Characterization of indoor and outdoor atmospheric pollutants impacting architectural monuments: the case of San Jerónimo Monastery (Granada, Spain)

Indoor and outdoor concentrations of atmospheric gaseous pollutants as well as composition, size, and morphology of particulate matter have been investigated at the monastery of San Jerónimo in Granada (Southern Spain). Complementary micro- and nano-analytical techniques were applied; elemental and mineralogical composition and morphological characteristics of particulate matter were investigated combining electron probe microanalysis at the single particle level, and bulk aerosol samples were analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray analyzer and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Microclimatic conditions at the monastery were monitored, and gas concentrations were assessed by means of diffusion tubes subsequently analyzed with ion chromatography. Results revealed high abundances of soil dust particles (aluminosilicates, calcite, dolomite, quartz), salt aerosols (chlorides, sulfates and ammonium-rich salts), and NO₂ and SO₂ both outdoors and indoors. Amorphous black carbon particles had surprisingly high abundances for Granada, a non-industrialized city. The composition of indoor particles corresponds to severe weathering affecting the construction materials and artworks inside the church; moreover their composition promotes a feedback process that intensifies the deterioration. Chemical reactions between chloride-rich salts and pigments from paintings were confirmed by TEM analyses. Indoors, blackening of surface decorative materials is fostered by particle re-suspension due to cleaning habits in the monastery (i.e. dusting). This is the first air quality study performed in a monument in the city of Granada with the aim of developing a strategy for preventive conservation.     

Annual deformation signals from homogeneously reprocessed VLBI and GPS height time series

The first part of this paper compares homogeneously reprocessed Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and Global Positioning System (GPS) long-term height series from 1994 to 2007. The data analysis used fully adapted state-of-the-art models (like VMF1 and a priori zenith delays from ECMWF) for the GPS and VLBI processing. The series are compared in terms of long-term non-linear behaviour, harmonic and mean annual signals (not necessarily of harmonic nature). The similarity between both techniques is very good (especially the mean annual signals), which is assumed to be due to the adapted models and consistent reprocessing of both series. As two almost independent observing techniques see the same annually recurring signals at almost all co-located sites, we expect a good geophysical interpretability as integral vertical deformation. For the second part of this paper, the height time series of 161 suitable GPS sites (of the same solution as before) are used to determine a harmonic and a mean annual signal for each of them. Comparing the annual signals for this big dataset visually to GRACE-determined load deformations described in other publications, we find good agreement. This puts emphasis to the assumption that our height data have a lot of potential to be interpreted as geophysical signals. Out of these 161, 131 are grouped to 55 clusters, if at least two nearby (some thousand kilometres) sites show similar mean annual signals, which are thus confirmed to be real regional deformation, not local or technical artefacts. These 55 signals are presented on a “world map” of regional average mean annual height signals, as easy-to-handle tool to validate geophysical models. The data of these measured regional mean annual signals can be downloaded from a web-page for numerical analysis.     

Microscale investigations of microbial communities in coastal surficial sediments

The upper millimeters of sediments are considered major locations of microbial colonization and activity. The goal of our study was to investigate variations of microbial communities in the uppermost sediment layers of the coastal Baltic Sea with emphasis on the complex interplay between microbiology and physico‐chemical sediment properties. We selected a high‐resolution methodological approach that combined the cryolanding sampling technique (spatial resolution of 250 μm) with microsensor‐, spectrophotometric and microscopic analyses. While the oxygen penetration depths in dark conditions ranged from 1.4 mm to 2.6 mm during the study period, this zone expanded by about 1 mm in light and could be divided into three micro‐horizons: (i) an upper zone with a high net O₂ production, (ii) an intermediate zone with increased O₂ consumption on account of light‐stimulated respiration and (iii) a lower zone with lower O₂ consumption. Time‐series experiments revealed a rapid response of the benthic microbial community to altered light intensities. In May and July, the net O₂ budget in the porewater of sediments was positive within 35 and 22 min after illumination, respectively, whereas in June O₂ production exceeded O₂ consumption after 112 min. The thickness of the O₂ production and O₂ consumption micro‐zones decreased from May to July coinciding with an increase in temperature. In May, sites of enhanced O₂ consumption were closely associated with subsurface maxima of microbial numbers and enzymatic activities indicating a tight coupling between photoautotrophic and heterotrophic processes between 1‐ and 2‐mm depth. In June and July, the microbial abundance and enzymatic activity hardly varied with depth. Spatial and temporal microheterogeneity of microbial distribution and activity in O₂ gradients was seen as a reflection of the complex interplay between microbiology and physico‐chemical sediment properties.     

Combined Earth orientation parameters based on homogeneous and continuous VLBI and GPS data

The CONT02 campaign is of great interest for studies combining very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) with other space-geodetic techniques, because of the continuously available VLBI observations over 2 weeks in October 2002 from a homogeneous network. Especially, the combination with the Global Positioning System (GPS) offers a broad spectrum of common parameters. We combined station coordinates, Earth orientation parameters (EOPs) and troposphere parameters consistently in one solution using technique- specific datum-free normal equation systems. In this paper, we focus on the analyses concerning the EOPs, whereas the comparison and combination of the troposphere parameters and station coordinates are covered in a companion paper in Journal of Geodesy. In order to demonstrate the potential of the VLBI and GPS space-geodetic techniques, we chose a sub-daily resolution for polar motion (PM) and universal time (UT). A consequence of this solution set-up is the presence of a one-to-one correlation between the nutation angles and a retrograde diurnal signal in PM. The Bernese GPS Software used for the combination provides a constraining approach to handle this singularity. Simulation studies involving both nutation offsets and rates helped to get a deeper understanding of this singularity. With a rigorous combination of UT1–UTC and length of day (LOD) from VLBI and GPS, we showed that such a combination works very well and does not suffer from the systematic effects present in the GPS-derived LOD values. By means of wavelet analyses and the formal errors of the estimates, we explain this important result. The same holds for the combination of nutation offsets and rates. The local geodetic ties between GPS and VLBI antennas play an essential role within the inter-technique combination. Several studies already revealed non-negligible discrepancies between the terrestrial measurements and the space-geodetic solutions. We demonstrate to what extent these discrepancies propagate into the combined EOP solution.     

