Evolution of cool skin and direct air-sea gas transfer coefficient during daytime

Absorption of solar radiation within the thermal molecular sublayer of the ocean can modify the temperature difference across the cool skin as well as the air-sea gas transfer. Our model of renewal type is based on the assumption that the thermal and diffusive molecular sublayers below the ocean surface undergo cyclic growth and destruction, the heat and gas transfer between the successive burst events are performed by molecular diffusion. The model has been upgraded to include heating due to solar radiation. The renewal time is parameterized as a function of the surface Richardson number and the Keulegan number. A Rayleigh number criterion characterizes the convective instability of the cool skin under solar heating. Under low wind speed conditions, the solar heating can damp the convective instability, strongly increasing the renewal time and correspondingly decreasing the interfacial gas exchange. In the ocean, an additional convective instability caused by salinity flux due to evaporation becomes of importance in such cases. The new parameterization is compared with the cool skin data obtained in the western equatorial Pacific during the Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment in February 1993. In combination with a model of the diurnal thermocline it describes main features of the field data both in nighttime and daytime. Under low wind speed conditions (< 5 m s^-1) diurnal variations of the sea surface temperature due to the formation of a diurnal thermocline were substantially larger than those across the cool skin. Under wind speeds > 5 m s^-1, diurnal variations of the surface temperature due to the variations of the thermal molecular sublayer become more important.     

A geochronological approach to understanding the role of solar activity on Holocene glacier length variability in the Swiss Alps

We present a radiocarbon data set of 71 samples of wood and peat material that melted out or sheared out from underneath eight presentday mid‐latitude glaciers in the Central Swiss Alps. Results indicated that in the past several glaciers have been repeatedly less extensive than they were in the 1990s. The periods when glaciers had a smaller volume and shorter length persisted between 320 and 2500 years. This data set provides greater insight into glacier variability than previously possible, especially for the early and middle Holocene. The radiocarbon‐dated periods defined with less extensive glaciers coincide with periods of reduced radio‐production, pointing to a connection between solar activity and glacier melting processes. Measured long‐term series of glacier length variations show significant correlation with the total solar irradiance. Incoming solar irradiance and changing albedo can account for a direct forcing of the glacier mass balances. Long‐term investigations of atmospheric processes that are in interaction with changing solar activity are needed in order to understand the feedback mechanisms with glacier mass balances.     

Comparison of Cu and Zn cycling in eutrophic lakes with oxic and anoxic hypolimnion

Data on the cycling of Cu and Zn in two eutrophic lakes are presented: Lake Greifen that becomes seasonally anoxic in its hypolimnion and Lake Sempach that is aerated during winter and oxygenated during summer. They suggest that hypolimnetic oxygenation 1) enhances the release of copper from the sediment but 2) also accelerates the entrapment and deposition of Cu and Zn by freshly formed Mn- and Fe-oxides.     

Structural control on the kinematics of the deep-seated La Clapière landslide revealed by L-band InSAR observations

The objective of this work is to document the deformation pattern of the deep-seated La Clapière landslide for the period 2007–2010 from the combination of L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferograms, ground-based total station measurements and identification of the slope geomorphological structures. The interferograms are calculated for pairs of ALOS/PALSAR images at a time interval of 46 days. The displacement field derived from the interferograms reveals a non-uniform displacement gradient from the top (subsidence) to the bottom (accumulation). Vertical velocities are calculated from the unwrapped phase values and are in good agreement with ground-based measurements. The results demonstrate the potential of L-band ALOS/PALSAR imagery for the monitoring of active landslides characterized by complex kinematic patterns and by important changes in the soil surface backscattering in time.     

