Investigations on the runoff generation at the profile and plot scales,Swiss Emmental

This article describes an investigation on runoff generation at different scales in the forested catchment of the Sperbelgraben in the Emmental region (Swiss Prealps) where studies in the field of forest hydrology have a history of 100 years. It focuses on the analysis of soil profiles and the subsequent sprinkling experiments above them (1 m²), as well as on surface runoff measurements on larger plots (50 to 110 m²). In the Sperbelgraben investigation area, two very distinct runoff reactions could be observed. On the one hand, very high production of saturation overland flow was registered on wet areas of gleyic soils, with runoff coefficients between 0·39 and 0·94 for profile irrigation. On the other hand, almost no surface runoff was measured on Cambisols, with the exception at some sites of a hydrophobic reaction detected at the beginning of storms after dry periods (coefficients for profile irrigation: 0·01–0·16). This pattern was observed during 1 m² soil plot irrigation and on surface runoff plots. Apart from a less distinctive signal of the water‐repellent litter layer on the larger surface runoff plots, the dominant hydrological processes at the two scales are the same. The determined runoff reaction at the two scales corresponds well with information from a forest site type map describing soil and vegetation characteristics and used as a substitute for a soil map in this study. Theoretical considerations describing forest influence on flood discharge are discussed and evaluated to be in good agreement with observations. These findings are a sound foundation for application in hydrological catchment modelling. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sulfates and iron oxides in Ophir Chasma, Mars, based on OMEGA and CRISM observations

We investigate the sulfate and iron oxide deposits in Ophir Chasma, Mars, based on short-wave infrared data from the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars - CRISM and from the Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activité - OMEGA. Sulfates are detected mainly in two locations. In the valley between Ophir Mensa and the southern wall of Ophir Chasma, kieserite is found both within the slope of Ophir Mensa, and superposed on the basaltic wall of the chasm. Here, kieserite is unconformably overlain by polyhydrated sulfate deposits and iron oxides. Locally, jarosite and unidentified phases with absorptions at 2.21 μm or 2.23 μm are detected, which could be mixtures of jarosite and amorphous silica or other poorly crystalline phases.The second large sulfate-rich outcrop is found on the floor of the central valley. Although the same minerals are found here, polyhydrated sulfates, kieserite, iron oxides, and locally a possibly jarosite-bearing phase, this deposit is very distinct. It is not layered, almost horizontal, and located at a much lower elevation of below −4250 m. Kieserite superposes polyhydrated sulfate-rich deposits, and iron oxides form lags.The facies of sulfate formation remains unclear, and could be different for the two locations. A formation in a lake, playa or under a glacier is consistent with the mineralogy of the central valley and its flat, low-lying topography. This is not conceivable for the kieserite deposits observed south of Ophir Mensa. These deposits are observed over several thousands of meters of elevation, which would require a standing body of water several thousands of meters deep. This would have lead to much more pervasive sulfate deposits than observed. These deposits are therefore more consistent with evaporation of groundwater infiltrating into previously sulfate-free light-toned deposits. The overlying polyhydrated sulfates and other mineral phases are observed in outcrops on ridges along the slopes of the southern chasm wall, which are too exposed to be reached by groundwater. Here, a water supply from the atmosphere by rain, snow, fog or frost is more conceivable.     

Sediment magnetic properties reveal holocene climate change along the Minnesota prairie-forest ecotone

We propose a model that explains variations in magnetic parameters of lake sediments as a record of Holocene climate change. Our model is based on records from 4 lakes and incorporates the effects of erosion, dust deposition, and the authigenesis and diagenesis of the magnetic component of the sediment. Once checked against high resolution multi proxy climate records, which are currently being established for some of our study sites, it will allow us to use magnetic proxies to establish high-resolution climate reconstructions on a regional scale.Our model utilizes a combination of concentration-dependent parameters (magnetic susceptibility, IRM) and grain-size-dependent parameters (ARM/IRM, hysteresis parameters). Magnetic mineralogy is characterized by a combination of low-temperature measurements and S-ratios, and our magnetic measurements are complemented by XRD, LOI and smearslide analyses.During periods of forest growth within the watershed, deposition of terrigenous material is low and the sediment magnetic properties are characterized by low concentrations of mainly authigenic minerals (low values of IRM, high ratios of ARM/IRM). During the early to mid-Holocene dry period, deposition of terrigenous material increased due to intensified dust deposition and the erosion of lake margins caused by lowered water levels. Concentration of magnetic minerals increases (high IRM, ) and so does the grain-size of the magnetic fraction (low ARM/IRM). During the late-Holocene, sediment magnetic properties depend on the varied position of the site with respect to the prairie–forest ecotone.     

