High-harmonic geoid signatures related to glacial isostatic adjustment and their detectability by GOCE

The Earth’s asthenosphere and lower continental crust can regionally have viscosities that are one to several orders of magnitude smaller than typical mantle viscosities. As a consequence, such shallow low-viscosity layers could induce high-harmonic (spherical harmonics 50–200) gravity and geoid anomalies due to remaining isostasy deviations following Late-Pleistocene glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). Such high-harmonic geoid and gravity signatures would depend also on the detailed ice and meltwater loading distribution and history.ESA’s Gravity field and steady-state Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite mission, planned for launch in Summer 2008, is designed to map the quasi-static geoid with centimeter accuracy and gravity anomalies with milligal accuracy at a resolution of 100 km or better. This might offer the possibility of detecting gravity and geoid effects of low-viscosity shallow earth layers and differences of the effects of various Pleistocene ice decay scenarios. For example, our predictions show that for a typical low-viscosity crustal zone GOCE should be able to discern differences between ice-load histories down to length scales of about 150 km.One of the major challenges in interpreting such high-harmonic, regional-scale, geoid signatures in GOCE solutions will be to discriminate GIA-signatures from various other solid-earth contributions. It might be of help here that the high-harmonic geoid and gravity signatures form quite characteristic 2D patterns, depending on both ice load and low-viscosity zone model parameters.     

Ice cover,landscape setting,and geological framework of Lake Vostok,East Antarctica

Lake Vostok, located beneath more than 4 km of ice in the middle of East Antarctica, is a unique subglacial habitat and may contain microorganisms with distinct adaptations to such an extreme environment. Melting and freezing at the base of the ice sheet, which slowly flows across the lake, controls the flux of water, biota and sediment particles through the lake. The influx of thermal energy, however, is limited to contributions from below. Thus the geological origin of Lake Vostok is a critical boundary condition for the subglacial ecosystem. We present the first comprehensive maps of ice surface, ice thickness and subglacial topography around Lake Vostok. The ice flow across the lake and the landscape setting are closely linked to the geological origin of Lake Vostok. Our data show that Lake Vostok is located along a major geological boundary. Magnetic and gravity data are distinct east and west of the lake, as is the roughness of the subglacial topography. The physiographic setting of the lake has important consequences for the ice flow and thus the melting and freezing pattern and the lake’s circulation. Lake Vostok is a tectonically controlled subglacial lake. The tectonic processes provided the space for a unique habitat and recent minor tectonic activity could have the potential to introduce small, but significant amounts of thermal energy into the lake.     

The hydrochemistry of Lake Vostok and the potential for life in Antarctic subglacial lakes

Our understanding of Lake Vostok, the huge subglacial lake beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, has improved recently through the identification of key physical and chemical interactions between the ice sheet and the lake. The north of the lake, where the overlying ice sheet is thickest, is characterized by subglacial melting, whereas freezing of lake water occurs in the south, resulting in ～210 m of ice accretion to the underside of the ice sheet. The accreted ice contains lower concentrations of the impurities normally found in glacier ice, suggesting a net transfer of material from meltwater into the lake. The small numbers of microbes found so far within the accreted ice have DNA profiles similar to those of contemporary surface microbes. Microbiologists expect, however, that Lake Vostok, and other subglacial lakes, will harbour unique species, particularly within the deeper waters and associated sediments. The extreme environments of subglacial lakes are characterized by high pressures, low temperatures, permanent darkness, limited nutrient availability, and oxygen concentrations that are derived from the ice that provides the meltwater. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparison of GOCE gravitational models with EGM2008