Fluid-dynamics driving saline water in the North East German Basin

In several areas of the North German Basin, saline water comes close to, or even reaches the surface. Available data from wells indicate that brine stratification is under unstable conditions in the deeper underground. In order to analyse the possible transport mechanisms, 3D thermohaline simulations have been carried out for two different scenarios. The 3D regional model (230×330 km) indicates that salty water is driven to the surface by hydrostatical forces from the surrounding highlands. In addition, a smaller scale model (10×10 km) has been constructed with a grid resolution accounting for possible convective flow. The results indicate that convective flow may play a dominant role in areas with minor topography. In summary, the complex pattern of near surface occurrences of saline water probably results from the interaction of hydrostatic and thermal forces.     

Salinization problems in the NEGB: results from thermohaline simulations

The occurrence of salty waters close to the surface is a well-known problem in the North East German Basin. Previous numerical simulations showed that near-surface brine occurrences are due to the interaction of hydrostatic and thermally induced forces (mixed convection). The influence of hydraulic permeabilities and thermal conductivities on the observed patterns remained an open question. Based on a hydro-geochemical dataset, thermohaline simulations are carried out in order to quantify the impact of these physical parameters on brine migration. The results indicate that the salinity and temperature profiles are strongly controlled by hydraulic permeabilities and can locally be influenced by thermal conductivities.     

Spatial modelling of summer climate indices based on local climate zones: expected changes in the future climate of Brno,Czech Republic

Climatic Change - With global climate change ongoing, there is growing concern about future living conditions in urban areas. This contribution presents the modelled spatial distribution of two...     

Application of Mineral‐Based Amendments for Enhancing Phytostabilization in Lolium perenne L. Cultivation

An experimental investigation is conducted to explore the suitability of Lolium perenne L., diatomite, chalcedonite, dolomite, and limestone for the phytostabilization of Ni and Cu in contaminated soil. A controlled greenhouse study is conducted. The soil is enriched with rising dose of Cu and Ni, that is, (0, 150, 250, and 350 mg kg^?1) and (0, 150, 300, and 450 mg kg^?1), respectively. The phytostabilization potential of perennial ryegrass is evaluated using a bioaccumulation coefficient and translocation factor. Pseudo‐total and available metal content (0.01 M CaCl₂) in soils and bioaccumulated content in plants are defined in laboratory experiments using spectrophotometry experimental technique. L. perenne is adequate in phytostabilization aided programs, simultaneously, diatomite, chalcedonite, dolomite, and limestone used as modifiers are effective in reducing the accessibility and mobility of metals in Cu‐ and Ni‐polluted soils. The finding of the present study suggests that the studied element in the roots and above‐ground parts of L. perenne differs significantly upon applying mineral‐based modifications to the soil, synchronously the effect of increasing Cu and Ni levels. Application of dolomite and limestone to the soil cause the highest percentage of the above‐ground biomass. Diatomite along with limestone cause a significant boost of Cu and Ni absorption in the roots. Limestone causes an increase in the contents of K, Na, and Ca, as well as a reduction in P in the above‐ground parts of L. perenne. Limestone and chalcedonite leads to the highest decrease in available Cu and Ni.     

Surface salinity and nutrient variations during the Littorina Stage in the Fårö Deep,Baltic Sea

Early to late Holocene sediments from core F80, Fårö Deep, Baltic Sea, are investigated for their palynomorph composition and dinoflagellate cyst record to map variations in sea‐surface‐water salinity and palaeoproductivity during the past 6000 years. The F80 palynomorph assemblages are subdivided into four Assemblage Zones (AZs) named A to D. The transition from the stratigraphically oldest AZ A to B reflects a marked increase in palaeoproductivity and a gradual increase in surface‐water salinity over the ～1500 years between the Initial Littorina (former Mastogloia Sea Stage) and Littorina Sea Stage. A period with maximum sea‐surface salinity is recorded within the overlying AZ C from 7200 to 5200 cal. a BP, where the process length of Operculodinium centrocarpum indicates that average salinities were probably the highest (～15–17 versus 7.5 psu today) since the last glaciation. The change from AZ C to D correlates with a shift from laminated to non‐laminated sediments, and the dinoflagellate cyst assemblages suggest that the surface‐ and the deep‐water environment altered from c. 5250 cal. a BP, with less productivity in the surface water and more oxygenated conditions in the deep water. Here we demonstrate that past regional changes in surface salinity, primary productivity and deep‐water oxygenation status in the Baltic Sea can be traced by mapping overall palynomorph composition, dinoflagellate cyst assemblages and variations in the process length of O. centrocarpum in relation to periods of laminated/non‐laminated sedimentation and proportion of organic‐matter in the sediments. An understanding of past productivity changes is particularly important to better understand present‐day environmental changes within the Baltic Sea region.