High-latitude Basins Research Articles

Sedimentology and carbon isotope stratigraphy from the Late Jurassic – Early Cretaceous of the Arabian plate: The Weissert event and the VOICE in the Tethys Realm?

Unlike the Tethys Realm, the carbon isotope record from the Boreal Realm exhibits a prominent negative excursion before the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary referred to as the Volgian Isotopic Carbon Excursion (VOICE). The VOICE has been ascribed to restricted-circulation conditions in northern high latitude basins, which decoupled these basins from the global carbon pool. Similar isotopic signal has been identified in the southern hemisphere where it has been attributed to humid conditions and influx of organic matter. The restricted-circulation hypothesis is tested here by examining the depositional record of the Tethyan Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous succession from central Saudi Arabia. A multi-disciplinary approach, involving sedimentology, sequence stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, and geochemistry, was adopted for studying a composite section covering the Hith, Sulaiy, Yamama, and Buwaib formations. The succession is characterized by restricted salina and sabkha depositional settings at the base that transition upward into an open-marine depositional system. This trend records a long-term sea-level rise during the Early Cretaceous. The carbon isotope record for this succession illustrates two prominent positive excursions of 5.2‰ and 2.6‰ amplitudes at the base and top of the succession, respectively. The larger positive excursion coincides with the restricted-environment facies and shows similarities, in terms of magnitude and trend, to the recovery phase of the VOICE. The upper positive excursion is manifested after a steady drop in the carbon isotope values, and it corresponds to the globally-recognized Weissert event. The results indicate that restricted circulation in the Arabian shelf interior during the Late Jurassic duplicated the VOICE signal. The recognition of the Weissert event signal, on the contrary, denotes restored circulation of the shelf interior with the Tethys. The novelty of this study is demonstrated by the findings that the VOICE might indeed be a global signal and restricted circulation driven by eustacy is the main controlling factor for the VOICE signal.

PRIMARY PRODUCERS SIZE STRUCTURE IN THE MARGINAL ICE ZONE OF EUROPEAN ARCTIC IN SUMMER

Primary production (PP) and chlorophyll “a” concentration (chl “a”) estimates in the Eurasian Arctic are discussed, where the continued climatic warming with increased “Atlantification” advance the sea ice losses. The maximum integrated PP and the total chl “a” content observed in the marginal ice zone (MIZ) of the Barents Sea with weakened stratification of the water column and reached 1109 mgC m–2 day–1 and 118 mg m–2. Nearby the ice edge in the Nansen Basin, the main part of PP formed in the upper mixed layer and did not exceed 469 mgC m–2 day–1, the chl “a” content of 56 mg m–2. In the early and late phytoplankton bloom in MIZ, the typical leading role of picophytoplankton in carbon fixation revealed. Large centric diatoms, microphytoplankton, dominated at the peak bloom stage in 2020 with the dense marine ice cover of the Nansen Basin. A similar phenomenon was previously observed only in the Arctic shelf seas and was not recorded in the high-latitude basins of the Arctic Ocean. With the sparse ice cover of the Nansen Basin in 2021, the main primary producers at the peak bloom were pico- and nanophytoplankton. The low variability of assimilation numbers at all bloom stages (1.7 ± 0.3 mgC mg chl “a”–1 h–1) indicates the acclimatization of phytoplankton to changing environment. The ecological flexibility of the primary production are link of the MLZ ecosystems in the studied seas of the European Arctic during the period of climate change is confirmed.

Exploring Spatially Explicit Changes in Carbon Budgets of Global River Basins during the 20th Century.

