Hydrostatic gas distributions: global estimates of temperature and abundance

Estimating the temperature and metal abundance of the intracluster and the intragroup media is crucial to determine their global metal content and to determine fundamental cosmological parameters. When a spatially resolved temperature or abundance profile cannot be recovered from observations (e.g. for distant objects), or deprojection is difficult (e.g. due to a significant non-spherical shape), only global average temperature and abundance are derived. After introducing a general technique to build hydrostatic gaseous distributions of prescribed density profile in potential wells of any shape, we compute the global mass-weighted and emission-weighted temperature and abundance for a large set of barotropic equilibria and an observationally motivated abundance gradient. We also compute the spectroscopic-like temperature that is recovered from a single temperature fit of observed spectra. The derived emission-weighted abundance and temperatures are higher by 50 to 100 per cent than the corresponding mass-weighted quantities, with overestimates that increase with the gas mean temperature. Spectroscopic temperatures are intermediate between mass and luminosity-weighted temperatures. Dark matter flattening does not lead to significant differences in the values of the average temperatures or abundances with respect to the corresponding spherical case (except for extreme cases).     

Historical behaviour of Dome C and Talos Dome (East Antarctica) as investigated by snow accumulation and ice velocity measurements

Ice divide–dome behaviour is used for ice sheet mass balance studies and interpretation of ice core records. In order to characterize the historical behaviour (last 400 yr) of Dome C and Talos Dome (East Antarctica), ice velocities have been measured since 1996 using a GPS system, and the palaeo-spatial variability of snow accumulation has been surveyed using snow radar and firn cores. The snow accumulation distribution of both domes indicates distributions of accumulation that are non-symmetrical in relation to dome morphology. Changes in spatial distributions have been observed over the last few centuries, with a decrease in snow accumulation gradient along the wind direction at Talos Dome and a counter-clockwise rotation of accumulation distribution in the northern part of Dome C. Observations at Dome C reveal a significant increase in accumulation since the 1950s, which could correlate to altered snow accumulation patterns due to changes in snowfall trajectory. Snow accumulation mechanisms are different at the two domes: a wind-driven snow accumulation process operates at Talos Dome, whereas snowfall trajectory direction is the main factor at Dome C. Repeated GPS measurements made at Talos Dome have highlighted changes in ice velocity, with a deceleration in the NE portion, acceleration in the SW portion and migration of dome summit, which are apparently correlated with changes in accumulation distribution. The observed behaviour in accumulation and velocity indicates that even the most remote areas of East Antarctica have changed from a decadal to secular scale.     

Near-bankfull floods in an Alpine stream: Effects on the sediment mobility and bedload magnitude

In a mountain environment, the transport of coarse material is a key factor for many fields such as geomorphology, ecology, hazard assessment, and reservoir management. Despite this, there have been only a few field investigations of bedload, in particular using multiple monitoring methods. In this sense, attention has frequently focused on the effects of “high magnitude/low frequency floods” rather than on “ordinary events”. This study aims to analyze the sediment dynamics triggered by three high-frequency floods (recurrence interval “RI” between 1.1 and 1.7 yr) that occurred in the Rio Cordon basin during 2014. The flood events were investigated in terms of both sediment mobility and bedload magnitude. The Rio Cordon is an Alpine basin located in northeastern Italy. The catchment has a surface area of 5 km², ranging between 1763 and 2763 m above sea level. The Rio Cordon flows on an armored streambed layer, with a stable step-pool configuration and large boulders. Since 1986, the basin has been equipped with a permanent station to continuously monitor water discharge and sediment flux. To investigate sediment mobility, 250 PIT-tags were installed in the streambed in 2012. The 2014 floods showed a clear difference in terms of tracer displacement. The near-bankfull events showed equal mobility conditions, with mean travel distance one order of magnitude higher than the below-bankfull event. Furthermore, only the near-bankfull events transported coarse material to the monitoring station. Both events had a peak discharge up to 2.06 m³ s^-1, but the bedload transport rates differed by more than one order of magnitude, proving that under the current supply-limited condition, the bedload appears more related to the sediment supply than to the magnitude of the hydrological features. In this sense, the results demonstrated that near-bankfull events can mobilize large amounts of material for long distances, and that floods of apparently similar magnitude may lead to different sediment dynamics, depending on the type and amount of sediment supply.     

Towards new applications of underwater photogrammetry for investigating coral reef morphology and habitat complexity in the Myeik Archipelago,Myanmar

Photogrammetry represents a non-destructive, cost-effective tool for coral reef monitoring, able to integrate traditional remote sensing techniques and support researchers’ work. However, its application to submerged habitats is still in early stage. We present new ways to employ Structure from Motion techniques to infer properties of reef habitats. In particular, we propose the use of Digital Surface Models and Digital Terrain Models for assessing coral colonies extension and height and discriminating between seabed and coral cover. Such information can be coupled with digital rugosity estimates to improve habitat characterization. DTM, DSM and orthophotos were derived and used to compute a series of metrics like coral morphologies, reef topography, coral cover and structural complexity. We show the potentialities offered by underwater photogrammetry and derived products to provide useful basic information for marine habitat mapping, opening the possibility to extend these methods for large-scale assessment and monitoring of coral reefs.     

