Lower and Middle Pleistocene human settlements recorded in fluvial deposits of the middle Loire River Basin,Centre Region,France

This paper records the findings from c. 80 prehistoric sites that have been discovered in the alluvial deposits of the rivers Creuse, Cher, and Loir, tributaries of the middle Loire River, over the period since 1981. These deposits comprise river terrace aggradations formed during successive glacial–interglacial cycles which have recorded climate and environment during Quaternary time. The systematic dating of these river deposits by Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) applied to optically bleached sedimentary quartz has resulted in the establishment of a chronological framework for the evolution of these rivers during Lower and Middle Pleistocene (between 1.7 Ma and 130 ka). Evidence for Early Palaeolithic (Mode 1) industries with an in situ context (workshops, soils) in the highest aggradations indicates that Hominins were present in the study area, near the geographical centre of France (47°N), around 1.1 Ma. Examination of the sites indicates that Human occupations were located along valley bottom sites during temperate episodes. Subsequently, after a gap of several hundred thousand years industries with handaxes appear in the Middle Loire Basin in the interval between 700 and 600 ka, and then continuously from 400 ka. These two phases of settlement produced industrial assemblages with clear differences in their responses to the supplies of raw materials and in the modes of making flakes.     

Analysis of turbulent transfers in vegetation: Use of thoron for measuring the diffusivity profiles

Analysis of turbulent transfer inside a vegetative canopy can be realized by means of several methods. In our case, we have used principally the aerodynamic and the thoron methods. The thoron diffusivity profiles show an important distortion in the middle zone of the canopy, below the maximum of leaf area density. This distortion is associated with a maximum source of sensible heat flux at these levels, which partially invalidates the aerodynamic approach.Centre de Physique Atomique et Nucléaire, Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.Bioclimatologie, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Route de St. Cyr, Versailles, France.     

L'inclinométrie,un nouvel outil pour le suivi temporel des aquifères ?

This study explores the sensitivity of tilt measurements to hydrogeologic phenomena in order to use them to characterise aquifers and explain the signals observed on the instruments. The challenge is to separate the hydrogeological contribution from other phenomena that affect this type of measurements. First, we applied the theory propounded by Farell (1972) and Pagiatakis (1990) to simple hydrogeological cases. Then a simulation of the tiltmeter signal obtained in the Seine valley reveals that the order of magnitude is significant: the signal of a load with hydrologic origin therefore represents a significant part of any tiltmeter signal. Moreover, it can be interpreted in hydrogeological terms: it depends directly on the load gradient through a convolution formalism. Consequently, it is possible to imagine a use of the tiltmeter in hydrogeology to characterise, to a certain extent, mass transfer of water in the ground. To cite this article: T. Rerolle et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

The year-long unprecedented European heat and drought of 1540 – a worst case

The heat waves of 2003 in Western Europe and 2010 in Russia, commonly labelled as rare climatic anomalies outside of previous experience, are often taken as harbingers of more frequent extremes in the global warming-influenced future. However, a recent reconstruction of spring–summer temperatures for WE resulted in the likelihood of significantly higher temperatures in 1540. In order to check the plausibility of this result we investigated the severity of the 1540 drought by putting forward the argument of the known soil desiccation-temperature feedback. Based on more than 300 first-hand documentary weather report sources originating from an area of 2 to 3 million km², we show that Europe was affected by an unprecedented 11-month-long Megadrought. The estimated number of precipitation days and precipitation amount for Central and Western Europe in 1540 is significantly lower than the 100-year minima of the instrumental measurement period for spring, summer and autumn. This result is supported by independent documentary evidence about extremely low river flows and Europe-wide wild-, forest- and settlement fires. We found that an event of this severity cannot be simulated by state-of-the-art climate models.     

Ionic surfactants adsorption on heterogeneous surfacesAdsorption de tensioactifs ioniques sur les surfaces hétérogènes

The adsorption of surfactants from aqueous solution is a phenomenon of major importance in applications ranging from ore flotation and paint technology to enhanced oil recovery. As this paper will illustrate, the process is very complex and of high scientific interest; its results can be extended to the retention of organic compounds (humic and fulvic acids, pollutants...) on solids in the biosphere. For a good understanding of the mechanisms involved in surfactants adsorption at the hydrophilic solid–aqueous solution interface, thermodynamic models have to take into account: (i) the physical chemistry of the surfactant in aqueous solution for choosing the appropriate reference phase, (ii) the surface heterogeneity of the adsorbing solid, (iii) the intensity of normal adsorbate–adsorbent bonds responsible for adsorption, (iv) the intensity of lateral bonds that favour the formation of surface aggregates through cooperative process and finally, (v) suitable theoretical models to describe adsorption phenomena. Once this has been achieved, two systems can be discussed: systems characterised by strong normal adsorbate–adsorbent bonds, currently used in ore flotation, which lead, in the case of heterogeneous surfaces, to the formation of lamellar aggregates at monolayer concentration and bilayer formation for higher concentrations. Systems characterised by weak normal adsorbate–adsorbent bonds, currently used in enhanced oil recovery and hydrocarbon (bio)remediation, which correspond to: (i) formation of globular micelles at the solid surface near the CMC when the temperature is higher than the Krafft point, (ii) formation of bilayered lamellar aggregates in the opposite case, (iii) three-dimensional condensation on substrate (T<T_Krafft) if the ionic surfactant interacts with cations in the bulk. To cite this article: J.-M. Cases et al., C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 675–688.     

