Origin and karst geomorphological significance of the enigmatic Australian Nullarbor Plain ‘blowholes’

The Australian Nullarbor Plain, one of the world's largest limestone platforms (~200 000 km²), has few distinctive surface karst features for its size, but is known for its enigmatic ‘blowholes’, which can display strong barometric draughts. Thousands of these vertical tubes with decimetre–metre (dm–m) scale diameter puncture the largely featureless terrain. The cause and distribution of these has remained unclear, but they have been thought to originate from downward dissolution and/or salt weathering. To elucidate blowhole distribution and mode of formation we (i) correlated existing location data with Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data, which distinguishes the subtle undulations (< 10 m per km) of the landscape, (ii) surveyed blowhole morphology and (iii) determined their rock surface hardness. Over a sampled area of 4200 km², the distribution of 615 known blowholes is not correlated with present topography. Blowholes are often connected to small or, in some cases extensive, but typically shallow cavities, which exhibit numerous ‘cupolas’ (dome‐shaped pockets) in their ceilings. Statistical arguments suggest that cavities with cupolas are common, but in only a few cases do these puncture the surface. Hardness measurements indicate that salt weathering is not their main cause. Our observations suggest that blowholes do not develop downwards, but occur where a cupola breaks through the surface. Lowering of the land surface is suggested to be the main cause for this breakthrough. Although cupolas may undergo some modification under the current climate, they, as well as the shallow caves they are formed in, are likely to be palaeokarst features formed under a shallower water table and wetter conditions in the past. The findings presented have implications for theories of dissolutional forms development in caves worldwide. The environmental history of the Nullarbor platform allows testing of such theories, because many other factors, which complicate karst evolution elsewhere, have not interfered with landform evolution here. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of an SMA-based hybrid control device to 20-story nonlinear benchmark building

This paper investigates the seismic response control of a 20-story nonlinear benchmark building with a new recentering variable friction device (RVFD). The RVFD combines energy dissipation capabilities of a variable friction damper (VFD) with the recentering ability of shape memory alloy (SMA) wires. The VFD that is the first subcomponent of the hybrid device consists of a friction generation unit and piezoelectric actuators. The clamping force of the VFD can be adjusted according to the current level of ground motion by adjusting the voltage level of piezoelectric actuators. SMA wires that exhibit a unique hysteretic behavior and full shape recovery after experiencing large strains is the second subcomponent of the hybrid device. Numerical simulations of a seismically excited 20-story benchmark building are conducted to evaluate the performance of the hybrid device. A continuous hysteretic model is used to capture frictional behavior of the VFD and a neuro-fuzzy model is employed to describe highly nonlinear behavior of the SMA components of the hybrid device. A fuzzy logic controller is developed to adjust the voltage level of VFDs for favorable performance in an RVFD hybrid application. Results show that the RVFD modulated with a fuzzy logic control strategy can effectively reduce interstory drifts and permanent deformations without increasing acceleration response of the benchmark building for most cases. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Strong-lensing optical depths in a ΛCDM universe – II. The influence of the stellar mass in galaxies

We investigate how strong gravitational lensing in the concordance ΛCDM cosmology is affected by the stellar mass in galaxies. We extend our previous studies, based on ray tracing through the Millennium Simulation, by including the stellar components predicted by galaxy formation models. We find that the inclusion of these components greatly enhances the probability for strong lensing compared to a 'dark matter only' universe. The identification of the 'lenses' associated with strong-lensing events reveals that the stellar mass of galaxies (i) significantly enhances the strong-lensing cross-sections of group and cluster haloes and (ii) gives rise to strong lensing in smaller haloes, which would not produce noticeable effects in the absence of the stars. Even if we consider only image splittings ≳10 arcsec, the luminous matter can enhance the strong-lensing optical depths by up to a factor of 2.     

Perspectives in Modelling Climate–Hydrology Interactions

Various land–atmosphere coupling mechanisms exist that may lead to large-scale impacts on climate and hydrology. Some of them are still less understood and not adequately represented in state-of-the-art climate modelling. But, as the current generation of climate models enables consideration and implementation of important coupling processes, the present study provides perspectives for the modelling of relevant climate–hydrology interactions. On a more short-term perspective, these comprise anthropogenic land use and especially irrigation, which has been shown that it may even affect remote regions. On a long-term perspective, the coupling of hydrology to carbon cycle and vegetation becomes important, specifically the dynamics of permafrost and wetlands. Here, we present a review of current knowledge combined with some exemplary studies from a large-scale point of view. Therefore, we focus on climate–hydrology interactions that are relevant on scales utilized in the current or forthcoming global and regional climate modelling exercises.     

Evaluation of the boundary layer morning transition using the CL-31 ceilometer signals

The morning transition of the atmospheric boundary layer from nighttime to daytime conditions was investigated using the Vaisala’s CL-31 ceilometer, located at Magurele, Romania (44.35°N, 26.03°E). Based on the 5-days backward trajectories, we rejected those measurements which were related to the intrusions of long-range transported particles. In the several discussed cases, which are representative for the morning transition in spring and summer seasons over Magurele, the increasing depth of the boundary layer related to the local aerosol load was well discernible. The dynamic change of its depth was estimated with errors using a simple method based on finding the minimum of the first derivative of the ceilometer signal. In the summer, the increase of the boundary layer depth due to the morning transition from the nighttime to daytime conditions starts on average of about 80 min earlier and the growth rate of this depth is 143 ± 6 m/h and about 37% slower than in the spring case.     

