Cenozoic landscape evolution of the Kruger National Park as derived from cosmogenic nuclide analyses

In contrast to active tectonic settings, little is known about the potential feedback between surface processes and climate change in tectonically inactive cratonic regions. Here, we studied the driving forces of erosion and landscape evolution in the Kruger National Park in South Africa using cosmogenic nuclide dating. ¹⁰Be‐derived catchment‐wide erosion rates (~2 and ~10 mm ka^?1) are similar in magnitude to erosion and rock uplift elsewhere in South Africa, suggesting that (1) rock uplift is solely the isostatic response to erosion and (2) the first‐order topography is likely of Cretaceous age. The topographic maturity is promoted by widespread exposure of rocks resistant to erosion. Our data, however, suggest that local variations in rock resistance lead to transient landscape changes, with local increases in relief and erosion rates.     

CFD modeling of high-pressurized CO2 released from onshore pipeline leakages

Safe pipeline transportation of carbon dioxide is a critical issue in the developing field of carbon capture and storage technology. Inadequate fluid thermo- and regimes for on- and offshore transport through high-pressurized pipelines can induce pipe material obsolescence or even pipeline rupture. In such cases, CO₂ (Carbon dioxide) will be released and dispersed in the ambient medium. The dispersion is influenced by the total amount of released fluid, jet pressure and direction, the released concentrations, leakage hole size, ambient material properties and is also affected by the dynamical conditions of the environmental medium. The goal of this study is the hydrodynamical characterization of carbon dioxide jet expansion and dispersion in the ambient atmosphere in case of onshore pipeline accidental leaks. Numerical simulations were carried out by means of a 3D turbulent CFD (computational fluid dynamics) code which includes multi-component flow treatment. The influence of the jet release pressure and size of the leakage hole on harmful CO₂ concentration distances will be analyzed.     

Paleoenvironmental evolution of the Paratethys in the Slovenian Basin during the Late Paleogene

Several sections from the uppermost Eocene and Oligocene of northern Slovenia have been investigated with respect to sedimentary facies, foraminiferal assemblages, stable isotopes, carbonate microfacies, and palynology. The main objective was to reconstruct the paleoenvironmental history of the Paleogene Paratethys in this region of the eastern Alpine realm. The sediments exhibit a transgressive succession beginning with conglomerates, sandstones, and mudstones of fluvial and lacustrine origin followed by carbonates and muddy marls indicating marine conditions. The foraminiferal faunal changes from brackish to shallow marine to deeper marine assemblages and the distribution of the palynofloras corroborate the sedimentological results. Microfacies analysis of the limestones shows a wide variation of shallow water, generally mud-rich facies dominated by coralline algae, foraminifera, and corals. Microfaunas adapted to low-oxygen conditions indicate temporal sluggish bottom-water circulation which can be associated with high fresh-water fluxes. These results are discussed as reflecting both the global sea-level rise during the Early Oligocene and the regional tectonic and climatic evolution.     

Factors affecting the Nd3+ (REE3+) luminescence of minerals

In this paper, possibilities and limits of the application of REE³⁺ luminescence (especially the Nd^{3+ 4}F_3/2 → ⁴I_9/2 emission) as structural probe are evaluated. Important factors controlling the Nd³⁺ luminescence signal are discussed, including effects of the crystal-field, crystal orientation, structural state, and temperature. Particular attention was paid to the study of the accessory minerals zircon (ZrSiO₄), xenotime–(Y) (YPO₄), monazite–(Ce) (CePO₄) and their synthetic analogues. Based on these examples we review in short that (1) REE³⁺ luminescence can be used as non-destructive phase identification method, (2) the intensities of certain luminescence bands are strongly influenced by crystal orientation effects, and (3) increased widths of REE³⁺-related emission bands are a strong indicator for structural disorder. We discuss the potential of luminescence spectroscopy, complementary to Raman spectroscopy, for the quantitative estimation of chemical (and potentially also radiation-induced) disorder. For the latter, emissions of Nd³⁺-related centres are found to be promising candidates.     