Rivers play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle. However, it remains unknown how long-term river C fluxes change because of climate, land-use, and other environmental changes. Here, we investigated the spatiotemporal variations in global freshwater C cycling in the 20th century using the mechanistic IMAGE-Dynamic Global Nutrient Model extended with the Dynamic In-Stream Chemistry Carbon module (DISC-CARBON) that couples river basin hydrology, environmental conditions, and C delivery with C flows from headwaters to mouths. The results show heterogeneous spatial distribution of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations in global inland waters with the lowest concentrations in the tropics and highest concentrations in the Arctic and semiarid and arid regions. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations are less than 10 mg C/L in most global inland waters and are generally high in high-latitude basins. Increasing global C inputs, burial, and CO2 emissions reported in the literature are confirmed by DISC-CARBON. Global river C export to oceans has been stable around 0.9 Pg yr–1. The long-term changes and spatial patterns of concentrations and fluxes of different C forms in the global river network unfold the combined influence of the lithology, climate, and hydrology of river basins, terrestrial and biological C sources, in-stream C transformations, and human interferences such as damming.

Methane-Derived Authigenic Carbonates on the Seafloor of the Laptev Sea Shelf

Seafloor authigenic carbonate crusts are widespread in various oceanic and marine settings, excluding high-latitude basins that are corrosive to carbonate precipitation. Newly formed carbonate formations are relatively rare in modern Arctic marine sediments. Although the first-order principles of seep carbonate formation are currently quite well constrained, little is known regarding the duration or mode of carbonate formation in the Siberian Arctic shelf. Large (massive slabs or blocks) and small crusts that were micrite cemented have been recently discovered on the seafloor of the Siberian Arctic seas within the area of known seep activity in the outer Laptev Sea shelf. Cold methane seeps were detected in the area due to the presence of an acoustic anomaly in the water column (gas flares). Microbial mats, methane gas bubbles, and carbonate crusts were observed using a towed camera platform. Here, we report new geochemical and mineralogical data on authigenic shallow Siberian Arctic cold-seep carbonate crusts to elucidate its genesis. The Laptev Sea carbonate crusts mainly consist of high-Mg calcite (up to 23 mol % MgCO3). The δ13C values in carbonates range significantly (from –40.1 to –25.9‰ VPDB), while the δ18O values vary in a narrow range (+4.4 ± 0.2‰ VPDB). The δ13C values of Corg that was determined from carbonates range from –40.2 to –31.1‰ VPDB. Using the isotope data and taking into account the geological setting, we consider that not only microbial but possibly thermogenic methane participated in the authigenic carbonate precipitation. Carbonate crust formation occurred below the water/sediment interface of the shallow Siberian Arctic shelf as a result of gas hydrate dissociation during Holocene warming events. The studied carbonate crusts were exhumated after precipitation into shallow subsurface shelf sediments.

Changing freshwater contributions to the Arctic

The pan-Arctic domain is undergoing some of Earth’s most rapid and significant changes resulting from anthropogenic and climate-induced alteration of freshwater distribution. Changes in terrestrial freshwater discharge entering the Arctic Basin from pan-Arctic watersheds significantly impact oceanic circulation and sea ice dynamics. Historical streamflow records in high-latitude basins are often discontinuous (seasonal or with large temporal gaps) or sparse (poor spatial coverage), however, making trends from observed records difficult to quantify. Our objectives were to generate a more continuous 90-year record (1981–2070) of spatially distributed freshwater flux for the Arctic Basin (all Arctic draining rivers, including the Yukon), suitable for forcing ocean models, and to analyze the changing simulated trends in freshwater discharge across the domain. We established these data as valid during the historical period (1971–2015) and then used projected futures (preserving uncertainty by running a coupled climate-hydrologic ensemble) to analyze long-term (2021–2070) trends for major Arctic draining rivers. When compared to historic trends reported in the literature, we find that trends are projected to nearly double by 2070, with river discharge to the Arctic Basin increasing by 22% (on average) by 2070. We also find a significant trend toward earlier onset of spring freshet and a general flattening of the average annual hydrograph, with a trend toward decreasing seasonality of Arctic freshwater discharge with climate change and regulation combined. The coupled climate-hydrologic ensemble was then used to force an ocean circulation model to simulate freshwater content and thermohaline circulation. This research provides the marine research community with a daily time series of historic and projected freshwater discharge suitable for forcing sea ice and ocean models. Although important, this work is only a first step in mapping the impacts of climate change on the pan-Arctic region.

