP database and ZAMG)) were used to investigate nearly 80 winters. Additionally, influences of 8 teleconnection patterns, i.e. the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), the East Atlantic pattern (EAP), the East Atlantic/West Russia pattern (EA/WR), the Eastern Mediterranean Pattern (EMP), the Mediterranean Oscillation (MO) for Algiers and Cairo, and for Israel and Gibraltar, resp., the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) and the Scandinavia pattern (SCA) were assessed. Ice cover of Lake Neusiedl showed a high variability between the years (mean duration 71±27 days). Significant trends for later ice-on (p=0.02), shorter ice duration (p=0.07) and earlier ice-off (p=0.02) for the period 1931-2011 were found by regression analysis and trend analysis tests. On an average, freezing of Lake Neusiedl started 2 days later per decade and ice melting began 2 days earlier per decade. Close relationships between mean air temperature and ice formation could be found: ice-on showed a dependency on summer (R=+0.28) and autumn air temperatures (R=+0.51), ice duration and ice off was related to autumn (R=-0.36 and -0.24), winter (R=-0.73 and -0.61) and concurrent spring air temperatures (R=-0.44). Increases of air temperature by 1° C caused an 8.4 days later

  10. Satellite tracking of the migration of Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus wintering in Japan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Shimada, Tetsuo; Yamaguchi, Noriyuki M.; Hijikata, N.; Hiraoka, Emiko N.; Hupp, Jerry W.; Flint, Paul L.; Tokita, Ken-ichi; Fujita, Go; Uchida, Kiyoshi; Sato, F.; Kurechi, Masayuki; Pearce, John M.; Ramey, Andy M.; Higuchi, Hiroyoshi

    2014-01-01

    We satellite-tracked Whooper Swans Cygnus cygnus wintering in northern Japan to document their migration routes and timing, and to identify breeding areas. From 47 swans that we marked at Lake Izunuma-Uchinuma, Miyagi Prefecture, northeast Honshu, and at Lake Kussharo, east Hokkaido, we observed 57 spring and 33 autumn migrations from 2009-2012. In spring, swans migrated north along Sakhalin Island from eastern Hokkaido using stopovers in Sakhalin, at the mouth of the Amur River and in northern coastal areas of the Sea of Okhotsk. They ultimately reached molting/breedmg areas along the Indigirka River and the lower Kolyma River in northern Russia. In autumn, the swans basically reversed the spring migration routes. We identified northern Honshu, eastern Hokkaido, coastal areas in Sakhalin, the lower Amur River and northern coastal areas of the Sea of Okhotsk as the most frequent stopover sites, and the middle reaches of the Indigirka and the lower Kolyma River as presumed breeding sites. Our results are helpful in understanding the distribution of the breeding and stopover sites of Whooper Swans wintering in Japan and in identifying their major migration habitats. Our findings contribute to understanding the potential transmission process of avian influenza viruses potentially carried by swans, and provide information necessary to conserve Whooper Swans in East Asia.

  11. Overwinter survival of juvenile lake herring in relation to body size, physiological condition, energy stores, and food ration

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pangle, Kevin L.; Sutton, Trent M.; Kinnunen, Ronald E.; Hoff, Michael H.

    2004-01-01

    Populations of lake herring Coregonus artedi in Lake Superior have exhibited high recruitment variability over the past three decades. To improve our understanding of the mechanisms which influence year-class strength, we conducted a 225-d laboratory experiment to evaluate the effects of body size, physiological condition, energy stores, and food ration on the winter survival of age-0 lake herring. Small (total length (TL) range = 60–85 mm) and large (TL range = 86–110 mm) fish were maintained under thermal and photoperiod regimes that mimicked those in Lake Superior from October through May. Fish in each size-class were maintained at two feeding treatments: brine shrimp Artemiaspp. ad libitum and no food. The mortality of large lake herring (fed, 3.8%; starved, 20.1%) was significantly less than that of small fish (fed, 11.7%; starved, 32.0%). Body condition and crude lipid content declined for all fish over the experiment; however, these variables were significantly greater for large fed (0.68% and 9.8%) and small fed (0.65% and 7.3%) fish than large starved (0.49% and 5.7%) and small starved (0.45% and 4.8%) individuals. Final crude protein and gross energy contents were also significantly greater in large fed lake herring (17.6% and 1,966 cal/g), followed by small fed (17.1% and 1,497 cal/g), large starved (15.4% and 1,125 cal/g), and small starved (13.2% and 799 cal/g) fish. Lake herring that died during the experiment had significantly lower body condition and energy stores relative to those of the surviving fish. These results suggest that the depletion of energy stores contributes to greater winter mortality of small lake herring with limited energy uptake and may partially explain the variability in recruitment observed in Lake Superior.

  12. Life under ice: Investigating microbial-related biogeochemical cycles in the seasonally-covered Great Lake Onego, Russia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, Camille; Ariztegui, Daniel; Victor, Frossard; Emilie, Lyautey; Marie-Elodie, Perga; Life Under Ice Scientific Team

    2016-04-01

    The Great European lakes Ladoga and Onego are important resources for Russia in terms of drinking water, energy, fishing and leisure. Because their northern location (North of Saint Petersburgh), these lakes are usually ice-covered during winter. Due to logistical reasons, their study has thus been limited to the ice-free periods, and very few data are available for the winter season. As a matter of fact, comprehension of large lakes behaviour in winter is very limited as compared to the knowledge available from small subpolar lakes or perennially ice-covered polar lakes. To tackle this issue, an international consortium of scientists has gathered around the « life under ice » project to investigate physical, chemical and biogeochemical changes during winter in Lake Onego. Our team has mainly focused on the characterization and quantification of biological processes, from the water column to the sediment, with a special focus on methane cycling and trophic interactions. A first « on-ice » campaign in March 2015 allowed the sampling of a 120 cm sedimentary core and the collection of water samples at multiple depths. The data resulting from this expedition will be correlated to physical and chemical parameters collected simultaneously. A rapid biological activity test was applied immediately after coring in order to test for microbial activity in the sediments. In situ adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) measurements were carried out in the core and taken as an indication of living organisms within the sediments. The presence of ATP is a marker molecule for metabolically active cells, since it is not known to form abiotically. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) were extracted from these samples, and quantified. Quantitative polymerase chain reactions (PCR) were performed on archaeal and bacterial 16S rRNA genes used to reconstruct phylogenies, as well as on their transcripts. Moreover, functional genes involved in the methane and nitrogen cycles

  13. The use of bulk collectors in monitoring wet deposition at high-altitude sites in winter

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ranalli, A.J.; Turk, J.T.; Campbell, D.H.

    1997-01-01

    Concentrations of dissolved ions from samples collected by wet/dry collectors were compared to those collected by bulk collectors at Halfmoon Creek and Ned Wilson Lake in western Colorado to determine if bulk collectors can be used to monitor wet deposition chemistry in remote, high-altitude regions in winter. Hydrogen-ion concentration was significantly lower (p 0.05) at Halfmoon Creek. Wet deposition concentrations were predicated from bulk deposition concentrations through linear regression analysis. Results indicate that anions (chloride, nitrate and sulfate) can be predicted with a high degree of confidence. Lack of significant differences between seasonal (winter and summer) ratios of bulk to wet deposition concentrations indicates that at sites where operation of a wet/dry collector during the winter is not practical, wet deposition concentrations can be predicted from bulk collector samples through regression analysis of wet and bulk deposition data collected during the summer.

  14. Regional analysis of the effect of paved roads on sodium and chloride in lakes.

    PubMed

    Kelting, Daniel L; Laxson, Corey L; Yerger, Elizabeth C

    2012-05-15

    Salinization of surface water from sodium chloride (road salt) applied to paved roads is a widely recognized environmental concern in the northern hemisphere, yet practical information to improve winter road management to reduce the environmental impacts of this deicer is lacking. The purpose of our study was to provide such information by developing baseline concentrations for sodium and chloride for lakes in watersheds without paved roads, and then determining the relationship between these ions and density, type, and proximity of paved roads to shoreline. We used average summer (June-September) sodium and chloride data for 138 lakes combined in a watershed based analysis of paved road networks in the Adirondack Park of New York, U.S.A. The watersheds used in our study represented a broad range in paved road density and type, 56 of which had no paved roads. Median lake sodium and chloride concentrations in these 56 watersheds averaged 0.55 and 0.24 mg/L, respectively. In contrast, the median sodium and chloride concentrations for the 82 lakes in watersheds with paved roads were 3.60 and 7.22 mg/L, respectively. Paved road density (lane-km/km(2)) was positively correlated with sodium and chloride concentrations, but only state roads were significantly correlated with sodium and chloride while local roads were not. State road density alone explained 84 percent of the variation in both ions. We also successfully modeled the relationship between road proximity to shoreline and sodium and chloride concentrations in lakes, which allowed us to identify sections of road that contributed more to explaining the variation in sodium and chloride in lakes. This model and our approach could be used as part of larger efforts to identify environmentally sensitive areas where alternative winter road management treatments should be applied. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Interactions between Lakes and the Atmosphere over the Largest High-Altitude Saline Lake on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, X.

    2017-12-01

    Interactions between lakes and the atmosphere at high-altitudes are still poorly understood due to difficulty in accessibility of direct measurements. This is particularly true for the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), where approximately 50% of the lakes in China are located. Continuous direct measurements of the water flux and surface energy budget were made over the largest high-altitude saline lake in China, Qinghai Lake on the northeastern QTP, using the eddy covariance (EC) method from 11 May, 2013 through 10 May, 2015. Results indicated that net radiation and heat storage showed consistent diurnal variation with positive values in the daytime and negative values at night, while latent and sensible heat flux showed little diurnal variation. Nocturnal λE and H contributed to 47.7% and 29.0% of the total heat loss, during the two- year study period. Annual evaporation of Qinghai Lake was 832.5 mm for 2013/2014 and 823.6 mm for 2014/2015, respectively. The surface energy budget and evaporation showed a strong seasonal pattern, with peaks in the latent and sensible heat flux observed in autumn and early winter. There was a 2-3 month delay between the maximum net radiation and maximum latent and sensible heat fluxes. Intraseasonal and seasonal variations in latent and sensible heat flux were strongly affected by different air masses. Westerly cold and dry air masses increased evaporation while southeast moist air mass suppressed evaporation, suggesting that the lakes might serve as an 'air-conditioner' to modify the temporal heat and water flux in QTP. Latent heat flux (λE) during the ice-covered period was less than that during the ice-free period, and lake ice sublimation is perhaps a main possible source for λE during the freeze-up period.

  16. Changing climate in the Lake Superior region: a case study of the June 2012 flood and its effects on the western-lake water column

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Minor, E. C.; Forsman, B.; Guildford, S. J.

    2013-12-01

    In Lake Superior, the world's largest freshwater lake by area, we are seeing annual surface-water temperature increases outpacing those of the overlying atmosphere. We are also seeing ever earlier onsets of water-column stratification (in data sets from the mid-1980s to the present). In Minnesota, including the Lake Superior watershed, precipitation patterns are also shifting toward fewer and more extreme storm events, such as the June 2012 solstice flood, which impacted the western Lake Superior basin. We are interested in how such climatological changes will affect nutrient and carbon biogeochemistry in Lake Superior. The lake is currently an oligotrophic system exhibiting light limitation of primary production in winter and spring, with summer primary production generally limited by phosphorus and sometimes co-limited by iron. Analyses in the western arm of Lake Superior showed that the June 2012 flood brought large amounts of sediment and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) from the watershed into the lake. There was initially a ~50-fold spike in the total phosphorus concentrations (and a 5 fold spike in soluble reactive phosphorus) in flood-impacted waters. This disappeared rapidly, in large part due to sediment settling and did not lead to an increase in chlorophyll concentrations at monitored sampling sites. Instead, lake phytoplankton appeared light limited by a surface lens of warm water enriched in CDOM that persisted for over a month after the flood event itself. Our observations highlight the need for continuing research on these complex in-lake processes in order to make accurate predictions about longer term impacts of these large episodic inputs in CDOM, sediment, and nutrient loading.

  17. Aerobic Methane Oxidation in Alaskan Lakes Along a Latitudinal Transect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martinez-Cruz, K. C.; Sepulveda-Jauregui, A.; Walter Anthony, K. M.; Anthony, P.; Thalasso, F.

    2013-12-01

    Karla Martinez-Cruz* **, Armando Sepulveda-Jauregui*, Katey M. Walter Anthony*, Peter Anthony*, and Frederic Thalasso**. * Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska. ** Biotechnology and Bioengineering Department, Cinvestav, Mexico city, D. F., Mexico. Methane (CH4) is the third most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, after carbon dioxide and water vapor. Boreal lakes play an important role in the current global warming by contributing as much as 6% of global atmospheric CH4 sources annually. On the other hand, aerobic methane oxidation (methanotrophy) in lake water is a fundamental process in global methane cycling that reduces the amount of CH4 emissions to the atmosphere. Several environmental factors affect aerobic methane oxidation in the water column both directly and indirectly, including concentration of CH4 and O2, temperature and carbon budgets of lakes. We analyzed the potential of aerobic methane oxidation (PMO) rates in incubations of water collected from 30 Alaskan lakes along a north-south transect during winter and summer 2011. Our findings showed an effect of CH4 and O2 concentrations, temperature and yedoma thawing permafrost on PMO activity in the lake water. The highest PMO rates were observed in summer by lakes situated on thawing yedoma permafrost, most of them located in the interior of Alaska. We also estimated that 60-80% of all CH4 produced in Alaskan lakes could be taken up by methanotrophs in the lake water column, showing the significant influence of aerobic methane oxidation of boreal lakes to the global CH4 budget.

  18. The predominance of young carbon in Arctic whole-lake CH4 and CO2 emissions and implications for Boreal yedoma lakes.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elder, C.; Xu, X.; Walker, J. C.; Walter Anthony, K. M.; Pohlman, J.; Arp, C. D.; Townsend-Small, A.; Hinkel, K. M.; Czimczik, C. I.

    2017-12-01

    Lakes in Arctic and Boreal regions are hotspots for atmospheric exchange of the greenhouse gases CO2 and CH4. Thermokarst lakes are a subset of these Northern lakes that may further accelerate climate warming by mobilizing ancient permafrost C (> 11,500 years old) that has been disconnected from the active C cycle for millennia. Northern lakes are thus potentially powerful agents of the permafrost C-climate feedback. While they are critical for projecting the magnitude and timing these feedbacks from the rapidly warming circumpolar region, we lack datasets capturing the diversity of northern lakes, especially regarding their CH4contributions to whole-lake C emissions and their ability to access and mobilize ancient C. We measured the radiocarbon (14C) ages of CH4 and CO2 emitted from 60 understudied lakes and ponds in Arctic and Boreal Alaska during winter and summer to estimate the ages of the C sources yielding these gases. Integrated mean ages for whole-lake emissions were inferred from the 14C-age of dissolved gases sampled beneath seasonal ice. Additionally, we measured concentrations and 14C values of gases emitted by ebullition and diffusion in summer to apportion C emission pathways. Using a multi-sourced mass balance approach, we found that whole-lake CH4 and CO2 emissions were predominantly sourced from relatively young C in most lakes. In Arctic lakes, CH4 originated from 850 14C-year old C on average, whereas dissolved CO2 was sourced from 400 14C-year old C, and represented 99% of total dissolved C flux. Although ancient C had a minimal influence (11% of total emissions), we discovered that lakes in finer-textured aeolian deposits (Yedoma) emitted twice as much ancient C as lakes in sandy regions. In Boreal, yedoma-type lakes, CH4 and CO2 were fueled by significantly older sources, and mass balance results estimated CH4-ebullition to comprise 50-60% of whole-lake CH4 emissions. The mean 14C-age of Boreal emissions was 6,000 14C-years for CH4-C, and 2

  19. Temporal Variation of Chemical Persistence in a Swedish Lake Assessed by Benchmarking.

    PubMed

    Zou, Hongyan; Radke, Michael; Kierkegaard, Amelie; McLachlan, Michael S

    2015-08-18

    Chemical benchmarking was used to investigate the temporal variation of the persistence of chemical contaminants in a Swedish lake. The chemicals studied included 12 pharmaceuticals, an artificial sweetener, and an X-ray contrast agent. Measurements were conducted in late spring, late autumn, and winter. The transformation half-life in the lake could be quantified for 7 of the chemicals. It ranged from several days to hundreds of days. For 5 of the chemicals (bezafibrate, climbazole, diclofenac, furosemide, and hydrochlorothiazide), the measured persistence was lower in late spring than in late autumn. This may have been caused by lower temperatures and/or less irradiation during late autumn. The seasonality in chemical persistence contributed to changes in chemical concentrations in the lake during the year. The impact of seasonality of persistence was compared with the impact of other important variables determining concentrations in the lake: chemical inputs and water flow/dilution. The strongest seasonal variability in chemical concentration in lake water was observed for hydrochlorothiazide (over a factor of 10), and this was attributable to the seasonality in its persistence.

  20. An evaluation of ERTS data for oceanographic uses through Great Lakes studies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strong, A. E. (Principal Investigator); Stumpf, H. G.

    1974-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. Prevailing wind direction on Lake Michigan is southwesterly, although during winter northwesterly stresses are common. Along the western shore the current favors a northward direction. ERTS-1 observations indicate that the southward-flowing current along the Michigan shoreline of the thumb is only reversed by southerly resultant wind stress. Along the Canadian shoreline, a northward current was observed north of Kettle Point. ERTS-1 data also reveal that a preferred southward-flowing current is found along the Detroit shoreline of Lake St. Clair. Eastward flow of surface water from the shallow western basin of Lake Erie into the middle basin is most obvious during northwesterly and northerly wind stresses. The reverse wind direction especially east and southeasterly, appear to hold the effluents from the Detroit and Maumee Rivers in the western basin. Across-lake winds from the north and south induce eddy-like circulation in surface waters of Lake Ontario. Counterclockwise alongshore flow persists in the western basin under most wind conditions.

  1. Salt Lake City, Utah 2002

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-12-08

    Salt Lake City, Utah, Winter 2001 The 2002 Winter Olympics are hosted by Salt Lake City at several venues within the city, in nearby cities, and within the adjacent Wasatch Mountains. This simulated natural color image presents a snowy, winter view of north central Utah that includes all of the Olympic sites. The image extends from Ogden in the north, to Provo in the south; and includes the snow-capped Wasatch Mountains and the eastern part of the Great Salt Lake. This image was acquired on February 8, 2001 by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER will image Earth for the next 6 years to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. ASTER is one of five Earth-observing instruments launched December 18,1999, on NASA's Terra satellite. The instrument was built by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. A joint U.S./Japan science team is responsible for validation and calibration of the instrument and the data products. Dr. Anne Kahle at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California, is the U.S. Science team leader; Bjorn Eng of JPL is the project manager. ASTER is the only high resolution imaging sensor on Terra. The Terra mission is part of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, along-term research and technology program designed to examine Earth's land, oceans, atmosphere, ice and life as a total integrated system. The broad spectral coverage and high spectral resolution of ASTER will provide scientists in numerous disciplines with critical information for surface mapping, and monitoring dynamic conditions and temporal change. Example applications are: monitoring glacial advances and retreats; monitoring potentially active volcanoes; identifying crop stress; determining cloud morphology and physical properties; wetlands

  2. Geochemistry of ikaite formation at Mono Lake, California: Implications for the origin of tufa mounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Council, Todd C.; Bennett, Philip C.

    1993-11-01

    The mineral ikaite (CaCO3 ṡ 6H2O), not previously observed in lake environments, precipitates seasonally along the shore of Mono Lake, California, where Ca-HCO3 spring water mixes with cold Na-CO3 lake water. During the winter, cold water temperatures and high concentrations of PO43- and organic carbon inhibit calcite precipitation, allowing the metastable ikaite to form. During the spring warming, however, ikaite decomposes to form calcium carbonate and water, occasionally leaving pseudomorphs of the primary precipitate. The identification of modern ikaite suggests that both Pleistocene and Holocene tufas in the Mono basin originally precipitated as ikaite. This mineral may also form in other lake environments, but rapid recrystallization after warming destroys the physical, chemical, and isotopic evidence of formation, and alters the geochemical record.

  3. Effect of stock size, climate, predation, and trophic status on recruitment of alewives in Lake Ontario, 1978-2000

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    O'Gorman, Robert; Lantry, Brian F.; Schneider, Clifford P.

    2004-01-01

    The population of alewives Alosa pseudoharengus in Lake Ontario is of great concern to fishery managers because alewives are the principal prey of introduced salmonines and because alewives negatively influence many endemic fishes. We used spring bottom trawl catches of alewives to investigate the roles of stock size, climate, predation, and lake trophic status on recruitment of alewives to age 2 in Lake Ontario during 1978–2000. Climate was indexed from the temperature of water entering a south-shore municipal treatment plant, lake trophic status was indexed by the mean concentration of total phosphorus (TP) in surface water in spring, and predation was indexed by the product of the number of salmonines stocked and relative, first-year survival of Chinook salmonOncorhynchus tshawytscha. A Ricker-type parent–progeny model suggested that peak production of age-1 alewives could occur over a broad range of spawning stock sizes, and the fit of the model was improved most by the addition of terms for spring water temperature and winter duration. With the addition of the two climate terms, the Ricker model indicated that when water was relatively warm in spring and the winter was relatively short, peak potential production of young was nine times higher than when water temperature and winters were average, and 73 times higher than when water was cold in spring and winters were long. Relative survival from age 1 to recruitment at age 2 was best described by a multiple linear regression with terms for adult abundance, TP, and predation. Mean recruitment of age-2 fish in the 1978–1998 year-classes predicted by using the two models in sequence was only about 20% greater than the observed mean recruitment. Model estimates fit the measured data exceptionally well for all but the largest four year-classes, which suggests that the models will facilitate improvement in estimates of trophic transfer due to alewives.

  4. Quantitative calibration of remote mountain lake sediments as climatic recorders of ice-cover duration

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thompson, R.; Price, D.

    2003-04-01

    Using a thermal degree modelling approach ice cover duration on European mountain lakes is found to be very sensitive to temperature change. For example our thermal degree model (which incorporates a weather generator) predicts a 100 day shortening in ice-cover duration for a 3 degree Centigrade temperature rise for north facing catchments at elevations of 1200m in the southern Alps, and 1500m in the Pyrenees. 30% higher sensitivities (130d/3oC) are found for the more maritime lakes of Scotland, while lakes in NW Finland, in a more continental setting, have only half the sensitivity (50d/3oC). A pan European data set of the species abundance of 252 diatom taxa in 462 mountain and sub Arctic lakes has been compiled. Taxonomic harmonisation is based on a team effort carried out as an integral part of the AL:PE, CHILL and EMERGE projects. Transfer functions have been created relating ice-cover duration to diatom species composition based on a weighted averaging - partial least squares (WA-PLS) approach. Cross validation was used to test the transfer functions. The pan European data set yields an R-squared of 0.73, an R-squared(jack) of 0.58, and an RMSEP error of 23 days. A regional, northern Scandinavian transect, (151 lakes, 122 taxa) yields an R-squared(jack) of 0.50, and an RMSEP of 9 days. The pan European database displays greatest skill when reconstructing winter or spring temperatures. This contrasts with the summer temperatures normally studied when using local elevation gradients. The northern Scandinavian transect has a remarkably low winter RMSEP of 0.73 oC.

  5. Time-series MODIS image-based retrieval and distribution analysis of total suspended matter concentrations in Lake Taihu (China).

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yuchao; Lin, Shan; Liu, Jianping; Qian, Xin; Ge, Yi

    2010-09-01

    Although there has been considerable effort to use remotely sensed images to provide synoptic maps of total suspended matter (TSM), there are limited studies on universal TSM retrieval models. In this paper, we have developed a TSM retrieval model for Lake Taihu using TSM concentrations measured in situ and a time series of quasi-synchronous MODIS 250 m images from 2005. After simple geometric and atmospheric correction, we found a significant relationship (R = 0.8736, N = 166) between in situ measured TSM concentrations and MODIS band normalization difference of band 3 and band 1. From this, we retrieved TSM concentrations in eight regions of Lake Taihu in 2007 and analyzed the characteristic distribution and variation of TSM. Synoptic maps of model-estimated TSM of 2007 showed clear geographical and seasonal variations. TSM in Central Lake and Southern Lakeshore were consistently higher than in other regions, while TSM in East Taihu was generally the lowest among the regions throughout the year. Furthermore, a wide range of TSM concentrations appeared from winter to summer. TSM in winter could be several times that in summer.

  6. Mid- to late Holocene climate-driven regime shifts inferred from diatom, ostracod and stable isotope records from Lake Son Kol (Central Tian Shan, Kyrgyzstan)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwarz, Anja; Turner, Falko; Lauterbach, Stefan; Plessen, Birgit; Krahn, Kim J.; Glodniok, Sven; Mischke, Steffen; Stebich, Martina; Witt, Roman; Mingram, Jens; Schwalb, Antje

    2017-12-01

    Arid Central Asia represents a key region for understanding climate variability and interactions in the Northern Hemisphere. Patterns and mechanisms of Holocene climate change in arid Central Asia are, however, only partially understood. Multi-proxy data combining diatom, ostracod, sedimentological, geochemical and stable isotope analyses from a ca. 6000-year-old lake sediment core from Son Kol (Central Kyrgyzstan) show distinct and repeated changes in species assemblages. Diatom- and ostracod-inferred conductivity shifts between meso-euhaline and freshwater conditions suggest water balance and regime shifts. Organism-derived data are corroborated by stable isotope, mineralogical and geochemical records, underlining that Son Kol was affected by strong lake level fluctuations of several meters. The δ13Ccarb/δ18Ocarb correlation shows repeated switchovers from a closed to an open lake system. From 6000 to 3800 and 3250 to 1950 cal. yr BP, Son Kol was a closed basin lake with higher conductivities, increased nutrient availability and a water level located below the modern outflow. Son Kol became again a hydrologically open lake at 3800 and 1950 cal. yr BP. Comparisons to other local and regional paleoclimate records indicate that these regime shifts were largely controlled by changing intensity and position of the Westerlies and the Siberian Anticyclone that triggered changes in the amount of winter precipitation. A strong influence of the Westerlies ca. 5000-4400, 3800-3250 and since 1950 cal. yr BP enhanced the amount of precipitation during spring, autumn and winter, whereas cold and dry winters prevailed during phases with a strong Siberian Anticyclone and southward shifted Westerlies at ca. 6000-5000, 4400-3800 and 3250-1950 cal. yr BP. Similarities between variations in winter precipitation at Son Kol and records of the predominant NAO-mode further suggest a teleconnection between wet (dry) winter climate in Central Asia and a positive (negative) NAO

  7. Are Sierran Lakes Warming as a Result of Climate Change? The Effects of Climate Warming and Variation in Precipitation on Water Temperature in a Snowmelt-Dominated Lake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sadro, S.; Melack, J. M.; Sickman, J. O.; Skeen, K.

    2016-12-01

    Water temperature regulates a broad range of fundamental ecosystem processes in lakes. While climate can be an important factor regulating lake temperatures, heterogeneity in the warming response of lakes is large, and variation in precipitation is rarely considered. We analyzed three decades of climate and water temperature data from a high-elevation catchment in the southern Sierra Nevada of California to illustrate the magnitude of warming taking place during different seasons and the role of precipitation in regulating lake temperatures. Significant climate warming trends were evident during all seasons except spring. Nighttime rates of climate warming were approximately 25% higher than daytime rates. Spatial patterns in warming were elevation dependent, with rates of temperature increase higher at sites above 2800 m.a.s.l. than below. Although interannual variation in snow deposition was high, the frequency and severity of recent droughts has contributed to a significant 3.4 mm year -1 decline in snow water equivalent over the last century. Snow accumulation, more than any other climate factor, regulated lake temperature; 94% of variation in summer lake temperature was regulated by precipitation as snow. For every 100 mm decrease in snow water equivalent there was a 0.62 ° increase in lake temperature. Drought years amplify warming in lakes by reducing the role of cold spring meltwaters in lake energy budgets and prolonging the ice-free period during which lakes warm. The combination of declining winter snowpack and warming air temperatures has the capacity to amplify the effect of climate warming on lake temperatures during drought years. Interactions among climatic factors need to be considered when evaluating ecosystem level effects, especially in mountain regions. For mountain lakes already affected by drought, continued climate warming during spring and autumn has the greatest potential to impact mean lake temperatures.

  8. Perspective View with Landsat Overlay, Salt Lake City Olympics Venues, Utah

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    The 2002 Winter Olympics are hosted by Salt Lake City at several venues within the city, in nearby cities, and within the adjacent Wasatch Mountains. This computer generated perspective image provides a northward looking 'view from space' that includes all of these Olympic sites. In the south, next to Utah Lake, Provo hosts the ice hockey competition. In the north, northeast of the Great Salt Lake, Ogden hosts curling, and the nearby Snow Basin ski area hosts the downhill events. In between, southeast of the Great Salt Lake, Salt Lake City hosts the Olympic Village and the various skating events. Further east, across the Wasatch Mountains, the Park City area ski resorts host the bobsled, ski jumping, and snowboarding events. The Winter Olympics are always hosted in mountainous terrain. This view shows the dramatic landscape that makes the Salt Lake City region a world-class center for winter sports.

    This 3-D perspective view was generated using topographic data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and a Landsat 5 satellite image mosaic. Topographic expression is exaggerated four times.

    For a full-resolution, annotated version of this image, please select Figure 1, below: [figure removed for brevity, see original site]

    Landsat has been providing visible and infrared views of the Earth since 1972. SRTM elevation data matches the 30-meter (98-foot) resolution of most Landsat images and will substantially help in analyzing the large and growing Landsat image archive, managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

    Elevation data used in this image was acquired by the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was designed to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data

  9. [Influence of dredging on sediment resuspension and phosphorus transfer in lake: a simulation study].

    PubMed

    Yu, Ju-Hua; Zhong, Ji-Cheng; Zhang, Yin-Long; Fan, Cheng-Xin; He, Wei; Zhang, Lei; Tang, Zhen-Wu

    2012-10-01

    A simulated experiment was conducted to investigate the impacts of sediment dredging on sediment resuspension and phosphorus transfer in the summer and winter seasons under the common wind-wave disturbance, and the contaminated sediment used in this study was from Meiliang Bay, Taihu lake. The result showed that 20 cm dredging could effectively inhibit the sediment resuspension in study area, dredging in winter has a better effect than that in summer, and the higher values of the total suspended solid (TSS) in undredged and dredged water column during the process of wind wave disturbance were 7.0 and 2.2, 24.3 and 6.4 times higher than the initial value in summer and winter simulation respectively. The paired-samples t-test result demonstrated that total phosphorus (TP) and phosphate (PO4(3-)-P) loading positively correlated to TSS content in dredged (P<0.01) and undredged water column (P<0.05), which proved that internal phosphorus fulminating release induced by wind-wave disturbance would significantly increase the TP and PO4(3-)-P loading in the water column. The effect of dredging conducted in summer on the TP and PO4(3)-P loading in the water column was negative, but not for winter dredging (P<0.01). The pore water dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP) profile at water-sediment interface in summer simulation was also investigated by diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) technique. Diffusion layer of the DRP profile in undredged sediment was wider than that in dredged sediment. However, the DRP diffusion potential in dredged sediment was greater than that in undredged sediment, showing that dredging can effectively reduce the risk of the DRP potential release in dredged pore water, but also would induce the DRP fulminating release in the short time under hydrodynamic action. Generally, dredging was usually deployed during the summer and the autumn. Considering Taihu Lake is a large, shallow, eutrophic lake and the contaminant distribution is spatially

  10. A Four Lake Latitudinal Comparison Along Coastal Southern to Central California: A Late-Holocene Perspective on the Western US Precipitation Dipole.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirby, M.; Nichols, K. E.; Ramezan, R.; Palermo, J. A.; Hiner, C.; Bonuso, N.; Patterson, W. P.; Silveira, E.

    2016-12-01

    One of the dominant hydroclimatic features of the western United States is the winter season precipitation dipole. The dipole is characterized by a N-S antiphased precipitation regime presently centered on 40° N latitude (Cayan et al., 1998; Dettinger et al., 1998; Wise, 2010). For example, the position of the dipole dictates where CA receives its winter precipitation; thus, it is critical to understand the dipole from a paleoperspective, which at present is poorly known. Here, we present four lake sites spanning 33°-36° N latitude along coastal CA. These sites include: Lake Elsinore, Crystal Lake, Zaca Lake, and Abbott Lake. All four of these sites are located south of the dipole's average historic (since 1950 AD) latitude. The predominant hydroclimatic indicator is similar for each basin (i.e., grain size); although, several other indicators are used for independent verification/assessment of the grain size interpretation. Notably, these lakes contain varied age control, which limits site-to-site correlation without consideration of age model dependence. Following a Bayesian framework, MCMC algorithms in conjuction with radiocarbon dating will be used to estimate timestamps of sediment deposits with a degree of statistical uncertainty. Samples from the posterior distribution will be used to correlate hydroclimatic features between sites. Included in this analysis are tree ring records from the region to assess the similarities and differences as recorded in annually resolved tree ring drought reconstructions and decadally resolved lake sediment hydroclimatic records. Finally, the four sites are assessed in the context of tropical and north Pacific SST forcing.

  11. The widespread influence of Great Lakes microseisms across the United States revealed by the 2014 polar vortex

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Anthony, Robert E.; Ringler, Adam; Wilson, David

    2018-01-01

    During the winter of 2014, a weak polar vortex brought record cold temperatures to the north‐central (“Midwest”) United States, and the Great Lakes reached the highest extent of ice coverage (92.5%) since 1979. This event shut down the generation of seismic signals caused by wind‐driven wave action within the lakes (termed “lake microseisms”), giving an unprecedented opportunity to isolate and characterize these novel signals through comparison with nonfrozen time periods. Using seismic records at 72 broadband stations, we observe Great Lakes microseism signals at distances >300 km from the lakes. In contrast to conventional oceanic microseisms, there is no clear relationship between the frequency content of the seismic signals (observed from ~0.5–5‐s period) and the dominant swell period or resonance periods of the lakes based on their bathymetric profiles. Thus, the exact generation mechanism is not readily explained by conventional microseism theory and warrants further investigation.

  12. Ice cover extent drives phytoplankton and bacterial community structure in a large north-temperate lake: implications for a warming climate.

    PubMed

    Beall, B F N; Twiss, M R; Smith, D E; Oyserman, B O; Rozmarynowycz, M J; Binding, C E; Bourbonniere, R A; Bullerjahn, G S; Palmer, M E; Reavie, E D; Waters, Lcdr M K; Woityra, Lcdr W C; McKay, R M L

    2016-06-01

    Mid-winter limnological surveys of Lake Erie captured extremes in ice extent ranging from expansive ice cover in 2010 and 2011 to nearly ice-free waters in 2012. Consistent with a warming climate, ice cover on the Great Lakes is in decline, thus the ice-free condition encountered may foreshadow the lakes future winter state. Here, we show that pronounced changes in annual ice cover are accompanied by equally important shifts in phytoplankton and bacterial community structure. Expansive ice cover supported phytoplankton blooms of filamentous diatoms. By comparison, ice free conditions promoted the growth of smaller sized cells that attained lower total biomass. We propose that isothermal mixing and elevated turbidity in the absence of ice cover resulted in light limitation of the phytoplankton during winter. Additional insights into microbial community dynamics were gleaned from short 16S rRNA tag (Itag) Illumina sequencing. UniFrac analysis of Itag sequences showed clear separation of microbial communities related to presence or absence of ice cover. Whereas the ecological implications of the changing bacterial community are unclear at this time, it is likely that the observed shift from a phytoplankton community dominated by filamentous diatoms to smaller cells will have far reaching ecosystem effects including food web disruptions. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. In-lake carbon dioxide concentration patterns in four distinct phases in relation to ice cover dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Denfeld, B. A.; Wallin, M.; Sahlee, E.; Sobek, S.; Kokic, J.; Chmiel, H.; Weyhenmeyer, G. A.

    2014-12-01

    Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emission estimates from inland waters include emissions at ice melt that are based on simple assumptions rather than evidence. To account for CO2 accumulation below ice and potential emissions into the atmosphere at ice melt we combined continuous CO2 concentrations with spatial CO2 sampling in an ice-covered small boreal lake. From early ice cover to ice melt, our continuous surface water CO2 concentration measurements at 2 m depth showed a temporal development in four distinct phases: In early winter, CO2 accumulated continuously below ice, most likely due to biological in-lake and catchment inputs. Thereafter, in late winter, CO2 concentrations remained rather constant below ice, as catchment inputs were minimized and vertical mixing of hypolimnetic water was cut off. As ice melt began, surface water CO2 concentrations were rapidly changing, showing two distinct peaks, the first one reflecting horizontal mixing of CO2 from surface and catchment waters, the second one reflecting deep water mixing. We detected that 83% of the CO2 accumulated in the water during ice cover left the lake at ice melt which corresponded to one third of the total CO2 storage. Our results imply that CO2 emissions at ice melt must be accurately integrated into annual CO2 emission estimates from inland waters. If up-scaling approaches assume that CO2 accumulates linearly under ice and at ice melt all CO2 accumulated during ice cover period leaves the lake again, present estimates may overestimate CO2 emissions from small ice covered lakes. Likewise, neglecting CO2 spring outbursts will result in an underestimation of CO2 emissions from small ice covered lakes.

  14. Status of alewife and rainbow smelt in U.S. waters of Lake Ontario, 2015

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Walsh, Maureen; Weidel, Brian C.; Connerton, Michael J.; Holden, Jeremy P.

    2016-01-01

    In 2015 the joint USGS and NYSDEC surveys for Alewife and Rainbow Smelt were combined for the first time into a comprehensive spring pelagic prey fish survey. The adult Alewife abundance and weight indices in 2015 increased slightly from 2014 levels, and adult Alewife abundance has remained relatively stable for the past five years. Adult Alewife condition in both spring and fall increased from 2014 values and was above long-term means. Yearling Alewife abundance was the lowest observed in the 38-year time series. Alewife year class strength at age 1 is related to the number of spawning adults and summer temperatures and winter duration in the first year after hatching. Moderate year classes were produced during 2009-2011, and 2012 was the largest year class in the time series. However, severe winters in 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 contributed to two successive very small year classes for the first time in the time series. We expect adult Alewife abundance and biomass to decline in 2016 as older and larger fish decline in the population. The number of spawning adults increased in 2015, summer temperatures were slightly below average, and the anticipated winter duration is below average (i.e., milder winter) for 2015-2016, so these conditions will likely produce a low to moderate year class. A third successive weak year class could be problematic for the Lake Ontario Alewife population and may be of concern to binational lake managers. Rainbow Smelt were also assessed and the population continues to persist at a low and stable level.

  15. Great Lakes transport of western coal: economic and technical analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Elste, V.H.; Scher, R.M

    1978-04-01

    A comprehensive investigation of coal transportation from western mines via railroad unit trains plus water transport on the Great Lakes covers in detail: the design of coal colliers for the Great Lakes as limited in size by the Poe lock at Sault Ste. Marie or by river destinations; effects of ice freezing on the lakes or on the coal cargo; problems of designing for alternative transport of taconite pellets; the economic effects of variations in ship characteristics; the effect of fuel price and of operation through the winter; economic comparison of transport alternatives for various pairs of sources and destinations;more » the advantage (vs. a slurry pipeline) of being able to expand on a unit-by-unit basis; and that the rail-water route is lowest in cost for all destinations on the Great Lakes east of Detroit, but direct unit-train service to Chicago is either equal or superior to the rail-water combination. (''A unitrain operating on level track is a most energy-efficient producer of transportation and only an extremely large vessel can approach or equal this performance'').« less

  16. [Diagnostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance in patients with acute viral myocarditis].

    PubMed

    Ouyang, Haichun; Chen, Haixiong; Hu, Yunzhao; Wu, Yanxian; Li, Wensheng; Chen, Yuying; Cen, Yujian

    2014-11-01

    To assess the diagnostic value of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with acute viral myocarditis. Thirty patients with suspected acute viral myocarditis admitted in first people's hospital of Shunde from June 2011 to June 2013 were included in this prospective study. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and accuracy of acute viral myocarditis were evaluated by clinical diagnosis. Diagnostic value among different scan methods and Lake Louise criteria were compared. Acute viral myocarditis was diagnosed in 63.33% (19/30) patients.Values for sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and diagnostic accuracy within the overall cohort were 57.89%, 72.73%, 78.57%, 50.00%, 63.33%, respectively by edema imaging (ER).Values for sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and diagnostic accuracy within the overall cohort were 78.95%, 63.64%, 78.95%, 63.64%, 73.33%, respectively using global relative enhancement (gRE).Values for sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and diagnostic accuracy within the overall cohort were 78.95%, 54.55%, 75.00%, 60.00%, 70.00%, respectively using late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) criteria.Values for sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and diagnostic accuracy within the overall cohort were 84.21%, 81.82%, 88.89%, 75.00%, 83.33% using Lake Louise criteria. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and diagnostic accuracy using Lake Louise criteria were significantly higher than using ER, gRE, LGE alone(all P < 0.05).Specificity was higher using ER than using gRE and LGE (both P < 0.05). The sensitivity, NPV, and diagnostic accuracy were significantly higher using gRE than using ER (all P < 0.05) and was similar as using LGE (all P > 0.05). Cardiac magnetic resonance is an excellent imaging modality for the diagnosis of acute viral myocarditis.

  17. Response of ice cover on shallow lakes of the North Slope of Alaska to contemporary climate conditions (1950-2011): radar remote-sensing and numerical modeling data analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Surdu, C. M.; Duguay, C. R.; Brown, L. C.; Fernández Prieto, D.

    2014-01-01

    Air temperature and winter precipitation changes over the last five decades have impacted the timing, duration, and thickness of the ice cover on Arctic lakes as shown by recent studies. In the case of shallow tundra lakes, many of which are less than 3 m deep, warmer climate conditions could result in thinner ice covers and consequently, in a smaller fraction of lakes freezing to their bed in winter. However, these changes have not yet been comprehensively documented. The analysis of a 20 yr time series of European remote sensing satellite ERS-1/2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data and a numerical lake ice model were employed to determine the response of ice cover (thickness, freezing to the bed, and phenology) on shallow lakes of the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) to climate conditions over the last six decades. Given the large area covered by these lakes, changes in the regional climate and weather are related to regime shifts in the ice cover of the lakes. Analysis of available SAR data from 1991 to 2011, from a sub-region of the NSA near Barrow, shows a reduction in the fraction of lakes that freeze to the bed in late winter. This finding is in good agreement with the decrease in ice thickness simulated with the Canadian Lake Ice Model (CLIMo), a lower fraction of lakes frozen to the bed corresponding to a thinner ice cover. Observed changes of the ice cover show a trend toward increasing floating ice fractions from 1991 to 2011, with the greatest change occurring in April, when the grounded ice fraction declined by 22% (α = 0.01). Model results indicate a trend toward thinner ice covers by 18-22 cm (no-snow and 53% snow depth scenarios, α = 0.01) during the 1991-2011 period and by 21-38 cm (α = 0.001) from 1950 to 2011. The longer trend analysis (1950-2011) also shows a decrease in the ice cover duration by ~24 days consequent to later freeze-up dates by 5.9 days (α = 0.1) and earlier break-up dates by 17.7-18.6 days (α = 0.001).

  18. Lake Erie Water Level Study. Appendix F. Environmental Effects.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-07-01

    were reevaluated with weight being placed on the most recent data. The wetland area in Pennsylvania was limited to that area on and around Presque Isle ...and East Harbor, Sandusky Bay, Northeast Yacht Club, Mentor Harbor, Presque Isle Bay, Port Dover, and Sturgeon Creek. In Lake Ontario the regulation...valued at close to 4 million dollars (Melski 1973), and the winter ice fishery was valued at 1.1 million dollars. Presque Isle Bay (which is on the

  19. Response of ice cover on shallow lakes of the North Slope of Alaska to contemporary climate conditions (1950-2011): radar remote sensing and numerical modeling data analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Surdu, C. M.; Duguay, C. R.; Brown, L. C.; Fernández Prieto, D.

