Soft-sediment deformation of Late Pleistocene sediments along the southwestern coast of the Baltic Sea (NE Germany)

A 1,460-m-long profile of a Late Glacial subglacial, glacio-fluvial, glacio-limnic and glacio-deltaic sequence exposed at a cliff section on Usedom Island (SW Baltic Sea coast) is described. The sequence is up to 31 m thick and shows sedimentary structures typical of a glacial setting. Soft-sediment deformation is encountered and is associated with changes in lithology. These deformations include liquefaction, slumping, and faulting. As the most plausible cause, earthquake-induced shaking is discussed. The associated neotectonic activity is seen as a consequence of the postglacial isostatic crustal rebound. As the deglaciation earthquake ratio diminishes with time and as the rebound is phasing out, no large earthquakes are anticipated for northern Germany, although in conclusion the lithosphere of the North German Basin has to be regarded as weakened by repeated ice loading and deloading.     

Latitudinal and longitudinal variability of mesospheric winds and temperatures during stratospheric warming events

Continuous MF and meteor radar observations allow detailed studies of winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) as well as temperatures around the mesopause. This height region is characterized by a strong variability in winter due to enhanced planetary wave activity and related stratospheric warming events, which are distinct coupling processes between lower, middle and upper atmosphere. Here the variability of mesospheric winds and temperatures is discussed in relation with major and minor stratospheric warmings as observed during winter 2005/06 in comparison with results during winter 1998/99.Our studies are based on MF radar wind measurements at Andenes (69°N, 16°E), Poker Flat (65°N, 147°W) and Juliusruh (55°N, 13°E) as well as on meteor radar observations of winds and temperatures at Resolute Bay (75°N, 95°W), Andenes (69°N, 16°E) and Kühlungsborn (54°N, 12°E). Additionally, energy dissipation rates have been estimated from spectral width measurements using a 3 MHz Doppler radar near Andenes. Particular attention is directed to the changes of winds, turbulence and the gravity wave activity in the mesosphere in relation to the planetary wave activity in the stratosphere.Observations indicate an enhancement of planetary wave 1 activity in the mesosphere at high latitudes during major stratospheric warmings. Daily mean temperatures derived from meteor decay times indicate that strong warming events are connected with a cooling of the 90 km region by about 10–20 K. The onset of these cooling processes and the reversals of the mesospheric circulation to easterly winds occur some days before the changes of the zonal circulation in the stratosphere start indicating a downward propagation of the circulation disturbances from the MLT region to the stratosphere and troposphere during the stratospheric warming events. The short-term reversal of the mesospheric winds is followed by a period of strong westerly winds connected with enhanced turbulence rates and an increase of gravity wave activity in the altitude range 70–85 km.     

Velocities of shallow overland flow on semiarid hillslopes

A series of 188 rainfall plot simulations was conducted on grass, shrub, oak savanna, and juniper sites in Arizona and Nevada. A total of 897 flow velocity measurements were obtained on 3.6% to 39.6% slopes with values ranging from 0.007 m s^‐1 to 0.115 m s^‐1. The experimental data showed that shallow flow velocity on rangelands was related to discharge and ground litter cover and was largely independent of slope gradient or soil characteristics. A power model was proposed to express this relationship. These findings support the slope–velocity equilibrium hypothesis. Namely, eroding soil surfaces evolve such that steeper areas develop greater hydraulic roughness. As a result overland flow velocity becomes independent of the slope gradient over time. Our findings have implications for soil erosion modeling suggesting that hydraulic friction is a dynamic, slope and discharge dependent property. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Palaeomagnetic data from Ediacaran (Vendian) sediments of the Arkhangelsk region, NW Russia: An alternative apparent polar wander path of Baltica for the Late Proterozoic–Early Palaeozoic

The study area is situated along the Zolotica river in NW Russia, located within the Kola–Dvyna Rift System in the Baltic Shield that developed during Meso and Neoproterozoic times. A 9-m thick section made up of shallow marine sediments of Upper Ediacaran age was sampled in this locality. Two volcaniclastic levels from the middle part of the section yielded an age of 556 Ma. (U/Pb SHRIMP-II on zircons). Two magnetic components were successfully isolated, component A (Decl = 157.1, Incl = 68.0, ₉₅ = 1.9°, N = 575 in situ) carried by magnetite and component B (Decl = 120.3, Incl = − 31.7, ₉₅ = 3.9°, N = 57, bedding corrected), carried by haematite. While component A is thought to represent a younger overprint direction, the in situ direction for component B on the other hand, is dissimilar to any expected younger direction and is considered to be primary magnetisation in origin, acquired during or soon after deposition of the sediments in the Late Ediacaran. The corresponding palaeomagnetic pole for component A in situ is located at Lon = 55.4°E, Lat = 31°N, A₉₅ = 2.7° and for component B at Lon = 110°E, Lat = 28.3°S, A₉₅ = 3.8°, N = 57. Combined with other palaeomagnetic poles of the same tectonostratigraphic unit an alternative apparent polar wander path for the Late Proterozoic–Early Palaeozoic of Baltica is proposed. Such an alternative path shows that after the mid Cryogenian (750 Ma), the poles that were situated over South Africa (p.d.c.) moved to the east until they reached Australia during the Late Ediacaran (555 Ma) where they remained approximately stationary until the beginning of the Cambrian (545 Ma). Finally, they moved to the northwest until they reached the Arabian Peninsula in the Early Ordovician. Palaeolatitudes indicate that Baltica situated near the equator from the Cryogenian through to the Ediacaran moving gradually to the south at c. 1 cm/yr. During the Late Early Ediacaran, the plate suddenly began to drift northward at c. 8 cm/yr and in the boundary with the Cambrian it was positioned in low to intermediate latitudes. Finally, Baltica began to move back to the south at c. 13 cm/yr until in the Early Ordovician, reaching intermediate to high southern latitudes.     

