A dated volcano-tectonic deformation event in Jan Mayen causing landlocking of Arctic charr

We provide the first documentation of tectonic deformation resulting from a volcanic eruption on the island of Jan Mayen. Vertical displacement of about 14 m southwest of the stratovolcano Beerenberg is associated with an eruption in ad 1732 on its southeastern flank. The age of the uplift event is bracketed by radiocarbon-dated driftwood buried by material deposited due to uplift, and by tephra from this eruption. Constraints, inferred from radiocarbon ages alone, allow for the possibility that uplift was completed prior to the ad 1732 eruption. However, the occurrence of tephra in the sediment column indicates that some displacement was ongoing during the eruption but ceased before the eruption terminated. We attribute the tectonic deformation to intrusion of shallow magma associated with the volcanic eruption. Our results complement previous studies of volcanic activity on Jan Mayan by providing precise age constraints for past volcanic activity. Also, it raises new hypotheses regarding the nature, timing and prevalence of precursor tectonic events to Jan Mayan eruptions. The uplift caused the complete isolation of a coastal lake by closing its outlet to the sea, thus landlocking the facultative migratory fish species Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus).     

The Moravian missionaries at the Labrador coast and their centuries-long contribution to instrumental meteorological observations

The history of instrumental meteorological observations in Labrador/Nunatsiavut, Canada, began in August 1771 when the Unitas Fratrum, also known as the “Moravian Brethren”, established a mission among the Inuit on the Labrador coast. The Brethren named this place “Nain” after a city mentioned in the New Testament of the Bible. The missionaries included learned men, trained in the natural sciences, and in October of that same year they began to undertake instrumental meteorological observations. These observations have been continued, in one form or another, to the present day. As will be shown in this paper, the year 1771 thus marks the beginning of a long time series of meteorological observations from Labrador. The authors of this paper are currently researching the climatic history of the Labrador/Nunatsiavut region by tracing the meteorological observations of the Moravian missionaries to be found in scientific publications of the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. As will be demonstrated, the records of these observations in Labrador go through several stages; from being almost completely forgotten, to being published and republished in the main international meteorological journals. In this latter context, it may be said that the channels for the distribution of this knowledge are still being charted; this process involves tracking contacts between the Moravian Church and their sympathisers, as well as between the Church and contemporary scientists. This paper seeks to elucidate knowledge of these old records by placing them in the context of the research field of historical climatology and, at the same time, to honour the Moravian missionary observers for their valuable contribution to knowledge of past variations in climate.     

Periodic Appearance of Coronal Holes and the Related Variation of Solar Wind Parameters

We compared the variability of coronal hole (CH) areas (determined from daily GOES/SXI images) with solar wind (daily ACE data) and geomagnetic parameters for the time span 25 January 2005 until 11 September 2005 (late declining phase of solar cycle 23). Applying wavelet spectral analysis, a clear 9-day period is found in the CH time series. The GOES/SXI image sequence suggests that this periodic variation is caused by a mutual triangular distribution of CHs ∼120° apart in longitude. From solar wind parameters a 9-day periodicity was obtained as well, simultaneously with the 9-day period in the CH area time series. These findings provide strong evidence that the 9-day period in solar wind parameters, showing up as higher harmonic of the solar rotation frequency, is caused by the “periodic” longitudinal distribution of CHs on the Sun recurring for several solar rotations. The shape of the wavelet spectrum from the Dst index matches only weakly with that from the CH areas and is more similar to the wavelet spectrum of the solar wind magnetic field magnitude. The distinct 9-day period does not show up in sunspot group areas which gives further evidence that the solar wind modulation is strongly related to CH areas but not to active region complexes. The wavelet power spectra for the whole ACE data range (∼1998 – 2006) suggest that the 9-day period is not a singular phenomenon occurring only during a specific time range close to solar minimum but is occasionally also present during the maximum and decay phase of solar cycle 23. The main periods correspond to the solar rotation (27^d) as well as to the second (13.5^d) and third (9^d) harmonic. Electronic Supplementary Material The online version of this article () contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Résultats préliminaires sur la sédimentation pélagique de l'Atlantique tropical au Crétacé et au Tertiaire (plateau de Demerara,Leg ODP 207)

