Tonminerale in normalsedimenten,hydrothermal beeinflu\ten sedimenten und Erzschlämmen des Roten Meeres

From 14 deeps and other regions of the Red Sea totally 226 samples from 28 cores recovered during the VALDIVIA cruises (1971, 1972) were investigated according to their clay mineral content (<2μm resp. < 6.3 μm) after carbonate dissolution. Three facies groups are to distinguish:

1. normal sediments: dominance of chlorite, kaolinite, illite, small amounts of smectite and sepiolite. Two palygorskite types are present only in a few samples.
2. normal sediments with hydrothermal influence: clay mineral paragenesis similar like that of normal sediments; but increase of smectite and presence of goethite in each sample; partly small contents of talc.
3. heavy metal deposits: dominance of iron-bearing smectite, partly with amorphous components resp. pure ore mineral assemblages with authigenic silicates (talc, quartz, opal, chrysotile, sepiolite, palygorskite, chlorite).

Crystallinity of the clay and ore minerals is independent from sedimentary overburden. Sepiolite shows in small amounts a wide distribution; palygorskite₂ (d₁₁₀=11.3 Å) yields locally an increased concentration in the range of pteropod layers cemented by aragonite. The environment of ore deposits is characterized by iron-bearing smectite besides the ore minerals.     

Adsorptive removal of nickel from water using volcanic rocks

This paper presents the results of a study on Ni(II) removal from water by adsorption using abundant and low-cost volcanic rock grains: Scoria (VSco) and Pumice (VPum), which could be used as an alternative approach to remove potentially harmful metals from contaminated water. Basic process characteristics were determined under batch conditions. The maximum adsorption capacities for Ni(II) on VSco and VPum were found to be 980 and 1187 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. These results were obtained at the optimized conditions of pH (5.0), temperature (24.9 °C), contact time (24 h), adsorbent/solution ratio (1:20), particle size (fine) and with the variation of initial concentrations between 0.5 and 50 mg L⁻¹. Competitive adsorption of Ni(II), Cd(II) and Cu(II) on the adsorbents present in binary as well as ternary mixtures were also compared with the single metal solution. Thus, given that enough volcanic rock grains are provided, Ni(II) ions could be removed even from a metal ion bearing matrix. A number of available models like Lagergren pseudo-first order kinetics, second-order kinetics, intra-particle diffusion and liquid film diffusion were utilized to evaluate the kinetics and the mechanism of the sorption interactions. The results revealed that the pseudo-second order equation best described the kinetics mechanisms of Ni(II) adsorption although the removal process was found to be complex. Moreover, three adsorption models have been evaluated in order to attempt to fit the experimental data, namely the Langmuir, the Freundlich and the Redlich–Peterson isotherm models. It was found that the first two isotherms most closely described the adsorption parameters.     

Petrogenesis of the Eppawala carbonatites, Sri Lanka: A cathodoluminescence and electron microprobe study

Field and petrographic investigations, cathodoluminescence (CL) studies as well as microprobe analyses of major rock-forming minerals were conducted to establish the crystallization processes in the Eppawala carbonatites, Sri Lanka. The well preserved magmatic textures and crystal morphologies combined with the chemistry of apatite, calcite and dolomite indicate two major stages of crystal growth, which were accompanied by dynamic crystallization conditions. Initially, nucleation of apatite, ilmenite and possibly olivine was associated with rapid crystal growth during slow cooling of the carbonatite melt at depth. The heat loss through the roof and crystallization processes induced the development of turbulent convective currents, which in turn prevented further nucleation and growth of crystals and led to the dispersion of these earlier formed crystals within the magma chamber. Then, rapid upward movement of magma along structural weaknesses led to (i) the transport of mineral clusters, (ii) deformation of ilmenite, (iii) fracturing of apatite and (iv) the emplacement of the carbonatite melt as dykes. Here, the conditions were favourable for the simultaneous crystallization of magnetite, calcite and dolomite in a non-turbulent environment. Subsequent subsolidus alteration caused the hydrothermal overprint of the documented mineral assemblages, particularly along grain boundaries. The study demonstrates that detailed textural examinations of carbonatites combined with mineral chemical analyses and CL investigations can reveal the crystallization processes within carbonatite melts.     

冰川物质平衡模式及其对比研究——以祁连山黑河流域十一冰川研究为例

冰川物质平衡是冰川连结气候和水资源的纽带, 对其的观测和模拟始终是冰川与气候变化研究领域的重点和前缘之一. 以祁连山黑河流域十一冰川为参照冰川, 结合实测物质平衡验证资料, 建立了基于冰川表面能量平衡的冰川物质平衡模型(物理模型)和基于温度参数、温度-辐射参数和温度-辐射-水汽压参数的三种度日因子模型(统计模型), 并对模拟结果进行了分析及评估. 结果表明: 净辐射是冰川表面最主要的能量来源, 占能量收入的82.3%; 其次为感热供热, 占收入的17.7%. 净长波辐射基本为负, 吸收的热量主要通过融化和蒸发/升华方式消耗, 分别占能量支出的84.7%和15.3%. 加入净短波辐射和水汽压参数的度日因子-物质平衡模型的模拟效果提高显著, 相对误差为7%, 与能量平衡模型的模拟误差6.7%, 相差不大. 研究表明, 能量-物质平衡模型的物理意义明确, 模拟能力强大, 尤其在日尺度上有绝对的优势; 统计物质平衡模型在特定的地理条件和气候条件下表现出不佳, 对于一些极端值的模拟能力欠缺, 但是具有输入变量少, 计算简单的优点. 研究结果对黑河流域乃至整个祁连山地区的冰川物质平衡模拟方法的建立具有参考意义.     

