Modeling Response of Water Quality to Land-use and Climate Change in Lake Auburn, Me

Lake Auburn, Maine, USA, is a historically unproductive lake that has experienced multiple algal blooms since 2011. The lake is the water supply source for a population of ~60,000. We modeled past temperature, and concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) and phosphorus (P) in Lake Auburn by considering the watershed and internal contributions of P as well as atmospheric factors, and predicted the change in lake water quality in response to future climate and land-use changes. A stream hydrology and P-loading model (SimplyP) was used to generate input from two major tributaries into a lake model (MyLake) to simulate physical mixing, chemical dynamics, and sediment geochemistry in Lake Auburn from 2013 to 2017. Simulations of future lake water quality were conducted using meteorological boundary conditions derived from recent historical data and climate model projections for high greenhouse-gas emission cases. The effect of future land development on lake water quality for the 2046 to 2055 time period under different land-use and climate change scenarios were also simulated. Our results indicate that lake P enrichment is more responsive to extreme storm events than increasing air temperatures, mean precipitation, or windstorms; loss of fish habitat is driven by windstorms, and to a lesser extent an increasing water temperature; and watershed development further leads to water quality decline. All simulations also show that the lake is susceptible to both internal and external P loadings. Simulation of temperature, DO, and P proved to be an effective means for predicting the loss of water quality under changing land-use and climate scenarios

Coupling Water Column and Sediment Biogeochemical Dynamics: Modeling Internal Phosphorus Loading, Climate Change Responses, and Mitigation Measures in Lake Vansjø, Norway

We expanded the existing one‐dimensional MyLake model by incorporating a vertically resolved sediment diagenesis module and developing a reaction network that seamlessly couples the water column and sediment biogeochemistry. The application of the MyLake‐Sediment model to boreal Lake Vansjø illustrates the model's ability to reproduce daily water quality variables and predict sediment‐water column exchange fluxes over a long historical period. In prognostic scenarios, we assessed the importance of sediment processes and the effects of various climatic and anthropogenic drivers on the lake's biogeochemistry and phytoplankton dynamics. First, MyLake‐Sediment was used to simulate the potential impacts of increasing air temperature on algal growth and water quality. Second, the key role of ice cover in controlling water column mixing and biogeochemical cycles was analyzed in a series of scenarios that included a fully ice‐free end‐member. Third, in another end‐member scenario P loading from the watershed to the lake was abruptly halted. The model results suggest that remobilization of legacy P stored in the bottom sediments could sustain the lake's primary productivity on a time scale of several centuries. Finally, while the majority of management practices to reduce excessive algal growth in lakes focus on reducing external P loads, other efforts rely on the addition of reactive materials that sequester P in the sediment. Therefore, we investigated the effectiveness of ferric iron additions in decreasing the dissolved phosphate efflux from the sediment and, consequently, limit phytoplankton growth in Lake Vansjø.publishedVersio

Modelling Biogeochemical Cycles Across Scales: From Whole-Lake Phosphorus Dynamics to Microbial Reaction Systems

