Future changes of the atmospheric composition and the impact of climate change

The development of the future atmospheric chemical composition is investigated with respect to NO _y and O₃ by means of the off‐line coupled dynamic‐chemical general circulation model ECHAM3/CHEM. Two time slice experiments have been performed for the years 1992 and 2015, which include changes in sea surface temperatures, greenhouse gas concentrations, emissions of CFCs, NO _x and other species, i.e., the 2015 simulation accounts for changes in chemically relevant emissions and for a climate change and its impact on air chemistry. The 2015 simulation clearly shows a global increase in ozone except for large areas of the lower stratosphere, where no significant changes or even decreases in the ozone concentration are found. For a better understanding of the importance of (A) emissions like NO _x and CFCs, (B) future changes of air temperature and water vapour concentration, and (C) other dynamical parameters, like precipitation and changes in the circulation, diabatic circulation, stratosphere‐troposphere‐exchange, the simulation of the future atmosphere has been performed stepwise. This method requires a climate‐chemistry model without interactive coupling of chemical species. Model results show that the direct effect of emissions (A) plays a major rôle for the composition of the future atmosphere, but they also clearly show that climate change (B and C) has a significant impact and strongly reduces the NO _y and ozone concentration in the lower stratosphere.     

An Exposed Hercynian Deep Crustal Section in the Sila Massif of Northern Calabria: Mineral Chemistry, Petrology and a P-T Path of Granulite-facies Metapelitic Migmatites and Metabasites

In the Sila massif of northern Calabria a continuous sectionis exposed through a segment of a Hercynian deep continentalcrust, which has been interpreted by previous workers as a stackof basement nappes (‘Monte Gariglione Complex’).The section consists essentially of metapelitic migmatites andsubordinate metabasites and marbles, which were metamorphosedat medium-pressure–high-temperature granulite-facies conditions.A continuous metamorphic gradient through the exposed segmentcan be deduced from the systematic change in the compositionsof ferromagnesian minerals in divariant metapelitic assemblages.This gradient is partly supported by conventional geothermobarometryand by applying the TWEEQU method. However, peak-metamorphicconditions are better defined by dehydration melting reactions,which reveal     

Methane‐related microbial gypsum calcitization in stromatolites of a marine evaporative setting (Münder Formation,Upper Jurassic,Hils Syncline,north Germany)

Fossil stromatolites may reveal information about their hydrochemical palaeoenvironment, provided that assignment to a specific microbial community and a corresponding biogeochemical mechanism of formation can be made. Tithonian stromatolites of the Münder Formation at Thüste, north Germany, have traditionally been considered as formed by intertidal cyanobacterial communities. However, thin sections of the stromatolites show elongated angular traces of former gypsum crystals in a dense arrangement, but no algal or cyanobacterial filament traces. Moreover, high Fe²⁺ and Mn²⁺ contents, oxygen‐isotope and sulphur‐isotope ratios of carbonate‐bound sulphates, and sulphurized hydrocarbon biomarkers of the stromatolitic carbonate indicate that CaCO₃ precipitation occurred near the oxic–anoxic interface as a result of intensive bacterial sulphur cycling rather than photosynthetic activity. Furthermore, anaerobic oxidation of methane by Archaea may have driven CaCO₃ precipitation in deeper parts of the biofilm community, as reflected by high concentrations of squalane with a strongly negative δ¹³C in conjunction with evaporite pseudomorphs showing extremely low δ¹³C_Carb ratios. Consequently, the Thüste stromatolites are now interpreted as having initially formed by gypsum impregnation of biofilms. Subsequently, early Mg‐calcitic calcitization within the biofilms occurred because of combined bacterial iron, manganese and sulphate reduction, with an increasing contribution of anaerobic oxidation of methane with depth. This model plausibly explains the prominent preservation of signals derived from oxygen‐independent metabolic pathways, whereas virtually no geochemical record exists for an aerobic community that may, nevertheless, have prevailed at the stromatolite surface. Photic‐zone stromatolites with a prominent signal of anaerobic oxidation of methane may be common in, and indicative of, oxygen‐depleted sulphate‐bearing environments with high rates of methane production, conditions that possibly were fulfilled at the Archaean to Proterozoic transition.     