Numerical simulation of the plasma double layer

A one-dimensional particle-in-cell computer simulation is used to model the formation of an electrostatic double layer. The conditions for the onset of the layer formation are explored and a relation between the length of the layer and the electrostatic potential difference across is found.     

Authigenic albite in carbonate rocks – a tracer for deep-burial brine migration?

Euhedral, post-depositional albite from the Eastern and Western Alps, the western Carpathians and some Greek islands was examined petrographically and geochemically to gain insights into the nature of feldspar reactions in carbonate rocks. This study focuses on coarsely crystalline, homogeneously nucleated albite in order to avoid problems related to the presence of inseparable detrital material in fine-grained albite varieties. All albite samples show a very restricted compositional variability and are typically ≥ 99 mol% Ab component. Unit-cell parameters determined by Rietveld analysis are slightly more variable than previously accepted, but confirm high Al–Si ordering characteristic of low albite. The oxygen isotopic composition of albite ranges from + 19·4‰ to + 28·3‰ VSMOW. There is no direct relationship between the δ¹⁸O value and the inferred temperature of albite formation, nor is there one with stoichiometry. The coarse crystal size (up to several millimetres in diameter), petrographic evidence showing albite cross-cutting stylolites, greater abundance of albite in carbonate rocks subject to high-grade diagenetic or weak metamorphic overprinting and available fluid inclusion data suggest that albite precipitation is favoured at higher temperatures in carbonates than in sandstones. Pore fluids were invariably brines, as suggested by the inferred high positive δ¹⁸O_fluid values, the common association of albite-bearing carbonates and evaporites and reports of saline fluid inclusions in albite. The presence of authigenic albite may thus be a useful tracer of palaeobrine–carbonate reactions, particularly in deep-burial and incipient metamorphic settings.     

Hyperspectral imaging of sedimentary bacterial pigments: a 1700-year history of meromixis from varved Lake Jaczno,northeast Poland

Hypoxia in freshwater systems is currently spreading globally and putting water quality, biodiversity and other ecosystem services at risk. Such adverse effects are of particular concern in permanently stratified meromictic lakes. Yet little is known about when and how meromixis and hypoxia became established (or vanished) prior to anthropogenic impacts, or how human activities such as deforestation, erosion and nutrient cycling affected the mixing regimes of lakes. We used calibrated hyperspectral imaging (HSI) data in the visible and near infrared range from a fresh, varved sediment core taken in Lake Jaczno, NE Poland, to map sedimentary pigments at very high resolution (sub-varve scale) over the past 1700 years. HSI-inferred bacteriopheophytin a (bphe a, produced by anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria) serves as a proxy for meromixis, whereas HSI-inferred green pigments (chlorophyll a and diagenetic products) can be used as estimators of aquatic productivity. Meromixis was established and vanished long before significant human disturbance in the catchment was observed in the late eleventh century AD. Under pre-anthropogenic conditions, however, meromixis was interrupted frequently, and the lake mixing regime flickered between dimixis and meromixis. During two periods with intense deforestation and soil erosion in the catchment, characterised by sedimentary facies rich in clay and charcoal (AD 1070–1255 and AD 1670–1710), the lake was mostly dimictic and better oxygenated than in periods with relative stability and a presumably closed forest around the lake, i.e. without human disturbances. After ca. AD 1960, meromixis became established quasi-permanently as a result of eutrophication. The persistent meromixis of the last ~60 years is unusual with respect to the record of the last 1700 years.     

Synchronizing seismic networks with ambient noise

The technique of retrieving Green's functions by pairwise correlation of a random wavefield is used to estimate the stability of the timing system of a seismic network. The method is demonstrated with data from a network consisting of stations with four independent clocks and GPS-receivers. For a two years period, daily measurements of the timing error of each of the four systems are obtained. These measurements can be used to correct the timing of the data in periods without GPS reception. The accuracy of this method can exceed the precision of the internal station clocks already after a single day of uncorrected drift.