The cosmic‐ray exposure history of the Twannberg iron meteorite (IIG)

The Twannberg iron meteorite is one out of only six members of the group IIG. The combined noble gas and radionuclide data obtained in this new systematic study indicate that Twannberg with its ~570 recently recovered specimens was a large object with a preatmospheric radius in the range of ~2 m, which corresponds to ~250 × 10³ kg. The cosmic‐ray exposure age for Twannberg is 182 ± 45 Ma. The most surprising result is the long terrestrial age of T_terr =  ka, which is unexpected considering the humid conditions in Switzerland. However, this age is in accord with glaciation events, indicating that the less shielded samples from Mt. Sujet were found close to the position of the original strewn field, whereas the samples from Gruebmatt and Twannbach, which are from more shielded positions, were glacially transported to the east–northeast during the second last ice age (185–130 ka ago) from an original position west of Mt. Sujet.     

Geomorphological investigations and luminescence dating in the southern part of the Khangay and the Valley of the Gobi Lakes (Central Mongolia)

Geomorphological investigations in the catchment area of the Baydragiyn river along the southern slope of the Khangay and in the Valley of the Gobi Lakes in western Mongolia provide evidence for Late Quaternary glaciations and lake‐level changes. Thermoluminescence (TL) and infrared optically stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of aeolian and colluvial sediments from the central Khangay place the sediments that overlie fluvial and glaciofluvial terraces in the Holocene. An age of 21 ka is determined for a sand deposit overlying the terrace that is related to the last glacial ice‐margin. Lacustrine sediments from higher beach lines in the Valley of the Gobi Lakes provide evidence for a slightly more humid period around 1.5 ka, and a larger extent of the lakes in the Early Holocene at about 8.5 ka, as also reported from other parts of Central Asia. Remnants of lacustrine sediments buried by alluvial gravel, and indicating a huge palaeolake in the basin of the Orog Nuur, however, date to the early stage of the last glaciation around 70 ka. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chemistry and oxygen isotopic composition of cluster chondrite clasts and their components in LL3 chondrites

Cluster chondrites are characterized by close‐fit textures of deformed and indented chondrules, taken as evidence for hot chondrule accretion (Metzler 2012 ). We investigated seven cluster chondrite clasts from six brecciated LL3 chondrites and measured their bulk oxygen isotopic and chemical composition, including REE, Zr, and Hf. The same parameters were measured in situ on 93 chondrules and 4 interchondrule matrix areas. The CI‐normalized REE patterns of the clasts are flat, showing LL‐chondritic concentrations. The mean chemical compositions of chondrules in clasts and other LL chondrites are indistinguishable and we conclude that cluster chondrite chondrules are representative of the normal LL chondrule population. Type II chondrules are depleted in MgO, Al₂O₃ and refractory lithophiles (REE, Zr, Hf) by factors between 0.65 and 0.79 compared to type I chondrules. The chondrule REE patterns are basically flat with slight LREE < HREE fractionations. Many chondrules exhibit negative Eu anomalies while matrix shows a complementary pattern. Chondrules scatter along a correlation line with a slope of 0.63 in the oxygen 3‐isotope diagram, interpreted as the result of O‐isotope exchange between chondrule melts and ¹⁸O‐rich nebular components. In one clast, a distinct anticorrelation between chondrule size and δ¹⁸O is found, which may indicate a more intense oxygen isotope exchange by smaller chondrules. In some clasts the δ¹⁸O values of type I chondrules are correlated with concentrations of SiO₂ and MnO and anticorrelated with MgO, possibly due to the admixture of a SiO₂‐ and MnO‐rich component to chondrule melts during oxygen isotope exchange. Two chondrules with negative anomalies in Sm, Eu, and Yb were found and may relate their precursors to refractory material known from group III CAIs. Furthermore, three chondrules with strong LREE > HREE and Zr/Hf fractionations were detected, whose formation history remains to be explained.     

Benthic marine litter in four Gulfs in Greece,Eastern Mediterranean; abundance,composition and source identification

The types, abundance, distribution and sources of benthic marine litter found in four Greek Gulfs (Patras, Corinth, Echinades and Lakonikos) were studied using bottom trawl nets. Mean distribution and weight densities range between 72–437 Item/km² and 6.7–47.4 kg/km². Litter items were sorted into material and usage categories. Plastic litter (56%) is the most dominant material category followed by metal (17%) and glass (11%). Beverage packaging (32%) is the dominant usage category followed by general packaging (28%) and food packaging (21%). Based on the typological results three dominant litter sources were identified; land-based, vessel-based and fishery-based. Application of factor analysis (R- and Q-mode) conducted on both material and usage litter datasets confirmed the existence of the three dominant litter sources. Q-mode analysis further resulted in the quantification of the litter sources; land-based ones provided the majority (69%) of the total litter items followed by vessel-based (26%) and fishery-based (5%) sources. Diverse environmental parameters influence significantly these amounts among the four Gulfs.     