Chromium solubility in MgSiO3 ilmenite at high pressure

The crystal structure and chemical composition of crystals of (Mg_1?x Cr _x )(Si_1?x Cr _x )O₃ ilmenite (with x = 0.015, 0.023 and 0.038) synthesized in the model system Mg₃Cr₂Si₃O₁₂–Mg₄Si₄O₁₂ at 18–19 GPa and 1,600 °C have been investigated. Chromium was found as substitute for both Mg at the octahedral X site and Si at the octahedral Y site, according to the reaction Mg²⁺ + Si⁴⁺ = 2Cr³⁺. Such substitutions cause a shortening of the <X–O> and a lengthening of the <Y–O> distances with respect to the values typically observed for pure MgSiO₃ ilmenite and eskolaite Cr₂O₃. Although no high Cr contents are considered in the pyrolite model, Cr-bearing ilmenite may be the host for chromium in the Earth’s transition zone. The successful synthesis of ilmenite with high Cr contents and its structural characterization are of key importance because the study of its thermodynamic constants combined with the data on phase relations in the lower-mantle systems can help in the understanding of the seismic velocity and density profiles of the transition zone and the constraining composition and mineralogy of pyrolite in this area of the Earth.     

Did the “Autochthonous” European foreland of Corsica Island (France) experience Alpine subduction?

Despite the important role played by the Sardinia‐Corsica block in the reconstruction of the Western Mediterranean geodynamics, the extent of involvement of the “Autochthonous” European margin exposed in Corsica (France) (i.e., Hercynian Corsica) in the Alpine orogeny remains uncertain. Stratigraphic and sedimentological studies in the post‐Variscan deposits on the Hercynian Corsica are scarce and even scarcer are the structural and metamorphic constraints. To face these uncertainties, we present new stratigraphic, structural and metamorphic data from the area of Razzo Bianco, Central Corsica, where a complete sequence belonging to the European continental margin is exposed. Field and structural investigations demonstrate that the sequence represents the easternmost edge of the downgoing European plate. Metamorphic studies on the Eocene deposits indicate that the margin was buried at depth up to blueschist facies conditions and, subsequently, it was progressively exhumed mainly through the activation of oblique top‐to‐the NW shear zones.     

Integrating process‐based flow and temperature models to assess riparian forests and temperature amelioration in salmon streams

The importance of riparian tree cover in reducing energy inputs to streams is increasingly recognized in schemes to mitigate climate change effects and protect freshwater ecosystems. Assessing different riparian management strategies requires catchment‐scale understanding of how different planting scenarios would affect the stream energy balance, coupled with a quantitative assessment of spatial patterns of streamflow generation. Here, we use the physically based MIKE SHE model to integrate simulations of catchment‐scale run‐off generation and in‐stream hydraulics with a heat transfer model. This was calibrated to model the spatio‐temporal distribution of hourly stream water temperature during warm low flow periods in a Scottish salmon stream. The model was explored as a “proof of concept” for a tool to investigate the effects of riparian management on high stream water temperatures that could affect juvenile Atlantic salmon. Uncertainty was incorporated into the assessment using the generalized likelihood uncertainty estimation approach. Results showed that by decreasing both the warming (daylight hours) and the cooling (night‐time hours) rates, forest cover leads to a reduction of the temperature range (with a delay of the time to peak by up to 2 hr) and can therefore be effectively used to moderate projected climate change effects. The modelling presented here facilitated the quantification of potential mitigating effects of alternative riparian management strategies and provided a valuable tool that has potential to be utilized as an evidence base for catchment management guidance.     

Evidence of hydrothermal fluid flow in a hyperextended rifted margin: the case study of the Err nappe (SE Switzerland)

This paper investigates hydrothermal fluid circulation in pre- and syn-tectonic sediments associated with detachments faults. The study area, located in the Err Nappe (SE-Switzerland), preserves a portion of the Adriatic distal margin. Two sites were studied in combining fieldwork, petrography, geochemistry and fluid inclusion analysis: the Piz Val Lunga and Fuorcla Cotschna areas. Both preserve relationships between a spectacularly exposed rift-related extensional detachment fault and its footwall and hangingwall that consist of extensional allochthons and syn- to post-tectonic sediments. These areas register a complex fluid flow history characterized by dolomitization, de-dolomitization, calcite cementation, dolomite and quartz veining and diffuse silicification. Meso- and micro-scale observations allow defining two steps in fluid evolution, which are related to Jurassic rift activity. A first carbonate-rich event occurred before the exhumation of the granitic basement, and this was followed by a second event marked by a change in the fluid towards a silica-dominated chemistry. Homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions (average T_h = 120?130 °C), negative δ¹⁸O values and a radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr signatures of carbonate minerals support the hypothesis that both the pre-tectonic rocks constituting the allochthons and the syn-tectonic sediments overlying the detachment fault were crossed by a flux of over-pressured hydrothermal fluids originating from seawater that penetrated into the basement through fault and fracture systems. Field relationships show that this fluid circulation started latest in middle Early Jurassic time, when fault activity migrated from the proximal to the future distal margin. We propose that it evolved chemically as a result of the involvement of the granitic basement forming the footwall of the extensional detachment system. Hydrothermal activity continued until the Middle/Late Jurassic, when tectonic activity shifted outwards leading to the exhumation of mantle rocks. This paper provides an original contribution to better understand the complex evolution of hyperextended continental rift domains and to constrain their thermal regimes.