Depolarization ratio profiling at several wavelengths in pure Saharan dust during SAMUM 2006

Vertical profiles of the linear particle depolarization ratio of pure dust clouds were measured during the Saharan Mineral Dust Experiment (SAMUM) at Ouarzazate, Morocco (30.9°N, –6.9°E), close to source regions in May–June 2006, with four lidar systems at four wavelengths (355, 532, 710 and 1064 nm). The intercomparison of the lidar systems is accompanied by a discussion of the different calibration methods, including a new, advanced method, and a detailed error analysis. Over the whole SAMUM periode pure dust layers show a mean linear particle depolarization ratio at 532 nm of 0.31, in the range between 0.27 and 0.35, with a mean Ångström exponent (AE, 440–870 nm) of 0.18 (range 0.04–0.34) and still high mean linear particle depolarization ratio between 0.21 and 0.25 during periods with aerosol optical thickness less than 0.1, with a mean AE of 0.76 (range 0.65–1.00), which represents a negative correlation of the linear particle depolarization ratio with the AE. A slight decrease of the linear particle depolarization ratio with wavelength was found between 532 and 1064 nm from 0.31 ± 0.03 to 0.27 ± 0.04.     

Carbon-isotope stratigraphy in shallow-water carbonates: implications for Cretaceous black-shale deposition

A Barremian to Albian succession on Mount Kanala, part of a Tethyan isolated carbonate platform, was investigated for its δ¹³C variations. The limestone sequence is composed of a series of peritidal shallowing-upward cycles with clear petrographic evidence for strong early diagenetic overprinting related to repeated subaerial exposure. Despite significant impact of diagenesis, the observed changes in δ¹³C can be very well correlated with deep-water sections from different ocean basins and shallow water carbonate platforms in the Middle East. This lends further support to the applicability of δ¹³C variations for stratigraphic purposes in shallow-water limestones. Using the δ¹³C signal, time resolution in Lower Cretaceous platform carbonates can be significantly increased, independent of bio-zonations often hampered by ecological variability.
Cyclostratigraphic analysis of the Aptian part of the section shows that strong positive excursions of the cumulative departure from mean cycle thickness of the peritidal shallowing-upward cycles coincide with global positive δ¹³C excursions. This, and the fact that positive shifts in the δ¹³C record are preserved within shallow water limestones, provide evidence that black-shale accumulation in the ocean basins occurred during sea-level rise and flooding of platform tops. Integration of carbon-isotope-, cyclo- and sequence-stratigraphic results from different carbonate platforms indicate that strong positive global δ¹³C shifts and concurrent organic-carbon burial during black-shale deposition are ultimately caused by rapid rises of eustatic sea level. Hence, the rate of change of eustatic sea level is considered to play a crucial role in black-shale accumulation in the global ocean basins during the Cretaceous.     

Post-eruptive development of the Ukinrek East Maar since its eruption in 1977 A.D. in the periglacial area of south-west Alaska

Maar eruptions form small initially steep‐walled basins that contain important archives for the climatic and palaeoenvironmental history in continental areas. The two Ukinrek Maars in south‐western Alaska erupted between 30 March and 9 April 1977 and are the best‐documented maars that have erupted in historical time. This study presents a preliminary analysis of geomorphology, hydrology, magnetic susceptibility, geochemistry and sedimentology data of a field study in August 2004. These results, photographs and topographic surveys are combined for reconstructing the post‐eruptive evolution of Ukinrek East Maar. Within less than 30 years the initially polygonal shape of the crater with nearly vertical crater walls has developed into an almost elliptic form with slopes of 35° inclination on debris fans between a few escarpments. The water table and the crater floor have risen significantly and the crater diameter:depth ratio increased from 3·4 to 5·7, whereas the average height of the crater rim remained almost constant. The main sub‐aerial resedimentation process is formation of rock falls, rock slumps and scree resulting in debris flows and turbidites within the lake that is ice‐covered throughout about half of the year. Distal lake sediments consist of laminated minerogenic clayey‐sandy silts that document frequent turbidity currents. From the linear sedimentation rate of only ca 5 mm year^?1 in 17 cm long cores it may be concluded that the largest portion of the crater sediments formed within the first few months of the maar history, however, this has to be confirmed by future studies.     

