Sea water surface energy balance in the Arctic fjord (Hornsund,SW Spitsbergen) in May–November 2014

Maize is grown by millions of smallholder farmers in South Asia (SA) under diverse environments. The crop is grown in different seasons in a year with varying exposure to weather extremes, including high temperatures at critical growth stages which are expected to increase with climate change. This study assesses the impact of current and future heat stress on maize and the benefit of heat-tolerant varieties in SA. Annual mean maximum temperatures may increase by 1.4–1.8 °C in 2030 and 2.1–2.6 °C in 2050, with large monthly, seasonal, and spatial variations across SA. The extent of heat stressed areas in SA could increase by up to 12 % in 2030 and 21 % in 2050 relative to the baseline. The impact of heat stress and the benefit from heat-tolerant varieties vary with the level of temperature increase and planting season. At a regional scale, climate change would reduce rainfed maize yield by an average of 3.3–6.4 % in 2030 and 5.2–12.2 % in 2050 and irrigated yield by 3–8 % in 2030 and 5–14 % in 2050 if current varieties were grown under the future climate. Under projected climate, heat-tolerant varieties could minimize yield loss (relative to current maize varieties) by up to 36 and 93 % in 2030 and 33 and 86 % in 2050 under rainfed and irrigated conditions, respectively. Heat-tolerant maize varieties, therefore, have the potential to shield maize farmers from severe yield loss due to heat stress and help them adapt to climate change impacts.     

Urban–rural contrasts of meteorological parameters in Łódź

Summary Data from two automatic stations in Łódź (one urban and one rural) for the period 1997–2002 are analyzed to reveal urban–rural contrasts of such parameters as air temperature, relative humidity, water vapour pressure and wind speed. Under favourable weather conditions the highest temperature differences between the urban and rural station exceeds 8 °C. Relative humidity is lower in the town, sometimes by more than 40%. Water vapour pressure differences can be either positive (up to 5 hPa) or negative (up to −4 hPa). Wind speed at the urban station is on average lower by about 34% in night and 39% during daytime. Regression analysis shows that for rural winds lower than 1.13 m s⁻¹ urban winds can be stronger than rural speeds. Attention has also been paid to singularities in the course of the analyzed parameters over 24 hour periods. It is shown that the typical course of the urban heat island intensity under favourable conditions is similar in all season. Four stages of this course have been distinguished. Wind speed differences also seem to change in a typical way. Case studies show that humidity contrasts, unlike temperature, can evolve in different ways under fine weather conditions. Types of relative humidity evolution are proposed.     

Intercomparison of measurements of bulk snow density and water equivalent of snow cover with snow core samplers: Instrumental bias and variability induced by observers

Manually collected snow data are often considered as ground truth for many applications such as climatological or hydrological studies. However, there are many sources of uncertainty that are not quantified in detail. For the determination of water equivalent of snow cover (SWE), different snow core samplers and scales are used, but they are all based on the same measurement principle. We conducted two field campaigns with 9 samplers commonly used in observational measurements and research in Europe and northern America to better quantify uncertainties when measuring depth, density and SWE with core samplers. During the first campaign, as a first approach to distinguish snow variability measured at the plot and at the point scale, repeated measurements were taken along two 20 m long snow pits. The results revealed a much higher variability of SWE at the plot scale (resulting from both natural variability and instrumental bias) compared to repeated measurements at the same spot (resulting mostly from error induced by observers or very small scale variability of snow depth). The exceptionally homogeneous snowpack found in the second campaign permitted to almost neglect the natural variability of the snowpack properties and focus on the separation between instrumental bias and error induced by observers. Reported uncertainties refer to a shallow, homogeneous tundra-taiga snowpack less than 1 m deep (loose, mostly recrystallised snow and no wind impact). Under such measurement conditions, the uncertainty in bulk snow density estimation is about 5% for an individual instrument and is close to 10% among different instruments. Results confirmed that instrumental bias exceeded both the natural variability and the error induced by observers, even in the case when observers were not familiar with a given snow core sampler.     

