Mineral and geothermal waters of Slovakia

From 1955 to 1985 an intensive hydrogeological survey has been carried out in Slovakia, in order to ascertain the conditions of forming mineral and geothermal waters in various geological structures and to find new sources of the afore-mentioned waters. The survey helped to clarify the laws of their distribution and evaluate the quantitative and qualitative properties of water developing on the basis of geologic-tectonic conditions and physical-geographic terms of the given territory. The Slovakian territory belongs to the Carpathian geological system. Five separate geological units having a different hydrologic characteristic, quality and water yield of reserves and resources form this geological system. A great number of mineral and thermal springs in Slovakia displaying different quantities and quality, provide numerous possibilities of their practical utilization.     

Problem of the Rotating Magnetoconvection in Variously Stratified Fluid Layer Revisited

The linear magnetoconvection in the rotating uniformly as well as non-uniformly stratified horizontal layer with azimuthal magnetic field is investigated for the various mechanical and electrical boundary conditions and especially, for various values of Roberts number. The developed diffusive perturbations (modes) are strongly influenced not only by the mentioned properties of boundaries but also by complicated coupling of viscous, thermal and magnetic diffusive processes. The mean electromotive force produced by developed hydromagnetic instabilities is also investigated to determine the hydromagnetic processes which are appropriate for -effect. The presented paper is an unification of hitherto published results of the authors and gives a short survey of many developments of corresponding model by Soward (1979).     

Computation of amplification factor of earthquake ground motion for a local sedimentary structure

We present methodology of calculating acceleration and corresponding earthquake ground motion characteristics at a site of interest assuming acceleration at a reference site for two basic configurations. In one configuration we assume that the reference ground motion is not affected by the local structure beneath the site of interest. In the other configuration we assume that the reference ground motion is affected by the local structure. Consequently, the two configurations differ from each other by the presence of the reference site within the computational model. For each of the two configurations we assume two wavefield excitations: a vertical plane-wave incidence and a point double-couple source. We illustrate the methodology on the example of the Grenoble valley. The extensive investigation of effects of local surface sedimentary structures based on the developed methodology is presented in the accompanying article by Moczo et al. (Bull Earthq Eng, 2018) in this volume.     

Palaeoclimatic implications of the magnetic record from loess/palaeosol sequence Viatovo (NE Bulgaria)

Loess-palaeosol deposits in the lower Danube area represent the southeastern edge of the loess cover in Europe. Detailed rock magnetic investigations of the loess/palaeosol sequence in Viatovo in NE Bulgaria reveal that magnetite and maghemite of very fine superparamagnetic grain size are responsible for the magnetic enhancement of palaeosol units. A detailed palaeoclimatic record is obtained through high-resolution measurements of magnetic susceptibility, frequency dependent magnetic susceptibility and CaCO₃ content. Magnetic proxies indicate a more warm and humid climate during the development of the older palaeosol units (S₄–S₆).     

Origin and evolution of closed depressions in central Belgium,European loess belt

Closed depressions (CDs) are lower lying areas where the sediment eroded from the surrounding soil surfaces draining towards the CD is trapped in the system. CDs have been reported in several regions of the European loess belt and are attributed either to natural processes (e.g. dissolution of subsurface horizons) or to human intervention (e.g. quarrying). Previous studies focussed mainly on cropland areas where, however, only few and largely filled in CDs remain. The objectives of this study were to i) assess the spatial distribution of CDs under forest and cropland, ii) to determine and compare the morphology of CDs under forest and under cropland, and iii) to determine the origin and age of these CDs under forest. In a study area located partly in ancient forest (13 km²) and partly in cropland (29 km²), a systematic survey revealed the presence of 71 CDs under forest (5·3 CD.km^?2) and 30 CDs under cropland (1 CD.km^?2). Comparison of their morphology showed that CDs under forest were significantly deeper, with steeper sidewalls and a smaller surface area because of the erosion and deposition processes acting on the CDs under cropland. By comparing CDs that had been under cropland for different time intervals, the rate of this morphological evolution could be reconstructed. Analysis of the soil stratigraphy of two representative CDs in the ancient forest area confirmed their origin as quarries. Most probably, calcareous loess was excavated since this soil horizon, about two to five meters thick, was completely absent within the CDs. Dating of the infilling of one CD by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) shows that the CD filled in between the first century BC and the fourth century AD. This dating corresponds to the dating of sediment deposits in nearby, human‐induced gullies that were attributed to an agricultural land use phase between the 18th century BC and the third century AD.     