Effects of climate change on agricultural water resource carrying capacity in a high-latitude basin

The agricultural water resource carrying capacity (AWRCC) is affected by climate change now as never before. However, it is still unclear how the AWRCC in high latitudes responses to climate change. In this study, spatiotemporal changes in climatic factors and AWRCC during the crop growing season from 1961 to 2014 in the Nenjiang River Basin (NRB), a high-latitude basin in China, were identified via multivariate statistical analysis. Meanwhile, the impact of climatic factors on AWRCC was analyzed by using cross-wavelet approaches and Pearson correlational analysis. The results showed that temperature has followed an increasing trend, especially the lowest temperature during crop growing season, with a trend of 0.57℃/10a in the local region. There was no obvious change trend for precipitation, but the interannual change was large. The drought index increased first and then decreased, which was consistent with the trend of the ET0. Different spatial distributions of water resource carrying for all crops in a region were shown with a variation range of 0.22–0.76 kg/m2 in the NRB. It is worth noting that AWRCC showed an increasing trend, especially in the past decade. Precipitation, ET0, and meteorological drought were all key driving factors affecting AWRCC. The correlation was significant between the crop planting proportion and AWRCC under climate change. Moreover, adjusting the planting proportion of wheat, soybean and rice, and increasing that of maize, would be conducive to improving the AWRCC and facilitating the synergistic development of agriculture and wetlands in NRB.

First record of the amphibamiform Micropholis stowi from the lower Fremouw Formation (Lower Triassic) of Antarctica

ABSTRACT The fossil record of temnospondyl amphibians in the immediate wake of the Permo-Triassic mass extinction captures extensive taxic and ecological diversity, with most records known from high paleolatitudinal settings. In southern Pangea, the most substantial records come from South Africa and Australia, with a total of over 20 taxa presently recognized. Temnospondyls have also been known from correlated horizons in the lower Fremouw Formation of Antarctica since the late 1960s, but these records are mostly fragmentary, thereby limiting taxonomic resolution to the family level and subsequent biostratigraphic correlations and comparisons between high-latitude basins. Here we report substantial new material of the amphibamiform Micropholis stowi, a relic dissorophoid previously known only from the Katberg Formation (Lystrosaurus declivis Assemblage Zone) of South Africa, from the lower Fremouw Formation. The exceptional preservation of the recently recovered material permits not only confident taxonomic referral but also tentative association of several individuals to the broad-headed morph of the taxon. The recognition of M. stowi in Antarctica represents only the fourth geographic occurrence of a dissorophoid from southern Pangea and supports the hypothesis that high-latitude environments served as refugia for temnospondyls during the mass extinction. In the case of M. stowi, such refugia permitted the persistence of a predominantly Permo-Carboniferous clade, and the Antarctic records discussed here further hint at a poorly sampled cryptic distribution, both of amphibamiforms in southern Pangea and of small-bodied temnospondyls in early Mesozoic deposits.

Using Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment data to derive corrections to precipitation data sets and improve modelled snow mass at high latitudes