首钢工业区土壤剖面重金属含量及其结合态的磁指示作用的研究

对取自首都钢铁厂附近的土壤样芯进行了重金属含量、形态分析和的磁学测量.探讨了利用磁参数追踪和指示重金属污染和有机结合态和铁锰氧化结合态重金属的可行性.结果表明:土壤样芯中Cu、Pb、Zn、Fe和Mn的含量与χ、SIRM和ARM存在着十分相似的垂向变化特征,且相关关系显著(0.98>R>0.86).进一步对磁化率和Cu、Pb、Zn、Fe和Mn各结合态进行相关分析表明:五种元素的有机结合态与铁锰结合态和磁化率呈显著相关关系(0.98>R>0.56),而交换态和残渣态重金属与磁化率基本不存在相关关系.反映了磁性矿物和和重金属在赋存状态的本质联系.表明了磁性测量可作为工业区土壤重金属污染及有机结合态与铁锰结合态重金属记录信息提取的辅助手段.     

Magnetic signature of different vegetation species in polluted environment

Detailed magnetic study on vegetation samples from several strongly polluted and clean sites in Bulgaria is carried out in order to evaluate suitability of different species as passive dust collectors in magnetometry. From each location, available species among lichens, mosses, poplar leaves, dandelion, needles have been sampled. Magnetic susceptibility calculated on mass-specific basis shows wide variability between diamagnetic signal up to 846 × 10⁻⁸ m³/kg. Lichens and mosses are found to be the species, showing magnetic signals with the strongest contrast between clean and polluted environment. The main magnetic phase is magnetite-like according to the results from thermomagnetic analysis of susceptibility on magnetic extracts. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microphotographs reveal the presence of abundant particulate matter on vegetation surface both with anthropogenic (spherules) and lithogenic origin. Magnetic grain size deduced by the ratio of saturation remanent magnetization (SIRM) and mass-specific magnetic susceptibility (χ) and coercivities (B_c and B_cr) suggest that different species accumulate preferentially small SD-like grains from pollution emissions. Contrasting relationship of the ratio of anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) and χ for polluted vs clean sites deduced by needles and lichens may be related to transformation of the accumulated dust particles within lichens’ tissue. This finding indicates that the exact species used as biological dust collector is of importance when studying spatial grain size distribution of magnetic dust particles. Pilot study on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) content and its relation to magnetic parameters shows good correspondence between high levels of PAHs and high SIRM values for locations affected by non-ferrous industrial production.     

A new global ocean hydrographic climatology

This report describes the main features of the recently published World Ocean Experiment–Argo Global Hydrographic Climatology. This climatology is based on profile data from ships, Argo floats, and sensors attached to marine mammals. As an important deviation from the widely used climatologies produced previously by the National Oceanographic Data Center, the spatial interpolation was performed on local potential density surfaces, so that no ‘artificial water masses’ were created. In addition to monthly fields of temperature and salinity, gridded maps of the upper mixed layer depth are now provided.     

Radar measurements of integral parameters of hailstorms used on hail suppression projects

The exact quantitative estimation of hailstorm precipitation intensity, allowing determining successfully the crop hail damage, is extremely necessary while carrying out of programs of experimental researches of the hail clouds as well as at realization of operative projects on hail suppression. On the other hand, the possibility of obtaining a trustworthy information about changes of hailfall intensity during cloud seeding operations enables to judge more objectively about seeding effect and to make a decision about its beginning and termination. Just because of such a parameter, the kinetic energy of hailfalls presents a great interest for the researchers. As it is known, measuring the kinetic energy of hailfalls is carried out both directly by ground network of hailpads, and by radar methods. The accuracy of the radar methods of the hail kinetic energy measurement strongly depends not only on the choice of an optimum formula for calculation but also on the algorithm used for separating hail and rain parts of radar echo and on the way it was used in the hail–rain mixture zone of precipitation.The method of calculating the kinetic energy of the hailfalls, based on empirical dependence of hail probability P_h on a height of a zone of a radar echo with a reflectivity of 45 dBZ above a level of zero isotherm ΔH₄₅, is offered in the given work. The algorithm of separating hail and rain parts of a radar echo and the way it was applied in a hail–rain mixture zone is described. The examples of hail streaks in contours of radar reflectivity and in isopleths of hail kinetic energy obtained using the given algorithm are shown.In Mendoza province (Argentina), a hail suppression project (1993–1997) for the analysis of the vertical structure of a radar echo with Z_max > 45 dBZ, such new parameter is an integral altitude, was used. This dimensionless parameter is most sensitive to such a condition of radar echo when all four contours of increased reflectivity Z₄₅, Z₅₅, Z₆₅, and Z₇₅ synchronously reach the maximal values. The analysis of time distributions of the main radar parameters of hailstorms on a background of values of integral altitude is resulted. It is shown that local hailfall maximum intensities on the ground are observed after the achievement of maximum integral altitude with a certain delay. It enables to predict zones of the greatest hail damage in a mode of radar observation.