Sensitivity of tropical climate to low-level clouds in the NCEP climate forecast system

In this work, we examine the sensitivity of tropical mean climate and seasonal cycle to low clouds and cloud liquid water path (CLWP) by prescribing them in the NCEP climate forecast system (CFS). It is found that the change of low cloud cover alone has a minor influence on the amount of net shortwave radiation reaching the surface and on the warm biases in the southeastern Atlantic. In experiments where CLWP is prescribed using observations, the mean climate in the tropics is improved significantly, implying that shortwave radiation absorption by CLWP is mainly responsible for reducing the excessive surface net shortwave radiation over the southern oceans in the CFS. Corresponding to large CLWP values in the southeastern oceans, the model generates large low cloud amounts. That results in a reduction of net shortwave radiation at the ocean surface and the warm biases in the sea surface temperature in the southeastern oceans. Meanwhile, the cold tongue and associated surface wind stress in the eastern oceans become stronger and more realistic. As a consequence of the overall improvement of the tropical mean climate, the seasonal cycle in the tropical Atlantic is also improved. Based on the results from these sensitivity experiments, we propose a model bias correction approach, in which CLWP is prescribed only in the southeastern Atlantic by using observed annual mean climatology of CLWP. It is shown that the warm biases in the southeastern Atlantic are largely eliminated, and the seasonal cycle in the tropical Atlantic Ocean is significantly improved. Prescribing CLWP in the CFS is then an effective interim technique to reduce model biases and to improve the simulation of seasonal cycle in the tropics.     

Projections of global warming-induced impacts on winter storm losses in the German private household sector

We present projections of winter storm-induced insured losses in the German residential building sector for the 21st century. With this aim, two structurally most independent downscaling methods and one hybrid downscaling method are applied to a 3-member ensemble of ECHAM5/MPI-OM1 A1B scenario simulations. One method uses dynamical downscaling of intense winter storm events in the global model, and a transfer function to relate regional wind speeds to losses. The second method is based on a reshuffling of present day weather situations and sequences taking into account the change of their frequencies according to the linear temperature trends of the global runs. The third method uses statistical-dynamical downscaling, considering frequency changes of the occurrence of storm-prone weather patterns, and translation into loss by using empirical statistical distributions. The A1B scenario ensemble was downscaled by all three methods until 2070, and by the (statistical-) dynamical methods until 2100. Furthermore, all methods assume a constant statistical relationship between meteorology and insured losses and no developments other than climate change, such as in constructions or claims management. The study utilizes data provided by the German Insurance Association encompassing 24 years and with district-scale resolution. Compared to 1971–2000, the downscaling methods indicate an increase of 10-year return values (i.e. loss ratios per return period) of 6–35 % for 2011–2040, of 20–30 % for 2041–2070, and of 40–55 % for 2071–2100, respectively. Convolving various sources of uncertainty in one confidence statement (data-, loss model-, storm realization-, and Pareto fit-uncertainty), the return-level confidence interval for a return period of 15 years expands by more than a factor of two. Finally, we suggest how practitioners can deal with alternative scenarios or possible natural excursions of observed losses.     

A Recent Shellfish Toxin Investigation in China

A shellfish toxin investigation along the Chinese coast has recently been conducted using both HPLC and mouse assay methods. The results showed that DSP was widely distributed in different shellfish species in China. 26 out of 89 samples had DTX1 (dinophysistoxin-1) or OA (okadaic acid) but the DSP content in most shellfish samples did not reach the regulatory limit for human consumption adopted in many countries (20 μg/100 g soft tissue). PSP was also found in 5 out of 96 samples along the coast. One sample, Chlamys nobilis from Hong Kong contained high levels of PSP (320 μg STX equivalent/100 g soft tissue), compared to the regulatory limit (80 μg STX equivalent/100 g soft tissue). After the recent outbreak of red tide in Hong Kong waters, three further shellfish samples were collected within 40 days to investigate the impacts of this event. It was shown that high levels of PSP continued to exist in Hong Kong waters. This report provides the first report of DSP and PSP distribution along the Chinese coast.     

The role of ocean dynamics in producing decadal climate variability in the North Pacific

 Decadal time scale climate variability in the North Pacific has implications for climate both locally and over North America. A crucial question is the degree to which this variability arises from coupled ocean/atmosphere interactions over the North Pacific that involve ocean dynamics, as opposed to either purely thermodynamic effects of the oceanic mixed layer integrating in situ the stochastic atmospheric forcing, or the teleconnected response to tropical variability. The part of the variability that is coming from local coupled ocean/atmosphere interactions involving ocean dynamics is potentially predictable by an ocean/atmosphere general circulation model (O/A GCM), and such predictions could (depending on the achievable lead time) have distinct societal benefits. This question is examined using the results of fully coupled O/A GCMs, as well as targeted numerical experiments with stand-alone ocean and atmosphere models individually. It is found that coupled ocean/atmosphere interactions that involve ocean dynamics are important to determining the strength and frequency of a decadal-time scale peak in the spectra of several oceanic variables in the Kuroshio extension region off Japan. Local stochastic atmospheric heat flux forcing, integrated by the oceanic mixed layer into a red spectrum, provides a noise background from which the signal must be extracted. Although teleconnected ENSO responses influence the North Pacific in the 2–7 years/cycle frequency band, it is shown that some decadal-time scale processes in the North Pacific proceed without ENSO. Likewise, although the effects of stochastic atmospheric forcing on ocean dynamics are discernible, a feedback path from the ocean to the atmosphere is suggested by the results. Received: 23 January 2000 / Accepted: 10 January 2001