Paraglacial sedimentation and denudation processes in an Alpine valley of Switzerland. An approach to the quantification of sediment budgets

Abstract

As a result of recent drillings in the Walensee Valley (eastern Switzerland) a new facies model for the Quaternary filling of Alpine valleys has been developed. A detailed lithological model and some new radiocarbon dating allowed the calculation of regional sedimentation and denudation rates and their change during the Late- and Postglacial period. It is shown that these changes follow the paraglacial sedimentation model by Church and Ryder [1]. The absolute quantification of the sediment budgets between the Last Glaciation and today points to denudation rates in the order of 1.5 mm y^?1 for the catchment of the Lake of Walenstadt. This is 50 % higher than suggested from current tectonic and isostatic estimates up to now. In that case present day uplift of the Alps would not be in balance with denudation. © Elsevier, Paris     

Factors useful for predicting future mineral-commodity supply trends

The analysis of various factors influencing mineral availability documents future short-and long-term mineral-commodity supply trends. The lifetime of reserves, the development of the relative importance of production centres and the forecasting of the depletion of a resource base are mainly geological factors, although the category “reserves”, in contrast to “resources”, is determined by technical and economical aspects. These three factors govern the short-and long-term supply of mineral commodities. The intensity-of-use factors and the growth rate of consumption are variables related to the demand of mineral commodities. They influence the decision of companies for certain commodities as targets for exploration and investment in production centres. Both factors control the short-to medium-term mineral supply. Finally, the lead time to production is a technical variable, although influenced by ore deposit type, and controls short-term mineral availability.     

The angular momentum transport in rotating turbulent convection

The angular momentum transport in rotating turbulent convection is simulated with the NIRVANA code for Taylor numbers up to 10⁶. The box consists of an unstable layer embedded in two stable overshoot layers. We find the expected anisotropies in the rotating anisotropic turbulence field: 〈u^′2_r〉 exceeds 〈u^′2_ϕ〉, and 〈u^′2_ϕ〉 exceeds 〈u^′2_θ〉. The resulting radial angular momentum transport is directed inwards and peaks in the middle of the convective layer. The resulting latitudinal angular momentum transport is equatorwards, peaks at the surface and is highly concentrated to the equatorial region. Apart from a factor of 2–3 the total amplitudes of the cross‐correlations are of the same order of magnitude. In the lower overshoot region (‘tachocline’) the cross‐correlations are negative. It is argued that the concentration of the latitudinal angular momentum transport towards the surface and towards the equator does not too strongly reduce its potential to produce rotation laws with accelerated equators. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The interaction of the solar wind with a comet

The flow of plasma on the sunward side of a comet is investigated by means of an axialsymmetric model based on hydrodynamics modified by source terms. The model assumes a given curvature of the isobaric surfaces, which corresponds to paraboloids around the nucleus of the comet. The flow on the axis can be represented by a solution of a system of seven ordinary differential equations (respectively five in case of pure photo-ionization). The flow pattern always contains a widely detached bow shock and a contact discontinuity separating a cavity with purely cometary plasma from the transition region containing also solar wind ions. The model is applied to the special case where the cometary gas is ionized by the solar UV radiation only. Numerical solutions are integrated for five levels of production of neutral gas by the comet and for seven typical situations in the undisturbed solar wind. The results imply standoff distances of the stagnation point from the nucleus of the order of 10 000 km or more, and distances of the bow shock of the order of 10⁶–10⁷ km.     

Performance of the electrochemical ozone sonde OSR

Summary The accuracy of the electrochemical ozone sonde, type OSR, has been estimated by analysing tandem ozone soundings of the balloon-borne electrochemical ozone sonde OSR at the Lindenberg Observatory from May to November 1982. A negative bias, though not significant, has been observed above about 28 km for soundings having high single correction factors. Random errors are at their minimum just above the level of the maximum of ozone partial pressure, and reach their maximum in the troposphere. Except at heights above about 28 km the random error of ozone sondes is a factor 2 to 3 times less than the error of the short Umkehr method. Provided that soundings with too high correction factors are neglected, the ozone sonde OSR has an accuracy comparable to that of other Brewer type sondes.The maximum amount of information on the vertical ozone distribution can be drawn from sonde measurements in the lower stratosphere. A study is underway to improve the sensitivity of the sonde OSR and thus to further enhance its reliability.     

Discovery of a flare star near Sirius

The discovery of a flare star (R.A. (1950)=6^h43^m6^s.07, Decl.(1950)=?16°45′24″) located about 6 arc min south of Sirius is reported. During photometric observations on the night of 13 January, 1982, using the 102 cm telescope at Kavalur, India, the star was seen to brighten by 2.55 mag. inV band over a duration of about 200 s. Observations on this object for a duration of about 10.5 hr spread over seven more nights indicate the star to be variable. The results of these observations are presented.     

Zinc availability in relation to selected soil properties in a crude oil polluted eutric tropofluvent

The study investigated zinc availability in relation to selected soil properties in a crude-oil-polluted Eutric Tropofluvent in Egbema, Southeastern Nigeria. For this purpose, three treatments have been applied: unpolluted soil, polluted without vegetation and polluted with vegetation with five replicates arranged in a randomized complete block design. Guided by transect sampling technique, soil sampling was carried out in June 2008. Soil samples were collected from the three different land units using soil auger at a depth of 0–20 cm. Standard laboratory procedures were adopted in analysing the soils. Soil generated data were subjected to analysis of variance and correlation analysis. Results showed highly significant variation (p = 0.01) in bulk density, porosity, silt: clay ratio, pH, effective cation exchange capacity, percent base saturation, total nitrogen, organic matter, available phosphorus, calcium: magnesium ratio and zinc. It was found that zinc was higher in crude oil polluted soils than in non-polluted soil and it was below critical limits. Zinc availability in relation to selected soil properties in the crude oil polluted soils indicated that clay and organic matter did not affect zinc availability, while pH and effective cation exchange capacity did. A study on zinc dynamics in crude-oil-polluted soils will certainly provide further information on the management of crude-oil-polluted soils since it is one of the key micronutrient for crop productivity.