    2013-07-01

    Air temperature and winter precipitation changes over the last five decades have impacted the timing, duration, and thickness of the ice cover on Arctic lakes as shown by recent studies. In the case of shallow tundra lakes, many of which are less than 3 m deep, warmer climate conditions could result in thinner ice covers and consequently, to a smaller fraction of lakes freezing to their bed in winter. However, these changes have not yet been comprehensively documented. The analysis of a 20 yr time series of ERS-1/2 synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data and a numerical lake ice model were employed to determine the response of ice cover (thickness, freezing to the bed, and phenology) on shallow lakes of the North Slope of Alaska (NSA) to climate conditions over the last six decades. Analysis of available SAR data from 1991-2011, from a sub-region of the NSA near Barrow, shows a reduction in the fraction of lakes that freeze to the bed in late winter. This finding is in good agreement with the decrease in ice thickness simulated with the Canadian Lake Ice Model (CLIMo), a lower fraction of lakes frozen to the bed corresponding to a thinner ice cover. Observed changes of the ice cover show a trend toward increasing floating ice fractions from 1991 to 2011, with the greatest change occurring in April, when the grounded ice fraction declined by 22% (α = 0.01). Model results indicate a trend toward thinner ice covers by 18-22 cm (no-snow and 53% snow depth scenarios, α = 0.01) during the 1991-2011 period and by 21-38 cm (α = 0.001) from 1950-2011. The longer trend analysis (1950-2011) also shows a decrease in the ice cover duration by ∼24 days consequent to later freeze-up dates by 5.9 days (α = 0.1) and earlier break-up dates by 17.7-18.6 days (α = 0.001).

  20. Mercury and water level fluctuations in lakes of northern Minnesota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Larson, James H.; Maki, Ryan P; Christensen, Victoria G.; Sandheinrich, Mark B.; LeDuc, Jaime F.; Kissane, Claire; Knights, Brent C.

    2017-01-01

    Large lake ecosystems support a variety of ecosystem services in surrounding communities, including recreational and commercial fishing. However, many northern temperate fisheries are contaminated by mercury. Annual variation in mercury accumulation in fish has previously been linked to water level (WL) fluctuations, opening the possibility of regulating water levels in a manner that minimizes or reduces mercury contamination in fisheries. Here, we compiled a long-term dataset (1997-2015) of mercury content in young-of-year Yellow Perch (Perca flavescens) from six lakes on the border between the U.S. and Canada and examined whether mercury content appeared to be related to several metrics of WL fluctuation (e.g., spring WL rise, annual maximum WL, and year-to-year change in maximum WL). Using simple correlation analysis, several WL metrics appear to be strongly correlated to Yellow Perch mercury content, although the strength of these correlations varies by lake. We also used many WL metrics, water quality measurements, temperature and annual deposition data to build predictive models using partial least squared regression (PLSR) analysis for each lake. These PLSR models showed some variation among lakes, but also supported strong associations between WL fluctuations and annual variation in Yellow Perch mercury content. The study lakes underwent a modest change in WL management in 2000, when winter WL minimums were increased by about 1 m in five of the six study lakes. Using the PLSR models, we estimated how this change in WL management would have affected Yellow Perch mercury content. For four of the study lakes, the change in WL management that occurred in 2000 likely reduced Yellow Perch mercury content, relative to the previous WL management regime.

  1. Late Holocene subalpine lake sediments record a multi-proxy shift to increased aridity at 3.65 kyr BP, following a millennial-scale neopluvial interval in the Lake Tahoe watershed and western Great Basin, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Noble, Paula; Zimmerman, Susan; Ball, Ian; Adams, Kenneth; Maloney, Jillian; Smith, Shane

    2016-04-01

    A mid Holocene dry period has been reported from lake records in the Great Basin and Sierra Nevada, yet the spatial and temporal extent of this interval is not well understood. We present evidence for a millennial-scale interval of high winter precipitation (neopluvial) at the end of the mid Holocene in the Lake Tahoe-Pyramid Lake watershed in the northern Sierra Nevada that reached its peak ˜3.7 kcal yr BP. A transect of 4 cores recovered from Fallen Leaf Lake in the Tahoe Basin were dated using AMS14C on plant macrofossils, and analyzed using scanning XRF, C and N elemental and stable isotope measurements, and diatoms as paleoclimate proxies. Fallen Leaf Lake is a deep glacially-derived lake situated in the Glen Alpine Valley at an elevation of 1942m, ˜45 m above the level of Lake Tahoe. In Fallen Leaf Lake, the end of the neopluvial is dated at 3.65 ± 0.09 kcal yr BP, and is the largest post-glacial signal in the cores. The neopluvial interval is interpreted to be a period of increased snowpack in the upper watershed, supported by depleted g δ13Corg (-27.5) values, negative baseline shifts in TOC and TN, lower C:N, and high abundances of Aulacoseira subarctica, a winter-early spring diatom. Collectively, these proxies indicate cooler temperatures, enhanced mixing, and/or shortened summer stratification resulting in increased algal productivity relative to terrestrial inputs. The neopluvial interval ends abruptly at 3.65 ka, with a change from mottled darker opaline clay to a homogeneous olive clay with decreased A. subarctica and opal, and followed by a 50% reduction in accumulation rates. After this transition δ13Corg becomes enriched by 2‰ and TOC, TN, and C:N all show the start of positive trends that continue through the Holocene. Pyramid Lake is an endorheic basin situated at the terminal end of the watershed, and inflow arrives from the Lake Tahoe basin via the Truckee River. At Pyramid Lake, existing ages on paleo-shorelines indicate a significant

  2. Satellite observation of lake ice as a climate indicator - Initial results from statewide monitoring in Wisconsin

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wynne, Randolph H.; Lillesand, Thomas M.

    1993-01-01

    The research reported herein focused on the general hypothesis that satellite remote sensing of large-area, long-term trends in lake ice phenology (formation and breakup) is a robust, integrated measure of regional and global climate change. To validate this hypothesis, we explored the use of data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) to discriminate the presence and extent of lake ice during the winter of 1990-1991 on the 45 lakes and reservoirs in Wisconsin with a surface area greater than 1,000 hectares. Our results suggest both the feasibility of using the AVHRR to determine the date of lake ice breakup as well as the strong correlation (R= -0.87) of the date so derived with local surface-based temperature measurements. These results suggest the potential of using current and archival satellite data to monitor changes in the date of lake ice breakup as a means of detecting regional 'signals' of greenhouse warming.

  3. Third-Year Results from the Circumarctic Lakes Observation Network (CALON) Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hinkel, K. M.; Arp, C. D.; Beck, R. A.; Eisner, W. R.; Frey, K. E.; Grosse, G.; Jones, B. M.; Kim, C.; Lenters, J. D.; Liu, H.; Townsend-Small, A.

    2014-12-01

    Since 2012, 60 lakes in northern Alaska have been instrumented under the auspices of CALON, a project designed to document landscape-scale variability in physical and biogeochemical processes of Arctic lakes in permafrost terrain. The network has ten observation nodes along two latitudinal transects extending from the Arctic Ocean inland some 200 km to the Brooks Range foothills. At each node, a meteorological station is deployed, and six representative lakes of differing area and depth are instrumented and sampled at different intensity levels to collect basic field measurements. In April, sensors measuring water temperature and depth are deployed through the ice in each lake, ice and snow thickness recorded, and water samples are collected. Data are downloaded, lakes re-sampled, and bathymetric surveys are conducted in August. In 2014, the snow cover on inland lakes was thinner than in previous years but thicker on lakes located near the coast. Lake ice was generally thinner near the coast, but the difference diminished inland. Winters (Oct-March) have been progressively warmer over the 3-year period, which partially explains the thinner lake ice that formed in 2013-14. Lakes are typically well-mixed and largely isothermal, with minor thermal stratification occurring in deeper lakes during calm, sunny periods. These regional lake and meteorological data sets, used in conjunction with satellite imagery, supports the wind-driven lake circulation model for the origin of thermokarst lakes. Results of biogeochemical analyses of lake waters generally show notably higher concentrations of cations/anions, chromophoric dissolved organic matter, and chlorophyll-a during April as compared with August. Dissolved methane concentrations are also much higher under ice than in open water during summer, although all lakes are a source of atmospheric methane. Interviews with indigenous elders in Anaktuvuk Pass indicate that mountain lakes are drying up. During the 2014 breakup

  4. Water quality of streams tributary to Lakes Superior and Michigan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Zimmerman, Jerome W.

    1968-01-01

    Water quality of streams tributary to Lakes Superior and Michigan was analyzed for 142 stations on 99 streams tributary to Lake Superior and 83 stations on 56 streams tributary to Lake Michigan during 1962-65. Concentrations of aluminum, copper, and iron were not affected greatly by flow or season. Magnesium, calcium, chlorides, total alkalinity, total hardness, and conductivity varied with the flow, temperature, and season; the lowest values were during the spring runoff and heavy rains, and the highest were during low water in late summer and the colder periods of winter. Concentrations of nitrate, silica, and sulfates were lowest in the spring and summer. Concentrations of tanninlike and ligninlike compounds were highest during the spring runoff and other high-water periods, and were lowest during freezeup when surface runoff was minimal. The pH values were highest from June to September and lowest during the spring runoff. Phenolphthalein alkalinity was detected primarily in the summer and coincided occasionally with low flows just before the spring thaw. Total hardness usually was lower in streams tributary to Lake Superior than in streams tributary to Lake Michigan. The total hardness was higher in the streams in Wisconsin than in the streams in Michigan along the west shore of Lake Michigan. It was lowest in the northernmost streams. The water quality of the streams in an area was related to the geological characteristics of the land.

  5. Measurement and Analysis of Extreme Wave and Ice Actions in the Great Lakes for Offshore Wind Platform Design

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    England, Tony; van Nieuwstadt, Lin; De Roo, Roger

    This project, funded by the Department of Energy as DE-EE0005376, successfully measured wind-driven lake ice forces on an offshore structure in Lake Superior through one of the coldest winters in recent history. While offshore regions of the Great Lakes offer promising opportunities for harvesting wind energy, these massive bodies of freshwater also offer extreme and unique challenges. Among these challenges is the need to anticipate forces exerted on offshore structures by lake ice. The parameters of interest include the frequency, extent, and movement of lake ice, parameters that are routinely monitored via satellite, and ice thickness, a parameter that hasmore » been monitored at discrete locations over many years and is routinely modeled. Essential relationships for these data to be of use in the design of offshore structures and the primary objective of this project are measurements of maximum forces that lake ice of known thicknesses might exert on an offshore structure.« less

  6. The Widespread Influence of Great Lakes Microseisms Across the Midwestern United States Revealed by the 2014 Polar Vortex

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anthony, R. E.; Ringler, A. T.; Wilson, D. C.

    2018-04-01

    During the winter of 2014, a weak polar vortex brought record cold temperatures to the north-central ("Midwest") United States, and the Great Lakes reached the highest extent of ice coverage (92.5%) since 1979. This event shut down the generation of seismic signals caused by wind-driven wave action within the lakes (termed "lake microseisms"), giving an unprecedented opportunity to isolate and characterize these novel signals through comparison with nonfrozen time periods. Using seismic records at 72 broadband stations, we observe Great Lakes microseism signals at distances >300 km from the lakes. In contrast to conventional oceanic microseisms, there is no clear relationship between the frequency content of the seismic signals (observed from 0.5-5-s period) and the dominant swell period or resonance periods of the lakes based on their bathymetric profiles. Thus, the exact generation mechanism is not readily explained by conventional microseism theory and warrants further investigation.

  7. Late quaternary sediments, minerals, and inferred geochemical history of Didwana Lake, Thar Desert, India

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wasson, R.J.; Smith, G.I.; Agrawal, D.P.

    1984-01-01

    Variations in clastic sediment texture, mineralogy of both evaporites formed at the surface and precipitates formed below the lake floor, and the relative chemical activities of the major dissolved components of the chemical precipitates, have allowed reconstruction of the history of salinity and water-level changes in Didwana Lake, Thar Desert, India. Hypersaline conditions prevailed at about the Last Glacial Maximum, with little evidence of clastic sediments entering the lake. Between ca. 13,000 and 6000 B.P. the lake level fluctuated widely, the lake alternately hypersaline and fresh, and clastic sediments were delivered to the lake at a low rate. Deep-water conditions occurred ca. 6000 B.P. and clastic influx increased abruptly. The water level dropped towards 4000 B.P. when the lake dried briefly. Since 4000 B.P. the lake has been ephemeral with a lowered rate of sedimentation and mildly saline conditions rather like those of today. This sequence of changes documented in the lake parallels changes in vegetation recorded in published pollen diagrams from both the Thar and the Arabian Sea. Correlation of the various lines of evidence suggests that the climate of the Last Glacial Maximum at Didwana was dry and windy with a weak monsson circulation. The monsson was re-established between ca. 13,000 and a little before 6000 B.P., and, when winter rainfall increased ca. 6000 B.P., the lake filled to its maximum depth. ?? 1984.

  8. Coherent late-Holocene climate-driven shifts in the structure of three Rocky Mountain lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stone, Jeffery R.; Saros, Jasmine E.; Pederson, Gregory T.

    2016-01-01

    Large-scale atmospheric pressure centers, such as the Aleutian and Icelandic Low, have a demonstrated relationship with physical lake characteristics in contemporary monitoring studies, but the responses to these phenomena are rarely observed in lake records. We observe coherent changes in the stratification patterns of three deep (>30 m) lakes inferred from fossil diatom assemblages as a response to shifts in the location and intensity of the Aleutian Low and compare these changes with similar long-term changes observed in the δ18O record from the Yukon. Specifically, these records indicate that between 3.2 and 1.4 ka, the Aleutian Low shifted westward, resulting in an increased frequency of storm tracks across the Pacific Northwest during winter and spring. This change in atmospheric circulation ultimately produced deeper mixing in the upper waters of these three lake systems. Enhanced stratification between 4.5 and 3.3 ka and from 1.3 ka to present suggests a strengthened Aleutian Low and more meridional circulation.

  9. Avifaunal occurrence and distribution of wetland birds in Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Lakes in Madhav National Park, Shivpuri, India.

    PubMed

    Arya, Mohit; Rao, R J; Mishra, Anand Kumar

    2014-07-01

    The present study on wetland birds was carried out at Madhav National Park, Shivpuri, M.P., India. This Park comprises of two lakes namely Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Lakes, which support fascinating wildlife. These lakes are winter resorts for variety of migratory birds for shelter, breeding, nesting and provide a suitable habitat for several resident and local migratory wetland bird species. This paper assesses the occurrence of 73 wetland birds (18 families and 8 orders) with their distribution in different locations and habitats. The present study provides a comprehensive checklist of wetland birds of Sakhya Sagar and Madhav Lakes by covering 15 locations and 10 habitats utilized by migratory, resident migratory and resident wetland bird species during different seasons of year and at various sighting frequencies.

  10. Comparison of energy-budget evaporation losses from two morphometrically different Florida seepage lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sacks, L.A.; Lee, T.M.; Radell, M.J.

    1994-01-01

    Evaporation was computed by the energy-budget method for two north Florida lakes with similar surface areas but different depths, for the period May 1989 to December 1990. Lake Barco, in north-central Florida, is shallow, with an average depth of 3 m; Lake Five-O, in the Florida panhandle, is considerably deeper, with an average depth of 9.5 m. As a result, the thermal regime and seasonal evaporation rates of the lakes are different. Evaporation from the shallower lake was higher than that from the deeper lake in the winter and spring. In the late summer and autumn, however, the situation is reversed. Evaporation from the shallow lake is directly related to the amount of incoming shortwave radiation because of its limited ability to store energy. The lag in evaporation at the deeper lake is a function of the greater amount of heat that it seasonally stores and releases. The difference in annual evaporation between Lake Barco (151 cm year-1) and Lake Five-O (128 cm year-1) is related to differences in regional climatic conditions between the two sites. Additionally, higher than normal evaporation rates at the two lakes are probably related to drought conditions experienced in north Florida during 1990, which resulted in higher temperatures and more incoming radiation. Monthly evaporation at Lake Barco could usually be estimated within 10% of the energy-budget evaporation using a constant pan coefficient. This lake may be representative of other shallow lakes that do not store considerable heat. Monthly evaporation at Lake Five-O, however, could not be estimated accurately by using an annual pan coefficient because of the large seasonal influence of change in stored heat. Monthly mass-transfer evaporation compared well with energy-budget evaporation at Lake Barco, but did not compare well at Lake Five-O. These errors may also be associated with changes in heat storage. Thus, the thermal regime of the lake must be considered to estimate accurately the seasonal

  11. Diatom assemblages promote ice formation in large lakes

    PubMed Central

    D'souza, N A; Kawarasaki, Y; Gantz, J D; Lee, R E; Beall, B F N; Shtarkman, Y M; Koçer, Z A; Rogers, S O; Wildschutte, H; Bullerjahn, G S; McKay, R M L

    2013-01-01

    We present evidence for the directed formation of ice by planktonic communities dominated by filamentous diatoms sampled from the ice-covered Laurentian Great Lakes. We hypothesize that ice formation promotes attachment of these non-motile phytoplankton to overlying ice, thereby maintaining a favorable position for the diatoms in the photic zone. However, it is unclear whether the diatoms themselves are responsible for ice nucleation. Scanning electron microscopy revealed associations of bacterial epiphytes with the dominant diatoms of the phytoplankton assemblage, and bacteria isolated from the phytoplankton showed elevated temperatures of crystallization (Tc) as high as −3 °C. Ice nucleation-active bacteria were identified as belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, but we could not demonstrate that they were sufficiently abundant to incite the observed freezing. Regardless of the source of ice nucleation activity, the resulting production of frazil ice may provide a means for the diatoms to be recruited to the overlying lake ice, thereby increasing their fitness. Bacterial epiphytes are likewise expected to benefit from their association with the diatoms as recipients of organic carbon excreted by their hosts. This novel mechanism illuminates a previously undescribed stage of the life cycle of the meroplanktonic diatoms that bloom in Lake Erie and other Great Lakes during winter and offers a model relevant to aquatic ecosystems having seasonal ice cover around the world. PMID:23552624

  12. Islands in the ice stream: were spawning habitats for native salmonids in the Great Lakes created by paleo-ice streams?

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Riley, Stephen; Binder, Thomas R.; Tucker, Taaja R.; Menzies, John; Eyles, Nick; Janssen, John; Muir, Andrew M.; Esselman, Peter C.; Wattrus, Nigel J.; Krueger, Charles C.

    2016-01-01

    Lake trout Salvelinus namaycush, lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis and cisco Coregonus artedi are salmonid fishes native to the Laurentian Great Lakes that spawn on rocky substrates in the fall and early winter. After comparing the locations of spawning habitat for these species in the main basin of Lake Huron with surficial substrates and the hypothesized locations of fast-flowing Late Wisconsinan paleo-ice streams, we hypothesize that much of the spawning habitat for these species in Lake Huron is the result of deposition and erosion by paleo-ice streams. This hypothesis may represent a new framework for the identification and protection of spawning habitat for these native species, some of which are currently rare or extirpated in some of the Great Lakes. We further suggest that paleo-ice streams may have been responsible for the creation of native salmonid spawning habitat elsewhere in the Great Lakes and in other glaciated landscapes.

  13. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A group of white pelicans spend a few moments relaxing in the water near the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Found from British Columbia south to western Ontario, California and the Texas coast, white pelicans winter from Florida south to Panama. They prefer marshy lakes and coastal regions, and winter chiefly in coastal lagoons. White pelicans are one of 310 species of birds that inhabit the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with KSC. The marshes and open water of the refuge also provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2004-01-08

    KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- A group of white pelicans spend a few moments relaxing in the water near the Vehicle Assembly Building at Kennedy Space Center. Found from British Columbia south to western Ontario, California and the Texas coast, white pelicans winter from Florida south to Panama. They prefer marshy lakes and coastal regions, and winter chiefly in coastal lagoons. White pelicans are one of 310 species of birds that inhabit the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, which shares a boundary with KSC. The marshes and open water of the refuge also provide wintering areas for 23 species of migratory waterfowl, as well as a year-round home for great blue herons, great egrets, wood storks, cormorants, brown pelicans and other species of marsh and shore birds.

  14. Holocene Asian monsoon evolution revealed by a pollen record from an alpine lake on the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Enlou; Wang, Yongbo; Sun, Weiwei; Shen, Ji

    2016-02-01

    We present the results of pollen analyses from a 1105 cm long sediment core from Wuxu Lake in southwestern China, which depict the variations of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) and the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) during the last 12.3 ka. During the period of 12.3 to 11.3 cal ka BP, the dominance of Betula forest and open alpine shrub and meadow around Wuxu Lake indicates a climate with relatively cold winters and dry summers, corresponding to the Younger Dryas event. Between 11.3 and 10.4 cal ka BP, further expansion of Betula forest and the retreat of alpine shrubs and meadows reflect a greater seasonality with cold winters and gradually increasing summer precipitation. From 10.4 to 4.9 cal ka BP, the dense forest understory, together with the gradual decrease in Betula forest and increase in Tsuga forest, suggest that the winters became warmer and summer precipitation was at a maximum, corresponding to the Holocene climatic optimum. Between 4.9 and 2.6 cal ka BP, Tsuga forest and alpine shrubs and meadows expanded significantly, reflecting relatively warm winters and decreased summer precipitation. Since 2.6 cal ka BP, reforestation around Wuxu Lake indicates a renewed humid period in the late Holocene; however, the vegetation in the catchment may also have been affected by grazing activity during this period. The results of our study are generally consistent with previous findings; however, the timing and duration of the Holocene climatic optimum from different records are inconsistent, reflecting real contrast in local rainfall response to the ISM. Overall, the EAWM is broadly in-phase with the ISM on the orbital timescale, and both monsoons exhibit a trend of decreasing strength from the early to late Holocene, reflecting the interplay of solar insolation receipt between the winter and summer seasons and El Niño-Southern Oscillation strength in the tropical Pacific.

  15. Holocene Asian monsoon evolution revealed by a pollen record from an alpine lake on the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, E.; Wang, Y.; Sun, W.; Shen, J.

    2015-10-01

    We present the results of pollen analyses from a 1105-cm-long sediment core from Wuxu Lake in southwestern China, which depict the variations of the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) and the Indian summer monsoon (ISM) during the last 12.3 ka. During the period of 12.3 to 11.3 cal ka BP, the dominance of Betula forest and open alpine shrub and meadow around Wuxu Lake indicates a climate with relatively cold winters and dry summers, corresponding to the Younger Dryas event. Between 11.3 and 10.4 cal ka BP, further expansion of Betula forest and the retreat of alpine shrubs and meadows reflect a greater seasonality with cold winters and gradually increasing summer precipitation. From 10.4 to 4.9 cal ka BP, the dense forest understory, together with the gradual decrease in Betula forest and increase in Tsuga forest, suggest that the winters became warmer and summer precipitation was at a maximum, corresponding to the Holocene climatic optimum. Between 4.9 and 2.6 cal ka BP, Tsuga forest and alpine shrubs and meadows expanded significantly, reflecting relatively warm winters and decreased summer precipitation. Since 2.6 cal ka BP, reforestation around Wuxu Lake indicates a renewed strengthening of the ISM in the late Holocene; however, the vegetation in the catchment may also have been affected by grazing activity during this period. The results of our study are generally consistent with previous findings; however, the timing and duration of the Holocene climatic optimum from different records are inconsistent, reflecting real contrast in local rainfall response to the ISM. Overall, the EAWM is broadly in-phase with the ISM on the orbital timescale, and both monsoons exhibit a trend of decreasing strength from the early to late Holocene, reflecting the interplay of solar insolation receipt between the winter and summer seasons and El Niño Southern Oscillation strength in the tropical Pacific.

  16. Diurnal stream habitat use of juvenile Atlantic salmon, brown trout and rainbow trout in winter

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, J. H.; Douglass, K.A.

    2009-01-01

    The diurnal winter habitat of three species of juvenile salmonids was examined in a tributary of Skaneateles Lake, NY to compare habitat differences among species and to determine if species/age classes were selecting specific habitats. A total of 792 observations were made on the depth, velocity, substrate and cover (amount and type) used by sympatric subyearling Atlantic salmon, subyearling brown trout and subyearling and yearling rainbow trout. Subyearling Atlantic salmon occurred in shallower areas with faster velocities and less cover than the other salmonid groups. Subyearling salmon was also the only group associated with substrate of a size larger than the average size substrate in the study reach during both winters. Subyearling brown trout exhibited a preference for vegetative cover. Compared with available habitat, yearling rainbow trout were the most selective in their habitat use. All salmonid groups were associated with more substrate cover in 2002 under high flow conditions. Differences in the winter habitat use of these salmonid groups have important management implications in terms of both habitat protection and habitat enhancement.

  17. The comparative limnology of Lakes Nyos and Monoun, Cameroon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kling, George; Evans, William C; Tanyileke, Gregory

    2015-01-01

    Lakes Nyos and Monoun are known for the dangerous accumulation of CO2 dissolved in stagnant bottom water, but the shallow waters that conceal this hazard are dilute and undergo seasonal changes similar to other deep crater lakes in the tropics. Here we discuss these changes with reference to climatic and water-column data collected at both lakes during the years following the gas release disasters in the mid-1980s. The small annual range in mean daily air temperatures leads to an equally small annual range of surface water temperatures (ΔT ~6–7 °C), reducing deep convective mixing of the water column. Weak mixing aids the establishment of meromixis, a requisite condition for the gradual buildup of CO2 in bottom waters and perhaps the unusual condition that most explains the rarity of such lakes. Within the mixolimnion, a seasonal thermocline forms each spring and shallow diel thermoclines may be sufficiently strong to isolate surface water and allow primary production to reduce PCO2 below 300 μatm, inducing a net influx of CO2 from the atmosphere. Surface water O2 and pH typically reach maxima at this time, with occasional O2 oversaturation. Mixing to the chemocline occurs in both lakes during the winter dry season, primarily due to low humidity and cool night time air temperature. An additional period of variable mixing, occasionally reaching the chemocline in Lake Monoun, occurs during the summer monsoon season in response to increased frequency of major storms. The mixolimnion encompassed the upper ~40–50 m of Lake Nyos and upper ~15–20 m of Lake Monoun prior to the installation of degassing pipes in 2001 and 2003, respectively. Degassing caused chemoclines to deepen rapidly. Piping of anoxic, high-TDS bottom water to the lake surface has had a complex effect on the mixolimnion. Algal growth stimulated by increased nutrients (N and P) initially stimulated photosynthesis and raised surface water O2 in Lake Nyos, but O2 removal through oxidation of iron

  18. Latest Pleistocene to Holocene hydroclimates from Lake Elsinore, California

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirby, Matthew E.; Feakins, Sarah J.; Bonuso, Nicole; Fantozzi, Joanna M.; Hiner, Christine A.

    2013-09-01

    The hydroclimate of the southwestern United States (US) region changed abruptly during the latest Pleistocene as the continental ice sheets over North America retreated from their most southerly extent. To investigate the nature of this change, we present a new record from Lake Elsinore, located 36 km inland from the Pacific Ocean in Southern California and evaluate it in the context of records across the coastal and interior southwest United States, including northwest Mexico. The sediment core recovered from Lake Elsinore provides a continuous sequence with multi-decadal resolution spanning 19-9 ka BP. Sedimentological and geochemical analyses reveal hydrologic variability. In particular, sand and carbonate components indicate abrupt changes at the Oldest Dryas (OD), Bølling-Allerød (BA), and Younger Dryas (YD) transitions, consistent with the timing in Greenland. Hydrogen isotope analyses of the C28n-alkanoic acids from plant leaf waxes (δDwax) reveal a long term trend toward less negative values across 19-9 ka BP. δDwax values during the OD suggest a North Pacific moisture source for precipitation, consistent with the dipping westerlies hypothesis. We find no isotopic evidence for the North American Monsoon reaching as far west as Lake Elsinore; therefore, we infer that wet/dry changes in the coastal southwest were expressed through winter-season precipitation, consistent with modern climatology. Comparing Lake Elsinore to other southwest records (notably Cave of Bells and Fort Stanton) we find coincident timing of the major transitions (OD to BA, BA to YD) and hydrologic responses during the OD and BA. The hydrologic response, however, varied during the YD consistent with a dipole between the coastal and interior southwest. The coherent pattern of hydrologic responses across the interior southwest US and northwest Mexico during the OD (wet), the BA (drier), and YD (wet) follows changes in the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, presumably via its

  19. Sensitivity of two Iberian lakes to North Atlantic atmospheric circulation modes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hernández, Armand; Trigo, Ricardo M.; Pla-Rabes, Sergi; Valero-Garcés, Blas L.; Jerez, Sonia; Rico-Herrero, Mayte; Vega, José C.; Jambrina-Enríquez, Margarita; Giralt, Santiago

    2015-12-01

    The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) exerts a major influence on the climate of the North Atlantic region. However, other atmospheric circulation modes (ACMs), such as the East Atlantic (EA) and Scandinavian (SCAND) patterns, also play significant roles. The dynamics of lakes on the Iberian Peninsula are greatly controlled by climatic parameters, but their relationship with these various ACMs has not been investigated in detail. In this paper, we analyze monthly meteorological and limnological long-term datasets (1950-2011 and 1992-2011, respectively) from two lakes on the northern and central Iberian Peninsula (Sanabria and Las Madres) to develop an understanding of the seasonal sensitivity of these freshwater systems to the NAO, EA and SCAND circulation modes. The limnological variability within Lake Sanabria is primarily controlled by fluctuations in the seasonal precipitation and wind, and the primary ACMs associated with the winter limnological processes are the NAO and the SCAND modes, whereas only the EA mode appears to weakly influence processes during the summer. However, Lake Las Madres is affected by precipitation, wind and, to a lesser extent, temperature, whereas the ACMs have less influence. Therefore, we aim to show that the lakes of the Iberian Peninsula are sensitive to these ACMs. The results presented here indicate that the lake dynamics, in some cases, have a higher sensitivity to variations in the ACMs than single local meteorological variables. However, certain local features, such as geography, lake morphology and anthropic influences, are crucial to properly record the signals of these ACMs.

  20. Impact of the Winter North Pacific Oscillation on the Surface Air Temperature over Eurasia and North America: Sensitivity to the Index Definition

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, Shangfeng; Song, Linye

    2018-06-01

    This study analyzes the impact of the winter North Pacific Oscillation (NPO) on the surface air temperature (SAT) variations over Eurasia and North America based on six different NPO indices. Results show that the influences of the winter NPO on the SAT over Eurasia and North America are sensitive to the definition of the NPO index. The impact of the winter NPO on the SAT variations over Eurasia (North America) is significant (insignificant) when the anticyclonic anomaly associated with the NPO index over the North Pacific midlatitudes shifts westward and pronounced northerly wind anomalies appear around Lake Baikal. By contrast, the impact of the winter NPO on the SAT variations over Eurasia (North America) is insignificant (significant) when the anticyclonic anomaly over the North Pacific related to the NPO index shifts eastward and the associated northerly wind anomalies to its eastern flank extend to North America. The present study suggests that the NPO definition should be taken into account when analyzing the impact of the winter NPO on Eurasian and North American SAT variations.

  1. Behavior of the polycyclic musks HHCB and AHTN in lakes, two potential anthropogenic markers for domestic wastewater in surface waters.

    PubMed

    Buerge, Ignaz J; Buser, Hans-Rudolf; Müller, Markus D; Poiger, Thomas

    2003-12-15

    The synthetic polycyclic musks HHCB and AHTN are potential chemical markers for domestic wastewater contamination of surface waters. Understanding their environmental behavior is important to evaluate their suitability as markers. This study focuses on the quantification of the processes that lead to an elimination in lakes. Rate constants for all relevant processes were estimated based on laboratory studies and models previously described. In lake Zurich, during winter time, both compounds are eliminated primarily by outflowing water and due to losses to the atmosphere. In summer, direct photolysis represents the predominant elimination process for AHTN in the epilimnion of lake Zurich (quantum yield, 0.12), whereas for HHCB, photochemical degradation is still negligible. HHCB and AHTN were then measured in effluents of Swiss wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), in remote and anthropogenically influenced Swiss surface waters, and in Mediterranean seawater using an analytical procedure based on SPE and GC-MS-SIM with D6-HHCB as internal standard (LODs for natural waters, 2 and 1 ng/L, respectively). In winter, concentrations of HHCB and AHTN in lakes (<2-47 and <1-18 ng/L, respectively) correlated with the anthropogenic burden by domestic wastewater (ratio population per water throughflow), demonstrating the suitability of these compounds as quantitative, source-specific markers. In summer, however, no such correlations were observed. Vertical concentration profiles in lake Zurich indicated significant losses in the epilimnion during summer, mainly for AHTN, and could be rationalized with a lake modeling program (MASASlight), considering measured, average loads from WWTP effluents (0.80 +/- 0.22 and 0.32 +/- 0.11 mg person(-1) d(-1) for HHCB and AHTN, respectively) and the estimated rate constants for elimination processes.

  2. Terra Data Confirm Warm, Dry U.S. Winter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    New maps of land surface temperature and snow cover produced by NASA's Terra satellite show this year's winter was warmer than last year's, and the snow line stayed farther north than normal. The observations confirm earlier National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that the United States was unusually warm and dry this past winter. (Click to read the NASA press release and to access higher-resolution images.) For the last two years, a new sensor aboard Terra has been collecting the most detailed global measurements ever made of our world's land surface temperatures and snow cover. The Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is already giving scientists new insights into our changing planet. Average temperatures during December 2001 through February 2002 for the contiguous United States appear to have been unseasonably warm from the Rockies eastward. In the top image the coldest temperatures appear black, while dark green, blue, red, yellow, and white indicate progressively warmer temperatures. MODIS observes both land surface temperature and emissivity, which indicates how efficiently a surface absorbs and emits thermal radiation. Compared to the winter of 2000-01, temperatures throughout much of the U.S. were warmer in 2001-02. The bottom image depicts the differences on a scale from dark blue (colder this year than last) to red (warmer this year than last). A large region of warm temperatures dominated the northern Great Plains, while the area around the Great Salt Lake was a cold spot. Images courtesy Robert Simmon, NASA GSFC, based upon data courtesy Zhengming Wan, MODIS Land Science Team member at the University of California, Santa Barbara's Institute for Computational Earth System Science

  3. Transforming an industrial giant. Interview by Thomas A. Stewart and Louise O'Brien.

    PubMed

    von Pierer, Heinrich

    2005-02-01

    In his 12 years at the helm of Siemens, CEO Heinrich von Pierer designed and directed a major transformation. Taking this German icon from a technically superb but slow-moving industrial giantto a disciplined yet nimble multinational has posed enormous challenges. Since 1992, Siemens has revamped its portfolio of businesses, expanded its reach into 192 countries, and created a more local-market-driven culture, gaining recognition as one of the best-managed and most competitive companies in the world. In this edited interview with HBR editor Thomas A. Stewart and consulting editor Louise O'Brien, von Pierer describes the requirements for transformation and culture change and how he broke down historical barriers at Siemens. He shares his insights about portfolio restructuring, his lessons from competing with GE, and the pros and cons of being based in Europe versus America. He reflects on the true start of globalization after the fall of the Berlin wall and on how dramatically the company needed to change in order to counter the resulting pricing pressures across all of its businesses. He talks, too, about the biggest challenge on his successor's desk-"the particular challenge of China;" he says. Amid all these topics, von Pierer reiterates the importance of people: "We all talk about people as our most important resource, but as a matter of fact, who's really taking care of people?... We need [their] backing. We can't afford to run into a situation where people no longer accept what we do."

  4. POTENTIAL CLIMATE WARMING EFFECTS ON ICE COVERS OF SMALL LAKES IN THE CONTIGUOUS U.S. (R824801)

    EPA Science Inventory

    Abstract

    To simulate effects of projected climate change on ice covers of small lakes in the northern contiguous U.S., a process-based simulation model is applied. This winter ice/snow cover model is associated with a deterministic, one-dimensional year-round water tem...

  5. A climatology of extreme wave height events impacting eastern Lake Ontario shorelines

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Grieco, Matthew B.; DeGaetano, Arthur T.

    2018-05-01

    Model-derived wave height data for points along the eastern Lake Ontario shoreline provide the basis for a 36-year climatology of extreme wave heights. The most extreme wave heights exceed 6 m at all locations, except for those along the extreme northeastern shoreline of the Lake. Typically extreme wave events are a regional phenomenon, affecting multiple locations along the eastern and southeastern shoreline. A pronounced seasonal cycle in wave event occurrence is characterized by peaks in autumn and spring, with an absence of 99.9th percentile wave heights during summer. Less extreme (90th percentile heights) occur in all months with a peak in winter. Extreme wave events are most often associated with a low pressure center tracking to the north of Lake Ontario from the Ohio Valley. This track produces the strong winds > 10 ms-1 and predominantly west-to-east wind fetch that characterize high wave height events. The seasonal frequency of the wave events exceeding the historical 95th percentile has shown a statistically significant increase at most locations since 1979. This has been partially offset by declines in the frequency of events with wave heights between the 90 and 95th percentile. Seasonal extreme wave height frequency is also found to be related to the occurrence of El Niño. During El Niño winters, there are significantly fewer events with wave heights exceeding 2.5 m than would be expected by chance. A corresponding relationship to La Niña occurrence is not evident.

  6. Two-decade reconstruction of algal blooms in China's Lake Taihu.

    PubMed

    Duan, Hongtao; Ma, Ronghua; Xu, Xiaofeng; Kong, Fanxiang; Zhang, Shouxuan; Kong, Weijuan; Hao, Jingyan; Shang, Linlin

    2009-05-15

    The algal blooming in the inland lakes has become a critically important issue for its impacts not only on local natural and social environments, but also on global human community. However, the occurrences of blooming on larger spatial scale and longer time scale have rarely been studied. As the third largest freshwater lake in China, Lake Taihu has drawn increasing attention from both public and scientific communities concerning its degradation. Using available satellite images, we reconstructed the spatial and temporal patterns of algal blooms in Lake Taihu through the pasttwo decades. The blooming characteristics over the past two decades were examined with the dynamic of initial blooming date being highlighted. The initial blooming dates were gradually becoming later and later from 1987 to 1997. Since 1998, however, the initial blooming date came earlier and earlier year by year, with approximately 11.42 days advancement per year. From 1987 to 2007, the annual duration of algal blooms lengthened year by year, in line with the substantial increases in the occurrences of algal blooms in spring and summer months. The algal blooms usually occur in northern bays and spread to center and south parts of Lake Taihu. The increases in previous winter's mean daily minimum temperature partially contributed to the earlier blooming onset. However, human activities, expressed as total gross domestic product (GDP) and population, outweighed the climatic contribution on the initial blooming date and blooming duration. This study may provide insights for the policy makers who try to curb the algal blooming and improve the water quality of inland freshwater lakes.

  7. Ion chromatographic determination of lithium at trace level concentrations. Application to a tracer experiment in a high-mountain lake.

    PubMed

    Nickus, U; Thies, H

    2001-06-22

    The water residence time of a high-mountain seepage lake in the Austrian Alps was derived from the flushing rate of a tracer substance. A diluted lithium chloride solution was injected into the lake during holomictic conditions in order to favour the homogeneous distribution of the tracer. The exponential decline of the mass of lithium in the lake revealed a water residence time of 1.5 to 3 months for summer and almost no lake water exchange during winter. Lithium concentrations ranged from background values of 0.06 microg l(-1) to about 3 microg l(-1) immediately after the tracer injection. Lake water samples were analyzed with ion-exchange chromatography using a Dionex device with a CS 12A separation column. The method detection limit determined according to the definition of the US Envirinmental Protection Agency amounted to 0.009 microg l(-1).

  8. 1,500 year quantitative reconstruction of winter precipitation in the Pacific Northwest

    PubMed Central

    Steinman, Byron A.; Abbott, Mark B.; Mann, Michael E.; Stansell, Nathan D.; Finney, Bruce P.

    2012-01-01

    Multiple paleoclimate proxies are required for robust assessment of past hydroclimatic conditions. Currently, estimates of drought variability over the past several thousand years are based largely on tree-ring records. We produced a 1,500-y record of winter precipitation in the Pacific Northwest using a physical model-based analysis of lake sediment oxygen isotope data. Our results indicate that during the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) (900–1300 AD) the Pacific Northwest experienced exceptional wetness in winter and that during the Little Ice Age (LIA) (1450–1850 AD) conditions were drier, contrasting with hydroclimatic anomalies in the desert Southwest and consistent with climate dynamics related to the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). These findings are somewhat discordant with drought records from tree rings, suggesting that differences in seasonal sensitivity between the two proxies allow a more compete understanding of the climate system and likely explain disparities in inferred climate trends over centennial timescales. PMID:22753510

  9. 33 CFR 100.109 - Winter Harbor Lobster Boat Race, Winter Harbor, ME.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Winter Harbor Lobster Boat Race, Winter Harbor, ME. 100.109 Section 100.109 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF... Lobster Boat Race, Winter Harbor, ME. (a) Regulated area. The regulated area includes all waters of Winter...

  10. Evaluation of real-time high-resolution MM5 predictions over the Great Lakes region

    Treesearch

    Shiyuan Zhong; Hee-Jin In; Xindi Bian; Joseph Charney; Warren Heilman; Brian Potter

    2005-01-01

    Real-time high-resolution mesoscale predictions using the fifth-generation Pennsylvania State University–NCAR Mesoscale Model (MM5) over the Great Lakes region are evaluated for the 2002/03 winter and 2003 summer seasons using surface and upper-air observations, with a focus on near-surface and boundary layer properties that are important for applications such as air...

  11. Electronic archival tags provide first glimpse of bathythermal habitat use by free-ranging adult lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Briggs, Andrew S.; Hondorp, Darryl W.; Quinlan, Henry R.; Boase, James C.; Mohr, Lloyd C.

    2016-01-01

    Information on lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) depth and thermal habitat use during non-spawning periods is unavailable due to the difficulty of observing lake sturgeon away from shallow water spawning sites. In 2002 and 2003, lake sturgeon captured in commercial trap nets near Sarnia, Ontario were implanted with archival tags and released back into southern Lake Huron. Five of the 40 tagged individuals were recaptured and were at large for 32, 57, 286, 301, and 880 days. Temperatures and depths recorded by archival tags ranged from 0 to 23.5 ºC and 0.1 to 42.4 m, respectively. For the three lake sturgeon that were at large for over 200 days, temperatures occupied emulated seasonal fluctuations. Two of these fish occupied deeper waters during winter than summer while the other occupied similar depths during non-spawning periods. This study provides important insight into depth and thermal habitat use of lake sturgeon throughout the calendar year along with exploring the feasibility of using archival tags to obtain important physical habitat attributes during non-spawning periods.

  12. Lake level and climate records of the last 90 ka from the Northern Basin of Lake Van, eastern Turkey

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Çağatay, M. N.; Öğretmen, N.; Damcı, E.; Stockhecke, M.; Sancar, Ü.; Eriş, K. K.; Özeren, S.

    2014-11-01

    Sedimentary, geochemical and mineralogical analyses of the ICDP cores recovered from the Northern Basin (NB) of Lake Van provide evidence of lake level and climatic changes related to orbital and North Atlantic climate system over the last 90 ka. High lake levels are generally observed during the interglacial and interstadial periods, which are marked by deposition of varved sediments with high total organic carbon (TOC), total inorganic carbon (TIC), low detrital influx (high Ca/F) and high δ18O and δ13C values of authigenic carbonate. During the glacial and stadial periods of 71-58 ka BP (Marine Isotope Stage 4, MIS4) and end of last glaciation-deglaciation (30-14.5 ka BP; MIS3) relatively low lake levels prevailed, and grey homogeneous to faintly laminated clayey silts were deposited at high sedimentation and low organic productivity rates. Millennial-scale variability of the proxies during 60-30 ka BP (MIS3 is correlated with the Dansgaard-Oeschger (D-O)) and Holocene abrupt climate events in the Atlantic. These events are characterized by laminated sediments, with high TOC, TIC, Ca/Fe, δ18O and δ13C values. The Lake Van NB records correlate well in the region with the climate records from the lakes Zeribar and Urmia in Iran and the Sofular Cave in NW Anatolia, but are in general in anti-phase to those from the Dead Sea Basin (Lake Lisan) in the Levant. The relatively higher δ18O values (0 to -0.4‰) for the interglacial and interstadial periods in the Lake Van NB section are due to the higher temperature and seasonality of precipitation and higher evaporation, whereas the lower values (-0.8 to -2‰) during the glacial and stadial periods are caused mainly by relative decrease in both temperature and seasonality of precipitation. The high δ18O values (up to 4.2‰) during the Younger Dryas, together with the presence of dolomite and low TOC contents, supports evaporative conditions and low lake level. A gradual decrease in the δ18O values from an

  13. Widespread Moulin Formation During Supraglacial Lake Drainages in Greenland

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hoffman, Matthew J.; Perego, Mauro; Andrews, Lauren C.; Price, Stephen F.; Neumann, Thomas A.; Johnson, Jesse V.; Catania, Ginny; Lüthi, Martin P.

    2018-01-01

    Moulins permit access of surface meltwater to the glacier bed, causing basal lubrication and ice speedup in the ablation zone of western Greenland during summer. Despite the substantial impact of moulins on ice dynamics, the conditions under which they form are poorly understood. We assimilate a time series of ice surface velocity from a network of eleven Global Positioning System receivers into an ice sheet model to estimate ice sheet stresses during winter, spring, and summer in a ˜30 × 10 km region. Surface-parallel von Mises stress increases slightly during spring speedup and early summer, sufficient to allow formation of 16% of moulins mapped in the study area. In contrast, 63% of moulins experience stresses over the tensile strength of ice during a short (hours) supraglacial lake drainage event. Lake drainages appear to control moulin density, which is itself a control on subglacial drainage efficiency and summer ice velocities.