Die stratiforme Sulfidlagerstätte Walchen,Steiermark, Österreich: Geochemie und Genese

Zusammenfassung Die Neubearbeitung derstratiformen Sulfidlagerstätte Walchen bei Öblarn, Steiermark, offen-bart eine eisenbetonte submarin-exhalative Metallkonzentration in einem vulkano-sedimentären Rahmen. Dieser liegt heute in Form metamorpher Gesteine der untersten Grünschieferfazies vor. Mineralchemische Untersuchungen zeigen, daß die ehemalige intensivste metamorphe Überprägung der Lagerstätte im Bereich von 450°–500°C oberhalb 4 kb stattgefunden hat. Metavulkanite, vertreten durch Grünschiefer, lassen alkalibasaltische Affinität erkennen. Die vulkano-tektonische Position der Lagerstätte ist in einem intrakontinentalen Riftsystem zu sehen.

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The stratiform sulphide deposit at walchen, styria, austria: Geochemistry and genesis

Summary The Walchen deposit consists of a 1–2 m thick layer of massive to disseminated pyrite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite ore with an average grade of 1% Cu. It has been mined intermittently in the past. The ore horizon occurs within sericitic and quartzitic phyllites which carry intercalations with significant carbonate, garnet and graphite contents. The succession is of lower Paleozoic age and forms part of the Grauwackenzone, a volcano-sedimentary unit which separates the Central Alps from the Northern Calcareous Alps.The precursor rocks of the ore environment have been pelites and sandstones; greenschists occur in the hanging wall of the mineralization. Major and trace element analyses of greenschists reveal them as low-grade metamorphic equivalents of continental alkali basalts. Hydrothermal systems generated by volcanic activity were responsible for deposition of stratiform sulphides. The predominance of clastic sediments and the absence of stringer zones point towards a shallow depositional basin.Microprobe analyses of garnets from the ore environment reveal an increase in spessartine contents from 7 mol% in phyllites to 20 mol% in the vicinity of the ore horizon. Similar data have been reported from other stratabound base metal deposits (Broken Hill, N.S.W.; Kreuzeck Mountains, Austria; Gamsberg, South Africa); the manganese concentrations represent fossil manganese haloes.Pyrite carries minor Ni and Co (up to 0.03, respectively 0.3%), pyrrhotite averages 0.8% Ni and 0.1% Co, Fe-contents of sphalerite vary from 6.41–9.33%; Cd, In and Mn have not been recorded.Garnet-biotite pairs suggest maximum metamorphic temperatures of 450°–500°C: pressures of 4 to 5 kb have been estimated. The Walchen deposit is interpreted as the product of submarine exhalative processes in an incipient rift. It was affected by prograde metamorphism during the Variscan orogeny, and by retrograde affects during a later event. Isochemical metamorphism resulted in the preservation of a primary manganese halo.

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Mit 6 Abbildungen     

Mögliche Massnahmen zur Restaurierung des Sempachersees

Since 1954 average orthophosphate and total phosphorus concentrations have increased twenty and eightfold respectively in Lake Sempach. It is demonstrated that the lake is not in steady state with its phosphorus loading and that the net deposition rate of phosphorus is not linearly related to the phosphorus content of the lake. This implies that linear steady state one-box models are unsuitable to describe the phosphorus balance of this lake. Applying a nonlinear dynamic lake model we predict that the defined water quality goals ([P] ⩽30 mg m⁻³, [O₂ ⩾4 mg m⁻³]) can only be achieved within the next 15 years if the external phosphorus loading is reduced by at least 50% and simultaneously lake-internal measures, such as hypolimnion areation or hypolimnion siphoning are carried into effect.      

Normal Point Algorithm For Reduction Of Two Colour Slr Observations

Two colour laser ranging to artificial satellites is an attractivetechnique, which is capable to provide refraction corrected ranges without the need of an atmospheric model by measuring the dispersive delay of laser pulses of different wavelength. Although the required accuracy of the detection scheme is stringent, the technique has matured so far, that routine two colour observationsbecame feasible.The present paper describes a normal point procedure reducing two colour laser range observations with respect to the dispersive delay,exploiting the knowledge of satellite response signatures in conjunction with detector characteristics and the appropriate center of mass correction models.Moreover the dispersion model of the atmosphere is briefly reviewed, paying attention to the wavelength domains provided by modern twocolour ranging lasers, e.g., the Ti:SAP laser.Preliminary data is presented and compared to both, normal point data reduced with a standard procedure and zenith path equivalent meteorological parameters.     

