On the Object and Subject of Geography

Danish Journal of Geography 96: 110–117, 1996.

Basic theoretical problems in geography are discussed. The development of the subject is seen primarily as a result of the division of labour among sciences. The subject's contextual dimension is made up of the different forces that influence the discipline, and the theoretical dimension comprises the method of presentation, the object and the metatheory. The subject can not be defined in the proper sense of the word, but its object can: the ecumene or the human habitat. An approach is discussed for the presentation (theoretical development) of geography by the means of dialectical method, using the labour as the basic category.     

The Anthropocene: is there a geomorphological case?

The ‘Anthropocene’, as used to describe the interval of recent Earth history during which humans have had an ‘overwhelming’ effect on the Earth system, is now being formally considered as a possible new geological Epoch. Such a new geological time interval (possibly equivalent to the Pleistocene Epoch) requires both theoretical justification as well as empirical evidence preserved within the geological record. Since the geological record is driven by geomorphological processes that produce terrestrial and near‐shore stratigraphy, geomorphology has to be an integral part of this consideration. For this reason, the British Society for Geomorphology (BSG) has inaugurated a Fixed Term Working Group to consider this issue and advise the Society on how geomorphologists can engage with debates over the Anthropocene. This ESEX Commentary sets out the initial case for the formalisation of the Anthropocene and a priori considerations in the hope that it will stimulate debate amongst, and involvement by, the geomorphological community in what is a crucial issue for the discipline. The Working Group is now considering the practical aspects of such a formalization including the relative magnitude problem, the boundary problem and the spatial diachrony of ‘anthropogenic geomorphology’. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Elastic properties of seafloor sediments from the modelling of amplitudes of multiple water waves recorded on the seafloor off Bear Island,North Atlantic

Wide‐angle seismic data acquired by use of air‐guns and ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) contain strong direct water arrivals and multiples, generally considered as noise and thus not included in the modelling. However, a recent study showed that standard ray‐tracing modelling of the water multiples recorded off the Bear Island, North Atlantic, provided a reliable estimate of the velocity distribution in the water layer. Here, we demonstrate that including the amplitudes in the modelling provide valuable information about the V_P contrast at the seafloor, as well as the V_P/V_S ratio and attenuation (Q_P) of the uppermost sediments. The V_P contrast at the seafloor is estimated at about 250 m/s, within a precision of approximately ±30 m/s. The V_P/V_S ratio in the uppermost sedimentary layer is modelled in the range 2.25–2.50 and the Q_P factor is estimated at 1000 for the water, 30–50 for the uppermost layer and 40–50 for the second sedimentary layer. The values obtained for the sediments suggest a lithology dominated by silty clays, with porosity below average.     

Biomarker responses in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) exposed to produced water from a North Sea oil field: laboratory and field assessments

Biological markers of produced water (PW) exposure were studied in Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in both laboratory and field experiments, using authentic PW from a North Sea oil field. In the laboratory study, the PW exposure yielded significantly elevated levels of metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and alkylphenols (APs) in bile even at the lowest exposure dose (0.125% PW). Other biomarkers (hepatic CYP1A induction and DNA adduct formation) responded at 0.25% and 0.5% PW concentrations. In the field study, bile metabolite markers and hepatic CYP1A were clearly increased in fish caged close to the PW outfall. Induction of plasma vitellogenin was not found in laboratory or field exposures, suggesting that the levels of oestrogen agonists (such as APs) might not have been sufficient to elicit induction, under the present conditions. The applicability of the biomarkers for use in water column biomonitoring programs is discussed.     

Apparent clock variations of the Block IIF-1 (SVN62) GPS satellite

The Block IIF satellites feature a new generation of high-quality rubidium clocks for time and frequency keeping and are the first GPS satellites transmitting operational navigation signals on three distinct frequencies. We investigate apparent clock offset variations for the Block IIF-1 (SVN62) spacecraft that have been identified in L1/L2 clock solutions as well as the L1/L5-minus-L1/L2 clock difference. With peak-to-peak amplitudes of 10?C40?cm, these variations are of relevance for future precision point positioning applications and ionospheric analyses. A proper characterization and understanding is required to fully benefit from the quality of the new signals and clocks. The analysis covers a period of 8?months following the routine payload activation and is based on GPS orbit and clock products generated by the CODE analysis center of the International GNSS Service (IGS) as well as triple-frequency observations collected with the CONGO network. Based on a harmonic analysis, empirical models are presented that describe the sub-daily variation of the clock offset and the inter-frequency clock difference. These contribute to a better clock predictability at timescales of several hours and enable a consistent use of L1/L2 clock products in L1/L5-based positioning.     