Fluid entrapment and reequilibration during subduction and exhumation: A case study from the high-grade Nestos shear zone, Central Rhodope, Greece

A fluid inclusion study on metamorphic minerals of successive growth stages was performed on highly deformed paragneisses from the Nestos Shear Zone at Xanthi (Central Rhodope), in which microdiamonds provide unequivocal evidence for ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphism. The correlation of fluid inclusion density isochores and fluid inclusion reequilibration textures with geothermobarometric data and the relative chronology of micro- and macro-scale deformation stages allow a better understanding of both the fluid and metamorphic evolution along the P–T–d path. Textural evidence for subduction towards the NE is recorded by the orientation of intragranular NE-oriented fluid inclusion planes and the presence of single, annular fluid inclusion decrepitation textures. These textures occur within quartz “foam” structures enclosed in an earlier generation of garnets with prolate geometries and rarely within recrystallized matrix quartz, and reequilibrated both in composition and density during later stages of exhumation. No fluid inclusions pertaining to the postulated ultrahigh-pressure stage for microdiamond-bearing garnet–kyanite–gneisses have yet been found. The prolate shape of garnets developed during the earliest stages of exhumation that is recorded structurally by (L  S) tectonites, which subsequently accommodated progressive ductile SW shearing and folding up to shallow crustal levels. The majority of matrix kyanite and a later generation of garnet were formed during SW-directed shear under plane-strain conditions. Fluid inclusions entrapped in quartz during this stage of deformation underwent density loss and transformed to almost pure CO₂ inclusions by preferential loss of H₂O. Those inclusions armoured within garnet retained their primary 3-phase H₂O–CO₂ compositions. Reequilibration of fluid inclusions in quartz aggregates is most likely the result of recrystallization along with stress-induced, preferential H₂O leakage along dislocations and planar lattice defects which results in the predominance of CO₂ inclusions with supercritical densities. Carbonic fluid inclusions from adjacent kyanite–corundum-bearing pegmatoids and, the presence of shear-plane-parallel fluid inclusion planes within late quartz boudin structures consisting of pure CO₂-fluid inclusions with negative crystal shapes, bear witness of the latest stage of deformation by NE-directed extensional shear.This study shows that the textures of early fluid inclusions that formed already during the prograde metamorphic path can be preserved and used to derive information about the kinematics of subduction that is difficult to obtain from other sources. The textures of early inclusions, together with later generations of unaltered primary and secondary inclusions in metamorphic index minerals that can be linked to specific deformation stages and even P–T conditions, are a welcome supplement for the reconstruction of a rather detailed P–T–d path.     

Origin of the northern Indus Fan and Murray Ridge, Northern Arabian Sea: interpretation from seismic and magnetic imaging

The nature and origin of the sediments and crust of the Murray Ridge System and northern Indus Fan are discussed. The uppermost unit consists of Middle Miocene to recent channel–levee complexes typical of submarine fans. This unit is underlain by a second unit composed of hemipelagic to pelagic sediments deposited during the drift phase after the break-up of India–Seychelles–Africa. A predrift sequence of assumed Mesozoic age occurring only as observed above basement ridges is composed of highly consolidated rocks. Different types of the acoustic basement were detected, which reflection seismic pattern, magnetic anomalies and gravity field modeling indicate to be of continental character. The continental crust is extremely thinned in the northern Indus Fan, lacking a typical block-faulted structure. The Indian continent–ocean transition is marked on single MCS profiles by sequences of seaward-dipping reflectors (SDR). In the northwestern Arabian Sea, the Indian plate margin is characterized by several phases of volcanism and deformation revealed from interpretation of multichannel seismic profiles and magnetic anomalies. From this study, thinned continental crust spreads between the northern Murray Ridge System and India underneath the northern Indus Fan.     

Capacity development as a key factor for integrated water resources management (IWRM): improving water management in the Western Bug River Basin,Ukraine

There is growing consensus in the global water community that the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) is only the starting point in the IWRM implementation process. This paper proposes that special attention should be drawn to well-elaborated and adapted Capacity Development (CD). It is argued that measures for solving existing water problems can only be sustainable and effective, if the knowledge generated about possible solutions is deeply rooted within the originating region. General guidelines for CD and knowledge transfer are elaborated, and these constitute the basis for region-specific CD strategies as exemplified in the Ukrainian Western Bug River Basin, one of five model regions within the International Water Research Alliance Saxony (IWAS). As a first step towards improving river basin management, situation analysis and capacity assessment are undertaken to evaluate social and political circumstances, identify relevant stakeholders, existing competencies, and antici- pated difficulties in establishing an operational IWRM and appropriate tailor-made measures are proposed. The experiences gained during this process indicate that neither IWRM nor CD can be expected to stand alone when considering sustainable development in water resources management.     