  14. Winter to winter recurrence of atmospheric circulation anomalies over East Asia and its impact on winter surface air temperature anomalies

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    The persistence of atmospheric circulation anomalies over East Asia shows a winter to winter recurrence (WTWR) phenomenon. Seasonal variations in sea level pressure anomalies and surface wind anomalies display significantly different characteristics between WTWR and non-WTWR years. The WTWR years are characterized by the recurrence of both a strong (weak) anomalous Siberian High and an East Asian winter monsoon over two successive winters without persistence through the intervening summer. However, anomalies during the non-WTWR years have the opposite sign between the current and ensuing winters. The WTWR of circulation anomalies contributes to that of surface air temperature anomalies (SATAs), which is useful information for improving seasonal and interannual climate predictions over East Asia and China. In the positive (negative) WTWR years, SATAs are cooler (warmer) over East Asia in two successive winters, but the signs of the SATAs are opposite in the preceding and subsequent winters during the non-WTWR years. PMID:28178351

  15. Winter to winter recurrence of atmospheric circulation anomalies over East Asia and its impact on winter surface air temperature anomalies.

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xia; Yang, Guang

    2017-01-01

    The persistence of atmospheric circulation anomalies over East Asia shows a winter to winter recurrence (WTWR) phenomenon. Seasonal variations in sea level pressure anomalies and surface wind anomalies display significantly different characteristics between WTWR and non-WTWR years. The WTWR years are characterized by the recurrence of both a strong (weak) anomalous Siberian High and an East Asian winter monsoon over two successive winters without persistence through the intervening summer. However, anomalies during the non-WTWR years have the opposite sign between the current and ensuing winters. The WTWR of circulation anomalies contributes to that of surface air temperature anomalies (SATAs), which is useful information for improving seasonal and interannual climate predictions over East Asia and China. In the positive (negative) WTWR years, SATAs are cooler (warmer) over East Asia in two successive winters, but the signs of the SATAs are opposite in the preceding and subsequent winters during the non-WTWR years.

  16. Bromine species fluxes from Lake Constance’s catchment, and a preliminary lake mass balance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gilfedder, B. S.; Petri, M.; Wessels, M.; Biester, H.

    2011-06-01

    Bromine was historically termed a cyclic salt in terrestrial freshwater environments due to its perceived conservative cycling between the oceans and the continents. This basic assumption has been challenged recently, with evidence that bromine is involved in dynamic chemical cycles in soils and freshwaters. We present here a study on dissolved bromine species (bromide, organically bound bromine, DOBr) concentrations and fluxes as well as sediment trap bromine levels and fluxes in Lake Constance, a large lake in southern Germany. Water samples were obtained from all major and some minor inflows and outflows over one year, where-after dissolved bromine species were measured by a combination of ICP-MS and ion chromatography coupled to an ICP-MS (IC-ICP-MS). Sediment traps were deployed at two locations for two years with Br, Ti and Zr levels being measured by μ-XRF. 190 t yr -1 of total dissolved bromine (TDBr) was delivered to the lake via 14 rivers and precipitation, with the rivers Alpenrhein (84 t TDBr yr -1) and the Schussen (50 t TDBr yr -1) providing the largest sources. The estimated particulate bromine flux contributed an extra 24-26 t Br yr -1. In comparison, only 40 t TDBr yr -1 was deposited to the lake's catchment by precipitation, and thus ˜80% of the riverine TDBr flux came from soils and rocks. Bromide was the dominant species accounting for, on average, 78% of TDBr concentrations and 93% of TDBr flux to the lake. Despite some high concentrations in the smaller lowland rivers, DOBr was only a minor component of the total riverine bromine flux (˜12 t yr -1, 7%), most of which came from the rivers Schussen, Bregenzer Ach and Argen. In contrast, most of the bromine in the sediment traps was bound to organic matter, and showed a clear seasonal pattern in concentrations, with a maximum in winter and minimum in summer. The summer minimum is thought to be due to dilution of a high Br autochthonous component by low bromine mineral and organic material from

  17. Cyclic heliothermal behaviour of the shallow, hypersaline Lake Hayward, Western Australia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Turner, Jeffrey V.; Rosen, Michael R.; Coshell, Lee; Woodbury, Robert J.

    2018-05-01

    Lake Hayward is one of only about 30 hypersaline lakes worldwide that is meromictic and heliothermal and as such behaves as a natural salt gradient solar pond. Lake Hayward acts as a local groundwater sink, resulting in seasonally variable hypersaline lake water with total dissolved solids (TDS) in the upper layer (mixolimnion) ranging between 56 kg m-3 and 207 kg m-3 and the deeper layer (monimolimnion) from 153 kg m-3 to 211 kg m-3. This is up to six times the salinity of seawater and thus has the highest salinity of all eleven lakes in the Yalgorup National Park lake system. A program of continuously recorded water temperature profiles has shown that salinity stratification initiated by direct rainfall onto the lake's surface and local runoff into the lake results in the onset of heliothermal conditions within hours of rainfall onset. The lake alternates between being fully mixed and becoming thermally and chemically stratified several times during the annual cycle, with the longest extended periods of heliothermal behaviour lasting 23 and 22 weeks in the winters of 1992 and 1993 respectively. The objective was to quantify the heat budgets of the cyclical heliothermal behaviour of Lake Hayward. During the period of temperature profile logging, the maximum recorded temperature of the monimolimnion was 42.6 °C at which time the temperature of the mixolimnion was 29.4 °C. The heat budget of two closed heliothermal cycles initiated by two rainfall events of 50 mm and 52 mm in 1993 were analysed. The cycles prevailed for 11 and 20 days respectively and the heat budget showed net heat accumulations of 34.2 MJ m-3 and 15.4 MJ m-3, respectively. The corresponding efficiencies of lake heat gain to incident solar energy were 0.17 and 0.18 respectively. Typically, artificial salinity gradient solar ponds (SGSP) have a solar radiation capture efficiencies ranging from 0.10 up to 0.30. Results from Lake Hayward have implications for comparative biogeochemistry and its

  18. The reproductive success of lake herring in habitats near shipping channels and ice-breaking operations in the St. Marys River, Michigan, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Blouin, Marc A.; Kostich, M.M.; Todd, T.N.; Savino, J.F.

    1998-01-01

    A study of the reproductive success of lake herring (Coregonus artedi) in the St. Marys River was conducted in the winters and springs of 1994, 1995, and 1996. The St. Marys River connects Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes making it an important route for ship traffic. Recent pressure by commercial carriers to extend the shipping season by breaking ice earlier in spring, has raised concerns over the possible adverse effects on lake herring reproduction in the river caused by increased turbidity associated with vessel passage. Lake herring spawn in fall and their eggs overwinter under ice cover on the bottom of the St. Marys River. Hatching occurs in the spring after ice-out when water temperatures rise. Specialized incubators were used to hold fertilized lake herring eggs at four experimental sites, chosen to represent the range of various bottom substrate types of the St. Marys River from boulder rock reefs to soft sediments. In winter, incubators were placed under the ice on the bottom of the river at three sites each year. After ice-out, sites were relocated, and the incubators were retrieved and opened to determine the number of live and dead lake herring eggs and larvae. Survival was consistent from year to year at each site with the lowest survival percentage found at the site with the softest sediments, directly adjacent to the St. Marys River channel and downstream of the mouth of the Charlotte River. River bottom type and geographic location were the most important factors in determining egg survival. Sampling for indigenous larval lake herring was done throughout the spring hatching season in the areas adjacent to the incubator sites using nets and a diver-operated suction sampler. Result indicate that a small population (3) of larval lake herring was present throughout the sampling areas during the springs of 1994, 1995, and 1996 in the St. Marys River.

  19. Late Holocene climate change at Goat Lake, Kenai Mountains, south-central Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Daigle, T. A.; Kaufman, D. S.

    2006-12-01

    Lake sediments, glacier extents, and tree rings were used to reconstruct late Holocene climate changes from Goat Lake in the Kenai Mountains, south-central Alaska (60° 14' N/149° 54' W). Two sediment cores (3.7 and 5.6 m long) were dated with 16 AMS 14C ages and record changes in watershed (organic- matter content) and within-lake (biogenic silica) productivity since ~9500 cal yr BP. Sediment analyses focused on the last 1000 yr; this interval includes a sharp transition from gyttja to inorganic mud at ~1660 AD, which marks the fist time since Pleistocene deglaciation that the north goat outlet glacier (NGO) of the Harding Icefield overtopped the drainage divide at 590 m asl to spill meltwater into Goat Lake. One 14C age of ~1535 AD from a subfossil log in the NGO valley requires ~125 yr for the NGO to thicken 150 m to the elevation of the drainage divide where it remained until ~1930. Since ~1930, the NGO has thinned 150 m and retreated 1.4 km. Equilibrium-line altitudes (ELA) were reconstructed for 12 cirque glaciers nearby Goat Lake based on the accumulation-area ratio (AAR) method following field mapping of ice-marginal features formed during the maximum Little Ice Age (LIA) in the 19th century. Maximum LIA ELA data (AAR = 0.58) were compared with 1950 ELA and yield an average lowering of 50 ± 20 m. Application of the local lapse rate of 0.47°C/100 m indicates an average ablation-season temperature reduction of 0.3°C during the maximum LIA compared to 1950, assuming no change in winter precipitation. A new tree-ring chronology from 27 hemlock trees in the Goat Lake watershed correlates with mean March through August temperature from Kenai airport (r = 0.35) and a 207 yr reconstruction indicates an average temperature reduction of 1.0°C from 1800-1900 compared with 1930-1950. Assuming no change in winter precipitation, then a 1°C cooling should have been associated with an ELA lowering by 200 m. This did not occur, and we suggest that some degree of

  20. Dominant genera of cyanobacteria in Lake Taihu and their relationships with environmental factors.

    PubMed

    Feng, Lijun; Liu, Shiyou; Wu, Wenxian; Ma, Jiawen; Li, Pei; Xu, Hailing; Li, Na; Feng, Yaoyu

    2016-07-01

    Cyanobacterial blooms in freshwaters have become one of the most widespread of environmental problems and threaten water resources worldwide. Previous studies on cyanobacteria in Lake Taihu often collected samples from one site (like Meiliang Bay or Zhushan Bay) and focused on the variation in patterns or abundance of Microcystis during the blooming season. However, the distribution of cyanobacteria in Lake Taihu shows differing pattern in various seasons. In this study, water samples were collected monthly for one year at five sites in Lake Taihu with different trophic status and a physicochemical analysis and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) were conducted. DGGE fingerprint analysis showed that Microcystis (7/35 bands) and Synechococcus (12/35 bands) were the two most dominant genera present during the study period at all five sites. Cyanobium (3/35 bands) was the third most common genus which has seldom been previously reported in Lake Taihu. Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated that the cyanobacterial community structure was significantly correlated with NO3 (-)-N, CODMn, and NH4 (+)-N in the winter and spring, whereas it was correlated with water temperature in the summer and autumn. Limiting the nutrient input (especially of N and C loading) in Lake Taihu would be a key factor in controlling the growth of different genera of cyanobacteria.

  1. Lake Sediments show the Frequency of 21st Century Extreme Flooding in the UK is Unprecedented

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chiverrell, R. C.; Sear, D. A.; Warburton, J.; Macdonald, N.; Schillereff, D. N.; Dearing, J.; Croudace, I. W. C.

    2016-12-01

    Flooding in northwest England has been reconstructed from the coarse grained units preserved in lake sediment sequences at Bassenthwaite Lake, a record that includes the floods of December 2015 (Storm Desmond) and November 2009 and shows they were the most extreme in over 600 years. The inception and propagation of a lake sediment flood event horizon in the aftermath of the December 2015 storms in the UK has been explored as part of NERC Urgency Grant that focuses on Bassenthwaite Lake, Brotherswater, Buttermere and Ullswater. Our approach involves repeat coring of locations over 6-12 months, sediment trapping, and testing how this recent extreme event has settled into the sediment record. For Bassenthwaite Lake linking our new sediment palaeoflood series to river discharges, provides the first assessment of flood frequency and magnitude based on lake sediments for the UK. We show that recent devastating flooding in NW England in 2009 was the largest event in 415 years, had a recurrence interval far larger (1:9000 year) than conventional analysis based on short term records suggest (1:700 year), and occurred during a cluster of floods that is unprecedented in 600 years. Particle size characteristics of flood laminations, after correction for variations in the stability of catchment sediment sources, were correlated on a hydrodynamic basis with recorded river flows. The particle size flood record is underpinned by a robust chronology to CE 1420 derived from radionuclide (Pb210, Am241, and Cs137) dating and correlations to the rich history of metal (Pb, Zn, Ba and Cu) mining in the catchment accurately recorded in the sediment geochemistry. The sediment palaeoflood series reveals five flood rich periods (CE 1460-1500, 1580-1680, 1780-1820, 1850-1925, 1970-present), and these correspond with positive phases of reconstructed winter NAOI and other Atlantic circulation patterns. The hydro-climatology of the extreme events (top 1% of floods) in our series, show that 67

  2. First-year growth, recruitment, and maturity of walleyes in western Lake Erie

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Madenjian, Charles P.; Tyson, Jeffrey T.; Knight, Roger L.; Kershner, Mark W.; Hansen, Michael J.

    1996-01-01

    In some lakes, first-year growth of walleyes Stizostedion vitreum has been identified as an important factor governing recruitment of juveniles to the adult population. We developed a regression model for walleye recruitment in western Lake Erie by considering factors such as first-year growth, size of the spawning stock, the rate at which the lake warmed during the spring, and abundance of gizzard shad Dorosoma cepedianum. Gizzard shad abundance during the fall prior to spring walleye spawning explained over 40% of the variation in walleye recruitment. Gizzard shad are relatively high in lipids and are preferred prey for walleyes in Lake Erie. Therefore, the high degree of correlation between shad abundance and subsequent walleye recruitment supported the contention that mature females needed adequate lipid reserves during the winter to spawn the following spring. According to the regression analysis, spring warming rate and size of the parental stock also influenced walleye recruitment. Our regression model explained 92% of the variation in recruitment of age-2 fish into the Lake Erie walleye population from 1981 to 1993. The regression model is potentially valuable as a management tool because it could be used to forecast walleye recruitment to the fishery 2 years in advance. First-year growth was poorly correlated with recruitment, which may reflect the unusually low incidence of walleye cannibalism in western Lake Erie. In contrast, first-year growth was strongly linked to age at maturity.

  3. Cyanobacteria biennal dynamic in a volcanic mesotrophic lake in central Italy: Strategies to prevent dangerous human exposures to cyanotoxins.

    PubMed

    Manganelli, Maura; Stefanelli, Mara; Vichi, Susanna; Andreani, Paolo; Nascetti, Giuseppe; Scialanca, Fabrizio; Scardala, Simona; Testai, Emanuela; Funari, Enzo

    2016-06-01

    Vico Lake, a volcanic meso-eutrophic lake in Central Italy, whose water is used for drinking and recreational activities, experienced the presence of the microcystins (MC) producing cyanobacterium Planktothrix rubescens. In order to assess the human health risks and to provide the local health authorities with a scientific basis for planning tailored monitoring activities, we studied P. rubescens ecology and toxicity for two years. P. rubescens generally dominated the phytoplankton community, alternating with Limnothrix redekei, potentially toxic. P. rubescens was distributed throughout the water column during winter; in summer it produced intense blooms where drinking water is collected (-20 m); here MC were detected all year round (0.5-5 μg/L), with implications for drinking water quality. In surface waters, MC posed no risk for recreational activities in summer, while in winter surface blooms and foams (containing up to 56 μg MC/L) can represent a risk for people and children practicing water sports and for animals consuming raw water. Total phosphorus, phosphate and inorganic nitrogen were not relevant to predict densities nor toxicity; however, a strong correlation between P. rubescens density and aminopeptidase ectoenzymatic activity, an enzyme involved in protein degradation, suggested a role of organic nitrogen for this species. The fraction of potentially toxic population, determined both as mcyB(+)/16SrDNA (10-100%) and as the MC/mcyB(+) cells (0.03-0.79 pg MC/cell), was much more variable than usually observed for P. rubescens. Differently from other Italian and European lakes, the correlation between cell density or the mcyB(+) cells and MC explained only ∼50 and 30% of MC variability, respectively: for Vico Lake, monitoring only cell or the mcyB(+) cell density is not sufficient to predict MC concentrations, and consequently to protect population health. Finally, during a winter bloom one site has been sampled weekly, showing that

  4. Hydrogeologic setting, water budget, and preliminary analysis of ground-water exchange at Lake Starr, a seepage lake in Polk County, Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Swancar, Amy; Lee, T.M.; O'Hare, T. M.

    2000-01-01

    of wet and dry seasons, and provided evidence for ground-water inflow generated from the upper basin. Annual water budgets showed how differences in timing of rainfall and pumping stresses affected lake stage and lake ground-water interactions. Lake evaporation measurements made during the study suggest that, on average, annual lake evaporation exceeds annual precipitation in the basin. Rainfall was close to the long-term average of 51.99 inches per year for the 2 years of the study (50.68 and 54.04 inches, respectively). Lake evaporation was 57.08 and 55.88 inches per year for the same 2 years, making net precipitation (rainfall minus evaporation) negative during both years. If net precipitation to seepage lakes in this area is negative over the long-term, then the ability to generate net ground-water inflow from the surrounding basin plays an important role in sustaining lake levels. Evaporation exceeded rainfall by a similar amount for both years of the study, but net ground-water flow differed substantially between the 2 years. The basin contributed net ground-water inflow to the lake in both years, however, net ground-water inflow was not sufficient to make up for the negative net precipitation during the first year, and the lake fell 4.9 inches. During the second year, net ground-water inflow exceeded the difference between evaporation and rainfall and the lake rose by 12.7 inches. The additional net ground-water inflow in the second year was due to both an increase in the amount of gross ground-water inflow and a decrease in lake leakage (ground-water outflow). Ground-water inflow was greater during the second year because more rain fell during the winter, when evaporative losses were low, resulting in greater ground-water recharge. However, decreased lake leakage during this year was probably at least as important as increased ground-water inflow in explaining the difference in net ground-water flow to the lake between the 2 years. Estimates of lake leakage

  5. Suspending sediment transport, sedimentation, and resuspension in Lake Houston, Texas: Implications for water quality

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Matty, J.M.; Anderson, J.B.; Dunbar, R.B.

    1987-01-01

    Lake Houston is a man-made reservoir located northeast of Houston, Texas. The purpose of this investigation was to document suspended sediment transport, sedimentation, and resuspension in the lake with a view towards estimating the influence of sedimentation on water quality. Sediment traps were placed in strategic locations in the lake to collect suspended sediments. Samples were analyzed for bulk density, grain size, organic carbon, and a number of trace elements. These data were analyzed along with meteorological data to examine those factors which regulate suspended sediment input and dispersal, and the role of suspended sediments in controlling water quality withinmore » the lake. Sediment input to the lake depends primarily on the intensity of rainfall in the watershed. Sediment movement within the lake is strongly influenced by wave activity, which resuspends sediments from shallow areas, and by wind-driven circulation. The increased residence time of suspended sediments due to resuspension allows greater decomposition of organic matter and the release of several trace elements from sediments to the water column. Virtually all samples from sediment traps suspended between 1 and 5 m above the lake bottom contain medium to coarse silt, and even some very fine sand-sized material. This implies that circulation in Lake Houston is periodically intense enough to transport this size material in suspension. During winter, northerly winds with sustained velocities of greater than 5 m/sec provide the most suitable condition for rapid (< 1 d) transport of suspended sediment down the length of the lake. Fluctuations in current velocities and the subsequent suspension/deposition of particles may explain variations in the abundance of coliform bacteria in Lake Houston.« less

  6. Seasonal influence of environmental variables and artificial aeration on Escherichia coli in small urban lakes.

    PubMed

    Durham, Bart W; Porter, Lucy; Webb, Allie; Thomas, Joshua

    2016-12-01

    This study investigated patterns of Escherichia coli in urban lakes in Lubbock, Texas. Specific objectives were to (1) document seasonal patterns in abundance of E. coli over a 3-year period, (2) identify environmental factors, including effects of migratory geese and artificial aeration devices that may influence E. coli abundance, and (3) determine if E. coli abundance over time was similar for individual lakes. Water samples were collected monthly for 36 months from six lakes, three of which contained artificial aeration devices (fountains). Regression models were constructed to determine which environmental variables most influence E. coli abundance in summer and winter seasons. Escherichia coli is present in the lakes of Lubbock, Texas year-round and typically exceeds established bacterial thresholds for recreational waters. Models most frequently contained pH and dissolved oxygen as predictor variables and explained from 17.4% to 92.4% of total variation in E. coli. Lakes with fountains had a higher oxygen concentration during summer and contained consistently less E. coli. We conclude that solar irradiation in synergy with pH and dissolved oxygen is the primary control mechanism for E. coli in study lakes, and that fountains help control abundance of fecal bacteria within these systems.

  7. Salt Lake Clean Cities Coalition: Outstanding coalition director: Beverly Miller (Clean Cities alternative fuel information series fact sheet)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Woodward, S.

    2000-04-26

    The Salt Lake metropolitan area faces some interesting economic and environmental challenges. It ranks eighth in the nation in population growth, so managing its increasing numbers without spoiling the beauty of its high mountain valley may seem to be a contradiction in goals. In addition, the 2002 Winter Olympics will attract almost 2 million visitors during February, when Salt Lake's unusual topography encourages its highest levels of air pollution. The Clean Cities Coalition is working with the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee to find clean vehicles to transport visitors to and from the various Olympic venues. A major goal ofmore » the Coalition is to keep as many AFVs as possible in Utah after the Olympics.« less

  8. Hydrologic data from the integrated lake-watershed acidification study in the west-central Adirondack Mountains, New York : October 1977 through January 1982

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Peters, N.E.; Murdoch, Peter S.; Dalton, F.N.

    1987-01-01

    Hydrologic data were collected from three forested headwater lake watersheds in Herkimer and Hamilton Counties from October 1977 through early January 1982 as part of the Integrated Lake-Watersheds Acidification Study (ILWAS). ILWAS was established in 1977 to determine why these lakes differ in pH when all receive equal amounts of acidic atmospheric deposition. Woods Lake is acidic (pH ranges from 4 to 5), Panther Lake is neutral (pH ranges from 5 to 7.5), and Sagamore Lake is intermediate (pH ranges from 5 to 6). The data tabulated herein include discharge at the three lake outlets and in a tributary to each lake; lake-water stage at each lake; chemical quality of lake water, including total concentrations of zinc, iron, manganese, and lead, at each lake outlet and at Lost Brook (a tributary to Sagamore Lake); groundwater stage from 29 wells; major ion concentrations of groundwater from 22 of these wells; temperature of soil from three depths at one site in each watershed; soil-moisture tension at three depths at eight sites - four in the neutral-lake basin, three in the acidic-lake basin , and one in the intermediate-lake basin; and average snowpack depths and water equivalents at approximately 20 snow-course sites in each basin for three sampling periods during the 1979-80 winter. (USGS)

  9. Regionalization of precipitation characteristics in Iran's Lake Urmia basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fazel, Nasim; Berndtsson, Ronny; Uvo, Cintia Bertacchi; Madani, Kaveh; Kløve, Bjørn

    2018-04-01

    Lake Urmia in northwest Iran, once one of the largest hypersaline lakes in the world, has shrunk by almost 90% in area and 80% in volume during the last four decades. To improve the understanding of regional differences in water availability throughout the region and to refine the existing information on precipitation variability, this study investigated the spatial pattern of precipitation for the Lake Urmia basin. Daily rainfall time series from 122 precipitation stations with different record lengths were used to extract 15 statistical descriptors comprising 25th percentile, 75th percentile, and coefficient of variation for annual and seasonal total precipitation. Principal component analysis in association with cluster analysis identified three main homogeneous precipitation groups in the lake basin. The first sub-region (group 1) includes stations located in the center and southeast; the second sub-region (group 2) covers mostly northern and northeastern part of the basin, and the third sub-region (group 3) covers the western and southern edges of the basin. Results of principal component (PC) and clustering analyses showed that seasonal precipitation variation is the most important feature controlling the spatial pattern of precipitation in the lake basin. The 25th and 75th percentiles of winter and autumn are the most important variables controlling the spatial pattern of the first rotated principal component explaining about 32% of the total variance. Summer and spring precipitation variations are the most important variables in the second and third rotated principal components, respectively. Seasonal variation in precipitation amount and seasonality are explained by topography and influenced by the lake and westerly winds that are related to the strength of the North Atlantic Oscillation. Despite using incomplete time series with different lengths, the identified sub-regions are physically meaningful.

  10. Mercury and selenium contamination in waterbird eggs and risk to avian reproduction at Great Salt Lake, Utah

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ackerman, Joshua T.; Herzog, Mark P.; Hartman, Christopher A.; Isanhart, John P.; Herring, Garth; Vaughn, Sharon; Cavitt, John F.; Eagles-Smith, Collin A.; Browers, Howard; Cline, Chris; Vest, Josh

    2015-01-01

    The wetlands of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem are recognized regionally, nationally, and hemispherically for their importance as breeding, wintering, and migratory habitat for diverse groups of waterbirds. Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge is the largest freshwater component of the Great Salt Lake ecosystem and provides critical breeding habitat for more than 60 bird species. However, the Great Salt Lake ecosystem also has a history of both mercury and selenium contamination, and this pollution could reduce the health and reproductive success of waterbirds. The overall objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of mercury and selenium contamination to birds breeding within Great Salt Lake, especially at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge, and to identify the waterbird species and areas at greatest risk to contamination. We sampled eggs from 33 species of birds breeding within wetlands of Great Salt Lake during 2010 ̶ 2012 and focused on American avocets (Recurvirostra americana), black-necked stilts (Himantopus mexicanus), Forster’s terns (Sterna forsteri), white-faced ibis (Plegadis chihi), and marsh wrens (Cistothorus palustris) for additional studies of the effects of contaminants on reproduction.

  11. Diurnal and Seasonal Variations of Thermal Stratification and Vertical Mixing in a Shallow Fresh Water Lake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Yichen; Wang, Yongwei; Zhang, Zhen; Wang, Wei; Ren, Xia; Gao, Yaqi; Liu, Shoudong; Lee, Xuhui

    2018-04-01

    Among several influential factors, the geographical position and depth of a lake determine its thermal structure. In temperate zones, shallow lakes show significant differences in thermal stratification compared to deep lakes. Here, the variation in thermal stratification in Lake Taihu, a shallow fresh water lake, is studied systematically. Lake Taihu is a warm polymictic lake whose thermal stratification varies in short cycles of one day to a few days. The thermal stratification in Lake Taihu has shallow depths in the upper region and a large amplitude in the temperature gradient, the maximum of which exceeds 5°C m-1. The water temperature in the entire layer changes in a relatively consistent manner. Therefore, compared to a deep lake at similar latitude, the thermal stratification in Lake Taihu exhibits small seasonal differences, but the wide variation in the short term becomes important. Shallow polymictic lakes share the characteristic of diurnal mixing. Prominent differences on the duration and frequency of long-lasting thermal stratification are found in these lakes, which may result from the differences of local climate, lake depth, and fetch. A prominent response of thermal stratification to weather conditions is found, being controlled by the stratifying effect of solar radiation and the mixing effect of wind disturbance. Other than the diurnal stratification and convection, the representative responses of thermal stratification to these two factors with contrary effects are also discussed. When solar radiation increases, stronger wind is required to prevent the lake from becoming stratified. A daily average wind speed greater than 6 m s-1 can maintain the mixed state in Lake Taihu. Moreover, wind-induced convection is detected during thermal stratification. Due to lack of solar radiation, convection occurs more easily in nighttime than in daytime. Convection occurs frequently in fall and winter, whereas long-lasting and stable stratification causes

  12. Remotely Sensing Lake Water Volumes on the Inner Arctic Coastal Plain of Northern Alaska

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Simpson, C. E.; Arp, C. D.; Jones, B. M.; Hinkel, K. M.; Carroll, M.; Smith, L. C.

    2017-12-01

    Thermokarst lake depth is controlled by the amount of excess ice in near-surface permafrost, with lake depths of about 1 - 3 m in areas of epigenetic permafrost and over 10 m in areas of syngenetic permafrost. An important exception to these general patterns is found on the inner Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of northern Alaska, where deep lakes occur in Pleistocene-aged, ground-ice poor sandy terrain. These lakes cover 20% of the currently inactive sand sheet and dune deposit (referred to as the Pleistocene Sand Sea) that comprises approximately 7000 km2 of the ACP. Surrounded by high and eroding bluffs, sand sea lakes lie in natural depressions and are characterized by wide, shallow littoral shelves and central troughs that are typically oriented NNW to SSE and can reach depths greater than 20 m. Despite their unique form and extensive coverage, these lakes have received little prior study and a literature gap remains regarding regional water storage. This research classifies sand sea lakes, estimates individual lake volume, and provides a first quantification of water storage in a region of the lake-dominated ACP. We measured bathymetric profiles in 19 sand sea lakes using a sonar recorder to capture various lake depth gradients. Bathymetric surveys collected by oil industry consultants, lake monitoring programs, and habitat studies serve as additional datasets. These field measured lake depth data points were used to classify Color Infrared Photography, WorldView-2 satellite imagery, and Landsat-OLI satellite imagery to develop a spectral depth-classification algorithm and facilitate the interpolation of the bathymetry for study lakes in the inner ACP. Finally, we integrate the remotely sensed bathymetry and imagery-derived lake surface area to estimate individual and regional-scale lake volume. In addition to the natural function of these lakes in water storage, energy balance, and habitat provision, the need for winter water supply to build ice roads for oil

  13. The occurrence and distribution of antibiotics in Lake Chaohu, China: seasonal variation, potential source and risk assessment.

    PubMed

    Tang, Jun; Shi, Taozhong; Wu, Xiangwei; Cao, Haiqun; Li, Xuede; Hua, Rimao; Tang, Feng; Yue, Yongde

    2015-03-01

    The distribution and seasonal variation of fifteen antibiotics belonging to three classes (sulfonamides, fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines) were investigated in Lake Chaohu, China. The concentrations of the selected antibiotics in the surface water, eight major inflowing rivers and sewage treatment plant (STP) samples were analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS. The results indicated that sulfamethoxazole and ofloxacin were the predominant antibiotics, with maximum concentrations of 95.6 and 383.4ngL(-1), respectively, in the river samples. In Lake Chaohu, the western inflowing rivers (the Nanfei and Shiwuli Rivers) were the primary import routes for the antibiotics, and the domestic effluent from four STPs were considered the primary source of the antibiotics. The level of antibiotics in Lake Chaohu clearly varied with seasonal changes, and the highest detectable frequencies and mean concentrations were found during the winter. The quality of water downstream of Lake Chaohu was influenced by the lake, and the results of risk assessment of the antibiotics on aquatic organisms suggested that sulfamethoxazole, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin in the surface water of Lake Chaohu and inflowing rivers might pose a high risk to algae and plants. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Cyclic heliothermal behaviour of the shallow, hypersaline Lake Hayward, Western Australia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Turner, Jeffrey V.; Rosen, Michael R.; Coshell, Lee; Woodbury, Robert J.

    2018-01-01

    Lake Hayward is one of only about 30 hypersaline lakes worldwide that is meromictic and heliothermal and as such behaves as a natural salt gradient solar pond. Lake Hayward acts as a local groundwater sink, resulting in seasonally variable hypersaline lake water with total dissolved solids (TDS) in the upper layer (mixolimnion) ranging between 56 kg m−3 and 207 kg m−3 and the deeper layer (monimolimnion) from 153 kg m−3 to 211 kg m−3. This is up to six times the salinity of seawater and thus has the highest salinity of all eleven lakes in the Yalgorup National Park lake system. A program of continuously recorded water temperature profiles has shown that salinity stratification initiated by direct rainfall onto the lake’s surface and local runoff into the lake results in the onset of heliothermal conditions within hours of rainfall onset.The lake alternates between being fully mixed and becoming thermally and chemically stratified several times during the annual cycle, with the longest extended periods of heliothermal behaviour lasting 23 and 22 weeks in the winters of 1992 and 1993 respectively. The objective was to quantify the heat budgets of the cyclical heliothermal behaviour of Lake Hayward.During the period of temperature profile logging, the maximum recorded temperature of the monimolimnion was 42.6 °C at which time the temperature of the mixolimnion was 29.4 °C.The heat budget of two closed heliothermal cycles initiated by two rainfall events of 50 mm and 52 mm in 1993 were analysed. The cycles prevailed for 11 and 20 days respectively and the heat budget showed net heat accumulations of 34.2 MJ m−3 and 15.4 MJ m−3, respectively. The corresponding efficiencies of lake heat gain to incident solar energy were 0.17 and 0.18 respectively. Typically, artificial salinity gradient solar ponds (SGSP) have a solar radiation capture efficiencies ranging from 0.10 up to 0.30. Results from Lake Hayward have

  15. Herbicides induce change in metabolic and genetic diversity of bacterial community from a cold oligotrophic lake.

    PubMed

    Aguayo, P; González, C; Barra, R; Becerra, J; Martínez, M

    2014-03-01

    Pristine cold oligotrophic lakes show unique physical and chemical characteristics with permanent fluctuation in temperature and carbon source availability. Incorporation of organic toxic matters to these ecosystems could alter the bacterial community composition. Our goal was to assess the effects of simazine (Sz) and 2,4 dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) upon the metabolic and genetic diversity of the bacterial community in sediment samples from a pristine cold oligotrophic lake. Sediment samples were collected in winter and summer season, and microcosms were prepared using a ration 1:10 (sediments:water). The microcosms were supplemented with 0.1 mM 2,4-D or 0.5 mM Sz and incubated for 20 days at 10 °C. Metabolic diversity was evaluated by using the Biolog Ecoplate™ system and genetic diversity by 16S rDNA amplification followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis. Total bacterial counts and live/dead ratio were determined by epifluorescence microscopy. The control microcosms showed no significant differences (P > 0.05) in both metabolic and genetic diversity between summer and winter samples. On the other hand, the addition of 2,4-D or Sz to microcosms induces statistical significant differences (P < 0.05) in metabolic and genetic diversity showing the prevalence of Actinobacteria group which are usually not detected in the sediments of these non-contaminated lacustrine systems. The obtained results suggest that contaminations of cold pristine lakes with organic toxic compounds of anthropic origin alter their homeostasis by inhibiting specific susceptible bacterial groups. The concomitant increase of usually low representative bacterial groups modifies the bacterial composition commonly found in this pristine lake.

  16. Evidence of Lake Trout reproduction at Lake Michigan's mid-lake reef complex

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Janssen, J.; Jude, D.J.; Edsall, T.A.; Paddock, R.W.; Wattrus, N.; Toneys, M.; McKee, P.

    2006-01-01

    The Mid-Lake Reef Complex (MLRC), a large area of deep (> 40 m) reefs, was a major site where indigenous lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Michigan aggregated during spawning. As part of an effort to restore Lake Michigan's lake trout, which were extirpated in the 1950s, yearling lake trout have been released over the MLRC since the mid-1980s and fall gill net censuses began to show large numbers of lake trout in spawning condition beginning about 1999. We report the first evidence of viable egg deposition and successful lake trout fry production at these deep reefs. Because the area's existing bathymetry and habitat were too poorly known for a priori selection of sampling sites, we used hydroacoustics to locate concentrations of large fish in the fall; fish were congregating around slopes and ridges. Subsequent observations via unmanned submersible confirmed the large fish to be lake trout. Our technological objectives were driven by biological objectives of locating where lake trout spawn, where lake trout fry were produced, and what fishes ate lake trout eggs and fry. The unmanned submersibles were equipped with a suction sampler and electroshocker to sample eggs deposited on the reef, draw out and occasionally catch emergent fry, and collect egg predators (slimy sculpin Cottus cognatus). We observed slimy sculpin to eat unusually high numbers of lake trout eggs. Our qualitative approaches are a first step toward quantitative assessments of the importance of lake trout spawning on the MLRC.

  17. Winter is losing its cool

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Feng, S.

    2017-12-01

    Winter seasons have significant societal impacts across all sectors ranging from direct human health to ecosystems, transportation, and recreation. This study quantifies the severity of winter and its spatial-temporal variations using a newly developed winter severity index and daily temperature, snowfall and snow depth. The winter severity and the number of extreme winter days are decreasing across the global terrestrial areas during 1901-2015 except the southeast United States and isolated regions in the Southern Hemisphere. These changes are dominated by winter warming, while the changes in daily snowfall and snow depth played a secondary role. The simulations of multiple CMIP5 climate models can well capture the spatial and temporal variations of the observed changes in winter severity and extremes during 1951-2005. The models are consistent in projecting a future milder winter under various scenarios. The winter severity is projected to decrease 60-80% in the middle-latitude Northern Hemisphere under the business-as-usual scenario. The winter arrives later, ends earlier and the length of winter season will be notably shorter. The changes in harsh winter in the polar regions are weak, mainly because the warming leads to more snowfall in the high latitudes.

  18. Quantitative assessment of glacial fluctuations in the level of Lake Lisan, Dead Sea rift

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rohling, Eelco J.

    2013-06-01

    A quantitative understanding of climatic variations in the Levant during the last glacial cycle is needed to support archaeologists in assessing the drivers behind hominin migrations and cultural developments in this key region at the intersection between Africa and Europe. It will also foster a better understanding of the region's natural variability as context to projections of modern climate change. Detailed documentation of variations in the level of Lake Lisan - the lake that occupied the Dead Sea rift during the last glacial cycle - provides crucial climatic information for this region. Existing reconstructions suggest that Lake Lisan highstands during cold intervals of the last glacial cycle represent relatively humid conditions in the region, but these interpretations have remained predominantly qualitative. Here, I evaluate realistic ranges of the key climatological parameters that controlled lake level, based on the observed timing and amplitudes of lake-level variability. I infer that a mean precipitation rate over the wider catchment area of about 500 mm y-1, as proposed in the literature, would be consistent with observed lake levels if there was a concomitant 15-50% increase in wind speed during cold glacial stadials. This lends quantitative support to previous inferences of a notable increase in the intensity of Mediterranean (winter) storms during glacial periods, which tracked eastward into the Levant. In contrast to highstands during ‘regular’ stadials, lake level dropped during Heinrich Events. I demonstrate that this likely indicates a further intensification of the winds during those times.

  19. A 13,500 Year Record of Holocene Climate, Fire and Vegetation from Swan Lake, Idaho, USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wahl, D.; Anderson, L.; Miller, D. M.; Rosario, J. J.; Starratt, S.; McGeehin, J. P.; Bright, J. E.

    2015-12-01

    Modern climate dynamics in the western US are largely determined by a combination of two factors: 1) the strength and position of midlatitude pressure systems, which, in turn, are responsible for the generation and trajectory of winter storms, and 2) the strength of the North America Monsoon (NAM) which brings summer precipitation northward in response to northern hemisphere warming. Paleoclimate records from the Great Basin of the western US suggest some coherence in the timing of major climatic shifts during the Holocene. However, knowledge of the timing and magnitude of these changes at local scales, which can help explain the relative contribution of midlatitude winter storms vs. NAM, is lacking in many places. Here we present new data that constrain the timing and magnitude of late glacial and Holocene climate variability in the northeastern Great Basin, provide insight into past spatial variability of precipitation patterns in the western US, and improve our understanding of regional scale influences on Great Basin climate. In 2011, a 7.65 m sediment core was raised from Swan Lake, a small wetland located in southeastern Idaho that was formed in the spillway channel created by the catastrophic flooding of Lake Bonneville ~18 ka BP. Pollen, charcoal, clumped isotope, diatom, ostracod, and sedimentological data are used to reconstruct vegetation, fire history, and lake level/groundwater flux over the last 13,500 years. Age control is provided by 19 AMS radiocarbon determinations, which are reported as thousands of calibrated years before present (ka BP). This effort builds on earlier work by Bright (1966) who reported on pollen, macrofossils, and sediment type from Swan Lake. Our data suggest cool and wet conditions prevailed until around 12.3 ka BP, after which a drying trend begins. The early Holocene was marked by a warmer, drier climate, which persisted until around 6.2 ka BP. Moister conditions after 6.2 ka BP likely resulted from a combination of enhanced

  20. What killed Frame Lake? A precautionary tale for urban planners.

    PubMed

    Gavel, Melody J; Patterson, R Timothy; Nasser, Nawaf A; Galloway, Jennifer M; Hanna, Bruce W; Cott, Peter A; Roe, Helen M; Falck, Hendrik

    2018-01-01

    ,000 years before present; the As Contamination Assemblage (ACA), ranging from 7-16 cm, deposited after ∼1962 when sedimentation began in the lake again following a long hiatus that spanned to the early Holocene; and the Eutrophication Assemblage (EA), ranging from 1-6 cm, comprised of sediments deposited after 1990 following the cessation of As and other metal contaminations. The EA developed in response to nutrient-rich waters entering the lake derived from the urbanization of the lake catchment and a reduction in lake circulation associated with the development at the lake outlet of a major road, later replaced by a causeway with rarely open sluiceways. The eutrophic condition currently charactering the lake-as evidenced by a population explosion of eutrophication indicator taxa Cucurbitella tricuspis -likely led to a massive increase in macrophyte growth and winter fish-kills. This ecological shift ultimately led to a system dominated by Hirudinea (leeches) and cessation of the lake as a recreational area.

  1. Winter Ecology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Birkeland, Karl W.; Halfpenny, James C.

    1987-01-01

    Discusses some of the ecological variables involved with plant and animal survival during the winter months. Addresses the effects of changing climatic conditions on habitats, foot-loading indexes, and the overall concept of adaptation. Provides some simple teaching activities dealing with winter survival. (TW)

  2. 77 FR 41686 - Safety Zone; Sheffield Lake Fireworks, Lake Erie, Sheffield Lake, OH

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-16

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Sheffield Lake Fireworks, Lake Erie, Sheffield Lake, OH AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS. ACTION: Temporary final rule. SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is establishing a temporary safety zone on Lake Erie, Sheffield Lake, OH. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Erie...

  3. Widespread Moulin Formation During Supraglacial Lake Drainages in Greenland

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hoffman, Matthew J.; Perego, Mauro; Andrews, Lauren C.

    Moulins permit access of surface meltwater to the glacier bed, causing basal lubrication and ice speedup in the ablation zone of western Greenland during summer. In spite of the substantial impact of moulins on ice dynamics, the conditions under which they form are poorly understood. We assimilate a time series of ice surface velocity from a network of eleven Global Positioning System receivers into an ice sheet model to estimate ice sheet stresses during winter, spring, and summer in a ~30 × 10 km region. Surface-parallel von Mises stress increases slightly during spring speedup and early summer, sufficient to allowmore » formation of 16% of moulins mapped in the study area. Conversely, 63% of moulins experience stresses over the tensile strength of ice during a short (hours) supraglacial lake drainage event. Lake drainages appear to control moulin density, which is itself a control on subglacial drainage efficiency and summer ice velocities.« less

  4. Widespread Moulin Formation During Supraglacial Lake Drainages in Greenland

    DOE PAGES

    Hoffman, Matthew J.; Perego, Mauro; Andrews, Lauren C.; ...

    2018-01-17

    Moulins permit access of surface meltwater to the glacier bed, causing basal lubrication and ice speedup in the ablation zone of western Greenland during summer. In spite of the substantial impact of moulins on ice dynamics, the conditions under which they form are poorly understood. We assimilate a time series of ice surface velocity from a network of eleven Global Positioning System receivers into an ice sheet model to estimate ice sheet stresses during winter, spring, and summer in a ~30 × 10 km region. Surface-parallel von Mises stress increases slightly during spring speedup and early summer, sufficient to allowmore » formation of 16% of moulins mapped in the study area. Conversely, 63% of moulins experience stresses over the tensile strength of ice during a short (hours) supraglacial lake drainage event. Lake drainages appear to control moulin density, which is itself a control on subglacial drainage efficiency and summer ice velocities.« less

  5. Methane Ebullition During Simulated Lake Expansion and Permafrost Degradation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mazéas, O.; von Fischer, J. C.; Whelan, M.; Rhew, R.

