Inertial instability of large Rossby number horizontal shear flows in a thin homogeneous layer

A horizontal shear flow having a Rossby number, Ro, greater than unity on a rotating plane can become unstable when its shear value is less than −f, the Coriolis frequency. In this paper, this instability is investigated for an O(10 km) submesoscale, sinusoidal shear flow in a thin homogeneous fluid layer as in an oceanic mixed layer or a shallow sea. The most unstable mode is shown by a linear analysis to occur in a narrow localized region centered around the maximum anticyclonic current shear. However, nonlinear numerical calculations show that the instability can grow to encompass both unstable and stable regions of the current. A consequence of this finite-amplitude evolution is the formation of surface convergence/shear fronts. The possibility that inertial instability mechanism is a source of some surface convergence/shear features seen in remote sensing images of the sea surface is discussed. A comparison is made with the shear-flow instability that can occur concurrently in a sinusoidal shear current, and inertial instability is shown to be the dominant instability mechanism in the immediate range above Ro=2.     

Content and distribution of trace metals in surface sediments from the northern Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and adjacent Arctic areas

Concentrations of trace metals (Zn, Cr, Cu, V, Cd and Pb), total organic carbon (TOC), black carbon (BC) and their granulometry were examined in 25 surface sediment samples from the northern Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and adjacent areas. Trace metal concentrations in the sediments varied from 21.06-168.21 mg kg(-1) for Zn, 8.91-46.94 mg kg(-1) for Cr, 2.69-49.39 mg kg(-1) for Cu, 32.46-185.54 mg kg(-1) for V, 0.09-0.92 mg kg(-1) for Cd, and 0.95-15.25 mg kg(-1) for Pb. The geoaccumulation index (Igeo) indicated that trace metal contamination (Zn and Cd) existed in some stations of the study area. The distribution of grain size plays an important role in influencing the distribution of trace metals (Zn, Cr, Cu, V, and Pb) in sediments from the Chukchi Sea and adjacent areas.     

The Quaternary record of eastern Svalbard - an overview

The eastern part Svalbard archipelago and the adjacent areas of the Barents Sea were subject to extensive erosion during the Late Weichselian glaciation. Small remnants of older sediment successions have been preserved on Edgeeya, whereas a more complete succession on Kongsøya contains sediments from two different ice-free periods, both probably older than the Early Weichselian. Ice movement indicators in the region suggest that the Late Weichselian ice radiated from a centre east of Kong Karls Land. On Bjørnøya, on the edge of the Barents Shelf, the lack of raised shorelines or glacial striae from the east indicates that the western parts of the ice sheet were thin during the Late Weichselian. The deglaciation of Edgeøya and Barentsøya occurred ca 10,300 bp as a response to calving of the marine-based portion of the ice sheet. Atlantic water, which does not much influence the coasts of eastern Svalbard today, penetrated the northwestern Barents Sea shortly after the deglaciation. At that time, the coastal environment was characterised by extensive longshore sediment transport and deposition of spits at the mouths of shallow palaeo-fjords.     

Provenance of sandstones from the Neoproterozoic Bombouaka Group of the Volta Basin,northeastern Ghana

The provenance and tectonic setting of sandstones from the Bombouaka Group of the Voltaian Supergroup, in the northeastern part of Ghana, have been constrained from their petrography and whole-rock geochemistry. Modal analysis carried out by point-counting sandstone samples indicates that they are quartz arenites. The index of compositional variability values and SiO₂/Al₂O₃, Zr/Sc, and Th/Sc values indicates that the sediments are mature. The sandstones are depleted in CaO and Na₂O. They are, however, enriched in K₂O, Ba, and Rb relative to average Neoproterozoic upper crust. These characteristics reflect intense chemical weathering in the source region as proven by high weathering indices (i.e., CIA, PIA, and CIW). In comparison with average Neoproterozoic upper crust, the sandstones show depletion by transition metals and enrichment by high field strength elements. They generally show chondrite-normalized fractionated light rare-earth element (LREE) patterns (average La_N/Sm_N = 4.40), negative Eu anomalies (average Eu/Eu* = 0.61), and generally flat heavy rare-earth elements (HREE) (average Gd_N/Yb_N = 1.13). The sandstones have La/Sc, Th/Sc, La/Co, Th/Co, Th/Cr, and Eu/Eu* ratios similar to those of sandstones derived from felsic source. Mixing calculations using the rare-earth elements (REE) suggests 48% tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite and 52% granite as possible proportions for the source of the sandstones. Both the petrographic and whole-rock geochemical data point to a passive margin setting for the sandstones from the Bombouaka Group.     

基于土壤-小麦系统的河南黄淮平原As生态安全评价

在研究河南省黄淮平原经济区土壤As对小麦籽实As含量影响的基础上,分析了土壤及籽实As的数据特征,并利用单项污染指数法,对研究区小麦籽实As的安全状况进行了评价,发现研究区小麦籽实中As的含量远远低于不安全标准。还进一步研究了土壤As全量与小麦籽实As含量之间的响应关系,同时根据提供的资料,对小麦籽实的As含量与土壤中As的某些形态的含量建立多元线性回归模型,从而通过食品质量标准推算出土壤中As的安全临界浓度。     

Differences in flood hazard projections in Europe – their causes and consequences for decision making

This paper interprets differences in flood hazard projections over Europe and identifies likely sources of discrepancy. Further, it discusses potential implications of these differences for flood risk reduction and adaptation to climate change. The discrepancy in flood hazard projections raises caution, especially among decision makers in charge of water resources management, flood risk reduction, and climate change adaptation at regional to local scales. Because it is naïve to expect availability of trustworthy quantitative projections of future flood hazard, in order to reduce flood risk one should focus attention on mapping of current and future risks and vulnerability hotspots and improve the situation there. Although an intercomparison of flood hazard projections is done in this paper and differences are identified and interpreted, it does not seems possible to recommend which large-scale studies may be considered most credible in particular areas of Europe.

EDITOR D. Koutsoyiannis

ASSOCIATE EDITOR not assigned     

Groundwater targeting in a hard-rock terrain using fracture-pattern modeling, Niva River basin, Andhra Pradesh, India

In hard-rock terrain, due to the lack of primary porosity in the bedrock, joints, fault zones, and weathered zones are the sources for groundwater occurrence and movement. To study the groundwater potential in the hard-rock terrain and drought-prone area in the Niva River basin, southern Andhra Pradesh state, India, Landsat 5 photographic data were used to prepare an integrated hydrogeomorphology map. Larsson's integrated deformation model was applied to identify the various fracture systems, to pinpoint those younger tensile fracture sets that are the main groundwater reservoirs, and to understand the importance of fracture density in groundwater prospecting. N35°–55°E fractures were identified as tensile and N35°–55°W fractures as both tensile and shear in the study area. Apparently, these fractures are the youngest open fractures. Wherever N35°–55°E and N35°–55°W fracture densities are high, weathered-zone thickness is greater, water-table fluctuations are small, and well yields are high. Groundwater-potential zones were delineated and classified as very good, good to very good, moderate to good, and poor. Electronic Publication