Four new gravity field models from GOCE, two of them combined with GRACE, are compared here with EGM2008. The objectives are to look into the differences in consecutive ranges of the spherical harmonic expansion globally as well as in selected geographical regions and in the regions of the various data sources used for EGM2008. In general, GOCE is able to contribute to improved global gravity models in the spherical harmonic range between 120 and 200 (and above). The agreement between EGM2008 and the GOCE models is very good in well-surveyed regions such as North America, Europe and Australia, with geoid RMS-differences on the order of 4–6 cm. In other regions, where the surface gravity data available for the development of EGM2008 were poor, such as South America, Africa, South-East Asia or China the RMS-differences are on a level of 30 cm. Here GOCE leads to a significant improvement. These findings are confirmed by the analysis of the areas of the various EGM2008 data sources. In the regions of the so-called “fill-in” data of EGM2008 RMS-geoid height differences are high. In Antarctica GOCE also gives important improvements in terms of spatial resolution and accuracy. In general, the agreement between EGM2008 and the GOCE-models up to degree and order (d/o) 200 is good, with a global (excluding the polar gaps of GOCE orbits, throughout) geoid difference RMS of 11 cm, in the ocean areas 8 cm and 20 cm in the continental areas. GOCE models are better suited for ocean circulation studies because no prior ocean information enters into the data reduction process, as it is the case when deducing gravity anomalies from an altimetric mean sea surface. On the other hand, the good consistency between GOCE-models and EGM2008 in ocean areas very likely indicates that the influence of ocean circulation information on EGM2008 is rather small. The four tested GOCE models behave similarly except at the highest latitudes where GOCE lacks data due to its orbit inclination of 96.5° and some form of regularization which has to be applied.     

Changes in ice phenology on polish lakes from 1961 to 2010 related to location and morphometry

Observations of lake ice at the shore, complete ice cover, ice duration, ice thickness and other measures for 18 Polish lakes were collected for the 50 year period (1961–2010). Average ice dates in early winter became later: first appearance of ice along shore 2.3 days decade⁻¹ and complete ice cover 1.2 days decade⁻¹ while complete ice cover disappeared earlier (5.6 days decade⁻¹) as did last ice at the shore (4.3 days decade⁻¹). The duration of ice cover decreased by 5.6 days decade⁻¹ and average ice thickness declined by 6.1 cm decade⁻¹. The magnitude of these values for individual lakes decreased from eastern to western Poland. This geographic gradient is likely related to regional atmospheric circulation because in winter this part of Europe is strongly affected by continental air, an influence that is greater in the east. A multivariate redundancy analysis (RDA), used in order to examine the dependence of ice measures on lake physical properties and location, indicated longitude and altitude as key factors explaining lake ice dynamics such as the disappearance of ice and ice cover, ice cover duration and thickness. Lake volume and average depth influenced mostly the appearance of ice and ice cover.     

New insights into the origin and evolution of Lake Vida,McMurdo Dry Valleys,Antarctica — A noble gas study in ice and brines

Unlike other lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, Lake Vida has a thick (~ 19 m) ice cover sealing a liquid brine body of unusually high salinity (~ 245 g/L) from the atmosphere. To constrain the conditions under which the atypical Lake Vida ice cover formed and evolved, 19 ice samples were collected down to a depth of ~ 14 m, together with three brine samples trapped in the ice at ~ 16 m for analysis of helium, neon, argon, krypton, and xenon concentrations. The broad pattern of noble gas concentrations for Lake Vida samples is fundamentally different from that of air saturated water (ASW) at 0 °C and an elevation of 340 m for salinities of 0 (ice) and 245 g/L (brine). Overall, ice samples are enriched in He and depleted in Ne with saturation relative to ASW averages of 1.38 and 0.82, respectively, and strongly depleted in Ar, Kr, and Xe with relative saturations of 0.10, 0.06, and 0.05, respectively. By contrast, brine samples are generally depleted in He and Ne (relative saturation averages of 0.33 and 0.27, respectively) but enriched in Ar, Kr, and Xe, with relative saturation averages of 1.45, 3.15, and 8.86, respectively. A three-phase freezing partitioning model generating brine, ice and bubble concentrations for all stable noble gases was tested and compared with our data. Measured brine values are best reproduced for a salinity value of 175 g/L, a pressure of 1.1 atm, and a bubble volume of 20 cm³ kg^?1. Sensitivity tests for ice + bubble samples show an ideal fit for bubble volumes of ~ 1–2 cm³ kg^?1. Our results show that the conditions under which ice and brine formed and evolved at Lake Vida are significantly different from other ice-covered lakes in the area. Our brine data suggest that Lake Vida may be transitioning from a wet to a dry-based lake, while the ice + bubble data suggest at least partial re-equilibration of residual liquid with the atmosphere as ice forms at the top of Lake Vida ice cover.     