Fate of Point‐Source Pesticide Spill in Clayey Till after 15 Years

This study investigated the development of pesticide pollution two, three, and 17 years after spills of the herbicides dichlorprop, mecoprop (MCPP), MCPA, 2,4‐D (phenoxy acids), simazine, and terbutylazine (triazines) in a former orchard machinery service yard. The spills had occurred over several decades on a 23‐m thick, mainly anaerobic fractured clayey till aquitard. Angled monitoring wells were installed in the aquitard 3 years after the spills ceased in 1989. In 1993, monitoring revealed that high groundwater concentrations of dichlorprop (677 µg/L) and MCPP (139 µg/L) were accumulated as a zone of maximum pollution in anaerobic and largely immobile pore water at 5 to 6 m depth in the aquitard profile. In contrast, 2,4‐D was determined in only one water sample, and MCPA and simazine and terbutylazine were determined only in low concentrations (below10 µg/L), although these pesticides had been handled at the site in greater amounts than dichlorprop and MCPP according to detailed historic information obtained for the site. Repeated monitoring in the same wells after a further 14 years in 2007 revealed that no identifiable degradation of MCPP had occurred, while dichlorprop had degraded by 75% to 80% (estimated half‐life of approximately 5 years). Furthermore, degradation products related to the phenoxy acids had accumulated, especially 4‐CPP with a maximum concentration of 218 µg/L. In the same zone, MCPA and simazine had almost disappeared. As the pollution was mainly accumulated in largely immobile pore water of the aquitard clayey matrix, and the groundwater recharge was low (30 to 60 mm/year), only minor vertical displacement of the zone with maximum pollution zone had occurred during the 15 years of monitoring. However, concentrations of dichlorprop (0.01 to 0.02 µg/L), MCPP (0.1 to 0.2 µg/L), and 4‐CPP (0.6 to 0.7 µg/L) had spread along textural heterogeneities in the aquitard into the underlying sandy aquifer at 23‐m depth.     

Revised palaeoclimatic significance of Mueller Glacier moraines,Southern Alps,New Zealand

A sequence of Late Holocene moraines on the foreland of the Mueller Glacier, Southern Alps, New Zealand, forms part of a local moraine‐age database used to establish a regional glacier chronology and subsequently to investigate potential intra‐hemispheric and global climate forcing mechanisms. We present new sedimentological and geomorphological evidence that a set of these moraine ridges, previously considered to represent individual advances, constitutes a single moraine complex (the ‘Mueller Memorial Moraine’) formed by supraglacial transport of a large volume of landslide debris to the glacier terminus. Because a moraine formed in this way is not necessarily associated with an advance triggered by a climate event, we question the palaeoclimatic significance of the Mueller Memorial Moraine, as well as that of other moraines in comparable settings. Our findings suggest that the mode of formation and glacio‐dynamical context of moraines whose ages contribute to existing palaeoclimate reconstructions need to be re‐examined in order to assess the reliability of these reconstructions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Algal-silica cycling and pigment diagenesis in recent alpine lake sediments: mechanisms and paleoecological implications

The quality and interpretability of the paleobiological record depends on the preservation of morphological and geochemical fossils. Siliceous microfossils and sedimentary pigments are often cornerstones in paleoecology, although the microbial and geochemical processes conducive to their preservation remain poorly constrained. We examined sediments from an alpine lake in Banff National Park (Alberta, Canada) where diatom frustules are completely dissolved within 50 years of deposition. Diatom dissolution, silica recycling, and diagenetic alteration of algal pigments were investigated, in conjunction with porewater geochemistry and microelectrode profiling of the sediment–water interface. Analysis of sediment trap material showed ~90% of biogenic silica (BSi) production is lost prior to burial. Silica flux calculations, based on dissolved silica (as H₄SiO₄) in pore-waters, show a further ~6% of total BSi is returned to the water column from the upper 4 cm of sediments, implying that only ~4% of total BSi is permanently archived in sediments. In situ sediment pH and O₂ profiles reveal that aerobic respiration by bacteria fully consumes oxygen by a depth of 4 mm into the sediment, with associated strong pH and redox gradients. During sedimentation and early diagenesis, diatoms undergo loss of extracellular polymeric substances that coat their frustules, promoting silica dissolution and leading to the loss of the microfossil record by a depth of 3.25 cm. Sedimentary pigments similarly undergo rapid degradation, but diatom-related carotenoids persist below the depth of silica dissolution. This work provides new insights on diagenetic processes in lakes, with broad implications for the interpretation of sedimentary proxies for algal production.     

Holocene tephra horizons at Klocka Bog,west‐central Sweden: aspects of reproducibility in subarctic peat deposits

This paper presents one of the most extensive Holocene tephra records found to date in Scandinavia. Microtephra horizons originating from Icelandic eruptions were recorded in two ca. 2 m thick peat profiles at Klocka Bog in west‐central Sweden. Five of the microtephra horizons were geochemically correlated to the Askja‐1875, Hekla‐3, Kebister, Hekla‐4 and Lairg A tephras respectively. Radiocarbon‐based dating of these tephras broadly agree with previously published ages from Iceland, Sweden, Germany and the British Isles. The identification of the Lairg A tephra demonstrates a more widespread distribution than previously thought, extending the usefulness of Icelandic Holocene tephrochronology further north into west‐central Scandinavia. Long‐lasting snow cover and seasonal wind distribution in the lower stratosphere are suggested as factors that may be responsible for fragmentary tephra deposition patterns in peat deposits of subarctic Scandinavia. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.