Changes to urban form and commuting patterns: trends in two Danish city regions

This paper compares indicators of polycentricity in a monocentric (MUR) and a polycentric urban region (PUR) in Denmark at two points in time (1982 and 2002). It describes how population, jobs and commuting indicators of polycentricity develop and interact over time. Both the MUR and the PUR tend towards more balanced development. The increasing size of the main node in the PUR is the only deviation from the general trend. The general tendency towards a more polycentric regional structure was most marked in changing interaction and commuting patterns. Inter-urban commuting increased, while intra-urban commuting decreased, leading to dispersion of commuters and a rapid increase in commuting across the region. Commuting distances were shortest in the polycentric region, but it also had the highest growth rates. In both regions, the balancing trend leads to a dispersal of commuting demand over an increasingly complex web of origins and destination nodes. This tendency compels us to question whether people’s choice of residence is becoming increasingly irrelevant to their place of work. In relation to polycentricity and sustainability, this calls into question the degree to which proximity can be a valuable ‘asset’ in terms of planning sustainable transport outcomes connecting residence, jobs and service.     

The magnetic structure of convection-driven numerical dynamos

The generation of a magnetic field in numerical simulations of the geodynamo is an intrinsically 3-D and time-dependent phenomenon. The concept of magnetic field lines and the frozen-flux approximation can provide insight into such systems, but a suitable visualization method is required. This paper presents results obtained using the Dynamical Magnetic Field line Imaging (DMFI) technique, which is a representation of magnetic field lines accounting for their local magnetic energy, together with an algorithm for the time evolution of their anchor points. The DMFI illustrations are consistent with previously published dynamo mechanisms, and allow further investigation of spatially and temporally complex systems. We highlight three types of magnetic structures: (i) magnetic cyclones and (ii) magnetic anticyclones are expelled by, but corotate with axial flow vortices; (iii) magnetic upwellings are amplified by stretching and advection within flow upwellings, and show structural similarity with helical plumes found in rotating hydrodynamic experiments. While magnetic anticyclones are responsible for the regeneration of a stable axial dipole, here we show that excursions and reversals of the dipole axis are caused by the emergence of magnetic upwellings, which amplify and transport a generally multipolar magnetic field from the inner to the outer boundary of the models. Geomagnetic observations suggest the presence of magnetic structures similar to those found in our models; thus, we discuss how our results may pertain to Earth's core dynamo processes. In order to make DMFI a standard tool for numerical dynamo studies, a public software package is available upon request to the authors (supplementary material is available at: http://www.ipgp.jussieu.fr/~aubert/DMFI.html ).     

The 15 August 2007 Peru Earthquake and Tsunami: Influence of the Source Characteristics on the Tsunami Heights

The tsunami caused by the 2007 Peru earthquake (M_w 8.0) provoked less damage than by the seismic shaking itself (numerous casualties due to the earthquake in the vicinity of Pisco). However, it propagated across the Pacific Ocean and small waves were observed on one tide gauge in Taiohae Bay (Nuku Hiva, Marquesas, French Polynesia). We invert seismological data to recover the rupture pattern in two steps. The first step uses surface waves to find a solution for the moment tensor, and the second step uses body waves to compute the slip distribution in the source area. We find the slip distribution to consist of two main slip patches in the source area. The inversion of surface waves yields a scalar moment of 8.9 10²⁰ Nm, and body-wave inversion gives 1.4 10²¹ Nm. The inversion of tsunami data recorded on a single deep ocean sensor also can be used to compute a fault slip pattern (yielding a scalar moment of 1.1 10²¹ Nm). We then use these different sources to model the tsunami propagation across the Pacific Ocean, especially towards Nuku Hiva. While the source model taken from the body-wave inversion yields computed tsunami waves systematically too low with respect to observations (on the central Pacific Ocean DART buoy as on the Polynesian tide gauge), the source model established from the surface-wave inversion is more efficient to fit the observations, confirming that the tsunami is sensitive to the low frequency component of the source. Finally we also discuss the modeling of the late tsunami arrivals in Taiohae Bay using several friction coefficients for the sea bottom.     

