Improved regional scale processes reflected in projected hydrological changes over large European catchments

For the fourth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the recent version of the coupled atmosphere/ocean general circulation model (GCM) of the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology has been used to conduct an ensemble of transient climate simulations These simulations comprise three control simulations for the past century covering the period 1860–2000, and nine simulations for the future climate (2001–2100) using greenhouse gas (GHG) and aerosol concentrations according to the three IPCC scenarios B1, A1B and A2. For each scenario three simulations were performed. The global simulations were dynamically downscaled over Europe using the regional climate model (RCM) REMO at 0.44° horizontal resolution (about 50 km), whereas the physics packages of the GCM and RCM largely agree. The regional simulations comprise the three control simulations (1950–2000), the three A1B simulations and one simulation for B1 as well as for A2 (2001–2100). In our study we concentrate on the climate change signals in the hydrological cycle and the 2 m temperature by comparing the mean projected climate at the end of the twenty-first century (2071–2100) to a control period representing current climate (1961–1990). The robustness of the climate change signal projected by the GCM and RCM is analysed focussing on the large European catchments of Baltic Sea (land only), Danube and Rhine. In this respect, a robust climate change signal designates a projected change that sticks out of the noise of natural climate variability. Catchments and seasons are identified where the climate change signal in the components of the hydrological cycle is robust, and where this signal has a larger uncertainty. Notable differences in the robustness of the climate change signals between the GCM and RCM simulations are related to a stronger warming projected by the GCM in the winter over the Baltic Sea catchment and in the summer over the Danube and Rhine catchments. Our results indicate that the main explanation for these differences is that the finer resolution of the RCM leads to a better representation of local scale processes at the surface that feed back to the atmosphere, i.e. an improved representation of the land sea contrast and related moisture transport processes over the Baltic Sea catchment, and an improved representation of soil moisture feedbacks to the atmosphere over the Danube and Rhine catchments.     

The Bereznjakovskoje gold trend, southern Urals, Russia

The East Uralian Zone south of Cheljabinsk consists of a Silurian to Early Carboniferous volcanosedimentary sequence on Proterozoic basement, intruded by postorogenic Permian granitic rocks. The 7 by 1–2 km Bereznjakovskoje gold trend is hosted by dacitic to andesitic volcanic-subvolcanic units of Late Devonian age. Epithermal gold mineralization is of the sulfide-rich low-sulfidation (adularia-sericite) type with the metal spectrum of Au-Ag-As-Sb-Cu-Zn-Pb and a characteristic Te component. Silicic and sericitic alteration overprints barren propylitic pyrite-rich assemblages in stockworks and shear zones. Precious-metal mineralization is related to a fahlore-telluride stage overprinting earlier pyrite. Late stage redistribution and weathering liberates gold from telluride mineral phases with fixation of native gold (high fineness) on vugs and grain boundaries, and in intergrowth aggregates with supergene jarosite/limonite. Epithermal mineralization formed below the boiling level and is possibly related to a porphyry system at depth. Received: 23 February 1998 / Accepted: 12 July 1998     

Diagenesis of diatomite from the Kolubara Coal Basin,Baroševac,Serbia

Diatomite associated with the Kolubara Coal Basin was studied to better understand early stage silica diagenesis of shallow water deposits. The Kolubara Basin consists of Neogene siliciclastic rocks, diatomite, marlstone and rare carbonates. Palaeozoic metamorphic and Mesozoic sedimentary and igneous basement rocks are transgressively overlain by Upper Miocene sandstone, siltstone, shale and mudstone. This Upper Miocene section is transgressively overlain by the Pontian section, which contains diatomite and coal beds. White and grey diatomite forms beds 0.7-2.2 m thick that are continuous over an area of about 2 km². Siliceous rocks vary in composition from diatomite (81-89 per cent SiO₂) to diatom-bearing shale (58-60 per cent SiO₂). Siliceous deposits are laminated in places, with the laminae defined by variations in clay minerals, organic matter and diatoms. Diatomite shows only incipient diagenesis characterized by the fragmentation of diatom frustules, the minor to moderate corrosion of frustules and the formation of minor amounts of opal-A' (X-ray amorphous inorganic opal) cement. The low degree of diagenesis results from the young age of the deposits, low burial temperatures and possibly also from the presence of abundant organic matter and the dissolution of kaolinite. The presence of only weak diagenesis is also reflected by the characteristically poor consolidation of the rocks and low rank of the associated coal.