    2007-12-01

    Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is emitted by Arctic tundra and lakes. Ebullition, or bubbling, of methane from Arctic lakes has been shown to be a major transport mechanism from the sediment to the atmosphere, and ebullition rates are greatest near the edges of the lakes where active erosion is occurring. In regions of continuous permafrost, Arctic lakes have been expanding in recent decades, attributed to permafrost melting and development of thermokarst. Lake expansion occurs when the margins erode into water, supplying large amounts of organic rich material to the sediment-water interface. This allows carbon that was previously stored in the soil (active layer and permafrost) to become bioavailable and subject to decomposition. An increase in Arctic methane emissions as a result of permafrost thawing and lake expansion would constitute a positive feedback to Arctic warming. In order to better understand these processes, an experiment was initiated in July 2007 at the Barrow Environmental Observatory, Barrow, AK. Different layers of locally collected tundra soil were placed into incubation chambers at the bottom of a shallow (about 1 m deep) lake. Each experimental chamber consists of a bucket fixed underneath an inverted funnel, with a sampling port on top to capture and collect the emitted gases. Gas samples are analyzed for methane and carbon dioxide concentrations, as well as relevant isotopic compositions. Gas sampling has occurred at frequent intervals during the late summer and will continue through the early winter. Three replicates of each layer (active layer, seasonally frozen active layer and permafrost) were incubated, as well as an empty control chamber. An additional chamber containing thawed permafrost and cellulose-rich sawdust was placed for comparison, as cellulose is a major component of plant tissue and the fermentation of the cellulose should yield substrates for methanogenesis. Total production of methane versus organic carbon content of

  6. Out of the tropics: the Pacific, Great Basin lakes, and late Pleistocene water cycle in the western United States.

    PubMed

    Lyle, Mitchell; Heusser, Linda; Ravelo, Christina; Yamamoto, Masanobu; Barron, John; Diffenbaugh, Noah S; Herbert, Timothy; Andreasen, Dyke

    2012-09-28

    The water cycle in the western United States changed dramatically over glacial cycles. In the past 20,000 years, higher precipitation caused desert lakes to form which have since dried out. Higher glacial precipitation has been hypothesized to result from a southward shift of Pacific winter storm tracks. We compared Pacific Ocean data to lake levels from the interior west and found that Great Basin lake high stands are older than coastal wet periods at the same latitude. Westerly storms were not the source of high precipitation. Instead, air masses from the tropical Pacific were transported northward, bringing more precipitation into the Great Basin when coastal California was still dry. The changing climate during the deglaciation altered precipitation source regions and strongly affected the regional water cycle.

  7. Out of the tropics: the Pacific, Great Basin lakes, and late Pleistocene water cycle in the western United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lyle, Mitchell; Heusser, Linda; Ravelo, Christina; Yamamoto, Masanobu; Barron, John; Diffenbaugh, Noah S.; Herbert, Timothy; Andreasen, Dyke

    2012-01-01

    The water cycle in the western U.S. changed dramatically over glacial cycles. In the last 20,000 years, higher precipitation caused desert lakes to form which have since dried out. Higher glacial precipitation is hypothesized to result from a southward shift of Pacific winter storm tracks. We compared Pacific Ocean data to lake levels from the interior west and found that Great Basin lake high stands are older than coastal wet periods at the same latitude. Westerly storms were not the source of high precipitation. Instead, air masses from the tropical Pacific were transported northward, bringing more precipitation into the Great Basin when coastal California was still dry. The changing climate during the deglaciation altered precipitation source regions and strongly affected the regional water cycle.

  8. Water-quality assessment of Lakes Maumelle and Winona, Arkansas, 1991 through 2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Galloway, Joel M.; Green, W. Reed

    2004-01-01

    Lakes Maumelle and Winona are water-supply reservoirs for the Little Rock and North Little Rock metropolitan areas in central Arkansas. In addition to water supply, the reservoirs are used for recreation and fish and wildlife habitat. The purpose of this report is to describe the hydrology and water quality of Lakes Maumelle and Winona and their inflows from data collected by the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with Central Arkansas Water for calendar years 1991 through 2003. The main inflows into Lakes Maumelle and Winona, the Maumelle River and Alum Fork Saline River, exhibited typical seasonal variability in streamflow with high flows usually occurring in the late fall, winter, and early spring, and low or no flow in the summer and early fall. The highest annual mean streamflow occurred in 1991 and the lowest annual mean streamflow occurred in 1992 for the Maumelle River and 1995 for the Alum Fork Saline River. Water quality measured in Lakes Maumelle and Winona varied spatially and temporally. Although total phosphorus concentrations were substantially higher at the upper ends of the lakes than at the lower ends of the lakes, nitrogen and orthophosphorus concentrations were not significantly different among the sampling sites on each lake. The highest concentrations of nitrogen generally were measured in 1991 and from 1998 through 2003 at all of the sampling sites. The highest total phosphorus concentrations were measured from 1994 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2001 on Lake Maumelle and from 1993 to 1994 on Lake Winona. Total and dissolved organic carbon concentrations were similar among sites on each lake and the greatest concentrations were measured in 1996 and 1997 at all of the sites. The chlorophyll a concentrations varied seasonally, with the highest concentrations in October and November, but were relatively uniform spatially and annually in Lakes Maumelle and Winona for 1991 through 2003. Water clarity was greater at the lower ends of the lakes than at

  9. Atmospheric partitioning and the air-water exchange of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in a large shallow Chinese lake (Lake Chaohu).

    PubMed

    Qin, Ning; He, Wei; Kong, Xiang-Zhen; Liu, Wen-Xiu; He, Qi-Shuang; Yang, Bin; Ouyang, Hui-Ling; Wang, Qing-Mei; Xu, Fu-Liu

    2013-11-01

    The residual levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the atmosphere and in dissolved phase from Lake Chaohu were measured by (GC-MS). The composition and seasonal variation were investigated. The diffusive air-water exchange flux was estimated by a two-film model, and the uncertainty in the flux calculations and the sensitivity of the parameters were evaluated. The following results were obtained: (1) the average residual levels of all PAHs (PAH16) in the atmosphere from Lake Chaohu were 60.85±46.17 ng m(-3) in the gaseous phase and 14.32±23.82 ng m(-3) in the particulate phase. The dissolved PAH16 level was 173.46±132.89 ng L(-1). (2) The seasonal variation of average PAH16 contents ranged from 43.09±33.20 ng m(-3) (summer) to 137.47±41.69 ng m(-3) (winter) in gaseous phase, from 6.62±2.72 ng m(-3) (summer) to 56.13±22.99 ng m(-3) (winter) in particulate phase, and 142.68±74.68 ng L(-1) (winter) to 360.00±176.60 ng L(-1) (summer) in water samples. Obvious seasonal trends of PAH16 concentrations were found in the atmosphere and water. The values of PAH16 for both the atmosphere and the water were significantly correlated with temperature. (3) The monthly diffusive air-water exchange flux of total PAH16 ranged from -1.77×10(4) ng m(-2) d(-1) to 1.11×10(5) ng m(-2) d(-1), with an average value of 3.45×10(4) ng m(-2) d(-1). (4) The results of a Monte Carlo simulation showed that the monthly average PAH fluxes ranged from -3.4×10(3) ng m(-2) d(-1) to 1.6×10(4) ng m(-2) d(-1) throughout the year, and the uncertainties for individual PAHs were compared. (5) According to the sensitivity analysis, the concentrations of dissolved and gaseous phase PAHs were the two most important factors affecting the results of the flux calculations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Microbial and biogeochernical processes Soda Lake, Nevada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Oremland, R.S.; Cloern, J.E.; Sofer, Z.; Smith, R.L.; Culbertson, C.W.; Zehr, J.; Miller, L.; Cole, B.; Harvey, R.; Iversen, N.; Klug, M.; Des Marais, D J; Rau, G.

    1988-01-01

    Meromictic, alkaline lakes represent modern-day analogues of lacustrine source rock depositional environments. In order to further our understanding of how these lakes function in terms of limnological and biogeochemical processes, we have conducted an interdisciplinary study of Big Soda Lake. Annual mixolimnion productivity (ca. 500 g m-2) is dominated by a winter diatom bloom (60% of annual) caused by upward transport of ammonia to the epilimnion. The remainder of productivity is attributable to chemoautotrophs (30%) and photosynthetic bacteria (10%) present at the oxic -anoxic interface from May to November. Studies of bacterial heterotrophy and particulate fluxes in the water column indicate that about 90% of annual productivity is remineralized in the mixolimnion, primarily by fermentative bacteria. However, high rates of sulphate reduction (9-29 mmol m-2 yr-1) occur in the monimolimnion waters, which could remineralize most (if not all) of the primary productivity. This discrepancy has not as yet been fully explained. Low rates of methanogenesis also occur in the monimolimnion waters and sediments. Most of the methane is consumed by anaerobic methane oxidation occurring in the monimolimnion water column. Other bacterial processes occurring in the lake are also discussed. Preliminary studies have been made on the organic geochemistry of the monimolimnion sediments. Carbon-14-dating indicates a lower depositional rate prior to meromixis and a downcore enrichment in 13C of organic carbon and chlorophyll derivatives. Hydrous pyrolysis experiments indicate that the sediment organic matter is almost entirely derived from the water column with little or no contribution from terrestrial sources. The significance of the organics released by hydrous pyrolysis is discussed.

  11. Dynamics of planktonic prokaryotes and dissolved carbon in a subtropical coastal lake.

    PubMed

    Fontes, Maria Luiza S; Tonetta, Denise; Dalpaz, Larissa; Antônio, Regina V; Petrucio, Maurício M

    2013-01-01

    To understand the dynamics of planktonic prokaryotes in a subtropical lake and its relationship with carbon, we conducted water sampling through four 48-h periods in Peri Lake for 1 year. Planktonic prokaryotes were characterized by the abundance and biomass of heterotrophic bacteria (HB) and of cyanobacteria (coccoid and filamentous cells). During all samplings, we measured wind speed, water temperature (WT), pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), precipitation, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and carbon dioxide (CO2). DOC was higher in the summer (average = 465 μM - WT = 27°C) and lower in the winter (average = 235 μM - WT = 17°C), with no significant variability throughout the daily cycles. CO2 concentrations presented a different pattern, with a minimum in the warm waters of the summer period (8.31 μM) and a maximum in the spring (37.13 μM). Daily trends were observed for pH, DO, WT, and CO2. At an annual scale, both biological and physical-chemical controls were important regulators of CO2. HB abundance and biomass were higher in the winter sampling (5.60 × 10(9) cells L(-1) and 20.83 μmol C L(-1)) and lower in the summer (1.87 × 10(9) cells L(-1) and 3.95 μmol C L(-1)). Filamentous cyanobacteria (0.23 × 10(8)-0.68 × 10(8) filaments L(-1)) produced up to 167.16 μmol C L(-1) as biomass (during the warmer period), whereas coccoid cyanobacteria contributed only 0.38 μmol C L(-1). Precipitation, temperature, and the biomass of HB were the main regulators of CO2 concentrations. Temperature had a negative effect on the concentration of CO2, which may be indirectly attributed to high heterotroph activity in the autumn and winter periods. DOC was positively correlated with the abundance of total cyanobacteria and negatively with HB. Thus, planktonic prokaryotes have played an important role in the dynamics of both dissolved inorganic and organic carbon in

  12. Dynamics of Planktonic Prokaryotes and Dissolved Carbon in a Subtropical Coastal Lake

    PubMed Central

    Fontes, Maria Luiza S.; Tonetta, Denise; Dalpaz, Larissa; Antônio, Regina V.; Petrucio, Maurício M.

    2013-01-01

    To understand the dynamics of planktonic prokaryotes in a subtropical lake and its relationship with carbon, we conducted water sampling through four 48-h periods in Peri Lake for 1 year. Planktonic prokaryotes were characterized by the abundance and biomass of heterotrophic bacteria (HB) and of cyanobacteria (coccoid and filamentous cells). During all samplings, we measured wind speed, water temperature (WT), pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), precipitation, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and carbon dioxide (CO2). DOC was higher in the summer (average = 465 μM – WT = 27°C) and lower in the winter (average = 235 μM – WT = 17°C), with no significant variability throughout the daily cycles. CO2 concentrations presented a different pattern, with a minimum in the warm waters of the summer period (8.31 μM) and a maximum in the spring (37.13 μM). Daily trends were observed for pH, DO, WT, and CO2. At an annual scale, both biological and physical-chemical controls were important regulators of CO2. HB abundance and biomass were higher in the winter sampling (5.60 × 109 cells L−1 and 20.83 μmol C L−1) and lower in the summer (1.87 × 109 cells L−1 and 3.95 μmol C L−1). Filamentous cyanobacteria (0.23 × 108–0.68 × 108 filaments L−1) produced up to 167.16 μmol C L−1 as biomass (during the warmer period), whereas coccoid cyanobacteria contributed only 0.38 μmol C L−1. Precipitation, temperature, and the biomass of HB were the main regulators of CO2 concentrations. Temperature had a negative effect on the concentration of CO2, which may be indirectly attributed to high heterotroph activity in the autumn and winter periods. DOC was positively correlated with the abundance of total cyanobacteria and negatively with HB. Thus, planktonic prokaryotes have played an important role in the dynamics of both dissolved inorganic and organic carbon in

  13. Lake trout rehabilitation in Lake Ontario

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Elrod, Joseph H.; O'Gorman, Robert; Schneider, Clifford P.; Eckert, Thomas H.; Schaner, Ted; Bowlby, James N.; Schleen, Larry P.

    1995-01-01

    Attempts to maintain the native lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) population in Lake Ontario by stocking fry failed and the species was extirpated by the 1950s. Hatchery fish stocked in the 1960s did not live to maturity because of sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) predation and incidental commercial harvest. Suppression of sea lampreys began with larvicide treatments of Lake Ontario tributaries in 1971 and was enhanced when the tributaries of Oneida Lake and Lake Erie were treated in the 1980s. Annual stocking of hatchery fish was resumed with the 1972 year class and peaked at about 1.8 million yearlings and 0.3 million fingerlings from the 1985–1990 year classes. Survival of stocked yearlings declined over 50% in the 1980 s and was negatively correlated with the abundance of lake trout > 550 mm long (r = −0.91, P < 0.01, n = 12). A slot length limit imposed by the State of New York for the 1988 fishing season reduced angler harvest. Angler harvest in Canadian waters was 3 times higher in eastern Lake Ontario than in western Lake Ontario. For the 1977–1984 year classes, mean annual survival rate of lake trout age 6 and older was 0.45 (range: 0.35–0.56). In U.S. waters during 1985–1992, the total number of lake trout harvested by anglers was about 2.4 times greater than that killed by sea lampreys. The number of unmarked lake trout < 250 mm long in trawl catches in 1978–1992 was not different from that expected due to loss of marks and failure to apply marks at the hatchery, and suggested that recruitment of naturally-produced fish was nil. However, many of the obstacles which may have impeded lake trout rehabilitation in Lake Ontario during the 1980s are slowly being removed, and there are signs of a general ecosystem recovery. Significant recruitment of naturally produced lake trout by the year 2000, one interim objective of the rehabilitation plan for the Lake, may be achieved.

  14. Estimating future temperature maxima in lakes across the United States using a surrogate modeling approach

    PubMed Central

    Zi, Tan; Schmidt, Michelle; Johnson, Thomas E.; Nover, Daniel M.; Clark, Christopher M.

    2017-01-01

    A warming climate increases thermal inputs to lakes with potential implications for water quality and aquatic ecosystems. In a previous study, we used a dynamic water column temperature and mixing simulation model to simulate chronic (7-day average) maximum temperatures under a range of potential future climate projections at selected sites representative of different U.S. regions. Here, to extend results to lakes where dynamic models have not been developed, we apply a novel machine learning approach that uses Gaussian Process regression to describe the model response surface as a function of simplified lake characteristics (depth, surface area, water clarity) and climate forcing (winter and summer air temperatures and potential evapotranspiration). We use this approach to extrapolate predictions from the simulation model to the statistical sample of U.S. lakes in the National Lakes Assessment (NLA) database. Results provide a national-scale scoping assessment of the potential thermal risk to lake water quality and ecosystems across the U.S. We suggest a small fraction of lakes will experience less risk of summer thermal stress events due to changes in stratification and mixing dynamics, but most will experience increases. The percentage of lakes in the NLA with simulated 7-day average maximum water temperatures in excess of 30°C is projected to increase from less than 2% to approximately 22% by the end of the 21st century, which could significantly reduce the number of lakes that can support cold water fisheries. Site-specific analysis of the full range of factors that influence thermal profiles in individual lakes is needed to develop appropriate adaptation strategies. PMID:29121058

  15. Lake level variability in Silver Lake, Michigan: a response to fluctuations in lake levels of Lake Michigan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fisher, Timothy G.; Loope, Walter L.

    2004-01-01

    Sediment from Silver Lake, Michigan, can be used to constrain the timing and elevation of Lake Michigan during the Nipissing transgression. Silver Lake is separated from Lake Michigan by a barrier/dune complex and the Nipissing, Calumet, and Glenwood shorelines of Lake Michigan are expressed landward of this barrier. Two Vibracores were taken from the lake in February 2000 and contain pebbly sand, sand, buried soils, marl, peat, and sandy muck. It is suggested here that fluctuations in the level of Lake Michigan are reflected in Silver Lake since the Chippewa low phase, and possibly at the end of the Algonquin phase. An age of 12,490 B.P. (10,460±50 14C yrs B.P.) on wood from a buried Entisol may record the falling Algonquin phase as the North Bay outlet opened. A local perched water table is indicated by marl deposited before 7,800 B.P. and peat between 7,760-7,000 B.P. when Lake Michigan was at the low elevation Chippewa phase. Continued deepening of the lake is recorded by the transition from peat to sandy muck at 7,000 B.P. in the deeper core, and with the drowning of an Inceptisol nearly 3 m higher at 6,410 B.P. in the shallower core. A rising groundwater table responding to a rising Lake Michigan base level during the Nipissing transgression, rather than a response to mid-Holocene climate change, explains deepening of Silver Lake. Sandy muck was deposited continually in Silver Lake between Nipissing and modern time. Sand lenses within the muck are presumed to be eolian in origin, derived from sand dunes advancing into the lake on the western side of the basin.

  16. Forecasting the evolution in the mixing regime of a deep subalpine lake under climate change scenarios through numerical modelling (Lake Maggiore, Northern Italy/Southern Switzerland)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fenocchi, Andrea; Rogora, Michela; Sibilla, Stefano; Ciampittiello, Marzia; Dresti, Claudia

    2018-01-01

    The impact of air temperature rise is eminent for the large deep lakes in the Italian subalpine district, climate change being caused there by both natural phenomena and anthropogenic greenhouse-gases (GHG) emissions. These oligomictic lakes are experiencing a decrease in the frequency of winter full turnover and an intensification of stability. As a result, hypolimnetic oxygen concentrations are decreasing and nutrients are accumulating in bottom water, with effects on the whole ecosystem functioning. Forecasting the future evolution of the mixing pattern is relevant to assess if a reduction in GHG releases would be able to revert such processes. The study focuses on Lake Maggiore, for which the thermal structure evolution under climate change in the 2016-2085 period was assessed through numerical simulations, performed with the General Lake Model (GLM). Different prospects of regional air temperature rise were considered, given by the Swiss Climate Change Scenarios CH2011. Multiple realisations were performed for each scenario to obtain robust statistical predictions, adopting random series of meteorological data produced with the Vector-Autoregressive Weather Generator (VG). Results show that a reversion in the increasing thermal stability would be possible only if global GHG emissions started to be reduced by 2020, allowing an equilibrium mixing regime to be restored by the end of the twenty-first century. Otherwise, persistent lack of complete-mixing, severe water warming and extensive effects on water quality are to be expected for the centuries to come. These projections can be extended to the other lakes in the subalpine district.

  17. Re-evaluation of a novel approach for quantitative myocardial oedema detection by analysing tissue inhomogeneity in acute myocarditis using T2-mapping.

    PubMed

    Baeßler, Bettina; Schaarschmidt, Frank; Treutlein, Melanie; Stehning, Christian; Schnackenburg, Bernhard; Michels, Guido; Maintz, David; Bunck, Alexander C

    2017-12-01

    To re-evaluate a recently suggested approach of quantifying myocardial oedema and increased tissue inhomogeneity in myocarditis by T2-mapping. Cardiac magnetic resonance data of 99 patients with myocarditis were retrospectively analysed. Thirthy healthy volunteers served as controls. T2-mapping data were acquired at 1.5 T using a gradient-spin-echo T2-mapping sequence. T2-maps were segmented according to the 16-segments AHA-model. Segmental T2-values, segmental pixel-standard deviation (SD) and the derived parameters maxT2, maxSD and madSD were analysed and compared to the established Lake Louise criteria (LLC). A re-estimation of logistic regression models revealed that all models containing an SD-parameter were superior to any model containing global myocardial T2. Using a combined cut-off of 1.8 ms for madSD + 68 ms for maxT2 resulted in a diagnostic sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 80% and showed a similar diagnostic performance compared to LLC in receiver-operating-curve analyses. Combining madSD, maxT2 and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in a model resulted in a superior diagnostic performance compared to LLC (sensitivity 93%, specificity 83%). The results show that the novel T2-mapping-derived parameters exhibit an additional diagnostic value over LGE with the inherent potential to overcome the current limitations of T2-mapping. • A novel quantitative approach to myocardial oedema imaging in myocarditis was re-evaluated. • The T2-mapping-derived parameters maxT2 and madSD were compared to traditional Lake-Louise criteria. • Using maxT2 and madSD with dedicated cut-offs performs similarly to Lake-Louise criteria. • Adding maxT2 and madSD to LGE results in further increased diagnostic performance. • This novel approach has the potential to overcome the limitations of T2-mapping.

  18. Changes in balance and joint position sense during a 12-day high altitude trek: The British Services Dhaulagiri medical research expedition.

    PubMed

    Clarke, Sarah B; Deighton, Kevin; Newman, Caroline; Nicholson, Gareth; Gallagher, Liam; Boos, Christopher J; Mellor, Adrian; Woods, David R; O'Hara, John P

    2018-01-01

    Postural control and joint position sense are essential for safely undertaking leisure and professional activities, particularly at high altitude. We tested whether exposure to a 12-day trek with a gradual ascent to high altitude impairs postural control and joint position sense. This was a repeated measures observational study of 12 military service personnel (28±4 years). Postural control (sway velocity measured by a portable force platform) during standing balance, a Sharpened Romberg Test and knee joint position sense were measured, in England (113m elevation) and at 3 research camps (3619m, 4600m and 5140m) on a 12-day high altitude trek in the Dhaulagiri region of Nepal. Pulse oximetry, and Lake Louise scores were also recorded on the morning and evening of each trek day. Data were compared between altitudes and relationships between pulse oximetry, Lake Louise score, and sway velocity were explored. Total sway velocity during standing balance with eyes open (p = 0.003, d = 1.9) and during Sharpened Romberg test with eyes open (p = 0.007, d = 1.6) was significantly greater at altitudes of 3619m and 5140m when compared with sea level. Anterior-posterior sway velocity during standing balance with eyes open was also significantly greater at altitudes of 3619m and 5140m when compared with sea level (p = 0.001, d = 1.9). Knee joint position sense was not altered at higher altitudes. There were no significant correlations between Lake Louise scores, pulse oximetry and postural sway. Despite a gradual ascent profile, exposure to 3619 m was associated with impairments in postural control without impairment in knee joint position sense. Importantly, these impairments did not worsen at higher altitudes of 4600 m or 5140 m. The present findings should be considered during future trekking expeditions when developing training strategies targeted to manage impairments in postural control that occur with increasing altitude.

  19. Winter Survival: A Consumer's Guide to Winter Preparedness.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Department of Energy, Washington, DC.

    This booklet discusses a variety of topics to help consumers prepare for winter. Tips for the home include: winterizing the home, dealing with a loss of heat or power failure, and what you need to have on hand. Another section gives driving tips and what to do in a storm. Health factors include suggestions for keeping warm, signs and treatment for…

  20. Modern process study on Chen Co and Ranwu Lake of Tibetan Plateau

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ju, J.

    2013-12-01

    proxies in lake sediments. (3) The nutritional status of lake water was controlled by temperature, salinity by lake level. Carbonate deposition was influenced by biological factor clearly, but also influenced by under-water terrain and depth. (4) Paleo-lacustrine sediments have certain impact to modern sediment, reflecting the finer grain size and more chemical constituents of clay minerals in the ricver mouth of the southern river. (5) For Ranwu Lake, next to the oceanic glaciers, glacier melt influenced the lake more directly, which can be illustrated by the Quchi River dominating a lot of aspects of Ranwu Lake, including the water level, seasonal and spatial water temperate, conductivity, pH value, and even the chlorophyll content. Depositional flux analysis detected by sediment traps found that the fluxes decreasing from upper lake to the lower lake and greater flux in summer than other seasons, reflecting the dominant influence of Quchi River on the lake. (6) Analysis for the dust flux detected by a dust collector found that the greatest flux happened in winter and spring, with the flux 3~4 more than other seasons.

  1. Carbon and hydrogen isotopic systematics of dissolved methane in small seasonally ice-covered lakes near the margin of the Greenland ice sheet

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cadieux, S. B.; White, J. R.; Pratt, L. M.; Peng, Y.; Young, S. A.

    2013-12-01

    Northern lakes contribute from 6-16% of annual methane inputs to Earth's atmosphere, yet little is known about the seasonal biogeochemistry of CH4 cycling, particularly for lakes in the Arctic. Studies during ice-free conditions have been conducted in Alaskan, Swedish and Siberian lakes. However, there is little information on CH4 cycling under ice-covered conditions, and few stable isotopic measurements, which can help elucidate production and consumption pathways. In order to better understand methane dynamics of ice-covered Arctic lakes, 4 small lakes (surface area <1 km2) within a narrow valley extending from the Russells Glacier to Søndre Strømfjord in Southwestern Greenland were examined during summer stratification and winter ice-cover. Lakes in the study area are ice-covered from mid-September to mid-June. In both seasons, variations in the concentrations and isotopic composition of methane with depth were related to redox fluctuations. During late winter under~2 m of ice, the entire water column was anoxic with wide variation in methane concentrationsand isotopic composition from lake to lake. In three of the lakes, CH4 concentrations and δ13C were relatively stable over the depth of the water column, averaging from 120 to 480μM, with δ13CH4 values from -56‰ to -66‰, respectively. Methane concentrations in the other lake increased with depth from <1 μM below the ice to 800 μM at the sediment/water interface, while δ13C decreased by 30‰ from -30‰ to -70‰ over this depth. In all the lakes, δ13C of sediment porewater was lighter than the overlying water by at least 10‰. The δD-CH4 in the water column ranged from -370‰ to -50‰, exhibiting covariance with δ13C consistent with significant methanotrophic activity. In the sediment, δD-CH4 values ranged from -330‰ to -275‰, and were inversely correlated with δ13C. We will present detailed information on redox dynamics as a controlling factor in methane cycling, and explore the

  2. Thermal Pollution Mathematical Model. Volume 4: Verification of Three-Dimensional Rigid-Lid Model at Lake Keowee. [envrionment impact of thermal discharges from power plants

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lee, S. S.; Sengupta, S.; Nwadike, E. V.; Sinha, S. K.

    1980-01-01

    The rigid lid model was developed to predict three dimensional temperature and velocity distributions in lakes. This model was verified at various sites (Lake Belews, Biscayne Bay, etc.) and th verification at Lake Keowee was the last of these series of verification runs. The verification at Lake Keowee included the following: (1) selecting the domain of interest, grid systems, and comparing the preliminary results with archival data; (2) obtaining actual ground truth and infrared scanner data both for summer and winter; and (3) using the model to predict the measured data for the above periods and comparing the predicted results with the actual data. The model results compared well with measured data. Thus, the model can be used as an effective predictive tool for future sites.

  3. Microplastic pollution in lakes and lake shoreline sediments - A case study on Lake Bolsena and Lake Chiusi (central Italy).

    PubMed

    Fischer, Elke Kerstin; Paglialonga, Lisa; Czech, Elisa; Tamminga, Matthias

    2016-06-01

    Rivers and effluents have been identified as major pathways for microplastics of terrestrial sources. Moreover, lakes of different dimensions and even in remote locations contain microplastics in striking abundances. This study investigates concentrations of microplastic particles at two lakes in central Italy (Lake Bolsena, Lake Chiusi). A total number of six Manta Trawls have been carried out, two of them one day after heavy winds occurred on Lake Bolsena showing effects on particle distribution of fragments and fibers of varying size categories. Additionally, 36 sediment samples from lakeshores were analyzed for microplastic content. In the surface waters 2.68 to 3.36 particles/m(3) (Lake Chiusi) and 0.82 to 4.42 particles/m(3) (Lake Bolsena) were detected, respectively. Main differences between the lakes are attributed to lake characteristics such as surface and catchment area, depth and the presence of local wind patterns and tide range at Lake Bolsena. An event of heavy winds and moderate rainfall prior to one sampling led to an increase of concentrations at Lake Bolsena which is most probable related to lateral land-based and sewage effluent inputs. The abundances of microplastic particles in sediments vary from mean values of 112 (Lake Bolsena) to 234 particles/kg dry weight (Lake Chiusi). Lake Chiusi results reveal elevated fiber concentrations compared to those of Lake Bolsena what might be a result of higher organic content and a shift in grain size distribution towards the silt and clay fraction at the shallow and highly eutrophic Lake Chiusi. The distribution of particles along different beach levels revealed no significant differences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway Navigation Season Extension. Volume 2. Appendixes A - B

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-08-01

    of 12 automobiles. During the winter season the ferry transports about 60 autos per day. In addition, the ferry transports the school buses for about...50 children attending schools on the mainland, as well as trucks supplying provisions and fuel oil to the island. Prior to the extended navigation...January (+ 2 weeks) on the upper four Great Lakes. However, the state-of-the- art , with available biological information-, data, and ecosystem

  5. Geochemical evidence for hydroclimatic variability over the last 2460 years from Crevice Lake in Yellowstone National Park, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stevens, L.R.; Dean, W.E.

    2008-01-01

    A 2460-year-long hydroclimatic record for Crevice Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Montana was constructed from the ??18O values of endogenic carbonates. The ??18O record is compared to the Palmer Hydrologic Drought Index (PHDI) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) indices, as well as inferred discharge of the Yellowstone River. During the last century, high ??18O values coincide with drought conditions and the warm phase of the PDO index. Low ??18O values coincide with wet years and a negative PDO index. Comparison of tree-ring inferred discharge of the Yellowstone River with the ??18O record over the last 300 years indicates that periods of high discharge (i.e., wet winters with significant snow pack) correspond with low ??18O values. Extrapolating this relationship we infer wet winters and high river discharge for the periods of 1090-1030, 970-870, 670-620, and 500-430 cal years BP. The wet intervals at 670 and 500 cal BP are synchronous with similar events in Banff, Canada and Walker Lake, Nevada. The wet intervals at 970 and 670 cal BP overlap with wet intervals at Walker Lake and major drought events identified in the western Great Basin. These results suggest that the northern border of Yellowstone National Park straddles the boundary between Northern Rocky Mountains and Great Basin climate regimes. ?? 2007 Elsevier Ltd and INQUA.

  6. Potential transport pathways of dust emanating from the playa of Ebinur Lake, Xinjiang, in arid northwest China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ge, Yongxiao; Abuduwaili, Jilili; Ma, Long; Wu, Na; Liu, Dongwei

    2016-09-01

    In this paper, the HYSPLIT model, driven with reanalysis meteorological data from 1978 to 2013, was used to understand the potential transport characteristics of dust and salt dust emanating from the playa of Ebinur Lake in arid northwest China. Daily air parcel trajectories were computed forward for 8 days from an origin centered over Ebinur Lake at 100 m above ground level. Air parcel trajectory density plots were mapped for seven levels: 0-100 m agl., 100-500 m agl., 500-1000 m agl., 1000-1500 m agl., 1500-2000 m agl., 2000-3000 m agl., and 3000-5000 m agl. These show that potential dust transport pathways have clear seasonal differentiation. The potential transport distance of dust and salt dust is greatest in spring and summer. In autumn and winter, the potential transport of the high-density air trajectory is below 1000 m traveling a shorter distance. Potential dust transport pathways showed notifying directivity in different seasons and heights. Southeast in spring and summer, and north to northeast in autumn and winter are the two main potential transport channels of dust and salt dust. Accordingly, dust and salt dust from the playa of Ebinur Lake may influence the atmospheric processes and biogeochemical cycles of a vast region. The main area of influence of dust and salt dust is close to the source area, and will significantly accelerate the melting of snow and ice in the Tianshan Mountains. This highlights the urgent need to combine remote sensing, isotope and other methods to further research the transport characteristics of dust and salt dust from the playa of the Ebinur Lake.

  7. Prevalence of Intestinal Helminths Infestation in Children Attending Princess Marie Louise Children's Hospital in Accra, Ghana

    PubMed Central

    Mirisho, Robert; Neizer, Margaret L.

    2017-01-01

    The deworming exercise program does not cover all children who are not in school. This study determined the prevalence and species type of helminth infestation and associated factors among children attending Princess Marie Louise Children's Hospital in Accra, Ghana. Children (225) below the age of 10 who have not taken antihelminthic drugs prior to the study period were recruited between May and June 2015. Children or guardians were interviewed using structured questionnaires and fresh stools were collected and processed for helminths species identification using microscopy. Data were analyzed using Stata version 12. Overall helminths infestation prevalence was 17.33% (39/225). The identified species were hookworm (10.22% (23/225)) and Ascaris lumbricoides (7.11% (16/225)). No double infestation was observed. Significant associations were observed between infestation and age group beyond 4 years (48 months) (aOR = 16.72, 95% CI 1.00–279.72), place of residence (aOR = 7.35, 95% CI 1.68–32.11), washing hands after using toilet (0.04, 95% CI 0.01–0.20), and dirt on fingernails of children (7.96, 95% CI 1.73–36.65). This study demonstrates high prevalence of helminths parasites, hookworm, and Ascaris lumbricoides in children attending PMLCH. Deworming exercise should be extended to children hospitals in developing countries. PMID:29057116

  8. Lake whitefish and lake herring population structure and niche in ten south-central Ontario lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carl, Leon M.; McGuiness, Fiona

    2006-01-01

    This study compares simple fish communities of ten oligotrophic lakes in south-central Ontario. Species densities and population size structure vary significantly among these lake communities depending on fish species present beyond the littoral zone. Lake whitefish are fewer and larger in the presence of lake herring than in their absence. Diet analysis indicates that lake whitefish shift from feeding on both plankton and benthic prey when lake herring are absent to a primarily benthic feeding niche in the presence of lake herring. When benthic round whitefish are present, lake whitefish size and density decline and they move lower in the lake compared to round whitefish. Burbot are also fewer and larger in lakes with lake herring than in lakes without herring. Burbot, in turn, appear to influence the population structure of benthic coregonine species. Lower densities of benthic lake whitefish and round whitefish are found in lakes containing large benthic burbot than in lakes with either small burbot or where burbot are absent. Predation on the pelagic larvae of burbot and lake whitefish by planktivorous lake herring alters the size and age structure of these populations. As life history theory predicts, those species with poor larval survival appear to adopt a bet-hedging life history strategy of long-lived individuals as a reproductive reserve.

  9. Year-Round Carbon Fluxes in a Subarctic Landscape Show the Importance of Lake Emissions According to Season

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jammet, M.; Crill, P. M.; Friborg, T.

    2014-12-01

    Lakes are increasingly recognized as important components of the global terrestrial carbon budget. Northern lakes are especially of interest due to a high density of open-water ecosystems in Northern latitudes and a potential increase in lake areal extent where permafrost is thawing. A better understanding of lake-atmosphere interactions requires long-term and direct measurement of surface fluxes. This is rarely achieved in Northern landscapes where seasonally ice-covered lakes are mostly studied during the open water season, and measurement methods do not always allow an integration of all gas transport pathways to the atmosphere. We present here ecosystem-scale data from Stordalen (68°20'N, 19°03'E), a thawing permafrost peatland in subarctic Sweden, where an eddy covariance system is used in an innovative way to quantify the importance of methane (CH4) emissions from a shallow lake. After more than a year of surface flux monitoring, it is found that spring is a crucial season for lake-atmosphere CH4 exchange. Despite its shallow depth, more than half of annual CH4 emissions from the lake were recorded at ice-out, suggesting significant winter CH4 production in lake sediments. Lake water dynamics seemed to drive the observed spring release rates. In contrast, summer methane emissions in Stordalen were dominated by the minerotrophic fens. This underlines the importance of considering the full annual budget when assessing the carbon source strength of seasonally ice-covered lakes. Carbon dioxide fluxes were also monitored and will be briefly discussed, as well as the significance of northern lakes spring burst for global atmospheric CH4 budget.

  10. Effects of lake surface elevation on shoreline-spawning Lost River Suckers

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burdick, Summer M.; Hewitt, David A.; Rasmussen, J.E.; Hayes, Brian; Janney, Eric; Harris, Alta C.

    2015-01-01

    We analyzed remote detection data from PIT-tagged Lost River Suckers Deltistes luxatus at four shoreline spawning areas in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, to determine whether spawning of this endangered species was affected by low water levels. Our investigation was motivated by the observation that the surface elevation of the lake during the 2010 spawning season was the lowest in 38 years. Irrigation withdrawals in 2009 that were not replenished by subsequent winter-spring inflows caused a reduction in available shoreline spawning habitat in 2010. We compared metrics of skipped spawning, movement among spawning areas, and spawning duration across 8 years (2006-2013) that had contrasting spring water levels. Some aspects of sucker spawning were similar in all years, including few individuals straying from the shoreline areas to spawning locations in lake tributaries and consistent effects of increasing water temperatures on the accumulation of fish at the spawning areas. During the extreme low water year of 2010, 14% fewer female and 8% fewer male suckers joined the shoreline spawning aggregation than in the other years. Both males and females visited fewer spawning areas within Upper Klamath Lake in 2010 than in other years, and the median duration at spawning areas in 2010 was at least 36% shorter for females and 20% shorter for males relative to other years. Given the imperiled status of the species and the declining abundance of the population in Upper Klamath Lake, any reduction in spawning success and egg production could negatively impact recovery efforts. Our results indicate that lake surface elevations above 1,262.3-1,262.5 m would be unlikely to limit the number of spawning fish and overall egg production.

  11. Spatial and Temporal Trends of Snowfall in Central New York - A Lake Effect Dominated Region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hartnett, Justin Joseph

    Central New York is located in one of the snowiest regions in the United States, with the city of Syracuse, New York the snowiest metropolis in the nation. Snowfall in the region generally begins in mid-November and lasts until late-March. Snow accumulation occurs from a multitude of conditions: frontal systems, mid-latitude cyclones, Nor'easters, and most notably lake-effect storms. Lake effect snowfall (LES) is a difficult parameter to forecast due to the isolated and highly variable nature of the storm. Consequently, studies have attempted to determine changes in snowfall for lake-effect dominated regions. Annual snowfall patterns are of particular concern as seasonal snowfall totals are vital for water resources, winter businesses, agriculture, government and state agencies, and much more. Through the use of snowfall, temperature, precipitation, and location data from the National Weather Service's Cooperative Observer Program (COOP), spatial and temporal changes in snowfall for Central New York were determined. In order to determine climatic changes in snowfall, statistical analyses were performed (i.e. least squares estimation, correlations, principal component analyses, etc.) and spatial maps analyzed. Once snowfall trends were determined, factors influencing the trends were examined. Long-term snowfall trends for CNY were positive for original stations (˜0.46 +/- 0.20 in. yr -1) and homogenously filtered stations (0.23 +/- 0.20 in. yr -1). However, snowfall trends for shorter time-increments within the long-term period were not consistent, as positive, negative, and neutral trends were calculated. Regional differences in snowfall trends were observed for CNY as typical lake-effect areas (northern counties, the Tug Hill Plateau and the Southern Hills) experienced larger snowfall trends than areas less dominated by LES. Typical lake-effect months (December - February) experienced the greatest snowfall trend in CNY compared to other winter months. The

  12. Distribution and seasonal dynamics of arsenic in a shallow lake in northwestern New Jersey, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barringer, J.L.; Szabo, Z.; Wilson, T.P.; Bonin, J.L.; Kratzer, T.; Cenno, K.; Romagna, T.; Alebus, M.; Hirst, B.

    2011-01-01

    Elevated concentrations of arsenic (As) occurred during warm months in water from the outlet of Lake Mohawk in northwestern New Jersey. The shallow manmade lake is surrounded by residential development and used for recreation. Eutrophic conditions are addressed by alum and copper sulfate applications and aerators operating in the summer. In September 2005, arsenite was dominant in hypoxic to anoxic bottom water. Filterable As concentrations were about 1.6-2 times higher than those in the upper water column (23-25 ??g/L, mostly arsenate). Hypoxic/anoxic and near-neutral bottom conditions formed during the summer, but became more oxic and alkaline as winter approached. Acid-leachable As concentrations in lake-bed sediments ranged up to 694 mg/kg in highly organic material from the tops of sediment cores but were <15 mg/kg in geologic substrate. During warm months, reduced As from the sediment diffuses into the water column and is oxidized; mixing by aerators, wind, and boat traffic spreads arsenate and metals, some in particulate form, throughout the water column. Similar levels of As in sediments of lakes treated with arsenic pesticides indicate that most of the As in Lake Mohawk probably derives from past use of arsenical pesticides, although records of applications are lacking. The annual loss of As at the lake outlet is only about 0.01% of the As calculated to be in the sediments, indicating that elevated levels of As in the lake will persist for decades. ?? 2010 US Government.

  13. Evidence of form II RubisCO (cbbM) in a perennially ice-covered Antarctic lake.

    PubMed

    Kong, Weidong; Dolhi, Jenna M; Chiuchiolo, Amy; Priscu, John; Morgan-Kiss, Rachael M

    2012-11-01

    The permanently ice-covered lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, harbor microbially dominated food webs. These organisms are adapted to a variety of unusual environmental extremes, including low temperature, low light, and permanently stratified water columns with strong chemo- and oxy-clines. Owing to the low light levels during summer caused by thick ice cover as well as 6 months of darkness during the polar winter, chemolithoautotrophic microorganisms could play a key role in the production of new carbon for the lake ecosystems. We used clone library sequencing and real-time quantitative PCR of the gene encoding form II Ribulose 1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase to determine spatial and seasonal changes in the chemolithoautotrophic community in Lake Bonney, a 40-m-deep lake covered by c. 4 m of permanent ice. Our results revealed that chemolithoautotrophs harboring the cbbM gene are restricted to layers just above the chemo- and oxi-cline (≤ 15 m) in the west lobe of Lake Bonney (WLB). Our data reveal that the WLB is inhabited by a unique chemolithoautotrophic community that resides in the suboxic layers of the lake where there are ample sources of alternative electron sources such as ammonium, reduced iron and reduced biogenic sulfur species. © 2012 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Spatio-seasonal variability in dissolved organic matter optical properties and its bioavailability in a subalpine lake

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stadler, Masumi; Ejarque, Elisabet; Kainz, Martin J.

    2017-04-01

    Allochthonous and autochothonous dissolved organic matter (DOM) in lakes mainly originate from terrestrial and aquatic primary production, respectively. Due to their differing biochemical composition the degradability of DOM by microorganisms is expected to vary. The carbon use efficiency of bacteria and DOM biodegradability determine whether the consumed DOM is incorporated into microbial biomass or respired to CO2 and ultimately emitted into the atmosphere. Thus, understanding the interaction of biodegradable DOM and its consumers is crucial to increase our knowledge on the role of lakes in the global carbon cycling. However, interactions of specific aquatic DOM signatures and the microbial population still remain widely debated. The aim of this study was to explore how DOM biodegradability changes along a stream-lake continuum at different seasons of the year. We monitored DOM quantity and its optical properties, inorganic nutrients, CO2 and bacterial growth over 20 days in dark bioassays with water from the inflow, outflow and at three layers of an oligotrophic subalpine lake. Preliminary results reveal highest microbial abundance in the metalimnion in winter and summer (0.7 106 and 2.5 106 cells mL-1, respectively) and the inflow in spring and autumn (1 106 and 1.4 106 cells mL-1, respectively) after 20 days. Surprisingly, with the exception of winter samples final inflow bacterial abundance results high, despite its lowest initial natural cell concentration, providing evidence for effective utilisation of terrestrial DOM, even with its high humic signature as indicated by the humification index (HIX). Nonetheless, after a microbial biomass peak with the inflow yielding mostly highest after three days, at the final experimental stage microbial biomass does only marginally differ between all sites with the exception of autumn samples where outflow and metalimnion turn out most productive. Even though the DOM of all lake sites and the lake outflow were

  15. Modeling water quality effects of structural and operational changes to Scoggins Dam and Henry Hagg Lake, Oregon

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sullivan, Annett B.; Rounds, Stewart A.

