The impact of rural land management changes on soil hydraulic properties and runoff processes: results from experimental plots in upland UK

To develop an evidence base to help predict the impacts of land management change on flood generation, four experimental sites were established on improved grassland used for sheep grazing at the Pontbren catchment in upland Wales, UK. At each site, three plots were established where surface runoff was measured, supplemented by measurements of soil infiltration rates and soil and vegetation physical properties. Following baseline monitoring, treatments were applied to two of the plots: exclusion of sheep (ungrazed) and exclusion of sheep and planting with native broadleaf tree species (tree planted), with the third plot acting as a control (grazed pasture). Due to a particularly dry summer that occurred pre‐treatment, the soil hydrological responses were initially impacted by the effects of the climate on soil structure. Nevertheless, treatments did have a clear influence on soil hydrological response. On average, post‐treatment runoff volumes were reduced by 48% and 78% in ungrazed and tree‐planted plots relative to the control, although all results varied greatly over the sites. Five years following treatment application, near‐surface soil bulk density was reduced and median soil infiltration rates were 67 times greater in plots planted with trees compared to grazed pasture. The results illustrate the potential use of upland land management for ameliorating local‐scale flood generation but emphasise the need for long‐term monitoring to more clearly separate the effects of land management from those of climatic variability. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

On the sampling of airborne measurements of radiative properties of cloud fields: Results from International Cirrus Experiment (ICE), 1987

Summary During the first pilot phase of the International Cirrus Experiment (ICE) in September/October 1987 radiation measurements were carried out above and below broken cloud fields over the German Bight. Analyses of the measurements of 25.9.1987 (broken cumulus cloud field) showed an unexpected high absorption of solar radiation but not those of 28.9.1987 (stratocumulus/stratus cloud field). This might be explained by a partial negligence of cloud side factor under the viewing geometry of the pyranometer and other reasons. The light guide effect (leakage) within holes can account for the depletion of cloud reflectance and the enhancement of cloud transmittance at large cloud cover, as observed during the measurements on 28.9.1987. The fluctuation of the irradiances, which can be characterized by the intermittency parameter, has been related to the corresponding cloud cover by a regression equation. On the condition of similarity, this scaling parameter derived from sample measurements could be extrapolated to that of the whole cloud field. Thus, the estimation of the irradiance spectrum for the whole cloud field may be possible, from samples taken with aircraft and imaging data.With 5 Figures     

Cosmic‐ray rejection for single spectroscopic CCD images by means of template matching

This article describes a novel algorithm for cosmic‐ray rejection in single spectroscopic CCD images. This algorithm is based on a variation of template matching. It focuses on identifying those pixels belong to spectra, while other conventional algorithms tried to locate the cosmic‐ray hits directly. The main principle is applying template matching to find suspicious blocks, which is followed by surface patching to locate the legitimate pixels accurately. Therefore, the rest pixels are the ones corrupted by cosmic‐ray hits. Meanwhile, almost all the parameters are automatically extracted from the images. Examples of its performance are given for both simulated and observed images. It shows an advantage of significantly low false alarm rate with relatively high detection rate (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Stability and phase relations of nonstoichiometric clinopyroxenes in the join diopside-Ca-Eskola component at high pressures

The stability of nonstoichiometric clinopyroxenes in the Di-CaEsk join was experimentally studied, and phase diagrams were constructed for this join at pressures of 2.0 and 3.0 GPa. It was found that melting in the diopside part of the join occurs at anomalously low temperatures, and nonstoichiometric clinopyroxene coexists with a phase approaching diopside in composition. Phase relations along the Di-CaEsk join can be described and consistently interpreted only assuming that the diopside phase (α-diopside) is thermodynamically stable. The following phase volumes were observed along the solidus of the join at a pressure of 3.0 GPa: Cpx, αDi+Cpx, αDi+Cpx+Qtz, αDi+Cpx+Grt+Qtz, Cpx+Grt+Qtz, Cpx+Grt+Ky+Qtz, Grt+Ky+Qtz. Melting occurs via the eutectic reaction αDi+Cpx+Grt+Qtz=L at a temperature of about 1200°C in the diopside part of the system and via the eutectic reaction Cpx+Grt+Ky+Qtz=L at a temperature of 1400°C in the calcium-rich part of the system. At a pressure of 2.0 GPa, melting occurs at temperatures of 1200–1300°C via the eutectic reaction αDi+Cpx+ An + Qtz=L. The invariant equilibrium (L, An, Cpx, Grt, αDi, Qtz) lies within the pressure range 2.0–3.0 GPa. Nonstoichiometric clinopyroxenes form complex solid solutions, the compositions of which are not strictly confined to the Di-CaEsk join and depend on temperature, pressure, and phase association. Grossular garnets coexist with nonstoichiometric clinopyroxenes and α-diopside.     