Spatial variability of phytoplankton, nutrients and new production estimates in the waters around Svalbard

Phytoplankton dynamics and carbon input into Arctic and sub-Arctic ecosystems were investigated around Svalbard, in summer 1991. Phytoplankton biomass, species composition and dissolved nutrient concentrations were analysed from water samples collected along seven transects. Phytoplankton biomass was low especially to the north (Chlorophyll-a mean 0.3 pg 1- '), where flagellates dominated the communities and only ice-diatoms were present. To the west, the phytoplankton composition was representative of a summer Atlantic community, in a post-bloom state. Zooplankton grazing, mainly by copepods, appeared to be the main control on biomass to the west and north of Svalbard.
In the Barents Sea (east of Svalbard), an ice edge bloom was observed (Chlorophyll-a max. 6.8 pgl-') and the ice edge receded at a rate of approximately 1 1 km day-'. The phytoplankton community was represented by marginal ice species, especially Phaeocystis poucherii and Chaeroceros socialis. South of the ice edge, Deep Chlorophyll Maxima (DCM) were observed, as surface waters became progressively nutrient-depleted. In these surface waters, the phytoplankton were predominantly auto- and heterotrophic flagellates.
Carbon production measurements revealed high net production (new and regenerated) to the north of the Barents Sea Polar Front (BSPF); it was especially high at the receding ice edge (reaching 1.44gC m-'day-'). To the south, a low level of production was maintained, mainly through regenerative processes.     

Modes of variability of Southern Hemisphere atmospheric circulation estimated by AGCMs

The seasonal mean variability of the atmospheric circulation is affected by processes with time scales from less than seasonal to interannual or longer. Using monthly mean data from an ensemble of Atmospheric General Circulation Model (AGCM) realisations, the interannual variability of the seasonal mean is separated into intraseasonal, and slowly varying components. For the first time, using a recently developed method, the slowly varying component in multiple AGCM ensembles is further separated into internal and externally forced components. This is done for Southern Hemisphere 500?hPa geopotential height from five AGCMs in the CLIVAR International Climate of the Twentieth Century project for the summer and winter seasons. In both seasons, the intraseasonal and slow modes of variability are qualitatively well reproduced by the models when compared with reanalysis data, with a relative metric finding little overall difference between the models. The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) is by far the dominant mode of slowly varying internal atmospheric variability. Two slow-external modes of variability are related to El Ni?o-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability, and a third is the atmospheric response to trends in external forcing. An ENSO-SAM relationship is found in the model slow modes of variability, similar to that found by earlier studies using reanalysis data. There is a greater spread in the representation of model slow-external modes in winter than summer, particularly in the atmospheric response to external forcing trends. This may be attributable to weaker external forcing constraints on SH atmospheric circulation in winter.     

Land cover changes in small catchments in Slovakia during 1990–2006 and their effects on frequency of flood events

Statistical approach to the analysis of the relationship between the frequency of flood events and land cover (LC) changes in small catchments of Slovakia is presented in this paper. The data for identification of LC changes were taken from the 1990 and 2006 CORINE LC (CLC) data layers. They were derived by computer-aided visual interpretation of satellite images under the CLC Projects. The data about frequency of flood events in small catchments are from the period 1996–2006. Two hypotheses were formulated: (1) the greater the area of LC changes, the more frequent flood events; (2) in catchments where LC changes accelerating formation of direct runoff (e.g. urbanization, deforestation, farming) dominates, flood events are more frequent than in catchments where the prevailing LC changes (e.g. afforestation) reduce formation of direct runoff. Validity of hypotheses was tested in the framework of flood potential of catchments by two-factor ANOVA method. The obtained results indicate that (1) flood event frequency increases with the increasing total area of LC changes in a catchment. This tendency clearly manifests itself in catchments with very high flood potential. It is somewhat less distinct in catchments with moderate and high flood potentials. (2) There were no differences in flood event frequency between the group of catchments, where LC changes accelerating the formation of the direct runoff prevailed and the group of catchments where LC changes decelerating the formation of direct runoff were dominated.     

Hydrogeology and groundwater flow in a basalt-capped Mesozoic sedimentary series of the Ethiopian highlands

A hydrogeological study was undertaken in the Zenako-Argaka catchment, near Hagere Selam in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, during the rainy season of 2006. A geological map was produced through geophysical measurements and field observations, and a fracture zone identified in the north west of the catchment. A perched water table was found within the Trap Basalt series above the laterized upper Aram Aradam Sandstones. A map of this water table was compiled. Water-level variation during the measurement period was at least 4.5?m. Variation in basal flow for the whole catchment for the measurement period was between 12 and 276?m³/day. A groundwater flow model was produced using Visual MODFLOW, indicating the general direction of flow to be towards the south, and illustrating that the waterways have only a limited influence on groundwater flow. The soil water budget was calculated for the period 1995?C2006, which showed the important influence of the distribution of rainfall in time. Although Hagere Selam received some 724?mm of rainfall per year over this period, the strong seasonal variation in rainfall meant there was a water deficit for on average 10?months per year.