Dynamics of the coupled human–climate system resulting from closed-loop control of solar geoengineering

If solar radiation management (SRM) were ever implemented, feedback of the observed climate state might be used to adjust the radiative forcing of SRM in order to compensate for uncertainty in either the forcing or the climate response. Feedback might also compensate for unexpected changes in the system, e.g. a nonlinear change in climate sensitivity. However, in addition to the intended response to greenhouse-gas induced changes, the use of feedback would also result in a geoengineering response to natural climate variability. We use a box-diffusion dynamic model of the climate system to understand how changing the properties of the feedback control affect the emergent dynamics of this coupled human–climate system, and evaluate these predictions using the HadCM3L general circulation model. In particular, some amplification of natural variability is unavoidable; any time delay (e.g., to average out natural variability, or due to decision-making) exacerbates this amplification, with oscillatory behavior possible if there is a desire for rapid correction (high feedback gain). This is a challenge for policy as a delayed response is needed for decision making. Conversely, the need for feedback to compensate for uncertainty, combined with a desire to avoid excessive amplification of natural variability, results in a limit on how rapidly SRM could respond to changes in the observed state of the climate system.     

Metamorphic re-equilibration and metasomatism of highly chromian,garnet-rich peridotitic xenoliths from South African kimberlites

A history of decompression and metasomatism is preserved in a suite of highly chromian, garnet-rich peridotitic xenoliths from the diamondiferous Newlands and Bobbejaan kimberlites, South Africa. A high proportion of the garnets and chromites in these rocks plot in the diamond-facies fields on Cr₂O₃–CaO and Cr₂O₃–MgO wt% plots, and Cr-rich compositions are found in both the harzburgitic and lherzolitic fields. Petrographic evidence suggests that the earliest known mineralogies were those of olivine-bearing, garnet-rich rocks. These were modified by a decompression event that caused recrystallization of garnets and led to orientated spinel and pyroxene inclusions in garnet. Chemical zonation within garnet is divided into (1) external re-equilibration between garnet and matrix; (2) internal re-equilibration between garnet and its inclusions; and (3) metasomatically induced zoning between garnet core and a metasomatic rim. The compositional trajectories associated with zonations (1) and (2) in Ca–Cr plots may be closely modelled by means of sliding, garnet–spinel transition reactions whose slopes vary with bulk Ca composition; at intermediate Ca compositions, the trajectories closely match the slope of the lherzolite line or harzburgite/lherzolite boundary. The decreasing Cr/(Cr + Al) of the garnet in these zonations is in agreement with the evidence for decompression given by the petrographic recrystallization features, and overall decompression of probably 10–20 kb is indicated. We speculate on the age of these events, and consider the possibility of their association with major orogenic events documented by South African crustal rocks at 2.9–2.7 Ga, and events evidenced by peridotite-xenolith Re–Os model ages at 2.8–2.7 Ga.     

Spatial patterns of soil δC reveal grassland-to-woodland successional processes

Many grasslands and savannas around the world have experienced woody plant encroachment in recent history. In the Rio Grande Plains of southern Texas, subtropical woodlands dominated by C₃ trees and shrubs have become significant components of landscapes once dominated almost exclusively by C₄ grasslands. In this study, spatial variation of soil δ¹³C to was used to investigate patterns of transformation. Previous research has shown that grassland-to-shrubland transitions are initiated when discrete, multi-species shrub clusters organized around a honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) tree nucleus established in grassland. It is inferred from space-for-time substitution and modeling studies that as new shrub clusters are initiated and existing clusters enlarge, coalescence will occur, leading to the formation of groves; and that groves will eventually merge to form woodlands. The hypothesis that present-day mesquite groves represent areas where individual discrete shrub clusters have proliferated and coalesced was evaluated by comparing patterns of soil δ¹³C within isolated shrub clusters (n = 6) to those in nearby groves (n = 3). Mean soil δ¹³C within discrete clusters was lowest in the center (−23.3‰), increased exponentially toward the dripline (−20.1‰), and stabilized at a relatively high value approximately 15 cm beyond the dripline (−18.9‰). The spatial structure of soil δ¹³C in groves was consistent with that which would be expected to occur if present-day grove communities were a collection of what once were individual discrete clusters that had fused. As such, it provides direct evidence in support of conceptual and mathematical models derived from indirect assessments. However, spatial patterns of soil δ¹³C suggest that groves are not simply a collection of clusters with respect to primary production and SOC turnover. This study illustrates how soil δ¹³C values can be used to reconstruct successional processes accompanying vegetation compositional change, and its consequences for ecosystem function.     