Alpha-recoil in U–Pb geochronology: effective sample size matters

Displacement of the daughter isotope by a-recoil results in an open system on the nanoscale. For a heterogeneous distribution of U and Th, this redistribution of intermediate and stable daughter isotopes results in subvolumes with a deficit of Pb and others with an excess of Pb. Whether such heterogeneities affect the analyzed U–Pb system depends on: (1) the volume of the analyzed sample, (2) the degree and scale of heterogeneity in the U and Th distribution, and (3) the analytical procedure. Spatial separation of parent and daughter through a-recoil affects the U–Pb systematics of leached samples, where leaching gives access to domains less than 1 µm wide. Anomalous data patterns originating from recoil induced parent-to-daughter fractionation are more important if there are strong heterogeneities in the U and Th distribution, whereby Pb excess appears more pronounced than Pb deficit. Fractionation of parent and daughter elements through selective dissolution of U-REE-rich growth zones in zircon and U-inclusions in columbite, as well as the presence of U–Th-rich micro-inclusions in silicates dated using a step-leaching scheme, may result in anomalous ²⁰⁷Pb _rad/ ²⁰⁶Pb _rad, scattered ²⁰⁶Pb _rad/ ²³⁸U and ²⁰⁷Pb _rad/ ²³⁵U, and reverse discordance. The accumulated structural damage controls the leaching and dissolution behavior, but may also influence the non-stoichiometric element mobilization during sputtering or ablation in the analysis of U-rich samples by SHRIMP and LA-MC-ICP-MS.     

Why allanite may swindle about its true age

Allanite from the Tertiary Rieserferner pluton (Austrian Alps) is texturally and chemically heterogeneous. Continuous covariation trends reflect coupled substitution of Ca+Al vs. Fe+REE+Th in allanite, whereas systematic variations in La/Nd demonstrate the increasingly stronger depletion of LREE in the melt during its crystallization. Allanite samples (corrected for ²⁰⁶Pb_excess) from two rocks scatter in the concordia diagram and define discordias from 31.8±0.4 Ma and 32.2±0.4 Ma to ca. 540 Ma. The apparent inheritance does not originate from the inclusion of older allanite or a high- phase, such as monazite, xenotime, or zircon, but from the incorporation of radiogenic Pb originating from a precursor. Since allanite requires a high enrichment of Th, (U), and LREE, it may form at the expense of a Th-LREE-rich precursor in metamorphic rocks or where such a phase had dissolved in melts. Likely precursors acquire with time radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions. This Pb, if incorporated in the product mineral, may give the illusion of inheritance. The allanite samples from the Rieserferner pluton show a tendency from high Th/U_calc (30–50) in samples with an Alpine age to low Th/U_calc (4–12) in samples with distinct inheritance. This relation between extent of inheritance and apparent Th/U_calc indicates a lower Th/U_calc for a possible precursor, falling into the Th/U range commonly encountered for monazite. Precursor monazite would have originated from assimilated Palaeozoic rocks and give rise to localized enrichments of Th and LREE in the melt, thus eventually enabling the growth of allanite.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at .Editorial responsibility: J. Hoefs     

The influence of capillarity on multiphase flow within porous media: a new model for interpreting fluid levels in groundwater monitoring wells in dynamic aquifers

A new approach is presented to calculate the volume of oil in the underground at an oil spill site from fluid levels in monitoring wells. The approach includes the effects of hysteresis due to irregular pore geometry and to phase entrapment. It is possible to explain the drastic changes in the oil thickness in a monitoring well due to the decrease and increase in the groundwater table. A correct evaluation of the oil volume infiltrated underground from an oil spill and the effective control of remediation works can only be done by using the newly developed approach with a consideration of the dynamic changes in the groundwater table.     

Das tektonische Inventar eines Aufschlusses in den Orthocerasschiefern bei Dillenburg

Zusammenfassung Die zeitliche Abfolge der verschiedenen Reaktionen des Gesteins auf die während der Gebirgsbildung auftretenden Spannungen konnte in einem Tonschieferaufschluß bei Dillenburg festgestellt werden. Faltung, Schieferung und Seitenverschiebungen treten hier ungefähr gleichzeitig in Erscheinung, während streichende Aufschiebungen mehr auf das Ende der Faltung beschränkt sind und diese z.T. überdauern.