Flood seasonality across Scandinavia—Evidence of a shifting hydrograph?

Fluvial flood events have substantial impacts on humans, both socially and economically, as well as on ecosystems (e.g., hydroecology and pollutant transport). Concurrent with climate change, the seasonality of flooding in cold environments is expected to shift from a snowmelt‐dominated to a rainfall‐dominated flow regime. This would have profound impacts on water management strategies, that is, flood risk mitigation, drinking water supply, and hydro power. In addition, cold climate hydrological systems exhibit complex interactions with catchment properties and large‐scale climate fluctuations making the manifestation of changes difficult to detect and predict. Understanding a possible change in flood seasonality and defining related key drivers therefore is essential to mitigate risk and to keep management strategies viable under a changing climate. This study explores changes in flood seasonality across near‐natural catchments in Scandinavia using circular statistics and trend tests. Results indicate strong seasonality in flooding for snowmelt‐dominated catchments with a single peak occurring in spring and early summer (March through June), whereas flood peaks are more equally distributed throughout the year for catchments located close to the Atlantic coast and in the south of the study area. Flood seasonality has changed over the past century seen as decreasing trends in summer maximum daily flows and increasing winter and spring maximum daily flows with 5–35% of the catchments showing significant changes at the 5% significance level. Seasonal mean daily flows corroborate those findings with higher percentages (5–60%) of the catchments showing statistically significant changes. Alterations in annual flood occurrence also point towards a shift in flow regime from snowmelt‐dominated to rainfall‐dominated with consistent changes towards earlier timing of the flood peak (significant for 25% of the catchments). Regionally consistent patterns suggest a first‐order climate control as well as a local second‐order catchment control, which causes inter‐seasonal variability in the streamflow response.     

Using streamflow characteristics to explore permafrost thawing in northern Swedish catchments

The recent and rapid warming of the Arctic leads to thawing of permafrost, which influences and changes subsurface water-flow systems in such landscapes. This study explores the utility of catchments as “sentinels of change” by considering long-term discharge data from 17 stations on unregulated rivers in northern Sweden and analyzing trends in annual minimum discharge and recession flow characteristics. For the catchments considered, the annual minimum discharge has increased significantly (based on the Mann Kendall test at a 95 % confidence level) in nine of the catchments and decreased significantly in one catchment. Considering changes in recession-flow characteristics, seven catchments showed significant trends consistent with permafrost thawing while two catchments showed significant trends in the opposite direction. These results are mechanistically consistent with generic physically based modeling studies and the geological setting, as the catchments considered span the spatial limit of permafrost extent. This study illuminates the potential for using hydrologic observations to monitor changes in catchment-scale permafrost. Further, this opens the door for research to isolate the mechanisms behind the different trends observed and to gauge their ability to reflect actual permafrost conditions at the catchment scale.     

Analysis and characterization of the synergistic AIRS and MODIS cloud-cleared radiances

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and MODerate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua spacecraft measure the upwelling infrared radiance used for numerous remote-sensing- and climate-related applications. AIRS provides high spectral resolution infrared radiances, while MODIS provides collocated high spatial resolution radiances at 16 broad infrared bands. An optimal algorithm for cloud-clearing has been developed for AIRS cloudy soundings at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where the spatially and spectrally collocated AIRS and MODIS data has been used to analyze the characteristic of this algorithm. An analysis and characterization of the global AIRS cloud-cleared radiances using the bias and the standard deviation between the cloud-cleared and the nearby clear measurements are studied. Scene inhomogeneity for both land- and water-surface types has been estimated to account for the assessed error. Both monthly and seasonal changes of global AIRS/MODIS cloud-clearing performance also have been analyzed.     

The control of maturity and kerogen type on quantitative analytical pyrolysis data

Quantitative pyrolysis-gas chromatography has been performed on 96 kerogen samples isolated from 17 wells on the Norwegian Continental shelf. Petrographic and bulk geochemical measurements were also performed on the samples, and a combined data set of 117 variables for each sample was analysed using principal components analysis (PCA). This approach provides an objective and reproducible means of kerogen characterisation, which can be easily automated. In addition to objective kerogen characterisation and facile visualisation of facies and maturity related chemical trends, the method has the potential to allow objective prediction of key geochemical parameters such as maturity level from pyrogram data.     