Ocean iron fertilization: Why further research is needed

Despite large uncertainties in the fertilization efficiency, natural iron fertilization studies and some of the purposeful iron enrichment studies have demonstrated that Southern Ocean iron fertilization can lead to a significant export of carbon from the sea surface to the ocean interior. From an economic perspective the potential of ocean iron fertilization (OIF) is far from negligible in relation to other abatement options. Comparing the range of cost estimates to the range of estimates for forestation projects they are in the same order of magnitude, but OIF could provide more carbon credits even if high discount rates are used to account for potential leakage and non-permanence. However, the uncertainty about undesired adverse effects of purposeful iron fertilization on marine ecosystems and biogeochemistry has led to attempts to ban commercial and, to some extent, scientific experiments aimed at a better understanding of the processes involved, effectively precluding further consideration of this mitigation option. As regards the perspective of public international law, the pertinent agreements dealing with the protection of the marine environment indicate that OIF is to be considered as lawful if and to the extent to which it represents legitimate scientific research. In this respect, the precautionary principle can be used to balance the risks arising out of scientific OIF activities for the marine environment with the potential advantages relevant to the objectives of the climate change regime. As scientific OIF experiments involve only comparatively small negative impacts within a limited marine area, further scientific research must be permitted to explore the carbon sequestration potential of OIF in order to either reject this concept or integrate it into the flexible mechanisms contained in the Kyoto Protocol.     

Markov based transition probability geostatistics in groundwater applications: assumptions and limitations

Markov based transition probability geostatistics (MTPG) for categorical variables, as implemented by the methodological framework introduced by Carle and Fogg (Math Geol 29(7):891–918, 1997) and extended thereafter, have been extensively applied for the three-dimensional (3D) statistical representation of hydrofacies in real-world aquifers, and the conditional simulation of 3D lithologies for groundwater flow and transport simulations. While conceptually simple and easy to implement, conditional simulation using the MTPG approach is not limitation free. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no study that raises such concerns in the light of theoretical arguments and numerical findings. That said, the purpose of this study is twofold: (1) present a brief and coherent overview of the basic theory, fundamental assumptions, and limitations of the MTPG methodological framework, and (2) assess its capabilities on the basis of a simple two-dimensional test-case, using large ensembles of stochastic realizations. Contrary to real-world 3D aquifers, where the actual geology is unknown, and the quality of the simulations can be assessed solely on the basis of semi-quantitative arguments using properly selected sets of stochastic realizations, test-cases allow for direct quantitative assessments based on the application of statistical measures to large ensembles of synthetic realizations. Our analysis and obtained results show that stochastic modeling of actual geologies using the MTPG approach of Carle and Fogg (1997), is characterized by simplifying assumptions and theoretical limitations, with the simulated random fields exhibiting statistical structures that strongly depend on the problem under consideration and the modeling assumptions made, leading to increased epistemic uncertainties in the obtained results.     

