scholarly journals Atmospheric salt deposition in a tropical mountain rainforest at the eastern Andean slopes of south Ecuador – Pacific or Atlantic origin?

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (15) ◽  
pp. 10241-10261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandro Makowski Giannoni ◽  
Katja Trachte ◽  
Ruetger Rollenbeck ◽  
Lukas Lehnert ◽  
Julia Fuchs ◽  
...  

Abstract. Sea salt (NaCl) has recently been proven to be of the utmost importance for ecosystem functioning in Amazon lowland forests because of its impact on herbivory, litter decomposition and, thus, carbon cycling. Sea salt deposition should generally decline as distance from its marine source increases. For the Amazon, a negative east–west gradient of sea salt availability is assumed as a consequence of the barrier effect of the Andes Mountains for Pacific air masses. However, this generalized pattern may not hold for the tropical mountain rainforest in the Andes of southern Ecuador. To analyse sea salt availability, we investigated the deposition of sodium (Na+) and chloride (Cl−), which are good proxies of sea spray aerosol. Because of the complexity of the terrain and related cloud and rain formation processes, sea salt deposition was analysed from both, rain and occult precipitation (OP) along an altitudinal gradient over a period between 2004 and 2009. To assess the influence of easterly and westerly air masses on the deposition of sodium and chloride over southern Ecuador, sea salt aerosol concentration data from the Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) reanalysis data set and back-trajectory statistical methods were combined. Our results, based on deposition time series, show a clear difference in the temporal variation of sodium and chloride concentration and Na+ ∕ Cl− ratio in relation to height and exposure to winds. At higher elevations, sodium and chloride present a higher seasonality and the Na+ ∕ Cl− ratio is closer to that of sea salt. Medium- to long-range sea salt transport exhibited a similar seasonality, which shows the link between our measurements at high elevations and the sea salt synoptic transport. Although the influence of the easterlies was predominant regarding the atmospheric circulation, the statistical analysis of trajectories and hybrid receptor models revealed a stronger impact of the north equatorial Atlantic, Caribbean, and Pacific sea salt sources on the atmospheric sea salt concentration in southern Ecuador. The highest concentration in rain and cloud water was found between September and February when air masses originated from the north equatorial Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea and the equatorial Pacific. Together, these sources accounted for around 82.4 % of the sea salt budget over southern Ecuador.

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (19) ◽  
pp. 27177-27218
Author(s):  
S. Makowski Giannoni ◽  
K. Trachte ◽  
R. Rollenbeck ◽  
L. Lehnert ◽  
J. Fuchs ◽  
...  

Abstract. Salt (NaCl) is recently proven to be of highest importance for ecosystem functioning of the Amazon lowland forests because of its importance for herbivory, litter decomposition and thus, carbon cycling. Salt deposition should generally decline with distance from its marine sources. For tropical South America, a negative east-west salt availability gradient is assumed in the Amazon as a consequence of the barrier effect of the Andes for Pacific air masses. However, this generalized pattern may not hold for the tropical mountain rain forest in the Andes of southern Ecuador. To analyze salt availability, we investigate the deposition of Na+ and Cl- which are good proxies of sea spray aerosol. Because of the complexity of the terrain and related cloud and rain formation processes, salt deposition was analyzed from both, rain and occult precipitation (OP) water along an altitudinal gradient over a period from 2004 to 2009. To assess the influence of Atlantic and Pacific air masses on the locally observed deposition of sodium and chloride, sea-salt aerosol concentration data from the Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) reanalysis dataset and back-trajectory statistical methods were combined. Our results based on deposition time series and 2192 generated trajectories show a clear difference in the temporal variation of sodium and chloride concentration due to height and exposure to winds. The sea-salt transport was highly seasonal where higher locations revealed a stronger seasonality. Although the influence of the easterlies were predominant regarding atmospheric circulation, the statistical analysis of trajectories and hybrid receptor models revealed a stronger impact of the Pacific sea-salt sources on the deposition at the study area. The highest concentration in rain and cloud water was found between September and February originating from both, the equatorial Pacific and Atlantic. However, the Pacific sources contributed with up to 25 % to the observed total concentration of Na+ and Cl- at the receptor site although the frequency of occurrence of the respective trajectories is below 10 %. This highlights the great importance of westerly winds from the Pacific for the sea-salt transport to the deposition into the tropical mountain forests at the eastern Andean slopes of southern Ecuador.


2011 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis E. Ogburn

AbstractThe Carboncillo area in the southern highlands of Ecuador is identified as the only confirmed source of archaeological obsidian located in the country outside of the northern highlands and is the first identified in the large gap between the known Ecuadorian and Peruvian sources. With the identification of this source, it can no longer be assumed that all obsidian found in Ecuador came from sources in the northern highlands. Thus the Carboncillo source has significant implications for interpreting patterns of long-distance exchange in the Andes, especially in southern Ecuador and the far north of Peru. A geochemical analysis of the Carboncillo material shows that it can be easily distinguished from the obsidian from other Ecuadorian sources. A provenance study of archaeological obsidian samples from the southern highlands of Ecuador using x-ray fluorescence demonstrates that the Carboncillo obsidian was used at the Preceramic site of Chobshi Cave and at a number of late prehispanic sites in the Saraguro region. The results indicate a high level of sociopolitical and economic isolation in late prehistory, most likely tied to a preoccupation with warfare between neighboring groups, and provide additional evidence that the economic organization of the southern highlands differed markedly from that of the north during this time.


