Preliminary Studies of Soils in North-East Greenland between 74° and 75° Northern Latitude

Jakobsen, Bjarne Holm: Preliminary Studies of Soils in North- East Greenland between 74° and 75° Northern Latitude. Geografisk Tidsskrift 92:111–115. Copenhagen 1992.

The geography of soils has been studied in north-east Greenland between latitudes 74° and 75° N. The study ranges from the outer coast to the interior of the ice-free land area. Well-drained soils show a characteristic sequence determined by the east-west climatic gradient. Fossil soil characteristics and secondary formed features supply information on the palaeoclimate.     

A test of independence for stratigraphic sequences with respect to embedded Markov chains

Identification of cyclic sequences gives valuable insight into depositional associations of stratigraphic facies. An embedded Markov chain is a reasonable general model for facies transitions. But a model with independent random occurrences of facies is not an appropriate null hypothesis to be tested to show the presence of cycles because of definitional restriction in transition observations to only those between different facies. This is a common stratigraphic situation and the problem has been raised recently by several authors. We present here a test statistic for null hypothesis derived from the concept of partial independence and inherent to the model of embedded Markov processes.     

Sources of mud volcano fluids in the Gulf of Cadiz—indications for hydrothermal imprint

Mud volcanism in the Gulf of Cadiz occurs over a large area extending from the shelf to more than 3500 m water depth and is triggered by compressional stress along the European-African plate boundary, affecting a deeply faulted sedimentary sequence of locally more than 5 km thickness. The investigation of six active sites shows that mud volcano (MV) fluids, on average, are highly enriched in CH₄, Li, B, and Sr and depleted in Mg, K, and Br. The purity of the fluids is largely controlled by the intensity of upward directed flow. Flow rates could be constrained by numerical modelling and vary between <0.05 and 15 cm yr⁻¹. Application of δD-δ¹⁸O systematics identifies clay mineral dehydration, most likely within Mesozoic and Tertiary shales and marls, as the major source of fluids. Hence, Cl and Na in the pore fluids are mostly depleted below seawater values, following a general trend of dilution. However, deviations from this trend occur and are likely caused by the dissolution of halite in evaporitic deposits. Other secondary processes overprinting the original fluid composition may occur along the flow path, such as dissolution of anhydrite or gypsum and/or the formation of calcite and dolomite. Different sources of fluids are also indicated by variations in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, which range from 0.7086 to 0.7099 at the different sites. Dehydration may be induced primarily by overburden and tectonic compression; however, very high concentrations of Li and B, specifically at Captain Arutyunov MV (CAMV) indicate additional leaching at temperatures above 150 °C, which could be explained by the injection of hot fluids along deep penetrating, major E-W strike-slip fault systems. This hypothesis is supported by the occurrence of generally thermogenic, but significantly CH₄-enriched, light volatile hydrocarbon gases at CAMV which cannot be explained by shallow microbial methanogenesis. Li and Li/B ratios from different types of hot and cold vents are used to infer that high temperature signals seem to be preserved at various cold vent locations and indicate a closer coupling of both systems in continental margin environments than outlined in previous studies.     

A volcanic activity alert-level system for aviation: review of its development and application in Alaska

Avalanche warning services (AWS) are operated to protect communities and traffic lines in avalanche-prone regions of the Alps and other mountain ranges. In times of high avalanche danger, these services may decide to close roads or to evacuate settlements. Closing decisions are based on field observations, avalanche release statistics, and snow forecasts issued by weather services. Because of the spatial variability in the snowpack and the insufficient understanding of avalanche triggering mechanisms, closing decisions are characterized by large uncertainties and the information based on which AWS have to decide is always incomplete. In this paper, we illustrate how signal detection theory can be applied to make better use of the information at hand. The proposed framework allows the evaluation of past road closures and points to how the decision performance of AWS could be improved. To illustrate the proposed framework, we evaluate the decision performance of two AWS in Switzerland and discuss the advantages of such a formalized decision-making approach.     