Deciphering late Devonian–early Carboniferous P–T–t path of mylonitized garnet-mica schists from Prins Karls Forland,Svalbard

Quartz-in-garnet inclusion barometry integrated with trace element thermometry and calculated phase relations is applied to mylonitized schists of the Pinkie unit cropping out on the island of Prins Karls Forland, western part of the Svalbard Archipelago. This approach combines conventional and novel techniques and allows deciphering of the pressure–temperature (P–T) evolution of mylonitic rocks, for which the P–T conditions could not have been easily deciphered using traditional methods. The results obtained suggest that rocks of the Pinkie unit were metamorphosed under amphibolite facies conditions at 8–10 kbar and 560–630°C and mylonitized at ~500 to 550°C and 9–11 kbar. The P–T results are coupled with in-situ Th–U-total Pb monazite dating, which records amphibolite facies metamorphism at c. 359–355 Ma. This is the very first evidence of late Devonian–early Carboniferous metamorphism in Svalbard and it implies that the Ellesmerian Orogeny on Svalbard was associated with metamorphism up to amphibolite facies conditions. Thus, it can be concluded that the Ellesmerian collision between the Franklinian margin of Laurentia and Pearya and Svalbard caused not only commonly accepted brittle deformation and weak greenschist facies metamorphism, but also a burial and deformation of rock complexes at much greater depths at elevated temperatures.     

Plant assemblage from Opole,southern Poland: New data on Late Cretaceous vegetation of the northern part of the European Province

This paper presents the results of studies on plant macroremains found in the upper Turonian of the Folwark Quarry, Opole, Poland, associated with palynological studies of the host rocks. In addition to a few macrofossils (gymnosperm wood, conifer Geinitzia reichenbachii and fern ?Didymosorus) rich sporomorphs (bryophyte, lycopod and fern spores, conifer and angiosperm pollen grains) and marine palynomorphs (mainly dinoflagellate cysts) were recorded. The palynological analysis revealed that the vegetation on the neighbouring land (the East Sudetic Island) in the late Turonian was much more diverse than could be reconstructed based on only macrofossil remains. The latter are taxonomically restricted and dominated by one gymnosperm species (Geinitzia reichenbachii), which make them similar to most neighbouring, coeval Central European assemblages. Its over representation is, thus, a result of taphonomy.     

Non-woven polypropylene fabric modified with carbon nanotubes and decorated with nanoakaganeite for arsenite removal

Due to its harmful impact on human health, the presence of heavy metals, metalloids and other toxic pollutants in drinking or irrigation water is a major concern. Recent studies have proved that nanosized adsorbents are significantly more effective than their microsized counterparts. Particular attention has been given to nanocomposites with nanoadsorbents embedded in matrixes that could provide stability to the material and contribute to eliminating problems that may appear when using conventional granular systems. This study presents the preparation of a novel hybrid filter from a commercially available polypropylene (PP) non-woven fabric matrix modified with multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and iron oxy(hydroxide) nanoparticles, and its use in the removal of As(III). A Box–Behnken statistical experimental design has been chosen to explore relevant variables affecting the filter performance: (1) As(III) concentration, (2) pH and (3) sorbent dose. From an As(III) concentration of 10 mg L^?1, at pH 6.5 and with a sorbent dose of 5 g L^?1, the PP filter modified with MWCNT removes 10% of the initial metalloid concentration, reaching a capacity of 0.27 mg g^?1. After modification with iron oxy(hydroxide), the performance of the material is largely enhanced. The filter, under the same conditions, removes 90% of the initial As(III) concentration, reaching a capacity almost tenfold higher (2.54 mg g^?1). This work demonstrates that the developed hybrid filter is effective toward the removal of As(III) in a wide range of pHs. A cubic regression model to compute the removal of the filter as a function of pH and sorbent dose is provided.     

