Basin formation during the post-collisional evolution of the Eastern Alps: the example of the Lavanttal Basin

The Miocene Lavanttal Basin formed in the Eastern Alps during extrusion of crustal blocks towards the east. In contrast to basins, which formed contemporaneously along the strike-slip faults of the Noric Depression and on top of the moving blocks (Styrian Basin), little is known about the Lavanttal Basin. In this paper geophysical, sedimentological, and structural data are used to study structure and evolution of the Lavanttal Basin. The eastern margin of the 2-km-deep basin is formed by the WNW trending Koralm Fault. The geometry of the gently dipping western basin flank shows that the present-day basin is only a remnant of a former significantly larger basin. Late Early (Karpatian) and early Middle Miocene (Badenian) pull-apart phases initiated basin formation and deposition of thick fluvial (Granitztal Beds), lacustrine, and marine (Mühldorf Fm.) sediments. The Mühldorf Fm. represents the Lower Badenian cycle TB2.4. Another flooding event caused brackish environments in late Middle Miocene (Early Sarmatian) time, whereas freshwater environments existed in Late Sarmatian time. The coal-bearing Sarmatian succession is subdivided into four fourth-order sequences. The number of sequences suggests that the effect of tectonic subsidence was overruled by sea-level fluctuations during Sarmatian time. Increased relief energy caused by Early Pannonian pull-apart activity initiated deposition of thick fluvial sediments. The present-day shape of the basin is a result of young (Plio-/Pleistocene) basin inversion. In contrast to the multi-stage Lavanttal Basin, basins along the Noric Depression show a single-stage history. Similarities between the Lavanttal and Styrian basins exist in Early Badenian and Early Sarmatian times.     

Segmentation of the southern Mariana back-arc spreading center

SeaBeam multibeam bathymetry obtained during cruise SO-69 of research vessel (R/V) Sonne defines the segmentation and structure of ∼ 300 km of the Mariana back-arc spreading center south of the Pagan fracture zone at 17°33'N. Eight ridge segments, ranging from 14 to 64 km in length, are displaced as much as 2.7–14.5 km by both right- (predominantly) and left-lateral offsets and transform faults. An axial ridge commonly occupies the middle portion of the rift valley and rises from 200 to 700 m above the adjacent sea floor, in places shoaling to a water depth of 3200 m. An exception is the 60-km-long segment between 16°58' and 17°33'N where single peaks only a few tens of meters high punctuate the rift axis. Photographic evidence and rock samples reveal the presence of mostly pillow lavas outcropping on the axial ridges or peaks whereas the deeper parts of the rift valley floor (max. depth 4900 m) are heavily to totally sedimented. Abundant talus ramps along fault scarps testify to ongoing disruption of the crust. Lozenge-shaped collapse structures are covered by layers of sediment up to tens of centimeters thick on the rift valley floor. The presence of discrete volcanic ridges in the southern Mariana back-arc spreading region suggests that emplacement of oceanic crust at this slow spreading center occurs by `multi-site' injection of magma. Along-axis variations in length, crestal depth, and size of the axial ridges can be best explained by different stages in the cyclicity of magma supply along-axis.     

Benthic biodiversity indices versus salinity gradient in the southern Baltic Sea

The need to assess the environmental status of marine and coastal waters according to the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) encouraged the design of specific biotic indices to evaluate the response of benthic communities to human-induced changes in water quality. In the present study three of these indices, the traditional Shannon Wiener Index (H') and the more recently published AMBI (AZTI' Marine Biotic Index) and BQI (Benthic Quality Index), were tested along a salinity gradient in the southern Baltic Sea. The comparison of the three indices demonstrates that in the southern Baltic Sea the ecological quality (EcoQ) classification based on macrozoobenthic communities as indicator greatly depends on the biotic index chosen. We found a significant positive relation between species number, H', BQI and salinity resulting in EcoQ status of "Bad", "Poor" or "Moderate" in areas with a salinity value below 10 psu. The AMBI was less dependent on salinity but appear to partly overestimate the EcoQ status. Presently none of these biotic indices appear to be adjusted for application in a gradient system as given in the southern Baltic Sea. A potential approach describing how to overcome this limitation is discussed.     