Volatile (Cl,F and S) and major element constraints on subduction-related mantle metasomatism along the alkaline basaltic backarc,Payenia, Argentina

We present data on volatile (S, F and Cl) and major element contents in olivine-hosted melt inclusions (MIs) from alkaline basaltic tephras along the Quaternary Payenia backarc volcanic province (~34°S–38°S) of the Andean Southern Volcanic Zone (SVZ). The composition of Cr-spinel inclusions and host olivines in Payenia are also included to constrain any variations in oxygen fugacity. The variation of potassium, fluorine and chlorine in MIs in Payenia can be modelled by partial melting (1–10%) of a variously metasomatised mantle. The high chlorine contents in MIs (up to 3200 ppm) from Northern Payenia require addition of subduction-related fluids to a mantle wedge, whereas volatile signatures in the southern Payenia are consistent with derivation from an enriched OIB source. Cl and Cl/K ratios define positive correlations with host olivine fosterite content (Fo_80-90) that cannot be explained by olivine fractionation, degassing and/or degree of mantle melting. Neither can the correlation between SiO₂ and TiO₂ in the MIs and host olivine Fo-content be explained by magmatic differentiation processes. Instead these correlations essentially require a south to north mantle source transition from a low Mg# pyroxenite (from recycled eclogite) to a high Mg# fluid metasomatised peridotite. The Cl/K and S/K ratios in Payenia MIs extend from enriched OIB-like signatures (south) to Andean SVZ arc like signatures (north). We show that the northward increase in S, Cl and S/K is coupled to a northward increase in melt oxidation states and thus in Fe³⁺/Fe^tot ratios in the magmas. The increase in oxidation state also correlates with an increase of Mn/Fe (olivine) ratios. We calculate that 25% of the apparent north–south pyroxenite–peridotite source variation in Payenia (based on olivine Mn/Fe ratios) can be explained by the south to north variation in melt oxidation states.     

Comparing pristine and depleted ecosystems: The Sørfjord, Norway versus the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada. Effects of intense fisheries on marine ecosystems

The Sørfjord, Norway, and the Gulf of St. Lawrence, Canada, are two sub-arctic ecosystems with similar trophic structure. However, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, severe exploitation of groundfish stocks has lead to important shifts in the trophic structure. In the Sørfjord, the situation is different: fishing pressure is much lighter. Our hypothesis is that overexploitation leads to changes in the trophic structure and severely alters the resilience of ecosystems. Based on the same modelling approach (Ecopath with Ecosim) the food web structure was compared, using different ecosystem indicators. Patterns of food web structure and trophodynamics were contrasted. Cod was the keystone species in both ecosystems, and forage fish were also important. Even after similar environmental changes in both ecosystems, and after a reduction of fishing pressure in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, there is no recovery of cod stocks in this ecosystem. In the Sørfjord, after different perturbations (but not from the fishery), the ecosystem seems to return to its equilibrium.     

Developing spatial models of sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) potential distribution under natural conditions and areas of its disappearance in Skagerrak

Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) forests have an important ecological function in the coastal zone, as they inhabit a high number and a specific composition of fauna. In 2002, a large-scale disappearance of sugar kelp was observed in Skagerrak and parts of the south-western coast of Norway, and the perennial sugar kelp forests were replaced by opportunistic and ephemeral filamentous algae. For management purposes, including identifying areas for restoration initiatives, maps of where sugar kelp forests are supposed to be found and where and under what conditions they have disappeared are needed. Based on modelled and field-measured geophysical variables and presence/absence/loss data of sugar kelp, we therefore developed spatial predictive probability models (i.e. maps) for sugar kelp potential distribution under natural conditions and areas of kelp loss. The influence of geophysical factors was analysed using generalized additive models (GAMs). Using the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) for model selection, we found that wave exposure, depth, light exposure and slope best explained the potential distribution of sugar kelp. Areas of sugar kelp disappearance were identified by the combined effect of wave and light exposure. These models were developed into maps presented to the managers.