The biogeomorphological life cycle of poplars during the fluvial biogeomorphological succession: a special focus on Populus nigra L.

Riverine ecosystems are recurrently rejuvenated during destructive flood events and vegetation succession starts again. Poplars (i.e. species from Populus genera) respond to hydrogeomorphological constraints, but, in turn, also influence these processes. Thus, poplar development on bare mineral substrates is not exclusively a one‐way vegetative process. Reciprocal interactions and adjustments between poplar species and sediment dynamics during their life cycle lead to the emergence of biogeomorphological entities within the fluvial corridor, such as vegetated islands, benches and floodplains. Based on a review of geomorphological, biological and ecological literature, we have identified and described the co‐constructing processes between riparian poplars and their fluvial environment. We have explored the possibility that the modification of the hydrogeomorphological environment exerted, in particular, by the European black poplar (Populus nigra L.), increases its fitness and thus results in positive niche construction. We focus on the fundamental phases of dispersal, recruitment and establishment until sexual maturity of P. nigra by describing the hierarchy of interactions and the pattern of feedbacks between biotic and abiotic components. We explicitly relate the biological life cycle of P. nigra to the fluvial biogeomorphic succession model by referring to the ‘biogeomorphological life cycle’ of P. nigra. Finally, we propose new research perspectives based on this theoretical framework. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

ERORUN-STAFOR: A collaborative observatory for the multidisciplinary study of the critical zone processes in a tropical volcanic watershed including a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest

Tropical volcanic islands are biodiversity hotspots where the Critical Zone (CZ) still remains poorly studied. In such steep topographic environments associated with extreme climatic events (cyclones), deployment and maintenance of monitoring equipment is highly challenging. While a few Critical Zone Observatories (CZOS) are located in tropical volcanic regions, none of them includes a Tropical Montane Cloud Forest (TMCF) at the watershed scale. We present here the dataset of the first observatory from the French network of critical zone observatories (OZCAR) located in an insular tropical and volcanic context, integrating a ‘Tropical Montane Cloud Forest’: The ERORUN-STAFOR observatory. This collaborative observatory is located in the northern part of La Réunion island (Indian Ocean) within the 45.0 km² watershed of Rivière des Pluies (i.e., Rainfall river) which hosts the TMCF of Plaines des Fougères, one of the best preserved natural habitats in La Réunion Island. Since 2014, the ERORUN-STAFOR monitoring in collaboration with local partners collected a multidisciplinary dataset with a constant improvement of the instrumentation over time. At the watershed scale and in its vicinity, the ERORUN-STAFOR observatory includes 10 measurement stations covering the upstream, midstream and downstream part of the watershed. The stations record a total of 48 different variables through continuous (sensors) or periodic (sampling) monitoring. The dataset consists of continuous time series variables related to (i) meteorology, including precipitation, air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, net radiation, atmospheric pressure, cloud water flux, irradiance, leaf wetness and soil temperature, (ii) hydrology, including water level and temperature, discharge and electrical conductivity (EC) of stream, (iii) hydrogeology, including (ground)water level, water temperature and EC in two piezometers and one horizontally drilled groundwater gallery completed by soil moisture measurements under the canopy. The dataset is completed by periodic time series variables related to (iv) hydrogeochemistry, including field parameters and water analysis results. The periodic sampling survey provides chemical and isotopic compositions of rainfall, groundwater, and stream water at different locations of this watershed. The ERORUN-STAFOR monitoring dataset extends from 2014 to 2022 with an acquisition frequency from 10 min to hourly for the sensor variables and from weekly to monthly frequency for the sampling. Despite the frequent maintenance of the monitoring sites, several data gaps exist due to the remote location of some sites and instrument destruction by cyclones. Preliminary results show that the Rivière des Pluies watershed is characterized by high annual precipitation (>3000 mm y⁻¹) and a fast hydrologic response to precipitation (≈2 h basin lag time). The long-term evolution of the deep groundwater recharge is mainly driven by the occurrence of cyclone events with a seasonal groundwater response. The water chemical results support existing hydrogeological conceptual models suggesting a deep infiltration of the upstream infiltrated rainfall. The TMCF of Plaine des Fougères shows a high water storage capacity (>2000% for the Bryophytes) that makes this one a significant input of water to groundwater recharge which still needs to be quantified. This observatory is a unique research site in an insular volcanic tropical environment offering three windows of observation for the study of critical zone processes through upstream-midstream-downstream measurements sites. This high-resolution dataset is valuable to assess the response of volcanic tropical watersheds and aquifers at both event and long-term scales (i.e., global change). It will also provide insights in the hydrogeological conceptual model of volcanic islands, including the significant role of the TMCFs in the recharge processes as well as the watershed hydrosedimentary responses to extreme climatic events and their respective evolution under changing climatic conditions. All data sets are available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7983138 .     