Seismic modelling study of a subglacial lake

We characterize the seismic response of Lake Vostok, an Antarctic subglacial lake located at nearly 4 km depth below the ice sheet. This study is relevant for the determination of the location and morphology of subglacial lakes. The characterization requires the design of a methodology based on rock physics and numerical modelling of wave propagation. The methodology involves rock-physics models of the shallow layer (firn), the ice sheet and the lake sediments, numerical simulation of synthetic seismograms, ray tracing, τ–p transforms, and AVA analysis, based on the theoretical reflection coefficients. The modelled reflection seismograms show a set of straight events (refractions through the firn and top-ice layer) and the two reflection events associated with the top and bottom of the lake. Theoretical AVA analysis of these reflections indicates that, at near offsets, the PP-wave anomaly is negative for the ice/water interface and constant for the water/sediment interface. This behaviour is shown by AVA analysis of the synthetic data set. This study shows that subglacial lakes can be identified by using seismic methods. Moreover, the methodology provides a tool for designing suitable seismic surveys.     

Volume and mass changes of the Greenland ice sheet inferred from ICESat and GRACE

This study examines the recent evolution of the Greenland ice sheet and its six major drainage basins. Based on laser altimetry data acquired by the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), covering the period September–November 2003 to February–March 2008, ice surface height changes and their temporal variations were inferred. Our refined repeat track analysis is solely based on ICESat data and is independent of external elevation models, since it accounts for both ice height changes and the local topography. From the high resolution ice height change pattern we infer an overall mean surface height trend of −0.12 ± 0.006 m yr⁻¹. Furthermore, the largest changes could be identified at coastal margins of the ice sheet, exhibiting rates of more than −2 m yr⁻¹. The total ice volume change of the entire ice sheet amounts to −205.4 ± 10.6 km³ yr⁻¹. In addition, we assessed mass changes from 78 monthly Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) solutions. The Release-04 gravity field solutions of GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam cover the period between August 2002 and June 2009. We applied an adjusted regional integration approach in order to minimize the leakage effects. Attention was paid to an optimized filtering which reduces error effects from different sources. The overall error assessment accounts for GRACE errors as well as for errors due to imperfect model reductions. In particular, errors caused by uncertainties in the glacial isostatic adjustment models could be identified as the largest source of errors. Finally, we determined both seasonal and long-term mass change rates. The latter amounts to an overall ice mass change of −191.2 ± 20.9 Gt yr⁻¹ corresponding to 0.53 ± 0.06 mm yr⁻¹ equivalent eustatic sea level rise. From the combination of the volume and mass change estimates we determined a mean density of the lost mass to be 930 ± 11 kg m⁻³. This value supports our applied density assumption 900 ± 30 kg m⁻³ which was used to perform the volume–mass-conversion of our ICESat results. Hence, mass change estimates from two independent observation techniques were inferred and are generally in good agreement.     

Modelling mixing and circulation in subglacial Lake Vostok,Antarctica

Lake Vostok, isolated from direct exchange with the atmosphere by about 4 km of ice for millions of years, provides a unique environment. This inaccessibility raises the importance of numerical models to investigate the physical conditions within the lake. Using a three-dimensional numerical model and the best available geometry, we test different parameter settings to define a standard model configuration suitable for studying flow in this subglacial lake. From our model runs we find a baroclinic circulation within the lake that splits into three different parts: Along a topographic ridge in the northern part of Lake Vostok, bottom water masses are transported eastward, diverging away from the ridge. In the lake’s surface layer, the flow in these two vertical overturning cells has opposite directions. In the southern part of the lake, where freezing occurs across about 3,500 km², two opposing gyres split the water column vertically. The general flow is stronger in the southern basin with horizontal velocities in the order of 1 mm/s. The strongest upwelling, found in the eastern part of this basin, is about 25 μm/s. We estimate the lower limit of the overturning timescale to be about 2.5 years vertically and 8.6 years horizontally. The basal mass loss of ice from the ice sheet floating on the lake is 5.6 mm/year (equivalent to a fresh water flux of 2.78 m³/s, or a basal ice loss of 0.09 km³/year). This imbalance indicates either a constant growth of the lake or its continuous (or periodical) discharge into a subglacial drainage system.     

