Cold and wet: Diatoms dominate the phytoplankton community during a year of anomalous weather in a Great Lakes estuary

As sentinels of climate change and other anthropogenic forces, freshwater lakes are experiencing ecosystem disruptions at every level of the food web, beginning with the phytoplankton, a highly responsive group of organisms. Most studies regarding the effects of climate change on phytoplankton focus on a potential scenario in which temperatures continuously increase and droughts intersperse heavy precipitation events. Like much of the conterminous United States in 2019, the Muskegon River watershed (Michigan, USA) experienced record-breaking rainfall accompanied by unusually cool temperatures, affording an opportunity to explore how an alternate potential climate scenario may affect phytoplankton. We conducted biweekly sampling of environmental variables and phytoplankton in Muskegon Lake, a Great Lakes Area of Concern that connects to Lake Michigan. We compared environmental variables in 2019 to the previous eight years using long-term data from the Muskegon Lake Observatory buoy, and annual monitoring excursions provided historical phytoplankton data. Under cold and wet conditions, diatoms were the single dominant division throughout the entire growth season – an unprecedented scenario in Muskegon Lake. In 10 of the 13 biweekly sampling days in 2019, diatoms comprised over 75% of the phytoplankton community in the lake by count, indicating that the spring diatom bloom persisted through the fall. Additionally, phytoplankton seasonal succession and abundance patterns typically seen in this lake were absent. In a world experiencing reduced predictability, increased variability, and regional climate anomalies, studying periods of extreme weather events may offer insight into how natural systems will be affected and respond under future climate scenarios.     

Process parameters influence on zone refining and thermodynamics analysis of 1,2-diphenylethane

Effective distribution coefficients of 9 impurities in 1,2-diphenylethane have been calculated by directional crystallization under different ambient frozen temperature. The effect of varied zone size, temperature difference between the melt and ambient frozen environment, number of zone on purity of 1,2-diphenylethane have been also investigated during the process of zone refining. The results indicate that the product purity in the intermediate purified region with varied zone size is higher 0.04%-0.2% than that with constant zone size. The product purity increases with temperature difference between the melt and ambient frozen environment. The appropriate temperature difference is adopted 50℃. The product purity in the intermediate region of sample bar with 2 molten zones is higher 0.05%-0.43% than that with 1 molten zone. In addition, the change of enthalpy and entropy between impurities and 1,2-diphenylethane have been determined.     

Rip currents near coastal structures in Lake Michigan: Characterization and assessment for warnings

Rip currents near coastal structures commonly occur in Lake Michigan in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Lack of timely warning due to undocumented characteristics of rip currents and no assessment tool can contribute to tragic drownings incidents. In this paper, we characterized rip current occurrences near breakwater structures and developed an assessment tool for providing timely rip current warnings to beachgoers at the study site, City of Port Washington, WI. Characteristics of rip currents near the structure were observed from field measurements or visual images. Deflection rip currents had speeds of ～ 0.2 m/s and lasted for several hours. The rip current occurrences were associated with environmental proxies. It was found that rip currents can occur even when the water appears calm near the structure. A Structure Rip Checklist and Assessment Matrix (SRiCAM) with a four-tiered risk was developed and validated using observations. Furthermore, the SRiCAM was integrated into cyberinfrastructure with a data contingency plan to provide real-time warnings to the public. The applicability of the SRiCAM to other locations across Lake Michigan was further tested and results are promising. Overall, the SRiCAM has the potential to be widely extended to foster recreational water safety and resilience to rip current hazards in the Great Lakes.     

