The evolution of the terrestrial-terminating Irish Sea glacier during the last glaciation

Here we reconstruct the last advance to maximum limits and retreat of the Irish Sea Glacier (ISG), the only land-terminating ice lobe of the western British Irish Ice Sheet. A series of reverse bedrock slopes rendered proglacial lakes endemic, forming time-transgressive moraine- and bedrock-dammed basins that evolved with ice marginal retreat. Combining, for the first time on glacial sediments, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) bleaching profiles for cobbles with single grain and small aliquot OSL measurements on sands, has produced a coherent chronology from these heterogeneously bleached samples. This chronology constrains what is globally an early build-up of ice during late Marine Isotope Stage 3 and Greenland Stadial (GS) 5, with ice margins reaching south Lancashire by 30 ± 1.2 ka, followed by a 120-km advance at 28.3 ± 1.4 ka reaching its 26.5 ± 1.1 ka maximum extent during GS-3. Early retreat during GS-3 reflects piracy of ice sources shared with the Irish-Sea Ice Stream (ISIS), starving the ISG. With ISG retreat, an opportunistic readvance of Welsh ice during GS-2 rode over the ISG moraines occupying the space vacated, with ice margins oscillating within a substantial glacial over-deepening. Our geomorphological chronosequence shows a glacial system forced by climate but mediated by piracy of ice sources shared with the ISIS, changing flow regimes and fronting environments.     

Recharge response and kinematics of an unusual earthflow in Liechtenstein

Landslides - Understanding landslide behavior over medium and long timescales is crucial for predicting landslide hazard and constructing accurate landscape evolution models. The behavior of...     

Oxygen and Al‐Mg isotopic compositions of grossite‐bearing refractory inclusions from CO3 chondrites

The distribution of the short‐lived radionuclide ²⁶Al in the early solar system remains a major topic of investigation in planetary science. Thousands of analyses are now available but grossite‐bearing Ca‐, Al‐rich inclusions (CAIs) are underrepresented in the database. Recently found grossite‐bearing inclusions in CO3 chondrites provide an opportunity to address this matter. We determined the oxygen and magnesium isotopic compositions of individual phases of 10 grossite‐bearing CAIs in the Dominion Range (DOM) 08006 (CO3.0) and DOM 08004 (CO3.1) chondrites. All minerals in DOM 08006 CAIs as well as hibonite, spinel, and pyroxene in DOM 08004 are uniformly ¹⁶O‐rich (Δ¹⁷O = ?25 to ?20‰) but grossite and melilite in DOM 08004 CAIs are not; Δ¹⁷O of grossite and melilite range from ~ ?11 to ~0‰ and from ~ ?23 up to ~0‰, respectively. Even within this small suite, in the two chondrites a bimodal distribution of the inferred initial ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratios (²⁶Al/²⁷Al)₀ is seen, with four having (²⁶Al/²⁷Al)₀ ≤1.1 × 10^?5 and six having (²⁶Al/²⁷Al)₀ ≥3.7 × 10^?5. Five of the ²⁶Al‐rich CAIs have (²⁶Al/²⁷Al)₀ within error of 4.5 × 10^?5; these values can probably be considered indistinguishable from the “canonical” value of 5.2 × 10^?5 given the uncertainty in the relative sensitivity factor for grossite measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry. We infer that the ²⁶Al‐poor CAIs probably formed before the radionuclide was fully mixed into the solar nebula. All minerals in the DOM 08006 CAIs, as well as spinel, hibonite, and Al‐diopside in the DOM 08004 CAIs retained their initial oxygen isotopic compositions, indicating homogeneity of oxygen isotopic compositions in the nebular region where the CO grossite‐bearing CAIs originated. Oxygen isotopic heterogeneity in CAIs from DOM 08004 resulted from exchange between the initially ¹⁶O‐rich (Δ¹⁷O ~?24‰) melilite and grossite and ¹⁶O‐poor (Δ¹⁷O ~0‰) fluid during hydrothermal alteration on the CO chondrite parent body; hibonite, spinel, and Al‐diopside avoided oxygen isotopic exchange during the alteration. Grossite and melilite that underwent oxygen isotopic exchange avoided redistribution of radiogenic ²⁶Mg and preserved undisturbed internal Al‐Mg isochrons. The Δ¹⁷O of the fluid can be inferred from O‐isotopic compositions of aqueously formed fayalite and magnetite that precipitated from the fluid on the CO parent asteroid. This and previous studies suggest that O‐isotope exchange during fluid–rock interaction affected most CAIs in CO ≥3.1 chondrites.     