Abstract. The amount of lying snow calculated by a land surface model depends in part on the amount of snowfall in the meteorological data that are used to drive the model. We show that commonly used data sets differ in the amount of snowfall, and more generally precipitation, over four large Arctic basins. An independent estimate of the cold-season precipitation is obtained by combining water balance information from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) with estimates of evaporation and river discharge and is generally higher than that estimated by four commonly used meteorological data sets. We use the Joint UK Land Environment Simulator (JULES) land surface model to calculate the snow water equivalent (SWE) over the four basins. The modelled seasonal maximum SWE is 38 % less than observation-based estimates on average, and the modelled basin discharge is significantly underestimated, consistent with the lack of snowfall. We use the GRACE-derived estimate of precipitation to define per-basin scale factors that are applied to the driving data and increase the amount of cold-season precipitation by 28 % on average. In turn this increases the modelled seasonal maximum SWE by 30 %, although this is still underestimated compared to observations by 19 % on average. A correction for the undercatch of precipitation by gauges is compared with the the GRACE-derived correction. Undercatch correction increases the amount of cold-season precipitation by 23 % on average, which indicates that some, but not all, of the underestimation can be removed by implementing existing undercatch correction algorithms. However, even undercatch-corrected data sets contain less precipitation than the GRACE-derived estimate in some regions, and it is likely that there are other biases that are not currently accounted for in gridded meteorological data sets. This study shows that revised estimates of precipitation can lead to improved modelling of SWE, but much more modest improvements are found in modelled river discharge. By providing methods to better define the precipitation inputs to the system, the current study paves the way for subsequent work on key hydrological processes in high-latitude basins.

Titan’s climate patterns and surface methane distribution due to the coupling of land hydrology and atmosphere

Planetary surfaces beyond Earth’s are impacted by surface hydrology, and exhibit fluvial and lacustrine features. Titan in particular harbours a rich hydroclimate replete with valley networks, lakes, seas and putative wetlands, all of which are pronounced in the lower-elevation polar regions. However, understanding of Titan’s global climate has heretofore neglected the hydraulic influence of Titan’s large-scale topography. Here we add a surface hydrology model to an existing Titan atmospheric model, and find that infiltration, groundmethane evaporation, and surface and subsurface flow are fundamental to simultaneously reproducing Titan’s observed surface liquid distribution and other aspects of its climate system. We propose that Titan’s climate features infiltration into unsaturated low- and mid-latitude highlands and surface or subsurface flow into high-latitude basins, producing the observed polar moist climes and equatorial deserts. This result implies that a potentially massive unobserved methane reservoir participates in Titan’s methane cycle. It also illustrates the importance of surface hydrology in Titan climate models, and by extension suggests the influence of surface hydrology in idealized models of other planetary climates, including the climates and palaeoclimates of Earth, Mars and exoplanets. Coupling a global surface hydrology model to an existing atmospheric model of Titan reproduces the observed variable climate and distribution of surface liquid, with possible implications for an unobserved methane reservoir on Titan.

Response of Water Resources to Future Climate Change in a High-Latitude River Basin

Global water resources are affected by climate change as never before. However, it is still unclear how water resources in high latitudes respond to climate change. In this study, the water resource data for 2021–2050 in the Naoli River Basin, a high-latitude basin in China, are calculated by using the SWAT-Modflow Model and future climate scenarios RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The results show a decreasing trend. When compared to the present, future streamflow is predicted to decrease by 2.73 × 108 m3 in 2021–2035 and by 1.51 × 108 m3 in 2036–2050 in the RCP4.5 scenario, and by 8.16 × 108 m3 in 2021–2035 and by 0.56 × 108 m3 in 2036–2050 in the RCP8.5 scenario, respectively. Similarly, groundwater recharge is expected to decrease by −1.79 × 108 m3 in 2021–2035 and −0.75 × 108 m3 in 2036–2050 in the RCP 4.5 scenario, and by −0.62 × 108 m3 in 2021–2035 and −0.12 × 108m3 in 2036–2050 in the RCP 8.5 scenario, respectively. The worst impact of climate change on water resources in the basin could be frequent occurrences of extremely wet and dry conditions. In the RCP 4.5 scenario, the largest annual streamflow is predicted to be almost 14 times that of the smallest one, while it is 18 times for the groundwater recharge. Meanwhile, in the RCP 8.5 scenario, inter-annual fluctuations are expected to be more severe. The difference is 17 times between the largest annual streamflow and the lowest annual one. Moreover, the value is 19 times between the largest and lowest groundwater recharge. This indicates a significant increase in conflict between water use and supply.

