Junge Vulkano-Plutone in Südwestafrika

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Low-level decimetric (1.6 GHz) solar burst activity

Observations of solar bursts at 1.6 GHz were carried out in the month of July 1985 for about two weeks. Five intervals of solar burst activity, each one lasting for a couple of minutes, were observed. Predominantly, two classes of fast bursts were observed: viz: spike and blips. However, some of these bursts were two orders of magnitude less intense than those reported earlier.Low-level blips have typical duration 350 ms, excitation time 200 ± 25 ms, decay time 130 ± 25 ms and a low degree of circular polarization of about 15%. Detailed investigations of decay times of the blips have been carried out in terms of collisional damping and Landau damping. Observed decay times of the blips seem to favour the hypothesis of collisional damping. This investigation suggests that blips probably originate at second harmonic by beam plasma interaction as that of metric type III bursts. Also, low-level ms-spikes with the half power duration in the range of 5 to 20 ms suggest that source sizes be smaller than 50 km if the process of emission is electron-cyclotron maser.Proceedings of the Second CESRA Workshop on Particle Acceleration and Trapping in Solar Flares, held at Aubigny-sur-Nère (France), 23–26 June, 1986.     

Sedimentologie des Lias der Berchtesgadener Kalkalpen

Zusammenfassung Ausgehend von der herrschenden Vorstellung einer Transgression roter Liaskalke zur Zeit des oberen Unterlias über ein subaerisch verkarstetes Dachsteinkallerelief, untersuchte ich die Liassedimente in den Berchtesgadener Alpen eingehender und unternahm vergleichende Begehungen im östlichen Hagengebirge, im Steinernen Meer und in den Steinbrüchen von Adnet.Die Sedimente des Lias liegen in einer Graukalk- und einer abwechslungsreicheren Rotkalk-Fazies (F.Fabricius 1962) vor. Ammoniten zeigten, daß die Graukalkfazies einen Teil der Rotkalkfazies vertritt (im wesentlichen Sinemur). Auf die Ausbildung der Rotkalke hatten Mangelsedimentation, Subsolution und syngenetische Umlagerungen Einfluß.Normalerweise überlagert der Lias den Dachsteinkalk konkordant. Diskonforme Lagerung läßt sich durch submarine Kalklösung und synsedimentäre Spaltenbildung erklären. Die submarin entstandenen Zugspalten im Dachsteinkalk sind mit Rotkalksedimenten und Dachsteinkalktrümmern gefüllt. Die Bildungsdauer dieser, sich episodisch erweiternden Spalten ließ sich mit Ammoniten einschätzen.Argumente gegen die Annahme einer Transgression werden diskutiert.

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Basing on the prevailing theory of a transgression of red Liassic limestones over a relief of Dachstein limestone affected by subaeric karstification, during late lower Liassic time, the author investigated the Liassic sediments of the Berchtesgaden Alps more in detail, comparing also with the eastern Hagen mountains, the Steinernes Meer and the quarries of Adnet.The Liassic sediments occur in two types of facies: gray limestone and a less uniform red limestone (Fabricius 1962). As ammonites prove, the gray limestone facies represents part of the red limestone facies (essentially Sinemur). The development of the red limestone was influenced by reduced sedimentation, subsolution and syngenetic rearrangement.In general, the Liassic strata are overlying the Dachstein limestone conformably, Disconformities may be explained by submarin limestone solution and synsedimentary formation of joints. The tension joints which developed by submarin action in the Dachstein limestone are filled up with red limestone sediments and debris of Dachstein limestone. It was possible to estimate the period of formation of these joints by ammonites.Arguments against the theory of a transgression are discussed.

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Résumé En suivant la conception d'une transgression de calcaires liassiques rouges vers la fin du liassique inférieur sur un relief de calcaire «Dachstein» karstifié, l'auteur étudiait les dépôts liassiques des Alpes de Berchtesgaden plus en détail, y incluse une comparaison avec la montagne de Hagen orientale, le «Steinernes Meer» et les carrières d'Adnet.Les dépôts liassiques existent en deux faciès: des calcaires gris et des calcaires rouges plus variés (Fabricius 1962). Comme il est prouvé par des ammonites, le faciès de calcaires gris représente une partie du faciès de calcaires rouges (essentiellement Sinemur). Le développement des calcaires rouges était influencé par une sédimentation réduite, par la subsolution et par une réarrangement syngénétique.En général, les couches liassiques surmontent le calcaire «Dachstein» conformément. Discordance de stratification peut être expliquée par solution calcaire sous-marine et formation synsédimentaire de diaclases. Les diaclases d'extension formées en sous-marin dans le calcaire «Dachstein» sont remplies de dépôts de calcaire rouge et de débris du calcaire «Dachstein». La durée de formation de ces diaclases est à estimée par des ammonites.Des arguments contre la théorie d'une transgression sont discutés.