Aqueous Cr(VI) reduction by pyrite: Speciation and characterisation of the solid phases by X-ray photoelectron, Raman and X-ray absorption spectroscopies

Optical microscopy, confocal Raman micro-spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron micro-spectroscopy (XPS) and synchrotron based micro-X-ray fluorescence (XRF), micro-X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES) and micro-extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) were used to investigate the reduction of aqueous Cr(VI) by pyrite. Special emphasis was placed on the characterisation of the solid phase formed during the reaction process. Cr(III) and Fe(III) species were identified by XPS analyses in addition to non-oxidised pyrite. Optical microscopy images and the corresponding Raman spectra reveal a strong heterogeneity of the samples with three different types of zones. (i) Reflective areas with E_g and A_g Raman wavenumbers relative to non-oxidised pyrite are the most frequently observed. (ii) Orange areas that display a drift of the E_g and A_g pyrite vibration modes of −3 and −6 cm⁻¹, respectively. Such areas are only observed in the presence of Cr(VI) but are not specifically due to this oxidant. (iii) Bluish areas with vibration modes relative to a corundum-like structure that can be assigned to a solid solution Fe_2−xCr_xO₃, x varying between 0.2 and 1.5. The heterogeneity in the spatial distribution of chromium observed by optical microscopy and associated Raman microspectroscopy is confirmed by μ-XRF. In agreement with both solution and XPS analyses, these spectroscopies clearly confirm that chromium is in the trivalent state. XANES spectra in the iron K-edge pre-edge region obtained in rich chromium areas reveal the presence of ferric ion thus revealing a systematic association between Cr(III) and Fe(III). In agreement with Raman analyses, Cr K-edge EXAFS can be interpreted as corresponding to Cr atoms involved in a substituted-type hematite structure Fe_2−xCr_xO₃.     

Comparison of free-surface and rigid-lid finite element models of barotropic instabilities

The main goal of this work is to appraise the finite element method in the way it represents barotropic instabilities. To that end, three different formulations are employed. The free-surface formulation solves the primitive shallow-water equations and is of predominant use for ocean modeling. The vorticity–stream function and velocity–pressure formulations resort to the rigid-lid approximation and are presented because theoretical results are based on the same approximation. The growth rates for all three formulations are compared for hyperbolic tangent and piecewise linear shear flows. Structured and unstructured meshes are utilized. The investigation is also extended to time scales that allow for instability meanders to unfold, permitting the formation of eddies. We find that all three finite element formulations accurately represent barotropic instablities. In particular, convergence of growth rates toward theoretical ones is observed in all cases. It is also shown that the use of unstructured meshes allows for decreasing the computational cost while achieving greater accuracy. Overall, we find that the finite element method for free-surface models is effective at representing barotropic instabilities when it is combined with an appropriate advection scheme and, most importantly, adapted meshes.     

Theoretical and numerical studies of the Vishniac instability in supernova remnants

Vishniac instability has been theoretically studied in supernova remnants where it is supposed to explain the fragmentation of the interstellar medium. However its role is not fully demonstrated in these astrophysical objects. Conditions and assumptions required for the instability growth are explained in detail in the present paper. In addition the HYDRO-MUSCL hydrodynamic code has been used to simulate this instability in order to compare the numerical growth rate with the Vishniac analytical solution.     

Phytoplankton geographic spatialization in two ponds in Limousin (France)

Phytoplankton distribution was not homogeneous among Limousin ponds and within each pond, as shown by chlorophyll a and diatoms in two representative eutrophic ponds. On a small cartographic scale, differences depended on geographic location and water temperature. Spring bloom occurred with a time-lag of several weeks in the highland pond. On a large-scale geographic distribution depended on hydroclimatic factors, especially wind direction and inflow of the rivers. The high concentrations of chlorophyll a near the dam of the water bodies roughly coincided with the maximum fetch and the direction of the dominant winds during the investigations. In both ponds the heaviest algae seemed not to be influenced by wind currents and the greater number of diatoms upstream in the highland pond was probably due to inflow of silica from the river. Phytoplankton mapping is more explanatory and rigorous than Secchi disk transparency mapping, it is useful to the regional authorities for zoning activities: bathing should be avoided in bays and along longitudinal shores, fishing location may be less restrictive. In plateau regions in general phytoplankton is not randomly distributed and spatial heterogeneity of ponds is not only vertical but also horizontal. Deep and embanked ponds are complex organisms analogous to great lakes for some features and to shallow water bodies for other ones.