Long term changes in Zostera meadows in the Berre lagoon (Provence, Mediterranean Sea)

The Berre lagoon (Provence, France), one of the largest Mediterranean brackish lagoons (155 km²), was occupied, at the turn of the 20th century, by extensive Zostera meadows (Zostera marina and probably Zostera noltii; perhaps over 6000 ha). Subsequently, the lagoon was disturbed by urban and industrial pollution and, from 1966, by the diversion of the Durance River. This resulted in a 10–49-fold and 8–31-fold increase of the freshwater and silt inputs, respectively. By means of digital analysis of aerial photographs for the years 1944, 1992, 1998 and 2004, coupled with ground truth for the last three dates, we mapped the Zostera meadows. The replacement of Z. marina by Z. noltii, the latter species being already dominant in the 1970s, was completed in 1990. In parallel to this substitution, the Zostera beds underwent a dramatic decline. Their depth limit, which was (6–9) m in the early 20th century, withdrew to 3.5, 3, 1 and less than 1 m by 1944, the 1970s, 1992 and 1998, respectively. Since 1998, Zostera must be considered as functionally extinct. The total surface area of Zostera meadows was of the order of 1.5 ha in 2004. In an attempt to alleviate disturbance, the input of freshwater and silt from the Durance River was significantly reduced from the early 1980s and 1990s respectively. Similarly, from the 1970s to the 1990s, urban and domestic pollution was drastically reduced. Despite these steps, Zostera meadows continued to shrink to near extinction. The lagoon has shifted from a system dominated by seagrass beds to a system with bare silt bottoms, which now occupy most of the lagoon. The reasons could be, in addition to continuing nutrient inputs, the resuspension of silt, no longer trapped under the seagrass canopy, during wind episodes, which are frequent in the area, and/or the release of nutrients from the bare silt habitat, which would constitute an indication of a possible hysteresis of the system. However, since 2000, the establishment of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, a drop in turbidity and a slight, inconspicuous progression of Z. noltii could be the harbinger of a reverse shift of the system.     

Mapping ecosystem services at the regional scale: the validity of an upscaling approach

Mapping ecosystem services (ES) over large scales is important for environmental monitoring but is often prohibitively expensive and difficult. We test a hybrid, low-cost method of mapping ES indicators over large scales in Pará State, Brazil. Four ES indicators (vegetation carbon stocks, biodiversity index, soil chemical quality index and rates of water infiltration into soil) were measured in the field and then summarized spatially for regional land-cover classes derived from satellite imagery. The regionally mapped ES values correlated strongly with independent and local measures of ES. For example, regional estimates of the vegetation carbon stocks are strongly correlated with actual measures derived from field samples and validation data (significant anova test – p-value = 4.51^e?9) and differed on average by only 20 Mg/ha from the field data. Our spatially-nested approach provides reliable and accurate maps of ES at both local and regional scales. Local maps account for the specificities of an area while regional maps provide an accurate generalization of an ES’ state. Such up-scaling methods infuse large-scale ES maps with localized data and enable the estimation of uncertainty of at regional scales. Our approach is first step towards the spatial characterization of ES at large and potentially global scales.     

Contribution of long-term hydrothermal experiments for understanding the smectite-to-chlorite conversion in geological environments

The smectite-to-chlorite conversion is investigated through long-duration experiments (up to 9 years) conducted at 300 °C. The starting products were the Wyoming bentonite MX80 (79 % smectite), metallic iron and magnetite in contact with a Na–Ca chloride solution. The predominant minerals in the run products were an iron-rich chlorite (chamosite like) and interstratified clays interpreted to be chlorite/smectite and/or corrensite/smectite, accompanied by euhedral crystals of quartz, albite and zeolite. The formation of pure corrensite was not observed in the long-duration experiments. The conversion of smectite into chlorite over time appears to take place in several steps and through several successive mechanisms: a solid-state transformation, significant dissolution of the smectite and direct precipitation from the solution, which is over-saturated with respect to chlorite, allowing the formation of a chamosite-like mineral. The reaction mechanisms are confirmed by X-ray patterns and data obtained on the experimental solutions (pH, contents of Si, Mg, Na and Ca). Because of the availability of some nutrients in the solution, total dissolution of the starting smectite does not lead to 100 % crystallization of chlorite but to a mixture of two dominant clays: chamosite and interstratified chlorite/smectite and/or corrensite/smectite poor in smectite. The role of Fe/(Fe + Mg) in the experimental medium is highlighted by chemical data obtained on newly formed clay particles alongside previously published data. The newly formed iron-rich chlorite has the same composition as that predicted by the geothermometer for diagenetic to low-grade metamorphic conditions, and the quartz + Fe-chlorite + albite experimental assemblage in the 9-year experiment is close to that fixed by water–rock equilibrium.     