Deep structure of the Racha earthquake source zone from seismic tomography data

The Racha earthquake of 1991 was the strongest of the earthquakes recorded in the Caucasus. It was studied by an international epicentral expedition. Unique data gathered by this expedition included records of aftershocks whose swarm was very intense. A 3-D velocity model is obtained from analysis of these data by the method of local earthquake tomography. The ancient crystalline basement and the sedimentary-volcanic Mesozoic-Cenozoic cover could be identified from cross sections of the P wave field. The eastern and western boundaries of an uplift in the basement of the Dzirulskii Massif are delineated. Linear low velocity heterogeneities correlating with the active Kakheti-Lechkhumi fault zone and two Trans-Caucasian linear fault zones are discovered in the basement. The cloud of aftershock hypocenters is shown to correlate with a reflector coinciding with the cover-basement interface.     

Development of Seismic Risk Scenarios Based on a Hybrid Method of Vulnerability Assessment

A hybrid methodology of vulnerability analysis is presented, involving elements from both empirical and theoretical methods. A model for correlating analytically calculated structural damage indices to loss (in monetary terms) is also proposed and calibrated against available statistical data. Probability damage matrices derived using this methodology are incorporated into a cost-benefit model tailored to the problem of estimating the feasibility of seismically rehabilitating the existing stock of reinforced concrete buildings in Thessaloniki, Greece. Losses calculated using the suggested procedure are found to be in good agreement with losses incurred during the 1978 Thessaloniki earthquake. The results of the present study also indicate that benefit/cost ratios for reinforced concrete buildings are quite low. Hence, it appears that a pre-earthquake strengthening programme is not economically justifiable.     

Polarization of individual pulses of radio pulsars at the low frequencies 40, 60, and 103 MHz

Measurements of the linear polarization of individual pulses at 40, 60, and 103 MHz are presented for ten pulsars. The degree and position angle of a linear polarization were measured with a temporal resolution of 1–7 ms, and the longitudinal distributions of these parameters were constructed for each pulsar at one or more of these frequencies. These are the first such measurements for pulsars B0031-07, B0320 + 39, B0628-28, and B2217 + 47. Apart from B0628-28, all the pulsars are characterized by the simultaneous presence of orthogonal polarization modes in at least one component of the integral profile. The secondary polarization mode increases at frequencies ≤100 MHz for pulsars whose integrated pulses contain pairs of conal components (B0031-07, B0329 + 54, B0834 + 06, B1133 + 16, B2020 + 28). This is manifested both as an expansion of the longitudinal range where the secondary polarization mode is observed and an increase in its contribution to the emission at a given longitude. New data confirming the dependence of the linear polarization of individual pulses on the intensity and mode of the pulsar emission have been obtained.     

High-resolution sequence stratigraphy of the Lower Triassic ‘Buntsandstein’ in the Netherlands and northwestern Germany

Detailed log correlations of the largely fluvio-lacustrine Lower Triassic Buntsandstein (Late Permian-Early Anisian), carried out on 80 wells in the Dutch onshore and offshore areas, can be linked to northwest-German high-resolution sequence stratigraphy. The correlations show that cyclic sedimentation occurred in large parts of the basin. Seven 1st-order sequences are recognised, namely the Main Claystone, Rogenstein, Volpriehausen, Detfurth, Hardegsen, Solling and Lower Röt Sequences. They are overlain by the lower part of the Upper Röt–Lower Muschelkalk Sequence. Distinct sequence boundaries have been identified at the bases of four sequences: Volpriehausen, Detfurth, Solling and Upper Röt. The higher-order sequences consist of fining-upwards cycles with a thickness of up to tens of metres. The sequences are laterally persistent and have a characteristic expression on gamma-ray and sonic logs. In the Lower Buntsandstein, they display a uniform character throughout most of the area, with only minor differences in thickness or lithology. NNE-oriented lows and swells were formed during deposition of the Volpriehausen, Detfurth and Hardegsen Sequences. Uplift prior to the deposition of the Solling Sequence caused deep erosion on the swells in the basin and minor erosion in the lows. The high-resolution sequences probably represent alternating, relatively wet and dry climatic periods, with a periodicity of about 100 000 years. An analysis of the sequences suggests that their reduced thickness on the swells is mainly the effect of erosion. This is supported by analyses of the accumulation patterns and rates.     

Ion microprobe measurements of O/O ratios of phosphate minerals in the Martian meteorites ALH84001 and Los Angeles

Oxygen isotope ratios of merrillite and chlorapatite in the Martian meteorites ALH84001 and Los Angeles have been measured by ion microprobe in multicollector mode. δ¹⁸O values of phosphate minerals measured in situ range from ∼3 to 6‰, and are similar to Martian meteorite whole-rock values, as well as the δ¹⁸O of igneous phosphate on Earth. These results suggest that the primary, abiotic, igneous phosphate reservoir on Mars is similar in oxygen isotopic composition to the basaltic phosphate reservoir on Earth. This is an important first step in the characterization of Martian phosphate reservoirs for the use of δ¹⁸O of phosphate minerals as a biomarker for life on Mars. Cumulative textural, major-element, and isotopic evidence presented here suggest a primary, igneous origin for the phosphates in Los Angeles and ALH84001; textural and chemical evidence suggests that phosphates in ALH84001 were subsequently shock-melted in a later event.