Hydrogeological and mixing process of waters in deep aquifers in arid regions: south east Tunisia

This study addresses the hydrogeochemistry of thermal and cold waters from south east Tunisia. Temperature intervals are 38.5–68 °C and 22–27.8 °C for thermal water and cold water, respectively. Three distinct hydrogeological systems supply water either for irrigation or for drinking; they are: (1) the Continental Intercalaire geothermal aquifer (CI), (2) the Turonian aquifer and (3) the Senonian aquifer. A synthetic study including hydrochemical, hydrogeological and geothermal approaches have been applied in order to evaluate the inter-aquifers water transfer in south east of Tunisia. By using silica geothermometers and saturation indices for different solid phases, estimated thermal reservoir temperature varies between 52 and 87 °C and between 75 and 110 °C, respectively. Based on chemical and thermal data, mixing, which occurs between the ascending deep geothermal water and shallow cold water, is about 57 % cold water.     

First microbialites associated to organic-rich facies of the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (Northern Tunisia,Cenomanian–Turonian transition)

From northern Tunisia, small-scale well-preserved microbialites, contemporaneous to the global oceanic anoxic event 2 (OAE 2) are first reported on the southern Tethyan Margin. These microbialites are encased within the pelagic organic-rich black shales of the Bahloul Formation (Cenomanian–Turonian transition). Biostratigraphic, petrographic, and geochemical investigations carried out to constrain their biogenicity and genesis character led to consider them as thrombolites and stromatolites occurring in lenticular bioherms/biostromes and columnar bodies co-relatable to the global ‘filament event’ of the authors, close to the base of the Watinoceras ammonite zone. Abundant clotted micrite, cyanobacterial filaments, and algal tissues point to the key process of microbial carbonate precipitation and to a major role played by microbes in the stabilisation and subsequent lithification, which in turn favoured the preservation of the original structure of the microbialites. These microbially induced carbonate formations are considered as favoured by chemosynthetic fauna of bivalve molluscs and lithistid sponges which were able to host symbiotic microbial communities. The latter contributed to the precipitation of authigenic calcite and non-carbonate minerals (e.g. pyrite) fuelled by microbial activity under sulphate-reducing conditions. The carbonate body onset is considered to be initiated by seafloor instability due to syndepositional fault acting that induced the appraisal of uplifted tilted blocks within oxygenated waters but near the anoxic water masses. Generated depressions allowed the development of chemosynthetic-based communities. Deep faults related to Triassic salt domes acted as conducts for hydrocarbon and salt brine expulsion to the seafloor and the microbialite growth was enhanced by an abrupt uprising sea level under warmer conditions.     

贵州晚三叠世卡尼期周氏黔鱼龙(Qianichthyosaurus zhoui)性双形研究

本文对产于贵州兴义乌沙地区上三叠统卡尼阶法郎组瓦窑段中的17件鱼龙标本进行研究,认为本次研究标本均为Qianichthyosaurus zhoui。通过对其肢骨的定性及定量分析认为,Qianichthyosaurus zhoui在后肢形态上存在性双形现象。暨雄性后肢外形窄长,雌性后肢则相对宽短;雄性的股骨比肱骨长度略长,而雌性的股骨与肱骨长度相当;雄性股骨近端和远端相较于雌性更为膨大股骨远端宽度为中轴宽度的253倍,股骨长与股骨中轴的比值较大,通常大于35;雌性股骨近端和远端相较于雄性较小股骨远端宽度一般为中轴宽度的2倍左右,股骨长与股骨中轴的比例较小,比值约为3左右雌性第一跖骨面积较小且具有凹缺,雄性第一跖骨面积较大不具凹缺。     