Distinguishing extensive and intensive properties for meaningful geocomputation and mapping

A most fundamental and far-reaching trait of geographic information is the distinction between extensive and intensive properties. In common understanding, originating in Physics and Chemistry, extensive properties increase with the size of their supporting objects, while intensive properties are independent of this size. It has long been recognized that the decision whether analytical and cartographic measures can be meaningfully applied depends on whether an attribute is considered intensive or extensive. For example, the choice of a map type as well as the application of basic geocomputational operations, such as spatial intersections, aggregations or algebraic operations such as sums and weighted averages, strongly depend on this semantic distinction. So far, however, the distinction can only be drawn in the head of an analyst. We still lack practical ways of automation for composing GIS workflows and to scale up mapping and geocomputation over many data sources, e.g. in statistical portals. In this article, we test a machine-learning model that is capable of labeling extensive/intensive region attributes with high accuracy based on simple characteristics extractable from geodata files. Furthermore, we propose an ontology pattern that captures central applicability constraints for automating data conversion and mapping using Semantic Web technology.     

Metasomatism and the formation of greisen in Grainsgill,Cumbria, England

A section of hornfelsed Skiddaw Slate adjacent to the margin of the Grainsgill Greisen is described and chemical analyses of the various rock types presented. The results confirm that hydrothermal fluids liberated K and Na from the granite to produce the greisen. This gave rise to K metasomatism of the adjacent hornfels and to retrogressive metamorphism over a radius of 200m from the intrusion. Na leached from the hornfels near the intrusion and that liberated during the formation of the greisen are probably the sources of the Na in the brines recorded in fluid inclusions within the nearby quartz-tungsten veins.     

The boyndie syncline,a D1 structure in the Dalradian of Scotland

The structure of the Dalradian rocks of the Banffshire coast has been re-examined. It is shown that D₁ structures face upwards along the entire section and the major Boyndie Syncline (Sutton and Watson 1956) must also be of D₁, age and not D₃ as proposed by Johnson (1962). D₂ structures are developed in the west, most strongly in the Portsoy Group and Cowhythe Gneiss where they may be related to the Portsoy Thrust (Elles 1931). East of the Cowhythe Gneiss D₂ structures are not developed but D₃ structures are of local importance. Porphyroblast growth is considered to be post-D₁, pre-D₃ related to the ‘active’ D₂ deformation in the west (Barrovian) and to the ‘static’ D₂ interval in the east (Buchan). The wider implications of these conclusions for Dalradian structure are briefly considered.     

The role of Coriolis in sandbank formation due to a headland/island system

Tidal flow past a headland was modelled and the resulting sandbank formation due to bedload transport by eddy systems was examined with particular emphasis on the role of Coriolis. The headland configuration was extended to the more complex case of a headland with a detached island and the role of Coriolis in sandbank formation was again examined. In the headland case, the contribution of Coriolis resulted in the expected change in bed level at the centre of the residual eddies (positive contribution for the cyclonic eddy and negative change for the anticyclonic eddy). In the headland/island case, the role of Coriolis in the resulting bed level change was a function of eddy shedding from the island, defined by the island wake parameter. When eddy shedding occurred, the inclusion of Coriolis had a large magnitude effect on creating flood/ebb sandbank asymmetry. When eddies remained attached to the island, Coriolis had a minor role in the magnitude of this asymmetry.     

