Not in my back yard! Sports stadia location and the property market

In recent years sports stadia have been built in the UK, not only for their intended sporting purpose but with the twin aim of stimulating economic and physical regeneration. However, proposals to locate stadia in urban areas often prompt a negative reaction from local communities, fearing a decline in property prices. This paper will use a case study of the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff and the City of Manchester Stadium to illustrate that in contrast to this widely held belief, sports stadia can actually enhance the value of residential property. Furthermore, it will argue that stadia also contribute indirectly to property value through the creation of pride, confidence and enhanced image of an area.     

Distribution of polycyclic musks in water and particulate matter of the Lippe River (Germany)

The occurrence and distribution of polycyclic musks in the Lippe River system (a tributary of the Rhine River, Germany) was investigated in order to observe the dynamic transport and partitioning of these compounds between aqueous and particulate phases after their discharge into the river by sewage effluents. 1,3,4,6,7,8-Hexahydro-4,6,6,7,8,8-hexamethylcyclopenta[g]-2-benzopyrane (HHCB), 7-acetyl-1,1,3,4,4,6-hexamethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene (AHTN), 6-acetyl-1,1,2,3,3,5-hexamethylindane (AHMI) and 4-acetyl-1,1-dimethyl-6-tert.-butylindane (ADBI) concentrations were determined in 19 water and surface sediment samples which were taken from a longitudinal section of the river. HHCB and AHTN were present in each of the water samples at concentrations ranging from <10 to 180 ng l⁻¹ and <10 to 70 ng l⁻¹, respectively. The load of dissolved HHCB and AHTN was calculated on the basis of compound concentrations in water and the corresponding river runoff data and ranged from 3 to 293 g day⁻¹ and from 1 to 108 g day⁻¹, respectively. Increasing loads of HHCB and AHTN along the river reflect a high input of sewage effluents to the densely populated areas along the central part of the river. Decreasing loads at the lower reaches indicate that in the corresponding river sections the rate of removal of musks was higher than the rate of input. Degradation and/or adsorption to particulate matter are processes that might explain this phenomenon. Consequently, high concentrations of HHCB and AHTN were detected in surface sediments from the Lippe River (from 5 to 191 μg kg⁻¹ and from 2 to 1399 μg kg⁻¹, respectively). HHCB/AHTN ratios in sediment samples were lower (average 1.2) than in water samples (average 2.9), suggesting the preferential adsorption of AHTN to particulate matter.     

Evaluation and Assessment of Blast-Induced Ground Vibrations in an Underground Gold Mine: A Case Study

Natural Resources Research - Ground vibrations induced during rock fragmentation by blasting remain a potential source of hazard for the stability of nearby structures. In this paper, to forecast...     

Changing sea ice conditions and marine transportation activity in Canadian Arctic waters between 1990 and 2012

Declining sea ice area in the Canadian Arctic has gained significant attention with respect to the prospect of increased shipping activities. To investigate relationships between recent declines in sea ice area with Arctic maritime activity, trend and correlation analysis was performed on sea ice area data for total, first-year ice (FYI), and multi-year ice (MYI), and on a comprehensive shipping dataset of observed vessel transits through the Vessel Traffic Reporting Arctic Canada Traffic Zone (NORDREG zone) from 1990 to 2012. Links to surface air temperature (SAT) and the satellite derived melt season length were also investigated. Between 1990 and 2012, statistically significant increases in vessel traffic were observed within the NORDREG zone on monthly and annual time-scales coincident with declines in sea ice area (FYI, MYI, and total ice) during the shipping season and on a monthly basis. Similarly, the NORDREG zone is experiencing increased shoulder season shipping activity, alongside an increasing melt season length and warming surface air temperatures (SAT). Despite these trends, only weak correlations between the variables were identified, although a step increase in shipping activity is apparent following the former summer sea ice extent minimum in 2007. Other non-environmental factors have also likely contributed to the observed increase in Arctic shipping activity within the Canadian Arctic, such as tourism demand, community re-supply needs, and resource exploration trends.     

Anthropogenic organic contaminants in water, sediments and benthic organisms of the mangrove-fringed Segara Anakan Lagoon, Java, Indonesia

Segara Anakan, a mangrove-fringed coastal lagoon in Indonesia, has a high diversity of macrobenthic invertebrates and is increasingly affected by human activities. We found >50 organic contaminants in water, sediment and macrobenthic invertebrates from the lagoon most of which were polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs). Composition of PACs pointed to petrogenic contamination in the eastern lagoon. PACs mainly consisted of alkylated PAHs, which are more abundant in crude oil than parent PAHs. Highest total PAC concentration in sediment was above reported toxicity thresholds for aquatic invertebrates. Other identified compounds derived from municipal sewage and also included novel contaminants like triphenylphosphine oxide. Numbers of stored contaminants varied between species which is probably related to differences in microhabitat and feeding mode. Most contaminants were detected in Telescopium telescopium and Polymesoda erosa. Our findings suggest that more attention should be paid to the risk potential of alkylated PAHs, which has hardly been addressed previously.     