Towards a volcanic–structural balance: relative importance of volcanism, folding, and remobilisation of nickel sulphides at the Perseverance Ni–Cu–(PGE) deposit, Western Australia

Perseverance is a world-class, komatiite-hosted nickel sulphide deposit situated in the well-endowed Leinster nickel camp of the Agnew–Wiluna greenstone belt, Western Australia. The mine stratigraphy at Perseverance trends north-northwest (NNW), dips steeply to the west, and is overturned. Stratigraphic footwall units lie along the western margin of the Perseverance Ultramafic Complex (PUC). The PUC comprises a basal nickel sulphide-bearing orthocumulate- to mesocumulate-textured komatiite that is overlain by a thicker, nickel sulphide-poor, dunite lens. Hanging wall rocks include rhyodacite that is texturally and compositionally similar to footwall volcanic rocks. These rocks separate the PUC from a second sequence of nickeliferous, E-facing, spinifex-textured komatiite units (i.e. the East Perseverance komatiite). Past workers argue for a conformable stratigraphic contact between the PUC and the East Perseverance komatiite and conclude that the PUC is extrusive. This study, however, clearly demonstrates that these komatiite sequences are discordant, implying that the PUC may have intruded rhyodacite country rock as a sill with subsequent structural juxtaposition against the East Perseverance komatiite. Early N–S shortening associated with the regional D_I deformation event (corresponding to the local D_P1 to D_P3 events at Perseverance) resulted in the heterogeneous partitioning of strain along the margins of the competent dunite. A mylonite developed in the more ductile footwall rocks along the footwall margin of the PUC, while isoclinal F₃ folds, such as the Hanging wall limb and Felsic Nose folds, formed in low-mean stress domains along the fringes of the elongated dunite lens. Strata-bound massive and disseminated nickel sulphides were passively fold thickened in hinge areas of isoclinal folds, whereas basal massive sulphides lubricated fold limbs and promoted thrust movement along shallowly dipping lithological contacts. Massive sulphides were physically remobilised up to 20 m from their primary footwall position into deposit-scale fold hinges to form the 1A and Felsic Nose orebodies. First-order controls on the geometry of the Perseverance deposit include the thermomechanical erosion of footwall rocks and the channelling of the mineralised komatiitic magma. Second- or third-order controls are several postvolcanic deformation events, which resulted in the progressive folding and shearing of the footwall contact, as well as the passive fold thickening of massive and disseminated sulphide orebodies. Massive sulphides were physically remobilised into multiple generations of fold hinges and shear zones. Important implications for near-mine exploration in the Leinster camp include identifying nickeliferous komatiite units, defining their three-dimensional geometry, and targeting fold hinge areas. Fold plunge directions and stretching lineations are indicators of potential plunge directions of massive sulphide orebodies.     

Ludlow (Silurian) stromatoporoid biostromes from Gotland, Sweden: facies, depositional models and modern analogues

Stacked stromatoporoid‐dominated biostromes of the Ludlow‐age Hemse Group (Silurian) in eastern Gotland, Sweden, are 0·5–5 m thick and a few tens of metres to >1 km in lateral extent. They form one of the world's richest Palaeozoic stromatoporoid deposits. This study compiles published and new data to provide an overall facies model for these biostromes, which is assessed in relation to possible modern analogues. Some biostromes have predominantly in‐place fossils and are regarded as reefs, but lack rigid frameworks because of abundant low‐profile non‐framebuilding stromatoporoids; other biostromes consist of stromatoporoid‐rich rudstones interpreted here as storm deposits. Variation between these two `end‐members' occurs both between interlayered biostromes and also vertically and laterally within individual biostromes. Such variation produces problems of applying established reef classification terms and demonstrates the need for the development of terminology that recognizes taphonomic destruction of reef fabrics. An approach to such terminology is found in all four categories of a recent biostrome classification scheme that are easily recognized in the Hemse biostrome facies: autobiostromes (>60% in place); autoparabiostromes (a mixture of in‐place and overturned reef‐building organisms, 20–60% in place); parabiostromes (builders are overturned and damaged, <20% in place); and allobiostromes (transported and detrital reef material, nothing in place). These categories provide a broad taphofacies scheme for the Hemse biostromes, which are mostly autoparabiostrome to allobiostrome. The biostromes developed on crinoidal grainstone sheets and expanded laterally across relatively flat substrates in a marine setting of low siliciclastic input. Planar erosion surfaces commonly terminate biostrome tops. Three broadly similar modern analogues are identified, each of which has elements in common with the Hemse biostromes, but none of which is an exact equivalent: (a) laterally expanded and coalesced back‐barrier patch reefs behind the Belize barrier, an area influenced by limited accommodation space; (b) a hurricane‐influenced shelf, interpreted for Grand Cayman, where reef cores consist of rubble and lack substantial framework; the wide distribution of rounded pebbles and cobbles of stromatoporoids in the Hemse biostromes most probably resulted from hurricanes; (c) coral carpets in 5–15 m water depth of the northern Red Sea, where lateral expansion of low‐diversity frames dominated by Porites coral has produced low‐profile biostromes up to 8 m thick and several km long. Such carpets accumulated large amounts of carbonate, with little export, as in the Hemse biostromes, although the latter did not build frameworks because of the nature of growth of the stromatoporoids. The notable lack of algae in the Hemse biostrome facies is also a feature of Red Sea coral carpets; nevertheless, coral carpets are ecologically different. Hemse biostromes lack evidence of a barrier reef system, although this may not be exposed; the facies assemblage is consistent with either a storm/hurricane‐influenced mid‐ to upper ramp or back‐barrier system.     

