Future ocean uptake of CO2: interaction between ocean circulation and biology

We discuss the potential variations of the biological pump that can be expected from a change in the oceanic circulation in the ongoing global warming. The biogeochemical model is based on the assumption of a perfect stoichiometric composition (Redfield ratios) of organic material. Upwelling nutrients are transformed into organic particles that sink to the deep ocean according to observed profiles. The physical circulation model is driven by the warming pattern as derived from scenario computations of a fully coupled ocean-atmosphere model. The amplitude of the warming is determined from the varying concentration of atmospheric CO₂. The model predicts a pronounced weakening of the thermohaline overturning. This is connected with a reduction of the transient uptake capacity of the ocean. It yields also a more effective removal of organic material from the surface which partly compensates the physical effects of solubility. Both effects are rather marginal for the evolution of atmospheric pCO₂. Running climate models and carbon cycle models separately seems to be justified. Received: 9 August 1995 / Accepted: 22 April 1996     

Permafrost in Svalbard: a review of research history, climatic background and engineering challenges

This paper reviews permafrost in High Arctic Svalbard, including past and current research, climatic background, how permafrost is affected by climatic change, typical permafrost landforms and how changes in Svalbard permafrost may impact natural and human systems. Information on active layer dynamics, permafrost and ground ice characteristics and selected periglacial features is summarized from the recent literature and from unpublished data by the authors. Permafrost thickness ranges from less than 100 m near the coasts to more than 500 m in the highlands. Ground ice is present as rock glaciers, as ice-cored moraines, buried glacial ice, and in pingos and ice wedges in major valleys. Engineering problems of thaw-settlement and frost-heave are described, and the implications for road design and construction in Svalbard permafrost areas are discussed.     

Zircon fission‐track ages from Newfoundland—A proxy for high geothermal gradients and exhumation before opening of the Central Atlantic Ocean

Following Appalachian orogenesis, metamorphic rocks in central Newfoundland were exhumed and reburied under Tournaisian strata. New zircon fission‐track (ZFT) ages of metamorphic rocks below the Tournaisian unconformity yield post‐depositionally reset ages of 212–235 Ma indicating regional fluid‐absent reheating to at least ≥220°C. Post‐Tournaisian sedimentary thicknesses in surrounding basins show that burial alone cannot explain such temperatures, thus requiring that palaeo‐geothermal gradients increased to ≥30–40°C/km before final late Triassic accelerated cooling. We attribute these elevated palaeo‐geothermal gradients to localized thermal blanketing by insulating sediments overlying radiogenic high‐heat‐producing granitoids. Late Triassic rifting and magmatism before break up of Pangaea likely also contributed to elevated heat flow, as well as uplift, triggering late Triassic accelerated cooling and exhumation. Thermochronological ages of 240–200 Ma are seen throughout Atlantic Canada, and record rifting and basaltic magmatism on the conjugate margins of the Central Atlantic Ocean preceding the onset of oceanic spreading at ~190 Ma.     

Boundary-layer ozone depletion as seen in the Norwegian Arctic in spring

Several years of measurements of ozone, hydrocarbons, sulphate and meteorological parameters from Spitsbergen in the Norwegian Arctic are presented. Most of the measurements were taken on the Zeppelin Mountain at an altitude of 474 m a.s.l. The focus is the episodes of ozone depletion in the lower troposphere in spring, which are studied in a climatological way. Episodes of very low ozone concentrations are a common feature on the Zeppelin Mountain in spring. The low ozone episodes were observed from late March to the beginning of June. When the effect of transport direction was subtracted, the frequenty of the low ozone episodes was found to peak in the beginning of May, possibly reflecting the seasonal cycle in the actual depletion process. Analyses based on trajectory calculations show that most of the episodes occurred when the air masses were transported from W-N. Ozone soundings show that the ozone depletion may extend from the surface and up to 3–4 km altitude. The episodes were associated with a cold boundary layer beneath a thermally stable layer, suppressing mixing with the free troposphere. The concentration of several individual hydrocarbons was much lower during episodes of low ozone than for the average conditions. The change in concentration ratio between the hydrocarbons was in qualitative agreement with oxidation of hydrocarbons by Br and Cl atoms rather than by OH radicals.     