    2006-01-01

    To meet water quality targets and the municipal and industrial water needs of a growing population in the Tualatin River Basin in northwestern Oregon, an expansion of Henry Hagg Lake is under consideration. Hagg Lake is the basin's primary storage reservoir and provides water during western Oregon's typically dry summers. Potential modifications include raising the dam height by 6.1 meters (20 feet), 7.6 meters (25 feet), or 12.2 meters (40 feet); installing additional outlets (possibly including a selective withdrawal tower); and adding additional inflows to provide greater reliability of filling the enlarged reservoir. One method of providing additional inflows is to route water from the upper Tualatin River through a tunnel and into Sain Creek, a tributary to the lake. Another option is to pump water from the Tualatin River (downstream of the lake) uphill and into the reservoir during the winter--the 'pump-back' option. A calibrated CE-QUAL-W2 model of Henry Hagg Lake's hydrodynamics, temperature, and water quality was used to examine the effect of these proposed changes on water quality in the lake and downstream. Most model scenarios were run with the calibrated model for 2002, a typical water year; a few scenarios were run for 2001, a drought year. More...

  16. Juvenile Lost River and shortnose sucker year class strength, survival, and growth in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California—2016 Monitoring Report

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Burdick, Summer M.; Ostberg, Carl O.; Hoy, Marshal S.

    2018-04-20

    Executive SummaryThe largest populations of federally endangered Lost River (Deltistes luxatus) and shortnose suckers (Chasmistes brevirostris) exist in Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon, and Clear Lake Reservoir, California. Upper Klamath Lake populations are decreasing because adult mortality, which is relatively low, is not being balanced by recruitment of young adult suckers into known spawning aggregations. Most Upper Klamath Lake juvenile sucker mortality appears to occur within the first year of life. Annual production of juvenile suckers in Clear Lake Reservoir appears to be highly variable and may not occur at all in very dry years. However, juvenile sucker survival is much higher in Clear Lake, with non-trivial numbers of suckers surviving to join spawning aggregations. Long-term monitoring of juvenile sucker populations is needed to (1) determine if there are annual and species-specific differences in production, survival, and growth, (2) to identify the season (summer or winter) in which most mortality occurs, and (3) to help identify potential causes of high juvenile sucker mortality, particularly in Upper Klamath Lake.We initiated an annual juvenile sucker monitoring program in 2015 to track cohorts in 3 months (June, August, and September) annually in Upper Klamath Lake and Clear Lake Reservoir. We tracked annual variability in age-0 sucker apparent production, juvenile sucker apparent survival, and apparent growth. Using genetic markers, we were able to classify suckers as one of three taxa: shortnose or Klamath largescale suckers, Lost River, or suckers with genetic markers of both species (Intermediate Prob[LRS]). Using catch data, we generated taxa-specific indices of year class strength, August–September apparent survival, and overwinter apparent survival. We also examined prevalence and severity of afflictions such as parasites, wounds, and deformities.Indices of year class strength in Upper Klamath Lake were similar for shortnose suckers in 2015

  17. Monitoring of Water-Level Fluctuation of Lake Nasser Using Altimetry Satellite Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Shirbeny, Mohammed A.; Abutaleb, Khaled A.

    2018-05-01

    Apart from the Renaissance Dam and other constructed dams on the River Nile tributaries, Egypt is classified globally as a state of scarce water. Egypt's water resources are very limited and do not contribute a significant amount to its water share except the River Nile (55.5 billion m3/year). While the number of population increases every year, putting more stress on these limited resources. This study aims to use remote-sensing data to assess the change in surface area and water-level variation in Lake Nasser using remote-sensing data from Landsat-8 and altimetry data. In addition, it investigates the use of thermal data from Landsat-8 to calculate water loss based on evaporation from Lake Nasser. The eight Landsat-8 satellite images were used to study the change in surface area of Lake Nasser representing winter (January) and summer (June/July) seasons in two consecutive years (2015 and 2016). Time series analyses for 10-day temporal resolution water-level data from Jason-2/OSTM and Jason-3 altimetry was carried out to investigate water-level trends over the long term (1993 and 2016) and short term (2015-2016) in correspondence with the change of the surface area. Results indicated a shrink in the lake surface area in 2016 of approximately 14% compared to the 2015 area. In addition, the evaporation rate in the lake is very high causing a loss of approximately 20% of the total water share from the river Nile.

  18. Tree-Ring Dating of Extreme Lake Levels at the Subarctic?Boreal Interface

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bégin, Yves

    2001-03-01

    The dates of extreme water levels of two large lakes in northern Quebec have been recorded over the last century by ice scars on shoreline trees and sequences of reaction wood in shore trees tilted by wave erosion. Ice-scar chronologies indicate high water levels in spring, whereas tree-tilting by waves is caused by summer high waters. A major increase in both the amplitude and frequency of ice floods occurred in the 1930s. No such change was indicated by the tree-tilting chronologies, but wave erosion occurred in exceptionally rainy years. According to the modern record, spring lake-level rise is due to increased snowfalls since the 1930s. However, the absence of erosional marks in a large number of years since 1930 suggests a high frequency of low-water-level years resulting from dry conditions. Intercalary years with very large numbers of marked trees (e.g., 1935) indicate that the interannual range of summer lake levels has increased since the 1930s. Increased lake-flood frequency is postulated to be related to a slower expansion of arctic anticyclones, favoring the passage of cyclonic air masses over the area and resulting in abundant snowfall in early winter. Conditions in summer are due to the rate of weakening of the anticyclones controlling the position of the arctic front in summer. This position influences the path of the cyclonic air masses, which control summer precipitation and, consequently, summer lake levels in the area.

  19. Evaluation of Experimental Four-Day Week Class Schedule, January Through April 1974 at Lake City Community College.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hardman, Clark

    Due to the energy disturbance during the fall and winter of 1973-74, Lake City Community College experimented with a 4-days-per-week schedule of classes. a student evaluation of the 4-day week was completed by 58 percent of the full-time students. Fifty-one percent of the total student sample preferred the 4-day week, and 30 percent preferred the…

  20. The late Cenozoic diatom stratigraphy and paleolimnology of Tule Lake, Siskiyou Co. California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bradbury, J.P.

    1991-01-01

    Lacustrine diatoms are diverse, well preserved and abundant in cores of lake sediment to 334 m depth near the town of Tulelake, Siskiyou County, northern California. The cores have been dated by radiometric, tephrochronologic and paleomagnetic techniques, which indicate a basal age of about 3 million years (Ma) and a nearly continuous depositional record for the Tule Lake basin for the last 3 million years (My). Fossil diatoms document the late Cenozoic paleolimnologic and paleoclimatic history for the northwestern edge of the Basin and Range Province. During the last 3 My, Tule Lake was typically a relatively deep, extensive lake. The Pliocene is characterized by a diatom flora dominated by Aulacoseira solida suggesting more abundant summer precipitation and warmer winters. Increases in 'Fragilaria' at 2.4 Ma and between 2.0 and 1.7 Ma imply cooler summers that correlate to glacial environments recorded elsewhere in the world. Stephanodiscus niagarae and 'Fragilaria' species dominate the Pleistocene. Benthic diatoms of alkalineenriched, saline waters occur with S. niagarae between 100 and 40 m depth (0.90-0.14 Ma). Tephrochronology indicates slow deposition and possible hiatuses between about 0.6 and 0.2 Ma. Overall, the Pleistocene diatom flora reflects cooler and sometimes drier climates, especially after major glaciations began 0.85 Ma. The chronology of even-numbered oxygen isotope stages approximately matches fluctuations in the abundance in 'Fragilaria' species since 1 Ma, suggesting that glacial periods at Tule Lake were expressed by relatively cool summers with enhanced effective moisture. Interglacial periods are represented by variable mixtures of freshwater planktonic and benthic alkaline diatom assemblages that suggest seasonal environments with winter-spring precipitation and summer moisture deficits. Glacial-interglacial environments since 150 ka were distinct from, and more variable than, those occurring earlier. The last full glacial period was

  1. Importance of Local and Regional Scales in Shaping Mycobacterial Abundance in Freshwater Lakes.

    PubMed

    Roguet, Adélaïde; Therial, Claire; Catherine, Arnaud; Bressy, Adèle; Varrault, Gilles; Bouhdamane, Lila; Tran, Viet; Lemaire, Bruno J; Vincon-Leite, Brigitte; Saad, Mohamed; Moulin, Laurent; Lucas, Françoise S

    2018-05-01

    Biogeographical studies considering the entire bacterial community may underestimate mechanisms of bacterial assemblages at lower taxonomic levels. In this context, the study aimed to identify factors affecting the spatial and temporal dynamic of the Mycobacterium, a genus widespread in aquatic ecosystems. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) density variations were quantified in the water column of freshwater lakes at the regional scale (annual monitoring of 49 lakes in the Paris area) and at the local scale (2-year monthly monitoring in Créteil Lake) by real-time quantitative PCR targeting the atpE gene. At the regional scale, mycobacteria densities in water samples ranged from 6.7 × 10 3 to 1.9 × 10 8 genome units per liter. Density variations were primarily explained by water pH, labile iron, and dispersal processes through the connection of the lakes to a river. In Créteil Lake, no spatial variation of mycobacterial densities was noticed over the 2-year monthly survey, except after large rainfall events. Indeed, storm sewer effluents locally and temporarily increased NTM densities in the water column. The temporal dynamic of the NTM densities in Créteil Lake was associated with suspended solid concentrations. No clear seasonal variation was noticed despite a shift in NTM densities observed over the 2012-2013 winter. Temporal NTM densities fluctuations were well predicted by the neutral community model, suggesting a random balance between loss and gain of mycobacterial taxa within Créteil Lake. This study highlights the importance of considering multiple spatial scales for understanding the spatio-temporal dynamic of bacterial populations in natural environments.

  2. Impacts of a Destructive and Well-Observed Cross-Country Winter Storm.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martner, Brooks E.; Rauber, Robert M.; Ramamurthy, Mohan K.; Rasmussen, Roy M.; Prater, Erwin T.

    1992-02-01

    A winter storm that crossed the continental United States in mid-February 1990 produced hazardous weather across a vast area of the nation. A wide range of severe weather was reported, including heavy snowfall; freezing rain and drizzle; thunderstorms with destructive winds, lightning, large hail, and tornadoes; prolonged heavy rain with subsequent flooding; frost damage to citrus orchards; and sustained destructive winds not associated with thunderstorms. Low-end preliminary estimates of impacts included 9 deaths, 27 injuries, and $120 million of property damage. At least 35 states and southeastern Canada were adversely affected. The storm occurred during the field operations of four independent atmospheric research projects that obtained special, detailed observations of it from the Rocky Mountains to the eastern great Lakes.

  3. Pulsed resources at tundra breeding sites affect winter irruptions at temperate latitudes of a top predator, the snowy owl.

    PubMed

    Robillard, A; Therrien, J F; Gauthier, G; Clark, K M; Bêty, J

    2016-06-01

    Irruptive migration is mostly observed in species specialized on pulsed resources and is thought to be a response to unpredictable changes in food supply. We assessed two alternative hypotheses to explain the periodic winter irruptions of snowy owls Bubo scandiacus every 3-5 years in temperate North America: (a) the lack-of-food hypothesis, which states that a crash in small mammal abundance on the Arctic breeding grounds forces owls to move out of the tundra massively to search for food in winter; (b) the breeding-success hypothesis, which states that high abundance of tundra small mammals during the summer allows for high production of young, thus increasing the pool of migrants moving south the following winter. We modeled winter irruptions of snowy owls in relation to summer food resources and geographic location. Winter abundance of owls was obtained from citizen-based surveys from 1994 to 2011 and summer abundance of small mammals was collected in summer at two distant sites in Canada: Bylot Island, NU (eastern High Arctic) and Daring Lake, NWT (central Low Arctic). Winter owl abundance was positively related to prey abundance during the previous summer at both sites and tended to decrease from western to eastern temperate North America. Irruptive migration of snowy owls was therefore best explained by the breeding success hypothesis and was apparently caused by large-scale summer variations in food. Our results, combined with previous findings, suggest that the main determinants of irruptive migration may be species specific even in a guild of apparently similar species.

  4. Spatio-temporal dynamics of sulfate-reducing bacteria in extreme environment of Rogoznica Lake revealed by 16S rRNA analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Čanković, Milan; Petrić, Ines; Marguš, Marija; Ciglenečki, Irena

    2017-08-01

    Highly eutrophic and euxinic seawater system of Rogoznica Lake (Croatia) was used as a study site for investigation of distribution, diversity and abundance of sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) during stratified conditions in the summer and winter season, by targeting 6 phylogenetic subgroups of SRB. 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that community cannot be directly related to cultured SRB species but rather that Rogoznica Lake harbors habitat-specific SRB populations associated to bacteria belonging to δ-Proteobacteria with few Firmicutes and Verrucomicrobium-related populations. Clear spatial-temporal shifts in the SRB community structure were observed. Results implied existence of distinct SRB populations between the water column and sediment, as well as higher diversity of the SRB occupying water layer then the ones found in the sediment. Likewise, seasonal variations in populations were observed. While SRB community was more diverse in the winter compared to the summer season in the water layer, situation was opposite in the sediment. Water layer communities seem to be more susceptible to changes of physico-chemical parameters, while those in the sediment have prorogated response to these changes. Results indicate that SRB diversity is still highly underestimated in natural environments, especially in specific habitats such as Rogoznica Lake. Presented data show a complex SRB diversity and distribution supporting the idea that habitat-specific SRB communities are important part of the anaerobic food chain in degradation of organic matter as well as cycling of sulfur and carbon species in the Lake and similar anoxic environment.

  5. Filling of Spirit Lake, Washington, May 18, 1980 to July 31, 1982

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Meyer, William; Carpenter, Philip J.

    1983-01-01

    The rockslide/debris avalanche from the north face of Mount St. Helens that precipitated the volcano 's eruption on May 18, 1980 , blocked outflow from Spirit Lake, Washington. There has been no surface outflow since that time. From May 21, 1980, when the first measurement of lake level was made, to August 1, 1982, Spirit Lake has increased its volume from 122,800 acre-ft to 264 ,000 acre-ft, an increase of 115%. Lake level has risen approximately 54 ft during this period. Hydrologic and geologic properties of the debris dam are unknown, but the materials obviously are easily erodible. Steep walled channels up to 60 ft deep have been eroded into the dam and are extending headward toward the lowest points on the crest. In addition, it appears that the lower areas on the crest of the dam are underlain by ash cloud deposits of low density. Indications are that the debris dam could fail by headward erosion, by overtopping with rapid downcutting, or by ' piping ' and rapid erosion. Each type of failure can produce rapid release of stored lake water with very high discharge rates. On the basis of observed filling rates of the lake over the last two yr and precipitation records at four long-term, low altitude National Weather Service stations, it is expected that normal precipitation will fill the lake to the dam crest in December 1985. This estimate is also based on the assumption that loss of water from the lake by seepage continues at the present rate until December 1985. With normal precipitation during the coming yr (August 1982 through July 1983 the lake will fill to a level 50 ft below the lowest existing point on the crest of the debris dam, which is at 3,532 ft altitude. If precipitation exceeds normal by 1.5 times during this coming year, the lake level will be 40 ft below the 3 ,532-ft crest of the debris dam by the end of July 1983. This same lake level can be reached by the end of March 1983 if precipitation from October through March is twice the winter mean

  6. Evidence for Large Hydrologic and Ecologic Variability During the Late Wisconsin in the Coastal Southwest United States (Lake Elsinore, CA)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirby, M.; Heusser, L. E.; Scholz, C. A.; Anderson, M.; Rhodes, E. J.; Hiner, C.; Palermo, J. A.; Silveira, E.

    2016-12-01

    Future climate change is expected to alter the planet's water cycle, thus stressing water resources and ecologic stability. This impact is predicted to be especially significant in arid environments. Unfortunately, continuous, sub-centennially resolved paleo-terrestrial records are rare from arid environments such as the coastal southwest US (cswUS). Lake Elsinore, a pull-apart basin located 90 km SE of Los Angeles CA, is the largest natural lake in the cswUS. Gravity studies indicate nearly 1000 m of sediments occupy the basin. A recent seismic reflection survey imaged the upper 60-80 m of sediment, revealing continuous sediment accumulation. Here, we present a decadal-to-multi-decadal lacustrine sediment core record used to assess the relationship between vegetation (i.e., pollen) and run-off variability (i.e., grain size) during the late Wisconsin (10-32 kyrs BP). In general, the late Wisconsin is characterized by run-off greater than during the Holocene, indicating more frequent winter storms and/or higher intensity precipitation. A notable dry period, however, exists between 25.5-27.5 kyrs BP (Heusser et al., 2015), where lake level regressed but did not desiccate. Modern lake-level - grain size relationships are used to assess paleo-lake levels during this glacial mega-drought. Peak run-off occurs between 14.7 and 19.8 kyrs BP, generally post-dating the global LGM. A two-step decrease in run-off characterize the B-A to YD to Holocene (Kirby et al., 2013). Vegetation shows a fairly strong coupling to the run-off indicator, signifying rapid ecologic responses to changes in regional hydroclimates. This run-off - vegetation coupling is especially relevant to understanding future vegetative responses in the CA Floristic Province Biodiversity Hotspot. Finally, results are compared to potential forcings such as winter-summer insolation, Pacific SSTs, and Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation as well as regional paleo-records.

  7. Seasonal food habits of introduced blue catfish in Lake Oconee, Georgia

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jennings, Cecil A.; Mitchell, Geoffrey E.; Nelson, Chris

    2018-01-01

    Blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus) are native to the Coosa River drainage in northwest Georgia but have been widely introduced outside of this range including Lake Oconee, a 7677-ha impoundment on the Oconee River in central Georgia. Blue catfish abundance and growth rates have increased dramatically since their introduction in Lake Oconee, but their food habits are unknown. Therefore, food habits of blue catfish in this impoundment were determined by examining the stomachs of 808 specimens in the reservoir’s upper and lower regions across all seasons from summer 2012 to summer 2013. Diet was summarized using the Relative Importance of specific prey by weight. In the upper region of the reservoir, Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) were the dominant prey item during the summer (75.7%), fall (66.4%), and winter (37.6%); whereas crappie (Pomoxis spp.) was the dominant prey item in the spring (38.7%). Asian clams also were the dominant prey items in the lower region during the fall (68.4%), winter (33.9%), and spring (36.4%). Blue catfish seemed to feed opportunistically on seasonally abundant prey items in both the upper riverine and lower lacustrine portions of the reservoir. Of the many sportfishes in the reservoir, only crappie was an important prey item, and then only in the upper region during the spring. Our results do not support concerns that blue catfish are an apex predator that would decimate the sportfish assemblage in this recently colonized reservoir.

  8. Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway Navigation Season Extension. Volume 6. Appendixes H - L

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1979-08-01

    Great Lakes Shipping *Includes integrated tug-barge ’ Presque Isle " of 5Z.000 DWT. which. for operations purposes, is considered a vessel. As part of...Oniario, and Erie , Pennsylvania . Data collected from Under the National Oil and Haiardous Sub- these stations included solar radiation measurcments...individuals have As with other groups, they asked for more information 103 4 Presque Isle workv tender winter conditions. IM T 46! -- --qJ.,i~j

  9. Studies of Quaternary saline lakes-III. Mineral, chemical, and isotopic evidence of salt solution and crystallization processes in Owens Lake, California, 1969-1971

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Smith, G.I.; Friedman, I.; McLaughlin, R.J.

    1987-01-01

    As a consequence of the 1969-1970 flooding of normally dry Owens Lake, a 2.4-m-deep lake formed and 20% of the 2-m-thick salt bed dissolved in it. Its desiccation began August 1969, and salts started crystallizing September 1970, ending August 1971. Mineralogic, brine-composition, and stable-isotope data plus field observations showed that while the evolving brine composition established the general crystallization timetable and range of primary and secondary mineral assemblages, it was the daily, monthly, and seasonal temperature changes that controlled the details of timing and mineralogy during this depositional process. Deuterium analyses of lake brine, interstitial brine, and hydrated saline phases helped confirm the sequence of mineral crystallizations and transformations, and they documented the sources and temperatures of waters involved in the reactions. Salts first crystallized as floating rafts on the lake surface. Natron and mirabilite, salts whose solubilities decrease greatly with lowering temperatures, crystallized late at night in winter, when surface-water temperatures reached their minima; trona, nahcolite, burkeite, and halite, salts with solubilities less sensitive to temperature, crystallized during the afternoon in summer, when surface salinities reached their maxima. However, different temperatures were generally associated with crystallization (at the surface) and accumulation (on the lake floor) because short-term temperature changes were transmitted to surface and bottom waters at different rates. Consequently, even when solubilities were exceeded at the surface, salts were preserved or not as a function of bottom-water temperatures. Halite, a nearly temperature-insensitive salt, was always preserved. Monitoring the lake-brine chemistry and mineralogy of the accumulating salts shows: (1) An estimated 0.9 ?? 106 tons of CO2 was released to the atmosphere or consumed by the lake's biomass prior to most salt crystallization. (2) After

  10. Nutrient and algal responses to winterkilled fish-derived nutrient subsidies in eutrophic lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schoenebeck, Casey W.; Brown, Michael L.; Chipps, Steven R.; German, David R.

    2012-01-01

    Fishes inhabiting shallow, glacial lakes of the Prairie Pothole Region in the United States and Canada periodically experience hypoxia in severe winters that can lead to extensive fish mortality resulting in high biomasses of dead fish. However, the role of carcass-derived nutrient subsidies in shallow, eutrophic lakes translocated to pelagic primary producers is not well documented. This study quantified the influence of winterkill events on nutrient contributions from decaying fish carcasses of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and the phytoplankton response among pre- and postwinterkill years and compared seasonal patterns of nutrient limitation and phytoplankton community composition between winterkill and nonwinterkill lakes. We found that fish carcasses contributed an estimated 2.5–4.3 kg/ha of total (Kjeldahl) nitrogen (N) and 0.3–0.5 kg/ha of total phosphorus (P) to lakes that experienced winterkill conditions. Nutrient bioassays showed that winterkill lakes were primarily N limited, congruent with the low N:P ratios produced by fish carcasses corrected for the disproportionate release of N and P (8.6). Nutrient subsidies translocated from decomposed fish to pelagic primary producers seemed to have little immediate influence on the seasonal phytoplankton community composition, but total N and subsequent chlorophyll-a increased the year following the winterkill event. Cyanobacteria density varied seasonally but was higher in winterkill lakes, presumably due to the integration of nutrients released from fish decomposition. This study provides evidence that large inputs of autochthonous fish-derived nutrients contribute to nutrient availability within winterkilled systems and increase the maximum attainable biomass of the phytoplankton community.

  11. Wintering waterbirds in a large river floodplain: Hydrological connectivity is the key for reconciling development and conservation.

    PubMed

    Xia, Shaoxia; Liu, Yu; Wang, Yuyu; Chen, Bin; Jia, Yifei; Liu, Guanhua; Yu, Xiubo; Wen, Li

    2016-12-15

    An alteration in the hydrological connectivity reduces the synergistic processes and interactions between rivers and their floodplains, and changes the distribution of waterbirds that rely on floodplains as foraging grounds. Recent river and wetland conservation and restoration efforts have been partially focused on reinstating the natural river-floodplain connectivity to ameliorate the ecological effects of regulation in river systems. However, in regions where human well-being is tightly linked with the cultivation of the floodplain (such as fisheries), management options are constrained and trade-offs among competing social, economic and ecological goals may be necessary for the wise use of wetlands. Poyang Lake in east central China includes numerous sub-lakes with different types of hydrological regulation; therefore, this lake may provide a useful context for exploring the likelihood of such trade-offs. In this study, we used multiyear simultaneous waterbird survey data together with habitat maps derived from satellite imagery for Poyang Lake to examine the variations in waterbird community structure and abundance within sub-lakes with different types of hydrological regulation. Using a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo approach, we built generalized linear mixed models to explore the differences in wetland composition and waterbird abundance/diversity among three lake types (i.e. isolated, freely connected, and controlled) at community, guild and species levels. The results showed hydrological connectivity alteration clearly affects wintering waterbirds; in addition, the ecological benefits of a natural flow regime were most unambiguous at the community level. Nevertheless, little evidence exists to indicate that the lakes' ecological values as waterbird foraging grounds were compromised by partial regulation. That is, species richness and population size were comparable in naturally connected and controlled lakes. Our results suggest that, with carefully

  12. A methodological approach to characterize the resilience of aquatic ecosystems with application to Lake Annecy, France

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pinault, J.-L.; Berthier, F.

    2007-01-01

    We propose a methodological approach to characterize the resilience of aquatic ecosystems with respect to the evolution of environmental parameters as well as their aptitude to adapt to forcings. This method that is applied to Lake Annecy, France, proceeds in three stages. First, according to the depth, variations of physicochemical parameters versus time are separated into three components related to (1) energy transfer through the surface of the lake, (2) the flow of rivers and springs that feed the lake, and (3) long-term evolution of the benthic zone as a consequence of mineral and organic matter loads. Second, dynamics of the lake are deduced by analyzing the physicochemical parameter components related to the three boundary conditions. Third, a stochastic process associated with the transfer models aims to characterize the resilience of the lakes according to forcings. For Lake Annecy, whose dynamics are representative of oligotrophic stratified lakes controlled by decarbonation processes where turnover and mixing occurring once a year in winter, the major consequence is the impoverishment of dissolved oxygen in deep water in autumn due to a temperature increase of the surface water in summer. The simulation raises relevant questions about whether a connection exists between physicochemical parameters and global warming, which should not induce harmful consequences on water quality and biodiversity in deep water. This methodological approach is general since it does not use any physical conceptual model to predict the hydrosystem behavior but uses directly observed data.

  13. Introducing winter canola to the winter wheat-fallow region of the Pacific Northwest

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Growers in the low-rainfall, winter wheat-fallow region of the Pacific Northwest are in need of an alternative crop to diversify their markets, manage pests, and increase wheat yields. Winter canola may be a viable crop option for growers in the region. However, agronomic research for winter canol...

  14. Assessment of land use/land cover dynamics of Tso Moriri Lake, a Ramsar site in India.

    PubMed

    Gupta, Sharad Kumar; Shukla, Dericks Praise

    2016-12-01

    Wetlands accounts for 6% area of the Earth's land cover and nearly 17% of the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. They are of utmost importance to climate dynamics and are critical links between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Despite the need of high attention towards conserving and managing wetland resources, mapping them is a least practiced activity. This study shows the temporal change in land use and land cover pattern of Tso Moriri Lake, the highest altitude lake in India and designated as Ramsar site in year 2002, using multi-sensor and multi-date imagery. Due to change in hydro-meteorological conditions of the region, this lake area has been reduced. Since the lake recharge is dependent on snowmelt, hence change in climatic conditions (less snowfall in winters), to a certain extent, is also responsible for the decrease in water level and water spread of the lake. The result shows that the lake area has reduced approximately 2 km 2 in the last 15 years, and also, agriculture, grasslands, and vegetation cover have increased to a significant extent. Agricultural land and grasslands have doubled while the vegetation cover has increased more than six times, showing the coupled effect of climate change and anthropogenic activities. Trend of temperature and precipitation corroborates the effects of climate change in this region.

  15. Drainage network structure and hydrologic behavior of three lake-rich watersheds on the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Arp, C.D.; Whitman, M.S.; Jones, Benjamin M.; Kemnitz, R.; Grosse, G.; Urban, F.E.

    2012-01-01

    Watersheds draining the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of Alaska are dominated by permafrost and snowmelt runoff that create abundant surface storage in the form of lakes, wetlands, and beaded streams. These surface water elements compose complex drainage networks that affect aquatic ecosystem connectivity and hydrologic behavior. The 4676 km2 Fish Creek drainage basin is composed of three watersheds that represent a gradient of the ACP landscape with varying extents of eolian, lacustrine, and fluvial landforms. In each watershed, we analyzed 2.5-m-resolution aerial photography, a 5-m digital elevation model, and river gauging and climate records to better understand ACP watershed structure and processes. We show that connected lakes accounted for 19 to 26% of drainage density among watersheds and most all channels initiate from lake basins in the form of beaded streams. Of the > 2500 lakes in these watersheds, 33% have perennial streamflow connectivity, and these represent 66% of total lake area extent. Deeper lakes with over-wintering habitat were more abundant in the watershed with eolian sand deposits, while the watershed with marine silt deposits contained a greater extent of beaded streams and shallow thermokarst lakes that provide essential summer feeding habitat. Comparison of flow regimes among watersheds showed that higher lake extent and lower drained lake-basin extent corresponded with lower snowmelt and higher baseflow runoff. Variation in baseflow runoff among watersheds was most pronounced during drought conditions in 2007 with corresponding reduction in snowmelt peak flows the following year. Comparison with other Arctic watersheds indicates that lake area extent corresponds to slower recession of both snowmelt and baseflow runoff. These analyses help refine our understanding of how Arctic watersheds are structured and function hydrologically, emphasizing the important role of lake basins and suggesting how future lake change may impact hydrologic

  16. Toward a Lake Ice Phenology Derived from VIIRS Data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sütterlin, Melanie; Duguay-Tetzlaff, Anke; Wunderle, Stefan

    2017-04-01

    Ice cover on lakes plays an essential role in the physical, chemical, and biological processes of freshwater systems (e.g., ice duration controls the seasonal heat budget of lakes), and it also has many economic implications (e.g., for hydroelectricity, transportation, winter tourism). The variability and trends in the seasonal cycle of lake ice (e.g., timing of freeze-up and break-up) represent robust and direct indicators of climate change; they therefore emphasize the importance of monitoring lake ice phenology. Satellite remote sensing has proven its great potential for detecting and measuring the ice cover on lakes. Different remote sensing systems have been successfully used to collect recordings of freeze-up, break-up, and ice thickness and increase the spatial and temporal coverage of ground-based observations. Therefore, within the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS) Swiss project, "Integrated Monitoring of Ice in Selected Swiss Lakes," initiated by MeteoSwiss, satellite images from various sensors and different approaches are used and compared to perform investigations aimed at integrated monitoring of lake ice in Switzerland and contributing to the collection of lake ice phenology recordings. Within the framework of this project, the Remote Sensing Research Group of the University of Bern (RSGB) utilizes data acquired in the fine-resolution imagery (I) bands (1-5) of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) sensor that is mounted onboard the SUOMI-NPP. Visible and near-infrared reflectances, as well as thermal infrared-derived lake surface water temperatures (LSWT), are used to retrieve lake ice phenology dates. The VIIRS instrument, which combines a high temporal resolution ( 2 times per day) with a reasonable spatial resolution (375 m), is equipped with a single broad-band thermal I-channel (I05). Thus, a single-channel LSWT retrieval algorithm is employed to correct for the atmospheric influence. The single channel algorithm applied in

  17. Seasonal variation of oxygen-18 in precipitation and surface water of the Poyang Lake Basin, China.

    PubMed

    Hu, Chunhua; Froehlich, Klaus; Zhou, Peng; Lou, Qian; Zeng, Simiao; Zhou, Wenbin

    2013-06-01

    Based on the monthly δ(18)O value measured over a hydrology period in precipitation, runoff of five tributaries and the main lake of the Poyang Lake Basin, combined with hydrological and meteorological data, the characteristics of δ(18)O in precipitation (δ(18)OPPT) and runoff (δ(18)OSUR) are discussed. The δ(18)OPPT and δ(18)OSUR values range from-2.75 to-14.12 ‰ (annual mean value=-7.13 ‰ ) and from-2.30 to-8.56 ‰, respectively. The seasonal variation of δ(18)OPPT is controlled by the air mass circulation in this region, which is dominated by the Asian summer monsoon and the Siberian High during winter. The correlation between the wet seasonal averages of δ(18)OSUR in runoff of the rivers and δ(18)OPPT of precipitation at the corresponding stations shows that in the Poyang Lake catchment area the river water consists of 23% direct runoff (precipitation) and 77% base flow (shallow groundwater). This high proportion of groundwater in the river runoff points to the prevalence of wetland conditions in the Poyang Lake catchment during rainy season. Considering the oxygen isotopic composition of the main body of Poyang Lake, no isotopic enrichment relative to river inflow was found during the rainy season with maximum expansion of the lake. Thus, evaporation causing isotopic enrichment is a minor component of the lake water balance in the rainy period. During dry season, a slight isotopic enrichment has been observed, which suggests a certain evaporative loss of lake water in that period.

  18. Evaluating characteristics of dry spell changes in Lake Urmia Basin using an ensemble CMIP5 GCM models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fazel, Nasim; Berndtsson, Ronny; Bertacchi Uvo, Cintia; Klove, Bjorn; Madani, Kaveh

    2015-04-01

    Drought is a natural phenomenon that can cause significant environmental, ecological, and socio-economic losses in water scarce regions. Studies of drought under climate change are essential for water resources planning and management. Dry spells and number of consecutive days with precipitation below a certain threshold can be used to identify the severity of hydrological drought. In this study, we analyzed the projected changes of number of dry days in two future periods, 2011-2040 and 2071-2100, for both seasonal and annual time scales in the Lake Urmia Basin. The lake and its wetlands, located in northwestern Iran, have invaluable environmental, social, and economic importance for the region. The lake level has been shrinking dramatically since 1995 and now the water volume is less than 30% of its original. Moreover, frequent dry spells have struck the region and effected the region's water resources and lake ecosystem as in other parts of Iran too. Analyzing future drought and dry spells characteristics in the region is crucial for sustainable water management and lake restoration plans. We used daily projected precipitation from 20 climate models used in the CMIP5 (Coupled Model Inter-comparison Project Phase 5) driven by three representative paths, RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and, RCP8.5. The model outputs were statistically downscaled and validated based on the historical observation period 1980-2010. We defined days with precipitation less than 1 mm as dry days for both observation periods and model projections. The model validation showed that all models underestimated the number of dry days. An ensemble based on the validation results consisting of five models which were in best agreement with observations was used to assess the changes in number of future dry days in Lake Urmia Basin. The entire ensemble showed increase in number of dry days for all seasons. The projected changes in winter and spring were larger than for summer and autumn. All models projected

  19. Winter Weather Emergencies

    MedlinePlus

    Severe winter weather can lead to health and safety challenges. You may have to cope with Cold related health problems, including ... there are no guarantees of safety during winter weather emergencies, you can take actions to protect yourself. ...

  20. Water-resources appraisal of the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation in South Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lawrence, S.J.

    1989-01-01

    The water resources within the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation consist of streams, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater stored in alluvium and glacial outwash deposits. Streamflow may cease during dry periods and during the winter. Lakes and ponds within the reservation are found predominantly within an internally drained basin. Dissolved-solids concentrations in the lakes generally range from 500 to 10,000 mg/L. Dissolved-solids concentrations in the streams generally ranging from 500 to 1 ,000 mg/L. However, nutrient concentrations tend to be larger than natural background levels in both lakes and streams and indicate unidentified sources of nutrients that effect the quality of water. Major development of surface-water resources is hindered by the lack of storage capacity within the numerous lakes, the lack of sustained streamflow, and the lack of suitable sites for construction or reservoirs. Water within the Coteau des Prairies, a glacial upland, occurs in outwash deposits. The sand and gravel deposits in the Coteau may be as thick as 70 ft. The quality of water from these aquifers generally is suitable for most uses, with calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate the dominant ions. Water in sand and gravel deposits within the Red River and Minnesota River lowlands tends to have larger concentrations of dissolved solids than the sand and gravel deposits in the Coteau des Prairies. The quality of water in these deposits tends to be more mineralized than water in the sand and gravel deposits in the Coteau des Prairies. The regional flow of groundwater generally is to the east towards the Minnesota and Red River basins and west in the Coteau des Prairies. (USGS)

  1. Nutrition for winter sports.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Nanna L; Manore, Melinda M; Helle, Christine

    2011-01-01

    Winter sports are played in cold conditions on ice or snow and often at moderate to high altitude. The most important nutritional challenges for winter sport athletes exposed to environmental extremes include increased energy expenditure, accelerated muscle and liver glycogen utilization, exacerbated fluid loss, and increased iron turnover. Winter sports, however, vary greatly regarding their nutritional requirements due to variable physiological and physique characteristics, energy and substrate demands, and environmental training and competition conditions. What most winter sport athletes have in common is a relatively lean physique and high-intensity training periods, thus they require greater energy and nutrient intakes, along with adequate food and fluid before, during, and after training. Event fuelling is most challenging for cross-country skiers competing in long events, ski jumpers aiming to reduce their body weight, and those winter sport athletes incurring repeated qualification rounds and heats. These athletes need to ensure carbohydrate availability throughout competition. Finally, winter sport athletes may benefit from dietary and sport supplements; however, attention should be paid to safety and efficacy if supplementation is considered.

  2. 2016 Lake Michigan Lake Trout Working Group Report

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Madenjian, Charles P.; Breidert, Brian; Boyarski, David; Bronte, Charles R.; Dickinson, Ben; Donner, Kevin; Ebener, Mark P.; Gordon, Roger; Hanson, Dale; Holey, Mark; Janssen, John; Jonas, Jory; Kornis, Matthew; Olsen, Erik; Robillard, Steve; Treska, Ted; Weldon, Barry; Wright, Greg D.

    2017-01-01

    This report provides a review on the progression of lake trout rehabilitation towards meeting the Salmonine Fish Community Objectives (FCOs) for Lake Michigan (Eshenroder et. al. 1995) and the interim goal and evaluation objectives articulated in A Fisheries Management Implementation Strategy for the Rehabilitation of Lake Trout in Lake Michigan (Dexter et al. 2011); we also include data describing lake trout stocking and mortality to portray the present state of progress towards lake trout rehabilitation.

  3. Evaluation of potential impacts on Great Lakes water resources based on climate scenarios of two GCMs

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lofgren, B.M.; Quinn, F.H.; Clites, A.H.; Assel, R.A.; Eberhardt, A.J.; Luukkonen, C.L.

    2002-01-01

    The results of general circulation model predictions of the effects of climate change from the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and Analysis (model CGCM1) and the United Kingdom Meteorological Office's Hadley Centre (model HadCM2) have been used to derive potential impacts on the water resources of the Great Lakes basin. These impacts can influence the levels of the Great Lakes and the volumes of channel flow among them, thus affecting their value for interests such as riparians, shippers, recreational boaters, and natural ecosystems. On one hand, a hydrological modeling suite using input data from the CGCM1 predicts large drops in lake levels, up to a maximum of 1.38 m on Lakes Michigan and Huron by 2090. This is due to a combination of a decrease in precipitation and an increase in air temperature that leads to an increase in evaporation. On the other hand, using input from HadCM2, rises in lake levels are predicted, up to a maximum of 0.35 m on Lakes Michigan and Huron by 2090, due to increased precipitation and a reduced increase in air temperature. An interest satisfaction model shows sharp decreases in the satisfaction of the interests of commercial navigation, recreational boating, riparians, and hydropower due to lake level decreases. Most interest satisfaction scores are also reduced by lake level increases. Drastic reductions in ice cover also result from the temperature increases such that under the CGCM1 predictions, most of Lake Erie has 96% of its winters ice-free by 2090. Assessment is also made of impacts on the groundwater-dependent region of Lansing, Michigan.

  4. Physico-chemical conditions for plankton in Lake Timsah, a saline lake on the Suez Canal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    El-Serehy, H. A. H.; Sleigh, M. A.

    1992-02-01

    Lake Timsah receives high salinity water from the Suez Canal, mainly from the south, and freshwater from a Nile canal and other sources, producing a salinity stratification with surface salinities of 20-40‰ and over 40‰ in deeper water. Water temperature at a depth of 50-70 cm fell to below 20 °C in winter and rose to above 30 °C in summer; oxygen concentration at the same depth ranged between 6-10 mg l -1 and the pH was 8·1-8·3, and at mid-day this water was supersaturated with oxygen through 6-8 months of the year. The main chemical nutrients reached their highest levels in winter (December-February) and their lowest levels in summer (May-August), silicate varying between 1-7 μ M, phosphate between 0·1 and 0·8 μ M and nitrate between 4-10 μ M; nitrite varied in a more complex manner, usually between 0·25 and 0·4 μ M. The atomic ratio of N/P was generally well above the Redfield ratio level, except for a few months in midwinter. These nutrient concentrations are high in comparison with those of unpolluted seas of the region, but are typical of the more eutrophic coastal waters in most parts of the world.

  5. Contaminants in American alligator eggs from Lake Apopka, Lake Griffin, and Lake Okeechobee, Florida

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Heinz, Gary H.; Percival, H. Franklin; Jennings, Michael L.

    1991-01-01

    Residues of organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and 16 elements were measured in American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) eggs collected in 1984 from Lakes Apopka, Griffin, and Okeechobee in central and south Florida. Organochlorine pesticides were highest in eggs from Lake Apopka. None of the elements appeared to be present at harmful concentrations in eggs from any of the lakes. A larger sample of eggs was collected in 1985, but only from Lakes Griffin, a lake where eggs were relatively clean, and Apopka, where eggs were most contaminated. In 1985, hatching success of artificially incubated eggs was lower for Lake Apopka, and several organochlorine pesticides were higher than in eggs from Lake Griffin. However, within Lake Apopka, higher levels of pesticides in chemically analyzed eggs were not associated with reduced hatching success of the remaining eggs in the clutch. Therefore, it did not appear that any of the pesticides we measured were responsible for the reduced hatching success of Lake Apopka eggs.

  6. Sanctuaries for lake trout in the Great Lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stanley, Jon G.; Eshenroder, Randy L.; Hartman, Wilbur L.

    1987-01-01

    Populations of lake trout, severely depleted in Lake Superior and virtually extirpated from the other Great Lakes because of sea lamprey predation and intense fishing, are now maintained by annual plantings of hatchery-reared fish in Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Ontario and parts of Lake Superior. The extensive coastal areas of the Great Lakes and proximity to large populations resulted in fishing pressure on planted lake trout heavy enough to push annual mortality associated with sport and commercial fisheries well above the critical level needed to reestablish self-sustaining stocks. The interagency, international program for rehabilitating lake trout includes controlling sea lamprey abundance, stocking hatchery-reared lake trout, managing the catch, and establishing sanctuaries where harvest is prohibited. Three lake trout sanctuaries have been established in Lake Michigan: the Fox Island Sanctuary of 121, 500 ha, in the Chippewa-Ottawa Treaty fishing zone in the northern region of the lake; the Milwaukee Reef Sanctuary of 160, 000 ha in midlake, in boundary waters of Michigan and Wisconsin; and Julian's Reef Sanctuary of 6, 500 ha, in Illinois waters. In northern Lake Huron, Drummond Island Sanctuary of 55, 000 ha is two thirds in Indian treaty-ceded waters in Michigan and one third in Ontario waters of Canada. A second sanctuary, Six Fathom Bank-Yankee Reef Sanctuary, in central Lake Huron contains 168, 000 ha. Sanctuary status for the Canadian areas remains to be approved by the Provincial government. In Lake Superior, sanctuaries protect the spawning grounds of Gull Island Shoal (70, 000 ha) and Devils Island Shoal (44, 000 ha) in Wisconsin's Apostle Island area. These seven sanctuaries, established by the several States and agreed upon by the States, Indian tribes, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Province of Ontario, contribute toward solving an interjurisdictional fishery problem.

  7. A meta-analysis of water quality and aquatic macrophyte responses in 18 lakes treated with lanthanum modified bentonite (Phoslock(®)).

    PubMed

    Spears, Bryan M; Mackay, Eleanor B; Yasseri, Said; Gunn, Iain D M; Waters, Kate E; Andrews, Christopher; Cole, Stephanie; De Ville, Mitzi; Kelly, Andrea; Meis, Sebastian; Moore, Alanna L; Nürnberg, Gertrud K; van Oosterhout, Frank; Pitt, Jo-Anne; Madgwick, Genevieve; Woods, Helen J; Lürling, Miquel

    2016-06-15

    Lanthanum (La) modified bentonite is being increasingly used as a geo-engineering tool for the control of phosphorus (P) release from lake bed sediments to overlying waters. However, little is known about its effectiveness in controlling P across a wide range of lake conditions or of its potential to promote rapid ecological recovery. We combined data from 18 treated lakes to examine the lake population responses in the 24 months following La-bentonite application (range of La-bentonite loads: 1.4-6.7 tonnes ha(-1)) in concentrations of surface water total phosphorus (TP; data available from 15 lakes), soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP; 14 lakes), and chlorophyll a (15 lakes), and in Secchi disk depths (15 lakes), aquatic macrophyte species numbers (6 lakes) and aquatic macrophyte maximum colonisation depths (4 lakes) across the treated lakes. Data availability varied across the lakes and variables, and in general monitoring was more frequent closer to the application dates. Median annual TP concentrations decreased significantly across the lakes, following the La-bentonite applications (from 0.08 mg L(-1) in the 24 months pre-application to 0.03 mg L(-1) in the 24 months post-application), particularly in autumn (0.08 mg L(-1) to 0.03 mg L(-1)) and winter (0.08 mg L(-1) to 0.02 mg L(-1)). Significant decreases in SRP concentrations over annual (0.019 mg L(-1) to 0.005 mg L(-1)), summer (0.018 mg L(-1) to 0.004 mg L(-1)), autumn (0.019 mg L(-1) to 0.005 mg L(-1)) and winter (0.033 mg L(-1) to 0.005 mg L(-1)) periods were also reported. P concentrations following La-bentonite application varied across the lakes and were correlated positively with dissolved organic carbon concentrations. Relatively weak, but significant responses were reported for summer chlorophyll a concentrations and Secchi disk depths following La-bentonite applications, the 75th percentile values decreasing from 119 μg L(-1) to 74 μg L(-1) and increasing from

  8. A half-million-year record of paleoclimate from the Lake Manix Core, Mojave Desert, California

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Reheis, Marith C.; Bright, Jordon; Lund, Steve P.; Miller, David M.; Skipp, Gary; Fleck, Robert J.

