Stochastic simulations of the Madden�CJulian oscillation activity

The Madden?CJulian oscillation (MJO) is the most prominent form of tropical intraseasonal variability. This study investigated the following questions. Do interannual-to-decadal variations in tropical sea surface temperature (SST) lead to substantial changes in MJO activity? Was there a change in the MJO in the 1970s? Can this change be associated to SST anomalies? What was the level of MJO activity in the pre-reanalysis era? These questions were investigated with a stochastic model of the MJO. Reanalysis data (1948?C2008) were used to develop a nine-state first order Markov model capable to simulate the non-stationarity of the MJO. The model is driven by observed SST anomalies and a large ensemble of simulations was performed to infer the activity of the MJO in the instrumental period (1880?C2008). The model is capable to reproduce the activity of the MJO during the reanalysis period. The simulations indicate that the MJO exhibited a regime of near normal activity in 1948?C1972 (3.4?events?year^?1) and two regimes of high activity in 1973?C1989 (3.9 events) and 1990?C2008 (4.6 events). Stochastic simulations indicate decadal shifts with near normal levels in 1880?C1895 (3.4 events), low activity in 1896?C1917 (2.6 events) and a return to near normal levels during 1918?C1947 (3.3 events). The results also point out to significant decadal changes in probabilities of very active years (5 or more MJO events): 0.214 (1880?C1895), 0.076 (1896?C1917), 0.197 (1918?C1947) and 0.193 (1948?C1972). After a change in behavior in the 1970s, this probability has increased to 0.329 (1973?C1989) and 0.510 (1990?C2008). The observational and stochastic simulations presented here call attention to the need to further understand the variability of the MJO on a wide range of time scales.     

The South Atlantic dipole and variations in the characteristics of the South American Monsoon in the WCRP-CMIP3 multi-model simulations

This study investigates relationships between Atlantic sea surface temperature (SST) and the variability of the characteristics of the South American Monsoon System (SAMS), such as the onset dates and total precipitation over central eastern Brazil. The observed onset and total summer monsoon precipitation are estimated for the period 1979?C2007. SST patterns are obtained from the Empirical Orthogonal Function. It is shown that variations in SST on interannual timescales over the South Atlantic Ocean play an important role in the total summer monsoon precipitation. Negative (positive) SST anomalies over the topical South Atlantic along with positive (negative) SST anomalies over the extratropical South Atlantic are associated with early (late) onsets and wet (dry) summers over southeastern Brazil and late (early) onset and dry (wet) summers over northeastern Brazil. Simulations from Phase 3 of the World Climate Research Programme Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP-3) are assessed for the 20th century climate scenario (1971?C2000). Most CMIP3 coupled models reproduce the main modes of variability of the South Atlantic Ocean. GFDL2.0 and MIROC-M are the models that best represent the SST variability over the South Atlantic. On the other hand, these models do not succeed in representing the relationship between SST and SAMS variability.     

Multiscale analysis of 3D GPR data using the 2D directional continuous wavelet transform (DCWT)

The main goal of this paper is to extract land topographical information by analyzing the 3D ground-penetrating radar (GPR) data by the 2D directional continuous wavelet transform method. The first objective is to identify direction of obstacles, and the second is to characterize each one with a special roughness coefficient. Application on real data shows that the proposed tool can enhance the GPR data interpretation.     

Wood chips as soil conservation in field conditions

The soil conditioner in processes of soil conservation is important especially in heavily eroded areas. Because in this study done in Educational and Research Forest Watershed of Tarbiat Modares University, north of Iran, the experiments created four treatments of control and different wood chips with rates of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 kg m^?2, by rainfall simulation in rainfall intensity of 60 mm h^?1, and plot scale of 1 m² on changing ponding time, runoff coefficient, sediment concentration, and soil loss. The results showed that the average change ponding time in control treatment and wood chip treatments with rates of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 kg m^?2 were 4.25, 7.48, 11.63, and 12.45 min. Also, the average change runoff coefficient in control treatment and wood chip treatments with rates of 0.5, 1, and 1.5 kg m^?2 were 50.03, 26.27, 15.28, and 13.17 %. The results also indicated that the wood chips could decrease average soil loss with the rates of ?52.15, ?82.18, and ?89.35 % compared with control treatment for 0.5, 1, and 1.5 kg m^?2 of wood chips, respectively. The one-way ANOVA results showed that the runoff coefficient, sediment concentration, and soil loss decreased with increasing wood chip amount, and the effect of conservation treatment was significant on study variables (R ² = 0.99). But, the ponding time increased with increasing wood chip amount, and this effect was significant on study variables (R ² = 0.99).     

