Deciphering late Quaternary land snail shell δO and δC from Franchthi Cave (Argolid,Greece)

This paper investigates the stable isotopic composition from late Pleistocene–Holocene (~ 13 to ~ 10.5 cal ka BP) shells of the land snail Helix figulina, from Franchthi Cave (Greece). It explores the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental implications of the isotope palaeoecology of archaeological shells at the time of human occupation of the cave. Modern shells from around the cave were also analysed and their isotopic signatures compared with those of the archaeological shells. The carbon isotope composition of modern shells depicts the consumption of C₃ vegetation. Shell oxygen isotopic values are consistent with other Mediterranean snail shells from coastal areas. Combining empirical linear regression and an evaporative model, the δ¹⁸Os suggest that modern snails in the study area are active during periods of higher relative humidity and lower rainfall δ¹⁸O, probably at night. Late glacial and early Holocene δ¹⁸Os show lower values compared to modern ones. Early Holocene δ¹⁸Os values likely track enhanced moisture and isotopic changes in the precipitation source. By contrast, lower late glacial δ¹⁸O could reflect lower temperatures and δ¹⁸Op, compared to the present day. Shell carbon isotope values indicate the presence of C₃ vegetation as main source of carbon to late glacial and early Holocene snails.     

Deep reflection seismic imaging of the internal zone of the South Armorican Hercynian belt (western France) (ARMOR 2/Géofrance 3D Program)

We present results and interpretation of a 72 km long deep seismic reflection profile acquired across the internal zone of the Hercynian belt of South Brittany. The profile is of excellent quality, most of the crust being highly reflective. The “ARMOR 2 South” profile, is correlated with the “ARMOR 2 North” profile that was published in 2003. Correlation of the main subsurface reflections with surface geological and structural data provides important information about the crustal structure that resulted from thickening during Late Devonian and regional-scale extension during Late Carboniferous. In particular, seismics image shows a very high reflectivity zone, lying flat over more than 40 km at about 10–12 km depth. This zone is interpreted as a major zone of ductile crustal thinning.     

Integration of optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery for delivering operational annual crop inventories

Agriculture plays a critical role within Canada’s economy and, as such, sustainability of this sector is of high importance. Targeting and monitoring programs designed to promote economic and environmental sustainability are a vital component within Canada’s agricultural policy. A hierarchy of land information, including up to date information on cropping practices, is needed to measure the impacts of programs on land use decision-making and to gauge the environmental and economic benefits of these investments. A multi-year, multi-site research activity was completed to develop a robust methodology to inventory crops across Canada’s large and diverse agricultural landscapes. To move towards operational implementation the methodology must deliver accurate crop inventories, with consistency and reliability. In order to meet these operational requirements and to mitigate risk associated with reliance on a single data source, the methodology integrated both optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery. The results clearly demonstrated that multi-temporal satellite data can successfully classify crops for a variety of cropping systems present across Canada. Overall accuracies of at least 85% were achieved, and most major crops were also classified to this level of accuracy. Although multi-temporal optical data would be the preferred data source for crop classification, a SAR-optical dataset (two Envisat ASAR images and one optical image) provided acceptable accuracies and will mitigate risk associated with operational implementation. The preferred dual-polarization mode would be VV–VH. Not only were these promising classification results repeated year after year, but the target accuracies were met consistently for multiple sites across Canada, all with varying cropping systems.     

Assessing the response of watersheds to catastrophic (logging) and possible secular (global temperature change) perturbations using sediment-chemical chronologies

Geochemical profiles of sediment cores from two oligotrophic lakes (Elk and Mullett) in northern Lower Michigan were studied to examine the response and recovery of watersheds to large-scale logging that occurred between 1850 and 1920. Specific questions addressed were: can the impact of extensive clear-cutting of forests be recognized in the sediment-chemical chronologies, can states of system stability be identified prior to the logging, and are there indications that the systems are recovering and possibly returning to a stable state? To answer these questions, elements were put into four groups as proxies for watershed runoff or export (e.g., Al, Mg), pollution (e.g., Pb, Cu), redox (e.g., Fe, As), and productivity (e.g., Ca, P). It was observed that vertical patterns of all proxies were influenced by logging and the early increases in concentration of pollution proxies were due to increased watershed export, not pollution. System stability might be recognized by relatively symmetrical vertical patterns among all of the proxies or secular changes of slowly increasing or decreasing vertical concentration trajectories. Some pre-logging trajectories were punctuated by episodes of slightly elevated concentrations that appear to be related to comparatively warmer periods during the Little Ice Age. Iron and Mn enrichments caused by increased watershed runoff might be misinterpreted as paleo-redox horizons. Results are interpreted to indicate that (1) reference conditions may be better defined as the temporal trends among proxy groups and not individual concentrations, (2) simply assuming pre-1800 conditions as a reference may not be appropriate, (3) inter-proxy group comparisons are needed to help for interpretations of intra-proxy group patterns, (4) the possible regime shift identified here might be expected for other ecosystems because of the intensity of human disturbances and secular changes, and (5) without consideration of a possible regime shift, recovery from logging is estimated to be on the order of 75–130 a, but shorter if regime shifts are considered.     