    2012-01-01

    Pluvial lakes in the southwestern U.S. responded sensitively to past climate through effects on rainfall, runoff, and evaporation. Although most studies agree that pluvial lakes in the southwestern U.S. reached their highest levels coeval with glacial stages, the specific timing of increased effective moisture and lake-level rise is debated, particularly for the southwesternmost lakes. We obtained a 45-m core of lacustrine sediment from Lake Manix, the former terminus of the Mojave River prior to about 25 ka, and supplemented data from the core with outcrop studies. These sediments provide a robust record of Mojave River discharge over the last half-million years. Lake Manix persisted from OIS 12 through early OIS 2, including during interstadial OIS 3 and interglacials OIS 5, 7, and 9. The ostracode faunal record displays a shift from an unexpectedly warm, summer-dominated lake hydrology during OIS 12 to predominantly colder, winter-dominated conditions afterwards. The ostracode-based stable isotope record displays a large degree of intra-sample variability and does not mimic other well-known isotopic records of climate change. Evaporation likely buffered the Manix δ18O record from most of the expected isotopic differences between interglacial and glacial-interval discharge. Isotopically depleted and stable lakes occurred only four to six times, most notably during OIS 7 and OIS 9. Internal drainage-basin changes also affected the isotopic record. Persistence of lakes in the Manix basin during interglacials requires atmospheric or oceanic circulation controls on the mean position of the Pacific storm track other than large ice sheets. We propose that the relative strength and sign of the Northern Annular Mode (NAM) and its influence on atmospheric river-derived precipitation is a potential explanation.

  9. Breeding sites and winter site fidelity of Piping Plovers wintering in The Bahamas, a previously unknown major wintering area

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gratto-Trevor, Cheri; Haig, Susan M.; Miller, Mark P.; Mullins, Thomas D.; Maddock, Sidney; Roche, Erin A.; Moore, Predensa

    2016-01-01

    Most of the known wintering areas of Piping Plovers (Charadrius melodus) are along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States and into Mexico, and in the Caribbean. However, 1066 threatened/endangered Piping Plovers were recently found wintering in The Bahamas, an area not previously known to be important for the species. Although representing about 27% of the birds counted during the 2011 International Piping Plover Winter Census, the location of their breeding site(s) was unknown. Thus, our objectives were to determine the location(s) of their breeding site(s) using molecular markers and by tracking banded individuals, identify spring and fall staging sites, and examine site fidelity and survival. We captured and color-banded 57 birds in January and February 2010 in The Bahamas. Blood samples were also collected for genetic evaluation of the likely subspecies wintering in The Bahamas. Band re-sightings and DNA analysis revealed that at least 95% of the Piping Plovers wintering in The Bahamas originated on the Atlantic coast of the United States and Canada. Re-sightings of birds banded in The Bahamas spanned the breeding distribution of the species along the Atlantic coast from Newfoundland to North Carolina. Site fidelity to breeding and wintering sites was high (88–100%). Spring and fall staging sites were located along the Atlantic coast of the United States, with marked birds concentrating in the Carolinas. Our estimate of true survival for the marked birds was 0.71 (95% CI: 0.61–0.80). Our results indicate that more than one third of the Piping Plover population that breeds along the Atlantic coast winters in The Bahamas. By determining the importance of The Bahamas to the Atlantic subspecies of Piping Plovers, future conservation efforts for these populations can be better focused on where they are most needed.

  10. Large drainages from short-lived glacial lakes in the Teskey Range, Tien Shan Mountains, Central Asia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Narama, Chiyuki; Daiyrov, Mirlan; Duishonakunov, Murataly; Tadono, Takeo; Sato, Hayato; Kääb, Andreas; Ukita, Jinro; Abdrakhmatov, Kanatbek

    2018-04-01

    Four large drainages from glacial lakes occurred during 2006-2014 in the western Teskey Range, Kyrgyzstan. These floods caused extensive damage, killing people and livestock as well as destroying property and crops. Using satellite data analysis and field surveys of this area, we find that the water volume that drained at Kashkasuu glacial lake in 2006 was 194 000 m3, at western Zyndan lake in 2008 was 437 000 m3, at Jeruy lake in 2013 was 182 000 m3, and at Karateke lake in 2014 was 123 000 m3. Due to their subsurface outlet, we refer to these short-lived glacial lakes as the tunnel-type, a type that drastically grows and drains over a few months. From spring to early summer, these lakes either appear, or in some cases, significantly expand from an existing lake (but non-stationary), and then drain during summer. Our field surveys show that the short-lived lakes form when an ice tunnel through a debris landform gets blocked. The blocking is caused either by the freezing of stored water inside the tunnel during winter or by the collapse of ice and debris around the ice tunnel. The draining then occurs through an opened ice tunnel during summer. The growth-drain cycle can repeat when the ice-tunnel closure behaves like that of typical supraglacial lakes on debris-covered glaciers. We argue here that the geomorphological characteristics under which such short-lived glacial lakes appear are (i) a debris landform containing ice (ice-cored moraine complex), (ii) a depression with water supply on a debris landform as a potential lake basin, and (iii) no visible surface outflow channel from the depression, indicating the existence of an ice tunnel. Applying these characteristics, we examine 60 depressions (> 0.01 km2) in the study region and identify here 53 of them that may become short-lived glacial lakes, with 34 of these having a potential drainage exceeding 10 m3 s-1 at peak discharge.

  11. Water quality of Lake Austin and Town Lake, Austin, Texas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Andrews, F.L.; Wells, F.C.; Shelby, W.J.

    1988-01-01

    Lake Austin and Town Lake are impoundments on the Colorado River in Travis County, central Texas, and are a source of water for municipal industrial water supplies, electrical-power generation, and recreation for more than 500,000 people in the Austin metropolitan area. Small vertical temperature variations in both lakes were attributed to shallow depths in the lakes and short retention times of water in the lakes during the summer months. The largest areal variations in dissolved oxygen generally occur in Lake Austin during the summer as a result of releases of water from below the thermocline in Lake Travis. Except formore » iron, manganese, and mercury, dissolved concentrations of trace elements in water collected from Lake Austin and Town Lake did not exceed the primary or secondary drinking water standards set by the US Environmental Protection Agency. Little or no effect of stormwater runoff on temperature, dissolved oxygen, or minor elements could be detected in either Lake Austin or Town Lake. Little seasonal or areal variation was noted in nitrogen concentrations in Lake Austin or Town lake. Total phosphorus concentrations generally were small in both lakes. Increased concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus were detected after storm runoff inflow in Town Lake, but not in Lake Austin; densities of fecal-coliform bacteria increased in Lake Austin and Town Lake, but were substantially greater in Town Lake than in Lake Austin. 18 refs., 38 figs., 59 tabs.« less

  12. [Estimation of DOC concentrations using CDOM absorption coefficients: a case study in Taihu Lake].

    PubMed

    Jiang, Guang-Jia; Ma, Rong-Hua; Duan, Hong-Tao

    2012-07-01

    Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is the largest organic carbon stock in water ecosystems, which plays an important role in the carbon cycle in water. Chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), an important water color variation, is the colored fraction of DOC and its absorption controls the instruction of light under water. The available linkage between DOC concentration and CDOM absorptions enables the determination of DOC accumulations using remote sensing reflectance or radiance in lake waters. The present study explored the multi-liner relationship between CDOM absorptions [a(g) (250) and a(g) (365)] and DOC concentrations in Taihu Lake, based on the available data in 4 cruises (201005, 201101, 201103, 201105) (totally 183 sampling sites). Meanwhile, the results were validated with the data of the experiment carried out from August 29 to September 2, 2011 in Taihu Lake (n = 27). Furthermore, a universal pattern of modeling from remote sensing was built for lake waters. The results demonstrated that this method provided more satisfying estimation of DOC concentrations in Taihu Lake. Except the data obtained in January 2011, the fitted results of which were not conductive to the winter dataset (201101) in Taihu Lake, due to the diverse sources and sinks of DOC and CDOM, the multi-liner relationship was robust for the data collected in the other three cruises (R2 = 0.64, RMSE = 14.31%, n = 164), which was validated using the 201108 sampling dataset (R2 = 0.67, RMSE = 10.58%, n = 27). In addition, the form of the statistic model is universal, to some extent, for other water areas, however, there is difference in the modeling coefficients. Further research should be focused on the parameterization using local data from different lakes, which provides effective methodology for the estimation of DOC concentrations in lakes and other water regions.

  13. A review on anthropogenic impact to the Micro Prespa lake and its damages

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frasheri, N.; Pano, N.; Frasheri, A.; Beqiraj, G.; Bushati, S.; Taska, E.

    2012-04-01

    Paper presents the results of the integrated and multidisciplinary studies for investigation of the anthropogenic damages to Albanian part of the transborder Micro Prespa Lake. Remote sensing with Landsat images was used for identification of environmental changes in time for the period 1970 - 2010. Micro Prespa Lake is lake with international status, as Ramsar Convection, International Park and Special Protection Area-79/409/EEC. According to the studies, investigations and analyses, the following were concluded: Devolli River- Micro Prespa Lake irrigation system was not scientifically supported by environmental engineering, hydroeconomy and International Rights principles. It does work according to the projected parameters, and also, doesn't supply the agricultural needs. About of 10 % of the water volume, discharges by Devolli River in Micro Prespa Lake during the winter, is taken from this lake for the irrigation in summer. Great surface of Albanian part of Micro Prespa Lake is destroyed. The other part of the lake is atrophied and the habitat and biodiversity are damaged. Important and unique species of fish, birds and plants of national and international values are risked. The underground karstic connection ways for water circulation are blocked. There are ruining the historic values of the area, such the encient Treni cave from the Bronze Age. The Albanian part of the Micro Prespa Lake has been damaged by the human activities. A huge amount of 1,2 million cubic meters alluvium has been deposited on the lake bottom and lakeshore, which was transported by the Devolli River waters, since 1974. This river waters, rich in alluvium and organic coal material from outcropped geological formations, also absorbed free chemical toxic remains by the drainage of Devolli farm ground, which have changed the chemical features of the lake water and degrading it. Micro Prespa Lake communicates with Macro Prespa Lake, and together with Ohrid Lake. Blockage of underground

  14. Winter movement dynamics of Black Brant

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lindberg, Mark S.; Ward, David H.; Tibbitts, T. Lee; Roser, John

    2007-01-01

    Although North American geese are managed based on their breeding distributions, the dynamics of those breeding populations may be affected by events that occur during the winter. Birth rates of capital breeding geese may be influenced by wintering conditions, mortality may be influenced by timing of migration and wintering distribution, and immigration and emigration among breeding populations may depend on winter movement and timing of pair formation. We examined factors affecting movements of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) among their primary wintering sites in Mexico and southern California, USA, (Mar 1998-Mar 2000) using capture-recapture models. Although brant exhibited high probability (>0.85) of monthly and annual fidelity to the wintering sites we sampled, we observed movements among all wintering sites. Movement probabilities both within and among winters were negatively related to distance between sites. We observed a higher probability both of southward movement between winters (Mar to Dec) and northward movement between months within winters. Between-winter movements were probably most strongly affected by spatial and temporal variation in habitat quality as we saw movement patterns consistent with contrasting environmental conditions (e.g., La Niña and El Niño southern oscillation cycles). Month-to-month movements were related to migration patterns and may also have been affected by differences in habitat conditions among sites. Patterns of winter movements indicate that a network of wintering sites may be necessary for effective conservation of brant.

  15. Winter movement dynamics of black brant

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lindberg, Mark S.; Ward, David H.; Tibbitts, T. Lee; Roser, John

    2007-01-01

    Although North American geese are managed based on their breeding distributions, the dynamics of those breeding populations may be affected by events that occur during the winter. Birth rates of capital breeding geese may be influenced by wintering conditions, mortality may be influenced by timing of migration and wintering distribution, and immigration and emigration among breeding populations may depend on winter movement and timing of pair formation. We examined factors affecting movements of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) among their primary wintering sites in Mexico and southern California, USA, (Mar 1998–Mar 2000) using capture–recapture models. Although brant exhibited high probability (>0.85) of monthly and annual fidelity to the wintering sites we sampled, we observed movements among all wintering sites. Movement probabilities both within and among winters were negatively related to distance between sites. We observed a higher probability both of southward movement between winters (Mar to Dec) and northward movement between months within winters. Between-winter movements were probably most strongly affected by spatial and temporal variation in habitat quality as we saw movement patterns consistent with contrasting environmental conditions (e.g., La Niña and El Niño southern oscillation cycles). Month-to-month movements were related to migration patterns and may also have been affected by differences in habitat conditions among sites. Patterns of winter movements indicate that a network of wintering sites may be necessary for effective conservation of brant.

  16. The Economic Costs of a Shrinking Lake Mead: a Spatial Hedonic Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, A.; Saphores, J. D.

    2017-12-01

    Persistent arid conditions and population growth in the Southwest have taken a toll on the Colorado River. This has led to substantial drawdowns of many water reservoirs around the Southwest, and especially of Lake Mead, which is Las Vegas' main source of drinking water. Due to its importance, Lake Mead has received a great deal of media attention about its "bathtub ring" and the exposure of rock that used to be underwater. Drops in water levels have caused some local marinas to close, thereby affecting the aesthetic and recreational value of Lake Mead, which is located in the country's largest National Recreation Area (NRA), and surrounded by protected land. Although a rich literature analyzes how water quality impacts real estate values, relatively few studies have examined how dropping water levels are capitalized in surrounding residential properties. In this context, the goal of this study is to quantify how Lake Mead's water level changes are reflected in changes in local property values, an important source of tax income for any community. Since Lake Mead is the primary attraction within its recreation area, we are also concerned with how this recreation area, which is a few miles southeast of Las Vegas, is capitalized in real estate values of the Las Vegas metropolitan area as few valuation studies have examined how proximity to national parks influences residential property value. We estimate spatial hedonic and geographically weighted regression models of single family residences to delineate the value of proximity to the Lake Mead NRA and to understand how this value changed with Lake Mead's water levels. Our explanatory variables include common structural characteristics, fixed effects to account for unobserved locally constant characteristics, and specific variables such as distance to the Las Vegas strip and to downtown casinos. Because the sharpest declines in Lake Mead water levels happened in 2010 (NASA, 2010) and winter 2016 saw an unexpected

  17. Developmental abnormalities of the gonad and abnormal sex hormone concentrations in juvenile alligators from contaminated and control lakes in Florida.

    PubMed Central

    Guillette, L J; Gross, T S; Masson, G R; Matter, J M; Percival, H F; Woodward, A R

    1994-01-01

    The reproductive development of alligators from a contaminated and a control lake in central Florida was examined. Lake Apopka is adjacent to an EPA Superfund site, listed due to an extensive spill of dicofol and DDT or its metabolites. These compounds can act as estrogens. Contaminants in the lake also have been derived from extensive agricultural activities around the lake that continue today and a sewage treatment facility associated with the city of Winter Garden, Florida. We examined the hypothesis that an estrogenic contaminant has caused the current failure in recruitment of alligators on Lake Apopka. Supporting data include the following: At 6 months of age, female alligators from Lake Apopka had plasma estradiol-17 beta concentrations almost two times greater than normal females from the control lake, Lake Woodruff. The Apopka females exhibited abnormal ovarian morphology with large numbers of polyovular follicles and polynuclear oocytes. Male juvenile alligators had significantly depressed plasma testosterone concentrations comparable to levels observed in normal Lake Woodruff females but more than three times lower than normal Lake Woodruff males. Additionally, males from Lake Apopka had poorly organized testes and abnormally small phalli. The differences between lakes and sexes in plasma hormone concentrations of juvenile alligators remain even after stimulation with luteinizing hormone. Our data suggest that the gonads of juveniles from Lake Apopka have been permanently modified in ovo, so that normal steroidogenesis is not possible, and thus normal sexual maturation is unlikely. Images p680-a Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. A Figure 3. B Figure 3. C Figure 4. A Figure 4. B Figure 4. C Figure 4. D Figure 5. A Figure 5. B Figure 5. C PMID:7895709

  18. Analysis of ambient conditions and simulation of hydrodynamics and water-quality characteristics in Beaver Lake, Arkansas, 2001 through 2003

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Galloway, Joel M.; Green, W. Reed

    2006-01-01

    Beaver Lake is a large, deep-storage reservoir located in the upper White River Basin in northwestern Arkansas. The purpose of this report is to describe the ambient hydrologic and water-quality conditions in Beaver Lake and its inflows and describe a two-dimensional model developed to simulate the hydrodynamics and water quality of Beaver Lake from 2001 through 2003. Water-quality samples were collected at the three main inflows to Beaver Lake; the White River near Fayetteville, Richland Creek at Goshen, and War Eagle Creek near Hindsville. Nutrient concentrations varied among the tributaries because of land use and contributions of nutrients from point sources. The median concentrations of total ammonia plus organic nitrogen were greater for the White River than Richland and War Eagle Creeks. The greatest concentrations of nitrite plus nitrate and total nitrogen, however, were observed at War Eagle Creek. Phosphorus concentrations were relatively low, with orthophosphorus and dissolved phosphorus concentrations mostly below the laboratory reporting limit at the three sites. War Eagle Creek had significantly greater median orthophosphorus and total phosphorus concentrations than the White River and Richland Creek. Dissolved organic-carbon concentrations were significantly greater at the White River than at War Eagle and Richland Creeks. The White River also had significantly greater turbidity than War Eagle Creek and Richland Creek. The temperature distribution in Beaver Lake exhibits the typical seasonal cycle of lakes and reservoirs located within similar latitudes. Beaver Lake is a monomictic system, in which thermal stratification occurs annually during the summer and fall and complete mixing occurs in the winter. Isothermal conditions exist throughout the winter and early spring. Nitrogen concentrations varied temporally, longitudinally, and vertically in Beaver Lake for 2001 through 2003. Nitrite plus nitrate concentrations generally decreased from the

  19. Evidence of offshore lake trout reproduction in Lake Huron

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    DeSorcie, Timothy J.; Bowen, Charles A.

    2003-01-01

    Six Fathom Bank-Yankee Reef, an offshore reef complex, was an historically important spawning area believed to represent some of the best habitat for the rehabilitation of lake trout Salvelinus namaycush in Lake Huron. Since 1986, lake trout have been stocked on these offshore reefs to reestablish self-sustaining populations. We sampled with beam trawls to determine the abundance of naturally reproduced age-0 lake trout on these offshore reefs during May-July in 1994-1998 and 2000-2002. In total, 123 naturally reproduced lake trout fry were caught at Six Fathom Bank, and 2 naturally reproduced lake trout fry were caught at nearby Yankee Reef. Our findings suggest that this region of Lake Huron contains suitable habitat for lake trout spawning and offers hope that lake trout rehabilitation can be achieved in the main basin of Lake Huron.

  20. Lake Nasser and Toshka Lakes, Egypt

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2002-01-01

    Lake Nasser (center) and the Toshka Lakes (center left) glow emerald green and black in this MODIS true-color image acquired March 8, 2002. Located on and near the border of Egypt and Norther Sudan, these lakes are an oasis of water in between the Nubian (lower right) and Libyan Deserts (upper left). Also visible are the Red Sea (in the upper right) and the Nile River (running north from Lake Nasser). Credit: Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC

  1. Forecasting effects of climate change on Great Lakes fisheries: models that link habitat supply to population dynamics can help

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Jones, Michael L.; Shuter, Brian J.; Zhao, Yingming; Stockwell, Jason D.

    2006-01-01

    Future changes to climate in the Great Lakes may have important consequences for fisheries. Evidence suggests that Great Lakes air and water temperatures have risen and the duration of ice cover has lessened during the past century. Global circulation models (GCMs) suggest future warming and increases in precipitation in the region. We present new evidence that water temperatures have risen in Lake Erie, particularly during summer and winter in the period 1965–2000. GCM forecasts coupled with physical models suggest lower annual runoff, less ice cover, and lower lake levels in the future, but the certainty of these forecasts is low. Assessment of the likely effects of climate change on fish stocks will require an integrative approach that considers several components of habitat rather than water temperature alone. We recommend using mechanistic models that couple habitat conditions to population demographics to explore integrated effects of climate-caused habitat change and illustrate this approach with a model for Lake Erie walleye (Sander vitreum). We show that the combined effect on walleye populations of plausible changes in temperature, river hydrology, lake levels, and light penetration can be quite different from that which would be expected based on consideration of only a single factor.

  2. Heating the Ice-Covered Lakes of the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica - Decadal Trends in Heat Content, Ice Thickness, and Heat Exchange

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gooseff, M. N.; Priscu, J. C.; Doran, P. T.; Chiuchiolo, A.; Obryk, M.

    2014-12-01

    Lakes integrate landscape processes and climate conditions. Most of the permanently ice-covered lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica are closed basin, receiving glacial melt water from streams for 10-12 weeks per year. Lake levels rise during the austral summer are balanced by sublimation of ice covers (year-round) and evaporation of open water moats (summer only). Vertical profiles of water temperature have been measured in three lakes in Taylor Valley since 1988. Up to 2002, lake levels were dropping, ice covers were thickening, and total heat contents were decreasing. These lakes have been gaining heat since the mid-2000s, at rates as high as 19.5x1014 cal/decade). Since 2002, lake levels have risen substantially (as much as 2.5 m), and ice covers have thinned (1.5 m on average). Analyses of lake ice thickness, meteorological conditions, and stream water heat loads indicate that the main source of heat to these lakes is from latent heat released when ice-covers form during the winter. An aditional source of heat to the lakes is water inflows from streams and direct glacieal melt. Mean lake temperatures in the past few years have stabilized or cooled, despite increases in lake level and total heat content, suggesting increased direct inflow of meltwater from glaciers. These results indicate that McMurdo Dry Valley lakes are sensitive indicators of climate processes in this polar desert landscape and demonstrate the importance of long-term data sets when addressing the effects of climate on ecosystem processes.

  3. Expansion rate and geometry of floating vegetation mats on the margins of thermokarst lakes, northern Seward Peninsula, Alaska, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Parsekian, A.D.; Jones, Benjamin M.; Jones, M.; Grosse, G.; Walter, Anthony K.M.; Slater, L.

    2011-01-01

    Investigations on the northern Seward Peninsula in Alaska identified zones of recent (<50years) permafrost collapse that led to the formation of floating vegetation mats along thermokarst lake margins. The occurrence of floating vegetation mat features indicates rapid degradation of near-surface permafrost and lake expansion. This paper reports on the recent expansion of these collapse features and their geometry is determined using geophysical and remote sensing measurements. The vegetation mats were observed to have an average thickness of 0.57m and petrophysical modeling indicated that gas content of 1.5-5% enabled floatation above the lake surface. Furthermore, geophysical investigation provides evidence that the mats form by thaw and subsidence of the underlying permafrost rather than terrestrialization. The temperature of the water below a vegetation mat was observed to remain above freezing late in the winter. Analysis of satellite and aerial imagery indicates that these features have expanded at maximum rates of 1-2myr-1 over a 56year period. Including the spatial coverage of floating 'thermokarst mats' increases estimates of lake area by as much as 4% in some lakes. ?? 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. High Resolution Environmental Magnetic Study of a Holocene Sedimentary Record from Zaca Lake, Ca

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Platzman, E. S.; Lund, S.; Kirby, M. E.; Feakins, S. J.

    2012-12-01

    Magnetic studies of Holocene lake sediments recovered from Zaca lake have yielded a 3000-year high resolution record of environmental variability and paleolimnology. Zaca lake is a small oligomictic lake ~12m deep situated 730 m above sea level in the steep canyons of the San Rafael mountains, NW of Santa Barbara. Throughout much of the year Zaca lake is anaerobic below 7m. Hydrogen sulfide, fed into the lake via runoff and local sulphur springs, is present throughout the hypolimnion with concentrations sometime exceeding 30 mg/ l. During the summer months when the lake is stratified, light colored carbonate rich microlaminae are formed; and often during the winter months when the lake overturns, killing the anaerobic bacteria, black microlamina rich in iron sulfide are deposited on the lake floor, creating a stratigraphy reflecting patterns of environmental variability on annual to millennial scales. Samples for magnetic analysis were obtained from 8.5 m of core recovered from the central region of Zaca lake. Ages, constrained using radiocarbon chronostratigraphy, yielded sedimentation rates of 2-10 mm/yr with an average rate of 3 mm per yr over the 3000 yr interval. Parameters reflecting decadal scale variability in magnetic concentration (susceptibility, ARM, SIRM) and grainsize (ARM/Chi) were measured every 2 cm. Additional rock magnetic tests, including thermal demagnetization of three component IRM, were applied at selected intervals to constrain the magnetic mineralogy. These data were combined with analyses of clastic grain size, % calcium carbonate and % organics to create a multiproxy record of environmental variability. Results show that Zaca lake has had a complex depositional history. Anthropogenic effects associated with European colonization are present in the upper meters. Most notable, however, is a dramatic shift in the magnetic parameters and mineralogy between the upper and lower half of the core (circa 1300 ybp) indicating a shift in regime

  5. Map of Western Copper River Basin, Alaska, Showing Lake Sediments and Shorelines, Glacial Moraines, and Location of Stratigraphic Sections and Radiocarbon-Dated Samples

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Williams, John R.; Galloway, John P.

    1986-01-01

    interpretation of the late Wisconsin till at Tyone Bluff is that it is a glaciolacustrine diamicton of the 914-975 m lake into which the ice advanced to the Hatchet Lake and to the Old Man moraines. The level of this regional lake in the Susitna drainage and on Heartland Ridge then dropped from over 914 m to about 777 m, to uncover the Tyone Spillway. An intermediate lake level in the Susitna-Tyone-Louise lake region was lowered rapidly by erosion of the spillway to 747 m. The drainage of the 747 m lake was concentrated in the spillway leading west from the West Fork Gulkana River. This spillway or a rock threshold downstream apparently was stable enough to permit formation of basin-wide, apparently undeformed, shoreline systems at 747 m, and, on recession, local shorelines at 717 m and 700 m and lower levels. The level of the 747 m lake that was confined to about 9000 km2 of the present Copper River Basin fluctuated for one or more reasons such as: the volume of ice added to or withdrawn from the system, because of changes in water budget (assuming no outflow), and/or because of temporary releases through the only outlets, perhaps Mentasta Pass, but importantly, the Copper River canyon. The 747 m lake persisted until glaciers had withdrawn to well within the Chugach Mountains, perhaps 10 to 20 km from the present glaciers.

  6. Gasoline-Related Compounds in Lakes Mead and Mohave, Nevada, 2004-06

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Lico, Michael S.; Johnson, B. Thomas

    2007-01-01

    The distribution of man-made organic compounds, specifically gasoline-derived compounds, was investigated from 2004 to 2006 in Lakes Mead and Mohave and one of its tributary streams, Las Vegas Wash. Compounds contained in raw gasoline (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes; also known as BTEX compounds) and those produced during combustion of gasoline (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon compounds; also known as PAH compounds) were detected at every site sampled in Lakes Mead and Mohave. Water-quality analyses of samples collected during 2004-06 indicate that motorized watercraft are the major source of these organic compounds to the lakes. Concentrations of BTEX increase as the boating season progresses and decrease to less than detectable levels during the winter when few boats are on the water. Volatilization and microbial degradation most likely are the primary removal mechanisms for BTEX compounds in the lakes. Concentrations of BTEX compounds were highest at sampling points near marinas or popular launching areas. Methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) was detected during 2004 but concentrations decreased to less than the detection level during the latter part of the study; most likely due to the removal of MTBE from gasoline purchased in California. Distribution of PAH compounds was similar to that of BTEX compounds, in that, concentrations were highest at popular boating areas and lowest in areas where fewer boats traveled. PAH concentrations were highest at Katherine Landing and North Telephone Cove in Lake Mohave where many personal watercraft with carbureted two-stroke engines ply the waters. Lake-bottom sediment is not a sink for PAH as indicated by the low concentrations detected in sediment samples from both lakes. PAH compounds most likely are removed from the lakes by photochemical degradation. PAH compounds in Las Vegas Wash, which drains the greater Las Vegas metropolitan area, were present in relatively high concentrations in sediment from the upstream

  7. Lake-levels, vegetation and climate in Central Asia during the Last Glacial Maximum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amosov, Mikhail

    2014-05-01

    for its west part (the piedmonts of Tien Shan and Pamir Mountains). So it confirms a synchronous aridization in different parts of Central Asia. It was the result of amplification of winter Siberian anticyclone, weakening westerlies and East Asian summer monsoons. The observed discrepancy between vegetation conditions and lake-levels during LGM can be explained by lake-levels dependence on runoff as now from mountains, where snow and glaciers melt. Investigations in the area of Mongun Tayga (Tyva Republic in Russian Federation, Lake Hyargas Nuur basin) suggest that precipitation decreased by 30% during LGM, but at the same time snow accumulation increased due to lower temperature in mountains. Thus, special conditions were provided for climate cryoaridization, when vegetation was degraded due to lowering precipitation, but lake-levels grew due to higher runoff from mountain ranges.

  8. Spatiotemporal distribution of algal and nutrient, and their correlations based on long-term monitoring data in Lake Taihu, China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Acharya, K.; Li, Y.; Stone, M.; Yu, Z.; Young, M.; Shafer, D. S.; Zhu, J.; Warwick, J. J.

    2009-12-01

    Eutrophication in Lake Taihu - China’s third largest freshwater lake - has led to deterioration of water quality and caused more frequent cyanobacteria blooms at many lake locations in recent years. Eutrophication is thought to be fueled by increased nutrient loading, a consequence of rapid population and economic growth in the region. To understand the spatiotemporal distribution of algal blooms, a database was developed that includes long-term meteorological, hydrological, water quality, and socioeconomic data from the Lake Taihu watershed. The data were collected through various field observations, and augmented with information from local and provincial agencies, and universities. Based on the data, spatiotemporal distributions of, and correlations between, chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN) and water temperature (WT) were analyzed. Results revealed a high degree of correlation between TP and Chl-a concentrations during warm seasons, with high concentrations of both substances present in the northern and northwest portions of the lake. During winter months, Chl-a concentrations were more strongly correlated with WT. Spatial trends in TP and TN concentrations corresponded to observed nutrient fluxes from adjoining rivers in densely populated areas, demonstrating the influence of watershed pollutant loads on lake water quality. Among important questions to be answered is whether wind-driven resuspension of existing nutrients in sediments in this shallow (< 3 m) lake may cause cyanobacteria blooms to begin. This study identifies other questions, data gaps, and research needs, and provides a foundation for improving lake management strategies.

  9. Impact of Climate Change on Lake Erie Drinking Water Quality—An Initial Assessment with Remote Sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liou, L.

    2012-12-01

    A changing climate in the Lake Erie region appears to be having direct impacts on the quality of Lake Erie's drinking water. A dramatic increase in the size and duration of harmful algal blooms (HABs), changes in chlorophyll (Chl) levels and related primary production (PP), prominent sediment plumes, and nearshore production of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) are likely being impacted by warmer winters, more intense storms, and reduced ice extent, amongst other meteorological factors. Hypoxia, another major drinking water issue in the lake, is exacerbated by HABs and nearshore SAV. A Michigan Tech research team (Shuchman, Sayers, Brooks) has recently been developing algorithms to derive HAB extents, Chl levels, PP, sediment plume extents, and nearshore SAV maps for the Great Lakes. Inputs have primarily been derived from MODIS Aqua imagery from the NASA Oceancolor website; investigations in the capability of VIIRS imagery to provide the same critical data are being pursued. Remote sensing-derived ice extent and thickness spatial data are also being analyzed. Working with Liou and Lekki of the NASA Glenn Research Center, the study team is deriving algorithms specifically for Lake Erie and integrating them into an analysis of the lake's changing trends over the last 10 years (2002-2012) to improve understanding of how they are impacting the area's water quality, especially for customers dependent on Lake Erie drinking water. This analysis is tying these remote sensing-derived products to climate-driven meteorological factors to enable an initial assessment of how future changes could continue to impact the region's drinking water quality.

  10. Chemical quality of surface waters in Devils Lake basin, North Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Swenson, Herbert; Colby, Bruce R.

    1955-01-01

    Devils Lake basin, a closed basin in northeastern North Dakota, covers about 3,900 square miles of land, the topography of which is morainal and of glacial origin. In this basin lies a chain of waterways, which begins with the Sweetwater group and extends successively through Mauvais Coulee, Devils Lake, East Bay Devils Lake, and East Devils Lake, to Stump Lake. In former years when lake levels were high, Mauvais Coulee drained the Sweetwater group and discharged considerable water into Devils Lake. Converging coulees also transported excess water to Stump Lake. For at least 70 years prior to 1941, Mauvais Coulee flowed only intermittently, and the levels of major lakes in this region gradually declined. Devils Lake, for example, covered an area of about 90,000 acres in 1867 but had shrunk to approximately 6,500 acres by 1941. Plans to restore the recreational appeal of Devils Lake propose the dilution and eventual displacement of the brackish lake water by fresh water that would be diverted from the Missouri River. Freshening of the lake water would permit restocking Devils Lake with fish. Devils and Stump Lake have irregular outlines and numerous windings and have been described as lying in the valley of a preglacial river, the main stem and tributaries of which are partly filled with drift. Prominent morainal hills along the south shore of Devils Lake contrast sharply with level farmland to the north. The mean annual temperature of Devils Lake basin ranges between 36 ? and 42 ? F. Summer temperatures above 100 ? F and winter temperatures below -30 ? Fare not uncommon. The annual precipitation for 77 years at the city of Devils Lake averaged 17.5 inches. Usually, from 75 to 80 percent of the precipitation in the basin falls during the growing season, April to September. From 1867 to 1941 the net fall of the water surface of Devils Lake was about 38 feet. By 1951 the surface had risen fully 14 feet from its lowest altitude, 1,400.9 feet. Since 1951, the level has

  11. Lake Energy Budget and Temperature Profiles Under Future Greenhouse Gas Scenarios

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lofgren, B. M.; Xiao, C.

    2017-12-01

    Future climates under higher concentrations of greenhouse gases are expected to feature higher air and water temperatures, and shifts in surface heat fluxes. We investigate in greater detail the evolution of this in terms of the annual cycle of lake temperature profiles, stratification, and ice formation. Other work has found that, although shallower water promotes more rapid changes in surface water temperature within a season, change in surface water temperature across decades is more prominent in locations with greater water depth. Our simulations using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model and its lake module, WRF-Lake, show a trend toward longer periods of summer stratification, both through earlier onset in the spring and later decay of stratification in the fall. They also show a general increase in temperature throughout the water column, but most pronounced near the surface during the summer. Likewise, ice duration is much shorter and more restricted to shallow embayments. High latent and sensible heat flux during the fall and winter are less intense but longer lasting under the future scenario. Sources of uncertainty are cumulative—actual future greenhouse gas concentrations, global sensitivity of climate change, cloud feedbacks, the combined formulation of the regional climate model (WRF) and its global driving model, and more.

  12. Spatial patterns in PCB concentrations of Lake Michigan lake trout

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Madenjian, Charles P.; DeSorcie, Timothy J.; Stedman, Ralph M.; Brown, Edward H.; Eck, Gary W.; Schmidt, Larry J.; Hesselberg, Robert J.; Chernyak, Sergei M.; Passino-Reader, Dora R.

    1999-01-01

    Most of the PCB body burden in lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) of the Great Lakes is from their food. PCB concentrations were determined in lake trout from three different locations in Lake Michigan during 1994–1995, and lake trout diets were analyzed at all three locations. The PCB concentrations were also determined in alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus), rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), bloater (Coregonus hoyi), slimy sculpin (Cottus cognatus), and deepwater sculpin (Myoxocephalus thompsoni), five species of prey fish eaten by lake trout in Lake Michigan, at three nearshore sites in the lake. Despite the lack of significant differences in the PCB concentrations of alewife, rainbow smelt, bloater, slimy sculpin, and deepwater sculpin from the southeastern nearshore site near Saugatuck (Michigan) compared with the corresponding PCB concentrations from the northwestern nearshore site near Sturgeon Bay (Wisconsin), PCB concentrations in lake trout at Saugatuck were significantly higher than those at Sturgeon Bay. The difference in the lake trout PCB concentrations between Saugatuck and Sturgeon Bay could be explained by diet differences. The diet of lake trout at Saugatuck was more concentrated in PCBs than the diet of Sturgeon Bay lake trout, and therefore lake trout at Saugatuck were more contaminated in PCBs than Sturgeon Bay lake trout. These findings were useful in interpreting the long-term monitoring series for contaminants in lake trout at both Saugatuck and the Wisconsin side of the lake.

  13. Potential strategies for recovery of lake whitefish and lake herring stocks in eastern Lake Erie

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Oldenburg, K.; Stapanian, M.A.; Ryan, P.A.; Holm, E.

    2007-01-01

    Lake Erie sustained large populations of ciscoes (Salmonidae: Coregoninae) 120 years ago. By the end of the 19th century, abundance of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) had declined drastically. By 1925, the lake herring (a cisco) population (Coregonus artedii) had collapsed, although a limited lake herring fishery persisted in the eastern basin until the 1950s. In the latter part of the 20th century, the composition of the fish community changed as oligotrophication proceeded. Since 1984, a limited recovery of lake whitefish has occurred, however no recovery was evident for lake herring. Current ecological conditions in Lake Erie probably will not inhibit recovery of the coregonine species. Recovery of walleye (Sander vitreus) and efforts to rehabilitate the native lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Erie will probably assist recovery because these piscivores reduce populations of alewife (Alosa psuedoharengus) and rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax), which inhibit reproductive success of coregonines. Although there are considerable spawning substrates available to coregonine species in eastern Lake Erie, eggs and fry would probably be displaced by storm surge from most shoals. Site selection for stocking or seeding of eggs should consider the reproductive life cycle of the stocked fish and suitable protection from storm events. Two potential sites in the eastern basin have been identified. Recommended management procedures, including commercial fisheries, are suggested to assist in recovery. Stocking in the eastern basin of Lake Erie is recommended for both species, as conditions are adequate and the native spawning population in the eastern basin is low. For lake herring, consideration should be given to match ecophenotypes as much as possible. Egg seeding is recommended. Egg seeding of lake whitefish should be considered initially, with fingerling or yearling stocking suggested if unsuccessful. Spawning stocks of whitefish in the western basin of Lake

  14. Glacial lake inventory and lake outburst potential in Uzbekistan.

    PubMed

    Petrov, Maxim A; Sabitov, Timur Y; Tomashevskaya, Irina G; Glazirin, Gleb E; Chernomorets, Sergey S; Savernyuk, Elena A; Tutubalina, Olga V; Petrakov, Dmitriy A; Sokolov, Leonid S; Dokukin, Mikhail D; Mountrakis, Giorgos; Ruiz-Villanueva, Virginia; Stoffel, Markus

    2017-08-15

    Climate change has been shown to increase the number of mountain lakes across various mountain ranges in the World. In Central Asia, and in particular on the territory of Uzbekistan, a detailed assessment of glacier lakes and their evolution over time is, however lacking. For this reason we created the first detailed inventory of mountain lakes of Uzbekistan based on recent (2002-2014) satellite observations using WorldView-2, SPOT5, and IKONOS imagery with a spatial resolution from 2 to 10m. This record was complemented with data from field studies of the last 50years. The previous data were mostly in the form of inventories of lakes, available in Soviet archives, and primarily included localized in-situ data. The inventory of mountain lakes presented here, by contrast, includes an overview of all lakes of the territory of Uzbekistan. Lakes were considered if they were located at altitudes above 1500m and if lakes had an area exceeding 100m 2 . As in other mountain regions of the World, the ongoing increase of air temperatures has led to an increase in lake number and area. Moreover, the frequency and overall number of lake outburst events have been on the rise as well. Therefore, we also present the first outburst assessment with an updated version of well-known approaches considering local climate features and event histories. As a result, out of the 242 lakes identified on the territory of Uzbekistan, 15% are considered prone to outburst, 10% of these lakes have been assigned low outburst potential and the remainder of the lakes have an average level of outburst potential. We conclude that the distribution of lakes by elevation shows a significant influence on lake area and hazard potential. No significant differences, by contrast, exist between the distribution of lake area, outburst potential, and lake location with respect to glaciers by regions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. Winter Refuge for Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus Mosquitoes in Hanoi during Winter

    PubMed Central

    Tsunoda, Takashi; Cuong, Tran Chi; Dong, Tran Duc; Yen, Nguyen Thi; Le, Nguyen Hoang; Phong, Tran Vu; Minakawa, Noboru

    2014-01-01

    Dengue occurs throughout the year in Hanoi, Vietnam, despite winter low temperatures <10°C. During July 2010 to March 2012, we surveyed monthly for Aedes larvae and pupae in 120 houses in 8 Hanoi districts. Aedes albopictus preferred discarded containers in summer and pupal density drastically decreased in winter. Aedes aegypti preferred concrete tanks and this preference increased in winter. Even in winter, the lowest water temperature found in concrete tanks was >14°C, exceeding the developmental zero point of Ae. aegypti. Although jars, drums and concrete tanks were the dominant containers previously (1994–97) in Hanoi, currently the percentage of residences with concrete tanks was still high while jars and drums were quite low. Our study showed that concrete tanks with broken lids allowing mosquitoes access were important winter refuge for Ae. aegypti. We also indicate a concern about concrete tanks serving as foci for Ae. aegypti to expand their distribution in cooler regions. PMID:24752230

  16. Distribution and winter survival health of Asian clams, Corbicula fluminea, in the St. Clair River, Michigan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    French, John R. P.; Schloesser, Don W.

    1996-01-01

    We studied the distribution and winter survival of the Asian clam, Corbicula fluminea, in the St. Clair River from the fall of 1988 to the spring of 1990. Between fall of 1988 and spring of 1989, distribution of Corbicula was extended from 5.5 to 11.5 km downstream from an electric power plant. However, total abundance of clams decreased during the winter. By fall of 1989, Corbicula was found 14.5 km from the power plant, and the mean density of clams was 27 individuals/m2. Between fall of 1989 and spring of 1990, distribution was reduced to 7.5 km from the power plant and abundance decreased 97%. During the winter of 1988-1989, we collected clams monthly from one station 2.2 km from the power plant, and we observed that clams survived the harsh winter for two months after the water temperature dropped about 1.5°C below the reported lethal level for Corbicula in midwinter. During the winer of 1989-1990, we held clams at the sediment-water interface in enclosures, and we observed that condition indices (dry body weight; dry shell weight) of clams remained stable (mean = 0.05 ± 0.01) in December and January and then declined significantly (p < 0.05) to 0.04 ± 0.01 in February. All clams perished by late March. The deteriorating physiological state of clams, as indicated by declining condition index, seemingly is a factor in late winter mortalities of Corbicula in the St. Clair River. In contrast to the rapid geographic spread and population increases in the southern United States, Corbicula likely will not spread rapidly throughout the Great Lakes beyond shoreline thermal refugia of heated-water discharge plumes from power plants.

  17. Progress toward lake trout restoration in Lake Michigan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Holey, Mark E.; Rybicki, Ronald W.; Eck, Gary W.; Brown, Edward H.; Marsden, J. Ellen; Lavis, Dennis S.; Toneys, Michael L.; Trudeau, Tom N.; Horrall, Ross M.

    1995-01-01

    Progress toward lake trout restoration in Lake Michigan is described through 1993. Extinction of the native lake trout fishery by sea lamprey predation, augmented by exploitation and habitat destruction, resulted in an extensive stocking program of hatchery-reared lake trout that began in 1965. Sea lamprey abundance was effectively controlled using selective chemical toxicants. The initial stocking produced a measurable wild year class of lake trout by 1976 in Grand Traverse Bay, but failed to continue probably due to excessive exploitation. The overall lack of successful reproduction lakewide by the late 1970s led to the development and implementation in 1985 of a focused inter-agency lakewide restoration plan by a technical committee created through the Lake Committee structure of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Strategies implemented in 1985 by the plan included setting a 40% total mortality goal lakewide, creating two large refuges designed to encompass historically the most productive spawning habitat and protect trout stocked over their home range, evaluating several lake trout strains, and setting stocking priorities throughout the lake. Target levels for stocking in the 1985 Plan have never been reached, and are much less than the estimated lakewide recruitment of yearlings by the native lake trout stocks. Since 1985, over 90% of the available lake trout have been stocked over the best spawning habitat, and colonization of the historically productive offshore reefs has occurred. Concentrations of spawning lake trout large enough for successful reproduction, based on observations of successful hatchery and wild stocks, have developed at specific reefs. Continued lack of recruitment at these specific sites suggests that something other than stotk abundance has limited success. Poor survival of lake trout eggs, assumed to be related to contaminant burden, occurred in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but survival has since increased to equal survival in the

  18. Physiological and ecological effects of increasing temperature on fish production in lakes of Arctic Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Carey, Michael P.; Zimmerman, Christian E.