Evaluation of adult and offspring thiamine deficiency in salmonine species from Lake Ontario

Thiamine Deficiency Complex (TDC) is an ongoing problem impacting salmonine health in various waterbodies, including Lake Ontario. The prevalence of TDC has been variable and explanations for differences are limited. In the current study, thiamine concentrations were measured in eggs, liver tissue, and muscle tissue sampled from brown trout (Salmo trutta), Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), coho salmon (O. kisutch), lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush), and steelhead trout (O. mykiss) that were collected from Lake Ontario and its surrounding tributaries. The occurrence of TDC was measured for each species based on TDC-induced offspring mortality rates under laboratory conditions. TDC-induced offspring mortality was observed for all species except brown trout. For affected species, egg free thiamine (Th) was consistently low compared to lake trout collected from Lake Superior that are considered thiamine replete. In addition, species with the lowest percentages of Th in their eggs were the most susceptible to TDC, suggesting that limited thiamine reserves in the form of Th may cause TDC-induced offspring mortality. Lastly, our results show that egg thiamine concentrations have yearly variation and increased for all species throughout the study. Reasons for such variation are undetermined; but, if egg thiamine concentrations continue to increase, the impacts of TDC on these salmonine species may lessen. Future monitoring is needed for determining if thiamine concentrations are increasing and the potential impacts that may have on the entire Lake Ontario fishery.     

Nitrogen dry deposition to Lake Superior and Lake Michigan

Nitrate (NO₃^?) levels in Lake Superior have increased from historic levels of about 5?μM to its current concentration of about 25?μM. The atmosphere makes a substantial contribution to the nitrogen budgets for Lake Superior and Lake Michigan. This study provides a more well-defined estimate of nitrogen dry deposition rates derived from the measurement of over-water concentrations, and in situ meteorological measurements, which were input into the Resistance Model. We obtained a nitrogen dry deposition rate of [(3.41?±?2.26)?×?10⁷?kg?N/yr; (5.90?±?3.91)?kg?N/ha/yr] over Lake Michigan, and [(1.54?±?1.06)?×?10⁷?kg?N/yr; (1.87?±?1.27)?kg?N/ha/yr] over Lake Superior. Nitric acid (HNO₃), which originates from the combustion of fossil fuels, contributes 84% of the total nitrogen dry deposition to Lake Michigan; and 66% to Lake Superior. Ammonia (NH₃), which originates from agricultural activities and gasoline combustion, is the second highest contributor of nitrogen dry deposition to both lakes: contributing 13% to Lake Michigan and 32% to Lake Superior. The nitrogen dry deposition is approximately 68% of the nitrogen wet deposition over Lake Superior, and approximately 80% of wet deposition over Lake Michigan. The over-water dry deposition velocity of HNO₃ and NH₃ were also evaluated. We obtained morning deposition velocities of 0.099?cm/s for NH₃ and 0.095?cm/s for HNO₃; and afternoon values of 0.137?cm/s for NH₃ and 0.132?cm/s for HNO₃. Another key finding is that the atmospheric concentrations of nitrogen compounds near Lake Michigan and Lake Superior have decreased since 2003.     

矿山深部卸压技术研究现状及展望

随着国内外矿山进入深部开采阶段，高应力特征显现，岩爆、冲击地压等地质灾害频发，增加了深部矿产资源开采的难度。卸压技术能够有效解决矿山深部局部高应力集中并防治矿山动力地质灾害，因而受到国内外学者的广泛关注。通过梳理国内外卸压技术研究现状，归纳总结了主要卸压技术（包括水力卸压、钻孔卸压、卸压槽/卸压巷道和爆破卸压等）及常用的研究手段（相似材料模拟和数值模拟），对比分析了各类卸压技术的优缺点。结合当前金属矿山深部开采的实际需求，提出未来卸压技术理论研究的若干重要方向：（1）深化理论研究，通过经验公式来确定合理的卸压参数，从而指导生产实践；（2）相比其他卸压技术，爆破卸压的应用前景广阔，同时多种卸压方法相结合是未来深部矿山开采的有效措施；（3）数值模拟在卸压技术及参数确定方面的优势显著，未来卸压技术研究应充分了解现场复杂地质条件，结合相似模拟、数值模拟与现场试验，提出一套适用于金属矿山深部开采实际的卸压技术方案。     