Vertical profiling of Saharan dust with Raman lidars and airborne HSRL in southern Morocco during SAMUM

Three ground-based Raman lidars and an airborne high-spectral-resolution lidar (HSRL) were operated during SAMUM 2006 in southern Morocco to measure height profiles of the volume extinction coefficient, the extinction-to-backscatter ratio and the depolarization ratio of dust particles in the Saharan dust layer at several wavelengths. Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) Sun photometer observations and radiosoundings of meteorological parameters complemented the ground-based activities at the SAMUM station of Ouarzazate. Four case studies are presented. Two case studies deal with the comparison of observations of the three ground-based lidars during a heavy dust outbreak and of the ground-based lidars with the airborne lidar. Two further cases show profile observations during satellite overpasses on 19 May and 4 June 2006. The height resolved statistical analysis reveals that the dust layer top typically reaches 4–6 km height above sea level (a.s.l.), sometimes even 7 km a.s.l.. Usually, a vertically inhomogeneous dust plume with internal dust layers was observed in the morning before the evolution of the boundary layer started. The Saharan dust layer was well mixed in the early evening. The 500 nm dust optical depth ranged from 0.2–0.8 at the field site south of the High Atlas mountains, Ångström exponents derived from photometer and lidar data were between 0–0.4. The volume extinction coefficients (355, 532 nm) varied from 30–300 Mm⁻¹ with a mean value of 100 Mm⁻¹ in the lowest 4 km a.s.l.. On average, extinction-to-backscatter ratios of 53–55 sr (±7–13 sr) were obtained at 355, 532 and 1064 nm.     

Sediment transport to the Laptev Sea (Siberian Arctic) during the Holocene — evidence from the heavy mineral composition of fluvial and marine sediments

Heavy mineral studies of East Siberian river sediments, Laptev Sea surface sediments, and a sediment core of the western Laptev Sea were carried out in order to reconstruct the pathways of modern and ancient sediment transport from the Siberian hinterland to the Laptev Sea. The modern heavy mineral distribution of Laptev Sea surface sediments reflects mainly the riverine input. While the eastern and central part of the Laptev Sea is dominated by amphibole, which is supplied by the Lena River, the western part is dominated by pyroxene imported from the Siberian Trap basalts by the Khatanga River. The distribution of garnet and opaque minerals is additionally influenced by hydrodynamic processes. As a consequence of their high density, these minerals are predominantly deposited close to the river mouths. Heavy mineral and sedimentological studies of a sediment core of the western Laptev Sea were applied to reconstruct the postglacial history of the shelf area during the last 11 ka. In the lowermost interval of the core (> c. 10 ka), high accumulation rates and a heavy mineral composition similar to that of the modern Khatanga river indicate fluvial conditions. Additionally, the high mica content in this interval may indicate meltwater inflow from the Byrranga mountains. Strong variations in accumulation rates, grain-size distribution, and heavy mineral composition are observed in the time interval between c. 10 and 6 ka, which represents the main transgression of the Laptev Sea shelf. During the uppermost interval (<6 ka), rather stable conditions similar to the modem situation prevailed.     

Petrology of Whiteschists and Associated Rocks at Mautia Hill (Tanzania): Fluid Infiltration during High-Grade Metamorphism?

Talc–kyanite schists (whiteschists), magnesiohornblende–kyanite–talc–quartzschists and enstatite–sapphirine–chlorite schistsoccur at Mautia Hill in the East African Orogen of Tanzania.They are associated with metapelites and garnet–clinopyroxene–quartzmetabasites. Geobarometry (GASP/GADS equilibria) applied tothe latter two rock types indicates a peak pressure of P = 10–11kbar. These results are confirmed by the high fO₂ assemblagehollandite–kyanite–quartz and late-stage manganianandalusite that contains up to 19·5 mol. % Mn₂SiO₅. Maximumtemperatures of T = 720°C are inferred from late-stage yoderite+ quartz. A clockwise P–T evolution is constrained byprograde kyanite inclusions in metapelitic garnet and late-stagereaction rims of cordierite between green yoderite and talcthat reflect conditions at least 3–4 kbar below the peakpressure. Oxidizing conditions are recorded throughout the metamorphichistory of the whiteschists and chlorite schists, as indicatedby the presence of haematite coexisting with pseudobrookiteand/or rutile. Increasing water activity near peak pressuresis thought to have led to the breakdown of the high-pressureassemblages (Tlc–Ky–Hem and Mg-Hbl–Ky–Hem)and the subsequent formation of certain uncommon minerals, e.g.yellow sapphirine, Mn–andalusite, green and purple yoderite,piemontite and boron-free kornerupine. The proposed increasein water activity is attributed to fluid infiltration resultingfrom the devolatilization of underlying sediments during metamorphism. KEY WORDS: fluid infiltration; high-pressure amphibolite facies; East African Orogen; Pan-African; whiteschist