The relative contributions of precipitation, evapotranspiration, and runoff to terrestrial water storage changes across 168 river basins

Changes of global terrestrial water storage (TWS) retrieved from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission have been extensively evaluated in previous studies. However, natural drivers and their relative contributions to global TWS changes (TWSC) are still poorly understood. In this study, based on two global precipitation (P) datasets, three global evapotranspiration (ET) datasets, and one global runoff (R) dataset, the responses of TWSC to the three major water fluxes, P, ET, and R, were comprehensively examined for 168 river basins. In addition, by using hierarchical partitioning (HP) analysis, the corresponding relative contributions (RC) of P, ET, and R to TWSC were quantified. The results showed that for the period Jan. 2003–Dec. 2011, significant increases in terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSA) were observed over 49 basins, whereas 42 basins presented significant decreases in TWSA. A robust positive relationship between P and TWSC was observed in low-latitude basins, but strong negative relationships of TWSC with ET and R were identified in mid- and high-latitude basins. Averaging the degree of explanation of 168 basins for all P–ET–R combinations, we found that three independent variables explained an average of 61.4% of TWSC. The corresponding RC of P, ET, and R were 42.6%, 43.2% and 4.2%, respectively. In spatial terms, a larger contribution of P to TWSC was found in low-latitude basins, and larger contributions of ET and R were identified for mid-and high-latitude basins. The findings of this study were important for improving our understanding of global TWSC responses to climate change.

Differences in Response of Terrestrial Water Storage Components to Precipitation over 168 Global River Basins

AbstractA time lag exists between precipitation P falling and being converted into terrestrial water. The responses of terrestrial water storage (TWS) and its individual components to P over the global scale, which are vital for understanding the interactions and mechanisms between climatic variables and hydrological components, are not well constrained. In this study, relying on land surface models, we isolate five component storage anomalies from TWS anomalies (TWSA) derived from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment mission (GRACE): canopy water storage anomalies (CWSA), surface water storage anomalies (SWSA), snow water equivalent anomalies (SWEA), soil moisture storage anomalies (SMSA), and groundwater storage anomalies (GWSA). The responses of TWSA and of the individual components of TWSA to P are then evaluated over 168 global basins. The lag between TWSA and P is quantified by calculating the correlation coefficients between GRACE-based TWSA and P for different time lags, then identifying the lag (measured in months) corresponding to the maximum correlation coefficient. A multivariate regression model is used to explore the relationship between climatic and basin characteristics and the lag between TWSA and P. Results show that the spatial distribution of TWSA trend presents a similar global pattern to that of P for the period January 2004–December 2013. TWSA is positively related to P over basins but with lags of variable duration. The lags are shorter in the low- and midlatitude basins (1–2 months) than those in the high-latitude basins (6–9 months). The spatial patterns of the maximum correlations and the corresponding lags between individual components of the TWSA and P are consistent with those of the GRACE-based analysis, except for SWEA (3–8 months) and CWSA (0 months). The lags between GWSA, SMSA, and SWSA to P can be arranged as GWSA > SMSA ≥ SWSA. Regression analysis results show that the lags between TWSA and P are related to the mean temperature, mean precipitation, mean latitude, mean longitude, mean elevation, and mean slope.

Geology and Oil and Gas Bearing Potential of the East Canadian Continental Margin

Within the East Canadian continental margin, three oil and gas bearing regions have been identified from north to south: the Labrador Sea shelf, the margin of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, and the Nova Scotia continental margin. In each of these regions, a number of sedimentary basins are distinguished and completely submerged. The following large sedimentary basins are distinguished on the Labrador Sea shelf: the Saglek, Hopdale, and Havke; on the margin of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, the following basins are known: the Jeanne d’Arc, Flemish Pass, and Orphan. The Scotian Shelf distinguishes the Nova Scotia and Sable basins. It is noteworthy that at high latitudes, such as the Labrador Sea region, the age of productive sediments begins with more ancient rocks (since the Paleozoic) than in the basins to the low latitude (since the Mesozoic), due to which the stratigraphic range of oil and gas bearing in the high latitude basins is much wider. The oil and gas bearing potential in the entire region is mainly related to the continental slopes and turbidite deposits occurring within them. Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous reservoirs will be the target sediments during deep drilling. Widespread Late Cretaceous and Early Tertiary formations with oil and gas potential are quite realistic, since they do not lie at deep horizons. The oil and gas bearing potential on the margins of basins is associated with Late Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments, alluvial fan deposits, and salt diapirs.

