Alberto de la Fuente

Heat and dissolved oxygen exchanges between the sediment and water column in a shallow salty lagoon

Dissolved oxygen (DO) and heat exchanges across the water-sediment interface (WSI) of a shallow lagoon are controlled by processes occurring on both sides of the WSI, particularly volumetric source and sink on the sediment side and turbulent transport on the waterside. This article presents and analyzes measurements of DO (Js)  and heat (Hg) fluxes across the WSI in the extremely shallow lagoon of Salar del Huasco (20.274°S, 68.883°W, 3800 m above sea level), where volumetric source of DO and heat exists in the sediment layer, related to benthic primary production and absorption of solar radiation, respectively. Microprofiles of temperature and DO were measured, and they were used for measuring Js and Hg, and volumetric source/sink terms in the sediments. This information was used to propose and validate the simple theoretical framework to predict both the magnitude and direction of Js and Hg. On the one hand, Js can be predicted with a simple algebraic expression, where the diffusional mass transfer coefficient defines the magnitude of Js while the direction is controlled by the balance between DO production and consumption in the sediments. On the other hand, solar radiation is absorbed in the upper sediments, and this heat diffuses toward the water column and the sediments. The heat flux toward the water column also induces unstable convection that promotes vertical transport across the WSI. The theoretical framework proposed here will help to understand DO and heat budgets of shallow aquatic systems in which solar radiation reaches the WSI.

Effects of hydropeaking on the hydrodynamics of a stratified reservoir: the Rapel Reservoir case study

ABSTRACT The effects of hydropeaking of the Rapel Hydropower Plant on the hydrodynamics of the reservoir were investigated by combining field measurements and three-dimensional simulations performed with the Centre for Water Research, Estuary, Lake and Coastal Ocean Model. Two operational scenarios were analysed: the hydropeaking of the hydropower plant and a fictional scenario without hydropeaking. Two time periods were considered to allow different seasonal and operating conditions to be considered. The location of the thermocline was determined by the depth of the outlet and the withdrawal rate. Spectral analysis showed a strong correlation between the water withdrawals and the internal waves in the reservoir. Furthermore, vertical mixing with hydropeaking during the summer can be enhanced by one order of magnitude with respect to the case without hydropeaking. We conclude that hydropeaking has a major impact on the hydrodynamics of the reservoir, which indicates that diurnal variations in the outflows should be considered when studying these systems.

Spectral model for long‐term computation of thermodynamics and potential evaporation in shallow wetlands

Altiplanic wetlands are unique ecosystems located in the elevated plateaus of Chile, Argentina, Peru and Bolivia. These ecosystems are under threat due to changes in land use, groundwater extractions and climate change that will modify the water balance through changes in precipitation and evaporation rates. Long-term prediction of the fate of aquatic ecosystems imposes computational constraints that make finding a solution impossible in some cases. In this article, we present a spectral model for long-term simulations of the thermodynamics of shallow wetlands in the limit case when the water depth tends to zero. This spectral model solves for water and sediment temperatures, as well as heat, momentum and mass exchanged with the atmosphere. The parameters of the model (water depth, thermal properties of the sediments and surface albedo) and the atmospheric downscaling were calibrated using the MODIS product of the land surface temperature. Moreover, the performance of the daily evaporation rates predicted by the model was evaluated against daily pan evaporation data measured between 1964 and 2012. The spectral model was able to correctly represent both seasonal fluctuation and climatic trends observed in daily evaporation rates. It is concluded that the spectral model presented in this article is a suitable tool for assessing the global climate change effects on shallow wetlands whose thermodynamics is forced by heat exchanges with the atmosphere and modulated by the heat reservoir role of the sediments.

A human-scale perspective on global warming: Zero emission year and personal quotas

This article builds on the premise that human consumption of goods, food and transport are the ultimate drivers of climate change. However, the nature of the climate change problem (well described as a tragedy of the commons) makes it difficult for individuals to recognise their personal duty to implement behavioural changes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Consequently, this article aims to analyse the climate change issue from a human-scale perspective, in which each of us has a clearly defined personal quota of CO2 emissions that limits our activity and there is a finite time during which CO2 emissions must be eliminated to achieve the “well below 2°C” warming limit set by the Paris Agreement of 2015 (COP21). Thus, this work’s primary contribution is to connect an equal per capita fairness approach to a global carbon budget, linking personal levels with planetary levels. Here, we show that a personal quota of 5.0 tons of CO2 yr-1 p-1 is a representative value for both past and future emissions; for this level of a constant per-capita emissions and without considering any mitigation, the global accumulated emissions compatible with the “well below 2°C” and 2°C targets will be exhausted by 2030 and 2050, respectively. These are references years that provide an order of magnitude of the time that is left to reverse the global warming trend. More realistic scenarios that consider a smooth transition toward a zero-emission world show that the global accumulated emissions compatible with the “well below 2°C” and 2°C targets will be exhausted by 2040 and 2080, respectively. Implications of this paper include a return to personal responsibility following equity principles among individuals, and a definition of boundaries to the personal emissions of CO2.