‘Trapped sea-water’ in Rørholtfjorden

Summary Trapped sea-water in R?rholtfjorden, Telemark, Norway, was discovered in 1951 by?smund Ystad who was a student at the Department of Limnology, University of Oslo. The lake was investigated continuously from August 1951 to July 1952, and the results are found inYstad [12] andStr?m [8, 9, 10, 11]. On 25 February 1971 some water samples were taken from R?rholtfjorden to supply the information from the lake, and if possible record changes in the water for the last 20 years. The tables contain chemical data, pH, temperature and oxygen content. The trapped sea-water is also compared with original sea-water with the same chloride content. It is difficult to say anything about changes in the salt-water because of uncertainty regarding the depth measurements. But a so-called semi-stagnation (Str?m [8]) was not observed (Fig. 3). It is possible that about one meter of the trapped sea-water has been lost during the last 20 years because of the removed semi-stagnation.

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Zusammenfassung Im R?rholtfjord, Telemark, Norwegen, wurde 1951 von?smund Ystad, Universit?t Oslo, ?gefangenes? Meerwasser entdeckt, welches dann von August 1951 bis Juli 1952 kontinuierlich untersucht wurde. Die Resultate sind beiYstad [12] undStr?m [8, 9, 10, 11] publiziert. Im February 1971 wurden erneut Proben aus dem Fjord genommen, um eventuelle Ver?nderungen w?hrend der vergangenen 20 Jahre festzustellen. Es wurden chemische Daten sowie pH, Temperatur und O₂-Gehalt aufgenommen. Das ?gefangene? Wasser wurde auch mit Originalmeerwasser derselben Salinit?t verglichen. Wegen der Ungenauigkeit der Tiefenmessungen ist es schwierig, etwas über Ver?nderungen auszusagen. Indessen wurde eine sog. Semi-Stagnation, wie sieStr?m [8] beschreibt, nicht beobachtet (Fig. 3). M?glicherweise ging etwa 1 m des ?gefangenen? Wassers zufolge des Verschwindens jener Semi-Stagnation verloren.

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Résumé De l’eau de mer ?captivée? dans le R?rholtfjord, Telemark, Norvège, fut découverte en 1951 par?smund Ystad, étudiant en Limnologie à l’Université d’Oslo. Des expériences avec l’eau de ce lac ont été poursuivies continuellement d’ao?t 1951 à juillet 1952 et les résultats ont été publiés parYstad [12] etStr?m [8, 9, 10, 11]. Le 25 février 1971, de nouveaux échantillons d’eau ont été prélevés dans le fjord pour étudier si, dans les 20 dernières années, d’éventuels changements étaient survenus. Les tableaux présentés contiennent les données chimiques, ainsi que le pH, la température et le taux d’oxygène. En plus, l’eau ?captivée? est comparée avec l’eau de mer originale, au même taux de salinité. Il est difficile de s’exprimer sur les changements survenus dans l’eau, à cause de l’incertitude concernant les mesures de profondeur. Cependant, on n’a pas observé une dite semi-stagnation comme l’a décriteStróm [8] (fig. 3). Il est possible qu’environ un mètre de cette eau ?captivée? se soit perdue, durant les 20 dernières années, par la disparition de la semi-stagnation.

     

A flexible gravity corer based on a plastic funnel closing principle

A highly flexible and efficient gravity corer, easy to construct from inexpensive and readily available material, is described. Barrels of various length can be swiftly interchanged according to requirements in the field. Hollow weights can easily be adjusted to the most appropriate height of the barrel. The simple but reliable closing valve (constructed of two plastic funnels) can be adapted to other types of gravity corers as well. Several useful modifications of the corer are discussed.     

A convenient,one-hand-operated field burette

A simple, cheap and easily constructable burette, particularly useful for alkalinity, dissolved oxygen and hardness titration is described. Precise titrant delivery (<1 μl) is controlled by a handy ‘clothespin valve’ connected to the lower opening of appropriately sized graduated pipettes or burette tubes. The burette is small, flexible and easily portable and should be highly recommended as an all round field burette for limnochemists.     

Schiller effects and exsolution in sodium-rich plagioclases

Plagioclase feldspars with mean compositions Ab_91,3Or_4,7An_4,0 and Ab_88,7An_10,1Or_1,2 have been studied by transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The substructure consists of thin lamellae of albite and oligoclase. Two types of orientations of the lamellar planes were observed. The orientation of the more common type was found to change from (08 \(\bar 1\) ) to about ( \(\bar 1\) , 21, \(\bar 2\) ) as a function of the mean potassium content. The plane of the other type was found to be near ( \(\bar 7\) 12). Only the first type of lamellae produces visible Schiller colours.     

Talc-garnet-kyanite-quartz schist from an eclogite-bearing terrane,Western Tasmania

Talc-garnet-kyanite-quartz schist occurs in an eclogite-bearing terrane in the Precambrian of Western Tasmania. It is argued that this rock was formed at a pressure of ? 10 kb and a temperature of 600°±20° C. Chemical zoning in the garnet and talc preserves evidence of increasing temperature during growth of the major minerals.