Deterministic modelling of the cumulative impacts of underground structures on urban groundwater flow and the definition of a potential state of urban groundwater flow: example of Lyon,France

Underground structures have been shown to have a great influence on subsoil resources in urban aquifers. A methodology to assess the actual and the potential state of the groundwater flow in an urban area is proposed. The study develops a three-dimensional modeling approach to understand the cumulative impacts of underground infrastructures on urban groundwater flow, using a case in the city of Lyon (France). All known underground structures were integrated in the numerical model. Several simulations were run: the actual state of groundwater flow, the potential state of groundwater flow (without underground structures), an intermediate state (without impervious structures), and a transient simulation of the actual state of groundwater flow. The results show that underground structures fragment groundwater flow systems leading to a modification of the aquifer regime. For the case studied, the flow systems are shown to be stable over time with a transient simulation. Structures with drainage systems are shown to have a major impact on flow systems. The barrier effect of impervious structures was negligible because of the small hydraulic gradient of the area. The study demonstrates that the definition of a potential urban groundwater flow and the depiction of urban flow systems, which involves understanding the impact of underground structures, are important issues with respect to urban underground planning.     

Antimony deposits in the Variscan Armorican belt,a link with mafic intrusives?

The Variscan Armorican belt was the World leading producer of antimony at the beginning of the twentieth century. However, geological controls on the deposits remain unconstrained. Here, we illustrate the field setting of mineralisations and perform a statistical analysis using Geographical Information System software, geophysical and geological data. The analysis shows that Sb deposits are spatially correlated with high‐density and magnetic zones. This may reflect the presence of mafic/ultramafic bodies at depth – a suggestion that is further supported by numerous occurrences of doleritic dykes throughout the region. Future antimony prospecting should focus on the high‐density and high‐magnetic zones which comprise about 18% of the Armorican massif. Links between Sb deposits and mafic intrusions are recognised elsewhere in the West European Variscan belt, emphasising that these may be key for antimony prospecting in deformation belts.     

Thermal‐infrared remote sensing of surface water–groundwater exchanges in a restored anastomosing channel (Upper Rhine River,France)

Ecohydrological processes are a key element to consider in functional river restorations. In the framework of a LIFE+ European restoration program, we have investigated the potential for airborne thermal‐infrared remote sensing to map surface water–groundwater exchanges and to identify their driving factors. We focused our attention on anastomosing channels on an artificial island of the Upper Rhine River (Rohrschollen), where a new channel was excavated from the floodplain to reconnect an older channel in its upstream part. These hydraulic engineering works led to an increased inflow from the Rhine Canal. Here, we propose an original data treatment chain to (a) georeference the thermal‐infrared images in geographic information system based on visible images, (b) detect and correct data errors, and (c) identify and locate thermal anomalies attributed to groundwater inputs and hyporheic upwellings. Our results, which have been compared to morpho‐sedimentary data, show that groundwater upwelling in the new channel is controlled by riffle–pool sequences and bars. This channel is characterized by large bedload transport and morphodynamic activity, forming riffles and bars. In the old channel, where riffle–pool sequences no longer exist, due to impacts of engineering works and insufficient morphodynamic effects of the restoration, thermal anomalies appeared to be less pronounced. Groundwater inputs seem to be controlled by former gravel bars outcropping on the banks, as well as by local thinning of the low‐permeability clogging layer on the channel bed.