Supraglacial weathering crust dynamics inferred from cryoconite hole hydrology

Water levels in cryoconite holes were monitored at high resolution over a 3‐week period on Austre Brøggerbreen (Svalbard). These data were combined with melt and energy balance modelling, providing insights into the evolution of the glacier's near‐surface hydrology and confirming that the hydrology of the near‐surface, porous ice known as the ‘weathering crust’ is dynamic and analogous to a shallow‐perched aquifer. A positive correlation between radiative forcing of melt and drainage efficiency was found within the weathering crust. This likely resulted from diurnal contraction and dilation of interstitial pore spaces driven by variations in radiative and turbulent fluxes in the surface energy balance, occasionally causing ‘sudden drainage events’. A linear decrease in water levels in cryoconite holes was also observed and attributed to cumulative increases in near‐surface ice porosity over the measurement period. The transport of particulate matter and microbes between cryoconite holes through the porous weathering crust is shown to be dependent upon weathering crust hydraulics and particle size. Cryoconite holes therefore yield an indication of the hydrological dynamics of the weathering crust and provide long‐term storage loci for cryoconite at the glacier surface. This study highlights the importance of the weathering crust as a crucial component of the hydrology, ecology and biogeochemistry of the glacier ecosystem and glacierized regions and demonstrates the utility of cryoconite holes as natural piezometers on glacier surfaces. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Customary tenure systems under siege: contemporary access to land in Northern Ghana

Land in most of Africa is controlled under the customary tenure system which is governed by well intentioned social and cultural rules meant to grant equal access to families within groups with common interest in land. Rapid changes in the domestic situation of countries resulting from both refractions of policies and influences from the global economy and emerging complexities within the local socio-economic context has altered the traditional land tenure systems in most parts of Africa. In the rural setting and for agricultural purposes, the customary tenure system seems to be crumbling slowly, while in the urban centres and for housing, industrial and commercial purposes the system has collapsed in favour of a commoditised one. The emerging patterns of access in Northern Ghana show growing inequalities in access, control and ownership. There is the need for a new architecture of land rights negotiated by a participatory process and regulated by both state and traditional institutions.     

A global assessment of the impact of climate change on water scarcity

This paper presents a global scale assessment of the impact of climate change on water scarcity. Patterns of climate change from 21 Global Climate Models (GCMs) under four SRES scenarios are applied to a global hydrological model to estimate water resources across 1339 watersheds. The Water Crowding Index (WCI) and the Water Stress Index (WSI) are used to calculate exposure to increases and decreases in global water scarcity due to climate change. 1.6 (WCI) and 2.4 (WSI) billion people are estimated to be currently living within watersheds exposed to water scarcity. Using the WCI, by 2050 under the A1B scenario, 0.5 to 3.1 billion people are exposed to an increase in water scarcity due to climate change (range across 21 GCMs). This represents a higher upper-estimate than previous assessments because scenarios are constructed from a wider range of GCMs. A substantial proportion of the uncertainty in the global-scale effect of climate change on water scarcity is due to uncertainty in the estimates for South Asia and East Asia. Sensitivity to the WCI and WSI thresholds that define water scarcity can be comparable to the sensitivity to climate change pattern. More of the world will see an increase in exposure to water scarcity than a decrease due to climate change but this is not consistent across all climate change patterns. Additionally, investigation of the effects of a set of prescribed global mean temperature change scenarios show rapid increases in water scarcity due to climate change across many regions of the globe, up to 2 °C, followed by stabilisation to 4 °C.     

Stratigraphy and correlation of Mesoproterozoic rocks associated with Mohar cauldron,Shivpuri district,Madhya Pradesh

A circular structure, termed as cauldron of volcanic origin, was located near Mohar village in Shivpuri district (M.P.) in the year 2000. Subsequently, the same structure was called as Dhala structure of impact origin. There may be debate over the origin and evolution of this circular structure, but it is characterized by a unique lithological set-up within the Bundelkhand craton. The circular structure is defined by annular disposition of igneous and sedimentary rocks. This includes a set of felsic volcanic rocks and associated breccias named as Mohar Formation, exposed in the outer rim of the circular structure. The inner part of the circular structure has sedimentary sequence, termed as Dhala Formation.The field relations indicate that the Mohar and Dhala foarmations are younger than Bundelkhand granitoid complex but older than Kaimur Group. This period in Indian stratigraphy corresponds to Semri Group which consists of Porcellanite Formation, the rocks of which have formed due to deposition of volcanic ash.The geochronological data and field relations between different litho-units indicate that the Mohar volcanism which generated large volume of volcanic ash was a possible source for the formation of Porcellanite Formation. The deposition of sedimentary sequence in main Vindhyan basin was continued, whereas the volcanic activity in Mohar area continued till H ≈ 1.0 Ga. Since, acid volcanic activity has been reported in different parts of the world at H ≈ 1.0 Ga., it is possible that the Mohar acid volcanic activity is not an isolated event; instead it may be a part of global volcanic activities around H ≈ 1.0 Ga.