Chemical models of vitrinite reflectance evolution

A global kinetic model of vitrinite reflectance evolution is developed to illustrate a new approach to vitrinite reflectance modelling. The method utilizes quantitative pyrolysisgas Chromatographic data from isolated vitrinite kerogens to derive the concentrations of structurally specific moieties (alkylphenol precursors) in vitrinite kerogens as a function of rank. This data set is used to calibrate a gaussian distributed activation energy model for phenol-precursor loss from vitrinites using published burial histories. Phenol yield is then correlated with vitrinite reflectance. The predictive vitrinite reflectance model based on this phenol system is tested against a well from the US Gulf Coast area, the results being compared with a Lopatin model of the same well. This type of vitrinite reflectance model is numerically compatible with current generation kinetic models of hydrocarbon production from source rock kerogens, and has a better heating rate independence than Lopatin's method.

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Zusammenfassung Um eine neue Annäherung an das Modellieren der Vitrinit-Reflexion zu demonstrieren, wurde ein global-kinetisches Modell der Entwicklung der Vitrinit-Reflexion erstellt. Die Methode verwendet Daten von quantitativer Pyrolyse-Gas Chromatographie isolierten Vitrinitkerogens, um die Konzentration von strukturspezifischen Moieten (Alkylophenol-Vorläufer) in Vitrinitkerogen als Funktion der Reihenfolge zu erhalten. Verwendet werden diese Daten, um ein nach Gauss verteiltes Aktivierungsenergiemodell zu kalibrieren, das mit Hilfe von veröffentlichten Ablagerungsgeschichten den Phenol-Vorläuferverlust von Vitriniten beschreibt. Die Phenol-Ausbeute wird dann mit der Vitrinit-Reflexion korreliert. Das auf dem Phenolsystem basierende Vitrinit-Reflexionsmodell wird in einem Test einem Bohrloch an der amerikanischen Golfküste gegenübergestellt. Die Ergebnisse werden mit dem Lopatinmodell des selben Bohrlochs verglichen. Diese Art eines Vitrinit-Reflexionsmodells ist numerisch wettbewerbsfähig mit der heutigen Generation kinetischer Modelle der Kohlenwasserstofferzeugung aus Trägergesteinskerogenen. Außerdem ist seine Unabhängigkeit von der Erhitzungsrate größer als mit der Lopatin-Methode.

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Résumé L'auteur présente un modèle cinétique global de l'évaluation du pouvoir réflecteur de la vitrinite, afin d'illuster une approche nouvelle dans la modélisation de ce pourvoir réflecteur. Cette méthode utilise des données quantitatives fournies par la pyrolyse combinée à la Chromatographie en phase gazeuse et relatives à des kérogènes de vitrinite. A partir de ces données, on exprime les concentrations des fractions à structure spécifique dans les kérogènes vitrinitiques en fonction du degré d'évolution. A partir de cet ensemble de données, on établit un modèle de l'énergie d'activation selon une distribution gaussienne, applicable à la perte de phénol-précurseur dans les vitrinites, en se référant à cet effet aux déroulements historiques de l'enfouissement fournis par la littérature. La production de phénol est alors mise en relation avec le pourvoir réflecteur de la vitrinite. Le modèle du pouvoir réflecteur prévisible, basé sur ce système des phénols a été contrôlé dans un forage de la côte du golfe du Mexique (USA), et les résultats comparés à ceux du modèle de Lopatin appliqué au même forage. Le modèle présenté est numériquement compatible avec les modèles cinétiques habituels qui rendent compte de la production d'hydrocarbure à partir des kérogènes des roches-mères; il présente une meilleure indépendance que la méthode de Lopatin par rapport au taux d'échauffement.