Lakes are ecologically, economically, and culturally significant resources that are, at the same time, very fragile and sensitive to human disturbances. During the last decades, intensified urbanization and discharge of nutrients lead to the increase of lake eutrophication in many regions of the world. Moreover, biogeochemical cycles within the lakes are changing due to climate warming, which increases water temperature and affects physical and hydrological lake regimes. In this thesis, I investigate a vast scope of the natural and anthropogenic processes affecting the biogeochemical cycles in lakes at different scales. In particular, I examine the cascading effect of the climate, regional weather, human interventions, and microbial control on phosphorus dynamics in lakes. In Chapter 2, I demonstrate that on the lake scale, phosphorus cycle is driven by internal loading and iron recycling, while it is vulnerable to the reduction of ice cover. To achieve that, I expand the existing MyLake model by incorporating a sediment diagenesis module. Moreover, I develop the continuous reaction network that couples biogeochemical reactions taking place both in water column and sediment. In the modeling scenarios, I assess the importance of the sediment processes and the effects of the climatic and anthro- pogenic drivers on water quality in Lake Vansjø, Norway. I also highlight the importance of phosphorus accumulation within the lake that controls timing and magnitude of bio- geochemical lake responses to external forcing. This includes projected changes in the air temperature, absence of ice cover, and potential management practices. In Chapter 3, I contribute to the long-standing understanding that on the scales of microbial systems, the respiration reactions exert substantial control on biogeochemi- cal cycles by regulating the availability of the electron donors and acceptors, secondary minerals, adsorption sites, and alkalinity. Moreover, I develop a new conceptual model to simulate the preferential catabolic reaction pathways based on power produced in reactions. In contrast to common kinetic rate expressions, I demonstrate that new ther- modynamically based formulations can be applied to describe the microbial respiration of arbitrary large reaction networks. New approach substantially improves the robustness, transferability, and allows the generalization of the model-derived parameters. In Chapter 4, I show that on the regional scale, weather defines hydrodynamic flush rates and water circulation patterns, which, in turn, control the phosphorus transport in Lake Erie, Canada. Specifically, precipitation controls the release of phosphorus from the watershed in the spring, while wind governs the water circulation and transport of the phosphorus released from sediment in the central basin during summer. I also illustrate that climate and weather in the upper Laurentian Great Lakes regulate changes in the water level of Lake Erie. Overall, this thesis improves the fundamental understanding of the phosphorus cycle in lakes, which is being controlled by numerous biogeochemical and physical processes at various scales. In particular, I show that the climate has a cascading effect on the phosphorus cycle in lakes. First, climate controls regional precipitation, wind, and air temperature, which in turn control phosphorus supply from the watershed and basin- wide phosphorus transport. Second, being vulnerable to climate warming, the duration of ice cover impacts the phosphorus cycle through changes in light attenuation, water temperature, mixing regimes, and water column ventilation. Lastly, local environmental perturbations (e.g., pH, temperature, or redox state) define thermodynamic properties of the sediment, which control microbial metabolism and, therefore, the internal phosphorus loading. Finally, this thesis provides new open-source tools for reactive transport simula- tions in lakes as well as in saturated media. In addition to the coupled lake-sediment model developed in Chapter 3, I develop a computer program PorousMediaLab, which performs biogeochemical simulations in water-saturated media and described In Chapter 5. PorousMediaLab is the core component of the numerical investigations presented in the thesis. For example, PorousMediaLab is applied in Chapter 2 to design and test the initial reaction network, calculate fluxes at the sediment-water interface, and estimate re- action timescales. In Chapter 3, PorousMediaLab is used to simulate the reaction rates of batch and one-dimensional sediment column using a novel approach based on the thermo- dynamic switch function. In Chapter 4, PorousMediaLab is used to build a mass balance model and to improve the current understanding of the inter-basin exchange. Both tools are open-source, and they are available online

Long-Term Changes of Hypolimnetic Dissolved Oxygen and Phytoplankton Community Composition in a Large Lake, Lake Simcoe, Ontario and Revisit Dissolved Oxygen Profile Models for Lakes in Central Ontario

Long-term changes in volume-weighted hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen (VWHDO) and phytoplankton community composition were examined as important water quality indicator in Lake Simcoe, a large freshwater lake with impacts by various drivers such as dreissenid mussel (DM) invasion, reduction in phosphorus (P) loading and climatic change and oscillations. VWHDO dynamics were examined by several multiple linear regressions which revealed that VWHDOmin was positively correlated with the invasion of DM and negatively correlated with hypolimnetic water temperature; VWHDO depletion rate (DR) was positively correlated with ammonia and total phosphorus (TP) annual loading. Hence, longer period of thermal stratification (L) may have offset improvements in VWHDOmin generated by P controls and invasive species. Redundancy analysis and variation partitioning revealed that DM acted on phytoplankton composition indirectly by changing the environmental conditions because environmental variables and DM individually explained little variance in phytoplankton composition but water chemistry variables and DM collectively explained a large portion of the variation. A series of models predicting the uppermost plane of the DO-depleted zone (Zox), spring dissolved oxygen (DOi) profile and end-of-summer dissolved oxygen (DOf) profile built by Molot et al. (1992) were re-analyzed, re-calibrated with more recent data (A lakes during 1990-2013), and validated (B lakes during 1990-2013). With the current brownification trend (increased DOC), we expected to see increased DOf at all depths; however, increased reduced N species (ammonia) in the hypolimnion would offset the brownification effect

Depositional environment of the Upper Cretaceous oil shales in the Negev Desert, Israel: Geochemical constraints based on trace elements and stable isotopes

A study in inorganic geochemistry from the Campanian (Mishash Formation) - Maastrichtian (Ghareb Formation) transition of southern Israel was done to provide insights into the inference of foraminiferal assemblages, water column-oxygen levels, trace metal enrichment on a high-productivity seafloor. A series of high-resolution approaches in inorganic geochemistry applied on a 50 m sequence in the Efe`s syncline of the Negev desert. A conceptual model of the deposition history was developed

Lake sedimentary dna research on past terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity: Overview and recommendations

The use of lake sedimentary DNA to track the long-term changes in both terrestrial and aquatic biota is a rapidly advancing field in paleoecological research. Although largely applied nowadays, knowledge gaps remain in this field and there is therefore still research to be conducted to ensure the reliability of the sedimentary DNA signal. Building on the most recent literature and seven original case studies, we synthesize the state-of-the-art analytical procedures for effective sampling, extraction, amplification, quantification and/or generation of DNA inventories from sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) via high-throughput sequencing technologies. We provide recommendations based on current knowledge and best practises.</jats:p