Five sites located on a bathymetric transect of the distal Demerara Rise were studied by ODP Leg 207. Albian sediments of essentially terrigenous nature (clay, siltstone, sandstone) are the oldest drilled stratigraphic levels and form apparently the top of the synrift sequence. They are overlain by Cenomanian to Santonian finely laminated black shales, rich in organic matter of marine origin, which accumulated on a thermally subsiding ramp. Early Campanian hiatuses are thought to be the result of final disjunction of Demerara Rise (South America) from Africa and the onset of deep water communication between the two Atlantic basins (south and central). The overlying Uppermost Cretaceous–Oligocene chalk includes rich and diversified calcareous plankton assemblages, as well as two radiolarian-rich intervals (Late Campanian and Middle Eocene). A complex erosional surface developed during the Late Oligocene–Early Miocene. Sedimentation was impeded since then on the intermediate and deep sites of Demerara Rise, possibly due to the action of deep submarine currents. To cite this article: T. Danelian et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Fluoride occurrence in publicly supplied drinking water in Estonia

A study was undertaken to examine the content and spatial distribution of fluoride in drinking water. Water samples (735) from public water systems covering all Estonian territory were analysed using SPADNS method. In order to specify the natural source of fluoride, the chemistry data from five aquifer systems utilised for water supply were included into the study. Fluoride concentrations in tap water, to a great extent, ranged from 0.01 to 6.95 mg/l. Drinking water in southern Estonia, where terrigenous Middle-Devonian aquifer system is exploited, has a fluoride concentration lower than recommended level (0.5 mg/l), thus promoting susceptibility to dental caries. The western part of the country is supplied by water with excess fluoride content (1.5–6.9 mg/l). Groundwater abstracted for drinking purposes originates from Ordovician and Silurian carbonate rocks. The content of fluoride in Silurian–Ordovician aquifer system is associated with the groundwater abstraction depth and the main controlling factors of dissolved fluoride are the pH value and the chemical type of water.     

HNO3 and PSC Measurements from the Transall: Sequestering of HNO3 in the Winter of 1994/95

In the winter of 1994/95 the TRANSALL research aircraft performed several flights in the region of the Arctic vortex during the period of low stratospheric temperatures. The results of simultaneous measurements of HNO3 column amounts by the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) and of aerosol backscatter profiles by the Ozone Lidar EXperiment (OLEX) are presented for two typical flight scenarios across the polar vortex boundary on December 17, 1994 and January 11/12, 1995. On December 17 and January 12, the column amounts of gaseous HNO3 decreased significantly in regions with low stratospheric temperatures. This decrease was correlated with the extent of the polar stratospheric clouds. Depolarisation measurements showed that type Ib PSCs were observed primarily, but equilibrium calculations for H2SO4/HNO3/H2O aerosols seem to underestimate the observed HNO3 sequestering.     

MIPAS-Transall Observations of the Variability of CLONO2 during the Arctic Winter of 1994/95

In the winter of 1994/95 the German Transall research aircraft performed 5 campaigns in the European Arctic with 22 flights altogether. An extensive dataset of HNO3, ClONO2 and O3 column amounts was obtained by MIPAS-FT (Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding - Flugzeug Transall) onboard the aircraft. In this paper we present the variability of the ClONO2 reservoir gas in the course of the winter. We include groundbased FTIR measurements of HF, HCl and ClONO2 to discuss the airborne observations with regard to the partitioning of inorganic chlorine.From mid-December until the end of January, MIPAS measured a stable ClONO2 collar with constantly low column amounts inside the polar vortex and maxima at the edge. This observation reflected widespread conversion of ClONO2 to reactive chlorine inside the vortex for at least six weeks. In good accordance, the ground stations measured low in-vortex HCl and ClONO2 column amounts and conversion of HCl into ClONO2 in the region of the ClONO2 maxima. In the first week of February the ClONO2 amounts started to increase in the edge region as well as inside the vortex. Between March 21 and 27, just one week after the last cold period, MIPAS observed exclusively high ClONO2 column amounts inside the vortex, indicating fast deactivation of active chlorine. In the same period the ground stations measured an excess of ClONO2 over HCl. Further, the high ClONO2 implies that the polar vortex was renoxified in March. Lower ClONO2 values, observed inside the vortex on the flights of April 5 and 8, and an increased HCl/ClONO2 ratio, measured from ground, marked the starting redistribution within the chlorine reservoir species to the photochemically more stable HCl.In February, March and April, MIPAS observed mixing of ClONO2-rich air masses with midlatitude air at the vortex edge. A very clear event happened on March 27. On this flight a distinct ClONO2 minimum was measured at the vortex edge, which was closely correlated with a filament of midlatitude air observed by OLEX (Ozone Lidar EXperiment) onboard the Transall.     

