Microbial drama in four acts - Extreme rain events cause cyclic succession in plankton communities

AbstractHighly abundant, small waterbodies contribute substantially to global freshwater shoreline and surface area. They are strongly interlinked with the terrestrial surrounding, thus controlling the flow of energy, nutrients and organisms through the landscape. Disturbance events can have severe consequences for these ecosystems and the entire downstream freshwater network and require more attention in the context of global change-induced increases in weather extremes. Here we show that extreme rain events (floods) cause cyclic successions in microbial communities and the planktonic food web of a small forest pond. We analyzed the dynamics of nutrients and the entire plankton community during two flood events and subsequent quasi-stable conditions. Floods induced a repeated washout of resident organisms and hundred-fold increases in nutrient load. However, within two weeks, the microbial community recovered to a pre-disturbance state through four well-defined succession phases. Reassembly of phyto- and especially zooplankton took considerably longer and displayed both repetitive and adaptive patterns. Release of dissolved nutrients from the pond was associated with inflow rates and state of community recovery, and it returned to pre-disturbance levels earlier than microbial composition. Our study exemplifies extraordinary compositional and functional resilience of small waterbodies and presents the detailed mechanism of the underlying processes.

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Inclusion of Hydraulic Controls in Rehabilitation Models of Drainage Networks to Control Floods

Water ◽

10.3390/w13040514 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 514

Author(s):

Leonardo Bayas-Jiménez ◽

F. Javier Martínez-Solano ◽

Pedro L. Iglesias-Rey ◽

Daniel Mora-Melia ◽

Vicente S. Fuertes-Miquel

Keyword(s):

Genetic Algorithm ◽

Drainage System ◽

Optimal Solution ◽

Hydraulic Control ◽

Drainage Systems ◽

Storm Water Management Model ◽

Drainage Networks ◽

Extreme Rain ◽

Rain Events ◽

The Cost

A problem for drainage systems managers is the increase in extreme rain events that are increasing in various parts of the world. Their occurrence produces hydraulic overload in the drainage system and consequently floods. Adapting the existing infrastructure to be able to receive extreme rains without generating consequences for cities’ inhabitants has become a necessity. This research shows a new way to improve drainage systems with minimal investment costs, using for this purpose a novel methodology that considers the inclusion of hydraulic control elements in the network, the installation of storm tanks and the replacement of pipes. The presented methodology uses the Storm Water Management Model for the hydraulic analysis of the network and a modified Genetic Algorithm to optimize the network. In this algorithm, called the Pseudo-Genetic Algorithm, the coding of the chromosomes is integral and has been used in previous studies of hydraulic optimization. This work evaluates the cost of the required infrastructure and the damage caused by floods to find the optimal solution. The main conclusion of this study is that the inclusion of hydraulic controls can reduce the cost of network rehabilitation and decrease flood levels.

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The role of extreme rain events in driving tree growth across a continental‐scale climatic range in Australia

Ecography ◽

10.1111/ecog.05671 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Alison J. O'Donnell ◽

Michael Renton ◽

Kathryn J. Allen ◽

Pauline F. Grierson

Keyword(s):

Tree Growth ◽

Continental Scale ◽

Extreme Rain ◽

Climatic Range ◽

Rain Events

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Changes in Intense Precipitation over the Central United States

Journal of Hydrometeorology ◽

10.1175/jhm-d-11-039.1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 47-66 ◽

Cited By ~ 137

Author(s):

Pavel Ya. Groisman ◽

Richard W. Knight ◽

Thomas R. Karl

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Extreme Precipitation ◽

Heavy Precipitation ◽

The Past ◽

Extreme Precipitation Events ◽

Intense Precipitation ◽

Central United States ◽

Extreme Rain ◽

Rain Events ◽

Precipitation Events

Abstract In examining intense precipitation over the central United States, the authors consider only days with precipitation when the daily total is above 12.7 mm and focus only on these days and multiday events constructed from such consecutive precipitation days. Analyses show that over the central United States, a statistically significant redistribution in the spectra of intense precipitation days/events during the past decades has occurred. Moderately heavy precipitation events (within a 12.7–25.4 mm day−1 range) became less frequent compared to days and events with precipitation totals above 25.4 mm. During the past 31 yr (compared to the 1948–78 period), significant increases occurred in the frequency of “very heavy” (the daily rain events above 76.2 mm) and extreme precipitation events (defined as daily and multiday rain events with totals above 154.9 mm or 6 in.), with up to 40% increases in the frequency of days and multiday extreme rain events. Tropical cyclones associated with extreme precipitation do not significantly contribute to the changes reported in this study. With time, the internal precipitation structure (e.g., mean and maximum hourly precipitation rates within each preselected range of daily or multiday event totals) did not noticeably change. Several possible causes of observed changes in intense precipitation over the central United States are discussed and/or tested.

