Godzilla from a Zoological Perspective

The 1998 TriStar movie Godzilla proved to be a major blockbuster, although not the financial success that was initially anticipated and movie critics have been rather unforgiving. Apart from a radically different external morphology compared to the classic Japanese movie monster, the new Godzilla character apparently was made different from the old version on a number of key points to make him more biologically probable. However, calculations show that his limbs and limb muscles must have been severely undersized to move his huge bulk around at even a leisurely pace, and most other biological problems with the old Godzilla, e.g., growth rates and reptilian physiology at such a massive size, have remained unaltered. The old Godzilla was actually the more plausible from a biomechanical point of view.     

Summertime diurnal variations of atmospheric peroxides and formaldehyde in Sweden

Atmospheric peroxides and formaldehyde were measured at two sites in Sweden; inside a Scots pine stand (Jädraås) and on top of Mt. Åreskutan (1250 msl). Peroxide levels at Jädraås were highest during the day and lowest during the night. Mid-day concentrations of H₂O₂ varied between 0.05 and 2 ppbv. Isentropic trajectories together with local O₃ measurements indicated the importance of long range transport on surface H₂O₂ lévels. Large diurnal variations and vertical profiles showed the importance of turbulent mixing processes and dry deposition. A comparison of H₂O₂ and O₃ diurnal variations indicated a more rapid dry deposition of H₂O₂ to the forest. It would appear that terpenes emitted from the forest play a minor role in controlling the H₂O₂ levels. Formaldehyde at Jädraås had a different diurnal variation than peroxides; highest levels were observed in the early evening indicating chemical production of CH₂O. Diurnal variations of peroxides on Mt Åreskutan were opposite to those at Jädraås, highest concentrations were observed during the night. This result is to be expected if during the day air from inside the valley, with lower peroxide levels relative to the free troposphere, rises to the mountain top. In the evening, subsidence brings free tropospheric air with higher peroxides levels to the mountain.     

Modelling of run up of steep non-breaking waves

A Navier–Stokes solver is used to examine steep waves as they run up a steep beach (10.54°). The volume of fluid method (VOF) is used to model the free surface. Comparison with experimental results shows reasonable overall agreement in the prediction of the free-surface, velocities and accelerations within the flow. A spurious feature at the free-surface was found which does reduce the quality of the results. For a steep wave we see the transition from a steep wave front to a smooth run-up tongue at the beach that is in qualitative agreement with experiment.     

Relationship between metallothionein, copper and zinc in perch (Perca fluviatilis) environmentally exposed to heavy metals

Hepatic levels of Cu, Zn and metallothionein (MT) in perch, caught in a Cu/Zn gradient from a brassworks, reflected the water concentration of Cu (1·0–9·4 ppb) and Zn (0·56–59 ppb). Significant correlations were found between hepatic Cu and MT levels (r = 0·72), and between Zn and MT levels (r = 0·69). There was an increase of the amount of Cu and Zn in the cytosolic fraction of the liver with increased hepatic levels of the metals. When liver samples. from perch caught at the most contaminated location, were run on a gel filtration column (Sephadex G-75) 78% of the cytosolic Cu and 24% of the Zn in the cytosol eluted together with MT.     

Oceanic circulation as an element in palaeogeographical reconstructions: the Arenig (early Ordovician) as an example

A new conceptual palaeo-oceanographical model is outlined in this paper. The model differs from previous models by using shifts in Hadley circulation caused by orbital variations, and the rotation rate of the Earth, to locate the position of the planetary oceanic low-and high-pressure systems, around which the planetary ocean surface currents flow. Adapting the model to the Arenig (early Ordovician) the temperate low pressure zones were found to be located at 50° latitude and the subtropical high pressure zones at 25° latitude.
Traditionally, most Palaeozoic palaeogeographical recon-structions are reconstructed using palaeomagnetic data supplemented with data from climate-sensitive lithofacies and palaeo-biogeographical distributions. However, as a new approach in palaeogeographical reconstructions, the con-ceptual palaeo-oceanographical model is combined with palaeobiogeographical data for the Arenig series, comple-menting the palaeomagnetic data, and resulting in a new, refined palaeogeographical reconstruction.     

Quaternary denudation of southern Fennoscandia – evidence from the marine realm

Throughout the last 1.1 million years repeated glaciations have modified the southern Fennoscandian landscape and the neighbouring continental shelf into their present form. The glacigenic erosion products derived from the Fennoscandian landmasses were transported to the northern North Sea and the SE Nordic Seas continental margin. The prominent sub‐marine Norwegian Channel trough, along the south coast of Norway, was the main transport route for the erosion products between 1.1 and 0.0 Ma. Most of these erosion products were deposited in the North Sea Fan, which reaches a maximum thickness of 1500 m and has nearly 40 000 km³ of sediments. About 90% of the North Sea Fan sediments have been deposited during the last 500 000 years, in a time period when fast‐moving ice streams occupied the Norwegian Channel during each glacial stage. Back‐stripping the sediment volumes in the northern North Sea and SE Nordic Seas sink areas, including the North Sea Fan, to their assumed Fennoscandian source area gives an average vertical erosion of 164 m for the 1.1–0.0 Ma time period. The average 1.1–0.0 Ma erosion rate in the Fennoscandian source area is estimated to be 0.15 mm a^?1. We suggest, however, that large variations in erosion rates have existed through time and that the most intense Fennoscandian landscape denudation occurred during the time period of repeated shelf edge ice advances, namely from Marine Isotope Stage 12 (c. 0.5 Ma) onwards.