Campanian-Maastrichtian and Eocene stratigraphic architecture, facies analysis, and paleoenvironmental evolution of the northern Magallanes Basin (Chilean Patagonia)

The stratigraphic architecture and environmental evolution of the Cerro Guido-Rio de las Chinas Valley Complex contains the upper Cretaceous to Eocene record of the Magallanes/Austral Basin, located in southernmost Chile. This retroarc foreland basin contains a significant record of early Cretaceous to Miocene biogeographic and environmental changes that occurred in high paleolatitudes after the break-up of Gondwana. Using 37 stratigraphic sections, we generated a 1390 m thick stratigraphic column, which was used to developed sedimentary facies and an analysis of sequence stratigraphy. Results show, in general, aggradation composed of six third-order depositional sequences each delimited by an erosive surface. A lowstand systems tract developed above each surface, represented by alluvial environments similar to braided fluvial systems, and coastal plain environments, with the development of meandering fluvial and lacustrine systems. Above the lowstand tract, the transgressive systems tract is composed of a shallow marine environment with foreshore, shoreface, and offshore systems. A highstand systems tract was observed in one sequence, and is represented by shallow marine facies. The extensive outcrop in the studied area contains a diverse and voluminous fossil record, containing fossilized invertebrates (bivalves, gastropods, bryozoans, and brachiopods), vertebrates (hadrosaurs, ornithischians, sauropods, theropods, birds, mammals, frogs, turtles, plesiosaurs, mosasaurs, and sharks), and plants (wood, leaves impressions, flowers, pollen, and spores). Thus, this study broadens the understanding of the South American-Antarctic connection during the late Cretaceous-Paleogene, through a diverse fossil record and study of the paleoenvironmental evolution of this high-latitude basin.

Ammonoids and nautiloids from the earliest Spathian Paris Biota and other early Spathian localities in southeastern Idaho, USA

Intensive sampling of three earliest Spathian sites represented by the Lower Shale unit and coeval beds within the Bear Lake vicinity and neighboring areas, southeastern Idaho, yielded several new ammonoid and nautiloid assemblages. These new occurrences overall indicate that the lower boundary of the Tirolites beds, classically used as a regional marker for the base of the early Spathian, and therefore the regional Smithian/Spathian boundary, must be shifted downward into the Lower Shale unit and coeval beds. Regarding ammonoids, one new genus (Caribouceras) and two new species (Cariboucerasslugense and Albanitesamericanus) are described. In addition, the regional temporal distribution of Bajarunia, Tirolites, Columbites, and Coscaites is refined, based on a fourth sampled site containing a newly reported occurrence of the early Spathian Columbites fauna in coeval beds of the Middle Shale unit. As a complement to ammonoids, changes observed in nautiloid dominance are also shown to facilitate correlation with high-latitude basins such as Siberia during this short time interval, and they also highlight the major successive environmental fluctuations that took place during the late Smithian–early Spathian transition.

