Sediment production and yield from an alluvial gully in northern Queensland,Australia

Sediment production, transport and yield were quantified over various timescales in response to rainfall and runoff within an alluvial gully (7 · 8 ha), which erodes into dispersible sodic soils of a small floodplain catchment (33 ha) along the Mitchell River, northern Australia. Historical air photographs and recent global positioning system (GPS) surveys and LiDAR data documented linear increases in gully area and volume, indicating that sediment supply has been relatively consistent over the historic period. Daily time lapse photography of scarp retreat rates and internal erosion processes also demonstrated that erosion from rainfall and runoff consistently supplied fine washload (< 63 µm) sediment in addition to coarse lags of sand bed material. Empirical measurements of suspended sediment concentrations (10 000 to >100 000 mg/L) and sediment yields (89 to 363 t/ha/yr) were high for both Australian and world data. Total sediment yield estimated from empirical washload and theoretical bed material load was dominated by fine washload (< 63 µm). A lack of hysteresis in suspended sediment rating curves, scarp retreat and sediment yield correlated to rainfall input, and an equilibrium channel outlet slope supported the hypothesis that partially or fully transport‐limited conditions predominated along the alluvial gully outlet channel. This is in contrast to sediment supply‐limited conditions on uneroded floodplains above gully head scarps. While empirical data presented here can support future modelling efforts to predict suspended sediment concentration and yield under the transport limiting situations, additional field data will also be needed to better quantify sediment erosion and transport rates and processes in alluvial gullies at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Aspen–Amsterdam void finder comparison project

Despite a history that dates back at least a quarter of a century, studies of voids in the large-scale structure of the Universe are bedevilled by a major problem: there exist a large number of quite different void-finding algorithms, a fact that has so far got in the way of groups comparing their results without worrying about whether such a comparison in fact makes sense. Because of the recent increased interest in voids, both in very large galaxy surveys and in detailed simulations of cosmic structure formation, this situation is very unfortunate. We here present the first systematic comparison study of 13 different void finders constructed using particles, haloes, and semi-analytical model galaxies extracted from a subvolume of the Millennium simulation. This study includes many groups that have studied voids over the past decade. We show their results and discuss their differences and agreements. As it turns out, the basic results of the various methods agree very well with each other in that they all locate a major void near the centre of our volume. Voids have very underdense centres, reaching below 10 per cent of the mean cosmic density. In addition, those void finders that allow for void galaxies show that those galaxies follow similar trends. For example, the overdensity of void galaxies brighter than   m _B =−20  is found to be smaller than about −0.8 by all our void finding algorithms.     

Contrasting definitions for the term ‘karst aquifer’

It is generally considered that karst aquifers have distinctly different properties from other bedrock aquifers. A search of the literature found five definitions that have been proposed to differentiate karst aquifers from non-karstic aquifers. The five definitions are based upon the presence of solution channel networks, hydraulic conductivities >10^?6 m/s, karst landscapes, channels with turbulent flow, and caves. The percentage of unconfined carbonate aquifers that would classify as ‘karst’ ranges from <1 to >50%.     

Mapping acidic mine waste with seasonal airborne hyperspectral imagery at varying spatial scales

Airborne imaging spectrometer (also known as hyperspectral) remote sensing has been widely used to characterize mineralogy on mine waste surfaces, which is useful for predicting potential sources of acidity and metal leaching. The most successful applications employ fine spatial resolution—20-m pixels or smaller. Future satellite imaging spectrometer sensors are proposed to provide coarser spatial resolution—30- to 60-m pixels. This study examined the ability to map minerals related to acid mine drainage with visible to shortwave infrared hyperspectral imagery at varying spatial scales (2-, 15-, 30-, 60-m pixels) at the Leviathan mine Superfund site, located in the Eastern Sierra Nevada. Mineral maps were produced using spectral angle mapper and matched filtering algorithms. The 15-m images provided comparable maps to the 2-m images. The 30- and 60-m images lost the ability to identify smaller features; however, they were still able to identify high- and low-priority remediation zones at least 75 m in width. Based on our results, we believe 30-m spatial resolution on a satellite hyperspectral sensor will be sufficient for identifying hazardous surfaces at larger mine waste sites and provide important reconnaissance information that can help prioritize detailed ground-based studies.     

A search for axisymmetric dynamos

Some general theorems on the necessary level of symmetry in the velocity field of a kinematic dynamo have been proposed: the analytic difficulties of direct proofs of these appear insurmountable at present. Explicit axisymmetric counter-examples are here sought in an attempt to disprove one such general hypothesis numerically. The usual Bullard-Gellman technique, and a new time-dependent extension of it, are used. Despite extensive computation on a number of different models, no axisymmetric dynamo is found: possible reasons for this are discussed.     

Palaeoecological investigations towards the reconstruction of the post-glacial environment at Lough Doo,County Mayo,Ireland

Results of palaeoecological studies involving pollen analytical, chemical and palaeomagnetic investigations on a 3 m core from Lough Doo, NE County Mayo, are presented. The record, which commences shortly after 7000 BP, shows a sharp Alnus expansion coinciding with a decline in Pius at 6400 BP, an elm decline taking place in the context of severe soil erosion and the final decline of Pinus occurring as the chemical record indicates onset of severe reducing conditions in the catchment. Pine becomes extinct at or shortly before 3200 BP in the context of increased farming activity and the expansion of blanket bog in the adjacent upland areas. A later feature (c. 1880 BP) is the expansion of Taxus to 7.1% of total pollen. On the basis of the palynological evidence, it is concluded that there were no major Neolithic Landnam phases, which contrasts sharply with the evidence for widespread woodland clearance and the laying out of extensive and regular field systems in the northern coastal part of County Mayo. In the upper part of the core a severe inversion of ¹⁴C dates is recorded. On the basis of the palaeomagnetic and pollen evidence this began at c. 1500 BP and is considered to have been initiated in the context of woodland clearance and a renewal in farming activity.