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Application of SpectralWeather to prediction of flood and extreme rain events in the Maritime Continent

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-14574 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Beata Latos ◽

Thierry Lefort ◽

Maria K. Flatau ◽

Piotr J. Flatau ◽

Dariusz B. Baranowski ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Natural Hazards ◽

Mesoscale Convective System ◽

Heavy Rain ◽

Convective System ◽

Kelvin Wave ◽

Maritime Continent ◽

Equatorial Wave ◽

Extreme Rain ◽

Rain Events ◽

Tropical Weather

Monitoring of equatorial wave activity and understanding their nature is of high priority for scientists, weather forecasters and policy makers because these waves and their interactions can serve as precursors for weather-driven natural hazards, such as extreme rain and flood events. We studied such precursors of the January 2019 heavy rain and deadly flood in the central Maritime Continent region of southwest Sulawesi, Indonesia. It is shown that a convectively coupled Kelvin wave (CCKW) and a convectively coupled equatorial Rossby wave (CCERW) embedded within the larger-scale envelope of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO), contributed to the onset of a mesoscale convective system. The latest developed over the Java Sea and propagated onshore, resulting in extreme rain and devastating flood.&#160;For the analysis of the January 2019 flood, we explored large datasets and detected interesting features to find multivariate relationships through visualization. We used SpectralWeather &#8211; a new tool supporting tropical weather training, research and forecasting, easily accessible at https://www.spectralweather.com. Extending Cameron Beccario's earth.nullschool.net project, SpectralWeather focuses on spectral decomposition of meteorological and oceanic fields into equatorial waves &#8211; CCKW, MJO, CCERW and Mixed Rossby-Gravity waves. SpectralWeather uses ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at several levels, NASA GPM rainfall datasets, OMI OLR index, NEMO SST, AVISO sea surface height, and OSCAR currents.This new visualization tool can help to quantify and understand factors triggering natural hazards in the global tropics. We will discuss its interface and available features, based on the example of the January 2019 Sulawesi flood and other flood and extreme rain events in the Maritime Continent.&#160;&#160;&#160;

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Performance of a constructed floating wetland in mesocosm scale: nutrient removal under shock load and water level oscillation

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-9133 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Joana Postal Pasqualini ◽

Jucimara Andreza Rigotti ◽

Lucia Ribeiro Rodrigues

Keyword(s):

Water Level ◽

High Capacity ◽

Shock Load ◽

Nutrient Concentrations ◽

Technical Improvement ◽

Temperature Conductivity ◽

Show Evidence ◽

Extreme Rain ◽

Indispensable Tool ◽

Rain Events

Constructed Floating Wetland (CFW) has shown a high capacity to transform, recycle, retain and remove different types of pollutants, especially nutrients. A CFW was developed in mesocosms at the Institute of Hydraulic Research at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, in order to evaluate the functionality of the system on treating synthetic effluent with nutrient concentrations simulating urban surface runoff. Two species of emergent macrophytes, Typha domingensis Pers. and Schoenoplectus californicus &#160;were employed. The CFW was evaluated under changes in nutrient concentration and water level during two subsequent experiments, identified as &#8220;shock load&#8221; in order to simulate extreme rain events, accidental spills of pollutants or illegal discharges that are common in drainage systems and urban rivers worldwide. Comparative evaluations between species and the system responses were evaluated in different hydraulic retention time (HRT). The system was exposed to 24 h of HRT, with 20 cm of water level and 1.8 mg/L of TP, 4.9 mg/L of TN (mean concentration). After sampling, the tanks were filled to 40 cm, with 3.0 mg/L of TP and 13.8 mg/L of TN concentration . Samples were collected within 2 and 4 h to quantify the system's response to shock-load. After sampling, the level was reduced to 20 cm, followed by exposure for the remaining 6 days, when final samples were collected. Temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and redox potential were measured in situ. Turbidity, color and pH was measured immediately after collection in the laboratory. Total phosphorus (TP), orthophosphate (PO43-), total nitrogen (TN), total organic carbon (TOC), chlorophyll-a and pheophytin were also quantified. Only orthophosphate presented significant differences between initial and final concentrations, after the first 24h (F&#160;= 6.106,&#160;df&#160;= 1,&#160;p&#160;= 0.024). The shock load demonstrated significant differences between initial and final concentrations for TN (F&#160;= 10.097,&#160;df&#160;= 1,&#160;p&#160;= 0.005), for TP (F&#160;= 9.392,&#160;df&#160;= 1,&#160;p&#160;= 0.0067) and for TOC (F = 9.817, df&#160; = 1, p = 0.005). As to final batch, significant differences between input shock load and output values were found for TN (F&#160;= 103.45,&#160;df&#160;= 1,&#160;p&#160;< 0.001), for TP (F&#160;= 7.584,&#160;df&#160;= 1,&#160;p&#160;= 0.0067), for PO43- (F&#160;= 6.864,&#160;df&#160;= 1,&#160;p&#160;= 0.017) and for TOC (F&#160;= 73.608,&#160;df&#160;= 1, p < 0.001). After 6 days, average removal rates for TN were about 28% for S. californicus and 87% for T. domingensis, for TP such removals were 29% and 55%, respectively. T. domingensis superior root development in association with the biofilm in the rhizosphere of the plants, were responsible for the best efficiency. The results show evidence of the benefits related to the ecosystem service associated with the CFW built in mesocosms. The understanding of the performance of compensatory techniques in controlled situations represents an indispensable tool for the knowledge of the limitations and the consequent technical improvement necessary for the feasibility of implementing nature-based solutions as the CFW.&#160;

