Northern landscapes in transition: Evidence,approach and ways forward using the Krycklan Catchment Study

Improving our ability to detect changes in terrestrial and aquatic systems is a grand challenge in the environmental sciences. In a world experiencing increasingly rapid rates of climate change and ecosystem transformation, our ability to understand and predict how, when, where, and why changes occur is essential for adapting and mitigating human behaviours. In this context, long-term field research infrastructures have a fundamentally important role to play. For northern boreal landscapes, the Krycklan Catchment Study (KCS) has supported monitoring and research aimed at revealing these changes since it was initiated in 1980. Early studies focused on forest regeneration and microclimatic conditions, nutrient balances and forest hydrology, which included monitoring climate variables, water balance components, and stream water chemistry. The research infrastructure has expanded over the years to encompass a 6790 ha catchment, which currently includes 11 gauged streams, ca. 1000 soil lysimeters, 150 groundwater wells, >500 permanent forest inventory plots, and a 150 m tall tower (a combined ecosystem-atmosphere station of the ICOS, Integrated Carbon Observation System) for measurements of atmospheric gas concentrations and biosphere-atmosphere exchanges of carbon, water, and energy. In addition, the KCS has also been the focus of numerous high resolution multi-spectral LiDAR measurements and large scale experiments. This large collection of equipment and data generation supports a range of disciplinary studies, but more importantly fosters multi-, trans-, and interdisciplinary research opportunities. The KCS attracts a broad collection of scientists, including biogeochemists, ecologists, foresters, geologists, hydrologists, limnologists, soil scientists, and social scientists, all of whom bring their knowledge and experience to the site. The combination of long-term monitoring, shorter-term research projects, and large-scale experiments, including manipulations of climate and various forest management practices, has contributed much to our understanding of boreal landscape functioning, while also supporting the development of models and guidelines for research, policy, and management.     

Voluntary citizen participation in carbon allowance markets: the role of norm-based motivation

The results from a semi-experimental study of Swedish students’ stated willingness to purchase emission allowances for carbon dioxide are presented. Drawing heavily on recent developments in the literature on integrating norm-motivated behaviour into neoclassical consumer theory, it is assumed that individuals have a preference for maintaining a self-image as a responsible (and thus norm-compliant) person. The results indicate that students’ willingness to purchase carbon allowances is determined by both price and the presence of norms: those who feel personally responsible for contributing to reducing climate damages also appear more inclined to buy allowances. The empirical findings are consistent with the notion that a person's beliefs about others’ stated willingness to purchase carbon allowances imply improvements in their own self-image and ultimately behavioural change. This suggests that information campaigns that attempt to influence beliefs about others’ intentions could promote ‘green’ consumer behaviour in the carbon allowance market. Such (stated) behaviour also appears to be influenced by a person's awareness of the problem of climate change and their beliefs about their own ability to contribute to solving it.

Policy relevance

Although there is a concern that public goods such as reduced climate change may be under-provided in the free market, individual concern for the environment occasionally has profound impacts on consumer choice and voluntary action. This research suggests that information campaigns that attempt to influence beliefs about others’ intentions could promote ‘green’ consumer behaviour in carbon allowance markets. Publicly-provided information about the impacts of climate change and the ways in which these damages stem from individual choices could also induce this type of behaviour.     

Seismic evidence of up to 200 m lake‐level change in Southern Patagonia since Marine Isotope Stage 4

Maar lake Laguna Potrok Aike is located north of the Strait of Magellan (south‐eastern Patagonia). Seismic reflection profiles revealed a highly dynamic palaeoclimate history. Dunes were identified in the eastern part of the lake at approximately 30 to 80 m below the lake floor, overlying older lacustrine strata, and suggest that the region experienced dry conditions probably combined with strong westerly winds. It is quite likely that this can be linked to a major dust event recorded in the Antarctic ice cores during Marine Isotope Stage 4. The dunes are overlain by a series of palaeo‐shorelines indicating a stepwise water‐level evolution of a new lake established after this dry period, and thus a change towards wetter conditions. After the initial, rapid and stepwise lake‐level rise, the basin became deeper and wider, and sediments deposited on the lake shoulder at approximately 33 m below present‐day lake level point towards a long period of lake‐level highstand between roughly 53·5 ka cal. bp and 30 ka cal. bp with a maximum lake level some 200 m higher than the desiccation horizon. This highstand was then followed by a regressional phase of uncertain age, although it must have happened some time between approximately 30 ka cal. bp and 6750 yrs cal. bp . Dryer conditions during the Mid‐Holocene are evidenced by a dropping lake level, resulting in a basin‐wide erosional unconformity on the lake shoulder. A second stepwise transgression between ca 5·8 to 5·4 ka cal. bp and ca 4·7 to 4 ka cal. bp with palaeo‐shorelines deposited on the lake shoulder unconformity again indicates a change towards wetter conditions.     

