Contrasting regional discharge evolutions in the Amazon basin (1974–2004)

Former hydrological studies in the Amazon Basin generally describe annual discharge variability on the main stem. However, the downstream Amazon River only represents the mean state of the Amazonian hydrological system. This study therefore uses a new data set including daily discharge in 18 sub-basins to analyze the variability of regional extremes in the Amazon basin, after recalling the diversity of the hydrological annual cycles within the Amazon basin. Several statistical tests are applied in order to detect trends and breaks in the time series. We show that during the 1974–2004 period, the stability of the mean discharge on the main stem in Óbidos is explained by opposite regional features that principally involve Andean rivers: a decrease in the low stage runoff, particularly important in the southern regions, and an increase in the high stage runoff in the northwestern region. Both features are observed from the beginning of the nineties. These features are also observed in smaller meridian sub-basins in Peru and Bolivia. Moreover we show that the changes in discharge extremes are related to the regional pluriannual rainfall variability and the associated atmospheric circulation as well as to tropical large-scale climatic indicators.     

An external–internal mode coupling for a 3D hydrodynamical model for applications at regional scale (MARS)

This paper presents a 3D model in sigma coordinates. Although the principles it is based on have been established for some time, some original aspects for this type of 3D mode splitting model are presented here. The model was designed to simulate flows in various coastal areas from the regional scale down to the inshore scale of small bays or estuaries where circulation is generally driven by a mix of processes. The processes to be modeled enable simplifications of the Navier–Stokes equations on the classic Boussinesq and hydrostatic hypotheses. These equations are transformed within a sigma framework to make free surface processing easier. The main point of our demonstration focuses on the original aspect of the coupling between barotropic and baroclinic modes especially designed for ADI. It explains how full consistency of the transport calculated within the 2D and 3D equation sets was obtained. Lastly, we describe the physical processes simulated on a realistic configuration at a regional scale in the Bay of Biscay.     

Intra‐crater sedimentary deposits at the Haughton impact structure,Devon Island,Canadian High Arctic

Abstract— Detailed field mapping has revealed the presence of a series of intra‐crater sedimentary deposits within the interior of the Haughton impact structure, Devon Island, Canadian High Arctic. Coarse‐grained, well‐sorted, pale gray lithic sandstones (reworked impact melt breccias) unconformably overlie pristine impact melt breccias and attest to an episode of erosion, during which time significant quantities of impact melt breccias were removed. The reworked impact melt breccias are, in turn, unconformably overlain by paleolacustrine sediments of the Miocene Haughton Formation. Sediments of the Haughton Formation were clearly derived from pre‐impact lower Paleozoic target rocks of the Allen Bay Formation, which form the crater rim in the northern, western, and southern regions of the Haughton structure. Collectively, these field relationships indicate that the Haughton Formation was deposited up to several million years after the formation of the Haughton crater and that they do not, therefore, represent an immediate, post‐impact crater lake deposit. This is consistent with new isotopic dating of impactites from Haughton that indicate an Eocene age for the impact event (Sherlock et al. 2005). In addition, isolated deposits of post‐Miocene intra‐crater glacigenic and fluvioglacial sediments were found lying unconformably over remnants of the Haughton Formation, impact melt breccias, and other pre‐impact target rock formations. These deposits provide clear evidence for glaciation at the Haughton crater. The wealth and complexity of geological and climatological information preserved as intra‐crater deposits at Haughton suggests that craters on Mars with intra‐crater sedimentary records might present us with similar opportunities, but also possibly significant challenges.     

Chlorine isotopic composition in seafloor serpentinites and high-pressure metaperidotites. Insights into oceanic serpentinization and subduction processes

Bulk-rock chlorine content and isotopic composition (δ³⁷Cl) were determined in oceanic serpentinites, high-pressure metaperidotites and metasediments in order to gain constraints on the global chlorine cycle associated with hydrothermal alteration and subduction of oceanic lithosphere. The distribution of insoluble chlorine in oceanic serpentinites was also investigated by electron microprobe. The hydrothermally-altered ultramafic samples were dredged along the South West Indian Ridge and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The high-pressure metamorphic samples were collected in the Western Alps: metaperidotites in the Erro-Tobbio unit and metasediments in the Schistes Lustrés nappe.Oceanic serpentinites show relatively large variations of bulk-rock Cl contents and δ³⁷Cl values with mean values of 1105 ± 596 ppm and −0.7 ± 0.4‰, respectively (n = 8; 1σ). Serpentines formed after olivine (meshes) show lower Cl content than those formed after orthopyroxene (bastites). In bastites of two different samples, Cl is positively correlated with Al₂O₃ and negatively correlated with SiO₂. These relationships are interpreted as reflecting preferential Cl-incorporation into the bastite structure distorted by Al (substituted for Si) rather than different alteration conditions between olivine and orthopyroxene minerals. High-pressure metaperidotites display relatively homogeneous Cl contents and δ³⁷Cl values with mean values of 467 ± 88 ppm and −1.4 ± 0.1‰, respectively (n = 7; 1σ). A macroscopic high-pressure olivine-bearing vein, formed from partial devolatilization of serpentinites at ∼2.5 GPa and 500-600 °C, shows a Cl content and a δ³⁷Cl value of 603 ppm and −1.6‰, respectively. Metasediments (n = 2) show low whole-rock Cl contents (<15 ppm Cl) that did not allow Cl isotope analyses to be obtained.The range of negative δ³⁷Cl values observed in oceanic serpentinites is likely to result from water-rock interaction with fluids that have negative δ³⁷Cl values. The homogeneity of δ³⁷Cl values from the high-pressure olivine-bearing vein and the metaperidotite samples implies that progressive loss of Cl inherited from oceanic alteration throughout subduction did not significantly fractionate Cl isotopes. Chlorine recycled in subduction zones via metaperidotites should thus show a range of δ³⁷Cl values similar to the range found in oceanic serpentinized peridotites.     