Carbonate mud sedimentation on a temperate shelf: Bass Basin, southeastern Australia

Bass Basin (66,000 km²) is unusual as a carbonate-dominated basin because calcitic carbonate muds are accumulating in relatively shallow (70–85 m) water depths in the central part of the basin (20,000 km²). The carbonate muds are produced by the primary accumulation and disintegration of nannoplankton, as well as through the biodegradation of skeletal carbonate grains accumulating on the sea floor. The muds are transported to the south of the basin to the end of tidal current transport paths, where they accumulate in the lowest-energy environment available in enclosed Bass Basin, although they are still subject to periodic reworking by storm energy. The basin margins consist of coarser, partially palimpsest, carbonate sands, whereas the central muds overlie a Late Pleistocene disequilibrium surface. In cores these muds are up to 1 m thick and thin away from the centre towards the margins. Bioturbation is important in modifying the textural character of the muds by increasing the grain size as faecal pellets, and therefore creating a sea floor not in equilibrium with modern hydrodynamic conditions. Radiocarbon dates for an early post-glacial marine transgression embayment facies in the basin gave ages of 10,290 ± 250 to 11,660 ± 300 years B.P. An age of 8700 ± 710 years B.P. was obtained for the base of the modern strait facies. These ages and facies thicknesses were used to establish Holocene sedimentation rates of < 12 cm/1000 y for the basin centre, falling to < 6 cm/1000 y towards the margins.     

Im Blick zurück ein Schritt nach vorn: ein Beitrag zum Verhältnis von Limnologie und Geschichte

Most scientists tend to ignore the history of their own discipline, at best it occurs as a sort of ‘big names history’. History is thought to be useless or at least irrelevant for the own scientific work. In the following it is questioned, whether this is an indispensable assumption of productive and progressive science. Some propositions will be discussed, what a positive historical perspective could mean for the current limnological research. It is claimed that it could be not only interesting but even exciting for limnologists to deal with their own history. One important argument is that limnology not only has a history but also is history: the ‘discovery’ of new methods, theories, concepts and instruments depends on the forgoing. Consequently, scientific progress is related to the history and progress of a particular discipline. This means in same time that the historical reflection could be an important issue to a more complete ‘explanation’ and understanding of this progress.Another reason to overcome the traditional separation into actual and historical knowledge and acting could be the hybrid character of ecology. In ecology, and consequently also in limnology, several elements of opposite scientific methodologies are merged together. Therefore the discussions on the saprobial system, an ecosystem ‘lake’ and the ‘microbial loop’ differ fundamentally. Turned positively it means that limnology should be skilled in handling with different systems of knowledge. This skills should be accessible by approaching the own history in a selfconcious way. Of course the internal view alone is not sufficient to write a history of the discipline, which aims to demonstrate the movement of progress, the relation between science and society as well as science and technics. Its history must be studied from the perspective and with the methods of the history and philosophy of science. In doing so there should be a common objective for historians and scientists that is the amelioration of the science ‘limnology’.     

A NanoSIMS study of Si- and Ca-Ti-isotopic compositions of presolar silicon carbide grains from supernovae

We report results from NanoSIMS isotopic measurements on 37 presolar silicon carbide grains of type X which are believed to have formed in the ejecta of supernova explosions. Isotopic data were obtained for Si and Ca-Ti (all grains), C and N (two grains), and Ti (one grain). All X grains exhibit large enrichments in ²⁸Si (up to 5× solar), in agreement with previously studied X grains. On a scale of 200 nm, the Si-isotopic ratios do not vary by more than the analytical uncertainties of several percent in all but one X grain. This implies that most X grains formed from well-mixed regions in supernova ejecta. X grain M9-68-3 is characterized by two regions with distinct Si- and Ti-isotopic signatures which may either represent two distinct grains or overgrowth of matter from two different mixtures in the supernova ejecta. Most of the Ca in the X grains is most likely contamination as indicated by close to normal ⁴²Ca/⁴⁰Ca ratios. Seven X grains show enhanced ⁴⁴Ca/⁴⁰Ca ratios of up to 6× the solar ratio. Spatial distributions of ⁴⁴Ca excesses and Ti are positively correlated, giving strong support to the view that excesses in ⁴⁴Ca are due to the decay of radioactive ⁴⁴Ti. Inferred initial ⁴⁴Ti/⁴⁸Ti ratios are between 0.01 and 0.28 and are correlated with Si-isotopic ratios. Radiogenic ⁴⁴Ca is widely distributed in six X grains. X grain M9-132-4 exhibits a pronounced heterogeneity in the distribution of radiogenic ⁴⁴Ca and ⁴⁸Ti as well as in ⁴⁴Ti/⁴⁸Ti, pointing to presence of a small Ti-rich subgrain or heterogeneous loss of Ca and Ti after grain formation. This grain has a unique Si-isotopic composition with ³⁰Si/²⁹Si = 2.2× the solar ratio and C- and N-isotopic compositions as typically observed in X grains.