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Soil and plant composition in the Noun river catchment basin,Western Cameroon: a contribution to the development of a biogeochemical baseline

Soils and selected edible plants of the Noun river catchment basin of western Cameroon were sampled to investigate the distribution of trace elements, based on the preliminary idea of unusual anomalies. Analytical techniques for trace elements included ICP-AES, GF-AAS, and ICP-MS. Further soil analyses comprised the mineralogy and contents of the biogenic elements carbon, nitrogen and sulphur (CNS). The trace element concentrations in the soils reflect those of the lithogeochemical background of the pluto-volcanic rocks of the region. This is consistent with the results from the mineralogical analyses and physicochemical parameters such as pH, taken in the field, which also do not suggest any geochemical anomaly. Most trace elements analyzed in the plants showed concentrations that reflect those of the soils (Al, Fe, Ti, and Rb). However, some trace elements were enriched in the plants as compared to the soils, such as Zn, Cu, Cd, Mo (excluding yam), Ni (peanut), Ba (peanut), Sr (peanut, bean), and B. Trace elements such as As, Cr, V, and Se were not bioavailable for all the analyzed plants. Besides, trace elements such as Cu, Zn, Mo, Fe, Al, Ni, B, Ti, Rb, Cs, and Ba were in the range of phytotoxicity and reached or exceeded human food tolerance level (Cu). The plants with seeds showed a higher absorption of trace elements compared to plants with tubercles.     

Public climate-change skepticism,energy preferences and political participation

Many studies have shown a general decline of public concern about climate change or vice versa a rise in public climate-change skepticism, in particular in the U.S. and other Anglo-Saxon countries. There is a vivid debate on whether this is a global phenomenon, on which factors explain the decline, and on the broader societal implications of these trends in the context of the transformation toward a low-carbon society. We add to this literature by presenting the results of a recent general population survey in Germany in which we looked for systematic linkages between public climate-change skepticism on one hand, and energy preferences and political participation on the other. Germany is an interesting testbed as it is currently involved in a large-scale restructuring of its system of energy supply toward renewable energy sources (the “Energiewende”). Our results indicate that climate-change skepticism has not diffused widely in Germany, but that it correlates with less support of renewable energy sources. However, skepticism correlates negatively with political participation, and there is no strong political outlet for public climate-change skepticism in Germany. Alternative potential barriers for the successful implementation of the “Energiewende” are also discussed.     

Assessment of groundwater recharge processes through karst vadose zone by cave percolation monitoring

Recharge processes of karst aquifers are difficult to assess given their strong heterogeneity and the poorly known effect of vadose zone on infiltration. However, recharge assessment is crucial for the evaluation of groundwater resources. Moreover, the vulnerability of karst aquifers depends on vadose zone behaviour because it is the place where most contamination takes place. In this work, an in situ experimental approach was performed to identify and quantify flow and storage processes occurring in karst vadose zone. Cave percolation monitoring and dye tracing were used to investigate unsaturated zone hydrological processes. Two flow components (diffuse and quick) were identified and, respectively, account for 66% and 34% of the recharge. Quickflow was found to be the result of bypass phenomenon in vadose zone related to water saturation. We identify the role of epikarst as a shunting area, most of the storage in the vadose zone occurring via the diffuse flow component in low permeability zones. Relationship between rainfall intensity and transit velocity was demonstrated, with 5 times higher velocities for the quick recharge mode than the diffuse mode. Modelling approach with KarstMod software allowed to simulate the hybrid recharge through vadose zone and shows promising chances to properly assess the recharge processes in karst aquifer based on simple physical models.     

Possible long-period oscillations in solar radio emission at microwaves

Long-enduring bursts in the Sun at microwaves can occur in a succession, and rare examples of 41-min periodic structure are shown. The experimental difficulties for identifying such phenomena are discussed; their possible association with oscillations in quiescent prominences is suggested.     

Short-period pulsations observed simultaneously by X-ray and radio waves

From simultaneous high-time-resolution observations of solar X-rays from Hinotori and the millimeter waves at Itapetinga Radio Observatory in Brazil during a solar flare on November 4, 1981 at 1827 UT, short period ( 300 ms) pulsations have been detected in five time intervals of 2 s each. Both a cross-correlation analysis between X-rays and microwaves and a Fourier analysis were made to verify the significance of the quasi-periodic pulsations. The cross-correlation is significant but the pulsations could not be periodic oscillation.on leave of absence from Physical Res. Lab., Ahmedabad, India