Analysis of labile form of aluminum and heavy metals in bottom sediments from Kongsfjord, Isfjord, Hornsund fjords

The paper presents study results obtained for the bottom sediment samples of fjords Kongsfjord, Isfjord, Hornsund in the form of surface samples and their core profiles. The concentrations of labile form of aluminum and heavy metals were determined using the single-stage extraction with 3 mol L^?1 HCl. The obtained results allowed defining the occurrence of variability of labile aluminum form in the samples of bottom sediments of the studied fjords depending on the point and depth of sample collection. The conducted chemometric analysis allowed for the study of spatial variability of aluminum occurrence in the area of the investigated fjords. Based on the analysis, the correlations between aluminum and heavy metals were determined.     

Luminescence and other spectroscopic properties of purple and green Cr-clinochlore

For the first time ever, the luminescence spectra of Cr³⁺ centers in two chlorite crystals are presented. Chromium ions occupy the strong crystal-field site M4 in the brucite sheet and the intermediate crystal-field site in the inner octahedral sheet for purple and green chlorite, respectively. We discuss the influence of an effective positive charge on the Cr³⁺ ion and an effective negative charge of ligands on the differences in the values of the Dq and B parameters. It is concluded that the presence of Fe²⁺ ions and other point defects, as well as concentration quenching, causes the very short luminescence lifetimes of chromium ions.     

A volcanic-carbonate association in the Góry Kaczawskie,Western Sudetes

Amidst metavolcanic rocks and phyllites of the Góry Kaczawskie region occur isolated carbonate bodies known as the Wojcieszów limestones. The bodies enclosed in the metavolcanites show primary (sedimentary) contacts, while those in the phyllites do not have such contacts. The Wojcieszów limestones and metavolcanic rocks form sequences displaying mutual spatial and genetical relations. Submarine volcanic elevations were covered with chemical and biochemical carbonate precipitation, the intensity of which was stimulated and controlled by the volcanic activity.

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Zusammenfassung Inmitten der metavulkanischen Gesteine und Phyllite von Góry Kaczawskie erscheinen isolierte Karbonatgesteinskörper, die als Wojcieszów-Kalke bekannt sind. Die Karbonatgesteine innerhalb der Metavulkanite zeigen sedimentäre Kontakte, während die in den Phylliten eher tektonisch begrenzt sind. So kann man den Wojcieszów-Kalken und den Metavulkaniten eine räumliche und genetische Beziehung zusprechen. Submarine Erhebungen aus Vulkangesteinen waren mit chemischen und biochemisch gefällten Karbonatserien bedeckt, wobei die vulkanische Aktivität die Karbonatbildung unmittelbar beeinflu\te.

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Résumé Parmi les métavolcanites et les phyllites de la région du Góry Kaczawskie, il existe des corps carbonatés isolés connus sous le nom de »calcaires de Wojcieszów«. Ceux qui sont inclus dans les métavolcanites présentent des contacts sédimentaires, contrairement à ceux qui sont inclus dans les phyllites, dont les contacts sont tectoniques. Entre les calcaires de Wojcieszów et les roches métavolcaniques, il est donc possible d'établir des relations spatiales et génétiques. Des reliefs volcaniques sous-marins ont été le siège d'une précipitation carbonatée chimique et biochimique dont l'intensité dépendait de l'activité volcanique.

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Versuch der Geschlechtsbestimmung beim Wels,Silurus glanis L., mit Hilfe der Diskriminanzanalyse von Brustflossendaten

Width of the first ray of the pectoral fin has been measured in two places for 154 young and 89 adult wels. Statistical relationships between the above characters and fish length as well as its maturity and sex have been proved. Three models of discriminant function for identification of adult fish sex have been derived and verified. The accuracy of sex separation has been 89,5% in a standard sample of wels, and 90,6% in a routine sample, after an adjustment in the procedure.