A heuristic framework for next-generation models of geostrophic convective turbulence

Many geophysical and astrophysical phenomena are driven by turbulent fluid dynamics, containing behaviors separated by tens of orders of magnitude in scale. While direct simulations have made large strides toward understanding geophysical systems, such models still inhabit modest ranges of the governing parameters that are difficult to extrapolate to planetary settings. The canonical problem of rotating Rayleigh-Bénard convection provides an alternate approach - isolating the fundamental physics in a reduced setting. Theoretical studies and asymptotically-reduced simulations in rotating convection have unveiled a variety of flow behaviors likely relevant to natural systems, but still inaccessible to direct simulation. In lieu of this, several new large-scale rotating convection devices have been designed to characterize such behaviors. It is essential to predict how this potential influx of new data will mesh with existing results. Surprisingly, a coherent framework of predictions for extreme rotating convection has not yet been elucidated. In this study, we combine asymptotic predictions, laboratory and numerical results, and experimental constraints to build a heuristic framework for cross-comparison between a broad range of rotating convection studies. We categorize the diverse field of existing predictions in the context of asymptotic flow regimes. We then consider the physical constraints that determine the points of intersection between flow behavior predictions and experimental accessibility. Applying this framework to several upcoming devices demonstrates that laboratory studies may soon be able to characterize geophysically-relevant flow regimes. These new data may transform our understanding of geophysical and astrophysical turbulence, and the conceptual framework developed herein should provide the theoretical infrastructure needed for meaningful discussion of these results.     

Portable rainfall simulator for plot-scale investigation of rainfall-runoff,and transport of sediment and pollutants

A low-cost, simple to use portable rainfall simulator is developed for use over a 5 m^2 plot. The simulator is easy to transport and assemble in the field, thereby allowing for necessary experimental replicates to be done. It provides rainfall intensities of between 20 and 100 mm/h by changing the number and type of silicon nozzles used. The Christiansen coefficient of uniformities obtained in the field are appropriate and vary from 79 to 94% for rainfall intensities ranging from 30 to 70 mm/h. In addition, the median volumetric drop diameters measured for rainfall intensities of 30, 50, and 70 mm/h are in the lower range of that of natural rainfall and equal to 1.10 ± 0.08,1.69 ± 0.21, and 1.66 ± 0.20 mm, respectively. The velocities of the raindrops with diameters less than 1.2 mm reached terminal velocities, while raindrops less than 2.0 mm achieved velocities reasonably close to the terminal velocity of natural rainfall. Furthermore,the average time-specific kinetic energy(KET) for rainfall intensities of 30, 50, and 70 mm/h are 257.7,760.1, and 1645.2 J/m^2/h, respectively accounting for about 78.0 and 86.5% of the KET of natural rainfall for50 and 70 mm/h rainfall intensity, respectively. The applicability of the portable rainfall simulator for herbicide transport study is investigated using two herbicides(atrazine and metolachlor); herbicide losses in runoff and sediment samples are in the ranges reported in the literature. As a percentage of the amount of herbicide applied, 5.29% of atrazine and 2.15% of metolachlor are lost due to combined water and sediment runoff. The results show that the portable rainfall simulator can be effectively used in studying processes such as pesticide runoff, infiltration mechanisms, and sediment generation and transport at a field plot scale with an emphasis on how surface characteristics such as slope and soil properties affect these processes.