Geochemical mobility of arsenic in the surficial waters from Argentina

The presence of arsenic (As) in surface water constitutes an important environmental risk, where mobility and adsorption processes are responsible for its behavior in the sediment–water interface. Therefore, the assessment of adsorption, mobility and water availability of arsenic in freshwater sediments, with agricultural, livestock and urban soil uses was performed. Arsenic concentrations in sediments ranged from 5.4 to 15.9 mg kg^?1 (total) and 2.8 to 6.5 mg kg^?1 (labile), and those of iron and manganese were 11,563–23,500 and 140.6–662.1 mg kg^?1, respectively. The As levels in water were significantly lower than those of sediments. Results would suggest that As co-precipitation and adsorption on Fe oxides are probably the major route of immobilization, determining its low lability. Manganese did not present an outstanding contribution to the retention, and cation-exchange capacity, pH and organic matter of sediments did not show an influence on the mobility of As.     

Fixing marine governance in Fiji? The new scalar narrative of ecosystem-based management

Although there is widespread concern over degrading marine environments, there is debate within the global marine conservation agenda about the nature of the problem and appropriate solutions. At the center of this debate lie questions about the appropriate scale at which to plan and implement marine resource management. In the late 1990s, Fiji became recognized as one of the most successful examples of community-based marine resource management in the world. Recently, there has been a move to manage human–environment interactions at larger “natural” scales. We draw from the political ecology and “politics of scale” literatures, and a critical realist understanding of nature and politics, to explain the emergence of large-scale management and conservation in Fiji. We contribute to a “political ecology of scale” by developing the concept of a scalar narrative to show how social and ecological scales are reworked in the development of an ecosystem-based approach to marine management in Fiji. In doing so, we consider implications of the struggle to define the appropriate scale of marine management, which is closely bound to debates about the role of science and local participation. Our findings suggest that the struggle to define the scale at which marine management should be planned and implemented is inseparable from the struggle over who should define, inform, and conduct the governance process. We aim to clarify marine policy debates as policy actors worldwide move forward to implement ecosystem-based management, increase marine protected area coverage, and pursue sustainable development.     

Evidence of a phase shift to Epizoanthus gabrieli Carlgreen, 1951 (Order Zoanthidea) and loss of coral cover on reefs in the Southwest Atlantic

There is at present a ‘coral reef crisis’; one of the more drastic consequences of this is a phase shift, in which reef‐building corals are replaced by non‐reef building benthos such as macroalgae and soft corals. Previous studies have principally focused on the shift to macroalgae. Our goal was to investigate whether the dominance of the zoanthid Epizoanthus gabrieli on some reefs of Todos os Santos Bay, Brazil, represented a non‐algal phase shift. In 2003, we identified a high cover of this species on two reefs (52% and 70%), but only in 2007 was it possible to confirm a reduction in coral cover. This dominance has persisted for over 9 years, characterizing a true phase shift. This loss of coral cover may be a result of anthropogenic disturbances within the bay; however, given the large number of human impacts, further studies are needed to identify specific causes of this shift. Although there are some reports of phase shift involving species pertaining to the Class Anthozoa, this is the first report of this phenomenon involving the order Zoanthidea.     

On a damaging earthquake-induced landslide in the Algerian Alps: the March 20, 2006 Laâlam landslide (Babors chain,northeast Algeria), triggered by the Kherrata earthquake (<Emphasis Type="Italic">M</Emphasis><Subscript>w</Subscript> = 5.3)

On March 20, 2006, an earthquake (M _w = 5.3; SED) struck the mountainous region of the Babors chain (Wilaya of Bejaia, northeast Algeria). The seismic epicenter was located near the Kherrata village. This earthquake was felt on a large area of the northeastern part of Algeria. It reached an intensity of VII (EMS scale) at the Laalam village, situated at about 20 km northeast of Kherrata. Here, many old and recent houses were damaged or collapsed totally, four people died and 68 were injured. Field investigations revealed that these casualties were caused by a landslide triggered by the earthquake. Many fissures were visible on ground throughout the site. They were generated by both sliding and settling phenomena. The Laalam site is prone to landslide, as revealed by some evidences on old instabilities. This is due to two main factors: local geomorphology and geology. These factors intervene synchronously for reducing the slope instability at the Laalam village. The March 20, 2006 Kherrata earthquake was the trigger that released the Laalam landslide.     

Evidence for an underground runoff and soil permeability at the Ouled Fayet (Algiers,Algeria) subsurface landfill pilot project from geophysical investigations

Results from geophysical investigations (electrical resistivity, electromagnetic mapping and seismic refraction) on an excavated cell of the Ouled Fayet (Algiers, Algeria) pilot landfill indicated the presence of an underground runoff and permeable soil underneath the cell. These results contradict those obtained by a feasibility study, based, however, only on the analysis of seventy-six 10-m drilling cores. The 1D boreholes information has been proven to be insufficient and to give biased results. The presence of water at depth is evidenced by lower resistivity, high conductivity anomalies and increase of P-wave velocity. Thus, to the contrary of what is claimed in the feasibility study, a threat of leachate pollution is real. This study shows that landfill construction studies cannot give trustful results without geophysical investigations. More specifically, in Algeria, it is imperative to elaborate a landfill construction code, which should include mandatory geophysical prospecting and deeper drilling cores.