Crowdsourcing a cyclist perspective on suggested recreational paths in real-world networks

ABSTRACT

Routing and navigation services for leisure activities are conditioned by special needs and trade-offs. The advent of online communities and large crowdsourced datasets offers opportunities to improve the adoption of a user’s perspective in these suggested paths. This paper focuses on achieving two goals. First, the presented methodology analyses a dataset of 190,610 historical GPS traces to gain insights into the appreciation or attractiveness of each edge in a real-world network for a specific leisure activity (i.e. road cycling). Second, as literature on these leisure activities is still sparse, we want to create a thorough understanding of the activities at hand for future work. An appreciation model is proposed and the spread of this score is analyzed in shortest-path alternatives of popular routing engines for this activity. This analysis successfully discriminates these shortest paths based on the scoring value and three morphological parameters of the path. However, the robustness of the model should be improved to ensure the viability of the proposed approach in future work. More specifically, further research on the local optimality of the route choices will be imperative.     

Why Is the Climate Forcing of Sulfate Aerosols So Uncertain?

l. IntroductionAlthough the aerosol has been recognized as an important factor which has innuence onthe past, present and future climate for a long time, it still has much uncertainty in assessingits climate forcing. The direct radiative forcing of sulfate aerosols has been estimated rangingfrom --0.3 W/ m2 to --0.9 W/ m2 in recent publications (Charlson et al., l992, Kiehl andBriegleb l993; Taylor and Penner 1994, Boucher and Anderson l995, Kieh1 and Rodhe l995;Chuang et al., l997, Penne…     

Analytical Procedures for the Measurement of Boron Isotope Compositions by Ion Microprobe in Meteorites and Mantle Rocks

An analytical procedure has been developed to measure in situ the ¹¹ B/¹⁰ B ratio in terrestrial basaltic rocks and meteoritic chondrules having B concentration of less than 1 μg g^?1 using a small radius ims3f ion microprobe. The central difficulties for these measurements are (i) the removal of the trace amount of B contamination introduced in the sample during polishing, (ii) the precise calibration of instrumental mass fractionation of B isotopes and (iii) the low count rates of ¹⁰ B and ¹¹ B. Contamination experiments conducted with isotopically labelled B enriched in ¹⁰ B showed that ultrasonic cleaning in bi-distilled water (< 1 ng g^?1 B) and pre-sputtering of the analysed area decrease B contamination to the level of 0.01 μg g^?1. Analyses of isotope standards spanning a range of ¹¹ B/¹⁰ B between 3.93 and 4.20 showed that instrumental mass fractionation was constant within? during one session of analyses. Repeated analyses of a standard glass showed a reproducibility of instrumental mass fractionation between February 1991 and October 1996 of 1.3. Taking into account all sources of error, boron isotope measurements are accurate to within 5 for meteoritic samples having B contents in the range 0.1 to 1 μg g^?1. A slightly better accuracy of 1.5 can be achieved for basaltic glasses which can be sputtered with very intense primary beams.     

Coastal response to the Holocene transgression in the Bahamas: episodic sedimentation versus continuous sea-level rise

Sedimentological and petrographic study of Holocene deposits in the Eastern Bahamas shows that sedimentation occurred episodically during this period of continually rising sea-level.

The Holocene stratigraphic record exposed on the islands of San Salvador, Lee Stocking and Cat consists of two distinctive units separated by a paleosol: (1) 5000 year-old oolitic eolianites deposited when sea-level was lower than today, and (2) 3000 to 500 year-old bioclastic paleo-beaches and dunes that are congruent with the present stand of sea-level.

A five-stage model that reconciles intermittent sedimentation pattern with continuous sea-level rise is presented. Pre-Holocene topography and changes in the rate of the transgression seem to regulate local⁴ hydrodynamic conditions, which in turn control onset and offset of sedimentary processes.

This Holocene example of episodic sedimentation during an uninterrupted transgression should be considered when studying ancient discontinuities that are systematically interpreted in terms of relative sea-level fall.