‘Paleoenvironmental study of modern charcoal making activity on forest soils in the Northern Vosges Mountains (Bitche,France): A multidisciplinary study of two remaining charcoal platforms and associated soils sequences’

This multidisciplinary study aims to decipher the impact of ancient charcoal production on past and present-day soils in the northern Vosges Mountains. Soil observations in the field and laboratory were complemented by charcoal and phytolith studies on large thin sections, molecular analyses of organic pollutants, and phytolith analysis on bulk samples. The complex technosol platform records an ancient natural soil sequence buried by a human-made platform on which charcoal accumulated. The current upslope soil is an entic Podzol. Palaeoecological data collected in the buried soil are reliable owing to low bioactivity due to soil acidity. Podzolisation predated the platform construction. The presence of ashes induced low soil alkalisation developed in the charcoal hearth remains and appears to have generated the migration of subsequent iron/clay/organic bands throughout the platform sediment and the buried soil. Charcoal studied in thin sections revealed mainly Quercus and Fagus taxa. Phytolith studies suggest that a less dense or degraded forest preceded platform construction, probably due to former woodland coppicing or earlier disorganised wood gathering. The specific distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons sorbed on charcoal has persisted in soils throughout centuries, but we have no evidence that charcoal-making activities contributed to diffuse global pollution.     

Detection of iodine monoxide radicals in the marine boundary layer using laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy

A Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) instrument has been developed to detect iodine monoxide (IO) radicals in the atmosphere. An all solid-state Nd:YAG pumped Ti:Sapphire laser operating at approximately 445 nm was used to excite the (2,0) band of the IO A²Π_3/2 ← X²Π_3/2 electronic transition, with off-resonance fluorescence in the (2,5) band detected at 521 nm. The sensitivity of the instrument was determined by calibration. IO (between 10 and 150 pptV) was generated following the 184.9 nm photolysis of N₂O/CF₃I/N₂ mixtures with O₃ actinometry used to determine the photolysis flux. The detection limit was determined to be 0.3 pptV for a 300 s integration period, with an uncertainty of 23% (1σ). The instrument was deployed in August/September 2006 during the RHaMBLe (Reactive Halogens in the Marine Boundary Layer) campaign in Roscoff, France. Located on a small jetty, a few metres from the water’s edge at high tide, the instrument measured significant levels of IO on 11 days, with a maximum of 27.6 ± 3.2 pptV observed on one day (averaged over 10 s) representing the highest IO mixing ratio recorded in the marine boundary layer to date. IO displayed a clear diurnal profile with a maximum at low tide during the daytime. These results represent the first point measurements of IO in the atmosphere by LIF.     

Constraining jet/disc geometry and radiative processes in stellar black holes XTE J1118+480 and GX 339−4

We present results from modelling of quasi-simultaneous broad-band (radio through X-ray) observations of the Galactic stellar black hole (BH) transient X-ray binary (XRB) systems XTE J1118+480 and GX 339−4 using an irradiated disc + compact jet model. In addition to quantifying the physical properties of the jet, we have developed a new irradiated disc model which also constrains the geometry and temperature of the outer accretion disc by assuming a disc heated by viscous energy release and X-ray irradiation from the inner regions. For the source XTE J1118+480, which has better spectral coverage of the two in optical and near-infrared (OIR) wavelengths, we show that the entire broad-band continuum can be well described by an outflow-dominated model + an irradiated disc. The best-fitting radius of the outer edge of the disc is consistent with the Roche lobe geometry of the system, and the temperature of the outer edge of the accretion disc is similar to those found for other XRBs. Irradiation of the disc by the jet is found to be negligible for this source. For GX 339−4, the entire continuum is well described by the jet-dominated model only, with no disc component required. For the two XRBs, which have very different physical and orbital parameters and were in different accretion states during the observations, the sizes of the jet base are similar and both seem to prefer a high fraction of non-thermal electrons in the acceleration/shock region and a magnetically dominated plasma in the jet. These results, along with recent similar results from modelling other galactic XRBs and AGNs, may suggest an inherent unity in diversity in the geometric and radiative properties of compact jets from accreting black holes.     

Influence of a hedge surrounding bottomland on seasonal soil‐water movement

The influence of a hedge surrounding bottomland on soil‐water movement along the hillslope was studied on a plot scale for 28 months. The study was based on the comparison of two transects, one with a hedge, the other without, using mainly a dense grid of tensiometers. The influence of the bottomland hedge was located in the area where tree roots were developed, several metres upslope from the hedge, and could be observed both in the saturated and non‐saturated zone, from May to December. The hedge induced a high rate of soil drying, because of the high evaporative capacity of the trees. We evaluated that water uptake by the hedge during the growing season was at least 100 mm higher than without a hedge. This increased drying rate led to a delayed rewetting of the soils upslope from the hedge in autumn, of about 1 month compared with the situation without a hedge. Several consequences of this delayed rewetting are expected: a delay in the return of subsurface transfer from the hillslope to the riparian zone, a buffering effect of hedges on floods, already observed at the catchment scale, and an increased residence time of pollutants. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Oxford Principles

Scientific momentum is increasing behind efforts to develop geoengineering options, but it is widely acknowledged that the challenges of geoengineering are as much political and social as they are technical. Legislators are looking for guidance on the governance of geoengineering research and possible deployment. The Oxford Principles are five high-level principles for geoengineering governance. This article explains their intended function and the core societal values which they attempt to capture. Finally, it proposes a framework for their implementation in a flexible governance architecture through the formulation of technology-specific research protocols.