The formation of deep-sea Limu o Pele

Deep-sea sheet hyaloclastite consists mostly of sand-sized blocky and splinter-shaped shards, but also contains subordinate mm- to cm-sized thin, curved, and wrinkled plates and sheets of sideromelane. This latter type of shard, termed Limu o Pele, has been observed forming subaerially on Kilauea by entrapment of water in flowing lava followed by expansion of steam to form large bubbles which burst into thin fragments. Deep-marine limu has been inferred, from comparative morphological studies and assessment of physical bubble-forming conditions, to form in a similar way but with the increased ambient pressure and the higher viscosity of water reducing bubble expansion. Differing mechanisms of heat transfer and rates of magma chilling also modify the limu-forming process in the deep sea. This paper evaluates a variety of deep-sea limu-forming processes and develops a new and quantitatively supported model, based on observed limu-forming processes and criteria derived from dive samples and observations at Seamount Six, Cocos Plate. It is inferred that water and/or water-saturated sediment was trapped in extremely thin, fluid and rapidly advancing lava flows by various processes. Bubble formation might also occur during small-scale magma-fountaining driven by magmatic volatile exsolution and extreme vent constriction or during collapse of pillows and rapid drainage of the magma, but we found no deposits clearly resulting from these processes.     

The global energy balance from a surface perspective

In the framework of the global energy balance, the radiative energy exchanges between Sun, Earth and space are now accurately quantified from new satellite missions. Much less is known about the magnitude of the energy flows within the climate system and at the Earth surface, which cannot be directly measured by satellites. In addition to satellite observations, here we make extensive use of the growing number of surface observations to constrain the global energy balance not only from space, but also from the surface. We combine these observations with the latest modeling efforts performed for the 5th IPCC assessment report to infer best estimates for the global mean surface radiative components. Our analyses favor global mean downward surface solar and thermal radiation values near 185 and 342 Wm^?2, respectively, which are most compatible with surface observations. Combined with an estimated surface absorbed solar radiation and thermal emission of 161 and 397 Wm^?2, respectively, this leaves 106 Wm^?2 of surface net radiation available globally for distribution amongst the non-radiative surface energy balance components. The climate models overestimate the downward solar and underestimate the downward thermal radiation, thereby simulating nevertheless an adequate global mean surface net radiation by error compensation. This also suggests that, globally, the simulated surface sensible and latent heat fluxes, around 20 and 85 Wm^?2 on average, state realistic values. The findings of this study are compiled into a new global energy balance diagram, which may be able to reconcile currently disputed inconsistencies between energy and water cycle estimates.     

Analysis of trends and sudden changes in long-term environmental data from King George Island (Antarctica): relationships between global climatic oscillations and local system response

The Western Antarctic Peninsula is one of the most rapidly warming regions on earth. It is therefore important to analyze long-term trends and inter-annual patterns of change in major environmental parameters to understand the process underlying climate change in Western Antarctica. Since many polar long-term data series are fragmented and cannot be analysed with common time series analysis tools, we present statistical approaches that can deal with missing values. We applied U-statistics after Pettit and Buishand to detect abrupt changes, dynamic factor analysis to detect functional relationships, and additive modelling to detect patterns in time related to climatic cycles such as the Southern Annular Mode and El Niño Southern Oscillation in a long-term environmental data set from King George Island (WAP), covering 20 years. Our results not only reveal sudden changes for sea surface temperature and salinity, but also clear patterns in all investigated variables (sea surface temperature, salinity, suspended particulate matter and Chlorophyll a) that can directly be related to climatic cycles. Our results complement previous findings on climate related changes in the King George Island Region and provide insight into the environmental conditions and climatic drivers of system change in the study area. Hence, our statistical analyses may prove valuable for other polar environmental data sets and contribute to a better understanding of the regional variability of climate change and its impact on coastal systems.     

Analysis of current trends in climate parameters,river discharge and glaciers in the Aksu River basin (Central Asia)

Abstract

Climate variability and change play a crucial role in the vulnerable system of the Aksu River basin located in Kyrgyzstan and northwest China, providing precious water resources for the intense oasis agriculture of the Xinjiang Province (China). Ubiquitous warming and increase in precipitation (in the lower part of the basin) have been detected. Glaciers in the region are retreating. Seasonal trends in river discharge show an increase. A clear link could be demonstrated between daily temperature and lagged river discharge at two headwater stations in summer. However, the correlation breaks over short periods in the end of summer or beginning of autumn at the Xiehela station, when the high (over 95th percentile) flow peaks caused by the glacier lake outburst floods of the Merzbacher Lake occur. This feature is a challenge for the climate impact assessment in the region, as these regular outbursts have to be represented in the projections for the future as well.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis