Sea-level changes during the Pleistocene-Holocene in the NW coastal zone of Portugal

Research was undertaken to establish the present coastal dynamics of the area south of Espinho, Portugal, with special emphasis on the migration inland of beaches and the retreat of cliffs during at least the last century.
Besides the Holocene units (the Silvalde-Paramos tijuca Formation, 2310 ± 80 yr BP to 500 ± 80 yr BP, and the Cortegaca Beach Formation, 6850 ± 60 yr BP to 950 ± 80 yr BP), a Pleistocene unit (the Maceda Beach Formation, 29, 600 ± 690 yr BP to 14300 ± 160 yr BP) with trunks of Pinus sylvestris was recognized. The Cortegaca Beach Formation comprises a truncated podzol profile, the Al horizon dating from 3490 ± 60 yr BP to 950 ± 80 yr BP. The study and the dating of the Pleistocene and the Holocene formations suggest a model of evolution related to sea-level fluctuations and neotectonics, during the interval between 29,000 ± 690 yr BP and the post-XVth century (Little Ice Age).
The final purpose of the research is to apply the results to the prediction of the coastal zone evolution, and particularly to influence policy with respect to coastal zone management. This policy must take into account the inland migration of the beaches and the cliff retreat as a consequence of the natural dynamics of the earth that cannot be arrested or controlled by man.     

SENSITIVITY OF THE RUSSIAN AGRICULTURE TO CHANGES IN CLIMATE, CO2 AND TROPOSPHERIC OZONE CONCENTRATIONS AND SOIL FERTILITY

Russian agriculture sensitivity to changes in climate, soil and atmosphere chemistry were analyzed. Calculated data are presented on crop productivity of grain crops and grasses (C₃) under arid and humid scenarios of climate taking account of one-, two-, three and four-factor natural environment impacts. All four factors under studies (climatic parameters, CO₂ and tropospheric ozone concentrations, soil degradation extent) greatly impact agriculture productivity. The effect of interaction between all considered factors on agroecosystem productivity is studied. It is established that a simple additive scheme for explaining the complex effect of some factors can be much violated. In this case, not only variations in the mean crop yield levels but also variations in the degree of crop stability have been assessed in some regions, that may be more important for determining the social-economic consequences. It turned out that the recurrence of critically very low yields in steppe regions may increase two fold as a result of global warming.     

A green space between life and death – a case study of activities in Gamlebyen Cemetery in Oslo,Norway

The amount of green space in urban areas is shrinking. Densification and the introduction of new user groups in most cities today is leading to more intensive use of public spaces and the need for more space. Urban cemeteries constitute a unique type of public space: while some may consider them primarily religious and contemplative spaces, others see them as primarily recreational or as heritage sites steeped in history. The authors examine the extent to which the pressure on cities’ open green areas combined with influences from intercultural encounters is mirrored in the use and character of cemeteries today – exemplified by Gamlebyen Cemetery (Gamlebyen Gravlund) in Oslo, Norway. They used observations in combination with short semi-structured interviews with those using the cemetery. The findings of pilot study conducted in 2013 suggest that religious aspects played a minor role and that the recreational aspects were more important to most of the interviewees. Many of them considered that the cemetery provided a pleasant green walkway on their way to work, busses or city services. The cemetery offered a combination of calmness, an aesthetically pleasant environment, and ‘cultivated nature’ in an urban context, and was thus an arena that invited respect and esteem.     

Stress measurements in soft rocks

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate that accurate and reliable in situ stress measurements can be performed in soft rocks. A quick overview of the mechanical behaviour of soft rocks is presented. After reviewing stress measurement techniques that have been used in soft rocks, the modified doorstopper technique is presented and the advantages it has over other techniques in soft rocks are underlined. Results from laboratory simulations in controlled conditions show that the technique is reliable and accurate. It is then shown, through field applications in a potash mine in Brazil, in an underwater tunnel in shales in Canada and in an exploratory drift in molassic rocks of the French Alps, how the technique yields results that can sometimes be confirmed by field observations.     

Inorganic and methylmercury: do they transfer along a tropical coastal food web?

Methylmercury (MeHg) and inorganic mercury (Hg_inorg) were evaluated in the water of a Brazilian estuary, with two size classes of plankton and seven fish species of different feeding habits. Water partition coefficients (PCs) in microplankton were fourfold higher for MeHg than for Hg_inorg; and water PCs in mesoplankton were 26 times higher for MeHg than Hg_inorg. Difference between microplankton and mesoplankton MeHg bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was higher (0.60 log units) than Hg_inorg BAF (0.24 log units), indicating that trophic transfer of MeHg between planktonic organisms is more efficient than Hg_inorg transference. MeHg concentrations, proportion of mercury as MeHg and its biotransference factors (BTFs) in the microplankton, mesoplankton and fish increased with increasing trophic level while biotic concentrations of Hg_inorg and proportion of mercury as Hg_inorg decreased thus indicating that MeHg was indeed the biomagnified species of mercury. MeHg reflected the vertical trophic guilds distribution, due to the fact that the top predator fish presented the highest concentration (0.77 μg g⁻¹ d.w.), followed by the less voracious species (0.43 μg g⁻¹ d.w.); while planktivorous fish presented the lowest concentrations (0.044 μg g⁻¹ d.w.). Hg_inorg did not present the same behavior. Results suggest that feeding habits and trophic guild are important parameters, influencing biotransference and biomagnification processes.     

A comparison between the Linear Regression Model with autocorrelated errors and the Partial Adjustment Model

In this paper we consider a Linear Regression Model with a design matrix that fits the periodic structure of a time series. As a consequence, the residuals are very often autocorrelated. The main problem is that residual autocorrelation does not necessarily entail error autocorrelation. To analyse the effects of selecting different formulations to accommodate the autocorrelation in the residuals, we consider two seemingly different ways to deal with this problem: the Linear Regression Model with the error terms following an Autoregressive Stationary Process and the Partial Adjustment Model. We study the equivalence between the two formulations. We go over the problem of estimating the parameters and, especially, of making inferences in this framework. After parameter estimation, we analyse the adequacy of the models. We demonstrate that the issue of selecting the most appropriate model to capture the autocorrelation in the residuals is, in this context, a kind of an artefact since the main results concerning the fitted values and forecasting features are the same. These modelling procedures are applied to the Portuguese coastal upwelling data and we compare the estimated models.     

Early Holocene dune field development in Dalarna,central Sweden: A geomorphological and geophysical case study

Bonäsheden, Sweden's largest continuous dune field, situated in the county of Dalarna, central Sweden, has been investigated using LiDAR (light detection and ranging) remote sensing, ground penetrating radar as well as by field observations and luminescence dating. The use of LiDAR in conjunction with geographic information system (GIS) software proved to be efficient in mapping the inactive dune field and classifying the dune morphology, especially when slope raster images were used. The dunes have formed mostly by winds from the northwest (NW) and are of a transverse type. Still other dune types, such as parabolic dunes, and transverse dunes with a deviating orientation are present. Also, there seems to be different generations of dunes, suggesting a complex palaeowind environment with a change from predominantly north‐westerly winds to more westerly winds. Luminescence dating finally allows us to have an absolute chronology of the development of the Bonäsheden dune field, revealing formation of the dune field closely following the de‐glaciation of this part of Sweden (c. 10.5 ka). The well preserved transverse shape of the majority of the dunes suggests rapid stabilization by vegetation, although sand drift still seems to have been active on a noticeable scale for at least 1500 years and also, occasionally and patchy, as coversand deposition during the Late Holocene. A simple model is proposed for the dune field development of Bonäsheden based on our findings. This model is a useful addition since the majority of present day dune field models focus on the formation of parabolic dunes or large unvegetated dune fields. Our results suggest that most models cannot adequately simulate the formation of such small dune fields as that of Bonäsheden, with apparently rapidly fixated transverse dunes in a previously glaciated, now vegetated area. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.