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Symphurus civitatium (Pleuronectiformes: Cynoglossidae), a second estuarine-occurring tonguefish off the Southeastern United States and Northern Gulf of Mexico

Two species of tonguefishes,Symphurus plagiusa (Linnaeus 1766) andSymphurus civitatium Ginsburg 1951, occur sympatrically and sometimes syntopically in shallow water habitats in North Carolina and Louisiana estuaries. In North Carolina, approximately 2% of 430 small (<75 mm SL) tonguefishes collected wereS. civitatium, while in Barataria Bay, Louisiana, this species was more abundant and cosmopolitan in distribution than wasS. plagiusa, comprising over 82% of 3,564 tonguefishes collected with a small beam trawl over a 2-yr period. Historical literature has regardedS. plagiusa as the only tonguefish species inhabiting inshore waters in both regions. Presence of a secondSymphurus species in shallow estuaries has been overlooked, most probably due to difficulties in identifying early post-settlement juveniles because both species have similar morphologies and overlapping dorsal-fin and anal-fin ray counts. Juveniles can be readily recognized by differences in number of caudal-fin rays (10 inS. plagiusa versus 12 inS. civitatium), especially when used in combination with pigmentation patterns and posterior extent of the jaws relative to the posterior margin of the lower eye. The most distinctive pigmentation difference between juveniles of these two species (allowing for accurate identifications of over 98% of juveniles) is the absence inS. civitatium (12–61 mm SL) of a series of melanophores overlying pterygiophore regions of the dorsal and anal fins on the blind side. This feature contrasts markedly with that of juvenileS. plagiusa (12–65 mm SL), which are characterized by two interrupted, diagonal series of dark chromatophores converging, but not merging, with posterior tapering of the body. Occurrence of two sympatric species of tonguefishes in estuarine environments in the northcentral Gulf of Mexico and southeastern U.S. potentially compromises results of earlier ecological and distributional studies that assumed presence of only a single tonguefish species in these regions.     

Elucidation of the Alum Shale kerogen structure using a multi-disciplinary approach

The significance and validity of integrating data obtained from a variety of analytical techniques to understand, elucidate and model kerogen's complex chemical structure is reported here using degradative (open and closed system pyrolysis, chemical oxidation), non-degradative (¹³C CP/MAS NMR) and optical (incident white light and blue light) methods. Seven Cambrian Alum Shale samples, ranging in maturity from immature to post-mature with respect to petroleum generation, were studied and were chosen for their simple geological history, uniform organic matter type and high organic carbon content. The Alum Shale kerogens, which primarily consist of algal organic matter, liberate low molecular weight gaseous and aromatic compounds on pyrolysis and give mostly branched dicarboxylic acids on chemical oxidation. ¹³C NMR spectroscopy shows that the Alum Shale kerogens are anomalously rich in oxygen-bearing functional groups (such as C = O, ArCO, CHO, CH_xO), most of which apparently remain intact within the kerogen macro-molecule (KMM) through the diagenetic and catagenetic stages. Fragments released by different degradative techniques are quantified and the aromaticity (f_a), O/C and relative proportions of various carbon types estimated by ¹³C NMR. A synthesis of these data has allowed us to better understand the chemistry of the Alum Shale kerogen.     

The Quaternary history of the Wash fluvial network, UK

This paper appraises and compares the Middle-Upper Pleistocene sedimentary sequences preserved in the fluvial systems draining into the Fenland Basin and the Wash estuary. Of the main Fenland rivers the longest records, which extend back to the initial Anglian (glacial) formation of the basin, are found in the Great Ouse and its tributaries, particularly the Cam and the Nar. These sequences preserve sediments representing all four post-Anglian interglacials. The Nene also has an extensive post-Anglian history, with evidence for a Hoxnian estuary that is presumed to have been the precursor of the Wash. North of the Nene, however, the Welland and Witham (proto-Trent) have relatively short sequences, which are thought to commence with a later (post-Anglian-pre-Devensian) glaciation that affected Lincolnshire and fed the previously-recognized Tottenhill outwash delta south of Kings Lynn. Prior to Devensian deglaciation the Witham valley was occupied by the Trent, which was the trunk river of the late Middle Pleistocene Wash system. During periods of low sea level the river would have extended north-eastwards across what is now the floor of the North Sea, possibly via the Inner Silver Pit. Several of the central Fenland sequences show evidence of infrequent terrace formation during the late Quaternary, although this might in part be due to poor vertical separation between terraces, so that differentiating them has been difficult; this has been exacerbated by mixed biostratigraphical signals due to the preservation of sediments representing more than one interglacial beneath a single terrace surface. In several of the systems there is evidence for valley rejuvenation to the lowest terrace or valley-floor level during the MIS 4-3 transition. The observed differences within what, during the predominant periods of lower sea level, would have been a single Wash river system are difficult to explain.