Swirls on the Moon and Mercury: meteoroid swarm encounters as a formation mechanism

We show that plowing of the lunar and mercurian regoliths by dense meteoroid swarms (the remnants of degassed comet nuclei) can be considered as the most probable mechanism of swirl formation. Frequently discussed mechanical and thermal effects of coma gas in cometary encounters with the Moon or Mercury are shown to be negligible as compared to those of the impact of a compact cometary nucleus. The result of such an impact does not differ substantially from that of denser impactors, so impacts of comets with compact nuclei can hardly be the mechanism of swirl formation. On the other hand, the projectile swarm consisting of numerous fragments of previously disrupted cometary nucleus produces many small craters and ejecta in a large area. The particles of the ejecta go through numerous collisions with each other. This may result in formation of the characteristic swirl pattern and dust component of the regolith. This can also decrease surface micro-roughness, which is consistent with photometric observations. Regolith plowing to depths up to a few meters excavates the immature regolith to the surface but cannot noticeably change the initial chemical composition of the upper layers in the area of swarm fall. This is generally in agreement with the results obtained from Clementine spectral data. Swirls are expected to be more numerous on Mercury due to more frequent swarm encounters and more dense clouds of debris in the vicinity of the Sun.     

Precipitation of pyroxenes and Mg2SiO4 from majoritic garnet: simulation of peridotite exhumation from great depth

Our experimental simulations of the exhumation path of mantle peridotites show that high‐temperature (1400 °C) decompression of lherzolite from 14 to 13 and 12 GPa results in exsolution of interstitial blebs of diopside and Mg₂SiO₄ (wadsleyite) lamellae from majoritic garnet. At lower pressures (from 8 to 5 GPa, at T = 1400 °C) only enstatite exsolves as blebs at garnet boundaries. Continuous high‐temperature decompression from 14 to 7 GPa produces zoned majoritic garnet containing blebs of exsolved pyroxenes inside garnet rims. No intracrystalline precipitation of pyroxene was observed in garnet, although such lamellae are found in some natural garnet peridotites. The explanation appears to be the three orders of magnitude difference in grain size between experimental and natural specimens. Our data suggest that Mg₂SiO₄ and diopside exsolutions reflect the deepest point of the exhumation path of garnet peridotites, whereas enstatite precipitation may be restricted to garnets with less majoritic component at shallower depths.     

Intergranular diamonds derived from partial melting of crustal rocks at ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic conditions

By reporting for the first time intergranular diamond in quartz–feldspar (Qtz–Kfs) aggregates, the processes of metamorphic diamond formation have to be reconsidered. Based on their Kfs/Qtz ratio, the texture of these aggregates are proposed to result from ‘granitic’ melt with a calculated composition that corresponds well with that of experimental data for the pelitic system. Taking into account experiments on CO₂ solubility in silicate melt under ultrahigh‐pressure conditions, a granitic melt is further suggested to act as a crystallization medium as well as a transport medium for producing metamorphic diamond.     

Stormy geomorphology: geomorphic contributions in an age of climate extremes

The increasing frequency and/or severity of extreme climate events are becoming increasingly apparent over multi‐decadal timescales at the global scale, albeit with relatively low scientific confidence. At the regional scale, scientific confidence in the future trends of extreme event likelihood is stronger, although the trends are spatially variable. Confidence in these extreme climate risks is muddied by the confounding effects of internal landscape system dynamics and external forcing factors such as changes in land use and river and coastal engineering. Geomorphology is a critical discipline in disentangling climate change impacts from other controlling factors, thereby contributing to debates over societal adaptation to extreme events. We review four main geomorphic contributions to flood and storm science. First, we show how palaeogeomorphological and current process studies can extend the historical flood record while also unraveling the complex interactions between internal geomorphic dynamics, human impacts and changes in climate regimes. A key outcome will be improved quantification of flood probabilities and the hazard dimension of flood risk. Second, we present evidence showing how antecedent geomorphological and climate parameters can alter the risk and magnitude of landscape change caused by extreme events. Third, we show that geomorphic processes can both mediate and increase the geomorphological impacts of extreme events, influencing societal risk. Fourthly, we show the potential of managing flood and storm risk through the geomorphic system, both near‐term (next 50 years) and longer‐term. We recommend that key methods of managing flooding and erosion will be more effective if risk assessments include palaeodata, if geomorphological science is used to underpin nature‐based management approaches, and if land‐use management addresses changes in geomorphic process regimes that extreme events can trigger. We argue that adopting geomorphologically‐grounded adaptation strategies will enable society to develop more resilient, less vulnerable socio‐geomorphological systems fit for an age of climate extremes. © 2016 The Authors. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.