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Cloudburst, weather bomb or water bomb? A review of terminology for extreme rain events and the media effect

Weather ◽

10.1002/wea.2923 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 72 (6) ◽

pp. 155-163 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Andrew J. L. Harris ◽

Massimo Lanfranco

Keyword(s):

Media Effect ◽

Extreme Rain ◽

The Media ◽

Rain Events

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Correlations between historical climate data and incidents of common bunt in Spanish wheat, 1755-1801

Historia Agraria Revista de agricultura e historia rural ◽

10.26882/10.26882/histagrar.082e8m ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Fernando Martínez Moreno ◽

Ignacio Solís ◽

Mariano Barriendos ◽

Ernesto Tejedor

Keyword(s):

Price Volatility ◽

Climate Data ◽

Common Bunt ◽

Annual Series ◽

Effect Relationship ◽

Documentary Sources ◽

Extreme Rain ◽

The Common ◽

Rain Events ◽

The Relationship

From 1755 to 1801 in Spain, many articles and reports were written about common bunt, a seed-borne plague that was difficult to control at the time. The objective of the study is to better understand this plague and the relationship between historical rainfall indexes and years of higher reported outbreaks. We compared documentary sources on extreme rain events and annual series of wheat prices in four locations (Murcia, Seville, Toledo, and Zamora) with data from articles about the bunt plague. Increased severity of common bunt in wheat coincided with a concentration of such events, during a period of severe climatic irregularity known as the Maldà Anomaly. However, the cause-and-effect relationship for proxies of historical weather, price volatility and bunt plague was only significant in Seville. A complementary factor that explains the abundance of literature was access to agricultural articles and books from France, where the common bunt also existed. The first experiments to understand the plague and how to control it were performed there. These events are framed in the Spanish Enlightenment and early physiocratic ideas advocating the importance of agriculture in maintaining the wealth of a country.

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Characteristics of U.S. Extreme Rain Events during 1999–2003

Weather and Forecasting ◽

10.1175/waf900.1 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 69-85 ◽

Cited By ~ 142

Author(s):

Russ S. Schumacher ◽

Richard H. Johnson

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Warm Season ◽

Mesoscale Convective System ◽

Organizational Structures ◽

The United States ◽

Convective System ◽

Precipitation Total ◽

Extreme Rain ◽

Rain Events ◽

Reflectivity Data

Abstract This study examines the characteristics of a large number of extreme rain events over the eastern two-thirds of the United States. Over a 5-yr period, 184 events are identified where the 24-h precipitation total at one or more stations exceeds the 50-yr recurrence amount for that location. Over the entire region of study, these events are most common in July. In the northern United States, extreme rain events are confined almost exclusively to the warm season; in the southern part of the country, these events are distributed more evenly throughout the year. National composite radar reflectivity data are used to classify each event as a mesoscale convective system (MCS), a synoptic system, or a tropical system, and then to classify the MCS and synoptic events into subclassifications based on their organizational structures. This analysis shows that 66% of all the events and 74% of the warm-season events are associated with MCSs; nearly all of the cool-season events are caused by storms with strong synoptic forcing. Similarly, nearly all of the extreme rain events in the northern part of the country are caused by MCSs; synoptic and tropical systems play a larger role in the South and East. MCS-related events are found to most commonly begin at around 1800 local standard time (LST), produce their peak rainfall between 2100 and 2300 LST, and dissipate or move out of the affected area by 0300 LST.

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