Hydrographic and Biological Impacts of a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in a Patagonian Fjord

Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in Northern Patagonian Ice Field affecting the Baker River basin have increased their frequency in recent years. To evaluate the impact of a GLOF in the hydrography and biological components of the plankton in the Baker Fjord, we assessed the relative contributions of terrigenous versus marine plankton carbon sources to the particulate organic matter (POM) in the fjord before and after a GLOF in the austral summer 2014. We also evaluated whether terrestrial carbon brought into the fjord by the river may reach higher trophic levels via a deposit-feeding organism the juvenile pelagic Munida gregaria. Over a 10-day period, hydrographic profiles, water samples for POM, and zooplankton samples were collected daily from three stations and two depths along the fjord’s inner section. Samples of suspended POM and tissue from M. gregaria were analyzed for stable-isotope composition of carbon (δ13C). The GLOF arrival produced a thermal front in the fjord, followed by an oscillation of the pycnocline; an abrupt increase in the total organic carbon content of POM, which was attributed to terrestrial input; and a concurrent peak in the abundance of M. gregaria, suggesting an aggregation response to the GLOF. Understanding GLOF effects on local hydrography, productivity, and food web structure provides valuable insight on the potential responses of fjord ecosystems in general to climate change-induced variability. Given present climatic trends in high-latitude zones, more frequent GLOFs might be expected in Patagonian fjords and channels as well as in other high-latitude basins.

Foraminiferal ecozones in two submarine caves of the Orosei Gulf (Sardinia, Italy)

Because submarine caves are affected by wide spatial and temporal environmental variability, they are ideal environments for studying the effects of environmental changes on ecological indicators. Benthic foraminifera are protozoa living in marine and transitional habitats, developing typical assemblages as a response to different environmental conditions. For this, they have been increasingly used as ecological indicators for environmental characterization and monitoring. This study was the first one aimed to compare benthic foraminiferal fauna of two different submarine caves of temperate areas, Bel Torrente and Bue Marino, in the Orosei Gulf (Sardinia, Italy). It resumes the main results obtained in Bel Torrente cave by a previous research, implemented by new data acquired by the study of Bue Marino cave. The caves were surveyed and sampled by GUE (Global Underwater Explorers) divers for the first 450 m to recognize distinct ecozones, their ecological significance, and to compare them as regards species composition and extent. The succession of Marine, Entrance and Transitional Ecozones was recognized in both the caves. While the Marine Ecozone pointed out environmental conditions very similar to those of shallow water marine environment, the Entrance and Transitional Ecozones indicated increasing environmental stress. In the Entrance Ecozone, the dominance of tolerant species was probably due to the high environmental variability for the episodic high energy floods and, locally, reduced oxygenation events. In the Transitional Ecozone, the decrease of seawater salinity and temperature, especially after rainy periods, probably encouraged the prevalence of agglutinated taxa, which are normally rare in Mediterranean shallow water marine environment, while they are common in high latitude basins.

Regional disparities of phytoplankton in relation to environmental factors in the western Arctic Ocean during summer of 2010

Global warming has caused Arctic sea ice to rapidly retreat, which is affecting phytoplankton, the primary producers at the base of the food chain, as well as the entire ecosystem. However, few studies with large spatial scales related to the Arctic Basin at high latitude have been conducted. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between changes in phytoplankton community structure and ice conditions. Fifty surface and 41 vertically stratified water samples from the western Arctic Ocean (67.0°–88°26′N, 152°–178°54′W) were collected by the Chinese icebreaker R/V Xuelong from July 20 to August 30, 2010 during China’s fourth Arctic expedition. Using these samples, the species composition, spatial distribution, and regional disparities of phytoplankton during different stages of ice melt were assessed. A total of 157 phytoplankton taxa (>5 μm) belonging to 69 genera were identified in the study area. The most abundant species were Navicula pelagica and Thalassiosira nordenskioeldii, accounting for 31.23% and 14.12% of the total phytoplankton abundance, respectively. The average abundance during the departure trip and the return trip were 797.07×102 cells/L and 84.94×102 cells/L, respectively. The highest abundance was observed at Sta. R09 in the north of Herald Shoal, where Navicula pelagica was the dominant species accounting for 59.42% of the abundance. The vertical distribution of phytoplankton abundance displayed regional differences, and the maximum abundances were confined to the lower layers of the euphotic zone near the layers of the halocline, thermocline, and nutricline. The species abundance of phytoplankton decreased from the low-latitude shelf to the high-latitude basin on both the departure and return trips. The phytoplankton community structure in the shallow continental shelf changed markedly during different stages of ice melt, and there was shift in dominant species from centric to pennate diatoms. Results of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that there were two distinct communities of phytoplankton in the western Arctic Ocean, and water temperature, ice coverage and silicate concentration were the most important environmental factors affecting phytoplankton distribution in the surveyed sea. These findings will help predict the responses of phytoplankton to the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice.