Die lokale Beeinflussung eines stehenden Gewässers durch eine punktförmige Abwasserbelastung; ein direkter Nachweis der wachstumsbegrenzenden Wirkung des Phosphors im Vierwaldstättersee

Zusammenfassung Die Beeinflussung des Vierwaldst?ttersees (Horwer Bucht) durch den mit dem Abwasser von 10 000 Einwohnern belasteten Steinibach liess sich im Oberfl?chenwasser auf eine Distanz von mehr als 2 km verfolgen (Abb. 1a, 1b, 1c). Es zeigte sich, dass eine erh?hte Phosphorzufuhr eine verst?rkte biogene Nitratzehrung erm?glicht. Die Abh?ngigkeit der Pigmentkonzentration y von der Gesamtphosphorkonzentrationx liess sich durch die folgende Mitscherlich-Gleichung beschreiben: log(30-y)=log 30–0,012 (x−6) Damit wurde im Vierwaldst?ttersee erstmals unter v?llig natürlichen Bedingungen die Beeinflussung der Prim?rproduktion durch eine erh?hte Phosphorkonzentration nachgewiesen (Abb. 2). Die Erfolgsaussichten von Abwassersanierungsmassnahmen an Seen verschiedener Trophiegrade werden diskutiert.

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Summary The influence of the ‘Steinibach” tributary, into which the wastewater of 10,000 inhabitants is discharged, on the Lake of Lucerne (Horwer Bucht) is detectable in the surface water over a distance of more than 2 km (Picture 1a, 1b, 1c). It was revealed that the increased phosphorus supply enables more intensive biological nitrate consumption. The dependence of the pigment concentration,y, on the total phosphorus concentration,x can be expressed by the following Mitscherlich equation: log (30−y)=log 30–0.012 (x−6). This was the first time that the influence of an increased phosphorus concentration on primary production was proved in the Lake of Lucerne under completely natural conditions (Picture 2). The possibilities of implementing successful water pollution control measures in lakes with various trophic levels are discussed.

     

Complexing capacity of the nutrient medium and its relation to inhibition of algal photosynthesis by copper

The toxic effect of copper on phytoplankton production is investigated in waters having different complexing capacities. It is demonstrated that a water’s complexing capacity does not guarantee that an equivalent amount of copper could be tolerated without adversely affecting algal production. Possible explanations for these findings are offered and discussed. It is deduced that ionic copper probably is already toxic to planktonic algae at concentrations of about 10^?10 mole/l.     

Alpine Evidence for Atmospheric Circulation Patterns in Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum

The configuration of Alpine accumulation areas during the last glacial maximum (LGM) has been reconstructed using glacial–geological mapping. The results indicate that the LGM ice surface consisted of at least three major ice domes, all located south of the principal weather divide of the Alps. This implies that the buildup of the main Alpine ice cover during oxygen isotope stage (OIS) 2 was related to precipitation by dominant southerly atmospheric circulation, in contrast to today's prevalent westerly airflow. Such a reorganization of the atmospheric circulation is consistent with a southward displacement of the Oceanic Polar Front in the North Atlantic and of the associated storm track to the south of the Alps. These results, combined with additional paleoclimate records from western and southern Europe, allow an interpretation of the asynchronous evolution of the different European ice caps during the last glaciation. δ¹⁸O stages (OIS) 4 and 3 were characterized by location of the Polar Front north of 46°N (Gulf of Biscay). This affected prevailing westerly circulation and, thus, ice buildup in western Scandinavia, the Pyrénées, Vosges, and northern Alps. At the LGM, however, the Polar Front lay at 44°N, causing dominating southerly circulation and reduced precipitation in central and northern Europe.