    2014-01-01

    Lake ecosystems in the Arctic are changing rapidly due to climate warming. Lakes are sensitive integrators of climate-induced changes and prominent features across the Arctic landscape, especially in lowland permafrost regions such as the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. Despite many studies on the implications of climate warming, how fish populations will respond to lake changes is uncertain for Arctic ecosystems. Least Cisco (Coregonus sardinella) is a bellwether for Arctic lakes as an important consumer and prey resource. To explore the consequences of climate warming, we used a bioenergetics model to simulate changes in Least Cisco production under future climate scenarios for lakes on the Arctic Coastal Plain. First, we used current temperatures to fit Least Cisco consumption to observed annual growth. We then estimated growth, holding food availability, and then feeding rate constant, for future projections of temperature. Projected warmer water temperatures resulted in reduced Least Cisco production, especially for larger size classes, when food availability was held constant. While holding feeding rate constant, production of Least Cisco increased under all future scenarios with progressively more growth in warmer temperatures. Higher variability occurred with longer projections of time mirroring the expanding uncertainty in climate predictions further into the future. In addition to direct temperature effects on Least Cisco growth, we also considered changes in lake ice phenology and prey resources for Least Cisco. A shorter period of ice cover resulted in increased production, similar to warming temperatures. Altering prey quality had a larger effect on fish production in summer than winter and increased relative growth of younger rather than older age classes of Least Cisco. Overall, we predicted increased production of Least Cisco due to climate warming in lakes of Arctic Alaska. Understanding the implications of increased production of Least Cisco to

  19. Physiological and ecological effects of increasing temperature on fish production in lakes of Arctic Alaska.

    PubMed

    Carey, Michael P; Zimmerman, Christian E

    2014-05-01

    Lake ecosystems in the Arctic are changing rapidly due to climate warming. Lakes are sensitive integrators of climate-induced changes and prominent features across the Arctic landscape, especially in lowland permafrost regions such as the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. Despite many studies on the implications of climate warming, how fish populations will respond to lake changes is uncertain for Arctic ecosystems. Least Cisco (Coregonus sardinella) is a bellwether for Arctic lakes as an important consumer and prey resource. To explore the consequences of climate warming, we used a bioenergetics model to simulate changes in Least Cisco production under future climate scenarios for lakes on the Arctic Coastal Plain. First, we used current temperatures to fit Least Cisco consumption to observed annual growth. We then estimated growth, holding food availability, and then feeding rate constant, for future projections of temperature. Projected warmer water temperatures resulted in reduced Least Cisco production, especially for larger size classes, when food availability was held constant. While holding feeding rate constant, production of Least Cisco increased under all future scenarios with progressively more growth in warmer temperatures. Higher variability occurred with longer projections of time mirroring the expanding uncertainty in climate predictions further into the future. In addition to direct temperature effects on Least Cisco growth, we also considered changes in lake ice phenology and prey resources for Least Cisco. A shorter period of ice cover resulted in increased production, similar to warming temperatures. Altering prey quality had a larger effect on fish production in summer than winter and increased relative growth of younger rather than older age classes of Least Cisco. Overall, we predicted increased production of Least Cisco due to climate warming in lakes of Arctic Alaska. Understanding the implications of increased production of Least Cisco to

  20. Decadal-to-centennial-scale climate variability: Insights into the rise and fall of the Great Salt Lake

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mann, Michael E.; Lall, Upmanu; Saltzman, Barry

    1995-01-01

    We demonstrate connections between decadal and secular global climatic variations, and historical variations in the volume of the Great Salt Lake. The decadal variations correspond to a low-frequency shifting of storm tracks which influence winter precipitation and explain nearly 18% of the interannual and longer-term variance in the record of monthly volume change. The secular trend accounts for a more modest approximately 1.5% of the variance.

  1. Lake trout rehabilitation in Lake Huron

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Eshenroder, Randy L.; Payne, N. Robert; Johnson, James E.; Bowen, Charles; Ebener, Mark P.

    1995-01-01

    Efforts to restore lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in Lake Huron after their collapse in the 1940s were underway in the early 1970s with completion of the first round of lampricide applications in tributary streams and the stocking of several genotypes. We assess results of rehabilitation and establish a historical basis for comparison by quantifying the catch of spawning lake trout from Michigan waters in 1929-1932. Sixty-eight percent of this catch occurred in northern waters (MH-1) and most of the rest (15%) was from remote reefs in the middle of the main basin. Sea lampreys (Petromyzon marinus) increased in the early 1980s in the main basin and depressed spawning populations of lake trout. This increase was especially severe in northern waters and appeared to be associated with untreated populations in the St. Marys River. Excessive commercial fishing stemming from unresolved treaty rights also contributed to loss of spawning fish in northern Michigan waters. Seneca-strain lake trout did not appear to be attacked by sea lampreys until they reached a size > 532 mm. At sizes > 632 mm, Seneca trout were 40-fold more abundant than the Marquette strain in matched-planting experiments. Natural reproduction past the fry stage has occurred in Thunder Bay and South Bay, but prospects for self-sustaining populations of lake trout in the main basin are poor because sea lampreys are too abundant, only one side of the basin is stocked, and stocking is deferred to allow commercial gillnetting in areas where most of the spawning occurred historically. Backcross lake trout, a lake trout x splake (s. Fontinalis x s. Namaycush) hybrid, did not reproduce in Georgian Bay, but this genotype is being replaced with pure-strain lake trout, whose early performance appears promising.

  2. 3D mapping and simulation of Geneva Lake environmental data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Villard, Roch; Maignan, Michel; Kanevski, Mikhail; Rapin, Francois; Klein, Audrey

    2010-05-01

    The Geneva Lake is the biggest alpine and subalpine lake in central Europe. The depth of this lake is 309 meters and its total volume of water is 89 billions m3. It takes, on average, around twelve years so that waters of the lake are completely brewed. Furthermore the Geneva lake waters are rich in dissolved substances as carbonate, sulfate. The quantity of particles in suspension in the lake, which mainly arrived from the Rhône, is nowadays around height million of tones. The International Commission for the Leman Lake (CIPEL) works about the improvement of the quality of this lake since 1962. In the present study three dimensional environmental data (temperature, oxygen and nitrate) which cover the period from 1954 to 2008, for a total of 27'500 cases are investigated. We are interested to study the evolution of the temperature of the lake because there is an impact on the reproduction of fishes and also because the winter brewing of the water makes the re-oxygenation of deep-water. In order that biological balance is maintained in a lake, there must be enough oxygen in the water. Moreover, we work on nitrate distribution and evolution because contributions in fertilizers cause eutrophication of lake. The data are very numerous when we consider the time series, some of them with more than 300 occurrences, but there are between 2 and 15 data available for spatial cartography. The basic methodology used for the analysis, mapping and simulations of 3D patterns of environmental data is based on geostatistical predictions (family of kriging models) and conditional stochastic simulations. Spatial and temporal variability, 3D monitoring networks changing over time, make this study challenging. An important problem is also to make interpolation/simulations over a long period of time, like ten years. One way used to overcome this problem, consists in using a weighted average of ten variograms during this period. 3D mapping was carried out using environment data for

  3. Artists Bob and Louise McCall in their studio in Paradise Valley, Arizona.

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2003-06-05

    Artists Bob and Louise McCall in their Paradise Valley, Arizona studio, in front of "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight 1903-2003." The mural was created to celebrate the achievements of Wilbur and Orville Wright and to commemorate a century of powered flight. Many of the epic flights represented in the painting took place in the skies over NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. An equally important goal of this celebration is to encourage the values that have characterized 100 years of aviation history: ingenuity, inventiveness, persistence, creativity and courage. These values hold true not just for pioneers of flight, but also for all pioneers of invention and innovation, and they will remain an important part of America's future. "Celebrating One Hundred Years of Powered Flight, 1903-2003", documents many significant achievements in aeronautics and space flight from the dawn of powered flight to the present. Historic aircraft and spacecraft serve as the backdrop, highlighting six figures representing the human element that made these milestones possible. These figures stand, symbolically supported by the words of Wilbur Wright, "It is my belief that flight is possible…" The quote was taken from a letter written to his father on September 3rd, 1900, announcing Wilbur's intention to make "some experiments with a flying machine" at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. "This year, Bob is helping us commemorate the Centennial of Flight with a beautiful mural slated for placement in our Dryden Flight Research Center that documents the history of flight from the Wright Flyer to the International Space Station. We should all take note, I think, that in the grand scheme of things, one hundred years is a very short period of time. In that blink of an eye we've gone from Kitty Hawk to Tranquility Base and now look forward to our rovers traversing the surface of Mars. Despite the challenges we face, the future we envision, like the future depicted in the artwork of Bo

  4. Techniques, analysis, and noise in a Salt Lake Valley 4D gravity experiment

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gettings, P.; Chapman, D.S.; Allis, R.

    2008-01-01

    Repeated high-precision gravity measurements using an automated gravimeter and analysis of time series of 1-Hz samples allowed gravity measurements to be made with an accuracy of 5 ??Gal or better. Nonlinear instrument drift was removed using a new empirical staircase function built from multiple station loops. The new technique was developed between March 1999 and September 2000 in a pilot study conducted in the southern Salt Lake Valley along an east-west profile of eight stations from the Wasatch Mountains to the Jordan River. Gravity changes at eight profile stations were referenced to a set of five stations in the northern Salt Lake Valley, which showed residual signals of <10 ??Gal in amplitude, assuming a reference station near the Great Salt Lake to be stable. Referenced changes showed maximum amplitudes of -40 through +40 ??Gal at profile stations, with minima in summer 1999, maxima in winter 1999-2000, and some decrease through summer 2000. Gravity signals were likely a composite of production-induced changes monitored by well-water levels, elevation changes, precipitation-induced vadose-zone changes, and local irrigation effects for which magnitudes were estimated quantitatively. ?? 2008 Society of Exploration Geophysicists. All rights reserved.

  5. Evolution of alkaline lakes - Lake Van case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tillman Meyer, Felix; Viehberg, Finn; Bahroun, Sonya; Wolf, Annabel; Immenhauser, Adrian; Kwiecien, Ola

    2017-04-01

    Lake Van in Eastern Anatolia (Turkey) is the largest terminal soda lake on Earth. The lake sedimentary profile covers ca. 600 ka (Stockhecke et al. 2014) Based on lithological changes, the presence of freshwater microfossils and close-to-freshwater pH value in the pore water, members of ICDP PALEOVAN concluded that Lake Van might have started as an open lake. Here we show paleontological and geochemical evidence in favour of this idea and constrain the time, when Lake Van likely transformed into a closed lake. Additionally we provide the first conceptual model of how this closure may have happened. Our archives of choice are inorganic and biogenic carbonates, separated by wet sieving. We identified microfossil assemblages (fraction > 125 µm) and performed high-resolution oxygen isotope (delta18O) and elemental (Mg/Ca, Sr/Ca) analyses of the fraction < 63 µm assuming that it represents only carbonates precipitating in the water column. Microfossil assemblage consists of three different species of ostracods (Candona spp, Loxoconcha sp, Amnicythere spp.), diatoms, gastropods and bivalves. Brakish-water ostracods, Loxoconcha sp and Amnicythere sp occur more often after 530 ka. Additionaly, Loxoconcha sp is a shallow-water species relaying on plants growing in the photic zone as food supply. These two aspects point to an increasing salinity in a shallowing lake. The delta18O values of inorganic carbonates are relatively low during the initial phase of Lake Van and increase abruptly (ca. 7‰) after 530 ka BP. At approximately the same time combination of Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca data suggest first occurrence of aragonite. Again, these findings suggest geochemical changes of the lake water concurrent with transition documented by microfossils. Comparison between Lake Van and Lake Ohrid (Lacey et al. 2016) delta18O data, precludes regional climate change (e.g.: increased evaporation) as the main driver of observed changes. With no evidence for increased volcanic or tectonic

  6. Elevated streamflows increase dam passage by juvenile coho salmon during winter: Implications of climate change in the Pacific Northwest

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kock, Tobias J.; Liedtke, Theresa L.; Rondorf, Dennis W.; Serl, John D.; Kohn, Mike; Bumbaco, Karin A.

    2012-01-01

    A 4-year evaluation was conducted to determine the proportion of juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch passing Cowlitz Falls Dam, on the Cowlitz River, Washington, during winter. River and reservoir populations of coho salmon parr were monitored using radiotelemetry to determine if streamflow increases resulted in increased downstream movement and dam passage. This was of interest because fish that pass downstream of Cowlitz Falls Dam become landlocked in Riffe Lake and are lost to the anadromous population. Higher proportions of reservoir-released fish (0.391-0.480) passed Cowlitz Falls Dam than did river-released fish (0.037-0.119). Event-time analyses demonstrated that streamflow increases were important predictors of dam passage rates during the study. The estimated effect of increasing streamflows on the risk of dam passage varied annually and ranged from 9% to 75% for every 28.3 m3/s increase in streamflow. These results have current management implications because they demonstrate the significance of dam passage by juvenile coho salmon during winter months when juvenile fish collection facilities are typically not operating. The results also have future management implications because climate change predictions suggest that peak streamflow timing for many watersheds in the Pacific Northwest will shift from late spring and early summer to winter. Increased occurrence of intense winter flood events is also expected. Our results demonstrate that juvenile coho salmon respond readily to streamflow increases and initiate downstream movements during winter months, which could result in increased passage at dams during these periods if climate change predictions are realized in the coming decades.

  7. Embryotoxicity of an extract from Great Lakes lake trout to rainbow trout and lake trout

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wright, P.J.; Tillitt, D.E.

    1995-12-31

    Aquatic ecosystems such as the Great Lakes are known to be contaminated with chemicals that are toxic to fish. However, the role of these contaminants in reproductive failures of fishes, such as lake trout recruitment, has remained controvertible. It was the objective to evaluate dioxin-like embryotoxicity of a complex mixture of chemicals and predict their potential to cause the lack of recruitment in Great Lakes lake trout. Graded doses of a complex environmental extract were injected into eggs of both rainbow trout and lake trout. The extract was obtained from whole adult lake trout collected from Lake Michigan in 1988.more » The extract was embryotoxic in rainbow trout, with LD50 values for Arlee strain and Erwin strain of 33 eggEQ and 14 eggEQ respectively. The LOAEL for hemorrhaging, yolk-sac edema, and craniofacial deformities in rainbow trout were 2, 2, and 4 eggEQ, respectively. Subsequent injections of the extract into lake trout eggs were likewise embryotoxic, with an LD50 value of 7 eggEQ. The LOAEL values for the extract in lake trout for hemorrhaging, yolk-sac edema, and craniofacial deformities were 0.1, 1, and 2 eggEQ, respectively. The current levels of contaminants in lake trout eggs are above the threshold for hemorrhaging and yolk-sac edema. The results also support the use of an additive model of toxicity to quantify PCDDs, PCDFs, Non-o-PCBs, and Mono-o-PCBs in relation to early life stage mortality in Lake Michigan lake trout.« less

  8. Hydrogeologic Controls on Lake Level at Mountain Lake, Virginia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Roningen, J. M.; Burbey, T. J.

    2011-12-01

    Mountain Lake in Giles County, Virginia has a documented history of severe natural lake-level changes involving groundwater seepage that extend over the past 4200 years. Featured in the 1986 movie Dirty Dancing, the natural lake dried up completely in September 2008 and levels have not yet recovered. A hydrogeologic investigation was undertaken in an effort to determine the factors influencing lake level changes. A daily water balance, dipole-dipole electrical resistivity surveying, well logging and chemical sampling have shed light on: 1) the influence of a fault not previously discussed in literature regarding the lake, 2) the seasonal response to precipitation of a forested first-order drainage system in fractured rock, and 3) the possibility of flow pathways related to karst features. Geologic controls on lake level were investigated using several techniques. Geophysical surveys using dipole-dipole resistivity located possible subsurface flowpaths both to and from the lake. Well logs, lineament analysis, and joint sampling were used to assess structural controls on lake hydrology. Major ions were sampled at wells, springs, streams, and the lake to evaluate possible mixing of different sources of water in the lake. Groundwater levels were monitored for correlation to lake levels, rainfall events, and possible seismic effects. The hydrology of the lake was quantified with a water balance on a daily time step. Results from the water balance indicate steady net drainage and significant recharge when vegetation is dormant, particularly during rain-on-snow melt events. The resistivity survey reveals discrete areas that represent flow pathways from the lake, as well as flowpaths to springs upgradient of the lake located in the vicinity of the fault. The survey also suggests that some flowpaths may originate outside of the topographic watershed of the lake. Chemical evidence indicates karst may underlie the lakebed. Historical data suggest that artificial intervention

  9. Stochastic and cyclic deposition of multiple subannual laminae in an urban lake (Twin Lake, Golden Valley, Minnesota, USA)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Myrbo, A.; Ustipak, K.; Demet, B.

    2013-12-01

    Twin Lake, a small, deep, meromictic urban lake in Minneapolis, Minnesota, annually deposits two to 10 laminae that are distinguished from one another by composition and resulting color. Sediment sources are both autochthonous and allochthonous, including pure and mixed laminae of authigenic calcite, algal organic matter, and diatoms, as well as at least three distinct types of sediment gravity flow deposits. Diagenetic iron sulfide and iron phosphate phases are minor components, but can affect color out of proportion to their abundance. We used L*a*b* color from digital images of a freeze core slab, and petrographic smear slides of individual laminae, to categorize 1080 laminae deposited between 1963 and 2010 CE (based on lead-210 dating). Some causal relationships exist between the ten categories identified: diatom blooms often occur directly above the debris of gravity flows that probably disrupt the phosphate-rich monimolomnion and fertilize the surface waters; calcite whitings only occur after diatom blooms that increase calcite saturation. Stochastic events, as represented by laminae rich in siliciclastics and other terrigenous material, or shallow-water microfossils and carbonate morphologies, are the dominant sediment source. The patterns of cyclic deposition (e.g., summer and winter sedimentation) that produce 'normal' varve couplets in some lakes are continually interrupted by these stochastic events, to such an extent that spectral analysis finds only a weak one-year cycle. Sediments deposited before about 1900, and extending through the entire Holocene sequence (~10m) are varve couplets interrupted by thick (20-90 cm) debris layers, indicating that gravity flows were lower in frequency but greater in magnitude before the historical period, probably due to an increased frequency of disturbance under urban land-use.

  10. Lake-level frequency analysis for Devils Lake, North Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wiche, Gregg J.; Vecchia, Aldo V.

    1996-01-01

    Two approaches were used to estimate future lake-level probabilities for Devils Lake. The first approach is based on an annual lake-volume model, and the second approach is based on a statistical water mass-balance model that generates seasonal lake volumes on the basis of seasonal precipitation, evaporation, and inflow. Autoregressive moving average models were used to model the annual mean lake volume and the difference between the annual maximum lake volume and the annual mean lake volume. Residuals from both models were determined to be uncorrelated with zero mean and constant variance. However, a nonlinear relation between the residuals of the two models was included in the final annual lakevolume model.Because of high autocorrelation in the annual lake levels of Devils Lake, the annual lake-volume model was verified using annual lake-level changes. The annual lake-volume model closely reproduced the statistics of the recorded lake-level changes for 1901-93 except for the skewness coefficient. However, the model output is less skewed than the data indicate because of some unrealistically large lake-level declines. The statistical water mass-balance model requires as inputs seasonal precipitation, evaporation, and inflow data for Devils Lake. Analysis of annual precipitation, evaporation, and inflow data for 1950-93 revealed no significant trends or long-range dependence so the input time series were assumed to be stationary and short-range dependent.Normality transformations were used to approximately maintain the marginal probability distributions; and a multivariate, periodic autoregressive model was used to reproduce the correlation structure. Each of the coefficients in the model is significantly different from zero at the 5-percent significance level. Coefficients relating spring inflow from one year to spring and fall inflows from the previous year had the largest effect on the lake-level frequency analysis.Inclusion of parameter uncertainty in the model

  11. Lake-level frequency analysis for Devils Lake, North Dakota

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wiche, Gregg J.; Vecchia, Aldo V.

    1995-01-01

    Two approaches were used to estimate future lake-level probabilities for Devils Lake. The first approach is based on an annual lake-volume model, and the second approach is based on a statistical water mass-balance model that generates seasonal lake volumes on the basis of seasonal precipitation, evaporation, and inflow.Autoregressive moving average models were used to model the annual mean lake volume and the difference between the annual maximum lake volume and the annual mean lake volume. Residuals from both models were determined to be uncorrelated with zero mean and constant variance. However, a nonlinear relation between the residuals of the two models was included in the final annual lake-volume model.Because of high autocorrelation in the annual lake levels of Devils Lake, the annual lakevolume model was verified using annual lake-level changes. The annual lake-volume model closely reproduced the statistics of the recorded lake-level changes for 1901-93 except for the skewness coefficient However, the model output is less skewed than the data indicate because of some unrealistically large lake-level declines.The statistical water mass-balance model requires as inputs seasonal precipitation, evaporation, and inflow data for Devils Lake. Analysis of annual precipitation, evaporation, and inflow data for 1950-93 revealed no significant trends or long-range dependence so the input time series were assumed to be stationary and short-range dependent.Normality transformations were used to approximately maintain the marginal probability distributions; and a multivariate, periodic autoregressive model was used to reproduce the correlation structure. Each of the coefficients in the model is significantly different from zero at the 5-percent significance level. Coefficients relating spring inflow from one year to spring and fall inflows from the previous year had the largest effect on the lake-level frequency analysis.Inclusion of parameter uncertainty in the model

  12. Lake trout in northern Lake Huron spawn on submerged drumlins

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Riley, Stephen C.; Binder, Thomas; Wattrus, Nigel J.; Faust, Matthew D.; Janssen, John; Menzies, John; Marsden, J. Ellen; Ebener, Mark P.; Bronte, Charles R.; He, Ji X.; Tucker, Taaja R.; Hansen, Michael J.; Thompson, Henry T.; Muir, Andrew M.; Krueger, Charles C.

    2014-01-01

    Recent observations of spawning lake trout Salvelinus namaycush near Drummond Island in northern Lake Huron indicate that lake trout use drumlins, landforms created in subglacial environments by the action of ice sheets, as a primary spawning habitat. From these observations, we generated a hypothesis that may in part explain locations chosen by lake trout for spawning. Most salmonines spawn in streams where they rely on streamflows to sort and clean sediments to create good spawning habitat. Flows sufficient to sort larger sediment sizes are generally lacking in lakes, but some glacial bedforms contain large pockets of sorted sediments that can provide the interstitial spaces necessary for lake trout egg incubation, particularly if these bedforms are situated such that lake currents can penetrate these sediments. We hypothesize that sediment inclusions from glacial scavenging and sediment sorting that occurred during the creation of bedforms such as drumlins, end moraines, and eskers create suitable conditions for lake trout egg incubation, particularly where these bedforms interact with lake currents to remove fine sediments. Further, these bedforms may provide high-quality lake trout spawning habitat at many locations in the Great Lakes and may be especially important along the southern edge of the range of the species. A better understanding of the role of glacially-derived bedforms in the creation of lake trout spawning habitat may help develop powerful predictors of lake trout spawning locations, provide insight into the evolution of unique spawning behaviors by lake trout, and aid in lake trout restoration in the Great Lakes.

  13. Variability in winter climate and winter extremes reduces population growth of an alpine butterfly.

    PubMed

    Roland, Jens; Matter, Stephen F

    2013-01-01

    We examined the long-term, 15-year pattern of population change in a network of 21 Rocky Mountain populations of Parnassius smintheus butterflies in response to climatic variation. We found that winter values of the broadscale climate variable, the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) index, were a strong predictor of annual population growth, much more so than were endogenous biotic factors related to population density. The relationship between PDO and population growth was nonlinear. Populations declined in years with extreme winter PDO values, when there were either extremely warm or extremely cold sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific relative to that in the western Pacific. Results suggest that more variable winters, and more frequent extremely cold or warm winters, will result in more frequent decline of these populations, a pattern exacerbated by the trend for increasingly variable winters seen over the past century.

  14. Flood frequency matters: Why climate change degrades deep-water quality of peri-alpine lakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fink, Gabriel; Wessels, Martin; Wüest, Alfred

    2016-09-01

    Sediment-laden riverine floods transport large quantities of dissolved oxygen into the receiving deep layers of lakes. Hence, the water quality of deep lakes is strongly influenced by the frequency of riverine floods. Although flood frequency reflects climate conditions, the effects of climate variability on the water quality of deep lakes is largely unknown. We quantified the effects of climate variability on the potential shifts in the flood regime of the Alpine Rhine, the main catchment of Lake Constance, and determined the intrusion depths of riverine density-driven underflows and the subsequent effects on water exchange rates in the lake. A simplified hydrodynamic underflow model was developed and validated with observed river inflow and underflow events. The model was implemented to estimate underflow statistics for different river inflow scenarios. Using this approach, we integrated present and possible future flood frequencies to underflow occurrences and intrusion depths in Lake Constance. The results indicate that more floods will increase the number of underflows and the intensity of deep-water renewal - and consequently will cause higher deep-water dissolved oxygen concentrations. Vice versa, fewer floods weaken deep-water renewal and lead to lower deep-water dissolved oxygen concentrations. Meanwhile, a change from glacial nival regime (present) to a nival pluvial regime (future) is expected to decrease deep-water renewal. While flood frequencies are not expected to change noticeably for the next decades, it is most likely that increased winter discharge and decreased summer discharge will reduce the number of deep density-driven underflows by 10% and favour shallower riverine interflows in the upper hypolimnion. The renewal in the deepest layers is expected to be reduced by nearly 27%. This study underlines potential consequences of climate change on the occurrence of deep river underflows and water residence times in deep lakes.

  15. Pacific southwest United States Holocene summer paleoclimate inferred from sediment calcite oxygen isotopes (Lake Elsinore, CA)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kirby, M.; Patterson, W. P.; Lachniet, M. S.; Anderson, M.; Noblet, J. A.

    2017-12-01

    Records of past climate inform on the natural range and mechanisms of climate change. In the arid Pacific southwest United States (pswUS), there exist a variety of Holocene records that infer past winter conditions (moisture and/or temperature). Holocene records of summer climate, however, are rare excepting short-lived (<500-1000 yrs) tree ring PDSIs and some pollen-inferred temperature reconstructions. As climate changes due to anthropogenic forcing, the severity of drought is expected to increase in the already water-stressed pswUS. Hot droughts are of considerable concern as summer temperatures rise. As a result, understanding how summer conditions changed in the past is critical to understanding future predictions under varied climate forcings. Here, we present a 9800 year delta-18O(calcite) record from Lake Elsinore, CA. This isotope record is interpreted to reflect late-spring to summer conditions, especially evaporation. Modern water isotope data support this interpretation. Our results reveal a three-part Holocene consisting of a highly evaporative early Holocene, a cooler mid-Holocene, and evaporative late Holocene. Coupled with an inferred winter wetness (run-off) record from Kirby et al. (2010), we estimate the severity of centennial scale Holocene dryness (i.e. dry winters plus hot summers = severe drought). The most severe droughts occur in the early Holocene, decline in the mid-Holocene, and return in the late Holocene. An independently dated isotope record from Lake Elsinore's littoral zone (Kirby et al. 2004) shows similar changes providing confidence in our longer record. Various forcing mechanisms are examined to explain the Elsinore summer record including insolation, Pacific SSTs, and trace gas radiative forcing.

  16. Climate change effects on runoff, catchment phosphorus loading and lake ecological state, and potential adaptations.

    PubMed

    Jeppesen, Erik; Kronvang, Brian; Meerhoff, Mariana; Søndergaard, Martin; Hansen, Kristina M; Andersen, Hans E; Lauridsen, Torben L; Liboriussen, Lone; Beklioglu, Meryem; Ozen, Arda; Olesen, Jørgen E

    2009-01-01

    Climate change may have profound effects on phosphorus (P) transport in streams and on lake eutrophication. Phosphorus loading from land to streams is expected to increase in northern temperate coastal regions due to higher winter rainfall and to a decline in warm temperate and arid climates. Model results suggest a 3.3 to 16.5% increase within the next 100 yr in the P loading of Danish streams depending on soil type and region. In lakes, higher eutrophication can be expected, reinforced by temperature-mediated higher P release from the sediment. Furthermore, a shift in fish community structure toward small and abundant plankti-benthivorous fish enhances predator control of zooplankton, resulting in higher phytoplankton biomass. Data from Danish lakes indicate increased chlorophyll a and phytoplankton biomass, higher dominance of dinophytes and cyanobacteria (most notably of nitrogen fixing forms), but lower abundance of diatoms and chrysophytes, reduced size of copepods and cladocerans, and a tendency to reduced zooplankton biomass and zooplankton:phytoplankton biomass ratio when lakes warm. Higher P concentrations are also seen in warm arid lakes despite reduced external loading due to increased evapotranspiration and reduced inflow. Therefore, the critical loading for good ecological state in lakes has to be lowered in a future warmer climate. This calls for adaptation measures, which in the northern temperate zone should include improved P cycling in agriculture, reduced loading from point sources, and (re)-establishment of wetlands and riparian buffer zones. In the arid Southern Europe, restrictions on human use of water are also needed, not least on irrigation.

  17. Lake sturgeon population characteristics in Rainy Lake, Minnesota and Ontario

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Adams, W.E.; Kallemeyn, L.W.; Willis, D.W.

    2006-01-01

    Rainy Lake contains a native population of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens that has been largely unstudied. The aims of this study were to document the population characteristics of lake sturgeon in Rainy Lake and to relate environmental factors to year-class strength for this population. Gill-netting efforts throughout the study resulted in the capture of 322 lake sturgeon, including 50 recaptures. Lake sturgeon in Rainy Lake was relatively plump and fast growing compared with a 32-population summary. Population samples were dominated by lake sturgeon between 110 and 150 cm total length. Age–structure analysis of the samples indicated few younger (<10 years) lake sturgeon, but the smallest gill net mesh size used for sampling was 102 mm (bar measure) and would not retain small sturgeon. Few lake sturgeon older than age 50 years were captured, and maximum age of sampled fish was 59 years. Few correlations existed between lake sturgeon year-class indices and both annual and monthly climate variables, except that mean June air temperature was positively correlated with year-class strength. Analysis of Rainy Lake water elevation and resulting lake sturgeon year-class strength indices across years yielded consistent but weak negative correlations between late April and early June, when spawning of lake sturgeon occurs. The baseline data collected in this study should allow Rainy Lake biologists to establish more specific research questions in the future.

  18. The influence of dissolved oxygen on winter habitat selection by largemouth bass: an integration of field biotelemetry studies and laboratory experiments.

    PubMed

    Hasler, C T; Suski, C D; Hanson, K C; Cooke, S J; Tufts, B L

    2009-01-01

    In this study, field biotelemetry and laboratory physiology approaches were coupled to allow understanding of the behavioral and physiological responses of fish to winter hypoxia. The biotelemetry study compared dissolved oxygen levels measured throughout the winter period with continually tracked locations of nine adult largemouth bass obtained from a whole-lake submerged telemetry array. Fish habitat usage was compared with habitat availability to assess whether fish were selecting for specific dissolved oxygen concentrations. The laboratory study examined behavioral and physiological responses to progressive hypoxia in juvenile largemouth bass acclimated to winter temperatures. Results from the dissolved oxygen measurements made during the biotelemetry study showed high variance in under-ice dissolved oxygen levels. Avoidance of water with dissolved oxygen <2.0 mg/L by telemetered fish was demonstrated, but significant use of water with intermediate dissolved oxygen levels was also found. Results from the lab experiments showed marked changes in behavior (i.e., yawning and vertical movement) at <2.0 mg/L of dissolved oxygen but no change in tissue lactate, an indicator of anaerobic metabolism. Combined results of the biotelemetry and laboratory studies demonstrate that a dissolved oxygen content of 2.0 mg/L may be a critical threshold that induces behavioral responses by largemouth bass during the winter. In addition, the use by fish of areas with intermediate levels of dissolved oxygen suggests that there are multiple environmental factors influencing winter behavior.

  19. Paleolimnology of Lake Ontario: AN Assessment of Glacial Meltwater Influx

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hladyniuk, R.; Longstaffe, F. J.

    2010-12-01

    The timing and extent of glacial meltwater outbursts from the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) may provide insight into their potential role in initiating and/or sustaining the Younger Dryas (YD) cooling event. It has been previously proposed that meltwater from the LIS suppressed thermohaline circulation in the Atlantic Ocean, leading to an abrupt change in climate (Broecker et al. 1989). Several pathways for transport of glacial meltwater to the Atlantic Ocean have been suggested in the past, including eastern flow through the St. Lawrence River system and discharge into the Arctic Ocean via a northwestern outlet (Murton et al. 2010). Glacial meltwater contributions to Lake Ontario and its ancient equivalents during the last ~14,000 cal BP have been evaluated using the oxygen-isotope compositions of ostracode shells from three sediment cores in Lake Ontario. Glacial Lake Iroquois (~12,500 cal BP) δ18O values as low as -18‰ suggest significant contribution of glacial meltwater runoff from the LIS. This glacial sediment is characterized by occasional grains of sand and gravel. These ice-rafted particles indicate how far icebergs floated and suggest close proximity to the LIS. Early Lake Ontario sediment (~12,000 cal BP) exhibits thicker laminations, suggestive of increased winter ice cover and perhaps a colder climate, and is characterized by slightly lower δ18O values (-19.5‰). The end of glacial-dominated sedimentation at ~11,800 cal BP is demarcated by a significant increase in lakewater δ18O values (-12.0‰), reflecting mixing between regional precipitation in the watershed and upstream inflow into Lake Ontario. At ~10,800 cal BP, the δ18O value of Lake Ontario decreased to ~-15‰. This change reflects the main Algonquin highstand in Lake Huron, which flooded into Lake Ontario from both the Fenelon Falls and Port Huron outlets at this time. Shortly thereafter, the opening of the North Bay outlet and isostatic rebound at the Port Huron outlet limited

  20. A major increase in winter snowfall during the middle Holocene on western Greenland caused by reduced sea ice in Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, Elizabeth K.; Briner, Jason P.; Ryan-Henry, John J.; Huang, Yongsong

    2016-05-01

    Precipitation is predicted to increase in the Arctic as temperature increases and sea ice retreats. Yet the mechanisms controlling precipitation in the Arctic are poorly understood and quantified only by the short, sparse instrumental record. We use hydrogen isotope ratios (δ2H) of lipid biomarkers in lake sediments from western Greenland to reconstruct precipitation seasonality and summer temperature during the past 8 kyr. Aquatic biomarker δ2H was 100‰ more negative from 6 to 4 ka than during the early and late Holocene, which we interpret to reflect increased winter snowfall. The middle Holocene also had high summer air temperature, decreased early winter sea ice in Baffin Bay and the Labrador Sea, and a strong, warm West Greenland Current. These results corroborate model predictions of winter snowfall increases caused by sea ice retreat and furthermore suggest that warm currents advecting more heat into the polar seas may enhance Arctic evaporation and snowfall.

  1. Population ecology of the mallard VIII: Winter distribution patterns and survival rates of winter-banded mallards

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nichols, James D.; Hines, James E.

    1987-01-01

    In the present report we address questions about winter distribution patterns and survival rates of North American mallards Anas platyrhynchos. Inferences are based on analyses of banding and recovery data from both winter and preseason banding period. The primary wintering range of the mallard was dividded into 45 minor reference areas and 15 major reference areas which were used to summarize winter banding data. Descriptive tables and figures on the recovery distributions of winter-banded mallards are presented. Using winter recoveries of preseason-banded mallards, we found apparent differences between recovery distribution of young versus adult birds from the same breeding ground reference areas. However, we found no sex-specific differences in winter recovery distribution patterns. Winter recovery distributions of preseason-banded birds also provided evidence that mallards exhibited some degree of year-to-year variation in wintering ground location. The age- and sex-specificity of such variation was tested using winter recoveries of winter-banded birds, and results indicated that subadult (first year) birds were less likely to return to the same wintering grounds the following year than adults. Winter recovery distributions of preseason-banded mallards during 1950-58 differed from distributions in 1966-76. These differences could have resulted from either true distributional shifts or geographic changes in hunting pressure. Survival and recovery rates were estimated from winter banding data. We found no evidence of differences in survival or recovery rates between subadult and adult mallards. Thus, the substantial difference between survival rates of preseason-banded young and adult mallards must result almost entirely from higher mortality of young birds during the approximate period, August-January. Male mallards showed higher survival than females, corroborating inferences based on preseason data. Tests with winter banding and band recovery data indicated

  2. Ash from the Toba supereruption in Lake Malawi shows no volcanic winter in East Africa at 75 ka

    PubMed Central

    Lane, Christine S.; Chorn, Ben T.; Johnson, Thomas C.

    2013-01-01

    The most explosive volcanic event of the Quaternary was the eruption of Mt. Toba, Sumatra, 75,000 y ago, which produced voluminous ash deposits found across much of the Indian Ocean, Indian Peninsula, and South China Sea. A major climatic downturn observed within the Greenland ice cores has been attributed to the cooling effects of the ash and aerosols ejected during the eruption of the Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT). These events coincided roughly with a hypothesized human genetic bottleneck, when the number of our species in Africa may have been reduced to near extinction. Some have speculated that the demise of early modern humans at that time was due in part to a dramatic climate shift triggered by the supereruption. Others have argued that environmental conditions would not have been so severe to have such an impact on our ancestors, and furthermore, that modern humans may have already expanded beyond Africa by this time. We report an observation of the YTT in Africa, recovered as a cryptotephra layer in Lake Malawi sediments, >7,000 km west of the source volcano. The YTT isochron provides an accurate and precise age estimate for the Lake Malawi paleoclimate record, which revises the chronology of past climatic events in East Africa. The YTT in Lake Malawi is not accompanied by a major change in sediment composition or evidence for substantial temperature change, implying that the eruption did not significantly impact the climate of East Africa and was not the cause of a human genetic bottleneck at that time. PMID:23630269

  3. Ash from the Toba supereruption in Lake Malawi shows no volcanic winter in East Africa at 75 ka.

    PubMed

    Lane, Christine S; Chorn, Ben T; Johnson, Thomas C

    2013-05-14

    The most explosive volcanic event of the Quaternary was the eruption of Mt. Toba, Sumatra, 75,000 y ago, which produced voluminous ash deposits found across much of the Indian Ocean, Indian Peninsula, and South China Sea. A major climatic downturn observed within the Greenland ice cores has been attributed to the cooling effects of the ash and aerosols ejected during the eruption of the Youngest Toba Tuff (YTT). These events coincided roughly with a hypothesized human genetic bottleneck, when the number of our species in Africa may have been reduced to near extinction. Some have speculated that the demise of early modern humans at that time was due in part to a dramatic climate shift triggered by the supereruption. Others have argued that environmental conditions would not have been so severe to have such an impact on our ancestors, and furthermore, that modern humans may have already expanded beyond Africa by this time. We report an observation of the YTT in Africa, recovered as a cryptotephra layer in Lake Malawi sediments, >7,000 km west of the source volcano. The YTT isochron provides an accurate and precise age estimate for the Lake Malawi paleoclimate record, which revises the chronology of past climatic events in East Africa. The YTT in Lake Malawi is not accompanied by a major change in sediment composition or evidence for substantial temperature change, implying that the eruption did not significantly impact the climate of East Africa and was not the cause of a human genetic bottleneck at that time.

  4. Modeling of temporal patterns and sources of atmospherically transported and deposited pesticides in ecosystems of concern: A case study of toxaphene in the Great Lakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Rong; Jin, Jiming

    2013-10-01

    have adverse effects on human health and the environment and can be transported through the atmosphere from application sites and deposited to sensitive ecosystems. This study applies a comprehensive multimedia regional pesticide fate and chemical transport modeling system that we developed to investigate the atmospheric transport and deposition of toxaphene to the Great Lakes. Simulated results predict a significant amount of toxaphene (~350 kg) being transported through the atmosphere and deposited into the Great Lakes in the simulation year. Results also show that U.S. residues and global background are major sources to toxaphene deposition into the Great Lakes and atmospheric concentrations in the region. While the U.S. residues are the dominant source in warm months, the background dominates during winter months. In addition, different sources have different influences on the individual Great Lakes due to their proximity and relative geographical positions to the sources; U.S. residues are the dominant source to Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, and Michigan, but they are a much less important source to Lake Superior. These results shed light on the mystery that observed toxaphene concentrations in Great Lakes' lake trout and smelt declined between 1982 and 1992 in four of the Great Lakes except Lake Superior. While monthly total depositions to Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, and Michigan have clear seasonal variability with much greater values in April, May, and June, monthly total depositions to Lake Superior are more uniformly distributed over the year with comparatively greater levels in cold months.

  5. Lake Level Variation in Small Lakes: Not a Clear Picture

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Starratt, S.

    2017-12-01

    Lake level is a useful tool for identifying regional changes in precipitation and evaporation. Due to the volume of water in large lakes, they may only record large-scale changes in water balance, while smaller lakes may record more subtle variations. However, the record of water level in small lakes is affected by a number of factors including elevation, bathymetry, nutrient load, and aquatic macrophyte abundance. The latest Quaternary diatom records from three small lakes with areas of <10 ha (Hobart Lake, OR, 1458 masl; Swamp Lake, CA, 1554 masl; Favre Lake, NV, 2899 masl) and a larger lake (Medicine Lake, CA, 2036 masl, 154 ha) were compared in this study. All the lakes have a deep central basin (>10 m) surrounded by a shallow (1-2 m) shelf. Changes in the abundance of diatoms representing different life habits (benthic, tychoplanktic, planktic) were used to identify lake level variation. Benthic taxa dominate the assemblage when only the central basin is occupied. As the shallow shelf is flooded, the abundance of tychoplanktic taxa increases. Planktic taxa increase with the establishment of stratification. Favre Lake presents the clearest indication of initial lake level rise (7600-5750 cal yr BP) and intermittent flooding of the shelf for the remainder of the record. Stratification appears to become established only in the last few hundred years. Higher nutrient levels in the early part of the Hobart Lake record lead to a nearly monotypic planktic assemblage which is replaced by a tychoplanktic-dominated assemblage as the lake floods the shelf at about 3500 cal yr BP. The last 500 years is dominated by benthic taxa associated with aquatic macrophytes. The consistent presence of planktic taxa in the Swamp Lake record suggests that the lake was stratified during most of its history, although slight variations in the relative abundances of planktic and tychoplanktic groups occur. The Medicine Lake record shows a gradual increase in planktic species between 11

  6. 78 FR 53675 - Safety Zone; Lake Erie Heritage Foundation, Battle of Lake Erie Reenactment; Lake Erie, Put-in...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-30

    ...-AA00 Safety Zone; Lake Erie Heritage Foundation, Battle of Lake Erie Reenactment; Lake Erie, Put-in-Bay... temporary safety zone in the waters of Lake Erie in the vicinity of Put-In-Bay, OH. This safety zone is intended to restrict vessels from a portion of Lake Erie during Battle of Lake Erie Reenactment near Put-In...

  7. Winter maintenance performance measure.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-01-01

    The Winter Performance Index is a method of quantifying winter storm events and the DOTs response to them. : It is a valuable tool for evaluating the States maintenance practices, performing post-storm analysis, training : maintenance personnel...

  8. Lake trout spawning habitat in the Six Fathom Bank-Yankee Reef lake trout sanctuary, Lake Huron

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Edsall, Thomas A.; Brown, Charles L.; Kennedy, Gregory W.; Poe, Thomas P.