Predicting suitable habitat for the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa (Scleractinia)

Ecological-niche factor analysis (ENFA) was applied to the reef framework-forming cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa. The environmental tolerances of this species were assessed using readily available oceanographic data, including physical, chemical, and biological variables. L. pertusa was found at mean depths of 468 and 480 m on the regional and global scales and occupied a niche that included higher than average current speed and productivity, supporting the theory that their limited food supply is locally enhanced by currents. Most records occurred in areas with a salinity of 35, mean temperatures of 6.2–6.7  °C and dissolved oxygen levels of 6.0–6.2 ml l⁻¹. The majority of records were found in areas that were saturated with aragonite but had low concentration of nutrients (silicate, phosphate, and nitrate). Suitable habitat for L. pertusa was predicted using ENFA on a global and a regional scale that incorporated the north-east Atlantic Ocean. Regional prediction was reliable due to numerous presence points throughout the area, whereas global prediction was less reliable due to the paucity of presence data outside of the north-east Atlantic. However, the species niche was supported at each spatial scale. Predicted maps at the global scale reinforced the general consensus that the North Atlantic Ocean is a key region in the worldwide distribution of L. pertusa. Predictive modelling is an approach that can be applied to cold-water coral species to locate areas of suitable habitat for further study. It may also prove a useful tool to assist spatial planning of offshore marine protected areas. However, issues with eco-geographical datasets, including their coarse resolution and limited geographical coverage, currently restrict the scope of this approach.     

Impact of dynamic feedbacks between sedimentation,sea-level rise,and biomass production on near-surface marsh stratigraphy and carbon accumulation

Salt marshes accrete both organic and inorganic sediments. Here we present analytical and numerical models of salt marsh sedimentation that, in addition to capturing inorganic processes, explicitly account for above- and belowground organic processes including root growth and decay of organic carbon. The analytical model is used to examine the bias introduced by organic processes into proxy records of sedimentation, namely ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb. We find that accretion rates estimated using ²¹⁰Pb will be less than accretion rates estimated using the ¹³⁷Cs peak in steadily accreting marshes if (1) carbon decay is significant and (2) data for ²¹⁰Pb extend below the ¹³⁷Cs peak. The numerical model expands upon the analytical model by including belowground processes such as compaction and root growth, and by explicitly tracking the evolution of aboveground biomass and its effect on sedimentation rates. Using the numerical model we explore how marsh stratigraphy responds to sediment supply and the rate of sea-level rise. It is calibrated and tested using an extensive data set of both marsh stratigraphy and measurements of vegetation dynamics in a Spartina alterniflora marsh in South Carolina, USA. We find that carbon accumulation in marshes is nonlinearly related to both the supply of inorganic sediment and the rate of sea-level rise; carbon accumulation increases with sea-level rise until sea-level rise reaches a critical rate that drowns the marsh vegetation and halts carbon accumulation. The model predicts that changes in carbon storage resulting from changing sediment supply or sea-level rise are strongly dependent on the background sediment supply: if inorganic sediment supply is reduced in an already sediment poor marsh the storage of organic carbon will increase to a far greater extent than in a sediment-rich marsh, provided that the rate of sea-level rise does not exceed a threshold. These results imply that altering sediment supply to estuaries (e.g., by damming upstream rivers or altering littoral sediment transport) could lead to significant changes in the carbon budgets of coastal salt marshes.     

Honey, I cooled the cods: Modelling the effect of temperature on the structure of Boreal/Arctic fish ecosystems

Historically colder regions of the North Atlantic had fisheries dominated by only a few fish species; principally cod and capelin. Possible population dynamic mechanisms that lead to such dominance are investigated by considering how a charmingly simple published multispecies model of the North Sea would react if the system operated at a lower temperature. The existing model equations were modified to describe temperature effects on growth, fecundity and recruitment and the model was rerun based on typical temperatures for the North Sea and a colder system. The results suggest that total fish biomass in the colder system increases but the community is more vulnerable to a given rate of fishing mortality. In the colder system, within species density dependence is reduced but relative predation rates are higher. Consequently, intermediate-sized species are vulnerable to relatively high levels of predation throughout their life history and tend to be excluded, leading to a system dominated by small and large species. The model helps to explain how temperature may govern coexistence and competitive exclusion in fish communities and accounts for the observed dominance of small and large species in Boreal/Arctic ecosystems.