Article
Environmental Sciences
Mathieu Auffray, Jean-Francois Senecal, Katrine Turgeon, Andre St-Hilaire, Audrey Maheu
Summary: Small dams have a significant impact on stream temperatures, which are vital for aquatic ecosystems. This study aims to understand the effect of small dams on summer stream temperatures in a protected area in Canada. By comparing water temperatures upstream and downstream of small surface-release dams, the study assesses their effect on different attributes of the thermal regimes of streams. The results show that small dams contribute to an average warming of 3.7 degrees C downstream, similar to the warming effect of natural lakes. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the cumulative effects of small reservoirs on stream temperature for the management of aquatic ecosystems.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jason A. Leach, Bethany T. Neilson, Caleb A. Buahin, R. Dan Moore, Hjalmar Laudon
Summary: Empirical studies have shown that lakes have a significant impact on stream temperature at landscape scales, even with a small fraction of the catchment area represented by lakes. Lake outlet temperatures in summer and autumn were higher compared to hillslope lateral inflow temperatures. The influence of lakes on downstream temperature was greatest during periods of high lake outflow and persisted for at least 1.4 km downstream.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zoe A. Pollard, Jillian L. Goldfarb
Summary: By converting waste cherry pits into biochars and activated biochars, efficiency of nutrient use in soil can be improved, reducing nutrient run-off, and potential alleviation of regional environmental issues by removing metals.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Juliane Mai, Hongren Shen, Bryan A. Tolson, Etienne Gaborit, Richard Arsenault, James R. Craig, Vincent Fortin, Lauren M. Fry, Martin Gauch, Daniel Klotz, Frederik Kratzert, Nicole O'Brien, Daniel G. Princz, Sinan Rasiya Koya, Tirthankar Roy, Frank Seglenieks, Narayan K. Shrestha, Andre G. T. Temgoua, Vincent Vionnet, Jonathan W. Waddell
Summary: This study conducted a model intercomparison to compare different model setups in simulating outputs in the Great Lakes region. The results showed that the machine-learning-based model performed the best in simulating streamflow, while the locally calibrated models and regionally calibrated models showed varying performances in different areas. The study also compared additional model outputs, such as evapotranspiration, soil moisture, and snow water equivalent, against gridded reference datasets.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nandita B. Basu, J. Dony, K. J. Van Meter, Samuel J. Johnston, Anita T. Layton
Summary: Excess nutrient inputs from agricultural and urban sources have led to eutrophication and algal blooms in the Great Lakes Basin. Using a random forest machine learning model, we found that land use and management, including agricultural and urban land, tile drainage, and wetland density, are important predictors of nutrient concentrations in the basin. The study highlights the importance of livestock and drainage management, as well as wetland restoration, in addressing eutrophication in intensively managed landscapes.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Nitin K. Singh, Kimberly J. Van Meter, Nandita B. Basu
Summary: Analyses of phosphorus concentrations in more than 370 watersheds of the Great Lakes Basin from 2003 to 2019 suggest widespread increases in soluble reactive phosphorus concentrations, despite often decreasing or non-significant trends in total phosphorus. Small, forested watersheds at higher latitudes are experiencing the largest relative increases in soluble phosphorus concentrations, and winter temperatures are identified as a key driver of concentration trends. The rising soluble phosphorus concentrations, coupled with warming temperatures, may contribute to the increasing frequency and intensity of algal blooms, highlighting the need for management strategies to prevent further water-quality degradation.
Editorial Material
Environmental Sciences
Gretchen J. A. Hansen
Summary: Research has quantified the change in thermal habitat of lakes worldwide, indicating that season or depth restrictions may exacerbate thermal habitat change.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ken Aho, Dewayne Derryberry, Sarah E. Godsey, Rob Ramos, Sara R. Warix, Samuel Zipper
Summary: Non-perennial streams have gained increasing attention from researchers, but there is a lack of suitable methods for measuring their hydrologic connectivity. In this study, the authors developed Bayesian statistical approaches to measure average active stream length and a new metric called average communication distance. They applied these methods to Murphy Creek in Idaho, USA and found significant increases in effective stream lengths due to flow rarity, as well as seasonal differences in both average stream length and average communication distance. The study highlights the unique perspectives provided by communication distance and demonstrates the usefulness of Bayesian approaches in analyzing non-perennial streams.