基于Landsat-8的城市建成区生态环境质量研究

城市化与人类生存环境之间的矛盾日益突出,准确、快速、定量的监测城市生态环境质量已成为客观了解城市生态状况的一个研究重点.利用遥感影像反演土地覆被指数、地表温度、地表裸露度和湿度等自然生态参数,构建城市生态环境质量评价的指数体系,并将之运用于德阳市城市建成区生态环境定量评价.在此基础上,利用均值-标准差对研究区生态环境进...     

Contamination of superficial sediments by heavy metals and iron in the Bizerte lagoon,northern Tunisia

According to the norms adopted by the National Network of observation of the marine life quality (RNO 1997) and US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (US NOAA 1999), the superficial sediments of the Bizerte lagoon (northern Tunisia) show a contamination by nickel, which is the probable consequence of the closeness to the industrial zone, and by lead, the result of detrital material rich in lead of the geological lands of Jbel Kchabta and Jbel Messeftine. In the lagoon southern and eastern sectors, the contamination of superficial sediments is essentially by copper, zinc, nickel and iron. This pollution is related, on one hand, to the rejections of the steelworks El Fouledh and the military arsenal, and on the other hand, to Menzel Bourguiba waste disposal. The rest of the lagoon is exempted from any metallic contamination of the surface sediments. The enriched zones in manganese and zinc correspond to the higher contents in kaolinite and in smectite. Positive correlations were recorded between the percentage in fine fraction on the one hand, and the sedimentary contents in TOC, total nitrogen and heavy metals on the other hand. The majority of the analysed elements are “argilophilous” except zinc and manganese, which are clayey organophile. These results show that this lagoon receives concentrations in anthropogenic metals that risk provoking more or less important disruptions, which are harmful and irreversible on the fauna and flora of this lagoon and on the whole ecobiological equilibrium.     

Amateur decision-making in avalanche terrain with and without a decision aid: a stated choice survey

Avalanches pose a serious threat to recreational backcountry travelers in mountainous terrain. This study explores how the three main amateur user groups of avalanche terrain in western Canada (backcountry skiers, out-of-bound skiers, and snowmobile riders) balance recreational goals with safety concerns when choosing backcountry destinations under varying avalanche conditions. Using a discrete choice experiment (DCE), a stated preference technique, the study first examines the strengths and weaknesses in the decision process of the three amateur groups by comparing their responses with the choice patterns of professional mountain guides. The results show that the decision-making strategies employed by the respective amateur groups vary considerably in their level of complexity and the degree to which avalanche safety considerations are incorporated. Second, we examine the effects of a decision aid that preprocesses the most crucial pieces of avalanche hazard information on the decision preferences of the amateur groups in the DCE. The results show that a relatively simple decision aid can influence the decision-making process considerably and steer users towards more avalanche hazard sensitive behaviour.     

褐点石斑鱼不同组织4种同工酶的研究

运用聚丙烯酰胺垂直梯度凝胶电泳法对褐点石斑鱼7种组织(眼睛、肌肉、心脏、肝脏、肾脏、尾鳍、脾脏)的4种同工酶(EST、SOD、LDH、MDH)进行了初步研究。结果表明:褐点石斑鱼的4种同工酶系统具有不同程度的组织特异性。EST由4个基因位点编码,具有多态性现象;肌肉SOD与其它组织SOD有明显差异;眼睛LDH酶谱酶带最多;MDH具有线粒体型(m-MDH)和上清液型(s-MDH)两种类型。