ORCHIDEE-MICT (v8.4.1), a land surface model for the high latitudes: model description and validation

Abstract. The high-latitude regions of the Northern Hemisphere are a nexus for the interaction between land surface physical properties and their exchange of carbon and energy with the atmosphere. At these latitudes, two carbon pools of planetary significance – those of the permanently frozen soils (permafrost), and of the great expanse of boreal forest – are vulnerable to destabilization in the face of currently observed climatic warming, the speed and intensity of which are expected to increase with time. Improved projections of future Arctic and boreal ecosystem transformation require improved land surface models that integrate processes specific to these cold biomes. To this end, this study lays out relevant new parameterizations in the ORCHIDEE-MICT land surface model. These describe the interactions between soil carbon, soil temperature and hydrology, and their resulting feedbacks on water and CO2 fluxes, in addition to a recently developed fire module. Outputs from ORCHIDEE-MICT, when forced by two climate input datasets, are extensively evaluated against (i) temperature gradients between the atmosphere and deep soils, (ii) the hydrological components comprising the water balance of the largest high-latitude basins, and (iii) CO2 flux and carbon stock observations. The model performance is good with respect to empirical data, despite a simulated excessive plant water stress and a positive land surface temperature bias. In addition, acute model sensitivity to the choice of input forcing data suggests that the calibration of model parameters is strongly forcing-dependent. Overall, we suggest that this new model design is at the forefront of current efforts to reliably estimate future perturbations to the high-latitude terrestrial environment.

Processes of Sedimentation and Stratigraphic Architecture of Deep-Water Braided Lobe Complexes: The Pliocene Repetto and Pico Formations, Ventura Basin, U.S.A

Abstract This paper reexamines the Pliocene Repetto and Pico formations, Ventura Basin, California, to evaluate the processes of sedimentation and interpret their environmental evolution within an elongate trough basin. Analysis of stratal architecture, lithofacies distributions, paleotransport directions, and measured sections from select stratigraphic intervals show that the two formations consist of sheet-like units, 20–50 m thick, composed of three main lithofacies associations: 1) structureless to graded gravelly sandstone, 2) thick- to medium-bedded sandstone composed principally of Bouma Ta/Tabc/Lowe S3 divisions with thin mudstone layers, and 3) thin- to very thin-bedded sandstone and mudstone composed of Bouma Tbcde divisions. At the bed-set level, clear trends in bed thickness cannot be recognized, but the lithofacies associations show fining-upward, coarsening-upward, and symmetric stacking patterns, reflecting disorganization and frequently shifting sand and gravel depocenters, which are common trends in braided systems. Additionally, the frequent and shallow erosional features, widespread deposition, and paucity of wedge-shaped bedding geometries and associated laterally equivalent mud-rich units suggest that channel–levee elements were not present. Due to limited lateral and upslope data, the formations may represent up to three alternative depositional environments: 1) sedimentary fill of a channel that is wider than outcrop (greater than 4–5 km wide), 2) frontal lobes that necessitate at least one upslope channel, or 3) lobes emanating from canyon mouths in a loosely confined pattern. However, the flows were not affected by the margins if there existed a wide channel, and there is no evidence for channel-like incision in outcrop or core. Therefore, these units are interpreted as an unconfined network of coarse-grained, braided lobe complexes that formed elongate sedimentary aprons at the bases of canyons feeding the trough basin. This study describes deposits that are likely found in other elongate or high-latitude basins characterized by high rates of coarse-grained or clay-poor sedimentation, and is of interest to those working to understand the range of possibility in deep-water depositional systems.