Molecular Gas in the Abell 262 Cluster Galaxy Ugc 1347

We present the results of ¹²CO(1-0) and ¹²CO(2-1) observations on UGC 1347 obtained with BIMA and the IRAM 30 m telescope. UGC 1347 is a member of the Abell 262 cluster. In Abell 262, a nearby spiral rich cluster, the signs of galaxy interaction and therefore the mechanisms which play an important role in galaxy evolution within clusters can be studied with high spatial resolution. Aside from its bright central region, UGC 1347 features a second prominent source at the southern tip of the bar, which has been identified as region with recent enhanced star formation. The CO observations prove the existence of reservoirs of cold molecular gas at the positions of both bright regions.     

Sensitivity of flood loss estimates to building representation and flow depth attribution methods in micro-scale flood modelling

Thanks to modelling advances and the increase in computational resources in recent years, it is now feasible to perform 2-D urban flood simulations at very high spatial resolutions and to conduct flood risk assessments at the scale of single buildings. In this study, we explore the sensitivity of flood loss estimates obtained in such micro-scale analyses to the spatial representation of the buildings in the 2D flood inundation model and to the hazard attribution methods in the flood loss model. The results show that building representation has a limited effect on the exposure values (i.e. the number of elements at risk), but can have a significant impact on the hazard values attributed to the buildings. On the other hand, the two methods for hazard attribution tested in this work result in remarkably different flood loss estimates. The sensitivity of the predicted flood losses to the attribution method is comparable to the one associated with the vulnerability curve. The findings highlight the need for incorporating these sources of uncertainty into micro-scale flood risk prediction methodologies.     

Climate change risks for severe storms in developing countries in the context of poverty and inequality in Cambodia

Least developed countries are generally regarded as particularly sensitive to climate change due to among other vulnerable locations and low adaptation capabilities. In the present study, we address climate change hazards in least developed countries by presenting a methodological framework, which is suitable for the estimation damage costs as a function of risk aversion, equality, income distribution and climate scenario using state-of-the-art climate model projections. As a case study, the methodology is applied to study severe storms in Cambodia based on two future climate scenarios and data on historical damages from storm events, which are used as a proxy in performing a sensitivity analysis on all input parameters. For the assumptions and parameter ranges used here, the study shows a high sensitivity to the income distribution (reflected by discount rates) and risk aversion and smaller effects from equality measures and extreme wind climate scenario. We emphasize that the assumptions on risk aversion reflecting consumption smoothing possibilities of low-income households clearly depicts that climate risks can be particularly high as a consequence of poverty and therefore recommend that context-specific vulnerabilities and equity concerns in climate risk studies should be included when making assessments for least developed countries.     

Analysis of a mixed discontinuous Galerkin method for instationary Darcy flow

We present an a priori stability and convergence analysis of a new mixed discontinuous Galerkin scheme applied to the instationary Darcy problem. The analysis accounts for a spatially and temporally varying permeability tensor in all estimates. The proposed method is stabilized using penalty terms in the primary and the flux unknowns.     

Quantifying Tidal Movements of the Shore Crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Carcinus maenas</Emphasis> on to Complex Epibenthic Bivalve Habitats

Many subtidal predators undertake regular tidal migrations into intertidal areas in order to access abundant prey. One of the most productive habitats in soft bottom intertidal systems is formed by beds of epibenthic bivalves such as blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) and Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas). In the Dutch Wadden Sea, these bivalves might face substantial predation pressure by the shore crab (Carcinus maenas), which increased considerably in numbers during the last 20 years. However, the quantification of this species on bivalve beds is challenging, since most methods common for quantifying animal abundance in marine habitats cannot be used. This study investigated the potential of two methods to quantify the abundance of C. maenas on 14 epibenthic bivalve beds across the Dutch Wadden Sea. The use of the number of crabs migrating from subtidal towards intertidal areas as a proxy of abundance on bivalve beds yielded unreliable results. In contrast, crabs caught with traps on the beds were correlated with the abundance assessed on the surrounding bare flats by beam trawl and therefore provided usable results. The estimates, however, were only reliable for crabs exceeding 35 mm in carapace width (CW). The application of these estimates indicated that crab abundances on bivalve beds were influenced by the biogenic structure. Beds dominated by oysters attracted many large crabs (> 50-mm CW), whereas abundances of medium-sized crabs (35–50-mm CW) showed no relationship to the oyster occurrence. The combination of traps and trawls is capable of quantifying crab abundance on bivalve beds, which offers the possibility to study biotic processes such as predator-prey interactions in these complex structures in more detail.     

Thermal Bioclimate and Climate Tourism Analysis for Odessa,Black Sea

Climate is a main component of nature that, in addition to being a valuable resource, determines the possibility of development of tourism. Apparently, climate and its characteristics determine touristic demand. Choosing a place for vacation or recreation, tourists primarily prefer an optimal climate and weather conditions. Human‐biometeorological resources characterize the connection of climate with a thermal state and health of humans, peculiarities of recreation and health evaluation of the environment. In order to distinguish thermal bioclimate, the physiologically equivalent temperature is used, based on the various meteorological parameters (air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and radiation) that reflect the human conditions and the thermal comfort perception. In addition for the analysis of the climatic tourism potential, the Climate‐Transfer/Tourism‐Information Scheme was applied. The results can be useful for tourists in order to determine the best time to take a vacation based on their recreational activity such as sports, medical, health (thalassotherapy, heliotherapy, balneology etc.) according to bioclimatic conditions and their own preferences.