Sensitivity of subglacial Lake Vostok's flow regime on environmental parameters

Subglacial lakes provide unique habitats, but the exact nature of physical and geochemical conditions are still a matter of debate and await direct sampling of water. Due to its isolation from external atmospheric forcing other environmental parameters influence the flow characteristics within the lake. In this study we use an improved treatment of the physical processes at the ice–water boundary interface to identify and quantify the impact of (1) the geothermal heat flux, (2) the heat flux from the lake into the ice, (3) the influence of the salinity of the lake water, and (4) the ice thickness on the size of the freezing area and the freeze/melt rates. We show that the modelled basal mass imbalance (that is the produced melt water minus the re-frozen water) depends on the geothermal heating as well as the heat flux into the ice. The circulation and the temperature distribution within subglacial Lake Vostok are rather stable against variations of geothermal heat flux, heat flux into the ice sheet, salinity of the lake, and small changes of the ice thickness above the lake. However, the flow regime for any subglacial lake with less than 2000 m ice thickness above, will be substantially different from those that experience higher pressures. This is because the buoyancy–temperature relationship reverses at this depth.     

OSL chronology for lacustrine sediments recording high stands of Gahai Lake in Qaidam Basin,northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

The Qaidam Basin in the northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is one of the largest hyper-arid intermontane basins in the northern hemisphere, and has abundant records for the study on palaeo-lake level fluctuations and palaeoclimatic changes. Significant efforts have been invested to define the timing of shoreline deposits using radiocarbon dating. However, due to the dating limit, the absence of organic materials and carbon reservoir effects for radiocarbon dating in arid areas, it is difficult to establish a reliable chronology for shoreline deposits. Therefore, controversy exists regarding the chronology for the high lake level in the Qaidam Basin, as well in the QTP. Some proposed that high lake levels occurred during late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, while others recently argued that the highest lake level in the QTP and adjacent regions existed in MIS 5. In Gahai Lake (now a salt lake), we investigated a section comprising lacustrine and shoreline deposits, which was about 25 m above the present lake level. Seven samples were collected for quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. A sample collected from a fine sand layer (the bottom of the section, and 12 m above the present lake level), which was assumed to have been deposited underwater, gave an OSL age of 82 ± 8 ka. It suggested that the lake level was at least 12 m higher than present in late MIS 5. The high lake level could maintain till about 73 ± 6 ka, and then decreased. This lake level decrease resulted in a gravel layer deposit between 73 ± 6 and 63 ± 6 ka (roughly during MIS 4). The lake level rose again (about 24 m above the present lake level) between 63 ± 6 and 55 ± 5 ka (roughly in early MIS 3). No lacustrine or shoreline deposits higher than the top of the current section were found around Gahai Lake. Thus, higher than present lake levels in Gahai Lake occurred in both late MIS 5 and early MIS 3.     

Resolving sea level contributions by identifying fingerprints in time-variable gravity and altimetry

We have studied the ability of the GRACE gravimetry mission and Jason-1 altimetry to resolve ice and glacier induced contributions to sea level rise, by means of a fingerprint method. Here, the signals from ice sheet and land glacier changes, steric changes, glacial isostatic adjustment and terrestrial hydrology are assumed to have fixed spatial patterns. In a joint inversion using GRACE and Jason-1 data the unknown temporal components can then be estimated by least-squares. In total, we estimate temporal components for up to ∼ 80 individual patterns. From a propagation of the full error-covariance from GRACE and a diagonal error-covariance from Jason-1 altimetry we find that: (1) GRACE almost entirely explains the mass related parameters in the joint inversion, (2) an inversion using only Jason-1 data has a marginal ability to estimate the mass related parameters, while the steric parameters have much better formal accuracy. In terms of mean sea level rise the steric patterns have a maximum formal accuracy of 0.01 mm for an 11 week running mean. In general, strong negative error correlations (ρ < − 0.9) exists between the high and low elevation parts of the ice sheet drainage basins, when those are estimated independently. The largest formal errors found are in the order of 40 Gton for small high elevation subbasins in the southern Greenland ice sheet, which are difficult to separate. In a simplified joint inversion, merging high and low elevation basins, we have investigated the ability of the GRACE and Jason-1 data to separate the geocenter motion into a present-day contribution and a contribution from glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA). We find that the GIA related signal is larger than the present-day component with a maximum of −0.71 mm/year in the Z direction. Total geocenter motion rates are found to be −0.28, 0.43, −1.08 mm/year for the X, Y and Z components, respectively. The inversion results have been propagated to the Jason-1 along-track measurements. Over the time period considered, we see that a large part of the variability in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian ocean can be explained by our inversion results. The applied inversion method therefore seems a feasible way to separate steric from mass induced sea level changes. At the same time, the joint inversion would benefit from more advanced parameterizations, which may aid in fitting remaining signal from altimetry.     