Korelace abiotických proxy v holocenních jezerních sedimentech peri-Atlantské Arktidy

The peri-Atlantic Arctic, one of the most sensitive components of the Earth climate system, experienced pronounced climatic fluctuations during the Holocene. Several external forcings were considered responsible for these variations, including decline of insolation on the Northern Hemisphere, changes in distribution of land ice mass, explosive volcanism, or changes in atmospheric and oceanic circulation. In order to explore the driving mechanisms of the peri-Atlantic Arctic environmental variability, three sites located in different parts of the region were selected for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions with focus on extracting the climatic information. With this intention, sedimentary cores from i) Lake Garmaksla, Central Svalbard, ii) Jarfjorden, northeastern Norway, and iii) Kobbefjord area, southwestern Greenland, were retrieved and subjected to multi-proxy investigation. The absolute chronostratigraphic framework was established by comprehensive radiocarbon (14 C) and short-lived radioisotopes (210 Pb, 137 Cs) dating. Further analyses include measurements of magnetic susceptibility, grain size distribution, element composition by means of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and elements bound to organic matter, i.e. organic carbon, nitrogen, sulphur and biogenic silica. The relationships between the...Peri-Atlantská Arktida je jednou z nejcitlivějších součástí klimatického systému Země a zaznamenala významné klimatické výkyvy během holocénu. Tyto fluktuace byly vysvětlovány řadou vnějších vlivů, včetně poklesu insolace na severní polokouli, změn v rozložení pevninských ledovců, vulkanismu či změn atmosférické a oceánické cirkulace. Pro lepší pochopení řídících mechanismů, které ovlivňují přírodní variabilitu v peri-Atlantské Arktidě, tři navzájem vzdálené lokality byly vybrány k paleoenvironmentální studii se zřetelem na získání klimatické informace. Za tímto účelem byla odvrtána tři sedimentární jádra z lokalit i) jezero Garmaksla, v centrálním Svalbardu, ii) záliv Jarfjordem, severovýchodní Norsko, iii) oblast Kobbefjord, jihovýchodní Grónsko. Tyto sedimentární sekvence byly podrobeny vybraným abiotickým analýzám. Absolutní chronostratigrafie byla určena pomocí datování 14 C a izotopy s krátkým poločasem rozpadu 210 Pb a 137 Cs. Další analýzy zahrnovaly měření magnetické susceptibility, zrnitostního složení, prvkového složení pomocí rentgen- fluorescenční spektrometrie a organogenních prvků uhlíku, dusíku, síry a biogenního křemíku. Vztahy mezi jednotlivými proxy v rámci jednoho jádra, v rámci zájmové oblasti a konečně s ostatními rekonstrukcemi v regionu byly zjištěny pomocí explorační...Katedra fyzické geografie a geoekologieDepartment of Physical Geography and GeoecologyPřírodovědecká fakultaFaculty of Scienc

Oceanography

How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean (Arthur C. Clarke). Life has been originated in the oceans, human health and activities depend from the oceans and the world life is modulated by marine and oceanic processes. From the micro-scale, like coastal processes, to macro-scale, the oceans, the seas and the marine life, play the main role to maintain the earth equilibrium, both from a physical and a chemical point of view. Since ancient times, the world's oceans discovery has brought to humanity development and wealth of knowledge, the metaphors of Ulysses and Jason, represent the cultural growth gained through the explorations and discoveries. The modern oceanographic research represents one of the last frontier of the knowledge of our planet, it depends on the oceans exploration and so it is strictly connected to the development of new technologies. Furthermore, other scientific and social disciplines can provide many fundamental inputs to complete the description of the entire ocean ecosystem. Such multidisciplinary approach will lead us to understand the better way to preserve our "Blue Planet": the Earth

Investigating summer thermal stratification in Lake Ontario

Summer thermal stratification in Lake Ontario is simulated using the 3D hydrodynamic model Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). Summer temperature differences establish strong vertical density gradients (thermocline) between the epilimnion and hypolimnion. Capturing the stratification and thermocline formation has been a challenge in modeling Great Lakes. Deviating from EFDC's original Mellor-Yamada (1982) vertical mixing scheme, we have implemented an unidimensional vertical model that uses different eddy diffusivity formulations above and below the thermocline (Vincon-Leite, 1991; Vincon-Leite et al., 2014). The model is forced with the hourly meteorological data from weather stations around the lake, flow data for Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers; and lake bathymetry is interpolated on a 2-km grid. The model has 20 vertical layers following sigma vertical coordinates. Sensitivity of the model to vertical layers' spacing is thoroughly investigated. The model has been calibrated for appropriate solar radiation coefficients and horizontal mixing coefficients. Overall the new implemented diffusivity algorithm shows some successes in capturing the thermal stratification with RMSE values between 2-3°C. Calibration of vertical mixing coefficients is under investigation to capture the improved thermal stratification