Preserving the Ocean Circulation: Implications for Climate Policy

Climate modelers have recognized the possibility of abrupt climate changes caused by a reorganization of the North Atlantic's current pattern (technically known as a thermohaline circulation collapse). This circulation system now warms north-western Europe and transports carbon dioxide to the deep oceans. The posited collapse of this system could produce severe cooling in northwestern Europe, even when general global warming is in progress. In this paper we use a simple integrated assessment model to investigate the optimal policy response to this risk. Adding the constraint of avoiding a thermohaline circulation collapse would significantly reduce the allowable greenhouse gas emissions in the long run along an optimal path. Our analysis implies that relatively small damages associated with a collapse (less than 1% of gross world product) would justify a considerable reduction of future carbon dioxide emissions.     

Learning from (small) disasters

In this article, disasters are understood as processes that have different impacts on social routines in terms of scale, scope and duration. The extent of adaptive processes in society can provide the ground for a rough classification of disaster types. Such classification has, on the one hand, practical and analytical advantages. On the other hand, they harbour the danger of overlooking transitions of scale and discourage comprehensive scale-related learning forms. Based on the disaster scale by Fischer (Int J Mass Emerg Disasters 1:91–107, 2003), flash floods in mountain rivers and torrents are described as extreme emergencies or small-town disasters. Three given examples will clearly show that learning rarely takes place within an institutional setting that is subjected to small disasters, because the stakeholder’s focus remains on only one level. Therefore, we propose to implement a system of self-organised and scale-independent learning, so called deutero learning, within the political subsystem. Following a damaging event, participative processes that involve all levels should be initialised. Their task would be to assess the combination of causes and draw conclusions for mitigation measures. An aggregation of these assessments would help the responsible political subsystems to adapt the current natural disasters policy to the changing environmental conditions.     

Visualization of tectonic structures in shallow-depth high-resolution ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) is applied to detect subsurface tectonic structures and to map the geometry of faulted blocks. Tectonic interpretations from a profile crossing the graben fault and a grid in a second-order graben structure providing a 3D data set are correlated to the structural inventory of the outcrop. Folded layers of the roll-over anticline are identified by continuous curved reflectors and an increasing dip towards the main graben fault. Faults are indicated by arrays of reflector terminations. Variations in the water and clay content caused by karstification and brecciation on fault planes are displayed by changing amplitudes of the detected signal. The 3D visualization of the second-order graben structure with a grid of GPR profiles illustrates the local stress pattern which coincides with structural observations in the outcrop and photo lineations.     

A Two-Channel Focal Reducer for Small (Diameter ≥ 1 M) F/8 Telescopes

The new Two-Channel Focal Reducer of the Max-Planck-Institut für Aeronomie is described. The instrument is primarily designed for astronomical imaging of solar system objects, where, because of changes in time scales of about 10-30 min not only the photon flux but also the total number of photons is limited. Colour dividers allow to split the light of the object into a "blue" and a "red" channel. Both channels are observed simultaneously with two separate CCD cameras. Besides wide-band imaging with filters derived from the Gunn photometric system, the instrument allows simultaneous determination of polarization and colour in a small field and imaging with interference filters and with a tunable Fabry-Perot interferometer. One Fabry-Perot system serves both channels. Proper selection of the interference order allows simultaneous observing in narrow bands of about 3 width for a large number of wavelength pairs. There is also a coronagraph mode with Lyot stops in both channels which allows observations of the torus associated with Jupiter's satellite Io. Long-slit two-channel spectroscopy will be possible as soon as the necessary grating prisms will have been acquired.     

The Influence of Metoclopramide and Melatonin on Activity and Schooling Behaviour in Chromis viridis (CUVIER, 1830; Pomacentridae, Teleostei)

Abstract. The role of prolactin (PRL) in the neuroendocrine control of schooling behaviour and activity in the demoiselle Chromis viridis is analysed by administration of a prolactin-releasing drug, metoclopramide (Paspertin®). In addition, the dependence of the activity state, schooling time, and colour changes on the administration of an epiphysial hormone, melatonin, is examined. Each substance tested affects schooling behaviour and activity by a different mechanism.     

Shock waves—Phenomenology,experimental, and numerical simulation

Abstract— The purpose of this paper is to review the results of long‐term cooperation between Dieter Stöffler and the authors in the field of shock wave deformation of minerals and rocks. First, the principal phenomena of shock wave generation and propagation, predominantly in solid media, are presented, and then analytical and numerical mathematical treatment of shock wave processes on the basis of mass, momentum, and energy conservation laws will be described and discussed. Experimental methods of shock wave investigations by means of impact and explosive techniques are summarized, including hypervelocity acceleration facilities and high‐pressure explosive devices. Shock pressure barometry by means of mineralogical evidence of distinct material phase transitions and characteristic shock structures is also discussed.     

Precipitation climate of Central Asia and the large-scale atmospheric circulation

The precipitation climate in the larger Tian Shan region of Central Asia is described in terms of the climatological seasonal moisture fluxes and background circulation based on the ERA-40 reanalysis data and a precipitation reanalysis. The study area is partitioned into (1) the Tarim river basin, (2) bordering regions of China, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, and (3) Northwestern China. Moisture supply to these areas is primarily due to the midlatitude westerlies with contributions from higher latitudes. In addition, moisture from the Indian Ocean is notably imported into the Tarim drainage area. Monthly interannual precipitation variability relates to the variability of hemispheric circulation patterns. Extreme precipitation above and below normal in Western China and Central Asia is analyzed using the standardized precipitation index. Related circulation composites show that, despite regional and seasonal differences, episodes of extreme and severe dryness are dominated by various upstream standing wave patterns from the North Atlantic to Central Asia. These features extend further downstream to the North Pacific. Non-symmetry between wet and dry composites is noted upstream and in regional moisture flux composites.