The penultimate deglaciation: High-resolution paleoceanographic evidence from a north–south transect along the eastern Nordic Seas

The penultimate termination has been studied with focus on oceanographic changes in the eastern Nordic Seas and the influence of these changes on the surrounding ice sheets and vice versa. Repeatedly, major changes in the strength of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) occurred during the studied interval. Times of strong overturning and increased heat transport northwards were of importance in triggering one minor and two major disintegration events. The two major disintegration events were separated by a deglacial pause, characterized by a strong AMOC. The same variability is seen throughout the eastern Nordic Seas, from the Faeroe–Shetland Channel in the south to the Fram Strait in the north. Some of the oceanographic changes occurring during the penultimate termination are comparable with changes seen through the last deglaciation. Reduced winter moisture flux and increased summer melting due to the present insolation forcing further amplified the rate of ice sheet disintegration. Calculated sea-level change through TII shows a mean change of 121 ± 4 m, 41 ± 16 m in the first step and 80 ± 13 m in the last step.     

Stability of massive ground ice bodies in University Valley,McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica: Using stable O–H isotope as tracers of sublimation in hyper-arid regions

To date, studies of the stability of subsurface ice in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica have been mainly based on climate-based vapor diffusion models. In University Valley (1800 m), a small glacier is found at the base of the head of the valley, and adjacent to the glacier, a buried body of massive ice was uncovered beneath 20–40 cm of loose cryotic sediments and sandstone boulders. This study assesses the origin and stability of the buried body of massive ice by measuring the geochemistry and stable O–H isotope composition of the ice and applies a sublimation and molecular diffusion model that accounts for the observed trends. The results indicate that the buried massive ice body represents an extension of the adjacent glacier that was buried by a rock avalanche during a cold climate period. The contrasting δ¹⁸O profiles and regression slope values between the uppermost 6 cm of the buried massive ice (upward convex δ¹⁸O profile and S_D-18O = 5.1) and that below it (progressive increase in δ¹⁸O and S_D-18O = 6.4) suggest independent post-depositional processes affected the isotope composition of the ice. The upward convex δ¹⁸O profile in the uppermost 6 cm is consistent with the ice undergoing sublimation. Using a sublimation and molecular diffusion model, and assuming that diffusion occurred through solid ice, the sublimation rate needed to fit the measured δ¹⁸O profile is 0.2 ? 10^? 3 mm yr^? 1, a value that is more similar to net ice removal rates derived from ³He data from cobbles in Beacon Valley till (7.0 ? 10^? 3 mm yr^? 1) than sublimation rates computed based on current climate (0.1–0.2 mm yr^?1). We suggest that the climate-based sublimation rates are offset due to potential ice recharge mechanisms or to missing parameters, particularly the nature and thermo-physical properties of the overlying sediments (i.e., temperature, humidity, pore structure and ice content, grain size).     

Linking human-biophysical interactions with the trophic status of Dal Lake,Kashmir Himalaya,India