A review of the thermal regime of the Eastern Alps with respect to the effects of paleoclimate and exhumation

Transient thermal signals such as Pleistocene surface temperature variations or exhumation of great rock volumes are important for the current thermal regime of the Eastern Alpine crust. In this study transient 1-D forward simulations and an analytical approach were used to estimate the order of magnitude of these effects. A comparison with numerical forward simulations and inverse analyses of steady-state heat conduction yields the following main conclusions with respect to the thermal regime of the Eastern Alps along the TRANSALP profile: (1) The change of surface temperatures in the past affects mainly the uppermost part of the Eastern Alpine crust. It results in a maximum thermal signature of more than − 6 K at a depth of 2 km. The deviations from a steady-state temperature gradient and heat flow in the region of the Tauern Window range from 0.3–4 K km^− 1 and 0–6 mW m^− 2, respectively, with maximum values at the surface. (2) Exhumation of the Eastern Alpine lithosphere may result in a thermal signature of up to 4 K at a depth of 1 km. The thermal signature increases further with depth to a maximum of approximately 80 K at a depth of 50 km. As the temperature gradient of the exhumation signal is almost zero at the base of the crust, Moho heat flow appears to be not critically perturbed. (3) The combined effect of exhumation and changing surface temperatures at the Tauern Window amounts to less than 15% of the steady-state temperatures at a depth of  8 km and to less than 10% at the base of Eastern Alpine root. The corresponding perturbation in heat flow is less than 20% at a depth of 4 km, approaching zero below 40 km.     

Moisture sorption behaviour of salt mixtures in porous stone

Moisture in stone material is the key factor for all stone deterioration processes and also in weathering of cultural heritage. With additional presence of salts in the material the situation gets even more critical. While the properties of pure salts with moisture are well known, knowledge about the interaction of salt mixtures with moisture is still poor. In different approaches the reactions of salt-contaminated stone material on changing moisture were tested in the laboratory. Experiments with different solutions in the Na-Mg-SO₄-NO₃-H₂O system revealed interesting new results on the moisture behaviour of salt-contaminated samples. Theoretical considerations and computer simulations are helpful to interpret the data obtained, but are not yet sufficient to explain the real processes acting on site at the monuments. More encouraging to this fact are complementary studies on visible efflorescences in the same salt system. It is shown how by experimental approaches the understanding on salt-induced stone deterioration is strongly complemented.     

Porous Structure Reconstruction Using Convolutional Neural Networks

The three-dimensional high-resolution imaging of rock samples is the basis for pore-scale characterization of reservoirs. Micro X-ray computed tomography (µ-CT) is considered the most direct means of obtaining the three-dimensional inner structure of porous media without deconstruction. The micrometer resolution of µ-CT, however, limits its application in the detection of small structures such as nanochannels, which are critical for fluid transportation. An effective strategy for solving this problem is applying numerical reconstruction methods to improve the resolution of the µ-CT images. In this paper, a convolutional neural network reconstruction method is introduced to reconstruct high-resolution porous structures based on low-resolution µ-CT images and high-resolution scanning electron microscope (SEM) images. The proposed method involves four steps. First, a three-dimensional low-resolution tomographic image of a rock sample is obtained by µ-CT scanning. Next, one or more sections in the rock sample are selected for scanning by SEM to obtain high-resolution two-dimensional images. The high-resolution segmented SEM images and their corresponding low-resolution µ-CT slices are then applied to train a convolutional neural network (CNN) model. Finally, the trained CNN model is used to reconstruct the entire low-resolution three-dimensional µ-CT image. Because the SEM images are segmented and have a higher resolution than the µ-CT image, this algorithm integrates the super-resolution and segmentation processes. The input data are low-resolution µ-CT images, and the output data are high-resolution segmented porous structures. The experimental results show that the proposed method can achieve state-of-the-art performance.