SPM response to tide and river flow in the hyper-turbid Ems River

In this paper, we analyse the behaviour of fine sediments in the hyper-turbid Lower Ems River, with focus on the river’s upper reaches, a stretch of about 25 km up-estuary of Terborg. Our analysis is based on long records of suspended particulate matter (SPM) from optical backscatter (OBS) measurements close to the bed at seven stations along the river, records of salinity and water level measurements at these stations, acoustic measurements on the vertical mud structure just up-estuary of Terborg and oxygen profiles in the lower 3 m of the water column close to Leerort and Terborg. Further, we use cross-sectionally averaged velocities computed with a calibrated numerical model. Distinction is made between four timescales, i.e. the semi-diurnal tidal timescale, the spring–neap tidal timescale, a timescale around an isolated peak in river flow (i.e. about 3 weeks) and a seasonal timescale. The data suggest that a pool of fluid/soft mud is present in these upper reaches, from up-estuary of Papenburg to a bit down-estuary of Terborg. Between Terborg and Gandersum, SPM values drop rapidly but remain high at a few gram per litre. The pool of fluid/soft mud is entrained/mobilized at the onset of flood, yielding SPM values of many tens gram per litre. This suspension is transported up-estuary with the flood. Around high water slack, part of the suspension settles, being remixed during ebb, while migrating down-estuary, but likely not much further than Terborg. Around low water slack, a large fraction of the sediment settles, reforming the pool of fluid mud. The rapid entrainment from the fluid mud layer after low water slack is only possible when the peak flood velocity exceeds a critical value of around 1 m/s, i.e. when the stratified water column seems to become internally supercritical. If the peak flood velocity does not reach this critical value, f.i. during neap tide, fluid mud is not entrained up to the OBS sensors. Thus, it is not classical tidal asymmetry, but the peak flood velocity itself which governs the hyper-turbid state in the Lower Ems River. The crucial role of river flow and river floods is in reducing these peak flood velocities. During elongated periods of high river flow, in e.g. wintertime, SPM concentrations reduce, and the soft mud deposits consolidate and possibly become locally armoured as well by sand washed in from the river. We have no observations that sediments are washed out of the hyper-turbid zone. Down-estuary of Terborg, where SPM values do not reach hyper-turbid conditions, the SPM dynamics are governed by classical tidal asymmetry and estuarine circulation. Hence, nowhere in the river, sediments are flushed from the upper reaches of the river into the Ems-Dollard estuary during high river flow events. However, exchange of sediment between river and estuary should occur because of tide-induced dispersion.     

Undersampling in action and at scale: application to the COVID-19 pandemic

Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment - It is the purpose of this short communication to analyze the possible caveats in the statistical interpretation of collected data,...     

Direct estimation of seismic response in reduced-degree-of-freedom isolation and energy dissipation systems

A methodology for the development of design tools for direct estimation of peak inelastic response in reduced-degree-of-freedom (RDOF) isolation and energy dissipation systems is presented. The suggested procedure is an extension of an earlier method addressing purely hysteretic isolation systems. Herein, the dynamic equation of motion is first normalised to reduce the number of design parameters that significantly affect the response. The sensitivity of normalised response quantities to the amplitude of the ground motion is then investigated through extensive parametric nonlinear dynamic analyses of isolated single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) systems with linear viscous damping using code-based target spectra. Regression analysis is subsequently employed to develop generalised design equations (GDEs) suitable for design. Further investigations are made to address nonlinear viscous damping and the effect of the transverse component of seismic action in two-degree-of freedom (2DOF) systems under bidirectional excitation, making the procedure applicable to common bridge isolation schemes. GDEs constitute an alternative to equivalent linearisation approaches commonly adopted by codes, informing the selection among alternative isolation and energy dissipations schemes without requiring iterative analysis. The approach is incorporated in the Deformation-Based Design methodology for seismically isolated bridges in a forthcoming paper.     

Offset dependence of overburden time-shifts from ultrasonic data

Depletion or injection into a reservoir implies stress changes and strains in the reservoir and its surroundings. This may lead to measurable time-shifts for seismic waves propagating in the subsurface. To better understand the offset dependence of time-shifts in the overburden, we have systematically quantified the time-shifts of three different overburden shales in controlled laboratory tests. These experiments may be viewed as an analogue to the time-shifts recorded from seismic field surveys. For a range of different stress paths, defined as the ratio between the horizontal and the vertical stress changes, the changes of the P-wave velocities in different directions were measured such that the offset dependence of time-shifts for different stress paths could be studied. The time-shifts are stress path dependent, which is particularly pronounced at large offsets. For all stress paths, the time-shifts exhibit a linearly decreasing trend with increasing offset, that is, a negative offset gradient. At zero offset, for which the ray path is normal to the bedding, the time-shifts are similar for all investigated stress paths. The isotropic stress path is associated with the smallest offset gradient of the time-shifts. In contrast, the constant-mean-stress path shows the largest gradient with a flip in the polarity of the time-shifts for the largest offsets. The separate contributions from the strain and velocity changes to the time-shifts were also quantified. The time-shifts for the isotropic stress path are dominated by the contribution from velocity changes at all offsets. In contrast, the strain contributes significantly to the time-shifts at small offsets for the constant-mean-stress path. This shows that the offset dependence in pre-stack seismic data may be a key to understand the changes of subsurface stresses, pore pressure and strain upon depletion or injection. To utilize this knowledge from laboratory experiments, calibrated rock physics models and correlations are needed to constrain the seismic time-shifts and to obtain an adequately updated geological model reflecting the true anisotropic nature of the subsurface. This may have important implications for improved recovery and safety, particularly in mature fields.