The study analyses the long-term biophysical and demographic changes in Dal lake, located in the heart of Srinagar city, Kashmir India, using a repository of historical, remote sensing, socio-economic and water quality data supported by the extensive field observations. The lake faces multiple pressures from the unplanned urbanization, high population growth, nutrient load from intensive agriculture and tourism. The data showed that the lake has shrunk from 31 km² in 1859–24 km² in 2013. Significant changes were observed in the land use and land cover (LULC) within the lake (1859–2013) and in the vicinity of the lake (1962–2013). Analysis of the demographic data indicates that the human population within the lake has shown more than double the national growth rate. Additionally, 7 important water quality parameters from 82 well distributed sites across the lake were analyzed and compared with the past data to determine the historical changes in the water quality from 1971 to 2014. The changes in the LULC and demography have adversely affected the pollution status of this pristine lake. Ortho-phosphate phosphorous concentration has increased from 16.75 μg L⁻¹ in 1977–45.78 μg L⁻¹ in 2014 and that of the nitrate-nitrogen from 365 μg L⁻¹ to 557 μg L⁻¹, indicating nutrient enrichment of the lake over the years. Built-up area within the lake has increased 40 times since 1859, which, together with the changes in the population and settlements, have led to the high discharge of untreated nutrient-rich sewage into the lake. Similarly the expansion of floating gardens within the lake and agriculture lands in the catchment has contributed to the increased nutrient load into the lake due to the increasing use of fertilizers. The information about the existing land cover, demography and water quality was integrated and analyzed in GIS environment to identify the trophic status of the lake. The analysis indicated that 32% of the lake falls under sever degradation, 48% under medium degradation while as 20% of the lake waters are relatively clean. It is believed that the results provide improved knowledge and insights about the lake health and causal factors of its degradation necessary for effectively restoring its ecological and hydrological functionality.     

Two extraterrestrial dust horizons found in the Dome Fuji ice core,East Antarctica

Two silicate-rich dust layers were found in the Dome Fuji ice core in East Antarctica, at Marine Isotope Stages 12 and 13. Morphologies, textures, and chemical compositions of constituent particles reveal that they are high-temperature melting products and are of extraterrestrial origin. Because similar layers were found ～ 2000 km east of Dome Fuji, at EPICA (European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica)-Dome C, particles must have rained down over a wide area 434 and 481 ka. The strewn fields occurred over an area of at least 3 × 10⁶ km². Chemical compositions of constituent phases and oxygen isotopic composition of olivines suggest that the upper dust layer was produced by a high-temperature interaction between silicate-rich melt and water vapor due to an impact explosion or an aerial burst of a chondritic meteoroid on the inland East Antarctic ice sheet. An estimated total mass of the impactor, on the basis of particle flux and distribution area, is at least 3 × 10⁹ kg. A possible parent material of the lower dust layer is a fragment of friable primitive asteroid or comet. A hypervelocity impact of asteroidal/cometary material on the upper atmosphere and an explosion might have produced aggregates of sub-μm to μm-sized spherules. Total mass of the parent material of the lower layer must exceed 1 × 10⁹ kg. The two extraterrestrial horizons, each a few millimeters in thickness, represent regional or global meteoritic events not identified previously in the Southern Hemisphere.     

Quartz OSL dating of archaeological sites in Xiao Qaidam Lake of the NE Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau and its implications for palaeoenvironmental changes

In the past decades, archaeologists have found evidences for prehistorical human activity in the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP). In 1982, some Paleolithic stone tools were found in a section from a terrace of the Xiao Qaidam Lake in the Qaidam Basin, NE of the QTP. The age of this Paleolithic site has remained unknown by far. Some believed that the age of human inhabitation in this Paleolithic site was about 30 ka. In this study, quartz optically stimulated luminescence was used to date 10 samples collected from four sections in the Xiao Qaidam Lake, using the single-aliquot regeneration-dose protocol. The two samples from section XCDH2, which is from a lake terrace about ～7–8 m above the present lake level and in which the top gravel layer contains stone tools, were not well-bleached before deposition. Their ages (>101 and >159 ka) determined by SAR should be considered minimums. OSL dating results of six samples from two sections (XCDH1 and XCDH3) of an adjacent lake terrace, which is ～12 m above the present lake level, suggest two possibilities for the age of the tool-bearing gravel layer: (1) younger than ～3 ka if the lake terrace of XCDH2 is younger than the terrace represented by XCDH1 and XCDH3; or (2) between ～3 and 11 ka if these two terraces are part of the deposit of the same time period. In either case, the age of the archaeological layer should be much younger than the previously proposed ～30 ka. As the climate in the early Holocene after 11 ka was increasingly warm and the Xiao Qaidam Lake area could be suitable for human inhabitation then, we deduce that the age range of ～3–11 ka is more likely the time frame for this archaeological site. The age of 3.1 ± 0.3 ka for the surface of terrace XCDH1/XCDH3 suggests a significant lake level decrease after this time and a corresponding arid event at ～3 ka; the lake level did not reach this level again after that time. Section XCDH4 is more than 40 m above the present lake level, and two samples gave ages of 37 ± 4 and 51 ± 4 ka. These two dates and the dates from the other sections demonstrate that two lake levels higher than present existed for Xiao Qaidam Lake, one at ～12 m and dated ～3–11 ka and the another at >40 m and dated ～37–51 ka.     