Potential Field,Geoelectrical and Reflection Seismic Investigations for Massive Sulphide Exploration in the Skellefte Mining District,Northern Sweden

Multi-scale geophysical studies were conducted in the central Skellefte district (CSD) in order to delineate the geometry of the upper crust (down to maximum ～ 4.5 km depth) for prospecting volcanic massive sulphide (VMS) mineralization. These geophysical investigations include potential field, resistivity/induced polarization (IP), reflection seismic and magnetotelluric (MT) data which were collected between 2009 and 2010. The interpretations were divided in two scales: (i) shallow (～ 1.5 km) and (ii) deep (～4.5 km). Physical properties of the rocks, including density, magnetic susceptibility, resistivity and chargeability, were also used to improve interpretations. The study result delineates the geometry of the upper crust in the CSD and new models were suggested based on new and joint geophysical interpretation which can benefit VMS prospecting in the area. The result also indicates that a strongly conductive zone detected by resistivity/IP data may have been missed using other geophysical data.     

New insights into the spatial variability of the surface water carbon dioxide in varying sea ice conditions in the Arctic Ocean

In the summer of 2005, continuous surface water measurements of fugacity of CO₂ (fCO₂^sw), salinity and temperature were performed onboard the IB Oden along the Northwest Passage from Cape Farwell (South Greenland) to the Chukchi Sea. The aim was to investigate the importance of sea ice and river runoff on the spatial variability of fCO₂ and the sea–air CO₂ fluxes in the Arctic Ocean. Additional data was obtained from measurements of total alkalinity (A_T) by discrete surface water and water column sampling in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago (CAA), on the Mackenzie shelf, and in the Bering Strait. The linear relationship between A_T and salinity was used to evaluate and calculate the relative fractions of sea ice melt water and river runoff along the cruise track. High-frequency fCO₂^sw data showed rapid changes, due to variable sea ice conditions, freshwater addition, physical upwelling and biological processes. The fCO₂^sw varied between 102 and 678 μatm. Under the sea ice in the CAA and the northern Chukchi Sea, fCO₂^sw were largely CO₂ undersaturated of approximately 100 μatm lower than the atmospheric level. This suggested CO₂ uptake by biological production and limited sea–air CO₂ gas exchange due to the ice cover. In open areas, such as the relatively fresh water of the Mackenzie shelf and the Bering Strait, the fCO₂^sw values were close to the atmospheric CO₂ level. Upwelling of saline and relatively warm water at the Cape Bathurst caused a dramatic fCO₂^sw increase of about 100 μatm relative to the values in the CAA. At the southern part of the Chukchi Peninsula we found the highest fCO₂^sw values and the water was CO₂ supersaturated, likely due to upwelling. In the study area, the calculated sea–air CO₂ flux varied between an oceanic CO₂ sink of 140 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹ and an oceanic source of 18 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹. However, in the CAA and the northern Chukchi Sea, the sea ice cover prevented gas exchange, and the CO₂ fluxes were probably negligible at this time of the year. Assuming that the water was exposed to the atmosphere by total melting and gas exchange would be the only process, the CO₂ undersaturated water in the ice-covered areas will not have the time to reach the atmospheric CO₂ value, before the formation of new sea ice. This study highlights the value of using high-frequency measurements to gain increased insight into the variable and complex conditions, encountered on the shelves in the Arctic Ocean.     