2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-170
Author(s):  
Shinichiro UESAWA ◽  
Yasuo KOIZUMI ◽  
Mitsuhiko SHIBATA ◽  
Taku NAGATAKE ◽  
Hiroyuki YOSHIDA

2000 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 1270-1275
Author(s):  
R. Harriman ◽  
A. W. Watt ◽  
A. E. G. Christie ◽  
D. W. Moore

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 2975-2996 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Laudon

Abstract. For the prediction of episodic acidification large uncertainties are connected to climatic variability and its effect on drought conditions and sea-salt episodes. In this study data on 342 hydrological episodes in 25 Swedish streams, sampled over 10 years, have been analyzed using a recently developed episode model. The results demonstrate that drought is the most important factor modulating the magnitude of the anthropogenic influence on pH and ANC during episodes. These modulating effects are especially pronounced in southern and central Sweden, where the historically high acid deposition has resulted in significant S pools in catchment soils. The results also suggest that the effects of episodic acidification are becoming less severe in many streams, but this amelioration is less clear in coastal streams subject to high levels of sea-salt deposition. Concurrently with the amelioration of the effects of episodic acidification, regional climate models predict that temperatures will increase in Sweden during the coming decades, accompanied by reductions in summer precipitation and more frequent storms during fall and winter in large areas of the country. If these predictions are realized delays in streams' recovery from episodic acidification events can be expected.


2002 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 739-763 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Guimbaud ◽  
F. Arens ◽  
L. Gutzwiller ◽  
H. W. Gäggeler ◽  
M. Ammann

Abstract. The uptake of HNO3 to deliquescent airborne sea-salt particles (RH = 55%, P = 760 torr, T = 300 K) at concentrations from 2 to 575 ppbv is measured in an aerosol flow tube using 13N as a tracer. Small particles (~ 70 nm diameter) are used in order to minimize the effect of diffusion in the gas phase on the mass transfer. Below 100 ppbv, an uptake coefficient (gupt) of 0.50 ± 0.20 is derived. At higher concentrations, the uptake coefficient decreases along with the consumption of aerosol chloride. Data interpretation is further supported by using the North American Aerosol Inorganics Model (AIM), which predicts the aqueous phase activities of ions and the gas-phase partial pressures of H2O, HNO3, and HCl at equilibrium for the NaCl/HNO3/H2O system. These simulations show that the low concentration data are obtained far from equilibrium, which implies that the uptake coefficient derived is equal to the mass accommodation coefficient under these conditions. The observed uptake coefficient can serve as input to modeling studies of atmospheric sea-salt aerosol chemistry. The main sea-salt aerosol burden in the marine atmosphere is represented by coarse mode particles (> 1 mm diameter). This implies that diffusion in the gas-phase is the limiting step to HNO3 uptake until the sea-salt has been completely processed.


2006 ◽  
Vol 61 (4) ◽  
pp. 275-285 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Pohle ◽  
A. Gerique

Abstract. The tropical mountain rainforests of the eastern Andean slopes in southern Ecuador have an extraordinary rich biodiversity. At the same time. these sensitive ecosystems are vulnerable because of the extension of agricultural land, the extraction of timber, mining activities, the tapping of water resources and similar anthropogenic intrusions. Ethno-specific knowledge of the tropical rainforest ecosystem was determined in sample communities of the Shuar, the Saraguros and the Mestizo-Colonos – particularly with respect to the natural forest resources and their uses. Ethnoecological and agrogeographical research methods were used to document the indigenous knowledge of traditionally utilized wild and eultivated plants, to analyze current forms of land use (including the traditional cultivation of forest and home gardens), and to evaluate ethno-specific survival strategies and strategies of biodiversity management.


2008 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 363-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Laudon

Abstract. For the prediction of episodic acidification large uncertainties are connected to climatic variability and its effect on drought conditions and sea-salt episodes. In this study data on 342 hydrological episodes in 25 Swedish streams, sampled over 10 years, have been analyzed using a recently developed episode model. The results demonstrate that drought is the most important factor modulating the magnitude of the anthropogenic influence on pH and ANC during episodes. These modulating effects are especially pronounced in southern and central Sweden, where the historically high acid deposition has resulted in significant S pools in catchment soils. The results also suggest that the effects of episodic acidification are becoming less severe in many streams, but this amelioration is less clear in coastal streams subject to high levels of sea-salt deposition. Concurrently with the amelioration of the effects of episodic acidification, regional climate models predict that temperatures will increase in Sweden during the coming decades, accompanied by reductions in summer precipitation and more frequent storms during fall and winter in large areas of the country. If these predictions are realized delays in streams' recovery from episodic acidification events can be expected.


2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 412-416
Author(s):  
Hideki KATAYAMA ◽  
Kazuhiko NODA ◽  
Hiroyuki MASUDA ◽  
Makoto NAGASAWA ◽  
Masayuki ITAGAKI ◽  
...  

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