超滤-纳滤组合工艺对东太湖原水的处理效果

随着工业化进程的不断加快,东太湖水质日趋恶化,给常规处理增加了很大的处理难度。针对水源污染问题和给水深度处理的需要,开展了超滤-纳滤双膜组合工艺处理东太湖原水的中试研究,考察双膜工艺对出水水质的提升效果。结果表明,超滤-纳滤双膜工艺对水质常规指标具有较好的去除效果,CODMn和TOC的去除率分别为91.7%和90%;对荧光类物质的去除主要表现在对芳香族蛋白质、类富里酸物质、溶解性微生物代谢产物的去除;此外,双膜组合工艺对小分子二甲基异莰醇(2-MIB)和土臭素(GSM)的去除率分别为70%和77%,表明该工艺对水中主要致嗅物质具有良好的去除能力。     

3D-modelling of Lake Kivu: Horizontal and vertical flow and temperature structure under spatially variable atmospheric forcing

With the increasing extraction of methane from Lake Kivu, there is a growing need to evaluate the effect of such operations on the lake’s permanent density stratification. This requires understanding of the spatial structure and variability of flow velocities and constituents in Lake Kivu. In this study, we develop a 3D hydrodynamic model of Lake Kivu, set-up within DELFT3D at a 750 m grid spacing and forced by COSMO-CLM atmosphere model results at a 2.8 km grid spacing. Validation shows that the model correctly reproduces the generation and breakdown of the temperature stratification in the upper mixed layer and predicts flow velocity magnitudes and directions similar to measurements both at the surface and at greater depth. Analysis of currents reveals a surface current pattern with two clockwise circulations, one around the whole lake and a smaller one in the northern part, with velocities around 0.1 m/s. This pattern is consistently present over an (ensemble-)averaged day, both in the wet and in the dry season, while day-by-day variations are large. Time-averaged deep currents are found to be a few mm/s at maximum. However, the variations can be substantial, with standard deviations up to 2 cm/s for the currents at 220 m depth, attributed to internal seiches. The temperature stratification, present during the entire wet season, is found to first break down in the dry season in the southern part of the lake. This is explained by the spatial differences in the wind stress and the evaporation heat fluxes during the dry season.     

Invader amphipods Gmelinoides fasciatus (Stebbing, 1899) inhabiting distant waterbodies demonstrate differences in tolerance and energy metabolism under elevated temperatures

Gmelinoides fasciatus is a successful invasive amphipod (Amphipoda, Crustacea) that dispersed from Lake Baikal to various waterbodies. Here we studied whether Baikal conditions are optimal for G. fasciatus in terms of thermotolerance and investigated lethal temperatures, 70 kDa heat shock protein level, energy metabolism, and antioxidant defense of animals from three geographically distant waterbodies under changing temperatures. We used acute heat exposure to 28 °C to assess the median lethal times and gradual temperature increase from 6 °C to determine the lethal temperatures. Mortality under heat shock was explainable by the baseline content of Hsp70 that correlated with thermal history. But it was not the case under gradual temperature increase where Hsp70 levels became similar and the mortality pattern changed. The most thermotolerant amphipods from the Gulf of Finland demonstrated a higher amount of free glucose during the temperature increase that may be related to the higher salinity of this waterbody and less energy required for ion regulation. Even though concentrations of major physiological ions in Lake Baikal are lower than in Lake Ladoga, G. fasciatus from Ladoga was slightly more sensitive to the gradual temperature increase. This difference could be explained by the influence of high levels of humic and other potentially toxic substances in Lake Ladoga indicated by increased activities of catalase and glutathione S-transferase. Importantly, all G. fasciatus populations accumulated relatively low levels of lactate during the temperature increase, which may reflect the ability of this invasive species to effectively maintain aerobic metabolism under various conditions.