    1992-01-01

    Attempts to reestablish self-sustaining stocks of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in the lower four Great Lakes, where the species was extinguished in the 1950s and 1960s, have been largely unsuccessful. To avoid many of the problems believed to be contributing to this failure, the fishery management community recently established several sanctuaries in the offshore waters of the Great Lakes where the development and protection of self-sustaining stocks of lake trout would be a primary management objective. One of these, the Six Fathom Bank-Yankee Reef sanctuary, was created in the south-central portion of Lake Huron. This sanctuary covers 168,000 ha and includes the shallower portions of the Six Fathom and Ipperwash scarps, which are major bathymetric features in the southern half of the lake. Historical accounts describe Six Fathom Bank as the most important lake trout spawning ground in the lake. Here we present the results of lake bed surveys conducted in the sanctuary with side-scan sonar, underwater videocamera systems, and a small research submarine. Our observations of the lake bed are consistent with what is known of the bedrock stratigraphy, glacial history, and karst geomorphology of the Lake Huron basin. Most of the loose rock we found seemed to be derived from local carbonate bedrock formations, although non-carbonate rock probably from Precambrian sources to the north was also present in some areas. Much of the bedrock and loose rock displayed karst solution features described for the Bruce Peninsula on the Ontario shoreline. Our surveys revealed substantial areas of lake bed at water depths of 20–36 m that resembled suitable spawning and fry production habitat for the shallow-water strains of lake trout that are the focus of the rehabilitation effort. Low mid-lake nutrient levels documented recently by others and the extremely high abundance of Mysis relicta (an important item in the diet of young lake trout) that we documented on Yankee Reef

  9. Lake-level variability and water availability in the Great Lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wilcox, Douglas A.; Thompson, Todd A.; Booth, Robert K.; Nicholas, J.R.

    2007-01-01

    In this report, we present recorded and reconstructed (pre-historical) changes in water levels in the Great Lakes, relate them to climate changes of the past, and highlight major water-availability implications for storage, coastal ecosystems, and human activities. 'Water availability,' as conceptualized herein, includes a recognition that water must be available for human and natural uses, but the balancing of how much should be set aside for which use is not discussed. The Great Lakes Basin covers a large area of North America. The lakes capture and store great volumes of water that are critical in maintaining human activities and natural ecosystems. Water enters the lakes mostly in the form of precipitation and streamflow. Although flow through the connecting channels is a primary output from the lakes, evaporation is also a major output. Water levels in the lakes vary naturally on timescales that range from hours to millennia; storage of water in the lakes changes at the seasonal to millennial scales in response to lake-level changes. Short-term changes result from storm surges and seiches and do not affect storage. Seasonal changes are driven by differences in net basin supply during the year related to snowmelt, precipitation, and evaporation. Annual to millennial changes are driven by subtle to major climatic changes affecting both precipitation (and resulting streamflow) and evaporation. Rebounding of the Earth's surface in response to loss of the weight of melted glaciers has differentially affected water levels. Rebound rates have not been uniform across the basin, causing the hydrologic outlet of each lake to rise in elevation more rapidly than some parts of the coastlines. The result is a long-term change in lake level with respect to shoreline features that differs from site to site. The reconstructed water-level history of Lake Michigan-Huron over the past 4,700 years shows three major high phases from 2,300 to 3,300, 1,100 to 2,000, and 0 to 800

  10. Role of lake regulation on glacier fed rivers in enhancing salmon productivity: The Cook Inlet watershed south central Alaska, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hupp, C.R.

    2000-01-01

    Rivers fed by glaciers constitute a major part of the freshwater runoff into the Cook Inlet basin of south-central Alaska. This basin is very important to the economy of the State of Alaska because it is home to more than half of the population and it supports multi-million dollar commercial, subsistence and sport fisheries. Hence an understanding of how glacial runoff influences biological productivity is important for managing rivers that drain into Cook Inlet. This paper examines the ways in which the regulation of glacier-fed rivers by proglacial lakes affects salmon productivity, with particular reference to the Kenai River. Salmon escapement per unit channel length on the Kenai River is between two and ten times that found for rain-and-snowmelt dominated rivers and glacier-fed rivers lacking lake regulation. Lakes are shown to influence biological processes in glacier-fed rivers by attenuating peak flows, sustaining high flows throughout the summer, supplementing winter low flows, settling suspended sediment, and increasing river temperatures. Downstream from large lakes, glacier-fed rivers are less disturbed, channels are relatively stable and have well-developed salmonid habitats. The positive influences are indicated by the high diversity and abundances of benthic macroinvertebrates, which are important food resources for juvenile salmonids. High summer flows allow access for up-river salmon runs and lakes also provide both overwintering and rearing habitat. Copyright ?? 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.Rivers fed by glaciers constitute a major part of the freshwater runoff into the Cook Inlet basin of south-central Alaska. This basin is very important to the economy of the State of Alaska because it is home to more than half of the population and it supports multi-million dollar commercial, subsistence and sport fisheries. Hence an understanding of how glacial runoff influences biological productivity is important for managing rivers that drain into Cook Inlet

  11. Lake Life.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohrn, Deborah Gore, Ed.

    1993-01-01

    This quarterly publication of the State Historical Society of Iowa features articles and activities for elementary school students. This summer issue focuses on the topic of lake life. The issue includes the following features: (1) "Where the Lakes Are Map"; (2) "Letter from the Lake"; (3) "Lake People"; (4)…

  12. Winter Wilderness Travel and Camping.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gilchrest, Norman

    Knowledge and skill are needed for safe and enjoyable travel and camping in the wilderness in winter. The beauty of snow and ice, reduced human use, and higher tolerance of animals toward humans make the wilderness attractive during winter. The uniqueness of winter travel presents several challenges that are not present in other seasons. Safety is…

  13. Integration of orthophotographic and sidescan sonar imagery: an example from Lake Garda, Italy

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gentili, Giuseppe; Twichell, David C.; Schwab, Bill

    1996-01-01

    Digital orthophotos of Lake Garda basin area are available at the scale of up to 1:10,000 from a 1994 high altitude (average scale of 1:75,000) air photo coverage of Italy collected with an RC30 camera and Panatomic film. In October 1994 the lake bed was surveyed by USGS and CISIG personnel using a SIS 1000 Sea-Floor Mapping System. Subsystems of the SIS-1000 include high resolution sidescan sonar and sub-bottom profiler. The sidescan imagery was collected in ranges up to 1500m, while preserving a 50cm pixel resolution. The system was navigated using differential GPS. The extended operational range of the sidescan sonar permitted surveying the 370km lake area in 11 days. Data were compiled into a digital image with a pixel resolution of about 2m and stored as 12 gigabytes in exabyte 8mm tape and converted from WGS84 coordinate system to the European Datum (ED50) and integrated with bathymetric data digitized from maps.The digital bathymetric model was generated by interpolation using commercial software and was merged with the land elevation model to obtain a digital elevation model of the Lake Garda basin.The sidescan image data was also projected in the same coordinate system and seamed with the digital orthophoto of the land to produce a continuous image of the basin as if the water were removed. Some perspective scenes were generated by combining elevation and bathymetric data with basin and lake floor images. In deep water the lake's thermal structure created problems with the imagery indicating that winter or spring is best survey period. In shallow waters, ≤ 10 m, where data are missing, the bottom data gap can be filled with available images from the first few channels of the Daedalus built MIVIS, a 102 channel hyperspectral scanner with 20 channel bands of 0.020 μm width, operating in the visible part of the spectrum. By integrating orthophotos with sidescan imagery we can see how the basin morphology extends across the lake, the paths taken by the lake

  14. Incorporating Yearly Derived Winter Wheat Maps Into Winter Wheat Yield Forecasting Model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Skakun, S.; Franch, B.; Roger, J.-C.; Vermote, E.; Becker-Reshef, I.; Justice, C.; Santamaría-Artigas, A.

    2016-01-01

    Wheat is one of the most important cereal crops in the world. Timely and accurate forecast of wheat yield and production at global scale is vital in implementing food security policy. Becker-Reshef et al. (2010) developed a generalized empirical model for forecasting winter wheat production using remote sensing data and official statistics. This model was implemented using static wheat maps. In this paper, we analyze the impact of incorporating yearly wheat masks into the forecasting model. We propose a new approach of producing in season winter wheat maps exploiting satellite data and official statistics on crop area only. Validation on independent data showed that the proposed approach reached 6% to 23% of omission error and 10% to 16% of commission error when mapping winter wheat 2-3 months before harvest. In general, we found a limited impact of using yearly winter wheat masks over a static mask for the study regions.

  15. Winter weather demand considerations.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-04-01

    Winter weather has varied effects on travel behavior. Using 418 survey responses from the Northern Virginia : commuting area of Washington, D.C. and binary logit models, this study examines travel related changes under : different types of winter wea...

  16. Holocene lake-level fluctuations of Lake Aricota, Southern Peru

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Placzek, C.; Quade, Jay; Betancourt, J.L.

    2001-01-01

    Lacustrine deposits exposed around Lake Aricota, Peru (17?? 22???S), a 7.5-km2 lake dammed by debris flows, provide a middle to late Holocene record of lake-level fluctuations. Chronological context for shoreline deposits was obtained from radiocarbon dating of vascular plant remains and other datable material with minimal 14C reservoir effects (<350 yr). Diatomites associated with highstands several meters above the modern lake level indicate wet episodes. Maximum Holocene lake level was attained before 6100 14C yr B.P. and ended ???2700 14C yr B.P. Moderately high lake levels occurred at 1700 and 1300 14C yr B.P. The highstand at Lake Aricota during the middle Holocene is coeval with a major lowstand at Lake Titicaca (16?? S), which is only 130 km to the northeast and shares a similar climatology. Comparisons with other marine and terrestrial records highlight emerging contradictions over the nature of mid-Holocene climate in the central Andes. ?? 2001 University of Washington.

  17. Holocene Lake-Level Fluctuations of Lake Aricota, Southern Peru

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Placzek, Christa; Quade, Jay; Betancourt, Julio L.

    2001-09-01

    Lacustrine deposits exposed around Lake Aricota, Peru (17° 22‧S), a 7.5-km2 lake dammed by debris flows, provide a middle to late Holocene record of lake-level fluctuations. Chronological context for shoreline deposits was obtained from radiocarbon dating of vascular plant remains and other datable material with minimal 14C reservoir effects (<350 yr). Diatomites associated with highstands several meters above the modern lake level indicate wet episodes. Maximum Holocene lake level was attained before 6100 14C yr B.P. and ended ∼2700 14C yr B.P. Moderately high lake levels occurred at 1700 and 1300 14C yr B.P. The highstand at Lake Aricota during the middle Holocene is coeval with a major lowstand at Lake Titicaca (16°S), which is only 130 km to the northeast and shares a similar climatology. Comparisons with other marine and terrestrial records highlight emerging contradictions over the nature of mid-Holocene climate in the central Andes.

  18. Reevaluation of lake trout and lake whitefish bioenergetics models

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Madenjian, Charles P.; Pothoven, Steve A.; Kao, Yu-Chun

    2013-01-01

    Using a corrected algorithm for balancing the energy budget, we reevaluated the Wisconsin bioenergetics model for lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in the laboratory and for lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) in the laboratory and in the field. For lake trout, results showed that the bioenergetics model slightly overestimated food consumption by the lake trout when they were fed low and intermediate rations, whereas the model predicted food consumption by lake trout fed ad libitum without any detectable bias. The slight bias in model predictions for lake trout on restricted rations may have been an artifact of the feeding schedule for these fish, and we would therefore recommend application of the Wisconsin lake trout bioenergetics model to lake trout populations in the field without any revisions to the model. Use of the Wisconsin bioenergetics model for coregonids resulted in overestimation of food consumption by lake whitefish both in the laboratory and in the field by between 20 and 30%, on average. This overestimation of food consumption was most likely due to overestimation of respiration rate. We therefore adjusted the respiration component of the bioenergetics model to obtain a good fit to the observed consumption in our laboratory tanks. The adjusted model predicted the consumption in the laboratory and the field without any detectable bias. Until a detailed lake whitefish respiration study can be conducted, we recommend application of our adjusted version of the Wisconsin generalized coregonid bioenergetics model to lake whitefish populations in the field.

  19. Surge dynamics and lake outbursts of Kyagar Glacier, Karakoram

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Round, Vanessa; Leinss, Silvan; Huss, Matthias; Haemmig, Christoph; Hajnsek, Irena

    2017-03-01

    The recent surge cycle of Kyagar Glacier, in the Chinese Karakoram, caused formation of an ice-dammed lake and subsequent glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) exceeding 40 million m3 in 2015 and 2016. GLOFs from Kyagar Glacier reached double this size in 2002 and earlier, but the role of glacier surging in GLOF formation was previously unrecognised. We present an integrative analysis of the glacier surge dynamics from 2011 to 2016, assessing surge mechanisms and evaluating the surge cycle impact on GLOFs. Over 80 glacier surface velocity fields were created from TanDEM-X (TerraSAR-X add-on for Digital Elevation Measurement), Sentinel-1A, and Landsat satellite data. Changes in ice thickness distribution were revealed by a time series of TanDEM-X elevation models. The analysis shows that, during a quiescence phase lasting at least 14 years, ice mass built up in a reservoir area at the top of the glacier tongue, and the terminus thinned by up to 100 m, but in the 2 years preceding the surge onset this pattern reversed. The surge initiated with the onset of the 2014 melt season, and in the following 15 months velocity evolved in a manner consistent with a hydrologically controlled surge mechanism. Dramatic accelerations coincided with melt seasons, winter deceleration was accompanied by subglacial drainage, and rapid surge termination occurred following the 2015 GLOF. Rapid basal motion during the surge is seemingly controlled by high water pressure, caused by input of surface water into either an inefficient subglacial drainage system or unstable subglacial till. The potential lake volume increased to more than 70 million m3 by late 2016, as a result of over 60 m of thickening at the terminus. Lake formation and the evolution of the ice dam height should be carefully monitored through remote sensing to anticipate large GLOFs in the near future.

  20. Temporal Genetic Variance and Propagule-Driven Genetic Structure Characterize Naturalized Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) from a Patagonian Lake Impacted by Trout Farming

    PubMed Central

    Seeb, Lisa W.; Seeb, James E.; Arismendi, Ivan; Hernández, Cristián E.; Gajardo, Gonzalo; Galleguillos, Ricardo; Cádiz, Maria I.; Musleh, Selim S.

    2015-01-01

    Knowledge about the genetic underpinnings of invasions—a theme addressed by invasion genetics as a discipline—is still scarce amid well documented ecological impacts of non-native species on ecosystems of Patagonia in South America. One of the most invasive species in Patagonia’s freshwater systems and elsewhere is rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). This species was introduced to Chile during the early twentieth century for stocking and promoting recreational fishing; during the late twentieth century was reintroduced for farming purposes and is now naturalized. We used population- and individual-based inference from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to illuminate three objectives related to the establishment and naturalization of Rainbow Trout in Lake Llanquihue. This lake has been intensively used for trout farming during the last three decades. Our results emanate from samples collected from five inlet streams over two seasons, winter and spring. First, we found that significant intra- population (temporal) genetic variance was greater than inter-population (spatial) genetic variance, downplaying the importance of spatial divergence during the process of naturalization. Allele frequency differences between cohorts, consistent with variation in fish length between spring and winter collections, might explain temporal genetic differences. Second, individual-based Bayesian clustering suggested that genetic structure within Lake Llanquihue was largely driven by putative farm propagules found at one single stream during spring, but not in winter. This suggests that farm broodstock might migrate upstream to breed during spring at that particular stream. It is unclear whether interbreeding has occurred between “pure” naturalized and farm trout in this and other streams. Third, estimates of the annual number of breeders (N b) were below 73 in half of the collections, suggestive of genetically small and recently founded populations that might experience

  1. Late Holocene lake-level fluctuations in Walker Lake, Nevada, USA

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Yuan, F.; Linsley, B.K.; Howe, S.S.; Lund, S.P.; McGeehin, J.P.

    2006-01-01

    Walker Lake, a hydrologically closed, saline, and alkaline lake, is situated along the western margin of the Great Basin in Nevada of the western United States. Analyses of the magnetic susceptibility (??), total inorganic carbon (TIC), and oxygen isotopic composition (??18O) of carbonate sediments including ostracode shells (Limnocythere ceriotuberosa) from Walker Lake allow us to extend the sediment record of lake-level fluctuations back to 2700??years B.P. There are approximately five major stages over the course of the late Holocene hydrologic evolution in Walker Lake: an early lowstand (> 2400??years B.P.), a lake-filling period (??? 2400 to ??? 1000??years B.P.), a lake-level lowering period during the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) (??? 1000 to ??? 600??years B.P.), a relatively wet period (??? 600 to ??? 100??years B.P.), and the anthropogenically induced lake-level lowering period (< 100??years B.P.). The most pronounced lowstand of Walker Lake occurred at ??? 2400??years B.P., as indicated by the relatively high values of ??18O. This is generally in agreement with the previous lower resolution paleoclimate results from Walker Lake, but contrasts with the sediment records from adjacent Pyramid Lake and Siesta Lake. The pronounced lowstand suggests that the Walker River that fills Walker Lake may have partially diverted into the Carson Sink through the Adrian paleochannel between 2700 to 1400??years B.P. ?? 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Recruitment synchrony of yellow perch (Perca flavescens, Percidae) in the Great Lakes region, 1966–2008

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Honsey, Andrew E.; Bunnell, David B.; Troy, Cary D.; Fielder, David G.; Thomas, Michael V.; Knight, Carey T.; Chong, Stephen; Hook, Tomas O.

    2016-01-01

    Population-level reproductive success (recruitment) of many fish populations is characterized by high inter-annual variation and related to annual variation in key environmental factors (e.g., climate). When such environmental factors are annually correlated across broad spatial scales, spatially separated populations may display recruitment synchrony (i.e., the Moran effect). We investigated inter-annual (1966–2008) variation in yellow perch (Perca flavescens, Percidae) recruitment using 16 datasets describing populations located in four of the five Laurentian Great Lakes (Erie, Huron, Michigan, and Ontario) and Lake St. Clair. We indexed relative year class strength using catch-curve residuals for each year-class across 2–4 years and compared relative year-class strength among sampling locations. Results indicate that perch recruitment is positively synchronized across the region. In addition, the spatial scale of this synchrony appears to be broader than previous estimates for both yellow perch and freshwater fish in general. To investigate potential factors influencing relative year-class strength, we related year-class strength to regional indices of annual climatic conditions (spring-summer air temperature, winter air temperature, and spring precipitation) using data from 14 weather stations across the Great Lakes region. We found that mean spring-summer temperature is significantly positively related to recruitment success among Great Lakes yellow perch populations.

  3. Bathythermal habitat use by strains of Great Lakes- and Finger Lakes-origin lake trout in Lake Huron after a change in prey fish abundance and composition

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bergstedt, Roger A.; Argyle, Ray L.; Krueger, Charles C.; Taylor, William W.

    2012-01-01

    A study conducted in Lake Huron during October 1998–June 2001 found that strains of Great Lakes-origin (GLO) lake trout Salvelinus namaycush occupied significantly higher temperatures than did Finger Lakes-origin (FLO; New York) lake trout based on data from archival (or data storage) telemetry tags that recorded only temperature. During 2002 and 2003, we implanted archival tags that recorded depth as well as temperature in GLO and FLO lake trout in Lake Huron. Data subsequently recorded by those tags spanned 2002–2005. Based on those data, we examined whether temperatures and depths occupied by GLO and FLO lake trout differed during 2002–2005. Temperatures occupied during those years were also compared with occupied temperatures reported for 1998–2001, before a substantial decline in prey fish biomass. Temperatures occupied by GLO lake trout were again significantly higher than those occupied by FLO lake trout. This result supports the conclusion of the previous study. The GLO lake trout also occupied significantly shallower depths than FLO lake trout. In 2002–2005, both GLO and FLO lake trout occupied significantly lower temperatures than they did in 1998–2001. Aside from the sharp decline in prey fish biomass between study periods, the formerly abundant pelagic alewife Alosa pseudoharengus virtually disappeared and the demersal round goby Neogobius melanostomus invaded the lake and became locally abundant. The lower temperatures occupied by lake trout in Lake Huron during 2002–2005 may be attributable to changes in the composition of the prey fish community, food scarcity (i.e., a retreat to cooler water could increase conversion efficiency), or both.

  4. Chemours Pompton Lakes Works Site, Pompton Lakes, NJ

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    E.I. DuPont De Nemours & Company is located at 2000 Cannonball Road, Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. The DuPont Pompton Lakes Works site (DuPont) occupies approximately 570 acres of land in Pompton Lakes and Wanaque.

  5. Use the predictive models to explore the key factors affecting phytoplankton succession in Lake Erhai, China.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Rong; Wang, Huan; Chen, Jun; Shen, Hong; Deng, Xuwei

    2018-01-01

    Increasing algae in Lake Erhai has resulted in frequent blooms that have not only led to water ecosystem degeneration but also seriously influenced the quality of the water supply and caused extensive damage to the local people, as the lake is a water resource for Dali City. Exploring the key factors affecting phytoplankton succession and developing predictive models with easily detectable parameters for phytoplankton have been proven to be practical ways to improve water quality. To this end, a systematic survey focused on phytoplankton succession was conducted over 2 years in Lake Erhai. The data from the first study year were used to develop predictive models, and the data from the second year were used for model verification. The seasonal succession of phytoplankton in Lake Erhai was obvious. The dominant groups were Cyanobacteria in the summer, Chlorophyta in the autumn and Bacillariophyta in the winter. The developments and verification of predictive models indicated that compared to phytoplankton biomass, phytoplankton density is more effective for estimating phytoplankton variation in Lake Erhai. CCA (canonical correlation analysis) indicated that TN (total nitrogen), TP (total phosphorus), DO (dissolved oxygen), SD (Secchi depth), Cond (conductivity), T (water temperature), and ORP (oxidation reduction potential) had significant influences (p < 0.05) on the phytoplankton community. The CCA of the dominant species found that Microcystis was significantly influenced by T. The dominant Chlorophyta, Psephonema aenigmaticum and Mougeotia, were significantly influenced by TN. All results indicated that TN and T were the two key factors driving phytoplankton succession in Lake Erhai.

  6. Influences of human and livestock density on winter habitat selection of Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa).

    PubMed

    Luo, Zhenhua; Liu, Bingwan; Liu, Songtao; Jiang, Zhigang; Halbrook, Richard S

    2014-01-01

    Human and livestock related disturbances of habitat selection by ungulates are topics of global concern, as they have profound impacts on ungulate survival, population density, fitness, and management; however, differences in ungulate habitat use under different human and livestock densities are not fully understood. Mongolian gazelle (Procapra gutturosa), an endemic ungulate species on the Asia-European steppe, faces varying intensities of human and livestock disturbances in the area around Dalai Lake, China. To investigate how habitat selection strategies vary as disturbance intensity changes, we randomly set 20 transects containing 1486 plots, on which we conducted repeated surveys of 21 ecological factors during the winters in the period of 2005-2008. We aimed to: 1) determine the critical factors underlying habitat selection of the gazelles; 2) determine the gazelles' habitat preferences in this area; 3) determine how habitat selection varies with disturbance intensity and explore the primary underlying mechanism. We used binary-logistic regressions and information theoretic approaches to build best-fit habitat selection models, and calculated resource selection functions. Sixty-six herds, 522 individuals, and 499 tracks were recorded. Our results indicate that snow depth and aboveground biomass are the main factors affecting habitat selection by Mongolian gazelle throughout the district in winter. Thin snow cover and abundant aboveground biomass are preferred. Avoiding disturbance was the primary factor accounting for habitat selection in low disturbance areas, although with increasing human or live-stock-related disturbance, gazelle maintained a reduced distance to the source of the disturbance. Presumably owing to that shift, movement costs were more important as disturbance increased. In addition, Mongolian gazelle selected habitats based on topographical features promoting greater visibility where disturbance was lower. We suggest several management

  7. Water pH and temperature in Lake Biwa from MBT'/CBT indices during the last 282 000 years

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajioka, T.; Yamamoto, M.; Takemura, K.; Hayashida, A.

    2014-03-01

    We generated a 282 000-year record of water pH and temperature in Lake Biwa, central Japan, by analysing the methylation index (MBT') and cyclisation ratio (CBT) of branched tetraethers in sediments from piston and borehole cores to understand the responses of precipitation and air temperature in central Japan to the East Asian monsoon variability on the orbital timescale. Because water pH in Lake Biwa is determined by phosphorus input driven by precipitation, the record of water pH should indicate changes in summer precipitation in central Japan. The estimated pH showed significant periodicity at 19 and 23 ka (precession) and at 41 ka (obliquity). The variation in the estimated pH agrees with variation in the pollen temperature index. This indicates synchronous variation in summer air temperature and precipitation in central Japan, which contradicts the conclusions of previous studies. The variation in estimated pH was also synchronous with the variation of oxygen isotopes in stalagmites in China, suggesting that East Asian summer monsoon precipitation was governed by Northern Hemisphere summer insolation on orbital timescales. However, the estimated winter temperatures were higher during interglacials and lower during glacials, showing an eccentricity cycle. This suggests that the temperature variation reflected winter monsoon variability.

  8. Porewater salinity reveals past lake-level changes in Lake Van, the Earth's largest soda lake.

    PubMed

    Tomonaga, Yama; Brennwald, Matthias S; Livingstone, David M; Kwiecien, Olga; Randlett, Marie-Ève; Stockhecke, Mona; Unwin, Katie; Anselmetti, Flavio S; Beer, Jürg; Haug, Gerald H; Schubert, Carsten J; Sturm, Mike; Kipfer, Rolf

    2017-03-22

    In closed-basin lakes, sediment porewater salinity can potentially be used as a conservative tracer to reconstruct past fluctuations in lake level. However, until now, porewater salinity profiles did not allow quantitative estimates of past lake-level changes because, in contrast to the oceans, significant salinity changes (e.g., local concentration minima and maxima) had never been observed in lacustrine sediments. Here we show that the salinity measured in the sediment pore water of Lake Van (Turkey) allows straightforward reconstruction of two major transgressions and a major regression that occurred during the last 250 ka. We observed strong changes in the vertical salinity profiles of the pore water of the uppermost 100 m of the sediments in Lake Van. As the salinity balance of Lake Van is almost at steady-state, these salinity changes indicate major lake-level changes in the past. In line with previous studies on lake terraces and with seismic and sedimentological surveys, we identify two major transgressions of up to +105 m with respect to the current lake level at about 135 ka BP and 248 ka BP starting at the onset of the two previous interglacials (MIS5e and MIS7), and a major regression of about -200 m at about 30 ka BP during the last ice age.

  9. Kootenai River Wildlife Habitat Enhancement Project : Long-term Bighorn Sheep/Mule Deer Winter and Spring Habitat Improvement Project : Wildlife Mitigation Project, Libby Dam, Montana : Management Plan.

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yde, Chis

    1990-06-01

    The Libby hydroelectric project, located on the Kootenai River in northwestern Montana, resulted in several impacts to the wildlife communities which occupied the habitats inundated by Lake Koocanusa. Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, in cooperation with the other management agencies, developed an impact assessment and a wildlife and wildlife habitat mitigation plan for the Libby hydroelectric facility. In response to the mitigation plan, Bonneville Power Administration funded a cooperative project between the Kootenai National Forest and Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to develop a long-term habitat enhancement plan for the bighorn sheep and mule deer wintermore » and spring ranges adjacent to Lake Koocanusa. The project goal is to rehabilitate 3372 acres of bighorn sheep and 16,321 acres of mule deer winter and spring ranges on Kootenai National Forest lands adjacent to Lake Koocanusa and to monitor and evaluate the effects of implementing this habitat enhancement work. 2 refs.« less

  10. Towards monitoring surface and subsurface lakes on the Greenland Ice Sheet using Sentinel-1 SAR and Landsat-8 OLI imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miles, Katie E.; Willis, Ian C.; Benedek, Corinne L.; Williamson, Andrew G.; Tedesco, Marco

    2017-07-01

    Supraglacial lakes are an important component of the Greenland Ice Sheet’s mass balance and hydrology, with their drainage affecting ice dynamics. This study uses imagery from the recently launched Sentinel-1A Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite to investigate supraglacial lakes in West Greenland. A semi-automated algorithm is developed to detect surface lakes from Sentinel-1 images during the 2015 summer. A combined Landsat-8 and Sentinel-1 dataset, which has a comparable temporal resolution to MODIS (3 days versus daily) but a higher spatial resolution (25-40 m versus 250-500 m), is then used together with a fully-automated lake drainage detection algorithm. Rapid (< 4 days) and slow (> 4 days) drainages are investigated for both small (< 0.125 km2, the minimum size detectable by MODIS) and large (≥ 0.125 km2) lakes through the summer. Drainage events of small lakes occur at lower elevations (mean 159 m), and slightly earlier (mean 4.5 days) in the melt season than those of large lakes. The analysis is extended manually into the early winter to calculate the dates and elevations of lake freeze-through more precisely than is possible with optical imagery (mean 30 August; 1270 m mean elevation). Finally, the Sentinel-1 imagery is used to detect subsurface lakes and, for the first time, their dates of appearance and freeze-through (mean 9 August and 7 October, respectively). These subsurface lakes occur at higher elevations than the surface lakes detected in this study (mean 1593 m and 1185 m, respectively). Sentinel-1 imagery therefore provides great potential for tracking melting, water movement and freezing within both the firn zone and ablation area of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

  11. Spatial and temporal genetic diversity of lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchill)) from Lake Huron and Lake Erie

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Stott, Wendylee; Ebener, Mark P.; Mohr, Lloyd; Hartman, Travis; Johnson, Jim; Roseman, Edward F.

    2013-01-01

    Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis (Mitchill)) are important commercially, culturally, and ecologically in the Laurentian Great Lakes. Stocks of lake whitefish in the Great Lakes have recovered from low levels of abundance in the 1960s. Reductions in abundance, loss of habitat and environmental degradation can be accompanied by losses of genetic diversity and overall fitness that may persist even as populations recover demographically. Therefore, it is important to be able to identify stocks that have reduced levels of genetic diversity. In this study, we investigated patterns of genetic diversity at microsatellite DNA loci in lake whitefish collected between 1927 and 1929 (historical period) and between 1997 and 2005 (contemporary period) from Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Genetic analysis of lake whitefish from Lakes Huron and Erie shows that the amount of population structuring varies from lake to lake. Greater genetic divergences among collections from Lake Huron may be the result of sampling scale, migration patterns and demographic processes. Fluctuations in abundance of lake whitefish populations may have resulted in periods of increased genetic drift that have resulted in changes in allele frequencies over time, but periodic genetic drift was not severe enough to result in a significant loss of genetic diversity. Migration among stocks may have decreased levels of genetic differentiation while not completely obscuring stock boundaries. Recent changes in spatial boundaries to stocks, the number of stocks and life history characteristics of stocks further demonstrate the potential of coregonids for a swift and varied response to environmental change and emphasise the importance of incorporating both spatial and temporal considerations into management plans to ensure that diversity is preserved.

  12. Movements of hatchery-reared lake trout in Lake Superior

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pycha, Richard L.; Dryer, William R.; King, George R.

    1965-01-01

    The history of stocking of lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) in the Great Lakes is reviewed. The study of movements is based on capture of 24,275 fin-clipped lake trout taken in experimental gill nets and trawls and commercial gill nets. Yearling lake trout planted from shore dispersed to 15-fath (27-m) depths in 3A? hr. Most fish remained within 2 miles (3.2 km) of the planting site 2 months, but within 4 months some fish had moved as much as 17 miles (27 km). The highest abundance of planted lake trout was in areas 2-4 miles (3.2-6.4 km) from the planting site even 3 years after release. Distance moved and size of fish were not correlated. Dispersal of lake trout begins at planting and probably continues until the fish are mature. Most movement was eastward in southern Lake Superior and followed the counterclockwise surface currents. Movement is most rapid in areas of strong currents and slowest in areas of weak currents or eddies. Movement to areas west of the Keweenaw Peninsula was insignificant from plantings in Keweenaw Bay and nil from other plantings farther east. Lake trout planted in the eastern third of the lake dispersed more randomly than those planted farther west. Few fish moved farther offshore than the 50-fath (91-m) contour. Lake trout planted in Canadian waters made insignificant contributions to populations in US waters.

  13. A model approach to assess the long-term trends of indirect photochemistry in lake water. The case of Lake Maggiore (NW Italy).

    PubMed

    Minella, Marco; Rogora, Michela; Vione, Davide; Maurino, Valter; Minero, Claudio

    2011-08-15

    A model-based approach is here developed and applied to predict the long-term trends of indirect photochemical processes in the surface layer (5m water depth) of Lake Maggiore, NW Italy. For this lake, time series of the main parameters of photochemical importance that cover almost two decades are available. As a way to assess the relevant photochemical reactions, the modelled steady-state concentrations of important photogenerated transients ((•)OH, ³CDOM* and CO₃(-•)) were taken into account. A multivariate analysis approach was adopted to have an overview of the system, to emphasise relationships among chemical, photochemical and seasonal variables, and to highlight annual and long-term trends. Over the considered time period, because of the decrease of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content of water and of the increase of alkalinity, a significant increase is predicted for the steady-state concentrations of the radicals (•)OH and CO₃(-•). Therefore, the photochemical degradation processes that involve the two radical species would be enhanced. Another issue of potential photochemical importance is related to the winter maxima of nitrate (a photochemical (•)OH source) and the summer maxima of DOC ((•)OH sink and ³CDOM* source) in the lake water under consideration. From the combination of sunlight irradiance and chemical composition data, one predicts that the processes involving (•)OH and CO₃(-•) would be most important in spring, while the reactions involving ³CDOM* would be most important in summer. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Effect of organic enrichment and thermal regime on denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) in hypolimnetic sediments of two lowland lakes.

    PubMed

    Nizzoli, Daniele; Carraro, Elisa; Nigro, Valentina; Viaroli, Pierluigi

    2010-05-01

    We analyzed benthic fluxes of inorganic nitrogen, denitrification and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) rates in hypolimnetic sediments of lowland lakes. Two neighbouring mesotrophic (Ca' Stanga; CS) and hypertrophic (Lago Verde; LV) lakes, which originated from sand and gravel mining, were considered. Lakes are affected by high nitrate loads (0.2-0.7 mM) and different organic loads. Oxygen consumption, dissolved inorganic carbon, methane and nitrogen fluxes, denitrification and DNRA were measured under summer thermal stratification and late winter overturn. Hypolimnetic sediments of CS were a net sink of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (-3.5 to -4.7 mmol m(-2)d(-1)) in both seasons due to high nitrate consumption. On the contrary, LV sediments turned from being a net sink during winter overturn (-3.5 mmol m(-2)d(-1)) to a net source of dissolved inorganic nitrogen under summer conditions (8.1 mmol m(-2)d(-1)), when significant ammonium regeneration was measured at the water-sediment interface. Benthic denitrification (0.7-4.1 mmol m(-2)d(-1)) accounted for up to 84-97% of total NO(3)(-) reduction and from 2 to 30% of carbon mineralization. It was mainly fuelled by water column nitrate. In CS, denitrification rates were similar in winter and in summer, while in LV summer rates were 4 times lower. DNRA rates were generally low in both lakes (0.07-0.12 mmol m(-2)d(-1)). An appreciable contribution of DNRA was only detected in the more reducing sediments of LV in summer (15% of total NO(3)(-) reduction), while during the same period only 3% of reduced NO(3)(-) was recycled into ammonium in CS. Under summer stratification benthic denitrification was mainly nitrate-limited due to nitrate depletion in hypolimnetic waters and parallel oxygen depletion, hampering nitrification. Organic enrichment and reducing conditions in the hypolimnetic sediment shifted nitrate reduction towards more pronounced DNRA, which resulted in the inorganic nitrogen recycling and

  15. Chemical quality of surface waters in Devils Lake basin North Dakota, 1952-60

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mitten, Hugh T.; Scott, C.H.; Rosene, Philip G.

    1968-01-01

    Above-normal precipitation in 1954, 1956, and 1957 caused the water surface of Devils Lake to rise to an altitude of 1,419.3 feet, its highest in 40 years. Nearly all the water entering the lake flowed through Big Coulee, and about three-fourths of that inflow was at rates greater than 100 cubic feet per second. At these rates, the inflow contained less than 600 ppm (parts per million) dissolved solids and was of the calcium bicarbonate type.Because the inflow was more dilute than the lake water, the dissolved solids in the lake decreased from 8,680 ppm in 1952 to about 6,000 ppm in 1956 and 1957. Subsequently, however, they increased to slightly more than 8,000 ppm and averaged 6,800 ppm for the 1954-60 period. Sodium and sulfate were the principal dissolved constituents in the lake water. Although the concentration of dissolved solids varied significantly from time to time, the relative proportions of the chief constituents remained nearly the same.Water flowed from Devils Lake to Mission Bay in 1956,1957, and 1958, and some flowed from Mission Bay into East Bay. However, no water moved between East Devils Lake, western Stump Lake, and eastern Stump Lake during 1952-60; these lakes received only local runoff, and the variations in their water volume caused only minor variations in dissolved solids. For the periods sampled, concentrations averaged 60,700 ppm for East Devils Lake, 23,100 ppm for western Stump Lake, and 127,000 ppm for eastern Stump Lake.Sodium and sulfate were the chief dissolved constituents in all the lakes of the Devils Lake chain. Water in eastern Stump Lake was saturated with sodium sulfate and precipitated large quantities of granular, hydrated sodium sulfate crystals on the lakebed and shore in fall and winter. A discontinuous layer of consolidated sodium sulfate crystals formed a significant part of the bed throughout the year.Measured concentrations! of zinc, iron, manganese, fluoride, arsenic, boron, copper, and lead were not high enough

  16. Elemental contaminants in livers of mute swans on lakes Erie and St. Clair.

    PubMed

    Schummer, Michael L; Petrie, Scott A; Badzinski, Shannon S; Deming, Misty; Chen, Yu-Wei; Belzile, Nelson

    2011-11-01

    Contaminant inputs to the lower Great Lakes (LGL) have decreased since the 1960s and 1970s, but elemental contaminants continue to enter the LGL watershed at levels that are potentially deleterious to migratory waterfowl. Mute swans (Cygnus olor) using the LGL primarily eat plants, are essentially nonmigratory, forage exclusively in aquatic systems, and have increased substantially in number in the last few decades. Therefore, mute swans are an ideal sentinel species for monitoring elemental contaminants available to herbivorous and omnivorous waterfowl that use the LGL. We investigated hepatic concentrations, seasonal dynamics, and correlations of elements in mute swans (n = 50) collected at Long Point, Lake Erie, and Lake St. Clair from 2001 to 2004. Elements detected in liver at levels potentially harmful to waterfowl were copper (Cu) [range 60.3 to 6063.0 μg g(-1) dry weight (dw)] and selenium (SE; range 1.6 to 37.3 μg g(-1) dw). Decreases in aluminum, Se, and mercury (Hg) concentrations were detected from spring (nesting) through winter (nonbreeding). Elemental contaminants may be more available to waterfowl during spring than fall and winter, but study of seasonal availability of elements within LGL aquatic systems is necessary. From April to June, 68% of mute swans had Se levels >10 μg g(-1), whereas only 18% of swans contained these elevated levels of Se from July to March. An increase in the number of mute swans at the LGL despite elevated levels of Cu and Se suggests that these burdens do not substantially limit their reproduction or survival. Se was correlated with Cu (r = 0.85, p < 0.01) and Hg (r = 0.65, p < 0.01), which might indicate interaction between these elements. Some element interactions decrease the toxicity of both elements involved in the interaction. We recommend continued research of elemental contaminant concentrations, including detailed analyses of biological pathways and element forms (e.g., methylmercury) in LGL waterfowl to help

  17. Gullies in Winter Shadow

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2017-03-21

    This is an odd-looking image. It shows gullies during the winter while entirely in the shadow of the crater wall. Illumination comes only from the winter skylight. We acquire such images because gullies on Mars actively form in the winter when there is carbon dioxide frost on the ground, so we image them in the winter, even though not well illuminated, to look for signs of activity. The dark streaks might be signs of current activity, removing the frost, but further analysis is needed. NB: North is down in the cutout, and the terrain slopes towards the bottom of the image. The map is projected here at a scale of 50 centimeters (19.7 inches) per pixel. [The original image scale is 62.3 centimeters (24.5 inches) per pixel (with 2 x 2 binning); objects on the order of 187 centimeters (73.6 inches) across are resolved.] North is up. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21568

  18. Energy density of lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis in Lakes Huron and Michigan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pothoven, S.A.; Nalepa, T.F.; Madenjian, C.P.; Rediske, R.R.; Schneeberger, P.J.; He, J.X.

    2006-01-01

    We collected lake whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis off Alpena and Tawas City, Michigan, USA in Lake Huron and off Muskegon, Michigan USA in Lake Michigan during 2002–2004. We determined energy density and percent dry weight for lake whitefish from both lakes and lipid content for Lake Michigan fish. Energy density increased with increasing fish weight up to 800 g, and then remained relatively constant with further increases in fish weight. Energy density, adjusted for weight, was lower in Lake Huron than in Lake Michigan for both small (≤800 g) and large fish (>800 g). Energy density did not differ seasonally for small or large lake whitefish or between adult male and female fish. Energy density was strongly correlated with percent dry weight and percent lipid content. Based on data from commercially caught lake whitefish, body condition was lower in Lake Huron than Lake Michigan during 1981–2003, indicating that the dissimilarity in body condition between the lakes could be long standing. Energy density and lipid content in 2002–2004 in Lake Michigan were lower than data for comparable sized fish collected in 1969–1971. Differences in energy density between lakes were attributed to variation in diet and prey energy content as well as factors that affect feeding rates such as lake whitefish density and prey abundance.

  19. The study of seasonal composition and dynamics of wetland ecosystems and wintering bird habitat at Poyang Lake, PR China using object-based image analysis and field observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dronova, Iryna

    Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems in the world which support critical ecological services and high biological diversity yet are vulnerable to climate change and human activities. In this thesis, I investigated the capabilities of satellite remote sensing with medium spatial resolution and object-based image analysis (OBIA) methods to elucidate seasonal composition and dynamics of wetland ecosystems and indicators of habitat for wintering waterbirds in a large conservation hotspot of Poyang Lake, PR China. I first examined changes in major wetland cover types during the low water period when Poyang Lake provides habitat to large numbers of migratory birds from the East Asian pathway. I used OBIA to map and analyze the transitions among water, vegetation, mudflat and sand classes from four 32-m Beijing-1 microsatellite images between late fall 2007 and early spring 2008. This analysis revealed that, while transitions among wetland classes were strongly associated with precipitation and flood-driven hydrological variation, the overall dynamics were a more complex interplay of vegetation phenology, disturbance and post-flood exposure. Remote sensing signals of environmental processes were more effectively captured by changes in fuzzy memberships to each class per location than by changes in spatial extents of the best-matching classes alone. The highest uncertainty in the image analysis corresponded to transitional wetland states at the end of the major flood recession in November and to heterogeneous mudflat areas at the land-water interface during the whole study period. Results suggest seasonally exposed mudflat features as important targets for future research due to heterogeneity and uncertainty of their composition, variable spatial distribution and sensitivity to hydrological dynamics. I further explored the potential of OBIA to overcome the limitations of the traditional pixel-based image classification methods in characterizing Poyang Lake

  20. Geographic variation in Bar-headed geese Anser indicus: connectivity of wintering and breeding grounds across a broad front

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Takekawa, John Y.; Heath, Shane R.; Douglas, David C.; Perry, William M.; Javed, Sàlim; Newman, Scott H.; Suwal, Rajendra N.; Rahman, Asad R.; Choudhury, Binod C.; Prosser, Diann J.; Yan, Baoping; Hou, Yuansheng; Batbayar, Nyambayar; Natsagdorj, Tseveenmayadag; Bishop, Charles M.; Butler, Patrick J.; Frappell, Peter B.; Milsom, William K.; Scott, Graham R.; Hawkes, Lucy A.; Wikelski, Martin

    2009-01-01

    The connectivity and frequency of exchange between sub-populations of migratory birds is integral to understanding population dynamics over the entire species' range. True geese are highly philopatric and acquire lifetime mates during the winter, suggesting that the number of distinct sub-populations may be related to the number of distinct wintering areas. In the Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus, a species found exclusively in Central Asia, the connectivity between breeding and wintering areas is not well known. Their migration includes crossing a broad front of the Himalaya Cordillera, a significant barrier to migration for most birds. Many Bar-headed Geese fly to breeding areas on the Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau (TQP), the highest plateau in the world. From 2005-2008, 60 Bar-headed Geese were captured and marked with satellite transmitters in Nepal (n = 2), India (n = 6), China (n = 29), and Mongolia (n = 23) to examine their migration and distribution. Distinct differences were observed in their migration corridors and timing of movements, including an apparent leap-frog migration pattern for geese from Mongolia. Measurements of geese from Mongolia were larger than their counterparts from China, providing some evidence of morphological differences. Alteration of habitats in China, including the warming effects of climate change on glaciers increasing runoff to TQP wetlands, may be changing goose migration patterns and timing. With the exception of one individual, all geese from Qinghai Lake, China wintered in the southern TQP near Lhasa, and their increasing numbers in that region may be related to the effects of climate change and agricultural development. Thus, our findings document both morphological and geographical variation in sub-populations of Bar-headed Geese, but their resilience to environmental change may be lost if migratory short-stopping results in larger congregations restricted to a smaller number of wintering areas.