Beyond generic adaptive capacity: exploring the adaptation space of the water supply and wastewater sector of the Stockholm region, Sweden

This paper examines the processes by which the generic adaptive capacity of a system is translated into adaptation to climate change, what form it takes, and what factors facilitate or restrain such processes. This is done by an in-depth analysis of climate change adaptation in the Water supply and Wastewater (WW) sector of the Stockholm region. Observed adaptations are categorized in terms of building adaptive capacity and implementing adaptive decisions, and these measures are analyzed using a model of the adaptation process based on organizational learning theories. In particular, the concept of an organization’s actual adaptation space is defined and used as a means to understand the adaptation options that different WW organizations can pursue, as well as why such options might be pursued. The paper finds that most adaptation measures in the WW sector of the Stockholm region are aimed at building the adaptive capacity of the sector. It also finds that the extent to which adaptation measures can be pursued by the WW organizations is determined principally by how able the organization is to justify the additional resources required for adaptation. The analysis shows that there are two main routes to address this: use of climate knowledge to argue that adaptation is needed, and reference to rules and regulations to show that it is required.     

A solubility and surface complexation study of a non-stoichiometric hydroxyapatite

The dissolution and surface complexation of a non-stoichiometric hydroxyapatite (Ca_8.4(HPO₄)_1.6(PO₄)_4.4(OH)_0.4), (HAP) was studied in the pH range 3.5-10.5, at 25 °C in 0.1 M Na(Cl). The results from well-equilibrated batch experiments, potentiometric titrations, and zeta-potential measurements were combined with information provided by Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). The information from the analyses was used to design an equilibration model that takes into account dissolution, surface potential, solution and surface complexation, as well as possible phase transformations. The results from the XPS measurements clearly show that the surface of the mineral has a different composition than the bulk and that the Ca/P ratio of the surface layer is 1.4 ± 0.1. This ratio was also found in solution in the batches equilibrated at low pH where the dominating reaction is dissolution. In the batches equilibrated at near neutral pH values, however, the Ca/P ratio in solution attains values as high as 25, which is due to re-adsorption of phosphate ions to the HAP surface. The total concentration of protons as well as the total concentration of dissolved calcium and phosphate in solution were used to calculate a model for the dissolution and surface complexation of HAP. The constant capacitance model was applied in designing the following surface complexation model:

     

A fluid inclusion and light element stable isotope study of the gold-bearing quartz vein system,Falun, Sweden

The Falun gold quartz vein mineralization is located ca 230 km NW of Stockholm, Sweden, within the Early Proterozoic volcano-sedimentary sequence of Bergslagen. The mineralization consists of a system with subparallel quartz veins that crosscut the alteration zone to the Falun massive sulphide deposit. Early barren and late gold-bearing quartz veins follow tectonic structures postdating the formation of the massive sulphide ore. Both generations of veins are epigenetic to the massive sulphide ore and were formed by hydrothermal processes. Fluid inclusion study of the gold-bearing quartz veins indicates a low-moderately saline fluid (0.3 to 17.4 equiv wt% NaCl). Heterogeneous trapping is indicated by coexisting inclusions showing a variable CO₂ content from 100% CO₂ ± CH₄ to 100% aqueous fluid. Temperatures of total homogenization also show a wide spread from 116–350°C with a slightly bimodal distribution with peaks at ca 180°C and 280°C. MeasuredδD values — 69 to — 63%0 (SMOW), of inclusion fluid and calculatedδ ¹⁸O values of hydrothermal fluids — 7.5 to — 1.4%0 (SMOW), strongly suggest a meteoric origin for the fluids. The quite consistentδD values and the range inδ ¹⁸O values indicate that major water-rock interaction led to the evolution inδ18O of the hydrothermal fluids.     

Angular momentum and tidal evolution

Five satellites of Neptune orbit under the synchronous zone. In this sense the Neptune's system is similar to that of Uranus (nine satellites) and differs from Jupiter (two) and Saturn (zero). The basic parameters describing the angular momentum within the Neptune's system and of its tidal evolution are estimated. The main character of the tidal dynamics is due to the retrograde Triton. The total tidal decrease in the spin angular momentum of Neptune is compared with those of Uranus, Jupiter and Saturn.