WATER RESOURCES RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Virology
Rachel Gnanaprakasam, Marina Keller, Rebecca Glassman, Marc Y. El-Khoury, Donald S. Chen, Nicholas Feola, Jared Feldman, Vishnu Chaturvedi
Summary: This case series summarizes the clinical experience of detecting and treating MPX during a rapidly evolving outbreak. The most common presenting symptom was a focal or multifocal rash, and anogenital involvement was observed in a majority of the patients. Most patients responded well to tecovirimat treatment.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL VIROLOGY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Maria Myrstener, Megan L. Fork, Ann-Kristin Bergstrom, Isolde Callisto Puts, Demian Hauptmann, Peter D. F. Isles, Ryan M. Burrows, Ryan A. Sponseller
Summary: Nutrient inputs in northern freshwaters have the potential to alter aquatic ecosystem functioning. Primary producer growth is sensitive to nutrient supply but also constrained by light and temperature. This study examined the differences in nutrient limitation status and drivers of algal biomass between lakes and streams in northern Sweden. The results showed that there are distinct patterns and responses to nutrient availability in different parts of aquatic networks.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Colton Bentley, Tassiane Junqueira, Alice Dove, Bas Vriens
Summary: This study provides a comprehensive assessment of select metal loads in the Great Lakes basin, showing that biogeochemically reactive metals display highly variable source-sink behavior. Factors such as atmospheric inputs, tributary loads, and sedimentation all affect the concentrations and temporal trends of the studied metals, with potential implications for lake-wide metal budgets and water quality.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jiali Wang, Pengfei Xue, William Pringle, Zhao Yang, Yun Qian
Summary: The surface of the Great Lakes interacts with the atmosphere, impacting local and regional weather and climate. Changes in lake surface temperature influence atmospheric temperature, moisture, and precipitation patterns, leading to shifts in convective and non-convective precipitation.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wensong Zhang, Kang Yang, Laurence C. Smith, Yuhan Wang, Dirk van As, Brice Noe, Yao Lu, Jinyu Liu
Summary: This study investigates the spatiotemporal distribution and variability of surface water in Greenland using Sentinel-2 imagery and model simulations. The results show significant differences in surface water extent, volume, and drainage pattern between different years and regions, with supraglacial rivers playing a dominant role in surface water appearance.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Ming Liu, Monica Nordstrom, Steven Forand, Elizabeth Lewis-Michl, Wendy A. Wattigney, Kurunthachalam Kannan, Wei Wang, Elizabeth Irvin-Barnwell, Syni-An Hwang
Summary: This study investigated PFAS exposure among licensed anglers and Burmese refugees and immigrants, and found that consuming fish from the Great Lakes was associated with increased blood concentrations of some PFAS. The study also revealed potential ethnic differences in PFAS exposure among the Burmese population related to residential history and ethnicity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYGIENE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
John D. D. Halfman, JoAnna Shaw, Ileana Dumitriu, Lisa B. B. Cleckner
Summary: Meteorological and water quality data were collected in the Owasco and Seneca Lakes over 4 years in order to evaluate the spatial and temporal variability of cyanobacteria bloom (CyanoHABs) and its relationship with meteorological and water quality conditions. CyanoHABs were detected from August through mid-October in both lakes. Blooms were sporadic and seldom occurred at multiple sites simultaneously. The occurrence of CyanoHABs was not consistently associated with specific meteorological and water quality conditions. More CyanoHABs were detected during overcast/shady and windier periods, suggesting that nutrient availability may trigger blooms in these lakes.