The unique environment of the most acidified permanently meromictic lake in the Czech Republic

Changes in the water properties and biological characteristics of the highly acidic Hromnice Lake (Western Bohemia) were investigated. This 110-year-old lake, formed as a consequence of the mining of pyritic shales, is permanently meromictic. Two chemoclines separate an extremely acidic (pH ～ 2.6) mixolimnion from a metal-rich anoxic monimolimnion. The absence of spring mixolimnetic turnover due to ice melting and very slow heat propagation through the chemocline with a 6-month delay were observed. Extreme mixolimnetic oxygen maxima (up to 31 mg l^?1) in phosphorus-rich lake (PO₄^3? up to 1.6 mg l^?1) well correlated with outbursts of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton consist of several acido-tolerant species of the genera Coccomyxa, Lepocinclis, Chlamydomonas and Chromulina. Surface phytoplankton biomass expressed as chlorophyll-a varies from 2 to 140 μg l^?1. Multicellular zooplankton are almost absent with the exception of Cephalodella acidophila, a small rotifer occurring in low numbers. Large red larvae of the midge Chironomus gr. plumosus were found at the bottom close to the shore, with larvulae in the open water. Developmental stages (protonemata) of a moss, resembling filamentous algae, dwell in the otherwise plant-free littoral zone.     

On the connection between the atmospheric electric field measured at the surface and the ionospheric electric field in the Central Antarctica

Regular measurements of the atmospheric electric field made at Vostok Station (φ=78.45°S; λ=106.87°E, elevation 3500 m) in Antarctica demonstrate that extremely intense electric fields (1000–5000 V/m) can be observed during snow storms. Usually the measured value of the atmospheric electric field at Vostok is about 100–250 V/m during periods with “fair weather” conditions. Actual relation between near-surface electric fields and ionospheric electric fields remain to be a controversial problem. Some people claimed that these intense electric fields produced by snowstorms or appearing before strong earthquakes can re-distribute electric potential in the ionosphere at the heights up to 300 km. We investigated interrelation between the atmospheric and ionospheric electric fields by both experimental and theoretical methods. Our conclusion is that increased near-surface atmospheric electric fields do not contribute notably to distribution of ionospheric electric potential.     

Timing for high lake levels of Qinghai Lake in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau since the Last Interglaciation based on quartz OSL dating

Qinghai Lake is situated in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). Its size and proximity to the junction of three major climate systems make it sensitive to climate changes. Some investigations on shorelines of Qinghai Lake suggested highstands during MIS 3, but to what extent the lake level was higher than today is yet undetermined. Others proposed that the maximum highstands probably dated to MIS 5. It has also been shown that the lake level 120 m higher than today occurred at around 12 ka. Most of these previous ages were obtained using ¹⁴C dating or multiple-aliquot IRSL/OSL dating. For ¹⁴C dating, because of the dating limit (<40 ka) and the lack of suitable dating materials in this arid area, it is difficult to establish reliable chronological control. In the present study, seven samples collected from lacustrine deposits (five samples) and sand wedges (two samples) were dated using quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) with the single aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol. OSL dating results showed that (1) the lake had experienced two high lake levels, one was in MIS 5 and another in early to middle MIS 3; (2) no evidence of high lake levels in MIS 4 has been found; (3) the alluvial gravels, whose surface is at an elevation of ～3246 m, were formed at least 28.8 ± 2.3 ka ago, and the widespread sand wedges within the alluvial gravels were formed during the period of 15.1–28.8 ka, which implied that the lake level had not reached an elevation of ～3240 m after 28.8 ± 2.3 ka.