Investigation of Aeolian Dust Deposition Rates in Different Climate Zones of Southwestern Iran

Dust and atmospheric particles have been described in southwestern Iran primarily in terms of load, concentration and transport. The passive deposition, however, has been discussed inadequately. Therefore, the relationships between different climate zones in southwestern Iran and dust deposition rates were quantified between 2014 and 2017 using both space- (second modern-era retrospective analysis for research and applications, version 2 reanalysis model) and ground-based (eolian ground deposition rate) tools. In addition, the surface meteorological records, including the wind patterns favoring the occurrence of dust events, were examined. A hot desert climate (BWh), hot semi-arid climate (BSh), and temperate hot and dry summer climate (Csa) were identified as the three dominant climate regions in the study area, exhibiting the highest average dust deposition rates. In this study, correlations between the most relevant climate patterns and deposition rate weather parameters were found to describe a region’s deposition rate when a dust event occurred. Based on these results, the BSh and Csa regions were found to be associated with the seasonal cycle of dust events in March, April, and May, revealing that in the long run meteorological conditions were responsible for the varying dust deposition rates. Relatively, precipitation and temperature were the two major factors influencing dust deposition rates, not wind speed. Moreover, the peak seasonal deposition rates in the spring and summer were 8.40 t km−2 month−1, 6.06 t km−2 month−1, and 3.30 t km−2 month−1 for the BWh, BSh, and Csa climate regions, respectively. However, each of these climate types was directly related to the specific quantity of the dust deposition rates. Overall, the highest dust deposition rates were detected over the years studied were 100.80 t km−2 year−1, 79.27 t km−2 year−1, and 39.60 t km−2 year−1 for BWh, BSh, and Csa, respectively.

SEASONALITY IN LITTERFALL PRODUCTION IN A NATIVE FOREST IN THE CENTRAL REGION OF RS, BRAZIL

Studies on litter deposition are considered an important indicator of environmental quality of forest ecosystems. It is the main route of entry of organic matter and nutrients to forests. The objective of this study was to quantify the annual litterfall and seasonality in a fragment of native forest located in São Sepé in the Central Depression of Rio Grande do Sul. The experiment was conducted in a fragment of a Seasonal Semideciduous Forest. Inside this forest, in a place with homogeneous conditions, five plots of 20 m x 15 m length were systematically allocated 30 meters away from each other, where five litterfall traps were distributed in each plot (0,1963 m2 each trap), totaling 25 traps. The collection of all plant material deposited by the trees in the collectors was performed monthly in a four-year period. In the laboratory, the samples were separated into leaves, small twigs (diameter < 0.5 cm) and miscellaneous, and after they were oven dried and weighed on a precision balance. Higher litterfall was observed in the spring, with the highest return peaks mainly in October, indicating a seasonal deposition behavior. The mean litterfall was 6.56 Mg ha-1 year-1; of this total, the leaves were responsible for 67.61%, followed by the miscellaneous with 19.04% and the small twigs with 13.29%. Only a high significant correlation was obtained between the miscellaneous fraction and the temperature.

7Be, 210Pbatm and 137Cs in Snow Deposits in the Arctic Part of Western Siberia (Yamal-Nenets Autonomous District)

Radioactive isotopes (7Be, 210Pbatm and 137Cs) are used as indicators of processes associated with the transfer of matter from the atmosphere. Studying snow cover can provide information about the seasonal deposition flux of the isotopes to the Earth’s surface over the entire period of snow accumulation. The purpose of this study is to identify the features of 7Be, 210Pbatm and 137Cs deposition with the atmospheric precipitation in winter in the Arctic part of Western Siberia and to study the contribution of the particulate fractions of suspended matter in snow water to the total content of the radionuclides in samples of integrated seasonal snowfall. Snow samples were taken over a wide area along the highways around Novy Urengoy in April 2019. The suspended matter in snow samples was divided into three fractions. The isotopic composition was determined by high-resolution semiconductor gamma-spectrometry. The seasonal deposition flux of 7Be and 210Pbatm in the winter at the time of sampling averaged 58.7 and 25.2 Bq m−2 season−1, respectively. The average specific activity of 7Be and 210Pbatm in the snow water was 248.0 and 104.5 mBq L−1. The deposition flux of 137Cs from the atmosphere was low compared to 7Be and 210Pbatm and did not exceed 0.39 Bq m−2 season−1 at all sampling points. This indicates an insignificant modern flux of the radionuclide from the atmosphere. The separation of suspended matter in snow water by particulate fractions shows that the studied isotopes are present in all the extracted fractions: >3, 0.45–3 and <0.45 μm. The main part of 210Pbatm in all studied samples is in the coarse-grained fraction >3 μm. Most 7Be is contained in finely dispersed aerosols, colloids, or a dissolved component (where the fraction <0.45 μm). A significant increase in the contribution of coarse-grained fractions of suspended matter in snow water to the total activity of 7Be in snow precipitation was observed in territories with a higher anthropogenic impact.

Variations of polar CO2 caps during the first Martian year of FREND onboard TGO

&lt;p&gt;Fine Resolution Epithermal Neutron Detector (FREND) is an instrument onboard ExoMars&amp;#8217; Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO). It uses neutron measurements to detect hydrogen (and thus water) variations in the shallow subsurface of the Martian soil. In case of sub-polar regions, it is quite sensitive to the thickness of seasonal deposition of CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;, which it well-sees in neutrons, as &amp;#8220;dry&amp;#8221; layer on top of the hydrogen-rich polar permafrost soil.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This presentation is aimed to give a first look at variations of seasonal depositions of Carbone dioxide at winter vs summer seasons on Mars. Similar studies have been performed by neutron instruments earlier, however FREND&amp;#8217;s major advantage is its much better spatial resolution: by shielding from the neutron flux coming from off-nadir directions, the instrument&amp;#8217;s spatial resolution is improved down to a 60-200 km diameter spot. The orbiter&amp;#8217;s inclination is currently 74 deg, so the experiment is capable to observe the rim of the polar permafrost northern and southern regions with seasonal coverages of atmospheric Carbone dioxide over them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We re-define and improve the shape of polar CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; caps boundaries and the column density of seasonal deposits thanks to improved spatial resolution and present data of FREND&amp;#8217;s first Martian year of observations of high Martian latitudes.&lt;/p&gt;

Differences in calcite varve formation discerned by a dual lake monitoring approach in the southern Baltic lowlands

&lt;p&gt;Varved lake sediments are valuable archives for reconstructing climate and environmental change in the human habitat at seasonal resolution. However, it is still not fully understood which factors control varve thickness and, consequently, varve proxy records are differently interpreted with respect to their climatic significance. Here we present, for the first time, a dual lake monitoring in two lakes forming calcite varves to provide new insights into the seasonal depositional processes forming these varves. The study lakes, Tiefer See (TSK) in NE Germany and Czechowskie (JC) in N Poland, are located a few hundred km away from each other in the southern Baltic lowlands. This is an ideal test region for this investigation because it holds the major known geographical cluster of calcite varve producing lakes. The lake basins are different in morphology and bathymetry and, therefore, are ideal to investigate common processes and local differences of seasonal deposition. The monitoring setup in both lakes is largely identical and included instrumental observation of (1) meteorological parameters, (2) chemical profiling of the lake water column including water sampling and analyses, and, (3) sediment trapping at both bi-weekly and monthly intervals. Finally, we compared our six-year monitoring time series with varve micro-facies of sediments deposited during this time at the lake bottom. Based on this robust data-set, we present and discuss new findings with respect to the seasonal deposition of endogenic calcite varves, as well as their limnologic control factors.&lt;/p&gt;